Date
9-17-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Leadership (PhD)
Chair
Alvin Dockett
Keywords
Christian education leadership, Biblical worldview, Christian worldview, secular worldview, worldview formation, worldview assessment, biblical authority, faith and reason, Christian discipleship, spiritual formation, biblical literacy, secularism, competing worldviews
Disciplines
Educational Leadership | Educational Methods
Recommended Citation
Richards, Terry A. II, "A Phenomenological Study Exploring How Leaders at ACSI-Accredited Christian Schools in North and South Carolina Implement and Integrate a Biblical Worldview" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8873.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8873
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study explored how leaders at ACSI-accredited Christian schools in North and South Carolina experienced integrating a biblical worldview. The study examined the strategies leaders considered effective, the challenges they encountered, and the approaches they used to foster collaboration among school leaders, faculty, and families. Using in-depth interviews to explore and illuminate the experiences of nine Christian school leaders, this study analyzed participants’ accounts to identify recurring themes. The findings indicated that participants understood biblical worldview integration as an intentional, schoolwide process rather than isolated religious tasks assigned to key activities, Bible classes, or chapel services. Participants also identified significant opposition to their students’ biblical worldview development, including secular culture, insufficient faculty preparation, and a lack of biblical truth reinforced at home. To meet these challenges, leaders emphasized the need for collaboration between faculty and families, including partnerships, ongoing open communication, and worldview training. The study’s findings also confirmed the need for biblical truth to ground school culture, academic subjects, and activities. Participants unanimously emphasized seeking a Christlike environment that intentionally integrates a biblical worldview framework of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Consequently, this study’s findings deepen understanding of the policies and practices Christian school leaders use to foster a biblical worldview in Christian education, promoting maturation in Christ and lifelong spiritual development among students.
