A DELPHI STUDY OF THE BELIEF STRUCTURE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS ON SELECTED RELIGIOUS VARIABLES
Abstract
This study investigated the belief Structures of male and female expert religious educators representing four religious denominations. Ten men and ten women from each of the following groups served as subjects for the study: Roman Catholic; Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; The Protestant Episcopal Church of America; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Judaism. The four variables that were investigated were relationship with God, afterlife, authority, and women. The data was collected by using the Delphi technique that was pioneered by Olaf Helmer; the process consisted of three Rounds and a telephone interview during which the statements in each of the four categories were both reacted to and clarified by the panel members. Each panel member responded to the ten original statements in each of the four categories that were constructed by the researcher, was given an opportunity to criticize these statements, and also was invited to construct items in each of these categories to which all of the subjects would respond. Each subject was asked to explain those responses that were considered extreme in comparison to those of their particular panel and these were made available to their same gender panel as feedback to be used in subsequent Rounds; the responses to each item in the questionnaire was given in a Likert-type format. The findings of the study were numerous but can be formatted according to the following statements: religious educators are aware of the tension that exists between them and the institution that they represent; religious educators evidenced a need to clarify their patterns of belief; the data provided ample evidence to pinpoint gender differences between the panels in the sample, there emerged themes of similarities and differences between the religious groups in the study; and religious educators use theologically specific language. Recommendations were made to conduct additional research that more clearly pinpoint the doctrinal assertions of religious educators and the relationship of these assertions to those of their particular denomination.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Religious education
Recommended Citation
DALY, CHARLES EDWARD, "A DELPHI STUDY OF THE BELIEF STRUCTURE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS ON SELECTED RELIGIOUS VARIABLES" (1987). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8725672.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8725672
