Retirement is an unavoidable and necessary phase in a person’s life. It is also one of the biggest transitions in the life cycle of a human being. Emeritus of the Apostolic Faith Mission of S.A. (AFM) have positive and negative feelings regarding their retirement. In the light of this fact the research question was posed: How can the AFM, from a pastoral perspective, understand the situation of, prepare and assist its emeritus in coping effectively with retirement - in the process addressing their holistic needs - maintaining a meaningful life in the service of God as integral members of His community? With reference to the abovementioned question it is the overall aim of this study to research the holistic needs of the pastors of the AFM, with the objective to create a pastoral model for retirement preparation. In so doing they can remain integral members of God`s community whose holistic needs are taken care of, in a Christian way. The study was done by using the practical-theological model of Osmer as starting point which comprises the following: * the normative task, where Scriptural perspectives on the topic have been researched; * the interpretative task, according to which material from other disciplines are studied; * an empirical research by way of interviews with emeritus; * and a practice theory to design a model for pre-retirement planning for pastors of the AFM. The normative task part of the research indicates that although the Bible does not say much regarding emeritus, definite direction is found regarding old age. God speaks through, and gives direction in his Word concerning the elderly. In the interpretative task part of the study very little literature is found regarding the retirement of clergy. Information exists, however, on the subject of the elderly. Numerous guidelines are also found in Scripture a propos the pastors as a holistic person in connection with body, soul and spirit. Research indicated that preparation for retirement is of cardinal importance. The results which surfaced from the empirical study, confirmed the normative and interpretative theoretical research. Subsequently the practice theory has been formulated from the hermeneutical interaction of the different elements of the research in the format of a model for pre-retirement planning. A model where the strategy for planning has been explained has been compiled finally. Matters related to the problems and fears of emeritus were addressed in creating a model. The intention of the pre-retirement education is to reduce the effect of negative stereotypes of retirement. It will further assist pastors to develop realistic goals for their retirement. With reference to the research question, central theoretical argument and the research reflected in chapters 2 to 5, the final conclusion states that pre-retirement planning for pastors of the AFM is very important. / PhD (Pastoral studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In an altering world of work where change is inevitable, and with the vast growth of a technological era unknown to mankind and which leaves the human factor behind, there is an outcry for leaders leading by example. Leaders today have a responsibility towards their followers by leading with their hearts, souls and minds, whilst intrinsically motivating their followers. Spiritual leaders are individuals who live by their values, ethics and attitudes, who intrinsically motivate themselves as well as their followers, whilst instilling a sense of belonging and membership in the organisation. When a leader demonstrates these qualities, it increases the psychological wellbeing, productivity and morale of the employee, adding towards the triple bottom-line of people, planet and profit, whilst at the same time reducing absenteeism. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a spiritual leadership questionnaire in the South African context. A quantitative, random probability sampling survey design was utilised in construction organisations in the Gauteng and Northern Cape Provinces, reaching a sample size of 221 participants. By making use and adapting the Spiritual Leadership Theory Questionnaire, the Spirituality Scale, the Religious Involvement Questionnaire and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, a biographical questionnaire was used to develop the Spiritual Leadership Questionnaire on a 4-point Likert scale. Participation was completely voluntary. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to verify whether the constructs measured the latent variable of spiritual leadership, while Structural Equation Modelling with the application on the Mplus program was used to confirm the relationships between the constructs, and to determine the validity and reliability of the latent variables. Acceptable item reliability was found in a three-factor model, namely spirituality, vision/hope/faith, and altruism. The results indicated practical and statistically significant relationships between the latent variable spiritual leadership and the constructs spirituality, vision/hope/faith and altruism. Recommendations followed, as well as indications for future research. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

The central theoretical argument of the study is that faith can heal or help counselees to cope with mood and anxiety disorders. In the meta-theoretical perspective a literature study of recent research on mood and anxiety disorders and the therapeutic approaches to each within the disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, and medicine was done. It was found that there are a number of different causes and treatments for depression and anxiety with different disciplines emphasising different perspectives. An empirical study consisting of qualitative structured interviews and observations of a selected group of counselees struggling with depression and anxiety was also carried out. It was established that faith had played a significant role in the healing of the counselee's depression and anxiety or in their ability to deal with their illnesses. The goal with the basis-theoretical perspectives was to explore what the Bible has to teach about 'depression", faith and healing and to research the revelation historical stance on this. Expositional studies of a selected core of biblical references pertaining to depression were undertaken and key biblical figures who suffered from “depression" were studied. It was concluded that although the Bible does not speak of depression and anxiety per se, it describes people who might have been suffering from it. Valuable insights that can be used in helping counselees to deal and/or cope with their depression and anxiety were gained by studying these biblical characters and passages (2 Corinthians 1:3-11, Philippians 4:4-13 and Lamentations). In the practice-theoretical perspective an integrative model which can be used by pastoral counsellors for dealing with depression in a faith-based context and for equipping depression sufferers to constructively deal with their depression and anxiety was developed. This was accomplished by utilising the basis- and meta-theoretical perspectives in a hermeneutical interaction to formulate a holistic faith-based model. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Today for the first time in history, over 1.15 billion people live in urban slums. Of these, 581 million live in Asia, 120 million in Latin America, and 199 million in sub-Saharan Africa (UN-HABITAT 2010). Over 90% of the urban slum dwellers live in the cities of low income countries under severe deprivation of urban services such as improved drinking water, adequate sanitation and shelter (UNHABITAT 2006a), (UN-HABITAT 2010), (Martínez, Mboup et al. 2008), (Cross, Morel 2005) and (Brocklehurst, Malhotra et al. 2005). This deprivation of the poor has been associated with bias meted against them (the poor) by the public and private sectors. Unless this bias and subsequent deprivations are dealt with, new constraints will always emerge to perpetuate the deprivations (Solo, Perez et al. 1993,). However, can certain approaches by a specific kind of organisations address the bias? This research was encouraged by the success of faith based organizations (FBOs) in treating the poor communities well and their success in delivering social services to the poor in America (White House. 2001), (Sherman 2003) and (Wuthnow, Hackett et al. 2004). The role played by human values in influencing day to day behaviour was encouraging too (Schwartz 1992), (Schwartz 2007), (Williams Jr. 1979), (Schwartz, Melech et al. 2001), and (Rokeach 1973). Reviewed literature show that the people who identify with self-transcendence values are predisposed to treat other people well and also work towards the welfare of other people (Schwartz 1992), (Schwartz 1994), and (Schwartz, Melech et al. 2001). The knowledge gap about the role that faith based organizations and human values could play towards addressing the deprivations of the urban poor in a low income country context led to the research question: ―how could faith based organizations possibly contribute towards the delivery of urban services to the poor in a low-income country context‖. To answer the research question, a case study strategy was adopted and data gathered from three FBOs in Nairobi (Kenya), using 29 in-depth interviews, 8 observations and 41 case study documents. The case studies were selected after a preliminary survey involving 256 telephone interviews and 135 subsequent self-administered mail questionnaires to probable organizations. Qualitative data from the selected case studies was analysed using the thematic analysis approach to understand the FBOs‘ involvement with urban services to the poor. Data from the Portraits Value Questionnaire (58 questionnaires) was also analysed to determine the values orientation of the FBOs‘ personnel. This inquiry found that the FBOs‘ staff oriented with self-transcendence values and also treated the poor well. The FBOs were also involved with urban services for the poor through infrastructural programmes (or projects) and the empowerment of the poor. As a result, the poor were enabled both to access and also afford the urban services, lobby, advocate and demand for urban services. These findings have illuminated the possibility of Public-Faith Partnerships in the delivery of urban services for the poor and the need for personal values to be central in staff recruitment towards eliminating bias against the poor and the subsequent deprivations.

This research examines faith-based mediators and their usage of mediation strategies, in relation to durability of peace agreements and it is guided by the following research question; Why do some faith-based mediators succeed to aid the creation of durable peace, while others do not? In order to find an answer to this question a hypothesis, suggesting that faith-based mediators applying the fostering, rather than the forcing, strategy will be more successful, is tested. This hypothesis mirrors the causal logic, suggesting that faith-based mediators have the potential to contribute to the creation of durable peace agreements, through the usage of facilitative and formulative techniques. The methodological design makes use of tools provided by Mills Method of Difference and Structured Focused Comparison. These tools aid the analysis of faith-based mediation in Uganda and Sierra Leone. The findings indicate that the application of the fostering strategy has a positive effect in relation to the process of creating durable peace agreements. However, this positive effect comes with one condition, the faith-based mediators have to be influential in relation to the peace process.

This thesis is a scholarly account of my personal journey as a single mother to find my place in the world both spiritually and professionally. Deep personal and universalizable issues are covered including the transition from childhood to adulthood, parenting, birth, death, significant life changing events and the dramatic effect that changing spiritual, gender and religious views have on facing life challenges. Special emphasis is centered on the importance of my feminine spirituality and the pursuit of religious/spiritual experiences within traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities up to and including the present day and my hopeful vision for the future. My writing is heavily laced with spirituality, personal insights, stories as illustration for key points and a few surprising revelations. Surprises included the nature of growing up in Generation X with a healthy understanding and disrespect for organizations of all types, especially religious, and the effect this had on nurturing my atheist Millennial children; the actual impact of my travels in Tibet and China versus what I had expected from going; and how everything I have learned up to this point makes me more convinced than ever that pursuing further studies in Women’s Spirituality is absolutely the route for me at this time and my way of making life a little bit better for those who come after me. My hope for this thesis is to further the understanding of the general interested public of the challenges facing single mothers and their children, to show the helpful effects of a spiritual connection or search in getting through life’s difficult moments, the power of writing as a means of spiritual and personal connection and to reinforce the notion that there is a still a long way to go in making our society a just place to be a woman in.

This thesis is an exploration of the concepts of what the spirituality of consciousness means in several key areas of the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual self. Many students and professionals walk through their educational and professional careers filled with confusion, lack of self-understanding, a yearning for something more but never discovering it in the places we find ourselves for most of our day-to-day interactions. My hope is that this thesis will give insight to how students can overcome obstacles and fears in their lives in order to move forward, and, when necessary, to move past themselves. As a young, Black, immigrant woman who is a first-generation college student and student affairs professional, the methodology of Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) appeals to me the most in exploring the spirituality of consciousness. Therefore, I will be using SPN to highlight a portion of my journey through three lenses: mindfulness counseling, religo-spirituality, and understanding what it means to unlock our minds and its complexities through a spiritually-enriched education. I will also highlight how we can disseminate the knowledge of self-awareness and self-awakening as life teachers, educators, and learners to those who come after us--the next generation. The holistic preservation of self and mind is a vital stage in our human existence. As higher education administrators and teachers, we should be able to take the risk and accept the challenge to delve deeper within ourselves to be able to move beyond the curriculum and see the full humanity of our students, hopefully leading to more joyful, productive, loving, creative and brilliant minds. How do we do this? How do we awaken to life, to learning, to each other, in the midst of chaos? This thesis attempts to point the way.

My paintings are inspired by the places I have seen, as well as the people God has placed in my path. The individuals in my portraits are some of the people with whom I have shared a special bond. Upon reflection, they have been instrumental in deepening my faith. Their love, prayers, support, and deep questioning of my beliefs have enhanced my understanding of God and helped to strengthen my relationship with Him. 1 am very thankful for the ability to paint their portraits as an expression of my gratitude and love. God has also blessed me with opportunities to travel and experience His creation in different areas of the world. One moment I felt closest to Him was in Alaska as I stood awestruck at the bottom of a glacier-coated mountain, without a manmade object in sight. The vastness and icy glow of the mountain surrounded by lush greenery filled me with a sense of God's presence. In my landscape paintings, I attempt to capture these moments on canvas. I can never quite attain the original beauty of the landscape but I use vibrant colors in an attempt to recreate the majestic nature of God's creation, the original master artist.

In this work we tried to look into the life of John Amos Comenius. Simultaneously we dismantle his ideological basis, with respect to pansophia. We paused at Comenius perception of faith in God and the individual points Panorthosia. In main chapter, we compared the Comenius pedagogical bases with current educational trends. In conclusion we came to the findings that we specify differences between Comenius thinking and contemporary times. We have pointed out that in the general scale of the world is closer to the ideals of Comenius. As regards the actual pedagogical research, the current education seeks to upgrade its educational methods, but in some places groping through the influence of different opinions. The problem of the present time we have found the utilization of the contemporary world , together with a lack of time. The disadvantages include the still poorly organized curricula, while lack of respect for the teachers. By contrast, a clear positive of today we added the currently open views, efforts to link a multicultural pupil's confidence tendency to wake up in the truest sense.

The first chapter of the thesis describes the period of the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938). This chapter describes the establishment of the First Republic, a new constitution, social legislation, relations between Czechoslovakia and Austria, the German minority in Czechoslovakia's borderlands and the events preceding World War II. Also mentioned is the issue of Slavic solidarity. The second chapter outlines the nature of Christianity in this period, meaning the establishment new churches and their basic directions, the confessional distribution of the population and the crisis in the church which began during this era. Part of the chapter is devoted to the first president of Czechoslovakia, T. G. Masaryk, and his thoughts, particularly those relating to religious belief. The last chapter will form an analysis of the writers, Jan Čep and Přemysl Pitter: their lives, work and thoughts from this period. The analysis of documents of both these authors aims to capture their response to the religious situation of those years and how they, in turn, influenced religious and political events during the period of the First Republic. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)