In 1563, the publication of the Heidelberg Catechism marked the conversion of the Rhineland Palatinate to a stronghold for Reformed religion. Immediately thereafter, however, the Palatinate church experienced a deeply unsettling surge in the popularity of antitrinitarianism. To their Lutheran and Catholic opponents, this development revealed a toxic connection between Reformed theology and the tenets of antitrinitarianism. As early as 1565, for instance, the Catholic Cardinal Stanislaus Hosius argued anonymously that the Reformed principle of sola scriptura was indistinguishable from the biblicism which had led heretics to reject the doctrine of the Trinity on the grounds that it was nowhere explicitly justified in the biblical text. Seven years later, the displaced Italian theologian and Heidelberg professor, Girolamo Zanchi, countered this argument in his De Tribus Elohim (1572). This huge landmark of this early theological crisis in Heidelberg sought to oppose the biblicism of the early antitrinitarians by arguing that the doctrine of the Trinity was explicitly taught within the Hebrew divine names Jehovah and Elohim. The following year De Tribus Elohim received an Imperial Privilege from the Catholic court in Vienna, a distinction virtually unheard of for a Reformed theological text. Zanchi’s argument was then widely promulgated in the marginal notations of the tremendously influential Biblia Sacra of Franciscus Junius and Immanuel Tremellius, and became a staple of refutations of antitrinitarianism thereafter. Yet Zanchi’s confidence that trinitarian theology was contained within the Hebrew of the Old Testament was not shared by many of his own Reformed colleagues. John Calvin’s exegetical works had explicitly rejected this argument; and theologians like David Pareus (Zanchi’s younger colleague in Heidelberg) and the Dutch Hebraist Johannes Drusius preferred a more historical-grammatical reading of the Old Testament and dismissed Zanchi’s reading of the name Elohim despite the danger that this might sacrifice a valuable defence against antitrinitarianism. Complicating the picture further, the Lutheran polemicist Aegidius Hunnius directed Zanchi’s arguments against Calvin in his Calvinus Iudaizans (1593). This variety of responses to Zanchi’s argument demonstrates the diversity of assumptions about the nature of the biblical text within the Reformed church, contradicting the notion that the Reformed world in the age of “confessionalization” was becoming increasingly homogenous or that the works of John Calvin had become the authoritative touchstone of Reformed orthodoxy in this period.

Based on the author's Thesis (doctoral)--University of Oxford. / Includes bibliographical references and index.

If urbanization is one of the most important social realities in Africa today, it goes without saying that Christian mission must take full account of it. The church has turned her attention to African towns and cities none too soon. Her own historical and theological inclinations have led the church in the past to favour the rural areas, where success has been widely achieved. Yet the Christian enterprise in Africa is threatened by urbanization, and a half-hearted approach to the towns will not save it. The research rests upon the hypothesis that the younger churches on the African continent – especially in Southern Africa – are indeed awaking to their missionary obligation, of moving from the position of receiving churches to sending churches. Especially in the growing cities of Africa the churches need to be informed and empowered to play their part in this regard. With a proper understanding of the Biblical mandate for mission, as well as of the urban context in which the church has to function, a comprehensive strategy for mission in the cities of Africa may be developed. The congregation of the Reformed Church Tshiawelo in Soweto was used as a case study in the research. The biblical theology of urban mission was firstly attended to. The focus was on the way both the Old and the New Testaments view urban mission. From the biblical point of view, it was clear that mission of the church always concern sending. The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the prime Subject of Mission (Missio Dei), sending His church into the world (missio ecclesia). The biblical theology of the city showed a negative and a positive image of the city – the city of Satan and the city of God. Jesus Christ had a great concern for the repentance of the city dwellers. He preached in cities (Mt 9:35-36), cried for the city of Jerusalem for her repentance (Lk 13:34-35), sent His disciples to preach in cities (Mt 10:5, 7, 11, 14, 23). He instructed His disciples to witness to Him from the city of Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Ac 1:8). He also showed His great concern to the seven churches resided at the seven cities of Asia Minor (Rv 2:1-3:22). Paul’s life was mainly centered on preaching, and planting churches mainly in urban areas. Cities all over the globe are growing at an astonishing rate. People are forced to migrate from rural to urban areas because of push and pull factors. Natural growth in the cities is rocketing. A third cause of urban growth is immigration. The problems that immigrants are encountering in are xenophobia and unsettlement, as recent events in South Africa demonstrated. Other vexing problems to be faced in the cities are urban poverty, prostitution, street people, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, crime, etc. The development of a comprehensive definition of mission in an urban setting is required. Christ called the church to be His witness (martyria) to the world (Ac 1:8) by proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma) to the people, by serving people (diakonia), and by entering into fellowship of love with people (koinonia). The main goal of witnessing Christ in urban areas should be the glorificatio Dei, “to glorify God”, this is the liturgical dimension. The ministry of the Reformed Church Tshiawelo (Soweto) was used to illustrate and test the above. With the co-operation of the Synod Soutpansberg, the congregation developed a comprehensive mission programme, sending and equipping their members to undertake mission campaigns, seminars and conferences. Leadership training, as well as proper budgeting form an important part of the programme. The strategies can be utilized to plant churches in metropolitan cities outside Gauteng Province, e.g Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, East London, Durban, Kimberley, etc. The strategies for urban church planting were grouped into four phases which are: Visionary Phase (Step 1), Planning Phase (Step 2), Preparation Phase (Step 3), and Establishment Phase (Step 4). / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The autofluorescence images of the retina, which are obtained by laser scanning confocal ophthalmoscope Heidelberg Retina Angiograph (HRA), are used for early glaucoma diagnosis. Glaucoma is caused by gradual damage of the optic nerves, which leads to the failing of eyesight and can even cause its complete loss. HRA system is used to obtain a set of retinal images, where every image represents certain segment of retina. This thesis describes image registration methods for retinal image mosaicing. The tested registration methods are based on the global function of similarity or the landmarks detection. As landmarks, the blood vessel bifurcations are considered.

This study concluded that the Three Forms of Unity does not give the same meaning to the word “church” all the way through, since the word is used to describe both the visible and invisible sides of the church. When these different uses of the word “church” are left out of consideration in discussions concerning the church and only one of the two sides of the church is emphasised, it leads to the large degree of confusion and indistiction which these days is experienced in ecclesiastical debates. Before there can be any meaningful progress in these discussions, it is therefore necessary to establish which view of the Bible as well as concept of the church, is being taken as starting point of the discussion. Reformed academics have already done many studies concerning the Biblical usage of the word “church”. This study has taken the research a step further and shown that the use of the word “church” in the Three Forms of Unity agrees with the Biblical usage of the word. The Bible and the Three Forms of Unity mean, with the word “church”, both sides of the church of Christ. This church is on the one side invisible, seeing that is spans time and place and in doing so is the sum total of all the elect. On the other side, this church is made visible in a defined place and time and bears the stamp of its own time and culture in which it took its shape. Confusion arises when it is assumed that whatever the Bible and confessions state as indicative of the invisible church is necessarily indicative of the church`s visible side also. This is particularly valid, for example, in the doctrine concerning the attributes and characteristics of the church. This study has brought the old truths about the church from the Bible and confessions freshly to the fore in a time when very little attention is being paid to them. Yet it is precisely these truths concerning the concept of the church that can bring progress in ecclesiastical discussion. It was further demonstrated that the concept of the church held by the Afrikaans Protestant Churches stands on solid Biblical and confessional grounds. / Dissertation (MA (Research in Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / MA / unrestricted

Purpose: The thesis investigated how local entrepreneurs in Slite perceive Heidelberg Materials Cement Sverige AB (HMCS) 's upcoming carbon capture storage (CCS) project—the thesis aimed to explore their perceptions of both enthusiasm and concern regarding the forthcoming mega-project in eco-innovation. Method: A case study based on qualitative research consisting of semi-structured interviews. Theory: Stakeholder Theory and Social License to Operate Results: Economic benefits such as job creation and increased local business activity are acknowledged by the entrepreneurs, who are also concerned about environmental impact, especially dust and transport-related pollution. Some entrepreneurs felt that HMCS has decreased its community involvement over time, and there is a need for increased engagement. Communication gaps were evident, and some entrepreneurs were skeptical about the project's benefits versus its potential disruptions. There was optimism about the potential, but entrepreneurs strongly emphasized the urgent need for improved corporate responsibility, better communication, and genuine community engagement. Conclusion: In conclusion, the thesis recommends that HMCS set a robust community engagement strategy for the upcoming CCS project. To achieve this, it will be essential to emphasize transparent communication, mutual feedback procedures, and community benefits such as job creation and infrastructure improvements. Creating a genuine commitment to corporate social responsibility can mitigate the concerns of entrepreneurs and foster trust between HMCS and its stakeholders.

Traditionally, Arthur Johnston has been judged proxime accessit to George Buchanan in the world of Scottish neo-Latin poetry, and particularly in the versification of the Book of Psalms. The thesis offers a counterpoint to that theme. More of his poetry came under scrutiny at the close of the nineteenth century, when an edition of his Parerga and Epigrammata of 1632, turned scholarly attention to his secular poems. This study examines the poems written between 1599 and 1622 during Johnston’s peregrenatio academica in Europe – poems which depict him at the moment of his emergence onto the public stage, and which offer insights into his life, and the worlds he occupied, during those years. Part one of the thesis will examine his early years and his move into the academic world in Aberdeen and at Heidelberg University. Part two will consider the years he passed as a teacher of philosophy at the Huguenot Academy in Sedan, the independent principality on the northern border of France. It will look, too, at the evidence of his year spent in Padua, where he studied to become a physician. Part three will focus on the years 1619-22 when his longest secular poems were composed. He wrote and published with an eye to achieving a post in the medical circle around James VI and I. The thesis concludes by considering the retreat he made from Europe and London to his home in Aberdeen, and looks briefly at one of the small poems he wrote in 1623-24. Throughout, themes emerge of Johnston’s irenic preferences, and his response to the disturbance to intellectual life brought about by Calvinist division, and by the crisis heralded by the Bohemian Revolt.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the nerve fiber layer and glaucoma-induced structural optic nerve head (ONH) damage in patients with normal- (NTG) and high-tension (HTG) glaucoma. Methods: In this retrospective pair-matched comparative study, 22 NTG and 22 HTG eyes were matched according to the same glaucomatous damage based on rim volume, rim area and disk size, as measured by Heidelberg retinal tomography (HRT III). Visual fields (VF) were assessed by Humphrey perimetry, and nerve fiber layer thickness was determined both by scanning laser polarimetry (GDxVCC) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Comparisons of all measured parameters were made between NTG and HTG groups. Results: Based on HRT results, both NTG and HTG eyes displayed comparable structural damage to the ONH (NTG/HTG, mean: disk area, 2.30/2.31 mm 2 , p = 0.942; rim area, 1.02/0.86 mm 2 , p = 0.082; rim volume, 0.19/0.17 mm 3 , p = 0.398). NTG eyes had significantly less VF damage than HTG eyes (NTG/HTG, mean deviation: –4.23/–12.12 dB, p = 0.002; pattern standard deviation: 5.39/8.23 dB, p = 0.022). The inferior nerve fiber layer of NTG patients was significantly thicker than that of HTG patients (NTG/HTG, mean: GDx inferior: 53.5/46.3 μm, p = 0.046). SD-OCT revealed a significantly thicker nerve fiber in NTG compared with HTG patients in all quadrants (NTG/HTG, total mean: 72.72/58.45 μm, p = 0.002). Conclusion: At comparable glaucomatous stages, nerve fiber loss was more advanced in HTG patients compared with NTG patients.

Диссертационное исследование посвящено образовательным поездкам российских студентов в Гейдельбергский университет в первой половине XIX в. Исследования по истории академической мобильности показывают тенденции этого процесса в прошлом и позволяют более широко взглянуть на образовательные связи между государствами. На основе данных университетских матрикул и справочной литературы была создана электронная таблица российских студентов и затем обработана при помощи статистического пакета. Всего за период 1800–1850 гг. было отобрано 285 студентов из Российской империи. На основе полученных комбинационных таблиц был составлен коллективный портрет российского студенчества по признакам возраста, вероисповедания, социального происхождения, выбора факультета, региональной принадлежности и предыдущего места обучения. Результаты исследования могут стать базой для работ по разным вопросам российско-германских связей и, в особенности, для сравнения академической мобильности российских студентов первой половины XIX в. с другими периодами или регионами. / The dissertation is devoted to academic trips of Russian students to the Heidelberg University during the first half of the 19th century. Writings on the history of academic mobility demonstrate its tendencies in the past and allow examining international educational contacts in a wider perspective. An electronic database of the Russian students in the Heidelberg University was created based on the data of university matricula and corresponding background materials. Then the data were processed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). 285 students from the Russian Empire who studied in the Heidelberg University during 1800–1850 were chosen. A collective portrait of the Russian studentry was compiled including such characteristics as age, confession, social background, regional background, choice of faculty, and previous place of education. The results of the current research can be applied in studies on various aspects of Russian and German contacts and, particularly, on comparison of academic mobility of Russian students either in other regions or in other periods.

Before year 1895, the doctors could only make a probable diagnosis based on what the patient could tell and it was hurt and there was no discernable change to the outside of the body. With X-ray, it was possible to see inside the patient without first cutting it, you can say that the X-ray was the starting point for diagnostic imaging.The further development of X-ray gave CT (Computed Tomography), where X-ray tubes and detectors rotate around the patient while the patient table moves. Besides CT also developed MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and Ultrasound. Common to these methods is that the produced 3D images.In 1990 a completely new approach for diagnostic imaging, OCT (optical coherence tomography), by measuring the phase shift and the intensity of reflected light, it provides real-time and non-destructive measurements (in vivo) a resolution of 1 to 15 microns, much higher than all other standard imaging techniques. You could say that OCT machine can be compared to ultrasound, which uses the reflection of sound waves to interpretation.The first OCT machines were of type TD (Time Domain), these had low resolution and low scanning speed. In 2005 came the SD-OCT, they had higher resolution and scanning speed, SD stands for spectral domain, SD-OCT is sometimes called FD-OCT as Fourier transformed signals and operating in the frequency domain.The development of OCT machines are only in their infancy, resolution, scanning speed and accuracy will increase all the time, this allows new uses and ways to diagnose developed. OCT can be used in such Oncology, MSD (Musculoskeletal disorders), cardiovascular medicine, teeth, nerves, but the largest field is the eye and then the back of the eye called the retina (retina).This thesis is limited to the eye, the purpose is to provide input to those who are likely to purchase an OCT-machine, but also show the measurement data OCT-machines are performing and how to use the OCT-machine more than to see age-related macular degeneration. Another aim is to increase understanding of the physics behind an OCT-machine for ease of understanding the output given.The manufacture/model that have selected for evaluation are Zeiss Cirrus 4000, Topcon 3D OCT-2000 and Heidelberg Spectralis, the reason is that there are only these three on the Swedish market and all are SD-OCT. The way to evaluate OCT-machines is to scan performance and what the various analysis programs can handle. Furthermore, each OCT-machine scans the macula and optic disk on a experimental person/ reference eye, in order to get the output of the precision, or if you want to call it repeatability, which is very important if one wants to follow a solitary disease course.The conclusion of this thesis is to OCT machines are quite similar. When it comes to ease of use when doing scans is the Cirrus is lightened by the use of the extra screen where you always look eye (iris camera), which makes it easy to adjust the sharpness and position of the mouse buttons. Topcon and Heidelberg is not difficult to use but requires more experience of the person making the OCT scans. Most measurement functions in the analysis program is Topcon and Heidelberg and best accuracy/repeatability is Heidelberg, both the macula and RFNL.OCT machine is a good tool to use on the anterior segment, but in the case the precision allows the precision used to monitor RNFL thickness changes in those with glaucoma. / <p>Validerat; 20131029 (global_studentproject_submitter)</p>