School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

Evaluating Adolescent Catechesis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Religion

Abstract

Systematic program evaluations of adolescent catechesis curricula are seldom completed and rarely published. This makes it very challenging to understand what is working and what is not. This case study describes the findings of a program evaluation of the Youth in Theology and Ministry curriculum of Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota. This is one of more than fifty Lilly Endowment funded theological programs for high school youth initiated since 1998. The evaluation design addresses the problematic issue of measurement of religious outcomes, particularly the measurement of Christian discipleship. The research design includes the development and testing of a Christian Discipleship Scale seeking to define and measure operationally Christian discipleship. Results indicate the Youth in Theology and Ministry curriculum is influential in fostering Christian discipleship and suggest the Christian Discipleship Scale is a viable assessment tool warranting further study.

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