Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Front Matter

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Entire Issue

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Editor’S Column: Wisdom And Sorrow, Bradlley Baurain

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Language Policy And Planning In A Church-Sponsored Esl Program, Andrew Schneider

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine language policy in privately funded church-sponsored adult English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the United States. Specifically, this study focuses on one church and how its policy prohibiting proselytization in the classroom is interpreted by its volunteer instructors. The aim of this study is not to critique the success or failure of these policies but instead attempt to observe, describe, and report the spectrum of resistance and acceptance of restrictions (indeed, if it is perceived as such) on the types of language permitted to be used in ESL classrooms. …

Collaboration And Reconciliation In English Language Teaching? Personal Reflections On Critical Incidents, Michael Lessard-Clouston

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

Collaboration is largely assumed in English language teaching, while reconciliation is often a goal in this discipline. This article briefly introduces frameworks to help us think about collaboration and to understand reconciliation. Next it discusses three critical incidents in EFL teaching and ESL teacher education from personal experience in China, Indonesia, and the United States. Using the literature and frameworks outlined, the article reflects on cultural and other challenges, notes helps and hindrances to collaboration, and possible ways such issues were or might have been reconciled in the three incidents.

Reflections On Church-Based English Ministry, Rachael Sloan Tsaneva

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

This article provides a reflection on lessons learned in directing a church-based ESL program in the United States. The author reflects on stories of God’s provision, the importance of preparing and teaching well, the deeply relational aspects of this ministry, the integration of the Body of Christ, and the importance of encouraging and supporting volunteers in these programs. Special consideration is given to the scope and purpose of church-based English programs and the ways that TESOL professionals can support volunteer teachers in this work.

Wisdom From Experience – Thoughts From Stevick Award Winners, Robin Gingerich, Marilyn Lewis, Kitty Purgason, Mary Shepard Wong, Michael Pasquale

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

According to the website of the Christian English Language Educators Association (CELEA), which also publishes this journal: “The Earl W. Stevick Award honors members of the English language teaching profession who embody some of the characteristics of Dr. Stevick in their teaching, mentoring of teachers, scholarship, service to the profession, and living out the life of Christ in this profession.” To date, from 2017–2022 there have been six winners of this prestigious award. Given the collective wisdom they represent, we asked them to share with our readers key lessons they have learned over the course of their careers. Five of …

In Memoriam Zoltán Dörnyei (1960-2022), Eleanor J. Pease, Elfrieda Lepp-Kaethler, Mary Shepard Wong

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

The Christian TESOL community was saddened to hear the news of Zoltán Dörnyei’s death on June 10, 2022. He was a friend and mentor to many and will be greatly missed.

Zoltán was a friend and mentor to many in the Christian TESOL community and in this section we hear from three individuals who knew him well in these roles. Eleanor J. Pease describes the influential role his work had in her scholarship. Elfrieda Lepp-Kaethler shares her experience in working with him as her doctoral advisor. Mary Shepard Wong recounts the opportunities that she had to collaborate with Zoltán on …

Review, Michael Lessard-Clouston, Mary C. Cloutier

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Towards A Model Of Leadership Development: A Case Study Of A Large Evangelical Church In Virginia, Kyle W. Kramer

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Ministry leaders are leaving the vocation in record numbers, largely due to a lack of intentional leadership development or preparedness for the challenges they face. These leaders require a formalized process for developing both the cognitive and behavioral aspects of leading in the local church that authentic and spiritual leadership comprise. The exemplar examined in this case study, recognizing similar challenges, implemented a leadership development process derived from components of both authentic and spiritual leadership. Over the span of just 3 years, the church experienced a nearly 20-point increase in employee engagement, earning them the title of Best Christian Workplace. …

Generational Differences In Assemblies Of God Ministers Regarding Assemblies Of God Doctrinal Beliefs, Darin S. Poe

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Ministers with a strong belief in the Assemblies of God’s Statement of Fundamental Truths and doctrine are essential to the future success and proliferation of the Assemblies of God mission and churches. This study aimed to assess and compare ministers’ denominational and doctrinal beliefs in the AGUSA by generational groups. The researcher examined the history and current literature concerning generational differences, varied religious beliefs and practices among the generations, the early history of Pentecostalism and the Assemblies of God in America, and specific characteristics of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. The aim was to provide insights …

House Church Leaders: A Multisite Case Study, Lance Croy

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine house church leaders in situ within three typologies of home gatherings. Billings (2011) identified three stages of house church formats: (a) Oikos, where the congregants assemble in the home for a complete meal, including the Eucharist; (b) Domus, where the curate renovates and dedicates rooms in their homes for Christian usage; and (c) Aula, where rented facilities house larger gatherings, the liturgy becomes more formalized, and the Eucharist is no longer a full meal (Billings, 2011). House church leaders and congregants sampled fit the three typologies while addressing a gap in …

How Spirituality Intensifies Sustainability: A Case Study Of Ananda Valley In Northern Portugal, Mia Handler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The religious affiliations of citizens in the West are currently shifting away from the fundamentalist, traditional structures of the past towards more alternative spiritualities. Furthermore, as a result of the climate crisis, ecovillages are becoming increasingly popular. Ecovillages are intentional, “sustainable” communities that seek to reduce consumption, live in harmony with nature, and create strong social bonds. They are characterized by varying levels of spiritual involvement (Greenberg, 2014, p. 274). As such, the objective of this paper is to study the relationship between spirituality and environmentally-friendly practices and attitudes, using the ecovillage Ananda Valley – an Ananda Marga Master Unit …

Newsletter Catholic Deaf Of Detroit, October 2022

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Detroit, MI

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit Finding Aid

Complete Fall Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Dissertation Notices

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Foye, P. B. (2023). Exploring perspectives of African American Pentecostal clergy Scripture teachings regarding mental illness. DPsy, Walden University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28772830.

Hayles, R. A., Jr. (2021). The relationship between emotional intelligence and Christian virtues in organizational leadership: An analysis of nonprofit leaders. PhD, Regent University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28323567.

Hodges, J. W. (2022). Fumbling with love: The first step toward cultivating a beloved community: A Bible study addressing four psychological barriers to racial reconciliation. DMin, Duke University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 29160909.

Holmes, M. (2022). Racial reconciliation in the church: A resource for pastors and leaders. DMin, Ashland Theological …

Silent Holy Spirit, October-December 2022

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO.

Silent Holy Spirit Finding Aid

St. Dominic Deaf Center, October-November 2022

Saint Dominic Deaf Center

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Houston, TX

Saint Dominic Deaf Center Finding Aid

The Rinpoche Sent Me A Friend Request: The Roles And Perceptions Of Social Media In Buddhist Religious Life, Solveigh Barney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When I first heard about His Eminence the 8th Chokyong Palga Rinpoche, I didn’t expect to find an Instagram page consisting of gym pics and sunglass selfies. As I kept scrolling through Instagram, I soon found out that Palga Rinpoche is not alone in this influencer-like social media façade; he is a part of a younger generation of Buddhist monastics who are trying to be what some call monkfluencers. These monastics are growing up in the digital world of social media, making it more accessible to share with the outside world the #monklife. My goal is to investigate the relationship …

Small But Strong: Growth And Development Of The Sikh Community In Kathmandu, Sarbjot Z. Jessop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Digitalizing Religion In The Age Of Covid-19: A Uses And Gratifications Perspective, Abdulaziz Altawil

Dissertations - ALL

The current COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people’s religious behavior around the world. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, most in-person religious services have shifted to virtual platforms. The online religious transition amidst the outbreak has alleviated many issues for worshippers as it provided them with a sanctuary space to connect with their faith and community. According to a 2020 Pew Research analysis, the pandemic has made many Americans change their religious habits by watching religious content online instead of physically engaging with their local religious institution. This dissertation provides a preliminary examination of this phenomenon by exploring the role of digital …

Saint Jude's, September 25, 2022

Saint Jude's

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Waltham, MA

Saint Jude's Finding Aid

Saint Jude's, September 18, 2022

Saint Jude's

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Waltham, MA

Saint Jude's Finding Aid

Saint Jude's, September 11, 2022

Saint Jude's

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Waltham, MA

Saint Jude's Finding Aid

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Job-Related Stress And Stress-Coping During Covid-19, Peter Michael Foxwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of stress and stress-coping of five Michigan pastors who led their Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) congregations through the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic. Stress is generally defined as the psychophysiological response to a perceived threat or stressor, and stress-coping is generally defined as intentional behaviors designed to manage stress. The theoretical background of this study is the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC) (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) as it relates to pastors’ lived experience of ministry-related stress and coping in crisis conditions. The rationales for …

Experienced Pastoral Burnout And The Self-Reported Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Leadership Effectiveness During Burnout, Craig Wesley Folds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Emotional intelligence (EI), employee burnout, and effective leadership traits are constructs that have been researched from a traditional, organizational perspective since the 1970s. Over the past 15 years, pastoral leaders and clergy have been identified as leaders working in the same capacity as public safety officials, medical professionals, mental health specialists, and other helping professions. Research suggests that leaders working in helping professions are often exposed to situations that may induce burnout, create emotional dissonance, and may have adverse implications on effective leadership behaviors during experienced burnout. The significance of this study lies in its identification of a gap in …

Homosexuality In Leviticus: A Historical-Literary-Critical Analysis, Ian Jarosz

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The book of Leviticus from the Hebrew Bible is often referenced when discussing the LGBTQ+ community and related topics. This project offers historical, literary, and etymological analyses of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, exploring cultural and thematic similarities between Leviticus, the Avestan Vendidad of ancient Persia, and the Book of the Watchers in 1 Enoch. The influential views of other ancient Near Eastern cultures and the growing Persian culture during the time of the Exile establish a tolerant cultural background for the Levitical authors and for the Hebrew Bible. Moreover, the exilic priests who finalized the laws within Leviticus did not …

Positioning Theory In Islamic Sermons: Online Messages To Parents, Cipto Wardoyo, Sheena Gardner, Benet Vincent

Sermon Studies

Positioning theory offers a theoretical and analytical framework to explore how individuals position themselves or are positioned by others through discourse. Positioning theory provides ways to interpret how the positioning is achieved through the mutual effects of storylines, speech acts, and positions (Van Langenhove & Harré 2003). We examine how male and female preachers position themselves when they advise parents about Islamic values in raising children. The sermon data is from a corpus of twenty online Islamic sermons on YouTube that engage with the theme of family. The sermons were delivered in different settings, such as in Friday services in …

Saint Jude's, September 4, 2022

Saint Jude's

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Waltham, MA

Saint Jude's Finding Aid

Taming The Wandering Mind: Where Buddhism & Polyvagal Theory Meet, Tamara Embrey

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The ability to tame the wandering mind is at the heart of the insights emerging from the places where Buddhism and the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2001, 2011) meet. A polyvagal understanding of how our nervous system functions opens the door to developing skills that can strengthen our ability to regulate ourselves and others during times of challenge. The Buddha’s meditation instructions, laid out in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Establishment of Mindfulness Discourse offers a type of attentional training that allows us to become aware of our current neural state so that we can make intentional choices to tame our wandering …