THE JOURNAL OF Adventist Education

THE JOURNAL OF

APRIL/MAY 2005

Adventist Education

Ten Things Faculty Can

Do to Nurture College Students

SpirituallyTeaching Languages

in Faith-Based Colleges and Universities

Seventh-day Adventists and Scholarship

DevelopingHigh-Quality Multiple-ChoiceTest Questions

Preparing Your Students for Engineering CareersChristian Radiofor a HurtingWorld

Web site: http://education.gc.adventist.org/jae/

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contents

2 | JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION | O C TO B E R / N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 4

4 Ten Things Faculty Can Do to Nurture College Students Spiritually BY JANE THAYER

10 Language and Faith: Teaching Languages in Faith-Based Colleges and UniversitiesBY NIELS-ERIK ANDREASEN

16 Seventh-day Adventists and Scholarship

19 The Scholar and the Administrator: Twin Pillars of TruthBY JAIME CASTREJÓN

23 Listening Carefully to the Bible: The Many Voices inDeborah’s Story and Song BY BEVERLY BEEM AND DOUGLAS R. CLARK

30 Developing High-Quality Multiple-Choice Test QuestionsBY GAIL TAYLOR RICE

36 Engineering—A Service-Oriented Profession Preparing Your Students for Engineering CareersBY MARLENE A. BAERG

43 Christian Radio for a Hurting WorldBY DEBBIE BATTIN

d e p a r t m e n t s3 EDITORIAL

46 ANDREWS UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH INDEX, 29TH EDITION

Photo and Art Credits: Cover, Robertstock/Retrofile; pp. 5, 7, 8, Gerald Paul New; p. 6, Andrews University PublicRelations Dept.; pp. 11-15, courtesy of Adventist Colleges Abroad; pp. 17, 19-22, Banana-Stock; pp. 24, 24-25-27,Douglas Clark; p. 25 (bottom), reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum; pp. 31, 34, RonWheeler; p. 36 (full page), Marlene A. Baerg; (inset), Tyler Duffy; pp. 39, 40, Ralph Stirling; p. 41, WWC-IEEE Club;pp. 44, 45, Henrique Gomes; p. 47, courtesy of the School of Education, Andrews University.

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Scripture texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, In-ternational Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Bible texts credited to NRSV arefrom the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1989.

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JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION | A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5 | 3

Clearly, the student was not telling the truth.He was not a goodliar, though, so as I continued to probe, he talked himself far-ther and farther into a corner, until eventually he stopped andwent quiet.Then he said,“Oh dear,”and I asked,“Shall we startagain?”

We did.The truth was told and dealt with. At the end, Iknew he felt devastated, more about the way he had lied than

about the actual incident and the agreed-upon discipline. So we talked fora while about forgiveness, and why—despite everything—he could still holdup his head as he left my office because he had chosen to walk the route of integrity by facinghimself and the truth. I heard later that he told another staff member:“I felt as though I was justlying flat on the ground, but then I was gently lifted up, and I could walk again.”

I like the word integrity, although I am not sure I can completely explain what it means. In arecent Sabbath school class, I heard someone use this term to describe the life of Daniel. I agree.Daniel’s life was exemplified by honesty and consistency.He lived his discipleship in all he said anddid. He didn’t waver, despite the possible implications to his career and even his life.This consis-tency in representing the character of his God also meant caring about his colleagues, even unbe-lievers. So when he interpreted the king’s dream, his first recorded action in the Bible was to savethe other wise men under threat of death. He was a person I would want to work with!

So integrity is about transparent honesty—not just in what we do, but also in who we are. It’sabout living, working, and studying in a way that is consistently truthful. For a Christian educator,that includes being faithful advocates of the gospel we have embraced—in the way we teach, serveon a committee, administer, discipline, and interact. It is about living (and helping others live) thefullness of the gospel.There may be nothing more important we can do for our colleagues andstudents.

How does this play out in practice? Here are two possible applications.In our relationships with students: When we become Christian educators,we do more than accept

the responsibility of teaching information and skills.We commit ourselves to showing the realityof the gospel and building faith.This does not mean avoiding the complexities that often accom-pany higher education, or skimming over the difficult questions. It does mean recognizing that wemust consistently speak and teach from the context of faith.That is our professional and Christianresponsibility.

In our personal relationships: I remember the shock I felt at my first academic meeting as a doc-toral student to see the callous disregard academics could show toward one another.The disdaincut much deeper than mere scholarly disagreement. An academic community is not naturally re-spectful of the dignity of others. However, when we are tempted to run roughshod over the opin-ions of others, make judgments about them personally, or deride their opinions, we do the gospela disservice. Why do we act in such a way? Is it self-protection? Disdain for other perspectives?Fear that another person will be promoted instead of us? The route of integrity is to express dis-agreement with grace and transparency, and treat others honestly,without personal attack or agenda.

As the student walked away from my office, his head a little higher, I prayed for him silently—that he would commit himself to a life known for integrity. I pray the same for myself, and for allof us as a community of Christian educators.—Andrea Luxton.

editorial

The Challenge of IntegrityEDITOR

BEVERLY J. ROBINSON-RUMBLEASSOCIATE EDITOR

ENRIQUE BECERRA

SENIOR CONSULTANTS C. GARLAND DULAN

ANDREA LUXTON, GERRY KARST

CONSULTANTSGENERAL CONFERENCE

JOHN M. FOWLEREAST-CENTRAL AFRICA

HUDSON KIBUUKAEURO-AFRICA

ROBERTO BADENASEURO-ASIA

HERIBERTO C. MULLERINTER-AMERICACARLOS ARCHBOLDNORTH AMERICAGERALD KOVALSKI

NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFICMASAJI UYEDA

SOUTH AMERICAROBERTO C. AZEVEDOSOUTHERN ASIAGORDON CHRISTOSOUTH PACIFIC

BARRY HILLTRANS-EUROPE

ORVILLE WOOLFORDSOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN

TOMMY NKUNGULASOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC

STEPHEN R. GUPTILLWESTERN AFRICACHIEMELA IKONNE

COPY EDITORRANDY HALL

GRAPHIC DESIGNHOWARD I. BULLARD

ADVISORY BOARDANDREA LUXTON (CHAIR),

ENRIQUE BECERRA, HAMLET CANOSA,C. GARLAND DULAN, JOHN M. FOWLER,

DUNBAR HENRI, GERALD KOVALSKI, ERMA LEE,HARRY MAYDEN, MICHAEL RYAN, CAROLESMITH, CHARLES H. TIDWELL, JR., BONNIE

WILBUR

THE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION publishesarticles concerned with a variety of topics pertinent toAdventist education. Opinions expressed by our writersdo not necessarily represent the views of the staff or theofficial position of the Department of Education of theGeneral Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

THE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION (ISSN 0021-8480) is published bimonthly, October through May, plusa single summer issue for June, July, August, and Sep-tember by the Department of Education, General Confer-ence of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 Old Columbia Pike,Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. TELEPHONE (301) 680-5075; FAX (301) 622-9627; E-mail: [email protected]. Subscription price, U.S. $17.25. Add $1.00for postage outside the U.S. Single copy, U.S. $3.75. Peri-odical postage paid at Silver Spring, Maryland, and addi-tional mailing office. Please send all changes of addressto P.O. Box 5, Keene, TX 76059, including both old andnew address. Address all editorial and advertising corre-spondence to the Editor. Copyright 2005 General Confer-ence of SDA, POSTMASTER: Send address changes toTHE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION, P.O. Box5, Keene, TX 76059.

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Ten Things Faculty Can Do to Nurture College

Students Spiritually

All disciplines are not created equal when it comes toproviding opportunities for integrating faith andlearning. Literature, history, religion, philosophy—these seem like naturals. In mathematics, computerscience, engineering, and statistics, it often seemsmore challenging to bring faith into the classroomwithout a sense of artificiality. Because of the un-

equal opportunities inherent in the academic disciplines, I have beencollecting, from the literature and my own research, ways that everyfaculty member—regardless of discipline—can nurture college stu-dents’ spiritual growth. Here, in an unranked order, are 10 opportuni-ties every teacher can use:

1. Teach Within a Christian Worldview. For more than 20 years, Steven Garber, as a professor and campus

minister, taught college students in secular as well as Christ-centeredinstitutions, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.As he kept in contact with the students, he ob-served a disturbing process. Some were able to make and keep the connection between beliefs and behav-ior, but others “little by little disconnected their beliefs from their behaviors.” In order to find out what

made alumni stay faithful to their Christian commitments 20 or more years after graduatingfrom college, Garber conducted a number of interviews. He found that the ones who main-tained their commitment had three things in common. During their young adult years, theyhad:

A. formed a worldview that could account for truth amidst the challenge of relativism in a culture in-creasingly marked by secularization and pluralism;

B. found a mentor whose life “pictured” to them the possibility of living with and in that worldview;and

C. forged friendships [after college] with a community of people who shared their values and convic-tions.1

Two of these characteristics are included in this list of 10 things faculty can do to nurture students spir-itually.

Worldview is the meta-narrative by which we understand ourselves and our world. It is formed by cul-

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BY JANE THAYER

Because most cul-tures do not foster aChristian worldview,faculty membersneed to help stu-dents evaluate theirassumptions and ex-plore the Christianvalue system.


ture, parents, the media—indeed, byeverything with which we interact. Untiltheir college years, few young peoplecritically examine their worldview. Be-cause most cultures do not foster aChristian worldview, faculty membersneed to help students evaluate their as-sumptions and explore the Christianvalue system.Teachers do not automati-cally think of themselves as purveyers ofworldview; however, whether implicitlyor explicitly, they are constantly addingbits and pieces to their students’ perspec-tive on life.

In a presentation to Andrews Univer-sity faculty in 2003, Steven Garber askedtwo simple questions that can help buildand strengthen a Christian worldview.Faculty should ask themselves the firstquestion as they prepare their courses:“How does, or how can, this subject glo-rify God?” Teachers should keep askingstudents the second question in variousways:“What are you going to do with

what you are learning in this class?”2

These simple questions can lead to life-changing answers for both teachers andstudents.

Garber says we can assess whetherchurch-owned colleges nurture a Chris-tian worldview if we ask students whenthey enter our school,“What do youlove?” and repeat the question when theyleave. He says,“It is in that question andthe spiritual dynamics implicit in its an-swer that belief and behavior are woventogether.”3

Every academic discipline hasthe potential for helping stu-dents create a Christianworldview that can be ap-plied in real life.Anyone

wanting guidance in how to teach his orher subject in a faith-developing way canconsult the Christ in the Classroom series.Copies can be found in the library ofevery Adventist college in the world.This

30-volume series, a legacy of HumbertoRasi, contains the scholarly products offaculty who participated in the Integra-tion of Faith and Learning Seminars.

2. Be a Mentor to Some Studentsand a Christian Model to All Stu-dents.

Editors of a theme issue of the Journalof Psychology and Christianity on mentor-ing4 invited six well-known psycholo-gists, with a graduate student they hadmentored, to tell about their relationship.The resulting essays reveal the joys andcosts. Unfortunately, true mentoring rela-tionships are rarely experienced by moststudents, especially on the undergraduatelevel, because of time demands and thestudent/faculty ratio.

Teachers can, however, provide everystudent with a Christian model. In myrecent open-ended survey of 259 An-drews University students, I asked themto name a faculty member who had spir-


Drs. Meredith Jones Gray (far left) and Bruce Closser (second from right) interact with students in the Commons Area outside the Andrews UniversityEnglish Department.


itually nurtured them, and to tell how heor she had done so.The number onemethod, reported by just over 20 percent,was “by being a Christian model.”5 Thestudents reported:

“In Dr. C’s doctrines class, he notonly showed old teaching in new light,but by looking on the man himself, youcan see those teachings exemplified andthus have a role model to strive towards.”Female senior.

“Both of these individuals [husbandand wife faculty members] are models ofChristianity and of a Christian family.”Female junior.

Inviting students to your home,

working with them and participating inextracurricular activities and in sports—these all demonstrate how to live Chris-tianity. Students need to see how beliefscan be lived out in every aspect of life.Of course, being a Christian model is arisky responsibility, since all too often thelabel does not fit our thoughts or behav-ior. But being a Christian means being amodel.As we seek to follow His exam-ple, we can say to students,“Follow me asI follow Christ.” This brings us to thenext item:

3. Tell Them Your Story. Students want to hear your personal

experiences. However, you and your sto-ries must have authenticity. Students arewilling to learn from your mistakes aswell as your clever responses to theirquestions. Most of the recent theories ondealing with young postmodern adultsemphasize the need to be vulnerable.While admitting our less-than-perfectside, we need not dwell on the “juicy de-tails” of our sins. In The Life You’ve AlwaysWanted, John Ortberg demonstrates how

to humbly confess one’s wrongdoingwithout glorifying the sin or calling un-due attention to oneself. Here’s how hedoes it:

“Pride is a persistent problem forpeople who strive for spiritual growth.

“Once in a while I go on a diet.Atthose times, if I am in a restaurant,watching people eat, I find certainthoughts involuntarily running throughmy mind. ‘How can people eat this stuff?How can they treat their bodies this way?Don’t they know this junk is lethal? Havethey no discipline, no self-restraint? Arethese the ones, then, of whom St. Paulwrote,“Their end, is destruction; theirgod is the belly”?

“I get these thoughts even though—or perhaps more precisely, because—these people are eating the same things Iate yesterday before my diet began andwill be eating again next week after Ihave given it up.” 6

4. Teach Vocation as a Call toParticipate With God.

Vocation is more than a career. I usedto think of Christian vocation as a call toservice. However, after hearing ClaudiaBeversluis, dean for instruction at CalvinCollege in Grand Rapids, Michigan, de-scribe vocation as a “call on a student’swhole life,” I realized that my view wasfar too narrow. Calvin College obtained aLilly grant that helped professors be moreintentional in their teaching about voca-tion.7 Some schools feature writing acrossthe curriculum; Calvin College makesvocation central to all curricula. Everystudent studies Engaging God’s World, byCornelius Plantinga, Jr., to understandthe Christian view of vocation.

Beversluis said that faculty and ad-ministrators at Calvin College considervocation the middle chapter of God’sworking in the world. She explained thisby talking with passion about the GreatControversy, a story that I thought Ad-ventists “owned”! I’ve never heard anAdventist so boldly build a rationale forvocation on that metanarrative. She saidthat Chapter 1 is about God and Cre-ation; Chapter 2 about the Fall and sin;and Chapter 3 is about God’s redemp-tion.8 “Our classrooms should be bathedwith gratitude,” Beversluis said, becauseChapter 3 shows us that God works ac-


Garber says we can as-sess whether church-owned colleges nurturea Christian worldview ifwe ask students whenthey enter our school,“What do you love?”and repeat the questionwhen they leave.

At the Physics on Rye Friday evening events, students enjoy music, a full-course meal, and discus-sion about important real-life issues.


tively in the world.9 Calvin faculty teachtheir students to participate with God inthe work of redeeming not only individ-uals, but also whole systems. Surely, part-nering with God for such noble causesshould give young adults a vision for vo-cation. As Sharon Parks, a researcher inyoung adult faith development, says,“Theformation of a worthy Dream is the criti-cal task of young adult faith.”10

Because the Fall has affectedevery academic disciplineand profession, each facultymember needs to teach vo-cation as a call to participate

with God in His redemptive work.“Never before in the human life cycle(and never again) is there the same devel-opmental readiness for asking big ques-tions and forming worthy dreams.”11

5. Create a Nurturing DepartmentalCommunity.

Parks says that to develop faith, youngadults need not only a dream, but also acommunity.“The young adult imagina-tion is appropriately dependent upon anetwork of belonging that can confirm aworthy,‘owned’ faith.”12 Academic de-partments provide a natural structure inwhich to support students in their questfor meaning, purpose, and faith.

In 2002, Sahmyook University inSouth Korea had 5,500 students, and 400faculty and staff in 40 departments.Tocare for this many students, the chaplainsdecided to organize university depart-ments as churches, with departmentalstudents and faculty as members. A pas-tor or Bible instructor is appointed foreach department. The departments spon-sor many kinds of religious activities andprograms, including a weekly Sabbathschool.13

Since 1991, at Andrews University,two or more times a semester, Robertand Lillis Kingman hold a “Physics onRye” supper and vespers for 20 to 40physics and math students and theirfriends.14 After a full-course meal pre-pared by Mrs. Kingman and served onchina with real silverware, a speaker pre-sents a topic or personal testimony. Aquestion-and-answer session follows.

Each year, a theme is selected (e.g.,TheOutrageous Jesus: How Will You AnswerHis Call?; God in Relationships; Path-ways to Integrity; Out of Darkness IntoLight). Speakers are chosen from variousdisciplines across the university.

“So often we talk about a faith thatdoes not match the real world,” saysKingman, professor emeritus and formerchair of the physics department.“Webring people who talk about faith andthe real world. This is an opportunity tobuild a Christian worldview.”

In the Kingmans’ guest book, onestudent, now completing a residency inmedicine, wrote:

“As I come to this last Vespers [sic]on Rye and look back on my AU expe-rience, I see how much these have meantto me. I learned a lot of ‘stuff ’ in myclasses, but it was sitting in your livingroom that I learned about thinking and aspiritual walk in a complicated world. In-teracting with older people I admire andrespect is a privilege most students don’thave. It has been the most formative 22hours of my life.”

6. Explore Ethical Issues in TheirProfessions.

The recent colossal ethical failures bythe leaders of giant American corpora-tions are an outrage. Yet how many of uswould want the spotlight to shine on ourown income tax forms? Too often, peo-ple behave ethically because they lack anopportunity to do otherwise. How canwe prepare our students to choose thehigh road when tempted to behave un-ethically to make money or gain power?There is a great need to teach profes-sional ethics to our students. But how?What methodologies are effective? Be-cause of the disconnect between knowl-edge and behavior, even if students knowwhat is right, they may not do it.

In teaching ethics, two basic ap-proaches should be combined:“principleethics,” which emphasizes rational, objec-tive, professional principles, and “virtueethics,” which emphasizes character de-velopment.15 One approach teaches the“rules,” the other empowers the will. Ifan ethics course is not required for eachmajor, the department faculty need todecide which courses will address ethicalprinciples in professions related to their


Every academic disci-pline has the potentialfor helping studentscreate a Christianworldview that can beapplied in real life.

At an ice rink in South Bend, Indiana, Dr. Gordon Atkins, professor of biology and director of theHonors Program, plays goalie for the Andrews University Cardinals hockey team.This also giveshim the opportunity to interact informally with the athletes and fans.



discipline. In addition, the entire cultureof a Christian campus should supportcharacter development.This will help toensure a connection between knowingand doing.

The basic methodology for teachingprinciple ethics is the case study, whichrequires students to know and use ethicalprinciples and critical thinking to deter-mine the best course of action.A set ofgeneric questions can be used to turnnews stories, journal articles, and evenstudents’ own experiences into case stud-ies. (For sample questions, see Nickols &Belliston.16)

7. Organize or Participate in Activi-ties Outside of Class.

Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Teren-zini, college impact authorities, state that“one of the most persistent and least as-sailable assumptions in higher educationhas been that of the educational/devel-opmental importance of informal stu-dent-faculty relationships beyond theclassroom.”17 On a Christian campus, op-portunities abound for such relationships.

Student visits to a teacher’s office canenhance affective learning. (This areaseems to benefit more from outside-of-class contact than does cognitive learn-ing.18) Researchers Clark,Walker, andKeith conclude that to have an impact inthis area, faculty must at least announceand keep regular office hours.19

Beyond planned events, faculty cancreate informal opportunities for devel-oping relationships. Inviting students toyour home is a simple way to do this.Each summer, the director of one of thegraduate programs at Andrews Universityinvites students and advisors to her homefor an annual supper and a “Blessing ofthe Students” ceremony.At the end ofthe evening, the students gather around,and the advisors take turns praying foreach of their advisees by name.

Some students might never comevoluntarily to a religious meeting or afaculty member’s home, but may bereached through extracurricular activitiessuch as sports, music, and drama. Partici-pating in sports with students does nothave to be limited to young facultymembers. Being a coach, a referee, even

just a faithful spectator who attendsgames, knows students’ names, and cheersfor them, demonstrates to students thatyou value them and their talents, and arethere for them when they are strugglingacademically or are going through diffi-cult times.

8. Practice Prayerful Teaching. In an informal hallway gathering of

colleagues discussing their school’scourse-evaluation form, one teacher re-marked,“Students always rated me lowon spirituality, so I decided to do an ex-periment. One semester, I started prayingat the beginning of each class, and at theend of the semester, the students rankedme higher on spirituality than they everhad before.” Does this mean that prayingbefore each class spiritually nurtures stu-dents? Not necessarily. In a study of An-drews University students, we found thatstudents did use “prayer before class” asan indicator of a teacher’s spirituality, butonly if it was also accompanied by theteacher’s showing “care and concern forstudents.”20

Prayerful teaching involves muchmore than saying a quick prayer in class.In fact,“it is quite possible for a prayerfulteacher to never pray orally in class,” andfor an insecure teacher to “flood a coursepublicly with prayer.”21 Prayerful teachingis a wholistic approach to education“whereby the learner, teacher, content,and teaching methods are informed byan on-going dialogue with God.”22 Everyaspect of the teacher’s work should belifted up in prayer so that his or herteaching becomes an offering to God.

College students deeply appreciateteachers praying for them individually.Students who come to your office typi-cally are burdened by a variety of con-cerns.They are worried about interper-sonal relationships, finances, and thefuture. If they share their worries, or yousense their pain, ask for permission topray for them. Just make sure that you aretalking to God and not being manipula-tive.23 The prayer should focus on God’sloving character, not on the qualities ofthe student or on advice you would liketo give.

By praying for your students privatelyoutside of class, you minimize the risksassociated with public prayer.Although

Inviting students toyour home, workingwith them and partici-pating in extracurricularactivities and insports—these alldemonstrate how tolive Christianity.

Showing care-and-concern means providing both academic and spiritual assistance. Here, an advi-sor coordinator, student intervention coordinator, and student tutor meet together at the AndrewsUniversity Student Success Center to plan ways to help students with a variety of challenges.



he was talking about counselors andclients, the following statement byMcMinn is valid, I believe, for teachersand students:“If, as Christian [teachers],we are committed to the health of our[students] and we believe in the power ofprayer, then we have a spiritual obligationto pray faithfully for those in our care.These prayers of petition are to be persis-tent and regular, an essential part of thedisciplines exercised by the spiritually vi-brant [teacher].”24

9. Demonstrate Care and Concernfor Your Students.

Alyce Oosterhuis’s study of the influ-ence of a Christian liberal-arts educationon faith maturity found faculty to be thesingle most important influence.25 Char-acteristics that made the difference werecompetence, compassion, and personalwarmth.

Andrews University conducted twostudies on faculty spirituality, one in1999,26 the other in 2003.27 In open-ended questions about faculty members’spirituality and their nurturing of studentspirituality, students responded that oneof the most important factors was “care-and-concern for students.” When de-scribing faculty who demonstrated care-and-concern, students cited the followingtraits (in unranked order):

• display patience in the classroom;• are approachable; show genuine

concern; unconditionally accept students;help students; listen to students;

• check to see how students are doing;• take a personal interest in students;• are generous;• pray for students;• see them as persons, not just stu-

dents;• provide support;• intervene on behalf of students to

solve problems; and• demonstrate Christian love for stu-

dents.In a variety of studies on teacher ef-

fectiveness, the care-and-concern crite-rion almost always ranks very high. Re-searchers believe that it is a relationalquality, rather than a personality trait, andcan therefore be learned and developed.28

10. Keep Growing in Your Own Spiri-tual Life.

At the beginning of every commer-cial flight, the attendants demonstratesafety procedures. Passengers are told toplace the oxygen mask over their ownface before helping a child.This seemsself-serving. But on reflection, one cansee the wisdom of the order. Withoutoxygen, you can’t help someone else. Inthe same way, the teacher cannot guidestudents to a vibrant Christian life if hisor her relationship with God is “lan-guishing.”

After His resurrection, Jesus asked Pe-ter three times,“Do you love me?” WhenPeter each time answered,“Yes,” Jesus re-sponded,“Feed my sheep” or “Feed mylambs” (John 21:15-19).

Before we can love Christ, we have toexperience His love for us. In his excel-lent book Surrender to Love: Discovering theHeart of Christian Spirituality, David Ben-ner writes,“It is the experience of lovethat is transformational. You simply can-not bask in divine love and not be af-fected.”29 The same is true for students.They cannot bask in the divine love thatyou pass on to them without being trans-formed.

These, then, are 10 things that allfaculty can do to nurture college stu-dents spiritually. Try them, adapt themto your own style, and watch what hap-

pens! ✐___________________

Jane Thayer, Ph.D., isDirector of the ReligiousEducation Program at An-drews University in BerrienSprings, Michigan. Her ar-eas of research interest arespiritual formation, assess-

ment of Christian spirituality, and college im-pact on students’ spirituality. Dr. Thayer is writ-ing a book on how to teach for discipling.__________________________________

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Steven Garber, The Fabric of Faithfulness:WeavingTogether Belief and Behavior During the University Years(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996), p. 160.

2. Steven Garber,“To See,To Hear,To Feel theWorld as God Does:A Christian Spirituality of Learn-ing.”A presentation to Andrews University faculty,Berrien Springs, Michigan, September 22, 2003.

3. Garber, The Fabric of Faithfulness, p. 22.4. (Winter 2000).5. Jane Thayer [Student perceptions of faculty spir-

ituality], Unpublished raw data, 2003.6. John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted:

Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Grand Rapids,

Mich.: Zondervan, 1997), p. 103.7. Claudia Beversluis,“With All Their Strength:

How Do Faculty Help Students Understand God'sCall on Their Whole Lives?”A presentation to theAndrews University faculty, Berrien Springs, Michi-gan, February 23, 2004.

8. Chapter 4, the final chapter, is “Consumma-tion,” the final coming and victory of Christ.

9. Ibid.10. Sharon D. Parks, Big Questions,Worthy Dreams:

Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Pur-pose, and Faith (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000), p.146.

11. Ibid., p. 103.12. Ibid., p. 135.13. Byung Ho Jang, In-Reach Evangelization

Through Students and Faculty at Sahmyook University.Paper presented at the International Conference forVice Presidents for Student Development and Ser-vices, Silver Spring, Maryland, July 2002, p. 11.

14. Robert Kingman, personal communication,Septermber 29, 2004.

15.A. E. Jorden and N. M. Meara,“Ethics and theProfessional Practice of Psychologists: The Role ofVirtues and Principles.” In D. N. Bersoff (ed.), EthicalConflicts in Psychology (Washington, D. C.:AmericanPsychological Association, 1999), pp. 141-145; as citedin Sharon Y. Nickols and Lisa M. Belliston,“Profes-sional Ethics: Caught and Taught,” Journal of Familyand Consumer Sciences 93:2 (2001), p. 23.

16. Nickols and Belliston, pp. 23, 24.17. Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T.Terenzini,

“Student-Faculty Relationships and Freshman YearEducational Outcomes,” Journal of Educational Research71:4 (March/April 1978), p. 183.

18. Ryan K. Clark, Mary Walker, and ShereeKeith,“Experimentally Assessing the Student Im-pacts of Out-of-Class Communication: Office Visitsand the Student Experience,” Journal of College Stu-dent Development 43:6 (November/December 2002),p. 834.

19. Ibid., p. 835.20. Jane Thayer, Christine D. Bothne, and Robert

D. Bates,“Christian College Students’ Perceptions ofFaculty Spirituality,” Journal of Research on ChristianEducation 9:2 (Fall 2000), pp. 205-221.

21. Monty L. Lynn,“Ora et Labora: The Practice ofPrayerful Teaching,” Christian Education Journal, Series3, 1:3 (Fall 2004), p. 46.

22. P. C. Hodgson, God’s Wisdom:Toward a Theologyof Education (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John KnoxPress, 1999) as cited in ibid., p. 44.

23. Mark McMinn, Psychology,Theology, and Spiritu-ality in Christian Counseling (Wheaton, Ill.: TyndaleHouse, 1996), p. 83.

24. Ibid., p. 77.25. Alyce Oosterhuis,“The Impact of a Christian

Liberal Arts Education on Faith Maturity,” Journal ofResearch on Christian Education 9:2 (Fall 2000), pp.177-203.

26.Thayer, Bothne, and Bates, 2000.27. Jane Thayer [Student perceptions of faculty

spirituality], Unpublished raw data, 2003.28. Barbara J.Thayer-Bacon, Stephanie Arnold,

and Jason Stoots, Identification of Caring Professors inTeacher Education Programs. Paper presented at the an-nual meeting of the American Educational ResearchAssociation, San Diego, California,April 1998 (ERICDocument Reproduction Service No. ED 418 970).

29. David G. Benner, Surrender to Love: Discoveringthe Heart of Christian Spirituality (Downers Grove, Ill.:InterVarsity, 2003), p. 26.


Language and Faith:

TEACHING LANGUAGES IN FAITH-BASED COLLEGES AND

UNIVERSITIES

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a new bookwith this startling title: The Gift of the Stranger:Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign LanguageLearning, by David I. Smith and BarbaraCarvill.1 It asks a simple question: Is there aspecial, meaningful way of teaching andlearning foreign languages from the stand-

point of Christian faith?2 I immediately became interested be-cause I thought that if the answer to this question was positive,there might be two benefits for Adventist Colleges Abroad(ACA) and its sponsoring institutions. First, we might find a newmotivation for teaching languages to fairly unwilling American(and other) students in Adventist colleges and universities. Sec-ond, our language programs might actually strengthen the faithbase of our ACA colleges and universities—both the sending andthe receiving institutions.

But first let me confess that, although I have taught Hebrewand Greek to theology students, I am not really a languageteacher by trade; therefore, I will not deal specifically with peda-gogy and curriculum. Nevertheless, I do recall being a languagestudent during my school days in Denmark—that little countrythat required all its students to learn a little Swedish, German,

English, and French (but regret-tably, not Italian). Reading thebook by Smith and Carvillbrought back some memories from those days.

Let’s consider some key issues relating to language and faith.

Why Learn Languages?Chester Finn in his provocative book, We Must Take Charge,3 tells about flying from the midwest United

States to Boston with a group of young adults on their way to vacation in Frankfurt, Germany.After a fewdrinks and much laughter, one of the young travelers asked a friend about the time difference between theUnited States and Germany.“Don’t know,” came back the answer.“I have never flown across the Pacific be-fore.”

After a while, they got things sorted out and continued on their way to explore Western Europe. At first,


BY NIELS-ERIK ANDREASEN

Language study haspractical uses—it en-ables us to do busi-ness abroad, to enrichour culture, to becomeeffective missionariesand diplomats, totravel painlessly, andso on. But at its heart,language study islearning to welcomestrangers and to re-ceive the gifts they sogenerously bring.


this amusing story seems to have more todo with geography than languages. Buton second thought, it also points to adeeper problem, the evident superficialitywith which so many of our students viewother peoples—who they are, what theydo, how they communicate, and wherethey live.

Learning German might help thoseyoung travelers, but not much, unlessthey do so for the right reason—in orderto appreciate other cultures. It is not somuch the language of people that shouldoccupy our attention—it is the people ofthe language we should care about. Moreoften than not, language students andteachers choose to acquaint themselveswith the other person’s language ratherthan with the other person. However, itis not the strange language, but thestranger who brings the gift of which wespeak. In light of this distinction, let’sconsider some common reasons we givefor learning languages.4

1. To Succeed in BusinessThe NAFTA treaty and the European

Union have motivated language study,often in connection with internationalbusiness. Job opportunities and postingsabroad often make language study a ne-cessity—and fluency in multiple lan-guages can spell the difference betweensuccess and failure.While this motivationfor language study is pragmatic and clear,it fails to address the question that alwayspreoccupies a faith-based education,namely the human value attached to ourstudy. Lacking that, it may still matterlittle whether Germany lies across theAtlantic or the Pacific to a pragmaticlanguage student, so long as he or shesucceeds in “closing the deal.”

2. To Influence or Control OthersDuring the early phases of the Iraqi

war, the Alliance military leaders de-plored the lack of soldiers, diplomats, andadministrators with adequate Arabic lan-guage skills.The objective of overturninga political regime, rebuilding a nationalinfrastructure, and maintaining the peacewhile retaining the support of the citi-zenry has become a near-impossible task.It would be greatly facilitated if the oc-cupiers/liberators possessed adequate lan-guage skills.


It is not so muchthe language ofpeople that shouldoccupy our atten-tion—it is the peo-ple of the lan-guage we shouldcare about.

The photos in this article depict Adventist Colleges Abroad students studying and traveling as theylearn a new language.


3. To Become an International Person

Communication technology hasmade it possible for people around theworld to move out of isolation and estab-lish new relationships. But often, theserelationships reveal deep cultural chasmsbetween people. Language study can putone into contact with other parts of theworld and make one “worldly wise”—aglobal citizen.

4. To Get Around in the WorldTravelers and tourists often undertake

some minimal study of the languagesthey will encounter when away fromhome.They can thus ask for directions,book rooms, and order food, but cannotconverse with or get to know the peoplewhose countries they visit. In fact, mosttourists are far more interested in the cas-tles and cathedrals, museums and monu-ments, beaches and bars than in theschools, governments, and families in thecountries they visit.This kind of superfi-cial language study ignores the soul ofthe language, namely the human heartand mind.

5. To Gain Cultural SophisticationA Francophile or Anglophile seeks to

escape her or his own culture and its per-ceived provincial limits. Sometimes, thisinterest in languages borders on snob-bery. Language skills acquired with thisobjective in mind may appear artificial

and may even prevent meaningful con-tact between strangers.This is incompati-ble with Christian values.

6. To Change the World Missionaries, diplomats, and political

emissaries learn languages in order topersuade others to change. Often theirintentions are good, but they may behavein a self-serving, manipulative way. Chris-tians have long believed that missionariesshould share the gospel in the indigenouslanguage of their mission field, partly tomake it more understandable to the hear-ers, and partly to enrich the missionaries’own understanding of the peoples. Con-versely, missionaries who do not learnthe language of their mission field forcetheir new converts to hear the gospel in aforeign language, creating converts whoare tourists in their own land, so tospeak.

The Testimony of Scripture The above reasons for learning lan-

guages, while having some merit and

bringing some benefit to the learner, stilldo not achieve the full blessings availableto faith-based language learning. To gainthat benefit, the language student mustdiscover not only the other language, butalso the person who speaks it. And Scrip-ture teaches us that it is discovery of theother person that enables the blessings ofthe stranger to flow. What does Scripturesay about the stranger, his or her blessing,and the strange language?

The story of the Tower of Babel tellsus about people who ended up not un-derstanding one another. It is full of ironyand judgment, but it does not present anegative valuation of languages, as somehave thought. Rather, it describes thepeople’s arrogance before God, which isrevealed through their vain determina-tion to storm “the gate of God” (the lit-eral meaning of Babel) by means of anambitious building project.

But the project falls far short of theirexpectations.That is expressed ironicallyin the Bible story, which has God look-ing down from His exalted position inheaven and straining to get that petty hu-man project into view (Genesis 11:5).Such a singular human affront is severelyjudged by God and leads to the confu-sion caused by unknown languages (theBible’s explanation of Babel).As a result,the project languishes.

However, this does not imply thatdifferent languages are the tool of divinejudgment or that ultimate redemptionfrom this judgment means overcomingthe multiplicity of languages. In otherwords, the Pentecostal gift of tongues isnot the redemptive answer to the story ofthe Tower of Babel. Instead, the multi-plicity of languages affirms diversity inthe earthly family of God and curtailshuman power and arrogance in His pres-ence. The gift of languages during thefirst Christian Pentecost, on the otherhand, were bestowed with the Spirit andshowed those who participated that sal-vation was to flow freely to all membersof the diverse human family.

In short, God did not punish thetower builders by giving them differentlanguages. Instead, He protected themfrom a single-minded but destructive hu-man arrogance toward their Creator byoffering them diversity through a varietyof languages. This diversity points out the


Scripture teaches usthat it is discovery ofthe other person thatenables the blessingsof the stranger to flow.


way of grace in that otherwise sorry tale.This way of grace becomes more explicitin the following chapters (Genesis 12 ff),which report the election first of oneperson, and then one people, to mediatedivine grace to the many peoples in theworld by becoming gift-bearing strangersin their midst.

The Gift of the Stranger Scripture tells us that the Hebrews

originated “beyond the river,” that is, eastof the Euphrates, in the area that is nowIraq. In ancient times, the residents in-cluded Sumerians,Akkadians, Babyloni-ans,Assyrians, and Persians. Contempo-raries of Abraham likely spoke an eastSemitic language, wrote on clay tablets,engaged in agriculture and trade, builttemple towers like the tower of Babel,and traveled extensively. They knewabout being strangers.

Abraham and his family settledamong strangers in the west Semitic lan-guage area.They probably had to learn anew language, or at least a new dialect,cope with new customs, a different cli-mate, and new crops.There were tensionswith the local populations at times,temptations to compromise one’s princi-ples, and outright dangers.We find all ofthese challenges in the patriarchal stories.

The newcomers remained strangersfor a very long time. Called Hebrews,they were a peregrinate people (wander-

ers) who still remembered their homeconnection (Deuteronomy 26:5-9).

Hence, both Isaac and Jacob married intofamilies back home. However, the 13children of Jacob eventually began tomake their presence felt in the new landby marrying into and then defeating thecitizens of Shechem (Genesis 34). Butsoon, they became strangers again, thistime in Egypt. Upon their return, theycontinued to live as strangers in a well-populated land while attempting, thoughnot always successfully, to share the giftsof the stranger.

But what gifts and blessings did thesestrangers bring with them to their newland? Abraham was told that through hisfamily, other families of the land wouldbe blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).There is noindication as to how that might happen,but the idea of being a good guest in anew land is established, and Abraham andhis successors set about to do it rightaway by providing security (Genesis14:13-16), paying taxes (14:20), and im-proving the land by digging wells (26:17-



33).That pattern continuesin subsequent Bible stories.

Perhaps the best-knownexample of a stranger bene-fitting his hosts is Joseph(Genesis 39-47). He treatedthe Egyptians far better thanhis brothers treated him. Helearned their language, mar-ried an Egyptian woman,and anticipated the deadlyfamine with a food securityplan.And, judging from theaccounts of his reunion withhis family, he maintained theheart of a stranger—an un-derstanding, compassionateheart and a generous attitude towardthose whose culture and manners dif-fered from his own.

The story of Moses in Midian offersanother interesting example (Exodus2ff.). In preparation for his lifework,Moses became first an Egyptian and thena Midianite, both strangers to his ownpeople.Two women helped him becomean Egyptian—his sister Miriam and anEgyptian princess.And another woman,Zippora, the daughter of Jethro, helpedhim settle in with the Midianite shep-herds. In both instances, he adopted hishost people as his own, receiving hisname (Moses) from one, and his childrenfrom the other. He spoke new languagesand entered new occupations, becominga good stranger twice. In fact, we mightsay, with a long glance toward theMessiah, that he prepared for hislifework by becoming a strangerto the people he was called tobless.

The story of Ruth isequally remarkable. Shetwice married strangers,learned new customs in theprocess, embraced a foreignmother-in-law, adopted anew country and a new re-ligion, and founded a dy-nasty. We generally read thisstory from the perspective ofan Israelite, admiring thisstrange woman for accepting andadopting a new national and reli-gious identity so completely. But wemight also consider it from a Moabiteperspective—a women who gave up

everything that had defined her frombirth, even when she could have returnedto her own identity. It seems clear that,with this story, the Bible deliberately

points to an important pat-tern—namely, that God’sgreatest gifts come throughstrangers.

Responding to the Gifts ofStrangers

Every gift of the strangerinvites a gift in return.Thelegendary hospitality of thepatriarch Abraham to his threeunknown guests may havebeen social protocol at thetime, but it also indicates thatstrangers are particularly sensi-tive toward strangers (Genesis18).That principle becomes

legislated in the Deuteronomic versionof the fourth commandment (chap.5:15), which calls on Israelite people,who knew the lot of strangers, to extendSabbath freedom to strangers and resi-dent aliens (Hebrew gerim), so that peoplewith no social or political rights couldenjoy freedoms equal to those of the citi-zen.

This gracious acceptance of thestranger into the community is furtherelaborated by the prophets, notably inIsaiah 56, which portrays the new Israel.Here foreigners and eunuchs who havelost their natural place in society will notonly have it restored, but actually will begiven a position of prominence becauseof the principle imbedded in the gift ofthe stranger, despite ancient legislation

to the contrary (Deuteronomy23:1ff.).They will enjoy special

recognition and a place in God’shouse of prayer (Isaiah 56:7).

The prophets, especiallythe later ones, were facedwith the disintegration ofthe nation of Israel. First, itwas divided into twosmaller states, each ofwhich endured foreignoccupation and exile, andfinally permanent settle-

ments in foreign lands.Thediaspora of the Jews began,

and with it the perennialquestion, unanswered till this

day—how do God’s people maketheir way in the world as strangers?

Some have proposed that the Hebrewscrolls help answer this question.The sa-


The multiplicity oflanguages affirms di-versity in the earthlyfamily of God and cur-tails human power andarrogance in His pres-ence.


cred documents played a prominent rolein the diaspora synagogue (indeed, theymay have been responsible for bringing itinto existence), and the synagogue inturn became the center of the diasporacommunity. Conversely, of all the giftsthe Jews brought with them into the di-aspora, the scrolls became their most en-during legacy, one that formed the foun-dation of faith and ethics for much of theworld—certainly in the West.The samescrolls, soon supplemented by new ones,also became the authority for the Chris-tian mission once the eyewitnesses of Je-sus had died.And of course, this gift of

“the Book” (the canon of scrolls) is me-diated through many languages.

Strangers in the Gospel and in theChurch

In essence, the gospel is the story of astranger who brought immense gifts toall humankind, even though He was poorin every way. His gifts were His words.Never did anyone speak like this man,His listeners said of Him (Matthew 7:28).They heard words of forgiveness, healing,understanding, life, and hope. He reachedback into the Hebrew scrolls to searchfor those living words, which He trans-lated into Aramaic for the common peo-ple (and perhaps Greek for the people oflearning).Thus it may be said that if

Greek culture was transmitted througharchitecture, art, and philosophy, and theRoman legacy was law and politics, thelegacy of Jesus was living words, pre-served in common Greek and thenshared through translation in every otherlanguage of the world.

But, of course, Jesus Himself was astranger, the last of many strangers Godsent into this world bringing gifts(Matthew 21:33-41). Indeed, it seemsthat all God’s gifts come this way—through strangers:Abraham in Canaan;Joseph in Egypt; Moses in the Sinai;David in Saul’s court; Daniel in Babylon;

Jesus in Nazareth; andPaul in Asia, Greece,and Rome. If we desirethese gifts, we must re-ceive them fromstrangers and in turnpass them on tostrangers.

When asked howHe wanted to be re-ceived by His followers,Jesus answered: “I was astranger and you in-vited me in” (Matthew25:35, NIV).This re-quest has been difficultfor us to meet.We havefound ways to feed thehungry, clothe thenaked, and care for thesick, but taking instrangers has been ourmost difficult Christianburden for 2,000 years.

Of course, we have sought out strangers,attempting to change them by militaryforce, missionary outreach, and educa-tion, but we rarely do we take them in.To take in strangers, we must not merelyinvite them into our churches, schools,and homes, but also take them into ourhearts and minds.That means we have tolearn their language—including the lan-guage of their soul.

I met a stranger the other day on thecampus of Andrews University. He isAsian, an artist who speaks softly and withan accent. How much I wanted to askhim what he saw with his mind’s eye ashe sat before his canvas, and to invite himto bring me into his world of shapes andcolors—to hear the language of his soul.

But someone was pulling on my sleeveto get on with the business of the day.

The reason so many of us miss thegift of Jesus is that we fail to take Himinto our hearts and minds. He comes tous a stranger, as one unknown, in thewords of Albert Schweitzer.5 But so it iswith every gift of the stranger.We musttake in the stranger with an open heartand learn his or her language to receivethat gift. That may or may not meanlearning a foreign language. Somestrangers speak our language, but we havestill not yet found a way to understandthem clearly. Therefore, the best way tolearn the language of a stranger, anystranger, including the Stranger, is tolearn languages.

Language and Faith Language study has practical uses—it

enables us to do business abroad, to en-rich our culture, to become effective mis-sionaries and diplomats, to travel pain-lessly, and so on. But at its heart, languagestudy is learning to welcome strangersand to receive the gifts they so gener-ously bring.That is why language studybelongs in a Christian college curricu-lum. It contributes to faith-based educa-tion in a fundamental way. Languagestudy strengthens faith and makes ourcurriculum more religious. It belongsto the core of Christian education be-cause it teaches us to receive the gifts ofthe stranger—by taking that stranger

in—a prerequisite forbeing a follower of Je-sus. ✐__________________

Niels-Erik Andreasenis President of AndrewsUniversity in BerrienSprings, Michigan.Thisarticle is adapted from a

speech he made at Villa Aurora, Italy, to lan-guage teachers attending the ACA (AdventistColleges Abroad) conference in June 2004.Thespoken quality has been retained.________________________________

REFERENCES

1. Eerdmans, 2000.2. Ibid., p. xii.3. New York: 1991, p. xiii.4. See Smith and Cavill, chapter 6.5. The Quest of the Historical Jesus (New York:

Macmillan, 1922), p. 403.



Definition and ScopeChristian scholarship is the faithful

and responsible use of our talents andskills in systematic investigation of God’sself-revelation, His creation, and expres-sions of human creativity, for the good ofthe church and humanity.

Scholarship works on the theoreticaland applied levels. It involves the dimen-sions of discovery, integration, applica-tion, teaching, and dissemination.1 Assuch, Christian scholarship expands anddeepens understanding of knowledge andthe way knowledge impacts living inGod’s world. It explains the world andadds new knowledge, helping enlightenwhere there is confusion or contradic-tion. It raises new questions, which pro-vide impetus for new discoveries. It iden-tifies problems and moves towards theirresolution. It is creative, seeking to en-gage the imagination in developing andresponding to artistic works, as well asinitiating new avenues of exploration.

Scholars approach their work analyti-cally, strategically, and/or empathetically.Analytic scholarship focuses on ideas, dis-assembling and reassembling some aspectof reality.This requires an inevitable dis-tance between the scholar and the sub-ject of study.The strategic approach fo-cuses on action, looking at the world inorder to change it, to solve problems.Where the empathetic approach is used,the scholar seeks to understand and ex-

plore human experience and creativityfrom within.These approaches are rarelyexclusive, often operating together andcomplementing each other.2

Historical Perspective on Christianand Adventist Scholarship

Scholarship has a strong tradition inthe Christian Church.The apostle Paul,through the depth and cohesiveness ofhis theological thought, gave the Chris-tian Church an excellent example of howfaith and scholarly thought enrich eachother. With many others from differentfaith perspectives,Augustine, Erasmus,Luther,Tyndale, and Wesley all recog-nized the importance of scholarship toexploration of truth. Protestantism wasrooted in biblical study, and gained impe-tus by the Renaissance emphasis on re-

turning to original sources.Throughouthistory, spiritual revivals have occurred attimes of quests for fresh understanding oftruth. Intellectual pursuit and scholarshipin the Christian Church have primarilyfocused on theological thought; however,this is not to the exclusion of valuingscholarship that more widely explores thecreated world and the Creator’s gifts.

The Seventh-day Adventist Churchitself emerged from a quest for truth—ascholarly enterprise—and the early yearswere characterized by dialogue andscholarly discourse. The church sought tofirst define and then refine doctrinethrough, for example, the Sabbath con-ferences that commenced in the 1840s.The post-1863 Advent Review and SabbathHerald engaged comfortably with originalsources, using Greek and Hebrew to ex-plore present truth.The typical approachwas disciplined, logical, and biblical.Scholarly endeavors did not stop withtheology. Interest soon expanded into thehealth sciences—the application of dis-covery to quality of life. It is not surpris-ing that Adventists were soon recognizedfor their focus on health foods (Kellogg),the development of the largest press inMichigan, and for the establishment ofinstitutions of higher education.

Similar to the wider Christian com-munity,Adventist pioneers saw intellec-tual development as a responsibility ofbelievers.The Seventh-day Adventist


The following paper is a revision of a statement prepared for the International Con-ference on Faith and Science held in Denver, Colorado, in August 2004. The revi-sions made by the initial writing committee reflect the helpful input from the con-

ference delegation.The intention of the statement is first to highlight the importance of scholarship to not

just colleges and universities that are operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, butalso to the church itself. However, the statement also recognizes that those engaged inscholarship should show Christian responsibility, particularly in disseminating the resultsof their work.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS AND SCHOLARSHIP

Christian scholar-ship expands anddeepens under-

standing of knowl-edge and the way

knowledge impactsliving in God’s

world.


Church of the 21st century owes its the-ology, its large and growing educationalsystem, and its wide involvement inhealth and medical work to an inheri-tance that saw scholarship, faith commit-ment, and mission as inseparable respon-sibilities for committed seekers of God’swill.

Assumptions of Christian Scholar-ship

The importance of scholarship to theChristian is based on assumptions thatarise from the biblical view of the natureof God, the nature and purpose of hu-mankind, and the nature and value ofknowledge.

The nature of God: God is the cre-ator and sustainer of the universe and life,who reveals Himself to humanity andseeks to be known by His created beings.God Himself has ultimate knowledge(Isaiah 55: 8, 9) and desires knowledge, anexpression of His character, for humanity(Psalm 19:1). He intends for humanity toreach for the highest possible standards ofexcellence in this world, and enjoy a fu-ture of continued growth of knowledgein the next.

The nature and purpose ofhumankind: Original cre-ation was very good, butthe world that humans ex-perience is no longer per-

fect; we are required to make choices forgood or evil. Nevertheless, the world re-mains intelligible to the human mind, ifin more limited form, and guided byGod, humans can arrive at truth.Whenthe human mind is brought into contactwith the mind of God, the human mindis inevitably expanded and developed.This development will mirror God’s im-age in humankind; it will continue to bea defining relationship between humanityand the creator through eternity.

The nature and value of knowledge:Due to our living in a fallen world, allknowledge is not in itself morally good,or complete. However, living in faith andexpansion of the mind are not in opposi-tion to each other—indeed, they supportand enrich each other, and there will al-ways be more valuable knowledge to at-tain.Within the context of a Christianlife, knowledge becomes meaningful

when the mind is transformed throughthe experience of faith (Romans 12:2)and an individual is open to the leadingof the Holy Spirit who God promiseswill guide His followers “into all truth”(John 16:13). Ultimate knowledge is asaving knowledge of God (John 17:3).

The Responsibility to Engage inScholarship

The assumptions that lie behindscholarship make it a vital part of the Ad-ventist Christian experience. Scholarship,the natural extension of a thoughtful life,helps us be more fully human.This is areason for scholarship in itself. The joy oflearning and discovery in a climate offreedom, and responding to the God-given quest for truth are not only posi-tive motivators for engaging in intellec-tual discovery, they are a responsibility forbelieving Christians.

There is another reason for Adventiststo engage in scholarship.At its best, schol-arship keeps truth fresh, pushing thefrontiers of knowledge. Scholarship ana-lyzes and strengthens what is already par-tially understood, looks for interrelationsbetween and within areas of knowledge,and searches for new patterns of thoughtand knowledge that will increase under-standing.Thus, scholarship also becomesa means of enriching and expanding theperspectives of the church and the waythe church communicates and relates itsmessages. In all it does, Christian scholar-ship seeks to explain and make attractive

the beauty that exists in God. For Ad-ventist scholars, distinctive doctrines suchas creation, eschatology, and the mortalityof humankind will be reflected in theirworldview and will provide a uniquecontext to their intellectual pursuits.Themeta-narrative of the great controversyand the holistic approach to life espousedby the Seventh-day Adventist Churchwill inevitably inform their approaches toscholarship. In this way, scholarship helpsarticulate doctrine and the Adventistworldview in understandable and rele-vant ways.

The responsibilities of a Christian andthe objectives of scholarship also intersecton another very practical level: humanneed.Through their research,Adventistscholars can make God’s world more un-derstandable and improve human life inthe present.This can be by contributingto the beauty of the world or through in-vestigations that bring health, healing andimprovement to human society. By thismeans, scholarship becomes an avenue ofservice, a way of immediately respondingto the challenges of a fallen world.

Attitudes and Approaches to Schol-arship

Whether or not scholarship meets itsown intrinsic ideals is largely dependenton the attitudes of scholars and the waythey approach their work.

To be successful in study and its ap-plication,Adventist scholars first need tobe inquisitive, open to exploring the



Picture Removed

world through their innate gift of curios-ity. God invites this attitude of inquiry.Christian scholarship should never be lessrigorous because it is Christian.An Ad-ventist engaged in scholarship shouldseek excellence and be persistent in delv-ing into issues, even those that appear tobe irresolvable. Since more knowledge isalways attainable, scholars should be in-novative, looking for new methodologies,new solutions.

Yet this attitude of inquiry should bepartnered with humility, the recognitionthat in an imperfect world, our humandiscoveries will remain tentative and in-complete. God’s wisdom is not completein any one individual and only by open-ness, a willingness to collaborate, and anattitude of teachability can scholars ad-vance truth.Adventist scholars need totruly appreciate the views of others andbe willing to modify their own views asparticipants in the community of Ad-ventist scholars.

An Adventist scholar will approachpeers with a spirit of generosity and re-spect, mirroring the generosity withwhich God approaches us. Such an atti-tude will be seen in a willingness to lis-ten and honestly consider the views ofothers and an approach to learning andscholarly endeavors that assumes thevalue of all individuals and of the createdworld.

Scholarship will take place in theSeventh-day Adventist Church for manygood reasons. However, it is understoodthat church entities may prioritize re-sources for scholarly work that advancesthe church’s mission.This will not meanwork that is solely theological; it doesmean that scholars should consider howtheir work might serve not just their per-sonal interests, but also those of the widerfaith community. It also means thatscholarly work should not rely on ap-proaches that are incompatible with thepremises and doctrines of the church.This would affect the way that scholars,for example, use the environment and re-spect the rights of individuals.

Responsible research is partly a mat-ter of being ethical in the process of re-searching and developing conclusions.This includes adhering to appropriate le-gal requirements and protocols, andshowing the highest level of academic in-

tegrity. In the context of Christian schol-arship, it also means careful considerationof how and where material and ideas willbe disseminated. Scholars will recognizethe influence of their work on the widercommunity and will be responsible notonly to fellow scholars, but to the churchand its mission, and to God.

Therefore, while the Advent-ist scholar should be givenbroad freedom to exploreideas and not feel restrictedin using God-given talents,

the church should expect that a scholarwill show sensitivity and restraint whenintroducing ideas or concepts that maybe divisive to the church. Before com-municating such ideas in a public forum,the scholar should first share the ideaswith a small group of peers, then care-fully publish within the scholarly com-munity. Depending on the area of re-search, discussion with institutional andchurch administrators may prove valu-able. If these consultations confirm thatthe results of the research will not be de-structive for wider dissemination, thenthe scholar should feel free to present theideas publicly, including presentation ofthe material to students in a classroomsetting. Care should also be exercisedwhen projects are undertaken in collabo-ration with individuals who have viewsopposed to those of the church in orderto avoid negative impact on the church’sreputation.

Risks and BenefitsUnquestionably, there are risks in en-

couraging scholarship in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church. For the individual, itcan lead to a preponderance of time be-ing spent on research, which may detractfrom other vital projects. Individuals canbecome sidetracked and lose sight of thebigger picture, and their research can leadthem to uncomfortable questions, orworse, to arrogance and an unwillingnessto listen to the communities that theyserve.

Institutions also run risks in encour-aging scholarship. If not approached withcareful focus, it can be expensive in timeand money, and result in limited value tothe institution and its mission. Similarly,without careful planning, resources can

be allocated without a clear strategy formeeting institutional goals.

There are risks to the church also. Inparticular, scholarship can open up dis-cussions that are potentially divisive anddestructive, with issues becoming impor-tant in themselves while the needs of thechurch are forgotten.

Nevertheless, the benefits to allgroups are immense. The individual re-ceives the benefit of new or enrichedknowledge, including the opportunity fora deepened understanding of God.Where research involves students, theyalso benefit from close work with facultymembers and the synergy of team en-deavors.

The institution inevitably benefitspractically. Its reputation can be raised;there is the potential for enhanced fac-ulty interaction and fulfillment. Seniorresearchers will gain satisfaction frommentoring younger Christian scholars.More than that, an institution that is ac-tively engaged in scholarship, especiallyscholarship that links to institutional mis-sion, will itself be energized. In theseways, scholarship and research become avital part of Seventh-day Adventist edu-cation.

Finally, there are benefits to thechurch. Good scholarship can only en-rich the church and its message. It in-creases conviction and shows the appli-cation of doctrine to the life of allbelievers. It raises the level of thinkingand discovery in the church, which givesits members the knowledge and skills toarticulate more effectively the message ofthe church and its relevance to society. Itprovides vibrancy and energy.The churchwill be empowered by thinking, explor-ing and creative members who are fo-cused on advancing the Christian mis-sion. ✐________________________________

This document was developed by a committeecomposed of Joe Galusha,Andrea Luxton, JohnMcVay, and Humberto Rasi.________________________________

REFERENCES

1. Ernest Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities ofthe Professoriate (Princeton: Carnegie Foundation forthe Advancement of Teaching, 1990).

2. Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacob-sen, Scholarship and Christian Faith: Enlarging the Con-versation (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).




When we hear of differences between the leadership of the churchand its thinkers and scholars, whether they are theologians, re-searchers, or employed in some other discipline, some feel deeplydistressed, especially if the differences center around our beliefs andlifestyle, or any of the other characteristics we have come to regardas sacred.

Stories about the discord tend to get distorted and exaggeratedas they are passed on from one person to the next.This causes confusion and shakes thefaith of some in the church and its leadership. For others, it excites distrust in the church’s scholars and in-tellectuals. Often, one group is played against the other as if they have inherent and irreconcilable differ-ences.

I believe that both the administrator and the scholar are called of God to uphold truth and to functionas pillars of the church. Both have an important role to play in upholding and building the church.We mustunderstand these functions, and each group should remain within its appropriateparameters through cooperation and respect.

The words of the Apostle Paul are pertinent here:“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some

evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the bodyof Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to matu-rity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blownabout by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians4:11-14, NRSV).

“Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. . . . Remind them to be subject to rulersand authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrel-ing, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone” (Titus 2:15-3:2, NRSV).

The apostle is telling us that God chose to bestow different gifts and functions for the good of the

BY JAIME CASTREJÓN

Both the scholar andthe administratorperform tasks thatare vital to the life ofthe church.

The Scholar and theAdministrator

TwinPillars of

Truth


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church.We need to understand thesefunctions and the roles they play in edi-fying and strengthening the faith.

Both the scholar and the administra-tor perform tasks that are vital to the lifeof the church. They simply have differ-ent foci.The scholar seeks for truth, thenattempts to organize, systematize, andreconcile what he or she has discoveredwith the existing body of truth.

The scholar defends truth as he or

she understands it.The administrator alsodefends truth, but he or she works withconcepts already agreed upon and em-braced by the body of believers. It is thetask of the administrator to preserve, up-hold, and disseminate established truth.Both the scholar and the administratorwrite, teach, and preach their convic-tions. But the scholar pursues new truths,while the administrator perpetuates oldtruths.

Both scholars and administrators seekto know the truth, and may use similarmethods in their search. Sometimes, theapproaches used by the two groups willclash, resulting in tension and distrust. It

is not hard to see why, when we look atthe nature of their work.The scholar isprimarily concerned with the search fortruth, while the administrator focuses on

the welfare of the body of believers (thechurch organization).

Focusing on their primary concern,some scholars may become obsessed withtheir findings and come across as arrogantand dogmatic. On the other side, someadministrators may become overbearing,behaving as though everything takingplace in the church must first be ap-proved by them.This creates a hostile en-vironment and tensions in the camp.

Things may deteriorate further ifscholars display little regard for the effectsof their research and teachings on thechurch. Because administrators often lackthe training or tools of the scholar, which

have aided the scholar in arriving at hisor her conclusions, administrators mayfeel threatened by the scholar’s findingsand become combative or hostile. Sinceadministrators control employment andreimbursement, scholars in this kind ofsituation may feel threatened and op-pressed.

The tension exists because the scholarhas the tools to modify perceived truth,while the administrator has the means toimpose his or her agenda. It goes withoutsaying that this kind of scenario can bepotentially explosive.Abandoned to theseconflicting dynamics, the church wouldhave long ago splintered or disbanded. Itssurvival is evidence of God’s direct inter-vention through the Holy Spirit to keepit united and cohesive.

Steps to Alleviate or Avoid TensionWe, as God’s children, must place our

energy and talents in His hands, and takeall necessary steps to alleviate or avoidtensions within the church. The scholarmust be humble about his or her findingsand conclusions, especially when thesepoint in a different direction than thechurch’s traditional stance. Correspond-ingly, for the advance of truth, adminis-trators must respect the role of thescholar and abstain from judging thatwhich they do not understand, giving thescholar the benefit of the doubt untilthey investigate the facts for themselves.Ellen White wrote:“We are on dangerousground when we cannot meet togetherlike Christians, and courteously examinecontroverted points.”1

Controversy may be averted or evenavoided if scholars consult, comparenotes, and submit their findings to othersbefore teaching or publishing them.Thismay open new avenues of research orshed new light on the conclusionsreached. It may redirect the research, sug-gest the need for more investigation,modify or change the underlying presup-positions, or confirm the findings. Re-searchers should test their findings care-fully to be reasonably certain that theirconclusions are sound before openlysharing their ideas with fellow believers.

The administrator, on the other hand,should dialogue with the scholar beforetaking administrative measures.This is theminimum expected ethical conduct in a


The scholar pursuesnew truths, while theadministrator perpet-uates old truths.


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civilized and democratic society, andmuch more so in the church where weare all equal under our Lord Jesus Christ.This will be easier to accomplish whenthe scholar shares new light and newfindings sensitively and responsibly.

The administrator would be wise toprovide a forum where scholars can pre-sent their findings, such as specializedmagazines, and invite them to write arti-cles in regular denominational organssuch as the Adventist Review or Ministrythat will strengthen and confirm the faithof their readers in Scripture and inChrist.This works better in some disci-plines (such as theology), but it can stillbe done in other areas as well, since truthinvolves all of life.

Special events such as congresses andsymposiums can be organized wherescholars of similar disciplines gather todiscuss common challenges and sharetheir findings with small groups of col-leagues. Events such as continuing ed-ucation in the various disciplines, groupdiscussions on selected topics, panels,presentations, and lectures will all help todefuse tension and provide a sense of ac-ceptance and appreciation for the schol-ars’ contributions to the larger body.

Both scholars and administratorsshould keep in mind that every phase ofour perceived reality has faith implica-tions.When they disagree, they shouldkeep in mind this advice from EllenWhite, written in regard to “Our Atti-tude Toward Doctrinal Controversy”:“The Lord calls upon those of us whohave had great light to be converted daily. . . .All who are led by the Holy Spirit ofGod will have a message for this lasttime.With mind and heart they will becarrying a burden for souls, and they willbear the heavenly message of Christ tothose with whom they associate . . . .There are great privileges and blessingsfor all who will humble themselves andfully consecrate their hearts to God.Great light will be given to them.”2

Challenges to Scholars and Adminis-trators

For both gifts (the scholar and thechurch administrator), there are inherentchallenges. It is absolutely necessary thatthe administrator and the scholar remainunquestionably committed to Jesus

Christ, His Word, and His church. Alltheir actions and interactions should bearwitness to this commitment.This willmake it easier to allow each other thebenefit of the doubt.

Scholars should remember that noone is able to explain the Scriptureswithout the aid of the Holy Spirit. Butwhen they take up the Word of Godwith a humble, teachable heart, the angelsof God will be by their side to impressthem with evidence of the truth.3

Scholars will do well to realize howdifficult a responsibility the administra-

tors have for keeping our worldwidechurch united as they sort through thenew and different approaches and doc-trines being presented by the academicsof the church.

Administrators, on the other hand,should not forget that truth is progres-sive.4 There is still more light to befound. Even in eternity with perfect

minds and memories, we will continueto find new truths and explore old oneswe now ignore or imperfectly under-stand. So no one should be surprisedwhen new emphasis, new foci, new facetsof the same truth or even new truth isdiscovered.As we approach the time ofthe end, this is bound to occur with in-creased frequency. That is one reason theLord admonishes us about continued,careful study of the Word until we arefirmly grounded in truth.We must usethese tools continuously as we seek amore perfect understanding of truth.


The scholar has thetools to modify per-ceived truth, while theadministrator has themeans to impose hisor her agenda.


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The administrator would do well toremember that the scholar is faced withchallenges and pressures he or she doesnot experience, but which are a commoningredient in the professional world.Abasic presupposition of research, for ex-ample, is to question all things, prove,test, and explore other possibilities.Theresults may affirm, challenge, or contra-dict previous light—and may be contro-versial! This process can yield both truthand error. Patience is required so thatmany of these findings will withstand thetrial of time. Quick, decisive action bythe administrator can sometimes spelltragedy. Martyrs died for giving us someof the most cherished and precious ele-ments of our doctrine.

The scholar may also need patience,for it often takes years for a new theoryto be accepted and assimilated by thechurch. And sometimes, the new theorywill not withstand careful scrutiny basedon biblical principles. In history, manypeople considered heroes or even saints,were responsible for introducing hereticalpractices and beliefs into the ChristianChurch.

It is best for the scholar to keep inmind that the destiny of the church doesnot depend on its accepting his or herfindings, no matter how true or necessarythe ideas may seem. It is the Holy Spiritwho leads and controls the minds and thewill of the church. Sometimes, the Lordwithholds some truth from His peoplewhen, in His foreknowledge, He sees thatthe church is not ready for it.The phrase

“a truth whose time has come” expressesan important truth. Sometimes, waiting isthe best action.

Patience is sometimes hard to exer-cise. It is natural to feel compelled toeliminate what we perceive as a threat orhindrance to God’s work. Both adminis-trators and scholars must remember thatit is the Lord’s hands at the helm ofHis church, not ours. He will see itthrough to victory. Let us love Him morethan we love ourselves; our church morethan we love our position or role, ourbrothers and sisters in Christ more thanwe love our talents, gifts, and contribu-tions. Let us seek a humble submission toHis will more than proud recognition ofour service.We will never match His sac-rifice, His commitment, His power, Hismercy, His grace. Paul’s advice to Titusstill applies today:

“For we ourselves were once foolish,disobedient, . . . passing our days in mal-ice and envy, despicable, hating one an-

other. But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, hesaved us, not because of any works ofrighteousness that we had done, but ac-cording to his mercy, through the waterof rebirth and renewal by the HolySpirit” (Titus 3:3-5, NRSV). ✐

__________________

Dr. Jaime Castrejón isPresident of the Inter-American AdventistTheological Seminary inMiami, Florida. His back-ground includes experienceas a pastor, union and mis-sion president, ministerial

secretary for the Inter-American Division, andpresident of Montemorelos University in Mexico.He holds a Ph.D. in religious education with acognate in higher education administration fromAndrews University in Berrien Springs, Michi-gan.__________________________________


1. Ellen G.White, Selected Messages (Washington,D.C.: Review and Herald Publ.Assn., 1958), Book 1,p. 411.

2. Ibid., pp. 165, 166.3. Ibid., p. 411.4. Ellen White wrote:“Great light has been shin-

ing, but it has not been fully comprehended and re-ceived” (Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 166). In the Re-view and Herald, she expounded further upon this idea:“There is no excuse for any one in taking the posi-tion that there is no more truth to be revealed, andthat all our expositions of Scripture are without anerror. The fact that certain doctrines have been heldas truth for many years by our people is not a proofthat our ideas are infallible . . . . No true doctrine willlose anything by close investigation” (“Christ OurHope,” Review and Herald, December 20, 1892).


Controversy may beaverted or evenavoided if scholarsconsult, comparenotes, and submittheir findings to oth-ers before teaching orpublishing them.


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Listening Carefully to the Bible:

The Many Voices in Deborah’s Story

and Song

Students often approach the familiar stories of the Bible wonderingwhat more they can learn from texts they have been reading sincechildhood.As teachers, we face the challenge of getting students tofocus on the text itself, without being overly influenced by the pre-conceptions and interpretations that have become attached to thesestories through centuries of retelling and commentary.

One day, early in the history of ancient Israel, men and womengathered in the hill country of Palestine with their timbrels and harps to celebrate the victory of Yahwehover the gods of Canaan.Their voices can still be heard in the Song of Deborah (Judges 5).

In Judges 4, the narrator invokes the standardized formula of disobedience and deliverance establishedearlier in Judges (i.e., Chapter 2:“The Is-raelites again did what was evil in the sightof the Lord”1).Then, as the pattern leads us toexpect, the Israelites “cried out to the Lord”for deliverance from Jabin and his 900 chariots of iron. Out of the communal clamor, we can distinguish thevoices of individuals: Deborah speaks to Barak; Barak speaks to Deborah.Their dialogue leads to other dia-logues—between (1) Jael and Sisera, (2) Jael and Barak, and (3) Sisera’s mother and her wise ladies of thecourt.Within the story, we also find voices cited indirectly. Finally, bringing all these voices together in con-cert are the voices of the storyteller and the poet.

Listening to StoriesIs there anything we can learn by listening carefully to the varied voices that appear in a story like that

of Deborah? Is it possible that we might find here, as elsewhere in the Bible, levels of voices, harmonizingtogether? Like a choir, the voices blend together with occasional solo parts (even if some are slightly off-key). If we better understood the individual parts, would this increase our appreciation of the final choralperformance and help us more clearly understand the mind of the composer? Yes! And here is why.

Perceptive readers quickly learn that what seems like a simple Bible story, with a familiar, straightforwardplot line and few details, is actually a narrative rich in complexity and depth. Erich Auerbach, in an essay

BY BEVERLY BEEM AND DOUGLAS R. CLARK

Is there anythingwe can learn bylistening carefullyto the variedvoices that appearin a story like thatof Deborah?


called “Odysseus’ Scar,” explains how asparse narrative can offer richer meaningthan a fully developed one with manydetails.To demonstrate, he contrasts theHebrew narrative style (illustrated by the

story of the binding of Isaac), with thatof the Greeks (illustrated by the recogni-tion scene in Homer’s Odyssey).Whilethe Greek storyteller typically illuminesevery detail, leaving no gesture, motive,tool, setting, or speech unexplained or

shadowed in the background, the He-brew narrator leaves much in the shad-ows, giving the reader only carefullyselected details—each carrying greatmeaning. No detail is gratuitous.Thechallenge for the reader is to discover thepurpose.2

The tools of literary analysis can helpthe reader with this task. Kenneth GrosLouis, a literary scholar who has oftenturned his attention to biblical narratives,describes the process required. He beginsby reading the text six to eight times,writing summaries and “summaries ofthe summary” until he becomes so im-mersed in the text that he breaks throughthe sense of over-familiarity. He exam-ines each action, speech, motif, and image“to see when one action or speech is anecho of another, when one scene is re-lated to another.” By attending to detailsand their relationships, he begins to seethe “small changes that might occur inthe repetitions and thus to begin to an-swer the question:Why is there repetitionat all? Is it used for emphasis? to acceler-ate the action? to emphasize attitudes? to

reveal a new aspect of a character or ofthe action? to foreshadow later action?”This close reading of a text also helpshim notice other elements in the story,particularly the “development of charac-ter, changes in a character’s situation or

attitude, tone or language, motives for acharacter’s action or a narrative intrusionor digression, [and] reasons for placing ascene where it is.” 3

This method helps readers see thetext in new ways.What may, at firstglance, have seemed like an incidentaldetail or a pointless repetition, on closerexamination becomes a key to the mean-ing of the story.

Listening to Voices in StoriesBy using literary theory, narrative

analysis, and biblical studies, we can learna great deal as we listen to the voices inthe text and pay close attention to detail.While enthusiastically affirming the di-vine credentials behind and throughoutthe text, we can make exciting discover-ies by close reading of the text.We find arange of easily traceable human voicesrecorded by inspired authors and editors,who use a variety of literary conventionsas they transform oral stories into writtenrecords.

How do we make thesediscoveries? By listeningto the varied voices em-bedded within narrativesand at different levels of

the story, as well as those that were in-serted during the process by which thestory came to us. By approaching thisquest from inside a story, we notice sev-


Perceptive read-ers quickly learnthat what seemslike a simpleBible story, witha familiar,straightforwardplot line and afew details, is ac-tually a narrativerich in complexityand depth.

A modern Bedouin tent illustrates the Middle Eastern tradition of providing hospitality and protec-tion.

View from Mt.Tabor to the west over partsof the Jezreel Valley, where the battle withthe Canaanites took place.


eral levels of voice communication.Themost easily recognized of these is (1) thequoted voice, cited directly or indirectly.But who is quoting these voices? (2) Thevoices of narrators (in the story of Deborah,a storyteller and a poet); the authors whocreated them; and the voices of editors/com-pilers of stories like those in the Book ofJudges. In addition, we hear (3) the subtlevoices of the receivers, specifically the audi-ence to/for whom the story was told/written, sometimes called the implied au-dience, as well as the people who arehearing/reading the story now. Aboveand beyond this choir of voices there is(4) the voice of God. In Deborah’s story,God is not often quoted directly. How dowe hear His voice above and through thischorus? By looking at each of these fourlevels of voices operating in a narrative,we can see how they work together, eachcontributing something unique and in-dispensable.

1. By quoting direct speech, the au-thor can slow the progress of the narra-tive, giving space for the audience to re-flect and absorb important information,as well as react sympathetically to theaction.Through words spoken by thecharacters, authors carefully reveal thestory’s central ideas and sentiments.Robert Alter explains,“Spoken languageis the substratum of everything humanand divine that transpires in the Bible,and . . . is finally a technique for getting

at the essence of things.”4 Authors canuse many rhetorical devices to clarify aconcept or set an atmosphere. Most bibli-cal storytellers speak and write, in thewords of Alter,“with a sense of greatspiritual urgency.”5

2. Behind these more obvious voices,if we read carefully, we will hear a chorusof other voices. First, the narrator.As Shi-mon Bar-Efrat puts it,“in narrative thenarrator exists alongside the characters,and the narrator’s voice is heard as well astheirs.”6 In fact, he goes on to say,“Wesee and hear only through the narrator’seyes and ears.”7

Behind the narrator is an author, whouses a number of strategies to ensure thathis or her voice comes through.Whilethe narrator directs traffic, helping uskeep track of what is happening and whois speaking, the author helps us under-stand the meaning and significance of thestory. The narrative reveals a complex re-lationship between author and narrator,discernible through close reading.

Behind the author is yet an-other, more subtle voice—that of the editor(s). Editorsare responsible for maintain-ing a common perspective

and explaining what is not otherwiseclear to hearers/readers removed fromthe original story.The Book of Judgesreflects editorial activity, for example, inthe six-part literary pattern apparentthroughout the book: Israel sinned; theLord raised up an enemy against them;Israel suffered oppression for a period oftime; Israel cried to the Lord for deliv-erance; the Lord raised up a delivererjudge; Israel enjoyed a period of prosper-ity.

As part of a larger collection, the so-called deuteronomistic history (Joshua,Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2Kings), the book also reflects a commontheological perspective on acts and their

consequences—Israel reaps what it sows.It is called “deuteronomistic” because itstheological core comes from the Book ofDeuteronomy, with its strong emphasison obedience (with its rewards) and dis-obedience (with its disastrous results). Bypaying careful attention, watching forsmall clues and often nearly hidden liter-ary seams, we will hear the voices of theeditors and compilers.

In addition, as many literary special-ists remind us, there is another set ofvoices not inherent in the story itself, but(3) in front of it, on our side. It is oftensignificant, for two reasons: First, ancientbiblical stories and songs were performedpublicly and communally with active au-dience participation, emphasizing thewider community’s role in understandingand appreciation. Second, modernreader-response studies remind us that weall bring personal perceptions to what weread, and these help shape what we hearfrom these stories and songs.

The human voices in these three cat-egories come to us through writing andediting processes done mostly by men inurban settings.The voices of women andchildren, and virtually everyone amongthe rural poor (who made up the largestsegment of ancient Israelite society) areless directly accessible. This makes thestory of Deborah especially significant, asit is one place where the voices ofwomen are heard and remembered.

Hearing the Voice of God in the Narrative

(4) The final voice to people of faithis the word of God. Literary analysisopens our ears to a variety of voiceswithin, behind, and in front of the story.Close reading of the text reveals detailsand nuances that might otherwise beoverlooked. But does any of this con-tribute to our devotional lives?

We think so. In fact, we believe aclose reading not only contributes to a


What may, at first glance, haveseemed like an incidental detail or apointless repetition, on closer exami-nation becomes a key to the meaningof the story.


more responsible understanding of theBible, but also to a deeper appreciationfor it as God’s Word to us today as well asto the ancient Israelites. Narrative con-veys theology through both its contentand literary forms. Irony, satire, ambiguity,paradox—these carry theological truths,and only the attentive listener/reader will“get it.”

In addition to close reading of thetext, we recommend a type of devotionalreading known as lectio divina—reflectivespiritual reading. Gros Louis suggestsreading Bible stories over and over again,day after day, listening each time forsomething missed previously, some gemor idea that can tune us into God’s voice

in new and ever fresh ways. By means ofthis spiritual discipline, we open ourselvesto insights not accessible to the casualeavesdropper on the story.

Following the Voices in the Story of Deborah

To demonstrate how an awareness ofthe voices in a text can enrich one’s read-ing of a biblical narrative, let’s listen tothe voices encountered in the story andsong of Deborah, taking them in the or-der they are heard.

The Narrative AccountThe story begins with the voice of

the narrator, invoking the formula estab-lished by an editor in the second chapterof the book:“The Israelites again didwhat was evil in the sight of the Lord.”The Lord then allows them to fall intothe hands of their enemies, in this case,King Jabin of Canaan.The narrator tellsus that he reigned in Hazor, one of themighty cities of the Canaanites, and thatSisera was the commander of his army.

Behind this narrative voice is thevoice of the editor, who has collectedthese stories from the early days and in-terpreted them according to the deutero-nomistic understanding of Israel’s history.As long as the people of Israel obey God,

they thrive under God’s blessing, butwhen they turn to other gods, God leavesthem to their enemies until they cry toHim for deliverance; then God raises upa judge and delivers them.This formulaconveys the editor’s message while orga-nizing the stories of the major judges.Each one illustrates the deuteronomicpromise that as long as Israel obeys, it willlive. But a formula is not a story.WhenKing Jabin and his commander Sisera ap-pear, the text moves from historical com-mentary into narrative.

Embedded in the formulaic openingis another voice, that of the Israelites who“cried out to the Lord for help,” becausetheir oppressors had 900 chariots ofiron—clear evidence of the hopelessnessof their cause.We hear their voices onlyindirectly and as a group, crying to theLord.Their voice has the tone of desper-ation, for their oppressors are great, as istheir apostasy.Their audience is the Lord,whom they have abandoned, but whoalone can deliver.

From then on, we hear the Israelitesas individuals, beginning with Deborah, aprophetess and judge and “woman offlame” (as some would define her title—also, the wife of Lappidoth) who “used tosit under the palm of Deborah betweenRamah and Bethel in the hill country ofEphraim.” Deborah’s voice is not disem-bodied but rooted in time and place. Be-hind the narrator is the voice of the his-torian, who chooses details that prepareus to hear the voice of this woman offlame.

The verbs that describe Deborah’s ac-tions also provide the setting for herspeech: She “sent and summoned” Barakof Kedesh in Naphtali, and repeated tohim the words of the Lord. ThroughDeborah, God commanded Barak to goto war against the commander of theCanaanite armies with their 900 chariotsof iron. God also prescribed the battlestrategy, the location, and the participantsof the conflict. Speaking in the first per-son, God says,“‘I will draw out Sisera . . .and I will give him into your hand.’”

Barak does not respond to God butto Deborah. He offers his own strategy:The prophetess and judge of Israel willput her life on the line and go with himinto battle. She agrees but describes theconsequences of his plan. God will in-


By using literarytheory, narrativeanalysis, and bib-lical studies, wecan learn a greatdeal as we listento the voices inthe text and payclose attention todetail.

The central hill country of ancient Israel, where Deborah judged the people.


deed deliver Israel, but because of his de-tour from God’s words, the victory willnot result in glory for the warrior Barak.Instead, God will “‘sell Sisera into thehand of a woman.’”This statement opensthe way for a new character, which willsurprise the reader, who assumes thatDeborah is speaking of herself.

Barak next speaks as the commanderwho “summoned” the 10,000 warriors ofZebulun and Naphtali to go to war be-hind him and Deborah.Thenarrative could proceed tothe victory of Barak, but thenarrator has to prepare theway for the woman alludedto in Deborah’s speech, ingiving her a setting in timeand space. He intrudes intothe narrative with a briefhistory lesson reminding thereader of Barak’s lack of faithand of the origin and loca-tion of the Kenites.Thesewords seem to intrude intothe flow of the story, but un-folding events will revealtheir importance.

The movement of Israel’s10,000 warriors does not es-cape the notice of Sisera, andan unidentified voice tellshim that an army has gath-ered at Mount Tabor. Debo-rah utters the call to warwith the one word:“Up!”

The next voice we hearis that of Jael:“‘Turn aside,my lord, turn aside to me;have no fear.’” Warrior andwoman meet. Deborah has prepared theway for her entrance; the narrator has ex-plained her identity. Her dialogue is filledwith suspense and irony. She speakswords of safety to the fleeing general (asexpected in a world of tent hospitalityfor peoples connected by treaties), and heresponds with action. She invites him to“turn aside,” and he does so. His onlywords are a request spoken from guest tohost,“‘Please give me a little water todrink; for I am thirsty,’” and a twofoldcommand. He tells Jael to stand guardand says:“‘If anybody comes and asksyou,“Is anyone here?” say,“‘No.”’”

But Jael has her own voice. Her ac-tions prepare the way for her words. She

“took a tent peg, and took a hammer inher hand, and went softly to him anddrove the peg into his temple, until itwent down into the ground—he was ly-ing fast asleep from weariness—and hedied.”

Israel is victorious.The Lord hasoverthrown Sisera and his chariots ofiron, but it is Jael who receives the honorfor administering the coup de grace. Shetells the pursuing Barak:“‘Come, and Iwill show you the man whom you areseeking.’” Ironically, Sisera has told her tospeak the truth.There is indeed no manthere, only a corpse.The narrator closesthe narrative by explaining its signifi-cance:“So on that day God subdued

King Jabin of Canaan before the Is-raelites.”

The narrator has told the storythrough action and dialogue.We haveheard the direct speech of Deborah,Barak, Jael, Sisera, and God and the indi-rect speech of the people of Israel. Hisaccount creates in the theological—Israelsins, and God delivers.An editor from alater time recounts and explains the ac-tion to the Israelites, and ultimately topeople today.

The Poetic AccountThe prose account of the war against

Sisera captures the suspense of the actionand its significance in the history of Is-


Narrative conveys theology throughboth its content and literary forms.Irony, satire, ambiguity, paradox—these carry theological truths, andonly the attentive listener/reader will“get it.”

The stream Kishon in the Jezreel Valley, where the chariots of iron bogged down due to the storm.


rael. But it is the poetry, seen by mostOld Testament scholars as perhaps theearliest poetry in the Bible, springing upon the day of victory, that captures thejoy and emotion of the events.The storyis retold, this time by the voice of thepoet, not the historian.

The historian’s voice givesway to the voice of celebra-tion, in the form of song.No explanation is needed.While the historian de-

scribes the conflict between Barak andSisera as a war between chariots of ironand marching armies, the poet envisionsthe battle in terms of God’s actions onhumans and nature. God “‘went out fromSeir,’” “‘marched from the region ofEdom,’” and made the earth tremble.When the kings come to fight, theirchariots of iron pale into insignificanceagainst the waters of Kishon that “‘sweptthem away.’” Utilizing the power ofmetaphor, God marches into battle, usingas weapons the stars that “‘fought fromheaven’” and the “‘onrushing torrent, thetorrent Kishon.’”

There are many voices in this songand many audiences.The singers are thepeople of Israel, from the elite who “‘rideon white donkeys’” and “‘sit on rich car-pets’” to the poor who “‘walk by theway.’” God’s victories are praisedthroughout Israel by the “‘musicians at

the watering places.’” They sing in con-cert, as “‘down to the gates marched thepeople of the Lord.’”All the voices of Is-rael are raised in song, but one by one,various voices come out as solos that ad-dress various audiences.

Although they are singing to theLord, the singers call the kings andprinces, the powers of the Earth, to “‘giveear’” as Israel celebrates God’s power.Their praise becomes a blessing on thosewho fought with God and a curse onthose who shirked their duty.

The song is history in the presenttense.There are words of praise andtaunt. Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, Zebu-lun, and Issachar are commended forrushing out on the heels of Barak. Butthe singers contemptuously describeReuben tarrying by the sheepfolds, with“‘great searchings of heart,’” listening notfor the battle cry of Deborah but the“‘piping for the flocks.’” They contrastDan (abiding with the ships); Gilead(staying safe beyond the Jordan); andAsher (sitting still by the sea, beyond thereach of battle), with the faithful peopleof Zebulun and Naphtali who “‘scorneddeath . . . on the heights of the field.’”

The words of praise and taunt thatsweep over the tribes of Israel finally set-tle on two women.The encounter be-tween the first woman, Jael, and Sisera istransformed from history to song. Thedirect speech between the two charactersin the later historical account is related inthe parallel lines of a song:“‘He askedwater and she gave him milk, she broughthim curds in a lordly bowl.’”

The song focuses on the momentwhen Jael kills Sisera:“‘She put her handto the tent peg and her right hand to theworkmen’s mallet.’”And with that, in theintensified parallel lines of Hebrew po-etry,“‘she struck . . . she crushed . . . sheshattered and pierced.’” The singers gloryin the power of the moment.The deathof Sisera is here turned into a dance, withthe sleeping general depicted as uprightand falling at the feet of a woman.Thedeath dance is drawn out to seven verbs:“‘he sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; ather feet he sank, he fell; where he sank,there he fell dead.’”

The song does not end with thedeath of Sisera; the Israelite singer’s imag-ination strays over national boundaries

to imagine the palace where Sisera’smother, the second woman, is peeringout the window. She is waiting for herson to return in his iron chariot, bringingwith him the spoil of battle—dyed stuffsembroidered by the women of Israel todecorate her neck, and Israelite womenbrought as spoils of war,“‘a girl or twofor every man.’” She is waiting and won-dering,“‘Why tarry the hoofbeats of hischariots?’”The singers know the answer,and they delight in her surprise. Thewisest ladies of the court answer herquestion—or they start to, but their voiceis left hanging in the air, replaced bymore words from Sisera’s mother, who isnot to be deprived of her own voice:“‘Are they not finding and dividing thespoil?’” The answer is clear to the wiseladies of the court, and the singers of Is-rael delight in her discomfiture.

The song ends by extending theblessing and the curse to all, includingthe reader. However, the editor of thestory and song of Deborah offers one fi-nal word about what happens when Goddelivers:“And the land had rest fortyyears.”

Sorting Out All the Voices in theStory

We believe that voices in literatureare worth hearing, especially in biblicalliterature—whether cited, sung, narrated,edited, or reported. Each voice conveysstrong convictions, often expressed increative ways in order to persuade listen-ers/readers of something important. Lis-tening to these voices and understandingtheir place in story and song leads us tosee their meaning for the audience thatfirst heard them, and to hear the voice ofGod as it speaks through these texts toreaders today.

By listening to the quoted charactersin the story/song, we are drawn into theessence of the account. Human prepara-tions for war mask stark terror as the Is-raelites face overwhelming force andyears of oppression.Those quoted voicesalso reveal the exuberant celebrations ofvictory accomplished through the ruse ofa (mis)spoken invitation to hospitality. In-terestingly, we hear no confessions of sin,only pleading to escape oppression, fol-lowed by songs of unbridled joy at God’svictorious march from Seir. Blessing and


Gros Louis sug-gests readingBible stories overand over again,day after day, lis-tening each timefor somethingmissed previ-ously, some gemor idea that cantune us into God’svoice in new andever fresh ways.


curse, praise and taunt, conveying God’sgood will toward His people and judg-ment on enemies so insolent as to dream,like Sisera’s mother, of smashing successesagainst Israel and its God.

By paying attention to thevoices of narrator and poet,of author and editor, we be-come aware of the variety ofconcerns addressed by the

inspired Bible writers. Dialogue and ac-tion coalesce by means of these voices tocommunicate history and doxology—history in the events of battle, and dox-ology through metaphors for the divinemarch amid earthly and heavenly forces.And the editor(s) places it all within thecontext of an overarching theologicaltheme of actions and their consequen-ces.

Thus, we find varied lessons in thevaried levels of voices, which enrich bib-lical stories with multiple applications.These can be found through repeatedclose readings of the Bible stories. By fol-

lowing Gros Louis’ advice, cited above,we can always learn something new fromthese stories and, at the same time, avoidthe temptation of replacing the storywith our own interpretations.

Through a close reading of the Bible,we can open ourselves more completelyto God’s voice, mediated through thevoices of characters, narrators, poets,writers, and editors of His Word. ✐

__________________

Beverly Beem, Ph.D.(Renaissance Literature), aProfessor of English atWalla Walla College inCollege Place,Washington,is currently doing researchin biblical narrative andearly Adventist spirituality.Dr. Beem has traveled ex-tensively with Dr. Clark,

her coauthor, and his wife, Carmen, and withsmall groups in Israel and Jordan, tracking downand studying the sites connected with the Bookof Judges. Douglas R. Clark, Ph.D. (OldTestament and Rabbinic Judaism), is Executive

Director of the AmericanSchools of Oriental Re-search, a Boston, Massa-chusetts-based NorthAmerican organization ofscholars doing/studyingarchaeology in the MiddleEast. Dr. Clark is alsoCo-director of the MadabaPlains Project excavations

at Tall al-`Umayri, Jordan, and has been pub-lished widely on a range of biblical and archaeo-logical topics, with special interest in the text andtime of the Judges.________________________________

NOTE: The authors wish to thank theFaculty Grants Committee of Walla WallaCollege for their support in numerousgrants for travel and study which have al-lowed us to trace the footsteps of thejudges.________________________________


1.All biblical references in this article are quotedfrom the New Revised Standard Version.

2. Mimesis:The Representation of Reality in WesternLiterature (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press,1953), pp. 3-23.

3.“Some Methodological Considerations,” in Lit-erary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives (Nashville,Tenn.:Abingdon, 1982), vol. 2, pp. 22, 23.

4. The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York: BasicBooks, 1981), p. 70.

5. Ibid., p. 189.6. Narrative Art in the Bible (Sheffield: Almond

Press, 1989), p. 13.7. Ibid.

________________________________

For Additional Reading

Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York:Basic Books, 1981.

__________. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York:Basic Books, 1985.

__________, and Frank Kermode, eds. The Literary Guide to the Bible. Cambridge: Belknap/Harvard,1987.

Bar Efrat. Narrative Art in the Bible. Sheffield, U.K.:Almond Press, 19989.

Berlin,Adele. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narra-tive. Sheffield:Almond, 1983.

Frye, Northrop. The Great Code:The Bible and Litera-ture. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982.

__________.Words With Power: Being a Second Study ofthe Bible and Literature. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990.

Funk, Robert W. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative.Sonoma, Calif.: Polebridge, 1988.

Gros Louis, Kenneth R. R., ed. Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives. Nashville:Abingdon, 1974.vol. 2, 1982.

Josipovici, Gabriel. The Book of God:A Response to the Bible. New Haven: Yale, 1988.


Beverly Beem

Douglas R. Clark

Phoenician woman in a window, reminiscent of the mother of Sisera, awaiting his return from thebattle.


Mrs. Poindexter* was teaching Human Anatomy for the first time, and more than 120students had signed up for the class! She worked long and hard to develop a midtermtest to assess her teaching. She hoped that the 40 items on the multiple-choice testwould provide some quick insights into how well her students understood the con-cepts. But when she returned the tests to the students and began to discuss the “right”answers, she was disturbed at how many questions the students raised. A number ofstudents had interpreted some of the questions quite differently than she had intended.

And some of her questions actually rewarded the students who didn’t understand the concepts instead ofthose who did!

Despite the well-documented drawbacks of multiple-choice questions, teachers and researchers usethem for everything from kindergarten surveys to law school admission tests. Mrs. Poindexter chose a mul-tiple-choice format for a number of reasons:

First, by including a large number of questions, she could evaluate her effectiveness in explaining keyconcepts. She realized that an objective, summative exam, by itself, cannot adequately measure studentlearning. But when carefully designed and combined with other evaluation measures, such as performanceassessment, multiple-choice tests can play a legitimate role in assessment.

Second, a multiple-choice test appeared to be easy to create andgrade, even for such a large class.

After asking an assessment specialist for advice, Mrs. Poindexter re-alized that while her choice of type of test was appropriate, many ofher questions violated the guidelines for clarity and evaluated onlylower-level thinking skills, such as recall and recognition. In addition,many of the questions provided inadvertent clues to the correct an-swers, which further decreased the test’s effectiveness in evaluating stu-dent understanding.

This article offers some suggestions for improving multiple-choicetests by decreasing “give-away” answers and developing questions that

assess students’ higher-level thinking.

Writing Multiple-Choice QuestionsTeachers are expected to be able to write

good questions for quizzes and tests—often with very little guidanceor training. Because they rarely take formal courses on the art of testdevelopment, teachers often progress through several levels of exper-tise through trial and error.

For example, Mr. Seifert* has as one learning objective for his class in emergency medical care: Studentswill be able to recognize common symptoms of internal hemorrhage. Here is a quote from the textbook:“A patientexperiencing hemorrhage, whether external or internal, might be expected to have a fast, thready pulse,cold, clammy skin, falling blood pressure, and a general state of agitation.”


BY GAIL TAYLOR RICE

Developing High-Quality Multiple-Choice

Test QuestionsDespite the well-documented draw-backs of multiple-choice questions,teachers and re-searchers use themfor everything fromkindergarten sur-veys to law schooladmission tests.

* Not their real names.


The first question Mr. Seifert developed looked like this: †

1. A patient who is hemorrhaging might exhibit all of thefollowing except:

a. fast pulseb. cold, clammy skinc. falling blood pressured. feeling of well-being This question is very easy to create because you need only

select three items from the list in the textbook and think of onewrong item to add.This question is typical of those developedby relatively inexperienced teachers.

After using the question for a while, Mr. Seifert realized thatit would be better to ask what is true rather than what is false,1

so he developed version 2 below:2. Which of the following is the most likely sign of hemor-

rhaging?a. fast, thready pulseb. warm, dry skinc. hypertensiond. sleepinessThis type of question is more challenging to write because

the test developer includes only one answer from the textbookand must supply three incorrect but plausible responses, calleddistractors.

Here’s a third and better version of the question that usesthe entire list, but in varying formats:


Figure 1

Suggestions for Well-Designed Multiple-

Choice Questions

• Design each item to measure an important learning objective.

• In the directions, tell students to select the “best” answer, rather than the “right” answer.

• Present all of the necessary information toanswer the question in a clear, well-formulated stem.

• Make answers and distractors as short as possible (include any repeated information in the stem).

• Avoid negative wording in the stem (i.e., Which one of the following is not included?).

• Make distractors plausible and attractive to the uninformed.

• Be careful when using the words always, never, all, or none.

• Make the question (stem) concise and clear.• Avoid complicated sentences.• Include questions that measure higher cognitive

functioning.† Answers are in bold type.


3.A patient who is hemorrhagingwould exhibit

a. warm, dry skin; hypotension; and abounding pulse.

b. hypertension; a bounding pulse;and cold, clammy skin.

c. a weak, thready pulse; hypertension;and warm, dry skin.

d. hypotension; cold, clammyskin; and a weak, thready pulse.

This question shows a good way totest content derived from a list of condi-tions.A warning—when writing thiskind of question, be careful not tooveruse the correct options, thus giving aconvergence clue. (See Figure 3.)

An even better way to test this kindof content would be to develop a case-based question, which requires applica-tion and higher levels of cognitive func-tioning. See Questions 4 and 5 below.

Figure 1 provides some guidelines fordeveloping good multiple-choice ques-tions.

Taking Clues Out of Multiple-ChoiceQuestions

Occasionally, savvy students can guessthe right answer to a question by lookingfor embedded clues. Figure 2 contains asimple quiz to help you check your own“testwiseness.” Figure 3 lists commontypes of clues teachers include in multi-ple-choice questions. See if you can fig-ure out which type of clue is present ineach of the questions in the quiz. Youwill find the answers at the end of the ar-ticle.

By checking for inadvertent clues,teachers can make sure that their testsmeasure student mastery of content,rather than their test-taking savvy. Figure4 provides a checklist to help you recog-nize and remove inadvertent clues frommultiple-choice questions.


Figure 2

Clued Quiz

Instructions: There is at least one clue in each of the following questions.Try to figure out which is the “right” answer. After circling the letter of yourchoice, consult Figure 3’s list of common clues. Put the number of the clueeach question includes in the right-hand column. Answers are at the end ofthe article.

Clue No.

1. The primary purpose of the stam is to remove the ____a. carmb. dentonc. meniced. stambar

2. Which of the following is/are most closely associated with the ____agreement?a. Stephen Douglassb. Robert E. Leec. Abraham Lincolnd. All of the above

3. Which of the following pairs has won the greatest number of ____Abby awards?a. Jones and Smithb. Smith and Taylorc. Smith and Whited. White and Allen

4. How many pounds of pressure is exerted by a Callam? ____a. 2.6b. 150c. 260d. 2600

5. The stanon is aided by a ____a. anstelb. immonc. octald. port

6. The stanon frequently overheats because ____a. all anstels are beliousb. no immon is directly fectitiousc. ports are always actiald. the octal is usually casable

7. Stamation normally occurs when the ____a. anstels ruptureb. immon falls and the denton is in placec. octal rotates easilyd. ports pass over the carm

Teachers are expectedto be able to writegood questions forquizzes and tests—often with very littleguidance or training.


Writing Questions That RequireHigher Cognitive Reasoning

Developing multiple-choice ques-tions that require high-level thinking re-quires a great deal of thought and time.Professional test writers say that it cantake an entire day to create more thanthree or four items, so don’t wait untilthe night before a test to begin assem-bling the questions. Spread out the workover the quarter or semester, so you havegood questions to draw upon to analyzethe ongoing effectiveness of the teachingas well as questions to use on the finalexam.

Here are some ideas to help you in-crease your supply of high-quality ques-tions.

• Write a question that requires stu-dents to predict the outcome of a situa-tion rather than simply label a phenome-non.

• Provide an abstraction or principle,and ask students to select an example thatbest illustrates the principle.

• Give examples, and ask for the prin-ciple or theory they illustrate.

• Create case studies, and base ques-tions on them. Often, you can ask severalquestions based on each case and therebyexpand the possibilities for assessing ad-vanced levels of thinking. Here is howone teacher used several questions aboutone case study to enhance student un-derstanding and learning:

4. A 14-year-old boy is brought tothe emergency room following traumaexperienced while playing baseball atschool. He appears restless and agitated,although he does not seem to be in agreat deal of pain. His pulse is 130/minute, his blood pressure is 100/50, andhe has cold, clammy skin.Which of thefollowing possibilities would be most im-portant to assess immediately?

a. broken bonesb. internal bleedingc. appendicitisd. psychiatric sequelae5.The emergency room personnel

send the boy to X-ray, and while waitingfor the results, recheck his vital signs.Thepulse is now 148/min and the bloodpressure is 95/48.Which of the followingwould be the most important first actionto take?

a. Request a surgical consult re-

garding possible internal bleeding.b. Call orthopedics for a possible

bone setting, pending X-ray results.c. Ask a technician to draw blood to

check for possible appendicitis.d. Call a family member to take the

boy home.Questions 4 and 5 take the objective

to a new level. Now the teacher is askingfor application and analysis, rather than

just knowledge, recognition, and recall.Students must know the significance aswell as the definition of a fast pulse andhigh blood pressure.The questions assesswhether they understand the cause of thesymptoms and what to do about them.

• Provide a continuum of possibilitiesin your answers. Multiple-choice ques-tions can also ask students to make pre-dictions based on their interpretation of


Figure 3

Clues to Answers for Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Length ClueThe longest answer (or the one with the most qualifiers) is often the cor-

rect one because the writer has excessively qualified the information to en-sure that it is accurate.

2. Verbal Association ClueSometimes questions suggest a verbal association between the stem and

the correct answer. Watch for a different form of a key word, if it appears inonly one answer.

3. Grammatical ClueEach answer, with the stem, should form a grammatically correct state-

ment. If not, this provides a clue to the right answer. For example, if the stemasks for a singular response, and all of the incorrect answers are plural, thestudent could correctly guess the right answer.

4. Specific QualifiersQualifying words, such as always, all, or never, rarely appear in a correct

answer, but are often found in distracters. On the other hand, less extremequalifiers such as usually, rarely, sometimes, typically, and may be commonlyappear in the correct option.

5. ConvergenceConvergence refers to the tendency of test designers to use the correct

answer more frequently than the incorrect options. Thus, the student canguess the best answer simply by counting which facts occur most frequentlyin the various answers, and selecting that response.

6. All of the Above / None of the AboveResearch has shown that “all of the above” is the correct response 50-75

percent of the time, compared to “none of the above,” which is the right choiceless than 10 percent of the time.

7. Middle GroundParticularly when using numbers as answers, test designers tend to use

figures that are higher and lower when developing distracters. If you don’tknow an answer and wish to guess wisely, eliminate the lowest and highestnumbers and choose one in the middle.


quoted materials. Here are examples ofquestions that measure understandingand require some analysis of the follow-ing quotation from Walvoord and Ander-son’s Effective Grading:A Tool for Learningand Assessment.

“The social meaning of grading is chang-


Figure 4

Checklist for Eliminating Clues in Multiple-Choice Questions

• Avoid “all of the above” or “none of the above.”

• Don’t always place the right answer in the middle of a sequence (some-times make all of the distractors larger or smaller than the right answer).

• Double check for grammatical clues—make sure all distractors fit gram-matically with the stem.

• Try to make your distractors about the same length as the correct answer and of similar complexity.

• Check for verbal clues. If you repeat a word from the stem in the correct answer, make sure that word appears in some of the distractors, as well.

• Check to see if there is a pattern to the answers (e.g., A, C, D, A, C, D, B, D, A, B, D, A) or too many answers are in the same position (in a 10-point test: 6 B’s, 2 A’s, 1 C, and 1 D, for instance), and if so, rearrange the responses in several of the questions.

By checking for inad-vertent clues, teacherscan make sure thattheir tests measurestudent mastery ofcontent, rather thantheir test-takingsavvy.


ing all the time.Your grades and grading sys-tem will be interpreted and used within thesystem that is—not the one you wish for orthe one you experienced as a student. . . . Be-cause grades are useless apart from the mean-ings that people impart to them, we suggestyou abide by the system of meanings in whichyou find yourself. Except when issues of in-tegrity and ethics are at stake, it’s okay to payfor a hamburger at the current inflated rates,not the rates you paid in the good old days.Grade inflation is a national problem andmust be addressed by institutions in concert atthe national level. Individual teachers cannotaddress the problem in isolation; all you cando is use the coin of the realm.” 2

Question 1When establishing a grading scale for

a particular course, how should one de-termine which letter grade represents av-erage work, according to Walvoord andAnderson?

a. Stick to historical standards.b. Stick with established institutional

norms.c. Use present national standards.d. Develop different scales for each

course, based on external standards.

Question 2What do the authors mean when

they suggest that in testing and grading,one should use the “coin of the realm”?

a.Test using only the publishedcourse objectives.

b. Base grades on national aver-ages.

c. Ensure that grades represent stu-dent learning.

d. Insist that grading be totally objec-tive.

These questions illustrate attempts todevelop multiple-choice questions thatmeasure students’ abilities to go beyondsimply recalling facts, lists, or informa-tion. Remind students to read carefully,keeping in mind that although more thanone answer may be true, they shouldchoose only the response that can be de-duced from the content of the paragraph.

SummaryMrs. Poindexter tried not to become

too discouraged with her early attemptsto assess student knowledge throughmultiple-choice tests. She realized that

testing had a motivating effect on herstudents, as they studied to learn whatthey anticipated what would be on thetest. Certainly, tests can aid retention andtransfer of learning.And teachers needthe feedback provided by students’ testscores to help them evaluate their effec-tiveness. For tests to be valid, however,they must be carefully planned to accu-rately assess how well students have metlearning objectives. By eliminating cluesand designing questions that test highcognitive functioning, Mrs. Poindexterfound she could increase the effectivenessof the testing process and thereby im-prove teaching and learning.✐________________________________

This article has been peer reviewed._________________

Dr. Gail Rice is on the fac-ulty of the School of AlliedHealth Professions at LomaLinda University in LomaLinda, California.As a fac-ulty member in the newhealth professions higher ed-ucation program, she recently

completed a Fellowship in Medical Education atthe University of Southern California. She fre-quently presents workshops and courses on thetopic of authentic assessment and consults withthe University of Washington in this area. Dr.Rice authored an article on online assessment inthe April/May 2003 issue of the JOURNAL.__________________________________

Answers to Figure 2 quizFor each of the quiz questions in Fig-

ure 1, the correct “clued” answer is given,followed by the number of the type ofclue (from Figure 3) the question repre-sents.

1. d, Clue 22. d, Clue 6

3. c, Clue 54. c, Clues 5 and 75. d, Clue 36. d, Clue 47. b, Clue 1

________________________________

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cashin,William, Improving Multiple-Choice Tests.Manhattan: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development in Higher Education,Kansas State University, 1986. Idea Paper No. 16.

Davis, Barbara Gross, Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001.

Gronlund, Norman, How to Make Achievement Tests and Assessments. Boston:Allyn & Bacon, 1993.

Jacobs, Lucy Cheser, and Clinton I. Chase,Developing and Using Tests Effectively:A Guide for Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Lowman, James, Mastering the Techniques of Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1984.

Maguire,Thomas, Ernest Skakun, and Charles Harley,“Setting Standards for Multiple-Choice Items in Clinical Reasoning,”Evaluation & the Health Professions 15:4 (December 1992), pp. 434-452.

Ory, John, Improving Your Test Questions. Urbana:Office of Instructional Resources, Univer-sity of Illinois, 1985.

Paxton, Moragh,“A Linguistic Perspective on Multiple-Choice Questioning,” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 25:2 (June 2000), p. 109.

Quam, Kay J., Ready, Set,Teach. New York: Kay J. Quam, 1998.

Schuwirth, L., C. van der Vleuten, and H. Jan Donkers,“A Closer Look at Cueing Effectsin Multiple-Choice Questions,” Medical Education 30:1 (1996), pp. 44-49.

Skakun, E.,T. Maguire, and D. Cook,“Strategy Choices in Multiple-Choice Items,” Aca-demic Medicine 69:10, Suppl. (October 1994), pp. S7-S9.

Vitale, Barbara A., and Patricia M. Nugent,TEST SUCCESS:Test Taking Techniques for the Healthcare Student. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company, 1996.

Walvoord, Barbara E., and Virginia Johnson,Effective Grading:A Tool for Learning and Assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,1998.

______________________________________


1. In fact, advanced test developers almost alwaysavoid using a negative question, e.g., Choose the ex-ception or the one that is not correct.

2. Barbara E.Walvoord and Virginia Johnson An-derson, Effective Grading:A Tool for Learning and Assess-ment (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998), p. 12.


Developing multiple-choice questions thatrequire high-levelthinking requires agreat deal of thoughtand time.



ENGINEERING—ENGINEERING—

College Days provide an opportunityfor prospective engineering studentsto showcase their design skills, com-pete for scholarships, and see howthey might fit into the program atWalla Walla College. Professor LouieYaw looks on as a prospective stu-dent builds a bridge that will betested for strength. Inset:TylerDuffy’s award-winning project(WWC: BSE-ME/BBA-Acct ’04), aheli-portable drilling machine, hasnow been manufactured multipletimes and is part of a growing business, Excel Drilling.



Engineers turn ideas into reality! Nearly everything that makes theeconomy operate, that makes your life easier and more fun, hasbeen created by engineers. Engineers designed mechanisms thatallow you to have running water in your house, electricity tostudy your Bible at night, and the Internet in order to learnabout and keep in touch with others. Engineers have even provided the means to giveBible studies to people in countries where Bibles are burned.

What better way to witness in the workplace than help one’s fellow human beings? Indeed, engi-neering is a service-oriented profession!

Types of EngineersEngineering is subdivided into numerous areas of expertise.The most popular at the undergradu-

ate level are: mechanical, civil, electrical, and computer engineering, as well as bioengineering, all ofwhich are taught in Seventh-day Adventist colleges.

Mechanical engineers designed the car you drive, as well as the heating and air-conditioning systemsthat keep your office and home warm in winter and cool in summer.They also work on designs andimprovements for race cars, rockets, airplanes, combines and tractors, roller coasters, turbines, and con-struction equipment.

Civil engineers design skyscrapers, schools, and other buildings; aircraft, water systems, bridges, dams,airports, highways, tunnels, water treatment plants, pipelines, and irrigation projects.

Electrical engineers work in areas such as new computer technologies and hydroelectric plants.Theyalso design laboratory instruments, motor controls, power systems, computer chips, satellites,TVs,VCRs, computer systems, cell phones, PDAs, audio controls, and various types of communicationsequipment.

A new area is Computer Engineering (CompE). Computer engineers make itpossible for people around the world to study the Bible online in more than 44languages. In contrast with a computer programmer, who is given specifications tocreate a code that runs a program, the computer engineer ensures that the net-working components and data work together. Computer engineers also design hardware and softwarefor data storage, video processing, computer graphics, PDAs, speech processing, networks, databases,computer processing, embedded systems, and integrated circuits.

Bioengineers apply advanced technologies to both living systems and specialized instruments.They design and develop medical equipment such as minimally invasive surgical tools, miniatureblood-testing instruments, artificial joints, implants, and prosthetic devices, as well as bio-reactors toproduce new substances.They also work to improve imaging technology, study how to improve cropsand make vehicles and offices more user-friendly, and research ways to stimulate the muscles of para-lyzed people. Many of them take advanced training in medicine, dentistry, physiology, or public health.

BY MARLENE A. BAERG

A Service-Oriented

Profession

Engineering issubdivided intonumerous areasof expertise.

——

Preparing Your Students forEngineering Careers


Through the years, engineers havedone great things for society and thechurch. Some examples of those whograduated from an Adventist school ofengineering (Walla Walla College in Col-lege Place,Washington) are noted inSidebar 1, below.

Do You Have Budding Engineers inYour Class?

Most students who choose engineer-ing as a career are born with the abilityto figure things out and have an innatecuriosity about the way things work.Some schools include engineering as apart of the grade school curriculum. Ifyou do not do so at your school, here aresome ways to identify budding engineersand encourage them:

Do you have students who do well inmathematics? This is your first clue. Many

of these students like to take things apartand put them back together. Studiesshow that by the 6th grade, students be-gin to make choices about careers.Therefore, schools should provide infor-mation starting at the early elementarylevel. Incorporating information aboutengineering into the math and scienceclassroom will encourage students to ex-plore their natural affinity in this area.

Engineering Week (also known as E-week)—the week of George Washing-ton’s birthday in February (he was anengineer before becoming the first presi-dent of the United States)—is an excel-lent time to introduce engineering con-cepts at any grade level. Many collegesand universities offer a plethora of activi-ties during this week. Each year during


SIDEBAR 1

Personal Stories/ExamplesMechanical Engineering

Steve Speyer (ME ’88) started at Boeing Aircraft, dealing with galleys of planes and later moved into the school build-ing business, where he is now managing $250 million projects. Sukhdev Mathaudhu (ME ’70) has won many awards forenergy-efficient building designs.

Civil EngineeringGary Curtis (CE ’59) was part of the design team of the Seattle Space Needle (Washington State), the structural en-

gineer of record for the geodesic dome over the Spruce Goose, as well as other bridges including the new “roller coasterbridge” in Long Beach, California. Mark Schwisow (CE ’94) now works in Cambodia as ADRA country director.

Electrical Engineering Harley Henrich (EE ’79), who scored in the top 10 percent in his qualifying exams for the Ph.D. program at Stanford

University, has created several items that major companies use routinely in their semiconductor businesses. His work hasincluded radio frequency identification. This technology uses a wireless radio transmitter to power extremely inexpensiveelectronic labels (RFID tags). Wal-Mart plans to use RFID tags for all products they sell. CNN’s 2005 list of the top 25 in-novations in the past 25 years has named RFID as No. 10 (http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/01/03cnn25.top25.innovations).

As part of the Sow One Billion Campaign (http://www.hopetalk.org), www.BibleInfo.com’s Andrew DePaula (EE ’96)has been instrumental in providing tools to study the Bible in a variety of languages (16 to date, two coming online shortly).

Computer EngineeringRobert Triebwasser (CompE ’00) is working at Level Two, Inc., in Bellevue, Washington, designing fault tolerant sys-

tems for public safety and police use.Ted Kramer (CompE ’03) is now working at the Space & Naval Warfare Systems Cen-ter in San Diego, California, where he writes software for robotic vehicles, ground surveillance radars, and unattendedground sensors.

BioengineeringAndrew Cupino (BioE ’03) is studying at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he is considering neurology

and/or a graduate degree in electrical engineering, math, or physics to assist with research in this field. The engineeringportion of his undergraduate education was very helpful in his study of the neurons and the cardiovascular system. HeidiHutchins (BioE ’02) is studying to become a physicians assistant, while Brandon (BioE ’01) and Malinda (BioE ’02) Kearbyare attending dental school.

Most studentswho choose en-gineering as acareer are bornwith the ability tofigure things outand have an in-nate curiosityabout the waythings work.


E-week,Walla Walla College holds anEgg Drop in which many local elemen-tary and high school students participate.The objective of the competition is tocreate packaging that will protect a rawegg during a launch from the top of athree-story building on campus, aimingat a cast-iron skillet on the ground below.In 2004, the event once again made thefront page of the local newspaper, with aphoto of the winning entry in the “light-est materials” category.

Many Internet sites1 offera variety of resources,including activities thatrequire minimal sup-plies and equipment.

Other ideas include competitions2 inwhich you can encourage your studentsto participate, or activities in your localarea that show how engineering is a crit-ical component of society.

The Adventist Lego League3 is a newhands-on way to get your students in-volved with robotic Legos. Chapters areforming across the U.S. that will hostchallenge events. Integrating this intoyour curriculum can also help studentsexplore their aptitude for engineering.4

A strong background in mathematicsis vital to preparation for engineering ca-reers.Although engineers do not usemathematics every day, learning to thinkmathematically enables them to solve avariety of problems.At the college level,engineering students will need to take atleast two years of math, beginning withcalculus, so a solid foundation of math atthe K-12 level is very important.

Students interested in engineering


Incorporating in-formation aboutengineering intothe math and sci-ence classroomwill encouragestudents to ex-plore their nat-ural affinity inthis area.

A student in the WWC Robotics and Manufacturing Lab builds a manufacturing system.

In the UNIX computer lab at WWC, students learn how to design in three dimensions using high-endsoftware similar to that used in industry.


should also take high school courses inEnglish, science, social studies, and thehumanities (see Sidebar 3).Writing iscrucial for engineers, who need to beable to clearly communicate their ideasand designs. Studies in foreign languagesand the practical arts are also valuable.

Other disciplines, as well, will providebackground information and skills forthe various industries in which the engi-neer chooses to work. Engineering clubscan give students an idea of what is in-volved in the profession, scheduling guestspeakers and field trips.

In today’s environment of downsiz-ing, consolidation, efficiency, and produc-

tivity, an engineer must be able to adaptto his or her environment. Knowing thebasics well and reading widely will pro-vide a strong background for a variety ofareas. Specialization at the graduate levelis recommended for many jobs.

For most engineers, teamwork is acritical part of the job. In the past 20years, project teamwork has gone from21 percent to more than 50 percent of anengineer’s job. Socialization, liberal-artsstudies, and exposure to other cultureswill help the engineering student under-stand and get along with people andmake the most of the team environment.Cooperative learning projects and leader-ship opportunities will also help studentsprepare for teamwork.There are manyopenings for engineers in mission work(including ADRA) and other jobs in avariety of countries.

Which College to Attend?When your students are evaluating

which school to attend, several questionsare important:

1.What type of major have you cho-sen? Does the school offer it? Investigatea variety of careers and the preparation

necessary for each, using the major/mi-nor finders and career skills tests typicallyoffered during the junior or senior yearin religion class or by the guidance coun-selor at your school.

2.What is your preferred type of en-vironment/lifestyle? What kind of friendsdo you want to make? Will the locationof the school, class schedule, and extra-curricular activities make it difficult tokeep the Sabbath and to fellowship withother Adventists?

3.What type of student-teacher ratiodo you want? Do you want to interactwith your professors? Many of the largeschools use teaching assistants to answerquestions after class. Teachers rarely getto know the students.

4. Do you want a program that ishighly competitive? How is the schoolrated? Is it accredited by the appropriateorganizations?

Walla Walla College (WWC) has theonly Seventh-day Adventist four-year en-gineering program accredited by ABET(the professional engineering accreditingbody). Andrews University (BerrienSprings, Michigan) recently announcedthat it will offer a four-year program. In a


In the past 20years, projectteamwork hasgone from 21percent tomore than 50percent of anengineer’s job.

Students work together in teams in the WWC Digital Electronics Design Lab to create a custom Central Processing Unit (CPU).


variety of competitions,WWC has faredwell against the best engineering pro-grams in the U.S. public and private sec-tors.

If professional certification is impor-

tant for your career, you may be delayedin taking your exams if you graduatefrom a non-ABET accredited program,depending upon where you want to takeyour exams.WWC has affiliations with

the other Seventh-day Adventist collegesand universities in North America andthe Caribbean, which offer a one-year ortwo-year pre-engineering curriculum.With careful planning, students whowould like to study near home or attendanother school with a sibling or friendsfor part of their college career can do so.Students who would like to be a part of aprogram for four years can come directlyto WWC from high school.

Engineering is a rigorous program.Some students take five years to completean undergraduate degree. If students in-tend to participate in competitive sportsor other time-consuming extracurricularactivities, they should expect to take atleast five or six years to complete the


SIDEBAR 2

Walla Walla College School of Engineering

Fast Facts

■ Founded in 1947 ■ ABET-accredited engineering program ■ 93 percent placement rate in either engineering employment or

graduate school ■ More than 1,200 graduates to date ■ In 2004, 59 percent of freshman ACT math scores were at the 81st

percentile or higher.■ Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, taken by all seniors, with a better

pass rate (~90 percent) than the national average ■ Senior project required for graduation ■ Co-ops are available ■ Graduates are routinely identified as having higher technical maturity

and ethical understanding than their counterparts■ Students regularly compete and beat top undergraduate engineering

schools (including Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

The importanceof a strong back-ground in math-ematics aspreparation forengineering ca-reers cannot beoverstated.

WWC engineering students take a field trip to the nearby Stateline Wind Energy Center, the largest commercial facility of its kind in the northwest U.S.,where they learn how renewable energy can benefit society.


program and do their academic best.At asmall school with a good reputation,bright students can be academically chal-lenged by the professors who know themand can work with them individually.Struggling students can move at theirown pace as they get the help and atten-tion they need.The WWC program re-quires all students to take the Fundamen-tals of Engineering exam during theirsenior year. Students from WWC have abetter pass rate (~90 percent) than thenational average.

WWC students who choose post-graduate education are routinely ac-cepted into the best programs in thecountry. What a bonus to be able to getone’s undergraduate education in aChristian environment and make friendsfor life!

Engineering prepares students formany careers. So whatever one’s person-ality type, with appropriate training, heor she can find a niche within engineer-ing.

Engineering is not an easy program,but the rewards are tremendous. Engi-neers can derive great satisfaction fromthe tangible products they create andtheir contributions to the community. Inthe figure at the bottom left, any one ofthe small cubes could be where engi-neering graduates get a job.With addi-tional training and experience, they canmove vertically or horizontally.

If you are a K-12 teacher, encourageyour students to read about engineeringand stimulate them to discover howthings work.As students are exposed toengineering, they can make educatedchoices about whether this is a field inwhich they are interested and can excel. Ifyou would like for your students to par-ticipate in campus or regional events,please contact the author of this article. ✐

__________________

Marlene A. Baerg,P.M.P., is Director of En-gineering Recruitment andAssistant Professor of Engi-neering at Walla WallaCollege in College Place,Washington. She can becontacted by e-mail [email protected]

phone: (800) 541-8900 (toll free in the U.S)or (509) 527-2446.Website: http://engr.wwc.edu/journal.________________________________


1. See http://www.eweek.org, http://www.discoverengineering.org (Grades 6-9), and http://www.engineeringsights.org.

2. For example, JETS: http://www.jets.org, andFuture City: http://www.futurecity.org.

3. See http://www.adventistlegoleague.net.4. See the Adventist Review article at http://www.

adventistreview.org/pdf/2004/1527-2004.pdf,“Ad-ventist Lego League Hosts First NAD Robitics Chal-lenge” (July 2004), pp. 40, 41 (See http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ 01/03/cnn25.top25.innovations/.)


SIDEBAR 3

Required Courses for Admittance

High school diploma or equivalency, including the following courses:Number of years Discipline

4 English1 Laboratory Science4 Mathematics (general mathematics,

plus algebra, geometry, and trigonometry)2 History

There are manyopenings for en-gineers in mis-sion work (in-cluding ADRA)and in other jobsin a variety ofcountries.

SIDEBAR 4

Engineering Positions



Christian radio stations based on educational campuses can help train broad-cast journalism students while at the same time sharing the good news ofthe gospel. For 31 years, the radio ministry of KJCR, 88.3 FM, has reachedthe Dallas-Fort Worth community from the campus of Southwestern Ad-ventist University in Keene,Texas.

“Since we are an Adventist radio station, we bring our unique messageto the listeners,” says Randy Yates, a former KJCR employee, current station

manager, and assistant communication professor at the university.“Inspirational music, a sun-down devotional on Friday, and a special airing of Bible Answers Live With Doug Batchelor arepart of the Sabbath programming.” Sabbath worship services from the Keene Seventh-dayAdventist Church are recorded during first service each weekend and then broadcast at11:00 a.m. during second service.Throughout the week, programs like the Voice of Prophecyand Your Story Hour cover the age gamut with audience-focused broadcasts.

Each day, a Bible text is chosen as KJCR’s Verse of the Day sound bite.A schedule re-minds the disk jockeys (DJs) to read the verse on-air several times during the day.“I remem-ber one young mother who called the station,” says Yates.“She said that she had been listen-ing to the Verse of the Day, and it was exactly what she needed to hear at that moment.”

In the BeginningSerious discussion about starting a campus-based radio station began in 1968. Financial support did not

materialize until three years later. Primary donors Raymond and Anna Beem had originally planned to funda planetarium on the campus (then Southwestern Union College).When other funding for the planetariumfell through, they decided to allocate money for the establishment of a radio station.

Bob Mendenhall, current chair of the university communication department, was the first general man-ager of the station. He applied for the call letters, KSUC, and the FM frequency, 88.3,through the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.“The station was run by studentvolunteers when it began in June 1974,” says Mendenhall,“because the communicationdegree was just being established.”

Steve Cavender was the first student on-air at KJCR. He worked with turntables and reel-to-reel taperecorders to broadcast music and religious programs. In those days, the station broadcast for only 12 hours aday. In late 1984, KSUC became KJCR after applying for a signal upgrade to avoid interference from an-other station. Broadcasting capabilities have advanced with the times. Many years later, in 1996, SWAU stu-

CHRISTIAN RADIO FOR A

HURTINGWORLD

Christian radio sta-tions based on edu-cational campusescan help trainbroadcast journal-ism students whileat the same timesharing the goodnews of the gospel.

BY DEBBIE BATTIN


dent Jason Mustard joined the staff. “Inmy first training session, I learned how toplay music based on a rotation clock thatwas posted on the wall,” says Mustard. Bythe time Mustard graduated and left thestation, everything was digital.

Broadcast Journalism EducationToday, the station is fully computer-

ized and powered by 15 watts of broad-casting power.The station reaches a ra-dius of about 60-100 miles. KJCR is runalmost entirely by students, who not onlyreceive a blessing through the music, butalso gain valuable work experience andmoney to defray tuition expenses.“Manyof the former KJCR staff work as broad-casters for various stations around theworld and Seventh-day Adventist radioministries,” says Glen Robinson, associatecommunication professor and formerKJCR manager.

Students program the automatedbroadcasting system with songs and pre-recorded announcements. News and

weather reports are written by the stu-dent DJ, who reads them frequently on-

air throughout the day. From 6 p.m. to 6a.m., the station broadcasts preset music


KJCR's ministry reaches a radius of 60-100 miles with its 15 watts of broadcasting power.

Station Manager Randy Yates says, "KJCR is run almost entirely by students, who gain valuable work experience and money to defray tuition ex-penses."


and programs.An-nouncements that runduring that time arerecorded and pro-grammed into thecomputer.“I haveworked at KJCR forthree years, and it is re-ally something specialwhen you get tobroadcast Christianmusic and Bible-basedprogramming day inand day out,” says Jes-sica Protasio, a seniormathematics major andmusic director atKJCR.

KJCR’s repertoiregoes far beyond thetypically defined modesof modern musical en-tertainment. Lyrics andmelodies resound withmeaning and depth.Protasio spends hourspicking out music that is modern, whilestill fit for worship and inspirational.“Music selection is something I take veryseriously,” says Protasio.“I know thatsomeone is listening on the other end,and they need to hear the precious mes-sage of the unconditional love of Christ.”Thousands of testimonials from listeners

show the station’s influence over theyears.

Kristina Pascual, junior broadcastingmajor, works as the promotions directorand especially enjoys doing remotebroadcasts.“The time I spend at the sta-tion is something I can put on my ré-sumé to help me get a job in the career-

world someday,” says Pascual.University students often attend

community events to give away ChristianCDs, books, or other promotional itemsfrom KJCR. In recent months, the sta-tion has broadcast live from an AdventistBook Center during its grand opening,and from a newly built Habitat for Hu-manity house in Arlington,Texas.

Music for a Hurting WorldLive broadcasts give a face to the

voices that listeners hear in their cars onthe way to and from work.“In this worldthat changes so rapidly and violently, I’mglad that God has provided a venue tokeep people focused on Christ instead ofall the many distractions out there,” saysMike Holland, an Adventist pastor inCleburne,Texas.

“We want our listeners to hear thewords, and know that whatever problems

they are having, Jesusis the answer,” saysYates. ✐_________________

Debbie Battin is Di-rector of Marketing atSouthwestern AdventistUniversity in Keene,Texas.


Jarrod Purkeypile, sophomore broadcasting major, is the voice of "Marco Palogney" on a student-produced radio show foryouth.

Students gain technical skills by recording news stories, weather reports, public-service announce-ments, and the Bible verse of the day. In the two years senior journalism major Alexis Franklin(shown above) has been a student DJ, she has discovered that radio is a career she hopes to pur-sue.


The Andrews UniversityEducational ResearchIndex is publishedyearly in the JOURNAL

OF ADVENTIST EDUCA-TION. This index con-stitutes a report of the

formal research conducted by stu-dents in the School of Education atAndrews University (AU) in BerrienSprings, Michigan. Recognizing thatsome of these studies are of particularimportance for teachers and educa-tional administrators in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the AUSchool of Education makes this in-formation available to readers of thisjournal.

In addition to students who en-gage in research at the Master’s anddoctoral levels, undergraduate honorstudents under faculty guidance aregiven the opportunity to do signifi-cant research in a field of theirchoice. Reports of the findings ofthese studies by the honor students(Andrews Scholars) are also available.

On the graduate level, membersof the faculty guide students in majorresearch for Master’s theses and doc-toral dissertations. These studiescover a range of research literature inwhich the following are emphasized:

1. analysis and testing of theory;2 the application of theory;3. specific problems in education, counsel-

ing and psychology; and4. development of specific curricular ma-

terials or psychological instruments.The areas covered in these studies

include curriculum and instruction,educational administration and su-pervision, educational and counseling

psychology, and religious education.

Use of the Educational Research Index

This edition of the index refer-ences studies completed by doctoralstudents who graduated betweenDecember 2003 and December 2004.

The indexed titles of student re-search include: (1) author, (2) title,(3) date completed, (4) number ofpages in the complete report, and(5) the name of the faculty advisor(s).A 350-word abstract is available foreach of the studies. This contains thepurpose of the study, the methodsand procedures that the researcherused to develop the research, and theconclusions reached.

Readers may obtain an abstractupon request for five dollars (U.S.$5.00). This fee includes mailing ex-penses. To request further informa-tion about the Andrews UniversityEducational Research Index, pleasewrite to:

Dr. Jerome D. ThayerProfessor of Research and Statistical MethodologySchool of EducationAndrews UniversityBerrien Springs, MI 49104-0100

Doctoral dissertations are avail-able only through University Micro-films International, 300 N. ZeebRoad, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106,U.S.A. Phone inquiries: (313) 761-4700, Ext. 3781 (domestic) or Ext.3461 (international). FAX inquiries:(313) 973-2088. Requests for ab-stracts of these should be made di-rectly to that organization.

________________Dr. Jerome D.Thayer is Professor ofResearch and StatisticalMethodology at AndrewsUniversity in BerrienSprings, Michigan.

Andrews UniversityEducational

Research Index29th Edition

December 2003-December 2004

Anderson, Lynn Ann. A Comparisonof Kinetic Family Drawings of Firstborn andSecond-Born Siblings. May 2004, v + 228,Donna J. Habenicht.

Cobb, Beverly J. Nursing Students’Experiences in Personal Spiritual Formationand in Provision of Spiritual Care to Patients.August 2004, ix + 238, Shirley Freed.

Colon, May-Ellen Marian. Sabbath-Keeping Practices and Factors Related toThese Practices Among Seventh-day Advent-ists in 51 Countries. May 2004, xx + 417,John B. Youngberg.

Crosby, Ellen L. Self-Reported Per-sonal Problems of Adventist Academy Stu-dents. August 2004, xiii + 200, ShirleyFreed.

Dramstad, Styrkar A. Job Satisfac-tion and Organizational CommitmentAmong Teachers in Norway:A ComparativeStudy of Selected Schools From Public andPrivate Educational Systems. May 2004, xvi+ 279, James A. Tucker.

Fleming, Cheryl. First-Year TeacherPerceptions of Classroom Experiences andTeacher Induction in a Midwestern SchoolDistrict. August 2004, ix + 252, James Jef-fery.


ANDREWS UNIVERS ITYEDUCATIONAL RESEARCH INDEX

29th EDITION

By Jerome D. Thayer


Haffner, Karl. The Improv Church:AQualitative,Theoretical, and InterdisciplinaryExplanation of Its Appeal to Collegians. Au-gust 2004, ix + 297, Shirley Freed.

Huyser, Mackenzi Anne. FacultyPerceptions of Institutional Commitment tothe Scholarship of Engagement. May 2004,vii + 128, Larry D. Burton.

Kibble, Lolethia Jones. How In-structional Leadership Is Addressed in Educa-tional Administration/Leadership Programs.May 2004, vii + 139, James Jeffery.

Laughner, Thomas Chris. Psycholog-ical Sense of Community in On-Line Learn-ing Environments. May 2004, ix + 109,Larry D. Burton.

Massey, Scott Lee. The Effects ofCooperative Learning Versus TraditionalClassroom Instruction on Cognitive Achieve-ment, Critical Thinking, and Attitudes Toward

Learning in Teams in a Physician AssistantProgram. March 2003, viii + 121, HinsdaleBernard.

Regal, Neva Charlotte. The Con-cept of Salvation in 19-34-Year-Old Sev-enth-day Adventists Who Live in the State ofIndiana. November 2004, xiii + 393,Donna J. Habenicht.

Romer, Virginia Alicia. Attitudes ofJunior High Teachers Towards Teaching Stu-dents with Learning Disabilities in InclusiveClasses in Public Schools in New Providence,Bahamas. November 2004, x + 170, Can-dice Hollingsead.

Sargeant, Marcel Andre Almont.Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Sev-enth- and Eighth-Grade Science Education ina Selected Seventh-day Adventist UnionConference. December 2003, xi + 211,Larry D. Burton.

Schroder, Ralph Udo. Job Satisfac-tion and Its Relationship to OrganizationalCommitment and Religious Commitment forAndrews University Employees. December2003, ix + 176, Jimmy Kijai.

Singler, Ann Carol. Validating theSubstance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventoryfor Identifying Substance Abuse Among Adoles-cents in a Residential Treatment Center. De-cember 2003, vii + 138, Jimmy Kijai.

Smith, Susan. Teachers’ Perceptions ofInternet-Based Distance Education in Ad-ventist Colleges and Universities:A Mixed-Methods Study. November 2004, xii + 198,Shirley Freed.

Zvandasara, Bonginkosi. Percep-tions of Board Effectiveness in SelectedInstitutions of Higher Education in Zim-babwe. May 2004, vii + 132, HinsdaleBernard. ✐


Bell Hall, Andrews University School of Education, Berrien Springs, Michigan.


2005 Online AVLN ConferenceFirst Ever Totally Online Conference forAdventist EducatorsMay 9-12, 2005Theme: Global Collaboration for Quality Christian EducationCombination format of asynchronous discussion, synchronous online events,and local face-to-face sessions.Session Stands

• Show ‘n’ Tell: Adventist Distance Education Worldwide• Collaboration 101: A Systems Approach to Adventist Education• LEAP: College Courses for Advanced High School Students• Integrating Faith and Learning Online• Research on Online Learning• Online Course Development• Desire2Learn Training

Call for participation, registration information, and additionaldetails online at www.avln.org/conference/

Summer CoursesIntegrating Technology in the Curriculum

June 6 - July 29, 2005Developing WebQuests

June 13 - July 22, 2005Technology in the Early Elementary Classroom

June 20 - July 29, 2005

Please visit www.avln.org for latest schedule. Academic credit available fromAndrews University, HSI/Griggs University, and La Sierra University. Thesecourses are TDEC approved for certification renewal. See www.nadtdec.org/teacherdecourses.htm for more details. Also check with your principal,conference superintendent, or union certification officer.

Adventist Virtual Learning Network www.avln.orgQuestions? E-mail Janine Lim, [email protected] or Marilyn Eggers, [email protected]

Summer 2005AVLN Collaboration

Opportunities


THE JOURNAL OF Adventist Education

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