The thesis concerns itself with spiritual needs of young Christians. It takes into consideration the development of religious judgement, psycho-social development young people undergoe, and the influence of the current secularized society on their value opinions and attitudes. It analyses three aspects of the Christian faith: the knowledge of Church teachings, the partaking on the life of the Church and the Christian moral principles. It further considers the problems and tasks of pastoral care of the youth, and it describes the ways work and spirituality of the best known movements, and other activities of the youth and for the youth in the dioceses. The thesis concludes in postulating the existence of three levels of youth spiritual needs: the level of good Christian role models, the level of patient spiritual guidance and the level of an attractive Christian culture.

As TPM warrants greater attention in the field of practical theology, this thesis is about the further development of TPM, within Pastoral Theology as well as in its practices. This research explored if more healing possibilities may emerge when TPM is epistemologically positioned in social constructionism and has drawn attention to healing possibilities that narrative practices may open up for TPM. To achieve this, a process of social construction was followed where the narratives of participants' experiences of the practices of TPM were reflected upon. The participants related how and why the practices of TPM influenced the way they narrated their lives. According to their tales the main influencing factor was an authentic encounter with God, where they experienced that He had experientially entered into a conversation with them about the way they constructed their realities. By giving His perspective on their beliefs about memories from their past, He helped them to start processes of reconstructing new preferred life stories. The importance of the role of a faith community as well as that of significant others also became evident. An important contribution of this research is the emphasis that was put on the ‘not-knowing’ position of the facilitator. This is not an authentic TPM-term, but the way the facilitator's role is described, in the TPM guidelines, is similar to what is understood by that term in social constructionist therapy approaches. Throughout the research report I indicated the important role of this position in the helpfulness of TPM. It became clear through the narratives that when the facilitator's knowing entered the Theophostic process, the process was impeded. Closely related to this ‘not-knowing’ position, is the ethical accountability of TPM. I indicated how this position of the facilitator related to the participants' experiences of the facilitator not being judgemental and being respected for who (s)he is. In judging the authenticity of changes experienced by the recipients of TPM, I proposed a process of participatory ethics. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Thesis (D.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta tese discute a questão de gênero, tema importante para nossa época. Objetiva fazer uma análise na perspectiva fenomenológica e teológica da questão de gênero por meio das contribuições de Edith Stein (1891-1942), filósofa e discípula de Edmund Husserl (1859-1938). Examina, portanto, as relações entre masculino e feminino, destacando de modo particular a questão da mulher. Neste estudo, enfatiza-se, também, a presença de Edith Stein no panorama da literatura feminina da época, sua participação nos movimentos feministas e pedagógicos, sua relevância na escola fenomenológica pela capacidade de transitar nas diversas áreas do saber e pela sua original aplicabilidade do método fenomenológico no estudo da pessoa humana em suas variadas dimensões: corpo, alma, espírito, valores, relação com os outros e com Deus. Edith Stein se concentra em torno do sujeito da empatia e de suas vivências. Das análises das relações intersubjetivas, colhe elementos para a elaboração de uma antropologia filosófica, que no encontro com a tradição aristotélico-tomista integra com a antropologia cristã. Ao longo do trabalho, busca-se, ao mesmo tempo, examinar a relação do ser humano com a dimensão religiosa, com particular referência à teologia cristã católica. Discutem-se os significados ontológicos da natureza e essência da mulher, sugeridos pela pensadora numa prospectiva de complementaridade. A pesquisa trata da questão feminina contemporânea e faz confronto entre os escritos de Edith Stein e a condição da mulher em seu tempo. Paralelamente aborda os movimentos feministas no Brasil para demonstrar a situação da mulher nos diversos contextos histórico-sociais. Do ponto de vista teológico, a relação homem e mulher é estudada à luz da Revelação judaico-cristã, homem e mulher criados à imagem de Deus e da Trindade. A mulher ganha sua nobreza pelo fato de o Redentor nascer de uma mãe humana e, Maria é apresentada como protótipo da feminilidade: é a Mater- Virgo e a Sponsa-Christi. Nesse sentido, faz-se referência à tradição cristã, em particular à Carta Apostólica Mulieris Dignitatem de João Paulo II. Mostra-se a estreita relação entre as reflexões filosóficas e antropológicas dos pensadores sobre a teologia da feminilidade na Igreja Católica e a proposta de um novo feminismo da Igreja. Reflete-se sobre o protagonismo da mulher, a partir do valor fundamental do ser humano masculino e feminino. Alude-se à experiência religiosa cristã como abertura e encontro com a Verdade Revelada, itinerário individual e coletivo. Acena-se, por fim, à fenomenologia da espiritualidade e a teologia mística aprofundas por Edith Stein, inspirada nas obras de Santa Teresa DÁvila e São João da Cruz.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-01-26T16:42:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ismaeldevasconcelosferreira.pdf: 1861651 bytes, checksum: f7ce39c0b539a6e91106172dccb3e772 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-01-29T10:53:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ismaeldevasconcelosferreira.pdf: 1861651 bytes, checksum: f7ce39c0b539a6e91106172dccb3e772 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-29T10:53:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ismaeldevasconcelosferreira.pdf: 1861651 bytes, checksum: f7ce39c0b539a6e91106172dccb3e772 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-15 / Esta tese propõe conhecer e discutir os modos de construção da realidade religiosa da vida pentecostal definida pela experiência religiosa concernente ao pentecostalismo, tendo como referencial teórico uma definição de religião mais essencial que suscite o homo religiosus inerente ao homem. Esta proposição é assumida como mais adequada a uma pesquisa em Ciência da Religião, tendo em vista concentrar-se no objeto religioso e suas intenções inerentes às práticas subjacentes da cultura pentecostal. A abordagem se deu qualitativamente, por meio de pesquisa de campo realizada na cidade de Juiz de Fora-MG no período de outubro de 2014 a novembro de 2015. Foram entrevistados fiéis e egressos, num total de trinta e quatro, que eram oriundos de instituições nominalmente pentecostais. A coleta de informações foi feita utilizando-se o método da entrevista compreensiva que permite maior aproximação ao entrevistado e promove melhores condições de se estabelecerem perspectivas teóricas e de síntese sobre o objeto estudado. Esta discussão permitiu um conhecimento profundo e constitutivo desta religiosidade, resultado necessário à análise da religião enquanto promovedora de realidades significativas e últimas que tendem a questionar outras perspectivas concorrentes. Deste modo, a religião é considerada neste trabalho não de forma nominal, mas qualitativa, tendo no pentecostalismo sua representação formal e na vida pentecostal seu aspecto dinâmico e substancial. Esta abordagem permitiu tanto a visualização da religião pentecostal e a coleta dos registros que indicam seus constituintes propriamente religiosos, apresentando sua linguagem religiosa, quanto, a partir da consideração a esta prerrogativa humana do ser religioso, a discussão e constatação do poder de definição e normatização da religião, produzindo o ser crente. / This thesis proposes to know and discuss the modes of construction of the religious reality of the Pentecostal life defined by the religious experience concerning Pentecostalism, having as theoretical reference a more essential definition of religion which arouses homo religiosus inherent to man. This proposition is assumed to be best suited to research in the Science of Religion in order to focus on the religious object and its intentions concerning the underlying practices of Pentecostal culture. The approach was qualitative, through a field survey conducted in the city of Juiz de Fora-MG from October 2014 to November 2015. A total of thirty-four believers and former believers from nominally Pentecostal institutions were interviewed. The data collection was done using a comprehensive interview method, which allows a better approximation to the interviewee and promotes better conditions to establish theoretical perspectives and synthesis about the analyzed object. This discussion allowed a deep and constitutive knowledge of this religiosity, a necessary result for the analysis of religion as a promoter of significant and last realities that tend to question other competing perspectives. Thus, religion is considered in this work not nominally but qualitatively, having in Pentecostalism its formal representation and in Pentecostal life its dynamic and substantial aspect. This approach allowed both the visualization of the Pentecostal religion and the collection of records that indicate its properly religious constituents, presenting its religious language, and, from the consideration of this human prerogative of the religious being, the discussion and verification of the power of definition and normalization of religion, producing the believing person.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-03-21T19:51:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 alexandroferreiradesouza.pdf: 438800 bytes, checksum: 8c706a7d37775f0f92044a46ee1ba79c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-03-22T12:41:08Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 alexandroferreiradesouza.pdf: 438800 bytes, checksum: 8c706a7d37775f0f92044a46ee1ba79c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-22T12:41:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 alexandroferreiradesouza.pdf: 438800 bytes, checksum: 8c706a7d37775f0f92044a46ee1ba79c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-02 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta dissertação tem por objetivo a análise de temas na obra A paixão segundo G.H., de Clarice Lispector, que podem ser descritos como análogos aos temas de uma vivência religiosa em consonância com a perspectiva de religião apresentada pelo filósofo e teólogo alemão Rudolf Otto em sua obra O sagrado. Ao apresentar em linhas gerais e estabelecer o pensamento de Otto como referencial teórico-conceitual, pretende-se iluminar e descrever a experiência da personagem-título do romance como uma experiência religiosa marcada por aquela característica realçada pelo pensador alemão na sua obra em questão: a vivência do divino como experiência dos sentimentos antagônicos do terror e do fascínio. Partindo do conceito de numinoso apresentado e definido por Otto, em O sagrado, como o aspecto irracional da religião vivenciado de forma sentimental, intenta-se discutir as dificuldades da apreensão e comunicação da vivência do numinoso e o aspecto totalmente outro da experiência relatada por G.H. / This study has as aim the theme analysis in the work A paixão segundo G.H., of Clarice Lispector, that can be described as akin to a perspective of the religion showed by the philosopher and theologian Rudolf Otto in his work The idea of the Holy. To show in general lines and to establish Otto’s thought as reference, intending to illuminate and to describe the experience of the character G.H. as a religious experience appointed by that characteristic enhanced by the german thinker in his work: the divine living as the feeling experience antagonistic to the terror and the fascination. Departing from the concept of numinous showed and defined by Otto, in The idea of the Holy, as the unreasonable aspect lived in a sentimental way, intending to discuss the difficulties of the communication's of living of the numinous and the Wholly Other aspect of the experience related by G.H.

Y-a-t-il une cohérence interne entre l'expérience vécue et la pensée politique chez Simone Weil ? Afin de ressaisir le questionnement de Simone Weil sur les conditions de possibilité de la liberté, notre recherche porte en premier lieu sur les critiques qu'elle a adressées aux théories philosophiques et politiques de Marx. Il s'agit donc tout autant d'analyser l'influence que Marx a pu avoir sur elle, que de prendre la mesure des écarts que sa critique l'a amenée à poser, et des principes philosophiques dont elle s'est servie à cet effet. Nous étudions, dans un deuxième temps, l'essence même du phénomène de l'oppression et à partir de là, nous dégageons quelques perspectives de la liberté individuelle et sociale, dans le sillage de ce que nous propose la philosophie. Y-a-t-il une cohérence de la ligne politique dans laquelle elle a voulu placer ses engagements sociaux et politiques pour répondre à ce problème ? Il convient pour nous, dans un troisième temps, de connaître et d'examiner le chemin qui l'a amenée à l'expérience religieuse et ce qu'elle a dit sur la connaissance surnaturelle comme la part indispensable pour rendre la vie sociale respirable. Comment concevoir la relation entre les deux expériences politique et religieuse chez elle ? Cette approche religieuse constitue-t-elle une ouverture à l'égard de sa critique politique ? / Is there an internal consistency between the experiences lived out by Simone Weil and her political thought ? In order to grasp her questioning of the conditions of the possibility of freedom, our search starts off with the critique which she wrote on the philosophical and political theories of Marx. It is therefore a matter of analysing the influence that Marx might have had on her, as well as studying the differences which her critique led her to present, and the philosophical principles of which she made use to this effect. One should secondly look at the very essence of the phenomenon of oppression, and hence gauge several perspectives on individual and social freedom, in the wake of what is proposed by this philosophy. Is there a consistency in the political line in which she wanted to place her social and political commitments in order to respond to this problem ? One should, thirdly, examine and get to know the path which led her to religious experience and what she said about supernatural knowledge as the essential component for leading a bearable social life. How do we conceive the relationship between both her religious and political experiences ? Does this approach constitute an opening with regards to her political critique ?

La présente thèse articule les deux catégories fondamentales de la philosophie de la religion : le « moi » et le « divin », ce en dialogue avec deux interlocuteurs privilégiés, Fichte et Nabert, chez lesquels cette double thématique fut exploitée de manière originale et géniale. Fichte pense le « moi » comme le centre de l'intériorité et de la vie consciente de l'homme qui est une activité incessante vers l'unité de soi. Nabert, quant à lui, part du concept fichtien du « moi » pour élaborer la catégorie du « divin » ; celui-ci apparaît alors comme une demande de la conscience en sa structure fondamentale : elle le reçoit alors qu'il s'affirme à même le« moi». L'examen conjoint de de ces deux pensées apporte, nous cherchons à le montrer, une contribution majeure à la philosophie de la religion contemporaine : elle permet en effet à celle-ci d'avancer dans les réponses aux nombreux défis qu'il lui appartient de relever, soit : la redécouverte de certains préliminaires comme la conscience religieuse, le langage adéquat sur « Dieu », la question critériologique dans la désignation du « divin », le « témoignage » absolu. A cet effet, trois catégories principales sont sollicitées et éprouvées : I'« intériorité » et la place de I'« affectivité » dans l'expérience religieuse, enfin la « vérité » qui polarise toute réflexion philosophique sur la religion. / The present thesis articulates two fundamental categories of the philosophy of religion: the « 1 » and the « divine », it is in the dialogue with two privileged interlocutors, Fichte and Nabert, where this double theme was exploited in an original and brilliant way. Fichte thinks of the « 1 » as the center of the interiority and the conscious lite of a man, which is an incessant activity towards unity of self. Nabert, on his part, starts from the Fichte's concept of the « 1 » and elaborate the category of the « divine »; this last appears as a demand of the consciousness in its fundamental structure: it the « divine » as the one that affirms itself in the « 1 ». The joint examination of these two thoughts brings, as we try to show, a major contribution to the contemporary philosophy of religion. lndeed, this contribution allows philosophy of religion to advance in the answers to many challenges that rise up before it: the rediscovery of certain preliminaries such as the religious consciousness, the adequate language about « Gad », the question about criterion in the designation of the « divine », absolute « testimony ». For that purpose, three main categories are solicited and approved: « interiority » and the place of « affectivity » in religious experience, and finally « truth » which polarizes all philosophical reflection on religion.

Sammanfattning Syftet med denna etnografiska fältstudie är att utforska, förstå och skildra hur deltagare upplever de återkommande retreatdagarna i en svenskkyrklig församling utanför Stockholm. Centralt är att ta del av människors egna berättelser, hur de tolkar, förstår och ger mening till det de är med om. Studien befinner sig inom forskningsfältet levd religion. Här ligger tonvikten på hur religion och andlighet praktiseras, upplevs och uttrycks av vanliga människor, snarare än officiella företrädare. Meredith McGuires forskning om levd religion samt Nancy Ammermans forskning kring vardagsreligiositet och andliga landskap har fungerat som teoretisk resurs. Inom fältet levd religion har jag särskilt fokuserat på tre dimensioner: relationer, religiös praktik och berättelser. Efter transkribering och kodning av fältanteckningar samt intervjuer med åtta retreatdeltagare, framträdde sju teman som strukturerar resultatredovisningen i uppsatsen. Temana rubriceras som: Gudsrelation, inre bilder och drömmar, Att uthärda svårigheter och få nytt hopp, Gemenskap och egentid, Ansvar och handling, Blandning av religiösa traditioner, Rum, symboler och artefakter samt Vila i Gud. Eftersom en stor del av empirin bygger på respondenters berättelser görs också en narrativ analys för att förstå livsberättelsens dramaturgi i vår samtid. I konklusionen konstateras att relationer, både till andra människor och Gud, var centrala för respondenternas meningsskapande. Möten med andra troende nyckelpersoner var avgörande när retreatdeltagarna återgav milstolpar i sina livsberättelser. Relationen till den kristna treenige guden framträder som levande och vänskaplig, det är en gud som man både kan anförtro sig till och ifrågasätta. Endagsretreater är en kyrklig praktik som visade sig kunna bidra till en transformativ process när det gäller människors meningsskapande och livstolkning.

Systematic Theology, like all other disciplines, are subject to basic assumptions about its first principles, which is determinant for the way the discipline understands itself and does its work. The consequential perception the discipline has of knowledge acquisition and method of research in turn determines its interpretation of the knowledge acquired. The three areas of understanding (metaphysical assumptions, epistemological theories and ethical praxis) together form a cycle that builds the basis of a paradigm. Paradigms are continually present and are by nature developmental. The development from the macro-, to the messo-, and micro-levels in the structure of a paradigm is described through the three areas of understanding, providing a method for analysing paradigms. Using a developmental method of observation (affective awareness), analysis (ontological way of understanding), theorising (a different way of thinking) and application (ethical responsible living) suggests a fundamental reconsideration of the task of all disciplines, including systematic theology. / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / M. Th.(Systematic Theology)

近年來台灣受過高等教育的知識份子，熱中參與新興宗教及擬似宗教的修煉團體。本研究的目的是希望瞭解受世俗理性教育下的知識份子，為何會投入民間教派的靜坐修煉活動，並討論當初學習靜坐的動機與需求，以及對宗教是否有另一套科學－理性的理解模式。 本研究採質性研究取向，以天帝教中知識份子為個案，透過參與觀察、非結構式訪談及文獻分析等方法，試圖瞭解天帝教知識份子參與靜坐修煉的歷程，包括學習靜坐的動機，在修煉過程中的神秘經驗、社會關係的轉變，以及參與信仰論述合理化的行動。 研究發現學習靜坐的動機可分為「解決問題取向」及「非解決問題取向」，前者是被迫要解決具危機感的問題與麻煩；後者為了滿足生命更高的需求層次。靜坐改變以小我為中心世界觀，轉向注重大我，因此家庭關係跟人際關係都趨向和諧，人生觀也從追求個人成就轉向謀求眾人福祉。至於從單純靜坐學習者到成為融入組織的虔信者，中間轉換過程是經由突然跳躍的意識。 最後，本文也指出三項天帝教知識份子對於自我角色的定位模式，藉此凸顯他們在不同知識系統間如何加自我調適，乃至於說明當代知識份子跟宗教團體間的關係及其角色。 關鍵詞：新興宗教、天帝教、知識份子、靜坐、宗教經驗 / Recent years in Taiwan, new religions and religion-like spiritual practice cults appeal to higher educated intellectuals. The main purpose of this study is to realize why these science-ration educated intellectuals were enthusiastic in sectarian religious practice. In this study we discussed their motivation and need for learning meditation. Further more, we'd also like to know whether they have some kind of science-ration patterns of cognition on their religion belief and practice. By case study on The Lord of Universe Church (T'ienti Chiao), a qualitative aspect, such as participant observation, non-structed interview and literature analysis is employed by this study, which tries to understand the process of the intellectuals among the Lord of Universe Church participating in meditation practice, including their motivation of learning meditation, mystical experience of“CHI”, changing of relationships, and the construction of rationalizing belief discourse. Key Words: new religions/ The Lord of Universe Church (The T'ientVs Teachings/ T'ienti Chiao)/ intellectuals/ meditation practice (Quiet Sitting)/ religious experience