The purpose of the project is to evaluate various pastoral care methods which are employed to assist parents whose child has died in traumatic circumstances. In the light of this evaluation, then to propose an alternative approach which the pastor can exercise to support and help bereaved parents. This thesis considered the variety of pastoral care methods by means of a literature review. A questionnaire was then sent to pastors from different denominations. The information gleaned from completed questionnaires was used to prepare a review of pastoral care at “ground level”, that is to form an idea of how the general run of pastors dealt with such cases. In addition, a number of parents were interviewed with regard to their experience of the pastoral care which they received when their child had died in traumatic circumstances. The outcome of the thesis suggests that the perceptions of pastors and parents differed widely as to what constituted appropriate pastoral care. This study seeks to address this discrepancy and to formulate a proposed pastoral care method which can be used by any pastor in the event of the traumatic death of a child. The applicability of this thesis is somewhat limited by the fact that the sample used is relatively small. As a consequence other areas and communities might produce a different result. / Dissertation (MA (Theology) : Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

No abstract available / Dissertation (MA (Theology) : Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The thesis aims at bringing into light the horrible traumatic experience of Poverty under which the former Moçambican refugees living in the Bushbuckridge area near Hazyview live. Unlike other writers who define poverty as a mere “insufficiency of the material necessities of life” (Hammond 2003:61) and “the inability of individuals, households or entire community to command sufficient resources to satisfy a socially acceptable minimum standard of living” (Pieterse 2001:30). The author approaches poverty in a holistic and integrated way, taking into account the political, economic, social, and behavioural as well as the spiritual component. The historical background of the violent war in Moçambican is given to enable the reader to understand how the Moçambican people were traumatized by the brutal killings that forced them to flee for safety in neighbouring countries including South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, etc. The author further aims at challenging the church, government, civil society and other concerned stakeholders to contribute meaningfully in working towards bringing positive change in the living conditions of these refugees. The combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches is used to collect data necessary for the education of stakeholders on the poverty situation of the refugees. Academic literature alone is seen not to be sufficient as it may hover above the experience of these refugees. Quantitative approach will therefore help to engage the refugees to tell stories from their perspectives. The use of a structured questionnaire form is therefore used to obtain the data needed to help the concerned stakeholders gain a truer perception of the situation. This engagement of stakeholders is aimed at providing the refugees with opportunities to increase their awareness, and to help in the development of their skills to help them live effectively and deal with their problems more competently and independently. The study concludes with a summary of each chapter, suggesting ways and means of how the problem of persistent traumatic poverty among the Moçambican refugees can be addressed. / Dissertation (MA (Theology) : Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Educational opportunities in the USA continue to attract thousands of international students from around the world. Their presence represents adjustment and other psychological needs that deserve addressing. The focus of this study is to demonstrate how pastoral care and counseling discipline can respond to the needs represented by the international students in the universities and colleges. I will begin by defining pastoral care and counseling as a discipline and how it is related to practical theology. Historical background of practical theology demonstrates that pastoral care and counseling is a part of practical theology as it is one way in which the Church seeks to meet the needs of humanity in general. Counseling is a tool which the Church can use to bring healing to the congregation as well as to the society. Because international students represent many cultures, the pastoral care and counseling professionals providing service will be dealing with pastoral counseling in a multicultural setting. In the study I will demonstrate that it is critical for the discipline of pastoral care and counseling to include multicultural counseling in training professionals in the field. The study will include discussion on competencies necessary for pastoral care counselors to provide counseling service to international students. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

No abstract available. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to investigate the rate of divorce since the onset of democracy (1994). The author intends to examine the causes of divorce as well as the impact of divorce on the parties involved. The author believes that gender equality and women rights are possible contributing factors to the problem of the high rate of divorce South Africa is witnessing today (this will serve as our research gap). Qualitative method will be employed in this study. Interviews will be conducted with the divorcees. The participants (the divorcees) will be our source of knowledge. Interviews will be recorded and subsequently transcribed. Now that divorce is rampant, it is the duty of the clergy to pastorally care for the divorcee. The author will propose a pastoral care model to help the divorcee cope with their situation. The author will as well analyse some biblical passages that are sometimes misinterpreted by theologically untrained pastors to reject the divorcee. Since our study is in the area of practical theology, the author will focus on the practical application of the biblical passages addressing the issue of divorce that are often misunderstood, and therefore, misapplied. Stigma associated with divorce, especially in African culture and context will be discussed. The findings from this study will be evaluated and analysed. Thematic analysis will be employed. And from the analysis of the findings, the author will then be able to give recommendations. Recommendations will be made with regard to caring for the divorcee within the church (the body of Christ). / Dissertation (MA (Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Practical Theology / MA (Theology) / Unrestricted

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The problem of this dissertation is to give a theoretical explanation of emotional problems appearing in theological students in their twenties as part of a struggle to find a pastoral identity by, first, expounding the theory of ego identity developed by Erik H. Erikson in light of its historical evolution and structural dynamics, as a relevant statement of personality development which accounts for the needs of the young adult; second, by illustrating the relevance of this theory for the young pastor in four identity problems which arise among 120 theological students during clinical training in mental hospitals, using their personal statements and responses to a questionnaire as data; and third, by raising implications for the parish to be tested in view of the understanding of the theory of pastoral identity as inferred by this study, thus indicating special facets to be considered in succeeding studies on the theory of pastoral care [TRUNCATED]

Thesis advisor: Robin Fleming / Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester (d. 984) was a reformer of Anglo-Saxon monasticism, but he was also deeply concerned with the religion of ordinary English laypeople. Whether in his promulgation of the cult of saints, vast elaboration of the liturgy, or extensive rebuilding of Winchester’s churches, Æthelwold demonstrated an interest in the lay religion that has been consistently ignored by modern scholars who fixate on his monastic zeal. This concern for the laity is natural in the context of Æthelwold’s own interpretation of the English past, as his goal of an all-monastic English Church necessitated a pastoral role for his reformed monks rather than their strict seclusion from the world. Such a goal was possible because Æthelwold initiated his reform program in the mid tenth century, when corporate religious life still provided the bulk of pastoral care in Winchester and the rest of southwest England, and the organized parish system was only a dim possibility as small local churches began to appear haphazardly in the north and east of the country. Æthelwold’s reforms were therefore very different from similar ones taking place on the continent or even in the sees of his fellow English reformers, and he attempted to recreate an imagined English past very unlike the Church that would eventually result a century later. The influence of his students, however, especially Wulfstan Cantor and the prolific Ælfric of Eynsham, shows that Æthelwold’s unusual interest in lay religion had far reaching consequences for the medieval English Church. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: History.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-131).

This study aims to find coping resources in two different paradigms of pastoral care using coping theory from the psychology of religion. The intention is to find coping resources that are functional coping strategies to help priests and chaplains in their work with pastoral care. The research questions are: What coping resources can be found in the pastoral clinical paradigm and the contextual paradigm? What are the differences and similarities? The method used is template analysis style where the theories form a framework for the material used to analyse in this study. The theories used for this study are religious coping theory and pastoral care theory. The materials used in this study are two books about pastoral care by Bergstrand & Lidbeck (1997) Själavård I and Patton (2005) Pastoral Care An essential Guide. The analysis points out that the coping resources in pastoral care theory are: tutoring, delimitation, prayer and education. These were represented in both of the pastoral care paradigms. In the pastoral clinical paradigm the coping resources focus was on the individual level whereas in the contextual paradigm the focus was on the group and organisation level. / Detta är en uppsats som via två olika själavårdsparadigm, kontextuellt själavårdsparadigm samt pastoralkliniskt själavårdsparadigm söker finna copingresurser i orienteringssystemet som kan fungera som funktionella copingstrategier för själavårdarens stresshantering i sin yrkesroll som själavårdare. Jag söker efter att finna likheter och skillnader själavårdsparadigmen emellan. Frågeställningarna i denna uppsats är följande: 1. Vilka copingresurser erbjuds för själavårdare av pastoralkliniskt själavårdsparadigm? 2. Vilka copingresurser erbjuds för själavårdare av kontextuellt själavårdsparadigm? 3. Vilka likheter och skillnader kan urskiljas? För att besvara frågeställningarna har jag använt mig av två böcker om själavård, en svensk bok som är skriven för blivande själavårdare, nuvarande själavårdare samt människor intresserade av själavård av Bergstrand och Lidbeck (1997) som heter Själavård I. Jag har även använt mig av en bok som är skriven i en amerikansk kontext om själavård av Patton (2005) som heter Pastoral care an essential guide. Som metod för denna uppsats har jag använt mig av en teoristyrd analys, template analysis style. Denna metod innebär att teorierna är referensramen för uppsatsen. Teorierna jag använt mig av är själavårdsteori samt religionspsykologisk copingteori. Resultatet jag fått fram visar på flera olika copingresurser som funktionella copingstrategier: handledning i grupp eller enskilt, gränsdragning, bön och utbildning. Dessa har varit gemensamma för de båda själavårdsparadigmen dock på olika nivåer, främst individuell nivå eller främst gruppnivå. I pastoralkliniskt själavårdsparadigm är nivån mer åt det individuella medan i kontextuellt själavårdsparadigm är nivån på gruppnivå samt organisationsnivå. I de båda själavårdsparadigmerna fanns inslag av både den individuella nivån samt gruppnivån.