Consecrated life or religious life as it is sometimes called within the Catholic Church is almost as old as Christianity. All baptised persons are consecrated persons by virtue of their baptism, but the consecrated life to which some people feel called, is a special and fruitful deepening of the consecration received in baptism and confirmation.. This dissertation explores Christian spirituality as it is manifested in consecrated life with relation to inculturation and religious life. The scope has been limited to a study of one congregation, the Companions of St Angela as a case study. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

This thesis approaches the question of how nominal compounds as linguistic means contribute to the construction of cultural meaning within the framework of knowledge transfer in the medieval monastic school. The starting point for the study is the semiotic definition of culture, which sees culture as shared models for perceiving, relating and interpreting among members of a social group. Language is seen as the place where cultural meaning is constructed and manifests itself in significant patterns, i.e., patterns of language usage that have meaning due to the fact that they are patterns. The central objective of this study is to reveal such patterns in nominal compounds drawn from Old High German (or rather bilingual hybrid) adaptations of Latin school texts translated, or adapted by Notker III (Labeo). Focus is placed on newly formed compounds, as well as compounds that differ distinctively from their Latin models. Methodologically this study combines the morphosemantic analysis of nominal compounds with a hermeneutic approach interpreting compounds in their textual and cultural context. Three significant patterns were established: (1) explication of implied meaning, (2) summary of complex expressions, and (3) explanatory translation. The first pattern can be observed in cases where the power of compounds to give additional information was utilised, e.g., in order to ensure a certain interpretation of a metaphorical expression. The second pattern demonstrates the capacity of compounds to refer to more complex concepts, expressing underlying syntactic constructions in a more memorisable manner. Finally, recourse was taken to explanatory translation in order to make the concept easier to understand. The three patterns are not necessarily the only patterns used by Notker III (Labeo); rather they are to be seen as an exemplification of the potential of nominal compounds for meaning construction.

La thèse comporte 417 pages. Son sujet est la collection des 20 Lettres attribuées à Saint Antoine-le-Grand dans la tradition copte-arabe, et de faire une analyse comparative entre le deuxième recueil de cette collection (Lettres 8-20) avec les Lettres parallèles d’Ammonas dans les autres versions (syriaque, grec, géorgien); La thèse se compose de 3 parties. La première traite du milieu culturel du monachisme primitif en Egypte, la culture d’Antoine et son héritage dans le domaine copte-arabe. La deuxième traite l’Histoire du texte et la détermination de l’original, l’authenticité, l’auteur de chaque Lettre, l’identité d’Ammonas comme évêque d’Oxyrynque et de Paphnuce, les citations de Chenoute et Bêsa, le discours d’Étienne le Thébain, l’influence d’Ammonas sur les grands ermites syriaques. La troisième est consacrée à l’analyse des 13 Lettres, et une comparaison de la doctrine d’Antoine et d’Ammonas comme, l’origénisme et la gnose d’Antoine par rapport à la non-philosophie d’Ammonas. / The thesis comprises 417 pages, regarding the collection of the 20 Letters attributed to St. Anthony the Great in the Coptic-Arabic tradition, and performs a comparative analysis between the second group of Letters in this collection (8-20) with the parallel Letters of Ammonas in the other versions (Syriac, Greek, Georgian). The thesis consists of 3 parts. The first addresses the Egyptian cultural of the primitive monasticism, the education of Antony and his heritage in the Coptic-Arabic Tradition; The second addresses the text history and works on determining the original text, authenticity, the author of every Letter, the identity of Ammonas as bishop of Oxyrhynchus and Paphnutius, the quotations taken by Shenoute and Besa and Stephen of Thebes discourse, The third part is dedicated to the analysis of the 13 Letters, and a comparison of the doctrine of Antony and Ammonas, such as the Origenism and gnosis of Antony compared to the non-philosophical narrative of Ammonas.

N/A / Unlike what most people believe, Buddhist monasteries rely not only on laymen’s financial support but also on the supports of families and relatives of monks and nuns. In addition, Buddhist renunciation does not always cut off the relationship of a monk or nun with their families. On the contrary, most of monks and nuns in my research remain close contacts with their families and relatives. It is believed that once a person joins the Order, he or she can rely fully on the monasteries’ financial, emotional and medical supports. However, this is not true in all Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan. Mutual dependency between monks or nuns and their families and relatives is the main focus of this research. With lack of supports of different aspects from the monasteries, monks and nuns will have to turn to their families and relatives for helps when needed. Therefore, keeping close and positive relationship with families and relatives is important to some monks and nuns. This research aims at: 1. finding out the kin relationships of monks and nuns; 2. looking at the mutual dependency between monks and nuns and their families or relatives; 3. comparing the ideology and reality of monastic life and Buddhist institution (monasteries). In order to achieve the above goals, I will look at possible causes that might affect the relationship between monks and nuns with their families and relatives. Moreover, although not intended, the reasons of renunciation will be discussed in this paper. Different from Buddhist monasteries in other countries and traditions, Taiwanese monasteries can be privately owned by monks, nuns, or laymen. Because of this fact, and because it determines whether monks and nuns will get necessary supports from the monasteries or not, so types of Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan will be discussed, too.

Syon Abbey, established as the first Birgittine monastery in England in 1415, quite soon became a powerful institution within the order. Although often asserting their own conceptions of the Rule, the English Birgittines still sought the advice of Vadstena, their mother house, when it came to certain important matters concerning monastic life. The present work contains editions of two Latin texts: Responsiones, a document consisting of 175 questions and answers on the Birgittine Rule and daily life in the monastery, and Collacio, a sermon reflecting similar matters. The first part of the Responsiones consists of answers to five questions, sent from Syon to Sweden by letter. An important issue concerns the leadership in the monastery and the role of the Birgittine brothers. Were they to be seen as monks, living in their own monastery, or as religious assistans to the sisters? The second part was written as a direct result of two English brothers visiting Vadstena in 1427 and contains 170 questions and answers dealing with various matters of importance: how to interpret certain Birgittine texts, regulations on food, silence and speech as well as questions on preaching, liturgy and introduction into the monastery. The Collacio, in the manuscript said to have been presented to the Swedish community, was probably written by Syon’s conservator, the Benedictine abbot John Whethamstede of St Albans. Written in a highly metaphorical language rich in references to the Bible and Classical authors, the message to the Birgittine order is clear: first, it is wrong to have two leaders (confessor general as well as abbess) in one community; second, the Birgittines should strive to dispose of later additions and explanations and seek the original and true intentions of the foundress, Saint Birgitta. The thesis contains an introduction, editions with translations, glossary, indices, bibliography and plates.

This undergraduate thesis is an examination of the works of Odorannus (c. 985-c. 1046), a monk of the abbey of Saint Pierre-le-Vif in Sens, France. A prominent monk in his community, Odorannus was involved in constructing and celebrating his monastery's prosperity and identity. At times, however, he was at variance with his brethren, even experiencing a brief period in exile. This essay explores aspects of Odorannus' compilation, a collection which the monk himself gathered together in his old age, in terms of the dynamic relationship between self and community in a Benedictine monastery of the central Middle Ages.

Abstract The Yungang Cave Complex in Shanxi province is one of the largest Buddhist sculpture repositories produced during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This thesis argues that the iconographic evolution of the Yungang caves underwent three developing phases which can be summarized as the five Tan Yao Caves phase, the transitional period, and the sinicized third-phase under the reigns of five Northern Wei (386-534) emperors Wencheng 文成 (452-465), Xianwen 獻文 (466-471), Xiaowen 孝文(471-499), Xuanwu 宣武 (500-515) and Xiaoming 孝明 (516-528). This dissertation studies the Yungang third-phase caves, namely those caves executed after the capital was moved from Pingcheng 平城 to Luoyang 洛陽in the year 494. It focuses primarily on what we call the western-end caves, which are composed of all the caves from cave 21 to cave 45, and as cave 5-10 and cave 5-11 are typical representations of the third-phase and even today are well preserved, they are also included in this study. Using typology method, as well as primary literary sources, this study places the western-end caves in their historical, social and religious context while focusing on four perspectives: architectural lay-out, iconographic composition, subject matter and style of representation. It deals with such questions as: what these images represent, what is their connection with Buddhist literature, what is the origin of the style of the western-end caves, what is the relationship between sculpture and painting, what is the relationship between the monastic life and Buddhist art, what was the status of Yungang after the transfer of the capital to the south, and who were the patrons. This study sheds new light on the changes in the iconographic motifs over the time from the first-phase to the third-phase and constructs a timeline for the sequence of construction of the western-end caves. The study also investigates the iconographical inter-relationship between the Yungang third-phase caves and those in the Longmen and to a lesser extent, the Gongxian complexes, as well as some relatively small caves in Shanxi province in order to trace the spread of the “Yungang Style.” This will map out the evolution in Buddhist iconographical style throughout the Central Plain of China. Although the caves of the first two phases have been studied extensively, this study is the first comprehensive examination of the Yungang third-phase caves. It is also the first investigation of the interrelationship between the Yungang style and that of other sites such as Longmen and Gongxian, as well as individual caves in the Shanxi area. This work is based on a broad consultation of primary text material and, most importantly, on first hand site observations by the researcher, which are documented by an extensive photographic record.

Abstract The Yungang Cave Complex in Shanxi province is one of the largest Buddhist sculpture repositories produced during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This thesis argues that the iconographic evolution of the Yungang caves underwent three developing phases which can be summarized as the five Tan Yao Caves phase, the transitional period, and the sinicized third-phase under the reigns of five Northern Wei (386-534) emperors Wencheng 文成 (452-465), Xianwen 獻文 (466-471), Xiaowen 孝文(471-499), Xuanwu 宣武 (500-515) and Xiaoming 孝明 (516-528). This dissertation studies the Yungang third-phase caves, namely those caves executed after the capital was moved from Pingcheng 平城 to Luoyang 洛陽in the year 494. It focuses primarily on what we call the western-end caves, which are composed of all the caves from cave 21 to cave 45, and as cave 5-10 and cave 5-11 are typical representations of the third-phase and even today are well preserved, they are also included in this study. Using typology method, as well as primary literary sources, this study places the western-end caves in their historical, social and religious context while focusing on four perspectives: architectural lay-out, iconographic composition, subject matter and style of representation. It deals with such questions as: what these images represent, what is their connection with Buddhist literature, what is the origin of the style of the western-end caves, what is the relationship between sculpture and painting, what is the relationship between the monastic life and Buddhist art, what was the status of Yungang after the transfer of the capital to the south, and who were the patrons. This study sheds new light on the changes in the iconographic motifs over the time from the first-phase to the third-phase and constructs a timeline for the sequence of construction of the western-end caves. The study also investigates the iconographical inter-relationship between the Yungang third-phase caves and those in the Longmen and to a lesser extent, the Gongxian complexes, as well as some relatively small caves in Shanxi province in order to trace the spread of the “Yungang Style.” This will map out the evolution in Buddhist iconographical style throughout the Central Plain of China. Although the caves of the first two phases have been studied extensively, this study is the first comprehensive examination of the Yungang third-phase caves. It is also the first investigation of the interrelationship between the Yungang style and that of other sites such as Longmen and Gongxian, as well as individual caves in the Shanxi area. This work is based on a broad consultation of primary text material and, most importantly, on first hand site observations by the researcher, which are documented by an extensive photographic record.

No description available.

À partir du IVe siècle, dans la littérature épiscopale et monastique, un lexique récurrent emprunte au monde économique gréco-romain les termes pour indiquer de nouveaux domaines sémantiques propres au christianisme, notamment le problème du salut et la dialectique de la rédemption. Grâce à ce langage métaphorique, la thésaurisation, l’investissement, le commerce, l’usure, l’endettement deviennent objets d’analyse et de réflexion, au lieu d’être simplement condamnés comme on le lit souvent. Cette étude est construite sur l’interprétation de ce langage théologico-économique dans les textes homilétiques des Pères de l’Église et les règles monastiques (fin IVe-début IXe s.). Il est nécessaire de comprendre la fonction de ce langage dans la construction d’une nouvelle façon de penser les échanges matériels, qui met en relation directe les comportements économiques des hommes et le salut dans l’au-delà, pour s’interroger ensuite sur son rôle dans la formation d’une rationalité économique et administrative médiévale. Dans ses discours sur l’avarice, la pauvreté et l’aumône, la patristique définit en effet les règles d’un comportement économique chrétien et détermine l’usage correct de la richesse en vue d’une gestion chrétienne dans la sphère privée et publique. Les catégories du « bon » et du « mauvais » chrétien commencent à intégrer des notions d’ordre économique, tandis que l’inclusion/ exclusion de la société des fidèles se joue aussi sur la base des comportements économiques. Le monde monastique occidental qui s’épanouit à partir de la fin du IVe siècle hérite de cette tradition lexicale patristique, en produisant à son tour des catégories administratives fondatrices d’une rationalité économique médiévale. Les méthodes d’enquête utilisées et les problèmes posés relèvent d’une histoire des pratiques et du pouvoir : les pratiques de la langue et de la construction de vocabulaires spécialisés, dont la valeur concrète réside dans la capacité à signifier les choses, à forger la réalité, à modeler les conduites et le pouvoir produit et légitimé par la création d’un langage d’autorité. / From the fourth century, in the episcopal and monastic literature, we find a vocabulary that borrows terms from the Greco-Roman world of economy to denote new semantic domains of Christianity, i.e. the problem of salvation and the dialectic redemption. Through these metaphors, investment, trade, usury, debt become objects of linguistic analysis and moral judgment. Our investigation is built around the interpretation of this theological and economic language over a period from the fourth to the ninth century. The corpus of sources includes texts of Cappadocian Fathers, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Zeno of Verona, Brescia Gaudence, Chromatius of Aquileia, John Cassian, Augustine, Caesarius of Arles, Salvian, and monastic rules (IV-IX cent.). It is necessary to understand the function of language in the construction of a Christian way to think and to represent economy, in a system of exchanges between the earth and the Kingdom of Heaven. In preaching on greed, poverty, almsgiving, the Church’s fathers defines the rules of economic behavior and determines the Christian right use of wealth for a Christian stewardship in the private and public spheres. The categories of 'good' and 'bad' Christians begin to incorporate notions of economic order, while the inclusion / exclusion from society is also on the basis of economic behavior. The western monastic world inherits lexical patristic tradition, producing administrative categories of medieval economic rationality. These phenomena, also conveyed by the metaphorical language of Christians, have shaped new social and political ties and a new image of society, opening the way to the Middle Ages.