This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology’s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed. / This dissertation identifies the shape, content, and marks of the theology of the cross, an ancient and still extant epistemological and soteriological system of Christian thought. Applying the resulting hermeneutic it then shows this system to be present with renewed vitality and future significance in the modern project of seminal Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968).

Research object of this thesis is Magnus the Apostle of the Allgäu area in Germany. Based on the historical background, this thesis analyses Magnus concerning the way and impact of his apostolic ministry to understand and compare it to the ministry of the biblical apostolic ministry and thus describe criteria of apostolic ministry and consequences until today. The originality of this thesis lies, due to a limites written sources concerning the vita of Magnus, in firstly an investigation into historical developments of his context in the Allgäu, secondly evaluates his Iro-Scottish backround and thirdly describes the historical impact. The resulting insights are compared between the apostolic-missionary work of Magnus and the New Testament. The conclusion summarizes the ministry of the apostle into a number of statements Which are in harmony with the life of Magnus and the context of the New Testament. / Forschungsgegenstand dieser Arbeit ist Magnus (699-772 n. Chr.), der Apostel des Allgaus. Aufgabe der Untersuchung ist es, basierend auf dem literarhistorischen Hintergrund des Magnus seine Biographie zu untersuchen, um eine Vorstellung liber die Art und Weise seiner apostolischen Wirksamkeit zu gewinnen. Die Besonderheit dieser Arbeit besteht darin, dass auf Grund des eingeschrankten schriftlichen Quellenbefundes der Magnusvita zum Einen die Erfassung des geschichtlichen Werdens seines Wirkungsfeldes im Allgau, zum Zweiten die Untersuchung seines iroschottischen Hintergrundes und zum Dritten die Darstellung seiner Wirkungsgeschichte unabdingbar sind. Die so gewonnenen Kenntnisse ermoglichen einen thesenhaften Vergleich zwischen dem apostolisch-missionarischen Wirken des Magnus und dem der Apostel des Neuen Testamentes. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Text in German, summaries in English and German / Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht, wie die paulinische Ethik von der Eschatologie bestimmtwird. Ausgehend von einer Untersuchung der hellenistisch-römischen Jenseitserwartung und ihren (möglichen) ethischen Implikationen werden der 1. Thessalonicherbrief, der1. Korintherbrief und der Römerbrief hinsichtlichdesVerhältnisses von Ethik und Eschatologie analysiert. Durch Bestimmung und Zuordnung eschatologischer Einzelmotive zu ethischen Weisungen wird die These erhoben, dass eschatologische Motive primär der Begründung exklusivethischer Mahnungen dienen, wenngleich sie auch bei inklusiv-ethischen Themen zum Einsatz kommen.Zugleich zeichnet sich ab, dass das (von Paulus charakterisierte)ethisch-moralische Versagen und die Hoffnungslosigkeit der Heiden sowie die Hoffnung und der ethische Anspruch an Christen in Korrelation zueinander stehen. / This thesis examines how Paul’s ethical teaching is determined by his eschatology. Based on a survey of Hellenistic-Roman expectations regarding the hereafter and their potential ethical implications, this study examines 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians and Romans in order to understand the relation between ethics and eschatology. By identifying and matching individual eschatological motifs with ethical directives the thesis proposed that eschatological motifs are primarily utilized as the foundation for exclusive ethical exhortations, although they also appear in the context of inclusive ethical issues. At the same time, it becomes clear that the moral-ethical depravity and hopelessness of the Gentiles (as they are characterised by Paul) as well as hope and the ethical demands on Christians on stand in correlation with each other / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)

In the presentation of his Gospel in his letter to the Romans Paul often quotes from the Old Testament. This indicates the functional significance of the OT as the foundation of Paul´s argumentation. However, is Paul´s use of Scripture legitimate? Does Paul change and misinterpret Scripture to fit his own ends? If Paul´s argumentation with Scripture follows contemporary, legitimate early Jewish methods of interpretation, then he could be cleared of the charge of manipulatively changing and interpreting Scripture. This thesis examines the textual basis of these quotations, the interpretive methods employed and the function of such quotations for Paul´s argumentation. The results suggest that Paul has not manipulated the textual basis. He employs the interpretive techniques of early Judaism and refers to Scripture mainly to affirm his presentation of the Gospel. A final section raises the issue what contemporary Biblical studies might learn from Paul´s use of Scripture. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.Th.(New Testament)

This study investigates the meaning of Paul's expression 'works of the law' ( tpycx vOμou) • A survey of representative scholars regarding Paul's attitude toward the Mosaic law demonstrates that confusion over this issue continues as a difficulty in Pauline studies. It is suggested that ascertaining the meaning of this expression will help alleviate that confusion. This study indicates that Paul's use of tpyov is ethically neutral: 'work' itself is neither positive nor negative for Paul. The ethical orientation of a given 'work' is determined by the descriptors Paul attaches to it. Paul speaks positively and negatively about the law itself, yet only negative descriptors are used with tpycxvOμou. This gives significant direction for the interpretation of 'works of the law.' The historical backgrounds of Galatians and Romans support this negative orientation for tpycx vOμou. These letters were written to confront separate crisis situations in different churches. Yet they share common situational elements. Paul was faced in both churches with a form of 'judaizing' opposition that insisted that Gentile converts become 'practical Jews' in order to 'complete' the Abrahamic covenant through the Mosaic. Paul addresses this threat to these churches by means of epistolographical and rhetorical mechanisms. He uses these persuasive communication devices powerfully, insisting that these converts recognize what it means to be 'in Christ,' and what it means and does not mean to be 'Jewish.' 'Works of the law' are not necessary for salvation, and were never intended for redemption. Likewise, identity as one who performs 'works of the law' does not provide any claim upon God. One does not have to become a 'practical Jew' to have a right relationship to God, and a Jew has no redemptive status before God on the basis of ethnicity. 'Works of the law,' then, serve as a factor in Paul's polemics because the continuing validity of the Mosaic law is the issue being addressed by Paul and his opponents. They are a feature in Paul's view of the law because he is both positive and negative toward the law, depending upon one's intended salvific orientation to God through it / Psychology of Education / D. Th. (New Testament)

Text in English / The purpose of this dissertation was to establish the rhetorical function of Romans 7 within the context of Romans 5-8. Chapter 1 involved a survey of the problem that led to the investigation and a discussion of a number of approaches offered as an interpretation for understanding Romans 7. Chapter 2 centred on an investigation into the nature of Paul's audience in Rome. Chapter 3 investigated the purpose of the letter as a help to understanding the rhetorical function of Romans 7. Chapter 4 dealt with the rhetorical function of Romans 7. The causa underlying Paul's rhetoric in Romans 7 was a tendency among Gentile Christians to want to return to the law. Paul set out strongly to counter this tendency because it was incompatible with their position in Christ and would foil his plans in respect of the Gentile Christians in Rome and of the Gospel to the West. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Studies)

Est-ce-que le sabbat est d'origine hébraïque ?Quand est né le dimanche ?Est-ce que Paul est l'inventeur du christianisme ?Comment expliquer la position des chrétiens sabbataires aujourd'hui ?Is the sabbath from hebrew origin ?When the Sunday is "born" ?Was Paul the inventor of christianism ?How to explain the position of the sabbatarien christians ? / Doctorat en Philosophie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Rembrandt's use of light in his self-portraits has received an abundance of scholarly attention throughout the centuries--and for good reason. His light delights the eye and captivates the mind with its textural quality and dramatic presence. At a time of scientific inquiry and religious reformation that was reshaping the way individuals understood themselves and their relationship to God, Rembrandt's light may carry more intellectual significance than has previously been thought. Looking at Rembrandt's oeuvre of self-portraits chronologically, it is apparent that something happened in his life or in his understanding that caused him to change how he used light. A distinct and consistent shift can be observed in the location and intensity of light to the crown of the forehead. This change indicates that light held particular significance for Rembrandt and that its connection to the head was a signifier with intentional meaning. This meaning could have developed as a result of Rembrandt's exposure to and interest in the contemporary theological and philosophical debates of the seventeenth-century Netherlands, particularly those relating to the physical and eternal nature of the soul stemming from the writings of René Descartes. The relative religious and intellectual freedom of the Dutch Republic provided a safe place for Descartes to publish and defend his metaphysical ideas relating to the nature of the soul and know-ability of God through personal intellectual inquiry. The widespread disturbance to established thought caused by his ideas and methods sped their dissemination into the early seventeenth-century discourse. Rembrandt's associations with the educated elite, particularly Constantijn Huygens and Jan Six, increases the probability that he knew of this new philosophy and had the opportunity to consider its relevance to his own quest for self-knowledge. With his particular emphasis on self-exploration and expression, demonstrated through his prolific oeuvre of self-portraits, and his inclination toward emotive, complex, and interdenominational religious works, it follows that Rembrandt would be eager to embrace Descartes' metaphysics and demonstrate his awareness through his self-portraits. Light on the forehead becomes a metaphor for enlightenment and is the key to reading Rembrandt's late self-portraits through the lens of Cartesian influence.

Text in German with summaries in German and English / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-212) / Das Matthäusevangelium ist in seiner literarischen Form eine Erzählung. Jesus und die Bedeutung seines Lebens sowie der göttlichen Sendung bilden dabei die zentrale Rolle. Die narrative Exegese ist somit für die Untersuchung der Lehrmethoden Jesu in der Darstellungsweise von Matthäus besonders dazu geeignet, die Lehrmethoden zu analysieren und literarisch zu charakterisieren. Eine Untersuchung der Lehrmethoden Jesu zeigt, dass Jesus auf besondere Art und Weise die Jünger schult, begleitet und herausfordert. Dazu werden zentrale Texte aus dem Matthäusevangelium, in denen die Lehrmethoden Jesu und der Lernprozess der Jünger deutlich werden, zunächst identifiziert, eingegrenzt und narrativ untersucht. Mit diesen Ergebnissen werden in einem weiteren Schritt die Lehrmethoden Jesu mit erlebnispädagogischen Methoden verglichen. Auf dieser Grundlage werden die Darstellung und Charakteristik der Lehrmethoden Jesu erarbeitet, um so mögliche nicht-offensichtliche Bedeutungen der Darstellung von Jesu Lehrtätigkeit und seinen Methoden zu entdecken. / The Gospel of Matthew is a narrative in its literary form. Jesus, the meaning of his life, and his divine mission constitute the central message of the Gospel of Matthew. The narrative exegesis of Matthew is especially suited to the analysis and literary characterization of the teaching methods of Jesus. Numerous passages show what special methods Christ used to instruct, accompany, and challenge his disciples. Essential passages of the Gospel of Matthew which reveal the teaching methods of Jesus and learning process of the disciple are first identified, then narrowed down, and finally analyzed in their narrative. The results of Jesus’ teaching methods are subsequently compared with contemporary experiential education. The presentation and characteristic of the teaching methods of Jesus are compiled in this manner in order to discover possible non- obvious meanings in the account of the teaching of Jesus and his methods. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)

In this work I have used Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus as a springboard to examine the Pauline tradition in the light of Zimbabwe-African, cultural, legal and social attitudes to women. I have highlighted the conflict between the practices defined by Zimbabwean Constitutional law regarding the status of women and what is the actual situation on the ground, also considering the role of the church in confronting or conforming to the cultural norms. I have likewise highlighted the conflict in the Pauline tradition where one hand women are given more active roles in the church than could be expected according to the customs of the time, but on the other hand are still bound by an oppressive tradition. I have concluded by suggesting how the church can act in order to break free of this oppressive tradition and bring about change in the habitus of the society. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)