The present work examines the crossroads of social transformation from the contextual standpoint of the "Second World" - a political and socioeconomic term descriptively pointing to the unique location of the Former Eastern-European Block countries - in between worlds. The work involves in a dialogue some of the major trends within the contemporary Eastern-European philosophical environment: dichotomized between Neo-Marxism and Neo-Freudianism on the one hand, and Postmodernism on the other. While examining the most significant elements between the dialectical paradigms for social change of the above theories (and their ethical foundations), the text strives towards a theological paradigmatic formulation for an authentic social transformation that draws its dialectical content and passion from the hopeful eschatological vision of Christ and the Kingdom as an embodiment of the Christian alternative for human emancipation and liberation. In light of this, the work attempts to establish the following thesis: the radical Christian praxis of the eschatological reality of the Kingdom in light of the Cross is the Church’s alternative to contemporary philosophies and initiatives for social transformation. This praxis affirms the revolutionary, history-shaping force which makes Christianity relevant to the problems of Modernity and Postmodernity through its self-identification with the Crucified God. It marks the moment of conception of an authentic, liberating, life giving, transforming hope as a source of humanization and redemption of social order. Christianity is concerned with the birth and formation of a new socio-political reality - the Kingdom of God, and its embodiment on earth (through the Holy Spirit) in a new ethnos: the Church, the Body of Christ, the communion of the saints. Therefore, it is the Church's calling and obligation to exemplify the reality of the Kingdom, being a living extension of the living Christ and thus, the incarnation of the eschatological future of the world and its hopeful horizon in the midst of the present. Recognizing the vital need for a relevant Christian response to the spiritual demands of the Post-modern human being and his/her desacralized, pluralistic socio­ political context, the work concludes with a conceptual outline offering a strategy for the Church in the Postmodern setting. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Theological Ethics)

本文以11、12世紀伊斯蘭蘇非大師Ghazzali的靈與心之救贖作為宗教心理學理論探討的典範，主要著眼於他個人在宗教心理的意義中，以虔誠和謙卑體現信仰實踐的重大轉變，除了其本身擁有豐富的知識和深刻的思想，更重要的是，他履行蘇非之道，徹底改變信仰態度，真正捨離世俗，最終獲得靈與心的救贖。在分析和詮釋的理論依據上，本文採用荷蘭宗教心理學家Han F.de Wit結合自己的心理學素養與靈修經驗，在20世紀晚期發展出的一套理論，稱為「靈思心理學」（Contemplative Psychology）。在這套理論中，de Wit呈現宗教的冥思傳統(contemplative tradition)與個人的心理洞見、信念之間的連結，經驗和思想可以相互為用。在他所提出的觀點之中，本文透過如下幾個主張，包括皈依、關鍵時刻、斷裂、危機、懷疑、改變、與捨離，說明Ghazzali如何成就伊斯蘭密契傳統的最高典範，同時也突顯靈思心理學試圖闡釋人類靈與心互相超越，同獲救贖的理想。 / The thesis regarded Ghazzali, the outstanding thinker and great Sufi of Islamic world in the 11th and 12th centuries, as a perfect example, who embodied an inward transformation of religious action with piety and humility. Other than his profound knowledge and thoughts, Ghazzali is also an authority on theology and law of Islam, and furthermore he performed a Muslim’s devotion by proceeding on the path of Sufi. He gave up all his possessions, followed the instructions of Sufism to survive a serious crisis of spirit, and obtained the ultimate salvation of his soul and heart in the end. The theory used in this thesis to analyze and interpret Ghazzali’s spiritual experience is the “contemplative psychology” of Han F.de Wit, who is a religious psychologist of the Netherlands. De Wit spent more than ten years combining his psychological training and spiritual experience to develop the theory in late twentieth century. In this theory he presented the connection between contemplative traditions of many religions and the insights & beliefs within individual mind. Among those concepts stated by de Wit in his theory, the thesis used mainly several of them, such as conversion, moments, break, crisis, doubt, change, and renunciation, etc. Accordingly, Ghazzali could be the most perfect example of the contemplative psychology, when we refer to salvation of both human Soul and Heart.