This thesis, which is the first attempt to write about the growth of retreats, deals with a rather sidelined but important development in the history of spirituality. It states when, how and why the practice of retreat was adopted and adapted in the Church of England after having been a devotion in the Church of Rome since the time of the Catholic Reformation and how it has developed since. It is divided chronologically into three major sections. The first tells the story of its adoption in 1858 by a group of Anglo Catholics in the form of the preached retreat and its subsequent spread to a small number of adherents, despite meeting opposition from Evangelical Christians. The second tells of the influence of a Jesuit brother, Charles Plater, and how after the First World War a number of Diocesan retreat houses were opened, the use of which continued to rise until after the Second World War. The third takes the story up to our present day with its adaptation to the needs of the present search for faith, its decline accompanying the present loss in membership in the churches whilst at the same time its adoption in various forms by non-Anglican groups. In particular it contains a history of the Society of Retreat Conductors. All the time comparison is made with what was happening in the Church of Rome. There are resonances with the history of the Victorian church, the attitude of the established church to the working classes, evangelism, the changing fortunes of Anglo Catholicism, the ecumenical movement and New Age Christianity. It is of interest to all who are concerned about spread of religious faith today.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / Problem. The purpose of the dissertation is to discuss the place of George Herbert (1593-1633) in the history of the Christian Church in England. With the revival of interest in and appreciation of the metaphysical poets, the name of George Herbert has taken a recognized place in the list of English authors, and his contribution to English literature is acknowledged increasingly. On the other hand, his role in Church history has never adequately been assessed. His theological and ecclesiological position often has been misrepresented gravely, and as a result his English poems, all of which deal with religious subjects, have been misunderstood to some extent by many. The dissertation is not a study of George Herbert considered primarily as a literary artist. It does not attempt to make a literary analysis of his poems, nor does it look for evidences of purely literary influence, except where data of this kind contribute directly to understanding his religion or his place in the Church. George Herbert's religious devotion is for us totally bound up in his poetry, and his attitude toward his poetic gift is at its root religious. Therefore a study of this kind cannot avoid all literary questions, and it refers constantly to his poetry. But what is attempted is an historical view of Herbert's place in English religious life and not a criticism of his poetry and prose. [truncated]

Texte remanié de: PhD thesis--University of London, 1999. / Bibliogr. p. 283-296. Notes bibliogr. Index.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of History. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

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This thesis contends that a pattern of training entitled Parish Development devised by the author in the course of his professional role as a training officer in the Church of England is a new, versatile and valuable training resource for training and development in the Church of England (and potentially for other churches too.) This pattern of training engages with the congregation as a whole, unlike traditional training methods which focus on the individual who is being prepared for, or supported in, a leadership role within and on behalf of the local church. Parish Development enables a congregation to discover important aspects of its own wisdom by constructing an account of its story, size, purposes, outlook, stage on a life cycle and shared values in belonging to this particular congregation. The resulting account will have implications for the way the congregation organizes its life and activities which usually imply that some improving or developmental action can be taken. The account is also relevant to several issues facing congregations both in the normal course of change, like the appointment and induction of a new vicar, or in more substantial change like merging with another parish or sharing clergy. This new pattern of training has been constructed from insights to be found in Congregational Studies and turned into exercises designed to enhance the self understanding of the congregation as a whole. It employs a pedagogy which draws inspiration from Freire, Vella and Wickett in focussing on dialogue and conversation designed to reveal the wisdom already present within the congregation and to build on that. The notion of the wisdom of the congregation has roots in Aristotleʼs use of phronesis, a concept familiar to practical theologians through the writings of Browning and Graham, but just as importantly, it makes sense to congregational members themselves. The theological purpose driving this pattern of training is the desire to build up the local church as the body of Christ. This accords with the congregation as koinonia, an important ecumenical understanding of the church, which is always in need of oikodome or building up. The research interprets data about the impact of this training on four selected case studies. The data consists of locally published reports of the training events, interviews with participants looking back on what happened, and the results of a questionnaire designed to explore the status of contrasting accounts. It also uses eight metaphors for organizations identified by Morgan to provide further insights into the complexity of what is happening. The method is shown to be versatile enough to respond positively to difficult decisions and changes in parish life. It harnesses a hitherto largely ignored resource to explore and contribute to solving significant problems facing the contemporary church. To demonstrate its implementable validity the thesis concludes with a practical proposal for employing this method to address the challenge of declining clergy numbers. An Appendix offers a theological commentary on Parish Development showing that this proposal is in line with contemporary Anglican ecclesiology.

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This study is about ethics and leadership power in the Anglican church in Buganda. Exercising leadership power in church has on many occasions created difficulties and anxieties for both leaders and the church community. This study had two achievable aims. First, it aimed at investigating the motives that the church leaders attached to their leadership decisions and actions, hence power. The study investigated the motives behind the invitation of missionaries to Buganda and found that the motive was to strengthen military power on the part of the kabaka. For the missionaries in creating the Church Council, the motive was group advantage. The power interests and motives which accompanied them are discussed in chapter II. The motives that Bishop Tucker and the CMS missionaries attached to their divergent positions on the first church constitution in Buganda were examined. As the analysis reveals in chapter III, the Bishop attached the value of equality while the missionaries sought advantage for their group. Chapter IV focused on the constitutional crisis between Buganda dioceses and the Province and revealed that group advantage was the dominant motive. An examination of the church constitutions in Uganda found that these documents contribute to the leadership problems in the church in so far as they make the episcopacy the vortex of leadership power. Part 2 of the study addressed the issue of the exercise of leadership power in church and society. It was evident that personal and group advantage were the motives in the leadership decisions and actions. In society there were several other values which Bishops attached to their actions and confrontation or collaboration with the political leaders.