Argues that the act of worship can become an act of resistance against the hegemony of a dominant culture. Maintains that congregational life offers the possibility to awaken people's discontent, foster skepticism toward prevailing assumptions, articulate ethical alternatives, and develop readiness for struggle and change. (MJP)

Designed to provide volunteer, religious education teachers with several tools to increase attendance at early morning religious classes and counteract student absenteeism, the study developed a computerized roll and record keeping system, taught new teaching skills and methods, instructed the teachers to make personal contact with absentees…

This document reports on a conference that addressed the involvement of the National Council of Churches of Christ/USA in literacy education in North America, at which literacy program participants, national leaders in literacy education, church leaders, and international literacy delegates described their successes and struggles. The first…

Asserts that desire for the holy and a faith that helps make sense of life are youths' quests. Gives adults who minister youths strategies to impart knowledge and the quest for it among peers and adults. (VWC)

This resource guide was developed to promote the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths, a program of prayer, education, community service, and advocacy with and on behalf of children. The guide provides materials for planning, promoting, and implementing a Children's Sabbath specific to particular faith traditions and recounts the experiences…

This document is the final report of a study conducted to determine what factors contribute to strong Black family life and how these strong families solve problems, in order to add to the knowledge base on stable families so as to enhance practical intervention with families in need, and to identify models of self-help strategies used by stable…

Changes in the churches and in higher education today are leading to new kinds of roles in campus ministry for laypersons and professional staff. Traditionally, the campus minister has been a direct service provider, with parish clergy and laypersons functioning in secondary back-up roles. These traditional roles are currently being challenged by…

This study has analyzed selected aspects of Jamaican culture--education, religion, and family relations--in order to present suggestions for the church's adult education programs. The family is basically maternally oriented and marked by a predominance of early nonmarital sex relations and a lack of consistent intimacy and faithfulness in…

The paper reviews literature related to the active participation of individuals with disabilities in religious organizations. A summary is then presented of a study conducted in a mid-sized metropolitan city of clergy perceptions of services available to individuals with disabilities and their families. The study, involving 125 clergy, examined…

This collection of seven abridged symposium papers discusses contemporary social conditions which affect the nuclear family and suggests directions for intervention. The introduction declares that the family remains the single most important unit in civilized society. Its destruction is seen to be the destruction of society as we know it. The…

Historical causes of rural poverty and general recommendations for work among rural youth in India, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are presented in this summary of national reports given before the Rural Youth Study Group in 1976. In addition to study papers on each country, the volume contains an introduction on rural youth and…

President Eisenhower, in his commencement address at Baylor University, called upon American universities, supported by private foundations, to devote themselves to the development of educational facilities abroad in areas where such facilities are inadequate or are entirely lacking. At the same time he pointed out the need for the development of…

Historically, religion and spirituality have been major influences in the social, cultural, and political lives of African Americans. Spirituality is deeply embedded into their rich cultural heritage, and it is intertwined into all aspects of their life, including beliefs about health and illness. For African Americans, health and illness are a…

This volume contains the proceedings of a conference of social scientists and ministers on "Religion and Social Change" held at the North Carolina State University (Raleigh). Five seminars were held on the topics of (1) economic progress; (2) the distribution of income, status, and power; (3) the local community decision-making process;…

Presents a fascinating comparison of the musical styles and respective theologies between an Anglican church service and a black fundamentalist service. Maintains that the Anglican service depends on a logocentric vision of the world, separating emotion from intellect. The black church exemplifies a more holistic, transcendent experience. (MJP)