Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Experiments In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Experiments, with their ability to establish causal relationships (unlike correlational studies), are an under-utilized research tool in church-based research. This article examines experimental designs, including pre-experiments, true experiments, and quasi-experiments, and their relevance to church contexts. The challenges of random assignment, ethical considerations, and threats to validity, such as history, maturation, and selection effects, are real, but not insurmountable. There are practical limitations to experiments in church settings, but previously conducted experiments focusing on Bible reading, church attendance, and leadership development initiatives demonstrate their feasibility. The value of experimental methodologies for understanding church-related phenomena, improving ministry effectiveness, fostering spiritual growth, …

From Disruption To Renewal: Harnessing Divine Interruptions And Strategic Leadership For Transforming Church Culture, Ryan Johnson

Great Commission Research Journal

Church revitalization is a field that addresses refreshing the church’s mission and vision by leaders who assess internal and external factors affecting the congregation’s current state. However, researchers in organizational culture argue that refreshed strategies will be ineffective without also addressing underlying cultural issues. This essay addresses the need for and the process of transforming church culture during the revitalization process. Pastors and leaders bring about cultural change by disrupting the status quo. This disruptive leadership is achieved through two approaches. First, leaders proactively and incrementally disrupt the status quo to influence cultural change through faithful pastoral practices. Secondly, leaders …

Book Review: Street Smarts: Using Questions To Answer Christianity’S Toughest Challenges By Gregory Koukal, Daniel Suter

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Church As Witness: The Relationship Between Identity, Action, And Metrics Of Success, Jonathan Husted

Great Commission Research Journal

The Church (especially in the West) has focused on different “metrics” used to measure success. These metrics have focused on quantitative measurements, oftentimes neglecting the “means” for the sake of the “ends.” Not to mention, “success” has been distorted and defined outside of Jesus’ witness. What if the Bible presented different metrics of success? Metrics that focus both on the “means” and the “ends” are equally important. This research presents the argument that “witness” is foundational to success, especially when focusing on the life of Jesus. Therefore, witness, as both an identity and an action, must be reclaimed by the …

I Was In Prison And You Educated Me: A Missiological Analysis, Paul H. De Neui

Great Commission Research Journal

With less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States incarcerates more than 25% of the world’s prisoners. The U.S. detains more of its own population than any other country in the world. Providing theological education to men and women who are incarcerated in U.S. prisons presents possibilities for mutual transformation, culture shaping, as well as numerous complex challenges. This article reviews the ten years of North Park Theological Seminary’s involvement in this effort in three state prisons in Illinois, drawing out lessons learned in the process. The opportunities and potential pitfalls are presented from a missiological perspective to …

Book Review: Canoeing The Mountains: Christian Leadership In Uncharted Territory By Tod Bolsinger, Jason Ballard

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Brief History Of The American Society For Church Growth And Great Commission Research Network, Gary Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

This article surveys the 40‑year history of the Great Commission Research Network, originally founded in 1985 as the American Society for Church Growth. It traces the Society’s origins in the vision of C. Peter Wagner, its early development alongside emerging academic and consulting roles in the Church Growth Movement, and its subsequent evolution through changing leadership, themes, and institutional partnerships. The narrative outlines major milestones, including organizational restructuring, name changes, expanding conference formats, and increasing collaboration with seminaries, denominations, and the Society for Church Consulting. Across four decades, the Society has produced significant research, cultivated key leaders, supported academic scholarship, …

Book Review: Reading James Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, And Methods Of James Edited By Abeneazer G. Urga, Jessica A. Udall, And Edward L. Smither, Kenneth Nehrbass

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: A New And Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering The Ways God Calls And Sends By Judith Paulsen, Rhonda Haynes

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Generations: The Real Difference Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, And Silents – And What They Mean For America’S Future By Jean M. Twenge, H. L. Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Receptivity Principle For Effective Evangelism: Its Biblical Basis, Mike Morris

Great Commission Research Journal

Donald McGavran’s receptivity principle remains relevant today as Christian mission agencies and individuals make decisions about prioritizing evangelistic efforts. This article examines the scriptural basis of the principle. The author analyzes various passages that confirm the logical progression of the following statements: The preliminary work of God is necessary for evangelistic effectiveness. God works unevenly around the world as he works in the evangelistic process. Because of God’s uneven work, some individuals and groups are more receptive to the gospel than are other individuals and groups. Christians can and should discern where God is causing increased receptivity, and they should …

Book Review: Evangelism In An Age Of Despair: Hope Beyond The Failed Promise Of Happiness By Andrew Root, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Meaningful Outreach: An Essential Guide For Churches By Mark A. Wood, Glenn L. Campbell

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Bearing Witness In Acts And Today By Troy M. Troftgruben, Christopher Robershaw

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Preaching In A New Key, Crafting Expository Sermons In Post-Christian Communities By Mark R. Glanville, Bing Nieh

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Hybrid Church: Rethinking The Church For A Post-Christian Digital Age By James Emery White, Glenn L. Campbell

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

About The Great Commission Research Network Fall 2025, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Fall 2025 Complete Issue, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Evangelism Renewed: The Theological Revisioning Of Evangelism By Henry H. Knight Iii, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Leadership And Organizational Traits Of Healthy Church Cultures, Stephen Blandino

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The leadership and organizational cultures of local churches are crucial. Over the centuries, these cultures have been shaped by various factors, from the teachings of the Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter in the New Testament to the behaviors and practices of the Catholic Church, the influence of the Reformation, and insights from modern research. This dissertation identifies ten leadership and organizational traits that have influenced the culture of New Testament, historical, and modern-day churches. These traits were used in a quantitative survey to assess their presence in contemporary churches. Based on the research, eight strategies are presented to help pastors …

An Effective And Organized Mentorship Model: Does It Affect The Emerging Leaders’ Call To Ministry And The Longevity Of The Universal Church?, Linda F. Parker

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The concept of mentorship is undeniably a fundamental tool for personal and professional growth. Statistics show that mentorship has a vital impact on both individuals and organizations. Could having a strategic mentoring plan in ministry make a meaningful difference for individuals and the Universal Church? This dissertation has explored the effects of mentorship and models based on experiences and strategies from those who identify as ministry leaders. For the Apostle Paul, Christ's life serves as a model and example, as he states, “Follow my example, as I follow Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). These words are the exact phrase that Jesus …

77 | Khirbat ‘Amra: A Rural Site From The Hellenistic To Early Islamic Periods In The BeʼEr Sheva‘ Valley, Itamar Taxel, Noé D. Michael

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume constitutes the final report of the large-scale salvage excavations directed by Gil Tahal on behalf of the IAA in 1993–1994 at the site of Khirbat ‘Amra, in the north-central area of the Be’er Sheva‛ Valley. The excavations revealed architectural remains and finds dated mainly to the Hellenistic until the Early Islamic periods, in addition to scantier remains or isolated finds from the Chalcolithic period, the Iron Age II and the Ottoman period. Khirbat ‘Amra is one of the largest multiperiod sites in the Be’er Sheva‛ Valley, specifically in the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. Furthermore, Tahal’s excavations were …

Islams And Modernity In Cyprus And Turkey: A Comparative Perspective, Michael Todd Smith

School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies Faculty Publications

This article critically analyzes Aziz Al-Azmeh’s concept of Islams, while arguing for a contextbased analysis of the meeting between religious identity and modernity. It provides a loose framework for analyzing encounters between Islams and modernity in the cases of Cyprus and Turkey. Despite their close cultural and political connections at the rise of modernity, these two cases diverge, showcasing a high degree of public and private secularism in Cyprus and a contested public secularism and significant private religious identification in Turkey.

Review Of Victor Fan, “Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy Through Buddhism”, Teng-Kuan Ng

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This is a book review of Victor Fan, Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy through Buddhism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2022)

If I Could Touch Him (Poem), Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Redemption, Zoe E. Prince

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Sarah Sillin

An oft misunderstood classic of literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne’ Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, her minister and lover Arthur Dimmesdale, and their ruthless enemy, Roger Chillingworth. In the Puritan colony of Boston Massachusetts, 1642, Hester’s child born out of wedlock earns her a scarlet letter, marking her forever as a flagrant sinner. In the midst of betrayal, shame, and superstition, Hester shines as an incredible testimony to fortitude. Though lauded as a beautiful romance, within the Scarlet Letter many readers miss the bitter musings of the author’s narration, which constantly reproves the religious community …

Poetry And Empowerment In Islam, Stephanie Kerr

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Katharine Whitcomb

In this collection I hope to express the abundance of empowerment my religion, Islam, has given me. Before my conversion I, like many, believed some misconceptions about women in Islam but now I have gained confidence and discovered I am capable of more than I ever thought. In this community I have also met many Muslim women who feel the same sense of empowerment. Presentation recording available in the SOURCE 2025 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@cwusource5518

Women And Religion In The Mongol Empire, Karlie Barnett

The Ozark Historical Review

This article contributes toward the effort to uncover the impact of women on the making of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It also considers how women among the Mongols interacted with religion in varied and distinct ways and how these relationships influenced the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire overall. These interactions, which took place in the personal realm, the political realm, and in the realm of patronage, had profound effects on the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire.

Learning And Leading With Ai: Teaching, Technology, And Courage To Grow, David J. Mulder

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

"A New Sensation": John Locke And The Sovereignty Of God In John Edward's Conception Of The New Birth, Jacob Huneycutt

The Ozark Historical Review

The author explores the role of Jonathan Edwards on the development of American Evangelicalism through examining his conversion experience in light of the philosophy of John Locke.