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<p> This study explored one aspect of religious life, prayer, at a dynamic time in human development, adolescence. This phenomenology examined the experience of adolescent prayer among those who subscribed to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Eighteen high school seniors from two Minnesota high schools, six from each religious group, completed a 7-day journal identifying and explaining their prayer experiences. After, each adolescent participated in a conversational interview with the researcher further exploring their individual prayer experiences. Journal and interview data were analyzed according transcendental phenomenology methods to create a synthesis of the adolescent prayer experience. Five themes of adolescent prayer were identified in the differing categories of human experience: (a) fitting prayer into adolescent life, (b) prayer's connection with the divine, (c) building identity through prayer, (d) emotional transitions from prayer, and (e) prayer as a coping method. In the end, a cyclical model of the adolescent prayer experience was created describing how prayer leads to the solidification of identity, emotional change, and a readiness to cope during everyday life.</p>

<p> The alchemical hermeneutic methodology utilizes a depth psychological understanding of alchemical operations as an interpretive lens. These processes, viewed from a depth psychological perspective, become the hermeneutical foci through which to interpret select spiritual texts. Following Jung and Romanyshyn, this dissertation further develops an alchemical hermeneutic, and utilizes this textual approach in the interpretation of four texts/traditions in order to create new horizons of meaning, expand the reader&rsquo;s relationship to text and self at personal and transpersonal levels, as well as broaden, deepen, and define a more psychologically sophisticated approach to certain spiritual texts. This multipaper theoretical dissertation discusses this hermeneutic process and uses the alchemical approach in the interpretation of the following texts and traditions: The <i>Yoga S&umacr;tras</i> of Pata&ntilde;jali, <i> The Dark Night</i> by John of the Cross, and select passages on the heart from the <i>Upanis&dotbelow;ads</i> and Eastern Christian spirituality.</p>

The edge of the abyss: Metamorphosis as reality in contemporary Native American literature, approaches the concept of metamorphosis from a metaphysical and philosophical perspective as a culturally defined reality. It focuses on the works of contemporary Native American writers: Leslie Silko, Scott Momaday, Gerald Vizenor, and Louise Erdrich, who address the metamorphic properties of Time and the metamorphic abilities of Man as a continuing link to the supernatural and natural worlds through stories which descend from a history of oral traditions. The Edge of the Abyss explores the use of language and stories as a cultural survival technique for the retention of tribal ideology and world view. It addresses the fine line which exists between Western and Native American concepts of reality in order to re-define metamorphosis within a cultural context. This thesis uses an interdisciplinary approach utilizing anthropological, sociological, shamanistic, literary, and cultural materials in a comparative analysis.

This article examines whether the police have a constitutional duty to inform ‘suspects’ about their fundamental rights, despite the fact that section 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, is silent on this issue. The decisions of the different divisions of the South African High Court diverge on this question, and the Constitutional Court has not yet had the opportunity to settle it. In an attempt to resolve this question, this article considers the underlying principles of binding and non-binding international law standards, as well as how this is approached in the Canadian and United States’ jurisdictions. This analysis reveals that an emerging consensus of opinion is developing which suggests that the informational duties should arise from the moment the police embark on an adversarial relationship with suspects, by approaching them to establish or disprove the existence of evidence linking them to a crime. The author concludes that such an approach accords with a contextual and purposive interpretation, and should be embraced.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / English / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

<p> Earthly paradise and its loss have fascinated humanity from the dawn of time. Indeed, the myth of earthly paradise is found throughout the world, and the longing for life in paradise is basic to every human being. The term paradise was first used in ancient Persia where it meant a walled garden. Thus paradise is designed to secure those inside in beauty and peace. However, such a life is also monotonous because perfection is unchangeable. </p><p> Life beyond paradise is complex and difficult, and the relevant myth is that of the hero, the being who rescues civilization from the chaos monster. We fanaticize about being such heroes and tend to worship heroes as a result. </p><p> The Eden Paradox represents the clash between our longing for paradise and our longing to be heroes. It also represents the clash between the first two stages of individuation, the preconscious and the ego-expansion stages. Thus, it has the potential two prevent one in its grip from reaching full maturity. It occurs in both individuals and groups. In individuals it manifests as inconsistent behavior with swings from joy in security to joy in saving others. In groups it manifests as a clash between a leader who acts like a deity and the followers who become passive worshipers who have lost their individuality.</p><p> If there is a cure for the Eden Paradox, it should be found in the final stage of individuation when wholeness results and in its associated myths of spiritual transformation. However, neither has a relationship to the Eden Paradox because those in its grip are not sufficiently mature to surrender part of our egos to the Self, the potential for wholeness in our unconscious minds. Thus they are trapped in eternal adolescence.</p><p> The Eden Paradox represents a central truth about humanity: We always want what we don&rsquo;t have. If we feel secure, we want challenge; if we are constantly challenged, we want a quiet life. To be human is to be dissatisfied and, thus, open to the emotional swings caused by the Eden Paradox.</p><p> Key words: mythology, earthly paradise, hero myths, Eden, Jungian psychology, individuation</p>