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FAQEmmanuel S.A. Ayee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Department Chair, Communication
- Education: Ph.D. in Communication from Potchefstroom University in South Africa, Masters Degree in Communication from Wheaton Graduate School of Communication in Wheaton, Illinois, B.A. (Hons.) degree in Graphic Design from the University of Science and Technology in Ghana
- Office Location: RH 460
- Contact phone: 757-352-4945
- Contact email: eayee@regent.edu
Biography
Dr. Ayee is married to Alberta who is an adjunct faculty in the Department of Religious Studies in the School of Undergraduate Studies, Regent University. They have four adult children (Manuela, Gloria, Joel, Jonathan) who are pursuing studies in various institutions at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
He has lived and worked in Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. He has also been a communication professor at Dordt College in Iowa, and Geneva College in Pennsylvania. His areas of expertise are intercultural communication, public relations, organizational communication, development communication, publishing, consultancy, teaching, and training. Below, Dr. Ayee describes his philosophy of Christian higher education.
Philosophy of Christian Higher Education
"My philosophy of Christian higher education is rooted in an understanding of the Kingdom of God. This kingdom is both a present reality and a future hope. Whilst we wait for the consummation of the age, our call is to erect signposts of God's liberating kingdom by the way we live and the way we carry out various cultural activities including Christian higher education. Our teaching must promote a new way of thinking, as well as a lifestyle that conforms to the Word of God. As one of many vocations, higher education is one of many cultural enterprises that God wants us to develop according to Biblical norms and values. Christian higher education therefore should approach teaching and learning from a biblical Christian worldview that emphasizes, among other things, stewardship and responsibility, and prepares students for service in the world.
A biblical view of life underscores the fact that God created the whole universe and human beings in his own image. However, disobedience resulted in separation and the distortion of this image. Adam and Eve's deliberate choice to be disobedient and rebellious resulted in our alienation from God. God took the initiative in reconciling an alienated and sinful humanity back to himself. Through his incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ, God identified with us and sacrificed his life as a propitiation for our sins. Jesus Christ is the only redeemer of humankind. All who have experienced His redemptive work in their lives are forgiven and have become a new creation, called to service, to carry out their cultural mandate according to norms set out in Scripture. The Bible is God's inspired, universal, and authoritative Word which tells us how to live and relate to God, other human beings, and the whole of creation.
The Gift of Communication
Our ability to communicate is a gift from God. In order to communicate meaningfully and effectively, we need to recognize and understand God's creational norms concerning communication. Biblical principles of communication should shape a normative understanding of the role and function of communication in human societies. The fall was so pervasive that it affected all of God's creation. Sin distorted our understanding and view of life and has the potential to ruin and pervert human relationships.
As we struggle with significant issues in the study of communication, we must encourage students to use knowledge from other academic disciplines to understand the interdisciplinary nature of communication. For example, the study of intercultural communication, nonverbal communication, interpersonal and small group communication, public relations and organizational communication should tap into the study of social anthropology, sociology, theology, management, organizational behavior, social psychology, to name just a few."
His publications include:
- "Reconciling a Divided Nation: The Role of Listening in the Process of National Reconciliation and Transformation in South Africa" in Listen and Make the Connection! Proceedings of the 28th Annual Convention of the International Listening Association, Frankfurt, Germany, July 18-22, 2007, edited by Margarete Imhof (2008), p. 21-40. Germany: Der Andere Verlag.
- "A Christian Perspective on Intercultural Communication." Pro Rege 34 (4), 1-9. June, 2007.
