This thesis approaches the connection of the experience of sound/music and the experience of religion. The investigation applies a methodology of lens analysis, using the religious and mystical theories of Rudolf Otto and William James, to the case-study of Mantric chanting in a contemporary diasporic, orthopractic tradition of Sikh mysticism--3HO Kundalini Yoga. It is concluded that the experiences of sound/music and of religion are connected insofar as they are intrinsically corporeal experiences that exhibit a paradoxical immersive transcendence; Immersive because of how inescapably corporeally based they are, and yet transcendent because of how they can transport one’s consciousness to states of knowing, feeling, and understanding that are camouflaged from ordinary (non-musical, non-religious) mundane corporeal experiences.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcelo Consentino.pdf: 1415146 bytes, checksum: 182ad9d82d1c1bf902f13f92bf986c48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the studies which search to investigate the relationship between the Christian tradition and the modern culture, and therefore to bring elements to answer two fundamental questions: (1) what is living and what is dead in Christianity and in modernity, and (2) what should live and what should die in Christianity and in modernity. In order to do that, the problem will be studied according to the work of the modern Christian philosopher Vladimir Soloviev, especially rich by the efforts of the author to be ultramodern and ultraorthodox. The First Chapter will be dedicated to investigate the scientific basis in the work of Soloviev, especially his notions of anthropology and historiography, with special emphasis in the historical development of Christianity and modern civilization. The Second Chapter is dedicated to Soloviev s philosophical evaluation of the human condition and the history of humanity. The Third Chpater is dedicated to Soloviev s theology, that is, on how the human condition and the history of humanity are seen on the light of Christian Revelation according to orthodoxy. The Fourth and Last Chapter, which should be hold as a conclusion, is dedicated to investigate, particularly in the last of Soloviev s books, The Tale of the Antichrist, the ultimate points of convergence and divergence between the ideals of the Christian tradition and the ideals of modern culture / O propósito desta dissertação é contribuir para os estudos que visam investigar as relações entre a tradição cristã e a cultura moderna, e assim trazer elementos para responder duas questões fundamentais: (1) o que é vivo e o que é morto no cristianismo e na modernidade, e (2) o que deve viver e o que deve morrer no cristianismo e na modernidade. Para tanto se abordará o problema a partir da obra do filósofo cristão moderno Vladimir Soloviev, particularmente rica pelo esforço do autor de ser a um só tempo ultra-moderno e ultra-ortodoxo. O Primeiro Capítulo será dedicado a investigar as bases científicas na obra de Soloviev, em especial as suas noções de antropologia e de historiografia, com ênfase especial no desenvolvimento histórico do cristianismo e da civilização moderna. O Segundo Capítulo é dedicado à avaliação filosófica de Soloviev da condição humana e da história da humanidade. O Terceiro Capítulo é dedicado à teologia de Soloviev, ou seja, a como a condição humana e a história da humanidade são vistas à luz da Revelação cristã segundo a ortodoxia. O Quarto e último Capítulo, que deve servir como conclusão, é dedicado a investigar, em especial no derradeiro livro de Soloviev, O conto do Anticristo, os pontos definitivos de convergência e divergência entre o ideal da tradição cristã e o ideal da cultura moderna

The study was designed to be a critical assessment of the Snow-Machalek Conversion Typology. Data were collected from Mormon converts in the British Isles, and an attempt was made to apply the typology to these converts. It was assumed that if the typology could be effectively applied to Mormon converts, strong correlations would be found between its dimensions and quantitative measures of conversion. It was also assumed that social integration of converts would play an important part in the conversion process. The application of the typology proved to be very difficult; however, some dimensions seemed to be more useful than others. Social integration was very important for British converts to Mormonism. An alternative theoretical emphasis to the study of conversion is offered which stresses the importance of social integration in the development of a new global perspective.

The relations between faculty religiosity, changes in reliaious beliefs, and commitment to scholarly openness were examined through a survey of 257 faculty at three universities. A new measure of scholarly openness was developed for this study because of ambiguities in previous indirect and attitudinal measures. Patterns of faculty religiosity as a function of education, graduate school prestige, academic discipline, and educational period of religious change are generally compatible with previous studies, but patterns for scholarly openness are not. Faculty religiosity and scholarly openness were negatively correlated for those Faculty who had never experienced sinnificant reliaious change and for those who had changed from one religon to another, congruent with the hypothesis that religious faith and scholarly openness are incompatible, but the correlations were not strong. However, the two dimensions were uncorrelated for faculty who had changed in either more religious or less religious directions. Six factors contributing to religious change were identified by principle components analysis from responses to 31 reasons for change presented in Likert format and from scores assigned to faculty self-descriptions. Correlations between factor scores and scholarly openness suggest that the process of personal interaction concerning religious beliefs may be particularly significant in nullifying the antithetical relationship between religious faith and scholarly openness.

In this paper we will examine, in survey fashion the hermeneutical programs formulated by supernatural orthodoxy,1 the natural religion school,2 and the attempts to find an alternative to these in the post-Enlightenment period of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A preliminary overview is in order to map out the direction of the discussion and to suggest a common uncritical assumption held by all major programs, viz, the use of non-biblical literary models for interpreting the immanent character of the Scriptures. 1. Orthodoxy has reference to the Protestant interpretation of the Bible which accepted the possibility of divine intervention into history. This intervention included the miraculous activity of God on behalf of his people and the communication of information to his inspired writers. 2. The natural religion school denied the miraculous intervention of God preferring a rational description of the world in terms of unbreakable laws derived from science.

The mental health literacy (MHL) rates of Christian clergy in the United States remains underinvestigated in the current literature. This gap of knowledge is problematic for the large numbers of individuals with mental illness who seek assistance from clergy and may receive inadequate care for their concerns. As theoretically designated by the behavioral models of health care and MHL research, denomination-type, educational variables, and demographic characteristics were investigated as potential predictors of MHL. A sample of 238 Christian clergy from throughout the United States completed the web-based Mental Health Literacy Scale and demographic questionnaire. Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant differences among MHL scores of Evangelical Protestant, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Historically Black Protestant groups. Results of the multiple linear regressions showed that number of years of postsecondary school, degree-type, age, and geographical location were not significant predictors of MHL scores. Higher numbers of clinical MH training courses and female gender did significantly predict higher levels of MHL scores. The findings provided the first parametric measure of a diverse, national sample of Christian clergy and indicated a need for increasing MHL trainings. Results also provided counselors and counselor educators with information useful for initiating and modeling interprofessional trainings, collaborations, and referral partnerships with clergy who currently serve as front-line mental health workers to millions of U.S. residents. The results may also inform social justice initiatives to reduce mental health care disparities in underserved populations.

This thesis is an analytical study of the place of clairvoyance (avadhijñāna) in Jain epistemology and soteriology. It argues that avadhijñāna occupies an ambivalent position regarding both, since it is not solely attained by means of spiritual progression but may also spontaneously arise regardless of a being’s righteousness (samyaktva). Beginning with a survey of descriptions of avadhijñāna in the canons of each sect, including a translation of Nandisūtra 12-28, it examines how commentaries, philosophy and narrative literature developed and elaborated upon avadhijñāna as part of its epistemological system. Further, it examines the nexus of avadhijñāna and karma theory to understand the role of clairvoyance in the cultivation of the three jewels—correct perception, knowledge, and conduct—that lead to liberation (mokṣa). Finally, several examples of clairvoyants from Jain narratives show how clairvoyance reamined an ambivalent tool for virtuous transformation in popular literature.

<p>Med hjälp av den fenomenologiska metoden visade det sig att fenomenet TV innehåller ångest. Programformen såpa serverar sina tittare en existentiell ångest. I sport bjuds tittaren på patologisk ångest. I ljuset av P. Tillichs existentiella ontologi (1977) framkom det att ångest beror på att samhället har fråntagit oss ödet och döden.</p> / Uppsatsförfattaren har senare bytt efternamn till "Fredriksson".

<p>Berättandet kan betraktas som en moralfilosofisk praktik, där etik och estetik förs tillsammans och blir ett i narrationen. Berättande är etik, både som gestaltande handling, gestaltad handling och i läsningen återgestaltad handling. Enligt författarens intentioner ska berättelsen om Ester ses som en moralisk sådan, och diskussionerna omkring densamme visar att detta stämmer. Man skulle kunna sammanfatta berättelsens moral i Kants kategoriska imperativ: ”Handla endast efter den maxim genom vilken du tillika kan vilja att den blir en allmän lag”. Kant förstod till skillnad från Platon att människorna behöver berättandet, en moralens estetik, om etiken ska ha några utsikter att lyckas.</p><p>Att läsa är med andra ord en medskapande handling, läsning är inte en passiv handling utan en aktiv. Att läsa fiktiva berättelser försätter oss i situationer som både liknar och inte liknar livet. Likheten består i vårt engagemang i fiktionsgestalterna, (se intresset för TVs alla ”såpor”). Olikheten visar sig genom att vi slipper de riktiga ställningstagandena som vi stöter på i verkliga livet. Fiktionens värld kan vi ändå inte ändra på. Den är ”där” och vi är ”här”.</p>

In this thesis, I explore the psychological and experiential aspects of the shift from a supernatural theistic worldview (specifically born-again Christianity) to aphilosophically naturalistic and atheistic worldview in the context of the religiouslandscape in the U.S. I posit that certain features of this transition, which is known as "deconversion,” can be thought of as potentially analogous, both psychologically and subjectively, to the experience of another's death as an objective environmental change. I provide anthropological and psychological evidence that believers often experience the God of born-again Christianity as an independently existing and active agent in the world. The similarities between human relationships and God relationships provide the foundation for the claim that loss of these relationships potentially constitute similar experiences, respectively. Both shifts (deconversion and death) share a number of similarities. For example, they both feature a reduction in the number of entities that are believed perceived as having minds (i.e., theory of mind determinations). Also, both shifts require a re-understanding of purpose and meaning in the world (i.e., teleological reasoning). I explore each of these shifts in detail. Finally, I show that the interpretation of the deconversion experience as analogous to the experience of death has implications for the public dialogue between Christians and atheists.