In mid- to late-1960s America and Britain, against the backdrop of escalating socio-political disappointment, countercultural ideologies and fantasies of a musical youth dovetailed with improvements in recording technologies to generate new sonic languages of limning in sound utopian pastoral spaces to which recordists and listeners could escape, virtually. Seeking alternative spaces that their alternative identities could more comfortably inhabit became a central project of many progressive groups and individuals, often, but not always, hailing from middle-class white society. The cultural and musical trends did eventually have a global sway. Coeval advances in sound recording and reproduction technologies made musical recordings a major avenue through which the sought spaces were limned and even materialized sonically, but other media, especially album cover art and film in conjunction with musical soundtracks, provided additional avenues for pastoral spatial projects of this generation and afford us ancillary resources for better understanding these projects. While the specific utopian spatial projects and the underlying ideologies of musicians working in various branches of country rock, soft rock, progressive country, progressive bluegrass, art rock, Afrocentric avant-garde jazz, and proto-New Age music were not always exactly the same, there were considerable overlaps in the societal sources of their disaffections, the wellsprings of their inspiration, and in the textural sonic languages they developed in the recording studio. Unlike music with overtly spatial projects, the sonic aspects of music that subtly captures a hyper-real sense of the natural have remained underconsidered and their contribution to the aesthetic and psychological impact of music has slipped by under the radar of most listeners' conscious attention. This dissertation, then, is an attempt to analyze the subtle acoustic and musical communicative codes devised by musicians and recordists that do inform later music. Through close listening and textual analysis, this dissertation identifies the different levels at which spatial allusions are encoded into a musical product. Ethnographic interviews help distinguish between deliberate manipulations of studio technology and responses based in tacit understandings thereof. An overall cross disciplinary approach, borrowing especially from acoustics and psychoacoustics, aided me substantially with the analyses. / text

Professional counselling is scarcely available and hardly affordable for the vast majority of the South African society. However, clergy could be a source of help available for those who may not afford treatment expenses for consulting psychologists and psychiatrists. This study looked at the role that clergy working in pastoral situations in a mainline church in the province of KwaZulu-Natal play in the provision of mental health. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 52 licensed clergy investigating the types of problems presented to clergy, how clergy respond to their parishioners’ emotional and psychological problems, and how confident and how competent they feel in dealing with the problems presented to them. It investigated factors that enhance and hinder the helping process. To analyze and interpret the data, a series of statistical procedures were run using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and qualitative content analysis. Findings indicated that a wide variety of emotional and psychological problems were presented to clergy, including bereavement, alcohol or substance abuse, marital conflict, divorce and relationship problems. Clergy had a very positive attitude towards their role in counselling, and its importance in their ministry; however, the training of clergy has been considered insufficient to meet the needs of parishioners with emotional and psychological problems. Clergy reported a high level of perceived self-efficacy that seemed inconsistent with the training clergy have in emotional and psychological difficulties. Clergy tended to refer more severe psychological difficulties to either government, Non-Governmental Organisations or Faith-Based Organisations for specialised intervention. No formal support was reported to be available to clergy who engage in counselling although a large proportion of clergy mentioned getting support from fellow priests. The discussion of findings is focussed on empowering clergy to continue providing counselling for common emotional and psychological difficulties for their parishioners. Clergy may be a valuable resource in promoting mental health of their community members. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

It is a terrible shock to parents when they hear from a medical specialist that their child is not normal like other children, but retarded. Such parents are traumatized to the same extent as other parents may be when they lose a child to death. They go through the same phases of shock, denial, anger and mourning. A complicating factor is that these parents cannot recover from this loss as they are reminded of this sorrowful fact on a daily basis and to an increasingly difficult level. The aim of this investigation is firstly to determine the effect that severely retarded child has on the functioning of the family. Secondly, to determine what the needs of such a family are in respect of pastoral care; and finally, to provide guidelines for the care of a family with a severely retarded child. This research is based on the practical-theological model of Zerfass and comprises: • A basis-theory that reveals Biblical perspectives that have been researched about the topic; • A meta-theoretical assessment based on the literature survey (also in related fields), as well as empirical research. The empirical study is based on a number of interviews that were undertaken with families who have severely retarded children; • Theory for application that proposes guidelines for the pastoral care of the family with a severely retarded child in their care. The research results reveal lacunas that exist in available literature in respect of pastoral care for families with a severely retarded child. It is also clear from the results of the empirical research that ignorance about this type of pastoral care is common. The conclusion of this research is that these families who have severely retarded children do not enjoy the benefit of proper pastoral care. This happens because both pastoral care-givers as well as members of the parish underestimate the influence that such a child has on the family. The research results could assist in educating people who are, to a large extent, ignorant in this regard; as well as equipping pastoral care-givers with guidelines to care for families with severely retarded children. / Thesis (M.Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The central theoretical argument of this study is that biblical mediation may be a useful short-term method for use in pastoral care, specifically within the bounds of reconciliation in troubled marriages. The goal of formulating a basis theory was to explore what the Biblical teaching is on marriage, marital conflict, mediation and reconciliation. In general, a revelation-historical approach was followed. Specific cases of marital conflict in the Bible were examined. In researching reconciliation the role of Jesus Christ and pastors as mediator was explored. A grammatical-historical exegesis was done on Mat. 59, Mat. 18:15-17 and Rom. 14:19. It was concluded that marriage is a union of companionship based on a covenant and ordained by God and foreshadowing the eternal joyous relationship between Christ and the Church. God hates divorce, which is permitted only in certain circumstances. It was found that biblical teaching on conflict in general may be applied to marital conflict. It was concluded that although not all conflict is caused by sin, sinful attitudes and behaviours, including sinful desires or legitimate desires elevated to demands and distortion of the husband - wife roles designed by God before the Fall, do play a part in causing conflict. With regard to reconciliation it was concluded that Jesus acted as Mediator on the cross, making possible reconciliation between God and man, which also reflects God's will for the horizontal relationship between his people, particularly in marriage. Several examples of informal mediations and of calls to peacemaking were found in the Bible. It was found that Mat. 185-17 allows for mediation or counselling by one or two others in the church in certain circumstances. For establishing a meta theory the goal was to examine biblical mediation as a third party intervention in pastoral care for reconciliation in troubled marriages. A literature study was conducted on mediation, biblical mediation as taught by Peacemaker Ministries and on marital conflict and intervention methods resembling mediation by a survey of the literature in the social sciences. A qualitative empirical study was conducted, by doing biblical mediation with three Christian couples. It was concluded that mediation, and particularly the biblical mediation model used by Peacemaker Ministries, may be used to advantage by pastors for reconciliation in troubled marriages. The aim of establishing 'a practice theory was to propose a biblical mediation model to guide pastors in working toward reconciliation in troubled marriages. This was done by an analysis and synthesis of the basis - and meta theory in hermeneutical interaction. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

<p> The loss of a loved one is a challenging event in the lives of everyone. Each individual must deal with grief and grief recovery. The Western culture has difficulty in dealing with loss and grief. In addition, churches are inadequate in helping their members who are in grief: helping them recover, find meaning, and have an enduring connection with their loved one as they embark on a new life. </p><p> In order to determine if churches can be equipped to provide support during the grief recovery process, this research project focused on training members of Calvary Chapel of Syracuse in the process of grief and grief recovery. The seminar was based on two things. First, a comprehensive review of the Bible was completed to reveal what it says about death, grief, and comfort. Then, a review of the literature dealing with grief and grief recovery was completed that provided insight into the common experience of those in grief, the process of grief recovery, and how individuals find meaning and embark on a new life without their loved one. </p><p> Using quantitative research methods, this project examined the participants of a grief and grief recovery seminar. The participants completed surveys that were assessed using recognized statistical procedures to determine if a seminar could adequately prepare them to work with individuals in grief. </p><p> The results of this research project provide a way to assess the use of a seminar for equipping church members to work with individuals in grief and recommendations on how this process can be enhanced.</p>

<p>The study examined the sense of self-efficacy that clergy experience while providing pastoral care by analyzing 104 pastors' responses to the Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES). The variables that predicted higher self-efficacy scores included the number of years the participant worked as a pastor, the number of hours spent each week in counseling activities, and the number of counseling/pastoral care courses completed during seminary or pastoral training. Training with clinical pastoral education (CPE) and lay counseling activities, however, predicted lower CASES scores. This regression model accounted for 29% of the variance in CASES scores. Clergy reported significantly lower self-efficacy in their counseling skills in the Counseling Challenges factor of the CASES than in the Helping Skills and Session Management factors. This suggests that the pastors experience the lowest counseling self-efficacy (CSE) when faced with challenges such as severe psychopathology or manipulative individuals. The results carry implications for the training and continuing education that is offered to clergy. The study suggests that it could be beneficial with clergy training to focus on the areas in which CSE was lowest and on the variables that are associated with higher CSE. </p>

No abstract available / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

<p>The context is The Greater Harvest Church, of Long Beach. California, which was traumatized because of misconduct. misappropriation. and power struggles between former pastors and lay-leaders. This study examined a system for resuscitating and healing churches that have suffered trauma. The hypothesis is that empathy, justice-mindedness, and humility, partnership with the Godhead, and koinonia, are the prescription for resuscitating and healing a church that has been traumatized. A qualitative methodology was employed utilizing surveys, interviews, and observations. Study data supports the conclusion that a demonstration of empathy, justice-mindedness, and humility is essential to healing a wounded congregation. </p>

No description available.

<p> The Researcher has coordinated and attended a <i>Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Pilot Group</i> with eight Korean minister&rsquo;s wives a few years ago, hosted and mentored by Dr. Sunny Song. The experience with Korean ministers&rsquo; wives with the Pilot Group gave conviction of the possibility of small group dynamics for change and upgrade of transformation of women in leadership. This research discovered several factors why a <i> Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Group</i> could work well. All the members were continuously reminded and reshaped with new understanding about emotional aspects of inner being, relationship, and spirituality. The researcher believes that the <i>Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Group</i> can be an advanced ministry model besides other small group dynamics for pastors&rsquo; wives to healthier and deeper relationship with God and among church members.</p>