The Purpose of the Pastoral Office as Taught by the Church Fathers, Augsburg Confession V, and the Contemporary Age

This paper will seek to identify the basic understanding of those Church Fathers who spoke most directly to this topic, namely, Ignatius of Antioch, Gregory of Nazianzus, St. John Chrysostom, and Gregory the Great. The rationale for the selection of these Fathers is twofold. Firstly, their proximity and place in what we identify as the era of the Early Church. Ignatius of Antioch stands closest to the Apostolic Age while Gregory the Great provides the other bookend, standing at the end of what is commonly accepted as the era of the Early Church. Secondly, this wall provide a reasonable expectation of development on the teaching of the Pastoral Office and its purpose. Indeed, as expected in this age of orthodoxy and heresy, of persecution and acceptance, development, or at least, explanation of the purpose of the Office occurred in the crucible of challenge as did many of the church’s teachings. “[T]he church often came to terms with its ministry in response to errant views and practices, and in the process was forced back to Scripture for clarification, support, or redirection” even as “with its other doctrinal understandings, such as the Trinity, Christology, [and] Soteriology.”3 In fact, to ignore this history is considered “the height of foolishness not to consult those of our faith and commitment who have had to deal with situations similar to our own. And church history is the discipline that best permits us to have these conversations with the past.

Federal Court Rules Virginia Law Allows Evidence of Non-Use of Seat Belt

A pretrial evidentiary ruling by a Virginia federal district court judge in an automobile crashworthy products liability case permits the manufacturer-defendant to introduce evidence of non-use of a seat belt on the issue of damages

Morphotropic Phase Boundaries in Ferromagnets: Tb_{1-x}Dy_xFe_2 Alloys

The structure and properties of the ferromagnet Tb_{1-x}Dy_xFe_2 (Terfenol-D) are explored through the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) separating ferroic phases of differing symmetry. Our synchrotron data support a first order structural transition, with a broadening MPB width at higher temperatures. The optimal point for magnetomechanical applications is not centered on the MPB but lies on the rhombohedral side, where the high striction of the rhombohedral majority phase combines with the softened anisotropy of the MPB. We compare our findings with single ion crystal field theory and with ferroelectric MPBs, where the controlling energies are different.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

"And Still We Rise": A Qualitative Study of Strengths, Challenges, and Needs of African American Fathers Parenting Children with Special Needs

An ecological systems/risk-resiliency framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1986) was used to examine selected issues that have the potential for informing the development of culturally sensitive family interventions that focus on the strengths, challenges, and needs of African American fathers of children with special needs. This study attempted to fill gaps in the literature by examining strengths and resiliency within these fathers, and their involvement with and parenting of young children with special needs. This qualitative study included 30 African American fathers who regularly attended a male caregivers' support group at a pediatric hospital for children with special needs in Washington, DC. Four focus groups and nine face-to-face, follow-up interviews were conducted to validate and refine study themes. Verbatim transcript data were analyzed using qualitative software (N6/NUD*IST) to code and generate recurring themes. Results indicated recurring themes for strengths (redefined by the men as rewards) including: pride in children's accomplishments; increased knowledge about and ways to promote children's development; social fathering (i.e., serving in roles to complement or substitute for biological fathers); and generative fathering (i.e., making sacrifices and giving back to their children to ensure family connections). Fathers' challenges included: relationship difficulties with partners, friends, and community members; unemployment; negotiating health care systems; and dealing with issues that disproportionately affect African Americans (poverty, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS). Finally, fathers reported on concrete needs that (if satisfied) would improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of children with special needs, including the need for male caregivers' support groups; referrals/linkages to services; improved partner relationships; and culturally competent interventions, programs, and services. Several trans-system themes (i.e., themes that cut across ecological levels) were also identified, including personal development, generative fathering, social support, and advocacy. Results have implications for developing model interventions to strengthen family systems and address African American fathers' needs in parenting children with special needs. Findings were used to draw implications for future theory-based research, family policies, and culturally specific interventions to improve services to African American fathers of children with special needs and their families

Surveys of experiences of sexual violence and harassment in higher education: reports and findings

In April 2021, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, asked the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to conduct national surveys to track students\u27 and staff\u27s experiences of sexual violence and harassment. Working with an expert advisory group, the HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality Diversity and Inclusion ran surveys of staff and students in April 2021. 7,901 students and 3,516 staff answered the surveys (11,417 responses in total). The department will use the results of these surveys to make policy and funding decisions to tackle sexual violence and harassment in higher education institutions (HEIs)

Who Wears the MAGA Hat? Racial Beliefs and Faith in Trump

On the basis of a 2019 YouGov survey of white respondents (n = 734), the impact of racial beliefs on support for Donald Trump was explored. The analysis revealed that in addition to racial resentment, white nationalism—a desire to keep the United States white demographically and culturally—was strongly related to faith in Trump. Analyses based on a 2019 Amazon Mechanical Turk survey yielded similar results and also showed that white nationalism increased willingness to wear a MAGA hat. Future research on the political consequences of racial beliefs should focus on what whites think not only of blacks but also of themselves

Redemption at a Correctional Turning Point: Public Support for Rehabilitation Ceremonies

The authors studied the extent to which the American public would support the implementation of rehabilitation ceremonies, including certificates. Using a national-level survey they commissioned YouGov to undertake, the authors examined public views about the redeemability of offenders--whether they believe that those convicted of felonies are intractably criminal or have the potential to change for the better. Results of the survey indicate substantial belief in offender redeemability and support for rehabilitation ceremonies and certificates

Chronic illness and multimorbidity among problem drug users: a comparative cross sectional pilot study in primary care

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although multimorbidity has important implications for patient care in general practice, limited research has examined chronic illness and health service utilisation among problem drug users. This study aimed to determine chronic illness prevalence and health service utilisation among problem drug users attending primary care for methadone treatment, to compare these rates with matched 'controls' and to develop and pilot test a valid study instrument.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study of patients attending three large urban general practices in Dublin, Ireland for methadone treatment was conducted, and this sample was compared with a control group matched by practice, age, gender and General Medical Services (GMS) status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data were collected on 114 patients. Fifty-seven patients were on methadone treatment, of whom 52(91%) had at least one chronic illness (other then substance use) and 39(68%) were prescribed at least one regular medication. Frequent utilisation of primary care services and secondary care services in the previous six months was observed among patients on methadone treatment and controls, although the former had significantly higher chronic illness prevalence and primary care contact rates. The study instrument facilitated data collection that was feasible and with minimal inter-observer variation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Multimorbidity is common among problem drug users attending general practice for methadone treatment. Primary care may therefore have an important role in primary and secondary prevention of chronic illnesses among this population. This study offers a feasible study instrument for further work on this issue. (238 words)</p

Beyond the New Jim Crow: Public Support for Removing and Regulating Collateral Consequences

In The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander drew national attention to the extensive imposition of collateral consequences on those convicted of a crime and to their racially disparate effects. Based on a 2017 national-level YouGov survey, supplemented by a second 2019 YouGov survey, the current study finds that the public is split on allowing ex-offenders to sit on juries, but supportive of removing barriers to voting and employment. The respondents also favored providing defendants with a list of restrictions linked to conviction as well as having lawmakers review and eliminate collateral consequences found to have no purpose and to not reduce crime