This research considers the emergence in history of a discourse about shamans. Beginning with the prevalent claim that shamans have existed in all human societies throughout history, the initial question is: how did a kind of ritual specialist first reported in Siberia in the seventeenth century become the eponymous category of a universalisable religiosity? My project is anchored by the argument that the simultaneity of epistemological practice that tends to produce universal structures with an ontological practice that tends to deconstruct universals into embodied contingencies, together illustrate the double-hinge on which pivots modern subjectivity. According to Foucault's reading of Kant, this double-hinged subjectivity is instantiated in a practical limit attitude that in turn establishes a selfperpetuating dialectic, a perpetual motion dynamo animating and innervating modern history. This thesis argues that the simultaneously particularising and universalising tendencies of statements about shamans are part and parcel of modernity's practical limit attitude, and can be seen in the proliferations and intensifications of shamanism discourse since the eighteenth century. Chapter Two considers this problem from a genealogical perspective, with reference to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Russia. Subsequent chapters consider shamanism's imbrications with other discursive fields. With reference to the indigenist movement for human rights (Chapter Three), environmentalist critiques of anthropocentrism (Chapter Four), and neoliberal governmentality in self-conduct as much as the conduct of states (Chapter Five), structural transformations in these respective fields have variously sustained and stimulated new proliferations, intensifications and circulations of shamanism, and have contributed to the reported revival of shamanic religiosity since the 1990s. This argument takes seriously Arjun Apparudai's recommendation to pay attention to the 'mundane discourses' of global cultural flows, and is conceived as a contribution towards both the sociology of religion and critical-theoretical approaches to studying religion. Regarding the former, this research demonstrates shamanism is a highly adaptive and productive discourse for a diverse assemblage of actors with interests in tapping shamanism's significatory potential. Regarding the latter, shamanism is demonstrated to be a highly productive subject for reflexive studies of contemporary religiosity, including strategies for circumscribing interests, authorising representations, and legitimating practices.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the transformation of Freetown Christianity with reference to different religious institutions for the last 40 years. As a prelude to the study, I will look at the religious, socio-economic and political background of the Christian Krio. This background will help us to understand the extent and type of change that have occurred in the last 40 years in the religious scene in Freetown. The thesis discusses the results of a survey on churches which showed that there has been a proliferation of churches during the period under review. The thesis examines the two most populated born-again churches, Jesus is Lord Ministry and Flaming Bible Church with the aim of bringing out their roles and contributions to the change which Freetown has been witnessing. A related interest in this study is the role of religion in the civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002). The evidence suggests that Christian institutions displayed a positive response to the civil war by arranging venues for peace talks, providing relief and rehabilitation to displaced people and refugees. The thesis also shows that women have played a significant role in this transformation as founders and leaders of churches, roles which forty years ago were unheard of. The change in Freetown is also assessed by focusing on other religious institutions such as Bible Schools and colleges, deliverance schools and parachurch organisations to see their roles and impact on this change. The conclusions of the study is twofold: (1) there has been a fluid overlapping of religious identities among 'mainline' and Pentecostal (especially the charismatic ones) church members as the former tend to relinquish their membership or affiliation in the latter when they have achieved success in their social, economic, moral or physical problems. These problems are believed to be caused by the 'devil' who could only be attacked by the Pentecostal churches. (2) that increase in the establishment of Bible Schools and deliverance schools played a major role in this change.

Recent doctoral theses on Trito-Isaiah have interpreted the post-exilic restoration and eschatology as universalistic. I contend such an interpretation for these reasons: post-exilic Israel's desire to become a strong people of God is an indication of particularism, and the incorporation of foreigners and the nations under her wings nurtures nascent universalism. Thus, a tension is formed. The present thesis studies the eschatological concepts of Trito-Isaiah. These are the product of post-exilic Yehud, its reflection on its own tradition and declaration of its ideologies under Persian rule. This thesis concentrates on four key texts, namely Isa 61:1-7; 56:1-8; 65:13-25; and 66:18- 24. It is exegetical and theological, drawing connections and inferences within Isaiah and with other books of the Hebrew Bible. In doing so, I seek to probe the authors' intention in the choice of words and the use of tradition in the proposed changes to religious and social practices. This exercise seeks to trace the development of the eschatological concepts in connection to the community's history. Since Trito-Isaiah exhibits, in various parts, terseness and sudden changes in theme or content, scholarship has often ascribed this to redaction. This thesis debates with scholars' fragmentation of the textual units, in the hope of connecting the themes/content from nearby texts. Chapter 1 introduces Trito-Isaiah, the use of redaction in the composition of the book of Isaiah, and the nature and the role of eschatology (its relationship with apocalypse) in this segment of Isaiah. Afterwards, a definition of universalism and particularism is provided. The history of research in Trito-Isaiah includes the works of O. Plöger, K. Pauritsch, P. Hanson, K. Koenen, and E. Dim. The distinctive position of this thesis is presented. An explanation of the diachronic approach and inner-biblical interpretation is also provided, as these are helpful in providing an account of how the writing communities of Trito-Isaiah might have interacted with the Jewish traditions and contemporary writings to produce a unique theology. There will be a section on the selection of texts, the writing communities behind Trito-Isaiah, and the intended readers for these texts. Chapter 2 deals with the dating of the selected texts and related texts, so as to construct a working hypothesis for the writing communities' intentions behind their theology. Chapter 3 studies 61:1-7, one of the earliest eschatological passages in the post-exilic period. I shall argue that the concepts of the King-Redeemer and the Servant figure are inherited from the Isaianic tradition and reinterpreted to build a righteous community. Later Trito-Isaianic material elaborates these concepts. Chapters 4 and 6 discuss 56:1-8 and 66:18-24 as the framework of Trito-Isaiah. Within the framework is found an encouragement to a community to govern themselves well in preparation for the establishment of a righteous Zion and a strategy to expand the eschatological kingdom. Since the treatment of foreigners has become controversial during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, many scholars tend to take the framework as democratization of the priesthood, hence, marks of universalism. I shall argue that the framework has a particularistic agendum, alongside the proclamation of the universality of God's rule. Chapter 5 argues that the creation of the new Jerusalem in 65:13-25 will demand the righteous behaviour of its inhabitants. Many modern scholars treat the new Jerusalem as a perfect new world but miss the determination of the writing communities to purge evil. By comparing the traditions within and external to Isaiah, I shall demonstrate that the writing communities foster the righteous rule in Jerusalem for the purging of evil. Chapter 7 presents a summary of my major arguments and the conclusion of my research.

This thesis investigates the origin, function, and meaning of the doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son. My aim is to analyse the emergence of this doctrine as a reading of Scripture, identifying its classical function, and thereby examining how those same functions are accomplished today in order to explore its continuing viability. In chapter one I look at the doctrine's early dogmatic expression in Origen, whose constructive theological approach to Scripture opens both pro- and anti- Nicene trajectories. Chapter two then traces two paths forward: that of Arius and the response of the Creed of Nicaea. Chapter three presents development after Nicaea in the theology of Athanasius, who offers some clarifications and elaborations regarding the Son's generation, forming an early synthesis of the doctrine. Chapter four examines the work of Wolfhart Pannenberg, who reconceives the theme of the Son's generation along historical and social lines, recasting divine relations in reciprocal and economic terms while retaining some of the earlier terminology. Chapter five considers the more revisionary approach of Robert Jenson, who reconstructs the theme of the Son's generation along strongly historical lines, flattening and integrating theology and economy. Finally, in chapter six I draw some synthetic conclusions, arguing that the Christian confession of the Son's eternal generation from the Father originates from and serves our theological exegesis, forming part of the indispensable whence for reading Scripture in the whither of the economy of salvation. Dogmatically, it performs a set of functions in theology proper and enables a set of broader distinctions - specifically, informing the ‘analogical interval' between Creator and creature. From this, I conclude that its place should be reconsidered on account of its enduring role in affirming and maintaining a crucial aspect of the mystery of the Trinity.

The thesis reappraises Martin Luther's political thinking by locating it within the overall grammar of his theology in critical conversation with contemporary theologians whose politico-ethical thought is placed consciously in contrast to Luther. Specifically, I engage the work of John Milbank and Jennifer Herdt. Milbank criticizes Luther for a perceived univocal and nominal ontology resulting in a privatized and spiritualized Christianity, falsely dividing the world into autonomous spheres and leaving justification merely a matter of imputation by magnifying faith and pushing love to the sidelines. Herdt argues that Luther follows in the wake of voluntarism, leading to an insistence on human passivity in response to an acknowledged utter dependence on divine activity. Besides complicating sanctification, she suggests this leaves no room for pagan virtue, reducing politics to authoritarian imposition of order. In contrast, the thesis seeks to re-examine these narratives through a focus on the political significance of areas in Luther's corpus neglected in contemporary accounts of his political thought, particularly his exegetical, sacramental and ecclesiological writings. His teaching on the two ecclesiae preserves the critical edge prominent in Augustinian two civitates accounts, but when set alongside his theological insistence on holding the institutions of the church and political order together under the one rule of God ('two regiments'), allows greater room for genuine Christian engagement in political life. Luther does this while retaining the biblical emphasis on the centrality of faith in which believers are given a new heart and freed for political life. This is in opposition to views that would put at the centre of the Christian contribution to political life either a new ontological theory (Milbank), or that would locate the Christian contribution at the level of virtuous behaviour (Herdt). As such, the Christian contribution to politics is explorative discernment in humble, yet assured response to God's promising Word to govern and provide for human life in the sanctifying institutions of the ecclesia, oeconomia, and politia.

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The present research brings together two broad areas of human knowledge, modern psychotherapy and the ascetic practice as envisaged by the Philokalia, to bear on the concept of psychological and spiritual illness. In so doing, it employs a comparative methodology which allows for contrasting the two paradigms in order to identify overlaps or separations, but also to generate new hypotheses concerning the phenomena under investigation and therefore, broaden knowledge further. At the same time, it represents a new study in the search for a suitable method to be used when conducting interdisciplinary study in these two fields. The method emerged from the present research and suggested that further interdisciplinary inquiries in the same area were termed as border research so bringing forward the profile of a border researcher. It envisages that the ‘travelling’ concepts come to the border, where the comparison takes place. Since the present inquiry’s universe of discourse relates to a border that is found within the human being, when analyzed it naturally follows a vertical vector. Methodologically, the study is placed within the area of humanities. The first part of research addresses comparatively the issue of anthropology – which in the Philokalic framework becomes an aspect of Christology. The conclusions inferred from this analysis will be largely employed in the second part of the study which directly addresses the matter of psychological and spiritual illness. We found that the comparison on illness was not methodologically possible without reference to the larger anthropological background that produced it and which needs to be kept constantly in view throughout the entire comparative effort. Therefore, the second part comprises a short discussion on the matters of diagnosis and discernment with an analysis of their underlying values; the next chapter comparatively discusses generalities on normality and abnormality with a conclusion that the data are not sufficient to infer assumptions as to the relationship between psychological and spiritual illnesses; the comparative effort goes more in-depth in the last two chapters by focusing on the case studies of anxiety and depression, with the conclusion that the will to love seems to be the unifying will that brings man to health and normality.

This thesis addresses a perennial historiographical question of the English Reformation: to what extent, if any, the late medieval dissenters known as lollards influenced the Protestant Reformation in England. To answer this question, this thesis looks at the appropriation of the lollards by evangelicals such as William Tyndale, John Bale, and especially John Foxe, and through them by their seventeenth-century successors. Because Foxe included lollardy in his influential tome, 'The Acts and Monuments' (1563), he was the most importrant conduit for their beliefs and ecclesiology, and indeed, existence. His reorientation of the lollards from heretics and traitors to martyrs and model subjects portrayed the lollards as members of the true church and as Protestants' spiritual forebears. Scholars have generally argued that to accomplish this, Foxe heavily edited radical lollard views on episcopacy, baptism, preaching, conventicles, tithes, and oaths, either omitting them from his book or moulding them into forms compatible with a magisterial Reformation. This thesis analyzes the lollard narratives in his tome and concludes that Foxe in fact made no systematic attempt to downplay radical lollard beliefs, demonstrating that a wealth of non-mainstream material is present in the text. This suggests that Foxe was more tolerant of radical ideas than previously recognized, and that some of his theological views lay outside Elizabethan orthodoxy. More significantly, these radical views, legitimized by Foxe's inclusion of them in his book, allowed for seventeenth-century puritans, separatists, and religious radicals to appropriate the lollards, through Foxe, as historical validation of their theological and ecclesiological positions, including the act of separation. The thesis traces the ensuing struggle for the lollard, and indeed the Foxean, legacy between conformists and nonconformists, arguing that the same lollards that Foxe used to bolster the fledgling English church in the sixteenth century would play a role in its fragmentation in the seventeenth.

The present thesis is a critical study of Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov's ecclesiology. Its central claim is that Archim. Sophrony, a twentieth century Russian ascetic and theologian, understands the Church as a created-uncreated Being, which is hypostatizable, soborny, and sophiological. Archim Sophrony’s theology stems from the idea of theosis, understood as the ontological meeting ‘ground’ between God and Man, which was the primary concern of most Russian theologians of the time. However, the differences of perspective among these theologians led to a variety of ways in which theosis is approached and defined. For Archim Sophrony, a theology of theosis needs to look first at the question regarding the simultaneous difference and identity between Divinity and Man. This exclusive concern with the ontological in-between, where God and Man become One Being, is the common concern of a series of other contemporary Russian theologians, most notably Fr Sergii Bulgakov, whose formative influence on Archim. Sophrony's thought will also be looked at in the present thesis. Archim. Sophrony addresses the question of theosis by developing a highly creative system of interpretations around the concept of Divine image, founded on the theologies of St Gregory Palamas and Fr Sergii Bulgakov. Thus, he distinguishes between three moments of human existence: essence, energy and hypostaticity, which reflect the three Divine modes of existence. Consequently, Archim. Sophrony makes three central ecclesiological statements: (1) that the Being of the Church is hypostatical; (2) that it is soborny; and (3) that it enters a special ontological relationship with the Divine Being which allows for the simultaneous absolute distinction and absolute identity of the two Beings. These three ecclesiological statements represent the three main claims of our research, and also generate the structure of the present thesis.