The subject of this dissertation is the confessional revivalist organisation Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen (EFS – approximately the Swedish Evangelical Mission Society) between 1856 and 1910. EFS was founded in 1856 in a Pietistic tradition, and its aim was to revitalise from within what was seen as a too dormant State church, and also to counteract the influence of the emerging free churches. The study has five main sections. The introductory part consists of the theoretical framework and the historical context. In the second chapter EFS’ aims and expectations are studied on a national level. The third chapter examines the content of published and distributed tracts. The fourth chapter focuses on the activities of the itinerant colporteurs, and the fifth and final part studies the work of a local EFS-congregation. The aim of the dissertation is twofold. The first objective is to describe the transformation EFS underwent during the period studied. This process is described in terms related to Jürgen Habermas’ expression “public sphere”. When EFS was founded, as a board, it can be seen as one of other middle- and upper-class associations, and as such a part of the Swedish public sphere. By 1910 EFS had begun to move away from the Swedish State church and had become more like contemporary popular movements and free churches – it had started to take the shape of an limited alternative sphere, a denomination. The second aim is to use EFS as an example to describe and analyse the changed perception of religion during the second half of the 19th century. This change is described as a process of secularisation. Secularisation is seen here as the process that turned religion into an individual, voluntary and optional act of faith, among other religious and non-religious alternatives, for ordinary people. Of particular interest is the paradoxical relation between revivalism and secularisation. Various revivalist movements emphasised the personal relation to God and the individual right to interpret the word of God. The individual choice for salvation was also stressed within revivalism. These movements also created new alternatives to the all-embracing State church. Thus both the position of the Church, and the universal claims of Christianity in general, were undermined. The transformation EFS underwent is seen as an adaptation to the rise of modern society, which became more pluralistic and hence competitive during the final decades of the 19th century. This development meant that new strategies were required for religious organisations overall, in order for them to be able to compete and flourish. / digitalisering@umu

Schubert's Villa in Liboc, Prague and the Phenomenon of Dilapidated Monuments. The View of Heritage Preservation on Renaissance Revival Villa Architecture The main purpose of this thesis is to emphasize the phenomenon of dilapidated renaissance revival monuments. This phenomenon will be shown on destiny of Schubert's villa, even though the villa is a national monument, it is in a very bad condition. Why is the villa dilapidated? Is it the cause of indifference of people, political or social changes? The first chapter will characterize the villa in context of renaissance revival. The chapter will describe the original condition and will emphasize the artistic value. The second chapter will evaluate the development of heritage preservation, mainly with emphasis on villa architecture. The third chapter will focus on political and social changes, which could have had an unfavourable impact. The fourth chapter will analyse nowadays bad state. The chapter will also answer the question if it is a usual phenomenon that the renaissance revival villas are dilapidated and why. Keywords Schubert's villa, renaissance revival villa architecture, heritage preservation, endangered monuments, dilapidation

The turn of the 18th and 19th centuries is well known for the Age of Enlightenment and for the formation of nations which began to realize the need for their own identity. One of those nations were Slovaks and their national revival will be introduced in the first chapter of this thesis. In the second and third chapter we will analyze the works of two authors, Ján Chalupka and Ján Palárik, in the historical and social conditions that years. In the last chapter we will summarize our analysis of dramas and we will try to explain how that time influenced life and society.

The current study examined the impact of a recently restarted football program and a new on-campus stadium on the alumni and students of a Division I FCS commuter school. Results showed that alumni felt more connected to the university because of the new football program, they were more satisfied with their overall game-day experience, and the new football stadium was more likely to increase their game attendance when compared to students. Supplementary analysis highlights key differences in how each group rated individual elements of the game-day experience and the mediums used by each group for obtaining team-related information.

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Furniture history is often considered a niche subject removed from the main discipline of art history, and one that has little to do with the output of painters, sculptors and architects. This thesis, however, connects the key intellectual, artistic and architectural debates surfacing in 'the arts' between 1740 and 1840 with the design of British furniture. Despite the expanding corpus of scholarly monographs and articles dealing with individual cabinet-makers, furniture making in geographic areas and periods of time, little attention has been paid to exploring Gothic furniture made between 1740 and 1840. Indeed, no body of research on 'mainstream' Gothic furniture made at this time has been published. No sustained attempt has been made to trace its stylistic evolution, establish stylistic phases, or to place this development within the context of contemporary architectural practice and historiography — except for the study of A.W.N. Pugin's 'Reformed Gothic'. Neither have furniture historians been willing to explore the aesthetic's connection with the intellectual and sentimental position of 'the Gothic' in the period. This thesis addresses these shortcomings and is the first to bridge the historiographic, cultural and architectural concerns of the time with the stylistic, constructional and material characteristics of Gothic furniture. It argues that it, like architecture, was charged with social and political meanings that included national identity in the eighteenth century — around a century before Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin designed the Palace of Westminster and prominently associated the Gothic legacy with Britishness.

Text in German with summaries in German and English / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 350-377) / Die Doktorarbeit hat die Absicht herauszufinden, was Jonathan Edwards unter dem Begriff „Sündenerkenntnis“ verstanden hat und dabei die Frage nach der Bedeutung dieses Verständnisses für die Erweckungsbewegung zu beantworten. Während Jonathan Edwardsʼ Theologie und Philosophie im Allgemeinen gut erforscht ist, wurde dieser Aspekt noch nicht genauer untersucht. Zunächst wird auf der Grundlage einer chronologischen Einordnung seiner Werke Jonathan Edwardsʼ Verständnis von Sündenerkenntnis aus seinen wichtigsten Schriften erarbeitet, wobei eine Entwicklung in seinem Gedankengut deutlich wird (Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse). In einem zweiten Teil wird Jonathan Edwardsʼ Verständnis von Sündenerkenntnis mit der Theologie seiner Vorläufer, Zeitgenossen sowie Nachfolger und Gegner verglichen, wobei sich die Untersuchung auf die Bewegung des Puritanismus, die Epochen des „Great Awakening“ und des „Second Great Awakening“ beschränkt (Diachronischer Vergleich). In einem dritten Teil wird Jonathan Edwardsʼ Verständnis von Sündenerkenntnis systematischtheologisch und theologiegeschichtlich eingeordnet. Mit dieser Studie soll ein weiterer deutscher Beitrag zur internationalen Jonathan Edwards-Forschung geleistet werden. Der Ansatz dieser Forschung ist dabei historisch ausgerichtet, da er den systematisch-theologischen Begriff „Sündenerkenntnis“ auf der Grundlage der Biografie Edwardsʼ und einer chronologischen Einordnung seiner Werke zu ermitteln sucht, um ihn dann in einem diachronischen Vergleich mit Verständnissen aus verschiedenen zeitlichen Epochen zu vergleichen und so den Begriff „Sündenerkenntnis“ in einem theologiegeschichtlichen Kontext einordnet und versteht. / The thesis tries to answer the question, how Jonathan Edwards understood the term “conviction of sin”. The intention is to find out the significance of his understanding of this term for the revivalmovement of his time. While numerous studies have been done on his theology and philosophy, this aspect has not been thoroughly examined yet. Based on a chronological assessment of his works Jonathan Edwardsʼ understanding of conviction of sin is established from his major works (qualitative content analysis). This reveals a development in his thought-system. In a second part Jonathan Edwardsʼ understanding of conviction of sin is compared with the theology of his predecessors, contemporaries and opponents. This examination is limited to the time of the Puritans, the “Great Awakening” and the “Second Great Awakening” (diachronic comparative analysis). In a third part Jonathan Edwardsʼ understanding of conviction of sin is assessed in a systematictheological way and classified historically. The author intends to make another German contribution to international Jonathan Edwards Studies. This research is historically focused, because of the fact, that the term “conviction of sin” is analysed by means of the biography of Edwards and a chronological classification of his works to compare it with meanings of different historical epoches and classify it in its theological historical context by that approach. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Church history)

Individuals and organisations follow a general developmental cycle, that begins with birth, and progresses through growth, maturity, decline and death. While individuals necessarily die after a period of years, organisations may continue through many generations, though they too may die. Once an organisation reaches maturity, it tends toward decline, for sin has corrupted not only men, but all creation (Rms. 8:21-22). Though all things tend toward decay and death, they can be revitalised, for such is the power of God's grace. Like all organisations, the church can become ineffective. Many prefer abandoning the old organisation and starting a new work. Revitalisation may be the better solution, though it is certainly the greater challenge. This project considers the organisational life cycle biblically, historically and contemporarily. It considers how the church grows, and what keeps it from growing. It also considers the merits of creating `new wineskins,' versus revitalising old ones. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

The objective of this thesis is to contribute toward an understanding of missionaries and missions of the west and the rising of the Chinese indigenous churches. There is a necessity to trace the historical protestant mission work since Robert Morrison in 1807. Through the inequality of treaties such as the Nanking Treaty of 1842, the door to missions was opened in China. Missions came in along with western colonialism and military force. The Chinese people and government built up their hatred and resentment of the west during this period. The Boxer Uprising was the beginning of an era of unrest and instability, which brought about greater government interventions that impacted the Chinese people. Missionaries and Chinese Christians were murdered and martyred. However, these tragedies did not stop missions from sending more missionaries. Chinese Christians and leaders opened their eyes. The new awakening started Chinese indigenous churches through a revivalist and spiritual emphasis. Speakers such as Ding Li-Mei, Wang Ming-Dao, David Yang, John Sung, Watchman Nee, and Calvin Chao were active during the period between 1925 and 1949. Indigenous churches like the True Jesus Church, Jesus family Church, Zei Li Hwey and Ling En Hwey came into being. This was a most challenging era in modem Chinese Church history. The results were great. Since 1949 and the "Liberation" the Chinese church has marched on without western missionaries. / Christian Spirituality, Church History, and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

The objective of this thesis is to contribute toward an understanding of missionaries and missions of the west and the rising of the Chinese indigenous churches. There is a necessity to trace the historical protestant mission work since Robert Morrison in 1807. Through the inequality of treaties such as the Nanking Treaty of 1842, the door to missions was opened in China. Missions came in along with western colonialism and military force. The Chinese people and government built up their hatred and resentment of the west during this period. The Boxer Uprising was the beginning of an era of umest and instability, which brought about greater government interventions that impacted the Chinese people. Missionaries and Chinese Christians were murdered and martyred. However, these tragedies did not stop missions from sending more missionaries. Chinese Christians and leaders opened their eyes. The new awakening started Chinese indigenous churches through a revivalist and spiritual emphasis. Speakers such as Ding Li-Mei, Wang Ming-Dao, David Yang, John Sung, Watchman Nee, and Calvin Chao were active during the period between 1925 and 1949. Indigenous churches like the True Jesus Church, Jesus family Church, Zei Li Hwey and Ling En Hwey came into being. This was a most challenging era in modem Chinese Church history. The results were great. Since 1949 and the "Liberation" the Chinese church has marched on without western missionaries. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. Missiology)