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Copyright © 2014 William Edgar Allen All Rights Reserved. the Southern Copyright © 2014 William Edgar Allen All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation, or instruction. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH FORMATION EXPERIENCES AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by William Edgar Allen May 2014 APPROVAL SHEET THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH FORMATION EXPERIENCES AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY William Edgar Allen Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Brian C. Richardson (Chair) __________________________________________ Hal K. Pettegrew __________________________________________ Timothy K. Beougher Date ______________________________ To Cheryl My wife, helpmate, and friend TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . vii LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . xi PREFACE . xii Chapter 1. RESEARCH CONCERN . 1 Introduction to the Research Problem . 2 Theoretical Foundation . 6 Purpose Statement . 7 Research Questions . 7 Research Delimitations . 8 Terminology . 9 Procedural Overview . 11 Research Assumptions . 13 2. PRECEDENT LITERATURE . 14 Biblical-Theological Foundations of Anthropology . 15 Social Science Theories . 21 Human Freedom and Divine Sovereignty . 28 Election—Biblical and Literature Support . 32 Conversion . 34 Sanctification—Biblical and Literature Support . 39 iv Chapter Page History of Development and Use of the Altar Call . 41 Arguments in Favor of the Altar Call . 47 Arguments against the Altar Call . 52 Scriptural Considerations on Calls for a Decision . 56 Prior Studies Related to Altar Call Efficacy . 67 Relevance of Spiritual Maturity Scales . 70 Research Purpose . 72 3. METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN . 74 Purpose Statement . 74 Research Questions Synopsis . 74 Research Design Overview . 75 Population . 79 Sample and Delimitations . 79 Limitations of Generalization . 80 Research Instrumentation . 81 Ethics Committee Process . 81 Research Procedures . 82 4. ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS . 83 Compilation Method Analysis and Protocol . 83 Demographic and Sample Data . 85 Findings and Displays by Research Question . 86 Research Question 1 . 86 Research Question 2 . 109 Research Question 3 . 118 Research Question 4 . 119 Evaluation of the Research Design . 121 v Chapter Page 5. CONCLUSIONS . 123 Research Purpose . 123 Research Questions . 123 Research Conclusions . 124 Research Implications . 129 Research Applications . 130 Research Limitations . 132 Further Research . 133 Appendix 1. EXPERT PANEL PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS . 136 2. DESCRIPTION OF EXPERT PANEL . 140 3. INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPERT PANEL . 142 4. EXPERT PANEL RESULTS . 143 5. FINAL QUESTIONS . 150 6. LIFEWAY RESEARCH AGREEMENT . 155 7. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS . 160 8. SAMPLE ALTAR CALL . 161 9. SAMPLE SINNER’S PRAYER . 162 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 163 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BGEA Billy Graham Evangelistic Association SBC Southern Baptist Convention SFI Spiritual Formation Inventory TDA Transformational Discipleship Assessment vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Age of respondents . 85 2. Age distribution . 85 3. Education by altar call response . 86 4. Education—question of significant relationship . 87 5. Age with regard to altar call response . 88 6. Age—question of significant relationship . 88 7. Ethnicity . 89 8. Ethnicity—question of significant relationship . 89 9. Ethnicity—analysis of variance (ANOVA) . 90 10. Ethnicity—R-Square value . 90 11. Income . 90 12. Income—question of significant relationship . 91 13. Region of the country . 91 14. Region—question of significant relationship . 92 15. Region—analysis of variance (ANOVA) . 92 16. Region—R-Square value . 93 17. Type of church as a youth . 93 18. Youth church—question of significant relationship . 94 19. Youth Church—analysis of variance (ANOVA) . 94.
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