Thesis (M.Land.Arch.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2000. / "February 2000" Bibliography: leaves 235-239.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Geography. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-172).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Geography. / Electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-172). Also available in print ed.

This project, investigating the relation between sacred places and the mission of the Church, explores the issue through the lens of historical and theological frameworks, as well as pursing a dialectic path with representatives from religious studies and the social sciences. Much of the research has spanned textual resources across a spectrum of eras and traditions, but a substantial portion of the project was qualitative case study research, involving two churches representing two disparate traditions within Christianity.  The two congregations were chosen based on their well-articulated mission statements and their involvement in major relocation and building projects, providing excellent contexts to examine how their missions were embodied in and informed the design of their new physical facilities. The reflective transformative methodology was employed in this investigation, largely informed by the critical correlational practical theology approach developed by two key scholars, David Tracy and Don S. Browning. The link between mission and sacred place can facilitate either one-way or two-way movement.  The dictum that form must follow function is a one-way street demanding challenge.  A synergistic dynamic needs to exist between mission and sacred places and unless intentionally attended to, the dynamic can easily devolve into an adversarial, counter-productive reality, only avoided if sacred places are considered an enabling aspect of the Church’s mission, rather than merely the context in which it is acted out.

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"February 2000" Bibliography: leaves 235-239. "Several key questions are considered in this thesis. Is it possible that sacred places had a design philosophy or theory that was used to establish and develop them? How do various natural forms influence and/or structure existence of sacred places? This thesis considers specifically the role of nature in sacred places and not sacred places as a whole." -- abstract.

This thesis explores how religion is being represented, interpreted, and discussed in Canadian museums. It draws from a sample of thirty-one semi-structured interviews with curators and museum professionals and from the author’s own observations of fifty-one museums in eleven provinces and territories across Canada to explore the themes of space, power, and identity as they relate to religion in Canadian museums. Using the theories of sacred space created by Knott, this thesis explores how Canadian museums are capable of becoming sacred spaces based on their ability to give visitors numinous experiences, to act as contested spaces, and to serve as a location of religion. Canadian museums are powerful, as argued by Bourdieu and Foucault, by their very nature as places that produce and define knowledge, through claims to objectivity and an emphasis on a progress narrative, giving museums (and curators) power to define what is and is not religious by deciding whether and how to discuss the religious aspects of an artefact, object, or culture. Within the context of these two themes, museums enact Ricoeur’s theory of narrative identity by telling stories about different groups in order to create and communicate their identities. Some museums present a homogenous Canadian identity based on white mainline Christian identity while others explore the complexity of Canadian identity by telling the stories of non-mainstream religious or ethnic groups and their participation in Canadian history. Aboriginal peoples in Canada have become involved in the display of their traditions in larger museums and have started creating their own museums and cultural centres where their voices can take precedence.

This research examined to what extent the two Muslim dynasties, the Umayyad and the Fāṭimid, applied Islamic teachings in dealing with Christian sacred places in Palestine. It also compared the two dynasties, in terms of tolerance towards Christian sacred places, with special reference to the Caliphs ‛Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwān and Al-Ḥākim Biamrillah in an attempt to explore the reasons leading to such an attitude. This research outlined a theoretical framework, which Muslims were supposed to have adopted in their dealings with Christian places based on the various opinions of the exegetes from both Sunnī and Shī‛ī interpretations of the Qur'ān besides the practice of Prophet Muḥammad and his Companions in addition to the opinions of the jurists. The outline shows that the teachings of Islamic core sources have the rules for the protection of churches and other places of worship The findings have shown that the attitude would, to a large extent, correspond with the Islamic teachings in the manner of dealing with Christian sacred places under the two different dynasties. As for the Umayyads, the historical accounts and the archaeological evidence have indicated that the old churches and monasteries were kept protected, many new churches and monasteries were erected, several of the ruined ones were rebuilt, and renovation was made. In addition, the rituals were performed publically and pilgrimage continued. The Umayyads also showed formally their respect to the Christian sacred places. However, the economic decline during that period with its natural disasters, the political situation, peaceful abandonment, and demographical changes were the main reasons behind the decline in the number of churches, rather than a passive change in the Muslims' attitude. As for the Umayyads, the historical accounts and the archaeological evidence have indicated that the old churches and monasteries were kept protected, many new churches and monasteries were erected, several of the ruined ones were rebuilt, and renovation was made. In addition, the rituals were performed publically and pilgrimage continued. The Umayyads also showed formally their respect to the Christian sacred places. However, the economic decline during that period with its natural disasters, the political situation, peaceful abandonment, and demographical changes were the main reasons behind the decline in the number of churches, rather than a passive change in the Muslims' attitude. As for the Fāṭimids, the historical accounts have proved that formally the state shared in the celebrations, permitted the Cross display and allowed the pilgrimage flow to continue. Few institutions were newly built under the Fāṭimids when compared to the number under the Umayyads. This might indicate that the Fāṭimids in particular followed a certain policy backed by the political situation. In this regard, the researcher argues that the strategic and political circumstances played a pivotal role in elevating this policy which was mainly linked to the relationship with the Byzantine Empire. Still, apart from the destruction of the Holy Sepulchre, no physical evidence showed that there was a deliberate destruction of churches and monasteries based on any formal policy. In respect to the actions of ‛Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwān and Al-Ḥākim Biamrillah, the research has revealed that the acts of both did not seem to show hostility towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the other Christian sacred places. ‘Abd Al-Malik did not consider the Holy Sepulchre as a threat. Similarly, Al-Ḥākim's action was an exception among his fellow Fāṭimid caliphs and when exploring the reasons for the destruction, it has been suggested that his personal character played a major role, which together with the political and social motivations led to his actions. The Holy Sepulchre and the other churches were rebuilt during the Fāṭimid ruling, which testified that enmity was not the attitude towards the Christian sacred places. The research has also suggested that however the two dynasties appear to be tolerant in dealing with Christian sacred places, not all the motivations that led to this attitude were very alike. It has been suggested that the Umayyads' policy in keeping the political, economic, and social stability of the Muslim state made it a necessity to keep the good relations with the influential Christian community, thus, positively deal with their sacred places. While the Fāṭimids tended to positively treat the Christians because they wanted to retain the Christians on their side as a minority supporting the Ismā‘īlī Fāṭimids who were ruling over the Sunnī majority and whom they failed to convert to the rulers' own creed.

This thesis explores how religion is being represented, interpreted, and discussed in Canadian museums. It draws from a sample of thirty-one semi-structured interviews with curators and museum professionals and from the author’s own observations of fifty-one museums in eleven provinces and territories across Canada to explore the themes of space, power, and identity as they relate to religion in Canadian museums. Using the theories of sacred space created by Knott, this thesis explores how Canadian museums are capable of becoming sacred spaces based on their ability to give visitors numinous experiences, to act as contested spaces, and to serve as a location of religion. Canadian museums are powerful, as argued by Bourdieu and Foucault, by their very nature as places that produce and define knowledge, through claims to objectivity and an emphasis on a progress narrative, giving museums (and curators) power to define what is and is not religious by deciding whether and how to discuss the religious aspects of an artefact, object, or culture. Within the context of these two themes, museums enact Ricoeur’s theory of narrative identity by telling stories about different groups in order to create and communicate their identities. Some museums present a homogenous Canadian identity based on white mainline Christian identity while others explore the complexity of Canadian identity by telling the stories of non-mainstream religious or ethnic groups and their participation in Canadian history. Aboriginal peoples in Canada have become involved in the display of their traditions in larger museums and have started creating their own museums and cultural centres where their voices can take precedence.

Inaug. diss. - Marburg. / Vita. "... enthält den ersten und zweiten Abschnitt einer demnächst erscheinenden umfassenden Abhandlung." Includes bibliographical references.