Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Johann Gottfried Herder unwittingly contributed to the political strands of Marxism and Fascism, respectively, but also to the gently progressing secularisation of Christian values that pervades the contemporary age. While Herder conceived of God traditionally, as a transcendent Being, he also sowed the seeds for Hegels philosophy in which God is realised immanently through the development of mans full capacities for reason. Since Hegel also posits that the end is implicit in the beginning, his scheme cannot hold without the kind of necessity that comes from a Godly (transcendent) source. At the same time, Hegels philosophy of history as revealed in The Phenomenology of Spirit and Herders Another Philosophy of History contain remarkable similarities that show how Herders and Hegels quest to reconcile the earthly and the finite with the infinite and the eternal led to the secularisation of philosophy and the beginning of the modern cultural ethos. The reader should see how Herder struggled to reconcile the many competing viewpoints of his age with his awareness that these viewpoints were limited, and how Hegel subsequently attempted to address this conundrum, along with the fundamental philosophical and theological question (left unresolved by Herder) of how man can have free will under God. The reader should realise how Gods immanence in man, partially accorded by Herder, and more substantially accorded by Hegel, leads eventually to the secular perspective of modern times, with both its negative, totalitarian and extreme manifestations, and its positive, pseudo-Christian and mildly socialist outcomes.

Šio magistro darbo objektas – sąžiningumo pareigos turinys ikisutartiniuose santykiuose. 2000 m. liepos 18 d. priimtas naujasis Lietuvos Respublikos civilinis kodeksas įtvirtino, kad pagrindinė abipusė šalių pareiga ikisutartiniuose santykiuose yra pareiga elgtis sąžiningai. Kadangi sąžiningumo pareigos ikisutartinių santykių etape taikymo praktika Lietuvoje yra besiformuojanti, o kilus ginčui tarp šalių šios pareigos turinys dažnai nevienodai suprantamas, pripažįstama, kad yra svarbu užtikrinti nuoseklų sąžiningumo pareigos aiškinimą ir jos taikymo mechanizmą. Siekiant išanalizuoti pagrindinius sąžiningumo pareigos ikisutartiniuose santykiuose elementus, magistro darbe nagrinėjami bendrieji ikisutartinių santykių ir sąžiningumo klausimai. Pabrėžiama, kad šiandien tarp šalių susiklosčiusių santykių dėl sandorio sudarymo sudėtingumas lemia, jog klasikinį sutarties sudarymo modelį „oferta ir akceptas“ dažnai papildo ilgesnė ar trumpesnė derybų stadija. Naudojant lyginamąjį, sisteminį, istorinį ir ekonominį tyrimo metodus, pagrindinėje magistro darbo dalyje analizuojami teisės normose nustatyti ir teismų praktikos bei doktrinos suformuoti pagrindiniai sąžiningumo pareigos ikisutartiniuose santykiuose elementai: reikalavimas derėtis tik turint tikslą sudaryti sutartį, reikalavimas nenutraukti toli pažengusių derybų be objektyvių priežasčių, reikalavimas vykdyti preliminarius susitarimus, reikalavimas vesti tik sąžiningas lygiagrečias derybas, pareiga atskleisti informaciją ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of this master thesis is the content of the duty of good faith in precontractual relations. The new Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania, adopted on 18th July 2000, established that the duty of good faith is the main mutual duty of the parties in precontractual relations. Taking into account that in Lithuania the application of the duty of good faith in precontractual stage is developing and parties usually understand the content of this duty differently in litigation process, the importance to ensure the consistent interpretation and application of the duty of good faith is emphasized. In order to analyze the principal elements of the content of the duty of good faith in precontractual relations, the main issues of precontractual relations and good faith are examined in this master thesis. A great attention is paid to the conclusion that nowadays the complex process of formation of contracts determines that the classic rule of “offer and acceptance” is usually supplemented with negotiations stage. On the basis of comparative, systematic, historic and economic methods, the following principal elements of the duty of good faith in precontractual relations, established by the laws or determined by jurisprudence and case law, are analyzed in the main part of this master thesis: requirement to enter into negotiations and continue them only with intention to reach an agreement, requirement not to break off advanced negotiations without unjustified reasons... [to full text]

This study deals with how E.W. Kenyon’s use of the Bible was the foundation used by Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland to build the Word of Faith Movement. Kenyon could be considered the grandfather of this movement, while Hagin can be regarded as the father and Copeland, the one on whose shoulders Hagin’s mantle has fallen since his death. It includes brief biographies of Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland and their ministries. It looks into how influential Kenyon’s use of the Bible is in developing his doctrines, which have been copied by both Hagin and Copeland and the Word of Faith's pastors throughout the world. This study is not an exhaustive examination of Kenyon’s doctrines but enough is studied to show he does not conform to traditional reformed theological hermeneutics. Kenyon’s writings date back to the early twentieth century. Hagin’s writings are from the mid- and late twentieth century, while Copeland writes from the late twentieth century to the present day. It will be shown that Hagin and Copeland copied Kenyon’s use of the Bible almost verbatim, resulting in them promoting doctrines in the Word of Faith Movement similar to his doctrines. This study deals with Kenyon’s writings in Chapter 2, while Chapter 3 deals with Hagin’s and Copeland’s teachings. Chapter 4 compares the three’s teachings from a reformed theological perspective, using literature by fairly modern-day writers on reformed theology. Chapter 5 evaluates and concludes and offers recommendations for further study. Finally, Kenyon’s and his two followers’ teachings are summarised and evaluated. The study will also examine some of the effects these teachings have on the individual who attends Word of Faith Movement churches. Future research topics that could help in understanding the attraction these teachings have for people and the danger they pose to reformed churches today are suggested. / Thesis (MA (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study deals with how E.W. Kenyon’s use of the Bible was the foundation used by Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland to build the Word of Faith Movement. Kenyon could be considered the grandfather of this movement, while Hagin can be regarded as the father and Copeland, the one on whose shoulders Hagin’s mantle has fallen since his death. It includes brief biographies of Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland and their ministries. It looks into how influential Kenyon’s use of the Bible is in developing his doctrines, which have been copied by both Hagin and Copeland and the Word of Faith's pastors throughout the world. This study is not an exhaustive examination of Kenyon’s doctrines but enough is studied to show he does not conform to traditional reformed theological hermeneutics. Kenyon’s writings date back to the early twentieth century. Hagin’s writings are from the mid- and late twentieth century, while Copeland writes from the late twentieth century to the present day. It will be shown that Hagin and Copeland copied Kenyon’s use of the Bible almost verbatim, resulting in them promoting doctrines in the Word of Faith Movement similar to his doctrines. This study deals with Kenyon’s writings in Chapter 2, while Chapter 3 deals with Hagin’s and Copeland’s teachings. Chapter 4 compares the three’s teachings from a reformed theological perspective, using literature by fairly modern-day writers on reformed theology. Chapter 5 evaluates and concludes and offers recommendations for further study. Finally, Kenyon’s and his two followers’ teachings are summarised and evaluated. The study will also examine some of the effects these teachings have on the individual who attends Word of Faith Movement churches. Future research topics that could help in understanding the attraction these teachings have for people and the danger they pose to reformed churches today are suggested. / Thesis (MA (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Div. Theological Studies)--Multnomah Biblical Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-119).

Thesis (M. Div. Theological Studies)--Multnomah Biblical Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-119).

Thesis (J.C.D.)--Catholic University of America, 1942. / "Biographical note": p. [131]. Bibliography: p. 125-129.

The purpose of this descriptive-quantitative study was to analyze the relationship between individuals' development according to Fowler's stages and the self-assessed maturity of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Based on a review of significant texts from the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and from church history, the researcher concluded that faith as understood by the earliest Christians--which the researcher has termed "biblical-orthodox faith"--and the reality to which James W. Fowler referred as "faith" are not the same phenomenon. Biblical-orthodox faith entails two inseparable dimensions, faith-content and faith-commitment. The validity and vitality of biblical-orthodox faith may be assessed by measuring individuals' maturity in Christian faithfulness. Fowler's understanding of faith--described in this research as "other-awareness"--more closely relates to the phenomenon described in the writings of Friedrich D. E. Schleiermacher as das schlechthinnigen Abhängigkeitsgefuehl . The researcher created the Fowlerian Stage-Development Survey (FSDS) to assess Fowlerian stage-development in the sample of 348 evangelical Christians. The alpha reliability coefficient for the FSDS was 0.6941. The Shepherd Scale--a standardized instrument with two sub-scales, the Christian Belief sub-scale and the Christian Walk sub-scale--was utilized to assess individuals' maturity in Christian faithfulness. ANOVA indicated that no significant relationship existed between Fowlerian stage-development and maturity in Christian faithfulness as assessed by the Shepherd Scale. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis suggested that Fowler's Stages 2 through 4 describe the development of the Jungian Ego, while Stage 5 describes the development of the Jungian Self. These findings suggest that Christian spiritual formation comprises three separate "tracks"--Ego-development, Self-actualization, and Christian faith-development. In light of his research findings, the researcher constructed an integrative model of spiritual development that incorporated Ego-development, Self-actualization, and Christian faith-development into a single model while recognizing that Christian faith-development and Fowlerian stage-development operate on separate structural-developmental tracks. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

The function of patterns of faith experience and theology in religion and society forms part of the whole complex system of God, life and world views which operate amongst Zambian Presbyterians Christians. The dissertation endeavors to make an assessment of the place of faith and theology within the ambit of a Black Zambian and Presbyterian God-life-world view. This home grown African God-life-world view of Zambian Reformed Presbyterian making, is similar in some respects and differs in others with European and Western God, life and world views of the Reformed and Presbyterian brand. In the first chapter the stage for this dissertation is set. I do not claim to be exhaustive or definitive in discussing the mixture of faith patterns and theories of faith (theologies) from different parts of the Reformed/Presbyterian world. What plays an important operational role in this analysis and synthesis are what can be called a God, life and world pattern or view which is more or less the same as a sense making system, an ideology or a belief system. Therefore quite a number of pages are allotted to this phenomenon in the first chapter. Furthermore a broad outline of the basic points of departure of a contextual-historical approach which operate with a radical, integral and differential view of God, human life, and the physical world is spelled out. The last part of the chapter is devoted to provisional comments on a view of the experience of everyday faith and a theory of faith. The latter is the designation for what is usually called theology. In here I have tackled the problem of theology and human experience of faith from the angle of the traditional double sided or dualistic view of faith as a extraordinary supernatural and ordinary natural support structure for a discipline like theology. Theology is not intrinsically involved in people's faith experience and thus is not a real reflection of their everyday faith experience. When one is however emphasising that a faith (belief) pattern includes belief towards God, belief of the self (self-confidence) and belief towards the many neighbours as well as belief towards the physical-organic environment then one is closer in the neighbourhood of a radical and integral black African faith pattern and what we call a theory of faith. In chapter two the Reformed/Presbyterian legacy is discussed and reflected upon in terms of nine features of a Reformed/Presbyterian sense making system, ethos or God, life and world view which emerged in Reformed history since the days of John Calvin (1509-1564). Reformed-Presbyterian theologies, theories of faith and philosophies are examined as well as the major impact of Calvin on the characteristic features of Reformed God, life and world views or sense making systems. Some of the main features of these Reformed/Presbyterian sense making systems repetitively recur in the majority of Reformed experiential settings, communities and churches. The nine features or characteristics of a Reformed-Presbyterian ethos are the following: the well known soft duality of special and general; the social attitude of accepting every phenomenon and immediately start to criticize it; the tendency of pilgrimage through life; the idea of the extra-calvinisticum; the dual idea of special and general determination, that is the doctrine of election and the doctrine of providence and its strong encapsulation by a very strong theology of covenantal duality; the idea that a Reformed community or church is always in the process of reformation (ecclesia reformanda semper reformata); the doctrine of the dispensation of the gifts of the Spirit; the idea of a presbyter system and the democratic legacy that flows from it; and the regulative principle of the Church or the Kingdom of God? In chapter three the black-African-Zambian-Reformed-Presbyterian heritage is discussed in terms of the nine features discussed in chapter two. The idea in this chapter is to acknowledge the fact that an interchange, exchange and mixed appropriation between Reformed/Presbyterian contextual settings has taken and is taking place and that a Reformed/Presbyterian ethos is already incorporated and accommodated within the African milieu and experience. Our task in this chapter is to deal with the African reflections on faith and theology looking for black African similarities with the nine main features that we have detected as determinative of a Reformed/Presbyterian ethos. The predicament of non-African (European Western, Eastern and others) and Bantu-speaking black African experience manifests their differences in the realness and concreteness of their God-life-world views. Generally speaking, one of the main differences in the experience of faith and theology in the European Western and Black African Southern hemisphere contexts amount to the difference between reflective thinking experience as typically European Western and action directed reflective experience as the main emphasis of Black African experience. This entails that we must identify the foremost traits of European Western Reformed-Presbyterian theology and compare and contrast these with Black African, specifically Zambian Reformed-Presbyterian experience. The comparison and contrasting of these two broad contexts, that is European Western Reformed and Zambian Reformed are caught up in the complexities of a to and fro networking of Reformed ideas, clues and cues all over the world. There is more than one view of faith and theology and more than one God-life-world view in both the European cum Western and African ways of life. The existence of various views of faith, theology and God, life and the world explains the co-existence of these views of faith and theology and God, life and world views amongst African Christians. Africans and African Christians are not only Bantuspeaking and black because even if we take our white African counterparts out of the equation about who and what an African is, the Moroccans, the Egyptians, Algerians, Felani Hausas, Wollofs and others would surely disclaim such a statement. In chapter four theology as a theory of faith is discussed as aware reflection of everyday experiences of faith and belief that is far more important than doctrinal ideas that hover abstractly in the minds of ministers, pastors and theologians and is thus not intrinsically part of people's day to day experiences of faith and belief. A few markers on the way to a theory of faith as a functional paradigm is discussed. In order to do this four things have been touched upon: Firstly themes are compared in the Christian theological and philosophical world from both Eurocentric as well as the Afrocentric worlds. Secondly, theology as theory of faith is discussed as a concrete enterprise of aware reflection in the midst of the experience of a faith community or a church. Thirdly, some issues are highlighted which are analysed and synthesised in an attempt to expand a Reformed ethos and agenda by using clues, cues and hues from both Eurocentric and Afrocentric experiences of faith, belief and trust as well as the written and oral theological and faith theoretical reflections of these experiences. Finally, an attempt is made to interweave theories of faith from both contextual worlds as a functional paradigm. The desire to know God, oneself and other human beings as well as the physical-organic environment in this life in tandem and coterminously has a great bearing as a black African contribution to the ongoing building of a holistic Reformed/Presbyterian ethos or sense making system. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)