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1

Kaethler, Andrew T. J. "Eschatology and personhood : Alexander Schmemann and Joseph Ratzinger in dialogue." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/6526.

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This thesis explores the extent to which eschatology shapes temporal existence. The interlocutors are Alexander Schmemann and Joseph Ratzinger. The first part of the thesis examines (1) Schmemann's account of eschatology, (2) how this shapes temporality, and (3) what it means to be a person in time. Schmemann's account is based upon a dualistic conception of temporality in which ‘this world', the ‘old' aeon, finds its meaning and life in the ‘new' aeon. Thus, meaning is found anagogically and teleologically, and human persons are called not only to ascend and leave the ‘old' aeon but, as priests, to instil meaning into the world by offering it to God. It is argued that although Schmemann's anthropology is Christocentric and relational, it remains, like his view of temporality, teleologically unidirectional. The second part of the thesis addresses the same questions as are raised in part one but of Ratzinger's theological approach. For Ratzinger eschatology is absorbed into Christology, and thus it is understood relationally as is also the case with his account of history. The Logos as dia-Logos works within history ‘wooing' humankind into relationship with the trinitarian God. As a result of Ratzinger's relation vision, history is undivided––there is no ‘old' and ‘new' aeon––and history succeeding Christ continues to be Advent history. As historical creatures, human persons are relational beings who must be understood as both ‘with' and ‘for' the other. Temporality as relational ‘space' is central to his account and interpreted as grounded in the eternal being of the relational God. The thesis concludes that for Ratzinger God's triune relationality shapes eschatology and what it means to be a person in time. Whereas, for Schmemann, the converse is the case: eschatology informs his conception of relationality, temporality, and personhood. As a result of the primacy of eschatology in Schmemann's theology human temporal existence is ultimately denigrated.
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2

Saradananda, Swami. "The human soul (jivatma) and its ultimate goal (moksa) in the context of Taittiriya Upanisad (3.10.5): a study in an aspect of Hindu eschatology." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016396.

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This research was stimulated by pastoral concerns regarding the high rate of suicide in the South African Hindu community. On the one hand it was found that traumatized individuals contemplating suicide were woefully ill-equipped with helpful religious guidelines and on the other it is known that the primary and authoritative scriptures of Hinduism possess a wealth of information that can promote healing. This work uses the Taittiriya Upanishad (3.10.5) to address this challenge. The early Vedic writings are not systematized nor are they fully explicable except through commentaries. This research surveys the early Vedic and Upanisadic Writings in order to show the literary, social and philosophical conditions under which the texts were produced. The Taittiriya Upanisad is the culminating part of several strands of thought that emerged from the earlier Taittiriya School. In order to interpret the text of this Upanisad it was necessary to link its key concepts with other Upanisads of this period. Further interpretations emerged from later Upanisads. These texts were viewed in the light of several commentators - Shaukara (medieval period), and Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Radhakrishuan of the Neo-Vedanta movements. In the early Vedic period the soul is a metaphysical entity. Upon death it is judged and in accordance with its good or bad actions, heavenly rewards or the punishments of hell are meted out to it. Heaven and hell are final eschatological goals for the soul in the Vedic period. In the later Vedic or Upanisadic period it is found that heaven and hell are temporary eschatological goals. The ultimate goal becomes Liberation which implies the cessation of duality and the realization of non-duality. Correspondingly the Taittiriya Upauisad defines the soul in a manner in which its components have the potential to achieve this later goal. Here the soul is a formulation of five sheaths: body, vital energy, mind, intellect and bliss with an immortal consciousness as its focus. Functioning under the effects of ignorance each sheath binds the soul to suffering and rebiiths either on earth or on other planes (heaven or hell). However, each sheath also possesses an intrinsic capacity to liberate the soul from suffering. Tills work explores these negative and positive capabilities of the sheaths and points out the path by which the soul's divine potential may be realized. The ultimate healing or liberation occurs when the 'focus-consciousness' of the soul is intuitively realized. This consciousness is one with the universal consciousness. This achievement produces the 'liberated soul' who experiences ecstasy at this knowledge of oneness. This research also points out that the Neo-Vedanta movements, unlike their medieval counterparts, have a life-affirming and positive social attitude that seeks to draw from ancient texts for the purposes of healing and social upliftment.
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Levan, Christopher 1953. "Dialogue with dispensationalism : Hal Lindsey's dispensational eschatology and its implications for an articulation of Christian hope in a nuclear age." Thesis, McGill University, 1990. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=74643.

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This dissertation explores the question of hope in the nuclear age by examining a movement within the North American Christian tradition known as dispensationalism. It concentrates specifically on one author, Hal Lindsey, whose books on the "end-times" are the basis for much of the current Christian apocalyptic thinking on this continent. There are two fundamental questions: (1) What does Lindsey's dispensational interpretation of God and Divine providence do to his understanding of hope?; (2) Does Lindsey's interpretation of the hope contribute anything to an articulation of hope in the nuclear age? In response to the first question, it is determined that Lindsey's Theology is governed by a providentialism which controls both his doctrine of God and his understanding of hope. History is controlled by a providential plan to which everything, even God, is bound. This plan ends with the destruction of the planet. Thus, hope, in Lindsey's terms, can only emerge after the destruction of the present order. In answer to the second question, it is explained that while Lindsey's apocalypticism gives faith a strong motivation and the sense of a limit to human pride, it undermines human responsibility for the planet and diminishes the ethical dimension of the gospel's call to discipleship.
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Pacheco, Márcio de Lima. "Paul Ricoeur: a esperança como movimento da existência no evento da ressurreição." Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, 2017. https://tede2.pucsp.br/handle/handle/20129.

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Our thesis consists in showing that in Ricœur, hope is a movement of existence in the event of Resurrection. This movement of expectation suggests a completion of the fundamental ontology of the free volitional subject within an event like Resurrection. This hope in the event of the resurrection suggests a philosophical place in Ricœur's writings from 1947 to 1972. In the light of these writings, hope is the connector, a threshold theme, between philosophy and theology, that articulates these two disciplines in an excellent way. For Ricœur, Hope is not a theme that comes after the other themes, the idea that closes the system, but an impulse that opens the system, which breaks the closure of the system: it is a way to reopen what was improperly closed. Hope, in the end, unveils the aspects of reality and opens the transcendente dimension of the existence of man. To do so, we will analyze the writings of Paul Ricœur in the period suggested above, which does not prevent us from citing texts after the period, without the pretension, however, of trying to cover the whole trajectory of the hermeneutics of Ricœurian
A nossa tese consiste em mostrar que, em Ricœur, a esperança é um movimento da existência no evento da Ressurreição. Esse movimento de esperar que sugere um acabamento da ontologia fundamental do sujeito volitivo livre dentro de um evento como o da Ressurreição. Essa esperança no evento da ressurreição sugere um lugar filosófico nos escritos de Ricœur de 1947 a 1972. À luz desses escritos, a esperança é o conector, um tema limiar, entre filosofia e teologia, que articula de maneira excelente, essas duas disciplinas. Para Ricœur, A esperança não é um tema que vem depois dos outros temas, a ideia que fecha o sistema, mas um impulso que abre o sistema, que rompe o encerramento do sistema: é uma maneira de reabrir o que fora indevidamente fechado. A esperança, em fim, desvela os aspectos da realidade e abre a dimensão transcendente da existência do homem. Para tanto, analisaremos os escritos de Paul Ricœur no período acima sugerido, o que não nos impede de citar textos posteriores ao período, sem a pretensão, entretanto, de tentar cobrir toda a trajetória da hermenêutica ricœuriana
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Van, Der Watt Jacobus Stephan. "Images of men and masculinities within cultural contexts : a pastoral assessment." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19742.

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Thesis (DTh) -- Stellenbosch University, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an endeavour on the cutting edge of the field of practical theology. It engages in a pastoral assessment of contemporary men and masculinities in their manifold representations and embodiments. An in-depth assessment of current schemata of interpretation (on the issue of masculinity), is done within different cultural contexts, aiming to hermeneutically put this into dialogue with a pastoral-anthropological view on masculinity. This dialogue is initiated in order to gain deeper insight into diverse masculinities and the challenges they face in their search for meaning, intimacy and vitality. The point of the dialogue here is rather to describe than to prescribe. The dissertation analyses ‘masculinities as experienced and enacted’ in life and ‘masculinities as represented’ in the mass media as well as in other forms of pop culture, through a multidisciplinary perspective. It is further aimed at the contextual, theological deconstruction of these cultural representations and the establishment and furthering of meaningful connections between male identity, human dignity and Christian spirituality. The focus in contemporary (sociological and psychological) research on masculinity is on enactment of masculinities or ‘doing’ masculinities rather than ‘being’ masculine. The dominant cultural images of masculinity within a globalising life-order suggest and promote materialistic values such as efficiency, performance, mechanisation and functionality. These images are assessed and the interplay between it (the cultural images) and conceptualisations of God (God-images) are explored. This study asserts that men’s identity, self-understanding and spirituality is shaped in many ways by these images, but that the image of the crucified and risen Christ can indeed serve as a meaningful and normative-critical counter-image to the macho-images portrayed by most postmodern masculinities (which many men presently experience as confusing). This counter-image of Christ can transcend the abuse of power, the focus on performance and the commodification of male embodiment, in men’s lives, as they engage in a spirituality of vulnerable courage. A pastoral-anthropological perspective is employed in order to shift the emphasis on male identity in terms of gender and sexuality, towards a spiritual understanding of male identity in terms of human dignity and human destiny (i.e. the quest for meaning). The important question of the relationship between power, masculinity and male embodiment is addressed. Essentialist ideas about masculinity are deconstructed, and a re-interpretation thereof is introduced within a view of reality that affirms and embraces an earth-centred and embodied spirituality. Masculinity and male identity is in that sense “saved” from a commercial reduction by means of an eschatological and pneumatological perspective. This theological re-interpretation of masculinity presents a critical factor on the cultural notion that manhood is something that must be validated by means of performance (especially on the terrain of sexuality). Masculinity, viewed from an eschatological perspective, is thus more than virility that has to be manifested by doing functions. The culturally-determined understanding of masculinity - in terms of brutal power and control – is in this sense ‘emasculated’ in this study. In the light of Christ’s resurrection, there is new hope for the re-interpretation of masculinity. The postmodern man’s resurrection is therefore not guaranteed by the “Viagra-magic blue pill”, but in actual fact by the resurrection of Christ who daily unleashes and affirms new meaningful dimensions of hope in the globalised life-matrix. The power of masculinity thus lies in embodying vulnerability and mutual relationality, contesting unilateral and hierarchical relations. Within this context manhood is not equal to the size of achievement or success, nor performances or powerful penetration, but it rather denotes the capacity for lovingly hospitable relationships and the measure of the soul’s depth of character, i.e. its capacity to embody and affirm the courage to be.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ‘n navorsingsreis op die snykant van die veld van praktiese teologie. Dit neem deel aan ’n pastorale ondersoek van hedendaagse mans en manlikhede in die verskeie opsigte waarop hul verteenwoordig en beliggaam word. ’n In-diepte assessering van huidige interpretasie-skemas - oor die onderwerp van manlikheid - word gedoen binne verskillende kulturele kontekste, met die doel om dit hermeneuties in dialoog te bring met ’n pastoraal-antropologiese perspektief op manlikheid. Hierdie dialoog word geïnisieër ten einde dieper insig te verkry in diverse manlikhede en die uitdagings wat hulle die hoof moet bied in hul soeke na sin, intimiteit en vitaliteit. Die punt van hierdie dialoog is eerder om te beskryf as om voor te skryf. Die dissertasie analiseer – deur ’n multi-dissiplinêre invalshoek - ‘manlikhede soos dit ervaar en uitgeleef word’ in die lewe asook ‘manlikhede soos dit verteenwoordig word’ in die massa media sowel as in ander vorme van populêre kultuur. Dit is verder gemik op die kontekstuele, teologiese dekonstruksie van hierdie kulturele verteenwoordigings, asook die tot stand bring en bevordering van betekenisvolle verbande tussen manlike identiteit, menswaardigheid en Christelike spiritualiteit. Die fokus in hedendaagse (sosiologiese en sielkundige) navorsing oor manlikheid val op die uitleef van manlikhede oftewel die ‘doen’ van manlikhede, eerder as om manlik te ‘wees’. Die dominante kulturele beelde van manlikheid binne ’n geglobaliseerde lewensbestel suggereer en bevorder materialistiese waardes soos effektiwiteit, prestasie, meganisasie en funksionaliteit. Hierdie beelde word ge-evalueer en die interaksie tussen dit (die kulturele beelde) en moontlike konseptualiserings van God (Godsbeelde) word verken. Hierdie studie voer aan dat mans se identiteit, selfverstaan en spiritualiteit op velerlei maniere gevorm word deur hierdie beelde, maar dat die beeld van die gekruisigde en opgestane Christus inderdaad kan dien as ’n betekenisvolle en normatief-kritiese kontra-beeld tot die “macho”-beelde wat deur meeste postmoderne manlikhede versinnebeeld word (maar wat baie mans huidiglik as verwarrend ervaar). Hierdie kontra-beeld van Christus kan die misbruik van mag, asook die fokus op prestasie en die kommodifisering van manlike beliggaming oorstyg in mans se lewens – deurdat hulle deelneem aan ’n spiritualiteit van weerlose moed. ‘n Pastoraal-antropologiese perspektief word dus hier benut ten einde die klem op manlike identiteit in terme van gender en seksualiteit te verskuif, in die rigting van ‘n spirituele verstaan van manlike identiteit in terme van menswaardigheid en menslike bestemming (d.i. die soeke na sin). Die belangrike vraagstuk van die verhouding tussen mag, manlikheid en manlike beliggaming word aangeraak. Essentialistiese idees oor manlikheid word gedekonstrueer, en ’n herinterpretasie daarvan word voorgestel binne ’n werklikheidsverstaan wat ’n aards-gesentreerde en beliggaamde spiritualiteit bevestig en waardeer. Manlikheid en manlike identiteit word in hierdie opsig “gered” van ’n kommersiële verskraling deur middel van ’n eskatologiese en pneumatologiese perspektief. Hierdie teologiese herinterpretasie van manlikheid bied ’n kritiese faktor op die kulturele opvatting dat manwees iets is wat gevalideer moet word deur middel van prestasie (veral op die gebied van seksualiteit). Manwees, gesien vanuit ‘n eskatologiese perspektief, is dus meer as viriliteit wat gemanifesteer moet word deur doen-funksies. Die kultureel-bepaalde verstaan van manlikheid – in terme van brutale mag en beheer - word in hierdie opsig ‘ontman’ binne hierdie navorsingstuk. In die lig van Christus se opstanding is daar nuwe hoop vir die herinterpretasie van manlikheid. Die postmoderne man se opstanding word daarom nie gewaarborg deur die “Viagra tower blou pil” nie, maar eintlik deur die opstanding van Christus, wat daagliks nuwe sinvolle dimensies van hoop in die geglobaliseerde lewensmatriks vrystel en bevestig. Die krag van manlikheid lê dus in die beliggaming van weerloosheid en wederkerige relasionaliteit, tesame met die weerstand bied teen unilaterale en hiërargiese verhoudings. Binne hierdie konteks is manwees nie gelyk aan die grootte van doelwitte wat bereik is of sukses, prestasie of kragtige penetrasie nie. Nee, manwees omvat eerder die kapasiteit vir liefdevolle, gasvrye verhoudings asook die afmeting van die siel se diepte van karakter, d.i. die kapasiteit daarvan om die ‘moed om te wees’ te beliggaam.
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Liebengood, Kelly D. "Zechariah 9-14 as the substructure of 1 Peter’s eschatological program." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1858.

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The principal aim of this study is to discern what has shaped the author of 1 Peter to regard Christian suffering as a necessary (1.6) and to-be-expected (4.12) component of faithful allegiance to Jesus Christ. Most research regarding suffering in 1 Peter has limited the scope of inquiry to two particular aspects—its cause and nature, and the strategies that the author of 1 Peter employs in order to enable his addressees to respond in faithfulness. There remains, however, the need for a comprehensive explanation for the source that has generated 1 Peter’s theology of Christian suffering. If Jesus truly is the Christ, God’s chosen redemptive agent who has come to restore God’s people, then how can it be that Christian suffering is a necessary part of discipleship after his coming, death and resurrection? What led the author of 1 Peter to such a startling conclusion, which seems to runs against the grain of the eschatological hopes and expectations of Jewish restoration ideology? This thesis analyzes the appropriation of shepherd and fiery trials imagery, and argues that the author of 1 Peter is dependent upon Zechariah 9-14 for his theology of Christian suffering. Said in another way, the eschatological program of Zechariah 9-14, read through the lens of the Gospel, functions as the substructure for 1 Peter’s eschatology and thus its theology of Christian suffering. In support of this hypothesis, this study highlights the fact that Zechariah 9- 14 was available and appropriated in early Christianity, in particular in the Passion Narrative tradition; that the shepherd imagery of 1 Pet 2.25 is best understood within the milieu of the Passion Narrative tradition, and that it alludes to the eschatological program of Zechariah 9-14; that the fiery trials imagery found in 1 Peter 1.6-7 and 1 Pet 4.12 is distinct from that which we find in Greco-Roman and OT wisdom sources, and that it shares exclusive parallels with some unique features of the eschatological program of Zechariah 9-14; that Zechariah 9-14 offers a more satisfying explanation for the modification of Isa 11.2 in 1 Pet 4.14, the transition from 4.12-19 to 5.1-4, why Peter has oriented his letter with the term διασπορά, and why he has described his addresses as οἶκος τοῦ θεοῦ; and finally that 1 Peter contains an implicit foundational narrative that shares distinct parallels with the eschatological program of Zechariah 9-14. We can conclude that 1 Peter offers a unique vista into the way in which at least one early Christian witness came to understand and to communicate the fact that Christian suffering was a necessary feature of faithful allegiance to Jesus Christ.
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Elkins, Mark. "Religious directives of health, sickness and death : Church teachings on how to be well, how to be ill, and how to die in early modern England." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/16396.

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In broad terms, this thesis is a study of what Protestant theologians in early modern England taught regarding the interdependence between physical health and spirituality. More precisely, it examines the specific and complex doctrines taught regarding health-related issues in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and evaluates the consistency of these messages over time. A component of the controversial Protestant-science hypothesis introduced in the early twentieth century is that advancements in science were driven by the Protestant ethic of needing to control nature and every aspect therein. This thesis challenges this notion. Within the context of health, sickness and death, the doctrine of providence evident in Protestant soteriology emphasised complete submission to God's sovereign will. Rather, this overriding doctrine negated the need to assume any control. Moreover, this thesis affirms that the directives theologians delivered governing physical health remained consistent across this span, despite radical changes taking place in medicine during the same period. This consistency shows the stability and strength of this message. Each chapter offers a comprehensive analysis on what Protestant theologians taught regarding the health of the body as well as the soul. The inclusion of more than one hundred seventy sermons and religious treatises by as many as one hundred twenty different authors spanning more than two hundred years laid a fertile groundwork for this study. The result of this work provides an extensive survey of theological teachings from these religious writers over a large span of time.
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Ross, Eric 1962. "Ṭûbâ : an African eschatology in Islam." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40435.

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The thesis "Tuba: an African eschatology in Islam" adopts afrocentric hypotheses for the study of Islam. First, the thesis demonstrates how certain phenomena specific to Islam in Africa, those usually qualified as products of religious syncretism, are on the contrary indicative of the ongoing process of synthesis and enrichment within Islam, and, secondly, that African spiritual tradition continues today as in the past to participate along with others in this constructive process. In order to demonstrate this hypothesis the spiritual significance of the modern Islamic holy city of Touba in Senegal will be analyzed.
Touba is named for the Tree of Paradise (Tuba) of Islamic tradition and the holy city has been constructed around the singular arboreal image. The spiritual meaning imparted by Touba, a deliberate creation, is expressed in the topography of the holy city, in its geographic configuration. The thesis adapts the methodologies of spatial analysis, and specifically the semiotic reading of landscape, to the study of a religious phenomenon, i.e., the creation of a holy city.
in order to explain the significance of this holy city for Islamic eschatology, the meanings which three distinct religious traditions (Islam, West Africa, Ancient Egypt) have attached to the image of the cosmic tree are inventoried. The tree as archetype here serves to establish the continuity of African religious thought from pharaonic Egypt to modern Muslim Senegal.
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Lup, Jr John R. "Eschatology in a Secular Age: An Examination of the Use of Eschatology in the Philosophies of Heidegger, Berdyaev and Blumenberg." Scholar Commons, 2013. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4532.

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The topic of eschatology is generally confined to the field of theology. However, the subject has influenced many other fields, such as politics and history. This dissertation examines the question why eschatology remained a topic of discussion within twentieth century philosophy. Concepts associated with eschatology, such as the end of time and the hope of a utopian age to come, remained largely background assumptions among intellectuals in the modern age. Martin Heidegger, Nicolai Berdyaev, and Hans Blumenberg, however, explicitly addressed the subject in their philosophies. The impetus of this study is Heidegger's statement, "Being itself is inherently eschatological," which indicates the centrality of the subject in his understanding of Being. This statement led to the question whether eschatology played a larger role in Western thought. It also raised the question concerning the relationship between eschatology and other philosophical subjects such as teleology. Because of the multitude of assumptions concerning the meaning of eschatology, Chapter One provides essential working definitions. In order to obtain a sufficient understanding of the topic and address the use of the term among the three philosophers, it was necessary to see how eschatology was understood and acted upon in Western thought. Chapter Two addresses the history of eschatology in the West and concludes that there are two general streams of eschatological thought that explains why it continued to remain a subject for contemporary philosophers. Chapters Three through Five address how eschatology was used by Heidegger, Berdyaev, and Blumenberg respectively. Each utilized the subject in different ways: for Heidegger eschatology constitutes Dasein's existence. Futurity ("forward-directedness") is a condition Dasein as a totality. Dasein is "being-toward-the-end" or "toward-death." Berdyaev combines the eschatological tradition with philosophical achievements and offers an "eschatological metaphysics." He distinguishes eschatology from teleology arguing against teleology, noting that only a "personalist" eschatology can solve the problems of dualism and objectification. Blumenberg differs from Heidegger and Berdyaev by offering a negative evaluation of eschatological belief in the West contending that the modern secular age is the result of a failed eschatology. The conclusion of this work follows Charles Taylor's contention in A Secular Age that "our sense of where we are is crucially defined in part by a story of how we got there." The conclusion is that eschatology, throughout most of Western thought, functioned largely as a background assumption for understanding time and history. The transition from the linear concept of time to a cyclical concept defines in part the modern secular age. The notion of future time is an important and often neglected dimension of hermeneutic understanding. The continued influence of eschatological thought in Western history explains why the philosophers under consideration in this work address eschatology and signals that its influence upon philosophical thought is not likely to diminish in the future.
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Morgan, Suzanne Melissa. "Aspects of Mary Wollstonecraft's Religious Thought." The University of Waikato, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2300.

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The works of Mary Wollstonecraft have been largely utilized in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries within the domain of feminist studies. They were influential throughout the 'feminist movement' of the 1960s and 1970s and Wollstonecraft is routinely given the title of 'mother' of feminism. One result of her works being classified as important feminist texts is the elision of the religious element in her works. Moreover, recent scholarship has drawn attention to the central importance of religion in eighteenth century British discourse. This thesis will primarily argue that Wollstonecraft was heavily influenced by religion, and that her writings were conceived in response to a profoundly theologico-political culture. This influence of religion has generally been overlooked by researchers and this thesis will aim to redress this absence. Four of Wollstonecraft's works - all produced within a 'similar' political climate and within a concise time period - are utilized to show that religion was a foundational element within Wollstonecraft's thought and arguments. This thesis shows that Wollstonecraft was not so much a 'feminist' thinker, but a unique intellectual determined to show that the inferior position of women went against 'God's will', teachings and the equality He had ascribed to both men and women during Creation.
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Velji, Jamel A. "Saint Paul, the Ismāʻīlīs, and the end of the world : new visions of the religious law." Thesis, McGill University, 2004. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=83154.

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Hasan Salah, a 13th-century exponent of the Isma'ili qiyamat doctrine, and Saint Paul the Apostle, the author of much of the New Testament, believed that during their lifetimes, a Messiah had come. The arrival of the Messiah triggered the end time; in this new time of sacredness, both authors believed that it was impossible---and even counterproductive---to gain salvation by following the traditional religious law. This thesis juxtaposes both authors' conceptions of the religious law, highlighting how each author reinterprets scripture to argue that the law simply cannot bring salvation in this new time. It then discusses how, in place of the law, both authors advocate a new, more individual soteriology structured around the Messianic figure. This thesis then discusses the seven shared structural features of both eschatologically based theologies, strengthening the corpus of evidence suggesting that Isma'ili thinkers often incorporate specifically Christian elements into their theology.
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Steinmetz, Mayumi Takanashi. "Artistic and Religious Aspects of Nosatsu (Senjafuda)." Thesis, University of Oregon, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/22962.

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195 pages
Nosatsu is both a graphic art object and a religious object. Until very recently, scholars have ignored nosatsu because of its associations with superstition and low-class, uneducated hobbyists. Recently, however, a new interest in nosatsu has revived because of its connections to ukiyo-e. Early in its history, nosatsu was regarded as a means of showing devotion toward the bodhisattva Kannon. However, during the Edo period, producing artistic nosatsu was emphasized more than religious devotion. There was a revival of interest in nosatsu during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and its current popularity suggests a national Japanese nostalgia toward traditional Japan. Using the religious, anthropological, and art historical perspectives, this theses will examine nosatsu and the practices associated with it, discuss reasons for the changes from period to period, and explore the heritage and the changing values of the Japanese common people.
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Benfey, Matthias Wilhelm. "Religious cinema as virtual religious experience : a theory of religious cinema applied to Werner Herzog's Herz aus Glas." Thesis, McGill University, 1986. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=72087.

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The dissertation is an exercise in the application of the philosophical hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur and the biblical hermeneutics of John Dominic Crossan to the aesthetics of religious cinema.
The thesis defines religious cinema as virtual religious experience; therefrom a theory of religious cinema is derived. This derivation depends on a discussion of the essential elements of the cinematic experience and permits the expansion of the category of religious cinema beyond its traditional frontier. Throughout the dissertation, a dialogue is maintained with general cinema theory on the one hand and religious cinema criticism on the other. The purpose of this dialogue is to increase credibility (in the former case) and to demonstrate originality (in the latter case).
Finally, extrapolating from a specific dialogue between Crossan and Ricoeur, a critical method is developed, then applied to Werner Herzog's Herz aus Glas, a transcription of which is included as an appendix.
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Bibeau, Gabrielle K. "The Spouse of Christ in the Hereafter: A Historical Exploration of Nuptial Imagery and the Eschatology of Celibate Chastity in Religious Life." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1565557401800574.

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Perstadius, Carina. "The overturn of the resurrection – a new reading of The treatise on the resurrection. : The Valentinian rejection of realised eschatology in Nag Hammadi codex 1,4." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Institutionen för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-37483.

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“The Treatise on the resurrection” is a Coptic translation of a Greek source text that not is preserved. The text belongs to the Nag Hammadi codices. The text is probably produced during the second century. In this thesis, the text will be placed in the Valentinian context, and then as the Valentinianism is presented in codices 1 and XI.1. The research object for the thesis is an examination of the concept “resurrection”, ἀνάστασις. The method is the author-intentional theory of meaning; the thesis focuses on the intents of the author and not the reader´s perspective. The analysis is based on the Coptic source text. A new translation with comments will also be presented. Scholars have unanimity presumed that the text proclaims a realised eschatology. However, from a Valentinian point of view, there is no sustainable evidence for this postulation. The text can also refer to a future “resurrection” with an intermediate state in the spiritual body of the Saviour. The author redefines the sense and meaning of “resurrection”.

Godkännande datum 2019-08-26

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Gümüşay, Ali Aslan. "God at work : an institutional perspective on the impact of religion on organizations." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e6dc1016-0205-427a-8a54-6503cef2c371.

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The dissertation presents an institutional perspective on the role of values and meaning for organizations focusing on the institutional logic of religion. At its core are Chapter III, a conceptual paper, and Chapters IV and V, empirical papers based on an in-depth two-years long ethnographic case study on the founding process of the first Islamic Bank in Germany. They are framed by an introductory chapter and a conclusion that address the overarching research question of how diverse institutional demands are managed within and beyond the boundaries of organizations, as well as a general literature review chapter that embeds the papers within the wider institutional theory literature. Chapter III presents a conceptualization that integrates religion, specifically Islam, with entrepreneurship along three interconnected pillars: the entrepreneurial, socio-economic/ethical and religio-spiritual; and outlines how Islam shapes entrepreneurship at the micro-, meso- and macro-level. It suggests the institutional logics perspective to further analyze the impact of religion on organizations, which the subsequent papers build on. Chapter IV extends theory on organizational hybridity by outlining polyphony and polysemy as two mutually reinforcing organizational responses, that allow competing logics to coexist without structurally separating or blending them, and that produce elastic hybridity, showing how hybrid organizations can accommodate competing logics that are both central and incompatible. Chapter V shows how organizations collectively and dynamically co-generate and co-resolve institutional complexity through four combinatory mechanisms: pushing, pulling, clarifying and tolerating. These are subsequently integrated into a framework based on their desired versus required and actual versus perceptual nature. Overall, this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of how organizations manage diverse institutional demands including religion.
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Russek, Lisa Marie. "Social workers' responses to religious clients." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1042.

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Brinsfield, Gregory S., and Christopher B. Ashby. "Convergence and religious terrorism in America." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1464.

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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Religious terrorism, as most recently highlighted by the horrendous 9/11 attacks, is not a new phenomenon. It is not restricted to any one particular religion or belief system, nor is it reserved as a weapon against foreign lands. Domestic religious terrorism is just as prevalent throughout history and is brought about by certain converging factors at particularly susceptible times within the society, such as economic difficulties, new or modified technologies, and social uncertainties. Under these conditions, a charismatic leader with an appealing ideology and access to sufficient resources may become a very powerful threat to society, pitting the secular against the divine. This type of convergence may result in altogether new religious movements, or the unexpected growth of fringe groups that, until they act, are not even identified. Examining the historical convergences of the Reformation, First and Second Great Awakenings, and the trends of modern domestic society, we find that the threads which hold these movements together remain consistent throughout history. Enabled by the rapid growth of technology, these groups have unprecedented potential power. A group that decides to become offensive or use weapons of mass destruction, such as Japan's Aum Shinrikyo, may pose an unacceptable risk to our country.
Major, United States Air Force
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19

Ismail, Badroen. "Potential use of Islamic finance among Muslims in Port Elizabeth." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17526.

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The resurgence of Islam across the globe combined with the resilience that Islamic financial assets have shown against the onslaught of the current financial crisis, make Islamic finance an attractive alternative financial system. Over the past decade, the Islamic finance sector have shown double digit growth rates beyond the traditional areas of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions of Asia as well as other parts of the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) regions. Research suggests that the future of Islamic finance in Africa depends on business opportunities in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. The South African government, in conjunction with the national finance authorities, have made their intention clear to position the country as the Islamic finance hub for the rest of the African continent. Despite various marketing campaigns over the past decade to convince the public that Islamic banking and finance is for everyone, non-Muslims generally view Islamic banking as being for Muslims alone. Scepticism towards Islamic finance has resulted in a mere 15 per cent of the estimated 1.5 million South African Muslims currently making use of the sector’s banking and retail instruments. This lack of interest is impacting negatively on the country’s aspirations to establish itself as the gateway of Islamic finance to the rest of Africa. Generally, people’s attitudes toward utilising Islamic finance are regarded as a key obstacle to the development of the Islamic banking and finance system in Muslim minority countries. A Kuwait Finance House research report (2012) highlighted a lack of awareness and knowledge of Islamic finance products and services as key factors stifling the growth of the Islamic finance sector in South Africa. In this context, it was deemed necessary to analyse how knowledge, awareness, expectations, beliefs, perceptions and ancillary external factors impact on potential users’ attitude and decision to adopt or reject Islamic finance.By means of adapting Fishbein’s (2000; 2008) Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction, a universally-acceptable behavioural-change model, this research explains in a holistic manner how cognitive, affective and environmental measures impact on a Port Elizabethan Muslim’s attitude and eventual decision to accept (or reject) Islamic finance. This study has found that knowledge was the most important variable influencing attitude and intention to use (or reject) Islamic finance. Consequently, this thesis proposed that Islamic institutions should focus their efforts on promoting knowledge and awareness of their products among the South African Muslim and non- Muslim population. As the global Shari’ah finance industry continues its positive growth trajectory, it is imperative that Islamic finance stakeholders in South Africa ensure that they exploit the benefits derived from online learning platforms and assist, by means of cross-border collaborations, more students to have greater access to Islamic finance courses. Furthermore, universities and training institutions are encouraged to offer courses and qualifications in Islamic finance to close the talent gap that currently exist in this particular field of study.
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Macy, Alexandra G. "The Socio-economic and Religious Aspects in Robinson Crusoe." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2011. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/199.

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In the novel, Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe examines a wide range of complex issues. Defoe takes the typical adventure theme and transforms it into a thought-provoking reflection of many issues involving society. A blending of economic and religious issues is created by first focusing on economy, then bringing the issue of religion in, and finally allowing for the portrayal of the interpenetration between each. Defoe proves that it is possible to live by economic practices and monetary values while still maintaining a good, moral character. The emphasis on economic issues is extremely apparent, as Defoe calls into question the concept of money and its value, as well as its place in society. Crusoe is first portrayed as a man defined by money and ruled by economic principles. Even when removed from society, he is impelled to practice many economic conventions, such as investment, moderation and the idea of profit. Defoe creates Crusoe to be so greatly influenced by money and the economy in the beginning so as to better emphasize the intertwining of his economic side with his religious side. The Christian values and morals of Crusoe dominate the latter part of the novel. He rediscovers the Bible and its teachings and learns the importance of repentance and giving thanks. The provocative progression in unveiling the many layers of Crusoe allows for the reader to see that the man they thought to be defined by money is rather a man trying to live by the Word of God.
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Armstrong, Darren Philip. "The religious aspects of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien." Thesis, Durham University, 1994. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1044/.

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This thesis maintains that no comprehensive assessment of the work of J. R. R. Tolkien can be made without giving due weight to him as a religious writer, in the senses that : (a) he maintained an esthetic that is intrinsically Christian, believing that certain kinds of fantasy can bring new insights of the fallen world; (b) that writing, or sub-creating, was for him an essentially religious activity, participating in the myth of Creation; (c) his major fantasy texts contain subtle, often subliminal allusions to the Judaeo-Christian scriptures, although stripped of any dogmatic content; and (d) his major texts assume a cultural authority, through an allusive use of imagery and imitation of scriptural syntax to operate as a quasiscripture. I also consider Tolkien's treatment of major theological issues and assess how well suited the format of fantasy fiction is for the exploration of such themes.
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Carbonneau, André 1952. "Conscientious objectors to a medical treatment - what are the rules?" Thesis, McGill University, 1999. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=30290.

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Patients who refuse a specific medical treatment for religious reasons must often overcome strongly entrenched presumptions held by physicians and judges, presumptions frequently based on personal values. A case in point is the refusal of blood transfusion therapy by Jehovah's Witnesses.
This paper rests on the following theory: The sanctity of life principle is not necessarily violated by respecting the autonomous decision of a patient who, for religious or moral reasons, chooses one therapy over another that may be favored by the treating physician. Where a patient has decided for conscientious reasons against a certain treatment in any given medical situation, the need to be informed will shift from the patient to the physician. The physician must understand the nature of the religious or moral conviction, as well as his own moral and legal obligation to respect the patient's wishes by providing the best medical care under the circumstances.
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Reddy, Mike Megrove. "Communication in Christian groups from movements to organisations." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/456.

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A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of D. Litt. In Communication Science University of Zululand, 2004.
This dissertation reports the results of a study made of the forms of communication employed by Judaeo-Christian religious groups when they saw themselves as movements, compared to when they had become organisations. Beginning with ancient Israel, the study documents how forms of communication become elaborated during the organisational phase of groups' existence. The forms of communication used in Christian religious groups are documented from the rime of the eady Christian Church, through the Reformation period, through the 17* century to present-day Christian groups. The dissertation also reports as a case study an empirical analysis of the forms of communication used by the Cell Church and churches with cell groups, both of which are inter-denominational and host regular informal gatherings. It is found that these gatherings display the onset phase characteristics of Christian movements. From a theoretical point of view the research reported here provides evidence in support for the following Christian Religious Communications Hypothesis: Christian religious groups will use a limited number offorms of communication when they perceive themselves as movements and they will expand their forms of communication, as they become organisations, which forms special instance of Klopper (2003)'s general Theory of the Optimisation of Human Communication: Humans optimise a variety of forms of communication within a culture, to ensure immediate direct personal survival and to maintain their culture as a fongterm indirect survival strategy. By confirming the validity of the Christian Religious Communications Hypothesis, the research findings also provide indirect validation for Klopper's general Theory of the Optimisation of Human Communication.
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Tilak, Shrinivas 1939. "Religion and aging in Indian tradition : a textual study." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=75680.

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The purpose of the present study is to recover from selected Hindu and Buddhist texts ideas and images of aging and illumine their historical, semantic and metaphysical dimensions. The results of this endeavor indicate that as cultural adaptive systems, both religion and gerontology share a common concern in seeking to provide aging with purpose and meaning. Further, the internal logic and semantics expressing this relationship in the texts examined are governed by the formal and literary modes of simile, metaphor and myth. The analysis of such age-sensitive concepts as jara (aging), asrama (stages of life), kala (time), parinama (change), karma (determinate actions), kama (desire), and vaja (rejuvenatory and revitalizing force) suggest that the bond between the traditional Indian values of life and gerontology is particularly close and mutual.
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Van, den Berg Ruan. "An examination of Christian values and correlated concepts in small business practices in South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021094.

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The purpose of this research project was to establish in what way Christian entrepreneurs, in this case owner-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, drew on their Christian faith – as an identity-creating construct – in the day-to-day running of their businesses. Religion was identified as one of the significant contributing elements that form part of individuals’ underlying values that are used to make numerous value-based decisions. Because SME owner-managers that adhere to the Christian faith constitute a fairly large segment of society in the Western World, a study of this nature can be regarded as a worthwhile undertaking that provides valuable insights related to how and to what extent this particular group of economic actors merge religious convictions with business operations. The research was set up in such a way that SME owner-managers in South Africa, who were self-proclaimed Christians and broadly defined as members of the Protestant tradition, constituted the sample participants. The methodology regarded as most suitable was a qualitative, grounded-theory approach whereby interviews were conducted along the lines of a semi-structured interview schedule. An openended exploratory strategy was adopted that allowed respondents to convey their thoughts and ideas pertaining to the research phenomenon from their personal perspectives. A number of conceptual and linguistic frames offered by the respondents – that gave language to the way they rationalised their faith in the context of managing their businesses – were recorded. A total of sixteen major themes and an additional eight sub-themes emerged from the data. The themes recorded and analysed were: faith, grace, calling, stewardship, kingdom, holiness, discipleship, discernment, love, relationship, anointing, inseparable dimensions of life, the Christian life journey, money, cultural perspectives and biblical principles, including the centrality of the Bible, integrity and honesty, sowing and reaping, humility, forgiveness, power of the tongue, importance of prayer and the centrality of Christ. The research findings revealed that a correct understanding of the Christian identity as well as a correct application thereof is crucial in successfully incorporating Christian ideals in the market. Full integration of the Christian identity plus an internalisation of God’s purposes and principles create an inner sense of direction that is less focused on external moral guidelines and codes of conduct – the phrase living from the inside out’ seems appropriately fitting to describe a group of economic actors who pursue their business careers with a sense of calling coupled with a belief that their commercial whereabouts are distinctively linked to a transcendent objective. In addition, general business administration guidelines, where the issue of religious affiliation per se is of no particular consequence, allow for the integration of the value concepts uncovered through the study by way of the corporate governance framework as contained in the King III report – particularly with reference to business practice interventions related to the formulation and implementation of core organisational values and moral codes.
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Aldrovandi, Carlo. "Apocalyptic movements in contemporary politics : Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5503.

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This dissertation focuses on the 'theo-political' core of US Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism. The political militancy characterizing two Millenarian/Messianic movements such as Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism constitutes a still under-researched and under-theorized aspect that, at present, is paramount to address for its immediate and long terms implications in the highly sensitive and volatile Israeli-Palestinian issue, in the US and Israeli domestic domain, and in the wider international community. Although processes of the 'sacralisation of politics' and 'politicisation of religions' have already manifested themselves in countless forms over past centuries, Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism are unprecedented phenomena given their unique hybridized nature, political prominence and outreach, mobilizing appeal amongst believers, organizational-communicational skills and degree of institutionalization.
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Sandenbergh, Hercules Alexander. "How religious is Sudan's Religious War?" Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/3470.

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Thesis (MPhil (Political Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2006.
Sudan, Africa’s largest country has been plagued by civil war for more than fifty years. The war broke out before independence in 1956 and the last round of talks ended in a peace agreement early in 2005. The war started as a war between two different religions embedded in different cultures. The Islamic government constitutionalised their religious beliefs and imposed them on the whole country. This triggered heavy reaction from the Christian and animist people in the South. They were not willing to adhere to strict marginalising Islamic laws that created cleavages in society. The Anya-Anya was the first rebel group to violently oppose the government and they fought until the Addis Ababa peace accord that was reached in 1972. After the peace agreement there was relative peace before the government went against the peace agreement and again started enforcing their religious laws on the people in the South. This new wave of Islamisation sparked renewed tension between the North and the south that culminated in Dr John Garang and his SPLM/A restarting the conflict with the government in 1982. This war between the SPLA and the government lasted 22 years and only ended at the beginning of 2005. The significance of this second wave in the conflict is that it coincided with the discovery of oil in the South. Since the discovery of oil the whole focus of the war changed and oil became the centre around which the war revolved. Through this research I intend to look at the significance of oil in the conflict. The research question: how religious is Sudan’ Religious war? asks the question whether resources have become more important than religion.
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Velthuysen, Daniel Nicholas. "A pastoral theological examination of inner healing." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016248.

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Doing a survey of the ministry of inner healing, one is arrested by three salient features: its pragmatic and correlative development, its lay orientation, and the inconsistent and naïve theoretical explanation of the phenomenon. Inner healing, or as it was first known, the healing of the memories, appears to have its roots with Agnes Sanford during the 1940's (Sandford 1982: 3-4). Over a period of time and through a series of events, Sanford experienced what she termed a healing of memories. After some reflection on her experiences she began to teach her views at the School of Pastoral Care started by her husband in 1958, at Camps Farthest Out (CFO), and at numerous churches and conferences.
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Cheung, Man-ling, and 張曼玲. "The role of religious attributions in coping with bereavement." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1995. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3197787X.

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Chant, Jeffrey MacIntosh, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Education. "Experiences of male woundedness and the influence of understandings of Christ." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2005, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/341.

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The purpose of this study was to bring to consciousness the varied experiences that men have had of feeling wounded and to explore how a relationship to Jesus the Christ has influenced their understanding of those experiences. A modified naturalistic inquiry model was used as the qualitative research method, and the research was developed using grounded theory. This method of inquiry encouraged participants, and the researcher, to voice their experiences and to utilize them in a way that made the research significant. This methodological approach allowed themes to emerge, while honouring the stories and experiences that the participants shared. The theoretical framework for the study emerged from two major fields of research: Christian theology and gender-male studies. This research is located where these two fields intersect and overlap. It builds on the research from gender-male studies, specifically the psychological study of men and masculinity, organized men's movements, mythopoetic movements, profeminist movements, as well as the Christian theological understanding of a Messiah who has been portrayed and understood as the "wounded healer." The research focuses on the point at which men's experiences connect with their own sense of woundedness, their Christian faith, and their process of healing. The researcher engaged a discriminate group of men in exploring and trying to understand their experiences of feeling wounded in relation to the Christian story. Four men were identified who have had formal education in both pastoral psychology and theology. The participants were interviewed, and a constant comparative method was employed. Throughout the process of interviewing these men and being privy to their stories, my own story of feeling wounded often surfaced. This research is significant because allowing these men to articulate their experiences of woundedness facilitates healing, for themselves but also for other men who may access their own stories of feeling wounded through hearing those of the participants. Identifying and articulating woundedness helps to manifest the path of healing and self-understanding, ultimately leading to happier lives.
x, 130 leaves ; 29 cm.
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MacDonald, Kathleen Anne. "Sacred healing, health and death in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition." Thesis, McGill University, 2001. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=32927.

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The Tibetan Buddhist approach to healing, health and death is rooted in the sacred. Its teachings and techniques create a road map guiding the practitioner through the process of purification called sacred healing. It encompasses foundational Buddhist teachings, sacred Buddhist medicine, and the esoteric healing pathways found in tantra and yoga, which together constitute a detailed and technical guide to healing. The mind is central to all aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. The ability to focus the mind through meditation during life enables the practitioner to prepare for death by experiencing the subtle aspects of the body and mind through the chakras. Both Tibetan spiritual teachers and doctors practise healing and help practitioners learn to focus their minds in preparation for death. The moment of death presents the greatest opportunity for attaining sacred health, but healing can also occur after death. The objective of this thesis is to present the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of sacred healing in relation to life, death, the bardos and suicide through its texts, teachings and techniques.
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Menatsi, Richard. "The concept of "the people" in liberation theology." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015654.

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The concept of "the people" has become a key concept within the work of several Latin American theologians, Korean Minjung theologians and South African theologians. When liberation theologians use the concept of "the people" in their literature they do so with a lack of clarity, to the extent that the exact meaning of the term is obscure. In their usage of the concept "the people" liberation theologians come up with differing and at times contradictory meanings, particularly as regards the concrete and symbolic meanings of the concept. This thesis sets out to investigate the use of the concept "the people" by liberation theologians by consulting a selection from Latin American theology, Korean Minjung theology, South African liberation theology and Marxism, to detect its influence on the use of this notion. A general overview of the thesis indicates the following. The first chapter provides a detailed analysis of the concept of "the people" in the work of different liberation theologians. Chapter two considers "the people" in relation to poverty and oppression. The third chapter deals with "the people" as subjects of history. In the fourth chapter "the people" as a concept is developed in relation to belief within the Christian church. The final chapter is an evaluation. The thesis reveals that the following characteristics are central to "the people", they are poor and oppressed but are also inclusive of all those persons who identify and actively support the struggle against poverty and oppression. "The people" are subjects of their own history, finally they are Christian believers.
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Bouskila, Simon. "« La Résidence du Témoignage » R. Moshe de Leon (1240-1305). 1. Edition critique de l’œuvre selon le ms. Berlin Qu 833. 2. Traduction et présentation de l’oeuvre." Thesis, Strasbourg, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015STRAC025.

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Mishkan ha-‘Edut, la Résidence du Témoignage, est le dernier ouvrage important écrit par le kabbaliste castillan R. Moshe de Leon (1240-1305). On peut considérer cet ouvrage comme une œuvre de couronnement et de maturation de la pensée de l’auteur. Connu à travers plusieurs ouvrages écrits en hébreu, R. Moshe de Leon est, d’après les jugements des historiens, l’un des auteurs principaux du prestigieux Sefer ha-Zohar, rédigé en araméen, et que la tradition rabbinique et populaire attribue à R. Shim’one bar Yohaï, rabbin galiléen ayant vécu entre le premier et le deuxième siècle de l’ère chrétienne. Le Mishkan ha-‘Edut traite de plusieurs questions fondamentales : la raison de l’existence du monde et son fondement dans la divinité ; la place de l’homme dans ce monde, la signification théologique profonde et la raison de son parcours terrestre; la nature de la transgression du commandement divin et la possibilité de repentir pour l’homme en tant qu’être psycho-physique doté d’une âme d’origine divine ; l’eschatologie de l’âme : le sort de chacune de ses composantes après la mort, sa purification dans la géhenne et la nature de son séjour dans le jardin de l’Eden. R. Moshe de Leon reprend, de manière plus structurée, plusieurs sujets abordés dans ses précédents écrits, en particulier, une théorie de l’âme et de ses « revêtements » (malbushim) après la mort. L’auteur insiste sur le caractère ésotérique des sujets développés en se considérant détenteur d’un savoir reçu. A plusieurs reprises, l’auteur insiste sur son hésitation à dévoiler « les secrets de la sagesse redoutable et intérieure ». Il ne cessera de préciser qu’il s’adresse à une élite, à ceux qui sont à la recherche de cette intériorité indispensable pour entendre le message de la transmission fondée sur l’enseignement ésotérique. Nous retrouvons dans cet ouvrage quelques-unes des idées les plus fascinantes de la Kabbale : que l’existence de Dieu n’est une que dans l’union des différents monde, le divin, le céleste et le terrestre ; que la relation entre Dieu et le monde est assimilable à la respiration. Ceci renvoie à la tâche de l’homme pendant son court parcours terrestre, qui n’est pas le caprice d’un créateur cruel mais correspond au projet d’unification des mondes. Naturellement, R. Moshe de Leon s’inspire du texte biblique pour confirmer ses idées, et bien d’autres. Le Mishkan ha-‘Edut est émaillé de citations bibliques, ses arguments sont construits comme un commentaire de la Bible, dont on exclut comme superficiel et fourvoyant le sens obvie. Les affirmations des rabbins du Talmud sont également très présentes, ainsi que celles des « anciens » (qadmonim), qui sont en réalité les kabbalistes de son époque ou des générations précédentes
Mishkan ha-‘Edut, is the last important work written by Castilian cabalist R.Moshe de Leon (1240-1305). One can consider this work as an oeuvre of maturation of the author’s thought. Known by several works written in Hebrew, R.Moshe de Leon is, according to historians, one of the main authors of the prestigious Sefer ha-Zohar, written in Aramean, that the popular and rabbinic tradition attributes to R. Shim’one bar Yohaï, Galilean rabbi living in the first and second century of the Christian era. The Mishkan ha-‘Edut addresses several fundamental questions: the reason of the existence of the world and its foundation in divinity; the place of man in this world, the profound theological signification and the reason of its path on earth; the nature of transgression of divine commandment and the possibility of repentance for men as psychological beings carrying a divine derived soul; eschatology of the soul, the fate of each of its components after death, its purification in the géhenne and the nature of its stay in the garden of Eden. R.Moshe de Leon goes over, in a more structured way, several topics addressed in his previous writings. In particular, a theory of the soul and its “protections” (malbushim) after death. He insists on the esoteric aspect of the developed topics considering himself as owning a given knowledge. On several occasions, he also insists on his hesitation to disclose “the secrets of formidable and interior wisdom”. He stresses he addresses an elite, those who are seeking this necessary interiority to listen to the message of transmission based on esoteric teaching. One can find in this work some of the Kabbalah’s most fascinating ideas: that god existence is only one in the context of the merging of different worlds, the divine, the celestial and terrestrial; that the relationship between god and the world mimics breathing. This reflects to the task of man during his path on earth, not being directed by a cruel creator but that corresponds to the project of unification of these worlds. Naturally, R. Moshe de Leon takes inspiration in the bible text to confirm his ideas and many others. Mishkan ha-‘Edut is dotted with biblical citations, its arguments are built as a biblical commentary, from which is excluded, as if superficial, the spontaneous interpretation. Talmudic rabbi’s affirmations are equally present, as well as the “old”( qadmonim), who are in reality the kabbalists of his time or previous generations
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Englund, Henry. "The Meaning of Hell : Exploring the meaning of life through the lens of the afterlife." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Religionsfilosofi, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-444454.

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In this thesis, I take a closer look at the meaning of life from an eschatological point of view. More precisely, the question at hand is whether and in what sense the existence of Hell would impact the meaning of life. The thesis primarily makes use of Joshua Seachris’s theories on what ‘the meaning of life’ denotes, dividing ‘meaning’ up into the subcategories of ‘intelligibility’, ‘purpose’, and ‘significance’. Three different answers to the research question are proposed, which crystallizes three different positions: Hell-optimism, which denotes the view that the existence of Hell would contribute to the meaning of life; Hell-neutralism, which denotes the view that the existence of Hell would have no effect on the meaning of life; and Hell-pessimism, which denotes the view that the existence of Hell would detract from the meaning of life. Arguments are given for each position, most appropriated from the broader meaning of life-discourse. On the basis of the evaluation of each argument, Hell-pessimism is considered the most probable of the three.
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Dillon, Timothy Gerard. "From Painful Prison to Hopeful Purification: Changing Images of Purgatory in Selected U.S. Catholic Periodicals, 1909 - 1960." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1386683388.

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36

Borchardt, Frederick Francois. "Religious experience and schizophrenia in modern man : an experiential theoretical study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002061.

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In this study the psychological structures of two categories of religious and schizophrenic experience were examined from a phenomenological- existential perspective. Existing theories describe schizophrenia as an unfree, rigid experience with limited possibilities for selfhood. Some theorists believe, however, that some forms of schizophrenia can be seen as potential growth experiences which could facilitate existential renewal. These forms of schizophrenia are mystical, mythical or spiritual in nature. Religious experiences are, according to the literature, essentially renewal experiences facilitating existential growth and transformation through a particular system of thought and devotional relationship shared by a group of people. The Duquesne phenomenological- psychological method was used to analyse seven case studies, four of which involved schizophrenic experiences and three which involved religious conversion experiences. The general psychological structure which emerged through this analysis showed both schizophrenia and religious experience to have specific implications for the personal, social, material and mystical dimensions of being. The description of a specific psychological structure of experience which could optimally facilitate existential growth and transformation was attained by examining psychological structures where the subject's experience culminated in existential growth and transformation (such as religious experience and certain schizophrenIc experiences). As both these categories of experience displayed a strong mystical component, a psychological structure of experience which facilitates a transformative mystical experience was described. It can be concluded that an experience involving a mystical dimension could be transformative if the general psychological structure of the person displays (a) an openness towards reality as it presents itself (b) an experience of oneself as having a measure of existential freedom (c) a certain sense of security in one's own selfhood and (d) a social world which could understand, support and reflect inner experiences.
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Mermer, Alison Clare. "Aspects of religious identity : the Nurcu movement in Turkey today." Thesis, Durham University, 1985. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1614/.

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38

Griffing, Gene A. "Creativity and religious orientation : an interactional study of psychological wellbeing." Virtual Press, 2002. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1233199.

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Past research has shown that both creativity and religious orientation are related to psychological wellbeing. There has also been some support for the idea that a relationship exists between creativity and religiosity. The present study sought to determine whether the interaction between creativity and religious orientation would be a significant predictor of psychological wellbeing. Psychological wellbeing, in the current study, was defined as the linear composite of life satisfaction, meaning in life, and purpose in life. The independent variables were measured using the Religious Orientation Scale, the Religious Orientation Scale Revised, and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Dependent variables were assessed via the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Scales of Psychological Wellbeing Short Forms, and the Life Attitude Profile Revised. Questionnaires were administered to 291 college students at a mid-western university. Individuals were identified as being either high or low in creativity and as either intrinsic or extrinsic with respect to their religious orientation. A final participant sample participant sample of 120 participants was retained for analysis and a two by two factorial MANOVA was performed to determine if creativity and religious orientation would interact. While the results of the study suggested that creativity and religious orientation were both significant predictors of psychological wellbeing, the interaction of these variables was not found to be a significant predictor of psychological wellbeing. The independent factor of creativity was found to be a significant predictor beyond the .05 level for psychological wellbeing, satisfaction with life, purpose in life, and meaning in life. Similarly, religious orientation as an independent factor was found to be a significant predictor beyond the .05 level for psychological wellbeing, purpose in life, and having meaning in life. While this data is consistent with the current literature, religious orientation was not a significant predictor of life satisfaction. It was postulated that the lack of interaction may have been attributed to low variability in test scores, developmental characteristics of the sample, and/or the more precise psychometric properties of the instruments used in the current study. Recommendations for future research were suggested.
Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
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39

Kasmed, Fa-eeza. "The identity alignment of Christian beliefs and homosexual orientation in adult women." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17658.

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The homosexual orientation has been controversial in many countries around the world, with religion often used as the foundation for critique against this orientation. The prevalence of discrimination, and the expectation of rejection, often results in homosexual individuals concealing their sexual identity. In the process homosexual individuals may deny, hide, or even discarded their authentic selves. However, some individuals reach a point of comfort with both these constructs of their identity, a position that supports the authentic self. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the process of how individuals who identify as both Christian and homosexual align these parts into their identity, to reach a place of comfort. The study further seeks to generate insight that can be used to assist individuals in similar positions of identity conflict. The study uses qualitative methodology, more specifically an exploratory- descriptive design. The sample is identified through non-probability purposive sampling, and data collected through semi- structured interviews. The data is analysed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework. Thematic analysis identified major themes of denial, conflict, anger, bargaining, deconstruction, and self- acceptance. These themes followed a non- linear and interactive process, and present participants reaching a place of comfort with their Christian beliefs and homosexual orientation; which is discussed through the interpretative lens of social constructionism and queer theory.
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Nkesiga, Reverend Solomon Basabose. "Virtuous living towards an African theology of wisdom in the context of the African renaissance." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/454.

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The structure of this study is a complex inter-relationship of a variety of sources in a theological work, namely, personal experience, African social and politico-economic context, philosophical reflection, wisdom traditions and Christian theology. These sources form a coherent inter-relationship which is foundational for an African theology of wisdom. The introduction gives an overview of my moral and theological formation. This is intended to provide a perspective through which the issue of moral orientation in African context has been approached. It is therefore entitled: Moral formation and the shaping of a theological mind. The first chapter answers the question: Why is Africa in need of a wisdom theology that addresses the issue of moral regeneration? This question is posed in the broader context of the current African Renaissance debates. The links between the Italian (European) and African Renaissance indicate that moral regeneration is a crucial part of the socio-political, intellectual and economic re-birth of Africa. This “socio-historical” source gives the context and urgency of a wisdom theology. It is therefore entitled: A contextual analysis: The European and African Renaissance. The second chapter re-asserts the rise of virtue ethics as an alternative ethical theory to the predominant deontological and utilitarian traditions. This is achieved through analysing Alisdair MacIntyre’s earlier work, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (1981), set in the context of Iris Murdoch and Elizabeth Anscombe, the modern initiators of a virtue ethic. This “philosophical” source gives the theoretical framework that addresses the question of moral formation. It is therefore entitled: A philosophical analysis: The rise of virtue ethics as alternative ethical theory. The third chapter is devoted to two related “wisdom” themes: Firstly, the seven traditional virtues are briefly described highlighting the virtue of wisdom as foundational. Secondly, the idea of wisdom is further developed via three wisdom traditions, namely: wisdom in the Hellenistic, Judeo-Christian and African traditions. This “sapiential” source gives this African theology of wisdom its most important building blocks. This chapter is therefore entitled: A sapiential analysis: Wisdom as foundation for virtue ethics in Africa. The last chapter brings the previous sources together under a specific theological perspective. It draws on aspects of recent African theologians’ work, notably: Kwame Gyekye and Benezet Bujo who engage with and bring together Western and African theological traditions. I answer a pertinent question, “What does such a ‘theological’ perspective entail?” I draw on Scripture and its Trinitarian tradition to demonstrate how African wisdom, reinforced by the framework of virtue theory, and developed in the context of present-day Africa by an African student of theology, has the potential to contribute to the moral transformation of Africa. This more overt “theological” source is the distinctive Christian enterprise of an African wisdom theology. The chapter title is aligned with the overall title of this study: A theological analysis: Toward an African virtue ethics? To this end, this study achieves its attempt to construct an inter-related framework from which an African theology of wisdom may emerge.
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Venter, Johannes Machiel. "How the Christian church can help in building business ethics." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012905.

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Research suggests that there is a relationship between religion and business ethics. When looking at the South African society and the statistics that says that 80 percent of the population is Christian but on the other hand we are confronted within this country with increasing incidents of corruption in private companies as well as in public services. Why would that be the case? This study seeks to understand if Christianity or the local church really makes an impact on the lives of its members. The research starts of by looking at behaviour in general and what constitute to good ethical decision-making. In the study on Christian ethics it becomes clear that there is a strong appeal in the Bible on ethical behaviour. The Bible goes as far as to claim that, when in a relationship with the Lord, the followers will show His character in the way they live at home and the way they behave and make ethical decisions at the workplace. This study used focus groups to research the role of the local church in changing behaviour. The study finds that Christianity per se does not change the behaviour of church members. The church members‘ definition of the church largely determines the impact the church will have on their lives. In the study on the Christian ethics it was clear that ethics were seen as something that was formed in communities and not by rules or regulations. It was not a case of people telling others what to do and what not. It was more a case of mentors that helped others to live differently in community with others. The study finds that when the local church is build on relationships and if there is a strong sense of community, the church has a huge impact on the lives of its members. This suggests that the local church should be more focused on strong and intimate relationships and not so much on the church as organisation or institute. This is also important for the businesses that will employ these members because they will make better ethical decisions.
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42

Jackson, Robert. "The interrelationship between religious education and religious studies : paper to accompany materials submitted for PhD by published work." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1993. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/71284/.

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43

Nehushtan, Yossi. "Religious conscientious exemptions." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.670045.

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44

Pillay, Miranda N. "Re-visioning stigma: a socio-rhetorical reading of Luke 10:25-37 in the context of HIV/AIDS in South Africa." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2008. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_4669_1227789291.

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HIV and AIDS present challenges to the well-being of individuals and to public health proportions unpresedented in modern history, and stigma has been identified as the single most contributor to the spread of the HI-virus. While the challenges presented by the AIDS pandemic are scientific and medical, it also has a psychological, legal, 
economic, social, ethical and religious impact on those infected and affected. The underlying question in this thesis is not whether the church should respond to this urgent societal challenge, but how it ought to respond. To explore this question, the thesis investigated how a New Testament text (as primary resource), particularly Luke's Gospel, could be a resource for shaping/sharpening the church's response to the pandemic.

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45

Goins, Jeffrey P. (Jeffrey Paul). "Expendable Creation: Classical Pentecostalism and Environmental Disregard." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278335/.

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Whereas the ecological crisis has elicited a response from many quarters of American Christianity, classical (or denominational) Pentecostals have expressed almost no concern about environmental problems. The reasons for their disregard of the environment lie in the Pentecostal worldview which finds expression in their: (1) tradition; (2) view of human and natural history; (3) common theological beliefs; and (4) scriptural interpretation. All these aspects of Pentecostalism emphasize and value the supernatural--conversely viewing nature as subordinate, dependent and temporary. Therefore, the ecocrisis is not problematic because, for Pentecostals, the natural environment is: of only relative value; must serve the divine plan; and will soon be destroyed and replaced. Furthermore, Pentecostals are likely to continue their environmental disregard, since the supernaturalism which spawns it is key to Pentecostal identity.
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46

Chan, Sin-wai, and 陳倩慧. "Religious release of birds in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2006. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B38345821.

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47

Wilson, Alissa Carrie. "A qualitative study of spiritual and alternative practices in social work." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2652.

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The purpose of this study is to more closely examine social workers who are practicing or familiar with spiritual and alternative techniques. These approaches are seen as highly relevant to social work values of cultural competency and empowerment.
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48

Brown, Robert Bruce. "Holy war as an instrument of theocratic and social ideology in Judaic, Christian, and Islamic history." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1428.

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49

Armstrong, Dorothy Sheilah. "Psychological well-being and spirituality: Constituents of successful aging." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1801.

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50

Epstein, Heidi. "Melting the Venusberg : a feminist theology of music." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=36766.

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I am writing a feminist theology of music. Feminist musicologists, by studying music's relation to human sexuality (a connection which theologians have neglected, suppressed, or simply ignored), contend that music has always functioned as a metaphor for sexual relations. As such, music constitutes a site where personal and social formation is negotiated and contested. Via repertoires of musical conventions, much like those in film and literature, composers arouse, manipulate, and channel our desires, thereby reinforcing (and sometimes transgressing) cultural norms of sexuality and gender construction. Their compositions become "fabrications of sexuality." (McClary)
Historically, theologians and church authorities vilified music's preeminent worth as an erotic medium, promoting instead its exemplary embodiment of ontic harmony and order. To do so, they clothed their polemic against "illicit" musical practices with the rhetoric of effeminacy, thus veiling male ambivalence toward women and the body in a politics of transcendence. After a critique of these masculinist models, and an exposition of music as a gendered, en-gendering discourse, I will redefine music theologically as abject, fleshly imitatio. To construct a feminist musico-theological model, I shall synthesise a lost trope from the tradition with insights which I have gained from the musical activities of four women musician-composers: Hildegard of Bingen, Bolognese nun Lucrezia Vizzani (and her consoeurs), Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Diamanda Galas. Through this recuperative synthesis, music's theological significance will shift from its incarnation of harmony and order---divine, cosmic, or human to its ineradicable promiscuity, its dis-integrative powers.
My original contribution to the field is fourfold: (1) I document the rhetoric of effeminacy and virility which has influenced and shaped traditional theologies of music, and thereby undermine the latter's privileged status as musico-theological resources; (2) I portray the music of the above women composers as musical imitations of Christ; (3) I enrich revisionist accounts of women in the Christian tradition by giving greater prominence to women's musical activity, the latter previously neglected in, for example, theological studies of mediaeval women, this despite music's centrality to their daily lives; (4) I initiate mutually enriching dialogue between feminist musicology and theology. To date, a feminist theology of music has not been written.
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