Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, EDU Teaching and Learning

Oftentimes those within a particular minoritized group (e.g., refugees) are assumed to have had the same language and literacy experiences or to hold the same language- and literacy-related values and beliefs. This fails to consider the variation that exists both across and within these groups. Children from refugee backgrounds attend elementary schools across the country and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, we know very little about the language and literacy experiences of young refugee children in the United States. In order to provide appropriate support to children from refugee backgrounds, it is necessary for educators to understand students' repertoires of cultural practices. Educator knowledge of these repertoires can prevent overgeneralization or oversimplification of refugee children's backgrounds and experiences and can challenge the assumption that the practices in which they engage in their communities are fixed or static. Thus, the aim of the current study was to examine and document the language- and literacy-related practices of a group of children from refugee backgrounds at their church, afterschool program, and homes (in both offline and online spaces). In recognition of the dynamic nature of these practices, I paid particular attention to the ways in which the children's repertoires of practice shifted from first through third grade and again as they navigated changes resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, I engaged in an ethnographically-informed case study between 2018 and 2020. Research occurred in two phases. During Phase 1, I engaged in participant observation, conducted staff and family interviews, and collected artifacts (e.g., church programs, photos of the research site). With the onset of coronavirus, I added a second phase of data collection to the study. Due to COVID-19, data in Phase 2 was limited to (a) interviews with children and staff members via phone or Zoom and (b) the colle (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Leslie Moore (Advisor); Shayne Piasta (Advisor); Michiko Hikida (Committee Member) Subjects: Bilingual Education; Elementary Education; Families and Family Life; Language; Literacy; Religious Education; Technology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2015, Theology

Broadly speaking, this dissertation is a work of theological reflection within a specific context, bringing together history, ethnography, and theology to examine a form of evangelical lived religion in contemporary America. The particular situation I am exploring is the so-called “Quiverfull movement.” The Quiverfull movement is a growing subculture of American evangelicalism that has emerged over the past forty years within the networks of the Christian homeschooling movement. Quiverfull families have a very particular lived religion. They have an unlimited number of children (pronatalism), practice homeschooling exclusively, and advocate for “biblical patriarchy,” with very prescribed sex roles for men and women. Ultimately, they view their way of life as the most faithful embodiment of biblical teaching on the family, as well as the primary way that that Christians will win the culture war in America over the next few hundred years. This dissertation advances one primary thesis: Despite the apparent strangeness of their lived religion, the Quiverfull movement in America is both thoroughly evangelical and thoroughly American. Rather than offer a radical, counter-cultural vision for the Christian family, the Quiverfull movement presents a slightly modified version of something quite commonplace: a privatized, isolated nuclear family struggling (and often failing) to maintain their bonds to the broader community, the church, and other systems of support. As such, the Quiverfull movement serves as an illuminating case study of the weaknesses and blind spots of evangelical and American cultural conceptions of the family. Lacking a broader social vision or any sense of the church as an alternative society, Quiverfull families simply cannot be the radical agents for change that they desire. Instead, they re-inscribe the norms of American individualism and privatization but with a more thoroughly religious sheen. In the end, the problem is not that the Quiverfull mo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vincent Miller Ph.D. (Advisor); William Trollinger Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jana Bennett Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sandra Yocum Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary McClintock Fulkerson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Bible; Families and Family Life; Gender Studies; Religion; Religious History; Theology

Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.), Trinity Lutheran Seminary, 2013, Ministry Division

"The Future of Milestones Ministry at Broad Street Presbyterian Church" describes how one congregation, in Columbus, Ohio, connects church and home by using the Milestones Ministry approach in faith formation. Five milestones: the Baptism Milestone, the Baptismal Anniversary Milestone, the Bible Milestone, the Confirmation Milestone and the High School Graduation Milestone, engage parents and children in spiritual practices. A sixth, the 90+ Milestone, celebrates the legacy of older adults. The author, an associate pastor, interviews twelve intergenerational families about the meaning of these milestones in their lives, and categorizes their responses in ways revealing God's presence in daily life. Materials from Vibrant Faith Ministries, including the Milestones Ministry template of naming, equipping, gifting and blessing, plus biblical resources and current discussions in the fields of Christian Education and faith development, provide the context for this exploration. The appendix contains a liturgy for each milestone as well as a thorough bibliography.

Committee: Mary Hughes PhD (Advisor); Diane Hymans PhD (Other) Subjects: Adult Education; Aging; Bible; Clergy; Families and Family Life; Individual and Family Studies; Religious Congregations; Religious Education; Spirituality; Teaching; Theology