According to tradition, but not definitely corroborated by either historical or archaeological sources, the Maltese islands received their seed of faith in A.D. 60 by the Apostle Paul, when he was on his way to Rome, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The aim of this study is to examine the background of the cult of St Paul in Malta; to investigate the efforts of Mgr G. De Piro and Fr G. Preca in safeguarding the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul; specifically their contributions when Malta became a British colony and was placed under a Protestant administration; and whether or not their contributions are still valid today. To achieve this, we will carry an exegetical research of the Acts of the Apostles chapters 27, 28:1-10, historiography, modern literary studies. The best primary sources to investigate these two personalities are the archives of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP), and of the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC). These archives provide the core of the authentic findings of the enormous wealth of religious literature these priests were able to produce, as well as the testimonies of both Founders. Their spiritual and theological writings include books, pamphlets, articles, sermons, letters and other religious materials. When the British settled in Malta (1800-1964), the Maltese were very religious and completely loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, but their religiosity had no sound theological basis. Hence, the majority of the Maltese could have been easily influenced by Protestant proselytism and Freemasonry. Both Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca foresaw the need of a sound catechetical teaching, so that the Roman Catholic faith would be better understood and appreciated. They could read the signs of the times. Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca provided catechetical information and spiritual literature in Maltese, which were almost non-existent at the time; and groups of lay persons were well trained and educated in religious matters. To understand better how the contributions of Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca were so vital to safeguard the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul, it was imperative to study the history of the local church during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the socio-political situation, and the Church-State problems. This study shows the indefatigable work and sacrificial life led by both Founders and how the Roman Catholic faith was not only saved during the British administration but also became much stronger. In the course of this study, we will investigate how the faith of the Maltese and the cult of St Paul helped to save them from calamities, misery and in time of war; and if the contributions given by Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca are still valid today where the roots of Christianity and Christian tradition are being threatened once again. / PhD (Church and Dogma History), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The administration of initiation rites by an ecstatic specialist, now known to western scholarship by the general designation of ‘shaman’, has proven to be one of humanity’s oldest, most widespread, and continuous magico-religious traditions. At the heart of their initiatory rituals lay an ordeal – a metaphysical journey - almost ubiquitously brought on by the effects of a life-changing hallucinogenic drug experience. To guide their initiates, these shaman worked with a repertoire of locally acquired instruments, costumes, dances, and ecstasy-inducing substances. Among past Mediterranean cultures, Semitic and Indo-European, these sorts of initiation rites were vital to society’s spiritual well-being. It was, however, the mystery schools of antiquity – organizations founded upon conserving the secrets of plant-lore, astrology, theurgy and mystical philosophy – which satisfied the role of the shaman in Greco-Roman society. The rites they delivered to the common individual were a form of ritualized ecstasy and they provided an orderly context for religiously-oriented intoxication. In the eastern Mediterranean, these ecstatic cults were most often held in honour of a great mother goddess and her perennially dying-and-rising consort. The goddess’ religious dramas enacted in cultic ritual stressed the importance of fasting, drumming, trance-inducing music, self-mutilation, and a non-alcoholic ritual intoxication. Far and wide the dying consort worshiped by these cults was a god of vegetation, ecstasy, revelation, and salvation; by ingesting his body initiates underwent a profound mystical experience. From what limited information has survived from antiquity, it appears that the rites practiced in the eastern mystery cults were in essence traditional shamanic ordeals remodeled to suit the psychological needs of Mediterranean civilization’s marginalized people. This paper argues that the myths of this vegetable god, so-called ‘the Divine Bridegroom,’ particularly in manifestation of the Phrygian Attis and the Greek Dionysus, is deeply rooted in the life-cycle, cultivation, treatment, consumption of a tree-born hallucinogenic mushroom, Amanita muscaria. The use of this mushroom is alive and well today among Finno-Ugric shaman and this paper explores their practices as one branch of Eurasian shamanism running parallel to, albeit in a different time, the rites of the Phrygian goddess. Using extant literary and linguistic evidence, I compare the initiatory cults long-assimilated into post-agricultural Mediterranean civilization with the hallucinogen-wielding shaman of the Russian steppe, emphasizing them both as facets of a prehistoric and pan-human magico-religious archetype.

Manipulation är ett gemensamt drag i sekteristiska rörelser som vill ta bort jag-identiteten och ersätta den med något annat. Syftet med studien var att belysa vilka reaktioner anhöriga får då en nära familjemedlem är med i ett religiöst sekteristiskt sammanhang. Metoden är kvalitativ med interaktiv induktion. Öppna, icke standardiserade intervjuer som följt en temaguide gjordes utifrån ett snöbollsurval som sedan analyserades på gruppnivå efter de riktlinjer Grounded Theory har. Metoden är vald därför att det finns litet forskning på området och är särskilt lämplig när sociala processer ska undersökas. Åtta intervjuer genomfördes, fem män och tre kvinnor. Dessa personer har eller har haft sina barn, barnbarn, make/maka, föräldrar eller syskon i olika religiösa sekteristiska sammanhang. De religiösa sammanhang som avses är Knutby, Livets Ord, Jehovas Vittnen och Plymouthbröderna. Resultatet visade att man förlorade en nära familjemedlem i ett religiöst sekteristiskt sammanhang och att detta är en stor förlust. Det är en komplex och kaotisk situation för de anhöriga som innebär sorg som tar sig uttryck i ilska, förtvivlan, rädsla, hopplöshet, skuld, skam, avståndstagande från religionen. De anhöriga strävar efter att hantera konsekvenserna där mer eller mindre medvetna strategier används för att överleva. De egna psykiska resurserna och meningsfullhet i livet är avgörande komponenter för hur de kommer att må.

This thesis analyzes Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons through the framework of the cult of domesticity. In understanding the ways in which Stein mocks and transgresses gender constrictions, while simultaneously adopting the language of domesticity, I understand the ways in which Stein breaks with the antebellum notion of separate spheres.

Thesis advisor: Juliet Schor / As cult, quality, and mainstream television have merged, a new breed of show has evolved; such shows raise complicated themes and incorporate deep meanings. Drawing from Abercrombie and Longhurst’s (1998) audience continuum, this study focuses on the more casual portion of fandom previously overlooked in fan studies. These “everyday fans” differ from their cultist and enthusiast counterparts by limiting television to a hobby, not engaging in creative production, and not seeking out fan networks. The interviews with sixteen everyday fans as well as four cultists/enthusiasts ground Lost fandom in previous fan traditions and also explore the experience of a previously overlooked segment of the audience. Using ABC's LOST, this study shows how mainstream, everyday fans often unconsciously think about practical and profound issues of everyday philosophy simply by following characters and storylines. In effect, viewers of the show become "accidental intellectuals." LOST raises issues of love, redemption, science versus faith and good versus evil. The interviews with everyday fans reflect that viewers were not only using critical thinking in puzzling out the show’s mysteries but also engaging in deep analysis, personal identification, and the pondering of profound moral dilemmas through the medium of the characters, often without realizing it. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology Honors Program. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Sociology.

The statues of Antinous, Hadrian’s favourite, are often believed to be primarily products of Hadrian’s philhellenism. The easiest explanation for Antinous’ unusual historical profile is that Hadrian loved Greek culture, Antinous was Greek, and the statues, mimicking Greek art, are an extravagant commemorative effort. Closer examination reveals that this is too simplistic an explanation. By quantifying extant statues of Antinous based on provenance and iconography, summarizing Hadrian’s ideology, examining Hadrian’s own image, and considering the cult of Antinous, we can see that Antinous played an important role in Hadrian’s ideology. His cult was a social and religious unifier and helped bridge the gaps between communities and foster shared pride and community amongst adherents; the statues, often cultic objects, visually conveyed this purpose through various iconographic connections to other cults. All this complemented Hadrian’s agenda of imperial unity and consolidation. Philhellenism cannot be denied entirely, but the primary purpose of Antinous’ statues was ideological.

The concept of harg - an archeology historical discussion: This study is an attempt to deal with the concept harg known from the historical sources in the north and its use in the field of archeology. Harg has come to be used in connection with cult, religion and to interpret ritual sites within archeology. Still it leaves much unanswered of what it contains or sometimes applies. By focusing on empirical sources from several disciplines such as language and place-name research, history, religion and archeology, which have all contributed in various ways to the discussion of harg. I will try to find out what harg really is, based on the different interpretations regarding harg, and how harg as a concept is used in connection with interpretations of archaeological findings.

Orientadora: Fabiana Lopes da Cunha / Banca: Lucia Helena Oliveira Silva / Banca: Selma Alves Pantoja / Resumo: Procuramos pensar, nesse trabalho, uma história das mulheres da África Ocidental do século XIX a partir da mitologia dos orixás. Esses deuses africanos têm seus relatos mitológicos repletos de indicações do cotidiano dessas mulheres iorubás que foram também retratadas pelos viajantes que passaram pela África nesse período, embora com objetivos distintos do nosso. O dia-a-dia, no desempenho de suas funções sociais de mãe e esposa, também foram encontrados nas receitas recolhidas por Pierre Verger. Complementamos nossa análise com os Odus de Ifá - relatos sobre um tempo primordial, onde se aconselha o modo de viver e proceder para que se possa desenvolver uma vida de acordo com a vontade dos deuses - onde as mulheres são interpretadas pela ótica masculina, uma vez que apenas os homens detinham o segredo desse oráculo. As africanas, da região estudada por nós, foram descritas e reinterpretadas pelos homens e mulheres que delas se recordaram após a Diáspora Africana pelo Novo Mundo, rememorando-as mascaradas nas mitologias das orixás: Euá, Nanã, Obá, Iansã e Oxum. Dentre os temas abordados por nós estão o casamento, a vida doméstica, a maternidade, a concepção e outras nuances da vida dessas mulheres / Abstract: We try to think, in this work, a story of women in West Africa of the nineteenth century from the mythology of the orishas. These African gods have their mythological stories full of everyday indications of these Yoruba women who were also portrayed by travelers who passed through Africa in that period, although with different objectives from ours. The day-to-day performance of their social duties of mother and wife, were also found in the revenue collected by Pierre Verger. We complement our analysis with Odus of Ifa - reports of a prime time, where we advise how to live and carry so that you can develop a life according to the will of the gods - where women are interpreted by male perspective, since that only they held the secret of this oracle. The african woman, of the region studied by us, have been described and reinterpreted by men and women who are recalled them after the African Diaspora in the New World, reminiscing masked in the mythologies of the Orishas: Eua, Nanã, Oba, Iansa and Oshun. Among the topics addressed by us are marriage, domestic life, motherhood, design and other nuances of the lives of these women / Mestre

Dans la famille des idiophones, le terme de sistre occupe une acception large regroupant plusieurs instruments utilisés dans de nombreuses sociétés. Dans l’Antiquité, le terrain égyptien fournit un exemple de sistre, notamment attaché au culte de la déesse Hathor. Durant la période pharaonique et surtout à la Basse Époque, le sistre en alliage cuivreux semble se modifier. Il bascule ensuite dans le monde gréco-romain par le biais de la diffusion des cultes isiaques et subit de nouvelles modifications. Notre étude porte sur ce sistre isiaque, des premiers Lagides à l’extrême fin du IVe s. av. J.-C. jusqu’au IVe s. ap. J.-C. où il n’est plus attesté archéologiquement. L’étude de l’objet physique soulève plusieurs questionnements et demande la sélection de critères pour permettre une mise en série des realia. La typologie mise au point pour cet artefact nécessitait par ailleurs une comparaison avec le sistre pharaonique antérieur. Elle permet de mieux cerner les étapes de sa diffusion ainsi que les enjeux qui en découlent. Dans ses représentations et utilisations, le sistre isiaque revêt un aspect profondément polysémique. Principalement attribut de la déesse Isis, il est aussi porté ponctuellement par d’autres divinités ou représenté seul. Le sistre est également un instrument de musique et un instrument rituel utilisé dans les cérémonies et les processions, ou encore dans le domaine funéraire. Les différents types documentaires et contextes d’apparition de l’objet, s’ils ne sont pas présentés de façon exhaustive, sont abordés dans le but de mieux cerner les usages, pratiques et symboliques, liés à cet instrument. / In the family of idiophones, the term sistrum has a broad meaning, encompassing several instruments used in many societies. In ancient times, the Egyptian area provided an example of sistrum, especially attached to the cult of the goddess Hathor. During the Pharaonic period and especially in the Late Period, the coper alloy sistrum seems to be modified. Then it passes to the Greco-Roman world through the diffusion of isiac cults and goes through new modifications. Our study concerns this isiac sistrum, from the beginning of the Lagid dynasty to the end of the 4th century BC until the 4th century AD where it is no longer archaeologically attested. The study of the physical object raises several questions and calls for the selection of criteria to allow a serialization of the realia. The typology developed for this artefact also required a comparison with the previous pharaonic sistrum. It allows us to better identify the stages of its dissemination and the stakes arising from it. In its representations and uses, the isiac sistrum has a profoundly polysemic aspect. Primarily attributed to the goddess Isis, it is also worn punctually by other deities or represented alone. The sistrum is also a musical instrument and a ritual instrument used in ceremonies and processions, or in the funerary area. The variety of the documentary types and the contexts of appearance of the object, if not presented in an exhaustive way, are approached in order to better identify the practical, symbolic uses associated with this instrument.

Religion, many times, is one of the phenomena that is misunderstood and often rejected due to apprehension. There is an expected "norm" within our culture for religion and those that fall outside that "norm" are typically criticized for their beliefs. Within Christianity there are a number of extremist groups that follow millennial doctrines and believe they are living in the end times. These organizations tend to view the government as oppressive, disrespectful, immoral and corrupt. Because of this when an incident occurs with one of these millennial groups and the government steps in to control the situation, the way it responds is critical. This is an examination of three incidents with American radical religious groups and the formal reactions to them by the United States government. The three incidents I will analyze are the incident with the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge, the incident with the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas, and the incident with the Montana Freemen at Justus Township, and how the government handled each of these interactions. I will evaluate Mark Juergensmeyer's theories and patterns of cosmic war and performance violence, and Catherine Wessinger's categories and guidelines for radical religious groups and how she claims the government and media should interact with them. The criteria I will use for evaluation will be how well their theories help us to understand the beliefs and actions of the group. Too often the government is unable to interact constructively with these groups because they do not understand their beliefs, and thereby provoke further violence. What is needed is a shift in attitude, a realization that the language of the groups is not "Bible Babble". Juergensmeyer and Wessinger have a unique perspective because they have directly interacted with radical religious groups and can provide the government with an insider understanding of the worldview of such religious groups, what it means to them through their eyes. I provide a list of guidelines derived from these two scholars, for the government and media to follow that will aid in constructive interaction with millennial groups and aid in peaceful negotiations in the future.