Simorrah Majors
YesterdayJan 31 at 8:48pm
Simorrah J. Majors
CLED830: Research Methods for Christian Leadership IV (B01)
Week 3: Literature Review Analysis
Overview
This week, students began to review and assess dissertations in order to gain a practical understanding of how to create literature reviews. This activity was very insightful, as many universities use different formats for their literature reviews. For the dissertation reading, this researcher chose three dissertations related to the current research topic. Frejosky’s (2023) dissertation was based on leadership development in small groups within a church ministry. Voorhees’s (2023) research study was on the importance of training to manage a church in an effort to prevent emotional exhaustion while cultivating ministry satisfaction. Lastly, the dissertation this researcher focused on for this discussion was Cluck’s (2023) dissertation, which sought to provide stable pastor-independent leadership to small churches through lay elder training.
Literature Analysis
When analyzing this dissertation, the author, Cluck (2023), addresses the most pertinent issue from a theological standpoint. The formatting of the literature review does delineate the different sections of theoretical, theological, and biblical insight, but, overall, the issue was addressed. This researcher found the review to be very strong, with biblical and literary references that dig deep into the topic and also counterviews regarding the role of lay elders and pastoral independence. Cluck (2023) has addressed the major variables of the study in the literature review, with the exception of capturing what the existing training programs look like (and should be) for the small church pastor.
This researcher found this dissertation to be engaging and exciting from both a personal and professional standpoint. It is clear to this researcher how the literature has shaped this study and shows how there is value in conducting the study. For example, Cluck (2023) notes that the role of an elder has evolved from a theological standpoint with very little biblical detail on exactly how to carry out their responsibilities (as compared to the pastor). There were many references included in the review that paved the way for a clear theory base. Cluck (2023) mentions when Apostle Paul uses the three terms of elders, bishops, and pastors interchangeably, citing this text to show that many in the early church used the term with a similar vocation as that of a pastor (
King James Bible, 1769/2024, Acts 20:28). “Remember, a theory is a general explanation of why variables work together, how they are related to each other, and especially how they influence each other” (Galvan & Galvan, 2017, p. 6).
The role of an elder was identified throughout the text and how it should be studied in this dissertation. Eldership is defined and extrapolated in the literature review so that the impact of eldership in a church can be considered and identified for future studies (Cluck, 2023). Since there are notable gaps in the literature, there are also notable arguments that show how diverse this topic is and how beneficial this type of study could be. Cluck asserts, even up to the concluding paragraph in chapter two, that this study will avoid the biggest problems in churches regarding elders: treating elders as simple counselors “without biblical qualifications or ministerial value” and those without character but, instead, chosen for their “business acumen” (p. 48).
References
Cluck, K. L., Jr. (2023).
Providing Stable Pastor-Independent Leadership to Small Churches Through Lay Elder Training (Order No. 30694526). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2887252508).
to an external site.
Frejosky, J. (2023).
Identifying Leadership Development Principles to Equip, Train, and Develop Small Group Leaders in the Church for Ministry (Order No. 30484654). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2808487361).
to an external site.
Galvan, J. L., & Galvan, M. C. (2017).
Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (7th ed.). Routledge.
King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.
to an external site.
(Original work published 1769)
Voorhees, B. T. (2023).
The Importance of Training to Manage a Church as a Predictor of Emotional Exhaustion and Ministry Satisfaction (Order No. 30570677). Available from
12:45amFeb 1 at 12:45am
CLED 830 WK03 – Discussion Thread on Literature Review Analysis:
Crayton, C. K. (2023).
An Exploration of Mentorship Among African American Male Youth Ministers Within the Nondenominational Church.
.
This researcher found and read the recently approved dissertation, “
An Exploration of Mentorship Among African American Male Youth Ministers Within the Nondenominational Church,” completed by Christina K. Crayton in the Fall of 2023. The research was selected because the material closely relates to a topic of interest and future research to validate the perceived efficacy of Christian-based mentorship for Black male youths in America.
Suggested analysis questions:
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If a theological section exists, has the author addressed the most pertinent issue(s)? The author managed the theology section in mentorship effect on transformational worldview change through Christian leadership, education, values, stewardship, and convictions.
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Did the author, in your opinion, rely upon the most substantial biblical and theological writers for the topic? The author did not only rely on recent theological writers but instead chose to include notable biblical and scriptural examples, themes, and verses pointing to a Christian worldview on mentorship throughout the study.
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Has the author logically addressed the significant variables in the study in the literature review? The author followed a logical pattern of inserting literature in the dissertation to include frameworks for theological, theoretical, and related themes to illustrate the gaps and importance of the topic.
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Can the reader understand the necessity of the study after reading the literature review? The author provided a compelling argument to illustrate the need to reduce gaps in leader development by advancing structured mentorship for youth ministers in the nondenominational church (p. 21).
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Has the author demonstrated existing connections between the variables in the study and the literature? The author pointed to gaps resulting from nondenominational youth ministers experiencing variables in Christian education, values, stewardship, and succession planning (pp. 29-42).
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Has the author demonstrated the “gap in the literature,” and how did her research contribute to the existing literature by filling that gap? The author noted limited leadership development opportunities for mentorship in youth ministers at nondenominational churches. The author intended to provide a primary source for each noted framework related to theological, theoretical, and related themes as a model in mentorship for African American male youth ministers (pp. 28, 42, & 55).
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Is it clear to you as a reader how the literature shaped this study? It is clear how the literature shaped the survey by providing a solid demonstration of the lack of leader development youth ministers in nondenominational problems (p. 28). The author used a variety of issues unique to the selected demographic but also included a cross-reference of the solutions related to the topic.
·
Is there an identified theory base behind the study? The author cited several theories related to behaviorism. However, Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory (MTLT)/(TLT) was used throughout the research process (p. 31). The author linked the concept of mentorship in scripture by referencing the motif of trusting reliable people to teach others (
English Standard Version Bible, 2016, 2 Timothy 2:2). The theory and scripture relate to the transformative importance of leadership development for nondenominational youth ministers (Adkins, 2015, p. 12).
References
Adkins, C. S. (2015). Evaluating theory from a Christian perspective: Transformative learning theory.
Journal of Christian Nursing, 32(2), 112–115.
to an external site.
.
Crayton, C. K. (2023).
An Exploration of Mentorship Among African American Male Youth Ministers Within the Nondenominational Church.
.
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). The English Standard Version Bible Online.
to an external site.
(Original work published 2001).
