Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Glasgow, 2004. / Ph. D. thesis submitted to the Department of English Language, University of Glasgow, 2004. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

abstract: This dissertation illuminates overlaps in Mormonism and the New Spirituality in North America, showing their shared history and epistemologies. As example of these connections, it introduces ethnographic data from women who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in order to show (a) how living LDS women adapt and integrate elements from the New Spirituality with Mormon ideas about the nature of reality into hybrid spiritualities; and (b) how they negotiate their blended religious identities both in relation to the current American New Spirituality milieu and the highly centralized, hierarchical, and patriarchal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The study focuses on religious hybridity with an emphasis on gender and the negotiation of power deriving from patriarchal religious authority, highlighting the dance between institutional power structures and individual authority. It illuminates processes and discourses of religious adaptation and synthesis through which these LDS women creatively and provocatively challenge LDS Church formal power structures. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Religious Studies 2012

Orientador: Ivan Esperança Rocha / Banca: André Leonardo Chevitarese / Banca: Andrea Lucia Dorini de Oliveira Carvalho Rossi / Resumo: Esta dissertação tem por objetivo a análise e avaliação do discurso de Paulo em Antioquia, em meados do I século d.C., com enfoque no texto de 2,11-14 da Carta aos Gálatas, onde ele discute com os líderes da Igreja a relação entre judeus e gentios, os limites da adoção dos rituais da Torá. O posicionamento de Paulo é entendido no contexto da cultura helenística e dos ideais do império Romano e o judaísmo é discutido a partir de suas múltiplas e complexas facetas e com toda a dinâmica cultural, social, econômica e religiosa em que se insere no período. / Abstract: This research aims at the analysis and evaluation of speech of Paul in Antioquia, in mid of I century BC, with focus in the text 2,11-14 in the Letter to the Galatians, where he discusses with the others leaders of the Church the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the limits of the adoption of the rites of the Torah. The position of Paul is understood in the context of Hellenistic culture and the ideals of the Roman Empire and the Judaism is discusses from its multiple and complex facets and with the dynamic cultural, social, economic and religious which includes the period. / Mestre

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-07-04T20:00:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dartagnanabdiassilva.pdf: 4505385 bytes, checksum: 6fcd6fd053771b01e7f44fbe614bf30e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-08-08T14:45:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dartagnanabdiassilva.pdf: 4505385 bytes, checksum: 6fcd6fd053771b01e7f44fbe614bf30e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-08T14:45:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dartagnanabdiassilva.pdf: 4505385 bytes, checksum: 6fcd6fd053771b01e7f44fbe614bf30e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-24 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Criada no século XX, a Wicca pode ser enquadrada compondo o espectro da chamada Nova Era. Caracteriza-se por ser uma religião autonômica, ecológica e de privatização religiosa. Herda dessa constituição um processo de reencantamento do mundo e, ambiguamente, de manutenção do mundo secularizado em que vivemos. Da mesma forma, em sua formação atual, ela pode ser considerada, simultaneamente, um processo de communitas, enquanto também se articula a partir de comunidades emocionais. Esses dois conceitos, aparentemente distintos – um vindo de Victor Turner, o outro de Danièle Hervieu-Léger –, parecem se entrelaçar, quando analisamos a dinâmica desse campo: em sua estrutura ritualística e religiosa/social. Compondo a ambientalização moderna dessa religião essa dinâmica constante provoca tensões e porosidades no campo. O primeiro descreve com exatidão o processo da traçagem do Círculo Mágico e o segundo se dirige aos seus covens. Desse modo, o presente trabalho propõe algumas reflexões a respeito da realidade wiccana encontrada na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (RJ). Buscase compreender, portanto, a pergunta “quem são os bruxos modernos?”. A resposta a essa pergunta nos leva à compreensão crescente e profunda desse tema tão recente e tão vasto de pesquisa. / Created in the 20th century, Wicca can be framed composing the New Age spectrum. It is characterised for being an autonomic and ecologic religion and also for religious privatization. For its constitution, it inherits a process of re-enchantment of the world and, ambiguously, of maintenance of the secularised world that we live in. In the same way, in its current formation, it can be considered, simultaneously, a process of communitas, as it comes from emotional communities. These two concepts, aparently distinct one from another – the first coming from Victor Turner, and the other from Danièle Hervieu-Léger –, seem to interweave when we analyse the dynamics of this field: in its ritualistic and religious/social structure. Composing the modern environmentalization of this religion, the constant dynamics causes tensions and porosity in the area. The first describes with exactitude the drawing process of the Magic Circle; the second heads to its covens. Therefore, the present work proposes some reflexions concearning the Wicca reality found in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). Thus, it is an attempt to comprehend the following question: “Who are the modern witches [Wiccans]?” The answer to this question lead us to the crescent and deep comprehension of this very recent and wide topic.

In the age of mass information, globalization, and peer-to-peer social networks, the traditional markers of identity and elective affinities, particularly those of religion and nationalism, are shifting in relation to contemporary trends. The field of Religious Studies has been influenced by a series of ‘post’s: postsecular, postmodern, postcolonial, and post 9/11. The rise of revolutionary religious movements internationally is a hallmark characteristic of the postsecular age. Participants in these movements are variously characterized as religious dissidents, militant secularists, neo-fascist nationalists, and terrorists. However, according to the dialogues within these communities, participants do not think of themselves in these terms. The dualizing labels of ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ do not lend meaning to these contemporary identities. This thesis addresses the question: How do traditional and contemporary theories in the field of Religious Studies evaluate contemporary religious nationalist movements, and how do their analyses compare to how members of the groups in question perceive themselves? To answer this question, this dissertation examines and contrasts four key case studies: the Native Faith Movement and Femen in Ukraine, and the Gezi Park protesters and the Gülen Movement in Turkey. By analyzing group activities through the fora of the curated digital presences of group leaders and members, this research investigates emerging elective affinities and markers of identity which transcend the religious/secular binary. Contemporary theory from the field of Critical Religion and feminist theology transcending the religious/secular binary will be applied to these case studies in order to gain a deeper understanding of the shifting relationships between religion, protest and the nation.

Too often women have a secondary place in religious institutions, with no possibility to influence or come into leading positions. This thesis aims to understand women’s empowerment by searching for such examples in Neo-Paganism, a growing New Religious Movement (NRM) in the west. Grace Jantzen’s development of Foucault’s power theory is utilized to analyze and understand the results. A mixed method is used; four interviews are conducted with Wiccan and Druid women, a survey of 332 women is analyzed, and literature and studies on Neo-Paganism are analyzed. I draw the conclusion that Neo-Paganism can empower women in different ways, however, this can be influenced by socio-cultural factors, as empowerment can look very different in different countries. The result is meant to provide us with an understanding of women’s needs in a religious and spiritual context, so that women may become empowered within their religious communities.

Jiří Dynda Gods and Demons: The Construction of the Slavic Paganism in the Medieval Textual Sources PhD Thesis, Faculty of Arts, Charles University Abstract The thesis focuses on the analysis of ways of discursive construction of Slavic paganism in medieval written sources. Three chapters attempt to answer the basic research question: how are the elements of Slavic paganism (and especially its concept of divinity) described before; shortly after; and long after Christianization. In other words, how paganism was portrayed as an active external enemy, as a defeated enemy, and as an internal enemy of medieval Christianity. The discourses analysis is applied to more than a dozen case studies of specific sources or their groups. These written sources are analysed also in comparison with other textual, archaeological and ethnographic sources. By thorough identification of several discursive strategies (idolatric, demonological, ortho-practical, euhemeristic and Graeco- Roman interpretation) in the sources the thesis is directed towards a detailed knowledge of the specifics of the Christian perspective (interpretatio Christiana) on the Slavic pagan religions. Thus, the thesis contributes to the possibilities of their understanding. In particular, the concept of divinity in functioning pagan societies in comparison...

Denna studie undersöker den moderna nypaganska livssynen Rökkatru genom ett jungianskt perspektiv. I undersökningen används forskningsmetoder som grundad teori även kallat GT och digital antropologi som inspirerats av netnografi för att bearbeta materialet som studerats. Det material som samlats in genom dessa två metoder härstammar från olika webbsidor och forum på internet som behandlar Rökkatru på olika plan. Genom GT har en kärnkategori växt fram från materialet, denna kärnkategori har sedan delats in i underkategorier och egenskaper, allt detta har studerats via en jungiansk teoretisk synvinkel tills slutligen ett teoretiskt begrepp växt fram som kan användas inom framtida forskning. Genom den teoretiska analysen har vikten av den personliga och kollektiva skuggan i relation till individuationsprocessen belysts, där rituella, mytologiska och filosofiska aspekter står i fokus.

<p>Scholarship dealing with the phenomenon of Christianisation in the Roman Empire has overwhelmingly been Christian-centred, often ignoring the importance of the declining pagan communities in the fourth century A.D. During this period of cultural and religious transformation in the Empire, the construction of religious identity by the Church resulted in the need for pagan communities to adapt themselves to a Judeo-Christian understanding of religion, in order to establish their place in an increasingly Christianizing society. Consequently, the isolation of pagans from, and their vilification within, the growing Christian world were factors that had aided the development of a pagan socio-religious identity which had not existed in previous centuries. Therefore, this paper will examine the question of what elements constituted the pagan identity in late antiquity, and, perhaps more importantly, how this identity had come to be formed.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

L’Adversus nationes est un texte polémique où l’auteur, Arnobe de Sicca, défend le christianisme en plus d’attaquer le paganisme. Nous y retrouvons les principales accusations lancées contre le christianisme ainsi que les attaques des intellectuels chrétiens contre les païens. Il s’agit de l’un des derniers textes apologétiques rédigé avant la paix de Milan (311). Arnobe y explique l’importance de s’éloigner des erreurs du paganisme et d’adhérer au christianisme dans le but de sauver son âme. Bien qu’il ne s’agisse pas d’une œuvre à caractère historique, Arnobe fournit, pour étayer son argumentation, plusieurs indices sur sa conception de l’histoire romaine. L’Adversus nationes, qui n’est pas traduit intégralement en français à ce jour, n’a pas été très souvent étudié du point de vue de l’interprétation de l’histoire. Une telle étude permet de comprendre la pensée de son auteur sur Rome, son histoire et ses périodes politiques. La première partie de ce mémoire présentera une petite biographie d’Arnobe ainsi qu’un survol du contexte historique dans lequel il vivait. Puis, les principales caractéristiques de l’histoire rhétorique seront exposées au deuxième chapitre. La seconde partie du mémoire traitera de l’analyse de passages de l’Adversus nationes. Le troisième chapitre sera consacré aux grands personnages romains. Le quatrième chapitre traitera de la providence divine dans l’histoire romaine. Finalement, le cinquième chapitre cherchera à retrouver les sources d’Arnobe lorsqu’il traite d’évènements historiques importants. Ce mémoire offre, comme conclusions, une nouvelle hypothèse concernant la datation du livre 1 de l’Adversus nationes et une nouvelle influence concernant certains récits historiques rapportés par Arnobe. / Adversus nationes is a polemical text in which the author, Arnobius of Sicca, defends Christianity in addition to attacking paganism. This text includes the main accusations against Christianity as well as the counter-arguments intellectual Christians presented against pagans. It is one of the last apologetic texts written before the peace of Milano (311). Arnobius explains the importance of moving away from the mistakes of paganism and of adhering to Christianity in order to save one’s soul. Although the nature of this text is not historical, Arnobius provides several hints on his conception of Roman history, to strengthen his argumentation. Adversus nationes, which has not yet been completely translated into French, has not often been studied from the point of view of interpreting history. Such a study allows a better understanding of its author’s thoughts on Rome, its history and its political systems. The first part of this thesis presents a brief biography of Arnobius as well as an overview of the historical context in which he lived. Then, the main rhetorical characteristics of history are exposed in the second chapter. The second part of this thesis provides an analysis of key passages in Adversus nationes. The third chapter focuses on major Roman figures. The fourth chapter addresses divine providence in Roman history. Finally, the fifth chapter looks for Arnobius’s sources behind his treatment of important historical events. In its conclusion, this thesis offers a new hypothesis regarding the date of book 1 of Adversus nationes and uncovers a new influence concerning certain historical accounts reported by Arnobius.