The second edition of Qualitative Research is now available at Amazon.

The second edition of Qualitative Research is now available from Cascade.

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On Pentecost Sunday I preached at the Linary Church of Christ in Crossville, TN. Below is the link to the sermon.

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Recently, I posted that an article on research was published by the Journal of Christian Ministry. A companion piece was also published by Discernment. I am posting both articles here.

“What in the World is Research?” Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry 8.1 (2022). https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol8/iss1/1 More »

Sixth Sunday in Lent: Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday remembering Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Read Text Luke 19:28-40—Imagine with me the choir singing the two songs that frame Jesus’ ministry. You enter the cathedral, you walk down the middle aisle, and in the choir loft, the chancel, on my left you have Heaven singing— on my right, you have the earth respond. More »

My article “When Research Is Not Research” was published this spring in the Journal of Christian Ministry. The topics of Internal Review Boards and technical definitions relating to the US Department of Education do not fit into the category of devotional or inspiring literature. Yet, the protection of persons and special populations is a serious and virtuous pursuit that requires oversight. See my recent publication at https://journal.dmineducation.org/2022/03/08/2022-when-research-is-not-research/ as I explore how some of the terminologies related to research are confusing.

Also, stay tuned as another article on research and the second edition of Qualitative Research will soon be published. More »

Now that I have children living in the metroplex, I realize how different Fort Worth is different from Dallas. Both are part of the metroplex but are very different places. Different places mean different contexts.

Churches have context. Albany is not Anson and is not Clyde. Churches just down the road from each other can differ significantly. More »

I was questioned recently about my assertion in a Sunday morning class that “God always saves by grace.” This statement troubles some people because they have heard that the only way for Israelites to be saved was by obeying the whole Law. However, the door into a covenant relationship with God (salvation) for a Jew is not the Law but circumcision. I paraphrased in the class John Ziesler who summarizes what all current Pauline scholarship now affirms, “However, there is no authority in Jewish texts that taught God’s approval was to be earned, nor that salvation was by human merit. Salvation is always divine grace and well understood in Jesus’ day even by the Pharisees.”[1]

To support my view, I asked the class a few weeks back to recall when we studied Deuteronomy. One of the key passages in that study was, More »

A new edition of Qualitative Research is coming soon. Wipf & Stock has agreed to publish a second edition. Due to the wonderful sales, Wipf & Stock will be moving the book to its Cascade imprint.

Preface to the Second Edition

The appeal of the first edition surprised me. It not only filled a lacuna in the literature, but it also met a need in Doctor of Ministry programs across North America. However, I do not like second editions because so much of the material is the same. I wonder, “Was this a way to get me to buy a second book?” While much of this book is the same, it is expanded, revised, and nuanced. The book is different because I am not the same. The idea of a second edition sprouted from the many scattered seeds of feedback from students and colleagues from other institutions. Emails and phone calls from students using the book spotlighted places the book needed clarification. More »