Nabil A. Ibrahim

Leslie W. Rue

Patricia P. McDougall

G. Robert Greene

ABSTRACT. There is a sizeable group of self-described

"Christian" companies which have declared their belief in

the successful merging of biblical principles with business

activities. As these companies have become more visible, an

increasing number of anecdotal newspaper and magazine

articles about these companies have appeared. Surprisingly,

no rigorous research has been conducted prior to our recent

study. This article provides national estimates of the size and

predominant characteristics of self-identified "Christian"

companies. In addition, the study investigated the types of

relationships these companies maintained with their employees,

customers, communities, and suppliers.

coming of the Messiah. It is an evolutionary world: you get somewhere

MARXISM AS A CHRISTIAN HERESY

Rev. Gabriel Franks, Ph.D.

In July 1970 Professor Nicholas Lobkowicz (now of the University

of Munich) gave a series of lectures at Notre Dame University. I had

the good fortune to attend these discussions on the ideas of Karl Marx.

We of the Western world tend to look upon Marx as being utterly

evil, as having nothing of importance to tell us, as having been a

cause of much woe and nothing good. In the countries of the so-called

Eastern bloc, on the other hand, there is a tendency to regard his

every word to be of i n f a l l i b l e inspiration, and to take the view that

Marx could do no wrong, a view which Marx himself would have looked

upon with some trepidation.

THE IMPACT OF BEHAVIORS UPON BURNOUT

The Impact of Behaviors upon Burnout Among

Parish-Based Clergy

Benjamin R. Doolittle

Published online: 24 October 2008

Blanton-Peale Institute 2008

Abstract

Identifying protective behaviors that may prevent against burnout is important for the longterm

emotional health of individual clergy as well as the wider church. This research

reports findings among 358 parish-based clergy that identifies the prevalence of burnout

and correlates this data with demographic risk factors and protective behaviors. Clergy

who met criteria for burnout were younger, identified themselves as being depressed and

unsatisfied with their spiritual life, and have endured a traumatic church placement. This

research also suggests that having a variety of interests and activities outside of one’s

vocation may protect against burnout. In particular, behaviors that enhance relationships—

such as seeking mentors and attending retreats—as well as pursuing outside activities—

such as regular exercise and scholarly reading—protect against burnout. Further implications

for the wider church are discussed.

GENERATIVITY

Generativity and the U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops’

Responses to Priests’ Sexual Abuse of Minors

Clare McGrath-Merkle

Published online: 25 September 2009

Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009

Abstract

are applied to ‘‘the clerical abuse crisis,’’ in which 111 U.S. Roman Catholic bishops

protected priests rather than safeguard children. The goal was to discover what psychological

dispositions led bishops to act in the manner they did. A case is made that pre-existing

tendencies coupled with an all-male, celibate environment and formation indoctrination led

to deficits in psychological development, moral judgment and leadership capacity, revealing

an Episcopal subculture characterized by pseudo-speciation and authoritism.

In this article, Erik Erikson’s and subsequent researchers’ ideas on generativity

Keywords

Generativity Clerical abuse crisis Erik Erikson Roman Catholic bishops

Authoritism

Introduction

It seems intuitively right that some kinds of highly effective leaders owe their success

to their generative capacities and inclinations. Major failings in leadership may

signal shortcomings in generativity as well. To our knowledge, however, no research

or theorizing has focused explicitly on the relations between generativity and leadership

(McAdams and De St. Aubin

Erik Erikson’s ideal of

in depth by subsequent thinkers and researchers. This article explores these ideas and

research findings and relates them to what has been called ‘‘the clerical abuse crisis,’’ in

which a majority of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops protected priests rather than safeguard

children. The goal is to discover what, if any, psychological dispositions led bishops to act

in the manner they did.

FAITH AT WORK SCALE

Monty L. Lynn

Michael J. Naughton

Steve VanderVeen

ABSTRACT. Workplace spirituality research has sidestepped

religion by focusing on the function of belief

rather than its substance. Although establishing a unified

foundation for research, the functional approach cannot

shed light on issues of workplace pluralism, individual or

institutional faith-work integration, or the institutional

roles of religion in economic activity. To remedy this, we

revisit definitions of spirituality and argue for the place of

a belief-based approach to workplace religion. Additionally,

we describe the construction of a 15-item

measure of workplace religion informed by Judaism and

Christianity – the Faith at Work Scale (FWS). A stratified

random sample (

assisted in refining the FWS which exhibits a single factor

structure (Eigenvalue = 8.88; variance accounted for =

59.22%) that is internally consistent (Cronbach’s

n = 234) of managers and professionals

a

Faith Maturity Scale (

shows lower skew and kurtosis with Mainline and

Catholic adherents than with Mormons and Evangelicals.

Validation of the scale among Jewish and diverse

Christian adherants would extend research in workplace

religion.

KEY WORDS: Christianity, Faith at Work Scale,

Judaism, psychometric, scale, vocation, workplace

spirituality, workplace religion

= 0.77) and demonstrates convergent validity with ther = 0.81, p > 0.0001). The scale

Max Weber’s provocative work, and the Spirit of Capitalism among sociologists and historians over religion’s contribution to economic growth (cf. Jones,  Radoki, have explored religiosity’s connection to virtue, emotion, personality, health, and other aspects of human functioning (Emmons and Paloutzian,

Pargament et al., veins, distinctive and potent connections have been identified between religiosity and human behavior and social systems. Sandwiched between the macro realm of the economy and the micro realm of psychology, the field of workplace spirituality has been taking shape (Giacalone and Jurkiewicz,  For a variety of reasons, however, scholars have eschewed religion and have focused on spirituality (cf. Gotsis and Kortezi,  Dean and Fornaciari, of research on workplace religion exists despite the religious affiliation of a sizable portion of the global workforce (Baylor Religion Survey, 2006; Juergensmeyer, 2006).

CHRISTIAN AND BUSINESS CULTURE

This paper reports a study of Chinese Christian

executives in Hong Kong. The purpose of the

study is to determine the effectiveness of

Christian witness in the marketplace. It is an

exploratory study that adopts an inductive

approach to understanding some of what has

been happening in the marketplace. The reflection

is based on interviews with 119 Chinese

Christian executives who provided their personal

experiences as a database for reflection and

theorizing. There were two criteria for inclusion.

First, those invited to participate are known to

uphold a serious Christian commitment. This

qualifies them as “Christian.” Secondly, those

participating have in-depth business and management

experience. This qualifies them as

“executives.”

Christian belief and political culture

With the Enlargement on May 1 treaty and the December decision on admission negotiations with Turkey, thest, the debate on the European constitutionalTreaty Establishing A Constitution For Europe, I would English translation by Christoph Zeidler

Christian belief and political culture

in Europe

*

Bishop Wolfgang Huber

Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)

ASIA

EUROPE

JOURNAL

Springer-Verlag 2004

Asia Europe Journal (2004) 2: 327–336

DOI: 10.1007/s10308-004-0110-z

current Treaty on the European Union in Article 6 contains the strong

commitment to basic political values, which are the common ground of the

member states’ individual constitutions: ‘‘The Union is founded on the

principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental

freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member

States’’. The Convent’s draft for the constitutional treaty enlarges this catalogue

of values in Article 2 by adding the term ‘‘equality’’ and emphasising that

‘‘these values are common to the Member States in a society of pluralism,

tolerance, justice, solidarity and non-discrimination‘‘. This catalogue of core

values and the Charter of Fundamental Rights are an essential part of the

future constitution; this is a good basis for Europe’s political culture and for

the European people. Yet, is one European people already to be seen?

NOAH AND THE SPACESHIP

Alexandre Meinesz, How Life Began—Evolution’s Three Geneses

translated by Daniel Simberloff. The University of Chicago Press,

Chicago

Ellen Clarke

Received: 9 February 2009 / Accepted: 9 February 2009 / Published online: 22 February 2009

Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Abstract

and Christians, but Alexandre Meinesz’s recent book

provide a reconciliation between the two. Here I review his somewhat unorthodox

perspective on major transitions, alien origins and the meaning of life, with a critical

focus on his account of the generation of multicellularity.

Evolution has increasingly become a topic of conflict between scientistsHow Life Began aims to

Keywords

Meinesz is already known as a popular science author for his work

Christianity Major transitions PanspermiaKiller Algae

(

further away from his home territory in this book which attempts the much grander

task of assimilating biology, history and philosophy into the sort of text that would

not look out of place on the bookshelf at Sunday school. This is evolution for the

religious, the book of Genesis rewritten for the modern world. It combines personal

reflections on art with summaries of the latest discoveries in molecular biology and

paleoecology to offer a uniquely spiritual perspective on cutting edge science.

Perceived Church-Based Needs

Æ Naomi N. Modeste Æ Jerry W. Lee Æ

Susanne B. Montgomery

Æ Juan C. Belliard

Published online: 10 January 2009

Blanton-Peale Institute 2009

Abstract

address a wide range of health issues. This study examined the assets Nigerian church

members believed their churches needed, including the assets they thought they had to

engage in HIV/AIDS prevention activities. Eight hundred and thirty members from 83

churches completed a questionnaire designed from forum focus group data. Respondents

were males and females aged 18 years old and above, with primary, secondary, university,

or vocational education, and were more likely to be married than single (never married),

separated, divorced, widowed or remarried. The data revealed that church members needed

access to health promotion assets, including the expertise of members who are health

professionals to engage in HIV/AIDS prevention activities. We recommend an intensive

HIV/AIDS prevention reorientation-training workshop for church leaders to ensure a

sustainable plan to address HIV/AIDS prevention needs.

Health intervention programs have the potential to use church-based assets to

Keywords

Church Needs Assets Prevention HIV/AIDS Nigeria

Introduction

Churches have the ‘‘land, people, and history’’ (Simpson and King

capacity to reach a wide range of people (Lasater et al.

powerful coping resource (Kelly et al.

Enjoyment and Its Discontents : Ecclesiastes in Dialogue

Philip Browning Helsel

Published online: 21 November 2008

Blanton-Peale Institute 2008

Abstract

pessimistic work. Instead, this article recommends Ecclesiastes, following Eunny P. Lee,

as contributing to pastoral theology through its embodied and pragmatic theology of

enjoyment in which practices of joy revitalize the human spirit. However, there are some

who are unable to experience satisfaction. The absence of reflection on this problem in

Ecclesiastes scholarship is considered the starting point of pastoral theology, and is

addressed by a turn to the frequently misunderstood passage in 7:16–18, bringing it into

conversation with the topographical model of the human person developed by Freud. At

the same time, the interpersonal aspects of enjoyment found in Ecclesiastes critique Freud

by suggesting how the fragmented parts of self-experience can be held together in an

interpersonal context.

Nietzche’s Echo—A Dialogue with Thomas Altizer

David M. Moss III

Published online: 28 April 2009

Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009

Abstract beliefs as profound deceptions. The biblical prophets exemplify such confrontation as do

certain atheists ardently opposed to the images of God created by those seers. The German

philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche dramatically illustrates this type of counterforce to the

Judeo-Christian tradition. His prophet Zarathustra is intended to be a model for the modern

mind, one free of superstitions inflicted by antiquated religious dogma. Nietzsche’s credo

‘‘God is dead’’ served as a declaration for the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century,

it became a theological diagnosis. As a ‘‘movement,’’ or ‘‘tenor,’’ the death of God or

radical theology was spearheaded by Thomas Altizer, a well-published young professor

center-staged during the turbulent 1960s. His work foreshadows a new strain of atheism

currently represented by biologist Richard Dawkins (Houghton Mifflin), philosopher Daniel Dennett (

Penquin), neuroscientist Sam Harris (

against belief in God is best understood as a psychodynamic ignited by Altizer’s Christian

atheism. The present dialogue reflects that dynamic while the prologue and epilogue reveal

evidence of Providence amidst claims of God’s demise in contemporary history.