Awarded Fellowships
The Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity is pleased to announce two grant recipients for Nagel Fellowships in 2008. Please join the Nagel Governing Board in congratulating your colleagues who have received grants:
Mariano Avila
Mariano Avila (Calvin Seminary), will research "Worship as Spiritual Warfare in Latin America." His research will concentrate on practices and theologies that inform Pentecostal approaches to worship and their relation to native religion and magic in Peru, Brazil, and Mexico. Dr. Avila is also interested to see the extent to which these theologies and practices have some origins or effects in North America.
Diane Slager
Diane Slager (Nursing, Calvin), will conduct research on the role of faith communities in HIV prevention in West Africa, particularly among African Instituted Church (AIC) leaders. This study will assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV among pastors from mainline churches and AICs and evaluate the impact of HIV information programs they offer. She will be working with the Christian Education Foundation of Liberia, which offers training to 600 pastors annually from more than 200 denominations. Prof. Slager will help the Foundation develop improved training materials for combating HIV/AIDS in Liberia.