The current funding challenges affecting public colleges and universities place a greater reliance on philanthropy, and women represent one of the most attractive donor segments. As private giving becomes increasingly essential to ensuring access to quality public higher education, the need exists to better understand women’s philanthropic patterns, motivations, and behavior so that practitioners of higher education fundraising can apply the knowledge tools that will facilitate more effective strategies when cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors. This qualitative study explored an existing conceptual framework with the intent to substantiate its application with women who were major donors to public higher education. The framework, coined by its authors (Shaw & Taylor, 1995; Shaw-Hardy, 2005; Shaw-Hardy & Taylor, 2010) as the Six Cs Plus 3 of Women’s Giving, consists of nine themes, each starting with the letter C, that embody the motivations and outcomes of women philanthropists. Using collective case study methodology and cross-case synthesis as an analytic technique, a composite of six women was presented and reported as a representative case to protect the confidentiality of the study’s participants. The representative case displayed evidence of support for five of the nine C s in the women’s philanthropy framework (create, connect, celebrate, control, and confidence). Across the cases, minimal or no support surfaced for four of the Cs (change, commit, collaborate, and courage). Based on the data collection criteria relating to geographical parameters, the study introduced an additional C, context, as a motivation to donate. From these findings, suggestions on the application of the women’s philanthropy framework in relation to donor giving levels is proposed. Moreover, the study’s conclusions underscore the call for continued scholarship in the area of women and philanthropy, particularly as it relates to women making significant financial contributions.

The thesis deals with the boundaries for accepting donations in the Czech non-profit organizations of the climate movement. Czech leaders, unlike the European ones, are rather inattentive to the climate crisis. In recent years this is reflected in immergence of new organizations which creates pressure to address this situation. In order for organizations to advance their agenda, they need a network of donors to support them. The aim of this thesis is to understand what values and practices in these organizations regulate the acceptance of gifts, as well as to understand the motivations of their approach in specific situations.

Using the account from the royal wardrobe as a source to discover the gift giving practices at the court of Gustav Vasa (Gustav I of Sweden), this thesis studies how material culture was part of the state formation process in 16th century Sweden. By analyzing the king’s gifts the study traces the informal networks that functioned as a base of power for the king’s reign. But it also exposes the material stuff as part of these network and thus part of that power. The thesis argues that to fully understand the political and social transformations that took place during the dynamic 16th century, it is mandatory not only to analyze the individuals who were part of that process, but also the material things they had at their disposals and how the things functioned as part of that process. The conclusion is that the king’s gift giving was due to carefully strategic considerations and part of a highly political strategy, and that the objects given acted as part in a process where – in the century to come – the aristocracy became a more distinguished group, both materially, culturally and socially.

The world has become more and more religiously plural. It is therefore essential to acknowledge the meaningful aspects in the essence of all religions, including African Religion. The dissertation seeks to highlight the concept, ”continuity of life” in African Religion. Special emphasis is placed on the Zulus due to the vastness of the African continent. Three areas are investigated to show that there is the belief in life after death in African Religion, as it is the case with all great world religions, such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity. These are the sacredness of life, marriage with the gift of children as a blessing from the ancestors, as well as rites and ceremonies associated with death which show that the dead are still alive in a mysterious form. The conclusion is therefore that African Religion has a world status and should be included amongst the great world religions. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M. Th. (Biblical Studies)

Baptists regard ecclesiology as the field where they provide a unique contribution to Christian theology and practice. Yet, the Baptist Principles that summarize the distinctive beliefs of Baptists have not much to say about the position and role of the Baptist pastor. Instead, they emphasize the equality of all church members and their individual rights to participate and decide in church matters. This thesis investigates the theology of ministry from contemporary Baptist sources in South African and German contexts. The author takes from his own experience of ministry in both countries, but researches literature also from a wider range of backgrounds. The first part provides a discussion of Baptist ecclesiology with a view to the topic of ministry. The Baptist Principles are scrutinized with specific focus on the Principles of the priesthood of all believers and of congregational church government. They allow for a variety of interpretations, but on the whole limit the position of the pastor rather than positively describing it. The same is true for the German Baptists' creedal document Rechenschaft vom Glauben. The author of this thesis sees his particular contribution to the topic in providing a positive characterization of the Baptist pastor. He does so in the second part where he presents four pairs of marks of the pastor. "Called and Gifted" describes the divine origin of ministry. Both marks are not exclusive to pastors, but also have a general meaning that includes all church members. "Ordained and Trained" is summarized as a secondary category, which shows the human institutions and prerequisites for ministry. "Leader and Servant" is a seeming contradiction in terms, but has become idiomatic as a combined term to describe the Christian way of leadership, as proclaimed by Jesus. "Preacher and Shepherd" are both synonyms for the pastor. They emphasize different aspects of ministry, but can also be interpreted as contrasting in focus. In his conclusion, the author relates the marks of the pastor to the Baptist Principles. From there, he formulates challenges for the understanding of pastors in Baptist churches in Germany and in South Africa. / Systematic Theology / D. Th.(Systematic Theology)

Bernstein, in seiner natürlichen Form und auch kunstvoll bearbeitet, gehörte zu den raren und wundersamen Dingen, mit denen Naturgelehrte und Fürsten ihre Mineraliensammlungen, Raritäten-, Kunst- und Wunderkammern und Naturalienkabinetten gerne bestückten. Geschenke aus diesem seltenen Stein waren chwillkommen. Besonders geschätzt wurden Zufallsbilder und Bernsteine mit pflanzlichen und tierischen Einschlüssen (Bernsteininklusen). Einschlüsse von größeren Tieren, wie Fröschen, Eidechsen und Fischen, wurden künstlich hergestellt. Die Echtheit dieser Inklusen wurde zunächst jedoch nicht angezweifelt. Der Platz des Bernsteins in diesen frühen musealen Einrichtungen war, wie der jedes anderen Sammlungsgegenstandes, nicht fest und endgültig. Er war eng an die Entwicklung des Sammlerwesens geknüpft und abhängig vom Wissen ihrer Betreiber über das Universum im Allgemeinen und über den Bernstein im Besonderen. Wobei die persönliche Wertschätzung, die dem Bernstein entgegengebracht wurde, eine wichtige Rolle spielte. Die Sammlungen bildeten und bilden bis heute die Grundlage für die wissenschaftliche Erforschung des Bernsteins und darüber hinaus für die Erforschung der Erdgeschichte. / Carefully worked pieces of naturally occurring amber were seen as rare and wondrous objects by scientists and rulers who avidly collected them to add to their mineral or art collections or their curiosity and specimen cabinets. Gifts of this rare stone were very well received. Amber inclusions containing plants and animals were particularly sought after. Amber pieces containing larger creatures such as frogs, lizards and fish were produced artificially and their authenticity was not, at least initially, doubted. However the place of Amber in these early museum-like settings, was not, as was the case for all other objects in these collections, definitively guaranteed. Its position was closely linked to the development of collectors and dependent on its owner’s knowledge both more generally about the world and about amber in particular; the individual view that collectors took about the worth of amber therefore played an important role. These collections provided and still provide the basis for scholarly research of amber and beyond that of geology.

This thesis is concerned with, in the words of Song of Songs, finding an appropriate answer to Qohelet's vanity - vanity of a human life and things that inherently come with it, as Qohelet himself proclaims in his book. The first chapter introduces the Book of Qohelet and aims to capture the main themes of vanity and transience, while also providing the ways out from this situation, as presented by Qohelet. The second chapter introduces the reader to the Song of Songs book while also describing its content which concerns the interpretation of love between a man and a woman. The third chapter brings forward efforts of the author and the main themes and conclusions of the book are analysed. This allows - in the conclusion of this thesis - to answer the question of whether the love in the Songs of Songs is a possible answer to Qoheleth's vanity - the transience of a human life, as brought out by Qohelet in his work.

Baptists regard ecclesiology as the field where they provide a unique contribution to Christian theology and practice. Yet, the Baptist Principles that summarize the distinctive beliefs of Baptists have not much to say about the position and role of the Baptist pastor. Instead, they emphasize the equality of all church members and their individual rights to participate and decide in church matters. This thesis investigates the theology of ministry from contemporary Baptist sources in South African and German contexts. The author takes from his own experience of ministry in both countries, but researches literature also from a wider range of backgrounds. The first part provides a discussion of Baptist ecclesiology with a view to the topic of ministry. The Baptist Principles are scrutinized with specific focus on the Principles of the priesthood of all believers and of congregational church government. They allow for a variety of interpretations, but on the whole limit the position of the pastor rather than positively describing it. The same is true for the German Baptists' creedal document Rechenschaft vom Glauben. The author of this thesis sees his particular contribution to the topic in providing a positive characterization of the Baptist pastor. He does so in the second part where he presents four pairs of marks of the pastor. "Called and Gifted" describes the divine origin of ministry. Both marks are not exclusive to pastors, but also have a general meaning that includes all church members. "Ordained and Trained" is summarized as a secondary category, which shows the human institutions and prerequisites for ministry. "Leader and Servant" is a seeming contradiction in terms, but has become idiomatic as a combined term to describe the Christian way of leadership, as proclaimed by Jesus. "Preacher and Shepherd" are both synonyms for the pastor. They emphasize different aspects of ministry, but can also be interpreted as contrasting in focus. In his conclusion, the author relates the marks of the pastor to the Baptist Principles. From there, he formulates challenges for the understanding of pastors in Baptist churches in Germany and in South Africa. / Systematic Theology / D. Th.(Systematic Theology)

The world has become more and more religiously plural. It is therefore essential to acknowledge the meaningful aspects in the essence of all religions, including African Religion. The dissertation seeks to highlight the concept, ”continuity of life” in African Religion. Special emphasis is placed on the Zulus due to the vastness of the African continent. Three areas are investigated to show that there is the belief in life after death in African Religion, as it is the case with all great world religions, such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity. These are the sacredness of life, marriage with the gift of children as a blessing from the ancestors, as well as rites and ceremonies associated with death which show that the dead are still alive in a mysterious form. The conclusion is therefore that African Religion has a world status and should be included amongst the great world religions. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M. Th. (Biblical Studies)

This thesis deals in detail with Pentecost in Judaic and Christian traditions and with all that is connected herewith. It presents biblical roots as well current customs and traditions, but above all it analyses the contemporary liturgical practice which constitutes its primary focus. This work can be divided into two larger units. As its theme is intimately intertwined with the domain of religion, the first part of the thesis examines the Judaic Pentecost, time of omer. The second part of this thesis deals comprehensively with Christian Pentecost.