This empirical and theological project researches physical and emotional weakness in the context of spiritual leadership, in order to discover what consequences these impediments have on church development. Selected representatives (national leaders - or at least regional leaders - of Swiss state and free churches) have therefore been interviewed. It was possible to describe four contrasting typologies which describe the different effects of handicapped leaders and to deduce various consequences for the understanding of church leadership and development. This research is an attempt to contribute to a differentiated practice of dealing with physically and emotionally suffering leaders in the field of church development. It can be seen as a first explorative study of the evaluation of institutional practice. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

PhD / Centre for African Studies

This research project in empirical theology draws on qualitative empirical methods to examine the topic of inclusion as it applies to disability and leadership in the context of state and free churches in Switzerland. Its goal was to ascertain how the challenging inclusion of religious leaders with physical, emotional or mental impairments can be theoretically and practically improved within the Swiss churches. From a theoretical point of view, aspects of labour theory and ecclesiastical law that pose challenges for church leaders with disabilities were foregrounded, as were theological positions defining the pastoral role. From a practical point of view, structural, technical and similar barriers demanded investigation, along with the adaptability of church practices and of work structures. To that end, the topics of inclusion, disability and leadership responsibility in the church were initially studied from a theoretical and interdisciplinary perspective and the relationships between them were traced. Male and female church leaders (clergypersons, priests, pastors and the like) affected by the issue and employed by state and free churches in Switzerland were then interviewed individually and together with their partners, their superiors and members of local church councils. Analysis of the data thus gathered revealed three empirical-theological models and three conceptions of how inclusion might be theorized. These describe both numerous challenges in the inclusion of church leaders with various disabilities and specific measures for improving the inclusion of those affected. Among other results, it proved possible to derive and elaborate a multifunctional practical concept for the inclusion of church leaders with disabilities that has practical-theological applications in the context of the state and free churches in Switzerland. / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wurde Inklusion am Beispiel von Behinderung und Leitungsverantwortung im Kontext von Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz empirisch-theologisch bzw. qualitativ-empirisch untersucht. Es war das Ziel, herauszufinden, wie die problematische Inklusion von Leiterinnen und Leitern mit körperlichen, seelischen und geistigen Einschränkungen in Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz theoretisch und praktisch verbessert werden kann. In theoretischer Hinsicht standen dabei unter anderem die für Leitungspersonen mit Behinderung herausfordernden arbeitstheoretischen oder kirchenrechtlichen Gegebenheiten sowie die theologischen Überzeugungen zum pastoralen Berufsbild im Vordergrund. Aus praktischer Perspektive galt es bspw. die architektonischen, technischen u.a. Barrieren oder die Anpassungsfähigkeit der Kirchenpraxis und der Arbeitsgestaltung zu erforschen. Dazu wurden die Themen Inklusion, Behinderung und Leitungsverantwortung in der Kirche zuerst theoretisch bzw. interdisziplinär aufgearbeitet und ihr Verhältnis zueinander bestimmt. Danach wurden betroffene Leiterinnen und Leiter (Pfarrpersonen, Priester, Pastoren u. Ä.) aus Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz einzeln und gemeinsam mit Partnerinnen oder Partnern, Vorgesetzten und Mitgliedern von lokalen Kirchenleitungen in einer Gruppendiskussion befragt. In der Danteanalyse wurden drei empirisch-theologische Typen bzw. theoretische Inklusionskonzepte herausgearbeitet. Diese beschreiben sowohl zahlreiche Herausforderungen in der Inklusion von kirchlichen Leitungspersonen mit unterschiedlichen Behinderungen als auch konkrete Massnahmen dazu, wie der Einbezug von Betroffenen verbessert werden kann. Aus den Gesamtresultaten liess sich u.a. ein multifunktionales Praxiskonzept für die Inklusion von kirchlichen Leitungspersonen mit Behinderung erstellen und praktisch-theologisch bzw. für den landes- und freikirchlichen Kontext anwendbar machen. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

Progressive religious leaders are playing an increasingly important role in the effort to combat climate change. Through a combination of unstructured in-depth interviews and primary source analysis, this thesis highlights nine U.S. religious leaders from various denominations of Christianity, Judaism and Islam who are actively involved in working on climate issues. Drawing on literature in social movement theory, I explore how clergy are uniquely influential in climate issues because of the organizational advantage and moral authority they hold through their positions as religious leaders, granting them the ability to highlight social justice implications of climate change with distinctive legitimacy. Clergy engage in climate issues through a number of tactics and myriad activities spanning three domains: their congregations, the climate movement, and policy circles. While religious leaders are imbued with moral authority that allows them to speak powerfully on the social justice implications of climate change, they are also limited in a number of ways precisely because they are working within a religious context.

Depuis la fin de la guerre froide, on note que le rôle de la religion s’est grandement accru dans l'élaboration des visions du monde et dans la fragmentation globale, en partie en étant impliquée dans certains violents conflits. Cette situation se reflète en particulier dans la politique ethno-religieuse du Nigéria. La passation du pouvoir des militaires aux civils en 1999 a été accompagnée de violents conflits entre chrétiens et musulmans. Ces conflits constituent l'une des crises les plus graves auxquelles le Nigéria est aujourd’hui confronté. Au cours des dernières années, les émeutes interreligieuses sont devenues des événements de routine au Nigéria. Face à cette situation, quelles contributions les milieux éducatifs nigérians ont ils apportées? Même si depuis le début des années 1980s le domaine de l’éducation à la paix a vu naitre un nouveau mouvement de réforme visant à directement analyser les problèmes de la violence, ce mouvement de réforme n’a guère touché le milieu de l’éducation supérieure au Nigéria, que ce soit dans ses institutions religieuses ou non-religieuses. Elle laisse les élites éduqués avec peu de formation formelle pour comprendre les causes de cette violence et en particulier les solutions alternatives à y apporter pour contribuer à plus de relations pacifiques au Nigéria. A partir de la théorie et méthodologie de la praxéologie, la présente thèse entend combler cette double lacune. Elle présente le contexte nigérian et les détails d’un curriculum interreligieux d’éducation à la paix élaborée pour les leaders religieux nigérians. Elle permet de mieux comprendre le rôle que le discours religieux joue dans la banalisation de la majeure partie de la violence actuelle. Elle met l’emphase en particulier sur les besoins de mieux former les leaders religieux grâce à une éventuelle dissémination d’un curriculum d’éducation à la paix interreligieuse adaptée à la réalité multi-religieuse nigériane et, en particulier, à sa longue histoire des conflits interreligieux. Ce curriculum est fondé sur les conceptions religieuses de la paix provenant des traditions yoruba, musulmanes et chrétiennes. Il vise à favoriser des relations interreligieuses qui soient compassionnelles, spirituelles, pacifiques et pleines de succès entre toutes les diverses communautés de croyants au Nigeria. Le curriculum couvrira une période intensive d’un an et, en guise d’exemple, sera appliqué au département de science des religions de l’Université d’Ibadan. Cette thèse postule que l'élaboration d'un curriculum interreligieux d’éducation à la paix pour les leaders religieux au Nigeria réduira, à long terme, la violence religieuse grandissante au Nigéria, en abordant les tensions entre les populations traditionnelles, musulmanes et chrétiennes et en permettant aux artisans religieux de la paix de créer des îlots interreligieux de paix ainsi que de participer activement dans la découverte de moyens de réduire la violence récurrente. / Since the end of the Cold War, we have witnessed the increasing role religion plays in shaping worldviews as well as global fragmentation, part of which through being directly involved in violent conflicts. This situation is no better reflected than in the ethno-religious politics of Nigeria. Since the transition from a military to a civilian regime in 1999, violent conflicts between Christians and Muslims continue to erupt and constitute one of the gravest dangers facing Nigeria. In the last few years, interreligious riots have even become routine events in Nigeria. What have Nigerians done about this situation, especially in educational circles? Although since the early 1980s the field of Peace Education has developed a new educational reform movement aimed at addressing directly problems of violence, this reform has hardly reached Nigerian higher education (both religious and non-religious institutions of higher learning). It has left the educated elites with little formal educational training to understand the causes of this violence and especially how to provide alternatives for more peaceful relations within Nigeria. Using a praxeological theory and method, this dissertation addresses this doubly bleak situation by presenting the context for and the details of an interreligious curriculum for peace education for religious leaders in Nigeria. Understanding the role religious discourse plays in fostering much of the current violence, this thesis focuses in particular on the needs to educate better religious leaders through the eventual dissemination of an interreligious curriculum for peace education adapted to the Nigerian multi-religious reality and long history of interreligious conflicts in particular. This one-year curriculum builds upon religious Yoruba, Islamic and Christian conceptions of peace, with the goal of creating a safe, caring, spiritual, peaceful and successful interfaith relationship between all Nigerian religious communities. It is contextualized for use as an example in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan. This thesis argues that the development of an interreligious curriculum for peace education for religious leaders in Nigeria will, in the long term, reduce the growing religious violence in Nigeria, by addressing the tensions between Traditional, Christian and Muslim populations and by enabling religious peacemakers to create interreligious islands of peace as well as to actively participate in finding ways to reduce the on-going violence.

This research project in empirical theology draws on qualitative empirical methods to examine the topic of inclusion as it applies to disability and leadership in the context of state and free churches in Switzerland. Its goal was to ascertain how the challenging inclusion of religious leaders with physical, emotional or mental impairments can be theoretically and practically improved within the Swiss churches. From a theoretical point of view, aspects of labour theory and ecclesiastical law that pose challenges for church leaders with disabilities were foregrounded, as were theological positions defining the pastoral role. From a practical point of view, structural, technical and similar barriers demanded investigation, along with the adaptability of church practices and of work structures. To that end, the topics of inclusion, disability and leadership responsibility in the church were initially studied from a theoretical and interdisciplinary perspective and the relationships between them were traced. Male and female church leaders (clergypersons, priests, pastors and the like) affected by the issue and employed by state and free churches in Switzerland were then interviewed individually and together with their partners, their superiors and members of local church councils. Analysis of the data thus gathered revealed three empirical-theological models and three conceptions of how inclusion might be theorized. These describe both numerous challenges in the inclusion of church leaders with various disabilities and specific measures for improving the inclusion of those affected. Among other results, it proved possible to derive and elaborate a multifunctional practical concept for the inclusion of church leaders with disabilities that has practical-theological applications in the context of the state and free churches in Switzerland. / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wurde Inklusion am Beispiel von Behinderung und Leitungsverantwortung im Kontext von Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz empirisch-theologisch bzw. qualitativ-empirisch untersucht. Es war das Ziel, herauszufinden, wie die problematische Inklusion von Leiterinnen und Leitern mit körperlichen, seelischen und geistigen Einschränkungen in Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz theoretisch und praktisch verbessert werden kann. In theoretischer Hinsicht standen dabei unter anderem die für Leitungspersonen mit Behinderung herausfordernden arbeitstheoretischen oder kirchenrechtlichen Gegebenheiten sowie die theologischen Überzeugungen zum pastoralen Berufsbild im Vordergrund. Aus praktischer Perspektive galt es bspw. die architektonischen, technischen u.a. Barrieren oder die Anpassungsfähigkeit der Kirchenpraxis und der Arbeitsgestaltung zu erforschen. Dazu wurden die Themen Inklusion, Behinderung und Leitungsverantwortung in der Kirche zuerst theoretisch bzw. interdisziplinär aufgearbeitet und ihr Verhältnis zueinander bestimmt. Danach wurden betroffene Leiterinnen und Leiter (Pfarrpersonen, Priester, Pastoren u. Ä.) aus Landes- und Freikirchen der Schweiz einzeln und gemeinsam mit Partnerinnen oder Partnern, Vorgesetzten und Mitgliedern von lokalen Kirchenleitungen in einer Gruppendiskussion befragt. In der Danteanalyse wurden drei empirisch-theologische Typen bzw. theoretische Inklusionskonzepte herausgearbeitet. Diese beschreiben sowohl zahlreiche Herausforderungen in der Inklusion von kirchlichen Leitungspersonen mit unterschiedlichen Behinderungen als auch konkrete Massnahmen dazu, wie der Einbezug von Betroffenen verbessert werden kann. Aus den Gesamtresultaten liess sich u.a. ein multifunktionales Praxiskonzept für die Inklusion von kirchlichen Leitungspersonen mit Behinderung erstellen und praktisch-theologisch bzw. für den landes- und freikirchlichen Kontext anwendbar machen. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

O propósito dessa dissertação é investigar a presença ascendente de representantes do pentecostalismo evangélico e dos católicos carismáticos nas legislaturas alagoanas, a partir dos anos de 1990, consolidando-se na primeira década do século XXI. Refletimos as repercussões políticas da intensa movimentação no campo religioso brasileiro a partir de 1980, provocado pelo crescimento das doutrinas evangélicas pentecostais e da reação dos católicos carismáticos. Buscamos compreender a estratégias religiosas e políticas desses segmentos na busca por mais espaço na sociedade, e na arena política. Nesse cenário representantes e líderes dessas doutrinas religiosas passam a transitar entre o púlpito da igreja e o plenário das casas legislativas. Realidade essa também presente em Alagoas, onde parlamentares evangélicos e católicos apresentam uma agenda comprometida com o assistencialismo social e projetos políticos assentados na moral-cristã. Na década de 1990, no contexto das políticas neoliberais, Alagoas, que historicamente apresentava graves índices socioeconômicos, mergulhou numa crise política sem precedentes atingindo o executivo estadual e, diretamente, as oligarquias tradicionais agrárias ali representadas. No legislativo, abriu espaço para novos personagens que já se destacavam com um forte trabalho assistencial e doutrinário por meio de iniciativas próprias, ou interligadas as suas respectivas igrejas. Esses personagens, suas trajetórias pessoais, políticas e religiosas e o panorama histórico desses acontecimentos configuram essa pesquisa. Vale salientar que na elaboração desse trabalho recorremos às fontes bibliográficas e documentais: nos apoiamos nos postulados teóricos de Joanildo Burity, Leonildo de Campos, Paul Freston, René Remond e André Cellard. / This dissertation purpose is to research the ascendant presence of evangelical Pentecostalism and charismatic Catholics representatives in Alagoas legislatures, beginning in the 1990s and consolidating in the first decade of 21st century. We reflect on the political repercussions of the intense movement in the Brazilian religious field since 1980, provoked by the growth of Pentecostal evangelical doctrines and by the reaction of charismatic Catholics. Seeking to understand the religious and political strategies of these segments in the search for more space in society and in the political arena. In this scenario, representatives and leaders of these religious doctrines pass between the church pulpit and the legislatives houses plenary. This reality is also present in Alagoas, where evangelical and Catholic parliamentarians present an agenda committed to social assistance and political projects based on Christian morality. In the 1990s, in the neoliberal policies context, Alagoas, which historically had severe socioeconomic indexes, plunged into an unprecedented economic and social crisis, affecting the state executive and directly affecting the traditional agrarian oligarchies represented there. In the legislative, a new space was open for new characters that had already stood out with a strong welfare and doctrinal work through their own initiatives, or interconnected by their respective Churches. These characters, their personal, political and religious trajectories, and the historical panorama of these events configure this research. It is noteworthy that in preparation for work we rely in bibliographical and documentary sources: we support the theoretical postulates of Joanildo Burity, Leonildo de Campos, Paul Freston, René Remond and André Cellard.

Text in English with abstracts and keywords in English, Tswana and Afrikaans / Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top-ranking causes of death in many countries, including Namibia. The purpose of this research study was to determine the knowledge and the attitudes of religious leaders and congregants regarding TB and to describe practices of TB prevention among religious leaders and congregants in Khomas Region, Namibia. The researcher developed strategies for enhancing the prevention of TB by religious leaders in Khomas Region, Namibia. The Health Belief Model and the Socio-ecological Model were adopted for the study. A mixed-method convergent design was used in this study. Phase one of the study involved the use of a quantitative descriptive design and phase two comprised a sequential mixed-method study using the Delphi technique. Explorative, descriptive and contextual designs were applied in phase two. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires in both phase one and phase two. Phase one included 299 participants and phase two included 100 experts in TB and religion. A quantitative data analysis was done using Moon Stats 2018, version 2.0. A qualitative data analysis was done following the steps of content analysis. This study found that the participants were very knowledgeable about TB in that 241 (80.87%) participants indicated that bacteria are the cause of TB and 292 (97.99%) indicated that TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The participants had a good attitude towards TB in that 227 (76.65%) participants agreed that anyone can be infected with TB and 140 (47.78%) expressed compassion for people who have TB. Participants of the study had good practices for TB prevention, like seeking medical attention if they suspect they have TB. A total of 28 strategies for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of TB were developed. The recommendation made in this study is that religious leaders should be at the forefront of TB prevention activities due to their sphere of influence in society. All health sector stakeholders should support efforts by religious leaders to combat TB through sponsorships. / Bolwetsi jwa lehuba (TB) ke nngwe ya dibaki tsa loso tse di kwa setlhoeng mo dinageng tse dintsi, go akaretsa Namibia. Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso eno e ne e le go sekaseka kitso le maitshwaro a baeteledipele ba sedumedi le baphuthegi mabapi le TB le go tlhalosa ditiragalo tsa thibelo ya TB magareng ga baeteledipele ba sedumedi le baphuthegi mo Kgaolong ya Khomas, Namibia. Mmatlisisi o dirile ditogamaano tsa go tokafatsa thibelo ya TB ka baeteledipele ba sedumedi mo Kgaolong ya Khomas, Namibia. Go amogetswe sekao sa Tumelo ya Boitekanelo le Sekao sa Ikholoji ya Loago mo thutopatlisisong. Go dirisitswe thadiso ya molebo o o kopantsweng mo thutopatlisisong eno. Kgato ya ntlha ya thutopatlisiso e akareditse tiriso ya molebo o o tlhalosang wa dipalopalo, mme kgato ya bobedi e nnile le thutopatlisiso ya molebo o o kopantsweng wa tatelano o o dirisang thekeniki ya Delphi. Go dirisitswe melebo ya tshekatsheko, tlhaloso le bokao mo kgatong ya bobedi. Data e ne ya kgobokanngwa go dirisiwa makwalopotsolotso a a batlileng a rulagantswe mo kgatong ya ntlha le kgato ya bobedi. Kgato ya ntlha e akareditse banni-le-seabe ba le 299, mme kgato ya bobedi e akareditse baitsenape ba le 100 ba TB le bodumedi. Tokololo ya data ya dipalopalo e ne ya dirwa go diriswa Moon Stats 2018, mofuta wa 2.0. Tokololo ya data e e lebelelang mabaka e ne ya dirwa go latelwa dikgato tsa tokololo ya diteng. Thutopatlisiso eno e fitlhetse gore banni-le-seabe ba ne ba na le kitso thata ka ga TB mo e leng gore banni-le-seabe ba ba 241 (80.87%) ba kaile gore ditwatsi ke tsona di tlholang TB, mme ba le 292 (97.99%) ba kaile gore ditwatsi tsa TB di phatlaladiwa mo moweng go tswa go motho yo mongwe go ya go yo mongwe. Banni-le-seabe ba na le megopolo e e siameng ka ga TB mo e leng gore banni-le-seabe ba ba 227 (76.65%) ba dumetse gore mongwe le mongwe a ka nna a tshwaetswa ke TB, mme ba le 140 (47.78%) ba ne ba bontsha boutlwelobotlhoko mo bathong ba ba nang le TB. Banni-le-seabe ba thutopatlisiso ba na le ditiragatso tse di siameng tsa thibelo ya TB, go tshwana le go batla thuso ya kalafi fa e le gore ba belaela gore ba na le TB. Go dirilwe palogotlhe ya ditogamaano di le 28 tsa thibelo ya ntlha, ya bobedi le ya boraro ya TB. Katlenegiso e e dirilweng mo thutopatlisisong eno ke gore baeteledipele ba sedumedi ba tshwanetse go nna kwa pele mo ditiragatsong tsa thibelo ya TB ka ntlha ya seemo sa bona sa tshusumetso mo setšhabeng. Baamegi botlhe ba lephata la boitekanelo ba tshwanetse go tshegetsa maiteko a baeteledipele ba sedumedi go lwantsha TB ka diketleetso. / Tuberkulose (TB) is een van die grootste doodsoorsake in Namibië en talle ander lande. Die doel van hierdie studie was om godsdiensleiers en gemeentelede in die Khomasstreek in Namibië se kennis van TB, hulle ingesteldheid jeens die siekte, en hulle voorkomingsmaatreëls te ondersoek. Die navorser het strategieë opgestel om te verhoed dat godsdiensleiers in hierdie streek TB opdoen. Die Gesondheidopvattings- en die Sosiaal-ekologiese model is met die oog op hierdie studie aangepas. ʼn Konvergente ontwerp met gemengde metodes is in hierdie studie gebruik. In fase 1 is ʼn kwantitatiewe, deskriptiewe ontwerp gevolg en in fase 2 is opeenvolgende gemengde metodes volgens die Delphitegniek toegepas. ʼn Verkennende, deskriptiewe en kontekstuele ontwerp is in fase gevolg. Data is in fase 1 en 2 aan die hand van halfgestruktureerde vraelyste ingesamel. In fase 1 het 299 respondente en in fase 2 het 100 TB- en godsdiensdeskundiges deelgeneem. ʼn Kwantitatiewe ontleding van die data is met Moon Stats 2018, weergawe 2.0 gedoen. Vervolgens is die data kwalitatief volgens die stappe van ʼn inhoudsanalise ontleed. In hierdie studie is bevind dat die deelnemers heel kundig was oor TB. Altesame 241 (80,87%) deelnemers het te kenne gegee dat bakterieë die oorsaak van TB is, en 292 (97,99%) het laat blyk dat TB-bakterieë luglangs van een persoon na ʼn ander versprei. Die deelnemers se ingesteldheid jeens TB was reg, want 227 (76,65%) deelnemers was dit eens dat enige iemand die siekte kan opdoen, en 140 (47,78%) het medelye gehad met TB-lyers. Daarby het hulle goeie voorkomingsmaatreëls gevolg soos om ʼn dokter te spreek toe hulle vermoed het dat hulle TB opgedoen het. Altesame 28 maatreëls is vir die primêre, sekondêre en tersiêre voorkoming van hierdie siekte getref. Daar word aanbeveel dat godsdiensleiers vanweë die aansien wat hulle in die samelewing geniet, die leiding in voorkomingsveldtogte moet neem. Alle belanghebbendes in die gesondheidsektor moet godsdiensleiers se pogings om TB te bestry, met borgskappe steun. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Nursing)

No description available.

Many religious leaders in the early 1900s were afraid of the immoral associations and repercussions of birth control. The Catholic Church and some Protestants never accepted contraception, or accepted it much later, but many mainline Protestants leaders did change their tune dramatically between the years of 1920 and 1931. This investigation seeks to understand how Margaret Sanger was able to use her rhetoric to move her reform from the leftist outskirts and decadent, sexual connotations into the mainstream of family-friendly, morally virtuous, and even conservative religious approval. Securing the approval of religious leaders subsequently provided the impetus for legal and medical acceptance by the late-1930s. Margaret Sanger used conferences, speeches, articles, her magazine (Birth Control Review), and several books to reinforce her message as she pragmatically shifted from the radical left closer to the center and conservatives. She knew the power of the churches to influence their members, and since the United States population had undeniably a Judeo-Christian base, this power could be harnessed in order to achieve success for the birth control movement, among the conservative medical and political communities and the public at large. Despite the clear consensus against birth control by all mainline Christian churches in 1920, including Roman Catholics and Protestants alike, the decade that followed would bring about a great divide that would continue to widen in successive decades. Sanger put forward many arguments in her works, but the ones which ultimately brought along the relatively conservative religious leaders were those that presented birth control not as a gender equity issue, but rather as a morally constructive reform that had the power to save and strengthen marriages; lessen prostitution and promiscuity; protect the health of women; reduce abortions, infanticide, and infant mortality; and improve the quality of life for children and families. Initially, many conservatives and religious leaders associated the birth control movement with radicals, feminists, prostitutes, and promiscuous youth, and feared contraception would lead to immorality and the deterioration of the family. Without the threat of pregnancy, conservatives feared that youth and even married adults would seize the opportunity to have sex outside of marriage. Others worried the decreasing size of families was a sign of growing selfishness and materialism. In response, Sanger promoted the movement as a way for conservatives to stop the rising divorce rates by strengthening and increasing marriages, and to improve the lives of families by humanely increasing the health and standard of living, for women and children especially. In short, she argued that birth control would not lead to deleterious consequences, but would actually improve family moral values and become an effective humanitarian reform. She recognized that both liberals and conservatives were united in hoping to strengthen the family, and so she emphasized those virtues and actively courted those same conservative religious leaders that had previously shunned birth control and the movement. Throughout the 1920s, she emphasized the ways in which birth control could strengthen marriages and improve the quality of life of women and children, and she effectively won over the relatively conservative religious leaders that she needed to bring about the movement’s public, medical, and political progress.