Pope John Paul II who led the Roman Catholic Church in the period of 1978-2005 is seen as one of the most influential top officials of this religious institution. His activity in the area of media communication was very conspicuous and has been considered to be revolutionary in many respects until today. Among other things, John Paul II directly encouraged the faithful to actively join the process of media communication, broadening media awareness, the rise of Church media channels as well as their active cooperation with public service or commercial media. Personally, he was very popular among the journalists. This master thesis under the title "Kamarádi na cestách": mediální image papeže Jana Pavla II. a jeho poselství hromadným sdělovacím prostředkům ("Friends in the Travels": The Media Image of the Pope John Paul II and His Message to the Mass Media)" attempts to track the approach of the Holy Father to mass media; his active use of mass media; observations addressed to media content creators as well as their target audience; as well as to analyse factors leading to the Pope's success in the field of media communication and his positively perceived media image. The central part of the text consists of an analysis of the Pope's messages on the occasions of World Communications Days. Their...

This thesis provides a view into magnitude of influence of patriotic sentiment in the time period following World War I and its synergy with charismatic personalities of Rakovník such as Josef Kopecký and first patriarch Karel Farský that lead to creation of CČHS religious community in Rakovník. Thanks to these people, it was possible to spread the idea of a new church to neighbouring villages and to overcome the hesitance of the very first priests, who had to convert from the Catholic Church. These facts are apparent from sources relevant to this topic. Information sources presented in this thesis combined with academic literature bring forth realistic picture pertaining the given time period. Work on this thesis has provided me with large number of ideas for future material and spiritual renewal of this community. It is also important to attain a deeper understanding of our history and our roots and to make this information available to people whose ancestors formed this community. After all, more than three quarters of population of Rakovník took part in religious community in 1925. Therefore, it is fair to say that history of the religious community is that of Rakovník in this time period. It is our obligation to involve the public, namely the young, to activities of the church and to continue building...

L’affirmation de l’Église « Une » comme une réalité présente dans l’histoire fait partie de la tradition catholique. Après la naissance du mouvement œcuménique, Yves Congar (1904-1995) introduit dans la théologie catholique le principe ecclésiologique de l’œcuménisme. Il s’agit de penser la vie chrétienne des autres baptisés à partir de leurs Communions. Pour mettre en évidence ce principe herméneutique, cette thèse étudie sa portée théologique dans l’œuvre congarienne (1931 à 1954), se penche sur sa réception dans le décret sur l’œcuménisme Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), dans l’encyclique Ut Unum Sint (1995) et dans quelques documents récents, avant de proposer son inscription dans une théologie de l’ Église structurée à partir de l’institutionnalité de la grâce, située dans une perspective eschatologique. / The assertion of the Church as “One” present throughout history is part of the Roman Catholic tradition. After the appearance of the ecumenical movement, Yves Congar (1904-1995) introduces the ecclesiological principle of ecumenism in catholic theology. The idea is to think of the Christian life of the other baptized based on their Communion. To emphasize this hermeneutics’ principle, this thesis studies its theological impact on the congarian work (1931-1954) and ponders over its reception within the decree on ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), within the encyclical Ut Unum Sint (1995) as well as in recent documents. It will also lead on to suggesting its recording in one theology of the Church structured by the institutionalization of grace in an eschatological perspective.

République du Congo, l’armée, en tant qu’ensemble de structures et de moyens militaires institutionnellement affectés à la mise en œuvre de la politique décidée par les autorités politiques pour assurer et garantir la défense nationale, est loin d’être l’auteur exclusif des coups d’Etat, même si, systématiquement, elle profite des conséquences politiques attachées à ceux-ci. En réalité, les coups d’Etat y sont la résultante d’une lutte entre plusieurs champs. Dans cette lutte, les acteurs des coups d’Etat, en fonction de leurs corpus idéologiques respectifs, mettent en place des stratégies dont la particularité n’est pas de se limiter au champ bureaucratique mais d’engager également la société appréhendée au regard de leurs groupes ethniques ou régionaux d’appartenance. Ainsi, mobilisent-ils, non seulement leurs propres capitaux (diplômes, profession), mais aussi les ressources de leurs groupes ethniques ou régionaux en vue de réaliser la conquête ou la conservation du pouvoir. Par le jeu complexe des solidarités idéologiques, ethniques ou corporatistes, les acteurs politiques tissent des alliances et, selon le cas, participent ou s’opposent à l’exécution des coups d’Etat. Sous ce rapport, les coups d’Etat, qui supposent une importante mobilisation stratégique, politique et matérielle de la part de ceux qui en forment le projet, se confondent à un mode de conquête du pouvoir assimilable formellement à l’élection, et s’inscrivent dans ce que Marcel Mauss nomme les faits sociaux totaux. Les leaders politiques appartenant aux ethnies minoritaires, ne pouvant accéder au pouvoir par voie démocratique, élaborent une stratégie de conquête de pouvoir prenant appui sur l’armée. Ainsi, détournée de sa mission traditionnelle de protection du territoire national face aux agressions extérieures, l’armée voit sa valeur opérationnelle diminuée. / In Republic of Congo, the army, as a whole of structures and average soldiers institutionally assigned to the implementation of the policy decided by the political authorities to ensure and guarantee national defense, is far from being the exclusive author of the coups d'etat, even if, systematically, it benefits from the political consequences attached to those. Actually, the coups d'etat are there the resultant of a fight between several fields. In this fight, the actors of the coups d'etat, according to their respective ideological corpora, set up strategies whose characteristic is not to limit themselves to the bureaucratic field but to also engage the company apprehended taking into consideration their ethnic or regional group of membership. Thus, they mobilize, not only their own capital (diplomas, profession), but also resources of their ethnic or regional groups in order to carry out the conquest or the conservation of the power. By the complex play of ideological solidarity, ethnic or corporatists, the political actors weave alliances and, according to the case, take part or are opposed to the execution of the coups d'etat. Under this report, the coups d'etat, which suppose an important strategic mobilization, political and material on behalf of those which form the project of it, merge with a mode of conquest of the power comparable formally to the election, and fit in what Marcel Mauss names the total social facts. The political leaders belonging to the minority ethnic groups, not being able to reach the power by democratic way, work out a strategy of conquest of fascinating power support on the army. Thus, diverted its traditional mission of protection of the national territory vis-a-vis the external aggressions, the army sees its decreased operational value.

This work considers the theoretical, epistemological and methodological criteria for a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to the study of spiritual experience founded within a qualitative paradigm. Spirituality is noted to be of increasing significance in society and as a developing discipline within the academy and spiritual experience is offered as an opening to greater understanding and appreciation of an individual's understandings of their spirituality. The methodology provides an interpretative approach towards an opportunity for resonance, identification and empathy between individual and reader through richly descriptive narratives offering insights into such experiences and developing themes and threads of particular interest prior to seeking universal and semi universal traits between or amongst narratives. Practical methods for applying the methodology are considered, including ethical and researcher reflexive issues. The assessment of the methodology includes its application to a case study, located within contemporary Christianity in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, which due to limitations of space focuses particularly on the notion of the Gift and assists in the determination of the efficacy and validity of hermeneutic phenomenology in the study of spiritual experience.

In this investigation key elements of the mysticism of Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906) are compared and contrasted with the mysticism of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and as a result, the true nature of the relationship between their respective mysticism is elucidated. Key doctrines which exhibit a remarkable consonance are: the trinitarian foundation of their mysticism, the indwelling of the Trinity in the human soul, asceticism, desert spirituality, sacrificial love, liturgical spirituality, scriptural spirituality, deification and the doxological nature of their mysticism. Elements of divergence exist within the following: election and predestination, apophatic versus cataphatic mysticism, the Roman Catholic dogma of the immaculate conception of the virgin Mary, and the mode of God's presence in the human soul. Elizabeth's relevance for today is also considered, namely, her ecclesial mission which she now continues in heaven: to intercede for people seeking union with God and to draw people to interior recollection. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

This master´s thesis informs about community of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church in České Budějovice in the years 1920-1948. The thesis highlights the membership of this church and how it grew in the early 1920?s, it also focuses on the establishment of the house called Husův sbor, on communities existing within the church, and on the reflections of other townspeople on this church. There are three main sources for this thesis: the documents of a private archive of this church in České Budějovice, the documents belonging to the State District Archive in České Budějovice and the documents accessible on the webpage of the State Regional Archive in Třeboň. Additionally, regional newspapers from that time were used. The aim of this thesis is to study the history of this second largest denomination in České Budějovice, which appears to be rather neglected in the Czech scholarly literature. The author believes that the thesis could contribute to a better understanding of this church and of the history of České Budějovice.

There is a great diversity of initiatives furthering unity among christians. Probably the most important ones are those of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Roman Catholic Church as such and the Lausanne Movement of the Evangelicals. The "Runde Tisch" (=Round Table) brings together Austrian christians from all parts of the christian scenario as a new initiative towards unity. To find out, which of these initiatives is the most efficient, from a mission-strategical standpoint, this thesis develops the New Testament findings on the question of unity. Then, the 4 models are presented to finally be compared, to find out, where each one has its strengths and weaknesses. The Round Table Austria with its great width of christians involved, its theological profoundness and its leadership structure with proportional engagement of members from all present parts of the christian body is indeed quite close to the New Testament picture of unity. / Initiativen, die die Einheit unter Christen fördern gibt es sehr viele. Mit zu den wichtigsten zählen die des Weltkirchenrates (WCC), die Römisch-katholische Kirche als solche und die Lausanner Bewegung der Evangelikalen. Der Runde Tisch bringt in Österreich Christen aus allen Richtungen der Christenheit in eine neue Einheitsinitiative zusammen. Um nun herauszufinden, welche dieser Initiativen missionsstrategisch effizient ist, entfaltet diese Arbeit zunächst den neutestamentlichen Befund zur Frage der Einheit unter Christen. Dann werden die vier Modelle dargestellt und abschließend mit dem Ziel verglichen, herauszuarbeiten, wo die Stärken und Schwächen eines jeden Ansatzes liegen. Hierbei dient als Maßstab der Befund der neutestamentlichen Analyse. Der Runde Tisch Österreich liegt mit seinem breiten Spektrum an vertretenen Christen, seiner theologischen Tiefe und richtungsparitätischen Leitungsstruktur sehr nahe bei den neutestamentlichen Vorgaben zur Einheit unter Christen. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

There is dissatisfaction with the Collects when scholastically (classically) understood. An alternative phenomenological understanding is an engaging and artistic philosophical enquiry. Phenomenological philosophical enquiry engages the individual in meaningful interpretation and construction of the life-world founded on a non-dichotomous ontology. Phenomenological enquiry (existential philosophy) interprets the present and relates to the future such as is not possible in scholastic (classical) philosophy. The early twentieth century philosophers, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, conceived a phenomenological method of interpretation which innovatively placed the subject and object in a dialectical union. Understanding the Collects phenomenologically presents new insights susceptible to consensus within a community. At present, the Collects are structured on the principles of classical (dichotomous) ontology. The Collects reflect the collective religious meaning of the life-world and provide a vision upon which a community may build. In phenomenological interpretation an individual and a community, in the presence of that which is divine, participate as co-creators of the life-world. Thus, in contemporary western society phenomenological methodology ~ay be more helpful and therefore more desirable than scholastic methodology for theological interpretation. The hypothesis that phenomenological philosophy is more helpful, thus more desirable, than scholastic philosopl1y began as a hunch on my part. From a theological perspective, I examined data obtained from a particular focus group. Intelligent reflection, phenomenologically not classically understood, is a working principle in this thesis. / Taking into account phenomenological methodology and conceptualising the problem as originally and scientifically as circumstances permit, I offer a resolution to the dissatisfaction with the Collects. I suggest replacing scholastic ontological understanding with the more helpful phenomenological ontological understanding in liturgical interpretation. This replacement-solution hypothesis is evidenced in this study minimally, but sufficiently, to conclude that such replacement is occurring in theological understanding. There are clear existential intimations of a shift from classical understanding to phenomenological understanding. The results of the survey show traditional understanding to be favoured, however. In the concluding remarks, I evaluate my findings and suggest what direction future studies may take. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This paper investigates the contours of the program of New Evangelisation of Europe (NEE) in the Roman-Catholic Church. While the roots lie with Vatican II and Paul VI.'s Evangelii Nuntiandi, the concept itself was developed by Pope John Paul II., the European Council of Bishops (CCEE) and the Bishops' Special Synod on Europe in 1991. The concept sees European culture as having been born out of Catholic Christianity. Postchristian Europe therefore is judged as having lost its (catholic) soul. This becomes evident in a reduction of humanness in the personal, cultural and spiritual realm. Therefore official Catholic teaching outlines NEE as personal spiritual renewal, catholic unity and cultural transformation. Source, norm and bearer of the NEE is the Roman-Catholic church. The author however thinks that genuine renewal springs from God's Word and Spirit (missio Dei), creating communities of faith, transforming both, church and culture in Europe. / Viele Jahrhunderte lang sahen die europaischen Kirchen ihren Kontinent und ihre Kultur als corpus Christianum. ,,Mission" galt nur den ,,Heiden" in Obersee. Diese Sicht geriet im Laufe des 20. Jahrhunderts ins Wanken. Imrner mehr Stimrnen fragten: ist nicht auch Europa ,,Missionfeld"? Inzwischen sind sich die meisten kirchlichen Traditionen in Europa einig, dal3 sie es mit einer ,,nachchristlichen" oder ,,neuheidnischen" Kultur zu tun haben, die emeut missionarisch mit dem Evangelium durchdrungen werden mu13. Die vorliegende Arbeit mochte die Konturen und Grundlinien des romisch-katholischen Programmes der Neuevangelisierung Europas (NEE) verstehen, darstellen und kritisch wurdigen. Die Arbeit besteht aus sechs Hauptteilen. Im ersten Teil werden grundlegende missiologische Aussagen des II. Vatikanischen Konzils und das Schreiben Papst Pauls VI. Evangelii Nuntiandi als Hintergrund und Wurzel fur das Konzept der NEE interpretiert. Im zweiten Teil stelle ich die Entwicklung der NEE im Denken Johannes Pauls II. seit 1979 dar, wahrend ich mich im dritten Teil auf die Interpretation der NEE auf den Symposien des Rates der Europaischen Bischofskonferenzen (CCEE) von 1982-1989 konzentriere. In verschiedenen Nuancen heben sich die Interpretationen der Bischfofe von den Gedanken Papst Johannes Pauls II. ab, ohne jedoch grundlegende Widerspriiche zu erzeugen. Im vierten T eil zeichne ich die Gedankengange zur NEE anhand der Abschlu13erklarung der Sondersynode der Bischofe fur Europa von 1991 nach. Die Synode stellt einen unspektakularen Hohepunkt, eine gewisse Zasur und eine ausgewogene Zusamrnenfassung der Entwicklung des Konzeptes dar. Eine systematische Zusamrnenfassung der Grundlinien der NEE bildet den funften Teil. Es wird deutlich, da13 die NEE die gesamte missionarische Existenz der romischkatholischen Kirche in Europa in all ihrer Vielfalt umfasst, um dem Ziel geistlicher, kirchlicher und kultureller Emeuerung im eschatologischen Horizont des Reiches Gottes naherzukommen. Im abschlie13enden Teil versuche ich das Konzept der Neuevangelisierung Europas anhand verschiedener missiologischer Modelle einzuordnen und aus evangelikaler Sicht kritisch zu wlirdigen. Die Starke des Konzeptes sehe ich im kulturbezogenen Ruf zur Urnkehr aus gottlosem und destruktivem Glauben, Denken und Handeln und der Verkiindigung der Hinkehr zu Jesus Christus, die sich in alle Bereiche der Kultur auswirkt und somit Europa mit neuer Hoffnung und Zukunft erfullen kann. Die Schwache des (offiziellen) Konzeptes sehe ich darin, da13 die romisch-katholische Kirche m.E. zur Norm fur die Emeuerung gemacht wird. Umfassende Emeuerung jedoch geht von Gottes Wort und Geist (missio Dei) aus, der Kirche und Kultur verandert und erneuert. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)