The present questionnaire study examined attachment-religion connections among 175 believers from Christian congregations within the Læstadianism revival movement in Sweden and Finland. Results generally supported the study’s hypotheses, thus partly replicated, and extended previous research. Replicating previous research, reports of secure attachment predicted the adoption and transmission of Christian beliefs and values. Reports of relative insecure attachment was linked to aspects of religious changes and predicted religious changes occurring in a life-context of emotional turmoil. Results for emotional compensation were, however, not consistent with previous research. Reports of secure attachment predicted emotionally-based religiosity and insecure attachment did not predict the intensity/suddenness of the religious change. Extending previous research, reports of secure attachment predicted the adoption and transmission of the congregation's Christian standards and perceived religious support from one's congregation. Findings are discussed in the context of the Læstadian population of the study.

No description available.

The subject of spirituality is descriptive, comprehensive, transformative, and interdisciplinary. This study is about the spirituality of Kikuyu PCEA (Presbyterian Church of East Africa) pastors in Nairobi. This research seeks to find expressions and meanings of Christian spirituality of the research context. Thus, the concrete aims of this research are: (1) to understand the complex spiritual/religious/cultural world of Kikuyu pastors of the Presbyterian Church in Nairobi; (2) to study biblical and historical spirituality in order to find biblical and Western-historical spiritual perspectives; (3) to have critical hermeneutical dialogue between narratives, different cultural/religious traditions, biblical/Western-historical spiritual perspectives, and African theological perspectives with a view to finding strategies for transformation of the research participants, churches in Africa, and African society at large. To achieve the aforementioned aims of this research, a research paradigm was employed which is comprised of postfoundationalism, practical theology, narrative, and social constructionism. Postfoundationalism provided theological positioning; practical theological process laid a framework of the research as the main research methodology; narratives generated essential experiences for the research; social constructionism provided a method with which to form the realities socially which would have a relevance to the context. Thick questions were formulated from the following studies: the narratives of the research participants, African (Kikuyu) cultural/religious traditions, Christianity’s influences on the research context, and the socio-economic-political phenomena of the Kenyan society. The questions were: (1) Would mission Christianity including the Presbyterian Church of East Africa continue to be an effective form of Christianity in Kenya and among the Kikuyu?; (2) What is the relationship between charismatic spirituality and the contextual spirituality of East Africa?; (3) How can spirituality shape and influence the socio-economic-political context more than it being influenced by the context?; (4) What would the biblical and historical spirituality suggest to the spiritualities of the research participants? In regards to biblical/historical spiritualities, the spiritualities of both Old and New Testament and each historical period were unique, and the spirituality of each period was developed distinctively by the needs of the time. Then the fusion of horizons between the research context and biblical/historical spiritualities turned out to be a valuable process for the making of the final strategies for transformation. The strategies for transformation reflect the essential elements of African Christian spirituality, which can be applied to the African socio-religious context beyond the scope of the current research arena. Christian spirituality in the 21st century Africa demands African expression and identity whether it means contextualisation, liberation, or reconstruction. Structures, governance, forms, and expressions of the Christianity of the past century need to be re-evaluated for the formation of authentic African Christian spirituality. African society faces tremendous challenges and pressures providing Christianity with both an unprecedented privilege and obligation to impact African society with the message of love and hope. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Die vorliegende MTh-Dissertation ist eine missionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung, welche ausge-hend von primären Quellen die Anfangsgeschichte der Heilsarmee und deren Mission im Basel-biet von 1887 bis 1901 erforscht. Die Heilsarmee war eine Bewegung, die missionarisch ausge-prägt offensiv tätig war. Im ersten Hauptteil wird ihre Anfangsgeschichte chronologisch in drei Phasen dargestellt: Pionier-, Repressions- und Etablierungsphase. Im zweiten Hauptteil wird sys-tematisch deren Mission analysiert und erörtert. Der Fokus liegt einerseits auf der konkreten Mis-sionspraxis, gefragt wird aber auch nach den missionstheologischen Überzeugungen, welche den missionarischen Aktivitäten zugrunde lagen. Die Dissertation zeigt die Hintergründe einer offen-siven, anfänglich primär auf das ‚Seelenheil‘ zielenden Missionspraxis der Heilsarmee und auch die damit verbundenen Probleme, welche sich in Ablehnung, Widerständen und staatlicher Re-pression äußerten. Es wird auch gezeigt, wie die Heilsarmee zunehmend ein ganzheitliches Heils-verständnis und eine Missionspraxis entwickelte, welche den ganzen Menschen vor Augen hat: Seele und Leib. Dieser ganzheitliche Ansatz von Mission verhalf der Heilsarmee zu zunehmender Akzeptanz / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Die vorliegende MTh-Dissertation ist eine missionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung, welche ausge-hend von primären Quellen die Anfangsgeschichte der Heilsarmee und deren Mission im Basel-biet von 1887 bis 1901 erforscht. Die Heilsarmee war eine Bewegung, die missionarisch ausge-prägt offensiv tätig war. Im ersten Hauptteil wird ihre Anfangsgeschichte chronologisch in drei Phasen dargestellt: Pionier-, Repressions- und Etablierungsphase. Im zweiten Hauptteil wird sys-tematisch deren Mission analysiert und erörtert. Der Fokus liegt einerseits auf der konkreten Mis-sionspraxis, gefragt wird aber auch nach den missionstheologischen Überzeugungen, welche den missionarischen Aktivitäten zugrunde lagen. Die Dissertation zeigt die Hintergründe einer offen-siven, anfänglich primär auf das ‚Seelenheil‘ zielenden Missionspraxis der Heilsarmee und auch die damit verbundenen Probleme, welche sich in Ablehnung, Widerständen und staatlicher Re-pression äußerten. Es wird auch gezeigt, wie die Heilsarmee zunehmend ein ganzheitliches Heils-verständnis und eine Missionspraxis entwickelte, welche den ganzen Menschen vor Augen hat: Seele und Leib. Dieser ganzheitliche Ansatz von Mission verhalf der Heilsarmee zu zunehmender Akzeptanz / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

The Old Testament, which is one of the first books in the Malagasy language, plays an important role in the religious and cultural life of most people in Madagascar, for instance in an increasing tendency to use Old Testament texts in Malagasy religious contexts, which is noticeable both within and outside mainstream Christianity. The first such case illustrating this trend within the Church is the Malagasy Roman Catholic Church's (MRCC's) application of certain texts in the famadihana (turning of the dead), a custom reflecting traditional Malagasy practices in their strongest form. Almost all the Malagasy churches from their beginning have unsuccessfully attempted to abolish it. Therefore, the MRCC decided to base it on biblical texts and incorporated it in her liturgy in order to make it a Christian celebration. Among the texts used here are: Genesis 49: 33-50: 13; Exodus 13: 19 and Exodus 20: 12. The second case is the Malagasy Lutheran Church's (MLC's) employment of Old Testament texts to create certain items for Nenilava (Tall mother), the founder of the revival movement of Ankaramalaza, who was acknowledged by this Church and the members of this movement as a prophetess and priestess. To demonstrate these roles, and at the same time to confirm her consecration, the MLC and the `children of Ankaramalaza' made for her a priestly robe modelled on the high priest's garments described in Exodus 28 and a silver crown related to Deuteronomy 28. The use of the Old Testament outside the Church is illustrated by the third case, investigating traditio-practitioners' applications of Old Testament texts in their religious practices. Examples include: 1) Exodus 3:1-3; Leviticus 14: 1-8; Jeremiah 8: 22, used in traditional healing; 2) Exodus 3: 5b; Job 33: 6a; Psalm 121: 8a, employed as religious slogans; 3) Leviticus 1-6, applied in traditional sacrifices and offerings; and 4) Psalm 113: 5-6; Genesis 2: 18, 22, employed as references for morality. This project, which describes and analyses how and why the Old Testament is used by different people, Christian and traditionalist, in Malagasy religious contexts, is aimed at developing an interpretive model based on these three cases. More specifically, it seeks to show how the Old Testament can be interpreted and used in contemporary Madagascar/Africa. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th (Old Testament)

Summaries in German and English. / Die vorliegende MTh-Dissertation ist eine missionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung. Sie beschäftigt sich mit der Entstehung der Erweckung in Wales (1904/05), indem sie diese zunächst in den Kontext weltweiter Erweckungen in jenem Jahrzehnt setzt, die gesellschaftlichen und kirchlichen Entwicklungen in Wales vor der Erweckung darstellt und anhand von Primär- und Sekundärliteratur die Entstehung der Erweckung untersucht. Es werden biografische Meilensteine im Leben von Evan Roberts, der herausragenden Persönlichkeit jener Erweckung, bis zum Höhepunkt seines Wirkens nach seiner ersten Missionsreise kritisch beleuchtet. Menschen aus der Schweiz sind nach Wales gereist, um die Erweckung zu erkunden. Parallel zu den Ereignissen sind zahlreiche Artikel und Schriften entstanden, um eine Erweckung in der Schweiz anzufachen. Die Arbeit untersucht die Auswirkungen der Erweckung von Wales auf die deutschsprachige Schweiz und deren Rezeption im historischen Kontext. Aus den Quelltexten wird in missiologischer Perspektive eine wegweisende Richtung für heute eröffnet. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

The Old Testament, which is one of the first books in the Malagasy language, plays an important role in the religious and cultural life of most people in Madagascar, for instance in an increasing tendency to use Old Testament texts in Malagasy religious contexts, which is noticeable both within and outside mainstream Christianity. The first such case illustrating this trend within the Church is the Malagasy Roman Catholic Church's (MRCC's) application of certain texts in the famadihana (turning of the dead), a custom reflecting traditional Malagasy practices in their strongest form. Almost all the Malagasy churches from their beginning have unsuccessfully attempted to abolish it. Therefore, the MRCC decided to base it on biblical texts and incorporated it in her liturgy in order to make it a Christian celebration. Among the texts used here are: Genesis 49: 33-50: 13; Exodus 13: 19 and Exodus 20: 12. The second case is the Malagasy Lutheran Church's (MLC's) employment of Old Testament texts to create certain items for Nenilava (Tall mother), the founder of the revival movement of Ankaramalaza, who was acknowledged by this Church and the members of this movement as a prophetess and priestess. To demonstrate these roles, and at the same time to confirm her consecration, the MLC and the `children of Ankaramalaza' made for her a priestly robe modelled on the high priest's garments described in Exodus 28 and a silver crown related to Deuteronomy 28. The use of the Old Testament outside the Church is illustrated by the third case, investigating traditio-practitioners' applications of Old Testament texts in their religious practices. Examples include: 1) Exodus 3:1-3; Leviticus 14: 1-8; Jeremiah 8: 22, used in traditional healing; 2) Exodus 3: 5b; Job 33: 6a; Psalm 121: 8a, employed as religious slogans; 3) Leviticus 1-6, applied in traditional sacrifices and offerings; and 4) Psalm 113: 5-6; Genesis 2: 18, 22, employed as references for morality. This project, which describes and analyses how and why the Old Testament is used by different people, Christian and traditionalist, in Malagasy religious contexts, is aimed at developing an interpretive model based on these three cases. More specifically, it seeks to show how the Old Testament can be interpreted and used in contemporary Madagascar/Africa. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th (Old Testament)