Existem diferentes modos de se ler uma imagem e de interpretá-la. A partir dos gestos realizados pelo artista, podemos conduzir leitura estética, antropológica, cultural ou teológica, encontrando diferentes significados. Realizar a leitura dos gestos tem como objetivo conhecer não apenas as tradições nas quais foram concebidos, mas também a iniciação na prática visionária que os inspirou. Os gestos mais do que descrevem uma história; interpretam-na, dando-lhe um significado mais amplo. Nesta análise escolheu-se o artista Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, tendo como objetivo considerar o simbolismo e a gestualidade existentes em sua produção. A observação da gestualidade nas obras deste artista, principalmente àquelas relacionadas a representação de São Mateus objeto de estudo, buscou implicações em relação ao conjunto compositivo, ao espectador e ao contexto histórico século XVII na Europa. Assim, procurou-se estabelecer para a obra do artista Caravaggio um alicerce na relação gestos/simbolismo, imagem/culto sendo sua compreensão feita a partir de inúmeros fatores visuais que conferem aos quadros caráter de poder e persuasão / There are different ways to view an image and interpret it . From the gestures made by the artist , can lead aesthetic , anthropological , cultural or theological reading , finding different meanings . In reading the gestures aims to know not only the traditions in which they were designed , but also initiation into visionary practice that inspired them . Gestures more than describe a story , interpret it , giving it a broader meaning . In this analysis we chose the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio , aiming to consider the symbolism and gestures existing in its production . The observation of gestures in the works by this artist , especially those related to representation of Matthew - the object of study , sought implications in relation to compositional whole, the viewer and the historical context - the seventeenth century in Europe . Thus , we tried to establish for the work of the artist Caravaggio a foundation in relation gestures / symbolism, image / worship your understanding being taken from numerous visual factors which give the character tables of power and persuasion

ABSTRACT SUFFERING, SOUL CARE, AND COMMUNITY: THE PLACE OF CORPORATE LAMENT IN EVANGELICAL WORSHIP Ann Marie Ahrens, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2017 Chair: Dr. Esther R. Crookshank This dissertation examines the biblical foundations of corporate lament practices beginning with the worship of ancient Israel as found in the Psalms, and their continued use by Jesus in his prayers, the gospel writers, and in the epistles of Paul, Peter, and John in the Revelation. It concludes with case studies and recommendations for the inclusion of lament practices in modern corporate worship. Chapter 1 is a chronological literature review beginning ca. 1980, which demonstrates the increase in worship resources, particularly in the last decade, that focus on corporate lament practices. Resources are categorized as follows: (1) biblical and theological studies; (2) practical theology; (3) psychology and soul care; (4) liturgical resources for lament; and (5) corporate worship and the use of the arts. Scholarly and non-scholarly sources are included. Chapter 2 examines the language and theology of lament in the Old Testament, with specific focus on the Psalms. J. L. Austin’s “Speech Act Theory” is also discussed and applied the lament Psalms in order to broaden the understanding of the rich dialogical nature of Israel’s corporate worship practices. Chapter 3 examines the prayers of Jesus and how his use of the lament Psalms serves as a model for modern believers. Chapter 4 applies Rebekah Eklund’s typology of “echoes and extensions” of the lament Psalms in the writings of Paul, Peter, and John in the Revelation. The goal is to demonstrate that use of the lament Psalms continued after the coming of Christ. Chapter 5 contains a summary of conclusions and undergirding premises for the use of lament Psalms in modern corporate worship. The chapter concludes with foundational considerations for implementing these premises into corporate worship practices. Chapter 6 includes four contemporary case studies in which the Psalms of lament are used to pray through and process times of tragedy and suffering. These case studies include personal, corporate, devotional, and pastoral care examples. The chapter concludes with a brief examination of parallel studies and suggested areas for further study.

This study looked at the journey towards becoming a missional church, using Beach Mission Presbyterian Church as a case study and explores the question of the missiological praxis of Beach Mission and UPCSA. Despite the fact that the church is not fundamentally the keeper of mission, it is however the sign, instrument, means of expression, and foretaste of God’s mission to the troubled, broken and traumatised world. I can affirm with equal validity that, mission belongs to God. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission. The UPCSA must give careful attention to the processes by which it governs itself but the biblical and theological foundations will always be crucial than the specific structures implemented. These foundations will allow authentic relationships to develop simply because they assure people that they will be valued as those created in the image of God. Their wisdom and participation will be noticed and honoured. The church structures will give credence to God’s work of reconciliation. When church structures allow the biblical and theological foundations to order its life, the church will bring glory, praise and honour to God. Gibbs (2005:20) asserts that, the church of the twenty-first century needs missional thinkers and apostolic leadership. By missional leadership I mean leaders who can read the Scriptures with fresh eyes, relating the story of redemption to the human condition in its present cultural context – contexts that are increasingly multicultural and influenced by global trends. This poses a challenge to UPCSA. It was apparent that the Beach Mission Presbyterian Church approaches missional church conversation with a sense of hopefulness, and this was motivated by the strong belief that God is present and up to something wonderful. The Beach Mission Presbyterian Church’s case in point is heartening other congregations who intend in embarking on a journey towards becoming a missional church. The focus has been about God and his mission. The Beach Mission Presbyterian Church ought to comprehend the indisputable fact that it is just an instrument for missio Dei or to put it simply it is nothing more than a delivery means for the gospel. Wright (2010:31) asserts that, but at the end of the day, mission is a matter of loyalty. The ambassador must have complete loyalty to the government he or she represents. A trusted messenger will faithfully deliver what his sender said, not his own opinions. The church is a rejected community sent out to the world with a product (Jesus), to bring about transformation to the world. In essence, one wonders if the church does comprehend the world in which it is sent out to? Does it comprehend God, who has sent it? In the missional church, the theology is more than the self-serving what do you get mentality. Members comprehend that they are called to be the church rather than be served by it. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

This study is motivated out of a concern for the declining church attendance of young adults. The goal of this study is the identification of the needs of young adults in relation to the church service and the measurement of the success of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (A.F.M. hereafter) in meeting these needs. The reseach is done through an exploratory-descriptive literature study and an empirical study within certain A.F.M. congregations. In the literature study the developmental tasks, context and needs of young adults are identified and these needs are explained within the framework of several need-models from psychology and other sciences. The context of young adults is explained by the generation gaps as described by Codrington (1999). The identified needs of Carroll (1991), a sense of meaning, belonging and empowerment, forms the focus of this study. In the literature study the church service, within the context of the A.F.M. Church is explored, as well as how the liturgical elements are able to meet the needs of Carroll. The needs of young adults in relation to the church service and how the A.F.M. Church succeeds in meeting these needs, are explored through the use of self-administered questionnaires. The most important finding of the empirical study, is that young adults do agree with the needs identified by Carroll. A surprising result in contradiction with the literature, is that young adults do have a strong sense of social responsibility and want to be empowered to make a difference in the world. The four participating A.F.M. congregations, Goodwood, Strandfontein, Doxa Deo Langeberg and the Paarl Protea Worship Centre, were positively evaluated by respondents in terms of meeting the needs of Carroll. There was however, a significant statistical difference between the respondents’ evaluation of Carroll’s needs and the success of the participating churches’ success in meeting these needs. The study is concluded with recommendations for the planning of church services within the context of the A.F.M. as well as follow-up studies. The conclusion of this study is that the true character of the church service must be reflected in the planning of the liturgical elements. Enough freedom for the functioning of the Holy Spirit must also be created in such a way that the needs of young adults can be met. The planning of the church service must be focussed on the worshipping of God, the preaching of the gospel in such a way that people can find new meaning in their lives, the facilitating of a meeting between congregation and God, the creating of a loving community and the empowerment of people to make a difference in the world. In this way, the commands of God and the needs of young adults are kept in balance. / Prof. W.J. Hatting

There are a variety of sermons which families can attend in different kinds of congregations. The aim of this study is to have a look at family sermons. The target group is families with children in junior catechesis. Although the target group is flexible, one can say that it will be families with children from pre-school to about grade 6. The theological starting point is twofold: the covenant and God’s love. The one without the other is empty. The covenant can be summarized as follow: “I will be your God and you must be My people.” God’s love shines through in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Three congregations were looked at to see how they handle family sermons. The congregations are: Skuilkrans in Pretoria, Pionierspark in Windhoek (Namibia) and Pietersburg-Noord (Polokwane North). Each congregation conveyed their history of family sermons. Questions about the room, time, other sermons of the congregations, preparation, liturgy, attendance, preachers, atmosphere, music and preaching were asked. In Pietersburg-Noord there is a small group of congregation members who help with the preparation of the family sermons. A description of their functioning were given. The conclusion is that family sermons won’t work in all congregations. Each congregation must find their own identity. When starting family sermons in a congregation, one must remember that Rome wasn’t build in one day and that the leaders of the congregation must be kept informed. / Dissertation (MA(Teologie))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The African Initiated Churches (AICs) are the custodians of the African Traditional Religion (ATR). In the South African census, the AICs are classified as Christian. Africans claim that long before the Christian faith came through missionaries there was some form of worship of God by Africans. This means Africans practiced ATR outside Christianity and after Christianity came through missionaries, they started practising it as Christians One of the reasons given for the Africans moving out of the missionary churches to start their own was a search for an African identity. There was a hunger for a place where the African culture could be accommodated. One of the features of African culture is the worship of ancestors. The question of monotheism encountering polytheism does arise in this kind of discussion. The doctrine of the Trinity is uniquely Christian. There is a historical background concerning the teaching and the foundation thereof. As the AICs responded to a situation, so did the Early Church Fathers who faced question of monotheism encountering polytheism. There was a need to redefine Jewish monotheism within the Christian faith in reference to the event of Jesus Christ. The Church Fathers struggled to defend and grappled with the Christian faith with reference to the scriptures in the light of Jesus Christ. They took the gospel from the Jewish setting into the Greek setting. Their efforts benefited the church throughout history. One may say the writings and the teachings of the early church stood the test of time. One may also say the writings and the teachings were based on the solid foundation being of Jesus Christ and the authority of the scriptures. Juxtaposition is the approach employed in this thesis. Two traditions are being critically assessed based on the notion of Perichoresis by the Cappadocian Church Fathers and the notion of Ubuntu in the ATR. Chapter one deals with the theological background with specific focus on the African church and contextualisation. Chapter two, deals with the debate concerning the position and nature of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It also investigates the origin of the Nicene Creed. Chapter three investigates the terminology within the doctrine of the Trinity, while Chapter four explores the term ecumenical and communion with reference to Ubuntu. Chapter five analyses the work of Zizioulas, and the conclusion attempts to find an appropriate approach for the African church. Therefore the study concludes that the reference for Ubuntu should be found in the relationship with God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and not in the veneration and worship of the ancestors. The benefits of the relationship with God through Jesus supersede all other relationship with any deity in the now and the future. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

The Christian faith in God is undergirded by the good news of God's intervention in human life. This intervention of God is good news because the sin of humankind has resulted in alienation with God as well as rendering humankind incapable of restoring fellowship with God. This good news of God's intervention in human affairs through the act of His son Jesus Christ is the centre of Christian kerygma. One outstanding feature of this proclamation is celebration. Salvation offered and given to ailing humankind is cause for celebration for God has paved the way for reconciliation. In Black preaching this note of celebration is remarkably achieved in the extravagant use of figures of speech and imagery drawn from traditional African religiosity, for the African human life in whatever state and condition is cause for celebration. The African responds to life at all levels of encounter with celebration. In sorrow and joy, in sad moments and moments of delight, in want and in plenty, the voice of the African will always rise up in spontaneous acts of celebration. In normal human conversation the use of the African idiom and allegory drawn from their cultural worldview creates unique style. In the use of these the African past is expressly drawn into the present to emphasize the belief in life as a gift from God, a gift to be acknowledged and celebrated. Therefore living through all sorts and conditions of life sharpens the deep feeling and expression of this celebration. The song, praise and dance for the African therefore flows from this spiritual engagement with God in life. The biblical message and the daily experience of life is for the African preacher a stage from which the human drama with God is understood. The nature of God is seen in relation to God's encounter with sinful humankind. God's mercy and grace inspires humans to live their life in confident trust in God. The vicissitudes of life for the African have no dampening effect for life rather they sharpen the awareness of God's surpassing mercy and sustaining steadfastness upon his creatures. Thus in similar vein with the African moroki, the Black preacher calls and inspires his/her audience to celebrate, to engage with life in perfect African celebration.

The context of this research is the Shigalo Tabernacle Worship Centre, where the researcher is currently ministering. The faith community is within Shigalo Village in the town of Malamulele in the Vhembe District, which has been plagued by numerous forms of violence, inflicting emotional, physical and psycho-spiritual pain on the community. Yet it has been the observation of the researcher that very few members of the community, particularly members who are also members of the faith community, seek professional help – help that is freely offered to the community by medical and other professionals, psychologists, social workers as well as pastors. The narrative that the researcher has identified in his involvement with this faith community was that some members of the faith community choose to rather suffer, by keeping all their physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual problems to themselves than to seek professional help. In the community there are various possibilities of seeking professional help – from doctors to psychologists, social workers as well as pastors. The research journey explores and describes how families of Shigalo Tabernacle Worship Centre perceive (view) professional help (counselling). The research sought to understand this perception within the context of their faith and their culture, trying to determine what narratives informed this perception. The objective of the research was first to understand this practice and second to seek ways in which these attitudes and perceptions can be overcome. To do this research, a sample of members was chosen, together with various professional caregivers: Two nurses, two social workers, two educators, two pastoral counsellors, one Medical doctor and a psychologist, who have been in the field of their specializations for more than five years and who are from the Malamulele area within the Thulamela Municipality of Vhembe district. The research was mainly to listen to the stories of the members and complementing these stories with the stories of the professional caregivers, trying to understand how these families constructed their view of faith and how it relates to seeking professional help. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Practical Theology / MA Theol / Unrestricted

The thesis presents firstly the political and historical situation in the Late Roman Empire in which the Church was granted liberty. Through the historical events is shown how the theological discussions were jointed and influenced by the contemporary political situation of the Empire. Secondly, the life of the Pope Innocent I before and during his pontificate is presented and Nachleben of Innocent as a saint man, the style of his letters is involved too. In the same chapter is his pontificate described and discussed through letters, which he sent to various groups of bishops. These are divided into the following groups: Eastern bishops, bishops in Europe, boshops of Africa and the letters as a support for his friend John Chrysostom. In all these fields Innocent treats self-confidently, with the authority of the Roman bishop, but the kinds of claims to his authority depends on geographical location in which the letters are sent. Alongside the contribution of the basic introduction to the letters of the Pope Innocent I this thesis also offers the short excursion to the philological analysis and the selected theological topics (especially liturgical) of his letters.

Amongst the Iron Age Scandinavian elite, there are several supra-regional and multifaceted tripartite (or threefold) symbolic expressions. These include expressions found in art, artefacts and monuments, such as the triangular stone-settings, or Sw. treuddar, which may be the strongest manifestation in the landscape. In addition, tripartite symbolism is found in the elite’s óðal-claims and also Norse mythological structures. Due to the widespread pervasiveness of tripartite symbology within the culture of the Iron Age elite, these phenomena are conceptualised in the theoretical framework of a ‘tripartite ideology’. This study addresses the questions of why was the tripartite ideology so enduring within the Nordic Iron Age, in what ways did it manifest and what positions did it hold in the Iron Age elite’s socio-cultural and religious thought-world? This research examines the monumental, artefactual, social and mythological manifestations of the tripartite ideology in Iron Age Scandinavia. The objective is to formulate a theory which synthesises the various expressions of tripartite symbology using a source-pluralistic methodology, which combines archaeological evidence with both emic (insider) and etic (outsider) historical sources, alongside religious studies and semiotics in order to provide a more representative picture of the function of treuddar and tripartite symbolism in the Iron Age elite milieu. The result of this methodology is that the tripartite ideology is connected with the Iron Age elite’s ancestral óðal-claims based on a legendary or divine descent, along with acting as a‘liminal locus’ whereby the Other World could be accessed.