For Native peoples, becoming Christian in north america has also meant becoming white. That is, the theological beliefs, cultural habits, and political movements that characterized american colonialism are inseparable. Among its many shortcomings throughout colonial history, Western Christianity has failed on a basic, epistemological level; it has failed to recognize itself as a particular theological tradition, instead positing itself as a universal. The insistence of the particular theological doctrines and scriptural interpretations of european settlers as Truth led to the demise of many Others—a violence to which the Indigenous peoples of this land attest. If, as I have suggested, particular theologies were part and parcel of the western colonial project, then it follows that attempts at disarming the imperial machine must not only involve decolonizing dominant politics and cultural habits, but also decolonizing dominant western theologies. This thesis takes up one of the dominant doctrines in Western Christianity, that of original sin. An analysis of this doctrine is pertinent because, in addition to articulating the dominant western Christian understanding of sin, death, and evil, in the world, it also reveals an undergirding anthropology and an implied soteriology, both of which provided justifications for the genocide on the Indigenous peoples of america. Following the decolonizing methodologies of Native americans Andrea Smith and Laura Donaldson, I will demonstrate that the doctrine is particular, both scripturally and culturally, and that the dominant reading of the supporting texts for the doctrine are neither universal nor necessary. Then I will interrogate the two primary texts, Genesis 3 and Romans 5 with alternative interpretations from Native theologians and the experiences of the doctrine by Native peoples. Finally, I will argue that if western theology is to truly release its monopoly on the Truth, even what it claims to be the True discourses and interpretations within Christianity, it must make itself vulnerable to deconstruction and interrogation by those it has oppressed; it must cultivate a posture of receptivity to the other and Native interpretive approaches, begin the hard work of unsettling settler theologies, and composing non-dominant readings of the bible.

In 2017, the Church of Sweden elected a new service-book which is mandatory for the liturgy in the ceremonies. This undergraduate thesis aims to analyze the prayers of forgiveness to recognize the hamartiology, understandings of sin, in the Church of Sweden. The main question asked was: "In the moment of Prayers of forgiveness in the handbook of the Church of Sweden, which different ideas of sin and forgiveness can be identified?". A total of eight prayers of forgiveness were analyzed with three sub-questions: (A) How is the sin understood? (B) How does God relate to sin? (C) To the person praying, what change does the prayer aim to affect? The theories in this paper were based on contemporary, Lutheran theology, with the origins from the Church of Sweden, linked to sin and forgiveness. The prayers were compared with different understandings of the original sin (ontological sin, and structural sin) and the actual sin (subjective sin and objective sin). The result of the thesis revealed that the actual sins were the most common in the prayers of forgiveness. The structural sin can be understood as the original sin as being structures one is born into. As shown in the first two prayers, named B1 and B2 in this paper, the idea of an ontological sin was identified in various prayers, such as B4, B5, and B8. The B3, B6, and B7 prayers were lacking a direct link to the original sin and were instead directed towards a God described as loving and merciful. The subjective sin was expressed through the encouragement of self-reflection in B3 and B6. The objective sin was identified in most of the prayers.

In this study, the potential for artificially intelligent sapient life to be integrated into a Lutheran theological anthropology is investigated. The investigation is done via the means of a reconstruction and reactualisation of Lutheran anthropology, applied to the hypothetical scenario of artificial general intelligences having been created. The study takes its roots in questions of how intelligent life made by human artifice would interact with the Lutheran narrative-relational imago Dei paradigm, and what room there is within the Lutheran framework to integrate such intelligent life. In the study, the analysis will be threefold; with the first chapter dedicated to presenting the basis within Lutheran theology within which the rest of the study is conducted, the second chapter to identifying core points of conflict that may arise were artificial life to be introduced, and the third to finding preliminary solutions to these. Although the study is and must be hypothetical-speculative in nature, the conclusion is reached that there seems to be some manner of room for artificial intelligences to be integrated into a Lutheran way of understanding the imago Dei paradigm, albeit with some lingering issues that can quite hardly be solved entirely until the real dawn of artificial intelligence. Although some reservations remain, it therefore points towards the possibility of future artificial intelligences being Humanity’s theological equals, and leaves it to future studies to reach a more elaborate understanding of what that means and implies in practice, both ethical and dogmatic.

In this study, the potential for artificially intelligent sapient life to be integrated into a Lutheran theological anthropology is investigated. The investigation is done via the means of a reconstruction and reactualisation of Lutheran anthropology, applied to the hypothetical scenario of artificial general intelligences having been created. The study takes its roots in questions of how intelligent life made by human artifice would interact with the Lutheran narrative-relational imago Dei paradigm, and what room there is within the Lutheran framework to integrate such intelligent life. In the study, the analysis will be threefold; with the first chapter dedicated to presenting the basis within Lutheran theology within which the rest of the study is conducted, the second chapter to identifying core points of conflict that may arise were artificial life to be introduced, and the third to finding preliminary solutions to these. Although the study is and must be hypothetical-speculative in nature, the conclusion is reached that there seems to be some manner of room for artificial intelligences to be integrated into a Lutheran way of understanding the imago Dei paradigm, albeit with some lingering issues that can quite hardly be solved entirely until the real dawn of artificial intelligence. Although some reservations remain, it therefore points towards the possibility of future artificial intelligences being Humanity’s theological equals, and leaves it to future studies to reach a more elaborate understanding of what that means and implies in practice, both ethical and dogmatic.

The past two decades have seen a surge of research publications in the psychology of religion, with most studies affirming the salutary effects afforded by religious functioning. However, current mental health researchers have advocated for more nuanced examinations of religious constructs and more careful analysis of potentially harmful aspects of religiosity. Particularly absent from the psychological literature are the mental health effects religious beliefs may exert on parishioners. Researchers note that this is surprising given the general psychological tenet that beliefs are inextricably bound-up with affective states and general mental health. Responding to the admonition of researchers in the field, this study proposes and tests an initial model of psycho-spiritual abuse. The proposed model of psycho-spiritual abuse hypothesizes that religious beliefs such as the theological doctrine of original sin, fundamentalist ideology, lack of self-forgiveness, and negative God-representations, in addition to familial upbringing, may negatively impact an individual’s view of self, thus fostering psychological distress. In particular, this study considers scrupulosity disorder, depression, and shame to be the primary psychiatric maladies engendered by psycho-spiritual abuse. Two hundred thirty five parishioners from 18 Christian faith groups across the United States participated in an online survey consisting of standardized measures of original sin, fundamentalism, self-forgiveness, god image, perceived parental rearing, scrupulosity, depression, and shame. A canonical correlation analysis was conducted because it allows for the simultaneously testing of the relationship between the criterion variables (i.e., scrupulosity, depression, and shame) and predictor variables (i.e., original sin, religious fundamentalism, self-forgiveness, parental rearing perceived as rejecting, emotionally warm, and overprotective, as well as accepting, presence, and challenging God-representations) of interest. Results reveal that greater degrees of belief in the theological doctrine of original sin as well as greater adherence to religious fundamentalist ideologies are directly and indirectly associated with scrupulous and depressive symptomatology as well as with shame-prone feelings and actions in unhealthy ways. Results also indicate that God-representations also play an essential role in scrupulosity, depression, and shame in hypothesized ways. Hence, such results further implicate the centrality of religious ideologies in the expression of psychopathology. Additionally, results seem to suggest that the direct familial contribution to the expression of psychopathology among parishioners appears to be weaker (i.e., secondary) than that of religious beliefs; this statement is based on the fact that perceived parental rearing practices were secondary contributors to the synthetic variable of psycho-spiritual beliefs in both Function 1 and 2. Finally, these results suggest that the primary mechanism through which religious beliefs as well as familial upbringing impact parishioner psychological well-being is the resulting view of the self they engender. Therefore, results suggest that the proposed model of psycho-spiritual abuse is sound. / text

1. The central theoretical argument of this study is that Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintains a true and Biblical view of sin and that he sets off his view meaningfully and apologetically against unbiblical views regarding sin. The purpose of the study is to investigate Lloyd-Jones's view of sin and to indicate that it can at present be applied meaningfully and apologetically. 2. To develop and substantiate this argument, the following procedure has been followed: 2.1. Lloyd-Jones's theological background is established as reliable. 2.2. His position regarding apologetics and his points of departure concerning it are dealt with. He begins by examining man and his fall into sin. The gospel, as God's way of salvation, is set against unbiblical views regarding man and his redemption. His points of departure indicate how the fall of man has resulted in a humanistic anthropology and how this in turn has led to unscriptural standpoints regarding sin. The Biblical view of man, on the other hand, is based on man being made in the image of God. The fall of man damage this image of God in man. God restores this image by means of the redeeming sacrifice of his Son so that the restored man can once again become the image bearer through the working of the Holy Spirit. 2.3. Lloyd-Jones's apologetic points of departure are followed by an examination of his views regarding sin. His views are based on the Biblical doctrine of original sin and especially on the text of Romans 5:12-21. Lloyd-Jones's basic premise regarding original sin is: 'The world is as it is today because when Adam sinned all sinned". Effective apologetics should use the Biblical doctrine of original sin by referring to the positive antipole, namely redemption in Christ. 2.4. From original sin flows all acts of sin. That is why the characteristics of sin are investigated. The most important conclusions resulting from the characteristics of sin are: 2.4.1. That sin deliberately rejects and suppresses the truth and that the sinner is pleased about the sin which is committed (Romans 1:32; Philippians 3:19). 2.4.2. That the keyword for sin in the New Testament namely hamrtia, essentially means "missing your goal". However the exegesis of Lloyd-Jones indicates that the sinner does not only miss his goal, but does not even aim at the target; in fact, he aims at a different target from the one God sets for him, instead of the living God being worshipped, the creature and creation are worshipped (Romans 1:18-32). 2.4.3. That sin causes spiritual disintegration. This is why people are so susceptible to superficial and unscriptural trends. 2.4.4. That sin is directed primarily against God (Psalm 51:6). 2.4.5. That a true doctrine of sin calls forth a healthy realisation of sin and therefore also a realisation of one's dependence on God for eternal salvation (cf. Matthews 5:3). 2.4.6. That God's judgement of sin as a breach of his covenant is intensified in the church of the New Testament (d. Hebrews 10:19-31). 2.5. Lloyd-Jones uses his view of sin with the intention of awakening a realisation of sin in unbelievers and in this way encouraging the need for redemption. 2.6. The same doctrine of sin is used to foster the sanctification of believers. The process of sanctification consists of the mortification of sin. This process occurs through the direction of the Holy Spirit. 3. Sinful acts are manifested in false doctrines and false religions. This is why Lloyd-Jones's fields of application are examined. A feature of false doctrines and false religions used virtually throughout by Lloyd-Jones in the apologetic process, is the additions to or detractions from the Bible - or both: 3.1. The Roman Catholic Church adds to Scripture by accepting an open canon as it is embodied in Roman Catholic tradition. It is precisely as The Roman Catholic Church system places itself between man and Christ and in this way people's eternal salvation is compromised. 3.2. In contrast with humanism and the resulting uncertainty concerning eternal salvation in the Aminian theology, Lloyd-Jones focuses on the sovereignty of God and the consequential certainty of salvation in the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination. 3.3. If the Darwinian evolutionary doctrine were true, the Biblical doctrine of sin and salvation would be meaningless. Lloyd-Jones uses the story of creation and the fall of man as it is described in Genesis 1-3 as actual occurrences to show that evolutionism is simply a theory. 3.4. Against Christian Science's focus on temporary and earthly prosperity, Lloyd-Jones places man's eternal prosperity as a higher priority. Sin threatens man's eternal prosperity. The Christian Scientists add to the Bible by placing the Science of Mind above the Bible. They detract from the Bible by regarding sin simply as ignorance. 4. Outstanding and admirable features of Lloyd-Jones's apologetics are the way in which he pursues apologetics and the substantial quality of his discussion. He approaches apologetics in an atmosphere of love for the truth and love for the sinner. Lloyd-Jones's point of departure is essentially a prayerful development and true exposition and application of the Word. / Thesis (Th.M. (Ethics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

1. The central theoretical argument of this study is that Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintains a true and Biblical view of sin and that he sets off his view meaningfully and apologetically against unbiblical views regarding sin. The purpose of the study is to investigate Lloyd-Jones's view of sin and to indicate that it can at present be applied meaningfully and apologetically. 2. To develop and substantiate this argument, the following procedure has been followed: 2.1. Lloyd-Jones's theological background is established as reliable. 2.2. His position regarding apologetics and his points of departure concerning it are dealt with. He begins by examining man and his fall into sin. The gospel, as God's way of salvation, is set against unbiblical views regarding man and his redemption. His points of departure indicate how the fall of man has resulted in a humanistic anthropology and how this in turn has led to unscriptural standpoints regarding sin. The Biblical view of man, on the other hand, is based on man being made in the image of God. The fall of man damage this image of God in man. God restores this image by means of the redeeming sacrifice of his Son so that the restored man can once again become the image bearer through the working of the Holy Spirit. 2.3. Lloyd-Jones's apologetic points of departure are followed by an examination of his views regarding sin. His views are based on the Biblical doctrine of original sin and especially on the text of Romans 5:12-21. Lloyd-Jones's basic premise regarding original sin is: 'The world is as it is today because when Adam sinned all sinned". Effective apologetics should use the Biblical doctrine of original sin by referring to the positive antipole, namely redemption in Christ. 2.4. From original sin flows all acts of sin. That is why the characteristics of sin are investigated. The most important conclusions resulting from the characteristics of sin are: 2.4.1. That sin deliberately rejects and suppresses the truth and that the sinner is pleased about the sin which is committed (Romans 1:32; Philippians 3:19). 2.4.2. That the keyword for sin in the New Testament namely hamrtia, essentially means "missing your goal". However the exegesis of Lloyd-Jones indicates that the sinner does not only miss his goal, but does not even aim at the target; in fact, he aims at a different target from the one God sets for him, instead of the living God being worshipped, the creature and creation are worshipped (Romans 1:18-32). 2.4.3. That sin causes spiritual disintegration. This is why people are so susceptible to superficial and unscriptural trends. 2.4.4. That sin is directed primarily against God (Psalm 51:6). 2.4.5. That a true doctrine of sin calls forth a healthy realisation of sin and therefore also a realisation of one's dependence on God for eternal salvation (cf. Matthews 5:3). 2.4.6. That God's judgement of sin as a breach of his covenant is intensified in the church of the New Testament (d. Hebrews 10:19-31). 2.5. Lloyd-Jones uses his view of sin with the intention of awakening a realisation of sin in unbelievers and in this way encouraging the need for redemption. 2.6. The same doctrine of sin is used to foster the sanctification of believers. The process of sanctification consists of the mortification of sin. This process occurs through the direction of the Holy Spirit. 3. Sinful acts are manifested in false doctrines and false religions. This is why Lloyd-Jones's fields of application are examined. A feature of false doctrines and false religions used virtually throughout by Lloyd-Jones in the apologetic process, is the additions to or detractions from the Bible - or both: 3.1. The Roman Catholic Church adds to Scripture by accepting an open canon as it is embodied in Roman Catholic tradition. It is precisely as The Roman Catholic Church system places itself between man and Christ and in this way people's eternal salvation is compromised. 3.2. In contrast with humanism and the resulting uncertainty concerning eternal salvation in the Aminian theology, Lloyd-Jones focuses on the sovereignty of God and the consequential certainty of salvation in the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination. 3.3. If the Darwinian evolutionary doctrine were true, the Biblical doctrine of sin and salvation would be meaningless. Lloyd-Jones uses the story of creation and the fall of man as it is described in Genesis 1-3 as actual occurrences to show that evolutionism is simply a theory. 3.4. Against Christian Science's focus on temporary and earthly prosperity, Lloyd-Jones places man's eternal prosperity as a higher priority. Sin threatens man's eternal prosperity. The Christian Scientists add to the Bible by placing the Science of Mind above the Bible. They detract from the Bible by regarding sin simply as ignorance. 4. Outstanding and admirable features of Lloyd-Jones's apologetics are the way in which he pursues apologetics and the substantial quality of his discussion. He approaches apologetics in an atmosphere of love for the truth and love for the sinner. Lloyd-Jones's point of departure is essentially a prayerful development and true exposition and application of the Word. / Thesis (Th.M. (Ethics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The main structural characteristic of the International Monetary System (IMS) is its highly hierarchical character, the consequences of which are manifested themselves within the economic system. In the less developed economies, in particular, these consequences may occur in the form of "weak" or inconvertible currencies, less financing opportunities through the financial market and greater instability of capital flows, as well as deterioration of the level of internal autonomy regarding the use of economic policies in the process of development and macroeconomic stability of each national economy. Among the phenomena that unfold from the hierarchy of national currencies is the original domestic sin, which is related to the difficulty that some countries present in the issuance of public debt bonds in the domestic market denominated in local currency and which are simultaneously fixed and long-term. Among the negative consequences of this phenomenon are the mismatch of liabilities and assets of public accounts and the deterioration of the government's solvency capacity in the presence of exchange devaluations or high interest rates and inflation. In addition to seeking to overcome the domestic original sin in Brazil, the present study has it is importance backed by the fragility of the Brazilian currency in the international hierarchy and, consequently, it’s greater exposure to risk and dysfunctions that result from it. The objective of this study is to calculate the indices referring to domestic original sin between 2001 and April 2016 in the Brazilian federal securities market. For this, the calculation of three distinct and complementary indices formulated by Hausmann and Panizza (2003) were used. Among the results obtained, it was possible to verify that the reduction of the external public debt burden was carried out at the cost of the substantial increase of the public indebtedness base through the securities market. It is also observed that in the period evaluated the federal public securities market in Brazil experienced significant transformations. However, domestic federal securities debt is currently heavily indexed to inflation and with significant participation of low maturity fixed rate securities, as well as maintaining a considerable portion of SELIC indexed securities. It was evidenced by the results of the indices that the measures implemented by the Federal Government throughout the decade of 2000, led to a change in the form of manifestation of original domestic sin, however, without any sensible change in its acute magnitude in the Country. / O Sistema Monetário Internacional (SMI) tem como principal característica estrutural seu caráter altamente hierarquizado, cujas consequências se projetam no âmbito do sistema econômico. Nas economias menos desenvolvidas, em particular, essas consequências podem ocorrer sob a forma de moedas ―fracas‖ ou inconversíveis, menores oportunidades de financiamento via mercado financeiro e maior instabilidade dos fluxos de capitais, bem como deterioração do nível de autonomia interna, no que se refere ao emprego de políticas econômicas no processo de desenvolvimento e estabilidade macroeconômica de cada economia nacional. Dentre os fenômenos advindos da hierarquia das moedas nacionais destaca-se o pecado original doméstico, que se relaciona com a dificuldade que alguns países apresentam na emissão de títulos da dívida pública no mercado interno denominado em moeda local e que sejam, simultaneamente, prefixados e de longo prazo. Entre as implicações negativas decorrentes desse fenômeno estão o descasamento do passivo e do ativo das contas públicas, e a deterioração da capacidade de solvência do Governo na presença de desvalorizações cambiais ou elevada taxa de juros e inflação. Além de buscar suprir a carência de estudos que investiguem o pecado original doméstico no Brasil, o presente estudo tem sua importância respaldada pela fragilidade demonstrada pela moeda brasileira na hierarquia internacional e, consequentemente, sua maior exposição aos riscos e disfunções que dela decorre. O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de calcular os índices referentes ao pecado original doméstico entre 2001 a abril de 2016 no mercado de títulos federais brasileiros. Para tanto, empregou-se o cálculo de três índices distintos e complementares formulados por Hausmann e Panizza (2003). Dentre os resultados obtidos foi possível constatar que a redução do peso da dívida externa pública se processou ao custo da ampliação substancial da base de endividamento público via mercado mobiliário. Também se constata que no período avaliado, o mercado de títulos públicos federais no Brasil experimentou expressivas transformações. No entanto, a dívida pública mobiliária federal interna, atualmente, se caracteriza por ser fortemente indexada à inflação e com significativa participação dos prefixados de baixa maturidade, além de manter uma parcela considerável de títulos indexados à SELIC. Evidenciou-se pelos resultados dos índices que as medidas implementadas pelo Governo Federal ao longo da década de 2000, levaram a uma mudança na forma de manifestação do pecado original doméstico, entretanto, sem qualquer alteração sensível em sua aguda magnitude no País.

La thèse rend compte d’une tentative de repenser le rapport entre la pudeur et la littérature : non pas la pudeur dans la littérature ou une littérature de la pudeur mais le geste littéraire comme un geste de pudeur. Pour cela, la première partie de la thèse s’emploie à découvrir la pudeur (en français, en Occident), c’est-à-dire à tomber le voile des discours dogmatiques qui forgèrent le mythe d’une « pudeur féminine » depuis l’interprétation canonique de l’épisode biblique du « péché originel », pour mettre en évidence la nudité textuelle du sujet auctorial (du latin augeo qui signifie « augmenter » et qui donne le nom d’« auteur » en français). L’hypothèse est que sous le couvert d’une interdiction sexuelle et du voile posé sur le « féminin », la « pudeur féminine » dissimule une complexité générique : il s’agit de l’articulation problématique dont la littérature transporterait le secret entre les genres biologiques (humain-animal), les genres grammaticaux (masculin-féminin) et les genres du discours (religieux ou philosophique-littéraire). Dans une deuxième partie, la thèse examine les effets de la pudeur auctoriale à partir d’un corpus constitué de textes de Marguerite Duras et de Violette Leduc relevant des genres littéraires de l’intime mais dont la reprise fictionnelle est assumée par les auteurs : l’autobiographie (La Bâtarde et, dans une certaine mesure, L’Amant de la Chine du Nord), le journal et la lettre (Aurélia Steiner et L’Affamée). Cette étude est sous-tendue par deux axes de lecture qui mettent en évidence la déconstruction de « l’intérieur » à laquelle œuvre la pudeur : une responsabilité poétique et une franchise littéraire. / This thesis is an attempt to rethink the relationship between pudeur (a sense of shame) and literature : it is not about shame in literature or about the literature of modesty but about the literary act as an act of pudeur. The first part of the thesis is a discovery of modesty (in French, in the occident) ; in other words it is a dropping of the veil of the discourses which, since the canonical interpretations of « original sin » in the Bible, have forged the myth of a « female modesty ». This will highlight the textual nudity of the auctorial subject (« auctorial » : from the latin augere, meaning « to increase » which is at the root of the word for « author »). Under a covert sexual interdiction and a veil wrapped round the « feminine », female modesty dissimulates a generic complexity : the problematic articulation between species (human-animal), genders (male-female), and genres (religious or philosophical-literary) of which literature might hold the secret. In its second part the thesis examines the effects of pudeur auctoriale as revealed in a series of texts by Marguerite Duras and Violette Leduc. Among the intimate genres that these authors revisit in fiction there are : the autobiography (La Bâtarde and, to a certain extent L’Amant de la Chine du Nord), the diary and correspondence (Aurélia Steiner and L’Affamée). This study underlines the deconstruction from the inside towards which pudeur tends : a poetic responsibility and a literary honesty.

This study examines the baptismal practices of the early Christian community using Tertullian’s ethical text on baptism in relation to his other writings to dialogue with the Roman Catholic understanding of baptism, original sin and grace. Tertullian referring to the sacramental form of baptism that is done with water, held that baptism is indispensable for salvation because it imparts the grace that washes away original sin and makes someone a Christian; and capable of attaining a matured Christian life. At the moment, the Roman Catholic Church does not confer baptism of water on polygamists, and subsequently fails to admit them to her sacramental life because of their polygamous relations. This raises a question regarding the salvation of these polygamous families. How do they receive baptismal grace and become part of the church? This study argues that church and baptism were inseparable right from the beginning of Christianity in the New Testament. People became members of the church by the fact of their baptism. This study does a hermeneutical retrieval of the early church’s teaching on baptism and original sin in the light of Tertullian as the pillar of western theology. The study concludes by invoking pastoral consideration to baptize polygamous families (husband and wives) who married before converting to the faith. They are not to enter into any new marriage after baptism since they have received Christ in their state. “Go and sin no more,” says Christ. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted