The field of adult learning theory, or how adults learn, has exploded in recent years yielding increased knowledge and awareness of how adults learn. While preachers do have a wide variety of ages in their congregations, most of the people they preach to are adults. This dissertation looks at preaching and adult learning theory and what the…

The problem to be addressed through this study is the low enrollment and completion rates for the professional development of pastors within the North American Division of the Adventist Learning Community. The study addresses the issue of low enrollment and completion rates in self-paced online professional development courses for pastors within…

This thesis project offers a reflective practice-based learning tool to engage preaching experience--from the hearing side of the event--early in diaconal formation to build connoisseurship of effective preaching as the logical prerequisite to engaging the event as preacher. Chapter One proposes connoisseurship as a fruitful metaphor for building…

This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of African American pastors within a New Jersey jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ denomination, fostering adult education self-efficacy in the lives of their congregants. Income inequality is one of the most significant challenges facing African American…

Theological Education by Extension (TEE) programs seek to equip believers for a godly life and ministry through studying materials at home, discussing content with other students in regular meetings, and applying the knowledge to their lives and ministries. It is possible for TEE programs to impact students behaviorally, affectively, and…

Discipleship, a primary charge of the Church, involves teaching and learning. In order to disciple well, the Church and its clergy must consider how to teach content so that adults learn effectively. This consideration ought to begin in seminary, the primary source of educational preparation for Anglican clergy. Research is needed to identify the…

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to assess the effects of adult learning principles (ALP) in sermons on parishioners' spiritual growth. Sermons have been central to the spread of Christianity. Given the significant role sermons play in parishioners' spiritual formation and growth, examining sermons' effectiveness is…

This paper reports the results of a study of adult ethical development in Christian congregations. Using an empirical hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study examined how five pastors understand and encourage ethical development, creating an in-depth analysis and interpretation of their perceptions of the phenomenon of adult ethical…

This case study explored how Hispanic conservative Wesleyan-Arminian adult students perceived online education, with a specific focus on their perceptions of technological aspects, asynchronous online discussions (AODs), and the effectiveness of online delivery for themselves. The purposive sampling consisted of 16 Hispanic conservative…

One of the challenges of keeping older employees up to date and ensuring their continued involvement in the workplace is to provide them with relevant learning opportunities. This article aims to understand the usefulness of the concept of LLL for a group of older employees (50+). This is done using interviews and a document study on the Church of…

The paper explores Giovanni Franzoni's understanding of the Liberation Christ brought to our world, focusing on how this understanding was incarnated in his pastoral-educational initiatives with adults. In particular, it highlights some aspects of the pedagogy he used in these projects, showing how these pedagogical techniques were part and parcel…

This volume brings together the work of a wide range of scholars to explore the long and complex history of the relationships between churches and education. Christianity has always been involved in education, from the very earliest teaching of those about to be baptised, to present-day churches' involvement in schools and higher education.…

Peter Jarvis is a towering figure in the study of adult and lifelong education and a leading and original theorist of learning. This paper sets out his intellectual and professional biography, maps the main contours of his work and introduces fourteen papers by leading scholars devoted to his work. Five broad phases in Jarvis' life are identified:…

Both Jarvis and theories of Christian Religious Education (CRE) emphasise that learning develops the whole person, yet they differ in their understandings of how and why this is the case. Jarvis's experiential learning theory begins "from below" with experience, whereas many approaches of CRE begin with the end result: individuals…

Almost no literature in the academic field of Jewish education exists that studies congregational rabbis as teachers of adults. This article seeks to contribute to filling the gap in the extant literature base. Using portraiture, the study describes and analyzes the aims of rabbinic teaching of adults in a synagogue setting. The findings suggest…