This thesis is an intellectual biography of the Swedish statesman Johan Skytte (1577–1645), focusing on his educational ideals and his contributions to educational reform in the early Swedish Age of Greatness. Although born a commoner, Skytte rose to be one of the most powerful men in Sweden in the first half of the seventeenth century, serving three generations of regents. As a royal preceptor and subsequently a university chancellor, Skytte appears as an early educational politician at a time when the Swedish Vasa dynasty initiated a number of far-reaching reforms, including the revival of Sweden’s only university at the time (in Uppsala). The contextual approach of the thesis shows how Skytte’s educational reform agenda was shaped by nationally motivated arguments as well as by a Late Renaissance humanist heritage, celebrating education as the foundation of all prosperous civilizations. Utilizing a largely unexplored source material written mostly in Latin, the thesis analyzes how Skytte’s educational arguments were formed already at the University of Marburg in the 1590s, where he learned to embrace the utility-orientated ideals of the French humanist Petrus Ramus (1515–1572). Moreover, the analysis shows that the expanding Swedish state administration in the early seventeenth century was in urgent need of educated civil servants, and that this basic demand favored an ideology based on education, skill and merit. It is shown that Skytte skillfully combined a Ramist and patriotic rhetoric with narratives of individual merit and rewards, conveying not least himself as an example. The thesis argues that Skytte’s rhetoric reflects the formation of a new professional category in the Swedish society, one that was distinguished from the royal courtier, the clergyman, the merchant, the warrior, and the scholar. This category is the professional civil servant whose identity was dependent on skills and education.

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie is 'n herskepping van die wereld van die Afrikaanse roman van 1934-1939. Al die romans is bekom en gelees. Die beskikbaarheid van hierdie romans word aangedui. 'n Sketsmatige beeld van elke roman word gegee, waarin die aard daarvan aangetoon word ten opsigte van die volgende aspekte: milieu, tema en konflik (moreel, religieus, maatskaplik, polities). Die lotgevalle van hierdie romans is nagegaan aan die hand van tydgenootlike resepsiegeskiedenis, sowel as die van die literatuurgeskiedskrywing tot op hede. Hieruit het dit geblyk dat sekere romans aanvanklik hoog aangeslaan is, maar nie in die kanon opgeneem is nie. Moontlike redes hiervoor word ondersoek. Na my oordeel verdien Die loutering van Petrus deur Ella Fischer en Die jare daarna deur Aletta Steyn 'n herbesoek. Albei romans is boeiend en interessant, die karakters "lewe" en dit wat hul beleef en ervaar, spreek steeds tot die leser van die negentigerjare / This study is a recreation of the world of the Afrikaans novel of 1934-1939. All the novels were obtained and read. The availability of these novels is indicated. A schematic account of each novel is given, in which the nature of each is explicated in respect of the following aspects: milieu, theme and conflict (moral, religious, social and political). The fate of these novels was researched in the context of their contemporary reception history and that of literary historiography to date. From the study it appears that certain novels were initially highly acclaimed, but were not included in the canon. Possible reasons for this are investigated. It is my opinion that Die loutering van Petrus by Ella Fischer and Die }are daarna by Aletta Steyn need to be re-evaluated. Both novels are absorbing and interesting, the characters are lifelike and their life experiences are still relevant to the reader of the nineties / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)

This diploma thesis is focused on presenting selected artwork with the theme of Hell, which were made in 15. and 16. century. The focus will be on placing this artworks into whole artworks of selected painters. Also to compare it between each other and try to prove how was the tradition of this theme affected by political situation, customer and how was it affected by literature.

Text in German with summaries in German and English / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-211) / Biblical studies in New Testament are generating considerable interest in the investigation of historical groups, for example by using prosopographic approaches. This thesis presents a new approach to reconstruct the early Christian network in Acts 1-12. We consider the social network analyses (SNA), critical spatiality and Proximal Point Analyses (PPA). Although these approaches show interesting results, they suffer from a global distance measure. Thus, we introduce a novel approach combining SNA and critical spatiality to analyse geographic and social distances. This method represents a valuable alternative to traditional theological tools for answering exegetical questions concerning the social network in Acts 1-12 offering ways for re-thinking and re-interpretation. The network represents the first fulfillment of the promise given in Acts 1:8. Moreover, it allows us to distinguish between protagonists and their influence. Using different distance measurements, we were not only able to describe the high level of solidarity in this network but could also find strong evidences for Peter, Philip and Barnabas being key figures. Acts 1-12 describes mission as led by God and performed by different people with Jerusalem as the centre of activity. This mission is both peripheral and open to people with diverse social, religious and geographic backgrounds. In the novel network of people belonging to the body of Christ human leadership is not important. It was not possible to apply this method to all exegetical questions due to the fact that there are only limited historic sources available. / In der neutestamentlichen Wissenschaft wurden verschiedene Methoden wie die Prosopographie zur Erforschung bestimmter Personenkreise verwendet. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Rekonstruktion des frühchristlichen sozialen Netzwerks nach der Darstellung in Apg 1-12. Dazu wird die Methode der sozialen Netzwerkanalyse (SNA), der critical spatiality sowie die Proximal Point Analyse (PPA) verwendet. Dabei werden die methodischen Ansätze von verschiedenen historischen Netzwerkanalysen zusammengetragen und durch eine Verknüpfung von SNA und critical spatiality eine einheitliche Herangehensweise hergeleitet, die auch geographische wie soziale Distanzen darstellen kann. Dabei finden sich in Apg 1-12 sowohl exegetische Fragestellungen, auf die diese Methode aufgrund der schlechten Quellenlage nicht angewendet werden kann, als auch Fragestellungen, die mit dieser Methode unter neuen Gesichtspunkten interpretiert werden kann. So lässt sich im rekonstruierten Netzwerk von Apg 1-12 der erste Abschnitt der Erfüllung der Verheißung aus Apg 1,8 erkennen. Außerdem hilft die SNA, die einzelnen Akteure und ihr Handeln in der Apg besser zu würdigen. So ist ein eigenes Kapitel nicht nur Petrus, sondern auch Philippus und Barnabas gewidmet. Apg 1-12 stellt eine Mission dar, deren alleiniger Urheber Gott ist und die von verschiedensten Menschen mit der Stadt Jerusalem als Zentrum überwiegend dezentral und offen für verschiedene soziale, religiöse und geographische Hintergründe ausgeführt wird. Sie zeichnet ein besonderes Bild vom urchristlichen sozialen Netzwerk, das wenig menschliche Leitung beinhaltet und sich qualitativ unterscheidet. Die Analyse mit verschiedenen Zentralitätsmaßen zeigt ebenfalls die starke Verbundenheit der urchristlichen Gemeinschaft und den signifikanten Beitrag mehrerer Personen / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)