This thesis investigates the theology of violence in early modern England. It finds that violence had an important place in the theology of the English Revolution, which is at variance with many twentieth-century perceptions of Christianity. After introducing these ideas in the first chapter, chapter two begins with an outline of the general conceptions of the relationship between the Divine and violence, contrasting the image of a God of peace with a God of war. It also outlines just war theory, which was central to early modern English views of legitimate violence. Additional aspects of contemporaries' conceptions involved ideas of authorisation, violence as punishment, and a hierarchy of legitimate violence. These ideas are further developed in chapter three, first with reference to the Elizabethan Homilies and then in relation to theologians during the civil wars. This discussion of theologies of obedience anticipates chapter four's analysis of the theologies of resistance in relation to the theology of violence. Chapter four addresses a variety of themes concerning the illegitimacy of suicide and the corresponding legitimacy of self defence. The chapter concludes by addressing the idea of direct divine authorisation for violence, which is modelled by the biblical Book of Joshua and developed by examining Calvin's commentaries on the text. Direct authorisation lays the groundwork for chapter five, which addresses the apocalyptic perspective in relation to the theology of violence. The three interrelated themes of anti-Catholicism, anti-idolatry, and a new dispensation are examined. In chapter six, the previous themes are considered in an analysis of the regicide. The discussion of the regicide not only draws on the preceding discussion of the theology of violence but also examines the "scapegoating" dimension of the execution of the king. The final chapter offers reflections on the importance of the theology of violence for the view of the English civil wars as "wars of religion."

The subject of this paper is of cultures of terror, and more specifically of the possibility of resistance in a context of extreme fear. The focus is upon ways in which survivors of the Pol Pot regime devise strategies of embodied resistance, and rebuild notions such as identity and bodily integrity, within a Buddhist framework, to the dominant discourse of terror in contemporary Cambodian society. / The paper problematizes the concept of "order" and questions its validity as a dominant paradigm in anthropology. Further, in searching for new ways of theorizing and writing about resistance and terror, it suggests that a more power conscious analysis of popular religion and ritual may prove enlightening. / A theoretical framework is derived from a review of anthropological studies of terror and political violence. Of particular interest is the concept of "spaces of resistance" and the notions of "spaces of violence" and "bodily resistance" which it invokes. From within this framework the Dhammayietra, or peace walk, is considered as an embodied symbol of resistance and empowerment. It is hypothesized that the Dhammayietra may provide a way in which, through the symbolic "washing away" of Khmer Rouge memories; through the creation of new collective memories; and through the reclaiming of a physical manifestation (Angkor Wat) of the Buddhist-centered world view, some Cambodians may be able, at least in part, to emerge from the sensorially numb space which they created in order to survive the bodily, intellectual, and emotional assault upon their persons, culture, and religions by the Khmer Rouge.

<p>This thesis sought to explore the challenges experienced by selected clergy within the Anglican Church in dealing with domestic violence. The sample was drawn from the Diocese of Cape Town of the church of the Province of Southern Africa, based on the participants' experience of the phenomenon and their willingness to participate in the study. The researcher used face-to-face interviews utilizing a semi-structured interview guide for data collection. Questions were open-ended to allow for free flow of information. Because of the sensitive nature of the study, probing questions were followed up by responses to get in-depth perceptions and experiences of clergy's involvement in domestic violence. With reference to the ethical considerations in this study, all participants were thoroughly briefed before the interview with clear explanations of the goal, procedure and advantages of the study. Participants had the opportunity to withdraw at any stage of the interview as participation was completely voluntary.Consistent with literature, this study confirmed the complex nature of domestic violence. Participants experienced various challenges on different levels in the ministry pertaining to domestic violence.These challenges primarily related to the lack of training in dealing with real life issues such as domestic violence during their theological training, the lack of theological guidelines offered by the church to address patriarchal societal practices, beliefs and gender stereotyping, and the lack of guidance on contexual interpretation of Scriptures.</p>

Wholeness and Healing In Community is a study that seeks to understand what are the effective interventions, which the African church has made and is able to make in bringing healing to a community gripped by violent conflict. In this study it is assumed that the church is an existent and potentially effective institution with infrastructure that stretches from the smallest community to an international web. In the midst of Africa's social, political, and economic turmoil there lie both causes and consequences, which are the brokenness of body and mind, emotions and choices. This woundedness, which is both individual and collective, needs to be made whole or the next generations are likely to continue a cycle of violence, hate and mistrust. The biblical concept of shalom is developed and used as the vision toward which interventions must attempt to move. The qualitative methodology and process of this work sought to not only study church interventions but to assist in the transformation of church leader thinking about their role. This study has three primary strands: 1) the individual background and experiences of the researcher who has spent nearly thirty years in the midst of conflict on the African continent, 2) a literature review that surveys literature from several disciplines and, 3) a field research. The field research consisted in the filming (or securing already made films) of nine situations in which there was a claim made that community healing had either occurred or had been assisted through a specific set of interventions. The film from these nine situations in five countries (eight in Africa) were then edited into nine 15-30 minute film documentaries which were screened in their entirety to four different focus groups of African church leaders for their evaluation and reflection. Their evaluations are reported and evaluated in this study. In order to comprehend the study and its findings, it is strongly recommended that the films be viewed even though they are summarized here in written form. A list of effective interventions is the outcome of this study. This is perhaps the most comprehensive listing of holistic healing interventions. A potential use for this catalogue is suggested. It is recommended for church leaders as well as Non Governmental Organizations, which seek to work in situations of violence on the African continent. / Thesis (PhD (Science of Religion and Missiology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

“Ghost Rations” draws on environmental history and the history of capitalism to explain the development of the communal conflicts that tore apart the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional Ottoman Empire. It focuses on the Ottoman East in 1839-94, a period that began with a Sultanic declaration of religious equality and ended with a dramatic wave of communal violence, the Hamidian Massacres (1894-97). Recent work has described how communal boundaries hardened thanks to the rise of new discourses and symbols of belonging put forth by powerful agencies like the Ottoman state, European colonial powers, and Protestant missionaries. This project builds on these discursive and intellectual explanations for ethnic and religious divides, but it argues that in order to understand how new ideas about difference and belonging came into practice, we must account for provincial partners and the material conditions that assisted in their spread and uptake. To accomplish this, “Ghost Rations” takes up famine, the most intense of material conditions, in the decades before the Hamidian Massacres. The first half focuses on the 1839-76 expansion of imperial institutions that worked to define and police communal boundaries. The second half analyzes three cases of famine between 1879 and 1894, when these reform-oriented institutions wielded outsized influence by distributing life-saving humanitarian aid. These institutions, however, also had the effect of distributing hardship and trauma unevenly along ethno-religious lines. New technologies like the telegraph, environmental forces like El Niño, and financial changes like the spread of banking combined to distribute hunger and hardship along confessional lines. Suffering unequally borne radicalized communal tensions and set the stage for unprecedented violence in subsequent years.

No description available.

When violence towards fellow humans deteriorates to the extent of setting fire on others, it becomes a matter of grievous concern and a subject of empirical research. This study therefore inquires into xenophobic violence in South Africa of 2008 and tries to understand the victims‟ plight in the light of their conception of the image of God. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey among migrant victims from other African countries was conducted, analysed and critiqued. The findings established a deep feeling of animosity from a section of a South Africans with consequent loss of property, physical harm and death, as well as emotional trauma. The study deduces that such hostile treatment by hosts results from a loss of African humanity, Ubuntu. Going forward a theology of the image of God is critical for human relations in South Africa and essential for reconciliation between migrants and locals. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis examines the first two novels of Frank Herbert's Dune series, Dune and Dune Messiah, in order to consider these two novels from the framework of postcolonial theory and analyze how religious violence becomes a source of subjugation, military power, and colonialism within the works. The three chapters of this thesis chart the creation of a colonial project through epistemic violence, physical power, and cultural control enabled by religion. This thesis argues that, in the Dune novels, religious violence functions as a colonial project that closely resembles the goals of real-world colonial enterprises, and the failure to manage this colonial project by those who initiated it shows that the effects of colonial projects based on religious violence are dangerous and uncontrollable. / by Kenton Taylor Howard. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

When something is about masculinities it is not always about men. Kosofsky-Sedgwick (1995 :12) Any society that is lauded for its exemplary National Constitution that asserts and affords their citizens basic human rights is accountable for how those rights are translated into the "lived experiences" of its citizens. In South Africa, a pronounced and violent identity has become notoriously established by the blatant disrespect for women's rights, a reality predominantly present within the marital dyad. Unfortunately, even after eighteen years of political liberation and some fourteen years after the promulgation of the much-lauded Domestic Violence Act No. 116 of 1998, the culture of human rights has not demonstrably translated into women's rights as countless women continue to be challenged in their marriages by the dictates and privileges of hegemonic masculinities that their husbands subscribe to. In order to engage with this prevailing and destructive state of disharmony and abuse in marriages, this study concentrates on a simple yet logical question of "why do men do what they do?" centred as it is within the compass of their violent relationships with their wives. This exploratory research project afforded an in-depth understanding and examination of seven married men who were afforded an opportunity to engage in four focus group discussions to describe and detail their subjective narratives of their violent relationships. This research provided spaces for men's reflective accounts of their violence, thereby offering insightful interpretations of the contours of the contradictions contained in the social construction of masculinities which in South Africa is multi-faceted. The sample frame comprised of men who reside in Phoenix, a large township, north of the city of Durban. According to racial profile, all were South African Indian. Their ages ranged from 34 to 61 years, while their wives were between 35 to 60 years of age. Years of marriage ranged from 3 to 35. Three respondents were in their first marriage, while four were married for the second time. Five respondents had matriculated; while one possessed a post-matriculation qualification and one had completed Standard Six (present High School Grade 8). Concerning their religious affiliation, six of the respondents were Christian and one was Muslim. Utilising critical, freminist and masculinity theories, the 'authoritative discourses' offered by the respondents were meaningfully interrogated, examined and analysed. In particular, the study paid careful attention to the inextricable links between the constructions of masculinities, domestic violence and the sociology of religion. Emergent meta-themes that emanated from the extensive narratives of the men on their violent relationship with their wives included the priveleges of patriarchy; religion and male privelege, and finally the clash between religious belief and the South African criminal justice system. It is within the acknowledged space of the "web of associated factors" which contribute to domestic violence, that conclusions were reached. The study logically concludes that a deliberate, coherent, sustained, and spiritual ethos is needed in South Africa so as to ameliorate the damaging and destructive effects that are presently and overwhelmingly dictated by the presence of hegemonic masculinities. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

When violence towards fellow humans deteriorates to the extent of setting fire on others, it becomes a matter of grievous concern and a subject of empirical research. This study therefore inquires into xenophobic violence in South Africa of 2008 and tries to understand the victims‟ plight in the light of their conception of the image of God. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey among migrant victims from other African countries was conducted, analysed and critiqued. The findings established a deep feeling of animosity from a section of a South Africans with consequent loss of property, physical harm and death, as well as emotional trauma. The study deduces that such hostile treatment by hosts results from a loss of African humanity, Ubuntu. Going forward a theology of the image of God is critical for human relations in South Africa and essential for reconciliation between migrants and locals. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)