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This article considers the growth of Pentecostal-style churches in Southeast Asia, and specifically in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It outlines four reasons for the growth that occurred and then, using qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed mode, seeks to test the hypotheses it derives. It concludes that each of the hypotheses remains plausible but notes that contextual factors or major social disruptions undermine any deterministic account. (Contains 4 notes.)

This paper reviews the concept of liberal education and shows how, from its beginnings in classical times, it has been socially influential in schools and universities. After the rise of science and the proliferation of technology in the nineteenth century, liberal education was threatened and this threat continued in the form of late twentieth-century philosophical attacks. Liberal education was said to be elitist and individualistic and to be inappropriate in a multicultural society. Embedded within religious education, however, the arguments in favour of liberal education justify the notion of "learning from" religion. (Contains 1 note.)

Based on original empirical data collected from adolescents in Europe (N = 9003) this paper focuses the lifeworlds of young people. It analyses negative and positive patterns of attitude and combines them with further concepts: personal life perspectives, various key values and political attitudes. Technically, the attitude towards Europe acts as the dependent variable whereas the remaining concepts are used as independent variables. The empirical results show Turkish and Polish adolescents are more critical towards Europe than adolescents living in "old" Europe. Furthermore, the data show that those who hold negative expectations about their personal futures are likely also to be Eurosceptical. (Contains 3 tables and 2 notes.)

A sample of 122 female students attending a Pentecostal Bible College in England completed Form G (Anglicised) of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The data demonstrated preferences for extraversion over introversion, for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving. The predominant type was ISFJ (16%), followed by ESFJ (12%). Comparison with the population norms demonstrated an over-representation of intuitives among this sample of Bible College students. (Contains 1 table.)

A nine-country survey of the life orientations, values and institutional trust of 8948 young people at the upper end of the secondary school age range was set up at the University of Wurzburg in the year 2000. Key findings demonstrate that these young people value personal autonomy and are orientated to success in their professional lives and that they especially trust human rights and environmental groups. Religion is associated positively with humanitarianism and in some countries negatively with modernity. These findings provide an indication of the typical life stances of future opinion-formers and illustrate methodological issues thrown up by international research. (Contains 1 table and 5 notes.)

This paper considers issues in religious education that ought to be addressed by the recent non-statutory framework for England. It outlines problematic features of the current situation and paints a generally welcoming picture of the educational opportunities afforded by this new initiative. (Contains 4 notes.)

At the start of the 20th century, as denominational resources were accumulated, Pentecostals provided basic bible training for their ministers and missionaries. The narrative shows how simple training schemes blossomed in some cultures into universities and colleges and, in others, into accredited institutions attached to secular bodies or, in the developing world, into more innovative schemes, some of which were church-based. The current challenge is for Pentecostalism to remain true to itself while incorporating mainstream scholarship. (Contains 11 notes.)

In a Christian adult study program, 29 men and 32 women completed personality questionnaires. Extraverts were more likely to enjoy group learning and discussion. Because much Christian spirituality emphasizes introversion, group adult education is a way of ministering to extraverts. However, teaching styles and methods to suit other personality types should also be used. (SK)

The psychological link between phenomenology and religious education is analyzed. Phenomenological description has two parts, namely, the experiencing and the experienced. Phenomenolgy's main advantage is that it allows the occassionaly passionate beliefs of religious followers to be incorporated in religious education data. These beliefs are not overlooked or underestimated but are considered as basic to religiosity. It therefore goes beyond the external appearance of sacred buildings, books and rituals to their meaning to the believer.