Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-168).

Thesis advisor: John Baldovin / Thesis advisor: Brian Dunkle / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Thesis advisor: André Brouillette / Thesis advisor: Steven Payne / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Recent research has indicated a causal link between oxytocin and spirituality. The present experiment sought to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OT) and absorption on mysticism and spirituality in a sensory deprivation setting. The results failed to find any main effects of IN-OT on mysticism, or on spirituality. Interaction effects were discovered however, where IN-OT interacted with absorption both on mysticism and spirituality. More specifically IN-OT undermined the association between absorption and outcomes that were observed in the placebo control condition. The results contradict the findings from the only previous experiment conducted on IN-OT and spirituality. The interaction effects align with previous research on IN-OT, suggesting an increase in suggestibility among low absorption scorers. These results motivate further research on the relation between oxytocin, absorption and spirituality, keeping the idea of suggestibility in mind.

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))

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))

This thesis examines and critiques the doctrine of carnal union with Christ in the theology of Scottish theologian Thomas Forsyth Torrance. Torrance's teaching on union with Christ in general and carnal or incarnational union with Christ in particular is unfolded within the wider context of his christocentric dogmatics and its genetic development. Extensive use is made of Torrance's unpublished Auburn and New College lectures on the subject. The teachings of Athanasius, Calvin, and Barth on union with Christ, since Torrance professes such a great debt to their influence on his own thought in this area, are also surveyed, and lines of continuity and discontinuity with Torrance's teaching are traced. I demonstrate that, although developed from a variety of historical sources and not so readily seen from his published works, a unique development of the ancient theological couplet of anhypostasia and enhypostasia exists at the heart of Torrance's christology. This couplet lies behind Torrance's understanding of the person of Christ and his union with humankind. He develops his doctrine of carnal union with Christ under these twin rubrics of anhypostasia and enhypostasia. I contend that while Torrance seeks to resolve the tension between these juxtaposed categories, it is not clear that he has adequately resolved the antithesis. Part of the tension is due to a lacuna in the anhypostatic rubric. Specifically, the abbreviated version of salvation history for carnal union with Christ that Torrance develops from the nonassumptus is less overtly trinitarian than that of its enhypostatic counterpart. I demonstrate that Torrance's doctrine of carnal union with Christ omits clear reference to the role of the Holy Spirit in this anhypostatic aspect of the incarnation, creating confusion in the minds of critics over the relevance of both the Holy Spirit and human response in Torrance's theology. This lacuna begs clarification in a theology that is otherwise known as overtly trinitarian. Furthermore, I contend that Torrance's doctrine of carnal union with Christ introduces an element of contingent necessity into the nature of the incarnation. Torrance's construction demands that God must incarnate in just this way, setting up a carnal union with Christ that includes all humankind in its universal range, because the Logos who assumes humanity is the creator: Christ is not only a man but Man. I argue this contingent necessity endangers the freedom of God and truncates the voluntary nature of Christ's person and work, as well as valid human response, in the anhypostatic rubric. Because of these potential difficulties, clarification beyond mere appeal to the other juxtaposed category of enhypostasia is required. Thus, I conclude that it is not acceptable for Torrance to leave doubt about either the significance of the Holy Spirit or human response in even one strand of his theological tapestry.

Šiame darbe aptariama mistinės Vienio patirties verbalizavimo problematika, analizuojant Plotino, Pseudo-Dionisijaus ir Wittgensteino tekstus. Tyrimo metu atskleidžiama Plotino, Pseudo-Dionisijaus ir Wittgensteino Vienio bei pasaulio visumos bendri suvokimo bruožai, kalbinės raiškos ribos ir galimybės mistinės patirties apibūdinimuose. / This work discusses the problem of verbalization of One's mystical experience analyzing texts of Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius and Wittgenstein. The research part develops character of perception of One and the whole world in general in works of Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius and Wittgenstein, also discusses limits of language and its possibilities in describing mystical experience.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1992. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-99).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1992. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-99).