<p>Marriage is an institution found in every society, culture or religion in the world. The Catholic Church has maintained most of her seven Sacraments including that of marriage. The Church of Sweden, an established Evangelical Lutheran faith, born out of the 16^th century Reformation has two Sacraments excluding marriage. This field study was carried out in Gävle, Sweden in spring 2009. A comparative study of marriage in the Catholic Church and the Church of Sweden and the reason each church alludes to based on scripture and tradition was to help me, an African Catholic, understand differences between the respective churches and also understand why the Church of Sweden accepts same sex marriages. This was my motivation for writing this paper. I hope this paper will serve as a study guide to new people who come to Sweden from other cultures to enable them understand why the “Modus Operandi” regarding church marriage in Sweden is different from the church marriage in their native countries.</p>

<p>Mitt syfte med denna uppsats var att undersöka Katolska och Syrisk-Ortodoxa kyrkans förståelse av bikten. Det var på grund utav mitt intresse för båda kyrkorna samt att jag inte funnit något liknande material på svenska som jag valde just detta syfte med min uppsats. Jag har i bästa möjliga mån försökt presentera och analysera bikten utifrån katolsk och syrisk-ortodox tradition. Jag har genom att granska de båda traditionernas katekeser samt bibeln och andra källor, försökt söka deras förståelse av bikten samt hur de tänker kring de olika delarna som bikten omfattas av. Jag valde ut de texter som jag kände passade bäst och var mest representativa för traditionerna samt de texter som har en koppling till kyrkans auktoriteter, det vill säga påvar och patriarker. Genom att använda mig av primärkällor som är skrivna ur ett inifrån perspektiv har jag kunnat få ta del av den korrekta förståelsen om av vad traditionerna egentligen tycker om och förstår av bikten.</p>

The aim of the thesis is to investigate theological understandings in conjunction with the baptism of children and to develop such of these understandings as can be seen to be “trovärdiga” (credible or trustworthy) in the contemporary context of Church of Sweden. The theoretical point of departure is taken in a hermeneutical theological method of correlation between interpretation of “Situation” and interpretation of “Tradition”. A trustworthy theology emerges in a critical and/or constructive encounter between the interpretation of Tradition and the interpretation of Situation. Such an encounter can be established within an area of problematics. Three problem areas are identified that are present in the Swedish context of baptizing children in Church of Sweden. A) The first problem area concerns the theological interpretation of the relationship between those baptized and those not in a pluralistic society. B) Theological interpretation of “destruction” and what the theological tradition names original sin. How can a trustworthy baptismal theology be developed that takes suffering, oppression, the ecological crisis, seriously in the present situation and at the same time handle or solve the problems related to the theological tradition of original sin? C) How can a trustworthy baptismal theology solve or handle the problems related to a dichotomous construct of the relationship between God and the world? Four types of material are analyzed: sociological and statistical material, ecumenical theological resources for interpreting baptism, two different orders of baptism at use in Church of Sweden and baptismal liturgies celebrated according to these orders of baptism, and primarily Oriental Orthodox traditions of the Baptism of Jesus. Several understandings are developed and among them three over-arching concepts found fruitful for solving or handling the problems concerned: the baptismal tradition connected to the Baptism of Jesus interpreted in the light of A Trinitarian Theology of Creation that understands baptism as an expression of The Mystery of Creation, The Sacrament of Creation . / Kolla att datum 16 oktober blev rätt!Kolla att de tre kursiveringarna på sista avsnittet i abstarct inte flyter samman till en enda (jfr pdf).Gordon Lathrop är professor emeritus från Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, och Yale Divinity SchoolKirsten Busch Nielsen är professor i systematisk teologi vid Köpenhamns universitet (opponenten)

Marriage is an institution found in every society, culture or religion in the world. The Catholic Church has maintained most of her seven Sacraments including that of marriage. The Church of Sweden, an established Evangelical Lutheran faith, born out of the 16th century Reformation has two Sacraments excluding marriage. This field study was carried out in Gävle, Sweden in spring 2009. A comparative study of marriage in the Catholic Church and the Church of Sweden and the reason each church alludes to based on scripture and tradition was to help me, an African Catholic, understand differences between the respective churches and also understand why the Church of Sweden accepts same sex marriages. This was my motivation for writing this paper. I hope this paper will serve as a study guide to new people who come to Sweden from other cultures to enable them understand why the “Modus Operandi” regarding church marriage in Sweden is different from the church marriage in their native countries.

Mitt syfte med denna uppsats var att undersöka Katolska och Syrisk-Ortodoxa kyrkans förståelse av bikten. Det var på grund utav mitt intresse för båda kyrkorna samt att jag inte funnit något liknande material på svenska som jag valde just detta syfte med min uppsats. Jag har i bästa möjliga mån försökt presentera och analysera bikten utifrån katolsk och syrisk-ortodox tradition. Jag har genom att granska de båda traditionernas katekeser samt bibeln och andra källor, försökt söka deras förståelse av bikten samt hur de tänker kring de olika delarna som bikten omfattas av. Jag valde ut de texter som jag kände passade bäst och var mest representativa för traditionerna samt de texter som har en koppling till kyrkans auktoriteter, det vill säga påvar och patriarker. Genom att använda mig av primärkällor som är skrivna ur ett inifrån perspektiv har jag kunnat få ta del av den korrekta förståelsen om av vad traditionerna egentligen tycker om och förstår av bikten.

[pt] A presença de Deus se evidencia no mundo de diversas formas. Ela se tornou ainda mais manifesta quando Deus irrompeu na história e selou com Israel uma aliança. Amorosamente escolhido, o povo da antiga aliança pôde experimentar a cuidadosa presença do Senhor através de inúmeros sinais-sacramentos. Segundo o relato das Escrituras e o testemunho das primeiras comunidades cristãs, essa mesma presença se fez carne em Jesus Cristo, o Verbo eterno do Pai. Por meio de gestos e palavras, Jesus revelou aos homens a presença de Deus e, na potência de seu Espírito, lhes tornou membros de seu Corpo, a Igreja. As primeiras gerações cristãs, conscientes de serem herdeiras da fé do antigo Israel, procuravam - sobretudo em suas assembleias litúrgico-cultuais - experimentar e testemunhar, diante do mundo, o Cristo ressuscitado, sinal privilegiado da presença de Deus. Nele, por meio dele e com ele, doravante, o ser humano e o restante da criação carregam em si a potência de serem sacramento da presença do eterno no tempo. Segundo Santo Agostinho, isso se aplica, de modo particular, ao mistério e à missão da Igreja - corpo-presença de Cristo na história. Diz o santo Doutor que, no regime da nova aliança, este no qual vivemos, convém falar na presença e ação de um Cristus totus. Trata-se do Cristo todo inteiro: o Cristo - plenitude e primogênito, por meio do qual todos os seres são reconciliados com Deus - e seu Corpo, a Igreja, cooperadora de Cristo em seu agir reconciliante. O Concílio Vaticano II, por sua vez, reverberando o pensamento do Doutor da Graça, consegue captar e reconhecer que a Igreja tem um importante papel no processo de reconcilação-deificação do criado. A Igreja, sacramento de Cristo, poderia, então, ser chamada de Corpus totum. E tudo em vista do mais profundo e original anelo do Deus-Amor: ser presença geradora de comunhão em tudo o que existe. / [en] The God s presence in the world can be felt in many ways. Thy presence has become more and more evident when God showed in the history and seal an alliance with people from Israel. Chosen with love, the old people could feel the Lord s presence through many sacramentals-signals. According to the Scriptures and the first Christians testaments, the Lord s presence became flesh in Jesus Christ, the God s eternal Word. Through the things Jesus had made and His words, He showed the human been the God s presence and the Power of the Holy Spirit, and made them part of His Body, the Church. The first Christians, knowing been the old Israel faith heritage, tried - mainly in their cultural-liturgical meetings, feel and testimony to the world, the resurrection Christ, real signal of God s presence. In Him, though Him and with Him, from now on, the human been and the rest of the creation bring in the power of the Eternal God forever. According Saint Agostin, this means, in particular way, the mystery and mission of the Church - presence-body of Christ in the history. The Doctor saint said, in the new alliance, that we live, it could be good to say about the presence and action of Christus totus. That is, The whole Christ: The Christ - plenty and firstborn through all of us are reconciliate to God - and His Body, The Church, that helps the reconciliation act. The Second Vatican Council, at a time, reflecting the Doctor of Grace, recognize that the Church has an important hole in the reconciliation - sanctification of the creature. The Church, Christ s sacrament, could be called the Corpus totum. Considering the more profound and original enlace of God-Love: bringing union among everything that exists.

[pt] A partir do Concílio Vaticano II e, particularmente, a partir do decreto Optatam Totius, foi pedida uma renovação da Teologia Moral segundo três orientações fundamentais: o resgate da tradição bíblica, o acento na História da Salvação e o vínculo com a Liturgia. Tal renovação se faz urgente e necessária face aos inúmeros desafios para se tratar teologicamente do tema da sexualidade na pós-modernidade. É por essa razão, que a mistagogia da Iniciação Cristã apresenta-se como uma maneira de, simultaneamente, atender aos apelos do Concílio Vaticano II e falar uma linguagem acessível ao ser humano pós-moderno. É, com efeito, a partir de uma aproximação mistágógica ao Ritual de Iniciação Cristã de Adultos que se descortinam uma série de implicações para a ética da sexualidade tais como a comunicabilidade, a relacionalidade, a criatividade, a fecundidade, a ludicidade, a responsabilidade, a esponsabilidade, etc. Tais implicações ampliam o horizonte de possibilidade para se tratar do tema da ética da sexualidade na pós-modernidade, ao mesmo tempo que reorientam essa disciplina teológica à centralidade do mistério pascal de Cristo. / [en] From the Second Vatican Council and particularly from the decree Optatam Totius, a renewal of Moral Theology was requested in three basic guidelines: the rescue of the biblical tradition, the accent in the Salvation History and the link with the Liturgy. Such renewal is urgent and necessary in meeting the many challenges to talk theologically about the sexuality in post-modernity. Because of that, the mystagogy of Christian Initiation is presented as a way to simultaneously meet the Second Vatican Council appeals and speak a language accessible to postmodern human being. It is, in effect, from a mystagogical approach to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults that several implications for the ethics of sexuality such as communicability, relationality, creativity, fertility, playfulness, responsibility, nuptiality, etc., are revealed. Such implications extend the horizon of possibility to address the ethics of sexuality theme in post-modernity, while redirect this theological discipline to the centrality of the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

This study reflects the belief systems of a nation living their lives as though in exile. It is also an 'echo' of their spiritual journey, stretching from the dawn of humanity until the time of Jesus Christ. It is the testimony of the people who lived in Phoenicia, Antioch, and the holy mountains and valleys of Lebanon. From the time of early Christianity they structured their beliefs according to the general admonition and teaching of the Scripture, and looked forward to the imminent 'return' of Christ. They lived in an atmosphere of preparation for the ready welcome of the 'heavenly Bridegroom'. The background to and the reasoning supporting this study and exposition, is that of understanding the history, spirituality, and the ritual deriving from the beliefs and thought systems of the Christians of the Maronite Catholic Church, and their understanding of the hereafter. It is an attempt to relate the many factors which comprise the 'life' and ritual, the biblical foundation, and the theological and eschatological views of the Maronite Church and its members. / Christin Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (with specialisation in Christian Spirituality)

Dans ce travail de doctorat, nous avons pour objectif de reconstituer les présupposés et les conséquences de la thèse ockhamiste selon laquelle la quantité n’est pas réellement distincte de la substance ou de la qualité. Cette thèse est formulée dans les écrits philosophiques et théologiques de Guillaume d’Ockham, logicien et théologien anglais du début du XIVe siècle (1285-1349). La thèse est organisée en trois parties. La première partie a pour objet la question de savoir comment s’organise la catégorie de quantité si l’on admet que la quantité n’est pas réellement distincte de la substance ou de la qualité. La deuxième partie, consacrée à la physique de la quantité, traite de chacune des trois espèces de quantité, la quantité permanente continue (l’extension spatiale), la quantité successive (le mouvement et le temps) et la quantité discrète (le nombre). Enfin, la troisième partie consiste en une description et une évaluation de la théorie ockhamiste de la structure métaphysique de la substance / The aim of this PhD dissertation is to reconstruct the assumptions and consequences of the ockhamist thesis according to which quantity is not really distinct from substance or from quality. This thesis can be found in the philosophical and theological writings of William of Ockham, a logician and Franciscan theologian from the beginning of the 14th century (1285-1349).The dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the question how the category of quantity is organised if one assumes that quantity is not really distinct from substance or from quality. The second part is dedicated to the physics of quantity. Each species of quantity is examined, that is permanent continuous quantity (spatial extension), successive quantity (motion and time) and discrete quantity (number). Lastly, the third part consists in a description and an evaluation of the ockhamist theory of the metaphysical structure of substance

The work is engaged in pastoral care of ill people in the hospitals in Czech Republic. The theoretic part shows up the concept of illness, basic needs of ill people and the concept of pastoral care of ill people in the view of chosen authors. The practical part contains the comparison of two forms of pastoral care of ill people. It is the service of five pastoral assistants, who are exercising their service in hospitals, and the service of five priests, who are visiting hospitals within their service in parishes. The pastoral assistants work in hospital four up to eight hours a day during working days and they exercise the pastoral care in the form of accompanying of ill people {--} that means they are in a dialogue with ill people and they participate in their life situations. The priests visit hospitals mainly in order to sacrament dispense. By the confrontation of the service of both groups of persons involved in pastoral care of ill people with that, what chosen authors write about this service, appeared that only the pastoral assistants fulfil the intention of the pastoral care of ill people, that is the accompanying of ill people in their difficult situation of illness.