There are many people in South Afrika that yearly get affected by crisis and trauma for example rape, murder, child molestation, divorce, loss of work, floods, fire, gang violence and critical motor, aircraft or industrial accidents. When we also take into account all the people that are dying due to HIV/AIDS and the children that are being left behind, it seems very characteristic of a tidal wave of people in misery. Christians are in no way exempt from all the heartache and pain in this present evil and broken world. The after-effects of crises and trauma effect them as well and they also struggle to fight through the emotional pain - therefore the necessity of the essential assistance and guidance from the church. From the exegetical research it became clear that guidance and teaching be deemed as an essential element to a crisis counseling equipping program of church office-bearers regarding the effective pastoral guidance of believers during or after crisis experiences. Within such a teaching program the charismata - that is essentially gifts given through the Holy Spirit for the equipping of believers within the body of Christ - must received central focus. In this regard the office-bearers fulfill a special function because part of their task is especially to guide traumatized believers to the truth of who God actually is - this can assist in creating an environment in which it will be more easy to abolish certain disbeliefs and negative feelings regarding their relationship to God. From the theological basis theory it became evident that office-bearers have an ideal position to assist believers in times of crisis, largely due to the unique position that spiritual leaders have in general within the congregation and community. Basic knowledgeable regarding effective crisis counselling is not necessarily acquired over years of training. It is therefore practically possible for office-bearers to be trained and equipped in basic counselling to assist the body of believers after a crisis or trauma. Within the chapter that dealt with pastoral guidance regarding complicated trauma, it became clear that it is important for church office-bearers to have extensive knowledge of the typical symptoms and causes of complicated trauma. This is specifically related to situations where the symptoms on average take more than six weeks to be resolved. With regard to the metatheoretical perspectives special focus was placed on possible insights from the neighouring sciences regarding the counselling of people after trauma and crises. The various phases of a traumatic experience seemed to be of special importance in this regard. Assistance in every specific phase will result in various levels of assistance and much focus is placed on this. From the results of the empirical research the interviews emphasized very clearly that where pastors are equipped, members of the congregation would prefer to be counseled by them. It also became quite clear that the pastoral guidance of church members can largely contribute to reducing post-traumatic stress. In the practical-theoretical part of this study an equipping program is proposed that will enable church office-bearers for meaningful pastoral assistance of people during and after times of crisis and complicated traumatic events. This equipping program can effectively be utilised by congregations and will largely contribute to the prevention of negative post-traumatic effects. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

There are many people in South Afrika that yearly get affected by crisis and trauma for example rape, murder, child molestation, divorce, loss of work, floods, fire, gang violence and critical motor, aircraft or industrial accidents. When we also take into account all the people that are dying due to HIV/AIDS and the children that are being left behind, it seems very characteristic of a tidal wave of people in misery. Christians are in no way exempt from all the heartache and pain in this present evil and broken world. The after-effects of crises and trauma effect them as well and they also struggle to fight through the emotional pain - therefore the necessity of the essential assistance and guidance from the church. From the exegetical research it became clear that guidance and teaching be deemed as an essential element to a crisis counseling equipping program of church office-bearers regarding the effective pastoral guidance of believers during or after crisis experiences. Within such a teaching program the charismata - that is essentially gifts given through the Holy Spirit for the equipping of believers within the body of Christ - must received central focus. In this regard the office-bearers fulfill a special function because part of their task is especially to guide traumatized believers to the truth of who God actually is - this can assist in creating an environment in which it will be more easy to abolish certain disbeliefs and negative feelings regarding their relationship to God. From the theological basis theory it became evident that office-bearers have an ideal position to assist believers in times of crisis, largely due to the unique position that spiritual leaders have in general within the congregation and community. Basic knowledgeable regarding effective crisis counselling is not necessarily acquired over years of training. It is therefore practically possible for office-bearers to be trained and equipped in basic counselling to assist the body of believers after a crisis or trauma. Within the chapter that dealt with pastoral guidance regarding complicated trauma, it became clear that it is important for church office-bearers to have extensive knowledge of the typical symptoms and causes of complicated trauma. This is specifically related to situations where the symptoms on average take more than six weeks to be resolved. With regard to the metatheoretical perspectives special focus was placed on possible insights from the neighouring sciences regarding the counselling of people after trauma and crises. The various phases of a traumatic experience seemed to be of special importance in this regard. Assistance in every specific phase will result in various levels of assistance and much focus is placed on this. From the results of the empirical research the interviews emphasized very clearly that where pastors are equipped, members of the congregation would prefer to be counseled by them. It also became quite clear that the pastoral guidance of church members can largely contribute to reducing post-traumatic stress. In the practical-theoretical part of this study an equipping program is proposed that will enable church office-bearers for meaningful pastoral assistance of people during and after times of crisis and complicated traumatic events. This equipping program can effectively be utilised by congregations and will largely contribute to the prevention of negative post-traumatic effects. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This thesis contains and deals with chapters on research methodology on psychological trauma in a single Baptist Congregation. This is the trauma of untold stories of individual church members through conflict, division and split. The author will also in his final analysis evaluate the psychological, pastoral counseling methods applied, care and healing of the clients of Ayeton Baptist church in Pretoria. Those who are deeply affected by emotional hurting actions are members towards other members including the executive and the pastor. C.V. Gerkin’s book on An Introduction to Pastoral Care and A,V Campbell on Rediscovery of Pastoral Care could be of great help on pastoral counselors, as well as in caring for the flock of God. The design will be as follows: <ul> <li>a. Methods used in the study</li> <li>b. Skills</li> <li>c. Essential elements</li> <li>d. Human needs</li> </ul> J Jeffrey Means in Trauma and Evil (2000:129) says: “We are hurt by other people and we depend on others for healing” quoting Carroll Wise saying: “The crucial fact of life is this: we are hurt by other persons, we are made sick through our relationships with other persons, and we are cured through other persons. The healing process is partly a process that affects relationship” (Means 1998:211). Women’s on reflection of forgiveness (2008:1) says, “In the cause of human relationships, it is virtually impossible to avoid hurting others and being hurt by them”. This assumption that forgiveness is beneficial to individual and relationships, even when it is not stated explicitly, it is implicitly in much of the research investigating its correlates, antecedents, determents, and consequences. While others have argued that forgiveness may be beneficial to mental and physical health of individuals (e.g., Mauger et al; 1992; McCullough 2000) <ul> <li>All stories told by clients were out of their hearts’ will; voluntarily and also out of their very own languages without prejudice.</li> <li>Such stories as related by members were in most sensitive and heart breaking</li> <li>Some of the clients told their stories inter related to some, whereas some were independent as well as individual</li> <li>Stories told, by clients, are as Means (2000) say that stories are that of individual telling someone to know him or her as he or she is about.</li> <li>Stories revealing dangerous and harmful people to others are found </li> <li>Sad stories on divorce are also told as Ruben Benjamin Kitchen (2008:66) says, 4.4.7 Dilemmas facing the church. “If the church wants to address the pain of evil in the world effectually, it must address the issues as described interrelation ally, the untouchables with theology of involvement. According to Means, this will include the following three areas: (1) “The vitality and life of the church: (2) The extent to which the church will be a place that offers care and support to those who have being hurt by violence and abuse (divorce), and (3) The extent to which the church will offer an environment of healing for those elements within people that set them up to interact with others in hurtful ways” (2000:179).</li></ul> / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This qualitative dissertation contributes to the nascent literature on the study of social enterprise in American congregations through an examination of the role, theology, motivations, and experiences of Protestant Christian social entrepreneurs who are pursuing (or have pursued) social entrepreneurship in the congregational setting. These religious leaders engage the free market by establishing social ventures such as hotels, thrift stores, community development corporations, restaurants, retail outlets, publishing companies, and landscaping businesses among others. Drawing on forty-four in-depth, semi-structured interviews with lay and clergy leaders representing a diverse sample of twenty-six American congregations from four Protestant traditions and six geographic regions, this dissertation asks: Who are these congregational social entrepreneurs (their role and their theology)? Why do they engage in congregational social entrepreneurship (motivations)? And how do they go about establishing social ventures (experiences)? This study provides scholars and practitioners insights into the identity, motivations, and experiences of American religious leaders who are pioneering an emerging form of religious practice that blurs the distinction between the pastor and parishioner, the sacred and secular, and the instrumental and expressive. This dissertation offers contributions to both theory and practice. Instead of conceptualizing “social entrepreneurship” and “values and faith” as separate categories (as in prior research), this dissertation introduces a new theoretical paradigm with an intersecting model of instrumental and expressive rationales for nonprofit institutions. Transcending otherwise clearly defined boundaries, the study’s findings speak to the flexibility of social entrepreneurship to conform to the values of its leadership and the pervasive and permeating reach of faith within the context of human endeavor. Additionally, this research offers a constructive understanding of the role, theological tenets, and practical experiences of lay and clergy leaders. / 2021-08-21

The author's aim is to describe the history of the Congregation of Jesus, also known as 'English Ladies' (Virgins), in Czechoslovakia, especially on the territory of today's Czech Republic. Emphasis will be placed on the work and life of the congregation in the 20th century. Part of the work will be personal memories of selected sisters reflecting the so-called real socialism.

This thesis reports the results of a survey of Christian church attenders which explored their attitudes and beliefs towards domestic violence. An extensive review of the relevant literature covers the nature of, and research into domestic violence; attitudes toward domestic violence; the relationship of domestic violence to doctrines and practices in the Judeo-Chrlstian tradition and in modern Christianity; and relevant topics in attribution theory. A survey of beliefs and attitudes about husband-to-wife physical violence was designed for this project. The questionnaire consisted of 53 items using a 5 point Likert scale and an optional, open-ended comments section. It was distributed to 12 congregations, representing 6 denominations, in the Canberra region. Participation was voluntary, and 340 questionnaires were completed. The gender ratio of the respondents is consistent with other studies of church attending populations, and Chi-square analysis found no significant differences in gender balance among the denominations. Factor analysis of the responses identified 8 subscales which explored themes of responsibility for and justification of violence, community support for perpetrators and victims, and beliefs about sex roles. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the denominations in beliefs about sex roles, but failed to find expected parallels in the justification and responsibility subscales. This sample is more in agreement than is the general population that neither a wife's action nor her verbal behaviour is justification for a husband to use physical force against her, and it is personally more willing to give support to victims of domestic violence and to helping perpetrators to change. Gender is more frequently a significant factor across the subscales than denomination. Comments from 190 respondents were categorised and provide qualitative data which is juxtaposed with the quantitative results. Directions for future research are discussed.

This thesis reviews life stories of three lay congregations with the method of narrative inquiry. It consists of a collection of life experiences, and the searching of the values of life. The researcher reviews, reflects on, appreciates and gives meaning to these three life stories by using the theory of introspection as the main axis. And, the researcher used open-ended interview guide for reference. The purpose of this study is to explore the life story of three lay congregations, further analyzing in narrative research. Although the life stories of the three participants were all cultivated under individual context, the researcher discovered via the practice of Buddhism, three participants had evolved the spiritual side of themselves to a great extent; they therefore encouraged researcher to elaborate for the love of life, support researcher to return to her heart, searching the source of life. Trough in-depth interviews and candid retelling of their life stories, the mercy spiritual leader ¡VMaster Daoyuan - his credibility is documented. Through the appreciative method of narrative inquiry, the researcher reflect her cognitive-self by listening to the life stories of three lay congregations, to further identify with the practice of Buddhism.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of New Brunswick, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Table of Contents -- (p. 3) -- Introduction -- (p. 5) -- The Spiritans in Western Australia -- (p. 7) -- The Sound -- (p. 9) -- Albany -- (p. 10) -- Mollyalup -- (p. 12) -- Parting -- (p. 14) -- Off to Mauritius -- (p. 15) -- Tribute to the Mooney Family -- (p. 17) -- Working with the Saint of Mauritius -- (p. 18) -- Fr. Maurice Bouchet - A Forgotten Hero Remembered -- (p. 19) -- Holy Ghost College, Ballarat -- (p. 24) -- Foundations of Ballarat in Australia -- (p. 24) -- Holy Ghost Fathers Return to Australia -- (p. 34) -- Libermann House -- (p. 36) -- Mr. Kev Conway-Spiritan Associate -- (p. 42) -- Profiles of the Parishes where the Spiritans work in Australia -- (p. 43) -- The Archdiocese of Melbourne -- (p. 43) -- Archdiocese of Brisbane -- (p. 47) -- Diocese of Bunbury -- (p. 51) -- Diocese of Geraldton -- (p. 53) -- Port Hedland -- (p. 54) -- Appendix 1.A. Ballarat -- (p. 57) -- Appendix 1.B. Ballarat -- (p. 59) -- Appendix 2. Western Australia -- (p. 65) -- Celebrating our Homecoming -- (p. 70) -- Lake Mollayalup -- (p. 71) -- Silver Jubilee of Spiritans in Australia, 1996 -- (p. 72) -- Spiritans Appointed to Australia -- (p. 72) -- Temporary Appointments/Holiday -- (p. 73) -- Replacements, Etc. -- (p. 73) -- Post Script -- (p. 74) -- Bibliography -- (p. 75)

The purpose of the study was to investigate, using data from the sacerdotal culture, t h espouses of five priests. The main questions were: How does the priestly calling affect thespouse? Do the spouses involve themselves with voluntary work? Do the spouses feel thecongregation have expectations? Do the female and male answers differ?The sacerdotal culture has consisted of several elements. The main element is the priest’scalling for his work. As far as the spouse is concerned within the congregation, the spouseshave been seen as necessary for voluntary work. The congregation has also expected thespouse to act in a certain way and to undertake certain tasks.How the five informants feel about and react to the sacerdotal culture is focus for this study.The study shows that the sacerdotal culture is still strong today and it is something that thespouses take into account. They can choose not to participate but that might involve, forinstance, having to live somewhere else. The study found that the calling affects the femaleinformants, but not so much the males. The amount of participation varies from spouse tospouse and is a matter of their own choice. Expectations can also vary and participation inthe congregation can create higher expectations.