Date

1-13-2023

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Richard Nichols

Keywords

mental health, African-American, counseling

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

The perspectives of African Americans at the Highway to Heaven Ministry were evaluated using diverse theological concepts in this study. The findings of this study help in deciphering reasons why African Americans primarily choose traditional versus pastoral counseling. The results of the survey were based on the responses of 100 people, all of whom were members of the Highway to Heaven Ministry. Sixty-five women and 35 men, ranging in age from 18 to 88, were enrolled in the study. The data was collected using a well-prepared questionnaire to discover the participants' most heartfelt views regarding pastoral counseling and what motivates them to make their own decisions. The study's conclusion is that ideas like cultural diversity, diversity of thought, and diversity of opinion are important. Concepts like cultural background, age, education, level of religiosity, and church affiliation were among the components that formed the participant’s foundational beliefs. The research helped participants reformulate their minds with better constructs that improve the conscious experiences of their world. This study was a method of researching social life based on the notion that the meaning of human activity is embedded in the action itself. The methods proposed in this study defined the issue at hand. These new ways of looking at things are not meant to intellectualize reasonable answers; They can be applied to real-life settings at the Highway to Heaven Ministry because they are structures that exist in the actual world, assisting people in reshaping the actions and behaviors that have an impact.

Download

Share

COinS