This study took place at Tafsir Islamic School (TIS), a mid-sized K-12 Islamic school in a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States, and seeks to answer two questions: (1) by what means are specific versions of orthodoxy and orthopraxy constructed, maintained, and challenged in the Tafsir community?, and (2) how could the general interpretive climate corresponding to these processes be described in theoretical terms? Qualitative ethnographic field work was conducted at TIS over an 18 month span involving extensive participant-observation and semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with 20 adult participants–including teachers, administrators, and community members–a flexible and collaborative research design strategy, and an iterative, grounded theory approach to data analysis. The findings suggest that orthodoxy and orthopraxy are constructed and contested through a complex network of corroborating and competing factors, including (a) executive decisions, (b) rogue pedagogy, (c) theological dialogue, (d) peer discipline, (e) community reinforcement, (f) sanctioned associations, and (g) vigilante policing. The distribution of interpretive power within the school community results in a de facto system of checks and balances, as disputes within and between sects (e.g., Sufis, Salafis, conventional Sunnis) prevent any one group from gaining unchallenged prominence. Colliding hermeneutical processes result in a normative balance that fluctuates over time with changing community members and socio-historic circumstances. This balance, referred to as a dynamic interpretive equilibrium, characterizes the general ideological climate of the school. In examining the diversity of interpretive orientations at an Islamic school, this study demonstrates the active role Muslims play in shaping the character of their faith. It likewise undermines popular one-dimensional depictions of Muslim schools, portraying Islamic education as a living, active and contested phenomenon. / Urban Education

Seminaries in the United States have for more than two centuries sought to equip ministerial leaders for service within the community of faith. And yet these institutions have traditionally been the focus of very little quantitative research. This lack of data is particularly noteworthy given the existential crises many seminaries currently face, especially regarding their flagship Master of Divinity (MDiv) programs. Among seminary leadership, a common response to declining MDiv enrollment has been to decrease the length of the program, which historically required at least 90 credit hours. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore change at the Association of Theological Schools member institutions (AMIs) between 2000–2019 through the lens of these credit-hour reductions. Longitudinal data from 113 AMIs were analyzed to examine the relationship between a variety of financial, enrollment, and institutional characteristics and the likelihood that an AMI would reduce its required MDiv credit hours. Results from an event history analysis revealed that, all else being equal, experiencing an increase in total revenues reduced an AMI's likelihood of making a reduction, while being a middle-age institution (founded 1870–1959) and having a higher percentage of peer institutions that made a change increased the likelihood of making a reduction. These findings, which well fit with existing theory on resource dependence and institutionalization, provide seminary leaders with objective data by which they can better understand the financial and cultural pressures impacting change at their institutions.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / This study project sets out to examine the validity of an idea - an idea to create a study-abroad programme complemented by combining studies with mission work for Christian university undergraduates. In support of this idea, this study researches the overwhelming arguments that would validate the programme. The study then looks into how the programme can be designed and what its desired focus should be. In this study, the author first examines the prominent external forces that justify the programmes' needs. Two prominent forces include the lack of valued, quality leadership roles in today's business community, as well as the coming of a more integrated world where business managers must gain the skills to transact beyond borders. These two forces become the focal point of the education component, while the last external issue examined explores the business mission possibilities for southern Africa. The study then delves to understand how business schools are adapting to the issues of teaching leadership skills and the ability to transact beyond borders. The author finds that even though many schools have responded by adding soft skill courses such as leadership or internationalising their student bodies and curricula, many organisations are still reporting the lack of quality global leaders. With this, many organisations are creating Corporate Universities where they themselves educate their employees through the use of Action Based Learning (ABL). The author thus believes this ABL concept is a most effective tool in not only training for specific functions of business, but also in tacitly improving the soft skills of business management, which is becoming important for today's global leaders. Knowing these external and internal issues, the author studies the potential of such a programme by analysing a Christian university's existing curriculum and ABL missions structure, and then meets with prospective students, deans, professors, and administrators who may desire a programme that combines study abroad with mission work. The findings suggest that the focus of the programme narrow in on global based leadership education complemented with the use of Action Based Learning in the missions field to promote multidisciplined business missions. However, designing this Global Leadership Programme will require a model from which to begin. The author chose the Value Chain concept; however, Porter's (1985) Value Chain concept was thought to be too onerous for developing this short-term programme. The author then describes and illustrates the use of Sviokla and Rayport's Virtual Value Chain model (1994) and chose to use this model in designing the programme. As a result, the subsequent Chapters first establish direction by suggesting vision and mission statements and the Global Lead Programme objectives, and then research the content (what is offered) and context (how the content is offered) components of the model. In the end, the author concludes the study by offering insight into infrastructure (the enabler) considerations and options to enable the Global Lead Programme to grow and succeed.

Univ., Diss u.d.T.: Das Afrikabild in Religionsbüchern--Essen, 2002. / In der Vorlage ist für das Erscheinen der Dissertation fälschlicherweise das Jahr 2003 angegeben. "'Das Afrikabild in deutschen Religionsbüchern' ist die gekürzte Fassung einer Dissertation. Das Buch geht der Frage nach, welches Bild und welche Vorstellungen in den deutschen katholischen Religionsbüchern der Sekundarstufe I den Religionslehrern/innen und den Schülern/innen vermittelt werden." (Hinterer Buchdeckel).

Thesis (M.R.E.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Graduate Studies in Religious Instruction.

Konfessionslosigkeit ist ein Stichwort, das in der deutschen Religionspädagogik immer häufiger auftaucht. Es beschreibt summarisch, wenn auch unscharf die didaktische Herausforderung, Religionsunterricht für Schüler und mit Schülern zu gestalten, die nicht (mehr) in einer christlichen Tradition stehen und möglicherweise sogar überhaupt keinen Bezug zu Religion haben. Insbesondere für den ostdeutschen Kontext trifft das – empirisch belegt – zu, aber auch im westlichen Teil Deutschlands steigt die Zahl der Schüler, die kaum noch christlich sozialisiert sind. David Käbisch stellt sich dieser religionspädagogischen Aufgabe mit einer umfassenden Studie, in der er diesem Sachverhalt mit Hilfe verschiedener Bezugswissenschaften auf den Grund geht und über religionspädagogische Grundsatzerwägungen zu fachdidaktischen Perspektiven gelangt, die er im Hinblick auf die Unterrichtspraxis auch mit methodischen Ideen versieht. Das ist ein weiter Bogen, den dieses Buch spannt. Entsprechend konzentriert sind die Inhalte.

A case study research design was employed to examine the cultural reproduction, segmented assimilation and religious schooling experiences of immigrant Muslim parents and students at an Islamic day school. Research Site: The research site was the Nur Islamic Academy, a Pre-school-12th grade licensed private Islamic day school located in a north-eastern city in the United States. The student body composition was 55% immigrant and 45% African-American Muslims. The school was an edifice in an urban Arab enclave. This ethnic neighborhood was experiencing capital flight, uneven development and urban decay. Research Questions: Three core questions guided this study. What is the functionality of Islamic schooling as a vehicle of cultural reproduction? How do religiosity and the presentation of Islamic rituals serve students and families as opportunities for affirmation? What experiences carry the immigrant's identity? Research Design: The case study research design consisted of interviews, an immigrant student focus group, attitudinal parental survey, observations and archival investigations. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework of this study was cultural reproduction. Segmented assimilation, urban, ethnic, Muslim and immigrant identity theories were incorporated throughout this discourse. Data Analysis: Content Analysis methodologies were used to classify transcribed audio-taped interviews,observations and archival investigations into themes. The targeted population of this study did not respond well to survey data collection. Therefore the survey results were inconclusive. Outliers were identified and noted. The interpretations, conclusions, and discussions were supported with a literature synthesis. All participants were anonymous Findings: The findings of this study suggest that the Muslim expatriates in this urban immigrant settlement consciously used Islamic schooling as an institutional mode of intergenerational cultural reproduction. They elected to carry and hold their home cultures and Arabian heritage as they nestled into this urban landscape. Conclusions:The Nur Islamic Academy created an ethos that affirmed the parents, students and community member's Islamic belief system and Arabian heritage. Parents and students choose religious schooling as a means to ward-off the downward mobility that they associated with their neighborhood schools. Staff members and parents related that they have forgone full mainstream assimilation. Their preference was to actively participate in selective acculturation and incorporation processes as a segmented component of their day to day lives. 1. The Nur Islamic Academy and all other individual, organizational and institutional names are pseudonyms to maintain their anonymities. / Urban Education

Résumé La diversité religieuse est un fait bien attesté aujourd’hui en République du Bénin. Chrétiens, Musulmans, adeptes des religions traditionnelles et ceux d'autres spiritualités se côtoient autant dans la sphère publique que privée sur le territoire béninois. N’épargnant donc aucun domaine de la société béninoise, cette diversité s'exprime également dans les milieux scolaires notamment dans les écoles privées catholiques du pays. La volonté du diocèse de Cotonou d'ouvrir les portes de ses écoles à tous les enfants sans distinction de religions ni d'ethnies, entraine de facto l'épineux problème de la gestion de la diversité religieuse et du pluralisme dans ses institutions confessionnelles. Sensible à cette problématique en milieu scolaire auprès des jeunes, le cas du collège catholique Père Aupiais nous intéresse pour son approche du cours de religion dispensé aux élèves du premier cycle. Le présent travail dans une démarche praxéologique, observe, analyse et interprète un cours confessionnel de religion donné en classe de 5è secondaire dans ledit collège. Cette interprétation s’appuie sur des référents théoriques que sont le Magistère de l'Église, un texte biblique, l’approche pédagogique de Philippe Meirieu, la théologie dialogale de Richard Bergeron, l’apport de certains responsables d'écoles privées confessionnelles québécoises. Ces derniers constituent des éléments importants dans notre intervention dans le contexte de ce travail. Il s’agit en définitive de proposer quelques recommandations pour la mise en place d'un cours d'enseignement moral et religieux favorisant le « vivre ensemble ». L’intérêt de ce travail est de susciter le débat sur la gestion de la diversité et du pluralisme en milieu scolaire catholique béninois. / The religious diversity is a reality in the territory of Benin. Christians, Muslims, and traditional religion adepts and members of other spiritualties live together in the public and private area in Benin Republic. This diversity is a reality in all the areas of Benin society as it is present in its private catholic schools. The wish of the diocese of Cotonou to welcome all in its schools without any kind of ethnic, religious or cultural discrimination causes the problem of how to manage the religious diversity and pluralism in its confessional institutions. Sensible to this problematic en context of youth education, the case of Aupiais catholic College retains our attention for its course of religion to the pupils of the first cycle. In its praxeology approach, this reflection observes, analyses and interprets a course of religion given in class of 5e in the secondary catholic college Père Aupiais. This interpretation is based on theoretical referents which are the Magister of the Church, a biblical text, the pedagogic approach of Philippe Meirieu, the dialogale theology of Richard Bergeron and the contribution of private and confessional schools leaders in Quebec. There are the important composites of our intervention in this reflection. The purpose is to make some recommendations for the establishment of a course for a religious and moral teaching in order to live together. The interest of this reflection is to provoke a debate of the management of the diversity and pluralism in catholic school area in Benin Republic.

This thesis deals with the topic of teaching religious topics at secondary schools according to Framework Education Programme for Secondary General Education. Also, the aspect of education towards tolerance and preventing religious xenophobia in multicultural society is involved. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first part is focused on the theoretical background and includes interpretation of formal documents that the teacher must take into consideration when teaching this topic, (such as textbooks, national curricular documents and recommendations). The approach in other countries is mentioned as well. The theoretical part involves a minimal amount of knowledge that the teacher should know and be able to implement while teaching the topic this work is focused on. The second part contains a qualitative research concentrating on finding students' preconceptions towards the topic of the thesis. The research method was a profound dialogue with five students of secondary schools. The students were of different age, sex, religious opinion, nationality and socio- economical background. The data were analysed regarding the areas of knowledge, abilities and opinions. The last part of this work deals with solving particular methodological situation when discussing the topic of this thesis. There...

The diploma thesis is concerned with education of young people and it is introducing key aspects for its theoretical reflection, thinks the aspects over and its practical implementation. It is focused to a posibility of aplication the knowledges and the processes from psychology and pedagogy and shows the necessity of a dialog between the practical-theological reflection and the secular access. It points the christian education of youth as a complex unit, which deserves special attention. It explorer, beside other things, the question of educational targets and also relevant issues for the nowadays youth. These things are closely connected with cognition of specifity young man and the environment where he lives and which influences him. And also for this reason this diploma work shows the line of these aspects. As a penetration of general finding out the christian education and the youth situation expresses several means which play the important part of christian education of the youth.