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AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICES AND PERCEIVED ROLES OF AMERICAN GRANDPARENTS AMONG EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS Joshua Robert Mulvihill, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. Timothy Paul Jones The purpose of this study was to provide a portrait of grandparenting from the Bible and analyze the place and purpose of grandparents in American society based on a synthesis of research literature. The second purpose of the study utilized semi-structured interviews to determine the perceived roles and accompanying practices of grandparents in evangelical contexts. The biblical study of grandparenthood revealed six themes that inform the role and responsibility of grandparenthood to pass on a godly heritage of faith. The semi-structured interviews suggest that evangelical grandparents gravitate to one of four different roles with their grandchild: encouraging voice, supportive partner, loving friend, or disciple-maker. The interviews also revealed eight disciple-making practices that intentional grandparents utilize with grandchildren. The research uncovered three problems that exist in the family ministry world. First, evangelical churches have a limited emphasis on equipping grandparents to pass faith on to future generations. Second, high numbers of evangelical grandparents are not intentionally or significantly investing in the spiritual life of their grandchildren and do not have a clear understanding of their role as a grandparent. Third, limited resources are available to encourage and equip grandparents who profess evangelical faith to accomplish their God-given role in the church and home. As a result, the potential contribution of this research is significant as evangelical Christians have been greatly influenced by American society, are often marginalized by family and church, confused about their role as grandparents, and resigned to minimal spiritual impact in their grandchild’s life. The results of this research provide an overview of grandparenting according to the Bible, summarize society’s understanding of the role of grandparents, and suggest eight spiritual practices that will help grandparents embrace multigenerational discipleship and pass faith on to future generations. Pastors and grandparents need a renewed biblical vision regarding the biblical role and disciple-making practices of grandparents and this research project will help toward that end. KEYWORDS: biblical role, Bible, Christian education, church and home, discipleship, disciple maker, encouraging voice, equipping grandparents, evangelical grandparents, Evangelical Free Church of America, family ministry, future generations, godly heritage, grandchildren, grandparents, intentional grandparents, loving friend, multigenerational discipleship, resources, responsibility of grandparents, role of grandparents, supportive partner.

ABSTRACT MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, AND CHRISTIAN PARENTAL INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES Jennifer Rose Garrison, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. Hal K. Pettegrew The purpose of this study was to describe the perspectives among Christian parents toward marriage and sexuality, to describe the resources and practices utilized by these parents in teaching their children about marriage and sexuality, and to describe to what extent, if any, these parents’ perspectives and teaching practices are influenced by the local church. 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Christian parents having at least one child in the range of kindergarten to sixth grade. Chapter 1 offers a detailed description of the research problem and the purpose of the research. Though traditional forms of marriage and sexuality have long been building blocks of society, current American culture now presents many alternative choices to both marriage and sexuality. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the precedent literature concerning marriage, sexuality, and Christian parental instruction, as well as key cultural trends related to marriage and sexuality, and a review of twelve parental help texts addressing both issues. Chapter 3 presents the research methodology of this study. The qualitative research design consisted of the following steps. First, access was obtained to churches who attended CentriKid Camp on the campus of Campbellsville University during summer 2014. Second, children’s ministry group leaders from attending churches were invited to participate in the study. Personal contact information was gathered from each volunteer. Third, an interview protocol was created, validated through an expert panel, and approved by the Ethics Committee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Fourth, a pilot study was conducted. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Fifth, 28 interviewees were purposefully selected based upon the highest number of volunteers from participating churches. Sixth, a Dissertation Participation Form was gathered from each participant. Seventh, 28 interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded. Types of coding applied to the research included In Vivo and values coding. Eighth, content analysis was completed on the gathered data. Finally, findings were evaluated and conclusions were drawn. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of the research findings. These findings describe the values expressed by Christian parents in regard to the research questions. Chapter 5 presents conclusions drawn from the research. KEYWORDS: Bible, biblical discipleship, biblical teaching, biblical worldview, Christian parenting, church discipleship, church equipping, church influence, cohabitation, comfort measures, culture, discipleship, divorce, gender confusion, homosexuality, life experience, life stage, marriage, marriage education, mass media, mentoring, parental controls, parental instruction, parental responsibility, parental struggle, parental teaching, parental training, parenting, parents, pastor, perspectives, pornography, public school, sexual ethics, sexual morality, sexuality, sexuality education, teaching methods, teaching practices, teaching resources, textual resources, values.

The dissertation presents an institutional perspective on the role of values and meaning for organizations focusing on the institutional logic of religion. At its core are Chapter III, a conceptual paper, and Chapters IV and V, empirical papers based on an in-depth two-years long ethnographic case study on the founding process of the first Islamic Bank in Germany. They are framed by an introductory chapter and a conclusion that address the overarching research question of how diverse institutional demands are managed within and beyond the boundaries of organizations, as well as a general literature review chapter that embeds the papers within the wider institutional theory literature. Chapter III presents a conceptualization that integrates religion, specifically Islam, with entrepreneurship along three interconnected pillars: the entrepreneurial, socio-economic/ethical and religio-spiritual; and outlines how Islam shapes entrepreneurship at the micro-, meso- and macro-level. It suggests the institutional logics perspective to further analyze the impact of religion on organizations, which the subsequent papers build on. Chapter IV extends theory on organizational hybridity by outlining polyphony and polysemy as two mutually reinforcing organizational responses, that allow competing logics to coexist without structurally separating or blending them, and that produce elastic hybridity, showing how hybrid organizations can accommodate competing logics that are both central and incompatible. Chapter V shows how organizations collectively and dynamically co-generate and co-resolve institutional complexity through four combinatory mechanisms: pushing, pulling, clarifying and tolerating. These are subsequently integrated into a framework based on their desired versus required and actual versus perceptual nature. Overall, this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of how organizations manage diverse institutional demands including religion.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this study was to bring to consciousness the varied experiences that men have had of feeling wounded and to explore how a relationship to Jesus the Christ has influenced their understanding of those experiences. A modified naturalistic inquiry model was used as the qualitative research method, and the research was developed using grounded theory. This method of inquiry encouraged participants, and the researcher, to voice their experiences and to utilize them in a way that made the research significant. This methodological approach allowed themes to emerge, while honouring the stories and experiences that the participants shared. The theoretical framework for the study emerged from two major fields of research: Christian theology and gender-male studies. This research is located where these two fields intersect and overlap. It builds on the research from gender-male studies, specifically the psychological study of men and masculinity, organized men's movements, mythopoetic movements, profeminist movements, as well as the Christian theological understanding of a Messiah who has been portrayed and understood as the "wounded healer." The research focuses on the point at which men's experiences connect with their own sense of woundedness, their Christian faith, and their process of healing. The researcher engaged a discriminate group of men in exploring and trying to understand their experiences of feeling wounded in relation to the Christian story. Four men were identified who have had formal education in both pastoral psychology and theology. The participants were interviewed, and a constant comparative method was employed. Throughout the process of interviewing these men and being privy to their stories, my own story of feeling wounded often surfaced. This research is significant because allowing these men to articulate their experiences of woundedness facilitates healing, for themselves but also for other men who may access their own stories of feeling wounded through hearing those of the participants. Identifying and articulating woundedness helps to manifest the path of healing and self-understanding, ultimately leading to happier lives. / x, 130 leaves ; 29 cm.