Diss.--Stellenbosch,RFA, 1984--Theologische Fakultät. / Bibliogr. p. 395-403.

Among terms used to describe the events and experiences that contribute to the shaping of leaders is Warren Bennis’ and Robert Thomas’ ‘crucibles’. Their use of the term emerged from a series of interviews with leaders who had come of age in two distinct eras: all the leaders interviewed referred to a transformative experience that had contributed to their leadership. The aim of this research was to explore the significance of such experiences in the development of Christian leaders. A sample of fourteen evangelical leaders was selected and each leader participated in an in-depth qualitative interview. Their experiences were classified using Robert Thomas’ three types of crucible: new territory, reversals and suspension. Analysis of the experiences demonstrated how crucible experiences had a part to play in shaping both the character and calling of a leader: at times crucibles functioned as intensified learning experiences in which a leader’s beliefs took on an existential intensity. The emerging themes of character and calling are significant in both Old and New Testaments and the project reflected theologically on these. While crucibles may be significant features in the development of a leader, they do not tell the whole story: a range of factors and influences, some of which work in a more gradual way, are also part of a leadership journey.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The purpose of this investigation is to trace the development of the various attitudes of the church towards the state and to establish some definite attitudinal types with special reference to the church controversy in Germany from 1933 - 1945. On account of the complexity of the subject, the study makes use of three disciplines: theology, history of religion and sociology of religion. The church controversy in Germany will enter the history of the universal church as a twentieth century revelation of the original problem of the attitude of the Christian Church towards the state. The attitudes of opposition, accommodation, co-ordination and identification express each in its own way the desire to find a solution to the perplexing problem of the relationship of the two institutions. [TRUNCATED]

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. / (1) The library research traced the historical developments of the vocation of the employed local church director of Christian education in the Protestant churches and in The Methodist Church from its beginning in 1908, to the present time. This research supported the assumption that a description of the position of the director of Christian education is needed. 2) The questionnaire was sent to the pastor, the director, the chairman of the commission on education, and the church school superintendent in the 355 local churches where Methodist directors are employed. Fourteen hundred nine questionnaires were mailed. Seven hundred thirteen usable questionnaires were returned for a response of 50.6%. Seventy-five and seven-tenths per cent of the directors returned questionnaires. Significant areas of agreement and of disagreement were revealed among the four leaders concerning the work of the director. 3) Interviews were held with twelve individual respondents and with two groups with all four respondents, and one group in which three of the four respondents were included. Findings from the interviews were compared with those from the questionnaire and, although not an adequate sample, supported the findings from the questionnaires. 4) A normative description of the certified director of Christian education in The Methodist Church was formulated upon the basis of the research data. Normative description is used in this case to mean a statement of what ought to be the nature and work of the director. The following paragraphs are a summary of the normative description. A director in The Methodist Church is employed by the Quarterly Conference. The director is responsible to the pastor. He shares the ministerial function in a church large enough to need more than one minister on the employed staff. The specific assignment of the director is to guide the educational program of the church. He participates with other members of the employed staff in total church program development. The scope of the work of the director includes all that the church does that teaches. The director guides the commission on education, and works with teachers and officers of the educational program. He helps organize the work of Christian education. He helps persons know their jobs and helps them develop skills to do their work effectively. The director provides needed leadership functions in the educational program until indigenous leadership can be enlisted and trained. The director does not replace lay workers in responsibilities, but helps to see that persons are enlisted and trained for positions of service in the educational work of the church. The director works with teachers and officers as they need his guidance when they carry out their responsibilities. Educational projects of the district1 the annual conference, and the council of churches are an extension of the educational program of the local church, and as such should be a part of the director's responsibility. The work of the director should be defined in each church so he knows what to expect and so others in the church know what to expect of the director. The local church job analysis should be flexible so as to allow for the varied nature of the director's job. The specifics of the job of the director vary from church to church. It is important that each church where a director is employed create a specific job analysis for the work of the director in that church.

No description available.

No description available.

Before Vatican II, marriage was often considered, or at least popularly expressed, as a union of bodies; that is to say, marriage was an exclusive contract by which a man and a woman mutually handed over their bodies for the purpose of acts which led to the procreation of children. Matrimonial jurisprudence was primarily focused on this marital contract. With the advent of Vatican II and its emphasis on the personalist notion of marriage, a new age dawned whereby canonists, especially auditors of the Roman Rota, were henceforth to view marriage as a union of persons. "Person" is more than a "body"; rather, a person is an individual consisting of wants, needs, desires, impulses, hopes and dreams, whose life experience has been shaped by the milieu---cultural, familial, religious---from which he or she comes. "Union" is not only simply understood as a "contract", but also is now once again recognized as a "covenant", a concept which, at least in the Latin Church, was prevalent until the 12th century. One of the canons of the 1983 CIC, although almost identical in wording to its predecessor in the 1917 CIC, but which now must be understood and interpreted in light of the teachings of Vatican II, is canon 1096 which pertains to the effect of ignorance on matrimonial consent. Given the current appreciation of marriage founded in the teachings of Vatican II, especially in Gaudium et spes, reiterated by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II and described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, complicated by today's western society's stress on individualism and permeated by a divorce mentality, what is the impact of this canon on matrimonial consent? How can its meaning, once understood as being wider than merely the sexual act itself, be better utilized by those in tribunal ministry? This is the major thrust of the present work. The research of the history and development of the concept of ignorance in canonical writings, how its understanding broadened especially after Vatican II and our conclusions on how to apply its richness to marriage nullity led us to expand the use of this canon: how it can aid in the development of pre-marital preparation programs which would not only possibly help prevent couples from being ignorant of the essence of marriage but also help them to appreciate this richness more deeply in their own lives so that marriage truly can become, as we read in canon 1055, "a partnership of the whole of life which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring". It is our sincere hope that this study will be of benefit to all who read it.

This dissertation analyses the evolution of the governance structures of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy (Ireland), since its foundation by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. The topic is subdivided into four questions: (1) What form of governance did the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy inherit from its historical roots? (2) What factors prompted the change of governance that had begun to take place in some Irish dioceses as early as 1860? (3) What considerations motivated the eventual move towards a centralised form of government in 1994? (4) What are the implications of this development? We have attempted to answer these questions in four organically related chapters by, first of all, tracing the growth and expansion of the Congregation in its historical and social context, and then examining the various changes that were implemented in its governance structures between 1841 and 1994, in response to ecclesiastical legislation. Chapter I situates the foundation of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in nineteenth century Ireland as we look at the political, economic, and ecclesiastical contexts. Chapter II examines the ecclesiastical legislation that pertained especially to apostolic religious congregations of women in the twentieth century. In Chapter III we trace the restructuring of the governance structures of the Congregation in response to the Second Vatican Council's mandate for adaptation and renewal. Chapter IV examines the structure of the new congregational government that came into being in July 1994. Finally, a number of conclusions to be drawn from unification are proposed. These concern structures, internationality, inculturation, collaboration in ministry, and new forms of membership.

In 1817 Montreal's Catholic Church, under the direction of the Seminary of Saint Sulpice, granted English-language services to its Irish congregation. From that time on, the Irish of Montreal enjoyed services separate from the French Canadians. This separation was emphasized with the opening of Saint Patrick's Church in 1847, purpose-built for the Irish Catholics of Montreal. This thirty year period, understudied in relation to the city's Irish population, marks the time when the Irish of Montreal became a community, forging its identity within and without the Catholic Church. This identity was developed outside the Catholic Church through social organizations that attracted the ethnic Irish exclusively, such as the Hibernian Benevolent and Saint Patrick Societies, founded during this period. Cultural celebrations, notably those surrounding Saint Patrick's Day, were occasions where the community could share their traditions and celebrate their Irish heritage. These secular activities were not organized by the Roman Catholic Church in Montreal, but the Church was very involved. The Saint Patrick's Society included the clergy within its executive, while the cathedral of Notre Dame hosted the multi-denominational service held in honour of Saint Patrick. The interaction of the Irish Catholics and the Catholic Church is the primary focus of this thesis, as the community expressed itself within the institution often. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)