Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 94 p. : col. ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-61).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 1991. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-151).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Anne C. Fletcher; submitted to the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-59).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 132 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-56).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / This study investigated the relationship between the quality of a best friendship and well-being during emerging adulthood. A combination of high levels of emotional, social, and psychological well-being, in the absence of a mental illness, is an indication of positive mental health and has been found to be beneficial to individuals‟ job performance, physical health, and psychosocial functioning (Keyes, 2005a, 2006, 2007). Friendship has been found to be a contributing factor to well-being (Clark & Graham, 2005). Research suggests that the closer a friendship is, the higher the quality and benefits of the friendship are, with best friendships being the highest in quality (Mendelson & Kay, 2003).Emerging adulthood was the age group of focus for the study. This is a developmental phase identified by Arnett (2000)which is distinct from adolescence and young adulthood. Friendship is significant in terms of need fulfilment during emerging adulthood; however, there is little existing research investigating this phase (Arnett, 2000; Demir, 2010). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship betweenthe quality of a best friendship and the three dimensions of well-being, namely, emotional, social, and psychological well-being, as well as overall well-being, a combination of the three dimensions. The study also aimed to determine whetherand, if so, to what extent, the quality of a best friendship contributed to variances in emotional, social, psychological, and overall well-being....

Most scholarship concerning Plato’s Lysis focuses on the failure of Socrates’ elenchus in its endeavor to define friendship. However, this construal of the dialogue is shortsighted. If one analyzes the dialogue’s dramatic subtext then one will discover a fairly complete theory of friendship attributable to Plato. This issue is critical, for the Lysis is a significant influence on Aristotle’s ethical theory. Thus, unless one grasps the relationship between Aristotle’s ethical theory and this particular dialogue, then one could argue that one does not really understand Aristotle’s motivations regarding his usage of friendship as the defining normative force of his political community. Similarly, understanding the Lysis is paramount to understanding Kant’s theory of friendship as well, for Kant can be interpreted as a virtue ethicist. And, analogous to other virtue ethicists such as Aristotle and Plato, Kant espouses a perspective on friendship, which utilizes friendship as the social cohesion of the moral community. However, unlike Plato and Aristotle who argue that friendship exists for the sake of the other person, Kant’s theory claims that one must participate in friendships for the sake of duty. This departure raises various issues regarding his understanding of friendship, for example, are friendships genuine? For Kant, friendship enables those involved to gain a greater understanding of the moral law and nurture relationships which will facilitate that goal. In this respect, like good Aristotelians help one another attain eudaimonia, good Kantians help each other strive towards holiness. Hence, for Kant, the empirical facets of our relationships such as aspiring towards eudaimonia, are not as important as gaining a better understanding of the moral law. Thus, to whom the actions are geared does not matter; it is the actions themselves, which are important. In this respect, while the virtuous will genuinely desire to help their friend, they do not genuinely help their friend in the Ancient Greek sense, since their actions are performed for duty’s sake. Nevertheless, Kant introduces humanistic qualities to friendship, e.g. trust, respect, and self-disclosure, which advances its study into the present day.

No description available.

Quis Dives Salvetur (QDS) is a small but fascinating homiletic treatise composed by Clement of Alexandria which seeks to address certain problems concerning the salvific status of wealthy Christians. The aim of this thesis is to ascertain the beliefs and actions that Clement wants his wealthy readers to adopt as a result of reading this discourse. This study presupposes that Clement's views on wealth did not change drastically over the period of time since composing his other works. The implication is that the complex philosophical and theological concepts in QDS may be illuminated from similar treatments in his other works. This study shows that the Graeco-Roman philosophical and cultural conventions of friendship play fundamental roles in the two rubrics under which many of the key concepts in QDS may be grouped. Salvation is ultimately friendship and sonship with God, and is the telos of philosophical and ethical ascent, where the believer becomes like God in his apathetic and beneficent nature. Clement adapts the Stoic doctrine of oikeiosis to describe the way in which a believer progresses from a nascent self-knowledge and self-love at regeneration to the knowledge of God and love of God at his adoption as son and friend. Salvation in QDS is not purely an individualistic pursuit, rather it is located in the church as the ideal philosophical community of friends, where relations are grounded on an ethic of reciprocity. This study challenges the dominant view held by modern scholars that the whole of QDS is devoted to vindicating the possibility that the rich can be saved even as rich. This view ignores the fact that the rich are to strive for the gnostic state of apatheia. Having devoted the first half of the treatise to showing that the wealthy are called to salvation, Clement counsels them, in the second half, to distribute their superfluous possessions indiscriminately to those less well-off in their community, while retaining a frugal self-sufficiency. Concomitant with indiscriminate almsgiving, rich believers must undertake a second repentance which requires them to submit to an advanced Christian who will act as their spiritual patron, guide and advocate before God.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.