Kevin E. Lawson

The Research We Need in Religious Education: Four Facets

It is tempting to respond to the question of what research is needed in religious education by saying, “Everything!” Although religious education as an academic discipline can be viewed as over one hundred years old, and much research has been done on a variety of issues, there is still so much we do not understand. Resisting the temptation of this kind of surface response, it seems to me that there are at least four major areas of research needed. These four areas fit well with a “Wesleyan Quadrilateral” theological method perspective: Theological research (Scripture and Tradition), Historical research (Tradition), Philosophical/Conceptual research (Reason), and Empirical research (Experience).1 I will take these in turn and briefly discuss the kinds of research I think we need in each area if we are to make significant progress in the development of sound theory and practice in religious education. I come to this task as an “evangelical ecclesiastical mutt,” having my ministry roots in a number of denominational settings that have shared a common evangelical commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I offer the following perspectives from within that broad theological tradition.

A Band of Sisters: The Impact of Long-term Small Group Participation: Forty Years in a Women's Prayer and Bible Study Group

Abstract This article reports on a case study of a womens prayer and Bible study group that has met for over forty years. The report focuses on factors contributing to the groups longevity and vitality over time, how it changed over the years, and its impact on the lives of the women who participated in it. It also addresses how this long-term group survived the loss of members and leaders, how it has continued to be welcoming of new participants, and the perceived benefits and drawbacks of long-term groups compared with short-term groups. Ministry implications and questions for further research are raised.

Leading Ministry Teams, Part II: Research on Effective Teams with Implications for Ministry Team Leadership

To date, the major research efforts on teams and teamwork are found solely in the publicatications of Larson and LaFasto (1989, 2001) as well as those of Katzenbach and Smith (1993, 2001). This article reviews their major findings and continued research in the last 20 years. Research on effective ministry teams in Christian ministry contexts shows a number of common elements that affirmed both Larson and LaFastos eight characteristics of effective teams and Katzenbach and Smiths description of effective group fundamentals. Implications for church and parachurch ministries are considered in light of the biblical and theological review in part I, as well as the two major research efforts reviewed in this part II.

Baptismal Theology and Practices and the Spiritual Nurture of Children Part II: Reformation to the Present

Baptismal theology and practices have always had a major influence on the educational efforts of the church, either setting expectations for those who are to be baptized or establishing requirements of instruction for children following their baptism. The first article in this series addressed the changes in baptismal theology and practice in the early and medieval church and their influence on the educational ministries of the church of these eras, particularly with children. This second article reviews changes in theology and practice from the Reformation to the present era and their impact on the churchs ministry with children, providing a case study of theological reflection by Horace Bushnell on baptism and the spiritual nurture of children. It closes with recommendations for ministry with children today in light of baptismal beliefs and practices. 1 1 These two articles are based on a paper presented at the 2009 Childrens Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives, held at Concordia University, River Forest, IL. The audience was faculty, researchers, graduate students, and ministry practitioners from a variety of Christian traditions, including Catholic, Mainline Protestant, and Evangelical Protestant. A version of this paper is forthcoming in a book on childrens spirituality. It should be available in 2011.

Christian Education: A Field in Motion Mapping Christian Education Preparation Programs Summary Report a Collaborative Research Effort: Discussion of Findings of Phase I

A summary report on the first phase of a study of Christian Education preparation programs in Bible Colleges, Christian Liberal Arts Colleges, Seminaries, and Graduate Schools in North America. This report examines the number, purposes, names, and requirements of these programs and what they are equipping students to do upon graduation.

MARGINALIZATION AND RENEWAL: EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Abstract This article addresses three periods of evangelical Christian education development in the twentieth century. The early part of the century was a time of loss of influence and marginalization within the broader religious education movement. The middle part of the century saw an explosion of parachurch educational ministry efforts to assist the evangelical movement and renewed efforts to develop professional organizations and curricular resources for the church. The last part of the century has seen a growth of influence of evangelical educational writers, publishers, schools, and megachurches on the shape of Christian education today. Current assessment, hopes for the future, and gifts to the broader religious education community are reviewed.

Evangelical Christian Education in the Early 20th Century: Marginalization and New Beginnings

The first of three brief articles addressing the development of evangelical Christian education in the 20th century. The early part of the century was a time of loss of influence and marginalization within the broader religious education movement, but the time period concluded with the beginnings of new cooperative efforts among evangelicals. The article provides a context for the essays on evangelical Christian education leaders that follow.

Light from the “Dark Ages”: Lessons in Faith Formation from before the Reformation

This article explores how parish members in the later medieval era in England learned the Christian faith through a variety of means (e.g., preaching, liturgical calendar, art, music, poetry, drama, confessional instruction, spiritual kinship relationships, catechetical instruction) with an eye on what we might learn from this era that could strengthen the churchs educational ministry efforts in the present.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries of Christian Education: Reflections on 100 Years of Reference Works in the Field

I was struck by this statement and wondered if it was true. Is this the first publication of this kind? Well, that may depend on how you define the key terms, such as “encyclopedia,” “Christian education,” and “in all countries of the world.” It is clear that this new major work is quite extensive in scope and has some unique features compared with similar works published in the last century. Yet it also shares some similarities. The publication of this new major reference work prompted me to dig out the four previous encyclopedias and dictionaries in our field for some comparison, stirring some reflection on how our field has been changing and what has stayed the same across these 100 years. (Note: A review of this new encyclopedia appears in this issue of the Christian Education Journal.)

More than Silent Preaching: Didactic use of Wall Painting in the Middle Ages

Various visual arts were used in churches throughout the Middle Ages to instruct and form the spiritual lives of those who worshiped in them. In an increasingly “post-literate” culture, what might we learn from the didactic use of the visual arts by the church in the medieval era that would strengthen our teaching today? This article focuses on wall painting, the most common form of visual art in medieval sanctuaries.