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Articles 1 - 30 of 77
Full-Text Articles in Religion
Beyond The Pulpit: A Quantitative Analysis Of Midwest Church Leaders' Confidence And Competence In Addressing Sexual Trauma, Eryka Mcmillan
Beyond The Pulpit: A Quantitative Analysis Of Midwest Church Leaders' Confidence And Competence In Addressing Sexual Trauma, Eryka Mcmillan
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This quantitative study investigates the interconnectedness of confidence and competence within the context of Midwest church leaders in addressing survivors of sexual trauma. Sexual Trauma encompasses crimes like sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse, and it presents complex challenges within faith communities. This research employs an ordinal logistic regression, combining a survey instrument to assess leaders' confidence, known as the Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Patients (RTEPS), and a comprehensive tool to measure competence, referred to as the Trauma-Informed Care Questionnaire (TICQ). Additionally, demographic factors, including race, age, gender, denomination, previous trauma training, and years of ministry experience, are analyzed …
A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson
A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to identify and understand clergy members’ described hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care for overcoming burnout. The theory guiding this study was transcendentalism from Husserl’s ontological approach to phenomenology. The United Pentecostal Church, International (UPCI) organization was chosen as the site for this study because the participants were clergy members licensed by the UPCI religious organization who had experienced burnout and hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care. Participants included twelve UPCI clergy members. Data collection involved one-on-one initial interviews with each clergy member and follow-up interviews for clarification where needed. Data analysis …
Bridging Faith And Restoration: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Evangelical Pastors’ Experiences Ministering To Congregants With Trauma In The Greater Toronto Area, Lindsay Knox Mcvety
Bridging Faith And Restoration: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Evangelical Pastors’ Experiences Ministering To Congregants With Trauma In The Greater Toronto Area, Lindsay Knox Mcvety
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences with discussing trauma with congregants and their experiences with trauma-informed care in the church. The theory guiding this research is Transformative Learning Theory (TLT). As discussed by Mezirow (1991), TLT explains transformation occurs by increasing knowledge by learning about topics where outdated or misinformed concepts previously existed. The main research question is, how do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences ministering to congregants who have experienced trauma? Further sub-questions ask, how do evangelical pastors in …
Early Forgiveness Intervention In Substance Abuse Recovery, Susan Janos
Early Forgiveness Intervention In Substance Abuse Recovery, Susan Janos
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Recent statistics have shown significant increases in substance abuse in the United Sates indicated by rising overdose deaths and hospital stays nationwide. This study was conducted to determine if early forgiveness intervention by chaplains and clergy affects the decisions of individuals struggling with substance abuse in considering forgiveness as a pathway to recovery. Based on the success of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program and recent studies, this research addressed forgiveness as a pathway to recovery for those struggling with substance abuse. Forgiveness was considered in one or more of five areas: forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, forgiveness from …
The Effect Of Music On Spiritual Well Being Among Hospice Patients, Mathai Abraham
The Effect Of Music On Spiritual Well Being Among Hospice Patients, Mathai Abraham
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The life expectancy of a hospice patient is approximately six months or less. Hospice care is not for the cure of the disease. It is the care provided to the patients for the symptom management of the disease. Hospice care, known as end-of-life care, is very important for a comfortable and peaceful passage. Holistic care for the hospice patient is the goal of the hospice care plan. A hospice patient’s spiritual well-being can be maintained by spiritual support through a spiritual presence and spiritual conversation; all hospice care institutions' disciplines can provide adequate spiritual aid through their interaction with patients, …
Boundless Community: A Virtual Platform Designed For Collaborative Development Of Emotional Well-Being, Sai On Ng
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This research aims to apply the US Army concept of spiritual readiness to help Christians manage emotional stress in a civilian context through an online community. This project invites disconnected Christians to join an online community where they can address negative emotions by developing self-awareness of their maladaptive thinking and embody the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. This approach assists individuals in building emotional resilience, a concept emphasized in the military. This project addresses five negative emotions (anger, shame, sadness, fear, and loneliness) by replacing them with positive emotions taught in the Bible. The project consists of eight …
Prayer’S Effect On Love And Respect In Christian Married Couples, Gabrielle Knorr Keenum
Prayer’S Effect On Love And Respect In Christian Married Couples, Gabrielle Knorr Keenum
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study explored the relationship of Christian religious couples between marital prayer, either with spouse or for spouse, and the Biblical directive found in the New Testament that husbands and wives should both love and respect their spouse. Previous research is explored which finds multiple benefits religiosity and prayer have upon a couple’s relationship. The benefits of religiosity include couples view marriage as sacred and God as their moral authority which produces higher marital satisfaction and marital commitment. Benefits of relational prayer include increased trust, increased marital satisfaction, increased forgiveness, higher ability to resolve marital conflict, lower marital infidelity, higher …
Being Present Without Being Present: An Internet-Based Approach To Providing Pastoral Counseling To An Always Online Generation, Stephen Lyon Woolverton
Being Present Without Being Present: An Internet-Based Approach To Providing Pastoral Counseling To An Always Online Generation, Stephen Lyon Woolverton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The increasing reliance that Millennials and Gen-Z Christians have on the internet for almost every question that comes up in their lives should be viewed by pastoral counselors as a cultural context that need to be understood as part of the counseling process and not an obstacle to the counseling process. The emergence of the internet, and the part that it has played in the culture of American Christians who have grown up with constant access to this avenue of communication, has only recently begun to be seen and utilized by pastoral counselors. This research uses the perspective of a …
Improving The Biblical And Spiritual Skills And Knowledge Of Christian Mental Health Counselors At Grace House Counseling Center In Fleming Island, Fl, Larry M. Nichols
Improving The Biblical And Spiritual Skills And Knowledge Of Christian Mental Health Counselors At Grace House Counseling Center In Fleming Island, Fl, Larry M. Nichols
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Christian licensed mental health counseling at Grace House Counseling Center is a multi-faceted spiritual undertaking that is largely in the purview of lay persons who often work and minister to Christians and non-Christians who live and work in a pluralistic environment. Grace House’s mental health counselors are formally trained through their master’s degree program to provide mental health care, not spiritual or soul care, to clients. While some Grace House counselors have some spiritual training, either from an undergraduate Bible college or through years of self-study, most do not have formal training that links Scripture and spiritual disciplines to various …
Preparing Church Counselors For Obsessive Morbid Jealousy, David M. Reinhardt
Preparing Church Counselors For Obsessive Morbid Jealousy, David M. Reinhardt
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This research addressed the problem of the lack of training in pastoral counselors in the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Iquique, Chile, to help wives and their families suffering suspicious jealousy due to childhood traumas. This DMIN action research project trained pastoral counselors to connect childhood trauma to wives suffering suspicious jealousy. There are two stages of this action research; the first is to establish the connection of obsessive morbid jealousy (OMJ) to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The second is to prepare pastors and counselors to recognize the symptoms and causes of obsessive morbid jealousy and to have a clear strategy …
Marital Quality And Marital Satisfaction In Protestant Haitian Americans Vs. Non-Christian Haitian Americans, Frantz Lamour
Marital Quality And Marital Satisfaction In Protestant Haitian Americans Vs. Non-Christian Haitian Americans, Frantz Lamour
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The current study examined perceptions regarding marital satisfaction as described by Protestants Haitians Americans and non-Christian Haitian Americans. Participants were selected from married Christian and non-Christian couples that have been married for over five years within the age range of 25-53. The study used the Religion-Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy theory (R-CBT) framework. R-CBT is a well-known theoretical framework that integrates religious interventions in the therapeutic relationship to educate clients about the triangular relationship between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and cognitive restructuring (de Abreu Costa & Moreira-Almeida, 2022). Religion-Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (R-CBT) incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy methods from the perspective of …
Spiritual Abuse In Augusta, Georgia: Reconciling The Spiritually Abused To The Local Church, James A. Getts
Spiritual Abuse In Augusta, Georgia: Reconciling The Spiritually Abused To The Local Church, James A. Getts
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this action-based research project was to address the absence of a therapeutic process wherein pastoral counselors at Life Management Group (LMG) can responsibly attempt to reconcile spiritually abused Christians to a local church in Augusta, Georgia. One hundred percent of clients citing spiritual abuse in LMG’s pastoral counseling department were abstaining from any religious activity within a community of faith at the outset of this project. Data was researched at the international, national, state, and local levels. The researcher concluded that published research related to the topic of spiritual abuse is theoretical in nature only and not …
The Influence Of Religion On Marital Crisis: A Qualitative Study, Kendal Florence Thomas
The Influence Of Religion On Marital Crisis: A Qualitative Study, Kendal Florence Thomas
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this case study was to explore how married Christians couples and pastors perceive the influence of religion, religious over-idealization, and community-centered social processes on couples’ ability to cope with relationship crises within their marriage in New York. The theory guiding this study was the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura (1977). The Social Learning Theory was fundamental in the discussion of marriage because behaviors can occur in a marriage that one spouse may disagree with, but due to lack of consequences or rewards, the behavior has persisted, leading to conflict within the marriage. The researcher interviewed ten …
Efficacy Of A Christian Intervention To Promote Posttraumatic Growth In Women Recovering From Intimate Partner Violence, Jerra L. Dooley
Efficacy Of A Christian Intervention To Promote Posttraumatic Growth In Women Recovering From Intimate Partner Violence, Jerra L. Dooley
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This quantitative pretest-posttest design evaluated a biblically based personal development program (PDP) for promoting PTG in Christian women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). A convenience sample (N = 7) of volunteers included women within a large county in the Southeastern United States. Participants were recruited through numerous large and small Southern Baptist churches. Qualifications included being female, at least 19 years old, and having experienced IPV but not within the last 12 months, to reduce the possibility of reinjury by rumination. Participants completed pretest assessments, attended the 3-hour personal development program, and completed a posttest assessment. Data was …
Help For The Emotional Religious Doubter: Divine Revelation As An Epistemic Axiom And Its Significance Upon The Implementation Of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Rebt), Ronald Henry Davis Jr.
Help For The Emotional Religious Doubter: Divine Revelation As An Epistemic Axiom And Its Significance Upon The Implementation Of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Rebt), Ronald Henry Davis Jr.
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study addresses the concept of religious doubt concerning those who embrace the Christian tradition, i.e., those who embrace the words and works of Christ, specifically the reality of the Resurrection, as true and efficacious for both salvation and spiritual formation. The existential crisis of doubting these truths is a consistent and significant issue addressed in both religious and secular circles driven by the desire to help the individual overcome the emotional distress associated with this phenomenon. This study is designating doubt that creates an existential crisis as emotional religious doubt (ERD), i.e., it is a species/variety of doubt that …
A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of Christian Mothers Navigating Through Societal Worldviews And Social Movements, Holly Amber Neavitt
A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of Christian Mothers Navigating Through Societal Worldviews And Social Movements, Holly Amber Neavitt
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study will investigate the lived experiences of Christian mothers as they navigate through various societal worldviews and influences. By examining the available studies on the misuse of Christian doctrine that facilitate the patriarchal worldview and the feminist movement to abolish faith-based gender assignment, the need to investigate the experiences of Christian mothers will be identified. Moreover, the burden of social conformity will be examined. Motherhood can feel like unfamiliar territory as mothers take on their role of motherhood. Investigating these influences and identifying the common experiences mothers face will help to better support Christian mothers. Investigating these lived experiences …
Improving Lay Helper Effectiveness: Teaching Living Prayer As A Gateway To A Focused Kingdom Lifestyle, Mark R. Painter
Improving Lay Helper Effectiveness: Teaching Living Prayer As A Gateway To A Focused Kingdom Lifestyle, Mark R. Painter
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
It is common for those entering counseling at the Lake Church Counseling Center to lack intimacy with God. When one lacks intimacy with God, they are in imminent danger of becoming influenced exclusively by the world's thinking in one or more areas of life. It is the effort of the LCCC to provide services to those suffering from emotional, spiritual, relational, and personal development struggles. Initially, the counseling center treats such conditions using Living Prayer to help clients strengthen their connection with God and transition to behaviors influenced only by the kingdom of God. This project aims to help Lake …
Leadership Culture: An Effective Leadership Strategy For Church Growth And Spiritual Maturity, Sikiru A. Asifatu
Leadership Culture: An Effective Leadership Strategy For Church Growth And Spiritual Maturity, Sikiru A. Asifatu
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In every organization, leadership culture patterns require a constant assessment to ensure members adhere to corporate practices. In church settings, leadership culture not only creates change but also transforms ministry strategy. Often, church leaders do not perceive culture as the driving force behind effective ministry operations. At Gateway Church, the researcher encountered church growth issues that other ministries struggle with as well, from organizational structure to leadership style. These problems will continue to be a challenge unless the church reinvents an effective leadership strategy focusing on ministry development. This research aims to address the leadership development issue at Gateway Church …
Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength: Understanding Spirituality's Transformative Impact As Assisted By Intradisciplinary Integration, Christopher Taylor Stokes
Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength: Understanding Spirituality's Transformative Impact As Assisted By Intradisciplinary Integration, Christopher Taylor Stokes
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Spirituality is an essential and deeply embedded part of Black Americans’ psyche. The counseling field has largely overlooked the roles of spirituality and religious beliefs in the development of the consciousness of this demographic. In the treatment of Black Americans, particularly Black churchgoers, this can be a serious oversight. The purpose of this DMin action research thesis is to provide sufficient intradisciplinary integrative spiritual teaching to effect holistic coping strategies for Lake Providence’s Mid-Week Bible Study Service members. The goal is to bring healing through an intradisciplinary integrative teaching approach utilizing psychology, theology, and spirituality. If the members of Lake …
Spouses’ Scriptural Beliefs, The Faithfulness Of Relationship With God, And Marital Satisfaction, Cristina Sanda Emrich
Spouses’ Scriptural Beliefs, The Faithfulness Of Relationship With God, And Marital Satisfaction, Cristina Sanda Emrich
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
A substantial body of research attests to religion's prominent influence on marital relationship quality. Aspects of religiosity that appear to enhance the quality of marital relationships include couples’ religious homogamy, prayer, religious involvement, spouses’ virtues, and sanctification of marriage. The couples reported studying the Scriptures to be beneficial in coping with life challenges and playing an important role in spouses’ conflict resolution. This study examines the association between marital satisfaction and biblical principles related to constructs such as forgiveness and commitment. It is assumed that relational virtues become relevant for marital quality as scriptural beliefs required by God. Spouses forgive …
Preemptive Church-Based Marital Education And Counseling As An Intervention To Increase Marital Satisfaction And Reduce Divorce Rates, Shane C. Kreller
Preemptive Church-Based Marital Education And Counseling As An Intervention To Increase Marital Satisfaction And Reduce Divorce Rates, Shane C. Kreller
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Marriage is a fundamental component of the Christian experience; it is an institution that ideally bonds two believers in a lifelong relationship through which they can grow spiritually and emotionally, support one another, and often create and raise the next generation within the warmth and nurturing of a united family. Unfortunately, marital dissatisfaction and divorce—common phenomena in the United States—can have a wide range of negative consequences not only for spouses but also for their children, parents, and friends. This Doctor of Ministry thesis examines how the author’s local church ministry, River of Life Fellowship Ministries, deals with issues of …
Surviving The Affair: A Qualitative Phenomenological Case Study Of The Strategies Couples Utilize To Repair Their Marriage Successfully After The Occurrence Of Infidelity, Kimberly J. Youngblood
Surviving The Affair: A Qualitative Phenomenological Case Study Of The Strategies Couples Utilize To Repair Their Marriage Successfully After The Occurrence Of Infidelity, Kimberly J. Youngblood
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This research explores couples' strategies in reconstructing their marriage after infidelity, thereby avoiding divorce. The research questions provide a clear focus on the discovery process through a phenomenological design and the use of semi-structured interviews. The literature review illustrates the history of marriage, fidelity, infidelity, predictors, general reasons for infidelity, the impact on the marriage, and tools utilized by couples who successfully repair their marriage after infidelity. The methods section provides a framework for implementing the study and includes details about the process of recruiting participants, interviewing participants, transcript review, codes, and theme development. The presentation of the findings illuminates …
Using Bible Reading In Moral Injury Therapy: A Mixed-Method Approach, John Ikenna Onuoha
Using Bible Reading In Moral Injury Therapy: A Mixed-Method Approach, John Ikenna Onuoha
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The debilitating effect of moral injury on members of the Sergeant Major Association of California in the Bay Area/Central Valley/Los Angeles area has deprived member veterans of a good and meaningful quality of life. This study aims to recognize the challenging impact of moral injury on adult Bay Area/Central Valley/LA veterans, address its symptoms using Bible reading therapy, and reassess their progress for an effective and lasting solution to veterans who are battling with war’s unseen wounds. The study used mixed research methods that incorporate the technical and social features of the combination of qualitative and quantitative means to help …
Benefits Of Mental Illness Training Programs In The Church, Blessed Onaiwu
Benefits Of Mental Illness Training Programs In The Church, Blessed Onaiwu
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The church consists of God’s people. It is the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The physical buildings facilitate the fellowship, worship, and ministry of God’s people. According to Matthew 10:8, one of the mandates given to the body of Christ is to heal the sick. Mental illness of any form is an illness that requires proper care and attention. And we know Jesus came to comfort us in all our afflictions which include mental illness; most churches do not address this topic due to stigma. There is often a greater shame regarding this illness within the church than outside, …
The Worship Battle: Reaching Generations Z And Alpha In American-Based Nigerian Pentecostal Churches, Charles O. Folami
The Worship Battle: Reaching Generations Z And Alpha In American-Based Nigerian Pentecostal Churches, Charles O. Folami
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Despite great strides by Nigerian Pentecostal pastors to bring worship values, concepts, practices, and behaviors to establish and lead churches in the United States, they have been unsuccessful in retaining or reaching the young adults, specifically Generations Z and Alpha. Nigerian Pentecostal pastors have produced many followers and churches, capturing Nigerian immigrants in their locality. Their congregations have heavily focused on adults with little or no succession plan. This study examines existing literature on African Pentecostal pastors' success in America and their operations in connecting with adult immigrants, which is unsuccessful in connecting and retaining Generations Z and Alpha. Guided …
The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Emotional Intimacy And Attachment In Marriage Among Heterosexual Women Who Are Regular Church Attendees, Elizabeth Morten Oates
The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Emotional Intimacy And Attachment In Marriage Among Heterosexual Women Who Are Regular Church Attendees, Elizabeth Morten Oates
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the impact of childhood trauma on emotional intimacy and attachment style in marriage among heterosexual women who are regular church attendees. Two research questions drove this current study: (a) How would women who have experienced childhood trauma describe their attachment style in marriage?, and (b) What challenges do women who have experienced childhood trauma face in marriage regarding emotional intimacy with their spouse? Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire (n.d.), the Adult Attachment Scale, and participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were categorized and analyzed using inductive and …
Using Spiritual Coping For Compassion Fatigue In Emergency Responders, Elliott Dix
Using Spiritual Coping For Compassion Fatigue In Emergency Responders, Elliott Dix
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project identified areas of improvement concerning compassion fatigue and spiritual coping mechanisms related to emergency responders. This research was unique because it considered how emergency responders served during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research used qualitative methods. Data collection was completed via telephone and in-person interviews. This project may influence others in the field to offer various options, including spiritual measures, when providing coping mechanisms.
The Importance Of Self-Awareness For The Prevention Of Burnout And Compassion Fatigue For Clergy, Reginald Charlestin
The Importance Of Self-Awareness For The Prevention Of Burnout And Compassion Fatigue For Clergy, Reginald Charlestin
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Self-care is both necessary and vital to the efficiency and longevity of ministry professionals, pastors, and people in general. When a person neglects their physical, emotional, and mental state, quality of life decreases. To study the importance of self-awareness and how to prevent burnouts and compassion fatigue among clergy, this thesis used the Macedonia Worship Center leadership staff as a study subject. The researcher studied various peer-reviewed articles that have evaluated the relationship between those who work in ministry and their levels of burnout and compassion fatigue alongside their perception of self-care to understand the importance of self-awareness related to …
God-Image And Romantic Partner Relationships: Emotional Neglect And Adult Women, Danette Alene Buchanan
God-Image And Romantic Partner Relationships: Emotional Neglect And Adult Women, Danette Alene Buchanan
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Childhood emotional neglect often leads to relationship dissatisfaction, psychopathology, decline in physical health, and permanent scars from a lack of emotional validation. Women who have grown up with a history of emotional invalidation are at risk for suicide, divorce, emotional instability, unstable relationships, and a chronic belief that they are not enough. Lacking emotional attachment from parents and other primary figures, girls and young women may transition into adulthood either anxiously attached, avoidant attached, or both. This state of dysphoria may extend into their perceptions of God and other authority figures. Counselors and other professional helpers such as clergy, teachers, …
Childhood Trauma: Nobody Told Me It Would Impact My Marriage Too, Charles Matthew Houston
Childhood Trauma: Nobody Told Me It Would Impact My Marriage Too, Charles Matthew Houston
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project addressed the couple’s ministry life group class at Ridgeville Church of God, as it intends to address how childhood trauma affects married couples. The purpose was to provide proper tools and resources through an education process such as a marriage conference. Chapter One introduces the church’s historical context, mission statement, vision statement, the possible limitations of implementing such a class, and the pastor’s professional background. The literature review in Chapter Two highlights the powerful effects of childhood trauma, especially in individuals’ marriages, more specifically, couples’ intimacy. Survey-style data was the selected method used in this research due …