Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Vita. "April 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-41).

Thesis (M.A.)--Reformed Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-160).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Abilene Christian University, 2004. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 206-207).

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Yeshiva University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-122). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Oldenburg, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-180).

The purpose of this thesis is to point out the importance of music in the religious education of children and to encourage the church to become aware of its task and its possibilities with its music so that music becomes a more effective aid in religious training.

It is the conviction of the writer that the world needs "the Way of Life," and that Jesus Christ is that Way;1 that the home is basic to society, and that the Church is the society whereby the Gospel is to be preached. Because of these convictions and the knowledge that the home is not centered around Christ, and that the Church has not yet realized its responsibility in providing more aid and leadership for family education, this paper has been inspired.

abstract: In the current context of fiscal austerity as well as neo-colonial criticisms, the discipline of religious studies has been challenged to critically assess its teaching methods as well as articulate its relevance in the modern university setting. Responding to these needs, this dissertation explores the educational outcomes on undergraduate students as a result of religious studies curriculum. This research employs a robust quantitative methodology designed to assess the impact of the courses while controlling for a number of covariates. Based on data collected from pre- and post-course surveys of a combined 1,116 students enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU) and two area community colleges, the research examines student change across five outcomes: attributional complexity, multi-religious awareness, commitment to social justice, individual religiosity, and the first to be developed, neo-colonial measures. The sample was taken in the Fall of 2009 from courses including Religions of the World, introductory Islamic studies courses, and a control group consisting of engineering and political science students. The findings were mixed. From the "virtues of the humanities" standpoint, select within group changes showed a statistically significant positive shift, but when compared across groups and the control group, there were no statistically significant findings after controlling for key variables. The students' pre-course survey score was the best predictor of their post-course survey score. In response to the neo-colonial critiques, the non-findings suggest the critiques have been overstated in terms of their impact pedagogically or in the classroom. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Religious Studies 2011

American college and university chaplaincy has historically reflected the spiritual demographic of college students in each progressing generation. This project explores the history of American college chaplaincy, the current spiritual demographic of millennial emerging adults, and proposes that college chaplains embrace the arts to creatively meet the needs of the diverse religious and nonreligious students populating today’s college campuses. Grounded in research which reveals that emerging adults widely affirm participation in the arts as spiritual practice, the project proposes three aspects of emerging adult spirituality as starting points for situating the arts as central to chaplaincy.  By recognizing the spectra between process and product, the secular and sacred, and word-based and experiential learning, college chaplains will be effective in engaging the spiritual needs of millennials with meaning and purpose.

One-fifth the U.S. public, and over a third of young Americans under twenty-five years of age, report they are religiously unaffiliated (termed the “Nones”). Campus ministry programs, typically arranged by denomination or tradition, often neglect this group and need to be recalibrated in order to serve Nones better. Chapter Two synthesizes key findings from three prominent commercial surveys about the current religious landscape in the country, among young adults, and on campuses in general. Chapter Three reviews recent works about the larger role of religion on campus and introduces a topology of the Nones. Chapter Four outlines a series of concrete initiatives taken at one site, Simmons College, and draws some conclusions.