Columbia Celebrates Two Faculty Books!
Students and staff came together on March 3rd to celebrate two faculty members’ new books. Carol Molcar, Director of Columbia’s Caregiving and Counselling Program, summarized and highlighted portions of her new book entitled Place Attachment and Spiritual Well-Being Across The Lifespan (Saarbrucken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG., 2008). This publication essentially represents her Ph.D. dissertation which is summarized well by the title. What is the connection between “place attachment”—defined as close ties with a particular location (home, church, or community)—and one’s spiritual well-being? Do these connections stay constant or evolve over the course of one’s life?
After highlighting a strong connection between the two, especially for the very young and for the elderly, Carol drew a number of possible applications for her study including the need for increased compassion for those who face displacement from their long term homes or communities.
The second book highlighted was a collaborative effort involving Bryan Born, Director of Columbia’s Inter-Cultural Studies Program, and several highly accomplished missiologists Thomas Oduro, Hennie Pretorius, and Stan Nussbaum. The finished product entitled Mission in an African Way (South Africa: CLF, 2008) is designed to be used in Bible schools and institutes throughout Africa. The book is meant to be a celebration of mission efforts throughout the group of churches known as the African Initiated Churches (AIC) which some claim is the fastest growing group of denominations in Africa today.
After wowing the crowd with his casual use of the Tswana (Setswana) language, Bryan highlighted his appreciation for the privilege of working together with such a fine group of scholars. He hopes to pursue more projects like that in the future.
Congratulations, Carol and Bryan!
