This dissertation is a missiological evaluation of the challenges presented to Christian faith by reincarnation. Owing to the far-reaching theological implications of reincarnation, I have made use of an analytical grid to structure the research. It consists of seven sections, namely God, anthropology, ethics, hamartiology, soteriology, theodicy and history. This grid has been used to examine reincarnation as espoused in the Bhagavad-Gita (chapter 2) , as propounded by the well-known Hindu Swamis Vivekananda and Prabhupada (chapter 3) , and in the responses of four Christian theologians (Geddes MacGregor, John Hick, Vishal Mangalwadi and Edmond Robillard) to reincarnation (chapter 4) . There are many individuals within Western society who are attracted to reincarnation. My concern is to evaluate whether the Christian church can incorporate reincarnation in its religious worldview. In chapter 5, I give an evaluation of this question from a Reformed theological perspective. / Hierdie verhandeling is 'n missiologiese beoordeling van die uitdagings wat die leerstelling van reinkarnasie aan die Christelike geloof hied. As gevolg van die verreikende implikasies van reinkarnasie, gebruik ek 'n analitiese raamwerk om vorm te gee aan die· ondersoek. Hierdie raamwerk bestaan uit sewe onderafdelings, naamlik die beskouings oor God, mens, etiek, sonde, verlossing, teodisee en geskiedenis. Hierdie raamwerk word gebruik om die leerstelling van n!inkarnasie te ondersoek soos wat dit aan die orde kom in die Bhagavad-Gita (hoofstuk 2), in die geskrifte van die twee bekende Swamis Vivekananda en Prabhupada (hoofstuk 3) , en in die reaksies van vier Christenteoloe (Geddes MacGregor, John Hick, Vishal Mangalwadi en Edmond Robillard) op reinkarnasie (hoofstuk 4). Daar is heelwat mense in die Westerse samelewing wat aangetrokke is tot reinkarnasie. My vraagstelling is om te evalueer of die Christelike kerk re'inkarnasie in sy godsdienstige wereldbeeld kan opneem. In hoqfstuk 5, gee ek 'n beoordeling van hierdie vraag uit 'n Gereformeerde teologiese gesigspunt. / Christian,Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

The thesis consists of five chapters: the first functions as an overture; the second, third and fourth deal with Plato, Cicero and Montaigne respectively; and the fifth raises some questions. The overture explores the ways in which Odysseus, Lucretius and Seneca approached death, and in the process introduces some obvious distinctions - between death viewed as the act of dying and death viewed as the state of being dead, between the death which comes to everyone and the death which comes to me, between our own death and the death of others - and anticipates certain recurring themes. The second chapter, on Plato, is concerned chiefly with the Phaedo and the question of what is involved in "the practice of death". This entails an examination of related concepts and terminology in the Gorgias and the Republic, and of the whole subject of Platonic myth. The third chapter discusses Cicero's views on death and immortality - both the considered reflections of the philosopher and the spontaneous reactions of the bereaved father - principally as these emerge from the Tusculan Disputations and the letters to Atticus. The fourth chapter approaches Montaigne - his own experiences of death, the relationship between his earlier and later approaches, the tension between his professed Catholicism and his pagan inclinations, the difficulty and perhaps undesirability of extracting a 'message' from the Essais on this or any other subject. The conclusion asks to what extent these various approaches succeed in what they set out to do, and whether any generalised, objective approach to death can ever successfully address the individual predicament, either in relation to one's own death or in facing bereavement.

Ce mémoire a pour but de définir le rôle de l’expérience sensible à l’intérieur de la théorie de la connaissance des dialogues de maturité de Platon, à savoir le Phédon, le Phèdre, le Banquet et la République. Pour atteindre ce but, nous nous questionnons d’abord sur la notion de réminiscence, principalement par l’étude de l’extrait 72-77 du Phédon et des différentes interprétations qu’il est possible d’en donner. Ensuite, nous montrons que les quatre dialogues partagent une structure épistémologique commune, pour finalement nous concentrer sur les différentes fonctions attribuées à l’expérience sensible. L’objectif poursuivi par cette étude est de démontrer qu’en dépit de l’attitude critique de Platon à l’égard des sens et de l’imperfection du monde sensible, il n’en demeure pas moins que la perception joue un rôle épistémologique et pédagogique important : elle fait partie intégrante du processus qui mène à la formation de concepts chez tout un chacun, elle incite le philosophe en devenir à se retourner vers le monde intelligible, et elle permet au philosophe accompli de se remémorer, à chaque instant, les arguments en faveur de l’immortalité de l’âme et de la nécessité de la philosophie. / The purpose of this dissertation is to define the role of sense-experience within the theory of knowledge applied to Plato’s middle dialogues, namely the Phaedo, the Phaedrus, the Symposium and the Republic. To achieve this, we will initially examine the notion of recollection through the study of Phaedo 72-77 and its different interpretations. Then we will establish that the four dialogues share a common epistemology, to finally look at the different functions of sense-experience. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that despite Plato’s critical views regarding the senses and the imperfection of the sensible world, sense-perception nevertheless plays an important epistemological and pedagogical role : it is part of the process that leads to concept formation, it directs the philosopher-to-be towards the intelligible world and it allows the experienced philosopher to remember the arguments in favour of the immortality of the soul and the necessity of philosophy.

Ce mémoire a pour but de définir le rôle de l’expérience sensible à l’intérieur de la théorie de la connaissance des dialogues de maturité de Platon, à savoir le Phédon, le Phèdre, le Banquet et la République. Pour atteindre ce but, nous nous questionnons d’abord sur la notion de réminiscence, principalement par l’étude de l’extrait 72-77 du Phédon et des différentes interprétations qu’il est possible d’en donner. Ensuite, nous montrons que les quatre dialogues partagent une structure épistémologique commune, pour finalement nous concentrer sur les différentes fonctions attribuées à l’expérience sensible. L’objectif poursuivi par cette étude est de démontrer qu’en dépit de l’attitude critique de Platon à l’égard des sens et de l’imperfection du monde sensible, il n’en demeure pas moins que la perception joue un rôle épistémologique et pédagogique important : elle fait partie intégrante du processus qui mène à la formation de concepts chez tout un chacun, elle incite le philosophe en devenir à se retourner vers le monde intelligible, et elle permet au philosophe accompli de se remémorer, à chaque instant, les arguments en faveur de l’immortalité de l’âme et de la nécessité de la philosophie. / The purpose of this dissertation is to define the role of sense-experience within the theory of knowledge applied to Plato’s middle dialogues, namely the Phaedo, the Phaedrus, the Symposium and the Republic. To achieve this, we will initially examine the notion of recollection through the study of Phaedo 72-77 and its different interpretations. Then we will establish that the four dialogues share a common epistemology, to finally look at the different functions of sense-experience. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that despite Plato’s critical views regarding the senses and the imperfection of the sensible world, sense-perception nevertheless plays an important epistemological and pedagogical role : it is part of the process that leads to concept formation, it directs the philosopher-to-be towards the intelligible world and it allows the experienced philosopher to remember the arguments in favour of the immortality of the soul and the necessity of philosophy.

This dissertation is a missiological evaluation of the challenges presented to Christian faith by reincarnation. Owing to the far-reaching theological implications of reincarnation, I have made use of an analytical grid to structure the research. It consists of seven sections, namely God, anthropology, ethics, hamartiology, soteriology, theodicy and history. This grid has been used to examine reincarnation as espoused in the Bhagavad-Gita (chapter 2) , as propounded by the well-known Hindu Swamis Vivekananda and Prabhupada (chapter 3) , and in the responses of four Christian theologians (Geddes MacGregor, John Hick, Vishal Mangalwadi and Edmond Robillard) to reincarnation (chapter 4) . There are many individuals within Western society who are attracted to reincarnation. My concern is to evaluate whether the Christian church can incorporate reincarnation in its religious worldview. In chapter 5, I give an evaluation of this question from a Reformed theological perspective. / Hierdie verhandeling is 'n missiologiese beoordeling van die uitdagings wat die leerstelling van reinkarnasie aan die Christelike geloof hied. As gevolg van die verreikende implikasies van reinkarnasie, gebruik ek 'n analitiese raamwerk om vorm te gee aan die· ondersoek. Hierdie raamwerk bestaan uit sewe onderafdelings, naamlik die beskouings oor God, mens, etiek, sonde, verlossing, teodisee en geskiedenis. Hierdie raamwerk word gebruik om die leerstelling van n!inkarnasie te ondersoek soos wat dit aan die orde kom in die Bhagavad-Gita (hoofstuk 2), in die geskrifte van die twee bekende Swamis Vivekananda en Prabhupada (hoofstuk 3) , en in die reaksies van vier Christenteoloe (Geddes MacGregor, John Hick, Vishal Mangalwadi en Edmond Robillard) op reinkarnasie (hoofstuk 4). Daar is heelwat mense in die Westerse samelewing wat aangetrokke is tot reinkarnasie. My vraagstelling is om te evalueer of die Christelike kerk re'inkarnasie in sy godsdienstige wereldbeeld kan opneem. In hoqfstuk 5, gee ek 'n beoordeling van hierdie vraag uit 'n Gereformeerde teologiese gesigspunt. / Christian,Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-09-29T13:41:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 monalisamarialauro.pdf: 510424 bytes, checksum: 31284a9c9c1e1159695542b7f038ffe8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Diamantino Mayra (mayra.diamantino@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-09-30T13:52:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 monalisamarialauro.pdf: 510424 bytes, checksum: 31284a9c9c1e1159695542b7f038ffe8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-30T13:52:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 monalisamarialauro.pdf: 510424 bytes, checksum: 31284a9c9c1e1159695542b7f038ffe8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-18 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Na presente dissertação, analisa-se o modo peculiar com que Kant apreende o problema da imortalidade da alma em sua filosofia crítica. Neste intuito, prioriza-se um confronto com as provas racional-teóricas presentes no célebre Fédon mendelssohniano, visto que este é uma notável referência na defesa da imortalidade da alma na Aufklärung. Este confronto permite constatar que o argumento da simplicidade da alma de Mendelssohn constitui-se em um paralogismo transcendental, e que sua defesa da incorruptibilidade da alma não se sustenta quando se respeita a condição crítica de uso esquematizado dos conceitos puros do entendimento. Finalmente, a advertência kantiana contra o uso especulativo da razão para além dos limites da experiência possível revela-se como parte de seu empreendimento de fundamentação de uma moralidade autônoma e plenamente ativa na vida humana. Na perspectiva aberta pela lei moral, a permanência da alma resolve-se como um necessário e sólido postulado da razão prática pura. / This thesis analyzes the particular way in which Kant conceives the issue of the soul’s immortality in his critical philosophy. In order to do that, the focus is set on a confrontation with the rational-theoretical proofs present in Mendelssohn’s Phaedon, since this work is a remarkable reference in the defense of the soul’s immortality during the German Aufklärung. This confrontation allows us to verify that Mendelssohn’s argument of the simplicity of the soul constitutes a transcendental paralogism, and his defense of the incorruptibility of the soul fails when measured by the critical condition of a schematized use of the pure concepts of the understanding. Finally, Kant’s caution against the speculative use of reason beyond the limits of possible experience appears as a part of his undertaking of philosophically grounding a morality which is both autonomous and completely active in human life. Following the perspective opened by the moral law, the duration of the soul is explained as a necessary and firm postulate of pure practical reason.

This dissertation is a philosophical examination of the concept of reincarnation from an African point of view. It does so, largely, from the cultural perspective of the Akan people of Ghana. In this work, reincarnation is distinguished from such related concepts as metempsychosis and transmigration with which it is conflated by many authors on the subject. In terms of definition, therefore, the belief that a deceased person can be reborn is advanced in this dissertation as referring to only reincarnation, but not to either metempsychosis or transmigration. Many scholars would agree that reincarnation is a pristine concept, yet it is so present in the beliefs and worldviews of several cultures today (including those of Africa). A good appreciation of the concept, it can be seen, will not be possible without some reference to the past. That is why some attempt is first made at the early stages of the dissertation to show how reincarnation was understood in the religious philosophies of ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Indians, Chinese and the Incas. Secondly, some link is then established between the past and present, especially between ancient Egyptian philosophy and those of contemporary sub-Saharan Africa. In modern African thought, the doctrine of reincarnation has not been thoroughly researched into. Even so, some of the few who have written on the subject have denied its existence in African thought. The dissertation rejects this denial, and seeks to show nonetheless that reincarnation is generally an irrational concept. In spite of its irrationality, it is acknowledged that the concept, as especially presented in African thought, raises our understanding of the constitution of a person as understood in the African culture. It is also observed that the philosophical problem of personal identity is central to the discussion of reincarnation because that which constitutes a person is presumed to be known whenever a claim of return of a survived person is made. For this reason, the dissertation also pays significant attention to the concept of personal identity in connection, especially, with the African philosophical belief in the return of persons. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Philosophy)

C’est par une généalogie de l’immortalité poétique en Grèce archaïque, depuis une immortalité ne concernant que le renom jusqu’à une forme de survie personnelle, que s’ouvre cette recherche. Arrivé à Pindare, une étude approfondie de sa première Néméenne, au moyen de la théorie de l’énonciation de Benveniste et de la narratologie de Genette, permet de détailler comment se construit, dans l’épinicie, un régime temporel de l’éternité, dans lequel le poète inscrit le vainqueur qu’il célèbre. Je me penche alors sur la formation, dans l’épinicie, d’un réseau de concepts dont font partie la mémoire, la vérité, la lumière et l’or, réseau servant à créer une connotation d’immortalité. Ce réseau est ensuite analysé au travers des relations sociales qui le déterminent, au moyen du matérialisme historique et de l’herméneutique négative. Il en ressort que ce réseau marque la construction d’une idéologie aristocratique, dont la structure est détaillée grâce au concept d’hégémonie de Gramsci, ce qui laisse voir que l’immortalité poétique, chez Pindare, a pour fonction de poser un ordre social comme éternel. L’immortalité religieuse de Pindare est placée dans ce contexte et interprétée comme une autorité extra-littéraire devant asseoir la forme non traditionnelle d’immortalité poétique de Pindare, recours rendu nécessaire par un ébranlement de l’autorité littéraire. Ainsi, le développement exacerbé, en Grèce archaïque, de l’immortalité poétique, est réinterprété comme le produit d’une crise généralisée de l’autorité, une lutte des classes devant mener à la défaite de l’aristocratie terrienne et à l’émergence de la polis de la Grèce classique. / This research opens with a genealogy of poetic immortality in Archaic Greece, from an immortality of renown down to a form of personal survival. A detailed study of Pindar’s first Nemean, through Benveniste’s enunciative linguistics and Genette’s narratology, shows how the epinician constructs a temporal regime of eternity, in which the poet inscribes the victor. I proceed to analyze how, through the epinician, a network of concepts comprising memory, truth, light, and gold, is used to create a connotation of immortality. The social relations that determine this network are then analyzed through historical materialism and negative hermeneutics. From there, it appears that this network shows the construction of an aristocratic ideology, whose structure is then detailed through Gramsci’s concept of hegemony. This reveals how Pindar’s poetic immortality serves to ground a social order as eternal. Pindar’s religious immortality is then cast within this context and interpreted as an appeal to an extra-literary authority whose role is to legitimize the non-traditional form of poetic immortality developed by Pindar, an appeal made necessary by an undermining of literary authority. Thus, the increasing development of poetic immortality throughout Archaic Greece is reinterpreted as the product of a general crisis of authority, of a class struggle that would lead to the defeat of the landed aristocracy and the emergence of the polis of Classical Greece.

Every day, we use technology. Online interactions leave traces and traces serves as portals into different aspects of our personalities, or how we want to be perceived by others. We are encouraged to record and express everything, from our most important moments to the least. However, the digital tools we use privilege only the moment, not the long term. They also tend to make everything feel equally important, thus giving us no incentive to go through our digital traces and decide what has lasting meaning and should be preserved and what we would like to be forgotten.The fabric of our lives is intertwined with our digital traces. What happens to them after the end of our lives? Just as our physical things live on past us, sometimes becoming a part of the lives of our family and friends this will surely be true for our data.How might we curate our digital legacy?

Si on contemple l’abondante production du dramaturge, on réalise à quel point l’Égypte est omniprésente dans ses écrits et dans sa vie. Elle couronne l’ensemble de son oeuvre littéraire qui met en lumière chacun des différents aspects de ce pays : social, historique, culturel et politique. Cependant, dans cette étude, nous allons essayer de limiter notre sujet de l’Image de l’Égypte dans l’oeuvre de T. al-Ḥakīm à deux époques celle de la révolution de 1919, et celle de 1952. Ses écrits retracent clairement ces deux évènements importants. Sa façon de penser, d’écrire, de critiquer et d’analyser avant et après la révolution de 1919 n’est plus la même après la révolution de 1952. D’un écrivain rêveur, idéaliste, il en devient un autre plus réaliste et engagé littérairement. Notre problématique globale s’articulera autour des questions suivantes : quelle représentation l’oeuvre de Tawfīq al-Ḥakīm donne-t-elle de l’Égypte ? Peut-on considérer son retour aux mythes anciens comme une continuité entre l’Égypte moderne etl’Égypte ancienne ? Dans une première partie nous traitons les deux révolutions qui ont eu des répercussions sur ses écrits et sa vision politique. La deuxième partie, abordera la société de son roman ‛Awdat al-rūḥ, (l’Âme retrouvée), 1933, dans lequel il décrit une Égypte vue par un égyptien de souche et les liens forts qui unissent ce peuple à sa nation. La troisième partie sera réservée à la femme et au fallāḥ qui ont énormément inspiré l’écrivain. La quatrième partie sera consacrée à l’Égypte pharaonique. On va voir comment il a pu être influencé par l’Égypte ancienne pour décrire l’Égypte moderne. Nous nous appuyons aussi sur plusieurs lectures de différents auteurs afin de trouver une authenticité entre ce qu’il écrit et ce qu’il pense, entre la réalité et l’imagination dans ces oeuvres. Nous analyserons comment il voit, observe et critique son pays natal. / If we contemplate the playwright's rich production, we realise to what extent Egypt plays a prominent part in his work and life. It is the crowning achievement of his literary work which highlights all the aspects of this country, social, historical, cultural and political However, in this study, we will try to limit our subject of The image of Egypt in T.al-Hakim's work to two particular eras, the revolutions of 1919 and 1952. His writings clearly relate those major events. The way he thinks, writes, criticizes and analyses before and after the 1919 revolution is no longer the same after the 1952 revolution. He started being a dreamy idealistic writer, and turned into another one, more realistic and committed in his literary work. Our global problematics will hinge on the following issues: what representation of Egypt does Tawfiq al-Hakim's work give? Can we regard his return to ancient myths as a continuity between modern Egypt and ancient Egypt? In a first part, we deal with the two revolutions which have had repercussions on his writings and political vision. The second part will tackle the society of his novel, in which he describes a country seen through a native Egyptian, and the strong ties which link the Egyptian people to their nation. The third part will focus on women and on the fallah, which greatly inspired the writer. The fourth part will be dedicated to the Pharaonic Egypt. We will see how far he has been influenced by ancient Egypt to descibe the modern one. We have relied on a few works of different writers so as to find an authentic link between what he writes and thinks reality and imagination in his works. We will analyse the way he sees, observes and criticizes his own country.