In an increasingly homogeneous higher education landscape, does organizational identity still matter? Specifically, church-related higher education has experienced seismic shifts since the mid-1960s. Framed by emerging research on organizations and theories of isomorphism, this book traces the forty-year narratives of three colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America–Concordia College, Gettysburg College, and Lenoir-Rhyne University. Are these schools seeking to preserve their religious identities, and if so, what organizational strategies are supporting these efforts? In-depth personal interviews, rigorous document analysis, and thoughtful observation give voice to the three stories detailed in College Identity Sagas. For those interested in distinctive colleges, religiously affiliated higher education, and organization and institutional theories, this book is a vital resource.
Om författaren
Dr. Robert Benne is director of the Center for Religion and Society. He came to Roanoke from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1982. He is a leading figure in Lutheran ethics and social thought. A selection of his publications illustrates his interests: The Ethic of Democratic Capitalism: A Moral Reassessment; Ordinary Saints: An Introduction to the Christian Life; The Paradoxical Vision: A Public Theology for the Twenty-first Century; Seeing is Believing: Vision of Life Through Film. He is currently working on a study of higher education in Lutheran and other Christian denominations.