This essay proposes that efforts at assessing the contribution of faith-based schools to faith formation be grounded in an account of student vocation framed by Christian practices. We identify gaps in research on assessment of school effectiveness and suggest that a focus on the present vocation of students may fruitfully connect faith and…

Since 1981, James Fowler's stage model of faith development has provided researchers with a framework for understanding the ways in which people develop belief systems over the course of their lives. Despite its helpfulness, there are several notable areas of critique that can be levelled against the model, including its lack of parsimony, heavy…

School leaders serve religiously diverse communities, engaging with staff and parents from many backgrounds to address the academic and development needs of all children. While educator preparation often includes some instruction in cultural competence, religious diversity gets little attention. The purpose of this conceptual article is to provide…

When Religious Education (RE) in England and Wales transitioned from Christian confessionalism to a multi-faith approach in the latter half of the twentieth century, the subject's moral aims were reasserted. In this article, we explore the moral assumptions of this transformation and map some of their connections to other theological and ethical…

In the context of the distinction between normative and descriptive approaches to the relationship between science and religion, this article discusses the recent work of the sociologist Elaine Ecklund. It reviews four of her published outputs, summarising her data concerning the views of religious people and professional scientists, including…

Commonly accepted beliefs about science are drastically different from the reality. Science is almost universally regarded--at least in developed industrial countries--as the reliable source of understanding of the material world. In fact, science is as fallible as any other human activity, influenced in similar ways by outside interests and…

Academic hazing within doctoral programs is often so deeply embedded within the doctoral experience that it becomes normalized. This effort translates into oppressive practices where students are broken down and rebuilt into the ideal doctoral candidate, and the process continues with the next batch of candidates. However, no one discusses the…

Practical arguments or enthymemes are interactive. Speakers typically set out some premises of their own while asking listeners to supply others already known or believed. Such arguments are likely to fail if a speaker leaves out key premises that listeners cannot or will not covertly fill in, or if a speaker attributes premises to listeners that…

While spirituality has emerged as a topic of interest in adult education, much of the current scholarship considers spirituality as distinct from religion. This literature review questions those conclusions, including the use of theistic terminology to describe a concept (spirituality) that many posit is non-theistic. Spirituality is also…

Teaching and promoting multicultural competence at Azusa Pacific University, diversity and social justice at a Christian university, can result in a paradoxical intersection of higher education. There is often tension associated with graduate students exploring diversity and Christian faith. Specifically the unbiblical nature of Christian…

Many people with strong religious beliefs in the United States struggle with trusting the pronouncements of scientists. This is primarily because they have come to believe that science offers a perspective on ultimate questions such as origins and life after death that conflicts with their own. Education and public outreach efforts by scientists…

When upper-level theology courses are taught within a general education program at colleges and universities, instructors are often challenged to invite students, some of whom are committed neither to the discipline of theology nor to Christian faith, into a style of critical reflection that largely depends on both of these commitments. In a…

For some time now, the idea of secularism has been the subject of renewed scrutiny. Statistical portraits, representing a simple, if relentless, narrative have been increasingly disparaged by scholars as unhelpful. Statistical secularism, as we may call it, tells a story of decline and little else. It is incapable of telling the real story which…

Religious education in Australian Catholic High Schools is the raison d'etre for the Catholic education system and religious education teachers are critical to this mission. This paper offers a framework for investigating the self-efficacy of religious education teachers.We first describe the nature and context of religious education in Australian…