Historically, Australian higher education has been statist, uniform, and secular. Indeed, up until 1989, even communist Poland had more Christian universities than Australia. Only in the last 3½ decades have eight different Christian universities and colleges emerged. This article first explores the origins of these new institutions and the…

Working with normative considerations is an important part of empirical research in religious education (RE) and in the formation of practical theologians, in general, and of religious educators in RE faculties/programs, in particular. What does sufficient reflection on normativity look like in teaching religious educators? From a practical…

Divining meaning in the world around us and integrating that into the stories we tell about who we are and what motivates us is essential to both our cognitive processing and overall well-being. At the same time, our conscious processes are dependent on inputs from our social and physical environment for the raw materials needed to develop…

In a recent volume of the "Journal of College and Character," Matt Mayhew and Alyssa Rockenbach presented their frameworks by which they have designed and utilized their IDEALS study over the past several years. In this present article, the authors contend that despite their rigorous research, the researchers and measurements oftentimes…

Debates about Catholic higher education in the United States sometimes focus too much on what Catholic colleges and universities should not do, rather than what they should do. This article attempts to reframe those debates away from the negative expressions of Catholic identity (i.e., denying guests a right to speak on campus based on their level…

Equipping students for citizenship has always been a core element of American higher education. Amid financial distress, changing technology, and global interconnectivity, the project of equipping citizens is becoming increasingly disembodied. Embracing the notion that one's physical place matters, one application of an "embodied"…

The link between noncognitive skills and achievement is well established. There is much less evidence on how these skills are developed and transmitted to students, especially as it relates to girls that attend nonelite schools in non-Western settings. Drawing on insights from girl students attending an urban school in Ghana, this paper…

This article reports some of the results of interviews with 120 Israeli Druze, 60 middle-aged adults and 60 young adults, regarding values, views of the Druze community, and personal identity. All participants expressed commitment to and love for traditional Druze values of familial respect, respect for others, modesty in dress and behavior, and…

These proceedings include selected presentations on Catholic identity by six participants of the 2011 Catholic Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC) Conference on Catholic Identity at The Catholic University of America (CUA). The conference, jointly sponsored by CUA and St. John's University, is the fourth in a series of five national conferences…

Discusses the self as socially constructed by comparing George Herbert Mead and Robert Kegan and then addresses the construction of the religious self by focusing on Mead, Kegan, and George Lindbeck. Considers the "theonomous self" (identity related to God). Concludes by discussing ecclesial practices that correspond to the theonomous…

Analyzes the works of Bruno Bettelheim. Find three areas of intersection with religious education: (1) identity formation; (2) moral education; and (3) the role of fantasy and ritual. Identifies how Bettelheim's explanation of the way fantasy works to facilitate the formation of the self through meaning attainment is important for religious…

Explores Christian college students views of self and of a Christian God. Discusses differences in views between men and women. Suggests that the Christian liberal arts context nurtures integrated and complex views of the self, but authoritative views of God. Notes authoritative views of God shaped the heavy justice self-ethic. (CAJ)

The future of liberal education is dictated by several needs: to rediscover man and the meaning of human life; to give meaning, purpose, and direction to our days; to reinvigorate our society and our world. Liberally educated students must learn to think, to express themselves, and to evaluate. (MLW)

Considers the special religious needs of Asian North American female Christians. Questions the effectiveness of programs and resources designed for mainstream Christians. Addresses specific areas of cultural images, interreligious self-dialogs and the impact of role models. (MJP)

Examines the role of polemical discourse (heated and confrontational arguments often aimed at an opponent) in the early formation of the Christian church. Maintains that these linguistic habits still exert a powerful and often destructive influence. Discusses several biblical stories in terms of polemical discourse and offers alternative…