[pt] A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar a espiritualidade, ou espiritualidades, ofertadas dentro do protestantismo brasileiro. Haja vista o crescimento quantitativo significativo deste segmento do campo religioso brasileiro nas últimas décadas, buscou-se observar se tal crescimento vem sendo acompanhado de melhorias nas estruturas sociais do país. Ao se indagar sobre a capacidade da mensagem das igrejas protestantes de promover transformação social, foi apresentada uma proposta de espiritualidade imanente, a partir da análise de conteúdo bibliográfico sobre o assunto, como contribuição ao cenário atual do protestantismo. Nesta pesquisa analítica, para que se pudesse desenvolver o tema, partiu-se da definição da utilização de protestantismo, a partir de tipologias, e se seguiu com a análise do movimento, de maneira geral, desde suas diferentes origens e seus distintos desdobramentos atuais. Assim, chegou-se ao entendimento de que as espiritualidades vigentes no protestantismo propõem a valorização da vida eterna, mas em oposição a vida terrena. Entretanto, em sentido oposto, foi apresentada a espiritualidade encarnada. Destacou-se, então, a polissemia do termo espiritualidade, mas também seu potencial de se comunicar com o tempo hodierno. Percebe-se que ao propor a espiritualidade de seguimento de Jesus Cristo, aqui encarnada, dualismos precisam deixar de existir, o significado de missão deve ser alargado, o eclesiocentrismo descontinuado e a interpretação e mensagens bíblicas devem ser atualizadas. Cada um desses temas foi tratado e observado a sua situação em realidade brasileira. Como consequência, chega-se à proposta contributiva da pesquisa, onde a realidade protestante brasileira é colocada diante da espiritualidade encarnada, e os frutos desse encontro são igualmente apresentados, fragilidades são expostas e caminhos são propostos. / [en] This research seeks to analyze the spirituality, or spiritualities, which are offered within Brazilian Protestantism. Given the significant quantitative growth of this segment of the Brazilian religious field in recent decades, we sought to observe whether such growth has been accompanied by improvements in the country s social structures. When questioning the capacity of the message of Protestant churches to promote social transformation, a proposal of immanent spirituality was presented, based on the analysis of bibliographic content on the subject, as a contribution to the current scenario of Protestantism. In this analytical research, to develop the theme, we started from the definition of the use of Protestantism, based on typologies, and followed with the analysis of the movement, in general, from its different origins and its distinct current developments. Thus, it understood that the spiritualities in force in Protestantism propose the valorization of eternal life, but in opposition to earthly life. However, in the opposite sense, embodied spirituality is presented. Thus, the polysemy of the term was highlighted, but also its potential to communicate with today s time. We understand by proposing the spirituality of following Jesus Christ, embodied here, dualisms need to cease to exist, the meaning of mission must be broadened, ecclesiocentrism discontinued and biblical interpretation and messages must be updated. And each one of the themes was treated and observed its situation in the Brazilian reality. As a result, we arrive at the contribution of the research proposal, where the Brazilian Protestant reality is placed in front of embodied spirituality, the fruits of this meeting are equally presented, weaknesses are exposed, and paths are proposed.

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This thesis is a comparative study of the concept and role of the law in the theologies of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Gustaf Wingren. The analysis of their theologies shows that Wingren uses the law as a formal theological category and Ruether does not. The absence of the law in Ruether's theology has implication for theological ethics. For Wingren the law has two uses. The first use, the so called political use, is that which compels and coerces ethical behavior in the human. The first use of the law is used to insure that all humans receive the fullness of life that God intends for all of creation. The second use of the law, the so called spiritual use, accuses the human when he/she does not meet the demands of the law. When the conscience is accused the human is prepared to hear the gospel. For Wingren, the gospel is what gives the human a new will to live by freeing the human from the burden and condemnation of the law. The law and the gospel serve each other but have distinct functions. The law demands ethical behavior and the gospel gives salvation. According to Wingren, the source of ethical behavior is located in the doctrine of creation not in the doctrine of the revelation of God through Jesus Christ; thus preserving the notion that the gift of grace is not earned by good works but is given freely. For Ruether, appropriate ethical behavior is revealed to humans through paradigmatic individuals who denounce systems of oppression and announce God's intent for creation, namely, liberation. Jesus is one such paradigmatic individual who both denounces oppression and announces the kingdom of God. Jesus both demands justice in relationships and offers liberation. The gospel message of Jesus, in effect, collapses the law and the gospel into one entity. The follower of Jesus hears that salvation is dependent upon appropriate ethical behavior thereby nullifying the notion that grace is an unearned gift. The thesis concludes with a constructive statement which develops a feminist theology based on Wingren's concept of the law / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This thesis is a comparative study of the concept and role of the law in the theologies of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Gustaf Wingren. The analysis of their theologies shows that Wingren uses the law as a formal theological category and Ruether does not. The absence of the law in Ruether's theology has implication for theological ethics. For Wingren the law has two uses. The first use, the so called political use, is that which compels and coerces ethical behavior in the human. The first use of the law is used to insure that all humans receive the fullness of life that God intends for all of creation. The second use of the law, the so called spiritual use, accuses the human when he/she does not meet the demands of the law. When the conscience is accused the human is prepared to hear the gospel. For Wingren, the gospel is what gives the human a new will to live by freeing the human from the burden and condemnation of the law. The law and the gospel serve each other but have distinct functions. The law demands ethical behavior and the gospel gives salvation. According to Wingren, the source of ethical behavior is located in the doctrine of creation not in the doctrine of the revelation of God through Jesus Christ; thus preserving the notion that the gift of grace is not earned by good works but is given freely. For Ruether, appropriate ethical behavior is revealed to humans through paradigmatic individuals who denounce systems of oppression and announce God's intent for creation, namely, liberation. Jesus is one such paradigmatic individual who both denounces oppression and announces the kingdom of God. Jesus both demands justice in relationships and offers liberation. The gospel message of Jesus, in effect, collapses the law and the gospel into one entity. The follower of Jesus hears that salvation is dependent upon appropriate ethical behavior thereby nullifying the notion that grace is an unearned gift. The thesis concludes with a constructive statement which develops a feminist theology based on Wingren's concept of the law / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Women in the Theological Anthropology of the Afrikaans Reformed Tradition This dissertation examines women in the theological anthropology of the Afrikaans Reformed Churches. The study is set out as follows: In Chapter 1, a survey of methodology is presented. The exposition of the question about the theological anthropology is done against a poststructural background. Both structuralism and poststructuralism largely put aside existentialism as an inadequate methodology. Chapter 2 aims to give an overview of the contribution of Michel Foucault. The chapter begins with a discussion of structuralism. This brief overview is then followed by a classification and investigation of the basic aspects of Foucault's approach. The chapter highlights Foucault's rootedness in poststructuralism. Chapter 3 attempts to explain silence of women in the theological anthropology of Dutch Reformed Church. The central aim of Chapter 3 is to demonstrate, against the development of the women ministries and the discourse about the ordination of women, that the Dutch Reformed Church theological anthropology is deeply influenced by the discursive practices developed during 1928-1932. Chapter 4 gives an overview of the developments in the theological anthropology of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church, Dutch Reformed Church of Africa and the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa that took place from 1924 until 2002. Different approaches to the women question developed in the course of time. At the heart of the discourse is the shift in the reading process. The developments in the feminist standpoint theory as such led to this displacement. In Chapter 5 the deconstruction of the theological anthropology are being discussed. Preference is given in this chapter to the concept partnership or transformative relations. In the concluding chapter [Chapter 6], a poststructural feminist discourse is presented. Selected guidelines that the church may wish to take into account in the deconstructing of the theological anthropology are suggested. In the future, the frame of reference to the women question would likely be poststructural. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This research determines the ground for a Christian theological anthropology that makes provision for a doctrine that supports human self-realization. It is evident from the study that anthropological self-realization is an involved process of becoming truly human, not an isolated course founded solely on the biblical knowledge of being created in the image and likeness of God. All sciences, and in particular anthropological sciences, enjoy the prerogative of unraveling and analyzing the human person. Whether these sciences are neuro-biological, psychological, theological, philosophical, biblical, spiritual or mystical in character, each with its specific method legitimately attempts to explain the complexities of the human person. In the light of this neither philosophy nor theology possess the exclusive claim to authentic human wisdom. In truth most scientific insights have a combined impact on the self-realizing growth and development of humanity. The process of self-realization links theology to real life questions such as evil, suffering, hope, love, justice and freedom, as well as with the immanent, the transcendent, the human and the divine. This thesis holds to the opinion that a theology of self-realization would contribute to the 'humanization' of theology since it brings praxis and theory into close alignment. This study equally expresses the conviction that the doctrine of consecrated vowed life, an ecclesiastical structure in the Roman Catholic Church, is particularly in need of humanization, as the notion of 'self' as a strength has been notably absent from traditional treatises on the practices of religious life. Conventional forms of consecrated vowed life called the woman to suppress and spiritualize at least some of her femininity. This was due to the distorted theological anthropology that sustained consecrated life in which God was presented as an idea to be grasped intellectually, and not an experience to be lived. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Systematic Theology)

Revelation is God's Word addressed to the human being and so speaks of God in relation to the person and the world. Revelation can therefore only be fully understood, proclaimed and lived through an encounter with the world and its conceptions. To understand the evolution of human consciousness and the creation of the soul, we look to the sources of revelation (scripture and tradition) in dialogue with secular anthropology. The latter's paradigm of development and growth is not foreign to the former's understanding of conversion and growth in grace . The image of God, which characterises the human person, is shown to be an emergent likeness, which is created and drawn to its fullness by God. This accounts for Pius XII' s insistence that the soul is created immediately by God, who is responsible for the physical dynamics that bring forth consciousness and the personal dynamics that empower the human soul to develop. / Philosophy Practical &Systematic Theology / M.Th (Systematic Theology)

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Selected aspects of Nicholas of Cusa's cosmology and anthropology This thesis targets selected topics of theology of creation and of man, that is, theological cosmology and anthropology in the work of a Renaissance philosopher, theologian, mathematician and scientist Nicholas of Cusa. I shall first introduce Cusanus' curriculum vitae, it's historical context and basic characteristics of theological anthropology in the work of Cusanus. After this, I shall present in greater detail selected topics of his mathematical theology, including historical context of this specific discourse on God, world and man using language of mathematics. This includes mathematical description of both created world and of theological reality, e.g. God's transcendence and immanence, the place of man in the universe, or the role of universe which has a mediating role between God and man in the works of Cusanus. Mathematical language used by Cusanus is part of a wide stream of Neoplatonist philosophical and theological tradition. Cusanus is inspired not only by pre-Christian philosophical traditions (Pythagorean school, Plotinus' concept of One), but also by Greek patristic writers like Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. In his concept of "great conjecture" Cusanus presents a model of...