This thesis examines the relationship between denominational affiliation, class and gender in the city of Edinburgh between 1850 and 1905. The period was chosen because socially it was a time of transition from a semi-rural economy to one of rapid population growth, urbanisation and economic diversification. Account has also been taken of the political context, as ministers and elders, especially from dissenting congregations, played a leading role in the movements for social and political reform, both locally and nationally. In ecclesiastical terms, the Established Church of Scotland was recovering from the effects of the Disruption of 1843, which had broken up the unity of the Church and led to intense inter-denominational strife. Towards the end of the period, the first steps leading to Presbyterian reunion were under way, culminating in the union of the United Presbyterian and Free Churches in 1900. This was also a time of religious revivals, first from 1858-60, then with Moody and Sankey, especially their first campaign in 1873-74. The so-called ‘Welsh’ revival of 1905 also impacted on some Edinburgh churches. The thesis also brings out the close links between these revival movements and social welfare concern among church members. Although Presbyterianism was the dominant form of church government in Scotland, other denominations also played their part in the religious life of the city. In the social analysis of congregations, special attention is given to a comparison of contrasting pairs of churches. St. Stephen’s Church of Scotland in the northern New Town is compared with Free St. George’s at the West End. Two Congregational churches, Augustine and Brighton Street, while near neighbours, had a different ethos, with the latter being more aggressively evangelical. Finally, two Baptist churches are examined. Bristo Place, the original Scotch Baptist church, had a plurality of elders or lay pastors, while Charlotte Chapel was founded on ‘English’ lines with one full-time minister. The memberships of these six churches are analysed to ascertain whether particular denominations appealed to different social groups. An important part of my thesis is the position of the poor, who have often been regarded as lacking interest in religion. I will show that, contrary to this perception, many indeed were Christian but preferred to worship in their own environment, attending mission halls rather than the fashionable city churches. These missions were usually operated as evangelical outreach from large charges, with some later becoming independent from the mother church, and calling their own minister. However, they remained firmly based in their own localities. In this way class divisions, which were such a hallmark of Edinburgh, were preserved. Two missions operated on a non-denominational basis, drawing practical and financial support from many different churches. Carrubber’s Close Mission in the High Street worked in the poorest district, while the Edinburgh City Mission operated across the city. These missions were examples of Christianity in action as they sought to improve the social and moral conditions of the poor.

Thesis advisor: James M. O'Toole / This dissertation examines the religious environment in nineteenth-century Massachusetts created by church disestablishment and a theological schism. Congregationalists, bound to God and to one another with a sacred covenant, were the traditional beneficiaries of the state's constitutional requirement that towns raise tax revenue for "the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion, and morality." The nation's last church establishment system was not removed until a statewide referendum in 1833, but, in practice, it had eroded earlier as Congregational churches encountered internal and external religious dissent. The mechanics of the establishment system had often been used by residents, including those liberal church members who eventually adopted the name Unitarians, to obstruct orthodox Congregationalists from operating more than 100 local churches in Massachusetts. These changes compelled Congregationalists to voluntarily support their churches prior to formal disestablishment, effectively ending the establishment system town-by-town and removing those churches from the center of town life. The lived religious experiences dramatically changed. Laymen took advantage of Congregationalism's inherently decentralized structure and gained control of their local churches. They sought to maintain the purity of their individual covenants by expelling absent members and those espousing theological heresies. In the process, local ministers were marginalized and dismissed with increasing frequency. Tensions arose between many in the clergy elite, who advocated for denominational consistency, and the laymen, who defended the autonomy of their local church. The story of antebellum Congregationalism in Massachusetts, rather than being part of an emerging national denominationalism, was actually one of an inward turn, a type of atomization of the religious denomination. The uncoordinated actions on the local level helped prompt the first national gathering of Congregationalists in more than two centuries, but suggestions for the adoption of explicitly "Congregational" elements by local churches were rejected by the laity. Congregationalism emerged from the Civil War with these antebellum changes made permanent and entrenched as a parochial, laity-driven denomination. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: History.

When public schools began teaching music in the 19th century, the church took a secondary role in the education of the church parishioner. The purpose of this study was to examine congregational attitudes about singing before and after an experimental treatment. Two different Churches participated in "hymn of the month" programs, but different approaches were used at each church. The congregation of Erwin Presbyterian Church learned a new hymn through repetition, while the congregation of First Baptist Church learned a new hymn through congregational practice. Surveys using a Likert-type scale were administered at each church prior to and at the end of the month long project, which took place in February 2002. The results showed that while both congregations appeared to have better attitudes toward congregational singing following the project, there was a more dramatic change at Erwin Presbyterian Church.

<p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">The researcher has drawn on his personal experiences, both in the church as well as in the business world, as a basis for conducting this study. Situating the study within the field of Practical Theology, <font face="Arial Narrow">Zerfass&rsquo / model is used to address the theoretical, co</font><font face="Arial Narrow">ntextual and practical aspects of the research </font>problem. In determining what each section and each chapter should contain, the following questions <font face="Arial Narrow">are used as a guide: What is it that the reader should know, recognise and acknowledge after reading the particular section or chapter? How does a section or a chapter contribute towards exploring the </font><font face="Arial Narrow">stated hypothesis and how are the research steps outlined in Zerfass&rsquo / model used to guide the </font><font face="Arial Narrow">coherence of the project? The research process was initiated with the placing of the &quot / problem&quot / within the context of the UCCSA. Special attention was given to the definition of certain phrases used in UCCSA. Furthermore, the form of government operating in the church was also considered. A comparison was made with other </font><font face="Arial Narrow">church models. As the researcher&rsquo / s interest is the election process, the weaknesses in the current </font><font face="Arial Narrow">election procedures was discussed. A brief biblical perspective on elections was also stated. The findings of this process was that the UCCSA is 'governed' by its understanding and acceptance of the covenant relationship that exists between God and the people as well as between the members of the church. This relationship, therefore, also informs the election processes in the church.</font></p>

No description available.

<p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">The researcher has drawn on his personal experiences, both in the church as well as in the business world, as a basis for conducting this study. Situating the study within the field of Practical Theology, <font face="Arial Narrow">Zerfass&rsquo / model is used to address the theoretical, co</font><font face="Arial Narrow">ntextual and practical aspects of the research </font>problem. In determining what each section and each chapter should contain, the following questions <font face="Arial Narrow">are used as a guide: What is it that the reader should know, recognise and acknowledge after reading the particular section or chapter? How does a section or a chapter contribute towards exploring the </font><font face="Arial Narrow">stated hypothesis and how are the research steps outlined in Zerfass&rsquo / model used to guide the </font><font face="Arial Narrow">coherence of the project? The research process was initiated with the placing of the &quot / problem&quot / within the context of the UCCSA. Special attention was given to the definition of certain phrases used in UCCSA. Furthermore, the form of government operating in the church was also considered. A comparison was made with other </font><font face="Arial Narrow">church models. As the researcher&rsquo / s interest is the election process, the weaknesses in the current </font><font face="Arial Narrow">election procedures was discussed. A brief biblical perspective on elections was also stated. The findings of this process was that the UCCSA is 'governed' by its understanding and acceptance of the covenant relationship that exists between God and the people as well as between the members of the church. This relationship, therefore, also informs the election processes in the church.</font></p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2005. / Thesis directed by David Sikkink for the Department of Sociology. "July 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-155).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale Divinity School, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-60).

Thesis (D.Min.)--South Florida Center for Theological Studies, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 1996. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-204).