In 1655 and again in 1686-1689, the Waldensians of Piedmont were massacred by the Duke of Savoy after he issued edicts forbidding the practice of their religion. The Waldensians were later followers of the medieval religious movement of the Poor of Lyons, declared heretical in 1215. The Waldensians associated with the Reformation in 1532, and thus formed a link with diverse groups of Protestants across Europe. In the periods immediately surrounding both massacres, an outpouring of publications dedicated to their plight, their history, and their religious identity appeared, a large number of which emerged in London. On both occasions, the propaganda gave rise to international sympathy and encouraged international intervention, eventually provoking the Duke to rescind the edicts that had instigated the massacres. While most contemporary scholars consider the Waldensians to have been fully absorbed into Protestantism after 1532, it is clear from the writings of both the Waldensians and their sympathizers that they considered themselves a separate entity: the inheritors of a long tradition of dissent from the Catholic Church based on their own belief in the purity of the Gospel. The Waldensian identity was based on a history of exclusion and persecution, and also on a belief that they had transmitted the true embodiment of Christianity through the centuries. The documents that were published surrounding the massacres address the legitimacy of the Waldensian identity based on centuries of practice. English and continental Protestants identified with the Waldensians, who provided ancient ties and legitimacy to their ‘new’ religion, and the Waldensians adopted that identity proudly, all the while claiming continuity. Protestants also used the Waldensians in propagandist documents, most often to justify political or religious actions and ideologies. The continuity of Waldensianism through the Reformation became crucially important for the wider umbrella of Protestantism as a legitimizing factor for the movement. This thesis investigates the claims of continuity and finds that while the Waldensians underwent a dramatic change in religious doctrine to conform to the Reformation, their belief in the continuity of their religious identity can be validated by examining religion from a socio-cultural perspective that takes aspects other than theology into consideration.

This thesis focuses on the religious monuments of Bohemia and their implementation in the tourist package for the clienst from Portugal and Brazil. All theoretical and practical dates are implemented in the creation of three versions of the itinerary of the Religious Package.

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2016-08-24T23:34:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??oLizandras.pdf: 1862376 bytes, checksum: e311ea5249df406de106f221d3b2f187 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-24T23:34:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??oLizandras.pdf: 1862376 bytes, checksum: e311ea5249df406de106f221d3b2f187 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-28 / Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPEB / This dissertation examines the conversion and religious transit of worshipers of Candombl? and the Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte Brotherhood to protestant denominations in Cachoeira -Ba, between 1980 and 2007. We investigated the prevalence of women in conversions by analyzing the main reasons why they decided to seek another religious affiliation, as well as the reasons for men's adherence to Protestant groups. We recognized that women's motivations were related to marital and/or family issues, while for men they referred to personal matters. We analyzed the demonization of Candombl? by evangelical groups, especially the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus as well as the speech of practitioner of Candombl? before the disqualification practices of Candombl? and the numerical growth of conversions practitioner of Candombl? to the Protestant denominations. The applicant was disqualified and demonization of african-Brazilian religious practices. Observe how new religious affiliation and religious transit influence on family relationships, analyzing how conflict and family tensions began to be administered by the newly converted. It was recurrent the disqualification and demonization of african-Brazilian religious practices. We observe how his new religious affiliation and religious transit had influenced family relationships, analyzing how conflict and family tensions began to be administered by the newly converted. / RESUMO Esta disserta??o analisa a convers?o e o tr?nsito religioso de adeptos do Candombl? e da Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte para grupos pentecostais e neopentecostais, em Cachoeira-Ba, entre 1980 e 2007. Investigamos a predomin?ncia de mulheres nas convers?es, analisando os principais motivos pelos quais elas decidiram buscar outra filia??o religiosa, bem como as raz?es masculinas para a ades?o a grupospentecostais e neopentecostais. Identificamos que as motiva??es femininas mais frequentes relacionaram-se as quest?es conjugais e/ou familiares, enquanto para os homens referiram-se a assuntos pessoais. Analisamos a demoniza??o do Candombl? por parte de grupospentecostais e neopentecostais, especialmente a Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, bem como o discurso dos candomblecistas diante das pr?ticas de desqualifica??o do Candombl? e do crescimento num?rico das convers?es de candomblecistas para grupos pentecostais e neopentecostais. Foi recorrente a desqualifica??o e demoniza??o das pr?ticas religiosas afro-brasileiras. Investigamoscomo as novas filia??es religiosas e o tr?nsito religioso influenciaram as rela??es familiares, analisando de que maneira os conflitos e tens?es familiares passaram a ser administrados pelos rec?m convertidos, bem como pelos familiares candomblecistas.

Stefanie Reinhold schildert die Geschichte der Elisabeth von Rochlitz und greift damit das Leben einer zentralen weiblichen Akteurin in der Reformationszeit des Raums Südwestsachsen auf.

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts in the subject ETHICS at the University of Zululand, 2008. / The year 2004 marked South Africa's celebration of ten years of democracy as encapsulated by guaranteeing a better life for all. The gap between the rich and the poor as well as moral degradation challenges the euphoria of our young democracy. The South African government's commitment to non-racism, justice, democracy and non-sexism constitutes a centre of values that challenges us all to live better lives. This social-democratic society is a secular expression of a Biblical social vision. Within the juxtaposition of Theopoiitics and secularism, this research explicates the challenges of liberal and secular laws as imposed on a fervently religious country. Theopoiitics, as described as the continual interrelationship between government and church, is firmly cemented in South Africa. Nevertheless, how far would the secular, socialist-inclined government go in distancing itself from religious interference? How willing are churches to move away from a marginalised social agent to become a re-energised moral watchdog? Consequently, South Africa's transformative democracy needs to rediscover its spiritual heritage, while churches and Christianity need to invigorate Theopoiitics to participate in and guarantee the realisation of a just democratic order. This study therefore examines the level of interaction between church and state, specifically the Anglican Church and the Dutch Reformed Church. Furthermore, the degree of representation of church attendants and the electorate, as linked to transformation and their leaders in church and government respectively, are scrutinised. In conclusion, it becomes apparent that Theopoiitics will continue to play a role in the secular South Africa. Church-state relationships will be united in their shared vision of a fair, just and socio-economically viable South Africa.

The research literature reveals a number of studies conducted on unethical behavior, including nepotism, within the broader nonprofit sector. However, the effect of faith community leadership nepotism on parishioners has not been studied. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill a gap in the literature by exploring parishioner perceptions of leadership nepotism through the lens of servant leadership. Specific to this study, it was unknown whether parishioners of a Protestant church view nepotism as having a positive, negative, or neutral impact related to leadership performance. Specifically, the study explored parishioner impacts related to 5 elements of servant leadership: (a) listening, (b) empathy, (c) healing, (d) stewardship, and (e) building community. Individual interviews were conducted with 9 parishioners from 1 church where nepotism was known to exist. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed to identify and extract patterns and themes. Among the findings, the data revealed the presence of servant leadership characteristics found in leadership, which appeared to mitigate the negative influence of nepotism. The study may provide faith community leadership with information that can be used to create and implement important policies related to nepotism.

No description available.

A sample of 127 members of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP) responded to a questionnaire regarding their beliefs, practices and training in premarital counseling (PMC). This study was a replication of a previous study of 226 clergy premarital counselors from four Protestant denominations by Jones, E.F., & Stahmann, R.F. (1994). The results of this study were compared with the results of the Jones & Stahmann study. Findings suggest that AMCAP members were less likely than Protestant clergy to believe that PMC should be required of all couples before marriage. AMCAP members and Protestant clergy both rated Enrichment, Testimony/Evangelism, and Education as the three most important topics/roles they focus on when providing PMC. No difference was found between AMCAP members and Protestant clergy in the number of first marriage couples seen for PMC during a 12 month period. AMCAP members saw an average of one couple more than Protestant clergy for PMC with remarriages during a 12 month period. AMCAP members reported the use of group formats and assigned reading materials more frequently than Protestant clergy. Protestant clergy reported the use of individual couple formats and tests or assessments more frequently than AMCAP members. There was no difference in the amount of training between AMCAP members and Protestant clergy with nearly 40% of both samples practicing PMC with no specific training in PMC.

Although Anne Brontë's first novel, Agnes Grey, presents itself as a didactic treatise, Brontë's work departs from many accepted Evangelical tropes in the portrayal of its moral protagonist. These departures create an exemplary figure whose flaws potentially subvert the novel's didactic purposes. The character of Agnes is not necessarily meant to be directly emulated, yet Brontë's governess is presented as a tool of moral instruction. The conflict between the novel's self-proclaimed didactic purpose and the form in which it presents that purpose raises a number of interpretive questions. I argue that many of these questions can be answered through the application of a hermeneutic presented in Augustine's De Doctrina Christiana. Such a hermeneutic shifts the burden of interpretation away from the author and toward the reader in such a way that the moral figure becomes, not a standard to be emulated, but rather a test of the reader's personal spiritual maturity. This sign theory heavily influenced the works of medieval hagiographers such as Ælfric of Enysham, who depended on Augustine's sign theory to mediate some of the less-orthodox behaviors of saints such as Æthelthryth of Ely. I argue that by applying Augustine's hermeneutic and reading Agnes Grey in the context of these earlier didactic genres, the novel's potentially subversive qualities are not only neutralized, but become an important element of Evangelical instruction.

No description available.