The Spirit tradition is a fairly new tradition with its essential focus on experiencing the Holy Spirit. This tradition has made its latest and most influential appearance during the Azusa street revival in Los Angeles at the start of the 1900s. This has started a new wave or move if you want across the earth andhas made inroads into most other existing traditions. It is a tradition fashioned by the needs of believers and the reality of experiencing the Holy Spirit. Worship is a vital part of any Charismatic church service. Upbeat music with talented bands is up front and ready to lead people into passionate and expressive worship. Their worship stretches further than just music. They attempt to fashion their lives as a worship offering to God. Within the Charismatic tradition, the word Liturgy is unheard of, even though it is part of their service. Part of this worship includes the celebration of Communion. Communion is celebrated all over the world in most Christian churches. It has been one of the most sacred sacraments of the church through the centuries. With it came many feuds over doctrine and challenges regarding the form, meaning, presence, elements and so forth. It has been thecenter of many debates. But it still remains central to any believer. The researcher has looked at the history of the Spirit tradition within chapter 2 with its main focus on liturgical rituals of healing, exorcism and speaking in tongues. These rituals are researched and traced all through history. The rituals are present and active in every era the researcher looked at. The Theology of the spirit tradition was also explored. She then went on to look at the history of the Eucharist. The changes and forms were noted. A deeper understanding of the celebration of the Eucharist was realized and the Theology depicted the differences in opinion. No current day practical theological research is complete without Empirical research. This made the researcher more involved. By participatory observation and questionnaires, essential information was gathered regarding how believers in Charismatic churches appropriate their participation during the celebration of Communion. New insights were gained. Based on this research the researcher came to the conclusion that the Meal-and the Spirit worship traditions can come together in a more meaningful way. The true meaning needs to be taught to believers so that a deeper knowledge of the truth of Communion can be gained. Communion cannot remain watered-down and enter as an afterthought during a service. It has the potential to be an incredible experience by any Christian believer. When the Spirit and the Meal can be brought together in a more meaningful way, it has the potential to become the future of Charismatic worship. This conclusion is worked out in some detail in the final chapter. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted

[pt] A presente tese tem como objetivo principal contribuir para um renovado conceito dos sacramentos da Igreja, a partir da teologia litúrgica das ações simbólicas dos profetas de Israel e de Jesus. Com o avanço das pesquisas na área bíblica, patrística e dogmática, tem sido possível explorar um conceito mais bíblico e eclesial dos sacramentos celebrados pela Igreja. À luz do Concílio Vaticano II é traçada a natureza litúrgica dos atos proféticos realizados pelos profetas e por Jesus. Como sinais do poder Deus, inseridos na história da salvação, estes atos hoje são prolongados no mundo por meio da liturgia da Igreja. Inseridos na última etapa da historia salutis, os sacramentos são atos divinos que revelam a presença salvífica de Cristo no mundo e antecipam o cumprimento escatológico do reino de Deus. Sendo assim, os sacramentos como atos proféticos da Igreja querem provocar uma expressão renovada dos atos litúrgicos da Igreja. As ações simbólicas provocam uma reposta, fazendo com que o cristão participe ativamente do mistério e compreenda que os sacramentos são atos que possuem uma força transformadora na própria vida, na Igreja e em todo o mundo. / [en] The main purpose of this thesis is to contribute to a renewed concept of the sacraments of the Church, starting from the liturgical theology of the symbolic actions of the prophets of Israel and Jesus. With the advance of biblical research, patristic and dogmatic, it has been possible to explore a more biblical and ecclesial concept of the sacraments celebrated by the Church. In the light of the Second Vatican Council, the liturgical nature of the prophetic acts performed by the prophets and by Jesus is outlined. As signs of God s power, inserted in salvation history, these acts are prolonged in the world today through the liturgy of the Church. Inserted in the last stage of the historia salutis, the sacraments are divine acts that reveal Christ s saving presence in the world and anticipate the eschatological fulfillment of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the sacraments as prophetic acts of the Church want to bring about a renewed expression of the liturgical acts of the Church. The symbolic actions cause a response, making the Christian participate actively in the mystery and understand that the sacraments are acts that have a transforming force in their own life, in the Church, and in the whole world.

[pt] O tema do testemunho cristão e toda a sacramentalidade nele implicada é o foco principal deste trabalho. Evidencia-se, inicialmente, o tema do testemunho cristão como martírio em breve percurso histórico, além do foco sobre o testemunho nas óticas profana e religiosa, bem como, nos recentes Concílios Ecumênicos e no magistério pós-conciliar dos últimos papas. Verifica-se que o testemunho cristão possui peso considerável para o fator de credibilidade da Igreja, sendo mesmo uma condição primeira necessária à credibilidade da fé, pois muitos não mais creem na instituição, porém não negam a realidade de um testemunho cristão evidente. Tomando-se por base a obra sobre Eclesiologia de Salvador Pié-Ninot, busca-se evidenciar a questão da sacramentalidade da Igreja como novo lugar sociocultural. Percorre-se a noção da Igreja-sacramento em seu sinal interior, como comunidade; e em seu sinal exterior que evidencia a Igreja como sociedade e todos os aspectos daí derivados. Para Pié-Ninot, o testemunho é tido como elemento-chave de credibilidade na Igreja e passa a ser conhecido como via testimonii, por ser o caminho mais enfático, notório e coerente para a evangelização. Unem-se, portanto, as duas noções anteriores, buscando realizar uma mescla do testemunho cristão como questão de sacramentalidade da Igreja, na qual as heresias que o mundo reapresenta na atualidade, o neognosticismo e o neopelagianismo, são contrapostas com a ortodoxia do Papa Francisco. Conclui-se este trabalho, evidenciando-se o testemunho cristão como um sacramental da Igreja, o qual remete ao Sacramento primordial, que é a Igreja, numa perspectiva eclesial e teológica. / [en] The theme of Christian witness and all the sacramentality involved in it is the main focus of this work. Initially, the theme of Christian witness as a martyrdom is highlighted in a brief historical way, in addition to the focus on witness in the profane and religious perspectives, as well as in recent Ecumenical Councils and in the post-conciliar magisterium of the last popes. It is verified that the Christian witness has considerable weight for the Church s credibility factor, being even a necessary first condition for the credibility of the faith, since many people no longer believe in the institution, but they do not deny the reality of an evident Christian witness. Based on Salvador Pié-Ninot s Ecclesiology, we seek to highlight the issue of the sacramentality of the Church as a new sociocultural issue. The notion of the Church-sacrament is explored in its indoor sign, as a community; and in its outdoor sign that evidences the Church as a society and all the aspects derived from it. For Pié-Ninot, witness is seen as a key element of credibility in the Church and becomes known as via testimonii, as it is the most emphatic, notorious and coherent way of evangelization. Therefore, the two previous notions are united, seeking to achieve a mixture of Christian witness as a matter of sacramentality of the Church, in which the heresies that the world represents today, neognosticism and neopelagianism, are opposed through the orthodoxy of Pope Francis. This work is concluded, highlighting the Christian witness as a sacramental of the Church, which refers to the primordial Sacrament, which is the Church, in an ecclesial and theological perspective.

From earliest times Christians have differed among themselves concerning their understanding and practice of baptism. In the early church of the third and fourth centuries there was a remarkable variety of baptismal practices within the 'One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church', including infant baptism, believers' baptism, delayed baptism, emergency baptism and death-bed baptism. In subsequent centuriest diversity of baptismal views and practices was greatly restricted by ecclesiastical and civil repression. In more recent times increasing religious freedom and the growing fragmentation of 'Christendom' have resulted in various baptismal practices developing, usually associated with certain traditions and denominations. Today, three major baptismal traditions can be identified: Catholic, Reformed and Baptistt each with their own particular insights, strengths and weaknesses. Something of a theological stalemate has been arrived at today in the arena of polemical debate for one particular baptismal position. The visible unity of Christians with one another in the world is intimately linked to their divine calling to be a witness to the saving, healing and reconciling work of God in Christ. The ability of Churches to incorporate legitimate diversity within an authentic unity is vital to their ministry in and to a broken and alienated world. Many differences of baptismal understanding and practice constitute just such a legitimate diversity. In any Christian hierarchy of truths the imperatives of lovet reconciliation and unity must rank higher than matters of baptismal rites and doctrines. To allow baptismal differences, therefore, to divide Christians from one another constitutes a failure of Christian love. Empirical research has revealed a widespread and strong desire for a unity that could transcend baptismal differences. The ideal has already been implemented within a number of individual congregations and in a few denominations and found to be workable. The challenge remains to the wider Christian community to allow genuine freedom of conscience in baptismal matters within one united Christian fellowship. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The theme of this work is to compare the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and the Evangelical Methodist Church in Slovakia, the basic issues of faith and liturgical emphases, focusing on the contribution of the ecumenical environment to refer first to the historical and theological background and then the difference in understanding Christian worship and its liturgical expression, in further outline the importance of sacramentology, spirituality, religious dogmatic. We also attempt to compare the emphasis in the understanding of doctrine and traditions of individual churches. Both Churches with its Protestant character bear the common name "Evangelical Church" and that is the reason why to deal and examine the differences and look for the content of unity. We have considered that in spite of historical and liturgical divergences combines both these churches the fundamental reformation principle of "Sola Scriptura", which means that in practice it is possible creating mutual ecumenical cooperation not only at the Ecumenical Council of Churches (ERC) in Slovakia, but also at the level of inter-mission activities of the churches and parishes.

<p>En undersökning och diskussion av motiv för att döpa barn, med fokus på Svenska kyrkan. Motiven studeras från tre olika aktörers perspektiv: 1) Traditionen, framförallt den lutherska reformatoriska traditionen, 2) Svenska kyrkans nutida lära och reflektion, samt 3) De föräldrar som valt att låta döpa sina barn. En stor spänning blir synlig i skillnaden mellan dopföräldrarnas syn på dopet och de övriga två aktörernas dopsyn. Men även mellan traditionen och Svenska kyrkans nutida lära finns avgörande skillnader, framförallt vad gäller synen på människan och på dopets eventuella nödvändighet. Två möjliga vägar framåt diskuteras; dels vad det skulle innebära att tydligare lyfta fram berättelserna om Jesu dop som modell för det kristna dopet, dels hur liturgin i gudstjänsten kan ses som ett kommunikativt växelspel.</p>

En undersökning och diskussion av motiv för att döpa barn, med fokus på Svenska kyrkan. Motiven studeras från tre olika aktörers perspektiv: 1) Traditionen, framförallt den lutherska reformatoriska traditionen, 2) Svenska kyrkans nutida lära och reflektion, samt 3) De föräldrar som valt att låta döpa sina barn. En stor spänning blir synlig i skillnaden mellan dopföräldrarnas syn på dopet och de övriga två aktörernas dopsyn. Men även mellan traditionen och Svenska kyrkans nutida lära finns avgörande skillnader, framförallt vad gäller synen på människan och på dopets eventuella nödvändighet. Två möjliga vägar framåt diskuteras; dels vad det skulle innebära att tydligare lyfta fram berättelserna om Jesu dop som modell för det kristna dopet, dels hur liturgin i gudstjänsten kan ses som ett kommunikativt växelspel.

The subject of this diploma thesis is comparison of Orthodox and Evangelical churches pneumatology. The main goal is to summarize, compare and evaluate the knowledge acquired from studying various texts from both Orthodox and Evangelical theologians. The first part of the diploma thesis is addressing significant theological topics from the Orthodox Church. The second part focuses on Evangelical pneumatology with special attention to its charismatic and Pentecostal character. A substantial part of this section is devoted to terminologically defining evangelicalism in its historical context. At the same time an attempt was made to capture the breadth and diversity of this modern phenomenon. The starting point that was chosen for the thesis were the works of various Pentecostal and charismatic authors whose main viewpoints are being compared in key points with those of traditional, conservative theologians. The third and at the same time the last part evaluates the acquired knowledge and accentuates the similarities and differences.

This dissertation introduces the run of the Vlachovo Březí parish, which was participated not only by the parson and his parishioners, but also with other religious and secular authorities. It is based on accessible sources. The attention is devoted not only to each parson, but also their responsibility, from the care for his parishioners to the securing of the material state of church and parsonage. Introductory section summarizes the literature and sources on the topic. After this section are chapters devoted to the ecclesiastical administration after the Battle of White Mountain to the 19th century, the reorganization of the ecclesiastical administration after the Battle of White Mountain and spiritual development in the Prácheň region. The core of this thesis consists of five chapters, in which is the evolution of the parish by the first half of the 17th century to the second half of the 19th century given. First, the parish is described on its size and number of souls living in it. Next chapter is dedicated to the establishment and history of the parish, local priests and visitations. The following chapter is about duties of the priest and parishioners participate in the spiritual life of the parish, which are divided into daily duties (divine service), almost daily (Christian practice), sporadic (sacrament of Confirmation and procession) and ending with scholastic questions. The last two chapters deal with the management and administration of parish property, sacral objects in the parish and its equipment. The overall summary is given at the end.

From earliest times Christians have differed among themselves concerning their understanding and practice of baptism. In the early church of the third and fourth centuries there was a remarkable variety of baptismal practices within the 'One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church', including infant baptism, believers' baptism, delayed baptism, emergency baptism and death-bed baptism. In subsequent centuriest diversity of baptismal views and practices was greatly restricted by ecclesiastical and civil repression. In more recent times increasing religious freedom and the growing fragmentation of 'Christendom' have resulted in various baptismal practices developing, usually associated with certain traditions and denominations. Today, three major baptismal traditions can be identified: Catholic, Reformed and Baptistt each with their own particular insights, strengths and weaknesses. Something of a theological stalemate has been arrived at today in the arena of polemical debate for one particular baptismal position. The visible unity of Christians with one another in the world is intimately linked to their divine calling to be a witness to the saving, healing and reconciling work of God in Christ. The ability of Churches to incorporate legitimate diversity within an authentic unity is vital to their ministry in and to a broken and alienated world. Many differences of baptismal understanding and practice constitute just such a legitimate diversity. In any Christian hierarchy of truths the imperatives of lovet reconciliation and unity must rank higher than matters of baptismal rites and doctrines. To allow baptismal differences, therefore, to divide Christians from one another constitutes a failure of Christian love. Empirical research has revealed a widespread and strong desire for a unity that could transcend baptismal differences. The ideal has already been implemented within a number of individual congregations and in a few denominations and found to be workable. The challenge remains to the wider Christian community to allow genuine freedom of conscience in baptismal matters within one united Christian fellowship. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)