The present study explores the ways in which competing frameworks of knowledge sought to order society in early Islamic Mesopotamia (60–193 AH/680–809 CE). This research examines the conditions under which two frameworks of knowledge came into being; how they tried to maximize their power through forging alliance with the caliphate; how they established the legitimacy of their knowledge; and how they promoted their visions of social order. The first framework of knowledge is associated with the secretaries, as state bureaucrats, who helped transfer ancient administrative methods and practices to the emerging Islamic polity. Their immense assistance in tackling manifold problems of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates consisted not only in offering technical know-how, useful administrative practices, expertise, and political wisdom, but also in addressing the foundational problems of the polity. This research argues that the secretaries' solution to the caliphate's structural problems—particularly the crisis of legitimacy—might have run counter to the social order promoted by Muslim religious scholars (the 'ulamā'). The secretaries' framework of knowledge and its concomitant social order, then, posed a threat to the authority of the 'ulamā' who pursued an alternative framework of knowledge rooted in sacred sources of law. Delving into a number of treatises composed and/or translated by the champions of these knowledge frameworks (e.g., ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd b. Yaḥyā, Ibn al-Muqaffa‘, and Abū Yūsuf), this dissertation concludes that the validation of knowledge and expertise involved more than solving specific problems such as maximizing the government revenues and efficiently collecting taxes from subjects; it rather relied on the ability of knowledge and expertise to offer solutions to the problem of social and political order. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MTh (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology. Church History and Church Polity))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Different theologies have sprung up around the celebration of the Eucharist. Consequently at the very point where Christians should be most united there is often controversy, bitterness and division. This is true of the writer’s own social location within the Anglican Church. The central question of this thesis is therefore how an engagement with Christianity’s Jewish roots helps us to reframe Eucharistic theology. In this regard a historical theological approach is employed to track how Eucharistic theological emphases have changed over time in relation to Jewish meal traditions, Jesus’ meal parables and table fellowship. The implications to reconnecting with the essence of Jesus’ social location are somewhat radical and potentially discomforting. Yet there are several obstacles to connecting with roots of our faith. The first obstacle examined in this thesis is the problematic interpretative gap of history, between the strangeness of the past and the familiarity of the present. A second obstacle only briefly touched upon is the attitude of anti-intellectualism in some churches today and an ignorance of the histories of Christianity. However, given the thesis question, the primary focus is on the obstacle of Christian anti-Semitism and the de-Judaising of Christianity. To seek greater continuity with Judaism is, in some ways, to Christianize Christianity. ii

Thesis (DTh (Ecclesiology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The central theme of this thesis is the historic unfolding of the concept of freedom of religion and its manifestation according to the canonical law of the Dutch Reformed Church since 1962. Two issues were considered, the first being the historic development of freedom of religion while the second issue concerns the status and understanding of freedom of religion since 1962 and the canonical implication for the Dutch Reformed Church between 1962 and 2007. The historic research into the origin of freedom of religion starts with the biblical view of the concept and gives a synopsis of the development until it reaches worldwide recognition as a fundamental constitutional right. Prior to the final understanding of the concept of freedom of religion, different forms and meanings were given to the concept. At first freedom of religion was historically developed and understood as a God-given right of every man. Later on, to protect the society from infringement of human and religious rights, it became necessary to establish freedom of religion worldwide as a recognized constitutional right. It is argued that freedom of religion is in fact the most fundamental right of all the human rights. The research shows the development of religious freedom in the Dutch Reformed Church between 1962 and 2007. From as far as 1652 the Christian religion was a privileged religion in South Africa. The privileged situation of the Dutch Reformed Church in its relation to the state made it unnecessary for them to discuss or define the concept of freedom of religion. Consequently the church gave silent consent to the state’s limited application of religious freedom. In and outside the church there was an ongoing debate that helped the church to formulate its role in religious freedom, which resulted in the document “Church and Society” (1986–1990). With the new Constitution of South Africa in 1996, a new situation developed for the Dutch Reformed Church as well as other churches. The church realized that it must define and take up its own legal position on religious freedom, which is guaranteed in the Constitution of South Africa. The church has the right to express their religious identity in a plural society. The relationship between church and state is expressed in matters such as conditions of employment, church property; matrimony, education, ordinances, religious organisation, etc. These are all issues of religious freedom that are guaranteed in the Constitution. The conclusion of this research will be helpful for churches and religious communities in their capacity of canonical as well as civil law. Religious communities must make optimum use of the provision made by the Constitution for freedom of religion.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis examines and proves the distinct characteristic of the hermeneutics of Reformed church polity, with regard to other jurisprudence. The study is set out as follows: Chapter 1 The methodological approach used is of cardinal importance in the research of a distinct hermeneutical characteristic associated with church polity. A clear choice is made for a research methodology which validates the thesis. This thesis opts for a theological and church political study with an ecclesiological foundation. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 is divided into two sections or themes: (i) Whether church and law can coexist and (ii) the unique characteristic of church polity. These two themes qualify the study in toto, whilst (at the same time) identifying useful elements that can assist in exploring the question of a distinct hermeneutical characteristic associated with Reformed church polity. It is argued that if church and law can exist together, the focus of the study can shift to the next theme in accordance with the thesis, namely the distinct characteristic of Reformed church polity. Judged from a Reformed perspective, it is clear (derived from part 1) that church and law can coexist and therefore is not a contradiction in terminis. Derived from part 2, it is clear that church polity has a unique character (sui generis), which is practiced in and for the church as a unique community. The argument of the thesis is that the church is the object of the law, also that its unique character resides with the faith community‐ which is the creation of God, which in turn enables Christ to rule the church‐ as her Lord and King. Chapter 3 As with the Bible and all legislation‐ the church order is subject to hermeneutical rules. The hermeneutics associated with theology and legislation are not isolated dissiplines, but form an inherent part of a general hermeneutics for the human sciences. The texts associated with church polity are therefore subjected to the same hermeneutical processes as other legislative texts. The hermeneutics associated with church polity possess a unique characteristic, with regards to the community in which it functions. Legislative texts should be read within the context of the community that sanctioned it. Church order then differs from the legislation of other communities. Hermeneutics, and the methods associated with it, can therefore assist the interpreter in reading a church order. Chapter 4 In the concluding chapter the hypothesis of the study is evaluated and verified in accordance with the conclusions reached in the preceding chapters‐ each with its own particular theme and relevance to the end‐result and validation of the thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek en bewys die eiesoortige hermeneutiese aard van die Gereformeerde kerkreg, in vergelyke met ander reg. Die ondersoek val soos volg uiteen: Hoofstuk 1 Die metodologiese aanpak van die studie is van deurslaggewende belang by die ondersoek na ʼn eiesoortige hermeneutiese karakter by die kerkreg. Daar word ʼn duidelike keuse gemaak vir ʼn navorsingsmetodologie wat die tese sal valideer. Die eiesoortige karakter van die hermeneutiek van die kerkreg, met insluiting van die temas‐ bestaansreg van die kerkreg, asook die eiesoortigheid van die kerkreg, is oortuigende argumente vir ʼn teologieskerkregtelike aanpak, met ʼn sterk ekklesiologiese onderbou. Hoofstuk 2 Hoofstuk 2 van die studie fokus in twee dele op (i) die bestaansreg van die kerkreg, asook (ii) die eiesoortigheid van die kerkreg, in ʼn poging om die studie in toto te kwalifiseer, asook om bruikbare elemente te identifiseer‐ wat kan bydra tot die vraag na die eiesoortige karakter van die hermeneutiek van die kerkreg. Daar word uitgegaan van die opvatting dat indien kerk en reg saam kan bestaan, die fokus kan aanskuif na die volgende tema in lyn met die tese van die studie, nl. die eiesoortigheid, oftewel unieke karakter van die kerk se reg. Vanuit ʼn Gereformeerde perspektief blyk dit duidelik (in deel 1) dat kerk en reg wel bestaanbaar is en nie ʼn contradictio in terminis nie. Kerkreg kan as behorend tot reg in eie sin beskou word, aangesien die reg die gestalte van die genade is (teenoor die opvatting dat reg en genade mekaar uitsluit). Kerk en reg se saambestaan, is kwalifikasie vir die vraag na die unieke karakter van die kerkreg. In deel 2 is dit duidelik dat die kerkreg ʼn eiesoortige reg (ius sui generis) is, wat in en vir die kerk as eiesoortige gemeenskap beoefen word. Die argument voorts is dat die kerk, die objek van die reg is, en dat die eie karakter van die kerkreg blyk uit die geloofsgemeenskapwat die “maaksel van God” is, en haar laat regeer deur Christus‐ haar Heer en Koning. Hoofstuk 3 Die kerkorde (soos die Bybel en alle regstekste) is onderhewig aan hermeneutiese reëls, wanneer dit kom by die uitleg daarvan. Beide die teologiese en regshermeneutiek is nie geïsoleerde dissiplines nie, maar maak ʼn inherente deel uit van ʼn algemene hermeneutiek vir die geesteswetenskappe. Kerkregtelike tekste is dus onderhewig aan dieselfde hermeneutiese prosesse as ander regstekste. Die hermeneutiek van die kerkreg toon ʼn eie karakter vir sover dit rekenskap hou met die eie aard van die gemeenskap waarin dit funksioneer. Regstekste moet gelees word teen die agtergrond van die gemeenskap wat dit as sulks gesanksioneer het. Die kerk se reg verskil dus van die reg in ander gemeenskappe. Die eie aard van die Christelike gemeente hou dus formele konsekwensies in vir die hermeneutiek van die kerkreg. Verder veronderstel ʼn hermeneutiese lees en gebruik van die kerkorde verskeie hulpmiddelswat tot diens van die interpreteerder kan wees. Na aanleiding van die verskeie hermeneutiese metodes, blyk dit dat daar ʼn ingewikkelde samespel aanwesig is by die kerkreg‐ tussen die kerk, kerkordelike‐reël en die Skrif. Hoofstuk 4 Ten slotte word die hipotese van die studie beoordeel en bevestig, na aanleiding van die gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak is in die voorafgaande hoofstukke‐ elk met ʼn eie bepaalde tema, wat direk verband hou met die eind‐resulterende validasie van die tese.

According to this study, research indicates that there is not a lot of information surrounding the focus on prayer in church polity and therefore attention is lacking in this field during the training of office bearers and thus the content and composition of prayers leaves one untouched. The focus of this study is a theoretical approach to the place and content of prayer in church polity according to the practical ministry of prayer during three consecutive synods of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The content of chapter one focuses on the idea that both Scripture and theological literature offer material to be integrated into a synthesis of what the ius constituendum imply and where to the practise as ius constitutum is measured with the purpose on an increased focus on prayer in church polity. Chapter two elaborates on the different aspects of prayer in conjunction with church polity in which the communal prayer of church leaders imposes certain requirements to the prayer leader in connection with the use of language, content and agenda that is embedded on the confession that Christ is the Head of and reigns over his Church. In the third chapter the focus is fixed on the four core elements of the church: unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity and the implication it has on prayer in the reformed church polity regarding more explicit intercession in prayer. The fourth chapter is an empirical examination of 121 prayers that was recorded during the 2003, 2006 and 2009 synods of the GKSA in accordance to the ius constituendum as discussed in chapters two and three summarised under twenty headings. The final chapter suggests corrections based on hermeneutical interaction between the ius constituendum and ius constitutum and resulting in improved formulated prayers that focus on the affairs of the agenda. Prayer ministry should not be left to the improvisation of the moment, but detail preparation should be done. Errors which were pointed out in this study, should thus be prevented. In church government, prayers should reflect the agenda in all prayer elements focusing on the kingdom of God from within the church with an outward spiral to the whole cosmos. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Church Polity))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

This thesis is a historical study and evaluation of the form of church government practised by the Particular Baptists of the 17th and 18th centuries, from the years 1650 to 1750. This study is based on confessional statements, the ecclesiological literature, and the extant church books of the Particular Baptists. It is shown that the Particular Baptists practised a definitive form of church government known traditionally as Independency, similar to that expounded by John Owen, minus infant baptism. Under the principle of the autonomy of the church the Particular Baptists practised believer’s baptism, an explicit church membership, and upheld covenant theology. Under the principle of the headship of Christ, they practised the separation of church and state, upheld the divine right of the magistrate, and also believed in the liberty of conscience. Under the principle of rule by elders the majority of the Particular Baptists practised a plurality of elders in which there was a distinction made between the roles of the pastor or minister and the ruling elders, although they occupy the same basic office of rule. However, deviation from a plural eldership took place, leading to the singlepastor- and-multiple-deacons situation, accompanied by the disappearance of ruling elders and the practice of congregational democracy in governance. This arrangement is characteristic of modern Congregationalism. Under the principle of the communion of churches the regional associations of churches accomplished much good, while a number of issues remained unresolved, including open and closed communion, congregational hymn singing, and the training of ministers. In the final chapter, the study attempts to resolve some ecclesiological issues controverted among Reformed Baptists today by applying the lessons learned from the Particular Baptists. To the Particular Baptists, Independency was the jus divinum (divinely ordained) form of church government used by God as the vehicle to carry out the Great Commission with a view to establishing biblically ordered churches, which upheld the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. These three components of church life − mission-mindedness, biblical church order, and the 1689 Confession of Faith − arose from the thorough biblicism of the Particular Baptists. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

A civilização minóica da Creta da Idade do Bronze foi uma das poucas civilizações européias a organizar a sociedade através de um sistema palacial. Os estudos sobre a formação dos estados minóicos devem analisar em profundidade o sistema administrativo palacial e as mudanças no mesmo ao longo de seus seis séculos de funcionamento - neste trabalho pretende-se analisar a evolução da complexidade das unidades sócio-políticas minóicas através da análise de suas formas administrativas. A definição de categorias de sítios administrativos - pela análise funcional dos vestígios arquiteturais e dos achados arqueológicos dos mesmos - e o estudo dos padrões hierárquicos entre os diversos sítios, serão o cerne do trabalho. O uso de metodologias apropriadas para a análise de processos de mudança e formação de instituições político-administrativas, como a Teoria de Sistemas e os conceitos de peer polity interaction de Colin Renfrew, serão as ferramentas básicas deste projeto. Esse trabalho é um desdobramento de pesquisa desenvolvida em Mestrado realizado no MAE/USP sobre as interações entre os estados primitivos de Creta e as práticas de culto minóicas. / The Minoan Civilization of the Bronze Age Crete was one of the few european civilizations that organized its society through a palatial system. The studies about the development of the Minoan States must analyse thoroughness the administrative palatial system and the changes that have occured on it during its six centuries of functioning. In this thesis we intend to analyse the complexity evolution of the Minoan polities through the analysis of its administrative configurations. The definition of administrative sites - through the function analysis of the architectural vestiges and of its archaeological discoveries - and the study of the hierarchic patterns among the sites, will be the main point of this research. The use of usefull methodologies for the analysis of early state formation and culture change, like systems theory and the concepts of peer polity interaction, will be the basis tools of this project. This research follows research developed in the mastership done in MAE/USP about the interaction between the early states of Crete and the Minoan ritual practices.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-199).

Today it is well known that institutions have a significant impact on growth and development. Less research has been investigating how institutions and in-stitutional quality affect trade. This thesis will specifically examine the effect contract enforcement has on bilateral trade. Secure property rights and con-tract enforcement are important for a country’s productivity and growth. The empirical analysis is based on the gravity model of trade to examine what explains the trade flows and more importantly what impact contract enforce-ment has on the bilateral trade. Instead of using one of the many existing sub-jective measurements of contract enforcement, an objective measurement called Contract-Intensive Money (CIM) is used. The results show that contract enforcement of the exporting country has a greater impact on exports than that of the importing country. As expected the institutionally dependent sector of machinery and transport equipment requires a higher level of contract enforcement than the standardized food sector. It implies that the exporting country will have a comparative advantage in export-ing complex products and import simple products. The results also indicates that the effect on exports is higher when there is development of a country’s poor contract enforcement rather than improvement in already high-quality contract enforcement in the partner country.

Since the end of the Second World War, the location of most interstate borders has been fixed.This suggests that the common phenomenon of ethnic groups partitioned by internationallyrecognized state borders is permanent. Nevertheless, a recurrent dream of 'redemption' (i.e. thebuilding of a self-ruling polity which unifies the separate segments) is capable of inciting patrioticmobilization even in the face of a very long period of unbroken partition. Little is knownabout this clash between dream and reality. How can an ethnoterritorial group which is apparentlypermanently partitioned between separate, sovereign states be redeemed? In seeking asolution to this puzzle, I attempt a Machiavellian type of analysis, defined as an approach whichcombines a patriotic perspective with a strategic view of the choice of specific means and endsin a way which is free of state-centrism. I also employ Machiavelli's theory-building method,which is a form of abduction.This study focuses on six aspects of the problem of partition and redemption: the territorialsetting, the historical process, partitioning state contexts, perceptions of partition and homelandmythology, strategies, and outcomes. Two instances are selected for case study and comparison:the Sami in northernmost Europe, and the Basques in Spain and France. Both groups arepartitioned between separate states, are a minority in each one, and lack control over all existingstate governments.The analysis reveals the unexpected result that the less numerous, greater dispersed, morepartitioned, and generally weaker Sami have been more successful in redemption than have theBasques. While the Sami have built common bodies which officially represent Sami in all fourpartitioning states, the Basques have only a limited transborder cooperation between the BasqueAutonomous Community (BAC) in Spain and non-Basque regional authorities in France. It ismore important to have compatible building blocks in each state (like the three Nordic SamiParliaments), than to have a single powerful one (like the BAC). Without fairly similar andharmonized partitioning states, like the Nordic countries, it is extremely difficult for transborderpolity-building to succeed. Another main conclusion, which disputes the findings of other research,is that redemption is possible even when a group remains partitioned, given that thegoal of statehood is abandoned in favour of a less ambitious transborder homerule. In order torealize this goal, the most generally applicable method is a stepwise strategy aimed at creatingcompatible building blocks in each state. A variant of this is the blueprint strategy, that is, usingan achievement in one state as a model for the struggle in other states. In contrast to nonparti -tioned groups, partitioned groups can refer to their own achievement in other states.The subject of interest here transcends the domestic-international divide. Similarly, theanalysis transcends academic boundaries, mainly those of political theory, international politicsand comparative politics. This combination provides a starting-point for further inquiry into thepattern of overlapping polities which is emerging, and of partition and redemption in particular. / digitalisering@umu