<p> Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Religious Studies, Anthropology and Sociology, this dissertation poses the question: How is religious meaning constructed in the face of death in contemporary North America, given that commercial establishments, non-denominational funeral chapels, have become the primary context for the performance of death rituals dealing with death, the dead and the bereaved? </p> <p> The dissertation is based on an extended period of ethnographic research at the Marlatt Funeral Home in Dundas, Ontario, a corporately owned non-denominational funeral home which serves a very diverse, but predominantly urban religious population. I concentrate on the funeral professionals as well as clergy and the bereaved in their contribution to the cultural construction and social organization of death in contemporary North America. </p> <p> While there is an extensive body of social science literature on death and funerary practices in non-Western contexts, there is very little systematic academic research on death and funeral practices in contemporary North America, in particular, in Canadian settings. My dissertation furthers the discussion started in studies by Emke (2001) and Small ( 1997) which focus on funeral practices in Newfoundland as well as studies by Bradbury (1999), Davies (2002), Howarth (1996) and Walter (1990, 1994, 1996, 1998) elsewhere in the Anglophone West by focusing on funeral practises in an urban Canadian setting This dissertation demonstrates that funeral directors perform a complicated role as mediators and ritual specialists balancing multiple domains of spirituality, emotion, personal taste, institutionalized religion, ethnicity and commerce. Furthermore, I argue that funeral directors mediate between the living and the dead, between life and death, and between this world and the afterlife, as it is conceived of by their clients. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis documents an inquiry into the architecture of contemplative spaces and the process and evolution of the design of such a place. Man has often sought a place of solitude, a shelter, where the diversities diminish and differences become insignificant. In the recent decades many non-denominational temples and chapels, such as the MIT peace chapel, were built around the world by seekers of unity in diversity. This study explores the design of such a place and inquires into how the subtle architectural aspects contribute to the quality of solitude and tranquility of that place. These aspects are further explored in the design of a rotunda which becomes the heart of the thesis. / Master of Architecture

The aim of this paper is to study how school yoga in Östermalmsskolan is expressed in the texts consist of a notification to the Schools Inspectorate, an opinion to the Schools Inspectorate and a statement of the Schools Inspectorate. The method used for the investigation is a critical discourse analysis which study social and political processes in the society as created through language. The perspective of the critical discourse analysis is a social construction that considers that language is a social production created in a discursive way. It produces and reflects social process in the language. By using theories of different concepts such as yoga, religion, spirituality, non-denominational and freedom of religion, my aim is to investigate how yoga is expressed in the school inspectorate text. With this method I’m aiming to analyze the discourse of the investigation of document from 2012, of complaint against Östermalmsskolan teaching yoga. The conclusion of the study is that in the document to the Schools Inspectorate there are two different religion definitions, which are substantial and functional definition of religion. In the motivations of accepting yoga teaching in school, the school inspectorate is not incorporating the word, spiritual. Instead they use words as, self-awareness and increased ability to concentrate. I found it hard for the school inspectorate, to identify yoga as non-denominational. There’s a complexity in the school inspectorate document, because there’s indicates of trying to secularize yoga. In the document the problem of guaranty students and parents, a non- denominational yoga teaching, is exposed because the school principal have a responsibility that the performance of yoga teaching will not conflict with the Education Act provisions on denominational elements. The mantra “aum”, that students are exposed to during yoga, is considered without a non- denominational element even though it’s a central element in Hinduism and Buddhism, where it’s used to profess and invoke gods and spirits. In doing so, yoga teaching violates against the Education Act provision of non-denominational education.

This comparative qualitative research aimed to explore critical thinking in teachers’ accounts and curriculum documents of religious education in two different sectors in Scottish Education: non-denominational and Roman Catholic. While previous research examined critical thinking in different curriculum areas and there are empirical studies on religious education from different perspectives, there was a lack of research on critical thinking in religious education particularly in the Scottish context. What makes exploring critical thinking in religious education particularly interesting is the complex relationship between faith and reason, and the importance attached to personal beliefs within the subject, unlike in other curriculum areas. My research consists of three different studies to answer the research questions. In the first study, I designed a framework of critical thinking drawing on analysis and synthesis of critical thinking definitions and frameworks dominant in the literature. Having investigated the most-cited taxonomies and frameworks of thinking skills and critical thinking such as those presented by Bloom, Ennis, Halpern and Paul, I designed a hierarchical framework of critical thinking. This conceptual framework covers lower level thinking skills, higher level (cognitive and meta-cognitive) thinking skills and dispositions. In the second study I used this framework to analyse and compare the explicit and implicit incorporation of critical thinking and its elements in RE curriculum documents in the two education sectors. The purpose was to identify different types of critical thinking in these documents. The third study focused on teachers’ understanding of critical thinking in religious education by conducting semi-structured interviews with RE teachers in secondary schools in Scotland: 5 in 5 non-denominational schools and 4 in 3 Roman Catholic schools. Analysis of curriculum documents and teachers’ interviews based on the framework of critical thinking revealed the workability and originality of this designed framework. One of the key findings of this study is that although the elements of critical thinking evident in RE curriculum documents of both sectors and the terminology used in them is the same, different approaches to religion and truth results in different approaches to critical thinking being implicit in those documents: critical thinking within religion, critical thinking between religions and critical thinking concerning religion. Moreover the study shows the vagueness of all RE curriculum documents in defining the term critical thinking and its development, and the lack of comprehensive knowledge amongst teachers of critical thinking integrated in these documents. Another finding of this research is that although there is some similarity in RE teachers’ explicit approaches to critical thinking, teachers have individual perceptions of critical thinking which does not seem to be influenced by the sector in which they worked. I suggest that this is due to their different personal and social backgrounds shaping their understanding, combined with the absence of clear definition of critical thinking in RE curriculum documents. Regarding the intertwined relation between critical thinking and religious education, the study suggests that it would be beneficial to include a clear definition of critical thinking and the methods by which it can be developed in curriculum documents.

‘Knowledge of their past will inform the decisions [Baptists] take today which will shape their tomorrow.’ These words of Baptist historian Barrie White along with some from Archbishop Rowan Williams, that to ‘engage with the Church’s past is to see something of the Church’s future’ which ‘makes for the health of the church…’ lie at the heart of my thesis that denominational history has the potential to form a valuable and engaging resource for theological reflection within the field usually termed church health, and specifically in the consideration of change, actual or potential, in pastoral practice. As a Practical Theologian, central to my approach is a belief that such reflection should be undertaken by and for the people who make up local congregations. My particular interest is in assisting local churches (congregations) to approach and manage change in ways that avoid the potential for destructive conflict: might it be that examples from denominational history form a valuable resource for reflection on processes that might be employed to approach contemporary issues? An initial survey of materials suggests that it might, but that in its current form it is largely inaccessible (literally and in relation to how it is presented). This submission presents a portfolio of work, based on the popular 'pastoral cycle' approach, exploring this possibility and establishing a way forward for developing a more accessible and engaging method to 'tell the story'.After a thorough literature, which presents an overview of developments in the disciplines of church health and history alongside an outline of readily available Baptist history, my publishable article develops a renewed vision for the Baptist Historical Society, the voluntary body which produces the majority of UK Baptist historical writing, taking account of insights gained. Specifically, the potential for a more narrative/literary approach with a recovery of theological/spiritual language is identified as a way forward in increasing accessibility and usability of this rich resource in the way I advocate. Three possible approaches to developing resources are identified and explored in the research proposal, ranging from almost entirely empirical to totally theoretical, with justification of why each constitutes Practical Theology. Emphasis shifts away from the central thesis in the reflective paper which explores questions of 'readers' and 'writers' in relation to my own work as a researcher and a practical theologian. A final reflection, in lieu of a conclusion, draws threads together and affirms my conviction that denominational history has the potential to provide a rich and fruitful resource for theological reflection in the area of church health.

This essay searches to examine religious education (RE) in Swedish primary school through a comparison to the teaching of the same subject in Germany. The perspective used is the one of the teacher, and the methods and content of religious teaching have been investigated by interviews and a minor study of the curricula of RE in both nations. The three central concepts of teaching RE, defined by Michael Grimmit, operate as a mould for the findings to be organized after. The purpose is not to investigate the knowledge of religions among pupils, but to compare two different methods of RE, both being used in two secularized North European nations, and how they are practically performed by six teachers. The respondents’ experiences of their mission will be the focal point of the study, but didactics methods of RE have also been an important part of  the literary synthesis as well as of the interviews. A survey of which cathegories of methods were described in the interview will be presented in a chart. The synthesis of the respondents’ reflections suggests that the experience of the professional mission varies between the teachers teaching confessionally and those teaching unconfessionally. The first include in their charge to breed their pupils into the culture and heritage of their religion, and guide them into living within it. The second stress their target as objective founders of knowledge, responsible to offer varying views of the world and society. The collective opinion among the respondents was however that to be able to interact well in a society of multiple religions, the pupils need to reach substantial knowledge of the religions of the world, including other outlooks on life, and develop understanding and tolerance for their neighbours.

Canada has distinct contemporary faith communities that differ from western and European counterparts. Unfortunately statistics tracking denominational allegiances give little insight into the daily intricacies of collective religious practice. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards filling a gap within scholarly research on the lived culture and experiences of contemporary religious communities within Canada. This study examines the pattern of culture-sharing within a non-denominational faith community as lived and practiced in Ottawa. Through autoethnography, this study asks why members attend and how members view the use of popular culture video clips within church. Individual and collective religious identities are constructed through observations, interviews and material artifacts gleaned through participant observation from January 2011 to December 2011. The results show that within the church, a community of practice is built around shared parenthood and spiritual journey. Members place importance on children, on providing support of all kinds for one another, and on keeping religion relevant. Reasons for attending are echoes of the patterns of culture-sharing: members enjoy the feeling of community, the support, the friendships, the play dates. Participants view popular culture video clips played within church as one aspect of an overall importance placed upon relevance. Mutuality of engagement results in members experiencing their lives as meaningful, it validates their worth through belonging, and it creates personal histories of becoming within the context of a community of practice. Future research recommendations include further study of other contemporary faith communities within Canada, with investigation into the possibility that communities of practice may be what the churched and unchurched are seeking.

Canada has distinct contemporary faith communities that differ from western and European counterparts. Unfortunately statistics tracking denominational allegiances give little insight into the daily intricacies of collective religious practice. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards filling a gap within scholarly research on the lived culture and experiences of contemporary religious communities within Canada. This study examines the pattern of culture-sharing within a non-denominational faith community as lived and practiced in Ottawa. Through autoethnography, this study asks why members attend and how members view the use of popular culture video clips within church. Individual and collective religious identities are constructed through observations, interviews and material artifacts gleaned through participant observation from January 2011 to December 2011. The results show that within the church, a community of practice is built around shared parenthood and spiritual journey. Members place importance on children, on providing support of all kinds for one another, and on keeping religion relevant. Reasons for attending are echoes of the patterns of culture-sharing: members enjoy the feeling of community, the support, the friendships, the play dates. Participants view popular culture video clips played within church as one aspect of an overall importance placed upon relevance. Mutuality of engagement results in members experiencing their lives as meaningful, it validates their worth through belonging, and it creates personal histories of becoming within the context of a community of practice. Future research recommendations include further study of other contemporary faith communities within Canada, with investigation into the possibility that communities of practice may be what the churched and unchurched are seeking.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa aborda historicamente a construção e o desenvolvimento prático e teórico da teologia holística de Ellen White legada à Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia. Ellen White, viveu no momento em que seu país, os Estados Unidos da América, estavam se firmando enquanto nação e morreu precisamente quando ele buscava a hegemonia mundial. Assim, passando pelos turbulentos anos da Secessão e incorporando o espírito pragmático estadunidense cresceu e se firmou com sua pátria. Autodidata, ajudou a fundar uma das igrejas originais daquele país, fruto da união do pensamento heterogêneo de várias congregações protestantes. Seu trabalho destaca-se pela afirmação e vivência das crenças bíblicas que compõem a fé brônzea adventista. Contudo, de seu compêndio, extraído de milhares de páginas produzidas ao longo de sete décadas dedicadas à igreja, destaca-se indubitavelmente a interrelação indissociável entre corpo e espírito. A partir deste paradigma, para ela, esses dois entes formam a alma, que tendo porção corpórea, é mortal. Eis pois o que é o ser humano: uma alma mortal em busca de imortalidade, apenas alcançada pelos redimidos depois da volta de Jesus, um evento literal a ser percebido em breve a maior esperança do adventista ainda hoje. Em Ellen White, como deverá ser percebido ao longo do trabalho, visto a serena e equilibrada relação entre corpo e espírito, há uma fervorosa defesa e ao mesmo tempo fremente ataque àqueles que ao contrário desta perspectiva tida por ela cristã, apelam à filosofia clássica. É no escopo dessa teologia carnal por ela dita bíblica que deve estar o ser humano alinhado. Assim, manter um regime alimentar saudável, fazer exercícios físicos regulares, zelar pela educação integral e vivenciar a natureza configuram-se exercícios em busca da espiritualidade plena, que aliados à vida de piedade e oração levam a santificação tema central de seus escritos. O primeiro capítulo da tese analisa historicamente os Estados Unidos e Europa à época de Ellen White; o segundo aborda a construção histórica e social da crença na mortalidade da alma centro deste trabalho, enquanto o terceiro e último trata da abordagem holística whiteana do corpo e espírito com vistas a plenitude de alma. / The present research addresses historically the construction and development of practical and theoretical holistic theology of Ellen White bequeathed to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Ellen White lived at the time in which her country, the United States of America, were firmed while nation and died precisely when it sought the world hegemony. Thus, passing through turbulent years of Secession and incorporating the spirit pragmatic American she grew and lean on with her homeland. Self-taught, she helped to found one of the original churches of this country, the fruit of the union of heterogeneous thought of various protestant congregations. Her work stands for affirmation and experience of biblical beliefs that comprise the Adventist brazen faith. However, her compendium, extracted from thousands of pages produced over the course of seven decades devoted to church, stands out clearly the inseparable intercorrelation between body and spirit. From this paradigm, for her, these two bodies form the soul, that having body portion is deadly. This is then what is the human being: a mortal soul in search of immortality, only achieved by redeemed after the coming of Jesus, a literal event to be soon perceived - the greatest hope of the Adventist still today. In Ellen White, as should be perceived along the work, since the serene and balanced relationship between body and spirit, there is a fervent defense and at the same time thrilled attack to those who unlike this perspective taken by her Christian, call for classical philosophy. It is in the scope of this carnal theology dictated by her biblical that it must be the human being aligned. Thus, to maintain a healthy diet, doing regular physical exercises, ensure the integral education and experience the nature, configure exercises in search of full spirituality which allied to the life of piety and prayer lead to sanctification - central theme of her writings. The first chapter of the thesis analyzes historically the United States and Europe at the time of Ellen White; the second deals with the historical and social construction of the belief in the mortality of the soul - center of this work, while the third and last is the holistic whitean approach of body and spirit with views to the fullness of soul.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa aborda a construção do conceito de santificação a partir do desenvolvimento histórico da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia, principalmente sob o prisma dos escritos de sua co-fundadora, Ellen Gould Harmon White, entre 1844 e 1915. O primeiro dos quatro capítulos trata das origens do movimento precursor do adventismo pelo fazendeiro William Miller. Este, a partir de sua interpretação bíblica concluiu que o fim do mundo com a culminante volta de Cristo sob forma literal seria iminente e a preparação para o encontro com Ele foi o mote principal de seu trabalho, constituindo a mais cara esperança dos crentes mileritas e, posteriormente, dos adventistas do sétimo dia. O segundo capítulo aborda de forma sintetizada a biografia de Ellen White e sua participação efetiva na construção doutrinária da denominação estudada, enquanto o terceiro aborda especificamente as origens da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia e seu esforço para se constituir enquanto denominação dentro dos pressupostos do protestantismo histórico. Finalmente, o quarto capítulo examina os anteriores a partir do conceito de santificação, constituído ao longo do processo de formação da identidade adventista. / This research approaches the background of the concept of sanctification from the historical development of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, mainly under the view of its co-founder's writings, Ellen Gould Harmon White, between 1844 and 1915. The first of the four chapters deals with the origins of the movement that preceded Adventism by farmer William Miller. From his interpretation of the bible, he concluded that the end of the world with the culminating literal return of Christ would be imminent and the preparation for the encounter with the Lord was the main subject of his work, establishing the dearest hope of the Millerite believers and, later, of the seventh-day adventists. The second chapter approaches in a summed way Ellen White's biography and her effective participation in the doctrinal construction of the studied denomination, while the third approaches specifically the origins of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and its effort to establish itself as a denomination in the purposes of historical protestantism. Finally, the fourth chapter examines the preceding ones from Ellen White's concepts of sanctification, established during the long background process of the Adventist identity.