Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2002. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-104).

Thesis--University of Chicago. / Chapter III, "The clergy and the southern way of life" has also been issued as part of the author's thesis, under the title of the complete work. Includes bibliographical references (241-253).

Thesis--University of Chicago. / Chapter III, "The clergy and the southern way of life" has also been issued as part of the author's thesis, under the title of the complete work. Includes bibliographical references (241-253).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-122).

Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2002. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-104).

Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2002. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-104).

The purpose of this study was to identify the communicative practices of women senior/solo pastors in the Church of the Nazarene. Orbe's (1996, 1998a) Co-cultural theoretical framework was employed to analyze the data gathered from 10 semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which identified seven communication orientations that the women senior/solo pastors in the study employed to advance and work within the denomination. Specific communication practices in each orientation were identified and explained. Additionally, through a grounded theory approach this research added to the Co-culture theory by identifying a new censoring practice—humor--expanding the use of existing practices, and clarifying the definition— "intragroup" networking. Finally, the results, the implications, and future research were discussed. / Department of Communication Studies

Thesis (M.A.R.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, 1994. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-85).

Purpose. This study was designed to explore possible relationships between the levels of job satisfaction, the stages of adult development, especially as defined by Levinson, and the type and extent of formal educational preparation for pastoral ministry. The primary assumption was that higher levels of education enable the pastor to move through the progressive stages of adult development with a higher level of career satisfaction. Procedure.The data were obtained through a survey of the pastors of the western judicatories of the seven denominations which are in trustee relationship with Western Evangelical Seminary. A three-part questionnaire was developed, including the Ministerial Job Satisfaction Scale developed by J. Conrad Glass (1976), and the Assessment of Developmental Issues developed by J. Ta1ifero Brown (1985). Questionnaires were mailed, and 279 were analyzed. Summary of Findings and Conclusions. Analysis of Part I of the questionnaire provided a profile of this clergy sample, including data on age, sex, educational levels, involvement in continuing education, pastoral experience before and after completion of formal education, growth patterns of church and community, ordination status, worship attendances, pastoral position, career changes, desired retirement age, and career satisfaction. Data from Parts II and III were combined with the Part I profile to answer six research questions. The following findings and conclusions were identified: (a) the Master of Divinity was the degree of preference and resulted in higher levels of satisfaction than the M.A. from a seminary; (b) adult development is related to chronological age but not education; (c) chronological age, divided into Levinson's stages worked equally well as the ADIS scale in identifying the adult life cycle stage. Three concerns were expressed: (a) there is a need for adequate staffing, especially in smaller churches, both volunteer and professional; (b) good work was recognized by denominational supervisors, but it was not accompanied by adequate assurance of career advancement; (c) nearly one-fourth of the clergy felt their wives would rather not be married to a minister.

Scholars have evaluated the causes of clergy political preferences and behavior for decades. As with party ID in the study of mass behavior, personal ideological preferences have been the relevant clergy literature's dominant behavioral predictor. Yet to the extent that clergy operate in bounded and specialized institutions, it is possible that much of the clergy political puzzle can be more effectively solved by recognizing these elites as institutionally-situated actors, with their preferences and behaviors influenced by the institutional groups with which they interact. I argue that institutional reference groups help to determine clergy political preferences and behavior. Drawing on three theories derived from neo-institutionalism, I assess reference group influence on clergy in two mainline Protestant denominations-the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Episcopal Church, USA. In addition to their wider and more traditional socializing influence, reference groups in close proximity to clergy induce them to behave strategically-in ways that are contrary to their sincerely held political preferences. These proximate reference groups comprise mainly parishioners, suggesting that clergy political behavior, which is often believed to affect laity political engagement, may be predicated on clergy anticipation of potentially unfavorable reactions from their followers. The results show a set of political elites (the clergy) to be highly responsive to strategic pressure from below. This turns the traditional relationship between elites and masses on its head, and suggests that further examination of institutional reference group influence on clergy, and other political elites, is warranted.