What are faith sharings and how can it be used as a qualitative research method?

• In Event: Light a Fire and Watch It Burn: Disruptive Qualitative Methods in Education Research

Abstract

I first utilized faith sharings as a qualitative research method for my dissertation research titled, “Visit the Imprisoned: A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experiences of Catholic Detention Ministry Volunteers” (Author, 2024), and I reference my study throughout this chapter. Just like my dissertation, in an attempt to reduce the traditional power imbalance between the researcher and participant, I use the term “collaborator” whenever discussing research participants. Upon completion of my dissertation, I reflected on how I arrived at incorporating my personal faith with my research endeavor, as this was not common in academia. It was important to acknowledge that as a qualitative researcher grounded within a critical paradigm, I claimed my subjectivity as a vital tool in guiding my study. I drew upon my personal experiences as a Catholic detention ministry volunteer when interpreting and curating meaning from the study’s findings. Therefore, not only did I desire for my dissertation to work towards humanization, but I also sought for a nontraditional, yet humanizing approach that disrupted conventional research methodologies.

Author

• Christopher Bao An Tran, Chapman University