This thesis studies ritual interactions between saints and the landscape, animals and elements during a three-hundred year period from 410 AD. Such interactions include negotiations about and with birds and other animals, exorcism of the sea, lakes and rivers, and immersion in these natural bodies of water for devotional purposes. Although writers of the period lacked a term such as 'nature' to describe this sphere of activity, it is demonstrated that the natural world was regarded as a dimension of creation distinctively responsive to Christian ritual. Systematic study of the context in which these rituals were performed finds close connection with missionary negotiations aimed at lay people. It further reveals that three British writers borrowed from Sulpicius Severus' accounts of eastern hermits, reworking older narratives to suggest that non-human aspects of creation were not only attracted to saints but were changed by and participated in Christian ritual and worship. Natural bodies of water attracted particularly intense interaction in the form of exorcism and bathing, sufficiently widely documented to indicate a number of discrete families of ritual were developed. In northern Britain, acute anxieties can be detected about the cultural and spiritual associations of open water, requiring missionary intervention to challenge pre-Christian narratives through biblical and liturgical resources, most notably baptism. Such a cosmological stretch appears to have informed a 'Celtic' deviation in baptismal practice that emphasised exorcism and bodily sacrifice. Nature rituals were a systematic response to the challenges of the British intellectual and physical landscapes, revealing the shape of an underlying missionary strategy based on mainstream patristic theology about the marred relationship between humans and the rest of creation. St Ambrose emerges as the most influential theologian at the time when the early church was shaping its British inculturation, most notably led by St Germanus' mission in 429.

This thesis describes a specific church political situation in the Catholic Church in the district of Český Brod in the period 1949-1952, as we know from the available archival sources - situation reports and documents of the district church secretaries. It shows how the official church policy of the state was in reality reflected at the given period in the activities of the district church secretary, pastors, nuns, believers in the monitored region. This work describes and evaluates various tasks and activities that the district church secretaries performed to reduce the Catholic Church in the Český Brod district in the fifties.

Through a critical-functional, rather than literal, reading of the text of Revelation, this dissertation hypothesises a move beyond the paralysing constant reduction of hermeneutic meaning to two conventional poles when discussing hope – the early Christian movement’s hope through reversal, and contemporary nihilism. In order to do so in a responsible manner, it is necessary to study other research done on the topics of eschatology and hope – especially as seen in the book of Revelation. For this reason, the most popular and representative scholars of the Book of Revelation are studied. This overall look at current scholarships' views regarding the Apocalypse will help detect any possible missing elements in our approach to Revelation. But no study of this topic can be considered near complete if other disciplines are not involved; in this case especially when moving on to a critical-functional reading of Revelation. This thesis thus features an exploratory study of the functioning of ritual and hope within the human psyche; from archaeological to psychological perspectives. This emphasises the importance of, and leads into, the possibilities of a functional reading of the Book of Revelation. All of the above work leads to a re-evaluation of the success of hope as metanarrative for today. The suggestion is that Christian hope is not imaginary, but is irreducibly imaginative. For “reality is never just the world as it exists; it is the world as it is experienced through the lenses of social perception” (Barr 2010:636). / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament and Early Christian Studies)

The mission of the Church in the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa is understood in its narrow sense of evangelism and church planting. Moreover the institutional and doctrinal conservatism, the maintenance mindset of the Church and its inadaptability to the challenges of a changing world, are some of the characteristics of the lack of mission awareness and mission spirituality. This dissertation is an attempt to impart mission awareness and mission spirituality within the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa. The study of mission Dei and mission spirituality helps in understanding the divine origins of missions, the nature and identity of the Church. In addition, it unveils the Christian lifestyle that stems from the relationship with Christ and from the mission consciousness, and that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Some strategies are proposed with the aim of updating and promoting a holistic, inclusive and integral understanding and practice of mission in the Church. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

A theology of Church music for worship has been conspicuous by its absence. The need is clearly demonstrated in this thesis, as is the methodology to develop this theology. The Biblical record of musical usage shows that theological principles can be uncovered to guide theuse of music today. The same process can be applied to the use of music for worship in church history. In order for these principles to have practical application, the challenges facing the Methodist of Southern Africa today are examined. Finally, a theology of Worship Music is developed under three headings. The first, Worship Music as Sacred Sound, explores the inherent music making of God, and of humanity. The second heading, Worship Music as Sacred Act, explores the way music is used as part of the Church's worship activity. The third heading, Worship Music as Sacred Word, explains how music can communicate in worship. / Philosophy, Practical and Sytematic Theology / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Text in English / This dissertation has examined the University Christian Movement (UCM) over its turbulent five year history from 1967 to 1972 in terms of the original hopes of the sponsoring ecumenical denominations. Contextual factors within the socio-political arena of South Africa as well as broader youth cultural influences are shown to have had a decisive influence. These factors help to explain the negative reaction from the founding churches. While this is not a thesis on Black Consciousness, nevertheless the contribution of the UCM to the rise of Black Consciousness and Black Theology is evaluated. UCM is shown to be a movement well ahead of its time as a forerunner in South Africa of Black Theology, contextual theology, feminism, modem liturgical styles, and intercommunion. As such it was held in suspicion. It suffered repressive action from the government and alienation from the churches. Constant cross referencing to other organisations such as the World Student Christian Federation, the National Union of South African Students, the South African Council of Churches, the Christian Institute, and the Sllldents Christian Association, helps to locate the UCM within the flow of contemporary history. The concluding evaluation differs markedly from the report of the Schlebusch Commission by making both critical and positive judgement from the perspective of the UCM as an ecumenical mission to students. / Christain Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Worldwide liturgical music finds itself in a crisis. Liturgical music is made the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with liturgy, whereas the problems rather derive from the worship service as a whole, the theological thinking and the cultural environment in which the worship service is performed. Stereotyped liturgical forms, a cognitive verbalism, the demand for intelligibility, the loss of the poetic form of the liturgy, the disregard for symbols and rituals, the absence of visual and other art forms in the liturgy, the influence of the popular music culture and especially the lack of a profound theological reflection with regard to the essential place of music in the liturgy, are all contributing factors that have a negative influence on liturgical music. The worship service is surrounded by a postmodern culture, aspects of which might provide positive opportunities for the liturgy. A broader notion of rationality that includes the affective, non-cognitive dimensions of being human, opens up possibilities for the aesthetic, as well as the religious experience. The recognition of symbols, images, imagination and metaphors opens up new horizons for the worship service as Gesamtkunstwerk. Anti-foundationalistic thinking demands an open canon with regard to the liturgy and liturgical song. Ecumenicity as an expression of the postmodern 'global village' renders a plurality of liturgical and musical possibilities. Aspects that might influence the reception of liturgical songs and songbooks, such as a spirit of anti-authoritarianism must be borne in mind. The liturgical training of ministers of religion, especially with regard to their aesthetic formation must be given due attention. The reflection on liturgy with regard to the role of art and music as communicative acts, based on new theological insights, must come into full swing. Liturgical music can only be fully appreciated where liturgical renewal takes form in a comprehensive way and where theologically the space is opened up for music as a form of art that has the ability to communicate symbolically, especially that which defies clearcut definition - as such being a communicative act serving the gospel. / Liturgiese musiek verkeer wereldwyd in 'n krisis. Kritiek word dikwels slegs voor die deur van die musiek gele, terwyl die probleem verband hou met die erediens as geheel, die teologiese denke en met die kulturele omstandighede waarbinne die erediens plaasvind. Geykte liturgiese vorms, 'n kognitiewe-verbalisme, die oorbeklemtoonde eis om verstaanbaarheid, 'n verlies aan die kunsgestalte van die erediens, 'n miskenning van die simboliese waarde van rituele en handelinge, die gebrek aan visuele en ander kunsvorme, die invloed van die omringende musiekkultuur en veral die gebrek aan 'n grondige teologiese besinning ten opsigte van musiek in die erediens, bring die funksie, aard en wesenlike plek van liturgiese musiek in gedrang. Die erediens staan binne 'n · postmodernistiese denkkultuur waarvan sekere aspekte positiewe moontlikhede ten opsigte van die erediens kan bied. Die breer rasionaliteitsbegrip, wat ruimte open vir die affektiewe en nie-kognitiewe dimensies van menswees, skep nuwe ruimte vir die estetiese ervaring en die rol van ervaring in die geloofsproses. Die erkenning van simbole, simboolwerelde, metafore, beelde en verbeelding, bied nuwe moontlikhede vir die erediens as Gesamtkunstwerk. Die oog vir die heropname van die historiese en die simboliese bied ook geleentheid vir die herstel van die tradisionele lied. 'n Gees van anti-fundamentalisme vereis 'n oop kanon ten opsigte van die liturgie en die liturgiese lied. Ekumenisiteit as vorm van die postmoderne global village bied 'n pluraliteit van liturgiese en musikale moontlikhede. 'n Nie-outoritere tydsgees en die ontkenning van 'n 'kundigheidsgroep' deur die postmodernisme, moet verreken word as faktore wat 'n rol kan speel by die resepsie van liedere en gesangboeke. Die liturgiese opleiding, veral met betrekking tot die estetiese vorming van predikante, moet grondig aandag kry. Die besinning rondom die liturgie met betrekking tot die rol van kuns en musiek as kommunikatiewe handelinge moet op grond van nuwere teologiese insigte tereg kom. Die tese van hierdie studie is dat die kerklied, oud of nuut, eers daar tereg sal kom waar van liturgiese vernuwing in die omvattende sin sprake is en waar teologies die ruimte vir musiek as kunsvorm met die vermoe tot simboliese vergestalting - as sodanig dus kommunikatiewe handeling in diens van die Evangelia - verreken word. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theory)

The laxity and continuous apathy among some members of the Catholic Church of the Masvingo Diocese in Zimbabwe towards the Sacrament of Confession prompted this study. The claim of Zvaiwa (2009) that confession is disappearing while psychology is being used more, as reflected in the title of his article ―Confession out, psychology in‖, motivated this research. The objective of the study was therefore, to explore the practical therapeutic value of the Sacrament of Confession among members of the Catholic Church in Masvingo Diocese in Zimbabwe. A theoretical and qualitative life narrative study was done from within a practical pastoral therapeutic perspective of practical theology. The sample of the empirical study consisted of 30 priests and laypeople in the five deaneries. A lifeline and semistructured interview instrument was used. A key finding of the study was that the Sacrament of Confession was not threatened by psychological counselling or psychotherapy. Another significant finding was that the Catholic Diocese of Masvingo was experiencing a devaluation of the church‘s pastoral confessional practice among its priests and laypeople. The study confirmed that the Sacrament of Confession has therapeutic value and spiritual meaning in the Church. The Sacrament of Confession and psychological counselling or psychotherapy were found to collaborate as therapeutic disciplines in pastoral therapy. A new model of therapeutic counselling that embraces spiritual direction through psychological counselling and reconciliation is proposed. It is rooted in cultural value; spirituality; private confession followed by prayer and absolution; and change in existential life, to enhance the pastoral role of the Sacrament of Confession in the Diocese of Masvingo, Zimbabwe. This model has interdisciplinary elements borrowed from medical, pastoral, psychological and social research fields. If adopted in the Diocese it would decrease the spiritual indifference amongst the parishioners and prevent them from defecting to other denominations. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

Entre 2008 et 2011, l’inventaire des livres liturgiques de 51 communautés cisterciennes de l’Europe francophone a mis en lumière un fonds unique de Graduels et d’Antiphonaires de choeur, tant manuscrits qu’imprimés, parus entre la Renaissance et le début du XXe siècle. Ces ouvrages constituent le corpus principal de cette thèse dont l’objectif est d’en interroger le contenu au regard de l’histoire de l’Ordre cistercien, mais aussi de l’évolution du chant ecclésiastique. La périodisation est définie en fonction des bornes suivantes : le terminus a quo (1521) correspond à la première impression d’un livre de choeur cistercien et son terminus ad quem (1903) est celui de la publication du dernier ouvrage de ce format au sein de cet Ordre spécifique. L’étude est menée selon trois axes : analyse codicologique ; philologie des traces d’usage introduites au cours des âges ; approche musicologique d’un échantillon d’Offices liturgiques (Office de la Dédicace et Office votif du Sacré-Coeur) / Between 2008 & 2011, a general inventory of the liturgical books of 51 Cistercian communities in Francophone Europe allowed the highlighting of one fund of several 10th of choir graduals and antiphonaries, both manuscripts & printed, from the Renaissance period to the beginning of the XXth century. These works constitute the main body of this thesis aimed to examine the content relating to the history of the Cistercian Order, but also the general evolution of ecclesiastical chant. Periodization of this work is defined according to the following terminals: the terminus a quo (1521) is the first impression of a Cistercian choir book and terminus ad quem (1903) is the publication of the last book of this size in this specific Order. The study is conducted along three axes: codicological analysis; philology traces of use introduced in these books over the ages; musicological approach of a sample of specific liturgical Offices (Office of the Dedication and votive Office of the Sacred-Heart)

This thesis deals in detail with Pentecost in Judaic and Christian traditions and with all that is connected herewith. It presents biblical roots as well current customs and traditions, but above all it analyses the contemporary liturgical practice which constitutes its primary focus. This work can be divided into two larger units. As its theme is intimately intertwined with the domain of religion, the first part of the thesis examines the Judaic Pentecost, time of omer. The second part of this thesis deals comprehensively with Christian Pentecost.