Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
College
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Program
Religious Education, MA
First Advisor
David Sedlacek
Second Advisor
John V. G. Matthews
Abstract
Problem and Purpose
Research has identified students’ attitudes towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community as being determined partly by the students’ understanding of gender identity, and partly by a further mixture of variables that include religiosity, gender, and ethnicity. Most of this previous research has been undertaken in either secular or non-Adventist settings. This present study examines attitudes of undergraduate theology majors at two Adventist universities in North America and the Caribbean.
Method
A Likert Scale was constructed consisting of eight questions geared to elicit attitudes across a number of areas. Sixty-three students completed the questionnaire. Participating students were enrolled at historically traditional theological Adventist universities in two countries.
Results
Results identified attitudes among students that were generally mirrored by attitudes in the broader society, as reflected in legislation. Gender and ethnic differences were indicators in student attitudes, with the former variable revealing slightly more conciliatory attitudes among females compared to the males, and the latter variable revealing far less conciliatory attitudes among Afro-Caribbeans than among students from North America.
Conclusions
The Adventist universities chosen for this research have historically adhered to a traditional stance on the biblical interpretation of gender identity and, as such, they provided a useful platform to observe any student divergence from the historical status quo. This study offers insights into the significant correlation between theology majors’ ethnicity and their attitudes towards members of the LGBT community. The data obtained from administration of the survey instrument revealed this correlation.
Subject Area
Sexual minorities; Lesbians; Gays; Transgender people; Bisexuals; Andrews University. Religion Department--Students--Attitudes
Recommended Citation
Williams, Jephet, "An Analysis Of The Attitudes Of Undergraduate Theology Majors Towards Members Of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Community" (2017). Master's Theses. 102.
https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/102/
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses/102
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/102/