The theologians of the early church sought to interpret the Christian gospel in the categories of `Mediterranean antiquity. ' The classical two-nature model of Christology has a Greek philosophical underpinning that shapes the ontological construction of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. Logos Christology is primarily a reflection on the hypostatic union of the Logos with the human reality of Jesus that leaves little place for a consideration of Jesus' relation to the Holy Spirit. In the light of such a limitation in classical Christology, a study of the relationship between Christology and pneumatology becomes very significant. In this regard, the recent resurgence of Spirit Christology in the West adds a new dimension to contemporary Christological reflection. The theologians who are engaged in this pursuit are of the view that Christological reflection is incomplete without reflecting upon pneumatology and vice versa. This study identifies in particular at least three approaches in the contemporary European Spirit Christologies, namely, reconstruction, replacement and complementary approaches. Norman Hook attempts to reconstruct Christ, Spirit and the Trinity from the perspective of the Hebrew understanding of the Spirit. G. W. H. Lampe, by using the symbol God as Spirit replaces Logos Christology with a Spirit Christology. Jürgen Moltmann, John D. Zizioulas and David Coffey seek ways to complement Logos Christology with Spirit Christology. While not denying the contributions of reconstruction and replacement approaches, this study adopts the complementary approach and shows that Spirit Christology not only enriches systematic theology but also is relevant to an Indian context. This is done by bringing the insights of two Indian theologians Pandipeddi Chenchiah and Swami Abhishiktänanda, who emphasise the centrality of the Spirit, in interaction with the strengths of Spirit Christology. The study ends in offering a chapter on `understanding Jesus Christ in India' using the Hindu concepts of Spirit that are expressed in the terms such as atman, antaryämin, Sakti and änanda. Drawing on some of the resources of Spirit Christology, it is argued that these concepts can explicate, illuminate and evoke some latent aspects of Christology.

Though Dante never read Plato's dialogues on love, when examining the texts of Dante one notes the presence of Platonic thought and influence particularly concerning the notion of love. This thesis will focus upon the Platonic notion of eros and how it changes over time, ultimately being integrated into the Christian notion of love as understood by Dante, and how this Platonic influence is instantiated within Dante's poetry. The inherent ambiguity of the concept of love, evident historically through frequent debates concerning its value whether positive, negative or in-between, makes any investigation into the nature of love problematic, often aporetic. One aim of this thesis is to help overcome some of the aporiai of knowledge concerning love through focusing upon one form of love, eros or passionate desire, which we shall use in order to understand love more generally through exploring its points of intersection and overlapping with certain other types of love, each of which emphasizes different aspects of love's character differentiated through culture and period. Significantly eros, as perhaps the most ambiguous type of love, is often characterized negatively. Taking into account Nygren's negative view of eros which he sees as being wholly acquisitive and self-seeking as opposed to the thoroughly selfless Christian agape, we shall consider whether this view tells the full truth about eros. In this endeavour we shall explore the interrelationship of eros and understanding understood as a dialectic directed towards the pursuit of truth, which in both the Platonic and Christian traditions involves the permanent possession of the good, beautiful and true; these converge in Neo-Platonic tradition, forming a unity which in Christianity is identified with God. We shall also explore how various strands of eros relate to and articulate the notion of love of the individual. These explorations cast light on the transformation of Platonic eros by Christian agape into the Latin concept of caritas. In terms of procedure, we shall examine the notion of Platonic eros as presented in the Symposium and the Phaedrus and how this conception is reinterpreted in Dante's Commedia, these texts together acting as a lens which -will enable us better to comprehend the significance of Bros, and of love more generally, through the transformation of eros over time.

The thesis argues that the most distinctive feature of the Labour Church was Theological Socialism. For its founder, John Trevor, Theological Socialism was the literal Religion of Socialism, a post-Christian prophecy announcing the dawn of a new utopian era explained in terms of the Kingdom of God on earth; for members of the Labour Church, who are referred to throughout the thesis as Theological Socialists, Theological Socialism was an inclusive message about God working through the Labour movement. By focussing on Theological Socialism the thesis challenges the historiography and reappraises the significance of the Labour Church. Theological Socialism is examined from different vantage points: the social and ideological setting of the Labour Church in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain; the events and concepts which shaped John Trevor’s religious and political thinking; the motivations and aspirations of the Theological Socialists who aligned themselves with the movement, arguing that they were a particular group within Ethical Socialism; and the issues and concerns of the Labour Church in Birmingham, a contextual study which refutes the commonly held understanding about the lifespan of the Labour Church as a movement. The thesis concludes highlighting a continuing theological imperative for the British Labour movement.

This thesis is centred on the second chapter of the second book of Heinrich Suso's Horologium Sapientiae, the chapter entitled De Scientie Utilissima Homini Mortali quae est Scire Mori, in its three Middle English translations. Two of these are here edited for the first time: the first, here entitled The Lichfield Translation, from Lichfield Cathedral MS 16, and the second, To Kunne Deie; from Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodleian 789 and Glasgow University Library, Hunter 496. Suso's life and works are briefly described together with the date of the entry of the Horologiun Sapientiae into England and the production of the three Middle English translations drawing on this work, one of which is a re-working of the Horologium incorporating the Scire Mori. chapter, the other two (those here edited) translations of this chapter alone. The circulation and ownership in England of the Horologium Sapientiae and of the three translations are also outlined. There follows a detailed examination of the Scire Mori chapter in its three Middle English forms, which endeavours to demonstrate how the text recommends meditation upon death as an efficacious method by which to promote repentance. This argument is further extended by a consideration of the manuscript context in which the three translations appear. The liturgical rites surrounding death as they appear in the Sarum Manuale are also examined in order to shed further light on the way in which the experience and spectacle of death were conceptualised in medieval spirituality. Finally, the conclusions reached in the course of these considerations are examined in the light of recent critical works on medieval attitudes towards death. Detailed descriptions of the eighteen manuscripts containing Middle English translations of Suso's Horologium Sapientiae form one Appendix to the thesis; a second comprises brief descriptions of manuscripts written in England containing the work in Latin.

This thesis examines the texts of Paul's letters which historically have been used to support the doctrine of universalism. Section One: Chapter I discusses Paul's judgement terminology (wrath, destruction and death) and concludes with a sociological study of group boundaries. These terms portend annihilation or hell because they contain no sense of eschatological reformation. Group boundaries confirm the exclusive nature of Pauline belief that there exist two classes of people, insiders who look forward to a glorious salvation with Christ, and outsiders who will be destroyed in the eschaton. Chapter II considers the possibility that a person might compensate for his sins by some form of postmortem remedial suffering; this is deemed unlikely. Chapter III examines the tension between grace and works and whether Paul would permit an unbeliever to be saved on the basis of his works. Paul requires a profession of faith to be saved, with one exception: Gentiles who earnestly seek after God. Section Two: Chapter I shows that salvation in Rom. 11:26, 32 is better understood as corporate mercy than individual salvation. Collectives (Jews and Gentiles), not individuals are promised salvation. Chapter II reads 1 Cor. 15:22 restrictively; only those who belong to Christ will be made alive. Reasons for this conclusion are derived from the context and from the possibility that Paul expected a resurrection of only the righteous. Section Three: Chapter I examines Rom. 8:19-23 and its Jewish background, the Renovation of nature. The text itself limits salvation to certain sectors of the cosmos. This agrees with the essential element of the Jewish Renovation which is a removal of the wicked. Chapter II investigates Eph. 1:10 and Phil. 2:10 f. Both texts set Christ up as divine ruler of the cosmos, but neither implies that cosmic lordship imparts saving benefits. The passages are better understood in terms of cosmic conquest than cosmic salvation. Chapter III argues that the cosmic scope of the reconciliation in Col. 1:20 is curtailed in the Pauline redaction of the hymn as well as elsewhere in Colossians. Conclusion: Paul's judgement terminology and his use of insider/outsider language strongly support particularism. This conclusion is sustained by the universalist texts themselves which often fit into particularist themes.

This thesis argues that Satan is essentially a literary figure and that he is best understood in the context of narrative. This study furthermore establishes what the literary figure of Satan can contribute to the understanding of evil and how his portrayal has changed as we move into the 21st century. I suggest that the interdisciplinary reading of theology and literature offers the best approach to the character of Satan. The focus of the study lies on novels from the last 100 years, focusing on the implications of the historic, philosophical and theological changes in the late modern landscape on the figure of Satan. Underlying this study are three primary aspects: Firstly, the literary character of Satan raises the question of the nature of evil. Satan has long been cast as evil personified and this work tries to explore the relationship between the abstract concept of evil and the character of Satan: in an attempt to asses whether evil has a face. The literary figure of Satan can be seen as one approach to the abstract concept of evil that is a reality in human life but that cannot be understood in its being, only through expression. Secondly, the diabolical appears as part of any story; the powers of creation and destruction are connected. The figure of Satan is ambivalent and despite all its destructive elements, the character appears as the driving force behind the story. I want to show how Satan can be understood to be the facilitator of the story. Finally, any narrative is based on relation, and Satan is essentially a relational character. We can speak of a ‘mutual dependency’: Satan needs the human mind – we embody him, we give him his form, but equally are we in need of a scapegoat for all that is dark and undiscovered in us. The character of Satan is therefore personal and relational, best approached in the context of the story, with its inherent relationship between form and content.With this work, I am trying to establish a dialogue between theology and literature through the character of Satan, who transgresses boundaries and facilitates discussion, and therefore is by definition a truly interdisciplinary character. In my introduction I will examine the origins of the satanic figure in the theology of Christianity, starting with the Serpent in Genesis 3:1 and its development into a powerful character in myth and story. I also place the focus of this work on the inderdisciplinary reading of Satan, set against the conceptual approach of systematic theology. Part one of this work will shed some light on the dwelling place of the character, discussing the role of Satan as a symbol (of evil) and the difficulties connected to the definitions of Satan. Beginning with the Scriptures and then further elaborating the function of Satan in the story, I will focus on the relation between Satan and the text. Part two discusses six aspects of satanic characters in recent or contemporary novels, focusing on the function that the satanic image can contribute to the discussion of evil in the post-modern world. The novels chosen for this discussion are from 20th and 21st century European or North American writers and their reading is put into context with the Christian concept of Satan in the West. With The Wandering Jew by Stefan Heym, I look at Satan as the restless wanderer, discussing the concept of spiritual homelessness and alienation. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad approaches Satan as the shadow, taking into consideration the modern contributions of psychoanalysis to the understanding of Satan. The discussion of Siegfried by Harry Mulisch centres upon the physical being or nature of Satan, from nothingness, to parasite, or historic figure. With Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy I will discuss the role of Satan in an apocalyptic context, focusing on the reversal of roles in an antinomian world. The discussion of The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson and The Great Bagarozy by Helmut Krauser examines the attributes of a ‘domestic’ devil, with the focus of boredom and identity crisis. The Master and Margarita by Michail Bulgakov concludes with a discussion of the terms reality and fiction in the context of Satan. In the conclusion, I will bring together the thoughts of the previous chapters to suggest an image of Satan that finds its essence in the story, addressing the possibility of redemption for the satanic figure and at the same time, locating him in the realm of the excess. I will identify Satan as the Other and ascribe to him a necessary function in the context of the story.

This research tests C.G. Jung’s suggestion that if protestant Christians think of God as a mythologem then it advances consciousness. There is an implied benefit of greater religious tolerance. The research methodology is to investigate the theoretical concepts involved, operationalise them, and then conduct an empirical test of their relationship. There are multiple problems that have to be overcome, including Jung’s amorphous and protean use of terminology. His concept of myth, in this context, is clarified and positioned within his philosophy, the contemporary culture of materialism, and the primary beliefs of the target audience. The contemporary understanding of Jungian consciousness is also revisioned to incorporate Jung’s notion of advancement based on the transcendent function. There are no existing measures for ‘thinking mythologically’ nor ‘advancement’. The concepts do not lend themselves to established psychometric principles. Therefore, two new forms of questionnaire are devised to measure these concepts, alongside two new questionnaires of conventional design that collect information about demographics and religious tolerance. There is an Information Technology sub-project, using a bespoke database and set of programs, to develop, publish, and promote the questionnaires on the internet. There are then two stages of statistical analysis: one to develop reliable and valid measures for each concept; the other to measure the relationships between the concepts. The main result of the test is that the specific relationship Jung describes in the letter – between mythological thinking and advancement of consciousness – does not hold. However, the data does suggest there may be a direct relationship between mythological thinking and religious tolerance. Despite the failure of the main test, there are a number of useful lessons from the results and suggestions for future research. There are also several spin-offs from the thesis, in terms of both concepts and resources. These are reviewed in the final chapter.