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)

This study considers the ways in which congregational management contributes to maintaining the healthy church through the supporting role of supplying, monitoring and controlling the human, physical, financial, and informational resources needed to allow the pastors to lead the congregation-centred church to fulfil its mission. It was found that congregational managers help to prevent their churches declining into illhealth by helping the pastorate to retain current congregants and attract new ones through charisma. This requires them to first study, analyze and classify the major parts of the diverse congregation and surrounding community and then monitor them to foresee and forestall problems. They play multiple roles in efficient administration, asset management, targeted church adverting, human relations, risk management, project management, professional standards auditing and maintenance, community relations with all faiths, charity, mission, and, above all, customer relations. Recommendations are made for enhancing congregational management’s role in the healthy church. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

Text in Afrikaans / In teenstelling met die buiteland, bestaan daar tans weinig indien enige voltydse gemeenteboukonsultante in Suid- Afrika. Daar bestaan ook weinig indien enige literatuur wat op Suid- Afrikaanse bodem verskyn het wat handel oor die werksaamhede van die gemeenteboukonsultant in die christelike kerk/gemeente. Die gebrek aan 'n voltydse professionele gemeenteboukonsultant word as 'n ernstige leemte beskou in die verskillende fases van gemeentebou. In die studie word literatuur wat handel oor hierdie belangrike onderwerp, asook literatuur vanuit die bestuurswetenskap, teologies en krities bestudeer. 'n Aantal bestaande modelle word uiteengesit en teologies evalueer. Uit hierdie bestudering word op teologies-hermeneutiese wyse 'n voorbeeld-model voorgestel waarvolgens die gemeenteboukonsultant binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks die gemeente-analise, gemeenteprofiel en langtermynbeplanning in samewerking met die leiers en lidmate van die kerk/ gemeente kan afhandel. / At present, South Africa, in contrast with countries abroad has a serious disposition regarding the availability of literature dealing with churchgrowth as such. Due to a lack of professional churchgrowth consultants, churchgrowth had been neglected and a gap of deficiency has occured thus hindering the different stages in churchgrowth. This study is an in - depth, theological and critical study of churchgrowth as well as the managerial aspects thereof. Much devotion has been endeavoured upon this thus delivering a model example with which churchgrowth consultants could embark upon congregational analysis and profiling. In colaboration with leaders and members of congregations, long - term planning can be done. All this in a South Africa which had been deprived from this valuable service for so long. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Practical theology)

The forming of liturgy in the Dutch Reformed Church is in a crisis. The current context demands new liturgies in order to facilitate meaningful communication between God and His children. The problem is that no healthy practice of liturgy forming exists and more decay than change takes place. Therefore, the need exists for a workable theory for liturgy forming which can be used in the forming of a justified liturgy. In this study a theory and liturgies are worked out which takes the liturgy forming through the centuries into account. The theory, which is known as the three resources theory, is a dynamic theory in which the energy resources are placed in interaction with one another in order to form new liturgies. The three energy resources are the Bible, the tradition and the context. These three resources are focused on an eschatological focus point in the future. The Bible as energy resource especially has authority since it contains the worship style and example of Jesus Christ. The tradition exists of the narrative off liturgy forming through the centuries. The tradition offers a treasure of examples, which can be used for liturgy forming in the current context. The current context forms an integral part of the liturgy forming process. The post-modernism, the remains of the modernism, globalisation, the transformation process in South Africa and the modem developments in the human sciences are all forces which influence the liturgy forming process indirectly. These energy circles are placed in interaction with one another, new justified liturgies are formed which makes meaningful communication between God and His children possible. The investigation on liturgy forming in 13 various congregations in England and South Africa indicated that, where one or more of the energy resources is neglected, responsible energy forming does not take place. The current context requires that modem liturgy should emphasize symbols, emotion and dialogue. More love should also be shown during services. / Die liturgievorming van die Ned Geref Kerk is in 'n krisis. Die huidige konteks stel nuwe eise aan die liturgie wat vra vir nuwe liturgiee om die kommunikasie tussen God en Sy kinders sinvol en betekenisvol te fasiliteer. Die probleem is dat daar nie 'n gesonde praktyk van liturgievorming bestaan nie en dat meer verval as verandering plaasvind. Daar is dus 'n behoefte aan 'n werkbare teorie vir liturgievorming wat gebruik kan word in die vorming van verantwoorde liturgie. In hierdie studie word 'n teorie en liturgiee uitgewerk wat die werkende energiebronne in liturgievorming deur die eeue in ag neem. Die teorie, wat bekendstaan as die driebronneteorie, is 'n dinamiese teorie waarin die energiebronne in wisselwerking met mekaar geplaas word vir die vorming van nuwe liturgiee. Die drie energiebronne is die Skrif, die tradisie en die konteks. Hierdie drie bronne word gefokus op 'n eskatologiese fokuspunt in die toekoms. Die Skrif as energiebron is veral gesagdraend omdat dit die aanbiddingstyl en voorbeeld van Jesus Christus bevat. Die tradisie bestaan uit die verhaal van die liturgievorming deur die eeue waar die drie energiebronne telkens in wisselwerking met mekaar was. Die tradisie bied 'n skatkis van voorbeelde waaruit geleen kan word vir liturgievorming in die huidige konteks. Die huidige konteks is 'n integrale deel van die liturgievormingsproses. Die Postmodemisme, die reste van die Modemisme, globalisering, die oorgangsituasie in Suid-Afrika en hedendaagse ontwikkelinge in die menswetenskappe is almal kragte wat indirek inwerk op die liturgievormingsproses. Slegs wanneer die energiesirkels in wisselwerking met mekaar geplaas word, word verantwoordelik nuwe liturgiee gevorm wat sinvolle kommunikasie tussen God en sy kinders bewerkstellig. Die ondersoek na die liturgievorming in 12 verskillende gemeentes in Engeland en Suid-Afrika het aan die lig gebring dat waar een of meer van die energiebronne verwaarloos word, verantwoordelike vorming nie plaasvind nie. Die huidige konteks vra dat byderwetse liturgie meer klem op simbole, emosie en dialogiese kommunikasie sal plaas. Liturgie sal ook moeite moet doen om meer liefde oor te dra in die eredienste. Ter wille van die fasilitering van 'n dieper spiritualiteit kan die liturgie van die Ned Geref Kerk spesifieke liturgiese elemente en -houdings gaan leen by antler spiritualiteite en so sy eie liturgie verbreed. Dit bly 'n haalbare uitdaging om voortdurend verantwoordelik liturgie te vorm indien die Skrif, die tradisie en die konteks as energiebronne in wisselwerking met mekaar geraadpleeg word en gefokus word op die eskatologiese. / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

In mid-eighteenth century Paris, two Benedictine monks from the Congregation of Saint-Maur – also known as the Maurists – started compiling a universal dictionary of arts, crafts, and sciences. The project was initiated simultaneously with what would become one of the most famous literary enterprises in Western intellectual history: the Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert. The latter started as an augmented translation of Ephraim Chambers’s Cyclopaedia, but it was constructed with another French dictionary as its ideological counterpart: the Jesuits’ Dictionnaire de Trévoux. While the Encyclopédie eventually turned into a controversial but successful best-seller, considered as the most important medium of Enlightenment thought, the Benedictines never finished or published their work. After a decade, the manuscripts were put aside in the monastery library, and were soon forgotten. For about two hundred and sixty years, the Maurists’ dictionary material has largely escaped the attention of researchers, and its history of production has been unknown.      This dissertation examines the history and characteristics of the Maurists’ enterprise. The manuscripts are compared to the Encyclopédie and the Dictionnaire de Trévoux, and the project situated within its monastic environment of production, the history of the encyclopedic dictionary, and the Enlightenment culture. The study has an interdisciplinary character and combines perspectives of History of Science and Ideas, History of Monasticism, History of Encyclopedism, and History of the Book. The research procedure is distinguished by a microhistorical approach, where the studied materials are analyzed in a detailed manner, and the research process included in the narrative.       The dissertation shows that the Maurists early found themselves in a rival situation with the embryonic Encyclopédie, and that the two projects had several common denominators that distinguished them from the predecessors within the genre. At the same time, the Maurists were making a dictionary unique in the eighteenth century, which assumed a third position in relation to the works of the encyclopédistes and the Jesuits. The study provides new perspectives on the Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert, the intellectual activities of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, as well as the editor in charge of the Maurist dictionary: Dom Antoine-Joseph Pernety, otherwise known for his alchemical writings.

Le paysage religieux québécois a connu depuis les années 1960 des transformations profondes, que l’on associe classiquement au processus de sécularisation de la province et à la diversification des régions d’origine de son immigration. Le passage d’une immigration surtout européenne, et donc principalement chrétienne ou juive, à une immigration issue d’autres régions de monde participa à l’émergence d’une nouvelle diversité religieuse au Québec. Ce mémoire se propose d’explorer le cas d’une des religions qui fut introduite suite à l’accueil de réfugiés vietnamiens entre les années 1970 et 1990, le caodaïsme. Bien que très faiblement représentés à Montréal et au Québec comparativement aux Vietnamiens bouddhistes et catholiques, les caodaïstes ont rapidement formé leur propre congrégation, celle-ci ayant été un lieu de soutien pour les nouveaux arrivants vietnamiens. Basées sur un terrain mené en 2014 et en 2015 auprès du Temple Caodaïque de Montréal, les analyses proposées dans ce mémoire mettent en lumière le rôle particulier qu’a pu jouer cette congrégation religieuse auprès de ses membres dans leur insertion à la société québécoise, tout en soulignant l’évolution qu’a connue le rôle de ce lieu de culte après trois décennies d’existence et le déclin de l’immigration vietnamienne au Québec. Par ailleurs, nous analysons les différentes adaptations qu’a connue la pratique, collective comme individuelle, du caodaïsme au Québec en mettant en exergue l’importance de l’influence du contexte sécularisé et de la condition minoritaire. Nous montrons finalement la manière dont les adeptes de cette congrégation cherchent à mettre leur doctrine en cohérence avec la société québécoise. / The religious landscape in Quebec has undergone profound changes since the 1960s. These transformations are typically associated with the process of secularization of the province and the diversification of the origins of its immigrants. The transition from a mainly European immigration, and therefore mainly Christian or Jewish, to an immigration from other regions of the world, contributed to the formation of a newly established religious diversity in Quebec. This master’s thesis explores the case of Caodaism a religion that was first introduced by Vietnamese refugees between the 1970s and 1990s. Although Caodaists were few in numbers in Montreal and Quebec compared to Vietnamese Buddhists and Catholics, they quickly formed their own congregation, which became a site where new Vietnamese immigrants could seek support. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015 with the Temple Caodaïque de Montréal, I examine the role that this religious congregation played in the integration of its members into Quebec society, while demonstrating the transformation of the role ascribed to the Caodaist place of worship through the last three decades of existence and the decline of Vietnamese immigration in Quebec. Furthermore, I analyze how the collective and individual practice of Caodaism in Quebec has adapted though time, emphasising the importance of the influence of the secularized context and the religion’s minority status. I finally show how the members of this congregation strive to make their religious doctrine consistent with Quebec society.

<p>The purpose of this thesis has been to describe and explain why wholesalers in Stockholm during the eighteenth century acted as they did. This analysis is built on the idea that peoples’ possibilities to act depends on the context in which they live and the person’s network. The starting-point for the analysis is an old discussion if the merchants made any difference in the transformation of society; were they a dynamic element or not? </p><p>In this thesis wholesalers’ social and economic relations are studied from different viewpoints: how they married, how their credit network was built up, and what they consumed. The wholesalers are divided into groups depending on their income. The materials used are inventories, parish registers, registers of tax-payments and biographical books.</p><p>The research shows that the differences in behaviour were small between the income groups. Most of the wholesalers married daughters of other merchants, they lent money to their own family, and they consumed more or less in the same way. There was a big economic gap between the wealthiest wholesalers and the less wealthy. Why their behaviour was nonethless so homogenous depended on their need of a network. The importance of this made them act the same.</p><p>However, the study shows one group that acted a bit differently, wholesalers who belonged to the German congregation. In several ways they were an association in themselves. And the way they act can described as dynamic. Because they did not have an obligation to the Swedish network, they could act differently. </p>

The purpose of this thesis has been to describe and explain why wholesalers in Stockholm during the eighteenth century acted as they did. This analysis is built on the idea that peoples’ possibilities to act depends on the context in which they live and the person’s network. The starting-point for the analysis is an old discussion if the merchants made any difference in the transformation of society; were they a dynamic element or not? In this thesis wholesalers’ social and economic relations are studied from different viewpoints: how they married, how their credit network was built up, and what they consumed. The wholesalers are divided into groups depending on their income. The materials used are inventories, parish registers, registers of tax-payments and biographical books. The research shows that the differences in behaviour were small between the income groups. Most of the wholesalers married daughters of other merchants, they lent money to their own family, and they consumed more or less in the same way. There was a big economic gap between the wealthiest wholesalers and the less wealthy. Why their behaviour was nonethless so homogenous depended on their need of a network. The importance of this made them act the same. However, the study shows one group that acted a bit differently, wholesalers who belonged to the German congregation. In several ways they were an association in themselves. And the way they act can described as dynamic. Because they did not have an obligation to the Swedish network, they could act differently.

The thesis depicts life of the parish in Třešť in the second half of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century. The emphasis is placed on nuns of the Congregation of the Poor School Sisters de Notre Dame who worked in Třešť from 1885 till 1946. This thesis is further focused on pastors from Třešť and also on local churches and their economic background. Finally, there are also described changes in conditions of the parish, especially after 1918. To elaborate this thesis both sources of the Diocesan Archive of the Bishopric of Brno in Rajhrad and of the State District Archive Jihlava were perused. Documents provided by the Archive of the Congregation of the Poor School Sisters de Notre Dame in Hradec Králové also meant a valuable contribution to this thesis. The aim of the thesis is to disclose so far unknown or non-compiled history of the parish in Třešť.

Parmi les réformes du concile de Trente, figure celle des ordres religieux incités à s'organiser en congrégations. Y figure aussi l'invitation à traduire dans l'architecture et le décor des églises, l'expression de la foi catholique réaffirmée. Tout cela induit de nouvelles formes architecturales ou de nouveaux aménagements liturgiques qui s'accompagnent dans le cas des ordres religieux, d'une réorganisation spatiale des monastères. Dans ce que le professeur Taveneaux a défini comme une dorsale catholique, la Lorraine tient une place particulière, par son histoire déjà, par son emplacement dans l'échiquier européen d'alors et par la forte présence d'une Eglise soutenue par les souverains. Par l'engagement d'évêques réformateurs, parties prenantes du concile de Trente, puis celui de la famille ducale de Lorraine, le pays voit éclore en quelques années trois fortes congrégations : l'Antique Observance dans l'ordre de Prémontré à partir de Pont-à-Mousson alors que la personnalité de Pierre Fourier cristallise la réforme des chanoines réguliers de Saint-Augustin. Pour les bénédictins, c'est la congrégation de Saint-Vanne et Saint-Hydulphe de dom Didier de La Cour. Par les choix et habitudes architecturaux, par le choix des décors des églises et des bâtiments claustraux, par la vie quotidienne et ses objets, il est possible d'avoir une nouvelle vision de cette congrégation particulièrement active et présente sur le sol lorrain.Les vannistes qui essaiment en France ne sont pas sans influence sur les populations. Il apparaît alors naturel de chercher à comprendre ce que leur architecture et leurs choix décoratifs disent d'eux, de la manière dont ils relaient la doctrine de l'Eglise et dont ils se perçoivent eux-mêmes avec le corollaire de l'image contrôlée ou non qu'ils veulent donner d'eux. Leur architecture, témoin d'un pouvoir, d'un état d'esprit, est aussi sûrement la traduction de leurs principes religieux. Le niveau provincial retenu est celui où se décident les noviciats, où se réfléchissent les suppressions éventuelles ou créations de maisons, où un visiteur fait le lien entre le gouvernement central de la congrégation et chacune de ses maisons. Les religieux vivent aussi cette réalité géographique car ils ne sont que fort peu nombreux à passer d'une province à l'autre et il apparait des spécificités provinciales dans l'organisation même de la congrégation, sans négliger pour autant les choix politiques ou l'évolution de la pensée qui varie différemment selon la province. Car au-delà même des aspects liés à l'organisation de la congrégation, la province de Lorraine offre une singularité supplémentaire, celle d'être alors dans un pays indépendant, même si cela est, à l'époque moderne, tout relatif. Bien que d'une étendue géographique assez limitée, elle offre tous les cas de figures pouvant se rencontrer dans la variété de statuts et d'histoire des maisons vannistes. Toutes ces situations constituent un excellent échantillon de la perception que des religieux cloîtrés des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles peuvent avoir de leur cadre de vie et de la manière dont ils le concrétisent. Tous ces éléments doivent concourir à définir ou non un éventuel style vanniste, montrant sous un jour particulier le quotidien des religieux qui composent cette grande congrégation d'une cinquantaine de maisons en Lorraine et en France, mère de congrégations réformées en France et en Belgique et sœur d'autres réformes monastiques nées en Lorraine dans les premières années du XVIIe siècle. / Among the reforms of Trent, is that religious orders are encouraged to organize themselves into congregations. It shall include the invitation to translate the architecture and decorations of the church, the expression of the catholic faith, are reaffirmed. All this leads to new architectural forms and new liturgical developments, are also accompanied in the case of religious orders, by a spatial reorganization of monasteries. In what Professor Taveneaux defined as a Catholic back, Lorraine holds a special place in history, by its location in the european stage and then by the strong presence of a church supported by the sovereigns. By reformers bishops stakeholders the Council of Trent and that of the ducal family of Lorraine commitment, the country sees hatch within a few years three congregations : Ancient Observance in the norbertine order from Pont-à-Mousson while the personality of Pierre Fourier crystallizes the reform of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. For Benedictine, is the congregation of Saint-Vanne and St. Hydulphe by dom Didier de La Cour. The choices and architectural patterns, the choice of sets of churches and abbey buildings themselves, by everyday life and objects, it is possible to have a new vision of this congregation which is particularly active on the Lorraine ground. The vannistes swarming in France are not without influence on populations. It appears natural to try understanding in what their architecture and decorative choices say about them, how they relay the doctrine of the Church and how they perceive themselves with the corollary of the controlled image they want to give of them. Their architecture, witness the power of a state of mind, as surely is the translation of their religious principles. The provincial level used is where decisions novitiates, which reflect any deletions or creations of houses, where a visitor made the connection between the central government of the congregation and every house. Religious also live this geographic reality because they are just very few of them move from one province to another and it seems provincial specificities in the very organization of the congregation without neglecting the political choices or changes' thinking that evolves differently in each province. For even beyond the aspects related to the organization of the congregation, the province of Lorraine offers additional singularity, whereas that of being in an independent country, even if it is in modern times, all relative. Although a fairly limited geographical scope, it offers all the scenarios that can be found in the variety of status and history of vannistes houses. All these situations are an excellent sample of the perception that religious cloistered seventeenth and eighteenth centuries may have their living and how they materialize. All these elements must contribute to define whether a possible style vanniste showing in a particular light daily religious that make up this great congregation of about fifty houses in Lorraine and France, mother of reformed congregations in France and Belgium other monastic reforms sister born in Lorraine in the early seventeenth century.