The theme of the thesis, which you hold in your hands is particular situation of sermon on the occasion of December 26th with its specific topic about the first Christian martyr St. Stephen. The aim of this work is to explore, in discussion with experts and current Protestant preachers, the homiletic possibilities of how such specific situation should be addressed. Master thesis has four main parts. The first part investigates how available homiletic literature operates with the key terms: preaching, celebration and Stephen. New Testament biblical texts associated with Stephen are processed in this part as well. The second, more practical part, deals with particular sermons of contemporary Slovak and Czech ministers, and invites them into a conversation about a particular situation of both St. Stephen and the listener who is being addressed with these sermons. The third part of the thesis provides conclusion. The annex is important as well, for it provides a collection of sermons on this particular subject. Keywords Biblical text Listener Martyr Sermon Situation St. Stephen St. Stephen's Day Witness

Le 11 septembre 2001 est devenu une date butoir du terrorisme international car les attentats qui ont frappé New York visaient à déstabiliser l’hyper puissance de ce siècle. Ces attaques ont bénéficié d’une très large couverture médiatique. Il serait donc intéressant de voir comment un seul et même phénomène, en l’occurrence le terrorisme, ou terrorisme islamique ainsi qu’il a été désigné après ces « violences », n’a pas la même signification selon le point de vue duquel on se place. Le journaliste se doit de montrer et d’écrire ce qu’il a vu ou entendu. Il doit la vérité au lecteur, mais, consciemment ou pas il manque d’objectivité et de neutralité. Ceci est dû au fait qu’étant un homme ses émotions le trahissent, et ce qu’il ressent transparait dans ses écrits. L’on peut le deviner à travers son choix des mots et adjectifs. D’autre part le journaliste est tributaire de la ligne politique de son journal. De plus, les évènements sont, par la force des choses, amputés, ceci est lié au choix de l’angle que le journaliste désire traiter. Les faits parviennent donc au lecteur tronqués. Et enfin, l’on peut dire que l’expérience et le vécu du journaliste ainsi que l’environnement dans lequel il a évolué influent sur ses articles. Donc cette subjectivité latente ne montre finalement qu’une partie des faits, et cette représentation est transmise au lecteur qui se laisse « faire » selon s’il partage ou non l’avis du journaliste. Le lecteur puise son opinion du quotidien qu’il lit d’autant plus qu’il opte en général pour celui dont il se sent le plus proche. / September 11, 2001 became a cut-off date of international terrorism since the attacks in New-York aimed at destabilizing the super power of this century. These attacks have received extensive media coverage. It would be interesting to see how a single phenomenon, namely terrorism, or Islamic terrorism as it has been designated as such after these "aggressions", has different meanings depending on the point of view of each of the actors and witnesses. The journalist has to show and write what he saw or heard. He owes the truth to the reader, but, consciously or not he lacks objectivity and neutrality. This is because being a man betrays his emotions, and what he feels shows through his writings. One can guess that through his choice of words and adjectives. On the other hand, the reporter is dependent of the political line of his paper. Moreover, events are by nature of things cut off, this is related to the choice of the angle the journalist wants to address. The facts come to the reader truncated. And finally, we can say that the experience of the journalist, what he saw during his life and the environment in which he evolved affect his articles. So this latent subjectivity finally shows only a side of the facts, and this representation is transmitted to the reader who allows himself to "agree" depending on whether or not he shares the opinion of the journalist. The reader draws his opinion of the newspaper he reads as he usually opts for the one he feels closest to.

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2017-01-25T17:03:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Denilson Matos.pdf: 754229 bytes, checksum: 8558b47d13c368319d34b07f0d57a4b5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-25T17:03:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Denilson Matos.pdf: 754229 bytes, checksum: 8558b47d13c368319d34b07f0d57a4b5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-03 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The purpose of this research is to analyze the Passio Sanctorum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, highlighting how this martyrdom report presents its main characters, that is, as the martyrs are built narratively. The research works martyrdom in early Christianity as a discursive phenomenon, that is, as a practice that emerges from a discursive interaction between the main cultures in constant dialogue in the early centuries of the Christian era, Greco-Roman, Jewish and Christian. For this analysis, we will dialogue with the works of Judith Perkins and Candida Moss, Christine Trevett, William Tabbernee, Rex D. Butler, among others, as well as we will use the dialogic concept of Mikhail Bakhtin. The research also discusses the latest research about the martyrdom theme. By examining this ideology developed in early Christianity could identify the discursive construction of a character linked to the practice martyrdom, the martyr. We present the various characteristics attributed to the martyr in a corpus of early Christian texts known as Acts of the martyrs, highlighting the high status achieved by these men and women who faced death. The martyr, to face and experience death receives invaluable powers, which makes it a special person, an ideal Christian who is above the ecclesiastical hierarchy and even the heavenly hierarchy. The Passio Sanctorum perpetuae et Felicitatis is an example of early Christian literature that shares these ideas that pervade the early centuries of the Christian era. By analyzing the plot of the narrative composition of martyrdom report identified traces of the discourse on martyrdom and the martyr present in early Christianity. / O propósito desta pesquisa é analisar a Passio Sanctorum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, destacando como este relato de martírio apresenta suas personagens principais, isto é, como os mártires são construídos narrativamente. A pesquisa trabalha o martírio no cristianismo primitivo como um fenômeno discursivo, ou seja, como uma prática surge de uma interação discursiva entre as principais culturas em constante diálogo nos primeiros séculos da era cristã, a greco-romana, judaica e cristã. Para tal análise, dialogaremos com as obras de Judith Perkins e Candida Moss, Christine Trevett, Willian Tabbernee, Rex D. Butler, entre outros, bem como nos utilizaremos do conceito de dialogismo de Mikhail Bakhtin. A pesquisa discute, também, as mais recentes pesquisas acerca do tema do martírio. Ao examinar esta ideologia desenvolvida no cristianismo primitivo pôde-se identificar a construção discursiva de uma personagem atrelada à prática martírio, o mártir. Apresentamos as diversas características atribuídas ao mártir num corpo de textos do cristianismo primitivo conhecidos como Atas dos mártires, destacando o status elevado alcançados por esses homens e mulheres que enfrentaram a morte. O mártir, ao enfrentar e experimentar a morte recebe poderes inestimáveis, que o torna uma pessoa especial, um cristão ideal que se encontra acima da hierarquia eclesiástica e até mesmo da hierarquia celestial. A Passio Sanctorum Perpetuae et Felicitatis é um exemplo de literatura cristã primitiva que partilha dessas ideias que perpassam os primeiros séculos da era cristã. Ao analisar o enredo da composição narrativa deste relato de martírio identificamos traços do discurso sobre o martírio e sobre o mártir presentes no cristianismo primitivo.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:17:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao SAmuel N dos SAntos.pdf: 1063779 bytes, checksum: 95147b60c8e271abf2cf57c25320fd96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-31 / The intention of this study is to analyze the proposal of the making of Christian identity from the work entitled First Apology, by Justin Martyr. We believe that in the formation of Christianity, some authors such as Justin, promoted the project of creating a Christian identity, from the rules and practices that should equalize / standardize the fact of being a Christian in the first and second centuries A.D. Justin, in his First Apology, indicates what should be done and what should be avoided to be considered Christian, and such discourse allows the production of identity characteristics. To achieve this goal, we investigated the relationships of interculturality in the first and second centuries A.D, we researched and presented specific aspects of author and his work, such as: its dating, the extant manuscripts, the genre, the historical context, etc. Finally, in the last chapter, we presented closely at particular aspects of the First Apology: its internal structure, his idea about Jesus, the Jewish prophecies, the Christians as a race, those who were not Christians and the groups considered heretical, the relationship of the author with the stoicism and the Platonism, the author s intention in drawing up his speech and, finally, about the Christian identity proposed by him seen from the data above. / A intenção do presente trabalho é analisar a proposta de construção de uma identidade cristã a partir da obra intitulada I Apologia, de Justino Mártir. Acreditamos que na formação do cristianismo, alguns autores como Justino, promoveram o projeto de criação de uma identidade cristã, a partir de preceitos e práticas que deveriam igualar/homogeneizar o fato de se ser cristão nos séculos I e II d.C. Justino indica na I Apologia o que se deveria fazer e o que se deveria evitar para se ser considerado cristão e tal discurso possibilita a produção de características identitárias. A partir dessa ideia, investigamos as relações de interculturalidade nos séculos I e II d.C., pesquisamos e apresentamos o autor e aspectos específicos de sua produção, tais como: datação, manuscritos existentes, gênero, o contexto histórico, etc. Por fim, no último capítulo, apresentamos detidamente aspectos particulares da I Apologia: sua estrutura interna, sua ideia de Jesus, das profecias judaicas, dos cristãos enquanto uma raça, que os diferenciavam dos que não eram cristãos e dos grupos considerados heréticos, a relação do autor com o estoicismo e o platonismo, a intenção do autor na elaboração do discurso e, por último, a identidade cristã por ele proposta a vista disto tudo.

The objective of this study is to investigate what the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas (Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis), read in english translation by Herbert Musurillo, seeks to persuade its reader about, and how. The study takes a theoretical starting point in professor Ross S. Kraemer’s critical perspective on ancient narratives about women as sources not necessarily communicating historical truths and actualities of real women in the ancient world, but are more likely to be narratives consciously constructed by male authors using female characters as rhetorical tools to discuss or explore differing subjects such as gender and identity. Through the method of narrative criticism and reader-response criticism this study answers the following research questions: how are women being described in the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, and what function(s) do these descriptions of women have in the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas?  The study shows that women are described as either weak feminine mothers or, according to Greco-Roman antique conceptions of gender and sexuality, a masculine male, transformed from a former state of femininity and motherhood. The descriptions are closely tied to the bodies of the women and there is a clear hierarchy where the masculine martyr is ascribed a higher status with a point of view closely related to that of God’s. The descriptions of women have both ideological and theological functions as a way to discuss questions regarding power, motherhood and masculinity. The hierarchy between the characters functions as a rhetorical tool to exemplify what can stand in the way for christians to seek martyrdom, which in the perspective of the narrative is the way someone, through her body and masculine behaviour in the face of torture and sexual humiliation, can communicate the truth about God’s power to the assembled crowds of onlookers. Contrary to previous studies, this study shows that the text communicates ascetic tendencies towards its readers concerning motherhood and are not to be interpreted as a celebration of women or femininity. The descriptions of women functions as a way to demonise the empire - but not the empire's perspective on gender. This is also a contrast to previous feminist studies of the text. The masculine male transformed from a former phase of femininity and motherhood is the exception that proves the rule about the perception of female weakness and lower status in power. The text appropriates the gender power order and the Greco-Roman ancient construction of gender and sexuality to ascribe the martyrs and God the true power. The rhetoric of female weakness being transformed in to masculine strength, self-restraint and body control through the works of God, functions to convince readers about the narratives ideological perspective and message about the martyrs being the true rulers. The motive is that the antagonist, the empire, the main masculine power in the world, is defeated and proven to be false through submissive feminisation.

No description available.

No description available.

Le présent mémoire propose d’examiner, d’une façon approfondie et innovatrice, le rapport entre les chrétiens et Marc-Aurèle à travers une analyse complète des sources à disposition, notamment celles historico-littéraires, épigraphiques, numismatiques et législatives. En particulier, l’on démontrera l’absence de fondement de l’image faite a posteriori de Marc-Aurèle en tant que protector christianorum dont le premier témoin, d'après nos connaissances, est Tertullien. L’on montrera, par le biais d’une analyse législative des sources à notre disposition qu’à l’époque de Marc-Aurèle il n’y avait aucune loi qui protégeait les chrétiens. Bien au contraire, les dispositions de Trajan étaient toujours valides. Par la suite, nous chercherons à trouver les véritables raisons de la politique de Marc-Aurèle envers les chrétiens à travers la comparaison entre la pensée médio-platonicienne de Justin et celle stoïcienne du princeps. L’interprétation philosophique de l’attitude à montrer face à la mort, nous donnera une clef de lecture pour pénétrer les raisons les plus profondes des violences et des procès que les chrétiens ont subis au cours de son principat. / This work aims to provide an original and thorough exploration of the relationship between Marcus Aurelius and the Christians by means of an in-depth analysis of the available historical, literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and legal sources. Specifically, it will show that the a posteriori view of Marcus Aurelius as protector Christianorum, apparently introduced by Tertullian, is unfounded. In support of this argument, a legal analysis of the available sources will show that, far from enjoying legal protection during the Principality of Marcus Aurelius, Christians were still subject to Trajan’s laws. The true reasons underlying the policy of Marcus Aurelius towards the Christians will be investigated by comparing the Middle Platonism of Justin Martyr with the stoic meditations of the princeps. In particular, the philosophical interpretation of the attitude deemed suitable in the face of death will provide an insight into the reasons that led to the wave of violence and to the trials of Christians under Marcus Aurelius’ rule.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of History, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 880-87).

This thesis examines the legend of the Italian virgin martyr, Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902). Her legend states that she died at the age of eleven protecting her virginity from her assailant Alessandro Serenelli who stabbed her numerous times, and that she granted him forgiveness before she died. Hence, she has been promoted as an example of purity and mercy. The continued relevance of Saint Maria Goretti is demonstrated by the fact that her figure was used to promote the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis and first announced in March 2015. The aim of the current study is to examine how Maria Goretti has been portrayed in the Catholic tradition. This is done by analysing Maria Goretti’s official representation found in the papal discourse about her (which consists of homilies, discourses, Angelus, messages and a letter), as well as by analysing the devotional discourse which in this study is comprised of two books that belong to the genre of hagiography. The chosen books: St. Maria Goretti, by Marie Cecilia Buehrle (1950), and St. Maria Goretti: In garments all red, by Fr. Godfrey Poage, C.P. (1950) can be included among the classics written about Saint Maria Goretti in English. I deploy a thematic narrative analysis as method in which I’m concerned with content in terms of themes, and with the ways in which characters are represented. Uncovering the themes that are discussed in the papal discourse and the devotional discourse about Saint Maria Goretti contributes to a better understanding of her representation and, in some measure, to a reconsideration of what she represents. A part of this thesis focuses on the aspects of Maria Goretti’s representation that can be considered problematic because of the claim that it is preferable to choose to be killed rather than to be raped. Therefore, it becomes necessary to include the discourse that treats Goretti’s story from a critical point of view which in this study embraces ethical, psychological, and feminist perspectives. The legend of Maria Goretti has been the object of arguably many studies. This thesis, nonetheless, contributes with a more detailed analysis of the discourse about Maria Goretti at the official level as well as the devotional level. I also seek to give insight into the genre of hagiography and to elucidate that the edeavour of portraying a wholly virtuous individual does not come without it’s complications in terms of the interpretations that can be made of the images that are conveyed. The analysis shows, among other things, that the representation of Maria Goretti misses aspects of reality and the complexity and multifariousness of the subject of sexual violence. I argue that a wholesome and more comprehensive representation of Saint Maria Goretti should include expert knowledge of sexual violence, especially that which can be found within the field of psychology.