The Lived Experience of Conversion in the Broader Context of Experience of Faith Formation

283 Pages·2017·1.73 MB·English

Andrews University
Digital Commons @ Andrews University
Dissertations Graduate Research
2016
The Lived Experience of Conversion in the Broader Context of
Experience of Faith Formation: A Phenomenological Study of
Third- and Greater-generation Seventh-day Adventist Young Adults
Edyta Jankiewicz
Andrews University,
ABSTRACT

THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CONVERSION IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF
EXPERIENCE OF FAITH FORMATION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
OF THIRD- AND GREATER-GENERATION SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS

by
Edyta Jankiewicz

Chair: Tevni Grajales
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Dissertation

Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Title: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CONVERSION IN THE BROADER CONTEXT
OF EXPERIENCE OF FAITH FORMATION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL
STUDY OF THIRD-AND GREATER-GENERATION SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS

Name of researcher: Edyta Jankiewicz

Name and degree of faculty chair: Tevni Grajales, Ph.D.

Date completed: March 2016

Problem
While the New Testament Scriptures describe the characteristics of first-
generation conversion, they do not describe how the children of believers come to
Christian faith. Moreover, while there has been considerable empirical research on
conversion, very little of it addresses conversion in the lives of those nurtured in faith.
As a result, many second- and greater-generation Christians may feel that the term
“conversion” does not describe their spiritual experiences. The purpose of this study was
to describe the lived experience of conversion in the lives of those nurtured in faith from
childhood.
Method

This study adopted a phenomenological approach to qualitative research. The
sample for this study included Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) young adults who had
grown up within an SDA family and faith context, who were at least third-generation
SDA, and who were currently members of SDA faith communities. Data were gathered
through semi-structured interviews with fourteen participants, who were asked to
describe both their formational faith experiences as well as their conversion experiences.
A hermeneutical approach to analysis was then implemented; this involved weaving
codes and categories together with ideas generated through analytic memo writing, and
then organizing them into recurring themes.

Results
Across the 14 interviews, the experiences of both faith formation and
conversion were identified. From the pattern of overlapping themes that emerged
from data analysis, the experience of faith formation can be described as a
dynamic process that integrates the intellectual, affective and behavioral domains
of life that is facilitated by community and that necessitates personal choice.
Within this broader context of experience of faith formation, the participants in
this study experienced conversion, which they described as a gradual, ongoing
process, facilitated by multiple significant moments or events that occurred
across the course of their lives. This process involved movement toward
integration of childhood, adolescent and young adult experiences in both the
intellectual and affective domains, and was accompanied by behavioral choices
that resulted in greater congruence between the intellectual, affective and
behavioral domains of faith.

Conclusion
The findings of this study suggest that third- and greater-generation believers
experience conversion as a gradual process of change in the intellectual, affective and
behavioral domains that in many ways parallels the experiences of first-generation
believers; however, whilst for first-generation Christians these are new experiences, those
who have grown up within the context of faith experience conversion as an integration of
formational and later experiences, frequently resulting in a less dramatic experience.
These findings provide second- and greater-generation believers with a framework for
understanding their spiritual experiences, as well as with a language for articulating a
conversion narrative, both of which may facilitate a more authentic faith.
Andrews University

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CONVERSION IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF
EXPERIENCE OF FAITH FORMATION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
OF THIRD- AND GREATER-GENERATION SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS

A Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

by

Edyta Jankiewicz

March 2016
©Copyright 2016 by
Jankiewicz, Edyta

All rights reserved.
THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CONVERSION IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF
EXPERIENCE OF FAITH FORMATION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
OF THIRD- AND GREATER-GENERATION SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS

A Dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by

Edyta Jankiewicz

APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:

___________________________________ ______________________________
Faculty Advisor, Director of Ph.D. (Rel. Ed) Program
Tevni Grajales John Matthews
Professor of Research Methodology

___________________________________ ______________________________
Kathleen Beagles Dean, SDA Theological Seminary
Associate Professor of Jiri Moskala
Religious Education

__________________________________
Cheryl Doss
Adjunct Professor of
Religious Education

__________________________________ ______________________________
James Estep Date approved
Professor of Religious Education
Lincoln Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATION ……………………………………………………… vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………………… viii

Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1

Foreword ..................................................................................................... 1
Background of the Problem ........................................................................ 4
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................ 6
The Purpose of This Study .......................................................................... 9
General Methodology ................................................................................. 9
Assumptions ................................................................................................ 10
General Research Question ......................................................................... 10
Theological/Theoretical Framework ........................................................... 10
Potential Significance ................................................................................. 11
Limitations and Delimitations of the Study ................................................ 12
Limitations ............................................................................................ 12
Delimitations ......................................................................................... 12
Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………… 13
Organization of the Study ........................................................................... 13

2. THEOLOGICAL/THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................. 14

Statement of Purpose .................................................................................. 14
Christian Faith Formation ........................................................................... 15
Theological Perspectives on Christian Faith Formation ....................... 15
Faith Formation in Scripture ........................................................... 15
Faith formation in the Old Testament ....................................... 15
Faith formation in the New Testament ..................................... 17
Faith Formation in Christian History .............................................. 17
Faith formation in the Post-Apostolic Church .......................... 18
Faith formation in the Medieval Church ................................... 19
The Protestant reformers’ conceptions of
faith formation……………………………………………… 20
Faith formation in the post-Reformation era ............................ 23
Faith formation in the New World ............................................ 26
Faith formation in the writings of Ellen White ……………… 32
iii
Toward an SDA Understanding of Faith Formation …………….. 36
Theoretical Perspectives on Christian Faith Formation ……………… 37
Kim’s Model of Christian Faith Formation………………………. 37
Yount’s Triad of Life Model of Christian Teaching …………… .. 40
Balswick, King and Reimer’s Model of Faith Formation………... 42
Christian Conversion…………………………………………………… .. 45
Theological Perspectives on Conversion .............................................. 46
Conversion in Scripture .................................................................. 46
Conversion in the Old Testament ............................................. 46
Conversion in the New Testament ............................................ 48
Conversion in Christian History ..................................................... 56
Conversion in the Post-Apostolic Church................................. 56
Conversion in the Medieval Church ......................................... 57
The Protestant reformers’ conceptions of conversion .............. 58
Conversion in the post-Reformation era ................................... 60
Conversion in the New World .................................................. 63
Conversion in the writings of Ellen White ............................... 66
Toward an SDA Understanding of Conversion ………………… . 71
Theoretical Perspectives on Conversion …………………………… .. 71
Early Research on Conversion ………………………………… ... 72
Attachment Theory and Conversion …………………………….. 73
Summary ................................................................................................... 77

3. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 79

Introduction ................................................................................................. 79
Overall Approach and Rationale ................................................................. 79
Sampling ................................................................................................... 83
Data Gathering Methods ............................................................................. 85
Data Analysis Procedures ........................................................................... 88
Role of the Researcher ................................................................................ 92
Issues of Trustworthiness ............................................................................ 93

4. RESEARCH FINDINGS ............................................................................ 97

Introduction ................................................................................................. 97
The Participants .......................................................................................... 97
Findings of Data Analysis ........................................................................... 102
Experience of Faith Formation ............................................................. 102
Dynamic .......................................................................................... 102
Communal ....................................................................................... 104
Intellectual....................................................................................... 108
Affective ......................................................................................... 112
Integrated ........................................................................................ 115
Behavioral ....................................................................................... 119
Choice ............................................................................................. 122
iv