This thesis was designed to determine the uses of media distributed by the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). The study compared laypersons' and ministers' respective uses of seven church media.A telephone survey was conducted of 597 subscribers of Vital Christianity magazine: 382 laypersons and 215 ministers. Participants' responses were analyzed by mean scores, t-tests, Pearson correlations, multiple regression analysis, partial correlation tests and factor analysis. Demographic data concerning lay and ministerial status, participation in church life, educational level and age was cross tabulated with 14 statments related to Blumler's three categories of media uses and gratifications: surveillance, interaction and diversion.The study found significant differences in the amount of church media used by ministers and laypersons. Whereas ministers use Vital Christianity primarily for surveillance, laypersons value interaction uses as highly as surveillance uses. Laypersons' also indicated significantly greater interest in both interaction and diversion uses of the magazine than did the ministers. Finally, the study found a modest correlation between age level and use of Vital Christianity to gratify diversion needs. / Department of Journalism

Little research has been conducted to show the relationship between short-term study abroad/mission experiences and the faith development of those who engage in them. Christian colleges and universities utilize these experiences to help develop their students' faith. This research analyzed the relationship between a Christian college student's experience in a one-month study abroad/mission experience and his or her faith development and maturity.The research was conducted with 171 students from a Christian university, including 72 students (study group) who spent one month in the university's study abroad/mission program and 99 students (control group) who took classes on campus during the same time period. The development of the student's faith was measured by three instruments: 1) a six question qualitative survey given to the study group; 2) the Faith Maturity Scale (FMS) published by the Search Institute; and 3) Growth in Mature Faith Index (GMFI) published by the Search Institute.The quantitative data analysis indicated no significant differences between pre- and post-scores for the FMS and GMFI; but the research did find changes that were significant on some of the question items between the two groups, such as the SAM participants becoming more accepting of people with different religious beliefs. Inflated research alpha levels (for multiple testing) were of concern for the researcher, as was the ceiling effect (pre-trip levels above the highest national levels for any age group) with the Christian college student population. Qualitative data indicated that the Study Abroad Mission Students developed in their relationship with God and their service to others. / School of Continuing Education and Public Service

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia International University, 2007. / Typescript. "April, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 332-341).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia International University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 332-341).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Erskine Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [173]-176).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--History, Technology and Society, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. / Dr. Susan Smulyan, Committee Member ; Dr. John Tone, Committee Member ; Dr. Larry Foster, Committee Member ; Dr. Steve Usselman, Committee Member ; Dr. John Krige, Committee Chair.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-148).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Erskine Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [173]-176).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 254-269).

A pesquisa aqui apresentada tem como tema principal a análise da correspondência relativa à missão jesuíta no Tibet, de 1624 a 1635, já publicada. Nosso corpus documental é composto por seis cartas: três do Padre Antônio de Andrade (1624, 1626, 1627) e as demais de João Cabral (1626), Estevão de Cacela (1627) e Francisco Azevedo (1631). Pretendemos analisar as descrições dos budistas tibetanos presentes nas cartas e relacioná-las com as estratégias defendidas e desenvolvidas no Tibet durante este primeiro período de estabelecimento da Companhia de Jesus no teto do mundo. Como documentação subsidiária, utilizaremos outras cartas e documentos anteriores e contemporâneos à missão abordada aqui, tais como cartas de jesuítas da missão Mogol. / The main goal of the present research is the analysis of the tibetan mission mail trade, from 1624-35, wich were already published. The documents to be analysed are three letters from Padre Antônio de Andrade (1624, 1626, 1627), plus João Cabrals (1626), Estevão de Cacelas (1627) and Francisco Azevedos (1631). Our intention is to analyse the descriptions of the tibetan budhists, as they appear in the letters, and then relate them with the methods of convertion that took place in the tibetan mission during this first period of Jesuit settling in the roof of the world. As adicional documentation, we used former and later letters and documents from the mughal mission.