P-17 The Relationship between the Values of Social Science and the Values of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Philosophy of Education

Buller Hallway

This paper analyzes the relationship between the values found in religion and social sciences using the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) graduate programs as a case study. By using mixed methods research, the study identifies and compares social science values and the values of SDA education philosophy, and analyzes various graduate social science programs in the SDA higher education system. We argue that the SDA philosophy of education puts greater emphasis on relationship values, which have three interconnected dimensions (God, self, and others) and is unified by three virtues (love, hope, and service). Applying the dimensions of SDA philosophy of education to the social science programs currently offered in the SDA graduate institutions, we found that the values in SDA beliefs espouse social science values. The conclusion of the paper discusses the relationships between social science disciplines and the dimensions of SDA philosophy of education, and the implications of those relationships in development.