This thesis is a theological and practical reflection on the practice of adoption in contemporary Britain, as it affects Christian adoption agencies, Christian social workers, Christian parents and adopted children. The first three chapters set the background context to the research by examining the history, theology, legal and sociological context. This enables the contemporary situation to be established, particularly the potential for tension between the thinking of many Christians about constructing adoptive families and the open, liberal stance of the state and Local Authorities. This tension was heightened with the passing of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 that drew attention to radically different viewpoints within adoption work. The theological reflection methods employed were the pastoral cycle and canonical narrative, both of which were subordinate to an overall theology of engagement that enabled the interface between the Christian and non-Christian work in adoption to be investigated. The methodological approaches taken enabled quantitative and qualitative material to be combined. Three surveys were distributed: two to Christian groups, agencies and parents, involved in adoption work and one to adoption social workers. Secondly, telephone interviews were conducted. Data was also collected from a wide range of Internet websites. Fourthly, data was gathered from literature distributed by adoption agencies. A chapter (4) on Christian Adoption Agencies develops a theoretical agency that relates to the Church and the contemporary adoption system. Differences between historically different denominational emphases in adoption work and the present day reality is described. It continues to be possible for Christian adoption agencies to be relevant and specialised in this work. Central to all adoption work is the child: their future stability and happiness. This is examined by focussing upon the impact of the Christian faith on the potential for healing and wholeness for an adopted child (chapter 5). Three specific aspects of life are explored: an adopted child’s spirituality, identity and nurture. This discussion naturally leads into a further discussion about prospective and actual adoptive parents: the manner in which the Christian faith has a bearing upon adoption before, during and after the adoption of a child (chapter 6). Finally, Christian people within and without adoption work have been challenged about the nature of the family in the adoptive context. ‘Families’ that are accepted by the general population can be tolerated by some Christians yet discredited by others. The question is asked whether newly created adoptive families can have forms that are radically different from traditional patterns (chapter 7). This thesis concludes that Christians are making a contribution to adoption work that could be said to be distinctive. This said the Church should work to promote adoption of children with more confidence and debate less about adopters. This is a bold and contentious statement yet I contend that adoption could and should be a characterising motif of Christian family life.

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The late sixties in India saw the emergence of counselling centres, new courses and literature on pastoral counselling. These centres emphasised skills, used various therapies, advocated a non-directive approach and a "paid to care" model. However, the practice of counselling raised tensions between psychology, culture and theology. This thesis translates these tensions into a series of research questions which are addressed in a form of five hypotheses tested throughout the chapters using historical, theological and socio-economic/cultural methodologies in the context of a case study of the Christian Counselling Centre (CCC) in Vellore. This thesis traces pastoral care and pastoral carers in the missions period from 1706 to 1947 and in the Church of South India. The traditional form of pastoral care developed during this period included preaching, healing, sustaining, reconciling and nurturing with guidance as the predominant emphasis. Conflicts arose between the theory and practice of pastoral care. The Synod and Diocesan councils' interpretation of pastoral care as aiding evangelism, and addressing pastoral situations, proved impossible in practice as pastors had large pastorates with administrative duties. The limitations of the advice-giving form of pastoral care in meeting the problems of urbanisation and industrialisation were shown by the Christian Mass Movements, the Rethinking Group, the Tambaram Conference of 1938, the Christian Home Movement and the Industrial Missions. VT Kurien introduced Rogerian non-directive counselling. The suggestions of counselling, education, specialised training for clergy and laity and borrowing insights from human sciences led to 1) the development of chaplains in industries and hospitals; 2) the training of the laity and the clergy in counselling and industrial missions; 3) new courses in pastoral counselling; 4) the formation of the CCC and 5) an increase in literature on pastoral care and counselling.

This thesis addresses the following question: what is the Christian contribution that a faith-based agency such as Christian Aid brings to development practice. It explores the integration of theological reflection with development work and advocacy in two faith-based organisations: Christian Aid (CA), a UK relief and development organisation and one of its overseas partners, <i>Centro de Estudos e A</i><i>ção</i><i> Social </i>(CEAS), a Brazilian Jesuit-based community development organisation. Such a question has been overlooked by many people working within development in the North but is often central to agencies in the South. Stemming from liberation theology, this thesis argues that the practice of these organisations is both developmental (economic, political, and cultural) and theological. It analyses two components arising out of the integration of faith and development. The first component is the methodology of action and reflection, the hermeneutic circle, that these organisations follow. The second is the content, the issues, emerging from the reflection. The first chapter analyses the method of the hermeneutic circle. This circle critically reflects in community on reality and spirituality, each in the light of the other. This thesis followed a similar method in its formation. The practice and reflection of CA and CEAS were considered through participant observation in both organisations with subsequent theological reflection. The following chapters explore the movement through the hermeneutic circle. First is the analysis of reality. CA’s acceptance of the development paradigm and globalisation is explored through its current focus: a campaign for fairer international trade. CEAS, in contrast, rejects economic development and globalisation. It focuses on the political realm encouraging the poorest communities to struggle with the local government, building their capacity as citizens. CA supporters also consider alternatives to development and globalisation, focusing on the local rather than the global and on the political as well as the economic realm.

The thesis starts from an examination of the present state of personal debt in the UK, drawing out the issues raised in current research. These issues are further examined through a questionnaire and interviews with creditors, debtors and advisers, the results of which are reported and analysed. This investigation is then treated as the context for reflection, first, on the Biblical material regarding debt, which is found to treat debt within a consideration of justice; the reflection therefore continues by examining (particularly in the work of Miranda and other liberation theologians) a Christian understanding of social justice. This concept is then subjected to challenge through a critique of the assault on social justice from the left (Marx) and right (principally Hayek). A Christian case for and understanding of social justice having been established, the theology of justice, justification and forgiveness is explored, building a case for forgiveness as part of the way towards justice rather than an alternative to it. This theological case is then translated into a social context, discussing recent work on the politics of forgiveness. Finally, this theoretical discussion is re-grounded in the original context of debt problems, allowing the theological and contextual elements to interact and inform Christian contributions to public policy discussion.

There has been a growing interest in non-western churches and in their theology and missiology. This thesis addresses one branch of this non-western church, by selecting a group of Evangelical writers in Asia and considering their approach to missiology. The writers are Vinay Samuel (India), Vinoth Ramachandra (Sri Lanka), Hwa Yung and Ng Kam Weng (Malaysia) and Melba Maggay (Philippines). The study argues that the selected writers’ approach to missiology can be described as transformational missiology. The thesis will adapt a framework developed by the non-western missiologist Samuel Escobar at the Iguassu consultation in Brazil in October 1999, to help set this approach to missiology in relation to other evangelical approaches in the post-World War II era. It will consider Escobar’s categorizations of missiology, which look at the influence of European and North American missiology on non-western theologians, suggest the addition of the concept of ‘mission as transformation’ and propose a slightly adapted framework as a constructive way of interpreting the selected writers’ approaches to missiology in Asia. The thesis will argue that the Evangelical writers in Asia who favour transformational missiology do so as a function of both their Asian backgrounds and their Evangelical heritage. Their Asian backgrounds encourage them to deal with the issues that the church faces in its Asia setting by forging an Asian Christian identity and developing forms of the issues that the church faces in its Asia setting by foraging an Asian Christian identity and developing forms of missiology appropriate for Asian contexts. Their Evangelical heritage shapes the traditions of missiology that they draw on and influences how they use the Christian scriptures as a resource in theology. The thesis is organised in three parts. Part one explores the opportunities and constraints that Christians in Asia face in the multi-religious setting and which necessitate the need to develop contextual forms of missiology and to forage Asian Christian identity. Part two considers Escobar’s framework for missiology, and how the Asian and Evangelical backgrounds of the selected writers lead to the adoption of transformational missiology. Part three critiques transformational missiology in relation to Asia and to evangelicals.

Az-Zuhri Mohammad b. Muslim b. 'Ubayd-Allah b. 'Abd-Allahb. Shihib (52-124 A.H.) was the most learned scholar of the Umayyad period and one of the most distinguished scholars of Islam in Qur'anic sciences , Tradition (hadith and sunna), jurisprudence, the life history of the Prophet and genealogy. In spite of the fame which he achieved and the contribution which he made in respect of the religious sciences, and in spite of the deep influence which he exerted in this field, no attempt has been made so far to study his life and work - a gap which the present thesis seeks to fill. As the title suggests, the aim of the present work is to study his life and scholarship in Qur'anic sciences and Tradition (hadith and sunna), the most significant of all the religious sciences in which he distinguished himself. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part, which is devoted to the study of az-Zuhri's life, consists of two chapters. Chapter I deals with the clan and family of az-Zuhri, his childhood and his educational attainments in Mecca and Medina. Chapter II speaks about his relationship with the Umayyad caliphs, the influence he exerted upon them, the positions he held under them, his intellectual status, and the lively interest which he displayed in disseminating the religious sciences. The second part, which is devoted to the study of az-Zuhri's scholarship in Qur'anic sciences and Tradition (hadith and sunna), also consists of two chapters. In chapter III an attempt is made to examine the most significant viewpoints of az-Zuhri in respect of the Qur'anic readings, to indicate the reading which he has selected from the seven original Qur'anic readings, his method in Qur'anic exegesis, and to analyse his works, Tanzil al-Qur'an and Mans Ukh al-Qur'an, which remain in manuscript form. Chapter IV deals with his eagerness and enthusiasm in teaching and criticism, codification and compilation of Traditions his methods in the transmission of Traditions and his sources. This study is based on materials derived from unique manuscripts and other primary sources, and seeks to bring to light significant features in az-Zuhri's life and scholarship in the Qur'anic sciences and in Tradition (hadith and sunna). It also brings out some important facts in the history ofthe Qur'anic sciences and Tradition during the Umayyad period.

Art therapy practice in palliative care offers a creative way of responding to the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of the dying individual within the principles of integrated whole person care. In this research spirituality is identified and defined through a retrospective 'critical and imaginative ethnography of the everyday'. The methodology described in chapter two focuses on the ethnographic imagination and incorporates a reflexive approach to define the meaning-making that takes place in art therapy with people who are living with a life-threatening illness. The case studies focus on the artefacts created by the terminally ill and dying person within a typical art therapy intervention. The analysis reveals a variety of meanings attributed to the artefact with a particular emphasis on the spiritual significance of the art-making process and the drawings and paintings created. In order to achieve this reference is made to developments in practical theology as a way of throwing light on how art therapy can facilitate the expression and exploration of spiritual and religious areas of need. This is important for art therapy practice as spirituality in hospice and palliative care is considered to be an important concern and an essential dimension of support. The modem hospice movement has always valued this aspect of the experience of the terminally ill patient and continues to pay attention to the meaning of dying and death and its spiritual significance. The analysis of the art-making process and the artefacts in art therapy demonstrates the profound importance of meaning-making at the end of life. This also provides evidence of the contribution that art therapy can make to palliative care. This adds to the support of the continued relevance and preservation of a psychosocial model of care that integrates the emotional, spiritual, psychological, physical and social aspects of patient care. It also raises the profile of the pastoral dimension to care of the dying by placing art therapy as an allied profession to the role of chaplaincy within health care contexts. The argument in this study is that the integrated approach cannot be assumed to be a secular stronghold that ultimately marginalises the religious and spiritual significance of cultural and social relations. Spiritual and religious meaning continually refuses to disappear and occupies a significant place within the economy of health care practice. Throughout the modem hospice movement it has been argued that the bio-medical model has to be continually challenged and critiqued in order to prevent the erosion of psychosocial aspects of care. Equally, the organisations that provide the environment of care for the terminally ill and dying person need to foster a culture of open, reflective debate and dialogue to avoid institutionalised attitudes and behaviours becoming established that can ultimately crush the human spirit. Art therapy contributes to the community of hospice and palliative care as an integral part of the complex cultural and religious dimensions of human experience at the end of life.

This thesis documents and analyses African churches in New York City, devoting particular attention to the experiences, beliefs and practices of the Church of the Lord (Aladura), the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Redeemed Christian Church of God International Chapel, Brooklyn. Based largely on ethnographic fieldwork, this work engages multiple disciplines including globalisation theory, theology, and global city studies. Section One is devoted to “Formations”, which in three chapters assessed the work of pastors in building congregations, provides an overview of the three focus churches, and offers a broad survey of African Christianity in New York in relationship to the global city. Section Two, “Encounters”, analyses in three chapters the use of prayer, the Bible, and mission at the point of contact between faith and the city. Section Three, “Directions”, explores in two chapters the trajectories of the three churches through the mobility of spiritual geographies and the second generation of membership. The Conclusion suggests a vision of “Catholicity” for how the West can respond to the presence of African Christianity. I contend that New York’s African Christianity is an embodied faith that is growing because of its location in global urban networks, its social importance for everyday life, and its theological meaning to persons in a new setting.