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This thesis, inter-disciplinary in nature and orientation, seeks to assess the extent to which the spiritual/interior experiences arising from specific examples of human physical activity can be interpreted/clarified through the use of the concept of embodiment (informed and enriched by insights arising from religious studies) as an interpretive key. Diversity of attitudes to the body, evident in theoretical and practical variations, necessitates a clear definition of the particular understanding of embodiment which underpins this study, an indication of how embodiment when used as a 'key' might assist in the interpretation of the experiences to be investigated, and an explanation of the process by which the critical question was identified and developed. In order to provide the methodological framework, Chapter 1 clarifies the synthesis of personal experience, practical knowledge and theoretical understandings which underpin and authenticate a research method characterised by a process of journeying 'back and forth' between key 'pieces' of evidence. In the second chapter of the study the experience arising from human physical activity is discussed and possible modes of interpretation considered. Embodiment as a key for this experience is examined in relation to sport (Chapter 3). Chapter 4 is a survey of understandings of embodiment, drawn largely from religious sources. Thereafter, in Chapter 5, sacred dance will be considered. In Chapter 6, I refer to circumstances, situations and experiences which may impede and distort the recognition and celebration of the fact of our embodiment as experienced in and through our bodies. Findings support the use of embodiment as a viable 'key' for experiences arising from certain types of human physical activity. Fully celebrated and assessed anew for different contexts, embodiment may prove to be a predominant motif of our time, redeeming and enriching our sense of what it means to be in our bodies.

This thesis focuses on three main areas of interest in ecumenical education. First, there is the historical and political context, without which the whole discussion would lack anchorage in the real situation. The evolution of Church schools within the national system of education in Britain has a direct relevance to the story. Secondly, questions concerning the nature and purpose of Church schools, both Anglican and Roman Catholic, in this country have concentrated the minds of Church leaders and educationists, particularly against the background of new curriculum developments and of financial stringency. Out of this discussion arise questions concerning the real possibilities for closer ecumenical cooperation in education between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches in Britain, in the light of ecclesiastical directives to do together whatever is possible and permitted. The atmosphere has been changed following the Second Vatican Council and the exchange of visits between Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Runcie of Canterbury in 1982 and 1989. The third area for consideration is the possibility of ecumenical schools in which cooperation is more than amicable coexistence but takes a concrete institutional form: how do the converging discussions within the two communions on matters of theology, religious education, and the essential purpose of having Church schools at all, relate to the realities of educational practice at the 'chalk-face'? To try to illuminate these problems, two case studies have been selected from the various joint Anglican/Roman Catholic schools across the country, each evolving in its own peculiar environment. One was created by the amalgamation of an Anglican girls' and a Roman Catholic mixed secondary school in suburban Surrey; the other was integrated from its conception in the polarised community of Belfast. The contrasts reflect different historical, cultural, educational and ecclesiastical traditions between England and Northern Ireland. The similarities arise in that Lagan at Belfast adopted ideas implemented at Redhill where relevant to the Irish situation. The aim of the thesis has been to identify the key processes by which ecumenical education became more than just a hypothetical dream but rather a viable option for the future.

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The purpose of the thesis is to design an evaluation model which could be used to improve the quality of Sunday schools in Korea. Various evaluation theories that are current outside the church were examined and evaluated to see whether they were amenable to modification to serve the church’s interest in Sunday Schools. The adapted theories were put into practice and tested to see whether the resultant model of evaluation was fit for practical use [or not] in a church setting by doing a number of case studies. Recently the church has had to face severe criticism from the wider Korean society. In order to overcome these problems, the thesis examines the purpose of Sunday school education, which is essentially based on the pursuit of faith conceived more holistically, and considers the improvement needed to deliver quality education in Sunday schools. For this purpose, it tries to devise an evaluation model that establishes a clear understanding of the present state of Sunday schools whilst also suggesting how these schools might change and develop the quality of their education. In order to achieve the quality improvement of Sunday schools, this thesis considers QM (Quality Management) as the main theoretical basis of an evaluation model, because both the kind of analysis and improvement which are used in QM, were shown to be suitable and applicable to a Sunday school setting whilst providing a basis for a continuous improvement in quality. The thesis demonstrates the suitability of this model with regard to its practical application in the field by testing it in individual Sunday schools, which together represent the range of Korean Sunday schools that one might encounter. Also, it critically considers those parts and processes of the evaluation model which should be changed in response to the issues that arose during the case studies.

E.A. Guillemin. / "September 2, 1953"--Cover. "Reprinted from the Proceedings of the National Electronic Conference, vol. 9, February, 1954"--Cover. / Army Signal Corps Contract DA36-039 sc-100 Project 8-102B-0 Dept. of the Army Project 3-99-10-022

Sociologists have been interested in how individuals in modern society are bound to each other since the inception of the discipline. The 'community question' has seen three broad paradigms in this time. The 'community lost' perspective argues that community belonging and modernity are incompatible. In contrast, 'community saved' research suggest that the nature of modernity has made the benefits of community more salient than ever. Finally, the 'community transformed' approach posits that community has metamorphosed to become more relevant to the modern world. This thesis seeks to explore the form that communities may take in contemporary urban settings, and investigate the processes that underlie their continuation. To this end, an ethnographic case study approach was employed to examine an organisation that appears to both offer and exploit community – Alpha. Alpha is an eleven-week catechetical course that seeks to integrate non-Christians into the Christian community. Identifying and employing three 'ideal type' categories of Alpha guests, I examine the methods that the organisation uses in its efforts to attract new members, keep them attending, and integrate them into the community of the church. I argue that Alpha offers three distinct forms of community, with each appealing to different ideal type guests. The first is a gateway to the larger community of the local congregation. The second is a low-commitment community-in-itself. Finally, Alpha represents a community that offers material benefits to members. Alpha suggests that communities can be successful in attracting members by creating hybridised, multifaceted forms of belonging but that fostering long-term commitment is more problematic. This supports the 'community transformed' position that argues that the forms of belonging that were dominant in pre- and early modernity are less salient today.

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