The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a crisis for the South African government, society and Church. About sixty percent of the HIV population are in Sub Saharan Africa with women being three times more likely to be infected with HIV than their male counterparts. Governmental, societal and Church responses seem to have had little effect in reducing the pandemic as can be seen from the rising prevalence rates. Responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic lack a gender focus. Some churches have not responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other Church-based responses have been isolated and simplistic in that they have concentrated on one aspect of the HIV illness. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a growing crisis to which the Church should respond. The hermeneutical point of departure in this thesis is to express a preferential option for the poor by standing in solidarity with a group of women living on the margins of society. To this end the perspectives of black people, who are materially poor, HIV positive and part of support groups are articulated in the study. The research project suggests that the preferential option for the poor has the potential to contribute to the personal and social transformation of society. Focussing on the deep-seated longing many desire for fullness of life, this thesis explores and describes a gendered Christian response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that could contribute to the full humanity of people. Full humanity is understood as transformation to wholeness and incorporates unity with God, others, creation and within oneself. A multifaceted, integrated and gendered response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic is suggested by way of a model of full humanity. The South African context of HIV/AIDS, patriarchy and poverty pose a challenge to the way that Christians develop their spirituality. This thesis aims to explore and describe aspects of a fully human spirituality emerging from the South African situation. The study suggests that a clearly integrative and holistic approach that embodies the gender perspective is necessary for churches to adopt in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.(Christian Spirituality)

The central issue of this study revolves around the necessity of the church to understand its essence in order to maintain a healthy balance between its identity and its relevance. The point of departure of this thesis is based on the supposition that in its attempt to remain relevant, the possibility exists that the church may in the process loose its identity. Yet on the other hand, the possibility exists that in its attempt to preserve its identity, the church may become irrelevant. While the point of departure of this study is based on the above premise, it is also postulated that it is essential for the church to reconsider the essence of its being, in order to fully appreciate the irrefutable meaning of church. Balance between identity and relevance seems nonexistent within the church unless the church understands the fundamental nature and real meaning of itself. In the Prolegomena, introductory remarks analyse the hypothesis as stated above, followed by an explanation of the research problem, a stimulus, the methodology applied, the purpose of the thesis, a chapter defining the terminology applied and a brief explanation of the close relationship between identity and relevance to other areas relative to the church as indicated in point 3 below. Within the thesis it is argued that the essence of the church is an attribute that every member of the church universal must necessarily partake of in order to belong thereto. Historical indications are employed whereby deductions can be made by which the essence, identity and relevance of the church may be demarcated. Discussions include: the origin and nature of the church; the current academic debate about the person of Jesus; the relationship between the kingdom and the church, and the implied current crisis of the church. The thesis closes with the formulation of the conclusion based on this research, namely that in order for the church to maintain a healthy balance between identity and relevance, theologians and church leaders - although situated in a variety of differing contexts - need to acquire a fresh understanding of the essence of the church and who constitutes the church / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This thesis outlines the development of the doctrine of Purgatory in the theology of the nineteenth century theologian John Henry Newman (1801-1890). I trace the beginning of this development from 1816-1828 by identifying key theological themes from Newman’s early Evangelical writings on holiness, purification and conversion. After rejecting the Evangelicalism of his youth, Newman moved progressively towards High-Church Anglicanism from 1828 onward, and adopted the Anglican teaching of the 'intermediate state'. From 1830 he began to preach on this teaching by presenting it as an alternative to the 'depressing prospect' to the 'Romish' doctrine of Purgatory. However from 1837-1845 his views on Purgatory shifted considerably after studying the Tridentine decrees. In 1841 he claimed in Tract XC of Tracts for the Times that significant changes in the formulation of Article XXII of the XXXIX Articles meant that the Church of England did not reject the doctrine of Purgatory in its primitive form, but rather only the 'Romish' extremes of mediaeval theology which had corrupted her teaching. His claim that there was no disparity between what Trent taught on Purgatory and what the Church of England held in Article XXII caused widespread controversy among his contemporaries. In his early Roman Catholic years, from 1845-1853, he initially adopted the commonly held punitive model of Purgatory, but leaned increasingly towards an ameliorative understanding of the doctrine. By 1865 Newman had adumbrated a theology of Purgatory in The Dream of Gerontius, in which he showed how rather than being purged by material fire, the soul was purified by a singular and instantaneous experience of the holiness of God. I demonstrate how his theology of Purgatory in the Dream represents a significant contribution to a renewed understanding of the doctrine in Roman Catholic theology.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Emanuel Lino Fernandes.pdf: 810218 bytes, checksum: 22294c371431dd569dd45f37ba6812bd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-14 / Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil / The present study aims to demonstrate how pastoral counseling and taking part in Christian groups may act as a mechanism for strengthening the resilience within a familiar context; and at the same time bring to observation that a eficient counseling may demand from the counselor, depending on the case, a referral to a therapist, who is the professional psychologist. Even in theological seminars there exist classes of Introduction to Psychology, where students learn some techniques and skills such as empathy, body language, among olhers. It is well known that pastoral counselors are not explicitly even though inclined to the use of psychological instrumentation in their offices. This work shows the contradictory discourse of many contemporaries focused on the argumentation of the sufficiency of the scriptures , for the so called nouthetic couseling. The Holy scriptures are really sufficient, this sufficiency is revealed in itself, and what happens is that there is a confusion of terms because the proper Scripture speaks of a human work, Common Grace and aspects of welfare of the human being, which aren t for salvation, in salvation is the case of the sufficiency of eternal revelation. Pastoral counseling has its reach as well as a professional psychological treatment has its own, however they are distinct areas. Through literature searches this work shows the connection of positive aspects between the integrationism of Christian spirituality and family therapy in support of resilience. That, which is not achieved at pastoral counseling, comes from the professional psychologist, who also has his/her limits in psychiatric cases. Therefore, each one has his/her scope and where the field of one ends the other starts. / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar como aconselhamento pastoral e a participação em grupos cristãos podem atuar como mecanismo de fortalecimento da resiliência no contexto familiar, ao mesmo tempo trazer a observação que o aconselhamento eficaz pode exigir do conselheiro, dependendo do caso, um encaminhamento para outro terapeuta, o profissional da psicologia. Nos próprios seminários teológicos existem as aulas de Introdução a Psicologia, onde os alunos aprendem algumas técnicas e conhecimentos como empatia, linguagem corporal entre outras. É bem sabido que os conselheiros pastorais mesmo não sendo explicitamente a favor,usam ferramentas da psicologia nos gabinetes pastorais. O trabalho mostra a fala contraditória de muitos contemporâneos focados na argumentação da Suficiencia das Escrituras , para o aconselhamento chamado noutético. As Sagradas Escrituras realmente são suficientes, a suficiência é nela revelada, o que acontece é que há uma confusão de termos pois a própria escritura fala do trabalho humano, da Graça Comum e de aspectos de bem estar do ser humano que não são salvíficos, pois a salvação eterna é o caso da suficiência da revelação. O aconselhamento pastoral tem o seu alcance assim como o tratamento psicológico profissional o seu, são áreas distintas. Através de pesquisas bibliográficas o trabalho mostra a conectividade de aspectos positivos entre o integracionismo da espiritualidade cristã e a terapia familiar em apoio à resiliência. O que não é alçada do aconselhamento pastoral é do profissional psicólogo, que também tem seus limites em casos psiquiatricos, assim vemos que cada um tem ao seu alcançe e onde acaba o terreno de um começa o do outro.

Part 1. Chapter 1. Introduction: the Man and his work. The intellectual life of Russia at the turn of the century was marked by a lively interest in religious questions, and, in some circles, a cautious rapprochement between the intelligentsia and the Orthodox Church. Vladimir Lossky was born into an academic environment which looked more sympathetically upon traditional Christianity than had previously been usual: and the fact of his being brought up in a household both academic and (articulately and critically) Christian tends to set him apart from the religious thinkers of his father's generation (Bulgakov, Berdyaev, and others) who had discovered, or rediscovered, Orthodox faith in adult life adter experiencing disillusion with radicalism or Idealism, or both. Lossky's first major theological essay was, in fact, directed against the ethos of Russian 'religious philosophy', especially its preoccupation with the Wisdom of God (Sophia) as a cosmic principle. In this, as in later works, he pleads for a theology rooted in the historical experience of the Church and free from philosophical systems. His commitment to the 'historical experience' of the Church is reflected in his lifelong allegiance to the Patriarchate of Moscow as the only canonically authoritative Russian ecclesial body. His thinking on the relation between Church and culture was clarified in his experiences in the Second War, which also brought him into close association with several Catholic theologians. It was in this context that he first attempted a synthetic presentation of Orthodox dogma in his best-known work, the 'Essai sur la théologie mystique de l'Eglise d'Orient'. In the post-war period he continued his professional work as a mediaevalist at the Sorbonne, but continued to write on theological questions, developing, in particular, a distinctive approach to the concept of the human person and to the catholicity of the Church. He was much involved in ecumenical gatherings in France and England, and, in Paris, up to the time of his death, assisted in the training of clergy for the Patriarchal jurisdiction (though his hopes for the development of a western-rite group were frustrated). Chapter 2: The debate with Bulgakov. Superficially, Lossky's theology has much in common with that of Sergei Bulgakov, especially in their attitudes to tradition and catholicity, and Lossky's hostility to Bulgakov is surprising. However, a brief examination of Bulgakov's thought reveals its extensive dependence upon the notion of 'Sophia', the Divine Wisdom, as an all-embracing cosmic reality, both divine and human - a notion which Lossky rejects absolutely as deterministic, destructive of a proper sense of both divine and human freedom. He also condemns Bulgakov's Christology: the idea of 'Godmanhood', fundamental to Bulgakov's theology, jeopardises the reality of Christ's humanity, and tends to reduce the Incarnation to a manifestation of cosmic process. The basic theme of Lossky's critique is that Bulgakov's system, in Christology, ecclesiology, and Trinitarian theology, is dominated by metaphysical presuppositions incompatible with orthodox belief: it is insufficiently apophatic, too preoccupied with concepts. Lossky's own theology shows a marked and conscious reaction away from this kind of conceptualism. Chapter 3. The Via Negativa. The 'negative way' is not, for Lossky, merely a dialectical step in theology, a 'corrective' to affirmative theology: it is the essential ground of all theology. Theology beings in personal encounter with a personal God, an encounter which cannot be expressed in concepts; negative theology, which declines to speak of God in concepts, most closely reflects this basic reality. It is the μετάνοια, the conversion and self-sacrifice, of the intellect. The Greek patristic language about meeting God in 'darkness' is simply a 'dogmatic metaphor' for this experience, complementing, not contradicting the imagery of 'light': darkness and light together here represent the experience of transcending the sphere of the intellect. The history of early Christian spirituality shows a gradual movement towards a via media between intellectualism and agnosticism, a position which allows for both the absolute incomprehensibility of God in seipso, and His accessibility to man. This via media is expressed most fully by Gregory Palamas, but is anticipated by the Cappadocians, pseudo-Dionysius, and Maximus. It envisages God 'transcending His transcendence, expressing His unknowable 'essence' in His 'energies', His manifestation in the world. God's self-transcendence calls forth man's 'ecstacy'. The personal encounter of man with God is a mutual movement of self-giving: man is nearest to God and so most fully God-like in this movement. And since God is always fully personal, man is therefore most personal in the act of self-renunciation: negative theology alone is adequately 'personalist'. Chapter 4. Imago Trinitatis. Man is in the image of God because he is personal: he cannot be reduced to his 'nature', to what is common, repeatable and conceptualisable. He is more than an individual of a species; and this constitutes him in the image of God's trinitarian life, in which individuality is perfectly transcended in full communion. The Church, in which man realises his capacity for communion can also be called imago Trinitatis: it is a plurality of persons, each called and sanctified in a unique manner by the Spirit, sharing one nature, the humanity which Christ has restored and 'deified'. This 'trinitarian' life is what is designated by the term 'catholicity', the existence of the whole in the part. Lossky's method in discussing the theology of personality is resolutely Christocentric: the impossibility of interpreting ὑπόστᾰσις as 'individual' is established by an appeal to the inadmissibility of so interpreting it in Christology. Lossky's appeal to the Fathers in support of this thesis is, however, problematic: his concern to include the body in the imago Dei, and his understanding of ὑπόστᾰσις both lack a clear and consistent patristic foundation. Although he does genuinely build upon certain Greek patristic ideas, he is, as a 'personalist', essentially and inevitably - a -post-Augustinian'. The ambiguity of the patristic evidence raises the serious question of how far Lossky is justified in criticising Western theology (as he does) according to alledgedly patristic criteria. Chapter 5: The debate with the West (i). Lossky presupposes the unity of Christian theology; if one doctrinal topic is infected with error, the whole theological system is poisoned. In the West, it is the doctrine of the double procession of the Spirit, the filioque, which is the basic error: it suggests that the Spirit is somehow less personal than the Son, rejects the patristic idea that the Father is the sole source of 'cause' of the other persons, and so makes the unity of the Trinity reside not in the person of the Father but in a super-personal 'essence', that which is common to Father and Son. Western theology opts for a divine essence, in place of the living God of revelation: it is as much in thrall to philosophy as Bulgakov's system. Consequently, it is consistently impersonalist, not only in Trinitarian theology, but in its ecclesiology, its doctrine of grace, and its ascetical theology. Protestantism is as much conditioned as Catholicism by the basic assumption implicit in the filioque that real communion, sharing (in some sense) of substance, is impossible between God and man, because both are encapsulated in their 'essences'. Historically, Lossky's critique is often inaccurate and unjust; but he makes a good case, nonetheless, for the dominance, in much of Western theology, of conceptualism and impersonalism. There is little to correspond to Lossky's profound apophoticism and 'kenotic' idea of personality.

The central issue of this study revolves around the necessity of the church to understand its essence in order to maintain a healthy balance between its identity and its relevance. The point of departure of this thesis is based on the supposition that in its attempt to remain relevant, the possibility exists that the church may in the process loose its identity. Yet on the other hand, the possibility exists that in its attempt to preserve its identity, the church may become irrelevant. While the point of departure of this study is based on the above premise, it is also postulated that it is essential for the church to reconsider the essence of its being, in order to fully appreciate the irrefutable meaning of church. Balance between identity and relevance seems nonexistent within the church unless the church understands the fundamental nature and real meaning of itself. In the Prolegomena, introductory remarks analyse the hypothesis as stated above, followed by an explanation of the research problem, a stimulus, the methodology applied, the purpose of the thesis, a chapter defining the terminology applied and a brief explanation of the close relationship between identity and relevance to other areas relative to the church as indicated in point 3 below. Within the thesis it is argued that the essence of the church is an attribute that every member of the church universal must necessarily partake of in order to belong thereto. Historical indications are employed whereby deductions can be made by which the essence, identity and relevance of the church may be demarcated. Discussions include: the origin and nature of the church; the current academic debate about the person of Jesus; the relationship between the kingdom and the church, and the implied current crisis of the church. The thesis closes with the formulation of the conclusion based on this research, namely that in order for the church to maintain a healthy balance between identity and relevance, theologians and church leaders - although situated in a variety of differing contexts - need to acquire a fresh understanding of the essence of the church and who constitutes the church / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

[pt] A espiritualidade cristã envolve uma dimensão de perspectiva experiencial pessoal e comunitária com Cristo. Nessa dissertação propomos que ela deve ser vista como caminho para uma vivência dialogal e prática, o que representa entender tal espiritualidade como necessariamente aberta ao diálogo inter-religioso, como reflexo de um Deus que se fez de todos e para todos. Para tal, partimos primeiramente de algumas conceituações, definições e correlações entre a espiritualidade cristã e a religiosidade; abordando também a percepção bíblica imprescindível para descrever esse cristão, como traço dessa espiritualidade que não se porta indiferente principalmente aos mais necessitados, sendo a verdadeira religião declarada por Tiago (1,27). A base de nossa pesquisa bibliográfica será o traço do Deus humanizado de Castillo e sua chamada espiritualidade para insatisfeitos, como também na marca do pontificado do Papa Francisco até aqui, através tanto de seus discursos, homilias e documentos oficiais que abordam e anunciam essa espiritualidade do cuidado, do acolhimento e da busca pelos mais frágeis e desprezados. Nesse caminho, fomos inclusive atingidos pela crise mundial da Covid 19 e confrontados a provar como, em meio à tamanha catástrofe, nos foi ofertada a possibilidade de reflexão e pertinência, de uma espiritualidade cristã que dialogue respondendo perguntas atuais; sendo curadora, acolhedora, eficaz e inspiradora ao outro, transformando-o em próximo, sem a necessidade de perda ou anulação de sua identidade. / [en] Christian spirituality involves a dimension of personal and communitarian experience with Christ. In this dissertation, we propose that this spirituality should be seen as a path to a dialogical and practical experience, which necessarily means understanding it as open to inter-religious dialogue as a reflection of a God who made Himself one of us all for all of us. To achieve this, we first adopt some conceptualizations, definitions and correlations between Christian spirituality and religiosity; also addressing the essential biblical insight to describe this Christian as a characteristic of this spirituality that isn t indifferent, especially towards the most needy, consistent with the true religion declared by James 1:27. The foundation of our research will be the humanized God as presented by Castillo and his so-called spirituality for the dissatisfied, as well as the impact to-date of Pope Francis s pontificate through his speeches, homilies and official documents that address and announce this spirituality of care, acceptance and the search for the most fragile and despised. Along the way, we were impacted by the global Covid-19 crisis and were faced with proving how, in the midst of such a catastrophe, we were offered the possibility of reflection and relevance, of a Christian spirituality that dialogues by answering current questions; being curative, welcoming, effective and inspiring to others, transforming them into neighbors, without the need to lose or annul their identity.

[pt] Na presente pesquisa, o objetivo é apresentar uma contribuição da espiritualidade cristã para a redescoberta do sentido da vida. O estudo está estruturado em três partes. Na primeira, foram analisadas a Modernidade e Pós- Modernidade com seus desdobramentos, desafios e provocações para este tempo. Adentrou-se também na temática da espiritualidade, propondo-a como uma via de abertura ao transcendente, apresentando uma definição de espiritualidade cristã e o perigo de uma espiritualidade intimista. Na segunda parte, foram abordadas a espiritualidade inaciana e seus fundamentos basilares, analisando-se parte por parte o Princípio e Fundamento, suas contribuições e aplicações para os dias atuais. Na terceira parte, o foco foi para a atualização da espiritualidade inaciana por meio de parte da reflexão teológica de Karl Rahner e de alguns documentos do Papa Francisco. Ambos apresentam, na prática, algumas contribuições que a espiritualidade de Santo Inácio pode oferecer. Por esse caminho, propôs-se a contribuição da espiritualidade cristã para a redescoberta do sentido da vida, tendo como referência principal uma de suas vertentes: a espiritualidade inaciana. / [en] In this research, the objective is to present a contribution of Christian spirituality to the rediscovery of the sense of life. The study is structured in three parts. In the first one, Modernity and Post-Modernity were analyzed with their consequences, challenges and provocations for this time. The theme of spirituality was also explored, proposing it as a way of opening to the transcendent, presenting a definition of Christian spirituality and the danger of an intimate spirituality. In the second part, Ignatian spirituality and its basic foundations were addressed, analyzing the Principle and Foundation, its contributions and applications for the present days, part by part. In the third part, the focus was on updating Ignatian spirituality through part of Karl Rahner s theological reflection and some documents of Pope Francis. Both present, in practice, some contributions that the spirituality of St. Ignatius can offer. In this way, the contribution of Christian spirituality to the rediscovery of the sense of life was proposed, having as its main reference one of its aspects: Ignatian spirituality.

[pt] O presente trabalho tem como objetivo refletir sobre o modo de ser da espiritualidade cristã inserida no contexto social ocidental contemporâneo. A proposta é a de que a espiritualidade cristã esteja fundamentada no seguimento radical a Jesus Cristo, em toda sua completude, e refletida em uma experiência cotidiana encarnada no meio das pessoas e vivenciada em uma biografia guiada pelo amor - demonstrando externamente sua relevância à sociedade, ao se oferecer em serviço de amor ao inimigo, promovendo a paz. O contemporâneo da sociedade ocidental é de natureza complexa e plural. Estruturado a partir dos processos de secularização e individualismo, apresenta à espiritualidade cristã o desafio de existir sem ser hegemônica, tornando-se uma dentre outras em um ambiente plural, ao mesmo tempo que passa a ser instrumentalizada para servir a um recorte de bem-estar pessoal. A encarnação pressupõe a historicidade, por isso, deve assumir a realidade plural, secular e individualista atual, religiosa e não religiosa. Para guiar a reflexão, metodologicamente, seguiremos o caminho de um encontro que considere a reflexão filosófica e a teológica. Primeiro, a espiritualidade laica, apresentada pelo filósofo Luc Ferry, em sua proposta do amor-paixão, imanentemente considerado, como o provocador de sentido na vida, sem a necessidade de um Deus ou um ideal metafísico, inserido no período por ele denominado segundo humanismo. Considera-se o papel do “amorpaixão” de Ferry em toda sua extensão e limites. Depois, a teologia encarnada e biográfica de Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a qual oferece uma proposta de amor-ágape que exceda à possibilidade humana, culminando no extraordinário do seguimento do Crucificado, que é o amor ao inimigo como o único discipulado possível para quem se posiciona no caminho da obediência ao seguimento. Após a contextualização histórico-social e das propostas de Ferry e Bonhoeffer, apresentase uma espiritualidade cristã que responda à contemporaneidade, performando-se como integral e integralizadora da vida, recuperadora da memória do cristianismo na sociedade, que ame o inimigo e que se encarne no cotidiano por meio da biografia do seguidor de Cristo. Como resultado, evidencia-se o papel, ainda relevante, do indivíduo cristão na sociedade atual enquanto agente promotor de reconciliação e paz, e de construção de relações comunitárias baseadas no amor. / [en] The aim of this work is to discuss how Christian spirituality is part of the Western social world. We propose that Christian spirituality is based on the radical commitment to follow Jesus Christ wholly, and observed in one s daily life incarnated in the world among people and guided by love – externally demonstrating its relevance to society, by offering oneself in loving service towards the enemy, promoting peace. The notion of being contemporary in an occidental society presents a complex and plural nature. It is structured based on the processes of secularization and individualism, and presents a challenge to Christian spirituality: to exist without being hegemonic, to become one among others in a plural environment, while it is exploited to serve to a segment that pursues its personal well-being. Incarnation implies historicity, then, it must assume today s reality that is plural, secular and individualistic, religious and non-religious. To guide the discussion, methodologically, we will follow the idea of an encounter that will consider both philosophical and theological issues. First, lay spirituality , as presented by the philosopher Luc Ferry, in his argument for passion-love , immanently considered, as the provocateur of the meaning in life , without the need of a God or a metaphysical ideal, inserted in the period he defines as second humanism . We discuss the role of Ferry s passion-love in all its extension and limits. Then, we focus on Dietrich Bonhoeffer s incarnated and biographic theology, which offers the possibility of agape-love that exceeds human possibility. It reaches its climax in the extraordinary represented by the decision to follow Christ, which means having love for one s enemy as the only possible commitment for those who set themselves on a journey to follow, as a disciple, Christ s teachings. After that social-historical contextualization and Ferry and Bonhoeffer s proposals, we present a Christian spirituality that answers the issues of contemporarity, acting as integral and integrating element in life, and recovering the memory of Christianity in society, which loves the enemy and incarnates in daily life by means of the biography of those who follow Jesus. As a result, we focus on the still relevant role of Christians in today s society as promoting agents of reconciliation and peace, and builders of community relationships based on love.

In this doctoral thesis, The Spirituality and Mysticism of Nature in the Early Franciscan Tradition, I have begun with an attempt to clarify the notions of spirituality and mysticism. The former, was seen as an approach to God embodied in outlook, practice and lifestyle, and the latter, mysticism, was defined as a felt awareness and knowledge of the presence of God. My hypothesis is that nature played a very important part in both the spirituality and mysticism of Saint Francis of Assisi, and in the spirituality of the movement he founded. In a systematic attempt to investigate my theme, I began with a study of the chief places associated with Francis. They present a kind of mirror of his soul and reveal, I believe, a good deal about his outlook and way of living. They tend to be remote and solitary places, often high in the mountains or near water, often desolate and harsh and usually beautiful, and what was later to become known as `romantic'. I turned then to the world of nature, beginning with the celestial bodies, sun, moon and the stars, and the elements of the sub-lunar world. The world of living things, fruits and flowers, animals, wild beasts and tame, fish and birds was examined. Nearly all the evidence here came from that collection of Franciscan stories and anecdotes which forms one of the great treasuries of stories in world literature. The fourth chapter was devoted to the poetry of Francis, above all to the Praises of God and The Canticle of the Creatures. After examining the circumstances of its composition, I took the stanzas one by one and examined them in the light of what they reveal of Francis spirituality and mysticism. The purpose of chapter five was to gather the fruits of my research and evaluate the hypothesis I proposed. I concluded that Francis, incorporated nature into his spirituality and mysticism in a very original way. I hold that Francis was a great nature mystic, and that his nature spirituality is still full of vigor and potential for the future. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / (D.Th. (Christian Spirituality))