Publication Date

6-2015

Degree Granted

Ed.D.

Institution Granting Degree

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Keywords

biblical community, digital media, essentials of biblical community, student perception

Disciplines

Biblical Studies | Education | Practical Theology | Social Media

Abstract

This study is an examination of teen perception regarding their understanding of biblical community within the environment of digital media. The study also examines the principles, essentials, or characteristics of biblical community regardless of environment.

The researcher surveyed a sample of teens that attend classical, open enrollment, and closed enrollment Christian schools of various denominations as well as no denomination. A survey presenting a list of the essential principles of biblical community, regardless of environment, including questions for each objective was sent to the sample. The respondents were asked to participate in a quantitative Lickert-scale survey. An expert panel was utilized to validate and approve the principles of biblical community that were used in the student survey. The validation by the experts regarding the literature review was then used to form objective questions regarding the principles or characteristics of biblical community regardless of environment. Triangulation was utilized as the principles reviewed in the literature review, validated by the expert panel, were formulated into a survey to measure perception.

The researcher analyzed the data in light of the principles or essentials of biblical community reviewed in the literature review and validated upon by the experts to demonstrate a need to better measure the effectiveness of biblical community within a particular environment. Also, the research demonstrated a need to educate parents and students alike as to what makes a community biblical. The benefit of the expert panel allowed for the findings to be validated in order to then create an instrument that measures student perception. The researcher sought to answer the question: Do teens, that attend Christian high schools, perceive their online relationships to facilitate the principles or essentials of biblical community? The more commonly asked questions concerning the effects of digital media on one’s face-to-face relationships cannot adequately be answered until the above question is answered.

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