According to biblical record, diseases and illness have troubled individuals almost since the beginning of creation (Wilkinson, 1998: 7). To understand and make sense of sickness, mankind turned to religion. In the Old Testament health is seen as a gift of God, but illness is perceived as a punishment for sin (Leon-Dufour, 1962: 543). The preaching of Job argues against this view. The problem of evil still causes difficulties for the Christian today. God permits such challenges and, in responding to them, mankind is spiritually transformed: spiritual growth. God has given mankind a soul, and this soul is not part of an evolutionary process towards perfection: only Christ waslis perfect! However, through the crucifixion, God recognizes our suffering and we can recognize His suffering elsewhere (Fiddes, 1988: 11). The central question of this research is: How may one demonstrate the legitimacy and validity of miraculous healing through the charism of the Holy Spirit within the Catholic tradition? As healing miracles have an important place in Scripture, an examination is needed of the words used to describe miracles, tracing the English translation back to the original Greek or Hebrew words. Miracle stories are also attested to in secular sources such as the Antiquities of the Jews and the Babylonian Talmud. Scripture contains accounts of healing miracles, particularly in relation to the ministry of Jesus whose healing miracles are in accordance with His teaching. Such miracles were not simply stories spread by the disciples; they were signs, evidence of who Jesus is and that He had come in fulfilment of prophecy. These signs contained the quintessence of the Gospel itself, promoting faith, and that faith is a personal response to an act of witness. Healing is not dependent upon sinlessness, but is a gift of God to His creature: it can be mental, spiritual, emotional, involving relationships and the reconciliation of a person with God and his community through the receipt of the sacraments. Scriptural accounts of healing miracles contained a message that the Kingdom of God had arrived. They were a demonstration of God's truth to believers and non-believers alike and they continued to play an important part in the first Christians' experiences and mission. The church's healing ministry has its roots and authority in Scripture and the continuation of that ministry is through the action of the Holy Spirit. Both in the Early Church and the Church of today, restoration to health is implemented through the Mass and in the practice of a ministry that includes physical care through the establishment of hospitals managed by religious orders and latterly, through care homes staffed by lay volunteers. Consideration is given to Pasteur's (1822-1895) research into microorganisms and the consequent shift in focus to the avoidance of infection and to the development of effective cures. Understandably, the medical profession has concerns about the healing ministry: why are some healed and others not and why cannot healings be tested scientifically in the laboratory? In the Roman Catholic Church tradition shrines have always played an important role as places of pilgrimage and healing and, in spite of the existence of medical committees made up of scientists, doctors and priests to test all claims of healing before the Church acknowledges these as genuine, scepticism remains (Theillier, 2000: 3). Historically inseparable, a gap has developed between science and religion; this thesis attempts to demonstrate the reasons for this and to show that, since both are concerned with aspects of human suffering and death, the wall of separation between medicine and religion can be demolished (Larson and Matthews, 1997 (2): 3-6). As well as modern medical, technological advancements, which have provided exciting developments in the treatment of diseases like cancer, universities such as Edinburgh and Lancaster have established programmes that focus on how a person's faith may influence the progress of illness in a beneficial way. By considering the apparently opposing views of Hume and Lewis (1953: 51), questions arise concerning the extent to which the Laws of Nature are indeed fixed and unchanging; and concerning the contention that when God acts He does not suspend the Laws of Nature, but works with and through them. The researcher's views are either partially or fully endorsed by Boswell (1992), Brown (1984) and Wilkinson (1998); however, it is necessary to research the understanding of those whose scientific expertise prevents them from conceiving of the possibility of miraculous healing (Dawkins, 1997; Hume 1980; Williams, 1992; et al). The thesis addresses contemporary issues: the extent of modern research into the healing ministry and the fact that this is not reflected comprehensively in the training programmes of the Catholic Church for those preparing for the priesthood or as monks and nuns (Hocken, 2001: 54); and the current debate on euthanasia, which demonstrates clearly that the Bible continues to influence not only medical ethics but also, our society as it debates and determines its evaluation of human life. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus in cooperation with Greenwich School of Theology, U.K., 2007

The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century were an important period for popular shows involving the moving and projected image, yet there have been few sustained studies that have mapped optical entertainments systematically outside London or that have analysed the influence of such shows on early film exhibition. This thesis has profiled the popular and visual culture of five contrasting South West locations during this period, tracing the development and distribution of magic lantern shows and dioramas as well as identifying the local and touring companies who hosted film on its arrival in the region. Using the local press, the trade press, contemporary publications and ephemera, this thesis has reconstructed an account of local shows and culture which not only deepens our understanding of popular visual entertainments in regional contexts, but which also serves to stand as a comparison to other established urban and metropolitan paradigms and thus to contribute to a wider and more complex national picture. It advances the argument for a broader classification of such shows in response to local findings and for a more nuanced and detailed appraisal and understanding of their provenance and profiles, and the role film played within them. In addition, this thesis interrogates early film exhibition in these resorts following the move to fixed-venue cinemas in the late 1900s and investigates the arrival of cinema and its emergence as a fledgling industry in the region. It offers an overview of investment into the business locally and evidences the varied set of partnerships and individuals responsible for financing the first cinemas here. Responses to the new technologies and local modifications to business models for cinemas and film exhibition are analysed and their diversity examined. Managerial relationships with communities are evidenced as an important contributory factor to the success of many local cinemas, permitting adaptations to the needs of patrons which boosted audiences and increased revenue. The variety of local interpretations of cinema discovered here reflects the social and cultural diversity of these selected sites, and is a key finding of this thesis.

Male or female, young or old, the characters of this collection inhabit a liminal space of trauma and social dislocation in which elements of the real and fabulous coexist in equal measure. The ghosts that populate the stories are as much the ghosts of the living, as they are the ghosts of the dead. They represent individual conscience and an inescapable connection to the past.

This document vaguely describes what happened to me and my paintings during my time spent at VCU.

"The Devil in the Detail" explores the rationality of magical belief on the early modern English stage. I examine how demons and demonic magic were depicted in the theatre, arguing that playwrights ascribed a sense of realism to the devil’s methods. In explaining the devil's modus operandi and exposing the limitations of his magic, the stage validates supernatural belief and depicts the devil’s craft as plausible. More broadly, this thesis is situated within the ongoing debate over the relationship between magic and scientific thought in early modern Europe, confirming that demonology was not an irrational superstition but a valid pre-science. Set against a background of witch persecution and the widespread belief that demons were a material reality, the devil was both the subject of prevalent intellectual inquiry and a popular figure on the early modern English stage, featuring in at least fifty-two plays between 1509 and 1638. Underpinning this particular brand of entertainment is a cohesive and consistent ontological framework that dictated the extent to which the devil could - and could not - operate in the material world, entirely in keeping with the dominant demonological thought of the time. "The Devil in the Detail" focuses on seven devil plays: Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (c.1590), Greene's Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (c.1590), John of Bordeaux (c.1590), Jonson's The Devil is an Ass (1616), Dekker, Ford and Rowley's The Witch of Edmonton (1621), Brome and Heywood's The Late Lancashire Witches (1634) and Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611). In each chapter, I demonstrate how these texts both adhere to orthodox demonology and emphasise the devil’s humanlike qualities. The final chapter presents the case for demonism in The Tempest.

Thesis topic "Witch cults and alternative treatment methods in equatorial Africa" deals with the problems of shamanism and treatment methods in Africa, mainly in the equatorial area. Introduces witchcraft and compares it to shamanism, healing and other methods of the African aboriginal tribes and specific healing methods which are practised by shamans, medicine men and healers. At the same time it compares these methods to the quality of the medical services which are available in the given area. Practical part shows research solutions analysing the relations of the citizens from an Ugandan village Nyakyera and surrounding areas to healthcare and their attitude towards the shaman healers.

The diploma thesis deals with witchcraft and other mystic phenomena in conception of Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard. It is focused especially on the notion of witchcraft in connection with magic, shamanism and oracles. It describes relation of all these phenomena towards religious belief and various attitudes towards them. It defines respective practices and explains differences between them. Last but not least, it introduces usual reactions to them. Via concrete situation it also shows interconnection of all described phenomena and presents them as a coherent and logical system.

In the territory of the current Czech Republic, the first written mention of the negative perception of magic appeared as early as in the 11th century, but it was only in the 14th century when the prohibitions to practice magic got more precise contours. Legally, the offense of witchcraft in Municipal and Capital Crime Codes only was defined in the 16th and the 17th century. It was at the turn of these centuries when we saw increase in processes with persons accused of abusing spells. However, in most prosecutions of that time, the abuses of megic only were secondary charges and the perpetrators were condemned, only occurred in the Czech Kingdom rarely. Only the persecution of witches in some of the Silesian principalities and in northern Moravia during the 17th century got out these trends. In northern Moravia, the largest witch trials took place in the years 1679 - 1696 in the Velké Losiny estate and in the town of Šumperk, where 81 alleged sorcerers and witches were killed. Like in many other cases, also here the outbreak of local witch trials was inspired by a stolen host. Court proceedings took place under the direction of Judge Heinrich Franz Boblig of Edelstadt, who for many years gained the trust of the local nobility. Although the legislation continued to contain criminal offense against witchcraft...

The aim of this diploma thesis was to define the basic features of traditional Mongolian treatment guidelines, with an emphasis on traditions of non-buddhist treatment. The main attention was paid to the healing method "dom", which stands on the border between folk medicine and magic, and is part of Mongolian cultural traditions. The first chapter "Classification of Mongolian traditional medicine" is dedicated to arranging the division of medical techniques in Mongolian territory and tries to set the techniques into historical context. The second chapter "Healing Tradition in the territory of Mongolia" focuses on the description of each treatment technique. The third chapter is devoted to the treatment of the Mongolian tradition called "dom". Since the Western literature refers to "dom" as magic, attention is paid first to magic. The second part consists of interviews on the issue and the definition of "dom" recorded in Mongolia and the final part follows with concrete examples of the "dom" set within the wider context of traditional methods of medical treatment. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Backrounds: Former Czechoslovakia was known for the studies of halucinogens and their use in cure in psychiatric care. In the last couple of years LSD and other halucinogens have been coming to renaissance again. Nowadays researchers are returning to these theories and they are trying to follow these studies. In the Czech Republic according to studies conducted in 2002, 2004 and 2008, there was an increase in the use of all drugs in general population. For example there was an increase of 2.5 times more of use between 2002 and 2008 (from 2.2% to 5.6%). The same increase showed the use of halucinogen mushrooms that were monitored only in 2004 and 2008. Objectives: The main point of the whole research was to map aspects and patterns of the use of magic mushrooms and LSD and monitor the outcome on these patients, also monitor their physical and psychiatric problems. The study monitors how each person deals with their use and solutions that can be used in prevention with patients especially among growing population are tried to be found. Methods and research group: The research was conducted in polystructured form of an interview with 34 patients in hospital in Dobrany (34 men and 3 women) who had had at least one piece of experience with the use of magic mushrooms or LSD and were willing for the...