"The strings of the soul” is a master thesis which explores questions about tradition, itsexpression in music and especially folk music. It illuminates some differences betweentraditional and folk music. It explores Russian and Swedish folk music traditions, comparingboth of the traditions and identifying differences and similarities.The instruments that are used in the project are the Russian balalaika and the Swedish keyedfiddle (nyckelharpa).To implement those ideas in the research and enable these encounters I got in contact withmusicians playing the keyed fiddle. Under the tutorial I got some knowledge in keyed fiddleplaying techniques, its character and uniqueness. I participated in several playing sessions andgot an opportunity to experience Swedish folk music.The aim of this project is to seek a better understanding both of my “native” tradition ofRussian music, as well as of Swedish folk music, by exploring Swedish folk music throughthe performance practices of the balalaika. Hereby I wish to better understand theperformance practice of the Russian balalaika tradition, by using the instrument inperformance of Swedish folk music.The project is guided by the following research questions:How can Swedish folk music best be adapted for the balalaika?In what ways can the traditional performance practice of the balalaika be challenged bymaking arrangements of music originally conceived for the keyed fiddle?Are there any balalaika playing techniques that have the ability to imitate the sound of thekeyed fiddle?What novel possibilities may the balalaika offer to folk music originally conceived for thekeyed fiddle?Are there any difficulties in playing Swedish folk music on the balalaika?As a result of encounter process five arrangements were written, performed and recorded.As the source I used Swedish folk pieces for the keyed fiddle. “Spelmansglädje” - ”Fiddler´sJoy” by Erik Sahlström; “Vi är komna uti flickors land”, trad.; ”Finn Pål´s polska” of PaulDanielsson; ”Järv i säcken”- “Säkkijärvi polka”, trad.; ”Slängpolska efter Byss Kalle”, trad.For me personally, this research has given me the possibility to express myself as a musician,an artist and a researcher. It shows where I´m right now and how all this is related to myexperience as an individual and as a musician.Keywords: tradition; tradition in music; folk music; encounters; playing techniques;knowledge; experience; arrangement.

<p>Validerat; 20110608 (johsod)</p>

While it is an undeniable historical fact that Buddhism has spread far beyond India, adapting to local circumstances and spawning new variations in the process, the process by means of which it did so is obscure. Recent scholarship has shown that to impute a sense of"mission" to Buddhism is to employ a specifically Christian category which does not fit in well with Buddhism as it was understood by the originators of the Buddhist tradition. For this and related reasons, contemporary scholars of religion prefer to speak of the "transplantation" of Buddhism rather than of "mission''. This work builds on the theories of religious transplantation advanced by Michael Pye, Frank Whaling, Martin Baumann and others. It presents a theoretical perspective on the transplantation of Buddhism that is based on an understanding of Buddhism as consisting of three interrelated "traditions" ranging from the direct perception of reality as Buddhism understands and defines it, to participation in popular Buddhist ritual. The interaction between these three traditions gives rise to four chronologically distinct, but always interacting phases in the transplantation process. The theoretical perspective is demonstrated with reference to Buddhist history in general and South African Buddhist history in particular, and by applying it to various problematic situations in contemporary Buddhism, such as the relation between Buddhism and "other" religions and the predominance of middle-class members (which in South Africa equates to white members) in contemporary western Buddhism. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

While it is an undeniable historical fact that Buddhism has spread far beyond India, adapting to local circumstances and spawning new variations in the process, the process by means of which it did so is obscure. Recent scholarship has shown that to impute a sense of"mission" to Buddhism is to employ a specifically Christian category which does not fit in well with Buddhism as it was understood by the originators of the Buddhist tradition. For this and related reasons, contemporary scholars of religion prefer to speak of the "transplantation" of Buddhism rather than of "mission''. This work builds on the theories of religious transplantation advanced by Michael Pye, Frank Whaling, Martin Baumann and others. It presents a theoretical perspective on the transplantation of Buddhism that is based on an understanding of Buddhism as consisting of three interrelated "traditions" ranging from the direct perception of reality as Buddhism understands and defines it, to participation in popular Buddhist ritual. The interaction between these three traditions gives rise to four chronologically distinct, but always interacting phases in the transplantation process. The theoretical perspective is demonstrated with reference to Buddhist history in general and South African Buddhist history in particular, and by applying it to various problematic situations in contemporary Buddhism, such as the relation between Buddhism and "other" religions and the predominance of middle-class members (which in South Africa equates to white members) in contemporary western Buddhism. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

According to tradition, but not definitely corroborated by either historical or archaeological sources, the Maltese islands received their seed of faith in A.D. 60 by the Apostle Paul, when he was on his way to Rome, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The aim of this study is to examine the background of the cult of St Paul in Malta; to investigate the efforts of Mgr G. De Piro and Fr G. Preca in safeguarding the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul; specifically their contributions when Malta became a British colony and was placed under a Protestant administration; and whether or not their contributions are still valid today. To achieve this, we will carry an exegetical research of the Acts of the Apostles chapters 27, 28:1-10, historiography, modern literary studies. The best primary sources to investigate these two personalities are the archives of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP), and of the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC). These archives provide the core of the authentic findings of the enormous wealth of religious literature these priests were able to produce, as well as the testimonies of both Founders. Their spiritual and theological writings include books, pamphlets, articles, sermons, letters and other religious materials. When the British settled in Malta (1800-1964), the Maltese were very religious and completely loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, but their religiosity had no sound theological basis. Hence, the majority of the Maltese could have been easily influenced by Protestant proselytism and Freemasonry. Both Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca foresaw the need of a sound catechetical teaching, so that the Roman Catholic faith would be better understood and appreciated. They could read the signs of the times. Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca provided catechetical information and spiritual literature in Maltese, which were almost non-existent at the time; and groups of lay persons were well trained and educated in religious matters. To understand better how the contributions of Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca were so vital to safeguard the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul, it was imperative to study the history of the local church during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the socio-political situation, and the Church-State problems. This study shows the indefatigable work and sacrificial life led by both Founders and how the Roman Catholic faith was not only saved during the British administration but also became much stronger. In the course of this study, we will investigate how the faith of the Maltese and the cult of St Paul helped to save them from calamities, misery and in time of war; and if the contributions given by Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca are still valid today where the roots of Christianity and Christian tradition are being threatened once again. / PhD (Church and Dogma History), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

According to tradition, but not definitely corroborated by either historical or archaeological sources, the Maltese islands received their seed of faith in A.D. 60 by the Apostle Paul, when he was on his way to Rome, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The aim of this study is to examine the background of the cult of St Paul in Malta; to investigate the efforts of Mgr G. De Piro and Fr G. Preca in safeguarding the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul; specifically their contributions when Malta became a British colony and was placed under a Protestant administration; and whether or not their contributions are still valid today. To achieve this, we will carry an exegetical research of the Acts of the Apostles chapters 27, 28:1-10, historiography, modern literary studies. The best primary sources to investigate these two personalities are the archives of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP), and of the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC). These archives provide the core of the authentic findings of the enormous wealth of religious literature these priests were able to produce, as well as the testimonies of both Founders. Their spiritual and theological writings include books, pamphlets, articles, sermons, letters and other religious materials. When the British settled in Malta (1800-1964), the Maltese were very religious and completely loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, but their religiosity had no sound theological basis. Hence, the majority of the Maltese could have been easily influenced by Protestant proselytism and Freemasonry. Both Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca foresaw the need of a sound catechetical teaching, so that the Roman Catholic faith would be better understood and appreciated. They could read the signs of the times. Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca provided catechetical information and spiritual literature in Maltese, which were almost non-existent at the time; and groups of lay persons were well trained and educated in religious matters. To understand better how the contributions of Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca were so vital to safeguard the Roman Catholic faith and the cult of St Paul, it was imperative to study the history of the local church during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the socio-political situation, and the Church-State problems. This study shows the indefatigable work and sacrificial life led by both Founders and how the Roman Catholic faith was not only saved during the British administration but also became much stronger. In the course of this study, we will investigate how the faith of the Maltese and the cult of St Paul helped to save them from calamities, misery and in time of war; and if the contributions given by Mgr De Piro and Fr Preca are still valid today where the roots of Christianity and Christian tradition are being threatened once again. / PhD (Church and Dogma History), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Published Article / Sometimes what is not in a text is more significant than what is. This paper examines a variety of texts to establish what is and is not present. The argument presented in this paper demonstrates that skewed perspectives, closed lenses, and distorted worldviews are powerful teachers. Appropriate perspectives and lenses can provide a worldview of complex and sophisticated thought, traditioned through memory, simultaneously stretching back into the past and drawing the past into the present…and pointing a way into the future. The paper examines a well-respected account of the 'Western Mind' and then demonstrates what is not in the text which could contribute to a fuller understanding of human civilization such as is present in the texts of peoples whose knowledge predates and/or precludes scribal alphabetic writing. The paper provides examples of such knowledges from societies which demonstrate sophisticated and complex thinking, both prior to 3000 BCE in theWest and in ancient and present day Africa. The paper demonstrates that the exclusion of evidence of complex and sophisticated thinking which predates or precludes scribal alphabetic writing presents a skewed understanding of the knowledge in such societies, and that Africa can learn from such exclusions to its benefit.

This research explores the dynamic relationship between place, history and landscape in an urban food market, Catania, Sicily. This market informs a mythological image of the island and my main concern is what significance lies underneath this representation. I examine the ways in which this image has been constructed through ideas of history, space, landscape, modernity and tradition. Unpacking these notions in the light of my in-depth ethnography, I address how vendors and buyers frame and define their relationship with space and time. After placing the market in relation to its historical and geo-political context, I argue that the representation of passivity and the lack of agency have contributed to the maintaining of elitist local and national powers. The use of space within the market informs a distinctive cosmology, in which the landscape constitutes the main local organising principle. The landscape is looked at as a cultural process, constantly renegotiated and recontextualised. The principal categories of food classification ‘wild’, ‘local’,and ‘foreign’ are explanatory notions of a specific relationship between people, food and locality. The interaction between vendors and buyers cannot be understood as a purely economic transaction. Their relationship is articulated through a unique set of practices, which are analysed throughout this thesis. Senses, social interactions, culinary knowledge, and conviviality contribute to the ability to operate within the market. I look at my own ethnographic experience as a practical “apprenticeship”. I also address the local ideas of tradition and modernity, mainly through the analysis of the shared fears of being left behind and of losing control over the process of change. The idea of modernisation as an ongoing process carries with it a sense of loss, of nostalgia for an idealised past.

This research focuses on contemporary use of Scandinavian bridal crowns connected to history. The aim of my thesis is to show how understandings of bridal crowns are created by human and non-human actors, and thereby to illustrate how the use of bridal crowns today involves interest for history and cultural heritage. By using active-network-theory, I have highlighted how the bridal crowns become material actors which communicate thoughts of royalty, virtue, tradition, heritage and vintage. I have also shown how tradition and heritage are transformative processes which also make the meanings of bridal crowns changeable. Moreover, the bridal crown has proven to be a communicator of identity, and actively expresses thoughts of origin and personal style of the bride. Weddings are not only the context but also the tradition, ritual and network the bridal crown is active in. Therefore, I will take this network into account during the work of my thesis.

This thesis offers a constructive engagement with T.F. Torrance’s theological reading of the patristic tradition. It argues that Torrance reconstructs the Fathers into a Consensus Patrum, or “Consensus of the Fathers” consisting of catholic/ecumenical themes and figures. Torrance’s consensus is a creative attempt to produce a Reformed and evangelical version of the consensus which involves significant changes to both standard readings of the Fathers in other approaches to the consensus and Torrance’s own Reformed evangelical tradition. It is unique among other interpreters of the Fathers and ecumenically relevant, offering much to contemporary theology in both substance and method. In order to view Torrance’s project in historical context this thesis examines the notion of the consensus as found in historical Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant theology. Each tradition has a lens through which they view the Fathers: Aquinas for the Roman Catholics, Palamas for the Orthodox, Augustinian themes for the Reformers, and “de‐Hellenization” for liberal Protestants. This thesis places Torrance’s project within other contemporary retrievals of the church Fathers arguing for its uniqueness as a distinctively Reformed evangelical approach to the Fathers on their own terms. It inspects the Torrancian consensus exploring its consistence of a Reformed and evangelical approach to patristic themes and figures, rooted in the primary theme of the Nicene ὁμοούσιον and the primary figure of Athanasius of Alexandria. It examines Torrance’s creative reconstruction of the Fathers into a Reformed evangelical consensus and points to his constructive achievements demonstrating that Torrance’s approach is ecumenically relevant, as seen particularly in his work in the Reformed‐Orthodox Dialogue. A critical adoption of the Torrancian consensus is proposed in conclusion.