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Salon C – Valerie Keaton – Jefferson County Public Schools
Missional Competencies of Christian Public School Teachers
This presentation will include an overview and description of how Christian public school teachers leverage their
Christian witness in their workplace. 1,044 Christian public school teachers responded to a targeted social media
advertisement asking them to participate in this research study by completing a questionnaire. A brief overview of
the data from this original research will be given, followed by a discussion regarding research conclusions and
applications for churches and Christian institutions of higher education.

Salon D – Jaeseok Heo – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Craig Dykstra's Concept of Christian Practice: The Formative Educational Process for Conforming to the
Image of Christ
From an investigation of the telos and the process of Christian education, this presentation raises the following
question: Is Craig Dykstra’s concept of Christian practice a suitable formative educational process to achieve the
telos, conforming to the image of Christ? The concept of Christian practice, which Dykstra adopted and elaborated
on from Alasdair MacIntyre’s virtue ethics, has not been thoroughly examined in Christian education, while it has
been noted in other academic disciplines. By exploring literature pertinent to the concept, this presentation
establishes that Dykstra’s concept provides a robust framework for formative Christian learning through a means
of deliberate participation.

Irving II – Sungwan Kim – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Irenaeus’ Teachings for Redemptive Flourishing
Irenaeus of Lyon was one of the most influential church fathers of the early church in the second century, offering
various teachings for redemptive growth. The early church teacher presented a meaningful understanding of
human beings related to Christian education. The persuasive teacher claimed that Adam and Eve were created in
God’s image, but they were spiritually immature infants. According to him, human beings keep growing from the
image of God to the likeness of God as they encounter evil and suffering. This paper analyzes Irenaeus’ teachings
on the insightful anthropology for the redemptive flourishing of the early church.

Irving III – Becca Pietsch – The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Influence of John Dewey's Philosophy of Pragmatism on the Church Growth Movement
What means should Christians use to achieve the end goal of fulfilling the Great Commission, making disciples, and
teaching them to obey Christ’s commands? Some theologians emphasize means, while others emphasize the telos.
The Church Growth Movement (CGM) emphasizes the telos, determining growth can be measured and reproduced
with efficiency through pragmatic tools. The CGM is inseparable from John Dewey’s philosophy of pragmatism,
which had an observable impact on CGM scholars Donald McGavran and C. Peter Wagner. Dewey’s emphasis on
instrumentalism and experiential pragmatism shaped the CGM’s methodology, which utilized consecrated
pragmatism and evidence-based practices in fulfilling the Great Commission.

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