Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Secularization (Theology)'

This thesis explores the problematic nature of theodicy (theological explanations for suffering). It questions what kind of meaning-making might occur in place of theodicy in societies which are undergoing a change in attitude to religious belief and practise. In doing so, it looks to shed light on how the Church might respond to instances of mass suffering (referred to as 'ground-zero' events) and other traumatic experiences in the current social context. Drawing on a practical theological methodology, and employing ethnographic tools of investigation, this thesis includes data collected via interviews (thirty in total) and observation with the Sunday Assembly. This burgeoning global movement is not religiously affiliated, yet it draws on the structures and practises of the Christian Church to the extent that it has been referred to as an 'atheist church' (and, laterally, a 'secular congregation.') Data gathered at communities in London and Edinburgh provides a critical basis for theological reflection on the group's responses to suffering. The key finding of this thesis concerns the Sunday Assembly's adoption of a philosophy of celebration, which, in practise, can lead to the 'passing over' of suffering on both a global and individual scale. In response, this thesis concludes with a reflection on the Church's propensity to also avoid discussion of suffering, and suggests that churches resist this by constructing a 'culture of lament' in which suffering might be acknowledged and addressed. This practise is intended to prevent Christian communities from evading traumatic events, or else reverting to potentially harmful theodicies.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 14, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

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Discusses Theology of Secularization as proposed by the Baptist theologian Harvey Gallagher Cox Jr., who emerged in the academic and literary scene in the 1960s in full uproar caused by the Radical Theology, popularly known as the Movement of the Death of God. Analyzes five major works of that author who deal directly with the secularization and its implications for Christianity both Catholic and Protestant, and this analysis highlights what Harvey Cox proposes to search for the plausibility of Christianity. Thus, it follows that not all claims that Harvey Cox did in the 1960s about religion were correct, such as those related to the decline of religiosity, however, other claims sound like "prophetic" and have occured accurately. Aditionally, in order to do justice to the thought of that theologian it should not identify him as a "theologian of the death of God", but rather as a "theologian of secularization". Finally, if Christianity, represented by the Church (Catholic and Protestant) wants to be considered relevant during these days and in the future must be engaged in the society and serve it even having to deal with the declared atheism of such society.
Aborda a Teologia da Secularização assim proposta pelo teólogo batista Harvey Gallagher Cox Junior, o qual despontou no cenário acadêmico e literário na década de 1960 em pleno alvoroço causado pela Teologia Radical, popularmente conhecida como o Movimento da Morte de Deus. Analisa as cinco principais obras do referido autor que tratam diretamente da secularização e suas implicações para o Cristianismo tanto o católico como o protestante, e nessa análise destaca-se o que Harvey Cox propõe para a busca da plausibilidade para o Cristianismo. Conclui-se que nem todas as afirmações que Harvey Cox fez na década de 1960 sobre a religião estavam corretas, tais como as que se referiam ao declínio da religiosidade; contudo, outras afirmações deles soam como proféticas e se cumpriram com exatidão. Também que para se fazer justiça ao pensamento desse teólogo não se deve identificá-lo como um teólogo da morte de Deus , mas, sim, como um teólogo da secularização . E por fim, o Cristianismo representado pela Igreja (católica e protestante) se quiser encontrar-se relevante para esses dias e no futuro deverá se engajar na sociedade e servi-la mesmo tendo que lidar com o ateísmo declarado dessa sociedade.

Over the twentieth century and into the present, theorists of secularization and political theology have explored ways that theological arguments have shaped the social, ethical, economic, and political imaginaries of the modern West. In many of these studies, the doctrine of providence has come under scrutiny alongside related theological debates over of the nature of divine sovereignty, glory, the will, and the significance of immanent life in relation to divine transcendence. While it is often taken for granted that the Calvinist branch of Protestant reform likewise had a decisive impact on the shape of the modern West, there has been no extended treatment of Calvin's writing on providence, or related doctrines, which engages these arguments about secularization.

El propósito de la tesis es obrar una lectura del concepto de Katechon, la figura del retardo teológico-político que aparece en la Carta a los Tesalonicenses de Pablo de Tarso. Sin embargo, la estructura de la tesis no se organiza alrededor de una lectura histórica del concepto de Katechon, sino que más bien trata de trazar un recorrido conceptual entre varias figuras del retraso, figuras cuya razón de ser es la de otorgar tiempo a un mundo que se marchita en una dialéctica continua entre precipitación y retraso. La tesis se organiza así en cuatro secciones además de introducción y conclusiones: un prólogo metodológico, una lectura apocalíptica de la gnosis seguida por un capítulo dedicado expresamente al problema teológico-político, y, para concluir, un análisis de la necesidad constitutiva de un plus de tiempo típica de la especie humana desde el punto de vista de la antropología filosófica. Irónicamente, el texto se estructura de manera circular, de manera que en las conclusiones sacadas del análisis antropológico deberían brillar los restos de una apocalíptica gnóstica ya enteramente secularizada. En el prólogo metodológico se discute de qué manera se han utilizado y producido conceptos filosóficos en el presente trabajo, a saber, sirviéndose de un paradigma artístico: el campo del arte sirvió para la elaboración de la tesis como una fuente de categorías que se han aplicado a lo largo de todo el texto, de manera que se ha tratado de leer, más o menos sistemáticamente, producciones literarias como si fueran textos filosóficos. En el primer capítulo se lleva a cabo una lectura en clave apocalíptica de ciertos textos del gnosticismo, poniendo en evidencia hasta qué punto la problemática del retraso se inscribe en la tradición gnóstica más allá de la presencia explícita de la categoría de Katechon. El segundo capítulo se trata de un análisis en clave teológico-política del dispositivo de la soberanía y de como éste se constituye, en un panorama temporal acortado por la inminencia apocalíptica, a partir de un modelo katechóntico. El tercer y último capítulo proyecta el retraso del katechon en clave antropológica, obrando una lectura a partir de las herramientas de la biología evolutiva, para demostrar hasta qué punto el paradigma antropológico basado sobre el concepto de neotenia es deudor de categorías teológicas pertenecientes a la tradición apocalíptica.
The purpose of the thesis is to work out a reading of the concept of Katechon, the figure of the theological-political delay that appears in Paul of Tarsus’s Epistle to the Thessalonians. However, the structure of the thesis is not organized around a historical reading of the concept of Katechon, but rather tries to trace a conceptual path between various figures of delay, figures whose raison d’être is to give time to a world that is withering away in a continuous dialectic between precipitation and delay. The thesis is thus organized in four sections in addition to the introduction and conclusions: a methodological prologue, an apocalyptic reading of gnosis followed by a chapter dedicated expressly to the theological-political problem, and, to conclude, an analysis of the constitutive need for a plus of time typical of the human species from the point of view of philosophical anthropology. Ironically, the text is structured in a circular way, so that in the conclusions drawn from the anthropological analysis should shine the remains of an already entirely secularized Gnostic apocalyptic. The methodological prologue discusses the way in which philosophical concepts have been used and produced in the present work, namely, by making use of an artistic paradigm: the field of art served for the elaboration of the thesis as a source of categories that have been applied throughout the text, so that an attempt has been made to read, more or less systematically, literary productions as if they were philosophical texts. In the first chapter, an apocalyptic reading of certain texts of Gnosticism is carried out, highlighting the extent to which the problematic of delay is inscribed in the Gnostic tradition beyond the explicit presence of the category of Katechon. The second chapter is an analysis in a theological-political key of the device of sovereignty and how it is constituted, in a temporal panorama shortened by the apocalyptic imminence, from a katechontic model. The third and last chapter reads the delay of the katechon in an anthropological key, by making a reading from the tools of evolutionary biology, in order to demonstrate to what extent the anthropological paradigm based on the concept of neoteny is indebted to theological categories belonging to the apocalyptic tradition.

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.

Partimos nesta pesquisa tentando entender parte do pensamento de Friedrich Nietzsche: sua crítica à Religião cristã, no tocante a seu discurso acerca da morte de Deus, e a recepção da sua filosofia no cenário religioso pós-moderno. Buscamos apresentar o seu discurso da morte de Deus partindo da obra Gaia Ciência, discurso que relaciona-se com a desvalorização do mundo metafísico e a perda de crédito no Deus cristão. A fé em Deus perdeu plausibilidade, instaurando o niilismo. Problematizamos a crítica de Nietzsche a Religião cristã, mas, sobretudo, crítica à cultura de sua época. Ele critica uma sociedade edificada sob o ideário cristão que está amparado em uma moral que, por séculos, foi usada como mecanismo de domínio e manutenção de poder. Nietzsche entende o Cristianismo enquanto negação da vida e/ou Religião da decadência. A crítica de Nietzsche ao Cristianismo tem como alvo o sujeito enquanto agente moral. Todavia, não é necessariamente uma crítica a Jesus, o Cristo, visto que, Nietzsche considerava Paulo o verdadeiro fundador do Cristianismo. Nesta pesquisa analisamos alguns aspectos da Religião na pós-modernidade e a recepção do pensamento de Nietzsche neste cenário. Hoje, com a pós-modernidade, a Religião, ao menos suas representações institucionais, tornou-se coadjuvante no debate sobre temas relevantes, porém, a humanidade prossegue vivendo dimensões religiosas, cada vez mais particulares e subjetivas. Dialogamos no decorrer da pesquisa com vários autores que discorrem sobre a Religião na pósmodernidade de forma positiva e que, de alguma forma, dialogam com Nietzsche. Com a pós-modernidade e seu processo de secularização, a Religião não se encerra, ao contrário, ela ressurge e se difunde. Mesmo não tendo o protagonismo que exercia antes, a Religião continua exercendo papel importante na pós-modernidade, estando presente em todas as áreas do desenvolvimento humano.

This essay focuses on the elderly and their religious beliefs and is based on the origin idea of a secular Sweden, but where immigration has been the source of additional various religious affiliations. This study intends to nuance the problems that previous researchers focused on when doing research on immigration, by interviewing staff members of nursing homes in immigrant dense areas, especially Malmoe, Gothenburg and Stockholm. The aim is to investigate how the allocation of residents, with different religious than Protestant Christians, is distributed at nursing homes and to see if there is a need for adjustments. Additionally, the thesis about immigrants and immigrants' identity and attitudes to Swedish society is discussed with John Berry´s acculturation theories and strategies. The results show that the majority of the nursing homes have residents with different religious affiliations and that some practical adjustments have been done, but it also shows that nursing homes have changed to the extent that they have adapted to a secular society. Ignorance and prejudice contribute to the problem in terms of seeing all residents as individuals and at the same time ensuring adaption according to all their needs, which is exemplified in the solutions made by using multi-cultural staff members and specialized departments. The relationship between nursing homes and the Swedish church continues but the role of the church service has changed. However, the idea that residents with different affiliations are free to exercise their religion in private occurs simultaneously as it is highlighted that immigrants is assimilated into a secular Swedish society. This in turn means that not every residents need is seen to at the investigated nursing homes.

Five decades’ process of breaking more than four centuries of Church-State ties saw a major break-through at the stroke of the new millennium (the year 2000), with the implementation of legislative reforms aimed at giving the Church of Sweden a greater degree of liberty, while extending greater freedom to other religious communities in Sweden. Almost a decade after this historic legislation most stakeholders claim the impact of the reform has been significant. Indeed the decision to server Church-State ties for whatever purpose or reason, after such a long standing relation between the two, will by all means have implications for the Church that is separated, the State and the so called free churches and other religions in Sweden. Thus, this field study seeks to investigate the resultant impact of delimiting governmental power in the religious domain on the now autonomous church and the implications the separation has had for other “non-state churches” as well as the secularized state government in Sweden almost ten years after the reforms.

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Introduction: The thought about O Bem Morrer is a relevant aspect in the construction of the sense of death and dying in Brazil. Systematized through manuals written mostly by Jesuit priests between XVII, XVIII and XIX centuries, where we find it as model of and for the death through the centuries and surpassing the binomial modernity/secularization that, by the end of the XIX century, became a characteristic of the Brazilian social and political life. Therefore, we try to understand the religious phenomena that provide this thought of Bem Morrer its longevity in the core of a society that, although claims itself as secular, results from a inneclesiamento process that characterizes the Brazilian Catholic ethos. Objective – explain and understand the longevity of the thought of bem morrer from invariables queries about death, represented through praxis and thinking involving the inneclesiamento characteristic of the Brazilian Catholicism. Methods – we elaborated a documentary group gathering three Bem Morrer manuals written between XVII and XVIII centuries by Jesuit priests Estevão de Castro, José Maria Bonucci and José Aires and a series of interviews within the Catholic community of Espírito Santo do Pinhal, SP. These were open and semi-structured interviews, following a pre-stablished guide about Catholic mortuary rites through remembrances and memories about religious coping with death. Invariables questions proposed by anthropologist Maurice Godelier were applied to the manuals and interviews, confirming the hypothesis that only religions can produce effective answers that support and provide meaning to the human existence. Results – It can be demonstrated that the invariable questions such as: Where do we go when we die? What to do on the last moment of life? - brought answers that changed little through centuries, having the ideals of bem morrer as a reference. Such longevity was possible due to the social life that was built around the Eclesia, main characteristic of the Brazilian society. This assumption was confirmed when many Catholic death rituals from different Brazilian regions were brought as a comparative element. From this, we could confirm that there is a Brazilian way of dying, expressed by the Catholic ethos and persisted above the social processes brought by the binomial modernity/secularization. Therefore, when facing death, we are all not moderns, yet
Introdução: O ideário do Bem Morrer é um traço significativo no processo de elaboração do sentido da morte e do morrer no Brasil. Sistematizado por Manuais escritos entre os séculos XVII, XVIII e XIX fundamentalmente por padres Jesuítas encontramos sua presença como modelo de e para a morte atravessando séculos e persistindo ao binômio modernidade/secularização que, a partir do final do século XIX passam a caracterizar a vida política e social brasileira. Assim, procuramos compreender os fenômenos religiosos que proporcionam a longevidade do ideário do Bem Morrer no interior de uma sociedade que se apesar de se representar secular, é resultado de um processo de inneclesiamento que caracteriza o ethos católico brasileiro. Objetivo – Explicar e compreender longevidade do ideário de bem morrer a partir de perguntas invariantes sobre a morte representadas por meio das práticas e do pensamento que se constitui em torno do inneclesiamento característico do catolicismo brasileiro. Métodos – Elaboramos um corpo documental que reúne três manuais de bem morrer escritos entre os séculos XVII e XVIII pelos padres jesuítas Estevão de Castro, José Maria Bonucci e José Aires e uma série de entrevistas coletadas entre a comunidade católica de Espírito Santo do Pinhal (SP). Essas entrevistas são abertas e semi-estruturadas seguindo um roteiro pré-estabelecido sobre ritos mortuários católicos por meio das lembranças e memórias em torno do enfrentamento religioso da morte. Aplicamos aos manuais e as entrevistas as perguntas invariantes sobre a morte propostas pelo antropólogo Maurice Godelier confirmando a hipótese que, diante da morte somente as religiões produzem respostas efetivas que sustentam e dá sentido a existência humana. Resultados – Pode-se demonstrar que as perguntas invariantes sobre a morte tais como: Para onde vamos quando morremos? O que fazer no último instante da vida? Produziram respostas que pouco variaram durante séculos tendo em vista as referências do ideário de bem morrer. Cuja permanência foi possível em torno da vida social que se construiu ao redor da Eclésia, característica fundamental da sociedade brasileira. Confirmamos essa afirmação quando trouxemos vários rituais mortuários brasileiros como elemento comparativo. A partir do que pudemos afirmar que existe uma forma brasileira de morrer que, fundamentalmente se expressa por meio do ethos católico e que persistiu os processos sociais desencadeados pelo binômio modernidade/secularização. Portanto, diante da morte, ainda não somos todos modernos

O Encontro para a Nova Consciência ocorre em Campina Grande (Paraíba Nordeste do Brasil), desde 1992, durante o período de carnaval, tornando-se palco de um atrativo e intrigante acontecimento, não tão facilmente visto em outras partes do mundo, atualmente. Ao observarmos as particularidades marcantes desta experiência religiosa, em tamanha diversidade, somos capazes de caracterizá-lo como sendo um fenômeno religioso pós-moderno. Estudando os elementos relevantes que se observam neste Movimento, a partir das contribuições de teóricos contemporâneos que refletem sobre o fenômeno religioso, buscaremos apresentar esta experiência como um espaço significativo da vivência religiosa dentro da cultura pós-moderna. Se a secularização e pluralismo religioso conferem indicações sobre o comportamento religioso na Modernidade, as características do Encontro para a Nova Consciência, marcados pela subjetividade que confere identidades flutuantes, permitem-nos apreciar indícios de uma religiosidade que se configura na Pós-modernidade
The Convention for New Conscience occurs, during carnival period, in Campina Grande City (Paraíba - Brazil Northeast), since 1992, having become an attractive and intriguing event field, event that cannot be, currently, seen, found, easely, anywhere in the world. As we can observe this religious experience remarkable particularities, in such a great diversity, we are, therefore, enable to characterize it i.e. the abovementioned event as a kind, a sort of postmodern religious phenomenon. Studying the outstanding elements that are observed in this Movement, departing from the contemporaneous theorical contributions that reflect on the religious phenomenon, we will seek to present this experience as a religious liveliness meaningful space, within postmodern culture. If secularization and religious pluralism bestow some indications upon religious comportment in Modernity, the Convention for New Conscience characteristics, marked by the subjectivity that brings forth floating identities, they the event characteristics allow us evaluating a certain religiosity signs that take a plain shape in Post-modernity

Le présent travail se décline en trois parties, chacune développant un volet de la thèse globale. Premier volet : La genèse de la modernité politique a été l'objet de nombreuses interprétations philosophiques. Au cœur de ces interprétations, le théorème de la sécularisation s'est révélé aussi décisif que discuté. Pour mettre à l'épreuve ce concept, ce premier volet entend faire valoir la fécondité herméneutique de la théologie politique chrétienne, dont le concept central est celui de médiation : d'une part au travers de ses multiples paradigmes, d'autre part, en la confrontant à plusieurs théories philosophiques du XXè siècle. Le deuxième volet, le plus volumineux, s'est donné pour tâche de procéder à l'examen critique de la théologie politique du juriste Carl Schmitt. En quoi offre-t-elle des éléments de réponses pour une adéquation de la théologie politique chrétienne au paradigme moderne et séculier de la condition politique? En quoi conduit-elle à une impasse, qu'il convient de surmonter pour élaborer un nouveau rapport entre christianisme et politique et une pensée de l'histoire ? Pour répondre à cette question, le troisième volet s'est imposé, dans un premier temps, par l'investigation de la philosophie de Rosenzweig dans L'Etoile de la Rédemption, notamment s'agissant de son concept de peuple (juif et chrétien). Dans un deuxième temps, par l'explicitation des divergents-accords entre la thèse de Rosenzweig et celle de Schmitt : celle du Juif hors de l'histoire et du Chrétien dans l'histoire, dont les deux auteurs font un usage diamétralement opposé. C'est à l'aune de ces divergents-accords que la thèse conclusive de l'élaboration d'une théologie « du » politique peut trouver un espace réflexif pour un autre rapport entre une transcendance religieuse et le fondement autonome et séculier d'une philosophie politique de la démocratie
The present work is laid out in three sections, each of which develops a part of the overall thesis. First section: the origin of political modernity has been the object of numerous philosophical interpretations. At the heart of these interpretations, the concept of secularization has proven to be as decisive as it is contentious. In order to put this concept to the test, this first section seeks to show the value of the hermeneutical fruitfulness to be found in Christian political theology, whose central notion is that of mediation; it does this on the one hand through the multiple paradigms of this latter, and on the other hand by confronting it with several twentieth-century political philosophies. The second section, which is the most important in terms of volume, sets out on a critical examination of the political theology of the jurist Carl Schmitt: to what extent does it offer elements which respond to questions concerning the adequacy of Christian political theology vis-à-vis the modern secular paradigm prevalent in today's political environment? to what extent does it lead to an impasse which needs to be obviated in order to work out a new way of relating Christianity and politics and historical thought? In order to answer this question [translator's note: these questions?], the third section adds various considerations. First of all, it proceeds with an investigation of Rosenzweig's philosophy exhibited in L'Etoile de la Rédemption [The Star of Redemption], notably with regard to his concept of people (Jewish or Christian). Secondly, it details the theories of Rosenzweig and Schmitt with regard to diverging agreement: the place of the Jew outside of history versus the place of the Christian within history. A concept which the two authors take in diametrically opposed directions. It is by taking the measure of these diverging agreements that one arrives at the conclusive thesis, namely the working out of a theory of “the political man”, can find room for flexibility, providing a link between religious transcendence and the autonomous and secular grounding of a political philosophy of democracy

In view of the complexity characterizing the contemporary discipline of academic theology, there is a need for functional models. Against the background of significant developments in twentieth-century theology, this thesis attempts to develop an analytical model which can make sense of some of the complexity characterizing this field. More specifically, the aim is to produce a model which can be used to distinguish between and relate different theological positions to each other at a meta-level. This is achieved through the elaboration of a two-dimensional typology composed of four quadrants representing distinct theological orientations. The proposed model and its analytical categories form the basis for a discussion of some key figures and themes in modern theology, with a particular emphasis on eschatologically oriented theologies. Finally, on the basis of preceding discussions, a case is made for theology’s ability to fulfill a vital cultural-critical role in a secular context.

Uno de los factores decisivos que ha facilitado escoger a Vattimo como autor principal del presente trabajo, responde a la variedad temática del autor: pocos ámbitos quedan libres de la reflexión debolista. Política, religión, ética, estética, derechos humanos o naturalismo, que desde la óptica del declinar son desarrollados por el pensador italiano, delimitados siempre a la crítica de la objetividad ligada a la violencia. Sin duda Vattimo es uno de los exponentes más significativos de la Postmodernidad. Uno de los puntos que trataremos es el concepto de razón moderna, recorriendo para ello la senda que han trazado pensadores como Nietzsche y Heidegger, que Vattimo recoge con entera libertad interpretativa. Este concepto de razón ha sido históricamente relacionado con los ideales de progreso y bienestar; Vattimo lo critica desde una postura postmoderna. La ausencia de una racionalidad fuerte, en sentido fundacional, nos obliga a operar con la interpretación, con la pluralidad de perspectivas, cobrando especial relevancia la hermenéutica como una nueva “comunidad filosófica”. El punto central en la cuestión de los temas filosóficos fundamentales, consistirá en la apropiada comprensión y descripción del diagnóstico epocal llevado a cabo por Vattimo. Pretendemos ofrecer una revisión clara y sintética del pensamiento débil que el filósofo italiano nos presenta. Esto incluye tanto la crítica histórica al pensamiento que recurre a una noción fuerte de racionalidad para acceder a la fundamentación que solicita, como los planteamientos que el pensamiento débil puede ofrecer al respecto, basados en la renuncia a la objetividad y la posibilidad de emancipación derivada de la misma. Los objetivos temáticos que pretendemos llevar a cabo son, en síntesis, tres: la descripción de las influencias en Vattimo, la definición de pensamiento débil y la hermenéutica vattimiana y, el desarrollo de las características más significativas de los planteamientos éticos, políticos, religiosos y estéticos de Vattimo.
One of the decisive factors that has led to the election of Vattimo as the subject of this work is the variety of themes dealt with by the writer: few areas of human experience are exempt from analysis via the reflections of weak thought. Politics, religion, ethics, aesthetics, human rights, or naturalism, limited by the critique of objectivity linked to violence, are developed by the Italian thinker through the prism of declination. Vattimo is, undoubtedly, one of the most significant exponents of Postmodernity. One of the points to be treated is the concept of modern reason, following the path mapped by thinkers such as Nietzsche or Heidegger, reinterpreted by Vattimo with total freedom. This concept of reason has been connected, historically, with ideals of progress and welfare; Vattimo criticises the concept from a postmodern point of view. The absence of a strong rationality, in the foundational sense, means that we need to work with interpretation, with a plurality of perspectives, with hermeneutics being especially relevant as a new ‘philosophical community’. The central point in the question of fundamental philosophical themes will consist of the appropriate comprehension and description of the diagnosis of the epoch undertaken by Vattimo. We aim to offer a clear and synthetic revision of the weak thought system as presented by the Italian philosopher. This includes as much an historical criticism of that thought which employs a strong notion of rationality to accede to the fundaments it requires, as well as the ideas that weak thought may offer, based on the rejection of objectivity and the possibility of emancipation derived from the same. The thematic objectives we aim to explore, are, in synthesis, threefold: the description of the influences on Vattimo, the definition of weak thought and the hermeneutics of the work of Vattimo, and the development of the most significant characteristics of the ethical, political, religious and aesthetic approaches of Vattimo.

Marriage is an institution found in every society, culture or religion in the world. The Catholic Church has maintained most of her seven Sacraments including that of marriage. The Church of Sweden, an established Evangelical Lutheran faith, born out of the 16^th century Reformation has two Sacraments excluding marriage. This field study was carried out in Gävle, Sweden in spring 2009. A comparative study of marriage in the Catholic Church and the Church of Sweden and the reason each church alludes to based on scripture and tradition was to help me, an African Catholic, understand differences between the respective churches and also understand why the Church of Sweden accepts same sex marriages. This was my motivation for writing this paper. I hope this paper will serve as a study guide to new people who come to Sweden from other cultures to enable them understand why the “Modus Operandi” regarding church marriage in Sweden is different from the church marriage in their native countries.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
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This thesis aims at the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes and seeks to understand how it contributed to the internal secularization of Catholicism, changing the way the Catholic Church relates to the modern world. The subject is shown relevant in so far as the document has recently completed its fifty years and is still little studied even by the Catholic hierarchy. At the same time, it is important to try to understand not only the acceptance of secularization but also how the tumultuous relationship between Church and modernity has taken place. We proceed from the hypothesis that every condemnation made by the ecclesiastical magisterium against the modern world loses its relevance with Gaudium et spes, since it brings within it the acceptance of modernity as being positive even for the Catholic Church. The research consists of a bibliographical analysis based not only on the prominent authors who have already worked on the theme, but also on primary sources such as diaries of Conciliar Fathers and the Constitution itself, which makes a greater contribution to the studies on the Council and the Pastoral Constitution. With the development of the research, we believe that Gaudium et spes followed in the opposite direction to the teaching that preceded it and, therefore, was responsible for the establishment of a new, essentially secular, Catholic imaginary
A presente tese tem como objeto a Constituição Pastoral Gaudium et spes e busca compreender como a mesma contribuiu para a secularização interna do catolicismo, alterando o modo como a Igreja Católica se relaciona com o mundo moderno. O tema se mostra bastante relevante na medida em que o documento completou recentemente seus cinquenta anos e ainda é pouco estudado até mesmo pela hierarquia católica. Ao mesmo tempo, mostra-se importante por tentar compreender não apenas a aceitação da secularização, mas também como se deu a tumultuada relação entre Igreja-modernidade. Partimos da hipótese de que toda condenação feita pelo magistério eclesiástico contra o mundo moderno perde sua relevância com a Gaudium et spes uma vez que essa trás em seu interior a aceitação da modernidade como sendo positiva até mesmo para a Igreja Católica. A pesquisa consiste em uma análise bibliográfica fundamentada não apenas nos autores de destaque que já trabalharam com o tema, mas também com fontes primárias, como diários de Padres Conciliares e a própria Constituição o que confere uma contribuição maior para os estudos sobre o Concílio e a Constituição Pastoral. Com o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, acreditamos comprovar que a Gaudium et spes seguiu na direção contrária ao magistério que a antecedeu e, com isso, foi responsável pelo estabelecimento de um novo imaginário católico, fundamentalmente secular

Tidigare studier visar att sekulariseringen inneburit stora förändringar på det religiösa området. Studiens syfte var att beskriva hur präster inom Svenska kyrkan i Gävle uppfattade sekulariseringens påverkan. Fokus låg på att beskriva de kvalitativt olika uppfattningar som fanns, då dessa förhoppningsvis skulle ge en ökad och fördjupad vetskap kring sekulariseringens olika verkningar. Det empiriska materialet samlades in via kvalitativa intervjuer där åtta präster gav uttryck för sina uppfattningar. Studien visar på att kvalitativt olika uppfattningar fanns. Vidare visar studien på en rad intressanta strategier och åtgärder som behövs i det framtida kyrkliga arbetet. Det gäller bland annat organisatoriska förändringar i form av hur många kyrkor som ska finnas och hur ofta det ska firas gudstjänst, ett ökat samarbete mellan de lokala församlingarna och en utveckling av högmässan.

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This thesis shows that cultural changes provided by modernity enable the crisis of Christianity. It brings as fundamental essence the theologian Andrés Torres Queiruga, that uncovers in modernity a consequence of the main virtues of Christianity. It points horizons to the useful dialogue between Christianity and modernity and contributes to a modern reinterpretation of this religion to it can stand firm and contextualized in its proposal. So it brings a review and actualization of Christianity in the highly regarded categories enabling a modern rereading of the religion so traditional. We concluded that it is appropriate to science of the religion and o theology provides this role, searching for collaborate for that it can occur a new look and a new rethink of the Christianity in the modernity. Only in the view of a new paradigm, the Christianity will be in the dialogue with other religions
Esta tese mostra que as mudanças culturais proporcionadas pela Modernidade possibilitaram a crise do cristianismo. Traz como âmago fundamental o teólogo Andrés Torres Queiruga, que descortina na Modernidade uma conseqüência das principais virtudes do cristianismo. Ele indica horizontes para o diálogo profícuo entre cristianismo e Modernidade, e contribui para uma reinterpretação moderna dessa religião para que ela possa se manter firme e contextualizada na sua proposta. Assim traz uma revisão e atualização do cristianismo dentro de novas categorias conceituais possibilitando uma releitura moderna dessa religião tão tradicional. Concluímos que cabe também a Ciências da Religião e a Teologia propiciarem este papel, procurando colaborar para que possa ocorrer um novo olhar e um novo repensar do cristianismo na Modernidade. Somente dentro da perspectiva de um novo paradigma o cristianismo poderá se concretizar no diálogo com outras religiões

Förhållandet mellan modern gnosticism och New Age har visat sig vara oklar i den aktuella akademiska diskussionen. I denna studie gjordes ett försök att bringa en större ordning i denna aktuella akademiska diskussion. Huvudsyftet var att jämföra modern gnosticism och New Age utifrån några valda verk, och se vilka likheter och skillnader som fanns. Metoden som användes var deskription och komparation. Studien visade att det fanns både likheter och skillnader. Den största likheten kan sägas bestå av att båda fenomenen är individcentrerade. Den främsta auktoriteten finns inom människan. En annan likhet är att båda rörelserna har en oppositionell karaktär. På det andliga planet är man mot den etablerade, institutionaliserade och hierarkiska formen av religion. Den största skillnaden mellan de båda handlar om två närliggande existentiella frågor som verkar vara förbehållet modern gnosticism. Det handlar om människan som en främling inför tillvaron, och hennes utkastade tillstånd i denna världen.

La présente recherche vise à reconstruire les contours du concept de politique de Carl Schmitt, et ses idées théologico-politiques. Elle porte aussi sur ce que ces interventions théologico-politiques peuvent impliquer concernant sa conception du politique, et la structure de ce qui appartient à la politique dans l’histoire moderne. Tout d’abord, nous présentons les différentes dimensions du concept de politique dans le cadre d'une histoire de la théorie juridique allemande de l'État. Le concept de politique se forme avant tout dans ce contexte et trouve là ses principales distinctions. Puis nous analysons le concept du politique pour reconstruire sa logique interne et ses fonctions. Nous soutenons que cette logique a un double aspect, car elle est basée sur des dichotomies telles que prince-peuple, État-société, représentation-identité, etc. Ensuite, nous examinons certaines limites des idées de Schmitt dans le cadre de ses réflexions sur les grandes questions de nature théologico-politique ainsi qu’à propos de certains auteurs sélectionnés en fonction de ce contexte. Enfin, nous analysons l’approche métaphorique schmittienne de la question théologico-politique ainsi que l’idée d’un rapport analogique structurelle entre pensée théologique et pensée juridico-politique. Nous abordons également la relation potentielle de ces interventions théologico-politiques dans sa conception du politique
The present research aims to reconstruct the contours of Carl Schmitt's concept of the political and theological-political ideas. It also examines what these theological-political interventions may imply about his conception of the political, and the structure of the question of what belongs to politics in modern history. First, we present the different dimensions of the concept of the political within the framework of a history of German legal theory of the state. The concept of the political is formed above all in this context and finds its main distinctions here. We then analyze the concept of the political in order to reconstruct its internal logic and functions. We argue that this logic has a double aspect, based on dichotomies such as prince-people, state-society, representation-identity, and so on. Second, we examine some of the limitations of Schmitt's ideas in the context of his reflections on major questions of a theological-political nature as well as on some authors selected in that context. Finally, we analyze Schmitt's metaphorical approach to the theological-political question as well as the idea of an analogical structural relation between theological and juridico-political thought. We also deal with the potential relationship of these theological-political interventions in his conception of the political

Centrée sur une réflexion des droits de l’homme à partir de l’expérience historique de la Shoah, la thèse porte sur l’enjeu fondamental du statut du religieux en modernité. Trois parties la composent, correspondant au génocide, à la modernité politique et à l’histoire du Salut : la première propose une interprétation de l’Holocauste en ayant recours aux catégories empruntées à l’historiographie, à la réflexion philosophique et à la tradition théologique. Elle rend compte de deux lectures concurrentes des Lumières, du renversement de la théologie chrétienne du judaïsme au XXe siècle, de la généalogie idéologique du nazisme ainsi que du contexte explosif de l’entre-deux-guerres. La seconde partie de la thèse avance une théorie des trois modernités, selon laquelle les États-Unis, la France et Vatican II représenteraient des interprétations divergentes et rivales des droits. Enfin, la troisième partie reprend les deux précédentes thématiques de la Shoah et de la modernité, mais à la lumière de la Révélation, notamment de l’Incarnation et de la Croix. La Révélation est présentée comme un double dévoilement simultané de l’identité de Dieu et de la dignité humaine – comme un jeu de miroir où la définition de l’homme est indissociable de celle de la divinité. En provoquant l’effondrement de la Chrétienté, la sécularisation aurait créé un vide existentiel dans lequel se serait engouffré le nazisme comme religion politique et idéologie néo-païenne de substitution. Négation de l'élection d'Israël, du Décalogue et de l’anthropologie biblique, l’entreprise nazie d’anéantissement est comprise comme la volonté d’éradication de la Transcendance et du patrimoine spirituel judéo-chrétien, la liquidation du Dieu juif par l’élimination du peuple juif. Le judéocide pourrait dès lors être qualifié de «moment dans l’histoire du Salut» en ce sens qu’il serait porteur d’un message moral en lien avec le contenu de la Révélation qui interpellerait avec force et urgence la conscience moderne. L’Holocauste constituerait ainsi un kairos, une occasion à saisir pour une critique lucide des apories de la modernité issue des Lumières et pour un renouvellement de la pensée théologico-politique, une invitation à une refondation transcendante des droits fondamentaux, dont la liberté religieuse ferait figure de matrice fondationnelle. La Shoah apporterait alors une réponse au rôle que la Transcendance pourrait jouer dans les sociétés modernes. Mémorial de Sang refondateur des droits de la personne, l'Holocauste rendrait témoignage, il lancerait une mise en garde et poserait les conditions nécessaires d'un enracinement biblique à la préservation de la dignité de l’être humain. Aux Six Millions de Défigurés correspondrait la Création de l'Homme du Sixième Jour. En conclusion, un triangle synergique nourricier est soutenu par l’extermination hitlérienne (1941-1945), la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme (1948) et le Concile Vatican II (1962-1965) comme les trois piliers d’une nouvelle modernité, située au-delà des paradigmes américain (1776) et français (1789). La Shoah inaugurerait et poserait ainsi les fondements d'un nouvel horizon civilisationnel; elle pointerait vers un nouveau départ possible pour le projet de la modernité. L'expérience génocidaire n'invaliderait pas la modernité, elle ne la discréditerait pas, mais la relancerait sur des bases spirituelles nouvelles. Cette refondation des droits fondamentaux offrirait alors une voie de sortie et de conciliation à la crise historique qui opposait depuis près de deux siècles en Europe les droits de l'homme et la Transcendance, Dieu et la liberté – modèle susceptible d’inspirer des civilisations non occidentales en quête d’une modernité respectueuse de leur altérité culturelle et compatible avec la foi religieuse.
As a reflection on human rights focused on the historical experience of the Holocaust, the dissertation looks at the status of religion in modernity. It is made up of three parts; genocide, the politics of modernity, and the history of salvation. The first suggests an interpretation of the Holocaust based upon categories borrowed from historiography, philosophical reflection, and theological tradition. It takes into account two readings of the Enlightment: the inversion of Christian theology towards Judaism in the twentieth century, the ideological sources of Nazism and the explosive time of the inter-war years. The second part of the thesis advances a theory of three ways of seeing modernity: those of France, America, and Vatican II, representing rival and divergent understandings of human rights. The third and final part takes the premises of the previous parts, but in the light of the Revelation, especially that of the Incarnation of the Cross. The Revelation is presented as a simultaneous revealing of God’s identity and human dignity – as an image in a mirror or as the definition of man being inseperable from that of God. In causing the collapse of Christendom, secularization has created an existential vacuum which could be filled by Nazism as a political religion and a neo-pagan ideology of substitution. Negating the election of Israel, the Ten Commandments and biblical anthropology, the Nazi project of destruction is understood as the willingness to eradicate the Transcendence and the Judeo-Christian Tradition, the liquidation of the Jewish God by the elimination of the Jewish people. Judeocide can thus be described as a “Moment in the History of Salvation” in that it conveys a moral message connected with the content of the Revelation which strongly and urgently calls out to modern consciousness. The Holocaust is thus a Kairos, an opportunity for clear reviews of the aporias of a kind of modernity generated by the Age of Enlightment, for an invitation to a transcendent rooting-anchoring of human rights, and for a renewal of theological-political thought, where religious freedom appears as the foundation. As a Memorial of Blood reengaging human rights, the witness of the Holocaust represents a warning and shows the need for of a biblical understanding of the person to preserve human dignity. The six million victims correspond to the creation of man on the sixth day. As a conclusion, a synergy is claimed between Hitler’s extermination (1941-1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) as the three pillars of a new modernity, beyond the American (1776) and French paradigms (1789). The Shoah ushers in and lays the foundation of a new understanding of civilization. It points towards a new point of departure for the journey of modernity. The experience of genocide does not invalidate nor discredit modernity, but offers it up towards a new spiritual understanding. This understanding of fundamental rights offers a way of leaving behind and reconciling the historical crisis between God and liberty, human rights and Transcendence in Europe for the last two hundred years – which may equally be of use to non-western civilizations in their quest for a respectful modernity for their own cultures, compatible with their own faiths.

The Meaning and Impact of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Concept of "an adult person"and "a non-religious interpretation" on Czech Post-War Christian Theology, Ecclesiology and a Christian Preaching. In this diploma thesis I deal with a debate held in religious studies in the Czech region on a meaning and impact of Dietrich Bomhoeffer's concepts of "an adult person" and "a non-religious interpetation". For a deeper understanding of concepts itself the thesis presents context of Bonhoeffer's life and work. This part discusses what he intended to say by using his concepts although he wasn't able to finishe them. The aim of my thesis is to answer two religious studies questions related to Dietrich Bonhoeffer'concepts with respect to Czech region only. The first query is: Became a human being in a religious field mature (Is he grown up of religion)? A situation of Czech society provides unique conditions of secularisation for a verification of Bonhoeffer's theses. To prove them I will examine only Czech sociologists, religious scientists and psychologists of religion. I will examine the second research problem (What does Bonhoeffer's claim for non-religious interpretations mean for Czech Christian religious tradition?) within the writings of Chech non-catholic theologians. Their own contributions to...

This thesis argues that in order to demonstrate the possibility and sensibility of Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo's 'weak religious belief', it should be understood as the becoming uncertain of traditional, metaphysical (strong) belief. The difference between weak belief and strong belief can thereby be understood not as two distinct modes of belief, but as an event of weakening in the history of belief that has yet to be realized by those who believe with the support of metaphysical certainty. Since Vattimo aligns metaphysics with violence, and since he aligns traditional belief with metaphysics, to demonstrate and defend the possibility of Vattimo’s weak belief amounts to the reduction of violence in the world. However, the possibility and validity of weak belief has been called into question by thinkers such as Richard Rorty. In light of a review of the arguments and counter-arguments between Rorty and Vattimo, I argue that it is possible to distinguish weak belief from strong belief as long as this remains a weak distinction.

Die vorliegende Untersuchung arbeitet die wesentlichen gesellschaftspolitischen und ökonomischen Entwicklungslinien heraus, die sich während der geschichtlichen Umbruchphase um 1830 im deutschen Raum aus dem letzten Akt von Goethes Faust II ableiten lassen. Tiefgreifende politische, wirtschaftlich-technische und kulturelle Umwälzungen zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts wirkten auf Goethe als Zeitgenossen ein und wurden von ihm in seinem literarischen Spätwerk verarbeitet. Aus Goethes Alterswerk Faust II heraus lassen sich Konstanten und Entwicklungen seiner Zeit sichtbar machen und, immer eingebettet in den zeitgeschichtlichen Kontext, konkret nachweisen. Diese Ausarbeitung will aufzeigen, dass Goethe im letzten Akt von Faust II einen sich zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts vollziehenden – und teils bereits vollzogenen - Wandel der menschlichen Geisteshaltung attestiert. Säkularisierung und zweckorientierte Rationalität, Beschleunigung, Enthumanisierung und Unterwerfung von Mensch und Natur stehen hierbei im Mittelpunkt. Fausts aus seinem Pakt mit dem Teufel entstandene Welt nimmt die uns heute umgebende vorweg, die geprägt ist von Datenflut, elektronischen Medien, einer von Alltagshektik geprägten Realität und systemimmanenten Expansionsstreben. Allein dies verleiht dem Drama ein unübersehbar hohes Gegenwartspotential.
This thesis explores the trends of socio-political developments during the period of historical changes in Germany around 1830 that can be deduced from Act V of Goethe´s Faust II. Profound political, technical, economic and cultural changes at the beginning of the nineteenth century had an impact on Goethe as a contemporary and appear in his late literary work. Thus specific constants and developments of his time are also presented in and can be deduced from one of the great literary works of the aged poet, Faust II. This paper shows that the final act of Faust II Goethe reveals profound changes in human mentality that took place at the beginning of the nineteenth century and partly even before: Secularization and ruthless rationality with a tendency to acceleration, de-humanization and unscrupulous submission of human beings and nature. The world that originated from Faust´s pact with the devil in Faust II anticipates the reality surrounding us nowadays, a reality characterized by a flood of data, electronic media and the hectic pace of everyday life, - a fact vouching for the play´s striking modernity.
Classics & World Languages
M.A. (German)

Text in German
Diese MTh Dissertation mit dem Titel Identität und Zukunft der protestantischen Denominationen in Hamburg befasst sich mit der Entwicklung protestantischer Kirchen in Hamburg und dem Bild, auf das die protestantische Landschaft möglicherweise zusteuert. Ausgangspunkt ist eine Reihe von Beobachtungen und Entwicklungen, die Raum für die Hypothese geliefert haben, dass denominationelle Unterschiede ihre Bedeutung verlieren und sowohl protestantische Zusammenarbeit als auch eine gemeinsame christliche Identität an Gewicht gewinnen werden. Die Befragung setzte einen besonderen Akzent auf das Verhältnis von liberalen und konservativen (evangelikalen) Protestanten. Die empirische Untersuchung, die sich der Methodik der Grounded Theory bediente, wie auch das umfassende Literaturstudium konnten die Hypothese im Allgemeinen bestätigen. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich die Perspektive einer stark an den Bedürfnissen der Gesellschaft orientierten kirchlichen Arbeit, die von einem deutlichen Bewusstsein des gemeinsamen Christuszeugnisses und einem ausgeprägten ökumenischen Geist getragen ist. Neben dem Ziel einer empirisch gestützten validen Zukunftsperspektive soll diese Arbeit Entscheidungshilfe und Impulspapier für christliche Leiter in Hamburg und Deutschland sein.
This MTh dissertation titled Identity and Future of Protestant Denominations in Hamburg deals with the development of protestant churches in Hamburg and the picture, the protestant landscape is possibly heading for. Initial point is a number of observations giving room for the supposition that denominational differences will loose their importance and protestant cooperation as well as a common christian identity will gain relevance. The survey put special attention on the relationship of liberal and conservative (evangelical) protestants. The empirical research, using the method of Grounded Theory, as well as the widespread literacy investigation served for – generally speaking – a confirmation of the hypothesis. As a result, it appears a perspective of a church that is strongly orientated towards the needs of society and carried by a clear awareness of the common testimony of Christ and a distinct ecumenical spirit. Besides the goal of a valid and empirically based future perspective, this work intends to be a decision aid and discussion paper for christian leaders in Hamburg and Germany.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
M. Th. (Missiology with specialisation in Urban Ministry)