In this study narratives of mentorship are listened to and described from the local context of the Dutch Reformed Church Lynnwood. These narratives originate from the mentorship programme in the youth ministry of the congregation. The research approach in this study flows from an epistemology based on narrative theory, social constructionism and a postfoundational approach. It is a practical theological study that aims to come to a greater understanding of these narratives. Based on the epistemology discussed here, I position myself within the framework of a postfoundational practical theology. Within this framework the praxis is the starting point of this research. This is local knowledge, interpreted and described by a community of co-researchers as informed by traditions of interpretation. The in-context experiences are interpreted and thickened through interdisciplinary investigation. This is done through a study of relevant literature as well as interdisciplinary discussion based on the theory of transversal rationality. At the end of this research process, alternative interpretations and suggestions are made that point beyond this local context and contribute to the larger field of mentorship. The research process in this study is developed from the postfoundational practical theological positioning. Seven movements are used to listen to the narratives of the eight co-researchers participating in this study. The narratives of the co-researchers lead to the identification of certain themes from their experiences that resonate with themes available to us in literature. The same themes also emerge from the interdisciplinary conversation in this study. These themes are critically discussed and certain questions are raised with regards to mentorship and the way mentorship is understood in different contexts. The issue of language and how the various fields concerned with mentorship use language is discussed. It is clear from this study that the local context of mentorship in this study differs in certain aspects from other contexts where mentorship is practiced. The difference between coaching and mentorship is investigated and reflected upon. I argue in the concluding chapter that from this context three basic foundation blocks for mentorship emerge. Firstly, the relationship forms the first basic building block of mentorship. Secondly, growth is the second basic building block and also the aim of mentorship. Although the way growth is understood may vary from context to context, it still forms one of the basic building blocks of mentoring relationships. The third basic building block is the fact that the mentorship relationship is reciprocal. I suggest an approach to mentorship that emerged from the narratives of the local praxis studied. This approach is based on values. The following values are suggested as necessary in a meaningful mentorship programme or relationship: clarity, context, the ordinary, relationship, listening, adding value, reflection and ethics. I conclude that mentorship is a landscape with many voices. The values suggested in this study can be used to construct the understanding of mentorship in a specific, local context. This is done with the aim to facilitate a meaningful mentorship programme or relationship. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

I have been for years now teaching homiletical theories and methods to students at World Mission University in Los Angeles, California. I have been aware of certain problems in the theory and practice of preaching prevailing in the Korean church. One of the most critical issues is that Korean preaching largely consists of the topical-deductive method. Another is that a hierarchical structure enforces the gap between the preacher and the congregation. The study explores, within the framework of the theologian Johannes van der Ven’s empirical-theological research program, text-guided preaching, based on the American homiletician Thomas G. Long’s theory that the sermon should regenerate the impact of the biblical text, in the context of the Korean church and its tradition of preaching. The study looks at the history and characteristics of Korean preaching (Chapter 2) and also at the emergence, characteristics, and styles of new American preaching (Chapter 3). The empirical component of the study deals with a case study involving a preaching workshop for theological students as an illustration of the reception by Korean preachers of the proposed theory for preaching (Chapter 5). My proposal is that text-guided preaching (described in Chapter 4) will benefit those Korean preachers and students willing a homiletical exploration. The basic premise of this model of preaching is that a text seeks to impact its reader; or, to use Paul Ricoeur’s words, confronts its readers with a particular world of understanding; or, from the standpoint of speech-act theory, performs multiple illocutionary acts. Text-guided preaching as it is presented in this study incorporates the notion of application, a notion introduced to hermeneutics by Hans-Georg Gadamer that says that understanding a text always aims at some practical application. Homiletically refined by H. J. C. Pieterse and C. J. A. Vos, it means that the preacher’s understanding of a biblical text is partly determined by the particular, historically contingent situation of the congregation. This study adopts an empirical-theological approach to practical theology. As a part of the theological induction phase of the empirical-theological cycle, a preaching workshop was conducted with eight student-participants. The case study produced some significant results. The clearest finding has to do with the task of interpreting the life situation of the congregation. It leads to the conclusion that theological education at World Mission University has to be modified to include trainings that would produce competent interpreters of the cultural context of Christian life. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / PhD / unrestricted

This thesis aims to capture the life and activities of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius from its foundation until present time. Utilising both the archives of the congregation and secondary literature this thesis attempts to chart the complete history of the congregation. Current state of the congregation is described primarily by using the method of oral history, this method being the most suitable for this purpose. The aim of this thesis is also to highlight the pastoral and social workings of the Congregation, which has been its foundation since the beginning of the Congregation and continues to this day. KEYWORDS: Congregation - Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius - Religious history - Spirituality - Social activities - Pastoral activities

No description available.

With a postmodern archival perspective and Cooks four archival paradigms in mind, the purpose of this case study is to examine the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm’s needs and use of their own archives and what their thoughts are about preservation. The purpose is also to examine the content of the archive deposited by the congregation at the National Archives, and how the content can relate to the concepts of power, memory and identity. The source material consists of interviews and two writings relating to the archival investigation Härifrån till evigheten carried out in 2019. The source material also consists of the archival inventory list and its descriptions of the content in the deposited archive. The methods used in this study are a qualitative interview method and a qualitative content analysis.  The findings show that the congregation archives, both the deposited and the local archive, are used by the congregation to carry out tasks within the congregation´s various work areas. A problem and an area of needed development related to the use of the archives is the need for digitization of archival materials. A problem that is also addressed in the archival investigation. Concerning thoughts of preservation, the result shows that the congregation need more resources to ensure the preservation of the future memories that the archives represent. There is however a will and awareness among those who work within the congregation that the archives that the congregation is now creating through their work should be preserved in the right way.  The analysis of the content in the deposited archive shows that the historic memories that the scientists produce by using the archive in their scientific work, can be affected by the values of the congregation since they are controlling the access to the archive. Furthermore, the content of the archive contains memories created from the work of the congregation and the memories created by Jewish private individuals and organizations. Together they form the archive's collective memory which can be used as part of establishing group identity and ethnic identity.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / eeue is dit in die kerk verwaarloos omdat die kerk dikwels staatskerk was en gemeentelede vanwee die ampshieragie in die kerk as minderwaardig beskou is en gevolglik passief geraak het. Selfs na die Hervorming het gemeentestrukture nie so verander dat gemeentelede aangemoedig is om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie. In die Ned Geref Kerk is dit ook die geval. Tot en met die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika in 1994, was daar 'n intieme band tussen die kerk en die staat en tot nou toe nog, is dit 'n kerk met 'n baie sterk ampshierargie. Die gevolg is dat gelowiges nie deur die tipiese gemeentestruktuur in die kerk aangemoedig word om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie, maar eerder om die gemeente te konserveer en te bewaar. Suid-Afrika met sy lae produktiwiteitsyfer en buitengewone hoe misdaadsyfer sou vandag baie beter daaraan toe gewees het as getowiges binne die Ned Geref Kerk oor die jare heen deur die gemeentestruktuur aangemoedig is om as God se verteenwoordigers in die samelewing op te tree.wereld op te tree, is dit nodig dat gemeentes vanuit die perspektief van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige, nuut gestruktureer word. Hiervoor is 'n teorie en 'n ekklesiologiese model vir die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige nodig. In hierdie studie word nie net alleen so 'n teorie en model ontwikkel nie, maar word ook aangedui hoe hierdie model reeds binne 'n gemeente in die Ned Geref Kerk toegepas is. maak om op die wereld in plaas van op die konservering en bewaring van die gemeente te fokus. Die studie word afgesluit met die hoop dat gemeentes krities sal reflekteer oor die algemene priesterskap van gelowiges en sal oorweeg om te herstruktureer sodat iets van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige in die toekoms tot sy reg sal kom. / The general priesthood of the believer is emphasised in the Bible. But the church has neglected it through the ages because the church often was a state church and church members were regarded as inferior and became passive due to the official hierarchy in the church. extent as to encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world. This is also the case in the Dutch Reformed Church. Up to the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994 there was an intimate bond between this church and the state, and to this day the Dutch Reformed Church has a very strong official hierarchy. Consequently the typical congregational structure of the church does not encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world but rather to conserve and preserve the congregation. South Africa, with its low rate of productivity and exceptionally high crime rate, would have been much better off today if the congregational structures had over the years encouraged believers in the Dutch Reformed Church to act as God's representatives in society. Should congregations wish to encourage their members to act as God's priests in the world, it will be necessary to restructure themselves from the perspective of the general priesthood of believers. Such theory and model are developed in this study. It is also shown how such a model has already been applied in a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church. The study divides the ministerial responsibility of the believer into two categories, namely internal and external responsibility. This division enables congregations to focus on the world in stead of the conservation and preservation of the congregation as such. The study is concluded in the hope that congregations will take a critical look at the general priesthood of believers and will consider restructuring themselves so that individual believers will embrace their general priesthood in future. / D.Th.(Practical Theology)

The dissertation deals with the historical activities of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo in České Budějovice between the years 1850 - 1956. The thesis is especially based on the study of archival materials. Each chapter comprehensively describes the history of the three branches where the religious Sisters performed their activities. The branches are listed in chronological order of when they were established in the city. A public hospital is mentioned first, followed by an institutional complex of orphanages and schools at the former Vienna gate, and the group is concluded with an asylum for elderly people in need established in 1888. Particular attention is paid to the circumstances concerning the establishment of each branch, its background, ordinary and extraordinary days that were mostly mentioned in local chronicles; and two local superiors who had a major impact on the development and character of the community are also mentioned in the dissertation. Besides the observation of the beginnings and subsequent unprecedented development of community activities within the city frame, the text also includes an independent final chapter focused on events associated with the definitive end after the year 1948. Orientation in the topic and logical sequence of...

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / eeue is dit in die kerk verwaarloos omdat die kerk dikwels staatskerk was en gemeentelede vanwee die ampshieragie in die kerk as minderwaardig beskou is en gevolglik passief geraak het. Selfs na die Hervorming het gemeentestrukture nie so verander dat gemeentelede aangemoedig is om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie. In die Ned Geref Kerk is dit ook die geval. Tot en met die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika in 1994, was daar 'n intieme band tussen die kerk en die staat en tot nou toe nog, is dit 'n kerk met 'n baie sterk ampshierargie. Die gevolg is dat gelowiges nie deur die tipiese gemeentestruktuur in die kerk aangemoedig word om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie, maar eerder om die gemeente te konserveer en te bewaar. Suid-Afrika met sy lae produktiwiteitsyfer en buitengewone hoe misdaadsyfer sou vandag baie beter daaraan toe gewees het as getowiges binne die Ned Geref Kerk oor die jare heen deur die gemeentestruktuur aangemoedig is om as God se verteenwoordigers in die samelewing op te tree.wereld op te tree, is dit nodig dat gemeentes vanuit die perspektief van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige, nuut gestruktureer word. Hiervoor is 'n teorie en 'n ekklesiologiese model vir die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige nodig. In hierdie studie word nie net alleen so 'n teorie en model ontwikkel nie, maar word ook aangedui hoe hierdie model reeds binne 'n gemeente in die Ned Geref Kerk toegepas is. maak om op die wereld in plaas van op die konservering en bewaring van die gemeente te fokus. Die studie word afgesluit met die hoop dat gemeentes krities sal reflekteer oor die algemene priesterskap van gelowiges en sal oorweeg om te herstruktureer sodat iets van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige in die toekoms tot sy reg sal kom. / The general priesthood of the believer is emphasised in the Bible. But the church has neglected it through the ages because the church often was a state church and church members were regarded as inferior and became passive due to the official hierarchy in the church. extent as to encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world. This is also the case in the Dutch Reformed Church. Up to the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994 there was an intimate bond between this church and the state, and to this day the Dutch Reformed Church has a very strong official hierarchy. Consequently the typical congregational structure of the church does not encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world but rather to conserve and preserve the congregation. South Africa, with its low rate of productivity and exceptionally high crime rate, would have been much better off today if the congregational structures had over the years encouraged believers in the Dutch Reformed Church to act as God's representatives in society. Should congregations wish to encourage their members to act as God's priests in the world, it will be necessary to restructure themselves from the perspective of the general priesthood of believers. Such theory and model are developed in this study. It is also shown how such a model has already been applied in a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church. The study divides the ministerial responsibility of the believer into two categories, namely internal and external responsibility. This division enables congregations to focus on the world in stead of the conservation and preservation of the congregation as such. The study is concluded in the hope that congregations will take a critical look at the general priesthood of believers and will consider restructuring themselves so that individual believers will embrace their general priesthood in future. / D.Th.(Practical Theology)

Theoretical part of thesisi involves describing the situation of friar s order and congregation at the time of communism, especially in years 1948 till 1950, the main characteristic, constituion and charisma of the congregation of School s nuns III. friar order of St.Francis, activies of this congregation from its beginning, its foundation in our country until these days and a changes of mission of this congregation at the time of communism. In the part I used a qualitative search, where I analysed if changes of original mission was for the congregation OSF at the time of communism enforced charity, what contribution had a totalitarian experience of congregation OSF for the present and the future.

Text in German / Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Untersuchung geht von der Beobachtung aus, dass die postmoderne Gesellschaft tendenziell isolierend auf die Menschen wirkt. Demgegenüber wohnt der Kirche ein Gemeinschaftspotential inne, das eine greifbare Alternative für vereinsamte Menschen anbieten kann. Diese Untersuchung stellt nun die zentrale Frage, wie die Kirche ihr gemeinschaftsförderndes Potential effektiver in die Gesellschaft einbringen kann. Hierzu werden zunächst die soziologischen und theologischen Voraussetzungen geklärt, denen dann, anhand einer begrenzten empirischen Studie, praktische Erfahrungen von Menschen mit kirchlicher Gemeinschaft an die Seite gestellt werden. Zuletzt wird die zeitgenössische Gemeindebauliteratur vergleichend herangezogen, um schlussendlich die zentrale Frage dieser Untersuchung mit einigen praktischen Vorgehensvorschlägen zu beantworten. Summary of Dissertation This study has its roots in the observation, that the postmodern society has a tendency to isolate the people. In contrast to this, the church has an inherent potential of community, which can offer a concrete alternative for isolated people. This study now asks the central question, how the church can be enabled to bring their community-promoting potential more effectively into the society. For this, firstly the sociological and theological conditions are clarified, to which then, on the basis of a limited empirical study, practical experiences of people with church community are placed beside. At last, the contemporary literature of church growth is consulted comparatively, in order to finally answer the central question of this study by some practical procedure suggestions. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)