BL Lacertae objects belong to the most luminous sources in the Universe. They represent a subclass of active galactic nuclei with a spectrum that is dominated by non-thermal emission, extending from radio wavelengths to tera electronvolt (TeV) energies. The emission is strongly variable on time scales of years down to minutes, and arises from relativistic jets pointing at small angles to the line of sight of the observer, which is the reason for naming them “blazars”. Blazars are the dominant extragalactic source class in the radio, microwave and gamma-ray regime, are prime candidates for the origin of the Cosmic Rays and excellent laboratories to study black hole and jet physics as well as relativistic effects. Despite more than 20 years of observational efforts, the physical mechanisms driving their emission are not yet fully understood. So far, studies of their broad-band continuum emission were mostly concentrated on bright, flaring states. However, for a better understanding of the central engine powering the jets, the bias from flux-limited observations of the past must be overcome and their long-term average continuum spectral energy distributions (SEDs) must be determined. This work presents the first simultaneous multi-wavelength campaigns from the radio to the TeV regime of two high-frequency peaked BL Lacertae objects known to emit at TeV energies. The first source, 1ES 1011+496, was observed between February and May 2008, the second one, 1ES 2344+514, between September 2008 and February 2009. The extensive observational campaigns were organised independently from an external trigger for the presence of a flaring state. Since the duty cycle of major flux outbursts is known to be rather low, the campaigns were expected to yield SEDs representative of the long-term average emission. Central for this thesis is the analysis of data obtained with the MAGIC Cherenkov telescope, measuring energy spectra and light curves from ~0.1 to ~10 TeV. For the remaining instruments, observation time was proposed and additional data was organised by collaboration with the instrument teams by the author of this work. Such data was obtained mostly in a fully reduced state. Individual light curves are investigated as well as combined in a search for inter-band correlations. The data of both sources reveal a notable lack of a correlation between the emission at radio and optical wavelengths, indicating that the radio and short-wavelength emission arise in different regions of the jet. Quasi-simultaneous SEDs of two different flux states are observationally determined and described by a one-zone as well as a self-consistent two-zone synchrotron self-Compton model. First approaches to model the SEDs by means of a Chi2 minimisation technique are briefly discussed. The SEDs and the resulting model parameters, characterising the physical conditions in the emission regions, are compared to archival data. Though the models can describe the data well, for 1ES 1011+496 the model parameters indicate that in addition to the synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission of relativistic electrons, emission due to accelerated protons seems to be required. The SEDs of 1ES 2344+514 reveal one of the lowest activity states ever detected from the source. Despite that, the model parameters are not indicative of a distinct quiescent state, which may be caused by the degeneracy of the different parameters in one-zone models. Moreover, indications accumulate that the radiation can not be attributed to a single emission region. The results disfavour some of the current blazar classification schemes and the so-called “blazar sequence”, emphasising the need for a more realistic explanation of the systematics of the blazar SEDs in terms of fundamental parameters. / BL Lacertae-Objekte sind mit die leuchtkräftigsten Quellen im Universum. Sie stellen eine Unterklasse der Galaxien mit aktiven Kernen dar. Ihr Spektrum erstreckt sich von Radio-Wellenlängen bis in den Tera-Elektronvolt (TeV)-Bereich und ist dominiert durch nicht-thermische Strahlung. Ihre Emission is stark variabel, auf Zeitskalen von Jahren bis Minuten, und entsteht in relativistischen Jets, welche mit einem geringen Winkel zur Sichtlinie beobachtet werden. Daher werden diese Objekte “Blazare” genannt. Blazare sind die dominierende extragalaktische Quellpopulation im Radio-, Mikrowellen- und Gamma-Regime, gehören zu den favorisierten Quellen der Kosmischen Strahlung und bieten ausgezeichnete Bedingungen, um die Physik schwarzer Löcher, Jets sowie relativistische Effekte zu untersuchen. Trotz mehr als 20 Jahre andauernder Beobachtungen sind die physikalischen Mechanismen, welche für die Emission verantwortlich sind, noch nicht völlig verstanden. Bisher konzentrierten sich die Untersuchungen der Breitband-Kontinuumsstrahlung der Quellen hauptsächlich auf deren helle Ausbrüche. Um jedoch die zentrale Komponente der Jetenergetik zu verstehen, muss die in der Vergangenheit aufgebaute Tendenz zu flusslimitierten Beobachtungen überwunden werden, und die über lange Zeiträume gemittelten spektralen Energieverteilungen bestimmt werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit präsentiert die ersten simultanen Multiwellenlängenkampagnen vom Radio- bis in den TeV-Bereich für zwei BL Lacertaue Objekte, welche als TeV-Emitter bekannt sind. Die erste der beiden Quellen, 1ES 1011+496, wurde zwischen Februar und Mai 2008 beobachtet, 1ES 2344+514, die zweite Quelle, von September 2008 bis Februar 2009. Die umfangreichen Beobachtungskampagnen wurden unabhängig von externen Benachrichtigungen über hohe Flusszustände organisiert. Da starke Ausbrüche der Quellen relativ selten sind, wurde von den Kampagnen erwartet, dass eine spektrale Energieverteilung erbringen würden, welche repräsentativ für ein Langzeitmittel der Emission wäre. Die Analyse der Daten des MAGIC-Cherenkov-Teleskops, welches im Bereich von ~0.1 – 10 TeV beobachtet, nahm in dieser Arbeit ein zentrale Rolle ein. Daten der übrigen Instrumente wurde entweder über Anträge auf Beobachtungszeit oder Kooperationen mit den Instrumententeams vom Autor dieser Arbeit eingeworben. Entsprechende Daten wurden hauptsächlich in einer finalen Form übermittelt. In dieser Arbeit werden die individuellen Lichtkurven untersucht sowie für die Suche nach Korrelationen zwischen den verschiedenen Bändern verwendet. Für beide Quellen konnte keine Korrelation zwischen dem Radio- und optischen Bereich gefunden werden, was darauf hindeutet, dass deren Strahlung in unterschiedlichen Regionen des Jets produziert wird. Mit Hilfe der gewonnenen Daten wurden quasi-simultane spektrale Energieverteilungen in je zwei unterschiedlichen Flusszuständen ermittelt und mit Hilfe eines Ein-Zonen sowie eines selbst-konsistenten Zwei-Zonen-Synchrotron-Selbst-Compton-Modells beschrieben. Erste Versuche, die Energieverteilungen mit Hilfe einer Chi2-Minimisierungsstrategie zu untersuchen werden kurz erläutert. Die gewonnen Modellparameter, welche die physikalischen Eigenschaften der Emissionsregionen charakterisieren, werden mit Archivdaten verglichen. Obwohl die Modelle die spektralen Energieverteilungen gut beschreiben können, deuten die Modellparameter darauf hin, dass neben der Synchrotron- und invers-Compton-Strahlung relativistischer Elektronen auch Protonen zur Emission beitragen. Im Fall von 1ES 2344+514 konnte einer der niedrigsten jemals gemessenen Flusszustände beobachtet werden, welcher jedoch nicht durch Modellparameter gegeben ist, die auf einen Grundzustand der Quelle hindeuten würden. Eine Ursache hierfür könnte in der Entartung der Modellparameter der ein-Zonen-Modelle liegen. Zusätzlich zeichnet sich ab, dass mehrere Regionen für die beobachtete Emission verantwortlich sind. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse sind schwer mit aktuellen Szenarien der Klassifikation der Blazare sowie der sogenannten “Blazar-Sequenz” vereinbar. Diese Erkenntnisse verdeutlichen, dass eine realistischere, auf grundlegenden Parametern basierende Interpretation der Systematiken der spektralen Energieverteilungen von Nöten ist.

The evident existence of evil does not appear to be compatible with the traditional theistic view of Divine Justice. On the one hand, in the course of our daily lives we observe that the innocent suffer undeservedly and the wicked prosper abundantly / and on the other we have the religious principle assuring us that God is just. This contradiction which is known as the problem of evil constitutes one of the greatest challenges to theistic religions. Moses Maimonides, the foremost Jewish philosopher of the Middle Ages offers a solution to this problem through his theory of providence. In this thesis, I argue that for Maimonides providence comes in stages and his theodicy is formed by the first two stages of his theory of providence that I take to be comprising of essentially three stages. Given the two seemingly antagonistic positions that comprise the problem of evil, how he reconciles them through the first two stages of his theory of providence by synthesizing creatively the religious and philosophical principles is the subject of this thesis. In this context, I will also consider how he further strengthens his philosophical position through the analysis of a biblical parable, i.e. the Book of Job.

本研究以參與觀察及深入訪談兩種研究方法，以後現代及迷研究的相關理論為出發點，試圖分析： （一） BL衍生迷文本創作者及讀者的形成原因及條件為何？ （二） 藉由參與觀察及深入訪談，描述（describe）並辨識（identify）BL衍生迷文本創作者／讀者的本質，探討其迷的現象？（what？）、如何迷？（how？）、為什麼迷？（why？） （三） 進一步分析BL衍生迷文本作／讀者從事迷文本的意義，及從事迷文本創作／閱讀時的愉悅為何，是逃避性／生產性的愉悅、或是其他未被提及的愉悅？ 以外顯而言，BL衍生迷並沒有統一、絕對能區辨的特徵，迷對BL衍生的喜愛以其他行為表現，如創作、購買迷文本及與同好討論，在匿名環境、隱秘性高的網路上，可以找到許多BL衍生迷聚集的空間，而他們會有所謂「一般禁」的自主規制，希望不了解BL衍生的人不要進入及觀看相關內容。因為觸及到性別及道德層面，因此與其他「迷」不同，BL衍生迷對不了解BL衍生文化的人通稱為「外人」或「一般人」，通常不願意讓身邊的家人或好友知道自己的興趣，在公共場合提起相關話題時也相當隱諱，也就是所謂的「一般禁」。 受訪者則是因喜歡故事中描寫男性角色間之友情或衝突的場面，而開始有閱讀或創作BL衍生的意願。至於BL衍生與原作之間喜愛程度的關聯性，多位受訪者表示她們是否閱讀、創作BL衍生，與是否喜愛原作其實並無一定相關性，甚至對衍生作品的喜愛程度勝於原作。 BL衍生迷外在行為包括購買、創作及閱讀BL衍生迷文本、參與同好團體與聚會。針對曾有從事創作及出版同人誌經驗的受訪者，深入了解是否曾由商業出版社出版過原創的BL作品或是否曾經考慮過以從事BL創作為職業時，受訪者多對環境不穩定抱持悲觀的態度。目前多數受訪者選擇先透過不需透露自己身份的網際網路如BBS、相關WWW網站認識同好，進一步深入認識後可能會以電話、E-mail或其他方式相約見面。還有些會選擇加入相關的社團，如漫畫社，從社員中找尋同好。內在行為方面，受訪者以「萌」來表達對BL衍生的喜愛程度及興奮情緒。受訪者在接收到原作中的男性角色間表達友情或衝突的場面時，容易產生「萌」的情緒，進而去尋求能更表達出角色之間關係糾葛的BL衍生作品閱讀、或產生創作BL衍生作品的靈感、及與同好討論等上述外在行為。 部份受訪者對「過度」一詞表示不舒服的態度，研究者本身也開始對「過度」一詞在迷研究使用是否適當表示懷疑。迷並不認為自己的行為是「過度行為」，本研究中的受訪者在「區辨」自己是否為迷、或區辨其他迷與自己的不同時，多採用消極地態度隱瞞或否定自己是「迷」、是「腐女子」。 進一步再探討時可發現： （一） 讀者積極的誤讀與玩弄 本研究中試圖了解的BL衍生迷有多數堅持以「忠於原作」為他們閱讀或創作BL衍生迷文本的選擇標準，他們延續著原創劇情發送人所製造的訊息，而從中創造出愉悅，甚至回過頭來解讀原作的生產者，認為迷文本的一切創作線索，皆奠基於作者提供的所有線索，不認為自己顛覆了文本。也有受訪者認為，原作是有意識地與閱聽人共同玩弄虛構。 （二） 對「男性情誼」過度想像的愉悅。 承上，BL衍生文本是此族群在接收原創劇情內容時，對男性角色間關係的過度想像，無論是正面的友情或負面的仇恨衝突，BL衍生迷都將原作中欲表達男性情誼的劇情認為是愛情關係的「曖昧」，而從訪談中可發現，BL衍生迷了解這些純屬非現實的想像，也認定這種從曖昧關係想像延伸出的BL衍生文本，與同志文學不同，而不斷在不同原創作品中尋找、分析、創作及閱讀曖昧關係，正是此族群迷行為的實踐。 BL作品是女性對「理想男性情誼」的想像出發的作品。創作及閱讀BL及BL衍生作品不涉及性向認同，創作者也多為喜愛異性的女性，多因為欣賞及喜歡男性，希望能與男性擁有平等地位，才能對男男產生想像。

In this thesis I am investigating the religious ideas of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, H. P. Blavatsky and Annie Besant as examples of early approaches to religious pluralism. In this context, the term ‘religious pluralism’ refers to the belief that all religious traditions are paths to genuine religious ends. Thus, religions other than one’s own are considered to be of significance to people of all faiths and even to those who are not believers. I relate the appearance of these early notions of religious pluralism to the historical and ideological setting in which they were proposed, particularly the late nineteenth-century debate about science and religion in the West and its spheres of influence. I argue that theories of evolution, in addition to the emerging field of historical biblical criticism, presented a serious challenge to traditional understandings of religion. Together, these two strands of thought made a strong case for a purely materialistic worldview and for the further development of modern sciences on such a basis. In response to this crisis of religion, the four thinkers proposed religious teachings inspired by their own intense religious experience. They emphasised the experiential aspect of these teachings in order to claim an epistemic status of religious knowledge equal to that of scientific or empirical knowledge. In order to universalise this claim, they appealed to religious experience and religious knowledge originating in all faith traditions. In my assessment of these arguments I suggest that the two main thinkers, i.e. Ramakrishna and Blavatsky, may have been led towards pluralistic ideas of religion through their endorsement of the esoteric traditions of Tantrism and Hermeticism, respectively. Moreover, I trace the impact of the British colonial presence in India on the content, presentation and reception of the teachings of all four thinkers. I conclude that the teachings of Ramakrishna et al. represent early attempts to engage with the fact of religious plurality from a religious perspective. Thus, the four thinkers encouraged people to relate to the beliefs and practices of other faiths and to explore them in relation to their own life. These early efforts in interreligious understanding represented the initial steps towards our current debates about religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue.

This thesis explores the meaningful character of traces of earlier occupation and burial locations visible in the late 8th century BC landscape of the Argolic Plain in the northeast Peloponnese, Greece. It will be argued that, where ruined former habitation remains and burials were observed in the contemporary landscape, these locations were regarded as meaningful places. In the past, scholarly interest has predominantly focussed on late 8th century BC votive activity and burial reuse in connection with Bronze Age chamber tombs and tholoi. However, this thesis will demonstrate that these activities should not be dislocated from the wider landscape but, rather, should be considered alongside contemporaneous interconnected behaviour. In support of this position, evidence of ritual performances among the ruins of abandoned former Bronze Age acropolis locations; placing of burials within the ruins of Bronze Age buildings; and establishment of shrines within areas of Bronze and Early Iron Age cemeteries will be considered along with data specific to late 8th century BC activities in connection with Bronze Age chamber tombs and tholoi. It will be established that these trends should be viewed collectively as a single phenomenon acknowledging locations where earlier occupation and burial remains were observed as places appropriate for the performance of rituals or burial of the dead in the late 8th century BC. This thesis will implement a landscape archaeology approach along with contextual analysis of the data and will propose an interpretation of late 8th century BC interest in earlier constructions visible in the contemporary landscape. This interpretation will assert a potential ideological connection between the location of ritual performances in association with previous occupation or burial areas and the regenerative qualities of the earth.

The transnational activities of migrant groups have become a major issue in recent decades. This study offers an analysis of overseas Sikhs' involvement in Punjab issues; especially concentrating on post-1984 period, when a vigorous support and mobilisation by overseas Sikhs for a 'homeland' has led to diplomatic strains between the Government of India and some of the states with large Sikh migrant population. This study concentrates upon the mobilisation among Sikh migrant groups in Canada, the United States and Great Britain -three countries which account for over three quarter of overseas Sikh population. The issue of 'homeland' among displaced minorities and migrant groups has usually been studied as a diasporic phenomenon. In a theoretical formulation preceding this study, the term diaspora and recent contributions to extend its scope to all such migrant groups who were neither forced out of their homelands nor had continuous historic connections is critically examined. Rejecting the wider definition advocated by more recent contributors to extend this term to any migrant group which maintains some connections with their land of origins, a case is made for only those migrant groups which are essentially involved in a demand for a secure and independent 'homeland' to be part of 'diaspora studies' Proceeding with migration history and experiences of Sikhs in Britain, Canada and the United States, the study explores the persistence and continuation of cultural and religious practices derived from their land of origins. Noting that neither the homeland for Sikhs was an unambiguous term till recently nor were they forced out from their homes, Sikh migrant groups provide an interesting but problematic example of transnational ethnic linkages. The next two chapters analyze the social, cultural and political links with the Punjab. The study then provides a description and analysis of Sikh mobilisation as a reaction to dramatic events in the Punjab in June 1984. The last chapter situates overseas Sikh mobilisation as a reaction to a crisis which has fermented some new elements of ethnic consciousness with consequent bearing upon the group identity and political mobilisation within overseas Sikh migrant groups. It also notes the impact of overseas Sikh mobilisation on the transnational relationship of concerned states and their respective policies towards Sikh migrant groups. This study of overseas Sikhs provides an interesting case of transnational politics where a crucial event in a migrant groups' home country could perceptibly shift their political loyalty towards an imaginary homeland, and how in the process, their land of origin becomes a 'threatened homeland' . The study thus illustrates the limitation of the existing analytical concepts dealing with the behaviour of migrant groups whose attachments to their roots are principally triggered into a virulent form of mobilisation due to a traumatic event in their religious centre. The study draws upon a wide range of sources including interviews with leading participants, and a thorough examination of ethnic Purijabi media of the United States, Canada and Great Britain. In addition it takes account of the growing body of secondary materials associated with the study of Sikhs in the Punjab.

Zsfassung in dt. Sprache. - Würzburg, Univ., Diss., 2008

Thesis ( Ph.D.). / Written for the Dept. of Physics. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2009/06/11). Includes bibliographical references.

Cluniac monasteries, so called because of their relationship to the abbot of Cluny in Burgundy, have been estimated to have numbered over seven hundred foundations at one time, distributed throughout France and in England, Wales, Scotland, Lombardy, and Spain. To date Cluniac studies have tended to concentrate on the abbey of Cluny, undoubtedly the fullest expression of Cluniac monasticism. Much work has been done on other individual Cluniac foundations but there has been little attempt to place the resulting information in the context of an organisational relationship between Cluniac monasteries and the abbot of Cluny, because this relationship is poorly understood. This thesis redresses this neglect by for the first time providing a model for this relationship whereby all Cluniac monks are said to have constituted an extended monastic community under the authority of the abbot of Cluny whose purpose was the transmission and maintenance of a distinctive monastic observance. This model was developed from a comprehensive examination of evidence of a variety of types, viewed from specific perspectives, relating to all the Cluniac foundations in England and Wales. This shows clear evidence of the involvement of centrally coordinated Cluniac administration in the regulation of these monasteries from the foundation process, the selection of their sites and their relationship with secular settlement and ecclesiastical and secular authority to provide optimal conditions for the following of a distinctly Cluniac monastic observance by their resident monks. It is argued on the basis of this model that future Cluniac research will be far more fruitful if it is reorientated towards the study of the extended Cluniac monastic community.

I argue (1) that Alvin Plantinga’s theory of warrant is plausible and (2) that, contrary to the Pandora’s Box objection, there are certain serious world religions that cannot successfully use Plantinga’s epistemology to demonstrate that their beliefs could be warranted in the same way that Christian belief can be warranted. In arguing for (1), I deploy Ernest Sosa’s Swampman case to show that Plantinga’s proper function condition is a necessary condition for warrant. I then engage three objections to Plantinga’s theory of warrant, each of which attempts to demonstrate that his conditions for warrant are neither necessary nor sufficient. Having defended the plausibility of Plantinga’s theory of warrant, I present and expand his key arguments to the effect that naturalism cannot make use of it. These arguments provide the conceptual tools that are needed to argue for (2): that there are certain world religions that cannot legitimately use Plantinga’s theory of warrant to demonstrate that their beliefs could be warranted in the same way that Christian belief can be warranted.