Throughout much of Christian history, the church had predominant control over religious ritual and belief. As early as the 1st Century, institutions representing "orthodoxy" were banning, forbidding or destroying the "heretical", separating it from what eventually would become canon and religious practice. The 21st Century provides new ways for spiritual knowledge to spread, bypassing traditional methods. Modern Martin Luthers can nail a manifesto to an internet door while the media's obsession with non-canonical texts provides no shortage of material for movies and television. A multi-media barrage challenges orthodox concepts and scriptural definition, often blurring the line between religion and entertainment. The initial clash between the churches and media has evolved over the last century to a point where the media may now produce beneficial results, educating many who may have either left the church or never joined it.

Este survey interseccional teve como objetivo verificar a prevalência de experiências anômalas extra-sensório-motoras (ou experiências psi) comparando características demográficas, práticas, crenças, religiosidade e níveis de bemestar subjetivo (BES) de experienciadores (EXPs) e não experienciadores (NEXPs) de psi. Para a coleta de dados, foi elaborado e aplicado o Questionário de Prevalência e Relevância de Psi (Q-PRP) com 35 itens, juntamente com a Escala de Bem-Estar Subjetivo (EBES) (Albuquerque e Tróccoli, 2004). Dos 306 respondentes (idades de 18 a 66 anos) que participaram da pesquisa, 82,7% alegaram ter vivenciado pelo menos uma experiência anômala extra-sensóriomotora. Não foi encontrada diferença significante entre EXPs e NEXPs em termos de gênero, renda, estado civil, religião e religiosidade. No entanto, verificou-se que EXPs crêem significantemente mais em percepção extra-sensorial, psicocinesia, reencarnação, vida após a morte e práticas alternativas. EXPs indicaram que suas experiências psi afetaram suas atitudes, crenças e tomadas de decisão. Tal influência está significativamente relacionada à atribuição de causalidade feita para as experiências psi vivenciadas. As atribuições de causalidade são coerentes com a crença, adesão ou postura religiosa dos EXPs. Quanto aos níveis de BES, os EXPs pontuaram mais no fator afetos negativos, o que sugere que EXPs têm um nível de BES mais baixo que os NEXPs. Os dados foram discutidos em detalhes enfatizando-se a complexidade de suas associações e correlações. Os resultados não são conclusivos, mas apontam tendências que deverão ser exploradas de forma mais aprofundada em próximos estudos. / The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to verify the prevalence of anomalous extrasensorimotor experiences (or psi experiences) and compare psi experiencers (EXPs) and non experiencers (NEXPs) in terms of demographic variables, beliefs, alternative practices and subjective wellbeing (SWB) levels. In order to collect data, it was used the 35-item Questionário de Prevalência e Relevância de Psi (QPRP) elaborated for this research, and the Escala de Bem-Estar Subjetivo (EBES) (Albuquerque e Trócoli, 2004). From the 306 respondents (age from 18 to 66), 82,7% claimed at least one psi experience. No significant differences between EXPs and NEXPs were found in terms of sex, income, marital status, religion and religiosity. However, EXPs believe significantly more in extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, reincarnation, survival after death, and alternative practices. EXPs indicated that psi experiences have affected their attitudes, beliefs and decisions. Such influence is significantly related to the attribution of causality they make to their own psi experiences. Attributions of causality were coherent to EXPs s beliefs. As to SWB, EXPs tend to punctuate higher in terms of negative affects than NEXPs, what suggests that EXPs have a lower level of SWB than NEXPs. Data were discussed in detail emphasizing the complexity of associations and correlations among them. Results are not conclusive, but point to tendencies which must be explored more profoundly in next studies.

This research investigates and discusses missionary education in South Africa in general, and in the Bushbuckridge (BBR) area in particular, during the period 1910-1973. It also investigates and highlights how missionaries from various church denominations from Europe and the United States of America, spread the Word of God in South Africa. This research reveals that they founded and provided educational assistance to illiterate Black people. in order to enable thein to read the Bible, as effective means of realising their goals of Christianisation, evangelisation and civilisation. This study also finds that mi.ssionaries in the BBR offered Black people education in matters of industry. manual skills and farming, at their mission stations and mission schools, as a strong means of not only providing them with job skills and knowledge, but also preparing them for possible future self-employment and promoting their economic development and that of the community at large. This investigation indicates that missionary education removed out Black culture and traditional religious beliefs, and inculcated Western culture and Christian religious belief. Missionary education atso inculcated civilised habits of cleanliness, obedience, loyalty, patience, punctuality, tidiness, subordination, submissiveness, trustfulness and a sound attitude to work, industriousness, perseverance, respect and a sense of humour amongst Black people, as characteristic of Christianisation, and Christian evangelisation and civilisation. After a thorough investigation and discussion of missionary education, in South Africa· in general, and in the BBR area in particular, several recommendations and proposals are formulated, in order to advance the purpose of this research. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

This thesis is on Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) and its relevance for the rationality of religious beliefs. An epistemical model for rationality is developed according to which: a person (or group of persons) is rational to hold a certain belief a) if this belief can be assumed to have been generated by one or more reliable cognitive mechanisms, b) applies whether or not she is aware of what these mechanisms are, but c) only as long as it does not exist or arise some reasons (defeaters) to question the belief; if they occur, she must d) reflect on it and find other reasons or grounds to hold the belief in question.      Two different positions are examined, namely: 1) negative relevance: the findings and theories in CSR undermines the rationality of religious beliefs; 2) positive relevance: religious beliefs need not be irrational in the light of CSR, in fact CSR may actually support the rationality of religious beliefs.      Two lines of argument can be distinguished among those who argue for a negative relevance: a) the natural explanations that are provided by CSR are preferable; and b) religious beliefs are irrational because they are caused by unreliable cognitive mechanisms.      Among those who argue for positive relevance two arguments can be distinguised: a) religious beliefs seem to come naturally to humans and therefore are probably true; and b) CSR confirms empirically that we are equipped with a "divine mechanism" that there are reasons to believe is reliable.      The conclusions are: CSR has negative relevance to beliefs in "finite supernatural agency", but not for the faith of "infinite supernatural agency". First, the first type of beliefs is easier to explain by being generated by unreliable cognitive mechanisms; secondly they are difficult to integrate with what we otherwise know about the world. A category that falls outside the scope of CSR and thus not even potentially can be affected, is beliefs in "supernatural non-agency". / The Impact of Religion – Challenges for Society, Law and Democracy

Cervical cancer is an emerging public health problem in developing countries. Globally, it is the 3rd most common malignancy in women after breast and colorectal cancers and 4th most frequent cancer in women, with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths in 2018. Cervical cancer screening in the developed countries is credited with the reductions in cervical cancer morbidity and mortality during the last 50 years. However, nearly 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in less developed countries. Ghana has a cervical cancer rate of 26.4%. Further, it is the highest cancer incidence faced among women 25 to 44 years and has a mortality rate of 17.4% in this age group. Knowledge, culture, attitude, and beliefs are known to limit women's participation in Pap test screening programs. Guided by the health belief model, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how knowledge, attitude, culture, and religious beliefs affected intent to seek Pap test screening among adolescent girls in Accra, Ghana. A total of 155 participants ages 16 to 20 years completed a 30-item questionnaire. Descriptive frequencies were calculated. Correlation and Chi-square tests were also performed to assess associations with intent to screen with Pap test. Most girls (92%) had never heard about Pap test screening. There were statistically significant correlations between cervical cancer knowledge (p=0.032) and attitude (p=0.001) with intent to participate in Pap test screening. However, culture (p=0.049) and religious beliefs (p=0.529) were not significantly associated with screening intent. The implications for social change include informing practice and research on how cervical cancer prevention programs can be tailored to girls living in countries where different cultural and religious values are practiced.

The thesis consists of the novel The Fox and the Mirror and an accompanying exegesis. The novel is an historical fantasy set in a world based on early medieval (12-13th century) Japan. The main characters are a young female shaman, Hatsu, and a young warrior’s assistant, Sada, who is a Buddhist believer. When Hatsu’s village and shrine are destroyed by warriors and her summoning mirror is stolen, she is abandoned by her kami . To experience the kami’s presence again, she must follow the thief and retrieve the mirror before it can be used to resurrect an ancient evil. Sada must capture Hatsu and bring her back to his lord, or his family will suffer. Yet he is entranced by Hatsu and feels guilt at the destruction of her village. He must choose whether to abandon his former life and stay with Hatsu, or betray her. In the novel I have tried to invoke the feel of a place and time where the supernatural is as real as the physical world; I also try to imagine how a religion as alien to Japanese native beliefs as Buddhism became a part of that country’s spiritual culture. In the exegesis I reflect upon how I used various kinds of history, both written and unwritten, to build the world, characters and narratives of The Fox and the Mirror, and thereby explore some ways in which historical fantasy, as a sub-genre of historical fiction, is capable of presenting an ‘authentic’ view of the past, in spite of its non-realistic nature. I identify three main ways historical fantasy writers can provide an authentic view of the past: by using telling details from an historical era; by incorporating documented events and persons into the story; and by portraying the world as people in the past believed it to be. Historical fantasy is different from realistic historical fiction in that it can more easily incorporate elements belonging to shared cultural heritage, such as beliefs regarding the dead and the supernatural. This characteristic involves writers in research using material that involves other ways of knowing the past—in particular the expressions of belief such as religion, popular customs, folk tales, and oral history. With the broadening of our historiological perspectives in the postmodern climate, historical fantasy based on non-documentary forms of history may come to be seen as another way of knowing the past.

This research investigates and discusses missionary education in South Africa in general, and in the Bushbuckridge (BBR) area in particular, during the period 1910-1973. It also investigates and highlights how missionaries from various church denominations from Europe and the United States of America, spread the Word of God in South Africa. This research reveals that they founded and provided educational assistance to illiterate Black people. in order to enable thein to read the Bible, as effective means of realising their goals of Christianisation, evangelisation and civilisation. This study also finds that mi.ssionaries in the BBR offered Black people education in matters of industry. manual skills and farming, at their mission stations and mission schools, as a strong means of not only providing them with job skills and knowledge, but also preparing them for possible future self-employment and promoting their economic development and that of the community at large. This investigation indicates that missionary education removed out Black culture and traditional religious beliefs, and inculcated Western culture and Christian religious belief. Missionary education atso inculcated civilised habits of cleanliness, obedience, loyalty, patience, punctuality, tidiness, subordination, submissiveness, trustfulness and a sound attitude to work, industriousness, perseverance, respect and a sense of humour amongst Black people, as characteristic of Christianisation, and Christian evangelisation and civilisation. After a thorough investigation and discussion of missionary education, in South Africa· in general, and in the BBR area in particular, several recommendations and proposals are formulated, in order to advance the purpose of this research. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

Many people may have become increasingly concerned about the risks associated with vaccines. At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative research on the impact of various vaccinations schedules on individuals' physio-psychological health. In addition, "mandatory" versus "nonmandatory, but recommended" vaccines are still under debate in some Western countries. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the beliefs, experiences, and perceptions of adolescents, parents, and health care providers regarding different vaccination schedules. The health belief model was used as the theoretical framework. The sample consisted of adolescents and parents from different vaccination backgrounds, as well as of healthcare providers who were involved with vaccination schedules (N=72). Purposeful sampling strategy was applied and individual interviews were conducted. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the obtained data were analyzed thematically. According to the results of the study, participants' perceptions on vaccination were generally positive, and a mandatory vaccination schedule was mostly recommended. Adolescents who received mandatory vaccination reported that this scheme was appropriate against several diseases. Further, health care members indicated that vaccination side effects were mainly emotional, and they suggested that public health agencies should disseminate more scientifically-sound information on the benefits and risks of vaccination. The findings of this study may be used as the basis for the formulation of an effective public health policy to adopt a nationally-and internationally-accepted vaccination schedule.

Un problème préoccupant du suivi des patients diabétiques en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) demeure ceux perdus de vue qui ne cessent d’augmenter. En effet, beaucoup de patients négligent la gestion de leur maladie pour plusieurs raisons, parmi lesquelles les croyances religieuses. En général, les religions promeuvent la vie et consolident sa protection. Certaines croyances religieuses, cependant, confortent des comportements démissionnaires et irresponsables au regard de la santé. La présente recherche vise à comprendre le rôle des connaissances et des facteurs religieux sur l’autogestion du diabète. Une enquête qualitative descriptive par entretiens semi-dirigés a été réalisée à Kinshasa auprès de 23 fidèles diabétiques et ainsi qu’au moyen de trois groupes de discussion impliquant des leaders religieux de ces églises. Cette étude a démontré une connaissance erronée et insuffisante de la maladie et à l’influence des croyances religieuses sur la gestion du diabète. Les participants identifiaient le diabète comme une maladie grave, curable par des prières et par des plantes traditionnelles dictées par Dieu. Ils manifestaient un déni de la maladie, ce qui influençait leurs habitudes de vie (c’est-à-dire leur régime alimentaire et leur activité physique). Se disant détenir le pouvoir de guérison, les chefs religieux pouvaient interrompre le traitement médical et acceptaient que leurs fidèles diabétiques se rendent à l’hôpital uniquement pour vérifier leur taux de glycémie. Notre étude implique que les réseaux d’affiliation religieuse et d’entraide devraient être ciblés par les stratégies de sensibilisation contre la désinformation, afin de réduire les complications et les décès dus au diabète à Kinshasa en particulier et en République Démocratique du Congo en général. / An important problem in the follow-up of diabetic patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the lost to follow-up which continues to increase. Many patients neglect the management of their disease for several reasons including religious beliefs. In general, religions promote life and consolidate its protection. Certain religious beliefs, however, reinforce resigning and irresponsible behaviors regarding health. The current research aims to understand the role of knowledge and religious factors in the self-management of diabetes. A descriptive qualitative study by semi-structured interviews was carried out in Kinshasa among 23 diabetic patients and three focus groups of religious leaders from prophetic churches. This study suggests an incorrect and insufficient knowledge of the disease, and the influence of religious beliefs on diabetes management. Participants identified diabetes as a serious disease that was curable by prayers and by traditional plants dictated by God. They displayed a denial of the disease which influenced their lifestyle (i.e., diet and physical activity). Claiming to have the ability to heal, religious leaders could interrupt medical treatment and only allowed their diabetic patients to go to the hospital to check their blood sugar levels. Our study implies that religious affiliation and mutual aid networks should be targeted by advocacy strategies against disinformation to reduce complications and deaths from diabetes in Kinshasa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is the purpose of this study to investigate the influence of age, siblings, family structure, religious beliefs, mother's occupation, father's occupation, homemaking courses taken, status of parents, number of rooms in home, and students' work hours after school on the Negro girl's interest in curriculum items on personal, family and community relationships.