The thesis offers an examination of the use of the Bible in Viens vers le Pere, a Catholic catechetical series published between 1964 and 1969 for use in the primary schools of Quebec. It enjoyed great popularity from the 1960s to the 1980s and was translated into several languages and used in some fourteen countries. The series places particular emphasis on the use of the Bible in catechesis. The thesis investigates the method of biblical interpretation underpinning these catechetical resources and constitutes the first indepth study of the series. Developments in educational psychology and Catholic theology from the first half of the $20 sp{ rm th}$ century influence the use and interpretation of the Bible in this series. The thesis concludes that the Bible and typical experiences of young children are exploited as a means for presenting and understanding doctrine. / From a hermeneutical perspective, the thesis offers an exercise in metacriticism. The thesis suggests an alternative to the exploitation of the Bible and the experiences of the audience as a means to clarify doctrine. It concludes that catechesis should engender a dialogue between the scriptural world and the child's world in hopes of an encounter which would elucidate both.

No description available.

No description available.

The thesis inquires into the role of the Christian Churches in the ethnic and communal conflicts of the Third World. Often times summoned to intervene, churches can instigate, ignore, or seek to reconcile the inter-communal tensions and strife which wreak havoc on the development of these societies. Church response to reconcile the rival claims of divergent ethnic communities is, however, not necessarily impelled purely by doctrinal directives. The institutional interests of the church as well as other priorities often qualify the role of the churches as peace-makers. Using empirical evidence from Fiji, Guyana, and Trinidad, the thesis focuses mainly on the conciliatory role of the churches in these conflicts. It seeks to ascertain whether the churches, over the years and in different cultural milieux, have evolved a body of experiential resources in resolving or assuaging these conflicts. In the end, the thesis attempts to answer the question whether there is or can be a Christian mode of ethnic conflict resolution.

No description available.

No description available.

A spirituality which facilitates authentic liberation is one which intuits the evolutive nature of human development. Justice and compassion are biblical descriptions of a liberation effected by the Holy Spirit in and through persons. The development of persons towards being able to embrace such qualities is set within three interconnected paradigms: a theological paradigm, a psychological paradigm, and a socio-historical paradigm. The theological paradigm sees the creative process as continuing an evolutive movement towards the wholeness of persons, society and the cosmos. Within this, persons are defined as created co-creators with God, and are given the responsibility of participating in the process which will achieve this goal. This paradigm is reflected in the works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin concerning the evolution of consciousness within each material form, towards union in God. The psychological paradigm suggests that the evolution of consciousness within persons gives rise to the probability of the emergence of levels of consciousness capable of initiating and sustaining the manifestation of justice and compassion. In this evolutive process a boundary is perceived by persons between the ego-body as 'self' and the environment as 'not-self'. This boundary prohibits the emergence of the qualities of justice and compassion in human consciousness. The developmental process is constituted by the integration of the 'not-self' into the 'self' at each stage, facilitating the emergence of a consciousness which takes responsibility for the environment as 'self'. The socio-historical paradigm is defined by the perspectives on the world held by the poor. The spirituality emerging from within this paradigm is initiated through encounter with Jesus. It is concretized in a preferential option for the empowerment of the poor, which facilitates and sustains the integration of 'self' and the environment. An examination of the Latin American base Christian communities shows the characteristics of Church life and structure which facilitate the Church becoming the locus of development towards authentic personal and social liberation. The structure of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa is evaluated in this light, in order to encourage clergy and laity to rise towards their full personhood in God.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Church History and Church Polity))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Church History and Church Polity / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Ed.) -- University of the North, 1997 / Refer to the document

Abstract not available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1997.