This study considers the visual representation of the alchemical idea of the philosopher’s stone (lapis philosophorum) in the Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Columbus 2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Columbus 2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Cuaron 2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Newell 2005), andHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Yates 2007). The lapis philosophorum was believed to turn base metals into gold and produce an Elixir of Life. As such, it is envisioned as the ultimate alchemical idea, and this study emphasises how the lapis can function as a signifier for an alchemical worldview within the Harry Potter films. Because the concept and symbolism of the Harry Potter films is largely based on JK Rowling’s (1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2003; 2005; 2007) original novels, this study provides a detailed comparison of how alchemical imagery is used in the novels and contrasts this with the visual imagery of the films. This study undertakes a hermeneutic analysis of the transmission of alchemical ideals from the literary to the visual medium. It also provides a detailed analysis of interrelated visual icons in the Harry Potter films that represent the idea of the lapis as an embodiment of alchemical perfection. In addition, by studying the interplay between alchemical imagery in the Harry Potter novels and films, and comparing the worldviews represented by each, this study is able to analyse the dynamics of the hermeneutic process. This study concludes with a consideration of how alchemical theory relates to the discipline of hermeneutics, how it influences the process of interpretation, and ultimately the relationship between the alchemical worldview and current perspectives on authorship. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

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Background Involuntary family separation due to forced migration is a particular form of suffering to which contemporary methods of psychosocial support seem scarce. It has been shown to cause mental and physical impairments that are often misdiagnosed for pathologies. Migrants who endure such trauma may have prolonged feelings of ambivalence for resettling and impaired conditions for integration. Aim Based on such research and reports, this study attempts to find appropriate measures of inter-personal psychosocial support that may improve resilience and wellbeing to live under such conditions. While building upon Social Work ethics, it targets both professional and non-professional providers of psychosocial support.  Methodology Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with informants from Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea, and Syria. All had resettled in Sweden and been separated from their families due to migrating. The interviews explored psychosocial measures that they had received and their own resources for coping. The data was then analysed through Thematic Analysis. Result The results are presented in three overarching themes. The first indicates that psychosocial support is an ambiguous term that was described in manners that contradicts a duality of professional and non-professional support. The two following themes describe support from the informants’ surrounding networks and their own attitudes and efforts of coping. These themes present a “map” of psychosocial needs that can orient support providers to suitable interventions. Discussion and conclusion The study concludes that psychosocial support for migrants in separation benefits of being looked upon from a holistic perspective of needs. Western dualities of professional and non-professional support are not the primary concern in such crises. The findings imply that providers of support do well in bridging the gap to others and collectively fill such necessities. Providing access to community, acknowledgment, and a sharing of the efforts to reunite are means to help the separated find purpose in seemingly purposeless suffering. Methods of coping are own ways to endure the distress of separation. Supporters may help to explore such strategies while remembering cultural variations of perspectives on stress and support.

Current scholarly work on E.L. Doctorow’s (1931-2015) novel The Book of Daniel: A Novel (1971) often ignores the narrator Daniel Isaacson’s implicit critique of Rousseau’s civil religion. This paper will show the importance of civil religion within the novel despite its being overlooked by most scholars. In The Book of Daniel, Daniel frequently examines instances of American civil religion and even goes as far as to describe it as inevitable and intrusive on freedom. Daniel implies throughout the novel that the American government models their civil religion on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s (1712-1778) conception as described in his treatise The Social Contract (1762). Daniel suggests that Rousseau’s approach to civil religion creates a false dilemma between the ideals of civil religious soldier and enemy. Daniel’s critique shows a limitation within Rousseau’s and possibly America’s understanding of civil religion. Despite there being evidence supporting his critique, Daniel’s extreme intersectional approach to identity makes his critique impossible to implement within societal, political, or legal realms since it allows people to be both soldier and enemy at the same time.

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[pt] A presente tese de doutorado realiza um estudo comparativo, no âmbito da teoria da justiça, envolvendo a teoria da igualdade complexa, formulada por Michael Walzer, autor inserido no rol dos comunitaristas, e a teoria da justiça como imparcialidade, formulada por John Rawls, autor inserido no rol dos liberais. Trata-se, portanto, de um estudo comparativo de autores baseado na categoria da justiça distributiva, conceito cuja formulação original remonta ao pensamento aristotélico. A tese - que contém elementos de filosofia moral, filosofia política e filosofia do direito - tem por objetivo verificar se a teoria da igualdade complexa, com sua metodologia particularista e seus princípios internos de distribuição, possibilita, como apregoa Michael Walzer, a crítica social ou se, de outra forma, esta crítica deve estar associada a uma moral universalista, como, por exemplo, a que nos é fornecida pelo modelo rawlsiano. / [en] The present doctorate thesis aims to make a comparative study, inthe context of the theory of justice, involving the theory of complexequality, formulated by Michael Walzer, author inserted in the communitarians list, and the theory of justice as fairness, formulated byJohn Rawls, author inserted in the liberals list. It s about, therefore, acomparative study of authors based on the category of distributive justice,whose concept was originally formulated by the aristotelic thought. Thethesis - that contains elements of moral philosophy, political philosophyand philosophy of law - aims to verify if the theory of complex equality,with its particularistic methodology and its internal principles ofdistribution, makes possible, as well as Michael Walzer proclaims, thesocial criticism or if, on the other hand, this criticism has to be associated toan universalistic moral, as, for example, that one provided by the rawlsianmodel.

De nos jours la mondialisation préoccupe tout le monde : individus, communautés, groupes, Etats, politiques, citoyens ordinaires, universitaires, intellectuels, nonintellectuels, l'humanité. Le fourmillement d'études surtout économiques et la manifestation d'innombrables mouvements sociaux, conférences et discours politiques qu'elle suscite sont les preuves. N’y a-t-il pas là une raison pour en faire un objet de réflexion pour la philosophie, elle qui veut avoir l’intelligence des choses et du monde, être une quête de sens et une prise de conscience des préoccupations du temps ? Certains facteurs permettent de postuler que la mondialisation est un phénomène multidimensionnel, qu'elle manifeste ou exprime l'universel. Quels sont alors les fondements philosophiques du mondialisme, expression de l'universalisme moderne ? Située dans le temps et l'espace, la mondialisation semble ne pas avoir les mêmes effets pour tous. En outre, notre monde mondialisé paraît malade, dangereux et vide de sens. La justice sociale, la paix durable et la sécurité, la solidarité, la préservation de l'écosystème, la survie de la planète terre et de l'espèce humaine constituent ses défis. Ces aspects n'expriment-ils pas le signe d'une rupture avec les valeurs universalistes de la modernité : idéal de liberté, d'égalité, d'autonomie, de paix et de bonheur de l'homme ? Comment alors fonder une pensée de la mondialisation qui soit créatrice de sens et d'espérance ? Telles sont les grandes interrogations sur lesquelles porte cette thèse, se déroulant en quatre étapes : - Découvrir la mondialisation (la mondialisation comme processus) - Penser la mondialisation (de l’universalisme moderne au mondialisme) - Réagir à la mondialisation (à partir du contexte africain) - Agir dans la mondialisation (refonder une éthique de responsabilité) / Nowadays universalization worries everyone: individuals, communities, groups, States, policies, citizens ordinary, university, intellectuals, nonintellectuals, humanity. The swarming of economic surveys especially and the demonstration of innumerable social movements, conferences and speeches political that it causes are the evidence. There is not there a reason to make an object of reflexion for philosophy, it which wants to have the intelligence of the things and the world, to be a search of sense and an awakening of the concerns of time? Certain factors make it possible to postulate that universalization is a multidimensional phenomenon, whether it expresses or expresses the universal one. Which are then the philosophical bases of the mondialism, expression of modern universalism? Located in time and space, universalization seems not to have the same effects for all. Moreover, our globalized world appears sick, dangerous and meaningless. Social justice, lasting peace and safety, solidarity, the safeguarding of the ecosystem, the survival of the planet ground and the mankind constitute its challenges. These aspects do not express the sign of a break-up with the values universalists of modernity: ideal of freedom, equality, autonomy, peace and happiness of the man? How then to found a thought of the universalization which is creative sense and of hope? Such are the great interrogations to which this thesis relates, being held in four stages: - To discover universalization (universalization like process) - To think universalization (of modern universalism to the mondialism) - To react to universalization (starting from the African context) - To act in universalization (to refound an ethics of responsibility)

Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Where do we find the first evidence of a belief in life after death, and a divide or separation in the afterlife? We find answers in the primal and traditional religions in Africa and America, Hinduism, Buddhism, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, Hellenism, the Bible and the apocrypha. There had been a preparation for the work and words of Jesus. He is unique. After His death and resurrection as historical figure, He never died again. He is our guarantee for life after death. His Gospel includes eternal heaven as well as eternal hell. He is proclaimed as Saviour. The New Testament uses metaphors to convey the reality of heaven and hell. Not only do we find kerugma about the afterlife, but also information. The message has also transformation as a goal. / Hier word ondersoek waar die eerste getuienis gevind kan word dat die mens in die lewe na die dood begin glo het. Daarna word ondersoek waar ons die eerste getuienis vind dat mense begin glo het in 'n skeiding na die dood. Hier word antwoorde gevind by die primate religiee, die tradisionele godsdienste van Afrika en Amerika, die vroee-Hindoelsme van Indie; die Boeddhisme; Egipte; Babilonie (Irak); die Zoroastrisme van Persie (Iran); die Hellenisme van die Grieks-Romeinse wereld; die Ou Testament; die apokaliptiek in die apokriewe - die Intertestamentere literatuur en die Nuwe Testament. Daar was 'n voorbereiding vir die koms van Jesus Christus. As gevolg van sy kruisdood en opstanding staan Jesus uit as historiese figuur in die wereldgeskiedenis. Hy is uniek. Na sy opstanding het Hy nooit weer gesterf nie. Jesus Christus is die waarborg dat mense ook sal lewe na die dood. In sy prediking het Hy by sekere elemente van die bestaande gedagtes oor die lewe na die dood aangesluit. Hy het verkondig dat daar 'n hemel en 'n hel sal wees as ewige seen of ewige straf. Die Evangelie hied die realiteite van die hemel en die hel in beeldspraak aan, om daardeur die dringende boodskap tuis te bring. Christus word verkondig as die Verlosser van sondeskuld en die ewige straf, tot die ewige ]ewe. Die gegewens in die Nuwe Testament oor die hemel en die hel het dus nie net steeds kerugmatiese waarde nie, maar dit bevat ook inligting (informasie) en het ook transformasie ten doel. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D.Th. (Systematic Teology)

The thesis explores the subject of purgatory and its relative value for modern people. It summarises: 1. The manner in which biblical texts used to underpin the doctrine; 2. The history of the doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church and the reaction to it during the Reformation and beyond; and 3. Contemporary formulations of purgatory and purgatory-like ideas. The thesis argues, from several perspectives, that a modern formulation of the doctrine is: 1. Reasonable; 2. Biblically consistent; 3. Meets the criteria of an established Tradition at practice within the Church; and 4. Is capable of assisting people in understanding and appreciating the existential questions of death and the after life. The thesis is approached from the angle of a Legal Counsel presenting an argument for acceptance of the thesis. / SYS THEOLOGY & THEOL ETHICS / MTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)

The world has seen gradual evolution of regional human rights arrangements. The adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, was followed by the creation of numerous regional instruments that address concerns of particular importance in the regional context. Three world regions, Africa, the Americas and Europe, have established their respective regional instruments together with the supervisory mechanism, such as commissions and courts. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, with its emphasis on group rights and individual duties challenges the Western liberal account of rights, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The cultural differences brought to the fore not only the tension between individual and group rights but also the question as to whether of the universalism of human rights is possible. The study advocates for a moderate universalism of human rights, which can only be achieved through a dialogue among different cultural approaches to the notion of human rights. This study examines the content and substance of human rights norms of the African system with a view to recommending the possible strategies for their reform. Its central thesis is, the system is rather weak and therefore needs to be reformed. Toward this end, the study analyses the provisions of the African Charter. Thereafter, it explores its weaknesses and proposes strategies for their reform. The African human rights mechanisms face a number of common and particular challenges. Prospectively, Africa is going through a tremendous and interesting phase. These challenges are not insurmountable. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.D.