Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruno Rolim Baggio.pdf: 563984 bytes, checksum: bacbc930b8db14015fc8617c7de43e1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This work observes the story of the scientist Victor Frankstein, and his creation, to propose a clinical discussion of essential contemporary experience questions. Mary Shelley s novel express, as only a few have done, the transformations of human s condition in the present day, and discuss, by exploring the intricate relationship established between the creator and his creation, about the risk of objectification of the human being as part of modernity s scientific project. Frankenstein s novel reveals an universe where human creativity has no place and the felling of being cannot be reached. The comprehension about the phenomenon presented in the novel is deepened with the theory and clinical experience of D. W. Winnicott, an english pediatrician and psychoanalyst exceptionally concerned with the fundamentals of human nature. The present study focuses in the contrast between the good enough environment, described by Winnicott, and the sterile world, presented in Shelley s book, proposing a discussion involving philosophers like Heidegger, Bachelard, Bakhtin, Pessanha e Arendt, psychoanalysts like Freud, Khan e Safra, and poets like Fernando Pessoa, Drumond e Clarisse Lispector. The themes are presented according to Franskstein s narrative, showing the most important moments of his life, from his birth to his death, what facilitates the comprehension of the human phenomenon in its totality / Esse estudo acompanha a história do cientista Victor Frankenstein e sua criatura, discutindo clinicamente questões fundamentais da experiência contemporânea. A obra de Mary Shelley expressa, como poucas, as transformações da condição humana na atualidade e discute, a partir da complicada relação que se estabelece entre criador e criatura, o risco de objetificação do humano presente no projeto científico da modernidade. No exagero de tendências atuais, o romance Frankenstein revela um universo onde a criatividade humana já não tem mais lugar e o sentimento de ser não pode ser alcançado. A compreensão sobre os fenômenos apresentados no romance é enriquecida pelas contribuições clínicas e teóricas de D. W. Winnicott, um pediatra e psicanalista inglês que se revelou extremamente preocupado com os fundamentos da natureza humana. É a partir do contraste entre o ambiente suficientemente bom, descrito por Winnicott, e o mundo estéril, apresentado na obra de Shelley, que a discussão foi realizada, num diálogo que conta com a presença de filósofos (como Heidegger, Bachelard, Bakhtin, Pessanha e Arendt), psicanalistas (como Freud, Khan e Safra) e poetas (como Fernando Pessoa, Drumond e Clarisse Lispector). Os temas são apresentados de acordo com a narrativa de Frankenstein e acompanham os momentos fundamentais de seu ciclo vital, do nascimento à morte, favorecendo uma compreensão do fenômeno humano em sua totalidade

This thesis contends that the image of fire is a multivalent and theologically valuable image for application in British Christian communities. My research offers an original contribution by contextualising the image of fire for Christian practice in Britain, and combining critical observation of several contemporary fire rites with theological analysis. In addition, I conduct original case studies of three Scottish fire rituals: the Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony, the Beltane Fire Festival, and Up-Helly-Aa in Lerwick, Shetland. The potential contribution of fire imagery to Christian practice has been overlooked by modern theological scholarship, social anthropologists, and Christian practitioners. Since the multivalence of the image has not been fully recognised, fire imagery has often been reduced to a binary of ‘positive' and ‘negative' associations. Through my study of non-faith fire rituals and existing Christian fire practices, I explore the interplay between multivalence, multiplicity, and liminality in fire imagery. I demonstrate that deeper theological engagement with the image of fire can enhance participation, transformation, and reflection in transitional ritual experience. I argue that engaging with the multivalence of the image of fire could allow faith communities to move beyond dominant interpretive frameworks and apply the image within their own specific context. First, I orientate the discussion by examining the multivalence of biblical fire imagery and establishing the character of fire within the British social imagination. Second, I use critical observation of community fire practices in non-faith contexts to build a new contextual framework for the analysis of fire imagery. Finally, I apply my findings to a contextual analysis of existing Christian fire practices in Britain. Throughout, I argue that sensory and imaginative interaction with the image of fire provides a way to communicate and interact with theological ideas; experience personal and communal change; and mediate experience of the sacred.