The following thesis examines the way “revelatory acts of God” in each of the canonical Gospels engender reverence for Jesus. “Revelatory acts of God” are disclosures of God by vision or audition (also called, “revelatory experiences”). Thus, any event in which characters hear a voice from heaven or see a vision from heaven is a “revelatory experience.” But what role do these accounts have in the four Gospel for engendering reverence for Jesus? That is, how do God’s direct interventions within these narratives inspire characters to respond to Jesus? The answer to this question is the focus of this thesis. Scholars have noted the power of revelatory experience to “drive and shape” the veneration of Jesus in early Christian devotional practices. Hurtado notes the “demonstrable efficacy of such experiences in generating significant innovations in various religious traditions” (Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ, 65). However, one wonders what “faith-producing” role revelatory experiences actually have in the Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels include revelatory experiences as a distinguishing feature of their accounts, with the baptism and transfiguration being two of the most commented-on passages of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. However, such revelatory acts of God are curiously rare in John prior to Jesus’ resurrection. This thesis will analyze the role of revelatory experiences for producing reverence for Jesus in each Gospel and explore the differences between the Gospels in how these accounts are employed. This research focuses primarily on the responses of characters to the revelatory in the Gospel narratives. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the way audiences in the four Gospels are or are not “shaped” by such revelatory experiences and what implications these findings may have for the interpretation of each Gospel.

Technology has been an ever evolving component of society and civilization, making our life easier but simultaneously creating problems. Now we have become the tools for our tools. It is the reaction to this technology that has led our society to become more and more mechanized and engineered, detaching us from the natural processes and the natural phenomena that make up our interesting world. However, because of the landscape'­s potential for communication and demonstration, it is a critical time for landscape architects to use the landscape, highlighting the interaction between the human and natural processes and create a heightened sense of ecological awareness. This thesis design explores how technology can be integrated into the landscape in order to reveal the natural phenomena of wind on the site. The revelation of wind is achieved through the engagement of the airplanes landing and taking off from Reagan National Airport and one's senses as one can hear wind, see wind, feel wind, smell and taste wind. The sensory experience is one that focuses on the overlapping of the senses in a type of synthesia, creating a rich and dynamic fabric for exploration, interpretation and understanding of wind, its movement and its unique cycles. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Water and waterfronts are appealing to almost any person, as a visitor or designer. This study challenges the author's design processes and understanding of the landscape as the sculpted meeting ground, intersecting human and natural physical processes. It progresses from assumptions through collaborated ideas of others in a literature review through case studies of various waterfront situations and finally to the design project of the Jones Point waterfront in Alexandria, Virginia. Here the intermingled aspects from cultural activities over time and local, physical movement of land by water are assessed to be revealed and enhanced for the visitor's benefit, use, and connection with place. For it is the author's belief that the landscape and space can be sculpted, experienced, and imagined for the purpose of connecting us to a larger framework of living systems on this planet and beyond. The design extends the city to the waterfront and vice versa with an understanding of both physical processes and cultural choices to the point of being unable to distinguish action from reaction. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Owing to the author's interest in and concern for earth's processes, healthy ecosystems, and environmental decline and devastation, this thesis examines the human – nature relationship, as it relates to landscape architecture, through spiritual, mathematical, geometrical, historical, economical, ecological, philosophical and ethical perspectives. Sustainable design and eco-revelatory design methods are also explored in order to aid in the development of a personal design ethic that defines and produces ecologically responsible works of landscape architecture. The goal is to establish a personal framework for design that results in built landscapes that are ecologically more benign, holistically more functional, and culturally more significant than standard practices. Research methodologies include literature review, case study analysis, project site analysis, and personal interviews. Findings suggest that despite a longstanding and growing call for a more harmonious relationship between nature and anthropogenic changes on the land, the green movement remains a loosely defined alternative undercurrent. The field of landscape architecture is uniquely poised to be a leader in the sustainable revolution; this is especially true when its practitioners, researchers and theorists are dedicated to ideals and activities that bring about true ecological value. For the individual designer, the experience of developing and committing to a personal design ethic can be empowering, and can produce work that has more mettle, veracity and purpose than the designer has previously known. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The proportion of Canadian prisoners with mental illnesses is rising. Prison administrators are legally responsible for funding and providing access to mental health services for prisoners. Models of service delivery are organized differently in prisons across Canada, and limited scholarly research exists on the efficacy of different approaches to delivering prison mental health care services. The purpose of this case study was to explore the organization and delivery of mental health services in a provincial prison (APP) in Canada. The research question considered how to organize the delivery of these services to meet the needs of prisoners with mental illnesses. The right to health, which holds that services should be available, accessible, appropriate, and of good quality (AAAQ), was applied as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from public documents, observations of the medical clinic and a meeting of a multidisciplinary committee, and individual interviews and focus groups. A total of 31 participants from APP, the provincial health care system, and community-based organizations participated in this study. The data were inductively coded and subjected to pattern matching with emerging themes from multiple sources. Findings indicated that the provincial health care system, not prison administrators, should be responsible for the oversight and management of prison mental health services. Collaboration between the systems is needed in program design and delivering these services. Application of the AAAQ framework against mental health services revealed that the services did not satisfy the right to health and need enhancement. These findings suggest that policy makers could use the AAAQ framework to design and deliver mental health services equivalent to services in the community for the benefit of prisoners.

This practicum investigates the application of ecological literacy theory to the practice of landscape architecture. Ecological literacy can be defined as the ability to comprehend the complex relationships of one’s surrounding environment and live life with greater environmental sensitivity. The Lake Winnipeg watershed is home to over 5 million people, and draws its water from four Canadian provinces and four American states. With the anthropogenic manipulation of the landscape, native watershed functions like water retention and filtration have been compromised. Each year, increasing amounts of phosphorus enter the lake from agricultural and urban fertilisers and effluents. This nutrient loading creates algal blooms toxic to humans and other species that rely on the lake for survival. The proposed programmatic framework and design interventions are intended to address these impacts by fostering watershed sustainability and ecological literacy, while engaging citizens in the processes associated with increasing local ecological integrity.

This dissertation studies the role of preaching in the Christian Brethren Church from a practical theological perspective. I commence by setting up a practical theological theory that draws from both revelatory and anthropological models to develop a preaching model that considers preaching as a Revelatory Covenantal Conversation involving divine revelation, community dialogue and intended response, and has ecclesiological focus and impact. In this dissertation I propose a theological theory on the role of preaching in the church which asserts that: Preaching stands, in the line of the self revelation of God, as his continuing action to both reveal himself, and be present with his covenant people of promise. Therefore preaching within the church must conform to this revelation in: event – the covenantal conversation itself; message – the content of the preaching; interpretation/response – the preacher’s intended response by the hearers; the intention - the intended shaping of the community of faith through the preaching event. Preaching is a continuing Revelatory Covenantal Conversation between God and his people to create, transform, and continue his community of faith – the preaching community. Following a discussion of the above preaching theory a Revelatory Covenantal Conversational preaching model is presented. An examination of the preaching praxis within the Christian Brethren denomination is then undertaken. The praxis study gives specific consideration to the place and role of preaching in the historical development of the Brethren, as well as within the current Christian Brethren praxis. In addition a qualitative analysis of the praxis within the local Christian Brethren church that I attend is considered. According to Zerfass “practical theology has the task to lead in... [the] process of change in a way that is responsible from the perspective of both theology and the social sciences” (Heitink 1993: 113). To this end the final chapter suggests possible aspects of change, theological and practical, that can move the praxis forward toward an alternative praxis – to create a preaching community which incorporates the above theological theory and critical reflection on the praxis, and thereby participating fully in the Revelatory Covenantal Conversation. / Dissertation (MA (Theology) : Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted