Text in German; abstract in German and English / In dieser Studie werden die Auswirkungen von Mentoring zur Förderung von Glaube und Kompetenzen innerhalb des einjährigen Jüngerschaftsprogrammes „Missions Discipleship Training“ von OM Deutschland untersucht. Zum einen wird erforscht, mit welchen Erwartungen die Teilnehmenden zum MDT kommen, zum anderen ihre Wahrnehmung der Mentoringtreffen, deren Inhalte und die Auswirkungen auf die Entwicklung von Glaube und Kompetenzen. Anhand des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus wird sowohl die Planung und Durchführung sowie die Ergebnisse der qualitativen Interviews dargestellt, die mit sieben ehemaligen Teilnehmenden des MDTs geführt wurden. Als Ergebnis des mehrmaligen Kodierens unter Anwendung der „Grounded Theory“ lassen sich fünf Typologien von Teilnehmenden herausarbeiten. Auf der Grundlage der Forschungsergebnisse wurden Praxiskonsequenzen für Mentoring erarbeitet. Die Studie will einen Beitrag zur besseren Umsetzung von Mentoring zur Förderung von Glaube und Kompetenzen in einjährigen Jüngerschaftsprogrammen leisten. / This research project examines the impact of mentoring in a one year discipleship programme, Missions Discipleship Training (MDT) from OM Germany. First, it looks at the expectations of participants at the outset of the programme. Secondly, it explores how participants evaluate mentoring sessions, specifically the content of the sessions and the impact on the development of the faith and competence of participants. Consistent with the empirical-theological praxis cycle the planning, implementation and results of the qualitative interviews of seven former MDT participants are included. A „Grounded Theory“ methodology is employed, resulting in the creation of multiple codes and the classification of the interviewees into five categories. A best practice approach to mentoring is developed based on these research results. This project aims to improve the implementation of mentoring in one year discipleship programs, so that through mentoring participants are encouraged to grow in both faith and competence. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

[pt] O tema da misericórdia é estudado a partir do que é apresentado no Livro de Walter Kasper A Misericórdia – Condição fundamental do Evangelho e chave da vida Cristã , com elementos para o aprofundamento do conhecimento da misericórdia de Deus, nas Escrituras, no ensinamento e na vida da Igreja, e sua ação dentro da Igreja e no mundo. Juntamente com o estudo de Kasper, a dissertação procura verificar o ensinamento do Papa Francisco no ano do Jubileu Extraordinário da Misericórdia. A dissertação destaca elementos do livro de Kasper e ênfases do ensinamento do Papa Francisco, em principais documentos pontífícios no ano jubilar, como a Bula Misericordiae Vultus que abre o ano da misericórdia e a carta apostólica Mirecordie et Misera fechando o ano e em audiências. Em Kasper e em Francisco apresentam-se questões importantes para o agir do cristão no mundo. A Escritura mostra a misericórdia de Deus. A misericórdia está na obra salvífica de Deus. A misericórdia deve estar na fé e na vida dos cristãos. O diálogo da misericórdia será necessário para levar a ação da misericórdia de Deus para uma cultura da misericórdia e para a evangelização do mundo. A Igreja deve receber a misericórdia de Deus e anunciar com palavras e obras da misericórdia e nos sacramentos. É necessário ter atenção com o sacramento da reconciliação onde a pessoa se encontra com o perdão e a misericórdia de Deus. / [en] The theme of mercy is studied from what is presented in Walter Kasper s book Mercy-The essential condition of the Gospel and the Key to the Christian Life with elements for deepening the knowledge to God s mercy in the Scriptures, in the teaching and in the life at Church, and its action within the Church and in the world. Together with Kasper s study, the thesis seeks to verify the teaching of Pope Francis by year during Jubilee extraordinary of Mercy. See the deepening of mercy in the main section of the Pope s hearings in this jubilee. The dissertation highlights elements of Kasper s book and emphases of the teaching of Pope Francis with pontifical texts in the jubilee year, as in the Bull Misericordiae Vultus that the year of mercy was opened and the apostolic letter Misericordia and Misera closing the jubilee year. In Kasper and Francis are presented important questions for the action of the Christian in the world. Scripture shows the mercy of God. Mercy is in the saving work of God. Mercy must be in the faith and life of Christians. The dialogue of mercy will be necessary to bring the action of God s mercy to a culture of mercy and to the evangelization of the world. The Church must receive the mercy of God and proclaim with words and works of mercy and the sacraments. Within this framework, attention will need to be paid, among other things, the sacrament of reconciliation where one encounters the forgiveness and the mercy of God.

This study explores the operations of Sesotho masculinity: its dominant ideas and practices and their effects on Basotho women and men and this latter‟s resistance to a gender-ethical consciousness gaining momentum in Lesotho. It challenges a deep running belief among the Basotho that being born male necessarily means being born into a superior social position and status that is naturally and divinely sanctioned. It investigates how the dominant postcolonial discourse called sekoele (a return to the traditions of the ancestors) and the Christian churches‟ discourses of the “true”/“authentic” Christian life, framed by the classical biblical and confessional dogmatic traditions, actually support and sustain this belief and so reinforce the imbalance of power in favour of men in the order of gender relations in Lesotho. On the contrary, through the principles of the contextual theologies of liberating praxis, social construction theory, a narrative approach to therapy, gender-ethical consciousness and participatory approach, the study argues that masculinity and ways of being and thinking about men are socially constructed through historical and cultural processes and practices. It is in these processes and practices that Basotho men have been and continue to be advantaged and privileged over women. This study has challenged this situation by tracing the existence of alternative, more ethical ways of being and thinking about men in those historical and cultural processes and practices; ways which are more open to women and children and their wellbeing in the everyday life interactions. In this way, the study argues for a gender-ethical consciousness, which, in particular, invites Basotho men to engage in a reflection on their participation in a culture and practices which oppress the other, especially women and children. It invites Basotho men to accountability and responsibility. In this sense a gender-ethical consciousness is understood as watershed of masculinity in Lesotho. The participation of a group of Basotho men who offered to reflect on their relationship with the dominant masculinities, demonstrates how Basotho men are struggling to transform yet they fill us with the hope that change is possible. / Humanities Social Sciences and Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

The most popular paradigm for Jesus is 'Jesus as the Divine Saviour'. This image is inadequate for understanding the historical Jesus, because it is also inaccurate as an image for the Christian life. Marcus J Borg claims that the Christian life is about a relationship with God that involves us in a journey of transformation. In advocating the 'Third Quest', Borg develops an alternative image of 'Jesus as Jewish mystic ', contrary to the idea of 'Jesus as Jewish/Christian Messiah '. The image of Borg involves five universal religious personality types. The paradigm shift from 'Jesus as the Divine Saviour' to that of 'Jesus as Jewish mystic' is investigated as well as the relevance and consequences of this, for everyday religion and the conventional church. A plea for a positive assessment of the issue of the historical Jesus is presented. This could have existential implications for South African society as a whole. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.Th. (New Testament)

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Cette nouvelle édition critique du De fuga saeculi d’Ambroise de Milan repose sur la collation de nouveaux témoins manuscrits et sur la révision de ceux utilisés par C. Schenkl, dont les valeurs respectives sont évaluées à l’aide d’un stemma absent de son édition de 1897. Le texte ainsi édité est assorti d’une traduction originale en langue française. Le De fuga saeculi, œuvre spirituelle et morale publiée par Ambroise avec trois autres textes au sujet proche, est replacé dans le contexte milanais de la fin du IVe siècle : mutations des modes de vie chrétiens, intérêt pour la vie monastique, concurrence avec les partisans du néoplatonisme et devoir pastoral de guider et former la communauté d’une capitale impériale. L’enquête sur les sources révèle que le De fuga saeculi est à la fois l’héritier des traditions philosophiques platoniciennes et stoïciennes relues au prisme de la pensée de Philon d’Alexandrie, et le promoteur d’une fuite du monde spécifiquement chrétienne inspirée d’épisodes et de préceptes de l’Ancien et du Nouveau Testament. Le commentaire éclaire les enchaînements d’une pensée kaléidoscopique, mettant en évidence les thèmes principaux, leurs reprises et leurs variations. Est ainsi soulignée l’originalité ambrosienne de la fuga saeculi sur un sujet d’actualité à la fin du IVe siècle et au début du Ve siècle : une fuite intra-mondaine qui est différente de celle encouragée par ses contemporains, Jérôme, Paulin de Nole et Augustin. / This new critical edition of De fuga saeculi by Ambrose of Milan is based on the collation of new witness manuscripts and the revision of those used by C. Schenkl (their respective worth was examined thanks to a missing stemma in the 1897 edition). The edition is accompanied by an original French translation. A spiritual and moral work published by Ambrose along with three other texts on a similar topic, De fuga saeculi is placed in its Milanese context of the end of the 4th century : transformations in Christian ways of living, an interest in monastic life, competition with advocates of Neo-Platonism and a pastoral duty to guide and train the community of an imperial capital. An enquiry into the sources reveals that De fuga saeculi both inherits the Neo-Platonician and Stoic philosophical traditions – reinterpreted through the thought of Philo of Alexandria –, and advocates a specifically Christian escape out of the world, inspired by events and precepts from the Old and New Testaments. The commentary displays the sequences of a kaleidoscopic thought and highlights its majors themes, re-uses and variations. Inner-wordly escape is a topical issue of the late 4th and early 5th centuries, but Ambrose’s conception expressed in De fuga saeculy is original given that it differs from those of contemporary writers such as Jerome, Paulinus of Nola and Augustine.

The subject of this study is Christian education in the church. This practical-theological work starts from the premise of the relevance of a commitment experience for the faith development of the individual and studies the formats and contents of continuing formal faith education of young Christians in evangelical free churches in a postmodern-urban milieu in Frankfurt. Its aim is to find out how well the New Testament discipleship topics of Jesus are integrated into the faith education in the church, and what reception difficulties and chances they experience in regard to the Zeitgeist. Are the New Testament discipleship topics still the basic guidelines with regard to content? The relationship between faith development, faith education and the local church is presented within a religion- and church-pedagogical approach and a connection to education for discipleship is made. The biblical premise is the discipleship commission of Jesus (Mt 28:18-20) and its church-pedagogical reply. / Der Untersuchungsgegenstand ist die christliche Erziehung in der Gemeinde. Diese praktisch-theologische Arbeit geht aus von der Bedeutung einer Commitment-Erfahrung für die Glaubensentwicklung des Einzelnen und untersucht die Formate und Inhalte der weiterführenden formalen Glaubenserziehung junger Christen in evangelikal-freikirchlichen Gemeinden im postmodern-urbanen Umfeld in Frankfurt. Ihr Ziel ist es, herauszufinden, inwiefern heute die neutestamentlichen Nachfolgethemen Jesu in der gemeindlichen Glaubenserziehung behandelt werden und welche Rezeptionsschwierigkeiten und Chancen sie im heutigen Zeitgeist haben. Sind dabei die neutestamentlichen Nachfolgethemen Jesu noch die inhaltlichen Grundrichtlinien? In einem religions- und gemeindepädagogischen Zugang wird die Beziehung von Glaubensentwicklung, Glaubenserziehung und der Ortsgemeinde gezeigt und mit der Erziehung zur Nachfolge verknüpft. Der biblische Ausgangspunkt ist der Jüngerschaftsauftrag Jesu (Mt 28,18-20) und dessen gemeindepädagogische Antwort. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th.(Practical Theology)

This dissertation evaluates the vision of empowering African elites iQ the International Church of Pretoria and suggests the ways to successfully train and empowers these Africans for the positive socio-political transformation of Africa. Such Christian empowering is so complex that it has to deal with the spiritual, psychological, intellectual and/or technical and socio-political aspects of the life of the trainee. After describing the problems that prevent these elites from behaving adequately and the portrait that can facilitate the successful selection of their trainers the dissertation proposes the guidelines of the empowering programmes for different elite groups. In the main the curriculum comprises a four-level conversion component for proper Christian life, and a psychotherapy empowerment coupled with horizontalisation for their liberation from psychological and socio-political evils, and a programme for the selection and the training of the spiritual leaders of the African elites. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

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