Since the earliest colonial institutions, Christianity and higher education have maintained a complex relationship. While initially dominated by Protestant intuitions, the landscape of U.S. higher education expanded denominationally, including Catholic institutions, after the Civil War and into the 20th century. As public institutions…

The role of religion in the social fabric of the United States is changing, and pastors face significant threats to their longevity in the profession. Similarly, the field of clinical pastoral education is changing, moving beyond its Protestant Christian roots. Pastoral identity, or the self-understanding and expression of the pastoral role is an…

Although evangelicals have long been skeptical about non-sectarian higher education, the current climate in the United States necessitates a fresh look at possible sources of their beliefs. This is relevant since many of the current culture wars center on education. For instance, book bans in Texas public schools, funded by evangelicals, take aim…

This research study was conducted to explore faith integration and learning practices and its possible effect on student and faculty relationships. The research study utilized a phenomenological approach to collect data. Eighteen students and 10 faculty participated in this study. Participants were asked questions about faith integration and…

Many Christian higher education institutions hold distinct religious identities and hire faculty and staff with aligning faith perspectives, while also admitting students with any or no religious identification. This potential for incongruity among community members is of particular interest when the Christian faith is a strong, missional…

About 1.1 million international students came to the United States in the 2019-2020 school year to study at institutions of higher education (Israel and Batalova 2021). Little has been written about the qualities that make a host national student or group of students welcoming to international students. Chi Alpha Campus Ministries is a network of…

Developmentally speaking, young adulthood is a time when students begin to understand how their religious beliefs influence their behavior (Fowler, 1981). For Student Affairs professionals at evangelical Christian institutions (ECIs), educating the whole student includes helping students to understand this connection with beliefs and behavior.…

Despite the fact that American public schools are subject to First Amendment restrictions that prohibit government establishment of a national religion and interference in individuals' worship practices, there is evidence that Christianity may be privileged over other faith traditions and non-belief in some public school environments (Blumenfeld,…

The aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effect of the Columbia International University Prison Initiative program on the spirituality of male inmates incarcerated within South Carolina's Department of Corrections. The Prison Initiative program is an accredited two-year associate's degree in Biblical studies offered to SCDC inmates.…

Nonnative English speakers are often judged based on their accent, but accent is perceived as well as produced. Race, gender, and religion interact to create complex and nuanced figures of personhood (Agha, 2005) impacting teachers' perceptions of students. Teachers' individual differences, including language proficiency, exposure to language, and…

The purpose of this qualitative, narrative case study was to explore the impact of spirituality in professional African-American women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields. With laws and policies established, religion and spirituality has to some been deemed controversial--especially in education. However, literature…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the unique sexual and religious identity development of sexual minorities who attend evangelical Christian institutions of higher education. Although research exists on sexual identity development and religious identity development, scant research exists as to how these developmental areas…

This study is a constructivist, narrative case study exploring the experiences of Catholic college students at a secular university. Eight student narratives are explored through the lens of intersectionality theory, in the context of classroom experiences. This study reviews the history of religion in higher education, Christian privilege,…

There has been very limited research on the possible role religion has in its influence on teacher choices, especially within a Social Science classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine how secondary Social Studies teachers explicitly and implicitly treat religion as a factor in the teaching of history and how their own affinity with/to a…

The current societal pressures regarding religious liberty and institutional sustainability for Christian higher education in America call for rhetorical leadership from presidents of Christian colleges and universities. This study provides a biblically rooted and theoretically sound, multifaceted approach using sociorhetorical criticism and…