Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: No abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Before one can articulate the theory and practice of Islamic psychology, or speak of its relationship to, or integration with, secular psychology, it is imperative that its metatheoretical underpinnings be articulated and understood from the outset. It is argued that this is especially important for the reader steeped in the Western scientific tradition, since its secular metatheory has proved insufficient in accommodating the Islamic worldview. Psychology in Islam is preoccupied with the afterlife - as a result, the subjects of mental disorder and psychotherapy are heavily invested with religious and moral significance. Mental disorder refers to such traits as lead to personal destruction in the hereafter, while psychotherapy entails both the observance of all (external) religious obligations as well as the (internal) purification of the self This paper demonstrates firstly that Islamic psychology is a legitimate intellectual domain. That, secondly, from an Islamic perspective, psychological theory is useless and dangerous without a pious practitioner, and, thirdly, that the methodological hierarchy that yields psychological theory is the opposite of its secular version. Lastly, it is argued that while Sunni Islam dismisses the notion of free will, this in no way diminishes the relevance ofIslamic psychology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voordat die teorie en praktyk van 'n Islamitiese sielkunde uiteengesit kan word, en voordat daar sprake kan wees van die verwantskap of integrasie hiervan met sekulêre sielkunde, is dit noodsaaklik dat die metateoretiese onderbou daarvan uiteengesit en begryp moet word. Dit word aangevoer dat dit veral belangrik is vir die leser wat geweek is in die Westerse wetenskaplike tradisie aangesien die sekulêre metateorie van laasgenoemde nie voldoende is om die Islamitiese wêreld beskouing te akkomodeer nie. Sielkunde binne Islam is behep met die lewe in die hiernamaals met die gevolg dat die onderwerpe van geestesversteuring en psigoterapie swaar gelaai is met godsdienstige en morele oorwegings. Geestesversteurings verwys na sodanige eienskappe wat tot vernietiging in die hiernamaals sal lei, terwyl psigoterapie die nakoming van alle eksterne godsdienstige verpligtinge sowel as die interne reiniging van die self veronderstel. Hierdie tesis demonstreer, eerstens, dat Islamitiese sielkunde wel 'n legitieme veld van intellektuele ondersoek is. Tweedens, word daar, uit 'n Islamitiese perspektief, aangedui dat sielkundige teorie gevaarlik en nutteloos is sonder 'n godsdienstige praktisyn, en derdens dat die metodologiese hiërargie wat sielkundige teorie lewer die teenoorgestelde is van sy sekulêre weergawe. Laastens word daar geargumenteer dat terwyl Sunni Islam die begrip van vrye wilontsê, word die relevansie van 'n Islamitiese sielkunde nie daardeur ondermyn nie.

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In the history of Catholic initiation, there have been moments of dissonance between what the institution expects to happen in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist, and what actually occurs when they are practiced at the local level. Such dissonance often then leads to an evolution in the understanding and/or practice of these sacraments such as when Augustine‟s theology of imputed sin created an emphasis on infant baptism or when the drunkenness of early Christians at the Eucharist table led to shifting communion from an evening meal to a morning liturgy. In light of this historical pattern, this dissertation looks at a current form of dissonance and evolution in the specific context of the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Here, the dissonance relates to high rates of initiate attrition immediately following the ritual process despite institutional expectations that initiates be incorporated into the community as actively participating members. This dissonance is documented through two years of qualitative, interview-based research in multiple Catholic parishes as well as several Protestant churches on a comparative basis. Based on these reports, the dissonance, seen among Catholics and Protestants alike, seems to arise from the fact many initiates in this part of Minneapolis live as highly-empowered individuals who regularly negotiate a variety of disconnected social and relational networks – each of which vies for their attention. In this competition of social spheres, initiates commonly leave the church to participate in contexts that they perceive to “meet their needs” such as schoolwork, athletics, jobs, and other extra-curricular activities. As a result, the church appears to be in the early stages of an evolution in which initiation sacraments focus less on community incorporation and more on how they meet needs in an individual‟s faith journey.

The following thesis examines the way “revelatory acts of God” in each of the canonical Gospels engender reverence for Jesus. “Revelatory acts of God” are disclosures of God by vision or audition (also called, “revelatory experiences”). Thus, any event in which characters hear a voice from heaven or see a vision from heaven is a “revelatory experience.” But what role do these accounts have in the four Gospel for engendering reverence for Jesus? That is, how do God’s direct interventions within these narratives inspire characters to respond to Jesus? The answer to this question is the focus of this thesis. Scholars have noted the power of revelatory experience to “drive and shape” the veneration of Jesus in early Christian devotional practices. Hurtado notes the “demonstrable efficacy of such experiences in generating significant innovations in various religious traditions” (Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ, 65). However, one wonders what “faith-producing” role revelatory experiences actually have in the Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels include revelatory experiences as a distinguishing feature of their accounts, with the baptism and transfiguration being two of the most commented-on passages of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. However, such revelatory acts of God are curiously rare in John prior to Jesus’ resurrection. This thesis will analyze the role of revelatory experiences for producing reverence for Jesus in each Gospel and explore the differences between the Gospels in how these accounts are employed. This research focuses primarily on the responses of characters to the revelatory in the Gospel narratives. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the way audiences in the four Gospels are or are not “shaped” by such revelatory experiences and what implications these findings may have for the interpretation of each Gospel.

The case of Baby MB (An NHS Trust v MB (A child represented by the CAFCASS as Guardian ad Litem) [2006] EWHC 507 (Fam) [2006] 2FLR 319 reveals some of the difficulties faced by persons of faith when they are involved in legal proceedings in the English law courts. It raises the question of whether faith is relevant when decisions are taken in court, and if so how it is relevant. What high profile healthcare cases like this also illustrate is that there are legal cases that involve not just legal issues, but also ethical and faith issues. However, when these cases come to court they are framed as though they are primarily legal disputes that require a purely legal solution. While judges address the legal issues, they are reluctant to address the ethical and faith issues, and if they do address the ethical and faith issues, they address them in strictly legal terms. These difficulties are not restricted to one faith but encompass all faiths, and they are not restricted to litigants but also include representatives of Christian churches who make submissions to court. Although the difficulties are often revealed in healthcare cases they are not restricted to these cases but include other types of legal case and extend to employment tribunals. These cases raise important questions about how courts and tribunals deal with persons of faith, how we understand conflict and resolve disputes, the nature and aim of law, the relationship between law, ethics and religion, the role of judges, and how we perceive and deal procedurally with cases that involve issues of faith. This thesis will explore these issues, and discuss whether room can be made for faith in English Dispute Resolution proceedings, and if so, how this might be accomplished.

A problem that has interested the writer is the effect of religion upon mental health. Are very religious people more or less healthy than not-so religious people? Could there be no relationship between degree of religiosity and mental well-being? Some of the reviewed literature seemed to show that religion may reduce anxiety (Cole & Spurgeon, 1960, Cooley & Hutton, 1965), other studies showed no relationship between them (Bradbury, 1967, Glass, 1955), while some experiments indicated that religious individuals showed poor mental health (Dunn, 1965, Rokeach, 1960). The study presented herein is an attempt to further delineate the effect of religion upon mental stability or, more specifically, anxiety. Religion may involve many dimensions rather than just one specific aspect. For the aforementioned reason, the present study considered the ideological, intellectual, experiential, ritualistic, and consequential aspects of religion. The relationship of anxiety to these variables was studied. Finally, the writer attempted to observe the effect of religious affiliation upon anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to (1) consider the empirical relationship of religiosity to anxiety among the low, medium, and high religious groups, and to (2) determine if different religious affiliations have a significant or non-significant relationship to anxiety scores. A questionnaire developed by Falkner and Jong (1963) was employed to measure religiosity. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale was used to gauge anxiety.

Faith communities are often used as used as sites for health promotion research and the leaders of those faith communities play an important role in successful campus/faith community partnerships. This study examined (a) faith leaders’ definitions of health, (b) ways in which faith leaders envision campus/faith community partnerships to be structured, and (c) faith leaders’ perceptions of the roles that faith leaders may assume in such partnerships. Grounded theory methodology was used. In depth interviews were conducted with ten clergy members. The findings revealed that clergy embraced a holistic definition of health. They expressed a desire to participate in studies that resulted in improved health and contributed to improved relationships with the university. The clergy’s perceived roles in research that emerged from this study were (a) provide approval, (b) recruit participants, (c) identify volunteers, (d) lend influence, (e) keep information flowing, (f) serve as spiritual teacher/educator, and (g) provide input on the study design. A theory of the process of negotiating clergy roles emerged from the data. This theory suggests that the process of negotiating clergy roles is a fluid and iterative process that occurs at several phases of the research process from entertaining a proposal to participate in research through conducting the study. Implications for researchers include (a) investing time to develop relationships with faith communities, (b) identifying the importance of a holistic definition of health, (c) maintaining flexibility regarding the roles clergy may assume, and (d) identifying links between study objectives and the mission of the congregation.

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