Search

The question as to the significance of theology in Benjamin's variegated writings and in the specific modes of thinking that they sponsor has long been contested. This study investigates a certain double gesture in which his texts perform a radically secular dismantling of the category of the theological in all its political, cultural, and aesthetic manifestations, while at the same time exposing the idea of a fully posttheological thinking as a premature foreclosure, a dangerous fallacy, even a metaphysical aberration. It is argued that the theological in Benjamin can only ever be thought and talked about in relation to specific passages and contextual reinscriptions, which is to say, as matters of language, textual iterations that always point elsewhere in order to become what they are. The study shows how, from Benjamin's perspective, to believe that our thinking has finally overcome theology for good-that it is no longer tacitly attached to a residual, unsublatable, and unacknowledged theological commitment-may well turn out to be the most theological position of all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Second Vatican Council helpfully reaffirmed the partnership among three primary agencies in the Christian education and the Christian formation of the young: school, church, and home. The primacy among these three agencies may emerge differently in different social contexts. The argument of the present paper is two-fold. First, it is argued that John Hull was the key influence during the 1970s in trying to shift the primary focus for the Church of England from the school to the local congregation. Second, it is argued that post-pandemic, the primary focus now needs shifting from the local congregation to the home, to the ecclesia domestica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 50 years, a group of Christians has cultivated a movement to revitalize Christian education at secular universities. These leaders formed centers for Christian thought (CCT) to reengage the Christian faith with the intellectual life (and vice-versa) and work with students, staff, and faculty within American universities. At present, there are at least 41 CCT in the USA, but little empirical work has been done to explore this type of Christian education. In this paper, we used a collective case study of five established CCT to answer the following research question: What are the distinctive features of Christian study centers and institutes for Catholic thought, and what is the nature of Christian education they offer? Each center we studied exhibited characteristics unique to its institutional context and yet shared some key educational elements with other centers. In sum, CCT used hospitality and intellectual fellowship to engage the riches of the Christian intellectual tradition to satiate the human appetite to live an integrated life. The center staff believed that living the integrated life would strengthen the global church and thereby benefit the university and society. Although CCT are distinct from Christian colleges and universities, opportunities exist for mutual learning between them that could help perpetuate the Christian intellectual tradition. For example, CCT could benefit from the faith integration conversations happening on Christian campuses, who could, in turn, learn from the holistic approaches of CCT and benefit from hiring faculty who were involved with a center as graduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees' health is linked to various factors, which explains why their life is characterised by difficult challenges. In the midst of these challenges, refugees find hope and strive for improved well-being. Forced migration in Africa obliges us to re-examine migratory trends to determine how they are linked to the health of forced migrants. This paper highlights migration and health issues from the context of diaconal praxis. The paper demonstrates how forced migrants are often the victims of poor health conditions and that they generally encounter major problems in hospitals simply because they are refugees. It also provides evidence that refugees face various challenges in obtaining appropriate care due to medical xenophobia and attitudinal treatment by most health workers. This paper calls for radical diaconal action. The work is based on a qualitative piece of research conducted with refugees from sub-Saharan Africa through a series of semi-structured interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Christianisation, commerce and civilisation (3Cs) as strategies of European imperialist movements and considers the impact such endeavour made on Nigeria's enslavement. Using the historical method, the paper argues that the methods of the 3Cs adopted by the colonial imperialist, though with some positive impacts, eroded Nigeria's socio-cultural and politico-economic heritage and consequently breeds the foundation for socio-cultural and politico-economic slavery in contemporary Nigerian society. Specifically, the paper interrogates how the 3Cs fuel some forms of slavery in contemporary Nigeria. By so doing, this paper will contribute to African postcolonial studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of online higher education and the increasing diversification of college and university students, there is a need to focus on addressing the inequities of online learning and responding to the needs of diverse students. Students experience greater challenges in academic performance and in persisting and completing online programs, especially among particular student subgroups and course subject areas. Although research has identified some of the facilitating factors and barriers to online student persistence in coursework, supporting diverse online students requires attention not only to course design and instruction, but also broader institutional commitments. Christian higher education can present unique challenges to these students but might also be able to provide support and remedies that are not immediately available at other types of institutions. This paper synthesizes the literature on the needs of diverse learners in online education and provides an example of how the online campus of Abilene Christian University is attempting to meet the needs of its diverse learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I have the rewarding experience of being an administrator operating out of a denominational leadership role in Christian education. I have served in this role concurrently for over a decade as a full-time professor of Christian education at a seminary. In this autobiographical reflection, I discuss how I define my roles in the church and academy as one vocation. I spend my life juggling time and resources so that both roles are served at the highest level. I discuss in the paper how each of the roles intersect and inform one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious education is queer. At first, it may seem as if queer and religious education barely belong in the same sentence; however, a fresh look at the definition of queer within the current understanding of religious education reveals a deep connection. Playing on the historical question of Harrison Elliott, Can Religious Education be Christian?, this paper will tease out the conflicts between religious education and queerness while ultimately showing not only how religious education can be queer but must be queer to reach its fullest potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an artistic activity, weaving traditions have been passed down by women weavers from generation to generation in Sumba, Indonesia. Women can express their resistance to an oppressive situation through aesthetic engagement using handwoven textile motifs. There are also motifs related to woman's resistance to Dutch colonialization in the past. This paper argues that the motifs of resistance in Sumba handwoven textiles are an important element that can support an arts-based liberative pedagogy in Christian religious education as part of the struggle against grand narratives of colonial legacy, especially in the context of colonial heritage churches in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a quantitative research study of Christian adolescents in junior and senior high schools, in 12 Protestant churches in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, concerning their perceptions about LGBTQ+ sexualities. Using a "normalcy" perspective from disability studies, the study finds heterosexuality is normative; other sexual orientations are recognized as abnormal. The study shows that female respondents, senior high school level respondents, and respondents with LGBTQ+ family members/close friends have more positive perceptions toward the LGBTQ+ community. Based on these results, there is a need to develop a Christian religious education that helps undo heteronormativity as the standard of normalcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that W.E.B. Du Bois' short stories are a rich source of apocalyptic theology. Reading them apocalyptically, I argue, illuminates how Du Bois employed Christian theological material in order to negate its White supremacist order. Reading Du Bois apocalyptically shows the significance of black cultural production in apocalyptic terms and illuminates the exilic character of black people in modern history, which has led to a unique imbrication of the theological and cultural in black writing. Through a close reading of 3 short stories by Du Bois, I show how his sense of apocalyptic draws the prophetic, messianic, and eschatological together in anticipation of a world ungoverned by White supremacy and free from anti-black violence. Finally, I argue that Du Bois sees the black apocalyptic event as both a failure and a glimpse of possibility in the fleeting moments of recognition and touch that occur in the stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852) was the inventor of the kindergarten, and his emphasis on childcentredness and play influenced the progressive movement throughout the world. The concepts of unity and wholeness are highly visible in his writings. Religion is addressed in his work and that of his followers, but little attention has been paid to spirituality per se in Froebel’s thought. This paper explores the place of the spiritual in Froebel’s scheme and in some of what has been written about him. It notes his use of the concepts of the spirit and spirituality, and considers the relationship between his faith and the Christian religion. It discusses the ‘laws’ which Froebel enunciated: of Divine Unity, opposites and the connection of opposites; the principle of self-activity; and the process of ‘unfoldment’. These principles are observed in his teaching methods and resources, specifically in the Gifts and The Mother-Song Book of 1844. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for such concepts as the spirit of the child and spiritual education. The picture that emerges is of a child-centred education which honours the integrity of childhood. It is argued that such an education, fully embraced, is a spiritual education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper argues that higher education should exist for society's common good, a focus that has been lost in recent years (Dorn, 2011; Eagan et al., 2015; Ford 2016; Habley, Bloom & Robbins, 2012). To explore how Christian higher education can provide leadership in returning to a focus on the common good, this paper traces the movement of higher education away from the common good and recommends strategies for a counter-movement. A review of the organizational change process is offered, with an emphasis on the connection between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and positive leadership strategies for the common good. Fostering positive and productive work environments marked by shared service to society could set Christian higher education apart within the higher education milieu, creating an opportunity for Christian colleges and universities to flourish in times of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an examination of the history of Scottish religious education (RE). Focusing on 1962–1992, it distinguishes the temporal processes that unfolded during this period to identify the circumstances that led to a serious case of neglect of the subject, especially in the non-denominational sector. Next, it highlights the less emphasised but important issue of how RE ‘survived’ in public education, going on to explicate the antecedents of a paradigm shift in the subject. Finally, curriculum reforms undertaken in the subject from the 1980s onwards are described, showing how these reforms helped to transform Scottish RE into an ‘academic’ subject well aligned with the curricular principles of ‘5–14’, the country’s first (1992) ‘educational’ RE programme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

According to Petrarch, the main goal of the liberal arts is to help us live a good life and become wise, virtuous, and serene. This is also something achieved via true Christian faith. In this paper, my goal is twofold. First, I review Petrarch's general attitude to the good life and the ways to live it, along with his advice on how to remain content or regain peace in the face of difficulties. As a devout Christian, Petrarch emphasises that faith suffices for a person to have a virtuous and contented life, but the combination of a liberal arts education and a Christian education is ideal. Second, I highlight the importance of Petrarch's insights, by taking a closer look at the contemporary research on the universal psychological needs and how their satisfaction relates to the overall sense of well-being of people across different cultures. Studies show that people who feel more autonomous generally have an increased sense of well-being. Furthermore, those who are 'mindful', that is those who can precisely identify their own psychological states and the situation they are in, tend to feel more autonomous. I place Petrarch's insistence that an education combining the liberal arts and religion helps us become serene and peaceful within the context of these results. I call for further research on the relations between autonomy, mindfulness, and education and show that some centuries-old insights can direct our research and, as such, prove valuable today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article riffs on the title of John Hull's classic work, What prevents Christian adults from learning?, in which he identifies the pathology of the 'unlearning religious person' and the defences that individuals and churches construct to avoid the pain of Christian cognitive learning. Learning Chrisitan values and virtues is rather different, but can still be a pain – and a much more potent and personal one. The paper explores some of the problems and possibiliteis, both for disciples and ministers, of 'learning the Christian character'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to contribute to discernment regarding decisions that could be taken in the present in order to secure a future for Catholic higher education in Ireland at the service of the mission of the Church. The paper begins by critiquing third-level education in Ireland. Then a brief overview is presented of the distinctive tenets of Catholic education and why Catholic education has the potential to challenge and revitalise third-level education as a whole. Finally, the paper reflects on the state of Catholic education in Ireland and some developments are suggested which may be considered to be strategic at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a variety of reasons many Christian higher education institutions struggle to embrace issues of diversity. This paper explores some of the challenges facing Christian higher education institutions when it comes to embracing diversity, particularly in the area of employment. It begins with a discussion of basic diversity/diversity management principles including an examination of the historical context and the business case for embracing diversity. The paper further examines specific challenges of, and rationale for, managing and embracing diversity in a Christian university context. These issues are highlighted through a case study conducted on a Christian university campus The paper concludes with various recommendations for how to create or improve a Christian institution's employment diversity climate. The recommendations are presented in light not only of legal, community, and business pressures but also in an attempt to help the Christian campus to further fulfill its mission and ultimately bring God glory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an emerging movement in catechesis within the academic community. Arguing from the urgency discerned in available data, Philippine catechesis has much to inherit from Catholic tertiary institutions. The shortage of capable catechists viz a viz the growing population of pupils from the government-run primary institutions stands to be the biggest challenge yet to the evangelising mission of the Church. To address the issue, this paper reflects upon the observations and attitudes gathered from the field where volunteer tertiary students had immersed in catechetical education. The favourable responses of volunteers towards the catechetical experience show a new-found hope in Asia's only Catholic nation. This relevant youth experience stands out as a viable strategy for local churches from other parts of the world to harness their students' skills and imagination as agents of evangelisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious Education (RE) in England and Wales functions within a post-secular culture. In the last fifty years, approaches characterised by academic rigour, impartiality, and professionalism have been prioritised. In this post-secular culture, the notion of bricolage aptly describes how some young people seek meaning, explore the spiritual dimension of life, with fragmented understandings of, experiences and encounters with the religious traditions. This paper draws on data from an empirical research project involving 350 students, to explore why students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales recognised Religious Education (RE) as a significant contributor to their spiritual development. The analysis is illuminated by employing the concept of a narthical learning space (NLS) as the lens with which to examine young people's experiences. Three aspects of RE are explored: the debating of existential questions; opportunities to theologise and reflect; and encounters with the beliefs, practices, and opinions of others. This article argues that the concept of RE as a narthical learning space alongside the notion of young people as spiritual bricoleurs illuminates how the students in this study interpret the contribution of RE to their spiritual development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, many North American educational engagements abroad have been entangled with colonialist logics that objectify and oppress those who live in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe (Ogden, 2008). How does contemporary Christian higher education (CHE) programming such as study abroad and international engagement navigate the history of colonialism with present desires to expand and grow into international territories? This article explores this question through the theme of mutual accompaniment, resulting from a study of more than 250 interviews that students from a U.S. college on study abroad conducted with Majority World church pastors or other congregational leaders in communities where students lived. Interviews included a series of nine questions, including, "What would you like to say to the church in North America or the West?" Church leader responses pointed to the concept of mutual accompaniment we explore in this paper. After briefly delineating this concept, the article explores various ways CHE rationalizes its global engagements, highlighting especially the metaphor of cosmopolitanism. The ancient idea of a world citizen used today needs further articulation and analysis within CHE because of how the term can be conflated with practices of consumption and appropriation. Alternatively, as we explore in the concluding section, CHE can seek to advance a critical global citizenship with practices and habits that foster intercultural humility of the world citizen. By unraveling the colonialist logics embedded in cosmopolitanism, the article invites readers to consider how CHE students and programs can construct our positionality through embodied practices, in what we call "a pedagogy of the parochial." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

President Donald Trump has promised an expansion of voucher programs for private schools in the United States. Private Christian schools are likely beneficiaries of such an expansion, but little research has been conducted about the curricula they use or their suitability for public funds. This article describes and critiques the depiction of race in Accelerated Christian Education, a curriculum used in some voucher-funded schools in the United States, as well as in private schools in 140 countries. It employs content analysis and qualitative documentary analysis of the curriculum workbooks, and builds on Christian Smith and Michael Emerson’s theoretical framework of white evangelicals’ ‘cultural toolkit’ to explain the ideas about race in the curriculum. The paper finds that in addition to some overt racism, the system promulgates a worldview which does not have the capacity to recognize or oppose systemic injustice. It is argued that such a curriculum is not a suitable recipient of federal funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although large international studies have defined Norway as one of the most secular countries in the world, Christian folk high schools in Norway have experienced record high attendance. This paper presents case studies of the religious education (RE) and practices of two Christian folk high schools in Norway. A survey shows that students at these schools can be considered representative of the confessional backgrounds and stated values of their cohort of Norwegian youth. The studied institutions have the declared goal of offering RE, of which an on-campus worship service is a central element. A large portion of the student body attends these services. Using a reconstruction of Etienne Wenger’s theory of communities of practice, the author analyses student participation in the school worship service, specifically in the act of candle lighting. Observations and student interviews indicate that the service can be described as a reflective practice representing a dialogic form of religion. This article contributes an analysis of the distinctive form of RE offered by Christian folk high schools in Norway. In a broader sense, it contributes to the understanding of secular youth and their relation to religious practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Going on a field trip to the church, pupils can experience lived religion. But how do they feel during such a church visit? In this paper, we analyse statements of 516 German third graders (about 8 years old) made after they had visited their local church on a field trip. Using affective schema theory, we develop a conceptual model of emotions in churches that serves as theoretical framework for our quantitative content analysis. All in all, the vast majority of the participants report about positive feelings during their church visit. Moreover, it is one-third of the children who show spiritual or religious references in their statements. They talk about personal peace and comfort during the visit, or describe the church as a place to pray and experience the presence of God. Regression analysis identifies that it is the religiously educated children who express such references. Furthermore, children with high centrality of religiosity tend to choose traditional religious concepts, symbols and practices to express reference. These results are mostly in line with relevant theory from sociology of religion and primarily support the concept of subjective turn in religion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study described in this article was designed to assess students' faith integration (FI) learning in a mathematics writing course and its impact on service-learning (SL) as well as to understand how SL can be used to help students think in new ways about the integration of mathematics and faith. A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning methodology (SoTL) was employed, with the intention of using the results to improve course design. The study was conducted in a mathematics writing course for undergraduate math majors. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed in a mixed-methods study design. Findings indicated that, following the SL experience, all of the students articulated FI perceptions related to mathematics, and a majority of the new faith-related understanding emerged from their SL experience. However, when prompted, fewer than half of the students expressed a purpose for engaging in service that connected their Christian faith and communicating about math; instead, most students indicated that their faith inspired them to demonstrate good behavior or be a "role model." Post-SL visit survey results corroborated these findings: Although 80% of the students indicated agreement that the SL experience allowed them to live out Christian values, less than 60% identified themselves as being able to understand the connection between the SL experience and their personal faith. In response to the findings, potential modifications that could be introduced in this mathematics writing course, as well as other similar courses, are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to engage the often-overlooked voices of mothers and daughters in the face of patriarchal dominance. Conversations between mothers and daughters are important spaces for the exploration of faith experiences and provide transformative power. Through these conversations, the practice of story-linking comes to life, enabling re-listening to and re-telling Christian faith stories in the Bible entrenched in church tradition. This endeavor promotes a life-affirming approach to transformative learning. Reflecting on these conversations, this study contributes to Christian religious education within the family context, casting ripples of transformation throughout the church and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the importance of emotional intelligence in Christian higher education. Specifically, it addresses possible implications between emotional intelligence skills and success in the areas of learning, mental health, and career preparation. The paper addresses the following questions: Is there a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement? Does emotional intelligence provide tools that enable students to conquer depression, chronic anger, and burnout? Is emotional intelligence necessary to ensure the students’ later success at work? One of the primary tasks students engage in during the college years is managing emotions (Chickering, 1969). Therefore, this paper examines emotional intelligence skills such as self-awareness, managing emotions, motivation, empathy, and social intelligence (Goleman, 1995). A biblical reflection is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belief in the historicity of Adam has been held firmly throughout the history of the church. In the light of modern biblical criticism and the evolutionary sciences, some conservative Christians are now questioning whether or not Adam was a real person. This paper argues that the existence of Adam in the opening chapters of scripture reflects an ancient understanding of biological origins. More specifically, the quick and complete (de novo) creation of life is the result of retrojecting an ancient phenomenological perspective of living organisms back in time to the origin of the world. The apostle Paul's references to Adam are rooted in this ancient scientific understanding of human origins. In moving beyond the belief in the historicity of Adam, this paper concludes that Adam is an incidental, though necessary, ancient vessel that transports inerrant messages of faith regarding the human spiritual condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender discrimination is still very high in Africa, including in the church. Often the arguments for gender disparity do not have objective grounds. However, those who advocate gender parity are often as subjective and sentimental as those who oppose it. There is a need for more objective arguments, based on empirical observations of the roles and performances of women in various endeavors, in advocating gender parity. In recent years, many Christian denominations have established Christian universities in Nigeria with the stated aim of providing Christian higher education. How have these universities affected the status of women in Nigeria? What trends in gender relationships may be observed from the work of these universities? This paper researches the impact of two of the Christian universities in southwestern Nigeria on the faith of their male and female students, and finds that the self-worth of women has been positively impacted along with the apparently positive influence of the universities on the faith of their male and female students. The paper recommends more deliberate efforts on the part of Christian universities in southwestern Nigeria to both pursue Christian higher education and to enhance gender parity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the following paper, I am going to discuss education and religion and consider the legacy of Christianity in education in West Africa with particular reference to the Evangelical churches in Burkina Faso. The paper will start with a general introduction to West Africa and the place of missionaries' activities in the region. I will then attempt to point out some different strategies between the British and French attitudes to education with a special focus on Burkina Faso. The quality contribution of the church schools to success in the national examination league tables will be examined. The supportive attitude of government officials to the Christian legacy in the country will conclude this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past 10 to 15 years there has been a renewed interest in the place of religion, religious education and religious schools in different parts of the world. This began in the USA and Europe with the development of private Christian schools. It was later followed by the resurgence of religious schools in the former parts of the Soviet Empire. Given that Christianity is still the world's largest and most widespread religion, this paper explores different government approaches and policies towards Church-state relations in selected national contexts. Where necessary, reference will also be made to the place of education in other religions. While most examples are drawn from the industrialised countries of the west, and the position of Christianity in those countries, some references are made to certain developing countries. The paper also argues that because of policies of inclusion, equality and multiculturalism within western democracies, their governments are in danger of destroying their religious educational roots. The result is that those with a deep religious faith believe that they can only guarantee that their faith can be conveyed to their children through the pursuance of independent, private religious schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a belated tribute to George J. Apel, Jr., an innovative and obscure Christian higher educator. Peruse the name and subject indices of any and all books about Christian higher education, and nowhere will there appear even a reference to George J. Apel, Jr. Although Apel never finished high school or college, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology for his accomplishments in Christian higher education. This paper deals primarily with his single most outstanding educational accomplishment (and failure): the University Foundation in St. Augustine, Florida. The foundation was a Christian higher education endeavor conceptualized and implemented by Apel for delivering liberal arts and theological education through residency and nonresidency, credit-accruing, accredited course work. The foundation included the St. Augustine Junior College, a graduate school, the American Theological Seminary, and an extension program via correspondence, all housed in the former Kirkside residence of the nineteenth-century oil magnate Henry Morrison Flagler. The foundation completed its short run in 1949 and has now been superseded by the Saint Augustine Bible Institute & College. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its resourceful media practice and insistence on a (neo-Buddhist) this-worldly theology, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation (Tzu Chi or Ciji) has constructed a unique cultural discourse, one that competes against the mainstream media culture in Taiwan. This paper employs a cultural studies approach to analyze Ciji's media cultural discourse. Specifically, it examines how Ciji media workers implement the philosophy of Master Zhengyan, the founder of the foundation, in the hope of altering society and building the Buddhist ideal of the Pure Land on Earth at home and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the notion of difference as we experience it in our daily lives, and specifically, within the classroom between pupils and teachers. Drawing on research and work with schools in the south of England, the paper describes how the Working with Others Unit at the University of Brighton has developed a practical process approach to exposing and working with difference in the classroom. In outlining this process and its impact on the class group, the paper explores how relationships and difference are recognized, negotiated and utilized in learning among the class group. The paper proposes that, as well as engaging with the theme of difference, this practical approach offers an understanding of spiritual education that is applicable and relevant for today’s classrooms and pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alpha course is possibly the most widespread and best‐known evangelizing initiative of recent times. Billing itself as an introduction into ‘basic Christianity’, Alpha is a programme that has been adopted worldwide by tens of thousands of churches. This paper overviews Alpha’s attitude towards one of the most controversial debates in the Church today, the so‐called ‘gay issue’. The paper, largely based on literature research and a national survey, will explore the broad controversy in the churches and argue that how it is approached through the Alpha programme provides an insight into contemporary views in Christian constituencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What does Penny Thompson really want? Reading her article in BJRE 26 (1) proved a baffling experience: it clearly wanted to say something, and to say it passionately, yet signally failed to do so. It fails largely because it lacks an argument; there seems also to be conceptual muddle at its heart. A fuller critique will need to attend to Thompson's reading of religious education's history, particularly to her use of evidence--but that is a story for another night. Consequently, this brief critique has at its core four questions to elicit clarity where at present there is none: First, does Penny Thompson want so to revision religious education in community schools that she and other aspirants to 'Christian confessional religious education' may freely work to convert young people to 'Christianity' and to nurture them in a Christian tradition? Second, in what sense, or senses, does Thompson want readers to understand her phrase, ' the truth of the Christian faith?' Third, in whose confession and in which tradition does Thompson want this Christian confessional religious education to be rooted? Fourth, is Penny Thompson willing to allow Christian teachers to present alternative understandings of Christianity, critical of her (implied) view? These questions are preceded by reflection on the form of her article's argument and on its use of 'confess' and its cognates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known concerning the transitional experiences of teachers in Christian schools. The present paper reports the results of a case study focused on the transitional experiences of new teachers, both beginning and experienced, in selected Christian Schools in Australia. Twenty-one new teachers from ten Christian Schools were interviewed concerning their transitional experiences. Results of the study indicated that these teachers' transitional experiences were inhibited by a lack of formal and effective transitional structures and processes. However, the supportive environment of the schools did appear to counter-balance somewhat the deleterious effects of less-than-adequate transition management practices. The paper suggests that a more systematic approach to transition management in Australian Christian schools is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the RE Values Project Four Five run by the Christian Education Movement. Consideration of effective models and creation of new resources for teaching Personal and Social Values through Religious Education; Need for reference points in the wider experience of pupils.

Both Jarvis and theories of Christian Religious Education (CRE) emphasise that learning develops the whole person, yet they differ in their understandings of how and why this is the case. Jarvis’s experiential learning theory begins ‘from below’ with experience, whereas many approaches of CRE begin with the end result: individuals themselves. By bringing the two into dialogue this paper offers critical insights into Jarvis’s work through an exploration of three conceptualisations of the whole person: biography, ontic self and wisdom. The discussion provokes and engages with questions focusing around the nature of experiential learning, how the whole person might be conceived and what the relationship is between learning and teaching in human becoming. The role of reflection in ‘forming’ people is then considered, together with its spiritual attributes. As a relational process, it also has a spiritual dimension, something which Jarvis, in his role of colleague, supervisor, mentor and friend, has frequently exhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural church primary school exists in a nexus of connections between school, home, and the institutional Church (parochial, diocesan, and national). This article applies Walker's model of belonging to God through church to the sense of belonging expressed by families whose children attend a rural Church of England primary school. The data drawn from the Faith in the Nexus project undertaken at Canterbury Christ Church University, consists of 24 semi-structured focus group interviews, and 8 individual interviews with school and church leaders from parents, school staff, clergy, and governors across five rural Church of England primary schools. The findings highlight how rural church school families develop and sustain a sense of belonging through events, people, place, and activities. The discussion considers the value of Walker's model of belonging, the fragility of the rural nexus and a need to acknowledge the relational nature of belonginess expressed by parents and pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the integration of faith and learning presupposes a learner, little theoretical work has addressed the role of students in faith-learning integration. Moreover, many students perceive faith-learning integration to be the work of teachers and institutions, suggesting that for learners, integration is a passive experience. This theoretical paper proposes an active, critical-thinking skills model for the conduct of faith-learning integration that may guide teachers in developing courses that support students in developing the skills needed for independent faith-learning integration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports an exploration of religious information literacy in terms of how people use information to learn in the context of church communities. The research approach of phenomenography was used to explore Uniting Church in Australia members' experience of using information to learn as participants in their church communities. Five ways of experiencing religious information literacy were identified, using information to learn about: growing faith, developing relationships, managing the church, serving church communities and reaching out beyond church communities. It is anticipated that such findings will be of interest to information professionals, including information literacy specialists, as well as leaders and members of church communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asserts that the religious assumptions of Christian academies need to be fully examined in relation to any analysis of their cultural practices, impact or policy implications. It proposes that Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, cultural capital and symbolic power can be broadened out from their traditional use in accounting for social positioning in order to explore the interaction of religious faith and institutional culture. The emergent analytical framework outlined relies on series of theoretical tools drawn from Bourdieu whose social theory and concepts are already employed extensively in sociology of education research and studies of religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the efforts of an alternative, Christian high school to reengage dropouts by building expressive relationships between teachers and students. An analysis of interview and observational data illuminates the nature and extent of students' reengagement, the quality of their attachments to instructors whom youths credit for their reengagement, and the processes—an affirmation of self, surveillance and support, and self-work—through which these socioemotional ties foster reengagement. The strains engendered by personalistic bonds are also identified, with particular attention given to the disparate meanings teachers and students attach to their affectively charged relationships and to the inherent tension between expressiveness and the authority of office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Christian missionary movement is a kind of global movement that aims to evangelize the whole world; hence the concept of globalization can be useful for the study of Christianity as a worldwide movement. However, recent studies have suggested another equally important concept: the process of localization, which runs parallel to the process of globalization. Hence, the present paper attempts to take Christian higher education as a case study and tries to reveal a better picture of the interplay between the processes of globalization and localization. An attempt was made to compare the sociopolitical contexts in three Northeast Asian countries, namely China, Japan, and Korea, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and to see how Christian higher education had responded to the issue of nationalism in these countries. It was found that Christian higher education in the three countries played very different roles when they were encountering different situations, and they had come to different fates in the three countries under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the topic of public aid to Christian schools in a Reformed Christian perspective. To do so, I need to clarify a Reformed Christian approach in regard to this topic and then review the studies of the issue in legal and educational aspects in the light of the Reformed perspective. Through reviewing legal and educational discussions, I argue that Christian schools are necessary for people to exercise their religious freedom and make a society more moral and spiritual and thus deserve receiving public aid. Nevertheless, public aid to religious schools needs to be carried out in a careful, restricted way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper is drawn from a larger MPhil thesis, which examined the issues surrounding the development of a Religious Education resource that incorporates the experiences, cultures and histories of Black communities into teaching about Christianity in schools. This essay outlines the development of this new approach to the teaching and learning about and from Christianity in schools. This approach is one that incorporates and utilises the central tenets of Black Theology as a means of showing the Black cultural contribution to the Christian Faith. This essay not only looks at the concerns of bringing Black Theology into a new environment, but at the contribution it can make to the education of young people in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With interest in university-college partnerships increasing, this paper presents an example of an effective college-church partnership. A Christian college partnered with 19 urban churches to offer precollege activities for urban youth in grades 7 through 12. As expected, the level of poverty associated with young people's neighborhoods (i.e., census tract) is related to eventual college entry and type of postsecondary institution entered (two-year or four-year). This study demonstrates that a precollege program offered in partnership with urban churches is able to help at-risk young people persist in middle and high school and eventually enter some form of postsecondary education. Moreover, the ethnicity of the urban churches—African-American or predominantly white—is seemingly unrelated to ultimate college entry of a group of predominantly African-American students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secular pluralism in contemporary culture and current theological divisions within churches have important implications for Christian education. This paper addresses the question of how religious commitments can be made and convictions held outside of polarizing and exclusionary understandings of truth, and without the presence of uncontested doctrines. What habits, practices and dispositions should Christians cultivate in this context? It brings resources from postmodern theology and philosophy into conversation with the Anglican tradition, in order to propose ways that Christian education can foster faith commitment in the midst of pluralism and disagreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]