Connecting Through Multisensory Study and Lectio Divina of Spiritual
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Any duplication, reproduction, or modification of this material without express written consent from Asbury Theological Seminary and/or the original publisher is prohibited. Contact B.L. Fisher Library Asbury Theological Seminary 204 N. Lexington Ave. Wilmore, KY 40390 B.L. Fisher Library’s Digital Content place.asburyseminary.edu Asbury Theological Seminary 205 North Lexington Avenue 800.2ASBURY Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 asburyseminary.edu ABSTRACT AWESOME GOD: CONNECTING THROUGH MULTISENSORY STUDY AND LECTIO DIVINA OF SPIRITUAL NARRATIVES by Linda B. Dunn A spiritual hunger is evident in people's lives today as many believe the current Christian worship and spiritual education to be irrelevant to their lives. People come to church looking for God but go away without feeling they have encountered him there. They long to embrace a way of life that draws them closer to God and brings them spiritual growth and peace. People desire to embrace God and feel embraced by him in an awe-filled, ongoing relationship. This study began with a desire to explore ways to assist that embrace. I began with the assumption that a positive correlation exists between exposure to multisensory worship aids and the narratives of Christian masters and the deepening of one's desire to be spiritually fonned. Research shows the value of both the narratives themselves and the value of multisensory teaching. After exposure to and use of these particulars, I felt myself drawn nearer to God with a deeper sense of spiritual awe. This project used predictive field research design with a mixed quantitative and qualitative triangulation method, thus allowing an approach to the topic through multiple methods. Particular methodology included establishing a baseline, pretest and posttest surveys, discussions, and journal entries. The intervention setting was twofold, utilizing multisensory methods in both classroom and sanctuary environments. The project results showed an increase in the felt level of awe in the participants' relationships with God. This increase confinns the positive relationship among worship aids, spiritual narratives, and multisensory teaching in relation to spiritual fonnation and maturity. DISSERTATION APPROVAL This is to certify that the dissertation entitled AWESOME GOD: CONNECTING THROUGH MULTI-SENSORY STUDY AND LECTIO DIVINA OF SPIRITUAL NARRATIVES presented by Linda B. Dunn has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY Asbury Theological Seminary September 22. 201 I Date September 22. 20 I 1 Date September 22, 20 I 1 Date September 22. 2011 Dean of the Beeson Center Date AWESOME GOD: CONNECTING THROUGH MULTISENSORY STUDY AND LECTIO DIVINA OF SPIRITUAL NARRATIVES A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Linda B. Dunn May 2012 © 2012 Linda B. Dunn ALL RIGHTS RESERVED T ABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................. x CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM .................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions .................................................................................................. 8 Research Question #1 .................................................................................. 8 Research Question #2 ............................................................ '" .... , .............. 9 Research Question #3 .................................................................................. 9 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................. 9 Ministry Intervention ............................................................................................... 9 Context ................................................................................................................... 10 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 12 Participants ................................................................................................ 13 Instrumentation .......................................................................................... 13 Variables .................................................................................................... 13 Data Collection .......................................................................................... 13 Data Analysis ............................................................................................. 14 Pilot Test .................................................................................................... 14 Generalizability .......................................................................................... 14 111 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................... 15 Theological Foundation ......................................................................................... 15 Overview ................................................................................................................ 21 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE ............................................................................................ 22 Introduction ............................................................................................... , ............ 22 Purpose of Research .............................................................................................. 23 Awe ........................................................................................................................ 24 Gradations of Awe ..................................................................................... 29 Attributes of Awe ...................................................................................... 31 Elicitors ..................................................................................................... 34 Measurements of Awe ............................................................................... 35 Theology ................................................................................................................ 36 Scripture .................................................................................................... 36 Hymnody ................................................................................................... 40 John Wesley ............................................................................................... 46 Spiritual Fonnation ................................................................................................ 47 Spiritual Narratives ................................................................................................ 49 Christian Education and Learning ......................................................................... 53 Adult Learning and Change ................................................................................... 56 Teaching Methods ................................................................................................. 58 Journaling .................................................................................................. 58 Icons ........................................................................................................... 59 Lectio Divina ............................................................................................. 60 IV Small Groups ............................................................................................. 63 Multisensory Teaching .............................................................................. 65 Research Design Review ....................................................................................... 69 Establishing the Sample Group ................................................................. 70 Data Collection .........................................................................................