Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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such pattern occurred; I had to choose other methods.)
First, I compared the statistics directly,
denomination compared with denomination. Second, I
compared each denomination's statistics with the
hypothetical picture of what those figures might have
been if they were theologically 'true'. This involved
the computation of weighted averages, following the
system described in note 31.
In the analysis which appears below, I use primarily
the first method of comparison. Although these
comparisons prove interesting, the theologically weighted
means generally predict them. This fact shows the
relative insignificance of denominational influence on
teaching of preaching. Where I do not mention the
theologically predicted means, they do not greatly
contradict the actual means listed on tables 63-77.
The composite denominational responses to survey
question six (table 65) tell us that a typical Baptist
theological college curriculum devotes one hundred eight
hours to preaching. This figures is larger than that of
the other three denominational subgroups combined. It is
also twice as large as the figure predicted by the
theological make—up of the Baptist group. Each of the
other three denominational groups give preaching (in
their curricula) less than half the time that their
theologically predicted means would suggest. As noted
above (p. 243), this is one question which is not
determined primarily by a lecturer's theology. Rather,