Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:21:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Roberto Pereira Miguel.pdf: 596885 bytes, checksum: 45b4ab84b0d2d4c07dbcb501fdc5d0e4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-02 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In this dissertation we intend to analyse the way proposed, and developed, by Saint Augustine toward the visualization of the invisible God. That is Via Puchritudinis, the path of beauty, which is a mystic as much as an aesthetic way. The focus of this task is the aesthetic side of this journey, which becomes evident by the assertion made by Hans Urs von Balthasar on his aesthetic theology treatise called Glória. For him, Augustine s trajectory, especially his conversion, cannot be considered a walk from aesthetics to religious , but a conversion from a common aesthetic to another superior one (Balthasar, 1986, p. 97). Because, for Augustine, contemplating the beauty of the world and creation represents the first step of a trajectory toward an even more keenly discerning contemplation of God s beauty, from which creation s beauty is just a vestige. But when he identifies the absolute transcendent God with beauty, by the affirmation: Late have I loved You, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved Thee! , Augustine makes this journey in a mystical way, in which history (God s action fulfilled by Jesus Christ) and prophecy (Scripture and His messengers) represents the two main pillars. Thus, we will also tackle Augustine s Via Pulchritudinis mystical side, in proportion to its relationship with the principal concept of this dissertation, which is, beauty. We understand that this concept of beauty, just as it was thought by Augustine, may be relevant to the present time, whereas the notion of beauty, nowadays, seems to have left behind all its transcendent aspects to shut itself up just in what is imanent, that is, body and matter / Nesta dissertação pretendemos analisar o caminho proposto, e percorrido, por Santo Agostinho em direção à visualização do Deus invisível. Trata-se da Via Pulchritudinis, o Caminho da Beleza, que se configura numa trajetória tanto mística quanto estética. O foco deste trabalho é o viés estético desta jornada, o qual se evidencia na afirmação feita por Hans Urs Von Balthasar em seu tratado de estética teológica intitulado Glória. Segundo ele, a trajetória de Agostinho, sobretudo a sua conversão, não pode ser considerada uma caminhada do estético em direção ao religioso , mas, isto sim, a conversão de uma estética comum a outra superior (Balthasar, 1986, p. 97). Pois, para Agostinho, a contemplação da beleza do mundo e da criação representa o passo inicial de uma trajetória em direção à contemplação cada vez mais aguçada da beleza de Deus, da qual a beleza das coisas criadas é apenas um vestígio. Mas ao identificar o Deus absolutamente transcendente com a própria beleza, por meio da afirmação Tarde te amei, ó beleza tão antiga e tão nova! (AGOSTINHO, Confissões, p.299), Agostinho faz dessa jornada um caminho místico, no qual a história (a ação de Deus realizada por Jesus Cristo) e a profecia (a Escritura e os seus mensageiros) representam os dois pilares principais. Assim, abordaremos também o lado místico da Via Pulchritudinis agostiniana, na medida em que ele se relaciona com o conceito principal deste trabalho, isto é, a beleza. Entendemos que este conceito de beleza, tal e qual pensado por Santo Agostinho, pode ser relevante à atualidade, visto que a noção de beleza, neste tempo, parece haver deixado de lado todo o seu aspecto transcendente para encerrar-se tão somente naquilo que é imanente, isto é, no corpo e na matéria

La personne est un concept tributaire de la catégorie de substance, à laquelle la métaphysique contemporaine continue souvent de l'assimiler. Or, la substance méconnaît la nature profondément relationnelle de la personne, et n'est quasiment plus d'aucune utilité en dehors de la métaphysique elle-même. Nous lui substituons d'autres catégories, afin de distinguer méthodiquement la personne d'une part de l'animal humain, comme nous y invite l'ontologie animaliste, et d'autre part de l'ego cartésien, si fortement critiqué par Parfit. Ce faisant, nous retrouvons les deux thèses les plus puissantes de la personne : la thèse chrétienne* qui en fait un centre de relations, et la thèse bouddhiste* qui en fait un complexe de propriétés. Toutefois, la première affilie la personne au modèle particulier de la Sainte Trinité, tandis que la seconde aboutit le plus souvent à un nihilisme de la personne tout aussi spéculatif. Nous proposons de penser la personne comme un processus, ou une série d'événements, afin de faire droit à l'idée de "personhood" : c'est à travers l'interaction entre les niveaux psychologiques et sociaux que la personne émerge, comme une activité auto-organisatrice qui ne se réduit pas à des propriétés biologiques, et n'est pas davantage soluble dans des structures collectives. Le saut quantique que la personne accomplit au sein de la nature, sans correspondre à une rupture ontique, peut être mieux apprécié : l'agentivité et la dignité propres à la personne sont aussi des phénomènes émergents, et des caractéristiques objectives. La personne est donc moins une entité qu'une instance, ou un réseau particulier de relations au sein d'un monde en perpétuel mouvement. / The concept of a person is historically dependent on the metaphysical category of substance, and contemporary metaphysics keeps assimilating one and the other. But the substance ignores the deeply relational nature of the person, and is virtually of no use outside of metaphysics itself. That is why we substitute other categories, to systematically distinguish the person firstly from the human animal, as prompted by the animalist ontology, and secondly from the Cartesian ego, so strongly criticized by Derek Parfit. In doing so, we find the meaning of the two most powerful theories of the person: the Christian thesis*, making it a center of relationships, and the Buddhist thesis*, making it a complex of properties. However, the first one affiliates the person to the particular model of the Holy Trinity, while the second leads most often to a nihilism of the person just as much speculative. We therefore propose to consider the person as a process, or series of events, so as to stand for the the metaphysical idea of an emergent personhood: it is through the interaction between psychological and social levels that the person continuously emerges as a self-organizing activity that cannot be reduced to biological properties, and is not more soluble in collective structures. The quantum leap that the person accomplishes in nature, without corresponding to an ontological rupture, can in turn be best appreciated: the agentivity and the dignity of the person, are also emerging phenomena, which count as objective features. The person is considered less as an entity than as an instance, that is to say a particular network of relations in a changing world.

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the doctrine of deification in sacramental worship as taught (and practiced) by the Eastern Orthodox and Latter-day Saint (Mormon) churches. The doctrine that man may become like God—known as deification, divinization, or theosis—is a central teaching in the Orthodox and Mormon traditions. Both faiths believe that man may become like God. However, because of doctrinal presuppositions and disagreements regarding the natures of God and man, Orthodox and Mormon teachings of deification do not mean the same thing. This thesis will outline several key distinctions between their respective doctrines. And yet, despite doctrinal disagreements, this thesis will also illustrate how Orthodoxy and Mormonism share several notable similarities regarding the function of sacramental worship in the process of theosis. Mormonism and Orthodoxy both believe that men and women may achieve theosis only as they interact with God. Through the combined initiatives of the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, humankind may receive the attributes of divinity and participate in the process of deification. The means whereby humanity may interact with God are through sacramental participation. This thesis will illustrate how institutional rituals and personal worship practices foster man's divine interaction and ultimate deification. Furthermore, Orthodox and Mormon rituals are deeply rooted in the doctrine of deification—each ritual contributing to man's divine transformation. As such, those rituals reflect numerous thematic variations and emphatic differences of their respective traditions. This should not discourage the reader from comparing Orthodox sacraments with Mormon sacraments; rather, as one studies the similarities and differences in the Orthodox and Mormon sacraments, he or she will begin to see how deification is so intricately woven into the worship practices of these two faiths.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-267).

The extent to which the 'honour' of the Spirit influenced the theology of Jonathan Edwards is a hitherto underdeveloped theme. Against a backdrop of Patristic thought and in dialogue with the theology of Karl Barth, evaluation is made of pneumatological union in Edwards' Trinitarian theology as this centres on the nature and inter-relatedness of the 'three unions' that characterize his theology: the union of the three Persons of the Trinity, the union of the saints with God, and the union of the divine and human natures of Christ. Edwards' seeks to honour the Spirit as the mutual love of the Father for the Son within his Augustinian, Lockean model of the immanent Trinity, and as 'Person' in the economy. The challenges of doing so within the limits of this psychological model of the Trinity are evaluated in dialogue with the Cappadocian Fathers and Barth. In a manner patterned after union in the Trinity, Edwards gave prominence to the concept of the pneumatological union of the saints with God in Christ, in fulfilment of the self-glorifying purpose of God in creation and redemption. Edwards' experiential theology of conversion, and his elevation of subjective sanctification by the Spirit over objective justification in Christ, for assurance, is contrasted with Barth's greater emphases on the Christological union of God with humanity and objective justification in Christ. Barth's more contemplative approach is contrasted with the overly introspective spirituality of Edwards. Edwards' view of the role of the Spirit in the hypostatic union of God with humanity in Christ, which is reflective of the other unions, is also evaluated in light of Patristic, Reformed-Puritan and Barthian thought on the nature of the humanity Christ assumed, and the doctrine of the vicarious humanity of Christ. A more emphatic incarnational emphasis may have saved Edwards' Spirit- honouring spirituality from an anthropocentricity which is ironical given that the glory of God is his ontic doxological concern.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Birmingham, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references ((p. [279]-305)) and index.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-267).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Birmingham, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references ((p. [279]-305)) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Emory University, 1983. / Bibliography: p. 227-239.

The subject of this diploma thesis is comparison of Orthodox and Evangelical churches pneumatology. The main goal is to summarize, compare and evaluate the knowledge acquired from studying various texts from both Orthodox and Evangelical theologians. The first part of the diploma thesis is addressing significant theological topics from the Orthodox Church. The second part focuses on Evangelical pneumatology with special attention to its charismatic and Pentecostal character. A substantial part of this section is devoted to terminologically defining evangelicalism in its historical context. At the same time an attempt was made to capture the breadth and diversity of this modern phenomenon. The starting point that was chosen for the thesis were the works of various Pentecostal and charismatic authors whose main viewpoints are being compared in key points with those of traditional, conservative theologians. The third and at the same time the last part evaluates the acquired knowledge and accentuates the similarities and differences.