by reading the current literature and thinking critically about what we find. We can also read the reference lists and bibliographies of those works to find additional resources. For example, as I researched female leaders in faith-based higher education, I read many sources by Karen Longman. As I read her work and thought about her ideas, I found that she often cites Jill Dahlvig and Shawna Lafreniere, so I looked up those citations and found other sources that enhance my understanding. By reading the work of these and other researchers, I am not only learning from their work and theories, but also finding a specific gap in the literature. I do think that Colossians 2:8 applies to us in that we need to be sure we view every theory we encounter, create, test, or examine through our Biblical worldview when determining its strength, validity, or research implications. We need to ensure that our research does not convey a sense of truth about a theory that does not fit well with our Christian beliefs, even though we know theories cannot be proved (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2006). For example, examining leadership practices from an evolutionary standpoint (don’t laugh - there’s research on this!) might not be a wise idea for Christians to explore unless that research is balanced by other theories that we know to resonate with what we know is the truth. It would be easy if we could only evaluate or consider theories that agree completely with our Biblical worldview, but that is impossible in this broken world. Our task is to critically examine the theories we work with and ensure that our research endeavors are not geared towards leading anyone in an untruthful or dangerous direction. References Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W.R. (2006). (8th ed.). Educational research: An introduction New York, NY: Allyn & Bacon. Kate – Jesus said, not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John “Let 14:1, KJV). Our Lord knew that the understanding of people where they have been is critical in understanding of where they are and plan to be. As an educator at the college freshman level, I
by reading the current literature and thinking critically about what we find. We can also read the reference lists and bibliographies of those works to find additional resources. For example, as I researched female leaders in faith-based higher education, I read many sources by Karen Longman. As I read her work and thought about her ideas, I found that she often cites Jill Dahlvig and Shawna Lafreniere, so I looked up those citations and found other sources that enhance my understanding. By reading the work of these and other researchers, I am not only learning from their work and theories, but also finding a specific gap in the literature. I do think that Colossians 2:8 applies to us in that we need to be sure we view every theory we encounter, create, test, or examine through our Biblical worldview when determining its strength, validity, or research implications. We need to ensure that our research does not convey a sense of truth about a theory that does not fit well with our Christian beliefs, even though we know theories cannot be proved (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2006). For example, examining leadership practices from an evolutionary standpoint (don’t laugh - there’s research on this!) might not be a wise idea for Christians to explore unless that research is balanced by other theories that we know to resonate with what we know is the truth. It would be easy if we could only evaluate or consider theories that agree completely with our Biblical worldview, but that is impossible in this broken world. Our task is to critically examine the theories we work with and ensure that our research endeavors are not geared towards leading anyone in an untruthful or dangerous direction. References Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W.R. (2006). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.). New York, NY: Allyn & Bacon. Kate – Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1, KJV). Our Lord knew that the understanding of people where they have been is critical in understanding of where they are and plan to be. As an educator at the college freshman level, I