This dissertation brings together the hermeneutical approaches of three Old Testament scholars, specifically as they pertain to the interpretation of Isaiah 52.13-53.12 in the framework of Christian theology. Contemporary discourse and hermeneutical discussions have led to the development of a point of confusion in theological hermeneutics, focusing on what relationship older frames of reference may have with those more recent. Bernhard Duhm is presented as a history-of-religions scholar who does not easily abide by popular understandings of that school. This results in a theologically attuned reading of Isa 53. Brevard Childs moves outward from particular historical judgments regarding the nature of redaction and form criticism, attempting to arrive at a proximately theological reading of the poem. Alec Motyer’s evangelical commitments represent a large constituency of contemporary theological readership, and a popular understanding of Isa 53. Following a summary and critical engagement of each interpreter on his own terms, the study proceeds to analyze the use of rhetoric behind the readings of Isa 53 outlined here. As each interpreter positions his hermeneutical location in opposition to perceived opponents, it bears revisiting to see in what ways these moves of rhetorical distanciation are, and are not, appropriate. Whilst commonality is found between the three in substantial ways, certain irresolvable problems arise. An outcome of this commonality-problematic relationship is that contemporary rhetorical categorizations of ‘pre-critical’, ‘critical’, and ‘post-critical’ do not accurately represent the highly involved nature of the task of interpreting the Old Testament – and Isaiah 53 – as Christian Scripture.

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This study of Rammohun Roy (1772?-1833) concentrates mainly on those English and Bengali works in which he expounds or translates the Upanis• ads and the Vedanta-s~tras. Reference is also made to other works in which he quotes these texts, or §ankara's commentaries on them, as his authorities, and to his other works on religion. The introduction describes the aims of the study, and outlines the two topics of Rammohun Roy and of Vedanta (ch. 1). Rammohun's life is described up to the beginning of his Vedantic publications in 1815, and the evidence for some uncertain matters is examined afresh (ch. 2). This biographical study provides material for a discussion of Rammohun's acquaintance with Sanskritic, Islamic and European learning (ch. 3). Rammohun's works, especially those relevant to the present study, are then described, with some discussion of the evidence for his authorship (ch. 4). The central chapter deals with Rammohun's three earliest Vedantic works. The Veaanta-s~tras, on which all three are based, are described, with a brief history of their interpretation. It is then shown that Rammohun based his interpretation on SaDkara's commentary, but that at certain points he departed radically from it (ch. 5). Rammohun's translations of Upanisads into Bengali and English are • described, showing that here again he followed §aDkara close~ except in certain significant points. The differences between his Bengali and English versions are discussed, and his prefaces to some of these translations are summarised (ch. 6). His Bengali translation of the Vajras~cr Upani~~, which raises some textual problems, is described and translated (ch. 7). The final chapter considers Rammohun's Vedahtic expositions and translations in relation to the rest of his work, and attempts to assess the nature of his religious thought, the place of Vedanta in it, and its relation to various religious traditions (ch. 8).

University chaplaincy has received little attention in discussions of the role of religion within the secular university. Theologians have primarily considered chaplaincy as a generic form of ministry rather than constructing accounts based in the different chaplaincy contexts. By contrast this thesis aims to construct a contextual theology for chaplaincy based in an understanding of the role of religion in the public square of the secular university. Using a discourse analysis of recent policy documents and reports from government, the Higher Education Sector and the Churches I seek to uncover their underlying understandings of the role of religion in secular Higher Education. This analysis reveals that although there is little mention of chaplaincy outside the Church documents the secular university is a complex fusion of secular, multi-faith and Christian themes with religion in the university increasingly understood through thin accounts concerned with managerial processes. The thesis then examines the history of chaplaincy in the British university looking for a coherent theological narrative for the development of this context. This history shows how the growth of university chaplaincy has been shaped by increasingly diverse forms of society. Using the historical narrative and contemporary analysis I then build a typology for contemporary chaplaincy responses. In the final chapter I offer a theology for university chaplaincy based in an understanding of the essentially diverse nature of secularity, on the dialogical accounts of the university offered by Ford and Higton and an understanding of Christian responses to otherness through hospitality drawn from the work of Barnes and Bretherton. The thesis argues for the importance of the Higher Education chaplaincy for the university, the Churches and for academic theology, concluding with recommendations about the training and support of chaplains.

The focus of this research is the experience of being strengthened in adversity, that is, the process of resilience. The context is Christian pastoral care with the research addressing questions of how Christian pastors can help others develop resilience and can be strengthened in pastoral ministry themselves. The multidisciplinary psychosocial science research into resilience is the first dialogue partner. Themes of struggle, the self, and relationships emerge as key components of the process of resilience, which is also characterized by a progression from adversity to altruism. These themes from resilience literature are brought into conversation with the biblical tradition of the desert where the landscape and metaphor of the desert point to three movements of a resilience process: embracing the desert, the encounter with the self and God and altruism expressed in pastoral responsibility. Christian texts emerge from the desert Christians of the fourth and fifth centuries: the Alphabetical Sayings attend to the need to embrace the adversity of the desert while the Institutes and Conferences of John Cassian provide a programme whereby the ascetical struggle involves encountering the self and God and is lived out by altruism and the responsibility of being an elder. The Christian theologian and pastor, Rowan Williams, addresses the themes of struggle, self, and relationships in such a way as to meet the challenges made to Christian theology because of the traditional focus on obedience, humility and self‐denial. By a process of creating space in relationships the mature Christian acts altruistically. The widely used myth and model of the wounded healer reveals how the pastoral relationship itself goes beyond altruism by enabling healing and growth not only for those in adversity, but also for the pastor. By drawing on the research as a whole I propose a more sustainable model for pastoral ministry: the resilient pastor.

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“Online churches” are Internet-based Christian communities, seeking to pursue worship, discussion, friendship, teaching, support, proselytisation and other key religious goals through computer-mediated communication. These online churches are one example of “online religion”, a new kind of digital religious practice that promises to transform worship, authority, community and the construction of identity. This thesis examines five online churches, representing diverse media, theological traditions, leadership structures and forms of external oversight. Each has created a sizeable congregation and offers forms of worship and community online. I used ethnographic methods to examine these churches with particular attention to media, worship, community and leadership. I conducted long-term participant observation over the three years of my research, taking part in online and offline activities whenever possible, speaking informally with as many people as possible and interviewing over 100 leaders and members. Survey data and other written materials were also studied where available, including media reports, participant accounts and online blog posts. My research suggested seven important themes present in each group: mass appeal, the formation of community, spiritual experience, the replication of familiar elements of architecture, liturgy and organisation, the prevalence of local churchgoing among online participants, patterns of internal control and systems of external oversight. Each case study demonstrates the very different negotiations of those themes at work in each group. In my final chapter, I bring together threads and insights from each case study according to four key dimensions of one common theme: the relationship between digital and everyday life. Online churches deliberately replicate familiar elements of everyday activity, become part of the everyday, remain carefully distinct from the everyday and become distinctively digital. We must attend to all four of these layers to adequately understand and evaluate what takes place online, and what role that online activity plays in everyday religious lives.

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