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In this study of Lev Shestov, the biographical method is used to explain his philosophy. The grave crisis or nervous breakdown Shestov went through caused a total transformation of his - convictions and values. It was probably this drama that led to his repudiation of the common life and traditional philosophy with its emphasis on reason, knowledge, and ethics in favour of an extreme individualism and religious transcendence. The aim of the dissertation is to examine, amongst the great number of philosophers and writers Shestov analysed, mainly those in his view “marginal thinkers”, who were of the greatest interest to him – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Luther, and Søren Kierkegaard. On the basis of this analysis the character of Shestov’s philosophy is defined. According to Shestov, like his own crisis, the crises that these thinkers experienced occasioned a total transformation of their convictions and values. Šestov does not let his life find complete expression in his philosophy. Instead he projects his crisis into the five thinkers’ crises and philosophy. To characterize the previous and new modes of thinking, the concepts of alienation (degeneration, degradation, depravity) and authenticity (deliverance from alienation) are used. Shestov’s judgment of the consistency of the five thinkers’ new attitudes is presented, i.e. deliverance from the common life with its emphasis on rational eternal truths and moralism. Authentic life is in Shestov’s opinion the from the individual’s everyday life concealed experience of despair in extreme situations. This constitutes a grave crisis that leads to the repudiation of all hitherto held convictions and cherished hopes. The contrast between the Russian philosopher’s personal, (after his crisis) mainly tranquil, harmonious life and his philosophy is glaring. Analyzing the five thinkers, Shestov finds that they did not persevere with their new convictions, instead they complied with the by everybody accepted and everywhere valid truths. Shestov’s “theoretical”, uncompromising and consistent stance on one side and the lack of these characteristics with the aforementioned thinkers on the other side, to a great extent places Shestov in another category than these. In Shestov’s view freedom is in the region of tragedy, which nobody enters on his own will and in the incomprehensible trust in a capricious, “inhuman” God. According to Shestov, only the philosopher, who derives his thinking from a situation, where he experiences extreme despair and hopelessness, can claim to be a true philosopher. / <p>Examinator: docent Julie Hansen; Uppsala universitet</p>

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Several psychologists have attempted to articulate a theistic psychology or one consonant with their religious beliefs. Unfortunately, confusion over the concept of theism and a persistent naturalism in the discipline create substantial obstacles towards achieving a serious theistic psychology. It is suggested that these challenges can be overcome through examining alternative philosophies and methodologies for scientific psychology, exploring seminal articulations of God's activity, and providing a practical example of a theistic psychological research program.

Berge Meere und Giganten (BMG) by Alfred Döblin is a fictional account of future events in which humanity brings about the ruin of western civilization by its own technological hubris. Although BMG has been examined considerably for its literary merit in light of the Döblin corpus, few scholars have identified Döblin's work as an apocalyptic text especially after the Judeo-Christian tradition. The apocalyptic nature of BMG implies a profound religious experience on the part of the author, which in my view offers at least one plausible explanation for Döblin's repeated fixation with BMG. In my thesis, I explicate the apocalyptic themes of BMG by considering the intertextuality of the apocryphal Book of the Watchers, the canonical Book of Revelation from the New Testament with some of its connections to Babylonian mythology, and finally the function of the author as a conduit of the literary tradition of apocalypticism. Ultimately, I demonstrate that BMG draws heavily from these apocalyptic texts and is consistent with the Judeo-Christian apocalyptic tradition, which utilizes the descriptions of macroscopic catastrophes in human history as a metaphor of spiritual transformation.

I denna essä formulerar jag mig kring mitt måleri och mitt behov av att definiera mötet mellan konstverk och betraktare. Jag försöker att närma mig mötet som tema genom att referera till andra konstnärer och författares begrepp, namn som till exempel Paul Celan, Vera Frisén, Wassily Kandinsky, John Stenborg och Ulf Linde. I essän finns också minnesbilder av möten med måleriet som kommit att påverka mig starkt under min uppväxt, med hjälp av dessa minnesbilder får jag nycklar till att se hur det påverkat det som kom att bli mitt konstnärskap idag. Min förhoppning är att kunna precisera vad detta möte är, kan vara, och slutligen, förstå varför jag klamrar mig fast vid det.

[pt] O propósito desta pesquisa foi refletir sobre a revelação de um Deus transcendente e a sua relação com um ser humano finito a partir de Paul Tillich. Ao se perguntar sobre essa relação, a pesquisa se norteou pela a ideia de como é possível o conhecimento de Deus, condicionado pela finitude humana, e como esse conhecimento corre o risco de se tornar um conhecimento como outro qualquer. Pois a única maneira de o ser humano conhecer a realidade a sua volta é sempre através da estrutura sujeito-objeto. Porém, Deus não pode ser um objeto entre outros. Sendo assim, a pesquisa propôs a estudar a teologia de Paul Tillich, um teólogo que postula o conceito de símbolo como linguagem da fé, sendo um caminho para que a revelação de Deus seja acolhida, sem tornar Deus objeto de idolatria e fanatismos. Para responder a esses questionamentos, no primeiro momento a pesquisa perpassou os limites da razão humana, através da contribuição de alguns filosofos, fazendo uma relação entre finitude e existência humana. Num segundo momento a pesquisa se estabeleceu sobre a relação entre a revelação de um Deus transcendente e a experiência humana, no cotidiano. A experiência de uma revelação que exige aproximação, que não é algo fora, objetivo, mas existencial. Por último a pesquisa se deteve sobre a fé como uma dimensão inerente ao ser humano, uma fé que se comunica através de símbolos, mediada pela linguagem e que tenta fugir de todos os propósitos fundamentalistas de dominação e imposição. / [en] The purpose of this research was to reflect on the revelation of a transcendent God and his relation with a finite human being in Paul Tillich. When asked about this relationship, the research is lead by a the idea of how can the knowledge of God, conditioned by human finitude, and how that knowledge is in danger of becoming a knowledge like any other. For the only way of man to know the reality around you is always through the subject-object structure. But God can not be an object among others. Thus, research aimed at studying the theology of Paul Tillich, an existentialist theology, which posits the concept of language as a symbol of faith as a way for the revelation of God is welcomed, without making God an object of idolatry and fanaticism. To answer these questions, the first time the research pervaded the limits of human reason, through the contribution of philosophy, making a relationship between human existence and finitude. In a second time the research established the relationship between the revelation of a transcendent God and human experience in everyday life. The experience of a revelation which requires approximation, which is not something outside, objective, but existential. Finally the search was halted on faith as an inherent dimension of the human being, a faith that communicates through symbols, mediated by language and tries to escape all the purposes of fundamentalist domination and imposition.

This dissertation makes an attempt to scientifically investigate Erich Sauer's theology of salvation history for the first time. Sauer grew up in a vital missionary context in the setting of the Open Brethren fellowship and the Alliance Bible School in Berlin. He studied history, philology and theology at the Humboldt University in Berlin, with the goal of promoting missions. Because of an acute eye ailment he was forced to discontinue his studies. He was invited to Wiedenest, where he found his life's work in the Bible School, which had moved in 1919. Here he worked for almost forty years as a teacher and a writer and travelling unceasingly to preach, lecture and hold biblical seminars on the topic of salvation history and missions. His theology, which is indebted to the theory of revelation history, was influenced by federal theology, theology of salvation history and the scientific, exegetic theology of German theological positivism. Sauer derives the authority of Scripture from history and develops a complex, salvation historical model, which is characterised by the classic structure of protology, soteriology and eschatology. His pre-millennial character is not dispensationally restricted, but has, rather, its own independent formation, that allows for the universal dimensions of God's completion act, without supporting a universal redemption theory. Through the high rating that he gives the position of the ecclesia in salvation history, Sauer has achieved a programmatic missions concept, which sees a missions-oriented church within every local church. With this paradigmatic theory, Sauer contributed to a revival of missions in German Brethren congregations, in conjunction with his professional colleague Schrupp. / Christian Spirituality, Church Hist and Missiology / D.Th.

One of the most lively and enduring debates in New Testament studies is the question of the significance of ‘apocalyptic' thought in Paul. This has recently given birth to a group of scholars, with a common theological genealogy, who share a concern to emphasise the ‘apocalyptic' nature of Paul's gospel. Leading figures of this group are J. Louis Martyn, Martinus de Boer, Beverly Gaventa and Douglas Campbell. The work of this group has not been received without criticism, drawing fire from various quarters. However, what is often lacking (on both sides) is detailed engagement with the texts of the Jewish and Christian apocalypses. This dissertation attempts to evaluate the ‘apocalyptic Paul' movement through an examination of its major theological emphases in the light of the Jewish apocalypses 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch and the Christian book of Revelation. Placing Paul in this literary and historical context confirms his place as an apocalyptic thinker, but raises important questions about how this is construed in these recent approaches. Each chapter will address one of four interrelated themes: epistemology, eschatology, cosmology and soteriology. The study intends to suggest that the ‘apocalyptic Paul' movement is characterised at key points in each area by potentially false dichotomies, strict dualisms which unnecessarily screen out what Paul's apocalyptic thought affirms.

Throughout the seventeenth century, numerous Scots became convinced that the major political and religious upheavals of their age signified the fulfillment of, or further unfolding of, the vivid prophecies described in the Book of Revelation which foretell of the final consummation of all things. To date, however, an in-depth analysis of the evolution of Scottish apocalyptic belief during the seventeenth century has never been undertaken. This thesis utilizes a wide variety of source material to demonstrate the existence of a cohesive, persistent, and largely conservative tradition of apocalyptic thought in Scotland that spanned the years 1588 to 1688. Chapter One examines several influential commentaries on the Book of Revelation published by notable Scots during the decades either side of the Union of Crowns. These works reveal many of the principal characteristics that formed the basis of the Scottish apocalyptic tradition. The most important of these traits which became a consistent feature of the tradition was the rejection of millenarianism. In recent years, historians have exaggerated the influence of millenarian ideals in Scotland during the Covenanting movement which began in 1638. Chapter Two argues that Scottish Covenanters consistently denounced millenarianism as a dangerous, subversive doctrine that could lead to the religious radicalism espoused by sixteenth-century German Anabaptists. Chapter Three looks at political and religious factors which led to the general decline of apocalyptic expectancy in Scotland during the Interregnum. It also demonstrates how, despite this decline, Scottish apocalyptic thinkers continued to uphold the primary traits of the apocalyptic tradition which surfaced over the first half of the century. Lastly, Chapter Four explains how state-enforced religious persecution of Scottish Presbyterians during the Restoration period led to the radicalisation of the tradition and inspired the violent actions of Covenanter extremists who believed they had been chosen by God to act as instruments of his divine vengeance in the latter-days.