This thesis is the study of televangelism contextualized within the country of Romania. It seeks to answer six main questions: I} When the Lord Jesus gave Christendom the global, Gospel mandate, he forced his disciples into a two thousand year struggle with, not only the message, but how to spread this message. Is the Gospel message so powerful that it will penetrate through any method of delivery? Can a former communist country be evangelized through television? 2) The next question asked in this thesis: is the message in and of itself, when conveyed through this media, sufficient to accomplish its goals? Does the media encourage the recipient to fulfill the desires of the message? What about Mass Communication Theory which espouses that television is more likely to reinforce then transform a viewer's belief? 3) The third question wrestled with: would the former communistic country of Romania, when turning to the ideals of the West, receive the Gospel message with greater or lesser significance through the media of television, or would other forms of communication be more desirable? Would television, in comparison to Crusade or Film Evangelism, be a more ideal media for the Gospel at this juncture in Romania's history? 4) Television allows large audiences to be reached with staggering efficiency, but does the medium itself impose limits on the kind of evangelism that can be done? What type of church grows out of an electronic medium? Would television gather a church "unto itself?" 5) In fulfilling the great commission, many organizations and mission groups have arisen with the desire to carry the Gospel message to the ends of the earth with whatever means available, including CBN, who uses television. Can television reach the masses, including the poor, in Eastern block countries? 6) The final question addressed in this research: what are the long term effects of televangelism in this former communistic country? Would a one time television program, given in one week, yield results that can be determined two years later? These questions were not only wrestled with, but conclusions were drawn to make evangelism and particularly televangelism more efficacious. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Practical Theology)

The internet has brought about a revolution in human communication, unparalleled, because of its ability to communicate instantaneously across the globe. It has transformed our culture and made, what seemed impossible, now achievable with the click of a mouse, from an office in a city or in the comfort of your lounge. The computer networks we use are far more than a means of communication. They are agents of social change. I try to analyse what impact the electronic media have on human worldview and behaviour. I highlight some of the challenges that electronic media pose: we are not sure how these media (and technologies) will continue to shape our lives as they develop at a rapid pace. Jesus of Nazareth spent his incarnate life proclaiming the reign of God and, in doing so, invited humanity into a relationship with God. He commissioned his disciples and, the whole Church in all time, to continue his proclamation of Good News. In obedience to his command the Church has, throughout history, used the communication technologies at her disposal to carry out this command. The internet makes another technology available to the Church. In this thesis I attempt to better understand the impact of communication technologies, specifically the internet, on the Church. I look at the relationship between the Church and mass media. I analyse how the Catholic Church has responded to the advent of the internet and, how the internet has been used for the task of evangelisation. I investigate some of the key documents of the Church on the means of Social Communication, focusing especially on those of the Second Vatican Council, in order to understand how the Church understands and perceives the media. Using the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola I offer an Ignatian Communications Model to help the Church use the internet more effectively for evangelisation. St. Ignatius lived in a time when another communication revolution took place: the advent of the Gutenberg printing press. I show how, using his spirituality, the Church can better use the internet for the task of evangelisation. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

This thesis is the study of televangelism contextualized within the country of Romania. It seeks to answer six main questions: I} When the Lord Jesus gave Christendom the global, Gospel mandate, he forced his disciples into a two thousand year struggle with, not only the message, but how to spread this message. Is the Gospel message so powerful that it will penetrate through any method of delivery? Can a former communist country be evangelized through television? 2) The next question asked in this thesis: is the message in and of itself, when conveyed through this media, sufficient to accomplish its goals? Does the media encourage the recipient to fulfill the desires of the message? What about Mass Communication Theory which espouses that television is more likely to reinforce then transform a viewer's belief? 3) The third question wrestled with: would the former communistic country of Romania, when turning to the ideals of the West, receive the Gospel message with greater or lesser significance through the media of television, or would other forms of communication be more desirable? Would television, in comparison to Crusade or Film Evangelism, be a more ideal media for the Gospel at this juncture in Romania's history? 4) Television allows large audiences to be reached with staggering efficiency, but does the medium itself impose limits on the kind of evangelism that can be done? What type of church grows out of an electronic medium? Would television gather a church "unto itself?" 5) In fulfilling the great commission, many organizations and mission groups have arisen with the desire to carry the Gospel message to the ends of the earth with whatever means available, including CBN, who uses television. Can television reach the masses, including the poor, in Eastern block countries? 6) The final question addressed in this research: what are the long term effects of televangelism in this former communistic country? Would a one time television program, given in one week, yield results that can be determined two years later? These questions were not only wrestled with, but conclusions were drawn to make evangelism and particularly televangelism more efficacious. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Practical Theology)