Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Beyond Cultural Competence: Measuring And Developing Cultural Intelligence In Christian Organizations, Ronald Phillip Lugo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cultural intelligence has emerged as a critical competency for cross-cultural ministry (Livermore, 2009). However, most churches and Christian organizations lack formal training to develop this capacity (Otaigbe, 2016). Tran (2009) notes that culture can be viewed as values, norms, institutions, and/or artifacts, all of which are difficult to define and understand. Churches today are increasingly intentionally designed to be multicultural (Berquist, 2018). Christian organizations face a challenge in communicating with individuals from diverse cultures. How do churches and Christian organizations prepare to reach and disciple effectively? This study addressed this strategic need by developing a cultural intelligence training specifically for …

Challenging The Consensus: Labor Struggle, Worker Experience, And Presidential Intervention At The Mary-Leila Textile Mill During World War Ii A Scholarly Interpretation Of A Newly Discovered Textile Mill Archive, 1930s–1940s, Alix Hunsucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Four sealed wooden crates discovered in the rafters of the Mary-Leila Textile Mill in Greensboro, Georgia, provide the evidentiary foundation for this dissertation and reveal a previously unavailable history of southern textile labor, industrial paternalism, unionization, and federal intervention. Sealed in 1946 and hidden from ordinary circulation for more than half a century, the cache contains legal correspondence, telegrams, wage records, contracts, photographs, architectural materials, and documentation connecting this small rural Georgia mill to a much larger regional labor dispute and the expanding authority of the federal government during World War II. Combined with oral histories, local government records, census …

Cultivating A Culturally Relevant And Inclusive Elementary Music Classroom, Elisabeth Virginia Marie Buzzell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While programs such as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Act (DEI) and the practice of Culturally Responsive Education (CRE) existed for much of the last decade, representation of marginalized and intersectional identities in traditional music education is often limited to world culture units, rather than being consistently integrated throughout the curriculum. The social understanding of CRE and DEI often limits their purpose to racial diversity; however, these philosophies affirm people from any marginalized class, including those based on gender, disability, race, culture, community, orientation, socioeconomics, or simply bringing one’s lived experiences into a valued perspective. The lack of integration happens …

A Wicked Humanity Original Sin In The Theology Of John Wesley And Jonathan Edwards, Vincent Andrew Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The source of human wickedness is not in a fault in our education, but a fault in our nature. Ignorance is not the root of human depravity; rather, there is an innate propensity in the human soul to gravitate, not towards the light, but towards the darkness. This truth, i.e., the doctrine of Original Sin, was fiercely maintained in the 18th century by John Wesley, the Father of Methodism, and by Jonathan Edwards, the last of the Puritans. Both of these men each wrote a large treatise on this same topic matter, that of Original Sin, and for the same …

Building A Defense Economy: World War Ii, Federal Investment, And Georgia’S Economic Transformation, 1940-1965, William Heath Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how World War II transformed Georgia’s economy from a predominately rural, agricultural economy into a more diversified economy increasingly tied to federal investment, military activity, industrial production, transportation, and commerce. It argues that wartime mobilization accelerated this transformation by directing federal funds into military installations, defense industries, infrastructure, and public services while drawing workers into expanding centers of employment. Using federal records, census data, military publications, corporate reports, newspapers, and oral histories, the study examines Fort Benning, Robins Field, Camp Toccoa, Bell Aircraft, the Brunswick Shipyards, Delta Air Lines, and The Coca-Cola Company. These cases show how …

Ideas Into Policy: An Intellectual History Of The United States Navy’S Equal Opportunity Program, Claire J. Dabrowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the intellectual history of the United States Navy’s Equal Opportunity Program, arguing that its origins extended far beyond the racial unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rather than viewing the program solely as an administrative response to crisis, this study demonstrates that it represented the culmination of more than a century of evolving ideas concerning citizenship, military service, constitutional equality, democratic governance, and military professionalism. Employing the methods of intellectual and institutional history, the dissertation traces these ideas from the Civil War through the reforms of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., …

The Revitalization Of Pentecostal Churches In Rural Appalachia, Justin W. Rowland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pentecostal churches in rural Appalachia face challenges such as declining attendance, aging congregations, demographic shifts, and changing cultural values. Although denominations such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the Assemblies of God remain active throughout the region, many churches struggle to sustain growth and ministry effectiveness. Limited research has examined the factors that contribute to the health and vitality of thriving Pentecostal churches in this rural setting. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the characteristics and practices of healthy, growing Pentecostal churches in rural Appalachia to understand what contributes to their vitality, discipleship, and sustained …

A Metaphysical Analysis Of Theological Language: Can We Talk About God?, Kenneth R. Marple

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The possibility of meaningful theological language presents a longstanding problem in philosophy of religion and Christian theology. Because human language is finite and creaturely while God is infinite and transcendent, questions arise concerning how human beings can make meaningful and truthful claims about God. Traditional accounts of univocal, equivocal, and analogical predication address aspects of this problem but often leave a more fundamental metaphysical question unresolved: what must language be for it to meaningfully signify reality? This dissertation provides a metaphysical analysis of theological language by examining the ontological foundations of language and its relationship to reality. Through qualitative, interdisciplinary …

The Great Bridge: A Congregational Engagement Intervention For The Local Church, India C. Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation-in-praxis addressed a documented gap between the stated mission of New Beginnings Ministry of Faith, Hope, and Love (NBM) and the lived engagement patterns of its members. Although the church articulated a vision of Spirit-led community grounded in discipleship, fellowship, and service, participation outside of weekly worship remained limited. The intervention, titled The Great Bridge, was grounded in Acts 2:42–47 as a biblical model of participatory church life and in social capital theory, which highlights the role of relational networks in generating communal outcomes (Claridge, 2018a, 2018b; Putnam 2000a, 2000b). The Great Bridge was a structured 16-week congregational engagement …

A Deacon Boot Camp For The Deacons Of Second Baptist Church, Cypress Campus, Stephen Bailiff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As one of only two ordained offices of a Southern Baptist Church, deacons have a responsibility to grow spiritually. Second Baptist Church, Cypress Campus, does not regularly hold the deacons accountable for spiritual growth. As a result, spiritual complacency has infiltrated the deacons. Therefore, the pastor offered an eight-week intensive discipleship program for the deacons to ignite spiritual growth. The Deacon Boot Camp included four elements to strengthen discipleship and foster spiritual growth. The four elements were Heaven Week, squadron meetings, guided daily devotionals, and accountability partners. They integrated theological training with the application of spiritual disciplines. The project creator …

Welcoming The Recovering To Worship At Westwood Baptist Church, Eric "Shawn" Stricklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry project addressed the relational disconnect between participants in the Reformers Unanimous addiction recovery ministry and their integration into Sunday corporate worship at Westwood Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Although many individuals regularly attended the recovery ministry, they did not consistently engage in the broader life of the church. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Welcome Team Training Program designed to equip volunteers with theological understanding, relational skills, and ministry confidence to foster greater congregational integration. Ten participants completed the eight-week intervention, which included biblical instruction, addiction education, guided discussion, …

Echo Hermeneutics: Listening To The Repetitions And Echoes Of The Bible, Shelton Matthew Trail

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

What is a biblical echo, and what contribution do they make to biblical interpretation? In seeking meaning, does divine inspiration overtake the author, or is the modern reader permitted to apply speculative meaning outside of the original author’s intent and context? Such questions are integral and relevant to modern biblical engagements. This includes questions such as how to approach, define, interpret, and apply what can be defined as intertextuality, or what this dissertation defines as echoes. Unfortunately, biblical echoes and repeated patterns are often misunderstood and underappreciated for what they can contribute to hermeneutical practices. Therefore, this research seeks to …

The Army Spreads Its Wings: Army Aviation And Its Influence On War, Christopher J. Braund

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today’s United States Army operates some of the world's most advanced helicopters, conducting some of the most dangerous aerial insertions and close air support missions. Every Army infantry division has a helicopter brigade, with capabilities ranging from command-and-control to attack, scout, and lift assets. Yet, that is a relatively new concept. Developed in the 1960s, the air mobility doctrine emerged from the Eisenhower Administration’s New Look defense policy, giving the Army direction on how to use helicopters within its overall land warfare capability. This dissertation looks at how that occurred. It fills a major gap in the historiography of Army …

Exploring The Role Of Mentorship For Urban African American Underprivileged Students Who Participate In Band Programs: A Case Study, Tyreese Lamar Pleasanton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Underprivileged urban African American students who participate in band programs benefit from transformative mentorship within a culturally relevant support system. By providing access to environmental resources and equitable opportunities, mentors play a critical role in promoting academic achievement, social-emotional growth, and cultural pride. This study investigates the impact of mentorship on student outcomes in urban settings, highlights distinctive African American experiences, identifies structural barriers, and proposes relationship-based strategies to advance educational equity through culturally responsive support. Data will be collected through surveys, interviews, observations, and thematic analysis, with a specific focus on current band directors. The findings will contribute to …

Recommendations For Improving Undergraduate Music Education Student Teaching Opportunities At A Faith-Based College In The Southeastern United States, Molly E. Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student teaching opportunities are the most valuable and foundational experiences in a music educator’s pre-service training. Foundational skills are often refined during student teaching experiences. These skills include critical thinking, pedagogical strategies, classroom management, and effective communication—all key elements of successful teaching. Student teaching opportunities serve as the bridge between course content and real-world application for young educators. The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations for strategies to improve student-teaching opportunities in the undergraduate music education program at a faith-based college in the southeastern United States. The problem was the limited scope and frequency of student teaching opportunities …

The Amateur Class: A Christoform, Communal, Experience-Driven Leader Development Approach For The Missionary Church, Virgil Lee Tanner Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Missionary Church, like many Christian organizations, faces recurring leadership transitions in which emerging leaders must assume responsibilities that exceed their developmental preparation. This challenge reflects the absence of a shared, coherent leader development framework that leverages experience for development and integrates Christoform spirituality and professional growth. This study examined the feasibility and potential impact of The Amateur Class, a Christoform, experience-driven leader development intervention combining narrative reflection, a three-day in-person retreat, virtual learning cohorts, and a capstone virtual retreat. Using a mixed-methods design, the study quantitatively assessed changes in self-awareness (Self-Reflection and Insight Scale [SRIS]), tolerance for ambiguity (Multiple …

Examining Christian Hospital Chaplains’ Roles: Navigating Shifting Paradigms, Karen Y. Wilkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this heuristic phenomenological study was to explore how faith-based hospital chaplains negotiate their professional identity while serving non-religious clients. As hospital chaplaincy expands beyond traditional religious care, chaplains are increasingly expected to support the holistic well-being of patients from diverse religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds. Guided by humanistic theory, role theory, and theory of meaning, this study examined how chaplains understand and fulfill their professional roles. Role theory informed the exploration of expectations placed on chaplains, while theory of meaning provided a framework for understanding how chaplains support patients’ meaning-making processes regardless of religious affiliation. Data were …

Fostering Meaningful Relationships In Middle School Music Ensembles And The Impact On Student Retention, Michael Andrew Murphy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although participation in music ensembles varies from school to school in the United States, many directors struggle to retain, let alone grow, the number of members that comprise their performance ensembles. This is often the result of scheduling, time constraints, financial obligations, and understanding the needs of student engagement. The purpose of this qualitative, ethnological study is to explore the impact of fostering meaningful relationships in middle school music ensembles and what role those relationships play in the retention of students. This study also investigates how students and teachers determine the meaningfulness of their relationships, the importance of those relationships …

In Myth And Memory: The Efficacy Of New England Civil War Chaplains, Kevin L. Hostettler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Private William Kennedy of the Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry damned chaplains as “the most gigantic nuisance in the Army,” then praised his own. The distance between abstract condemnation and named, concrete appreciation has shaped the historiography of the Union chaplaincy, with historians largely accepting nameless class censure at face value and treating competence as the exception. This dissertation argues that no single standard of efficacy can be applied to Union chaplains, because they answered to seven competing horizons of expectation (governmental, military command, regimental, soldiery, denominational, civilian, and personal), leaving chaplains to fill undefined duties Congress never clarified or reconciled. …

Who Killed Lucio Blanco? Border Incursions & Sovereignty Along The Rio Grande, Jaime L. Alvarez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The assassination of Lucio Blanco along the banks of the Rio Grande in 1922 was not an isolated episode of political violence but the culmination of nearly a century-old practice of contested sovereignty, border incursions, and lack of law enforcement. This dissertation thus examines the borderlands of Texas and Mexico from the nineteenth century through the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Within this time frame, this dissertation demonstrates that the international boundary functioned less as a fixed division between two sovereign states and more as a political gray zone in which authority, identity, violence, and political power were continually negotiated. …

School Choice And The Black Family: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Why Black Christian Parents Choose Public Schools, Rosalyn C. Gatling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A lack of growth in enrollment is noticeable in Faith-based schools, even more so with black student enrollment in Christian schools (NCES, 2024). Black student enrollment continues to remain at a low percentage and has not increased in over 15 years, with leaders striving to discover solutions to elevate growth in the future and avert further enrollment loss, and stagnation (Harsh, 2018). The major reasons why black Christian parents choose public schools over Christian schools vary; therefore, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover the perspective of black Christian parents and what they believe are the major …

Music Educators’ Perceptions And Implementation Of Multiculturalism In The Classroom, Kennedy Mae Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study is to determine teachers' perceptions of multicultural education and its potential benefits in Sumter County. The purpose of this research is to understand the perspectives and approaches to preparing for the implementation of multiculturalism among public school music programs in Sumter, South Carolina. The rationale for this research is that there is a gap in the literature on multicultural implementation in music education in South Carolina. With proper technological implementation, multiculturalism could help prepare music educators to teach a culturally diverse group of students. As a result of the study, the researcher aims to gain …

A Mixed-Method Investigation Into A Possible Correlation Between Forced Terminations Among Church Members, An Exodus Of Young Adults, And An Exponential Decay In Church Attendance, Chastity Selma Jhingree

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the preservation of the biblical church, church members are mandated in the Face of God (Coram Deo) to feed all Christians with the Word of God. However, extant literature reveals a major crisis confronting the church: the exponential decay in church attendance. Therefore, the overarching question is: how can church members feed on and receive the Word of God when church attendance continues to decline? Forced terminations and an exodus of young adults from the church were examined in an investigation to determine whether they significantly contributed to the decline in church attendance. A mixed-methods research design was used …

A Bridge Of Trust: A Cross-Cultural Ministry Guide For Buidling Ministry Partnerships With Mississippi Choctaw Churches, Ray Hazelton Duplessie Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project filled a gap in the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board’s ministry agenda by creating a Cross-Cultural Ministry Guide for those who desired to work with Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) churches. Historically, Choctaw people were wrongly told they had to give up their heritage to follow Jesus, creating a painful tension between their faith and culture. The purpose of the Ministry Guide was to build a stronger relationship with the Choctaw community by encouraging outside ministry teams to understand past hurts and see Choctaw culture through a biblical perspective. To test the guide, group discussions were held after …

Harmonies Of Healing: A Secondary Data Analysis On Music Engagement And Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Theophilus Eben Nartey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional secondary data analysis was to examine the relationship between music engagement and self-reported quality of life among adults aged 60 years and older, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Guided by the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) framework, the study explored whether music engagement significantly predicted perceived well-being in later adulthood while accounting for chronic health conditions. Secondary data from the HRS public-use dataset were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29. The final analytical sample consisted of 1,582 adults aged 60 years or older with complete data on all variables included in the …

The Effects Of Elementary Music Scheduling And Vertical Alignment On First-Year Middle School Ensemble Readiness: A Study Of Music Teacher Perceptions, James Mock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students entering middle school encounter many changes in how music is taught and organized. During this transition, music students are introduced to a greater emphasis on ensemble performance. These students enter middle school with diverse backgrounds in musical training and knowledge. Additional factors affecting students’ musical development include funding, socioeconomic background, and demographics. Elementary music scheduling and program vertical alignment may also influence students’ preparedness as they enter middle school. To become highly successful in music ensemble performance, students must have appropriate prior musical training before entering middle school.

This qualitative study will examine how elementary music schedules and vertical …

The Predictability Gap: A Correlation Study Of Supporting Pillars And Repertoire Success In Abrsm Practical And Performance Grades Piano Examinations, Arthur Chit-Ho Ng

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the structural predictability trajectories within the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) graded piano framework. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the project analyzed a longitudinal dataset (N = 449) to investigate variance in student achievement and the emergence of developmental plateaus, conceptually identified as the “Reading Wall.” Quantitative modeling revealed distinct structural divergences within the syllabus architecture: the traditional Practical Grades maintained a stable correlational signal between technical components and outcomes (r = .826 at Grade 7), whereas the digital Performance Grades yielded a non-significant association (p = .355). Furthermore, Grade 5 Music …

Teaching French Horn: A Review Of Literature For The Beginning Horn Student And Best Methods For Application, Anna M. Schmitz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are many beginning French horn method books available to students and teachers today, divided into two main categories: whole-band integration and private-lesson instruction. There is little agreement between the methods on which elements of playing to emphasize and how to sequence instruction. Some whole-band method books start in an uncomfortable range for the beginning horn player, either too high or too low, in order to accommodate the fundamental harmonics of the majority of the other concert band wind instrumentalists. To mitigate this problem, some method books offer a “horns only” option with the same exercise transposed either up a …

An Applied Study Of Mentorship Structures For Early-Career Secondary Choral Directors In A Texas School District, Kasie D. Kline

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite established preservice choral music education curricula in higher education, many early-career choral directors report feeling underprepared for the practical demands of professional teaching. Research in music education has documented challenges related to classroom management, administrative responsibilities, budgeting, and professional support during the transition from university training to classroom practice. While these concerns are well-documented, less attention has been paid to district-level structural factors that may either diminish or intensify early-career challenges. This applied study examines mentorship structures for early-career secondary choral directors within Liberty Hill Independent School District, with particular attention to differences between choral and band program staffing …

Stigmatic History: The Advancement Of Accessibility In U.S. Museums, 1960-2010, Misty A. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation represents an overlap between disability history and public history by examining how museums in the U.S. became more accessible between 1960 and the early twenty-first century. Utilizing an expansive cross-section of primary and secondary sources, this study unravels the complexities of social and legal pressures that resulted in accessibility becoming a priority in museums. Changes in social expectations, new legal measures, and activism contributed to a shift in the status and treatment of people with disabilities. With these changes came a need for public spaces to adapt and provide disabled peoples with the same access and experiences as …