This thesis is concerned with the question as to how to present the study of religion to students in religious education (RE) in schools that reflects a distinctively religious character but not a confessional one. It recognises that how religion is conceptualised in RE and the search for a distinctive rationale that reflects the subject’s nature and purpose, has been a contested question over the history of the subject in state maintained schools since the Education Act of 1870. More recently, criticism of what has been termed ‘modern liberal RE’ has focused on the claim that, in many instances, the subject has misrepresented religion, by being guilty of essentialism and in denying students opportunities to engage with the ‘truth claims’ of religions. It is within this context that this thesis argues that a nuanced understanding of John Hick’s religious interpretation of religion can positively illuminate these debates by providing a second order explanatory framework for the study of religion in RE.

Christian teachers of Personal social health education (PSHE) can be conflicted when confronted with sensitive and controversial issues in their professional practice. Concerns include unprofessional conduct, exercising undue influence of their personal values and beliefs on students and being untrue to their faith. These can lead to uncertainty in negotiating areas of conscience and controversy. This life history study situated within the south east of England was used to illuminate the complexities which abound when operating within a wider milieu of perceived marginalisation of the Christian faith through advancing secularisation and liberalism. These tensions are reflected in the curriculum, policy frameworks and legal documents and have implications for teachers’ personal values, Christian faith and professional practice. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 13 PSHE teachers and analysed for emergent themes, borrowing language from thematic, ethical and theological analysis. The research illuminates insights into a wider context of faith in professional life. It demonstrates the way teachers are in transition in these conflicts, yet understanding faith as a holistic quality. Findings show that the approaches that teachers adopt to the interpretation and application of faith in personal life influence how faith is integrated professionally. The conflicts confronted, reflect responses of resilience, compliance and rebellion, while some teachers remain unchanged in their positions. Analysis of the data suggested that discreetly integrating faith in practice is a coping strategy some teachers employ. My study suggests that silence can be a price to pay for faith, balancing courageous restraint with conflicting compromises and professional hypocrisy. The research captures teachers in transition located in professional practice obligations, ethical and theological positions as they negotiate and navigate the place of their Christian faith and personal values with students’ rights, freedoms and autonomy.

<p>This final project report set out to design a peer-led learning model that would assist pastors in building competencies and strengthening peer relationships among Presbyterian pastors in northern New Jersey. The project addressed a national trend that reveals an increasing number of pastors are leaving Christian ministry today because of inadequate support and their lack of varied and specialized skills to serve congregations. However, some of the most recent research by the U. S. Congregational Life Survey (US CLS Wave Two), the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) project, and the Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey confirmed pastors and their congregations benefit by pastors participating in peer learning. </p><p> Grounded in the theology that Christian ministry is nurtured by communities that embody and practice what they believe, and by theories that enduring learning takes place in association with others, this project drew from Presbyterian ecclesiology, the company of pastors (Calvin), a community of practice (Wenger), self-directed learning (Knowles), group theory (Johnsons), and the areas of learning pastors volunteered to lead. There were no attending costs and the monthly format was simple: pastors shared a meal and fellowship followed by worship and relevant teaching led by the pastors themselves. </p><p> Twenty-five pastors, representing one-fifth of the congregations in three regional bodies, attended one or more of the nine gatherings. A large part of the report concentrated on the more active twelve mature, highly stressed, and highly motivated pastors who represented different urban and suburban communities, genders, races, and sexual orientations. The report evaluated what facilitated and hindered this project's objectives. Its conclusion provided seven insights for pastors and seminarians, denominational agencies and regional body leaders, seminaries and foundations concerned about pastoral preparation for the rigors and challenges of congregational ministry. </p>

<p>Westerhoff (2000) reminds Christian congregations that children become members of the Christian Church from the moment they are baptized. Therefore, infants and young children should be present during congregational corporate worship services. It is through mentoring and modeling of the Christian faith that young children have optimal opportunity to grow in their relationship with God. </p><p> The goal of this qualitative case study was to look at what happens during corporate worship from the perspective of young children. Data were gathered from thirteen worship participants (ages five-nine) from two Lutheran congregations in order to determine the elements of corporate worship that help them encounter God. </p><p> The findings reveal that intergenerational corporate worship provides an opportunity for the mentoring/modeling dynamic that is central to Westerhoff's (2000) theory. The participants in this study report having meaningful encounters with God during church through various elements. Future research should replicate this inquiry in Christian congregations of other denominations. </p>

<p> A common plea in missions is the need to train pastors and church leaders for the rapidly multiplying churches in the Majority World, resulting in numerous formal and nonformal theological education training programs. In spite of these efforts, many rural churches remain without pastors. </p><p> Using appreciative inquiry and participatory action-reflection research methods, together with 49 participants consisting of church elders and representatives of women, youth, illiterate members, and church ministers from 6 churches in the Northwest Region of the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church, this study examines the factors limiting rural churches from having their desired pastor, describes the ideal minister desired by rural churches, and initiates a training program to train the type of pastors the stakeholders desire. </p><p> The study reveals that rural churches struggle to have pastors because their most desired individuals migrate to urban centers, high numbers of non-wage-earning youth as members limit the economic capabilities of rural churches, and inflexible theological education programs do not take into account or seek to address economic constraints, community education standards, or the size of rural churches. </p><p> The study reveals that rural churches situated in communities that place a high value upon Western-styled education and high levels of certification desire an educated pastor trained through formal theological education using literate communication techniques. This emphasis upon certification frequently results in rural churches selecting individuals to become pastors who do not embody the rural churches' ideal personality or spirituality character traits, commitment to ministry, or age. After receiving theological training, these educated young ministers frequently seek salaries considered inappropriate or not available in rural communities, resulting in their migration out of the rural community to seek higher wages or better educational opportunities, leaving rural churches without trained pastors. </p><p> To fulfill their desire for pastors who embody the characteristics honored in rural communities and who will remain in the rural communities, rural churches must train bivocational semiliterate pastors using nonformal theological education training approaches that combine oral and literate communication techniques.</p>

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-49).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-49).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-49).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-49).

Introduction: Difficulties persist in conceptualising spiritual needs and understanding their relationship to religious needs and wellbeing in healthcare and particularly in nursing education. This research was undertaken to explore approaches and challenges associated with this area in undergraduate nursing education in England. Methods/Methodology: Using a systematic approach, a literature review covering the period 1993-2017 was undertaken to explore potential issues and challenges reported. Applying case-study methodology, data were collected from three university nursing schools from different parts of England. Sources for data triangulation within schools included, curriculum review of undergraduate nursing courses, exploring the views of nursing educators through semi structured interviews and focus group studies with nursing students. Template analysis was used to identify themes in the data. Findings: Due to the module based curriculum, the integration of spirituality in nursing education appeared to be treated as a matter of personal choice and convenience rather than as an essential domain of teaching and learning practice in England. Owing to conceptual complexity, addressing religious needs was often considered to be synonymous with addressing spiritual care need. Factors were identified contributing to the difficulties in the issue of educating nurses in this area. These were: lack of clarity in curriculum documents; uncertainty as to how far nurses should address these issues and how far this was a specialist chaplaincy function; fear of being judged or rejected in a multicultural environment; and the dominance of disease-centred care. The participants voiced a desire for developing a shared understanding through developing a more explicit representation of spirituality in nursing education and the recognition of appropriate educational approaches in this area. Based on the findings of this study a learning framework is proposed; SOPHIE (Self-exploration through Ontological, Phenomenological, Humanistic, Ideological, and Existential expressions), to encourage self-awareness and reflexivity among nursing educators and students. SOPHIE aims to bring ontological authenticity and congruency to the forefront of nursing knowledge and practice. Conclusion: Constructing knowledge through ontological learning engagements among educators and students is essential to develop role clarity, authenticity and empowerment in understanding and addressing spiritual care needs. A multidisciplinary teaching approach integrating medical anthropology, humanistic psychology and existential phenomenology should be explored as a basis for an integrated nursing curriculum that could explore spirituality in its widest sense.