The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that the Synoptic evangelists, particularly in the eschatological discourses Mt 24, Mk 13 and Lk 21, have employed traditions developed by Christian prophets; and to consider the origins and meanings of these traditions.

M.A. (Biblical Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / The problem of scheduling with sequence-dependent set-up times in a dynamic environment is investigated by studying how various dispatching rules perform when used to schedule two cranes. Motivated by a practical scheduling problem, the effect on production by delays due to the conflicts that result between cranes is examined. The problem is formalized, and it is shown that it can be classified as a problem of scheduling with both sequence-dependent set-up and processing times. The effectiveness of simple dispatching procedures that are used in machine scheduling and for the control of automated guided vehicles is studied, using a simulation of a crane aisle with jobs arriving dynamically. In addition, a dispatching rule, which explicitly uses information regarding the state of the second crane, is examined. The simulation results confirm the non-dominance of certain dispatching procedures, and show how performance is improved as the rules are provided more information regarding the state of the scheduling environment. It is shown that when there are sequence-dependent processing times, a scheduling heuristic that uses global information does significantly better than more commonly used local heuristics. / AC2017

區凱琳. / "2004年6月". / 論文(藝術碩士)--香港中文大學, 2004. / 參考文獻 (leaves 56). / 附中英文摘要. / "2004 nian 6 yue". / Ou Kailin. / Lun wen (yi shu shuo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2004. / Can kao wen xian (leaves 56). / Fu Zhong Ying wen zhai yao. / Chapter 一 --- 本事 --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- 相刃相靡與肉身備忘錄 / Chapter 1.2 --- 藝術創作與藝術論述 / Chapter 二 --- 個人的座標 --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- 藝術創作與日常生活 / Chapter 2.2 --- 個體痕跡與自身技術 / Chapter 2.3 --- 詮釋以外的寧靜 / Chapter 三 --- 手藝的故事 --- p.23 / Chapter 3.1 --- 非如此不可 / Chapter 3.2 --- 同是手藝人 / Chapter 3.3 --- 手藝的充盈 / Chapter 3.4 --- 時間與知識 / Chapter 3.5 --- 自身的書寫 / Chapter 四 --- 桎梏與逍遙(結論） --- p.51 / 參考書目 --- p.56 / 圖片來源 --- p.57

by Lai Yuet Sim, Phoebe. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-154). / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Anti-Canaanite Sentiments in the Hebrew Bible --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Traditional Interpretations --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- "New Studies, New Challenges" --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Recent Works --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2 --- Defining the Study --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Clarifying the Terms --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Previous Works on the Book of Hosea --- p.11 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Aims and Scope of the Study --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3 --- Steps of Analysis --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4 --- A Brief Outline of the Thesis --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- Hosean Rejection of Canaanite Heritages? --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1 --- Redactions of the Book of Hosea --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2 --- Analytical Framework --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Israelite Cult --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Worship of Baal(s) [Hos 2:4~25] --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Festivals and Feasts [Hos 9:1-6] --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Sacred Pillars --- p.36 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Calf Idols --- p.39 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- High Places --- p.43 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Summary --- p.46 / Chapter 2.4 --- Institution of Kingship --- p.48 / Chapter 2.5 --- Use of Historical Memories and Traditions --- p.55 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- The Baal-Peor Event [Hos 10:9] --- p.55 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- The Exodus-Wilderness Tradition --- p.57 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Beyond the Wilderness Era --- p.61 / Chapter 2.6 --- Hosean Concept of Canaan --- p.63 / Chapter 2.7 --- Summary --- p.64 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- Theoretical Considerations --- p.66 / Chapter 3.1 --- "Culture, Religion and Society" --- p.66 / Chapter 3.2 --- Schools of Anthropological Theories --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3 --- Theories for Analysis --- p.75 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Ethnie-related Theoretical Concepts --- p.76 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- The Myth-Symbol Complex --- p.82 / Chapter 3.4 --- A Summary --- p.86 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Explanation for Hosean Polemical Stand --- p.88 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Israelite Ethnie and Contextual Crisis --- p.88 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- The Religious Factor --- p.88 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- The Social Factor --- p.93 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- The Political Factor --- p.96 / Chapter 4.2 --- Regenerated Yahwism and Ethnie Survival --- p.99 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Hosean Interpretation of the Israelite Society Reality --- p.99 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- The Renewed Myth-Bymbol Complex: Key Elements --- p.100 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- The Hosean World-View and Ethos --- p.119 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Ethnie Survival --- p.121 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary --- p.126 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- Conclusion --- p.129 / Chapter 5.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.129 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Hosean Rejection of Canaanite Heritages? --- p.129 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Explanation for Hosean Polemical Stand --- p.133 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Issue of Anti-Canaanite Sentiments --- p.137 / Chapter 5.3 --- Conceptual Reformulations --- p.139 / Chapter 5.4 --- The Quest for Understanding God --- p.141 / APPENDIX: Translations of selected texts of the Book of Hosea --- p.144 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.150

It has become almost impossible to engage in any useful discussion on global peace or violence without considering the activities of Islamist groups. Some of these groups use religious radicalization as a tool to promote extremism among Muslims across the world. It has been argued that Muslims will reject violence if they are made aware of peace lessons inherent in the Islamic primary sources and recurrent rituals. In view of the above, the study set out to examine peacebuilding avenues and values in Islam as a religious tradition; and to explore how Islamic recurrent rituals such as Hajj can be used to promote peacebuilding among Muslims, particularly in Ghana. Consequently, the study utilized participant observation, closed-ended survey questionnaire, and semi-structured interview as the main research methodological techniques to collect data. One of the key findings of the study is that Islam is replete with peacebuilding values such as forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, justice, and tolerance among others. The study recommends among other things that with the existing fragile peace in Ghana, Muslim and non-Muslim religious bodies should engage in collaborative social projects which can create positive interaction amongst them.

The purpose of the present study is to assess the contribution of the renowned Mamluk-period scholar Shams al-Dīn Muhammad b. Abū Bakr, known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751/1350) in the maghāzī and sīrah genres, by investigating and examining the features of his approach in critiquing and evaluating the authenticity of maghāzī narratives in his sīrah collection, Zād al-Maʿād fī Hadī Khayr al-ʿIbād, and to reveal the main methods that he utilised in critiquing the isnāds and the matns of these narratives. This thesis also provides a comprehensive overview of the maghāzī genre and highlights the main theories that have been put forward in both Western and Muslim scholarship, to explain its nature, emergence, development and position among other Islamic genres. This thesis includes an introduction, five main chapters and a conclusion. The first includes the introduction where the rational, objectives, research questions and the methodology of the present research are discussed; the second outlines Ibn al-Qayyim's life and age; the third explores maghāzī literature and the work of Ibn al-Qayyim within this genre; the fourth provides an analytical survey of the main resources on which Ibn al-Qayyim built his maghāzī work; the fifth investigates first isnād criticism in the work of both Western and Muslim scholars and then analyses Ibn al-Qayyim's approach with respect to the isnād; the sixth chapter outlines the origin of matn criticism and explores the main methods of content criticism used by Ibn al-Qayyim to evaluate maghāzī narratives; finally comes the conclusion of the whole work which provides the main results of the present research and recommendations. The present thesis suggests that Ibn al-Qayyim's approach combines and intertwines between different methods applied by earlier traditionists, jurists and historians, by which he developed an advanced approach in critiquing and evaluating maghāzī narratives.

This thesis questions what was the religious structure of the region of Najrān was during the period between 525 and 661 CE by examining the factors of forming the religious structure, how each religious community practised its religious life and the influence of Islam on this religious structure. It therefore consists of six chapters, Chapter one contains a discussion on primary and secondary sources relevant to the research questions. In Chapter two, the background on Najrān is given, in terms of its geography, demography, economy and political history prior to the period under research. The following three chapters after that investigate the religious aspects of polytheism, Judaism and Christianity in terms of origins, types of worship, rituals of worship and theological beliefs. The discussions also shed light on their religious leaders, places of worship and doctrinal sects. In Chapter six, the study debates how Islam influenced the religious structure of Najrān, by tracing its arrival and the policy of Muslim authorities to spread Islam among the Najrānite people. The thesis discusses the main features of the policy of the Muslim authority towards non-Muslims in terms of religion, security, economy and citizenship. It finally evaluates the impact of this policy on the lives of non-Muslim Najrānites. The thesis concludes that Najrān seems to represent a multi-religious society during the period under research. It points out that geographical, economic and political factors contributed towards making it. The thesis also deduces that each religious community established its identity which developed over the course of time to include places of worship, clergy, types of deity, doctrines, theological beliefs and rituals of worship, and that the domination of Islam clearly made the most important change in this multi-religious society by making Muslims the majority in the region.

This study analyses interpretations of Hadiths among selected feminists and fundamentalists, in which they have different views on the meaning of the texts of Hadiths concerning women. The feminists argue that the Hadith literature contain misogynistic and anti-women reports. This debate has gradually developed in the nineteenth century and the issues continuously disputed until the present day. However, the debate receives different reactions from the fundamentalists who believe that Hadiths contain equal treatment to both men and women. Therefore, the present study seeks firstly to investigate which Hadiths that have caught the attention of both feminists and fundamentalists, and to identify the features of those Hadiths that have been claimed as anti-women. Secondly, to examine and compare various approaches applied by both feminists and fundamentalists in comprehending Hadiths concerning women by examining their strength and weakness. Finally, this study aims to develop a means of utilising the findings to tum the debates between feminists and fundamentalists into something constructive in the interpretation of Hadith. The study is qualitative in nature, by applying textual analysis on literary works written by selected women figures from the feminists and fundamentalists. The study in its findings argues that both feminists and fundamentalist have their own interpretative approach towards the Hadith, but both have similar objective in protecting women's rights. It recommends that future research on the Hadiths concerning women inquire further into said problems and limitations, in order to produce fair and better understanding of the Prophetic texts that can contribute to the contemporary gender discourse.

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