This research was aimed at listening to the care stories of people living with cancer in remission. The participants spoke about relationships with their families, medical professionals and their spirituality, thereby giving a voice to personal experiences of cancer as part of family life. Postmodern social construction discourse guided the explaining of how cancer invades and affects people's Jives and relationships. This participatory action research was situated in a contextual practical theology. Narrative conversations with the participants spoke about experiences of both care and communication by medical professionals, their struggles in communicating with their partners and families, their spiritual search and longing for pastoral care to sustain and guide them. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

This research was aimed at listening to the care stories of people living with cancer in remission. The participants spoke about relationships with their families, medical professionals and their spirituality, thereby giving a voice to personal experiences of cancer as part of family life. Postmodern social construction discourse guided the explaining of how cancer invades and affects people's Jives and relationships. This participatory action research was situated in a contextual practical theology. Narrative conversations with the participants spoke about experiences of both care and communication by medical professionals, their struggles in communicating with their partners and families, their spiritual search and longing for pastoral care to sustain and guide them. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

This research project arose from my journeys with Protestant Christian women who were living in sexually unhappy marriages. In South African Protestant faith communities there is the expectation that Christian marriages will experience sexual fulfilment. For many Christian women however, sexual unhappiness becomes their reality. Sexuality is cocooned in silence not only within the church, but also in many Christian marriages. This leaves many Christian women (and men) with little or no recourse to address sexually unhappy marriages. My research journey briefly explored the social construction of sexuality within the history of Christianity to see which discourses underpin current constructions of White Christian female sexuality. This participatory feminist action research journey centralised the voices of present-day contexts: Protestant Christian women, as well as clergy, were invited to share their understandings and interpretations of matrimony and sexual practices in relation to their faith. With the help of narrative therapeutic practices, some of the dominant social and religious discourses that constitute White Christian female sexuality were explored, deconstructed and challenged. This research journey aimed to penetrate this silence and to invite Christian women, who are living in sexually unhappy marriages, to share their experiences. This exploration included the faith predicaments and relational complexities, challenges and dilemmas Protestant Christian women experience when living in sexually unhappy marriages. This feminist-grounded action research explored the effects and consequences which living in sexually unhappy marriages held for the cosearchers. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

The study focuses on women’s experiences of abuse resulting in trauma. This research performance was conducted within a practical theology framework guided by a de-centred participatory action research process. The study was conducted against a postmodern background and was informed by social construction discourse. Its aim was to explore whether and how narrative pastoral counselling using outsider witnessing could be helpful in finding new preferred ways of living, resulting in healing, resilience and hope for women who had experienced abuse and trauma. The outsider witness group explored practical ways of listening, observing and responding to the pain and suffering of others, resulting in a new performance of the self as valuable, competent, and enabling those who are witnessed to believe that they are survivors that have lived through and beyond the limited life span of abuse and trauma. The research report ends with a play, New Seasons, which is to be performed in front of live audiences in the course of 2012. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

German text / Die Alkoholabhängigkeit ist die am stärksten verbreitete Abhängigkeitserkrankung in Deutschland. Unbekannt ist die Zahl der betroffenen Angehörigen. Nach Erarbeitung not-wendiger theoretischer Grundlagen und Vorstellung aktueller Forschungsergebnisse stan-den narrative Interviews mit Frauen von alkoholabhängigen Partnern im Mittelpunkt der Forschungsarbeit. Durch Datenanalyse und Dateninterpretation mit Methoden der rekon-struktiven Sozialforschung wurde ein tieferes Verständnis für die Lebensgeschichte der beiden ausgewählten Biografinnen gewonnen. Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren konnten diffe-renziert erfasst und resilienzfördernde Maßnahmen für Seelsorge und Beratung abgeleitet werden. Besondere Beachtung fand die Bedeutung des christlichen Glaubens als Resilienz-faktor. Weitere Beobachtungen durch Einbeziehung aller Interviews als Datenmaterial wurden als Hilfen für das Verständnis der Gesamtproblematik ausgewertet. Aus der Dis-kussion der Ergebnisse ergaben sich Handlungsempfehlungen für die christliche Gemeinde und richtungsweisende Impulse für Seelsorge und Beratung. Schlüsselbegriffe: / Alcohol dependence is the most widespread addictive disease in Germany, the number of affected relatives unkown. After acquiring theoretical foundations and current research results, my research focused on narrative interviews with wives of alcohol dependent part-ners. By the use of reconstructive social research methods, data analysis and interpretation a deeper understanding of the life history of the two selected biographers was obtained. After detecting risk and protective factors, resilience promoting factors for pastoral care and counselling could be derived. Special attention was paid to the importance of Christian faith. For an understanding of the overall problem, all interviews were included as data material and evaluated. From the discussion of the results, recommendations for the Chris-tian Church and impulses giving direction for pastoral care and counselling were derived. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Women have been abused from the beginning of time and it would appear that a patriarchal system has facilitated this abuse. Churches, in general, and Seventh-Day Adventists, in particular, have been silent on the issue of Abuse. It is my thesis that a predominantly confessional Seventh-Day Adventist's view and use of Scripture are foundational to this silence on human rights issues. Adventist eschatology is predominantly apocalyptic in nature, focussing on end-time events, thus, the present is viewed secondary. Human rights issues are marginalised with the focus on evangelism. Thus, relationships are secondary and abused women have not been accommodated within the Seventh-Day Adventist framework of worship and caring. / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / ‘n Praktiese teologiese probleem is in die bediening geïndentifiseer: die man wie se vrou ‘n mastektomie gehad het, word nie pastoraal ondersteun nie. Hierdie probleem is deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing ondersoek. Met die kennis uit die navorsing en die literatuurstudie is daaraan die navorsingsdoelstelling beantwoord. Hierdeur is die praktiese teologie op ‘n unieke wyse verryk, deur ‘n wetenskaplike bydrae om die pastorale berader beter te bekwaam. Borskanker is ‘n lewensbedreigde siekte waarop geen man voorberei is nie. Met die verlies van ‘n kosbare liggaamsdeel van die vrou en haar behoefte aan ondersteuning van haar man, begin hy om sy ware-man wees (identiteit) te bevraagteken. Die verlies het ook trauma by die man tot gevolg. As die man deur sy emosies oorweldig word en hy nie oor die vermoë beskik om dit te verwerk nie, kan hy in wanhoop verval. Die man lewe in die postmoderne era. Die uitdagings en onsekerhede van hierdie era het ‘n bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die “Post-foundational” praktiese teologiese benadering gelewer. Daarom het die navorser besluit om hierdie benadering in die studie te volg. Hierdeur is ‘n gesprek tussen die praktiese teologie, mediese- en geesteswetenskappe vanuit ‘n transversale perspektief moontlik, om die invloed van die mastektomie op die man te bepaal. Duidelike behoeftes en vrae kom navore wat vereis dat die berader homself sal onderskei in kennis van die onderskeie pastorale benaderings en tegnieke, toepaslike mediese, Bybel- en geestes wetenskappe. Die omstandighede waarin die man hom bevind het die bevraagtekening van sy spiritualiteit tot gevolg. Sy spiritualiteit kan vir hom van groot waarde wees. Die doel van die beradingsmodel is om die man te fasiliteer om sy ware identiteit in Christus te ontdek. Deur die genade van die Here word geloofsvolwassenheid in die man ‘n waarheid. Daardeur vind transendering ten opsigte van ‘n “bevraagde identiteit” na ‘n “identiteit van betekenis en hoop” plaas. Deur die werking van die Heilige Gees word die man op die vervulling van God se heilsbeloftes vir die nood waarin verkeer verseker. Die doel van hierdie beradingsmodel vir die praktiese teologie, is ‘n geloofsvolwasse man met ‘n nuwe toekomsverhaal. / A practical theological problem was identified in the ministry: a husband whose wife undergoes a mastectomy does not receive pastoral care. This problem was investigated through a qualitative research study. The research objective was answered by doing research and a literature study. This scientific research enriches the practical theology in an unique way so that the pastoral counsellor is supported and can be more competent. Breast cancer is a life-threatening disease that no husband is prepared for. The wife loses an intimate part of her body and needs to be supported by her husband. He starts to question his own manhood (identity). This loss is also a traumatic experiences for him. He is overwhelmed by his emotions and can fall into despair if he does not have the ability to process the problem. We live in the post-modern era. This has lead to the development of the Post-foundational practical theological approach. The researcher therefore decided to follow this approach in his study. This help to determine the influence of the disruption and uncertainties in the life of the man through a discourse between the practical theology, medical- and human science from a transversal perspective. Evident questions were raised for which the counsellor needs to distinguish himself with knowledge about the various pastoral approaches and techniques, appropriate knowledge of the Bible, medical- and human science. The circumstances in which the man finds himself raise questions about the meaning of his spirituality. Spirituality can be of great help for the husband. The aim of this counseling model is to facilitate the husband through the narrative approach to find the meaning of his true identity in Christ. Through the grace of God the husband becomes spiritually mature. The dependence on God through a process of transcendence changes the ‘question identity’ to an ‘identity of value and hope’. Through the work of Holy Spirit the husband is reassured of the fulfillment of the promises of salvation by God. The aim of this counseling model for the practical theology is a spiritually matured husband with a new future story. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

German text / Die Alkoholabhängigkeit ist die am stärksten verbreitete Abhängigkeitserkrankung in Deutschland. Unbekannt ist die Zahl der betroffenen Angehörigen. Nach Erarbeitung not-wendiger theoretischer Grundlagen und Vorstellung aktueller Forschungsergebnisse stan-den narrative Interviews mit Frauen von alkoholabhängigen Partnern im Mittelpunkt der Forschungsarbeit. Durch Datenanalyse und Dateninterpretation mit Methoden der rekon-struktiven Sozialforschung wurde ein tieferes Verständnis für die Lebensgeschichte der beiden ausgewählten Biografinnen gewonnen. Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren konnten diffe-renziert erfasst und resilienzfördernde Maßnahmen für Seelsorge und Beratung abgeleitet werden. Besondere Beachtung fand die Bedeutung des christlichen Glaubens als Resilienz-faktor. Weitere Beobachtungen durch Einbeziehung aller Interviews als Datenmaterial wurden als Hilfen für das Verständnis der Gesamtproblematik ausgewertet. Aus der Dis-kussion der Ergebnisse ergaben sich Handlungsempfehlungen für die christliche Gemeinde und richtungsweisende Impulse für Seelsorge und Beratung. Schlüsselbegriffe: / Alcohol dependence is the most widespread addictive disease in Germany, the number of affected relatives unkown. After acquiring theoretical foundations and current research results, my research focused on narrative interviews with wives of alcohol dependent part-ners. By the use of reconstructive social research methods, data analysis and interpretation a deeper understanding of the life history of the two selected biographers was obtained. After detecting risk and protective factors, resilience promoting factors for pastoral care and counselling could be derived. Special attention was paid to the importance of Christian faith. For an understanding of the overall problem, all interviews were included as data material and evaluated. From the discussion of the results, recommendations for the Chris-tian Church and impulses giving direction for pastoral care and counselling were derived. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

This research project arose from my journeys with Protestant Christian women who were living in sexually unhappy marriages. In South African Protestant faith communities there is the expectation that Christian marriages will experience sexual fulfilment. For many Christian women however, sexual unhappiness becomes their reality. Sexuality is cocooned in silence not only within the church, but also in many Christian marriages. This leaves many Christian women (and men) with little or no recourse to address sexually unhappy marriages. My research journey briefly explored the social construction of sexuality within the history of Christianity to see which discourses underpin current constructions of White Christian female sexuality. This participatory feminist action research journey centralised the voices of present-day contexts: Protestant Christian women, as well as clergy, were invited to share their understandings and interpretations of matrimony and sexual practices in relation to their faith. With the help of narrative therapeutic practices, some of the dominant social and religious discourses that constitute White Christian female sexuality were explored, deconstructed and challenged. This research journey aimed to penetrate this silence and to invite Christian women, who are living in sexually unhappy marriages, to share their experiences. This exploration included the faith predicaments and relational complexities, challenges and dilemmas Protestant Christian women experience when living in sexually unhappy marriages. This feminist-grounded action research explored the effects and consequences which living in sexually unhappy marriages held for the cosearchers. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

The study focuses on women’s experiences of abuse resulting in trauma. This research performance was conducted within a practical theology framework guided by a de-centred participatory action research process. The study was conducted against a postmodern background and was informed by social construction discourse. Its aim was to explore whether and how narrative pastoral counselling using outsider witnessing could be helpful in finding new preferred ways of living, resulting in healing, resilience and hope for women who had experienced abuse and trauma. The outsider witness group explored practical ways of listening, observing and responding to the pain and suffering of others, resulting in a new performance of the self as valuable, competent, and enabling those who are witnessed to believe that they are survivors that have lived through and beyond the limited life span of abuse and trauma. The research report ends with a play, New Seasons, which is to be performed in front of live audiences in the course of 2012. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)