Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 2005. / Includes vita. Non-Latin script record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-244 and 172-175).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Lutheran Seminary, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study examined perceptions of paradigms and duties in pastoral ministry. In particular, the imperative to preach the Word was researched to ascertain its priority among other duties. The research focused on duties (the what) of ministry over against style (the how) ultimately to determine if clarity or confusion exists. From a population of over 37,000 Southern Baptist Convention churches, more than 400 pastors (principally senior or solo pastors) were sampled. Respondents selfidentified paradigms previously taught, ideally desired, and currently used. They also rated the importance of 10 pastoral duties and other aspects of ministry via a rating scale. Data were analyzed to describe current perceptions of pastoral ministry. Though perceptions on paradigms and duties did differ, preaching was consistently rated the most prominent; actual practice, however, trailed taught expectations. Perceptions are invaluable for (1) seminaries in curriculum development, (2) seminarians in paradigm formation, (3) leaders in contextualization, and (4) churches in ministry alignment. Key words: Paradigms, pastoral ministry, pastoral duties, pastoral tasks, ministry models.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Theologians, philosophers, and psychotherapists have assumed that a positive, linear, and sequential relationship exists between self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Research results, however, at points contradict one another and/or basic theory. The aims of the present study were to: (1) explore more fully the nature of the relationship between self-acceptance and acceptance of others with particular reference to Clinical Pastoral Training (CPT); and (2) present conclusions and implications relative to the goals and methods of CPT. Self-acceptance meant both the: (1) receiving into awareness of all experience relevant to one's self-concept; and (2) perceiving one's self as of value and worth. Acceptance of others connoted the same two meanings but in relation to others. A distinction was made between superficial and real acceptance. That which is superficially accepted is merely available to the understanding while that which is really accepted influences behavior. Two hypotheses were explored: (1) that a positive relationship exists between expressed self-acceptance and expressed acceptance of others, and (2) that a positive relationship exists between expressed self-acceptance and acceptance of others as indicated by the judged adequacy of interpersonal relationships. The sample was 115 students from the CPT programs at Boston City and Boston State Hospitals during the summers of 1963 and 1964. The first hypothesis was explored by comparing scores of self-acceptance and acceptance of others on each of two self-report tests: Billsrs Index of Adjustment and Values and Ellzey's A Study of Attitudes. Pearson product-moment correlations were computed to indicate the degree of relationship between the scores. The second hypothesis was explored by: (1) comparing the self-acceptance scores of all 115 subjects on each test with their grades in the CPT program; and (2) comparing self-acceptance scores of twenty-eight subjects, who were the fifteen with the highest and the thirteen with the lowest self-acceptance scores on both tests, with their supervisor's written evaluation of the adequacy of their interpersonal relationships. The first hypothesis was confirmed, since self-acceptance and acceptance of others scores correlated significantly (.05 level or above) with each other on each test. The second hypothesis was tentatively confirmed, since seven out of fifteen subjects with high and only two out of thirteen subjects with low self-acceptance scores were judged to have related adequately to others. Further, grades failed to correlate significantly (.05 level) with self-acceptance scores. In addition, high self-acceptance scores were more often obtained by those who valued themselves highly but who excluded negative aspects of their experience, while low self-acceptance scores were more often obtained by those who devalued themselves but who were aware of the negative aspects of their experience. Major conclusions: (1) numerous intervening variables influence the relationship between the variables; and (2) self-report tests are inadequate indicators of true self-acceptance. Implications for CPT are: (1) the self-report tests used in this study may be used best to aid a CPT student understand his self-perceptions; (2) grades in CPT are invalid indicators of the quality of interpersonal functioning; (3) goals and methods of CPT should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate the individuality of each student; and (4) the Christian faith with its concepts of the value, worth, and dignity of the individual in spite of his sinfulness should be actively affirmed for it provides a constructive framework within which a student may orient his self-acceptance. Future studies need to: (1) increase the validity of the measuring instruments; (2) use more than one method of investigation at a time as a check on the validity of each; and (3) investigate the relationship between self-evaluations and observed behavior. / 2999-01-01

It will be the purpose of the remaining chapters of this thesis to trace the characteristics and conventions of the pastoral as they can be observed in specific bucolic works from various writers of various nationalities and ultimately examine specific examples of English pastoral drama in light of these conventions and characteristics.

Although pastors in Africa have received a Western form of theological training, the findings of this research reveal that their mode of counselling does not bear a resemblance to the form of counselling that is practised in the West. The counselling that takes place in Africa takes its cue from the traditional mode of counselling. This indicates the stronger influence of their worldview in spite of the long duration of Western instruction that the pastors receive in the course of their training. This research set out to explore the practice and experience of pastoral counselling within four evangelical churches in Nigeria. It also had the intention of recommending ways of improving the current form of counselling. In order to do that, it needed a basis for comparison. A concept analysis of pastoral counselling from a Western perspective provided the needed reference. The research, located within practical theology as its overarching framework, engaged the Generic Format as its social science research methodology. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participants observation. A theological reflection of the thesis revealed that there are various practices that are consistent with the Christian tradition but others that tend towards extremes. The research also reveals that counselling in the West is more professional and psychologically-based but has deviated from its original course after the introduction of psychological theories to its counselling ministry. Therefore, both practices in conversation have encouraged each other in the areas of their strengths and challenged each other to revisit their weaknesses in order to enrich their counselling ministries. It has recommended that theological seminaries in Africa should take the lead in enriching their pastoral training curriculum. Also, pastors called into the counselling ministry should be encouraged to develop such ministry while the Church creates the forum for their practices.

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<p> The purpose of writing, <i>The Relationship Between Candidate Preparation and Effective Healing Prayer at Living Christ Church in Nyack, NY</i> was to narrow the focus of preparation for a healing prayer ministry session to four key factors that would be implemented as the basis for pre-screening for a healing prayer ministry session. The purpose was achieved by determining if there was a relationship between the preparation of candidates for healing prayer with the four key factors and the effectiveness of the healing prayer ministry session. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>

<p>The purpose of writing The Effectiveness of the Chaplaincy Pocket Guide, ?Airmen?s Guide to Grief Recovery? on Members of the Community at Aviano Air Force Base, Italy is to discover the effectiveness of a grief recovery program in the Air Force context at Aviano Air Base. A pocket guide was designed specifically to reach out to the Airmen at Aviano, in such a way as to encourage, strengthen, and educate them in their individual grief journeys. There are ten embedded units at Aviano Air Base and the present researcher selected one participant from each unit to use the AGGR pocket guide in addressing their grief issues as part of this study. Although the AGGR pocket guide was written for airmen, not all ten participants were airmen. The three who were not?a spouse, a civilian employee and a member of an army tenant unit?nevertheless, are residents of Aviano AB and are immersed in Air Force culture and familiar with the common sources of grief associated with life on an air base. The grief issues were varied, some due to deaths (though not necessarily combat related), and some due to divorce. The researcher employed a Grief Recovery Survey as the instrument to measure the degree of grief recovery and interviewed all ten participants about their experience of grief recovery. The findings were generally positive and the researcher is inclined to believe pocket guides like the AGGR can be useful tools for the chaplain?s office.