Fuller Theological Seminary

Background Stroop task is used to evaluate inhibition, a core executive function. Alpha Event‐Related Desynchronization (ERD) from analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) during Stroop task reflects brain interference processing. We previously reported different relationships between heart rate variability (HRV) and alpha ERD during Stroop task. However, HRV proxied autonomic function can be confounded by increasing erratic rhythm with age, quantified by heart rate fragmentation (HRF). The knowledge of HRF is limited in a Cognitively Healthy (CH) cohort. To fill this gap, we studied these measurements in CH participants who underwent a Stroop task. Method We studied HRF in an established EEG dataset during Stroop task from CH participants when their CSF amyloid/tau ratio were normal (≥2.71, CH‐NATs) or pathological (<2.71, CH‐PATs). Heart rate fragmentation (HRF) was analyzed from 5‐minute electrocardiogram (ECG) during resting or task. HRF was classified into three categories: hard inflection point, soft inflection point, and non‐inflection. Hard inflection point represents an acceleration‐to‐deceleration (AD) in heart rate and vice versa (DA). Soft inflection point describes heart rate transitions from acceleration or deceleration‐to‐zero acceleration (AZ or DZ) and vice versa (ZA or ZD). Non inflection means heart rates are accelerating (NA), decelerating (ND), or no change (NZ). Result We previously reported that alpha ERD during incongruent trials were negatively correlated with heart rate (HR) in CH‐NATs but not in CH‐PATs (Figure 1). In CH‐NATs, there was a decrease in a subcategory of non‐inflection during task compared to resting (Figure 2A). We observed a significant increase in hard inflection points and a decrease in non‐inflections during Stroop task compared to resting in CH‐PATs (Figure 2B). Conclusion These pilot results suggest: 1) from resting to task, CH‐PATs presented increase of HRF hard inflection points, which was not observed in CH‐NATs; 2) our previous analysis show that HR was negatively correlated with alpha ERD in CH‐NATs (higher HR related to more brain activation ‐ more negative alpha ERD), which was not observed in CH‐PATs. Although a larger sample size is needed, these results support a potential heart‐brain dysregulation using non‐invasive EEG and ECG in cognitively healthy individuals at higher risk of cognitive decline.

In this study, we investigated the longitudinal relationships between self-compassion, self-coldness, spiritual well-being, and burnout in a sample of 154 Taiwanese clergy aged 26 to 72 years old ( M = 45.1, SD = 10.8). Results from the bivariate analysis revealed that self-compassion was positively associated with spiritual well-being and negatively associated with burnout. On the contrary, self-coldness was positively correlated with burnout and negatively correlated with spiritual well-being. We then ran a cross-lagged model analysis to examine the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships among the studied variables. Results revealed that clergy’s self-reported self-compassion at baseline predicted higher levels of spiritual well-being 8 months later. Furthermore, clergy burnout at baseline predicted lower levels of self-compassion and spiritual well-being 8 months later. Practical implications of promoting clergy spiritual well-being and protecting them against burnout were discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to connect a thread of ecumenical pneumatology with a view of Christian mission actively engaged with global governance. This thread starts with the Holy Spirit working in creation, continuing in and through human history, and finally bringing the whole created order, human and nonhuman, into Christ’s New Heavens and New Earth. A special emphasis is given to the Indian missiologist Samuel Rayan (1920-2019) and German theologian Jürgen Moltmann. In this light, efforts after WWII to found the United Nations, draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), work for peace and development, and especially the current global convergence behind the Sustainable Development Goals – all these efforts, despite their dysfunctions and weaknesses, should be seen as signs of God’s Spirit sowing values already stamped on human beings at creation and marked for redemption and renewal in the Kingdom to come at the Parousia. Christians can be found at all levels of global governance, from politicians and diplomats at all levels of the G7, G20 and various UN summits, to those working at the UN, or in various NGOs or in the business community. Many more are needed.

An examination of the Local Church movement reveals that the major revivalists in the early twentieth century were predominantly women. Yet, most historical sources identify and honor only men as founders and label women as helpers. This has significantly impacted how the church remembers women’s contributions. Although the Local Church often attracts criticism from mainline Protestants because of its unique contextualized theology, members of the communities vigorously defend and advocate for their standpoints. An analysis of the Local Church’s theological development shows that its ecclesiology has been dramatically influenced by the mystical tradition, the Brethren movement, and allegorized and unconventional biblical interpretations of the Local Church. This study engages in a theological dialogue with Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen to call for Christian leaders to widen, deepen, and rethink their understanding of the Local Church movement as its members continue to shape the development of ecclesiology and their practices in the Chinese diaspora.

Background Our study aims to determine if urine dicarboxylic acids (DCA) concentrations might be associated with specific brain region volumes in older cognitively healthy (CH) adults. Method We recruited CH study participants (> 65 years) and acquired MRI data analyzed using NeuroQuant. Urine DCAs were quantified using GC‐MS. For n=62 participants, DCA variables of interest—C4+C5 and C7+C8+C9 (% of the sum of C4 to C10), and their ratio—were assessed for association with each of six intracranial volume (icv)‐normalized brain region volumes; C4+C5 with 61 additional regions. We modeled volume as a function of a discretized DCA variable (sample tertiles), age, and sex, for each pair. Pairs with a statistically significant estimated association were assessed by fitting natural cubic spline models with a range of spline degrees of freedom in a second stage of analysis. The Benjamini–Hochberg procedure was used to control the false discovery rate below q 1 = 0.2 in the first stage and q 2 = 0.05 in the second stage. Result There was a significant estimated inverse association of categorical C7+C8+C9 with the fusiform gyrus (FG) volume (Table 1). Similarly, there was a significant estimated positive association between categorical (C4+C5)/(C7+C8+C9) and FG volume (Table 1). The FG was estimated to decrease by 0.004 for every one‐unit increase in C7+C8+C9, and this estimated association remained significant after adjusting P values for all tests (95% CI ‐0.007 to 0.002; adjusted P = .035, Table 2). The observed Cohen’s f2 for the DCA variable was 0.18. For the (C4+C5)/(C7+C8+C9)–FG couple, it was the 2‐df natural cubic spline model that had the lowest Bayesian information criterion values among the spline models considered, with a significant estimated association of the DCA variable with the FG (spline adjusted P = 0.035). Figure 1 depicts the estimated spline. The observed Cohen’s f2 for the spline was 0.29. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that DCA metabolism may be associated with FG volume differences between individuals. Since the FG participates in visual processing, memory, and multisensory integration, urinary DCA levels may be biomarkers to monitor AD pathophysiology associated with differences in these functions.

The 1971 Thai Bible was a revision of earlier Thai translations that took almost twenty years to complete. It was used by the majority of Thai Protestants for forty years before it was further revised and published in 2011 as the Thai Standard Version. This article examines the 1971 revision, looking at its background, the people and processes involved in the translation, and the obstacles it faced. Being primarily a description of the translation process, this paper does not attempt to evaluate the quality of the 1971 translation (or the translation choices made by the translators) but concludes with a brief examination of the legacy of this translation which shaped a generation of Thai Christians.

The present essay ¹ seeks to focus on the meaning and challenges of doubt and lack of certainty in the context of doing academic theological work, whether in a Seminary setting such as my own, Fuller Theological Seminary, or in a “secular” university setting such as the University of Helsinki, my other institution. Throughout, I am raising questions such as whether any kind of certainty or confidence is available in the work of theology, particularly constructive theology, my own particular area of interest. Speaking of constructive theology, reflecting on the issues of doubt, certainty, and confidence is particularly important for the simple reason that it typically engages some non‐theological disciplines such as natural sciences with their own criteria for truth. And in my case, dialogue with some other faith traditions, including Islam, further makes the issue of doubt pertinent. To make my inquiry manageable—and hopefully also dynamic—I am carrying critical conversation with two thinkers of the 20th century, namely the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the missionary bishop and cultural critic of the West, Lesslie Newbigin. Whereas the mature Wittgenstein was in search of certainty towards the end of his life, Newbigin sought for proper confidence. Both of them rejected the Cartesian indubitable certainty of modernity, on the one hand, and the dismissal of the possibility of truth in many streams of late modernity on the other. While critically affirming some key arguments of these two diverse thinkers, I also see the importance of buttressing their emerging epistemological programs with the help of insights from postfoundationalist and critical–realist epistemologies. It is clear without saying that this big task can only be outlined and sketched rather than scrutinized in any detail within a 1‐h talk! My presentation is more an invitation to conversation and less any kind of finished project. I will first engage the two protagonists. Thereafter, before the summative and concluding reflections in terms of implications to theology and faith, a brief look at the meaning and nature of postfoundationalism and critical realism is attempted.

Background We developed a high-intensity parenting intervention (HIP) to help parents support the academic success of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), who often face post-treatment challenges affecting their school-related functioning. This randomized controlled trial (NCT03178617) evaluated HIP’s efficacy compared to lower-intensity, single-session, treatment-as-usual services (LIP) in Latino families. Primary outcomes were parenting efficacy and CCSs’ school functioning; secondary outcomes included parenting knowledge and measures of CCSs’ academic performance, attention, and functioning outside of school. Methods 106 Latino survivors of childhood leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma (aged 6–12 years) and their parents were randomly assigned to HIP (n = 54) or LIP (n = 52). Linear mixed-effects models evaluated group differences across baseline, 6-month (T2), and 12-month (T3) assessments. Results Parenting efficacy and knowledge improved significantly in the HIP arm, resulting in higher scores vs LIP at T2 and T3 (P ≤ .01). No significant between-group differences were found in child school functioning; however, HIP children showed significantly better social functioning and performance on one measure of attention (CPT-3 commissions) at T3 (P < .05). While HIP adherence challenges were observed, with only 33 (61%) completing the intervention, exploratory analyses suggest that benefits were most evident among those who fully engaged. Satisfaction and perceived benefit were greater for HIP vs LIP at both time points (P < .05). Conclusions Our results suggest the potential value of parent-directed behavioral interventions like HIP for CCSs and their families. Further studies are needed to address participation barriers and enhance engagement to maximize and sustain benefits.

FOB (fresh-off-the-boat) is a term used to refer to unassimilated immigrants or sojourners, which has created a divide within the Asian community. In this study, we coined the term FOBism, a form of internalized racism (or appropriated racial oppression) that intersects with assimilation, and we developed a measure of FOBism. We created a 14-item, 3-factor FOBism Scale and evaluated its psychometric properties among a sample of 296 Asians in the United States. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was utilized to select items and evaluate the factorial validity. Results yielded a strong factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity. Construct validity was demonstrated through FOBism scores’ positive correlations with measures of within-group discrimination and internalized racism, and negative associations with an Asian cultural orientation. The FOBism Scale is a promising measure that could be used as an assessment tool and to raise awareness of the phenomenon.

This article contends that mission practice can learn from Hip Hop culture. The article looks to Hip Hop culture to glean tools and frameworks for missionally engaging youth and young adults. Specifically, the article describes the processes of sampling, mixing, and poiesis and, then, offers missional applications. There is an explicit invitation for youth and young adults to be involved in sampling and mixing the missional and missiological classics in order to engage in a poiesis. In providing this application there is also the positing of understanding our current societal conditions under the heading of pericolonial, as opposed to postcolonial. The term pericolonial is not offered as it is used in archaeology and anthropology. Rather the state of perimenopause is centered, as one of the foci of the article is also how mission can make space for women and marginalized voices.

Multicultural scholars suggest that effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training must raise awareness of prejudice and racism while also including strategies for changing behavior by developing certain approach goals (e.g. the goal of becoming a more courageous and patient person). This study examines how virtue interventions that cultivate courage and patience may be a useful approach for increasing motivation to respond without prejudice during interracial interactions. Virtue interventions were tested in 292 White college students (69.2% female; MAge = 20.9) across four conditions (control, virtue only/no race salience, virtue and race salient, and race salient/no virtue). Results suggest that White college students receiving the virtue/race salient intervention increased internal motivation to respond without prejudice, but those who received the race salient/no virtue condition reported decreased levels of courage and decreased motivation to respond without prejudice. Findings are discussed in light of positive psychology, DEI, anti-racism training and interventions, and virtue development.

Alterations in functional connectivity (FC) have been observed in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with elevated amyloid (Aβ) and tau. However, it is not yet known whether directed FC is already influenced by Aβ and tau load in cognitively healthy (CH) individuals. A 21-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) was used from 46 CHs classified based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ tau ratio: pathological (CH-PAT) or normal (CH-NAT). Directed FC was estimated with Partial Directed Coherence in frontal, temporal, parietal, central, and occipital regions. We also examined the correlations between directed FC and various functional metrics, including neuropsychology, cognitive reserve, MRI volumetrics, and heart rate variability between both groups. Compared to CH-NATs, the CH-PATs showed decreased FC from the temporal regions, indicating a loss of relative functional importance of the temporal regions. In addition, frontal regions showed enhanced FC in the CH-PATs compared to CH-NATs, suggesting neural compensation for the damage caused by the pathology. Moreover, CH-PATs showed greater FC in the frontal and occipital regions than CH-NATs. Our findings provide a useful and non-invasive method for EEG-based analysis to identify alterations in brain connectivity in CHs with a pathological versus normal CSF Aβ/tau.