Christian Students Research Articles

Loren R. Spielman. Jews and Entertainment in the Ancient World

Loren R. Spielman. <i>Jews and Entertainment in the Ancient World</i>

Evaluation of Health Science Students' Health Fatalism and Perception Towards Patients With Epilepsy: A Cross-Sectional Global Study.

Introduction The social acceptance of patients with epilepsy is largely determined by society's opinion of epilepsy; therefore, individuals with epilepsy could face prejudice and stigma as a result of negative impressions. Religious beliefs and mystical notions have been shown to influence attitudes toward epilepsy. Health fatalism could also be detrimental to society's and caregivers' approach toward such patients. In extreme settings, this could hinder them from obtaining an adequate treatment process. Methods A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted from February 2022 to May 2022 in Saudi Arabia, Spain, Scotland, and Italy using an online questionnaire consisting of 33 questions concerning the Health Fatalism Scale (HFS), the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS), and the Epilepsy Attitude Scale (EAS). Results A total of 735 health science students (HSS) participated in the present study. The majority of participants were females (64.1%) while male participants represented 34.6% of the study. Health science students currently studying in Saudi Arabia represented the majority of participants with a percentage of 58.5%. Among the four countries, students in Saudi Arabia presented with the highest knowledge mean score. Students in Spain had the highest mean attitude score. Muslim students had the highest mean fatalism scores followed by Christian students. Conclusion In general, a high level of knowledge was observed among the participants, most notably, among Saudis who presented with the highest level of knowledge across the four countries. Regarding attitude, Spanish students presented the best attitude towards patients with epilepsy. Low fatalism scores were commonly observed across all countries regardless of their different demographic characteristics. Fatalism perception should be further detailed to ensure optimal services are delivered without prejudgment by future healthcare workers.

The Evangelical Puzzle Partially Explained: Privileged Prejudice and the Development of Appreciative Attitudes Toward Evangelical Christianity

Background: Evangelical Christian college students simultaneously experience the privileges that accompany dominant religious identities and feel a need to conceal their identity and perspectives on college campuses. Consistently and empirically, the college campus has been studied for its potential to help students develop appreciative attitudes toward religious, secular, and spiritual worldviews. Yet, few studies have investigated evangelical Christian appreciation longitudinally over 4 years of college, and even fewer through the additional use of a mixed-methods design.Purpose: This inquiry examined if and how college students developed an appreciation of evangelical Christianity over 4 years of college.Methods: This paper used data gathered through the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS), a nationally-representative, mixed-methods study that included survey data collection from 9,470 students at 122 colleges and universities over 3 time points, and 18 qualitative case studies conducted across institutions of various sizes, locations, and affiliations.Results: Using latent growth modeling, we demonstrated that overall appreciation for evangelical Christianity developed during college and was related to institutional cultures that invited and embraced worldview diversity as well as religiously-inclusive campus climates and practices. Related qualitative insights storied change in evangelical appreciation that centered on personal relationships with evangelicals, efforts to understand evangelical viewpoints, and a recognition that Christian students often have the privilege of operating from unexamined beliefs.Conclusion and Implications: Study results provide recommendations for educational practices that support student growth from tolerance to appreciation for evangelical Christianity.

Analysis of the Role of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GMKI) Medan Branch in Improving Cadre Information Literacy through the Literacy Movement

This study aims to analyze the role of the Medan branch of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement in increasing the information literacy of cadres through the literacy movement. Analyzing what factors are the drivers and barriers to the role of GMKI in increasing the information literacy of GMKI cadres through the literacy movement. The method of this research is descriptive research with a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques used interviews, observations and document studies. Based on the research, it was found that GMKI Medan Branch performs its role as a forum for learning, developing creativity to the application of knowledge through the provision of training programs through book review programs, book reviews, journalistic training, discussing topics that are developing in the community, and leadership training and others. The driving factor for GMKI's role in increasing cadre information literacy is the lack of literacy and communication culture that produces commitment. Meanwhile, the inhibiting factor for GMKI's role in increasing information literacy is the absence of a special program on the literacy movement. The conclusion shows that GMKI performs its role in increasing the information literacy of cadres even though it is in the basic stages. But this has answered one of the tasks of youth as agents of change.

Pragmatic Faith and the Tanzanian Lutheran Church: Bishop Erasto N. Kweka's Life and Work by Amy Stambach and Aikande Kwayu

Reviewed by: Pragmatic Faith and the Tanzanian Lutheran Church: Bishop Erasto N. Kweka's Life and Work by Amy Stambach and Aikande Kwayu Gaylan Mathiesen Pragmatic Faith and the Tanzanian Lutheran Church: Bishop Erasto N. Kweka's Life and Work. By Amy Stambach and Aikande Kwayu. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2020. 150 pp. Both authors of this book are at the University of Wisconsin-Madison—Kwayu an honorary research fellow in the Department of Anthropology and Stambach the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Anthropology and faculty affiliate of the African Studies program. Their subject matter for this timely study is how a post-colonial church body in Africa managed to maintain independence and integrity, while holding an increasingly authoritarian state accountable to standards of justice and human rights. The authors tackle their subject through a biographical study of the life and work of the celebrated Bishop Erasto N. Kweka, who for over forty years led the Northern Lutheran Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) through his country's transition from colonialism to independence under a fledgling socialist government. Going beyond customary analyses of colonialism and Pentecostalism, their investigation provides the reader with unique and valuable insight into African religious life by examining the inseparability of Lutheran Christianity with everyday life in local communities, and the integration of doctrinal faith with worldly power. Key components in their analyses are the Lutheran doctrine of vocation, and what the authors call a "pragmatic faith." The first chapter is a detailed introduction to the anthropological foci and methods the authors used. One questionable feature surfaces in their explanations of certain tenets of Lutheran theology, which will at times sound foreign to Lutheran ears. For example, as non-Lutherans often do, they mistakenly ascribe to Lutherans the doctrine of consubstantiation (10), but the ELCT holds to the Lutheran doctrine of sacramental union as described in the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord and the unaltered Augsburg Confession. Chapter two quickly turns to the biographical by exploring Kweka's calling and the forces that shaped him to support independence [End Page 367] and the new socialist government. Thereafter, chapters demonstrate how Kweka led the church in contributing to civil governance without competing for power or territory. Summarized are the challenges he faced in leading the church to address the knotty problems surrounding the separation of church and state. As militant groups co-opted religion for their own ends and others furthered the ethnicization and politicization of religion for theirs, Kweka responded by strengthening ecumenical alliances and buttressing institutional connections with local congregations, working to bring the Tanzanian Lutheran Church back from the brink of factionalized violence. The authors have done readers a great service by surmounting the usual boundaries of Africa's transition to independence to show how a "pragmatic faith" can work to foster integrity in a nation's governance, especially in contexts of rising authoritarianism. The book is a must read for scholars of politics and religion and for students of African Christianity. Gaylan Mathiesen Lutheran Brethren Seminary Fergus Falls, Minnesota Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

MUSLIM TEACHERS WORKING IN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS: A PORTRAIT OF RELIGIOUS MODERATION IN MAKASSAR

Faith-based schools are still debated since it does not teach students pluralism. While in Indonesia, such schools are growing rapidly due to parents' concern about the minimal time for religious study in public schools. In Makassar, Islamic schools are the most significant number, but certain Muslim teachers decide to work in Christian schools. This study focused on exploring their reasons and connecting them to the concept of Religious Moderation issued by The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs. As a qualitative descriptive, this research used a semi-structured interview method to describe the participants' experiences in-depth. The two of four indicators of Religious Moderation, tolerance and national commitment, are the framework for discussing the implementation of Religious Moderation in the schools. The results show that Muslim teachers work in Christian schools because of nothing against Islam, high salary, and teacher capacity building. Moreover, while teaching at this school, participants found their Muslim identities are identified through their Arabic names. However, it does not affect their teaching professionalism. A harmonious relationship is shown between Muslim teachers and Christian students and between Muslim and Christian teachers. They represent a religious tolerance, including allowing Muslim teachers to perform Friday prayers and wishing Christian students and teachers a Merry Christmas. Furthermore, Muslim teachers indicate a national commitment by teaching students professionally regardless of religion as regulated in the basic national consensus of Indonesia, Pancasila. Thus, this faith-based school is critical in supporting the concept of Religious Moderation and plurality in Indonesia

CARA SISWA KRISTEN MENGATASI PENINGKATAN STRES PADA MASA PANDEMI

This Article provides an overview of how to overcome the increased stress that occurs in students during a pandemic. This stress occurs due to new habits and new way of learning methods caused by current global conditions due to many restriction. As a person who has Christian faith, Christian students are expected to be able to overcome the stresses of life they experience by approaching God with gratitude for all the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that in any situation, a student as the nation's next generation and is learning various things in this life will actually progress and develop. By communicating with Allah through worship, students are expected to have the right relationship and it is not just a religious ritual, but also a lifestyle that colors hearts, thoughts, words and behavior. So that any condition that will happen in the future, even though under conditions of limitations each student can study hard and diligently even the pressure can strengthen his faith, so that Christian students can come out as winners in facing this pandemic.

R-HEALS: A Doctrinal-Experiential Discipleship Model for Indonesian Youth in Taiwan in the Postmodern Era

Social interaction is one of the factors that determine a person’s spiritual growth. The social interaction style of today’s youth has been influenced by postmodernism. Postmodernism has changed the way humans socialize to become fluid as a result of the emphasis on relativism. One of the countries affected by postmodernism is Taiwan. This is shown by the development of the cohabitation lifestyle and the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan as part of the relativism and human rights championed in postmodernism. Thus, postmodernism can seep in and threaten the spirituality of Christian students from Indonesia in Taiwan. GBI Taiwan Zhongli responded to this threat by formulating a discipleship model called R-HEALS (Reached, Healed, Equipped, and Heals). This study aims to explore the experience of R-HEALS discipleship participants and its impact on them in facing postmodernism. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The research data was taken from two students who have followed the R-HEALS discipleship model for at least one year. It was found that the doctrinal-experiential aspect of the R-HEALS discipleship model helps young people resist the current postmodernism, even in a liberal country like Taiwan. It can be concluded that R-HEALS can help the church in contributing to restraining the postmodern lifestyle of young Indonesians studying in Taiwan.

Being Evangelical is Complicated: How Students’ Identities and Experiences Moderate Their Perceptions of Campus Climate

BackgroundEvangelical Christian college students navigate campus buoyed by Christian privilege but may encounter silencing or othering tied to their religious beliefs, a feeling of incompatibility with their campus climate, and conflations of their religious and political beliefs that are inaccurate and discouraging. Unsupportive campus climates can discourage evangelical students from having productive exchanges across difference and deepening their own worldview commitments, which is concerning due to their general lack of interfaith participation that challenges stereotypes and unnuanced assumptions.PurposeThis study explores how evangelical Christians perceive their campus climates and whether those perceptions are different based on other social identity intersections with gender, race, sexuality, and political affiliation. In addition to individual characteristics, how the campus environment and various curricular and co-curricular experiences moderate evangelical students’ perceptions of the worldview climate is examined.MethodsA sample of 1235 evangelical college students was examined via means, standard deviations, and ranges for six campus climate measures, one-way ANOVAs to examine whether those measures differed by different identity dimensions, and then multilevel modeling to better understand the role of campus experiences in evangelicals’ perceptions of their campus climate.ResultsEvangelical students’ campus climate perceptions were generally positive; more provocative encounters were reported by women than men and evangelical Asian students indicated more divisiveness, more insensitivity, and less space for support than their peers. Political affiliation also revealed several significant differences in perceived campus climate. Interfaith engagement through pre-college activities, formal and informal activities, and friendships were connected to perceptions of campus climate, with those reporting more engagement being more likely to have productive encounters across difference and to report insensitivity or divisiveness. Religious affiliation was the most significant institutional characteristic.Conclusions and ImplicationsThis study illuminates how collegiate experiences and campus environments exacerbate or attenuate evangelical Christian students’ perceptions of the campus climate, and the results indicate that effective teaching practices where true interfaith experiences happen and that create inclusive space for evangelical students in the classroom are key to fostering development, especially in light of the social status ambiguity evangelical college students may be experiencing during their college years.

Covid-19 Pandemic Risk Awareness Among Secondary School Students

The Coronavirus outbreak proved to be one of the most transformative events in the modern period. This study objectives are to investigate whether difference exist between knowledge of covid-19 risk and; (i) not use of nose mask, (ii) not observe social distance and, (iii) whether difference exist between Muslim and Christianity on awareness of Covid-19 risk in the study area. The population of the study comprised all secondary school students in the study area. The study adopted a descriptive research design of survey type and multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 266 respondents participated in the study. The findings of the study revealed that, the students have knowledge that no use of nose mask is a risk for contacting Covid-19 disease, students do not have knowledge that failure to observe social distance is a risk for contacting Covid-19 infection and there is no difference between Muslim and Christian students of their awareness on Covid-19 pandemic risk among secondary school students in the study area The researcher recommends among others that the Patigi local government educational authority should organize enlightenment programme for secondary school students that will educate them on the activities that can put them at the risk of contacting Covid-19 infection which is harmful to their health

The Impact of E-Learning for Christian Religious Education Seminar Courses on UPI Christian Students

The Covid-19 pandemic situation has changed teaching-learning habits. Learning that is done without face-to-face or e-learning is an alternative teaching and learning activities method today. However, until now distance learning has caused various polemics, one of which is the lack of synchronization between lecturers and students. The Christian Religious Education Seminar course at the Indonesian Education University also has various impacts on students, so this research was conducted to describe the effect of online learning on students. This study uses a descriptive method with a quantitative approach. The population of this study was 121 SPAK Christian students batch 2019, with 37 samples or respondents (31%). Respondents were given a questionnaire containing seven indicators to determine the impact of e-learning. Of the seven indicators studied, only one aspect has a negative effect: reduced focus and student activity during learning activities. The lecture time coincides with the break (lunch), so student focus decreases.

PERCEPTION OF ISLAMIC CULTURAL POLICY IN BURUNDI

The purpose of this paper was to examine the perception of Islamic religious cultural policy in Burundi. The research focused on the perception of culture-shaping policies based on Islam by Burundians. The discussion of the views of informants was based on Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas’ approach to Islam and secularism. Primary data were collected from 40 university Christian students through questionnaires. The subjects included undergraduates and postgraduates studying in the Department of Languages and Social Sciences at Ecole Normale Supérieure. Secondary data were obtained from books, policy documents, and internet resources. It was found out that Christians in Burundi do not desire the Islamic cultural policy that is applied in Islamic States due mostly to its relation to radicalism and terrorism and the rejection of Christianism as a divinely revealed religion. Additionally, it was found out that some habits and practices among Muslims such as marrying many women, growing beard, and the secret bathing of the bodies of dead Muslims generate a negative perception of Islam. However, some values and arts that are practiced among Burundi Muslims such as women veiling, fashion, cookery, knitting, and embroidery are highly appreciated.

Basil as exemplar for reading pagan texts: The spirit, the church, and a sacramental ontology

In To Young Men, Basil of Caesarea asserted that pagan literature could be read discerningly for the pursuit of virtue. As a professor of English, I recognize Basil as an exemplar pedagogue in my own insistence that Christian students read secular texts. Not a scholar of Greek, I rely on patristic scholarship to understand Basil’s assumptions giving him confidence in students’ discernment. Pagan literature can be read discerningly because reading and faith are collective ventures, seeking virtue is practiced best in dependence on the Holy Spirit, and truth is unified based on a Platonist-Christian synthesis—a sacramental ontology.

German Teachers’ Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Female and Male Muslim Students and Reactions to Social Exclusion

Abstract. Research has shown negative teachers’ attitudes toward ethnic minority students, who – in Germany – often belong to Islam which is stereotypically associated with traditional gender roles. So far, neither implicit attitudes nor the role of student gender have been investigated in this context. Among a sample of 136 teachers, we assessed implicit attitudes toward Muslim students in relation to Christian students using an Implicit Association Test. Implicit and explicit attitudes were less positive toward male than toward female Muslim students. After reading a social exclusion scenario, teachers were asked how they would react. Teachers’ reactions depended on the religion and the gender of the student. Our study implies that Islam might be part of the disadvantages ethnic minority students experience in school.

Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and ToleranceHaifa Republic: A Democratic Future for Israel

Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and ToleranceHaifa Republic: A Democratic Future for Israel

Indonesian students’ religiousness, comfort, and anger toward God during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many religious college students have found comfort in God, while others may have developed anger toward God; however, no studies have systematically compared the multidimensional effects of religiousness on how Muslim and Christian students react to stressors such as COVID-19. This study addressed this gap in the literature by investigating which of the Four Basic Dimensions of Religiousness Scale (4-BDRS: believing, bonding, behaving, and belonging) were significant predictors for both taking comfort in and feeling anger toward God among Muslim ( n = 550) and Christian ( n = 334) college students in Indonesia, while also controlling for the influence of neuroticism, a known predictor for attitudes toward God. Muslims reported that all dimensions of the 4-BDRS were significant predictors of comfort, with bonding as a negative predictor (β = –.09, p = .04), while Christians reported that belonging (β = .07, p = .34) was the only insignificant predictor. Muslims reported that believing (β = –.22, p ⩽ .001) and behaving (β = –.19, p = .002) were negative predictors of anger, while Christians reported negative effects only for bonding (β = –.17, p = .04); however, bonding did not significantly predict anger when analyzed separately for men and women. Therefore, to decrease their anger toward and increase the comfort they find in God, Muslims must focus on their beliefs and exercise the commandments of Islam. Christians, though, must focus on increasing cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of religiousness to find comfort, while having better personal relationships with God could be key in reducing anger toward God.

Pela Gandong local wisdom as multicultural education model after the Ambon Conflict

The purpose of this study is to describe how Pela Gandong as a model of multicultural education has been implemented between the State Junior High School (SMPN) 9 Ambon City and the State Junior High School (SMPN) 4 Salahutu Liang, Central Maluku Regency. The Ambon conflict became a very valuable lesson for the Indonesian people, especially the Ambonese-Maluku people. That the diversity that has been bestowed must be managed properly and is a reality of life. The Ambon conflict is the largest civil conflict based on ethnicity, religion, race and ethnicity (SARA) after the fall of the Suharto government on May 21, 1998. After the Ambon conflict ended, various parties began to think about how to do peacebuilding so that similar conflicts did not happen again. One of them is implementing multicultural education based on the local wisdom values of Pela Gandong. During the Ambon conflict resolution, Pela Gandong's local wisdom became the medium. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data was collected by means of literature study, interviews, observation, and document analysis. The results show that Pela Gandong contains multicultural values that have been built by the ancestors of the Maluku people, and is currently uniting Muslim and Christian students with a local cultural approach. The implementation is done by transforming Pela Gandong values in schools and teacher exchanges. Then jointly held; scouting activities, camping, Christmas, iftar, Sports and Arts Week. Both schools were also part of the 2013 film Provocateur of Peace as a campaign for peace and the spread of multicultural values.

„ASOCIAȚIA CREȘTINĂ A TINERILOR” DIN ROMÂNIA ȘI MIȘCĂRILE STUDENȚEȘTI INTERBELICE: CAZUL BULETINULUI ASOCIAȚIEI STUDENȚILOR CREȘTINI DIN BUCUREȘTI

The present text discusses the Americanization of a Romanian student organization, the Association of the Christian Students from Romania, through the official bulletin of the Bucharest branch. The text argues that, although the Wilsonian plan of pacification and Bolshevik containment as exercised through missionary bodies such as YMCA/YWCA or student Christian organizations initially worked in the Romanian society, eventually the Romanian student initiative known as ASCR succumbed under the pressure of xenophobic nationalism.

Peranan Guru Pendidikan Agama Kristen dalam Pembentukan Karakter Siswa Kristen

The purpose of this study was to see the effect of the Quantum Teaching learning model used by Christian Religious Education teachers in the formation of student character. The sample in this study was 50 people. This study used descriptive methods, while the data analysis carried out in the hypothesis research was Pearson's product-moment correlation with data collection tools, namely a questionnaire for Variable X (Influence of Quantum Teaching Learning Model) and Variable Y (Student Character Building) The statistical test used in this research is using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical test. From the test results obtained correlation test (r) 0.96 with a determination test of 92% and to determine whether or not the correlation coefficient is significant at the real level (α) = 0.05, the "t" test is held. From the test results obtained t-count t-table (3.19 1.67), then the hypothesis is accepted. Thus, it can be stated that there is an influence of the Quantum Teaching Learning model in PAK learning on the character formation of students in the era of online learning. AbstrakTujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat pengaruh model pembelajaran Quantum Teaching yang digunakan oleh guru Pendidikan Agama Kristen dalam Pembentukan Karakter Siswa. Sampel pada penelitian ini sebanyak 50 orang Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif, sedangkan analisis data yang dilakukan dalam penelitian hipotesis adalah korelasi product moment pearson dengan alat pengumpulan data adalah angket untuk Variabel X (Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Quantum Teaching) dan Variabel Y (Pembentukan Karakter Siswa). Uji statistik yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu menggunakan uji statistik Korelasi Product Moment Pearson. Dari hasil pengujian diperoleh pengujian korelasi (r) 0,96 dengan uji determinasi sebesar 92% dan untuk mengetahui signifikan tidaknya koefisien korelasi pada taraf nyata (α) = 0,05 maka diadakan uji “t”. Dari hasil pengujian diperoleh t-hitung t-tabel ( 3,19 1,67 ), maka hipotesis diterima. Dengan demikian dapat dikemukakan adanya pengaruh model Pembelajaran Quantum Teaching dalam Pembelajaran PAK terhadap pembentukan karakter Siswa di Era pembelajaran Online.

Paths from Spiritual Support to College Self-Efficacy in Southeastern Christian and Southeastern Public University Students

Using a modified portion of Lent’s (2004) normative model of life satisfaction, this study assessed the role spiritual models play in Southeastern Christian university students’ and Southeastern public university students’ traits of spirituality, mindfulness, forgiveness, and hope, and the associations these traits had with college self-efficacy. Additionally, this study proposed perspective-taking as a moderator of the association between environmental support from spiritual models and spirituality, mindfulness, forgiveness, and hope, such that college students high in perspective-taking would understand and internalize traits of models rather than only imitating the spiritual practices of the model. Participants (n = 384) in this one-time survey study were recruited from a Southeaster Christian university and a Southeastern public university. Results of the paths show spirituality, mindfulness, forgiveness, and hope mediated the association between environmental support from spiritual models and college self-efficacy, but perspective-taking did not moderate associations from environmental support from spiritual models to the mediators. These findings supported the modified portion of Lent’s (2004) normative model of life satisfaction which states that environmental support, including support given by spiritual models, enhanced the development of healthy traits such as spirituality, mindfulness, forgiveness, and hope. In turn, the healthy traits were associated with increased college self-efficacy.