Magister Artium - MA / Amagqirha have been understood solely through the framework of health and illness. Their image is tainted and they are misrepresented as clad bone throwers and mystical scammers. There are very few studies that focus on their involvement outside the context of healing. This study seeks to fill this gap revealing the artistic side of amagqirha. I contend that by focusing on the ritual space which includes song, dance, fashion, poetry and story telling, allows us to reveal the aesthetics of ubugqirha, reconstructing the meanings of traditional healers in contemporary South Africa. Where does knowledge about ritual practice come from? What role do intergenerational narratives play in the meanings of amagqirha? In what ways do the rituals of amagqirha are grounded in a disctinctive aesthetics? With the use informal conversations, close interviews and participating in the rituals of amagqirha in the townships of Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Langa, this thesis argues that traditional healing is a complex form of being in the world which draws heavily from intergenerational knowledges. Furthermore it is artistic in its nature as it includes dance, songs, fashion and poetry.

This study has three aims. The first one is to review which Buddhist symbols are used in Rituals commercial “The Ritual of Laughing Buddha”, where Rituals is a cosmetic company, with a main focus on skin care. The second aim with my study is to examine how semiotic resources are used to depict Buddhist symbols based on multimodal critical discourse analysis, and the third aim is to examine how the concept of banal religion in the theory of mediatization can contribute to the understanding of the representation of Buddhist symbols. This paper will use a multimodal critical discourse analysis to examine the commercial and then analyze the material in relation to the theory of mediatization as described by Hjarvard. The semiotic resources made the Buddhist symbols appear explicitly and since several Buddhist symbols were found in the material, the concept of banal religion could be used as a theoretical focus and contribute to an understandning of how Buddhist symbols are used in the commercial. The results show that the commercial is not intended to convey a religious message, but was mainly used to connote emotions such as happiness, warmth and extravagance. Representation of religion is thus found in the commercial, but the Buddhist symbols are used in a different way, and are in a new context than from institutionalized religion.

Osu, a district in central Accra, Ghana, is known for its busy commercial enterprises, countless restaurants and vibrant nightlife. Osu remains prominent in Ghana and also globally for a variety of reasons. One of such reasons is that it is arguably Ghana's most contemporary setting; second to no other location in the entire country. Osu is also the site of Ghana's seat of government- The Colonial era Christiansburg Castle which houses the president’s office and official residence. The town also plays host to several western diplomatic missions and embassies including the American Embassy. In addition to its 5 star hotels, nightclubs and multiple drive-through restaurants, what really makes Osu prominent in Ghana and elsewhere is its multiple establishments for children, such as the Osu Children's Home, and its continued philanthropy towards the betterment of the plight of displaced and underprivileged children. This thesis proposes and showcases the design of a children’s event and cultural center in Osu; to celebrate and enhance its legacy of child philanthropy. Planning and vi generative design aspects of the built artifact such as programming, site studies, and the collection of potentials for form generation, will be exhaustively addressed in this thesis.

Parental death has been recognized as the most over-whelming grief in the second wave of Covid-19 in India. And the research has shown that bereaved youth need to talk about their emotions to be able to positively process this sudden change of growing up too fast too early.  It is not easy to cope with the crumbling of your founding pillars. The latest understanding of grief among youth focuses on continuing the bond with the deceased in a discreet fash-ion, which counteracts with the traditional norms and ex-pectations of Indian society. The result of an ethnographic study, with the aim of gaining insights into the significance of conversation on grief as a tool for learning to cope with grief, creates an opportunity for new understanding of grief coping mechanisms within individuals as speaker, listener, and witness. The nuances of a conversational AI-enabled VR tool gives access to the exchange of unique grieving experi-ence with the technology that blurs the boundary of judg-ments, fear of oversharing, and hesitance of letting your guard down. Allowing for profound conversation around grief which contradicts the conventional discourse around death conversation about moving on or letting go of the bond with the deceased

The paper argues that the distinction between religious and secular realms of society is not as clear-cut in modern societies as it appears in theories of functional and institutional differentiation. The data used are mainly from China with a short excursion to the United States. The starting point is ancestor worship, which is a central element of traditional Chinese religion. The significance of ancestor worship in Chinese history and culture is briefly explained to illustrate on the one hand its central importance as a ritual practice and on the other hand the ambiguities of interpretation. On this basis, some theoretical considerations about the existence of ancestors are presented. This is followed by a report on contemporary temple festivals focusing on the worship of Fuxi, a mythic figure considered to be the first ancestor of the Chinese people. The next step is the description of official state rituals devoted to the worship of the very same mythological hero in contemporary China. Against this backdrop, the last part of the paper discusses the theoretical questions of classification and distinguishing between the religious and the secular.

No description available.

The memory grove [in Swedish: minneslund] is becoming an increasingly popular custom of burial in Sweden. Unlike traditional Swedish burial customs, the memory grove is a collective and anonymous gravesite, unmooring the obligation and cost of traditional grave maintenance. The absence of religious, institutional, or individualized symbols or displays leaves the memory grove with few indicators of death, in fact, death has been minimized and made discrete to the extent that the memory grove is hardly recognizable as a place of burial. Consequently, the memory grove raises unique emotional, ontological, and social concerns for the bereaved. The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals experience the memory grove as a site of commemoration. Drawing from the theoretical framework of lived religion and a phenomenological approach, the study provides a perspective vacant from previous research, mapping experiences of the memory grove based on seven qualitative deep interviews with individuals who have relatives or acquaintances resting at a memory grove. The findings demonstrated how experiences of the memory grove are governed by the emotional, social, and ontological assumptions that the respondents negotiate and enact as they commemorate on the memory grove. Furthermore, the results demonstrate how customs of burial have significant implications for how the bereaved maintain and experience post-mortem relations, and the extent to which they are able to experience the presence of the deceased. Lived religion was used to recognize how individuals negotiate, experience, and make meaning of that which is absent, invisible, intangible, and silent.

Thesis advisor: Margaret E. Guider / Thesis advisor: Francis X Clooney / In ‘geo-religious’ contexts throughout the world, the Church faces two crucial imperatives. Called to participate in the Missio Dei, it must engage other religions through inter-religious encounters and dialogue. Called to immerse itself within multi-religious realities, it also must deal with the epistemic arrogance that has accelerated religious extremism and contributed to the social construction, domination, and vilification of the religious ‘other.’ In response to these imperatives, Church leaders have issued a substantial number of ecclesial documents inviting Christians to enter into dialogue with adherents of other religions and philosophies of life. Ecclesial ministers have been called to reflect upon the 'clash of religions' and offer adequate responses to religious conflicts in various regions of the world. Unfortunately, however, our reliance on the comparative study of religion and the theology of religions, while informative, has not proven to be sufficiently formative. If Christian communities of faith are to respond to the adverse consequences of religious extremism, violence, and conflict, a new way of doing theological education is needed. Formation for ministry must include learning how to approach the religious other in a 'dialogue of life' through 'epistemic humility' that acknowledges, our need for the religious other. It must include cultivating the dialogical virtues of humility, hospitality, empathy, and interconnectedness necessary for promoting a ‘culture of encounter.’ In the processes of encounter and dialogue, learning by listening deeply can be transformative both for aspiring ministers and for adherents of other religions as they develop relationships of trust and mutual concern, thereby opening themselves to creating a heart for the other. In this dissertation, I propose that within the context of India, where religious violence is exacerbated by extremism and the marginalization of non-Hindus, the mission of interreligious dialogue entrusted to the Church by the Holy Spirit can be enhanced by encounters and relationships that provide for a deeper engagement with religious texts, rituals, and performative aspects of various faith traditions. I use the method of Comparative Theology articulated by Francis X. Clooney, S.J., that aims at deepening and expanding one’s own tradition through interreligious learning. In doing so, I advance the conviction, drawing from my own experiences through immersion, that the popular Hindu devotional text, Rāmcaritmānas, from the 16th century, with its textual, ritual, and performative dimensions, offers an instructive model for fostering a ‘culture of encounter’ and practicing dialogical virtues for the sake of the Reign of God.¹ As a consequence, I argue that ecclesial ministers who are formed and transformed by such experiences will be better prepared to accompany Indian Christians in ‘creating a heart for the other.’ Furthermore, by introducing aesthetical approaches to the proclamation, communication, and reception of Gospel narratives that deal with the life of Jesus Christ, the fruit and application of their interreligious learning, they also will be more skilled at helping Indian Christians to rediscover and intensify their devotion to Christ. Ideally, it is my hope that these learnings from the Mānas will foster ‘bandhuthā’ (fraternity) among Christians and Hindus and ultimately promote and sustain genuine encounters and dialogue. ¹ Abbreviated form Mānas / Thesis (STD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Reiki is a hands-on healing method classified as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that helps the body relax and heal itself, according to its practitioners. Sessions involve practitioners channeling energy to the client to assist this process. The consensus within the Reiki community is that Mikao Usui discovered the method while he was on Mount Kurama in 1922. There is ample research on the efficacy of Reiki in healthcare, but very few researchers have investigated its characteristics related to religiosity and rituals. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to examine Reiki as a secular sacred phenomenon and how it can be understood as such. This thesis also discusses how rituals in Reiki can be understood using other research on rituals. There is also a comparative analysis of Reiki rituals, focusing on three of them and how they differ between four Reiki Masters where three have studied with the same Reiki Master Teacher. The rituals are gassho, a meditation ritual; kenyoku-ho, a cleansing ritual; and, finally, reiji-ho, a direction ritual. The search for academic sources has been a major obstacle to overcome. Firstly, there is very little research on Reiki as a spiritual phenomenon or Reiki as a ritualistic phenomenon; most etic studies have focused on effects or possible benefits. Sources from within the Reiki community (emic sources) tend to make statements without clear evidence. Furthermore, some etic sources use emic sources to support their statements.

The intent of this thesis was to write a memoir of my five month trip to Libya that explores cultural differences through my experiences as an American with Western ideals. This memoir is focused on the cultural norms of marriage in the rural town of Msalata, in the central rural farming belt north of the ever expanding Sahara Desert of North Africa. My goal was to produce a work that is informational while showing the humanity of the local people through my perceptions as an outsider with different expectations. It was a time of discovery for me about the value of my upbringing and the positive aspects of American and Libyan culture. Our five months in Libya proved our strength and weakness. Libya was not what I expected. The people were hospitable beyond my experience. The customs at times were primitive and required an open mind. My children and I were the token Americans that summer who were invited to every wedding and birth. I was expected to attend many social events from circumcision celebrations to giving condolences along the side of my brother-in-law’s wife. Due to my American Christian upbringing I shared the moral values of Islam, which made it easy for me to become Muslim and live an Islamic life. At the same time, I could not fully accept all aspects of Libyan culture nor did my husband. Hadi rejected many things about his culture because it conflicted with Islam. My thesis did not come out the way I expected. It took a different direction from what I had original planned. It became focused on wedding traditions rather than on broader cultural contrasts.