This research study explores the ways in which children from diverse family backgrounds can construct or reconstruct their God representations. These were probed by using 'object relations theory' and 'matemal deprivation theory' as means of further gaining insight into children's initial formulations of interpersonal and emotional relationships and how these were translated into the way they imagined God to be for themselves, given their age-group. Parallels were drawn between the interface of psychology and theology by using theories on faith development. There is a clear acknowledgment that there are certain steps of development that individuals go through in their growth at both psychological and spiritual levels. This confirms that there is a need for these two disciplines to draw from each other as means of creating conducive climate to allow for an integrated approach towards formulations of spiritual development among children. Through the use of questionnaires the children were given the opportunity to explore images of God and to also express these in the form of a drawing. The content analysis of this study demonstrated that there were no distinct differences on how children perceived God between abandoned children being raised in an institutional setting and those children being raised by biological parents. This finding highlighted the fact that there are other factors that impact children's spiritual development. These include care, nurture and emotional security. This study contributes to future research on developing new theologies by children, thus enabling them to play a central role in formulating contextual and relevant curriculums on religious education. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This is an exploratory study that seeks to establish the extent to which traditional theologies on 'imago Dei' may contribute to the vulnerability of Catholic single women to HIV and AIDS. It employs a feminist framework of study to critically analyse how androcentric theologies on imago Dei informed by the Greek philosophies of Plato and Aristotle and advanced by the Church fathers do contribute to the dehumanisation of women. Argued in this study, is that these teachings could be responsible for single women‟s vulnerability in the context of HIV and AIDS. Following extensive research done on women, HIV and AIDS, this study also presents cultural, social, economic and religious factors as players in women‟s susceptibility to HIV and AIDS. However, in a unique and particular way, this study seeks and presents a possible connection between the Catholic Church‟s teachings on imago Dei and the vulnerability of Catholic single women to HIV and AIDS. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

[pt] A pergunta acerca das imagens de Deus questiona vários pressupostos da fé e da tradição. A compreensão de Revelação talvez seja a primeira e mais importante. Daí decorre um itinerário que esse trabalho quer abordar apontando algumas consequências para a fé e a vivência dessa fé. Não é mais possível alimentar um discurso fantasioso como justificação ou legitimação de um agir egoísta. Não se nos atermos à transformação necessária na imagem de Deus, que não castiga, interfere ou escolhe apenas alguns. A superação dos limites de um deus externo e interventor gera uma postura nova naquele que crê. Essa pesquisa segue esse caminho, de libertação dos conceitos acerca de Deus apontando como consequências o diálogo, com Deus e com o outro, a autonomia e liberdade do ser humano e a responsabilidade que disso advém em relação ao mundo e à realidade criada. Para tanto este trabalho confronta diversos autores sobre os assuntos tratados, concedendo, contudo à reflexão de Andrés Torres Queiruga um espaço maior. / [en] The question about the images of God challenges several pillars of faith and tradition. Perhaps the undestanding of Revelation is the first and most important one. Considering that, an itinerary arises, and this work intends to follow it, pointing few consequences for the faith and for the experience of this faith. There is no possibility anymore to strenghten a fantastic speech as justification or legitimization for a selfish acting. Not if we focus on the necessary transformation of the God s image, that doesn t punish, doesn t interfere, doesn t select only a few ones. Overcoming the limits of an external and intervenor god generates a new attitude from that one who has faith. This research, follows this path for to release the concepts about God, by pointing as consequences the dialogue with God and with each other, the human autonomy, freedom and the responsabily that comes from that, about the worl and all reality created by God. For that purpose, this dissertation compares and analyses different authors about the subjects matters, granting a large space to reflection of Andrés Torres Queiruga.

Inledning: Prästens yrke är grundat i kristen tro medan psykodynamisk terapi har sin utgångspunkt i psykoanalytisk teori som inledningsvis betraktade religiösa föreställningar som kompromissbildningar. Syftet med denna studie är att fördjupa kunskapen om hur präster upplever att centrala aspekter i yrket som präst förändras av en psykodynamisk terapiutbildning. Frågeställningar: Upplever deltagarna en förändring i sin tro gällande deras gudsbild? På vilket sätt upplever deltagarna att psykodynamisk terapiutbildning påverkat deras yrkesutövande som präster? Metod: Fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med präster i Svenska kyrkan som är legitmerade psykoterapeuter, psykodynamisk inriktning, analyserades i en induktiv tematisk analys. Resultat: Studien visar att prästerna upplever att en psykodynamisk psykoterapiutbildning förändrar centrala aspekter i yrket som präst. Genom en psykodynamisk psykoterapiutbildning sker en intrapsykisk förändring och de två yrkena präst och psykoterapeut integreras.  Diskussion: Diskussionen tar fram en modell som visar att psykoterapiutbildningen ger en intrapsykisk förändring och att de två yrkena integreras med varandra. Resultatet förankas och diskuteras utifrån objektrelationsterori, anknytningsteori och empiri. / Introduction: The work of ministers in the Church of Sweden is based on Christian faith. Psychodynamic therapy is grounded in psychoanalysis which from the beginning viewed religious belief as psychic compromises. This study investigates how ministers are affected in their primary vocation by a psychotherapy training founded on psychoanalysis. Research questions: Do the ministers experience a change in their religious belief as regards the image of god? How do they describe that change? How has psychotherapy education influenced the clergy in their ministry in church? Method: Five semi-structured interviews with clergy in the Church of Sweden who are qualified psychodynamic psychotherapists were analyzed using thematic analysis. Result: The study shows that the ministers experience a change in central aspects of their ministry as well as intrapsychic changes as regards their image of god, their horizon for understanding and general approach in meeting others. The ministers describe an integration of the two professions as regards pastoral care, interpretation of texts and leadership. Discussion: A model is proposed showing that psychotherapy education brings forth an intrapsychic change and how the two professions become integrated. The results are discussed using object relation theory, attachment theory and other empirical studies.

Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit unternimmt den Versuch, einen konzeptionellen Entwurf einer empirischen Missionswissenschaft als Grundlagenforschung zu entwickeln, der im Praxisfeld durchgeführt wird. Dabei soll die intradisziplinäre Vorgehensweise einen methodologischen Zugang sozialwissenschaftlicher Methoden zur Missionswissenschaft möglich machen. Als Grundlage wird ein Einblick in die sozialwissenschaftliche und missionswissenschaftliche Forschung gegeben und daraus ein eigener, empirisch-theologischer Praxiszyklus entwickelt, der die Methodologie der Untersuchung darstellt. Die inhaltliche Forschungsarbeit fragt nach Gottesvorstellungen von Jugendlichen aus missionswissenschaftlicher Sicht. Dabei wird die Möglichkeit missionarischer Begegnung und Ansprechbarkeit von Jugendlichen im Kontext der kulturellen Veränderungen des postmodernen Paradigmemwechsels beleuchtet. Die Frage, wie Gottesvorstellungen von Jugendlichen gesellschaftlich geprägt und wie sich dies auf ihre Religiosität in ihrem Alltag auswirkt, spielt in diesem Zusammenhang eine wichtige Rolle. Deshalb wird nicht nur der aktuelle Forschungsstand zur Thematik untersucht, sondern 18 Jugendliche werden in Form von halbstandardisierten Interviews qualitativ befragt und ihre Aussagen empirisch-missiologisch ausgewertet. Die Thesis hat somit zweierlei Zielsetzungen: Zum einen geht es um eine empirisch-theologische Studie zur Erforschung von Gottesvorstellung bei Jugendlichen im Hinblick auf ihre missionarische Ansprechbarkeit. Zum anderen zielt sie darauf ab, durch Umsetzung des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus einen Typus zu entwickeln, der auch künftig in der Missionswissenschaft für empirisch-theologische Erhebungen eingesetzt werden kann. Summary The intention of this research project is to evolve a concept for empirical missiology as a method of fundamental research and to apply it in practice. Through the usage of an intradisciplinary approach, access to missiology via the methodology of the social sciences is rendered possible. To establish a basis, an insight into social as well as missiological research will be given, and an inherent, empirical-theological praxis cycle will be developed. This praxis cycle is the methodology of this research paper. Concerning content, this research paper scrutinises the image of God held by juveniles from a missiological point of view. It considers the missionary receptiveness of juveniles in the context of cultural change in the postmodernist shift of paradigm. In how far are juvenile concepts of God marked by the correspondent social environment and does that have an impact on their everyday religious behaviour? Consequently not only the current state of research will be evaluated but, furthermore, the half-standardised qualitative interviews of 18 juveniles will be enclosed and their answers analysed on an empirical- missiological basis. Hence, this thesis has a twofold aim; one considers empirical-theological research as a way of evaluating concepts of God among juveniles with regard to their missionary receptiveness. The other implements the empirical-theological praxis cycle aiming to develop a type which enables further empirical-theological investigation in missilogy. / Missiology / D.Th.

Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit unternimmt den Versuch, einen konzeptionellen Entwurf einer empirischen Missionswissenschaft als Grundlagenforschung zu entwickeln, der im Praxisfeld durchgeführt wird. Dabei soll die intradisziplinäre Vorgehensweise einen methodologischen Zugang sozialwissenschaftlicher Methoden zur Missionswissenschaft möglich machen. Als Grundlage wird ein Einblick in die sozialwissenschaftliche und missionswissenschaftliche Forschung gegeben und daraus ein eigener, empirisch-theologischer Praxiszyklus entwickelt, der die Methodologie der Untersuchung darstellt. Die inhaltliche Forschungsarbeit fragt nach Gottesvorstellungen von Jugendlichen aus missionswissenschaftlicher Sicht. Dabei wird die Möglichkeit missionarischer Begegnung und Ansprechbarkeit von Jugendlichen im Kontext der kulturellen Veränderungen des postmodernen Paradigmemwechsels beleuchtet. Die Frage, wie Gottesvorstellungen von Jugendlichen gesellschaftlich geprägt und wie sich dies auf ihre Religiosität in ihrem Alltag auswirkt, spielt in diesem Zusammenhang eine wichtige Rolle. Deshalb wird nicht nur der aktuelle Forschungsstand zur Thematik untersucht, sondern 18 Jugendliche werden in Form von halbstandardisierten Interviews qualitativ befragt und ihre Aussagen empirisch-missiologisch ausgewertet. Die Thesis hat somit zweierlei Zielsetzungen: Zum einen geht es um eine empirisch-theologische Studie zur Erforschung von Gottesvorstellung bei Jugendlichen im Hinblick auf ihre missionarische Ansprechbarkeit. Zum anderen zielt sie darauf ab, durch Umsetzung des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus einen Typus zu entwickeln, der auch künftig in der Missionswissenschaft für empirisch-theologische Erhebungen eingesetzt werden kann. Summary The intention of this research project is to evolve a concept for empirical missiology as a method of fundamental research and to apply it in practice. Through the usage of an intradisciplinary approach, access to missiology via the methodology of the social sciences is rendered possible. To establish a basis, an insight into social as well as missiological research will be given, and an inherent, empirical-theological praxis cycle will be developed. This praxis cycle is the methodology of this research paper. Concerning content, this research paper scrutinises the image of God held by juveniles from a missiological point of view. It considers the missionary receptiveness of juveniles in the context of cultural change in the postmodernist shift of paradigm. In how far are juvenile concepts of God marked by the correspondent social environment and does that have an impact on their everyday religious behaviour? Consequently not only the current state of research will be evaluated but, furthermore, the half-standardised qualitative interviews of 18 juveniles will be enclosed and their answers analysed on an empirical- missiological basis. Hence, this thesis has a twofold aim; one considers empirical-theological research as a way of evaluating concepts of God among juveniles with regard to their missionary receptiveness. The other implements the empirical-theological praxis cycle aiming to develop a type which enables further empirical-theological investigation in missilogy. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.

Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Mishandeling is een van die mees traumatiese ervarings wat die adolessent kan beleef en beïnvloed sy totale ontwikkeling. Die doel met hierdie navorsing was om deur intervensie te bepaal of mishandeling enige implikasies het vir die adolessent se verhouding met God. Die pastorale en Gestaltterapie is aangewend om die adolessent wat mishandel is in sy verhouding met God te begelei. In die pastorale Gestaltterapiebenadering is daar rekening gehou met die dinamiese konteks van lewenservaring en betekenisvelde in die Godsbeeld van die adolessent. Hierdeur is die impak bepaal van die adolessent se ervaring, waarneming en verwagting van God. Die uitgangspunt van die pastorale Gestaltterapie was dat die adolessent se verhouding met God disfunksioneel geword het as gevolg van mishandeling. Met behulp van die intervensienavorsingsmodel is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die pastorale Gestaltterapeutiese benadering die verwronge Godsbeeld van die adolessent verander het sodat die verhouding met God kan herstel. SUMMARY Abuse is one of the most traumatic experiences the adolescent can have and influences his total development. This research was aimed at establishing, by means of intervention, whether abuse has any implications for the adolescent's relationship with God. The pastoral and Gestalt therapy was applied to guide the abused adolescent in his relationship with God. In the pastoral Gestalt therapy approach the dynamic context of life experience and areas of meaning in the adolescent's image of God was taken into account. Thereby the impact of the adolescent's experience, observation and expectations of God was established. The starting-point of the pastoral Gestalt therapy was that the adolescent's relationship with God became dysfunctional as a result of abuse. With the aid of the intervention research model, it was concluded that the pastoral Gestalt therapeutic approach has changed the distorted God-image of the adolescent to restore the relationship with God. / Social work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need for this research arose from the phenomenon of Wangtta which has recently become a widespread form of anti-social behavior. It causes tremendous stress to Korean children, especially affecting primary school children who are emotionally very vulnerable and who still are in the process of forming their self-image and worldview. The dissertation is an attempt to investigate the social and cultural phenomenon of Wangtta in order to provide some help to parents, teachers and pastoral care takers concerned with meeting the needs of children who are victims of Wangtta. Wangtta is an extreme form of violent peer pressure which includes physical and verbal assaults. It takes the form of peer group tyranny. Individuals vent their anger, frustration, and feeling of defeatedness on victims among their own peers. Their aim is total excommunication of an individual from the group. In this way they achieve a distorted sense of superiority. Wangtta seems to be the outcome of confused identity and devastated spirituality resulting from the impact of clash between conflicting cultures, worldviews and spirituality. The phenomenon of Wangtta should there be assessed against the background of Shananism, Confusionism and Buddhism. Thus the reason for cultural and systemic approach. Empirical research, using questionnaires, showed the self-image of Korean children to be extremely weak and fragile due to existing cultural processes of change and transformation. The basic hypothesis is that in terms of a theological anthropology, self-images and God-images are interrelated to each other and to such a degree that they greatly affect the person's ability to cope with severe crises in life. In order to help children to establish a healthy self-image, pastoral care should focus on the refraiming of God-images. The establishment of appropriate God-images will not only promote more constructive and purposeful coping mechanisms by children, but will also change their attitude to life. The God-images of children have to be represented, redirected and reframed according to a worldview determined by Christian spirituality. The outcome of this dissertation is that pastoral care to the phenomenon of Wangtta implies a God-image determined by a theopaschitic stance in pastoral theology: l.e. the notion of a suffering God. The dissertation opts for the notion: God as a Soul Friend and a Partner for life. Pastoral care to the phenomenon of Wangtta therefore implies a God-image which can foster hope and grant forgiveness. The dissertation stresses the importance of the cross-cultural and spiritual dimension of pastoral care within the postrnodem culture of the Korean society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die lig van radikale sosio-ekonomiese en kulturele verskuiwings gedurende die laaste gedeelte van die twintigste eeu, was die Koreaanse samelewing onderworpe aan ingrypende transformasieprosesse. Die impak hiervan het aanleiding gegee tot 'n unieke anti-sosiale gedragspatroon onder veral kinders, genoemd: Wangtta. Vanwee uitermate stres en 'n gevoel van onbehae onder Koreaanse kinders, fokus die navorsing op laerskoolkinders wat op emosionele vlak uiters weerloos en ontwrig is. Die navorsing fokus op die slagoffers van Wangtta ten einde pastorale hulpverleners en ouers in staat te stel om sulke kinders te versorg en te beraad. Wangtta word beskryf as 'n ekstreme vorm van sosiale geweld en groepsdruk. Vanwee verhoogde fisieke en verbale geweld verkeer die slagoffers van Wangtta onder buitengewone emosionele druk. Wangtta word beskryf as 'n unieke Koreaanse gestalte van groepsdruk en sosiale geweld as gevolg van die wisselwerkende verband tussen postrnodernisme en die religieuse tradisies soos Confusionisme, Shamanisme en Boedisme binne die Koreaanse kultuursituasie. Die verskuiwing van 'n mono-, hierargiese kultuur na 'n gesekulariseerde postmodeme en globale kultuur het 'n geweldige impak op gesinstrukture gehad. Binne 'n kultuur waar skaamte 'n groot rol speel,. is Wangtta beskryf as 'n psigo-sosiale reaksiefenomeen wat impakteer op die selfbeeld van kinders en hul spiritualiteit. Met behulp van 'n empiriese ondersoek is die uiters brose selfbeeld van Koreaanse kinders beskryf. Die basiese hipotese van die navorsing is dat binne die raamwerk van 'n teologiese antropologie, daar 'n direkte wisselwerkende verband tussen selfbeeld en Godsbeeld bestaan. 'n Dergelike lnteraksie bepaal deurslaggewend kinders se geloof [spirituele identiteit] en hul hantering van lewenskrisisse. Die basiese argument van die proefskrif is dat 'n toepaslike Godskonsep en 'n rekonstruksie van Godsvoorstellinge in die pastorale beradingsproses, kinders kan help om meer konstruktief en doelgerig binne sosiale transforrnasieprosesse op te tree. Op pastoraal-teologiese vlak bevind die proefskrif dat 'n wegbeweeg van 'n outoritere en outokraties-hierargiese Godsbegrip na 'n meer patosvolle Godsbegrip, kan bydra tot die heling van persoonlike identiteit. Die proefskrif sluit aan by die teopasgitiese paradigma, naamlik die konsep van God se weerloosheid, God se Vriendskap en Sy identifikasie met ons lyding. God as Vriend en Lewensbondgenoot, Lewenspartner kan slagoffers van Wangtta help tot 'n nuwe toekomsgerigte en hoopvolle lewensorientasie, Die pathoskomponent in kinders se Godsbeeld, kan daartoe bydra dat die konsepte van genade, vergifnis en versoening opnuut nuwe betekenis kry in 'n pastorale krisisberading aan beide die slagoffers en die oortreders [skuldiges] van Wangtta. Die beskrywing an die fenomeen Wangtta beklemtoon die belangrikheid van kruis-kulturele pastorale berading binne die Koreaanse konteks met 'n herformulering van die spiritualiteitsdimensie in die lig van 'n pastorale Godkonseprekonstruksie.

[pt] O presente trabalho busca compreender como a crítica saramaguiana contida em Caim pode contribuir para a derrubada de imagens inautênticas de Deus. Para tal intento foi necessário seguir alguns passos sendo o primeiro percorrer o caminho de uma proposta de aproximação entre teologia e literatura. No entanto, como a literatura do autor escolhido está marcada por seu ateísmo também se impôs a tarefa de compreender como a teologia pode acolher as críticas ateístas. Já num segundo passo, à luz de um breve perfil biográfico, literário e do pensamento religioso do escritor português percebeu-se que em diversas de suas tramas opera uma reescritura lançando mão da intertextualidade, sobretudo com a Bíblia carnavalizando-a. A partir disso, concluiu-se que uma espécie paixão por questões religiosas habita inúmeros textos do escritor. Todavia, nesses textos Saramago (des)constrói compreensões acerca de representações de Deus que foram forjadas dentro do cristianismo e que ainda estão em vigor em diversos de seus ramos. Ou seja, faz sua a-telogia, ou que se pode chamar de teologia às avessas. Por fim, como último passo afunilou-se a discussão em torno do romance Caim. Nele,ao recontar diversos episódios bíblicos, o lusófono continua seu projeto de uma reescritura nada sagrada e seu labor a-teológico. Pinta através de sua pena um Deus egocêntrico, arbitrário e indiferente ao sofrimento humano. Deus esse que alguns teólogos tem tentado matar. Em suma, a crítica presente em Caim num diálogo com a teologia contribui para demolir imagens inautênticas de Deus. / [en] This study seeks to understand how Saramago s criticism in his book Cain can aid in overturning spurious images of God. For this purpose it was necessary to pursue various paths; the first one being a reconciliation between theology and literature. Since the literature of the chosen author is characterized by his atheism, this required an understanding of how theology canaccomodate atheistic criticism. In the second step, by means of a short biographical sketch that included the literary and religious thinking of the Portuguese writer, it was noted that in many of his plots he does a rewriting of the Bible, using intertextuality, by divesting it of its sacred qualities. From this basis,a conclusion was drawn that Saramago possessed a passion for religious questions that are embedded in many of his works. Even so, in these texts Saramago (de)constructs understandings about the representations of God that were forged within Christianity and which are still in force in many of its branches. That is to say, he creates an nontheology, or what can be called an upside down theology. The last step narrowed down the discussion to include only the novel Cain. In the retelling of many biblical episodes, the Lusophone author continues his project of a profane rewrite of the Scriptures as well as his project of creating a nontheology. Through his pen he paints a portrait of a God who is egocentric, arbitrary and indifferent to human suffering. It is just such a God that some theologians have tried to kill. In summary, the criticism found in the novel Cain offers a dialogue with theology that contributes to the overturning of spurious images of God.

Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Mishandeling is een van die mees traumatiese ervarings wat die adolessent kan beleef en beïnvloed sy totale ontwikkeling. Die doel met hierdie navorsing was om deur intervensie te bepaal of mishandeling enige implikasies het vir die adolessent se verhouding met God. Die pastorale en Gestaltterapie is aangewend om die adolessent wat mishandel is in sy verhouding met God te begelei. In die pastorale Gestaltterapiebenadering is daar rekening gehou met die dinamiese konteks van lewenservaring en betekenisvelde in die Godsbeeld van die adolessent. Hierdeur is die impak bepaal van die adolessent se ervaring, waarneming en verwagting van God. Die uitgangspunt van die pastorale Gestaltterapie was dat die adolessent se verhouding met God disfunksioneel geword het as gevolg van mishandeling. Met behulp van die intervensienavorsingsmodel is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die pastorale Gestaltterapeutiese benadering die verwronge Godsbeeld van die adolessent verander het sodat die verhouding met God kan herstel. SUMMARY Abuse is one of the most traumatic experiences the adolescent can have and influences his total development. This research was aimed at establishing, by means of intervention, whether abuse has any implications for the adolescent's relationship with God. The pastoral and Gestalt therapy was applied to guide the abused adolescent in his relationship with God. In the pastoral Gestalt therapy approach the dynamic context of life experience and areas of meaning in the adolescent's image of God was taken into account. Thereby the impact of the adolescent's experience, observation and expectations of God was established. The starting-point of the pastoral Gestalt therapy was that the adolescent's relationship with God became dysfunctional as a result of abuse. With the aid of the intervention research model, it was concluded that the pastoral Gestalt therapeutic approach has changed the distorted God-image of the adolescent to restore the relationship with God. / Social work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)