A postmodern approach is used to examine various discourses with relevance to subject positioning and its effect on individual spirituality. The stories are located within different discourses, introducing a spiritual diversity. Through narrative, a holistic understanding of the spiritual experiences of two contemporary Christian women who have suffered abuse is provided, highlighting spirituality as an essential component to physical and psychosocial well-being. Contextual post-structural feminist theology and the social construction theory of reality informed this work. The performative function of language in social interaction is emphasised, situating language and relationship as key factors in the construction of individual identity and spirituality. Whilst recognising the constitutive force of discourse, the research highlights the notion that people can exercise choice in opposition to these discursive practices. Elements of spiritual transformation, hope and empowerment surfaced as counter stories to the culture of abuse, providing the scaffolding for re-storying their lives. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

No summary available / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Text in German / No abstract / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Buddhist prison outreach is a relatively recent development, in the United States of America and elsewhere, and has yet to be chronicled satisfactorily. This thesis traces the physical, legal and social environment in which such activities take place and describes the history of Buddhist prison outreach in the USA from its earliest indications in the 1960s to the present day. The mechanics of Buddhist prison outreach are also examined. Motivations for participating in Buddhist prison outreach are discussed, including Buddhist textual supports, role models and personal benefits. This paper then proposes that volunteers active in this area are members of a liminal communitas as per Victor Turner and benefit from ‘non-player’ status, as defined by Ashis Nandy. The experiences of the inmates themselves is beyond the scope of this thesis. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Religious Studies)

This qualitative study illustrates that a narrative approach to pastoral therapy can guide collaborative co-authoring of alternative ways of living after trauma. The research emanates from postmodern epistemology and related discourses of social construction and post-structuralism, as well as a contextual approach to practical theology. The narrative practices of enrolling people in their own knowledges, of creating communities of concern, of honouring people, of celebration and joy, and of co-authoring alternative histories are illustrated through descriptions of how narrative maps guided one-to-one pastoral therapy as well as group work with people who have experienced trauma. The concept "resilience" is deconstructed so as to be understood as those personal actions which do not conform to pathologising predictions of the effects of trauma. / Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie illustreer dat 'n narratiewe benadering tot pastorale terapie die ko-konstruksie van alternatiewe leefwyses na trauma kan fasiliteer. Die navorsing spruit voort uit 'n postmoderne epistemologie en die verwante diskoerse van sosiale konstruksie en post-strukturalisme, asook 'n kontekstuele benadering tot praktiese teologie. Die narratiewe praktyke van ontginning van mense se kennis en vaardighede, van die skepping van gemeenskappe van sorg, van vreugde en waardering, en van die mede-skryf aan alternatiewe stories word geillustreer. Dit word gedoen deur beskrywings van die wyse waarop narratiewe kaarte individuele sowel as groepsterapie met getraumatiseerde persone kan begelei. Die konsep "weerstandsvermoee" ("resilience') word gedekonstrueer sodat dit verstaan word as daardie persoonlike ervarings wat patologiserende voorspellings oor getraumatiseerde persone weerspreek. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1993 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Seeing that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and that it has such a high incidence that every woman should be aware of it, time has come for the theology, and especially for pastoral care, to provide some answers on the possible problems that accompany the illness. Treatment of breast cancer almost always include a degree of surgical intervention through which part of or a whole breast, and in extreme cases even the underlying tissue, is being removed. This procedure, to some extent, influences a woman's experience of her physique which in turn has an effect on the intimate space of her marriage. The mastectomy patient may experience that the operation, with all the psychological affects it has, disturbs her inner life rythm and that results in her relationships also being pressurised. The crisis of a mastectomy should be handled as a relationship crisis within a marriage, in which the husband can play an important therapeutic role. The husbands contribution will be greatly effected by: a) His commitment to the relationship and b) The correlation between his male identity, his sexuality and his perceptions of the female physique. Within the crisis of mastectomy, the woman's body-image should not be separated from her faith identity and the quality of her marriage - there exists a dynamic interaction between these three, which means that the handling of the crisis of a mastectomy is directly dependent on the quality if her loving relationship and on the way in which she experiences her faith. The faith factor plays an important role in the handling of the crisis, by creating a distance between the trauma of the loss and the way in which she experiences her identity. Pastoral care can play a vital role in the handling of the crisis of a mastectomy by means of guidance and support, as it proclaims the active presence of God through the marrid body of Jesus Christ. The husband of the mastectomy patient can, in his therapeutic role, be guided to be much more sensitive for the emotional needs of his wife, in regard to aspect of sexuality. This would give her the support she needs and work constructively towards the goal of healing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Aangesien borskanker die algemeenste kanker onder vroue is en dit sulke geweldige afmetings aangeneem het dat elke vrou daarmee moet rekening hou, het dit tyd geword dat die teologie, en met name die pastoraat, ditself ook ten opsigte van die moontlike problematiek wat daarmee saamgaan, moet verantwoord. Die behandeling van borskanker behels in die meerderheid van gevalle 'n mate van chirurgiese ingrepe waardeur 'n deel van of die hele bors, en in ekstreme gevalle ook die onderliggende weefsel, verwyder word. Hierdie prosedure oefen, in 'n mindere of meerdere mate, 'n invloed op die vrou se belewing van haar liggaamlikheid uit wat weer na die intieme band van die huwelik kan deurwerk. Die mastektomiepasiënt kan ervaar dat die operasie, met al die sielkundige effekte wat dit inhou, haar innerlike lewensritme versteur sodat die verhoudinge waarin sy leef ook onder druk geplaas word. Binne die huwelik sou 'n mens dan die krisis van 'n mastektomie as 'n verhoudingskrisis moet hanteer, waarin die eggenoot 'n belangrike terapeutiese funksie kan vervul. Die man se bydrae word egter deurslaggewend bepaal deur: a) Sy verbintenis aan die verhouding en b) Die korrelasie tussen sy manlike identiteit, seksualiteit en die persepsies met betrekking tot die liggaamlikheid van die vrou. Binne die krisis van 'n mastektomie kan die vrou se liggaamsbeeld nie van haar geloofsidentiteit en die kwaliteit van haar huwelik losgemaak word nie - hierdie drie staan in 'n interdinamiese verband en beteken dat die verwerking van die krisis van 'n mastektomie direk van die kwaliteit van die liefdesverhouding en die ervaring van geloof, afhang. In die verwerking van die krisis vervul die geloofsfaktor 'n deurslaggewende rol om afstand tussen die emosionele trauma van die verlies en die ervaring van identiteit te skep. Die pastoraat kan 'n belangrike funksie vervul ten opsigte van begeleiding en ondersteuning in die verwerking van die krisis van 'n mastektomie deurdat dit God se aktiewe betrokkenheid by die situasie, aan die hand van die liggaamlikheid van Jesus Christus, verkondig. As terapeut kan die eggenoot begelei word om, op die gebied van die seksuele, baie sterker op die emosionele behoeftes van die mastektomiepasiënt ingestel te wees, om haar sodoende te ondersteun en in die proses van heling mee te werk.

Thesis (MTh) -- Stellenbosch University, 1995. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an attempt to present a prop~r modd and methodology of pastoral care &mu counselling of children. Chapter I starts with the concept of childhood and traces the history of child care and examines the present situation of pastoral care and counselling. The importance and necessity of pastoral care and counselling of children is emphasized. Chapter 2 locates pastoral care and counselling of children under the umbrella of Practical Theolob'Y· It proposes an interdisciplinary model and argues th<:t pastoral care is a theological issue. In chapter 3 the ancient Israelite society is examined 11s an example of a therapeutic environment for growing children. Her.~ the family provided a social structure through which children experienced a strong sense of belonging, security, love and self-identity. In the family circle God's covenantal love was conveyed by means of storyte.lling. Children have their own world and language which differ in many ways from the adult world. Chapter 4 explores the personal world and language of children and gives an exposition of the different developmental stages between the ages of six and twelve. Chapter 5 deals with the world of children, the family and the immediate environment of growing children. Healing in pastoral care is exercised through faith care. The research proposes the storytelling method as a most effective vehicle to convey God's love to the child. Chapier six explains the necessity for a storytelling technique through which the horizon of the child's environment merges with the horizon of God's unfailing love and grace. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing is daarop gerig om die pastoraat llewus te maak van die eiesoortige behoeftes van die kind onder twaalf jaar binne die beraadproses. Die voorveronderstelling waarmee gewerk word, is dat die kind deur die kerk wel via die kategese bereik word, maar dan op 'n meer kognitiewe leervlak. Gevolglik word daar nie erns gemaak met die meer indjviduele en emosionele behoeftes van kinders in 'n krisis binne hut gesinsverband nie. Die eerste hoofstuk is 'n bespreking van die geskiedenis van sorg aan die kleiner kind en ·n ontleding van die huidige benwdsituasie in pastorale sorg. Die tweede hoofstuk bied 'n metodologiese raamwerk teen die agtergroml van die karakter van praktiese teologie en 'n interdissiplinere benadering. Die derde hoofstuk is 'n poging om vas te stel wat die posisie van die kind in die vroee lsraelitiese gemeenskap was. Die navorsing stel vas dat die sorg van God gerealiseer was via die verbondsliefde sons wat dit in die familie tot uitdrukking gekom het. Dit is hier waar die verhaal of storie van God se bemoeienis met sy volk oorvertel is. Die vierde hoofstuk konsentreer op die eiesoortige wereld van taal, simbole en kommunikasie gedurende die verskillende ontwikkelingsfases van die kind. Hoofstuk vyf bied 'n bespreking van die sosiale omgewing en gesinsverband van die kind. Die laaste hoofstuk is 'n toespitsing van pastoraat a an die kleiner kind rnet behulp van die metode van storievertelling. Dit is die taak van die pastoraat om 'n horisonversmelting tussen die storie van die kind en die storie van God se verbondsliefde te laat plaasvind. Op hierdie wyse word die geloof van die kind ontwikkel en verkry die metode van storievertelling 'n pastorale dimensie.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This qualitatively oriented Practical Theological research journey, informed by the philosophical ideas of postmodern, contextual, participatory and feminist theologies, postmodern and social construction epistemologies was based on a participatory action research through the therapeutic lens of narrative inquiry. The thesis is about the spiritual problems and spiritual needs of people living with HIV and AIDS and how they can be addressed as part of a holistic approach to their care within the primary healthcare delivery system in Zimbabwe. The research curiosity was prompted by the HIV and AIDS policy in Zimbabwe that advocates for a holistic approach to the care of HIV and AIDS patients within the primary health care delivery system. The recognition that healthcare has to be holistic for the best outcome for patients creates an expectation that spiritual care will also be incorporated into clinical practice. However there is a puzzling blind spot and a strange silence about the spiritual problems and spiritual needs of people living with HIV and AIDS within the HIV and AIDS policy. This has had the effects of reducing intervention programmes to purely medical, psychological and sociological. This research sought to correct such an approach by highlighting the role of spiritual care in the healing process of people living with HIV and AIDS as part of the holistic approach to their care. The core information, on which this research is based, comes from the experiences of people living with HIV and AIDS who are receiving care within the primary health care delivery system in Zimbabwe. It sweeps away statistics and places those questing for spiritual healing at the core of the study. All the participants in the study affirmed that the why me questions as a summation of their indescribable and unimaginable spiritual pain felt in the spirit were directed to God. They confirmed that their spiritual problem was spiritual pain and their spiritual need therefore was spiritual healing from the spiritual pain of which God is believed to be the healer. The belief that God is the ultimate healer of the spiritual pain stood out from the midst of problem saturated narratives of spiritual pain and suffering as the unique outcome to reconstruct the alternative problem free stories of healing. The research opted for an approach that is informed by the experiences of people living with HIV and AIDS. In the light of the stories shared by the participants in this study, it became evident that there is an existing need within the Primary Health Care delivery system in Zimbabwe to provide spiritual care to people living with HIV and AIDS. The research aimed at co-creating a spiritual care approach in which those living with HIV and AIDS as well as those working with them can be empowered to re-author the stories of patients‟ lives around their self preferred images. The narrative approach was explored in this research as a possible therapeutic approach that could be used to journey pastorally with people living with HIV and AIDS in a non-controlling, non-blaming, non-directive and not knowing guiding manner that would permit the people living with HIV and AIDS to use their own spiritual resources in a way that can bring spiritual healing to their troubled spirits. The research also emphasizes the position of the people living with HIV and AIDS which they can inhabit and lay claim to the many possibilities of their own lives that lie beyond the expertise of the pastoral caregiver. The strong suggestion emerging from this study is that a spiritual care approach to healing must of necessity be integrated into the holistic approach to the care of people living with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe. The wish of participants that their spiritual well-being be considered in their health care adds momentum to this suggestion. Hence the research argues for the inclusion of a spiritual and pastoral approach to spiritual healing which links the patient‟s spirituality and pastoral care. The research does not claim to have the solutions or quick fix miracle to the complicated spiritual pain of people living with HIV and AIDS and neither claims to have the power to bring any neat conclusions to the spiritual healing of people living with HIV and AIDS. However, the research has the potential to stimulate a new story of spirituality as a vital resource in the healing process of people living with HIV and AIDS and ignoring it may defeat the purpose of a holistic approach to the care of people living with HIV. The re-authoring of alternative stories is an ongoing process but like in all journeys, there are landmarks that indicate achievements, places of transfer or starting new directions or turning around. Hence this research process may be regarded as a landmark that indicated a new direction in the participants‟ journey towards spiritual healing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatief-georiënteerde Praktiese Teologie navorsingsreis, geïnformeer deur die filosofiese idees van postmoderne, kontekstuele, deelnemende en feministiese teologie, postmoderne en sosiale konstruksie epistemologie, is gebaseer op deelnemende aksie-navorsing deur die terapeutiese lens van narratiewe ondersoek. Die tesis handel oor die spirituele probleme en navorsingsbehoeftes van mense wat met MIV en vigs leef en hoe dit aangespreek kan word as deel van ʼn holistiese benadering tot hul sorg binne die primêre gesondheidsorg-diensleweringstelsel in Zimbabwe. Die navorsing-belangstelling het ontwikkel na aanleiding van die MIV en vigs beleid in Zimbabwe wat ʼn holistiese benadering tot die sorg van MIV en vigs pasiënte in die primêre gesondheidsorg-diensleweringstelsel bepleit. Die erkenning dat gesondheidsorg holisties moet wees om die beste uitkoms vir pasiënte te bied, skep ʼn verwagting dat spirituele sorg ook by kliniese praktyk ingesluit sal word. Daar is egter in die HIV en vigs beleid ʼn raaiselagtige blinde kol, ʼn vreemde stilte oor die spirituele probleme en spirituele behoeftes van mense wat met MIV en vigs leef. Die gevolg is dat intervensie-programme gereduseer word tot slegs mediese, sielkundige en sosiologiese programme. Hierdie navorsing streef om dié benadering reg te stel deur die beklemtoning van die rol van spirituele sorg in die heling-proses van mense wat met MIV en vigs leef as deel van die holistiese benadering tot hul sorg. Die kerninligting waarop hierdie navorsing gegrond is, vloei voort uit die ervarings van mense wat leef met MIV en vigs en sorg ontvang binne die primêre gesondheidsorg-diensleweringstelsel in Zimbabwe. Dit vee statistiek van die tafel af en plaas diegene wat soek na spirituele heling, in die hart van die ondersoek. Al die deelnemers aan die ondersoek het bevestig dat hul “Waarom ek?” vrae, as opsomming van hul onbeskryflike, ondenkbare geestelike pyn, aan God gerig is. Hulle het bevestig dat hul spirituele probleem spirituele pyn is, en dat hul spirituele behoefte dus spirituele genesing is van die spirituele pyn, die pyn waarvan geglo word dat God die geneser is. Die geloof dat God die opperste geneser is, het uitgestaan te midde van die probleem-deurdrenkte narratiewe van spirituele pyn en lyding as die unieke uitkoms om alternatiewe probleem-vrye verhale van heling te herkonstrueer. Die navorsing het ʼn benadering gekies wat geïnformeer is deur die ervarings van mense wat leef met MIV en vigs. In die lig van die verhale wat die deelnemers aan die studie gedeel het, het dit duidelik geword dat daar ʼn behoefte is dat spirituele sorg ook aan mense wat leef met MIV en vigs verskaf word in die primêre gesondheidsorg-diensleweringstelsel in Zimbabwe. Die doel van die navorsing was om saam ʼn spirituele sorg benadering te skep waarin diegene wat met MIV en vigs leef, sowel as diegene wat met hulle werk, bemagtig kan word om die stories van pasiënte se lewens te herskryf in terme van pasiënte se verkose beelde. Die narratiewe benadering is in hierdie studie ondersoek as ʼn moontlike terapeutiese benadering wat gebruik kan word om pastoraal te reis met mense wat leef met MIV en vigs op ʼn manier wat nie kontroleer, beskuldig, voorskryf of weet nie, maar wat mense wat met MIV en vigs leef eerder begelei en toelaat om hul eie spirituele bronne te gebruik op ʼn manier wat spirituele genesing vir hul gekwelde siele kan bring. Die navorsing beklemtoon ook die posisie van mense wat leef met MIV en vigs waarin hulle spirituele moontlikhede, areas van hul lewens kan eien en bewoon, moontlikhede wat buite die bereik van pastorale versorgers lê. Uit hierdie studie vloei ʼn sterk suggestie dat ʼn spirituele benadering tot genesing noodwendig geïntegreer moet wees in die holistiese benadering tot die sorg van mense wat leef met MIV en vigs in Zimbabwe. Deelnemers se wens dat hul spirituele behoeftes ook in hul gesondheidsorg oorweeg word, gee aan dié suggestie verdere momentum. Derhalwe argumenteer hierdie navorsing ten gunste van die insluiting van ʼn spirituele en pastorale benadering tot spirituele genesing wat die pasiënt se spiritualiteit en pastorale sorg verbind. Die studie maak nie daarop aanspraak dat dit antwoorde of ʼn wonderbare kits-oplossing bied vir die gekompliseerde spirituele pyn van mens wat leef met MIV en vigs nie, of spirituele genesing netjies afsluit nie. Die navorsing het egter wel die potensiaal om ʼn nuwe verhaal te stimuleer van spiritualiteit as ʼn deurslaggewende bron in die genesingsproses van mense wat leef met MIV en vigs. Om spiritualiteit te ignoreer, mag dalk die doel verydel van ʼn holistiese benadering tot die sorg van mense wat met MIV en vigs leef. Die herskryf van alternatiewe verhale is ʼn voortdurende proses, maar soos alle reise, is daar landmerke wat prestasies aandui, en ook punte van verplasing, rigtingverandering of selfs ommekeer. Hierdie navorsing kan beskou word as ʼn landmerk van ʼn verandering van rigting in deelnemers se reis na spirituele genesing.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education