This study examines religious identity development of pupils at Dutch schools for secondary education (mean age 16.4). With the help of a theoretical conceptualization of "religious identity development" empirical research is carried out. Main question is whether differences in terms of religious commitment and exploration between pupils…

Evangelical Christians are an enduring and growing presence in the field of English language teaching worldwide and in the TESOL organization in particular. Yet to date, hardly any empirical research has been done on this population of teachers or on the links between English teaching, religious beliefs, and missionary work. This article reports…

Among the biggest challenges of teaching at a Christian institution of higher education is determining how best to integrate issues of faith into our teaching. Beginning level foreign language classes pose unique challenges for this integration because the students' language skills do not allow them to engage in extended discourse. Referring to…

Spirituality has become increasingly important in counseling, with prayer being the spiritual intervention of choice for Christian counselors. The controversial nature of including prayer in counseling requires careful consideration of ethical issues. This article addresses the intersection of spiritual interventions, particularly prayer, with…

This paper will look at the "accumulated wisdom, insight, and experience of those who lived before us" (Kopff, 1999, p.1) and discuss historical, philosophical, and social theories to support the statement that we, as a nation need to "get back to the basics of life" (Carmen, 2005, p.1). The following eras will be discussed: Pre-Classical Era,…

The events that occurred during the Crusades, the encounter of Western and Eastern civilisations, led to certain modes of thinking and representations that are still evident today, overtly or subliminally. By revisiting some of the Western and Eastern chronicles of the first Crusade, we hope to capture the source of some of these images and to see…

In 2003 a campaign took place against a new model of sex education in South Australia. This campaign, organized primarily by Christian Right groups, included community forums, a letter-writing campaign, extensive media coverage and a parliamentary debate. This paper analyses the language, arguments and strategies used by those who opposed the…

This article offers an analysis of religious education practice through the literature that informs it. It engages Derrida's critique of the "metaphysics of presence" (1982a) to develop a theoretical framework for a new look at the ways in which different approaches to religious education represent religion and racial difference. The…

Using social education as a theoretical framework, this article examines the educational theories of Nannie Helen Burroughs (1883-1961), founder of the National Training School for Women and Girls in 1909, and discusses the social studies curriculum at her school. Burroughs's papers reveal her efforts to build a curriculum that blended practical,…

Institutions and individuals function best with a sense of purpose--a reason for existence. When designed and communicated effectively, the mission statement has the power to transform people's values, motivations, and actions into a positive outcome. To investigate the role of institutional mission in Christian higher education, a review of the…

This article argues that the emergence of the era of terrorism, fuelled in part by a form of Wahhabist Islam, impels a religious education imperative of improving understanding about Islam, both in terms of the historical roots with Judaism and Christianity, as well as ongoing conflict between the three traditions. On this basis, this article…

In a not very distant past one method of interpretation has dominated New Testament (NT) studies almost totally. The historical-critical method and its application in so-called appropriate exegesis has often uncritically been perceived as the means via which "the original and thus right" understanding of a text could be found. More recently this…

As countries' populations become more religiously diverse, a need to review the religious education syllabus that operates is often perceived. One such country is Zambia, which was not only traditionally religiously diverse but has become even more so with the advent of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism and other non-African faiths. This article…

What kind of perceptions of God do children have? Do they believe in God? Does change take place over time and is there a connection with changes in society? These questions are answered on the basis of texts and surveys involving children between 8 and 12 years of age in Sweden during 2002 and similar material from the years 1969, 1979 and…

This article evaluates the portrait of faith development theory and research in James Fowler's article,"Faith Development at 30." Questions are raised: Does Fowler's emphasis on the practical-theological and pastoral focus of faith development contradict its aspiration and disposition for empirical scrutiny? Does Fowler's principal concern with…