The purpose of this research was to discover what meaning adult candidates for Anglican confirmation gave to their confirmation, how they experienced the ritual and what place confirmation had in their continuing faith journey. The research report retells the stories of eight adults. The stories of four are presented as case studies. The baptism/ confirmation stories of all research participants are presented as metaphors, a form of 'systematic thematic analysis' (Plummer 1983). For the study I adopted a life history, case study approach (Jones 1983; Plummer 1983; Minichiello et al. 1995) drawing on the insights of ritual theory (Turner 1969, 1972, 1976) and the concept of transitional phenomena proposed by Winnicott (1965, 1971). Two sets of contextual factors formed the background to the study: the Church's tradition and its debates about confirmation and the attitudes of lay people about their faith and about the Church. The research method involved a grounded theory approach. The principal data creation techniques were in-depth interview and the Faith Autobiography pro forma. Following the initial interviews, each research participant was sent a summary of the research findings (Summary of themes). The Summary gave the metaphors which emerged from the interviews, together with brief notes on the concepts used to interpret the data. Responses from the research participants were incorporated into the final form of the metaphors: Belonging to myself, Returning/ Starting over, Growing up, Joining the family and Making a commitment. Most research participants did not regard baptism/confirmation as joining the Church: rather they saw themselves as belonging to the Church already; neither were they concerned with becoming Anglicans. For the majority, the transition they made in baptism/confirmation paralleled another life transition which was taking place or was expected to take place. Taking part in the research helped form the participants� ideas about baptism/confirmation. While the catechumenal process is able to provide a holding environment in which candidates for baptism/confirmation can explore the transitions in which they are involved, the initiation liturgy should reflect the �return� motif which emphasises incorporation as well as the traditional Exodus motif which emphasises separation.

This thesis examines the major thoughts on anthropology and selfhood from Plotinus in the third century and the Cappadocians in the fourth, situating the anthropology of the Cappadocians in the much broader context of their culture and their major works. It argues that: i) The inherent unity of all things, intelligible and material, provides the basis for radically intuitive categories such as synchronity, telepathy, and even love. ii) The ontological essence of expressed particularity in the divine or the human is an ekstatic relationship, i.e., it involves the transcending of the boundaries of self, a self identified as hypostasis or person. iii)Truth consists in apprehending that true being alone possesses existence in its own nature, participated in by all without being lessened and knowable only as and in relationship. Human being is participation in existence by an experience of communion. iv) The most essential activity of historical self is to use one's inherent capacity to form one's own identity in relation to the other -- both external and within -- as incarnational and dialogic beings. The findings of this thesis are that the relational notion of authentic human being grounded in open-ended divinity provides both a useful framework and the distinctive characteristics of human beingness for rethinking what it means to be a human being in the twenty-first century.

This thesis examines the major thoughts on anthropology and selfhood from Plotinus in the third century and the Cappadocians in the fourth, situating the anthropology of the Cappadocians in the much broader context of their culture and their major works. It argues that: i) The inherent unity of all things, intelligible and material, provides the basis for radically intuitive categories such as synchronity, telepathy, and even love. ii) The ontological essence of expressed particularity in the divine or the human is an ekstatic relationship, i.e., it involves the transcending of the boundaries of self, a self identified as hypostasis or person. iii)Truth consists in apprehending that true being alone possesses existence in its own nature, participated in by all without being lessened and knowable only as and in relationship. Human being is participation in existence by an experience of communion. iv) The most essential activity of historical self is to use one's inherent capacity to form one's own identity in relation to the other -- both external and within -- as incarnational and dialogic beings. The findings of this thesis are that the relational notion of authentic human being grounded in open-ended divinity provides both a useful framework and the distinctive characteristics of human beingness for rethinking what it means to be a human being in the twenty-first century.

This rhetorical analysis of a contemporary and historical social movement, American conservatism, through a prominent intellectual figure, Russell Kirk, begins with a description of the author's work. Ideologies, arguments, and sentiments are considered as implicit rhetoric, where social relations are defined by persuasion, ideas, historical appeal, persona, and various invitations to shared assumptions. First, a descriptive historical context is the foundation to explore the beliefs, communicative strategies, and internal tensions of the conservative movement through the development of various identities and communities during its rise as a formidable political power. Second, an analysis of the author and the author's texts clarifies argumentative and stylistic choices, providing a framework for his communicative choices. The thesis of this discussion is that the discourses implicit and explicit in the author's writing and conduct of life were imaginative and literary products of what he termed "moral imagination." How this imagination developed, and its impact upon his persuasion, was a unique approach not only to an emergent intellectual tradition but also to the disciplines of history, fiction, policy, and audience. This work argues there were two components to Kirk's rhetoric of moral imagination. First, his choosing of historical subjects, in biographical sketch and literary content, was an indication of his own interest in rhetorical efficacy. Second, he attempted to live out the sort of life he claimed to value. I argue he taught observers by an ethos, an endeavor to live a rhetorical demonstration of what he genuinely believed was good. As demonstrated by what many who knew Kirk identified as an inner strength of character and conduct, his rhetorical behavior was motivated by a love for and a curiosity toward wonder and mystery. By an imaginative reading of history, his exemplars of more properly ordered sentiments of a moral order sought to build communities of associational, relational persons that found identity in relation to other persons. His ambition was to explore and communicate what it meant to be human - in limitation, in promise, and in the traditions and customs that provide a framework for "human" in a culture.

Įvairių religijų doktrina moko, kad žmogus gali Dievą pažinti protu ir jį garbinti. Krikščionybėje žmogus gali Dievą priimti į savo gyvenimą, nes Dievas dovanoja save. Pats apsireiškimo įvykis jau yra Dievo esybės atskleidimas žmogui. Ypatingas Dievo dovanojimas savęs pasirodo įvairiose Sandorose su Senojo Testamento žmonėmis. Jėzuje Kristuje Dievo apsireiškimas ir Jo savęs atidavimas pasiekė viršūnę. Jėzaus Kristaus Kryžiaus auka atvėrė Trejybės slėpinio gelmes. Jėzus Kristus, kančios išvakarėse, įsteigęs Eucharistiją atiduoda žmonėms savo Kūną ir Kraują duonos ir vyno pavidaluose. Kanonų teisė nustato tam tikras sąlygas šventosios Komunijos priėmėjui: krikštas, buvimas be sunkios nuodėmės, pasninkas, išpažintis ir kt. Šiais išorinių veiksmų reikalavimais norima išsaugoti vidinę pagarbą Švenčiausiajam Sakramentui. Šio darbo teologinėje dalyje nagrinėjama Senojo Testamento sandoros. Žvelgiama į Jėzaus Kristaus gyvenimą per Dievo kenozės prizmę. Aptariama, kaip buvo suprantama ir garbinama Eucharistija įvairiais Bažnyčios istorijos amžiais. Teisinėje dalyje nagrinėjamos kanonų teisės nustatytos sąlygos priimančiajam Komuniją. Analizuojamos tų reikalavimų atsiradimo istorinės aplinkybės, aiškinamasi ko tiksliai reikalauja Kanonų teisė. Taip pat pateikiami pasitaikantys piktnaudžiavimo pavyzdžiai kai nesilaikoma teisės nuostatų. Darbe daromas ekskursas apie Švenčiausiojo Sakramento išniekinimą. Darbe naudojama įvairi teologinė ir teisinė literatūra lietuvių, lotynų, italų ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The doctrine of various religions teaches that a man is able to recognize God by mind and worship Him. In Christianity a man is able to accept God into his life because God gives Himself to him. The event of the Revelation itself is already a revealing of the substantiality of God to the man. The especial nature of God’s giving of Himself appears within the various covenants made with the people of the Old Testament. The particular Revelation of God was the life of Jesus Christ. In the sacrifice of the Cross Jesus Christ unclosed the depths of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Before His suffering Jesus established the Eucharist and gave his Body and Blood in the shape of bread and wine during the Last Supper. The Canon law establishes the conditions for a recipient of the Holy Communion: the baptism, confession, Eucharist fast, living without heavy sin etc. The Canon law requirements of these external actions aim to save the internal honor for the Holy Sacrament. The covenants of the Old Testament are discussed in the theological part of this research. The life of Jesus Christ is examined through the prism of God’s kenosis. The understanding and worship of the Eucharist during the various periods of the History of Church are discussed in this research. The conditions established by the canon law for the recipient of Holy Communion are examined in the legal part of this study. The historical circumstances of the appearance of these requests are analyzed. The occurring... [to full text]

Šiame darbe nagrinėjama problema, kodėl dauguma vaikų, priėmusių Pirmąją Komuniją toliau nebedalyvauja Šv. Mišiose. Pirmoje darbo dalyje apžvelgiamos Katalikų Bažnyčios nuorodos dėl tikinčiųjų dalyvavimo Eucharistijoje; antroje dalyje analizuojamas vaikų tęstinės katechezės būtinumas jų sąmoningam dalyvavimui Eucharistijoje; trečioje dalyje atskleidžiama vaikų vystymosi psichologinių – religinių ypatumų reikšmė jų dvasiniam ugdymuisi. Toliau analizuojamos tęstinės liturginės katechezės galimybės dėl Pirmąją Komuniją priėmusių vaikų skatinimo dalyvauti Šv. Mišiose. Tuo tikslu ketvirtoje darbo dalyje tikrinama hipotezė, kad vaikų dalyvavimas tęstinės katechezės veikloje stiprina jų Šv. Mišių liturgijos prasmės suvokimą bei norą įsijungti į Bažnyčios bendruomenę, pilnai pasitvirtino. Svarbiausios darbo išvados yra sekančios: 1. II Vatikano susirinkimas krikščionis pasauliečius pakvietė atnaujinti pirmųjų krikščionių laikų (Apd 2,42-47) atsakingą buvimą Bažnyčios misijoje. Tai įmanoma gyvai bendraujant su Jėzumi Eucharistijoje – per Jį, su Juo ir Jame. 2. Ypatingai svarbu nepalikti vaikų vienų sekuliarios visuomenės apsuptyje po Pirmosios Komunijos. Šis vaikų amžius iki Sutvirtinimo sakramento priėmimo yra labai opus. Šiuo laikotarpiu vaikas, tyrinėdamas save, konfliktuoja su savimi ir su aplinkiniu pasauliu. Jis iš naujo pervertina pagrindines vertybes ir pažiūras. Pradeda abejoti iki tol turėtomis idėjomis. Jų socialinė grupė tampa nebe šeima, o bendraamžiai. Jie neigia tai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This Master‘s degree thesis contains introduction and four main parts. The main analysing issue is why majority of children after their First Communion don’t participate in the Mission of the Church. In the first part is reviewed Catholic Church references regarding importance of regular participating believers in The Mission. In the second part is analyzing necessity of persisting Catechesis for children’s aware participation in Eucharist. In the third part is unclosed children’s psychological – religious development specificity in their spiritual education. The fourthly part mainly is an investigation and consideration of quantitative research to verify hypothesis how children’s involvement in continue Catechesis would reinforce their understanding of the Mission liturgy meaning and increase their desire to integrate in the Church community. Conclusions are listed in the end. The main of them are following: 1. The Second Vatican City Convent invited all Christians to renew the old Christian times’ responsible participation in the Mission of the Church. This is possible through the Eucharist (through Him, with Him and within Him). 2. It is especially important not to leave the children surrounded by secular society after the First Communion. The child’s age before the Confirmation is very problematic. During this period the child starts to explore himself or herself and by doing so appears to be in conflict with himself or herself as well as the surrounding world. The... [to full text]

Although confirmation should be the zenith of a young person's personal attachment to God and the congregation of believers, the exact opposite of this seems to be true when one considers the large numbers of young people that leave the church directly after their confirmation. A literature study shows that attempts to solve this problem have thus far to a large extent focussed on the young people in the process of preparing for confirmation. The purpose of this study is to shift the focus to the community of believers, more specifically to the role of such a community of believers in the guidance of young people in the process of preparing for confirmation, in order to find a solution to the problem. The following research question arose as a result: What is the role of the congregation as a community of believers in the guidance of young members through the confirmation process? The method employed was as follows: Basis-theoretical principles were formulated from Scripture as a result of literature studies and exegesis of relevant passages of Scripture. Meta-theoretical perspectives came to light by utilisation of the auxiliary science, Sociology, amongst other things. The role of the community of believers as a socialising agent of the youngsters was examined. The actual situation regarding the role of the community of believers in confirmation was examined meta-theoretically by means of a literature study on the situation within the broader Reformed tradition of the three Sister Churches, together with an empirical analysis of the situation within the Reformed churches of South Africa. Practical-theoretical guidelines were given following the hermeneutical interaction between the basis-theoretical principles and the meta-theoretical perspectives. The final conclusion is that the congregation as a community of believers is one of the most important agents in the religious socialisation of young people and therefore plays a very important role in preparing them for and guiding them in confirmation. The responsibility of the community of believers lies on the following levels: The shaping of a Biblical vision of the church or congregation that the young people can commit to. The concretion of this vision by means of the persistent practice of the fourfold ministry (“Hebrew text”) while simultaneously involving the whole congregation (young and old) in order that everything the congregation is, says, prays and does, is in congruence. This approach will lend credibility to the community of believers and by doing this the young people will be drawn closer. Focused community pursuit with special attention given to the acceptance of the young people, self-sacrificing and loving service towards the youths, as well as the verbal and practical teaching and instruction of the youngsters. A change in perception and sometimes a change of attitude of heart regarding the inclusion and participation of young people in the congregation. The creation of a culture in which every member earnestly considers his personal religious commitment and is prepared to be held responsible for this commitment. Such a culture of personal religious commitment, together with accountability to that commitment will carry the youths through their own personal commitment within confirmation, while confirming the importance of such a commitment at the same time. / Thesis (M.Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 200

Lietuvoje daugelis pedagogų domisi bendruomenine pedagogika. Jie pripažįsta, kad bendruomeniškumo stiprinimas ugdymo įstaigose būtinas dėl psichologinių ir praktinių tikslų.Ugdymas bendrystės atmosferoje - tai pozitytvi vaikų socializacija, taip pat galimybė suteikti tėvams pozityvios tėvystės įgūdžių. Be to tai labai motyvuojantis ir gerų rezultatų teikiantis projektas. Tačiau Lietuvoje trūksta išbaigtos bendruomeniškumą kaip vertybę teigiančios ugdymo sistemos. Šiame darbe yra tiriama unikali ugdymo metodika, kuri ontologiniu ugdymo principu pasirinko, būtent, santykį. Agaciškosios bendrystės pedagogikos tikslas - integralus vaiko asmenybės formavimas, tai konkretus ir besitęsiantis indėlis į kultūrą ir taiką. Į šį "Saulės spindulio" darželį Kroatijoje, įsteigtą 1995 m. priimami įvairių etninių grupių ir religijų pabėgėlių vaikai iš karo zonų. Jie ugdomi visuotinės brolystės dvasia, perteikiant davimo, priėmimo ir taikos kultūrą. Šio darbo tikslas - atskleisti krikščioniškosios antropologijos matmenis agaciškoje bendrystės pedagogikoje. Terinis tyrimas ir ekspertų išvados parodė, kad ši pedagogika gali padėti efektyviai spręsti aktualias ugdymo problemas. / In Lithuania many educators are interested in Community Pedagogy. Last Year Lithuanian University of Education had organized scientific-practical Conference “Strengthening the school community”. Participants of the Conference emphasized that strengthening of community of educational institutions is necessary for the psychological and practical goals. There was identified some educational problems: education has lost its character; cooperation often becomes a temporary corporate agreements; children often feel a strong close, warm relationship deficits, lack of individual attention. In this context training in the atmosphere of fellowship is positive and potentially effective the socialization of children. This conclusion is also the opportunity to give parents positive parenting skills. All experience suggests that community development in educational institutions is highly motivating and provides good education results. However this process has its own difficulties. The main challenge is a lack of holistic community-based education system. This work aims to analyze experimental methodology for teaching, where ontological principle of development was chosen, namely, the ratio. This is Agazzi Community Pedagogy, which was introduced in kindergarten "Sunbeam" in Croatia. The project started in 1995, following the dramatic conflict severely affected Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian nations. This pedagogy is contribution to the development of the culture of dialogue and peace... [to full text]

Very few women hold top corporate positions in Sweden, and women are underrepresented as managers in all work sectors. The present thesis examined stereotypes, perceptions and presuppositions about women, men and management with a combination of perspectives from social and organizational psychology, discourse analysis and gender in organization research. Study 1 of Paper I was a content analysis of management attributes and cultural stereotypes of female and male managers. In Study 2, an inventory of these attributes was formed, and participants’ stereotype endorsements tested. Stereotypes of female managers resembled good management more than male managers, and they were rated more positively, but a masculine norm was implied. Paper II aimed to study and compare gender-related management stereotypes and evaluations of actual managers, and examine perceived gender bias. Men evaluated the female manager stereotype more positively on communal attributes, and, contrary to women, judged the male manager stereotype more positively on agentic attributes. This may help explain the scarcity of women in top management. Women perceived more gender bias favoring male managers than men. Actual male and female managers were rated similarly. Still, the Euclidian distances showed that ratings of actual managers and stereotypes were linked. Paper III examined the discourse on the lack of women in top corporate positions, explanations and links to proposed measures in a project to counter the gender imbalance. A liberal discourse with contradictions and textual silences was exposed. Gender had to be construed in line with traditional gender norms and division of labor to make sense of the proposed explanations. To conclude, one can be reassured by the largely communal portrayal of good management and positive evaluations of female managers, but also apprehensive about the masculine norm of management, perceived gender bias in favor of men, and traditional gender constructions.

Although confirmation should be the zenith of a young person's personal attachment to God and the congregation of believers, the exact opposite of this seems to be true when one considers the large numbers of young people that leave the church directly after their confirmation. A literature study shows that attempts to solve this problem have thus far to a large extent focussed on the young people in the process of preparing for confirmation. The purpose of this study is to shift the focus to the community of believers, more specifically to the role of such a community of believers in the guidance of young people in the process of preparing for confirmation, in order to find a solution to the problem. The following research question arose as a result: What is the role of the congregation as a community of believers in the guidance of young members through the confirmation process? The method employed was as follows: Basis-theoretical principles were formulated from Scripture as a result of literature studies and exegesis of relevant passages of Scripture. Meta-theoretical perspectives came to light by utilisation of the auxiliary science, Sociology, amongst other things. The role of the community of believers as a socialising agent of the youngsters was examined. The actual situation regarding the role of the community of believers in confirmation was examined meta-theoretically by means of a literature study on the situation within the broader Reformed tradition of the three Sister Churches, together with an empirical analysis of the situation within the Reformed churches of South Africa. Practical-theoretical guidelines were given following the hermeneutical interaction between the basis-theoretical principles and the meta-theoretical perspectives. The final conclusion is that the congregation as a community of believers is one of the most important agents in the religious socialisation of young people and therefore plays a very important role in preparing them for and guiding them in confirmation. The responsibility of the community of believers lies on the following levels: The shaping of a Biblical vision of the church or congregation that the young people can commit to. The concretion of this vision by means of the persistent practice of the fourfold ministry (“Hebrew text”) while simultaneously involving the whole congregation (young and old) in order that everything the congregation is, says, prays and does, is in congruence. This approach will lend credibility to the community of believers and by doing this the young people will be drawn closer. Focused community pursuit with special attention given to the acceptance of the young people, self-sacrificing and loving service towards the youths, as well as the verbal and practical teaching and instruction of the youngsters. A change in perception and sometimes a change of attitude of heart regarding the inclusion and participation of young people in the congregation. The creation of a culture in which every member earnestly considers his personal religious commitment and is prepared to be held responsible for this commitment. Such a culture of personal religious commitment, together with accountability to that commitment will carry the youths through their own personal commitment within confirmation, while confirming the importance of such a commitment at the same time. / Thesis (M.Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 200