The Beautiful Mystery: Examining Jonathan Edwards’ View of Marriage

In contemporary evangelical circles, Jonathan Edwards has gained wide popularity for his theological writings and vital role in the First Great Awakening. However, despite these often romanticized views, Edwards nonetheless stood in the midst of an eighteenth century society that began to develop new norms for sexual practice and new legal guidelines to support them. In order to combat what he saw to be a decaying moral culture, Edwards took a strong stance on marital issues, often to the displeasure of his congregation. What lay behind these convictions was a deep theological understanding of the sanctity of marriage. These views, although not new to the history of Christian thought, were uniquely reinvigorated by Edwards to a Calvinist generation that had recently abandoned them. It is both Edwards’ theology of marriage and reinforcement of its practice that not only make him a unique preacher for his time, but also a worthy study for Evangelicals today in the midst of modern marital controversies

Students\u27 Evangelical Worldview in Public High School Content Areas: A Phenomenological Analysis

Although much research has been conducted regarding Christian worldview in private high schools and Christian colleges, very little information exists regarding Christian worldview at public high schools. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe how 10 evangelical students in public high schools interpret content areas through their worldview. The study answered the following critical question: How do evangelical students in public high schools interpret content areas through their worldviews? Participants were found using criterion sampling in central Pennsylvania and document analysis, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data. Moustakas’s (1994) approach was used for data analysis, which includes epoché, horizonalization, textural and structural descriptions, and a composite description. Member checks, audits, and codebooks were used in order to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. The results of this transcendental phenomenological study showed that the participants experienced content interpretation through the themes of parallel, truth, presentation, and interpersonal relatability. While these interpretations of content were largely thoughtful and deep, students remained reluctant to express these understandings in the public school classroom. Fowler’s (1981) stages of faith framework was used to reveal the theoretical implications of the study, which showed that the participants remained mostly in the synthetic- conventional and individuative-reflective stages. The study suggested that students may benefit from more worldview conversations in the classroom and that churches and parents should emphasize the presentation of content, in addition to the truth of content, as an important aspect of worldview interpretation. Further research using different demographics would be beneficial as a way to highlight potential transferability of results

Biological Vestiges in American Psycho

In proposing that the use of violence as allegory in Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho is warranted, this essay challenges a popular reading of the text, one found in many critical articles, that proposes otherwise. Specifically, this essay will break the novel’s cast into three factions, with each faction having a biologically definable origin: representations of the past, representations of the present, and representation of an ambiguous territory in between. Jean serves to depict a time when people communicated on a level beyond that which is comprehensible to most Generation Xrs. She has been transplanted into the novel’s present from the past, to serve as a scientific control. Patrick’s colleagues and Wall Street competitors depict the novel’s present. They are fully evolved, fully invested in their contemporary capitalistic endeavors. Patrick exists as a mutant, stuck between generations. He retains vestiges of the past, alongside his otherwise insatiable desire for capitalistic success. It is his uncomfortable position that causes Patrick’s angst, and his murderous tendencies

An evolution of creativity and ritual: The immortalizing craftmenship of the Chinchorro morticians

The ancient Chinchorros are the oldest culture known to have developed elaborate artificial mummification practices for their deceased. This study tested a Chinchorro sedentary subsitence strategy proposed by Arriaza (1995a). This proposition conflicts with the present paradigms concerning prehistoric egalitarian societies. By analyzing the mummified remains of twenty-seven individuals, radiocarbon dates and ethnographic mortuarial data of ten other maritime cultures, this thesis builds a base for both supporting and opposing the sedentary proposition. It is suggested that the Chinchorro were sedentary during the black period (ca. 5050-3000 B.C.) but more mobile during the subsequent red and mud-coated periods. The style, technique, and complexity of the mummies indicate Chinchorro morticians played a central social and political role in shaping their society. It is speculated that the morticians were females during the black period based on correlations drawn from the mortuary remains reflecting patterns in ethnographic data; while males practiced the mortuary arts during the red period also based on similar correlations drawn from the materials and ethnographic data

The Rise of Corporate Individualism in Twenty-First Century Worship

Western society has experienced a monumental paradigm shift which has influenced the way in which the church worships in the twenty-first century. Postmodernism has led to an increasingly self-focused individualism in corporate worship which overvalues personal experience and undervalues the communal aspect of corporate worship. Despite much discussion concerning postmodern generations, the influence of postmodern thought upon the rise of corporate individualism in worship has yet to be examined. The purpose of this qualitative, historical study is to examine the factors that have led to the rise of corporate individualism in worship, the indications of corporate individualism in worship, and the ways in which corporate individualism has affected worship practice in evangelical churches. The rising focus on individualism in corporate worship is redefining what it means to worship in community. This study is important for worship leaders and pastors as they make decisions about song selection, language use, and worship environment. Additionally, this study is important to church members as it addresses subjects that affect their participation in worship, connection with other worshipers, and theological understandings. Every church must decide how they will address this societal change in order to reach present and future generations. This study could benefit the twenty-first century church in understanding how and why worship practices have changed with this cultural shift and determine if there needs to be a course correction. Further, this study could encourage further research into effects of corporate individualism on church architecture, liturgical structures, and worship technology

MS

thesisA survey was conducted to examine how managers evaluate the competency of individual hospital pharmacists in a decentralized or satellite setting. Sixteen hospitals in the Western United States were surveyed onsite by the author. Sixteen managers and 40 staff pharmacists were interviewed. The objectives of this study were: (a) to investigate the performance appraisal process used by the organization (including the type of evaluation tool used and frequency of performance appraisal), and (c) to examine management and employee expectations of the appraisal process. The results of this study indicate that managers do the annual evaluation because it is required. Most managers to no use the performance appraisal for developmental purposes. Managers tend to perceive the entire process of the performance appraisal as more meaningful and reliable than do the pharmacists. Fifty-six percent of the hospital pharmacies surveyed use the graphic rating scale type of appraisal instrument. This type of instrument is easy to develop and use, but generally provides information on personality traits, rather that on actual performance. Thirty-eight percent of surveyed pharmacies use the performance standards type of appraisal. Eighty percent of the pharmacists feel manager do not have enough contact with the pharmacist to accurately evaluate performance, while 56% of the managers believe there is sufficient contact to evaluate performance. Managers do the majority of pharmacist performance ratings, but both managers and pharmacists agree that peer pharmacists should rate other pharmacists' performance. On the average, managers believe they give positive feedback to the pharmacists at least once a month, while pharmacist believe positive feedback occurs only once per year. A significant number of pharmacist do not know what is expected of them to improve their performance for the next appraisal. General, the performance appraisal gravitates to the low side of the manager's priority list until attention is required to meet a mandated deadline

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment Impacts on Academic and Social Performance

This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of treatment approaches for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) examined through social, behavioral, and academic performances. Guided by Barkley\u27s unifying theory of ADHD, a static-group comparison design was used to compare students receiving pharmacological treatment, psychosocial therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a pharmacological-therapy combination. Archival data was obtained on middle and high school students diagnosed with ADHD (ages 11-18, N = 103). Data included GPA; number of disciplinary referrals; and Behavior Assessment System for Children-Teacher Rating Scale (BASC-2 TRS) scores of externalizing behavior (e.g., defiance, aggression), internalizing behavior (e.g., anxiety, depression), general school problems (e.g., attention, study skills), behavioral symptoms (e.g., social skills, leadership), and adaptive skills (e.g., understanding emotions and social cues). None of the BASC-2 TRS subscale scores differed between groups except for internalizing behaviors. The pharmacological-therapy combination group had lower internalizing behavior scores than the pharmacological-only group and the cognitive behavioral therapy group. The pharmacological-therapy combination group also had fewer disciplinary referrals than the pharmacological-only group and the cognitive behavioral therapy group. GPA did not differ by group, but it was inversely related to number of referrals. Because, overall, across the 7 outcome comparisons, no single group definitively emerged as highest performing, implications for practice and positive social change are that selection of ADHD treatment type may be best informed by physician and parent preference and determination of child\u27s need and receptivity