Cluniac monasteries, so called because of their relationship to the abbot of Cluny in Burgundy, have been estimated to have numbered over seven hundred foundations at one time, distributed throughout France and in England, Wales, Scotland, Lombardy, and Spain. To date Cluniac studies have tended to concentrate on the abbey of Cluny, undoubtedly the fullest expression of Cluniac monasticism. Much work has been done on other individual Cluniac foundations but there has been little attempt to place the resulting information in the context of an organisational relationship between Cluniac monasteries and the abbot of Cluny, because this relationship is poorly understood. This thesis redresses this neglect by for the first time providing a model for this relationship whereby all Cluniac monks are said to have constituted an extended monastic community under the authority of the abbot of Cluny whose purpose was the transmission and maintenance of a distinctive monastic observance. This model was developed from a comprehensive examination of evidence of a variety of types, viewed from specific perspectives, relating to all the Cluniac foundations in England and Wales. This shows clear evidence of the involvement of centrally coordinated Cluniac administration in the regulation of these monasteries from the foundation process, the selection of their sites and their relationship with secular settlement and ecclesiastical and secular authority to provide optimal conditions for the following of a distinctly Cluniac monastic observance by their resident monks. It is argued on the basis of this model that future Cluniac research will be far more fruitful if it is reorientated towards the study of the extended Cluniac monastic community.

This project examines and critically reflects on the practices of care for the poor by three Protestant congregations in affluent urban neighborhoods in the metropolitan Boston area. The project is a practical theological investigation of congregational practices of care of the poor using Richard Osmer’s practical theological method. This derived from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis; interpretation and analysis of the practices; theological and ethical evaluation of the practices through what Osmer calls “wise judgment” of the practices; and application of the practical wisdom learned from the three congregations. Ministries of care for the poor by congregations in affluent American neighborhoods are often sparse. The three congregations deviate from the norm by offering robust and sustainable ministries of care. This project examines the theological and ethical motivation embodied and enacted in those ministries and asks what practical wisdom they have to offer other congregations. In doing so, the project situates its analysis within wider theological and ethical understandings of Christian care for the poor, especially in urban contexts. The project’s theological and ethical interpretation and judgment are derived from the framework of virtue ethics in dialogue with contextual and ecclesiologically focused theologies. The ministries of care for the poor in the three congregations demonstrate the overlap of pastoral care, mission work, and evangelism. Also, their ministries of care for the poor illuminate the importance of the work of the laity in Christian public ministry, and how presently the laity is underserved by theological education. Practical application of the wisdom rising from the three congregations highlights the importance of lay pastoral care techniques, discipleship development, and witness practices.

Liberation, womanist, and feminist theologians re-imagine hope in light of suffering in a variety of communities, via the narratives of cross and resurrection. They insist that hope is shaped by its context and always practiced in response to particular suffering. This dissertation takes the experiences of women who have lived through domestic violence as the locus theologicus in which to investigate the question: “What constitutes hope after domestic violence?” A Catholic practical theological examination of House of Peace, a Latina domestic violence shelter, recasts hope after domestic violence as the practiced communal embodiment of an open and ambiguous future. The first chapter presents domestic violence as a theological problem, tracking the past half century of feminist and trauma theologies’ questions and concerns in regards to domestic violence. Chapter two provides a survey of liberation theologies of hope (Metz, Moltmann, Sobrino, Isasi-Díaz, Haight, Johnson) and highlights the importance of hope as a communally embodied practice profoundly shaped by its context. The third chapter turns to the insights of womanist theologians (Williams, Terrell, Copeland, and Crawford) who conceptualize hope in the midst of Black women’s experiences of race- and gender-based violence. The fourth chapter investigates Latina theologians, Ivone Gebara and Nancy Pineda-Madrid, who present hope as what emerges through embodied practices of resistance. Their vision of fragile redemption yields insights for a constructive feminist reading of the Gospel of Mark’s “Empty Tomb” resurrection account. Chapter five re-imagines the “Empty Tomb” narrative and hope through the healing narratives and practices of the House of Peace, highlighting the possibility for everyday practices and relationships to mediate hope. The community at House of Peace practices the biblical story differently, thus challenging a singular, extrinsic understanding of the crucifixion and resurrection. They renew the concept and practice of hope—emphasizing embodiment and imagination—in alignment with both Latina and Catholic commitments. This examination of contextual communal practices and narrations of hope after domestic violence contributes to the fields of Catholic practical theology, feminist theology, and trauma theology.

The few studies on African preaching tend to focus on various aspects of sermons, with minimal attention to preachers and their formation. This study, by contrast, centers on the “small voice”—the unnoticed, unnamed, silenced, marginalized, neglected, and rejected perspectives—of diverse preachers who self-identify as African Christian preachers. The dissertation employs this hermeneutical lens to focus on the experiences and practices of African Christian preachers and to draw out the theological implications of their homiletical activities. The study uses a three-part framework of African perspectives (voices); the African context and culture; and care and critique. Using a “small voice”-informed mixed-methods research to address the limitations of previous studies and with the western region of Kenya as a point of focus (due to the diversity of Christianity within it), this research addresses the questions, “How and why do African Christian preachers become preachers (formation, reflection, and preaching roles); and how do they define and describe their preaching (description)?” Through oral interviews with 17 preachers, 150 extensive survey questionnaires, participant observation, and literature reviews, this study yields thick descriptions of African preaching in context. The results of the research highlight the person and life of the preacher and offer a rare glimpse into the perspectives of women and young preachers. The study reveals that the majority of African preachers feel “called” to preaching. Also, they live, preach, and are educated within their own communities; and they remain within the religious tradition in which they were raised. The preachers speak multiple languages with varying degrees of fluency. They preach in diverse settings, though women preachers are hindered due to domestic duties and youth are limited due to their age. The findings of the study illuminate the dedication of African preachers to preaching, despite lack of financial compensation. They attain the highest level of education that they can afford and are open to continued training/mentoring. The study suggests that the education/mentoring of African preachers must be culturally and linguistically relevant. The findings anticipate that similar perspectives may exist throughout similarly situated contexts within other parts of Africa. / 2025-10-10T00:00:00Z

This research tests C.G. Jung’s suggestion that if protestant Christians think of God as a mythologem then it advances consciousness. There is an implied benefit of greater religious tolerance. The research methodology is to investigate the theoretical concepts involved, operationalise them, and then conduct an empirical test of their relationship. There are multiple problems that have to be overcome, including Jung’s amorphous and protean use of terminology. His concept of myth, in this context, is clarified and positioned within his philosophy, the contemporary culture of materialism, and the primary beliefs of the target audience. The contemporary understanding of Jungian consciousness is also revisioned to incorporate Jung’s notion of advancement based on the transcendent function. There are no existing measures for ‘thinking mythologically’ nor ‘advancement’. The concepts do not lend themselves to established psychometric principles. Therefore, two new forms of questionnaire are devised to measure these concepts, alongside two new questionnaires of conventional design that collect information about demographics and religious tolerance. There is an Information Technology sub-project, using a bespoke database and set of programs, to develop, publish, and promote the questionnaires on the internet. There are then two stages of statistical analysis: one to develop reliable and valid measures for each concept; the other to measure the relationships between the concepts. The main result of the test is that the specific relationship Jung describes in the letter – between mythological thinking and advancement of consciousness – does not hold. However, the data does suggest there may be a direct relationship between mythological thinking and religious tolerance. Despite the failure of the main test, there are a number of useful lessons from the results and suggestions for future research. There are also several spin-offs from the thesis, in terms of both concepts and resources. These are reviewed in the final chapter.

This study is a work of Practical Theology aiming to create an interpretative paradigm within which to evaluate faith brands theologically and identify whether faith brands are problematic or beneficial to Christian faith. The research used qualitative research techniques – five focus groups drawn from a church in the East Midlands, triangulated with interviews with practitioners in both marketing and ministry, and documentary analysis of faith brands. An element of comparison was possible between focus groups by grouping those church members who self-identified as “charismatic/evangelical” into three groups and examining how the data generated in those groups compared with the other two groups, drawn from a more “central Anglican” tradition. The importance of relationships and the motif of the faith being a journey and a process are validated by the data. Some of the problematic issues that faith brands raise for Christian faith – including challenges of ecclesiology, and the risk of a reductionist approach to faith – are considered both from the perspective of faith brands (such as the Alpha course) which might be considered as “McDonaldising” the faith, as well as the perspective of more “localized” faith brands, embodied within the “Fresh Expressions” movement. The results suggest that whilst faith brands do pose risks for Christian faith – including the danger of reductionism, or challenges to traditional ecclesiology - they can also be beneficial where they are utilized in ways that are sensitive to the context in which individuals are relating to them. This PhD makes an original contribution to knowledge through by exploring in detail the impact of faith branding upon some members of East Midlands Churches, in itself an original focus of study. It also makes an original contribution by utilising the insights of Rational Choice Theory to interrogate the data and extends the field of Practical Theology in also beginning to develop a constructive theology of branding. Tracing the contours of an emerging theology of branding, the Apostle Paul’s contextual missionary flexibility is noted alongside an acknowledgement that creation is both fallen, and yet also nevertheless pregnant with goodness and grace. It is suggested (through drawing on insights in the work of Cavanaugh) that faith brands can be located comfortably within an Augustinian framework with respect to notions of choice and desire. Within a theological evaluation, faith brands could be seen to offer a way of seeking to influence the will towards to God – and as such, offer a counterpoint to consumer brands, because they are a means to what is understood theologically to be a true end (God), whereas in consumerism, the end is simply to continue desiring to buy. Finally, the notion of the missio Dei and Bosch & Sherry’s theology of the work of the Holy Spirit are offered as ways of understanding of how God works through human culture and human creativity.

The Roman Catholic Church maintains that women cannot be ordained to the ministerial priesthood because of its unbroken tradition that only men can be priests, based on the example of Jesus, who chose only men to be ‘Apostles’. Vatican documents published during the late twentieth century use the writings of several mediaeval theologians and canonists to support this ruling. The topic is of present-day importance for understanding the origins of the exclusion of women from the priesthood given the current shortage of priests in the Catholic Church. This thesis looks first at the present ruling in the Vatican documents, and then considers the mediaeval writings, canon law and theology, from scholars such as Gratian, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure and Duns Scotus, looking especially at their Commentaries on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. Subsequent chapters analyse in more detail the arguments from scripture and biology, drawing together strands of thought in the Middle Ages on these subjects, including judgements about women’s intellectual and emotional capacity, and the contemporary anthropological and Christological understanding of the Incarnation. Language and translation are also significant but often neglected factors in the discussion, which the thesis studies by highlighting the recovery of Greek writings in medicine and philosophy, along with choice of terminology and use of metaphor, in the mediaeval period and in modern Church documents. By this approach, a critical survey is made of the most salient aspects of the debate. This thesis seeks to dissect systematically the origins of the prohibition, based on attitudes towards women which, while not always intentionally misogynistic, were nonetheless rooted in a world view that, the thesis argues, is no longer relevant today.

‘Knowledge of their past will inform the decisions [Baptists] take today which will shape their tomorrow.’ These words of Baptist historian Barrie White along with some from Archbishop Rowan Williams, that to ‘engage with the Church’s past is to see something of the Church’s future’ which ‘makes for the health of the church…’ lie at the heart of my thesis that denominational history has the potential to form a valuable and engaging resource for theological reflection within the field usually termed church health, and specifically in the consideration of change, actual or potential, in pastoral practice. As a Practical Theologian, central to my approach is a belief that such reflection should be undertaken by and for the people who make up local congregations. My particular interest is in assisting local churches (congregations) to approach and manage change in ways that avoid the potential for destructive conflict: might it be that examples from denominational history form a valuable resource for reflection on processes that might be employed to approach contemporary issues? An initial survey of materials suggests that it might, but that in its current form it is largely inaccessible (literally and in relation to how it is presented). This submission presents a portfolio of work, based on the popular 'pastoral cycle' approach, exploring this possibility and establishing a way forward for developing a more accessible and engaging method to 'tell the story'.After a thorough literature, which presents an overview of developments in the disciplines of church health and history alongside an outline of readily available Baptist history, my publishable article develops a renewed vision for the Baptist Historical Society, the voluntary body which produces the majority of UK Baptist historical writing, taking account of insights gained. Specifically, the potential for a more narrative/literary approach with a recovery of theological/spiritual language is identified as a way forward in increasing accessibility and usability of this rich resource in the way I advocate. Three possible approaches to developing resources are identified and explored in the research proposal, ranging from almost entirely empirical to totally theoretical, with justification of why each constitutes Practical Theology. Emphasis shifts away from the central thesis in the reflective paper which explores questions of 'readers' and 'writers' in relation to my own work as a researcher and a practical theologian. A final reflection, in lieu of a conclusion, draws threads together and affirms my conviction that denominational history has the potential to provide a rich and fruitful resource for theological reflection in the area of church health.

This research was done from a Postfoundational practical Theological position and I made use of the narrative approach as my methodology. The focus of this research was to come to a better understanding of what the perspectives are of the pastoral counsellor and pastoral counselling in the South Korean context. This was done by listening to the narratives of four academics that was either teaching and/or practicing pastoral counselling in South Korea. These four professors became my co-researchers in this journey of discovering. These narratives were looked at by making use of the Social Constructionist point of view. Therefore, because I was doing research about a culture, I gave an overview of the history, the culture etcetera. To come to a better understanding of the narratives of my co-researchers and what the perspectives are of the pastoral counsellor and pastoral counselling, I have made use of an interdisciplinary team of helpers. The narratives that were shared by my co-researchers were summarised as a “neutral co-researcher’s narrative” and was commented on by the interdisciplinary team. By coming to a better understanding concerning the pastoral counsellor and pastoral counselling in South Korea, many of my pre-conceived biases were deconstructed. This in turn allowed me, with the help of my co-researchers and the interdisciplinary team, to make valuable contributions towards pastoral counselling and the pastoral counsellor in South Korea. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Practical Theology / Unrestricted

Thesis advisor: Hosffman Ospino / Roughly one-third of U.S. Catholic parishes serve parishioners of multiple cultural, ethnic, and/or linguistic groups. In these “shared parishes,” the possibility and meaning of community across boundaries is an urgent question. This dissertation examines the role of ritual in the formation of community in diverse parishes. Critiquing prevailing ecclesiological models of unity in diversity that inadequately address structural sins of racism and xenophobia, I argue for an understanding of communion as a task of the local Church, embodied ritually in solidaristic practice. Then, establishing a conversation among ritual studies and U.S. Latinx discourses of border identity, I propose an understanding of the shared parish as a kind of borderland – as a place where a subjunctive communal identity can be negotiated ritually through embodied engagement. Methodologically, the dissertation is grounded in an ethnographic study conducted over five years at St. Mary of the Angels, a small, diverse parish in Boston, MA. Weaving together historical and archival data from parish, neighborhood, and archdiocese; participant-observation of bilingual Holy Week liturgies; and Spanish- and English-language interviews, the case study foregrounds the dissertation's theoretical work by analyzing how parishioners constructed rituals that facilitated the crossing of cultural, racial, and linguistic boundaries. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.