The thesis examines the development of the Diocese of Lincoln Local Ministry Course against a background of debate about local ordained ministry, a decline in numbers of stipendiary clergy and discussion of the ministry of the whole people of God. Set in the context of the emergence of non-stipendiary ministry, the theological emphases of the Lincoln Scheme are discerned in its foundation documents, before its educational programme is delineated.Examination is made of how a local ministry team is formed, and the pattern of parish preparation is explored through introductory course materials. Questionnaire responses are used in assessing the role of the local incumbent, who is a key element in the whole learning process. Similarly the role of the tutor is analysed, and questionnaire responses are used in understanding the experience of students, from a wide variety of backgrounds, all of whom have been chosen by their local church. Analysis of the training of incumbents, tutors, and students shows how wide is this educational enterprise.The course's aims and objectives are examined, and the shape of the syllabus, from its outline beginnings in 1980, is explored. Course workbooks, and group notes are used in evaluating the course's teaching style. The development of assessment methods, procedure and standards is examined, and the significance of continuing ministerial education for local ministers is considered. In the concluding chapter reflections are offered, and suggestions for future development are made.The five appendices to the thesis consist of a full tabulation of questionnaire responses, sample programmes for tutor training days, forms for visits to local groups, a paper on common standards of assessment and a map of the distribution of local groups.

No description available.

This study attempts to investigate religion in the life of the young adult at University College Cork (UCC). It aims to ensure that pastoral ministry is based, not on guesses and assumptions, but on ascertained facts. The study is underpinned by historical, theological, psychological and sociological factors. It traces the provisions made for religion during each phase of its history as a nondenominational college. The contention is that religion arises from the nature of human beings in their capacity to relate to the mystery of God and the need to express this through organised religion in accordance with the culture. Expectations in relation to religion are informed by the psychological understanding that religious faith is not a constant through life. Young adult students are subject to the transitions which are typical of that stage of development. Account is taken of the effect on religion of the rapid changes in Irish society in the second half of the twentieth century. A multiple triangulation research design, consisting of a survey, depth interviews and participant observations, was used in the investigation. The survey was carried out by means of a postal questionnaire, administered to a systematic sample of students in the 18-23 year age group during the 1996/97 academic year. It examined student priorities, membership of religion, public worship, private prayer, charitable works, beliefs and moral values. The data were analysed using simple frequencies, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, ANOVA and T-tests. Further insights were obtained by means of twenty depth interviews and by the observations of the researcher. These strands were interwoven in creating a canvas on religion in the life of the young adult at UCC. Interested parties are challenged to a new approach to religion as UCC makes its transition from a college to an institution of full university status.

This thesis, which moves through three stages, asks whether the compulsory provision of a daily act of collective worship can be justified in the schools of a liberal society. It begins with an analysis of the public debate which has surrounded its presence since legislation in 1944 formalised existing practice, and notes that its arguments are based on differing perceptions of the value of religious practice, the needs of the child, the relationship between religion and morality, and the nature of society. Because this public debate is often distanced from actual practice, research was undertaken in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales and is described in the central section of the study. The methods used to gather data are first discussed and are then followed by reports on the information acquired by means of a national questionnaire, as well as observation and interviews which were carried out with teachers and pupils in the south west of England and a city in the Midlands. The findings show that the legal requirements are met in the majority of primary schools, but that pupils' transfer to the secondary school frequently marks a point of transition from daily worship to a weekly assembly, except in the voluntary sector. Adult respondents discuss their attitudes to collective worship, the obstacles they encounter in meeting the legal requirements and the approaches adopted in their schools. The most important features of collective worship are perceived by teachers and pupils to be the contribution it makes to the development of a sense of community, the celebration of achievement and the ethos of the school. Conversations with pupils reveal the changes in belief which occur as they mature, and shed further light on provision in schools, reflecting young people's declining willingness to participate in religious worship. The evidence of the data reveals that opposition to collective worship is expressed by young people and their teachers in the language of individualism and choice. The philosophical analysis of the concluding section therefore examines the question of the justifiability of collective worship from a liberal perspective, giving particular attention to questions of autonomy, rights, indoctrination and the distinction between the public and private domains. Recognising, howevcr, that communitarianism provides a major challenge to liberalism, a study is also made of relevant arguments from this perspective before concluding that collective worship cannot be justified from either position. Nevertheless, schools claim that they intend to maintain the provision of assembly in a maimer which meets their needs, and the conclusion suggests that the way ahead may be to build on the current strengths of provision and to replace the traditional elements of participatory worship with a programme which develops a deeper emphasis on the spiritual and cultural dimensions of experience.

This study deals with the principles and practice of Christian Education in the Churches of England and Scotland from the viewpoints of theological understanding, educational theory, and practical experimentation. Because of the immense changes in educational theory in the period, as a result of dynamics affecting the whole European situation, the study begins with a broad overview of the theoretical revolution affecting the whole movement within the Churches. The study quickly gave convincing evidence that, although some of the major developments emerged within individual denominational frameworks, the impact of developing theory and practice was felt ecumenically, from the very beginning of the period. The major records and publications of the separate denominations were examined, and, deliberately, a general survey was decided on, because of the commonality of the developments, although special consideration was given in the second chapter to the National Churches, because of their special significance in the religious life of the country. The study preceded to isolate and consider in depth the most significant developments of the period, firstly, in order of their appearance, in the principles of grading and the practice of organisation, in chapters three and four. It was then necessary to deal very specifically with the most radical development of the period, educationally, by considering the centrality given to the child, as a result of continuing child study, and the attempt to recognise the child's development as central in the educational ministry of the Church, through Christian education suitably devised and designed. Chapter five deals with this development. Alongside the fresh understanding of the child was the conflict over the role of the Bible. From the perspective of contemporary theological insight, the Bible was considered, its educational value examined by reference to the main contributors to the development of Christian education, with special attention being paid to the relationship of the Bible to curricular developments. This completed the examination of the central issues affecting Christian education in the Churches, in chapter six. The following chapter had to consider the effects of all this development on the approach to teaching, and a careful study was made of the major methodologies in vogue during the period. The persistent decline in the numbers involved in Church-based Christian education, which was evident from the beginning, was tackled seriously in the development of Family Church, a concept the study took very seriously, and evaluated carefully. Another dynamic became increasingly important in the attempt to understand the total picture, namely, the place, and often the non-place, of adult education. This was examined, and is evaluated in chapter nine. A final factor of great importance to the period was the matter of the selection, training and use of the Christian teacher, and chapter ten evaluates some of the basic attitudes and approaches to these issues. The conclusion summarises the main factors at work in the period, and the effect of the entire study is to make a fresh contribution to the understanding of Christian education as it was understood and practised in the Churches of England and Scotland.

This study is an investigation into the British Muslim communities in Bradford, to identify which types of problems might threaten their Islamic identity and suggest possible solutions to assist those people to maintain their identity. The main aim of this study was to identify whether the educational setting in the school, mosque, home and society can challenge the Islamic identity and whether those factors could play a vital role in preserving such identity. To achieve these aims, two phases of research have been conducted. First, documentary evidence has been collected to see the background to the problem. Second, an empirical study has been carried out to ascertain the views of 160 Muslim pupils and 149 Muslim parents in Bradford. The empirical study was in two parts. The main study was in Bradford. This main survey was preceded by two preliminary -field studies, one carried out in Mirpur, which is the place of origin of a large number of Muslim parents in Bradford, and the second in Bradford. Three types of interviews were carried out with different groups of people to obtain information that can help in investigating the factors which underlie the sense of threat to identity. The documentary study, the exploratory interviews and findings from a questionnaire survey led to identification of four lists of requirements covering the four fields: school, mosque, home and society. The main findings reflected that British Muslims face challenges to their Islamic identity in all the fields mentioned above. Problems stem from both groups, Muslim and non Muslim. They also reflect a cultural gap between Muslim youths and their parents and between Muslims and non Muslims. Education could play a very important role to fill this gap.