The aim of the dissertation is to find an answer to the question of whether the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) in the years 1968-1989 could be considered "free" in any way. This work describes the life of the ECCB in that period and the ways of the freedom und unfreedom the ECCB enjoyed and formed. Thereby, the research is based on the careful analysis of documents of church and state archives and the results of ten author-led biographical interviews with then active pastors. Combining these methods and sources, the dissertation offers an innovative view on the ECCB in the period and provides new, deeper, and more personal insights into the processes of the time. The first four chronological chapters describe the situation and development of the ECCB during the socio-political liberalisation during the Prague Spring and during the years after the Warsaw Pact troops' invasion of Czechoslovakia, when the so-called "normalisation" began. The fifth chapter presents the main strategies that the church developed in reaction to the restriction of its freedom. The sixth chapter presents the perspective of two ministers of the ECCB on their contacts with the representatives of the state authorities in the form of a case study. An insight in the internal life of the church and the forms of the church...

The History of Architecture has been all about religious buildings. With distribution of sources of power and wealth, new paradigms have emerged. Architecture today is about villas, skyscrapers, stadiums, etc. as well as churches. The financial support of the church is not in the same way as in middle ages; neither the way in which they are used. The question of this thesis project is this transformation of an architectural tradition and how it should be adjusted to our time’s conditions.

Text in Afrikaans / Die eng definiering van kerkmusiek staan tans in die spervuur vanwee: 1. Ingrypende wendinge binne die praktiese teologie in die afgelope paar dekades, wat pleit om 'n hernieude ondersoek binne die handelingsveld van viering (waaronder himnologie); 2. 'n Verskuiwing in wereldbeskouing weg van modernisme na postmodernisme; 3. Die geboorte van 'n totaal nuwe geslag adolessente, bekend as die 'Verlore Generasie' of 'Generasie X' . Kerkmusiek, in die engere sin, soos dit steeds grootliks verstaan word, hou nie genoegsaam met hierdie tendense rekening nie. Vandaar verloor kerkmusiek sy impak en inspraak in die leefwereld van die hedendaagse tiener. Dit veroorsaak gevolglik 'n groterwordende kloof tussen adolessente en die erediens, gemeente en kerk. In hierdie studie word gepoog om genoegsaam op bostaande tendense ag te slaan, sodat 'n breer def iniering van kerkmusiek tot stand mag kom, wat ruimte vir grater verskeidenheid en aktualiteit tot gevolg sal he, en die spanning random kerkmusiek en die tiener kan probeer ontlont. / The narrow defining of church music today experiences a critical assault on account of: 1. Drastic turns within the development of Practical theology in the past few decades, which ask for a renewed investigation within the field of himnology; 2. a Shift in worldview away from modernism to post-modernism; 3. The birth of a total new generation of adolescents, known as the 'Lost Generation' or 'Generation X' . Church music in the narrow sense, as it is still understood to a great extent, does not take these tendencys serious enough. For this reason it's impact and influence in the life of today's teenagers declines. With this study a thorough acknowledgement of these shifts is attempted, which will result in a much broader defining of church music, and in turn will bring forth a scope for more variety and actuality, so that hopefully the growing gap between teenagers and church music can be bridged. / Practical Theology / M.Diac. (Jeugwerk)

Text in Afrikaans / Die eng definiering van kerkmusiek staan tans in die spervuur vanwee: 1. Ingrypende wendinge binne die praktiese teologie in die afgelope paar dekades, wat pleit om 'n hernieude ondersoek binne die handelingsveld van viering (waaronder himnologie); 2. 'n Verskuiwing in wereldbeskouing weg van modernisme na postmodernisme; 3. Die geboorte van 'n totaal nuwe geslag adolessente, bekend as die 'Verlore Generasie' of 'Generasie X' . Kerkmusiek, in die engere sin, soos dit steeds grootliks verstaan word, hou nie genoegsaam met hierdie tendense rekening nie. Vandaar verloor kerkmusiek sy impak en inspraak in die leefwereld van die hedendaagse tiener. Dit veroorsaak gevolglik 'n groterwordende kloof tussen adolessente en die erediens, gemeente en kerk. In hierdie studie word gepoog om genoegsaam op bostaande tendense ag te slaan, sodat 'n breer def iniering van kerkmusiek tot stand mag kom, wat ruimte vir grater verskeidenheid en aktualiteit tot gevolg sal he, en die spanning random kerkmusiek en die tiener kan probeer ontlont. / The narrow defining of church music today experiences a critical assault on account of: 1. Drastic turns within the development of Practical theology in the past few decades, which ask for a renewed investigation within the field of himnology; 2. a Shift in worldview away from modernism to post-modernism; 3. The birth of a total new generation of adolescents, known as the 'Lost Generation' or 'Generation X' . Church music in the narrow sense, as it is still understood to a great extent, does not take these tendencys serious enough. For this reason it's impact and influence in the life of today's teenagers declines. With this study a thorough acknowledgement of these shifts is attempted, which will result in a much broader defining of church music, and in turn will bring forth a scope for more variety and actuality, so that hopefully the growing gap between teenagers and church music can be bridged. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Diac. (Jeugwerk)