Religion Commons^™

Church Of Refuge: A Support Ministry For Youth And Young Adults, Ron Whitehead, Jeff Boyd

Faculty Publications

At least 40 to 50 percent of youth and young adults leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To reverse this trend by helping local congregations meet the spiritual, social, and community impact needs of youth and young adults, the Center for Youth Evangelism proposes to launch Church of Refuge (COR). This organization will support churches in incorporating nine principles in their master planning. After demonstrating the inclusion of these principles, local congregations will be certified as Churches of Refuge and will be promoted to youth and young adults through web and print materials.

Book Review. Liberty: Rethinking An Imperiled Ideal By Glenn Tinder, Daniel O. Conkle

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Zoroastrians On The Internet, A Quiet Social Movement: Ethnography Of A Virtual Community, Helen Gerth

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zoroastrians today are a small but vibrant ethno-religious diaspora estimated at 130,000-258,000. They are members of the oldest monotheistic world religion originating in the Inner Asian steppes in approximately 1500 B.C. living as a religious minority in widely dispersed communities across the world. Increasingly they have turned to the Internet to discuss challenges of declining population, maintaining an ethno-religious identity, conversion, and intermarriage. The question grounding this research is how does this small ethno-religious minority maintain its boundaries and cohesion in the modern world? This study found that Zoroastrians maintain group boundaries and cohesion in the modern world, in part, …

The Civil Market: Medieval Franciscan Ideas To Solve 21st Century Economic Problems, Stefano Zamagni

Clemens Lecture Series

No abstract provided.

The Triumph Of The Church (Audio), Robert Emerson Coleman

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

The Application Of Learning Organization Principles To Church Growth, Colleen S. Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While many studies showed evidence of the use of learning organization theory in a variety of venues, these theories have been studied in a limited capacity in church settings. This research attempted to substantiate the presence of learning organization principles in churches experiencing growth, and to refine a tool to measure these characteristics in churches. Relationships and strengths of association between and among 3 learning organization principles of leadership, job structure and systems, and performance and development, and degrees of growth defined as negative, plateau, and positive growth were examined in a sample of Nazarene churches via a revised survey …

Religious Rituals In Tayabas, Jayeel Cornelio

Development Studies Faculty Publications

I was one of the research leaders of the Ateneo Cultural Laboratory 2009 in Tayabas, Quezon Province, Philippines. Funded by Fundacion Santiago, the project has released a report offering a comprehensive documentation, analysis, and policy proposals regarding the various aspects of the cultural heritage of Tayabas. This chapter specifically deals with the town's religious rituals which showcase how Catholicism, while deeply embedded in everyday life, also manifests elements that may be pre-Hispanic in character. The paper ends by emphasising a community-based approach to the preservation of these fascinating religious rituals. The report is now in the hands of Fundacion Santiago …

Aleshire, Daniel O. Earthen Vessels: Hopeful Reflections On The Work And Future Of Theological Schools. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008. 177 Pp. Paper, $20.00., R. Clifford Jones

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

Images Of Egypt In Early Biblical Literature: Cisjordan-Israelite, Transjordan-Israelite, And Judahite Portrayals, Stephen C. Russell

Publications and Research

This book suggests a regional paradigm for understanding the development of the traditions about Egypt and the exodus in the Hebrew Bible. It offers fresh readings of the golden calf stories in 1 Kgs 12:25-33 and Exod 32, the Balaam oracles in Num 22-24, and the Song of the Sea in Exod 15:1b-18 and from these paints a picture of the differing traditions about Egypt that circulated in Cisjordan Israel, Transjordan Israel, and Judah in the 8th century B.C.E. and earlier.
In the north, an exodus from Egypt was celebrated in the Bethel calf cult as a journey of Israelites …

Personal And Professional Spirituality: Muslim Social Workers' Perspectives, Cheryl W. El-Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research in the area of religion and spirituality in social work practice is lacking minority practitioner representation. This phenomenological study explored the questions of how American Muslim social workers define and experience the religious/spiritual, and perceive the propriety of integrating either, in practice. Ibn Khaldun and Durkheim, early social theorists, suggested that group feeling and affiliation impact personal and professional perception and decision making. American societal views of Muslims are often negative and uninformed. A group of 15 Muslim practitioners with bachelor's or more advanced degrees in social work were recruited through a survey administered via an Internet survey site. …

The Relationship Between Religious And Spiritual Factors And The Perpetration Of Intimate Personal Violence, Robbin G. Todhunter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a multifaceted social issue that affects the Christian faith community as it does the secular community. Though the literature reflects some understanding of general correlates and possible antecedents to IPV within the Christian community, the impact of religious and spiritual factors tends to be homogenized and is often misjudged. Allport's theory of intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation provided a platform for investigating Christian male-perpetrated IPV. This quantitative study utilized survey design and measured the impact of 10 select religious and spiritual factors on the probability of physical or sexual IPV perpetration. Archival data from Wave …

Spiritual And Religious Diversity: Implications For Counselor Education Programs, Sharon R. Gough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVC) identifies 9 core competencies for integrating spirituality/religion into practice. Previous research indicates that some mental health professionals have experienced discomfort when considering the balance between religious ideology (RI) and scientific orientation (SO) in their practice. However, no research exists assessing this potential for cognitive dissonance among mental health professionals nor has there been a test of the relative influence of RI/SO on approval of ASERVC competency integration into counselor training. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was first to assess RI/SO cognitive dissonance and, second, to test RI/SO …

Letter From The Associate Editor, Christina Belcher

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

My how time flies! It seems like only last week since the last issue of the ICCTE Journal was posted. Since our last issue, many of you have inquired as to when the archives would be available. You will be pleased to know that the archives have not been forgotten, and that by the end of the month they will be available once again on our new ICCTE Journal site. Join me in giving thanks to the gifted Mr. Sean McKay for his accomplishments on our behalf, and our Senior Editor, Scot Headley for his wonderful leadership and labor of …

Book Review: James L. Drexler, Editor. Schools As Communities: Educational Leadership, Relationships, And The Eternal Value Of Christian Schooling., David W. Robinson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Anyone who has engaged in the calling of Christian education knows that it can be — and usually is — one of the most exciting, delightful, fulfilling, and joyous ministries that a believer can know. Its golden days are a real “foretaste of glory divine,” its opportunities for those who truly love the possibilities of the mind and heart of Christ in the lives of our students are the very aroma of the Lord in our work. Lives are changed; parents are supportive; administrators are helpful; the board is productive. Sacrifices are engaged willingly, trials are gladly borne. We go …

Book Review: Blomberg, Doug. (2007). Wisdom And Curriculum: Christian Schooling After Postmodernity, Dirk Windhorst

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay reviews Doug Blomberg’s Wisdom and Curriculum and responds to various issues raised there. It highlights the value of wisdom in terms of its relationship to embodied practical knowledge and the norms embedded in God’s creation. The concluding comments take issue with Blomberg’s interpretation of Plato.

St. Augustine's Learning For The Glory Of God: Adapting "Faith-Learning Integration" Terminology For The Modern World, Marie Valance, Jaliene Hollabaugh, Thu Truong

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The scholastic debate about use and interpretation of the phrase “faith-learning integration” has spanned over fifty years. Glanzer (2008) proposed that this phrase be discarded and that scholars adopt the terminology “the creation and redemption of scholarship.” This concept is not new to Christian dialogue: it can be found in the writings of St. Augustine. However, there needs to be further clarification of Glanzer’s language in order to make it accessible to people of all faiths, backgrounds, and education levels. This paper will attempt to support both Glanzer’s proposal and a new direction for the discussion and encourage educators to …

Letter From The Associate Editor, Christina Belcher

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 1 of the ICCTE e-journal. Before I give you a brief synopsis of what morsels this issue contains, I would like to provide a framework for the next two issues. Volume 5, Issue 2 will reflect the material from the upcoming ICCTE conference and forthcoming papers. Volume 6, Issue 1 will focus on a new idea. We would like to start with some theme issues for 2011. The first will be the theme “Christian colleagues in secular institutions: iron sharpening iron”, so get your pencils sharpened for that. The Lord has many things in store …

Agents Of Hope, Steve Sider, Angie Davids, Amanda Knowles, Annalisa Luimes, Leanne Van Bostelen

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This paper considers the Christian teacher’s “place” in today’s increasingly diverse public school classrooms. Specifically, the paper explores the complexities of working as a Christian within educational systems which promote tolerance of all cultures and religious views. Is it possible for a Christian teacher to remain committed to The Way while employed in a system which encourages pluralism, equity, and diversity? Using insights and responses of participants in a Christian university education course on teaching in multicultural classrooms, a framework is provided to consider what it means to teach as a Christian in multicultural school settings.

Eternal Marriage And Family In The Old Testament, Michael A. Goodman

Faculty Publications

More than the sacred literature of any other people, the Torah is the story of family, of marriages, and not prettied-up versions, either, but the stuff of real marriages—love, romance, anger, deceit, honor, faithfulness, distrust, infidelity, companionship, intimacy. . . . Perhaps that explains why marriage becomes the ultimate paradigm for the relationship between God and the Jewish People.¹

At first thought, the Old Testament may not come to mind as a rich source from which to study marriage and its centrality to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, the words marry and marriage appear only six times …

Biblical Naming Reports With, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

This study reviews the naming reports in the MT r that contain the phrase [Hebrew text] () in order to analyze the current practice of regularly rendering the subjects of these reports as indefinite. Though this is understandable in some cases, I contend that many of these subjects can just as well be understood as definite. Whereas the difference may seem insignificant in some passages, rendering the subject as definite is productive in others. A complete examination of all biblical naming reports is a large and complex undertaking, well beyond the limitations of the present study. This review of the …

Pope Benedict Xvi And The Desideratum Of A Natural Law: Three Views, William J. Wagner, James V. Schall S.J., David Solomon

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Teaching Egyptian History: Some Discipline-Specific Pedagogical Notes, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

This paper was originally given at the professional workshop In Search of Egypt's Past: Problems and Perspectives of the Historiography of Ancient Egypt; A North American workshop at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, inaugurating the Journal of Egyptian History, April 23-24, 2008, most of the remaining papers of which will appear in Fascicle 2 of this journal. While many Egyptologists teach Egyptian history, we often fail to carefully conceive of just what this means. Teaching history is more than conveying facts about a time period, it is also teaching how to analyze and (re)construct history. Our classes may often …

Encircling Astronomy And The Egyptians: An Approach To Abraham 3, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

Abraham 3 is one of the most enigmatic sections of the Pearl of Great Price. Teacher and student together sense there is something more to the text than the meaning they are drawing out of it. Each thorough exploration gently nudges another layer of understanding from the text, but we always feel we have unraveled only the smallest portion of what it has to offer. Though I do not pretend to have a great key to unlock this revelation, I believe there are some apperceptive principles that cast light on Abraham's night vision.

Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, And Christ, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

The book of Ruth is one of the most loved stories of the Old Testament. Yet sometimes it remains just that: a story from which some readers gain little in the way of doctrine or application. We identify with the story because the principal actors are neither kings nor prophets but the average people of a typical village. There are neither mighty warriors nor great conflicts, but there are intense struggles for surviving life's difficulties and genuine battles with grief. We love the story because it is so well told, because it has characters we can identify with, because it …

A Comparison Of The Communal Lament Psalms And The Treaty-Covenant Formula, Dan Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

Within the corpus of psalms in the Hebrew Bible is a group known as the communal laments. Characterized by their use of the first person common plural pronoun, some type of calamity experienced by the community, and a petition to God, these psalms incorporate similar imagery, terminology, and structure. This study explores these psalms and suggests that they relate closely to the Hittite treaty-covenant formula found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, yet differ in that they reflect an ongoing covenantal relationship rather than the establishment of such. Thus, these psalms emphasize Israel’s expectation that God, as the senior covenantal party, …

Chinese New Year In West Kalimantan: Ritual Theatre And Political Circus, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since 2002, when Chinese New Year became a national holiday in Indonesia, spirit medium parades on the fifteen day of the New Year (called Cap Go Meh) have been growing in size in certain West Kalimantan towns, especially Singkawang. This parade in particular has become a major tourist draw-card. Referring to local history, Chinese popular religion and Hakka culture, this article applies a performance analysis methodology to dissect this contemporary phenomenon from religious, historical and inter-ethnic perspectives. It shows how the parades have become enmeshed in current inter-ethnic politics in West Kalimantan, as well as revealing the way that adaptations …

The Magic Of Chinese Theatre: Theatre As A Ritual Of Sacral Transmogrification, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Social and Staged dramas, entertainment and ritual; Chinese theatre and religion share a dialectical relationship. Ancient exorcistic rituals became dramatized to awe and inspire the audience of devotees. Eventually, exorcistic troupes had to compete among themselves to attract audiences, so that an element of entertainment came into ritual theatre. Travelling story-tellers and drama troupes went from place to place entrancing their audiences with stories of gods and heroes. The actors used costumes, props and masks, and soon the characters from these entertaining theatre shows formed a cast of gods and folk heroes in the minds of the people. A dialectical …

Planificacion Estrategica Para La Universidad Adventista De Chile, 2005-2007, Bolivar Alana Poseck

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problema. La Universidad Adventista de Chile (UNACH) es una institución de nivel superior que pertenece a la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día. Por muchos años esta institución prosiguió su misión a través de planes que sólo incluían a un grupo limitado de departamentos; de esta manera, la planificación era parcial, marginando así a otras sub entidades de la universidad. Al asumir la rectoría de la universidad a mediados del año 2004, en consulta con el comité ejecutivo de la UNACH, decidimos elaborar un plan para la universidad, que considerara la teoría y práctica de la “planificación estratégica” y que abarcara …

Analisis De Razones Por Las Que Los Jovenes Abandonan La Iglesia Adventista Del Septimo Dia En Argentina, Jorge De Sousa Matias

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. A 65% of the new Church members in the Argentinian Union Conference (UA) are below 30 years old. However, 35% of them leave the Church annually. This generates the following question: what are the reasons by which such a high%age of young people leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDAC) in the UA?

Methodology. Three surveys were conducted. The first survey was applied to 146 distrital pastors, the second one to 319 young Adventist members, and the third one to 52 apostate young members.

Results. The pastors that answered the first survey recognized that they do not have a permanent …

Using Scripture In Counselling Evangelicals, A. Tim Span

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis examines how the Bible can be used beneficially and ethically as a resource in counseling evangelicals. For evangelicals the Bible is their “primary text”—an unequalled source of authority and comfort. Evangelicals begin with the self-attestation of scripture to its own reliability and usefulness (e.g. 2 Tim. 3:16–17). When the scriptures are used in a responsible way using sound exegetical method there can be real dividends for the hearer. With proper preparation and informed consent, the counselor who ministers to evangelical clients can appropriate the message of the scriptures in a way that brings emotional and spiritual health. The …