Thesis (M.Ed. in Religion Ed.)--University of South Australia, 1995.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Commerce, 2000? / Bibliography: p. 267-280.

Bibliography: p. 267-280. / viii, 280 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Commerce, 2000?

Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1999

Thesis (MEducation)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Flinders University, Dept of Theology. / Typescript (bound). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 357-386). Also available online.

The aim of this study is to analyse the consensus decision making methods that are used at the annual conference of the Uniting Church in Sweden. The methods are analysed through the experiences of people that have attended the conference. Seven participants in the annual conference have been interviewed, and their expressed experiences have then been viewed through Anthony Giddens’ structuration theory, the theory of Jane Mansbridge et. al. regarding developments to the concept of deliberative democracy and through Paul Fiddes and his thoughts on finding the mind of Christ. The study concludes that the decision making methods has so far been well received and applied towards their objectives, though there is room for improvement.

A significant and growing number of authors and commentators have proposed that ecologically enlightened (‘greened’) religion is the solution or at least a major part of the solution to the global ecological crisis. These include Birch, 1965 p90; Brindle, 2000; Callicott, 1994; Gardner, 2002, 2003, 2006; Gore Jr., 1992; Gottlieb, 2006, 2007; Hallman, 2000; Hamilton, 2006b, a, 2007b; Hessel & Ruether, 2000b; Hitchcock, 1999; King, 2002; Lerner, 2006a; McDonagh, 1987; McFague, 2001; McKenzie, 2005; Nasr, 1996; Oelschlaeger, 1994; Palmer, 1992; Randers, 1972; Tucker & Grim, 2000; and White Jr., 1967. Proponents offer a variety of reasons for this view, including that the majority of the world’s and many nations’ people identify themselves as religious, and that there is a large amount of land and infrastructure controlled by religious organisations worldwide. However, the most important reason is that ‘religion’ is said to have one or more exceptional qualities that can drive and sustain dramatic personal and societal change. The underlying or sometimes overt suggestion is that as the ecological crisis is ultimately a moral crisis, religion is best placed to address the problem at its root. ¶ Proponents of the above views are often religious, though there are many who are not. Many proponents are from the USA and write in the context of the powerful role of religion in that country. Others write in a global context. Very few write from or about the Australian context where the role of religion in society is variously argued to be virtually non-existent, soon to be non-existent, or conversely, profound but covert. ¶ This thesis tests the proposition that religion is the solution to the ecological crisis. It does this using a case study of mainstream religion in Australia, represented by the Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting Churches. The Churches’ ecological policies and practices are analysed to determine the extent to which these denominations are fulfilling, or might be able to fulfil, the proposition. The primary research method is an Internet-based search for policy and praxis material. The methodology is Critical Human Ecology. ¶ The research finds that: the ‘greening’ of these denominations is evident; it is a recent phenomenon in the older Churches; there is a growing wealth of environmentalist sentiment and ecological policy being produced; but little institutional praxis has occurred. Despite the often-strong rhetoric, there is no evidence to suggest that ecological concerns, even linked to broader social concerns (termed ‘ecojustice’) are ‘core business’ for the Churches as institutions. Conventional institutional and anthropocentric welfare concerns remain dominant. ¶ Overall, the three Churches struggle with organisational, demographic, and cultural problems that impede their ability to convert their official ecological concerns into institutional praxis. Despite these problems, there are some outstanding examples of ecological policy and praxis in institutional and non-institutional forms that at least match those seen in mainstream secular society. ¶ I conclude that in Australia, mainstream religion is a limited part of the solution to the ecological crisis. It is not the solution to the crisis, at least not in its present institutional form. Institutional Christianity is in decline in Australia and is being replaced by non-institutional Christianity, other religions and non-religious spiritualities (Tacey, 2000, 2003; Bouma, 2006; Tacey, 2007). The ecological crisis is a moral crisis, but in Australia, morality is increasingly outside the domain of institutional religion. The growth of the non-institutional religious and the ‘spiritual but not religious’ demographic may, if ecologically informed, offer more of a contribution to addressing the ecological crisis in future. This may occur in combination with some of the more progressive movements seen at the periphery of institutional Christianity such as the ‘eco-ministry’ of Rev. Dr. Jason John in Adelaide, and the ‘Creation Spirituality’ taught, advocated and practiced by the Mercy Sisters’ Earth Link project in Queensland.

Denna studie undersöker pastorsutbildning och formation genom att intervjua fem nyblivna pastorer inom Equmeniakyrkan om deras upplevelse av vad pastorsutbildningen på THS bidragit till för att formas och förberedas som pastorer. Studien som är kvalitativ och abduktiv relaterar teoretiskt till Benjamin Blooms kognitiva, affektiva och psykomotoriska lärandedomäner som översätts till pastoral kontext för jämförelse av vad utbildningen bidragit till, samt till David Kelseys Aten-Berlin-begrepp för att jämföra pastorernas utbildningsideal med pastorsutbildningens utbildningsform. Resultatet visar bland annat att de faktorer som varit viktigast för att forma och förbereda den undersökta gruppen av nyblivna pastorer är: Praktik och övning, Lärare och annan personal, Medstuderande, Undervisning, Retreater, andakter, enskilda samtal, gemensamma resor, Församlingsliv och pastorer. Sammanfattat som Praktik, Relationer, Undervisning och Praktiker (PRUP). Resultatet visar också att det är avgörande på vilket sätt dessa bedrivs. De sätt som för pastorerna har varit formerande beskrivs i uppsatsen. Analysen visar att pastorernas utbildningsideal tillämpat på svenska eftergymnasiala utbildningsformer kan förstås som en blandning av idealen i högskola och folkhögskola, med en betoning på folkhögskola – och att detta krockar med Equmeniakyrkans pastorsutbildning vars utbildningsform är en kombination av högskola och kyrka med en tydlig betoning på högskola. Utifrån dessa fynd presenterar studien fyra möjligheter för Equmeniakyrkan och EHS att minska denna spänning. Uppsatsen diskuterar även likheter och skillnader med tidigare studier, bland annat i fråga om vad som formar och förbereder för tjänst, möjligheten med tredelade lärandemål och frågan om utbildningsform. / This study investigates formation during ministerial education and training by interviewing five newly ordained pastors within the Uniting Church in Sweden about their experience of what the Pastor’s program at Stockholm School of Theology have contributed to for being shaped and prepared as pastor. The study, which is qualitative and abductive, relates theoretically to Benjamin Bloom's cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning domains that are translated into pastoral contexts for studying what the education has contributed to, as well as to David Kelsey's Athens-Berlin concept to compare the educational ideals of pastors, with the program’s institutional form of education. The results show that the factors that were achieved as most important in shaping and preparing the new pastors are: Internship and practice, Teachers and staff, Fellow students, Teaching, Retreats, devotions, individual conversations & joint trips, and Congregational life and pastors. These are summarized as Practice, Relations, Teaching and Practices (PRTP). The result also shows that it is crucial in which way these are conducted. The ways that have been positively formative for the pastors are described in the essay. The analysis shows that the pastors' ideals of education drawn from Kelsey, applied to Swedish post-secondary forms of education can be understood as a mixture of the ideals of university and folk high school, with an emphasis on folk high school - and that this conflicts with the church’s pastor's program whose form of education is a combination of university and church with a clear emphasis on university. Based on these findings, the study presents four opportunities for the Uniting Church in Sweden and the Stockholm School of Theology to reduce this tension. The essay also discusses similarities and differences with previous studies among other things in terms of what shapes and prepares for service, the possibility of three-part learning objectives, and the question of educational form.