Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Africa is a continent ravaged by challenges of poverty, scourge of disease and many conflicts, some of which are motivated by religious fanaticism. Indeed, it is a continent in dire need of spiritual, economic and social transformation. In the midst of these challenges, however, faith healing practices have flourished among African communities. Healing is a broad concept, which covers a whole range of social, psychological, cultural and spiritual issues and dimensions in response to unwanted threatening conditions that disturb a harmonious and peaceful existence. The concept of healing is firmly rooted in the soil and soul of Africa. To a certain extent, the popularity of healing practices in many parts of Africa is a result of an African epistemology that accepts healing as a cultural reality. The poor majority are mostly exposed to harsh socio-economic and hazardous health conditions. Thus, many poor people are drawn to healing practices for the following three reasons: Firstly, faith healers promise to heal people of all kinds of illnesses and epidemics through fervent prayers. Faith healers are powerful and charismatic personalities that command a great following as a result of their charisma. Secondly, because African culture is spirit-centred and has a high regard for spiritual powers and forces, Africans are amused by supernatural and are therefore drawn to healing phenomena, as it speaks to their reality and reference framework. Thirdly, faith healing practice is a cost free, alternative intervention strategy for managing illness, especially to the poor masses, who do not have access to specialized medical care. The close relationship between psychosomatic diseases and “African illnesses” is also explored. This is quite evident when considering the types of illnesses faith healers claim people are being healed from during healing practices, for example HIV and AIDS, hypertension, ulcers, bad luck, infertility, witchcraft, and so forth. African illnesses are believed to be unexplainable and untreatable by Western medicine. It is believed to be caused by witchcraft, sorcery and evil, and has similar manifestations as psychosomatic diseases. In the context of a vibrant and growing faith healing practice, there is a need to investigate the spiritual and emotional impact of faith healing on healing seekers, especially when the desired healing doesn‟t materialise. The research field has highlighted the emotional and spiritual challenges caused by illness, as well as the lack of supporting systems to sustain people grappling with illness. The realisation is that healing, as a broad concept, needs a multifaceted approach for effective response. The lack of indigenisation of healing practices with African (Namibian) cultural symbols and cultural milieu was highlighted. Therefore, an effective and culturally relevant pastoral care system should take special cognisance of it and thus, the envisaged pastoral approach of hope and compassion build around it. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Afrika is ‟n kontinent wat geteister word deur armoede, dodelike siektes en konflikte, waarvan sekere gedryf word deur godsdienstige fanatisme. Dit is inderdaad ‟n kontinent wat behoefte het aan geestelike, ekonomiese en sosiale transformsie. Nietemin, ten spyte van hierdie uitdagings, het die gewildheid van geloofsgenesings praktyke in Afrika gemeenskappe toegeneem. Genesing is ‟n breë konsep met „n verskeidenheid van sosiale, sielkundige, kulturele en geestelike aspekte en dimensies, wat reageer op ongunstige toestande of moeilike situaties wat heelsame en harmonieuse leefwyse teenwerk. Genesings praktyke is inderdaad „n integrale deel van mense in Afrika se kulturele bestaan. Die konsep van genesing is dus gegrond in die siel en sand van Afrika. Tot ‟n sekere mate is die gewildheid van genesingspraktyke in baie dele van Afrika toe te skryf aan Afrika epistemologie, wat genesing as deel van die kulturele realitiet aanvaar. Die arm massas is meestal blootgestel aan haglike sosiale en ekonomiese toestande. Dus word baie arm mense na genesingsbedieninge gelok vanweë die onderstaande drie basise redes: Eerstens, as gevolg van die beloftes wat geloofsgeners maak dat hulle mense van enige siekte en kwaal kan genees deur vurige gebede. Geloofsgeners het kragtige en charismatise persoonlikhede waarmee hulle invloed uitoefen en baie volgelinge werf weens hul charisma. Tweedens, vanweë die Afrika kultuur wat geesgesentreed is en hoë agting vir geestelike magte en geestelike werkings het; mense van Afrika word amuseer deur bonatuurlike werkings, omdat dit tot hulle kulturele en verwysingsraamwerk spreek. Derdens, geloofsgenesing is ‟n koste vrye, alternatiewe helings-strategie om siektes te beheer, veral vir armes wat nie bronne het om gespesialiseerde gesondheidsdienste te gebruik nie. Die noue werking tussen psigosomatiese siektes en “Afrika siektes” speel ook ‟n rol. Dit is veral duidelik in die tipe siektes wat geloofsgeners beweeer dat mense van genees word na geloofsgebede, byvoorbeeld MIV en VIGS, hypertensie, maagsere, vloeke, onvrugbaarheid, toordery, ensovoorts. Daar word geglo dat Afrika siektes onverklaarbaar en onbehandelbaar deur Westerse dokters is. Die geloof is dat sulke siektes deur toordery en bose geeste veroorsaak word, en soortgelykke manifestasies as psigosomatiese siektes het. In die konteks van „n groeiende geloofsgenesings bediening, is daar ‟n regverdiging om ondersoek in te stel op die geestelike en emosionele impak van geloofsgenesing op siek mense; spesifiek in gevalle waar genesing nie onmiddelik met gebed geskied nie. Die ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat siek mense emosioneel en geestelik sukkel in hulle stryd teen siektes. Dit is ook uitgewys dat daar ‟n gebrek is aan ondersteunende strukture vir mense wat met siekte sukkel. Daar is tot die besef gekom dat genesing as ‟n breë konsep „n veelvoudige benadering benodig vir effektiewe terapeutiese respons. Gebrek en onvermoë van geloofsgenesings praktyke om inkulturering met Afrika (Namibiese) kultuur simbole en kulturele fassette te doen was ook uitgewys. Dus, ‟n effektiewe en kultureel relevante pastorale sisteem moet kennis daarvan neem en dit integreer by die voorgestelde pastorale benadering van hoop en meegevoel.

This study investigates the relationship between mobbing, burnout, and religious coping styles among Protestant clergy. Mobbing is an emotionally abusive workplace behavior and is defined as the prolonged malacious harassment of a coworker by a group of other members of an organization to secure the removal from the organization of the one who is targeted. Mobbing has only recently become a focus of attention in the US. To date, there are no known studies investigating mobbing in the workplace setting of the church. The broad purpose of this study is to determine if Protestant pastors experience mobbing, how they are affected by it, and how they cope with it. Four religious coping styles - Self-directing, Collaborative, Deferring, and Surrender to God - are investigated to determine how coping styles of religious individuals function in mediating the effect of mobbing or burnout. Burnout is assessed throught he Maslach Burnout Inventory and measures emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. This study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and presents two models of mediational analysis.... The results of analysis indicate that Protestant clergy do experience being mobbed which results in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Clergy with a self-directing coping style experience more burnout than do those who utilize a surrender to God style. Differences in indirect effects between models were noted. The implications to theory and practice are discussed. / by Steven R. Vensel. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Emanuel Lino Fernandes.pdf: 810218 bytes, checksum: 22294c371431dd569dd45f37ba6812bd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-14 / Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil / The present study aims to demonstrate how pastoral counseling and taking part in Christian groups may act as a mechanism for strengthening the resilience within a familiar context; and at the same time bring to observation that a eficient counseling may demand from the counselor, depending on the case, a referral to a therapist, who is the professional psychologist. Even in theological seminars there exist classes of Introduction to Psychology, where students learn some techniques and skills such as empathy, body language, among olhers. It is well known that pastoral counselors are not explicitly even though inclined to the use of psychological instrumentation in their offices. This work shows the contradictory discourse of many contemporaries focused on the argumentation of the sufficiency of the scriptures , for the so called nouthetic couseling. The Holy scriptures are really sufficient, this sufficiency is revealed in itself, and what happens is that there is a confusion of terms because the proper Scripture speaks of a human work, Common Grace and aspects of welfare of the human being, which aren t for salvation, in salvation is the case of the sufficiency of eternal revelation. Pastoral counseling has its reach as well as a professional psychological treatment has its own, however they are distinct areas. Through literature searches this work shows the connection of positive aspects between the integrationism of Christian spirituality and family therapy in support of resilience. That, which is not achieved at pastoral counseling, comes from the professional psychologist, who also has his/her limits in psychiatric cases. Therefore, each one has his/her scope and where the field of one ends the other starts. / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar como aconselhamento pastoral e a participação em grupos cristãos podem atuar como mecanismo de fortalecimento da resiliência no contexto familiar, ao mesmo tempo trazer a observação que o aconselhamento eficaz pode exigir do conselheiro, dependendo do caso, um encaminhamento para outro terapeuta, o profissional da psicologia. Nos próprios seminários teológicos existem as aulas de Introdução a Psicologia, onde os alunos aprendem algumas técnicas e conhecimentos como empatia, linguagem corporal entre outras. É bem sabido que os conselheiros pastorais mesmo não sendo explicitamente a favor,usam ferramentas da psicologia nos gabinetes pastorais. O trabalho mostra a fala contraditória de muitos contemporâneos focados na argumentação da Suficiencia das Escrituras , para o aconselhamento chamado noutético. As Sagradas Escrituras realmente são suficientes, a suficiência é nela revelada, o que acontece é que há uma confusão de termos pois a própria escritura fala do trabalho humano, da Graça Comum e de aspectos de bem estar do ser humano que não são salvíficos, pois a salvação eterna é o caso da suficiência da revelação. O aconselhamento pastoral tem o seu alcance assim como o tratamento psicológico profissional o seu, são áreas distintas. Através de pesquisas bibliográficas o trabalho mostra a conectividade de aspectos positivos entre o integracionismo da espiritualidade cristã e a terapia familiar em apoio à resiliência. O que não é alçada do aconselhamento pastoral é do profissional psicólogo, que também tem seus limites em casos psiquiatricos, assim vemos que cada um tem ao seu alcançe e onde acaba o terreno de um começa o do outro.

Project (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-144, 40-47).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [64]-66).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1991. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-264).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer Theological Seminary, 1998. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-158).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-88).

Thesis (M.A.)--The Master's College, 2004. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-94).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-99).