The meaning of loss is love. I know this through attention to experience. Whether loss or love is experienced in abundance or in absence, the meaning is mystical with an opening of body, mind, heart and soul to spirit. And so, in the style of a memoir, in the way of contemplative prayer, I contemplate and share my soul as a promise kept in the mystical reach through loss. With the first, initiating loss, the loss of my nine-year-old nephew, Caleb, I experience an epiphany that gives me spiritual instructions that will not be ignored. I experience loss as an abundance of meaning that comes to me as gnosis, as “knowledge of the heart” according to Elaine Pagels or divine revelation in what Evelyn Underhill calls mystical illumination in the experience of “losing-to-find” in union with the divine. Then, with gnostic import, in leaving the ordinary for the extraordinary, I enter the empty room in the painful yet liberating experience of the loss of my self. In the embrace of emptiness, I proceed to the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, the dark corner of denial, the return to centre, and, finally, to breaking the fourth wall in the empty room so as to keep my promise to you. Who are “you”? You are God. You are Caleb. You are spirit. You are my higher soul or self. And, you are the reader. You are my dear companion in silence. And then, through a series of broken promises and more loss, within what John of the Cross calls, “the dark night of the soul,” I am stopped by the ineffability of the dark corner of denial, the horror of separation and the absence of meaning, which is depicted as the grueling gap between the spiritual abyss and the breakthrough. What does it mean to keep going through a solemn succession of losses? I don’t know. In going into the empty room, I simply put pain to work in order to reach you. Through loss, though there are infinite manifestations, there is only one way: keep going. And so, in a triumph of the spirit, I keep going so as to be: a promise kept in the mystical reach through loss. As for you, through my illumined and dark experiences of loss, what is my promise to you? I keep going to reach the unreachable you. In the loss of self, with embodied emptiness, in going into the dark corner of denial, with a return to the divine centre of my emptied self, in an invitation to you, I give my soul to you in union with you. / Graduate / 2020-06-25

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This study of the promise sayings elucidates the motif of victory as the book's macrodynamic theme. Through intentional examination, the thesis finds the issue epitomized throughout Revelation on two levels-formally (re structure) and materially (re content). Jesus as Victor over death and the dragon desires the Asian believers to be prepared for his soon coming. The victors are promised eschatological rewards if they overcome various internal and external threats. In mapping out the dramatic scenario Chapter 1 explores afresh such background issues as authorship and audience. The pagan religious environment, represented by the Artemis and emperor cults, is demonstrated to be adversarial. Chapter 2 looks at four situations in Revelationthe rhetorical, historical, apocalyptic, and prophetic. Their composite exigences point to an early dating in the late 60s. Chapter 3 postulates that chiasmus is Revelation's macrostructure, and a chiastic model is proposed. Chapter 4 examines several proposed forms for the seven letters, such as edicts, oracles, and epistles. We conclude that they are a mixtum compositum-best called prophetic letters. Chapter 5 explores the sociological significance of victory in the Greco-Roman world. Through the use of language such as vLKaw and images like the palm branch, John motivates his audience toward the ideal of victory. Chapter 6 investigates the text of the promises and their cotexts as reflected intertextually in traditions of biblical literature. Local references are also determined to contribute to a multivalent interpretation of the promise imagery. Chapter 7 surveys the eschatological fulfillment of the promises, especially in the new Jerusalem. The rewards of spiritual provision, heavenly place, and divine person serve to incite the saints to victory. Chapter 8 investigates the appropriation of the promises for the time and the text world of Revelation. A multiplicity of functions for the promise sayings is established. This study shows that the promises function as prophetic parenesis to help the saints endure the coming tribulation. The possibility and reality of such a fulfillment and the appropriation of the promises allow us to postulate that these promises to the victors are not vain pies in a very bleak sky! / Hierdie studie oor die belofte uitsprake in die briewe aan die sewe gemeentes in Openbaring 2- 3 lig die motif van oorwinning toe as die sentrale tema van makrodinamiese omvang in Openbaring. Deur middel van 'n doelgerigte ondersoek bevind die studie dat die saak van oorwinning die twee brandpunte in die boek Openbaring vorm, naamlik, op formele vlak (re metode en struktuur van Openbaring en van die studie), en materieel (d.i. inhoudelik). Jesus as oorwinnaar oor die dood en oor die draak, koester die sterk begeerte dat die gelowiges van Asie gereed meet wees vir sy spoedige advent. Netsoos die profete van die Ou Testament waarsku Johannes die gemeentes oor die netelige situasie waarin hulle hulself bevind ten opsigte van die sosiale, politieke en religieuse situasie. In hierdie konteks word aan die oorwinnaars bepaalde beloftes van eskatologiese belonings gemaak as hulle die interne bedreigings van valse leringe en van vervolgings van buite sou oork6m. Deur vrugbare gebruikmaking van die perspektief van intertekstualiteit word die siening gesubstansieer dat Johannes se gehoor/lesers daarvan kennis meet neem dat hulle situasie geensins verskil van die lotgevalle van God se volk ender vorige vreemde onderdrukkers socs die Babiloniers nie. Hoe sal die gelowiges hierdie uur van toetsing deurstaan? Ten einde hierdie hele dramatiese scenario uit te stippel, ontgin Hoofstuk 1 opnuut die velde van agtergrond socs outeurskap, eerste gehoor/lesers, en hulle religieuse omgewing. Dit word gestel dat die heidense religieuse omgewing, socs verteenwoordig deur die Artemis en keiserkultus, baie vyandiggesind van aard is. Hoofstuk 2 bekyk en interpreteer vier situasies wat in Openbaring teegekom word, naamlik, die retoriese, historiese, apokaliptiese, en profetiese. Die samegestelde aard van hierdie noodsituasie wys heen na 'n vroee datering van Openbaring, naamlik, in die laat sestiger jare van die eerste eeu, v66r die verwoesting van Jerusalem. In Hoofstuk 3 word beredeneer dat chiasme die mees geskikte beskrywing vir die struktuurvorm van Openbaring is. Met chiasme as heuristiese instrument kan aangetoon word dat die beloftes en hulle vervulling in Openbaring 2-3 ·n beduidende rel in die struktuur van die boek speel. Hierop volg Hoofstuk 4 waarin moontlike literatuurvorms vir die sewe briewe voorgestel word, naamlik, edikte, orakels, en epistels/briewe. Daar word voorgestel dat dit beskou meet word as mixtum compositum wat goedskiks profetiese briewe genoem kan word en wat sewe samestellende uitsprake omvat. Hoofstuk 5 ontsluit die sosiologiese beduidenis van die idee en verskynsel van oorwinning in die Grieks-Romeinse wereld. In Openbaring hou dit in dat Johannes beide verbaal (re die gebruik van die Griekse werkwoord VLKaw) en beeldsprakig (re 'palmtak') sy gehoor ge-inspireer het ten opsigte van die ideaal van oorwinning. Hoofstuk 6 ontleed die teks van die belofte uitsprake, en die ko-tekste soos wat dit intertekstueel weerspieel word in bybelse tradisies. Plaaslike verwysings word oak in ag geneem ten einde tot 'n polivalente interpretasie van die belofte-beeldspraak by te dra. Hoofstuk 7 gee 'n analitiese oorsig van die vervulling van die eskatologiese beloftes, veral ten opsigte van die nuwe Jerusalem. Die belonings van geestelike voorsiening, 'n hemelse woonplek, en van 'n goddelike persoon dien om die heiliges aan te spoor tot oorwinning oar die verbete vyande. Hierop volg Hoofstuk 8 wat die toe-eiening van die beloftes binne die boek Openbaring en vir die tyd en tekswereld van die boek self ondersoek. 'n Veelvuldigheid van funksies, wat verkry word uit 'n multidissiplinere eksegetiese metodiek, word vir die belofte uitsprake vasgestel en beskryf. Hierdie studie toon aan dat die beloftes van oorwinning aan die sewe gemeentes in KleinAsie funksioneer as profetiese vermanings, waarvan die beeldspraak ontleen is aan 'n verskeidenheid van bybelse tradisies. Die vervulling hiervan kan reeds al in Openbaring 19-22 gesien word. Dit toon verder aan dat, anders as in die geval van die gevalle Rome, die heilige stad genaamd Jerusalem op die oorwinnende bruid sal wag. Die moontlikheid en werklikheid van die vervulling en toe-eiening van die beloftes van Openbaring 2-3 regverdig dit om te postuleer dat hierdie beloftes beslis nie ydele 'koeke vir die hiernamaals' (d.i. "pies in the sky") is nie! Nee, die Openbaring aan Johannes was bedoel om 'n profesie van troos vir die volk van God te wees en dit funksioneer beslis as sodanig / Biblical and Ancient Studies / Thesis (D. Litt et Phil.)--University of South Africa, 1996.

The work deals with the political biography of dr. Gertrude Sekaninová-Cakrtova - left-wing politician and diplomat, that the Czechoslovak public arena, she acted from 30' to 70' of 20th century. The main axis of the paper is thematization of their motivation for political actions over time (30th-70th years), which are based on the background of a utopian communist (socialist) promise with which she identified in the first half of the 30th years, yet. The dynamics of Sekaninova-Cakrtova's motivations in the course of 40 years paper articulate in the context of a whole generation of communist intellectuals and their ambivalent relationship to postwar communist regime during its development.

Background: All brands need to keep moving and to keep building their stories by bringing new and exciting products or experiences. During the last twenty years, companies have been more and more convinced that their brands are among their most valuable resources and today we see an increasing trend of brand extension attempts, however with a significant number of failures, as well.The strategies of how a brand extension should be done, have been published in several books during the last decades. Despite of this, some companies still do not see the link between brand extension and business development. There seem to be a certain lack of knowledge and understanding of the underlying factors that affect a brand extension. In this study, we would therefore like to examine and identify these different factors in order to create a greater understanding of branding strategies.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to research, describe and analyse the nature of horizontal brand extensions in order to create a theory regarding the essential key factors to take into consideration before considering an extension. Based on the theory, the hypothesis will be tested empirically in order to strengthen- or reject it.Methodology: This study is made with a deductive approach, where the theoretical framework, based on previous presented theories, has led to the conformation of our hypothesis, which has later on been applied to the findings from the empirical researches in order to confirm or discard our hypothesis.The empirical basis consists of qualitative interviews with respondents from two companies with experience from horizontal brand extension: Craft of Scandinavia and Peak Performance.Conclusion: Our conclusion from this research is that for a horizontal extension to be successful it must:‐ Be a part of a brand with a clear brand image and plan, for the brand ­‐ Fit the brand ‐ Live up to the original brand promise - Fit with the old associations and generate new, positive associations to the brand ­‐ Have high perceived quality and trust in the mind of the customer- Be a part of a risk evaluation in order to limit the risks and obtain a more realistic view of the extension. / Program: Textil produktutveckling med entreprenörs- och affärsinriktning

Cette thèse présente l’analyse de la trilogie de José Manuel Fajardo (1957) constituée par les trois romans, Carta del fin del mundo (1996), El Converso (1998) et Mi nombre es Jamaica (2010). Ces trois œuvres font partie du sous-genre, roman istorique d’aventures. À travers l‘étude du temps, de l’espace et des personnages, ce travail de recherche a pour objectif de délimiter la part de l’histoire et de l’aventure au sein de ces trois œuvres qui renvoient à des périodes marquantes de l’histoire de l’Espagne (la conquête, le Siècle d’or). Les nombreuses références à l’expulsion des Morisques ou à la diaspora sépharade témoignent de la volonté de l’auteur de faire œuvre d’historien en sauvant de l’oubli certains pans de l’histoire d’Espagne délaissés par l’Histoire officielle. Cette récupération historique va de pair avec une fictionnalisation de cette matière historique (la découverte de l’Amérique, la piraterie au XVIIe siècle, dans les Caraïbes et en méditerranée) qui permet à l’auteur de créer de l’aventure. Cette aventure est vécue par les héros comme une quête identitaire qui les conduit, à travers la traversée d’innombrables espaces, vers leur Terre promise ; ce qui leur confère une indéniable épaisseur humaine. / This thesis introduces the trilogy by José Manuel Fajardo (1957) composed of Carta del fin del mundo (1996), El Converso (1998) and Mi nombre es Jamaica (2010).These three works are part of the historical adventure novel sub-genre. Focusing on time, space and characters, this research work is aimed at making a distinction between history and adventure in these three works that refer to significant periods in the history of Spain (the conquest, the Golden Age). The numerous references to the expulsion of the Moriscos or the Sephardic diaspora show the author's willingness to work as a historian by saving fromoblivion some parts of Spanish history neglected by official history. This historical exploitation goes hand in hand with fictionalizing the historical matter _such as the discovery of America or piracy in the seventeenth century in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean seas_ which makes it possible for the author to create adventure. This adventure is experienced by the heroes as a search for identity that leads them, through the crossing of countless spaces, to their promised land; whichgives them potent human depth.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In the first chapter of my doctoral thesis, entitled The Political Implications of Nietzsche's Perspectivism, I argue that due to conflicting passages present throughout his oeuvre, Nietzsche is best understood as a twofold metaphysical sceptic. That is, a sceptic about the existence of the external world, and consequently, as a sceptic about such a world's correspondence to our perspectives. Nietzsche presents a threefold conceptualization of 'nihilism' and a twofold one of the 'will to power.' Neutral nihilism is humanity's inescapable condition of having no non-humanly created meanings and values. This state can be interpreted positively as an opportunity to create one's own meanings and values, or negatively as a terrifying incentive to return to dogmatism. The will to power is life before and as it becomes life, the unqualified will to power, and all the realities in it, the qualifiable will to power. The combination of these ontological concepts brings me to my second chapter and to the determination of Nietzsche's general epistemology: perspectivism. Perspectivism is an admittedly created, ontologically derived interpretation of knowledge, which both entails and goes beyond relativism. Nietzsche's perspectivism is constructed to support any norm that allows for univocal evaluations, not just Nietzsche's. Moreover, it can be derived from any ontology that conceptualizes life as a unit of growth and decay and human beings as creators of all their perspectives. These two elastic concepts allow me to propose, in my third chapter, that, although his texts disavow an all-inclusive democracy in favour of a new spiritual aristocracy, on the one hand, the proper political implications of perspectivism allow for democracy, while on the other hand, Nietzsche can be read as disapproving of an all inclusive or representative democracy, yet as approving of the direct democracy that arises naturally among elite peers.

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Les promesses de payer sont des contrats par lesquels une personne s’engage envers un créancier à payer ce qui lui est dû. De tels actes sont courants ; leurs applications sont variées. Le cautionnement, l’acceptation d’une lettre de change, la promesse d’exécuter une obligation naturelle, l’engagement du délégué envers le délégataire, le constitut, la garantie autonome, la souscription d’un billet à ordre, etc., sont des promesses de payer. Plus précisément, ces actes sont des applications diverses d’une même figure juridique : la promesse de payer. Cette dernière, déshabillée des particularités propres à chacune de ses applications spéciales, se présente comme une figure juridique unitaire, pourvue d’une nature et de caractères permanents. Ayant pour objet un paiement, elle suppose toujours l’existence d’une dette à acquitter. Cette dette, ou « obligation principale », constitue sa cause objective. Contrairement à une simple reconnaissance de dette, la promesse ne se borne pas à déclarer l’existence de celle-ci. En tant qu’engagement d’exécution, elle donne naissance à une nouvelle obligation, l’ « obligation de règlement », venant s’adjoindre à la première en vue de son paiement. L’obligation de règlement, à ce titre, constitue l’accessoire de l’obligation principale. Son régime, de sa naissance à son extinction, sera donc plus ou moins lié à celui de cette dernière. / Promises to pay are contracts by which a person commits to pay to a creditor what is owed to him. Such acts are as common as they are various. For instance, bond, acceptance of a bill of exchange, promise to perform a natural obligation, commitment of the delegate to the delegatee, autonomous guarantee, subscription of a promissory note, etc. are promises to pay. In fact, such acts are different applications of a single legal figure : the promise to pay. Apart from the specificities of each of its applications, the promise to pay reveals itself as a uniform legal act with a permanent nature. Because its subject consists in a payment, the promise to pay always presupposes the existence of a debt. Such debt, or “primary obligation”, is the “objective cause” of the promise. Unlike a simple “IOU”, a promise to pay is not limited to declare the existence of the primary obligation. As a commitment, it also produces a new obligation, the “obligation to pay”, which coexists with the primary obligation. The obligation to pay, as such, is ancillary to the primary obligation. Its legal status, from its birth to its expiration, will be closely linked to that of the primary obligation.