En se focalisant méthodiquement sur l’étude de « l’imagination du mouvement» (sous-titre de l’ouvrage de 1943 intitulé L’air et les songes), la présente thèse vise avant tout à montrer qu’une véritable philosophie se déploie à travers la poétique de Gaston Bachelard.    Cette dernière articule de façon inédite, dans une perspective dynamiste, une théorie et une pratique de l’imagination dont la portée dépasse de loin le cadre d’une psychologie de la rêverie et de la création littéraire, à laquelle elle demeure trop souvent réduite : le philosophe montre en effet que les images des multiples mouvements qui animent le monde naturel (matériel, végétal, animal) ouvrent le sujet à l’expérience structurante d’une verticalité élémentaire dont le dynamisme défie et édifie sa propre verticalité psycho-physique, en l’aidant à « se tenir droit dans un univers redressé ». L’étude détaillée des images du mouvement permet ainsi de mettre au jour, au delà d’une psychologie originale, la portée ontologique, anthropologique et éthique de l’imagination bachelardienne. Cette étude passe par la mise en œuvre d’une singulière micro-phénoménologie dynamique, permettant une focalisation de l’attention sur les dimensions cognitive, kinesthésique et affective des images, à travers laquelle le « voir » en imagination (Première partie : l’image – mouvement) s’approfondit - dans une progressive incarnation - en « se mouvoir » (Seconde partie : l’image motrice) puis en « s’émouvoir » (Troisième partie : l’image émotive).Toutefois, loin d’enfermer le sujet dans une quelconque forme d’immanence psychologique, cette focalisation de l’attention intensifie sa présence au monde comme à autrui et, par là-même, engage un « agir » (Quatrième partie : l’image – acte) de part en part structuré selon le dynamisme de la verticalité.  La poétique des images de G. Bachelard délivre dès lors bel et bien une philosophie complète, sous-tendue par une pratique concrète de l’imagination, philosophie dont le foyer est une exigeante éthique de la verticalité, soucieuse d’orienter l'ensemble de nos mouvements dans le sens d’une « surexistence ». / By focusing on systematically studying "the imagination of movement" (subtitle of the 1943 book entitled The air and dreams), this thesis is primarily intended to show that a true philosophy unfolds through the poetics of Gaston Bachelard.The latter links in a new way, in a dynamic perspective, a theory and practice of imagination whose scope far exceeds the framework of a psychology of daydream and creative writing, to which it remains too often reduced: the philosopher shows that the images of different movement that animate the natural world (material, plant, animal) open the subject to structuring experience of an elementary verticality whose energy challenges and builds his own psycho-physical verticality. The detailed study of imaginative movement allows to unveil, beyond an original psychology, the ontological, anthropological and ethical meanings of bachelardian imagination.This study involves the implementation of a singular dynamic micro-phenomenology, allowing attention to focus on the cognitive, kinesthesic and affective dimensions of images, and through which the act of "seeing" in imagination (Part one : Seeing : The Movement Image) deepens - in a gradual incarnation – towards body movement (Second part : Moving : the images of motricity) and then towards "being moved" (Part Three : the images of emotion). However, far from locking away the subject in any form of psychological immanence, the focus of attention is intensifying its presence in the world as others and, thereby, involves an "action" (Part Four: Acting : the images of action) structured by the dynamic of verticality.Bachelard’s poetics therefore delivers a complete philosophy, underpinned by concrete practice of the imagination, philosophy whose focus is a demanding ethical verticality, anxious to direct all our movements in the sense of an increased existence.

Worldwide liturgical music finds itself in a crisis. Liturgical music is made the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with liturgy, whereas the problems rather derive from the worship service as a whole, the theological thinking and the cultural environment in which the worship service is performed. Stereotyped liturgical forms, a cognitive verbalism, the demand for intelligibility, the loss of the poetic form of the liturgy, the disregard for symbols and rituals, the absence of visual and other art forms in the liturgy, the influence of the popular music culture and especially the lack of a profound theological reflection with regard to the essential place of music in the liturgy, are all contributing factors that have a negative influence on liturgical music. The worship service is surrounded by a postmodern culture, aspects of which might provide positive opportunities for the liturgy. A broader notion of rationality that includes the affective, non-cognitive dimensions of being human, opens up possibilities for the aesthetic, as well as the religious experience. The recognition of symbols, images, imagination and metaphors opens up new horizons for the worship service as Gesamtkunstwerk. Anti-foundationalistic thinking demands an open canon with regard to the liturgy and liturgical song. Ecumenicity as an expression of the postmodern 'global village' renders a plurality of liturgical and musical possibilities. Aspects that might influence the reception of liturgical songs and songbooks, such as a spirit of anti-authoritarianism must be borne in mind. The liturgical training of ministers of religion, especially with regard to their aesthetic formation must be given due attention. The reflection on liturgy with regard to the role of art and music as communicative acts, based on new theological insights, must come into full swing. Liturgical music can only be fully appreciated where liturgical renewal takes form in a comprehensive way and where theologically the space is opened up for music as a form of art that has the ability to communicate symbolically, especially that which defies clearcut definition - as such being a communicative act serving the gospel. / Liturgiese musiek verkeer wereldwyd in 'n krisis. Kritiek word dikwels slegs voor die deur van die musiek gele, terwyl die probleem verband hou met die erediens as geheel, die teologiese denke en met die kulturele omstandighede waarbinne die erediens plaasvind. Geykte liturgiese vorms, 'n kognitiewe-verbalisme, die oorbeklemtoonde eis om verstaanbaarheid, 'n verlies aan die kunsgestalte van die erediens, 'n miskenning van die simboliese waarde van rituele en handelinge, die gebrek aan visuele en ander kunsvorme, die invloed van die omringende musiekkultuur en veral die gebrek aan 'n grondige teologiese besinning ten opsigte van musiek in die erediens, bring die funksie, aard en wesenlike plek van liturgiese musiek in gedrang. Die erediens staan binne 'n · postmodernistiese denkkultuur waarvan sekere aspekte positiewe moontlikhede ten opsigte van die erediens kan bied. Die breer rasionaliteitsbegrip, wat ruimte open vir die affektiewe en nie-kognitiewe dimensies van menswees, skep nuwe ruimte vir die estetiese ervaring en die rol van ervaring in die geloofsproses. Die erkenning van simbole, simboolwerelde, metafore, beelde en verbeelding, bied nuwe moontlikhede vir die erediens as Gesamtkunstwerk. Die oog vir die heropname van die historiese en die simboliese bied ook geleentheid vir die herstel van die tradisionele lied. 'n Gees van anti-fundamentalisme vereis 'n oop kanon ten opsigte van die liturgie en die liturgiese lied. Ekumenisiteit as vorm van die postmoderne global village bied 'n pluraliteit van liturgiese en musikale moontlikhede. 'n Nie-outoritere tydsgees en die ontkenning van 'n 'kundigheidsgroep' deur die postmodernisme, moet verreken word as faktore wat 'n rol kan speel by die resepsie van liedere en gesangboeke. Die liturgiese opleiding, veral met betrekking tot die estetiese vorming van predikante, moet grondig aandag kry. Die besinning rondom die liturgie met betrekking tot die rol van kuns en musiek as kommunikatiewe handelinge moet op grond van nuwere teologiese insigte tereg kom. Die tese van hierdie studie is dat die kerklied, oud of nuut, eers daar tereg sal kom waar van liturgiese vernuwing in die omvattende sin sprake is en waar teologies die ruimte vir musiek as kunsvorm met die vermoe tot simboliese vergestalting - as sodanig dus kommunikatiewe handeling in diens van die Evangelia - verreken word. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theory)

Worldwide liturgical music finds itself in a crisis. Liturgical music is made the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with liturgy, whereas the problems rather derive from the worship service as a whole, the theological thinking and the cultural environment in which the worship service is performed. Stereotyped liturgical forms, a cognitive verbalism, the demand for intelligibility, the loss of the poetic form of the liturgy, the disregard for symbols and rituals, the absence of visual and other art forms in the liturgy, the influence of the popular music culture and especially the lack of a profound theological reflection with regard to the essential place of music in the liturgy, are all contributing factors that have a negative influence on liturgical music. The worship service is surrounded by a postmodern culture, aspects of which might provide positive opportunities for the liturgy. A broader notion of rationality that includes the affective, non-cognitive dimensions of being human, opens up possibilities for the aesthetic, as well as the religious experience. The recognition of symbols, images, imagination and metaphors opens up new horizons for the worship service as Gesamtkunstwerk. Anti-foundationalistic thinking demands an open canon with regard to the liturgy and liturgical song. Ecumenicity as an expression of the postmodern 'global village' renders a plurality of liturgical and musical possibilities. Aspects that might influence the reception of liturgical songs and songbooks, such as a spirit of anti-authoritarianism must be borne in mind. The liturgical training of ministers of religion, especially with regard to their aesthetic formation must be given due attention. The reflection on liturgy with regard to the role of art and music as communicative acts, based on new theological insights, must come into full swing. Liturgical music can only be fully appreciated where liturgical renewal takes form in a comprehensive way and where theologically the space is opened up for music as a form of art that has the ability to communicate symbolically, especially that which defies clearcut definition - as such being a communicative act serving the gospel. / Liturgiese musiek verkeer wereldwyd in 'n krisis. Kritiek word dikwels slegs voor die deur van die musiek gele, terwyl die probleem verband hou met die erediens as geheel, die teologiese denke en met die kulturele omstandighede waarbinne die erediens plaasvind. Geykte liturgiese vorms, 'n kognitiewe-verbalisme, die oorbeklemtoonde eis om verstaanbaarheid, 'n verlies aan die kunsgestalte van die erediens, 'n miskenning van die simboliese waarde van rituele en handelinge, die gebrek aan visuele en ander kunsvorme, die invloed van die omringende musiekkultuur en veral die gebrek aan 'n grondige teologiese besinning ten opsigte van musiek in die erediens, bring die funksie, aard en wesenlike plek van liturgiese musiek in gedrang. Die erediens staan binne 'n · postmodernistiese denkkultuur waarvan sekere aspekte positiewe moontlikhede ten opsigte van die erediens kan bied. Die breer rasionaliteitsbegrip, wat ruimte open vir die affektiewe en nie-kognitiewe dimensies van menswees, skep nuwe ruimte vir die estetiese ervaring en die rol van ervaring in die geloofsproses. Die erkenning van simbole, simboolwerelde, metafore, beelde en verbeelding, bied nuwe moontlikhede vir die erediens as Gesamtkunstwerk. Die oog vir die heropname van die historiese en die simboliese bied ook geleentheid vir die herstel van die tradisionele lied. 'n Gees van anti-fundamentalisme vereis 'n oop kanon ten opsigte van die liturgie en die liturgiese lied. Ekumenisiteit as vorm van die postmoderne global village bied 'n pluraliteit van liturgiese en musikale moontlikhede. 'n Nie-outoritere tydsgees en die ontkenning van 'n 'kundigheidsgroep' deur die postmodernisme, moet verreken word as faktore wat 'n rol kan speel by die resepsie van liedere en gesangboeke. Die liturgiese opleiding, veral met betrekking tot die estetiese vorming van predikante, moet grondig aandag kry. Die besinning rondom die liturgie met betrekking tot die rol van kuns en musiek as kommunikatiewe handelinge moet op grond van nuwere teologiese insigte tereg kom. Die tese van hierdie studie is dat die kerklied, oud of nuut, eers daar tereg sal kom waar van liturgiese vernuwing in die omvattende sin sprake is en waar teologies die ruimte vir musiek as kunsvorm met die vermoe tot simboliese vergestalting - as sodanig dus kommunikatiewe handeling in diens van die Evangelia - verreken word. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theory)