<p> This essay is a study of whether Japan is secularized on an individual level or not. It is written with the aim of examining if secularization on an individual level has taken place in Japan, and if so, is it possible to make a comparison to Europe and the USA.</p><p>Key words: Japan, Secularization</p> / <p>Denna uppsats är en litteraturstudie om huruvida Japan är sekulariserat på individnivå eller inte. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om en sekularisering på individnivå har ägt rum i Japan, och om man i så fall kan dra paralleller till Europa och USA.</p><p> </p>

<p> This dissertation analyzes and compares the curricula within and across the eight Eastern Orthodox Christian seminaries in the United States of America through the lens of Theological or Pastoral orientation of the seminaries. This dissertation aims to address this deficiency in the literature on religious higher education in the United States of America.</p><p> This comparison of Orthodox seminary curricula is guided by three questions: What are the curricula in use at the eight Orthodox Christian seminaries in the United States of America? What distinctions arise from an analysis of these seminaries&rsquo; course descriptions and curricula? How do these curricula achieve the Assembly of Bishops&rsquo; goals for unity?</p><p> I employed an emergent design methodology to code, analyze, and compare over 400 course descriptions obtained from bulletins and course catalogs of the eight Orthodox Christian seminaries. The course descriptions were compared with other courses of the same institution, other courses offered by comparable institutions, and other courses I designated as similar based upon coding outcomes.</p><p> I found that the seminaries exhibited one of two innate foci: Theological orientation or Pastoral orientation. I compared the seeming orientations with the schools&rsquo; mission statements. I then solicited course syllabi to explore the courses in more depth to determine whether the course descriptions were accurate reflections of what was taught in the courses.</p><p> I surveyed seminary administrators and professors about the Theological or Pastoral orientation of their schools, and the preparedness of their seminary&rsquo;s graduates to fulfill priestly duties. This allowed triangulation of data with the syllabi and course descriptions.</p><p> This dissertation engages the field of comparative and international education, providing a comparative analysis of internationally and ethnically affiliated schools. It aims to explore in more detail the variations in how future religious leaders are educated within one faith group. This dissertation also explores the international and historic diversity of Orthodox Christian groups in the United States of America. These analyses will enrich the field of religious higher education studies by revealing the inner workings of an entire religious community in the United States; a religious community little studied and little understood.</p>

Uppsatsen analyserar Mia Törnbloms bok Självkänsla nu! utifrån ett religionsvetenskapligt perspektiv och diskuterar om man kan se Törnbloms bok som ett substitut till religion i dagens sekulariserade samhälle.

The main purpose of this dissertation has been to investigate how well diaconal work in seven chosen parishes corresponds to an official definition of the diaconal task of the Church of Sweden as above all to represent and direct activities towards the most disadvantaged and/or marginalised groups in society, a definition that well corresponds to the general expectations of the Swedish people regarding the role of the Church. The empirical ground for the dissertation comes from diaconal inventories built mainly on a comprehensive interview material with parish workers and appointed representatives in the chosen parishes. Diaconal work being carried out has been analysed and discussed in relation to the understanding of diaconal work put forward on the national level as mainly intended for those in greatest need. Analyse is carried out with a point of departure in secularization theory. The apparent dichotomy between public and private religion offer some explanation and enhance the understanding of how religious actors on different levels within the Church organisation have elected to confront the marginalised role of the Church. The most important conclusion generated by this dissertation is a clear lack of correspondence between the understanding of the deaconry as formulated on the national level and diaconal practice in the parishes studied. This discrepancy can arise because actors on the national and local levels have different strategies for counteracting the marginalisation. The gap between the national strategy emphasizing the task of the Church to represent the needy and a diaconal practice expressing quite another strategy represents a concrete and grave dilemma for the Church; a dilemma that in a not too distant future can have serious consequences for the Church’s credibility in the eyes of a distanced, nonreligious public.

Issued also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / "I have given especial emphasis to the period of the editorship of Fox."--Pref. "Appendix: Identification of authorship": p.[394]-428. Bibliography: p. [429]-438.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1943. / "I have given especial emphasis to the period of the editorship of Fox."--Pref. Vita. "Appendix: Identification of authorship": p. [394]-428. Bibliography: p. [429]-438.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 2009. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-176).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 421-428).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 421-428).

<p> Theological trends change from time to time to make the faith more meaningful and relevant to the contemporary context. To an extent, the Second Vatican Council, by its commitment to two concepts, &ldquo;ressourcement&rdquo; and &ldquo;aggiornamento,&rdquo; succeeded in this mission in the last century. The communion ecclesiology of the Council, which has its foundation in the sacrament of Eucharist, shows that the centrality of the Eucharist in the Church cannot be overlooked, because the ecclesial body of the Church is built up by the Eucharistic body of Christ. Any Eucharist-centered ecclesiology is prophetic and eschatological by nature. The &ldquo;Eucharistic&rdquo; and &ldquo;prophetic&rdquo; dimensions of the Church are not exclusive as they are seen today. Rather, these are intertwined and mutually fulfilling. This was seen very strongly in the Church of the apostolic times, and this thrust continued in the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Though there are different models of ecclesiology, the Indian Church is in need of regaining the Eucharistic ecclesiology so that it can be more &ldquo;prophetic&rdquo; in India and face its challenges courageously. Even five decades after the Second Vatican Council, the teachings of the Council have not brought about many changes in the Indian Church. Though the Church tries to be involved in social issues, clericalism or hierarchism still adversely affects the Indian Church today. The Indian Theological Association&rsquo;s indigenous ecclesiology serves as a mirror of the Indian Church, reflecting both the face of the Indian Church and the face of the country. In these reflections, the Church can engage herself in the cultural, social, economic, religious, and ecclesial context of India. I argue that if the Indian Theological Association would emphasize the centrality of the Eucharist in its indigenous ecclesiology, then its ecclesiology would be more prophetic and appealing to the Indian Church. In the pluralistic context of India, it would help the Indian Church to be challenged in its way of life and to become truly the Body of Christ and a prophetic witness to the nation. </p><p>