Traditionally, it has been argued that the Gospel of John was never a mission book (Missionsschrift) but rather a “Gemeindeschrift” written to confirm or deepen the faith of the early Christians of the Johannine community. In this study however, it is argued that although John’s Gospel may be encouraging to believers, the author rhetorically intended to persuade his readers to embody the missional motif, which started with the mission of Jesus. The narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-42, is investigated as an example of how Jesus for the sake of His mission crossed all barriers of His time to reach out to the Samaritans and therefore issued a pattern, which is to be followed by His followers. It is also argued that when the mission of Jesus and the narrative of the Samaritan woman are integrated, an ethical missional paradigm is constructed in which the believers as members of God’s family are called to embody the “missional ethics” of Jesus. Finally, it is argued that the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman could be interpreted as a narrative of social and spiritual reunion with moral principles that challenges the contemporary church to embark on missional journeys of restoration as Jesus did with the Samaritans. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / New Testament Studies / Unrestricted

The memory and spatial navigation are extremely important brain functions for humans, but they are often the question of life and death for animals. In humans, memory can be disrupted by various neuropsychiatric disorders. The patients suffering from Alzheimer's dementia (AD) have impaired working and long-term memory, spatial navigation, higher cognitive functions and social memory. The deficit of cognitive coordination (the skill to recognize the relevancy of incoming information) and disorientation belong to the symptomatology of schizophrenia. Intelectual disability appears in some patients with autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, it is not possible to cure these disorders efficiently because the etiology is not known in the majority of patients. The causes leading to development of these disorders could be revealed using animal models. This thesis contributes to the characterization of the cognitive skills disruptions - as well as other behavioral alterations - in selected rat models of AD (transgenic McGill rat, non-transgenic Samaritan rat) and schizophrenia (lipopolysaccharide model of early postnatal, or prenatal, bacterial infection). The thesis also discusses the validity and limitations of these models. Our results showed a severe deficit of spatial navigation, learning and...

Text in German / Taking the plurality of methods in Biblical studies as starting point this dissertation shows a way to coherent interpretation message. An analysis of the current state and its long history identifies characteristics preventing clear interpretation results as well as ways to work out coherent interpretation messages. It is accompanied by five interpretations of Luke 10:25-37. An interdisciplinary excursus examines the legal interpretation with its claim of clarity. Three levels of interpretation are considered as essential for an adequate process of interpretation: 1. Clarification of the literal meaning on the basis of a historical exegesis. The author calls for the interdisciplinary cooperation of the methods and introduces a synthesis of methods. 2. Consideration of the reception history of texts. Special attention is given to the authority of interpretation in the Roman Catholic Church. The author regards "interpretive communities" as an alternative option. 3. The Holy Spirit's influence on the process of interpretation. Also in post-modern times interpreters need to "inhabit" the biblical texts. / Biblical and Ancient studies / M.Th. (New Testament)

The objective of this thesis is to identify changes in the area of food banks in the Czech Republic which were made after the amendment to the Act on Food and Tobacco Products had entered into effect.The practical part includes a survey performed at the level of 14 food banks which are members of the Czech Federation of Food Banks. In the next section of the practical part, changes effected in the Food Bank of the South Bohemian Region after the amendment entered into effect were identified. Main changes and measures which had to be adopted are explained for the food redistribu-tion process.

Text in German / Taking the plurality of methods in Biblical studies as starting point this dissertation shows a way to coherent interpretation message. An analysis of the current state and its long history identifies characteristics preventing clear interpretation results as well as ways to work out coherent interpretation messages. It is accompanied by five interpretations of Luke 10:25-37. An interdisciplinary excursus examines the legal interpretation with its claim of clarity. Three levels of interpretation are considered as essential for an adequate process of interpretation: 1. Clarification of the literal meaning on the basis of a historical exegesis. The author calls for the interdisciplinary cooperation of the methods and introduces a synthesis of methods. 2. Consideration of the reception history of texts. Special attention is given to the authority of interpretation in the Roman Catholic Church. The author regards "interpretive communities" as an alternative option. 3. The Holy Spirit's influence on the process of interpretation. Also in post-modern times interpreters need to "inhabit" the biblical texts. / Biblical and Ancient studies / M.Th. (New Testament)

Den svenska skolan skall bl.a. vila på en kristen tradition enligt Lgr 11, men benämner inte närmre vems kristna tradition eller hur denna tradition bör ta sin form i klassrummet. Att tolka den kristna traditionen kan göras på många sätt, men för att exemplifiera problematiken i tolkningar så utgår uppsatsen från att belysa hur mångfacetterat ett resultat kan bli även vid ett par utvalda bibelberättelser från en relativt homogen grupp uttolkare. Syftet för den här konsumtionsuppsatsen är att undersöka vad kvinnliga exegeter belyser när de beskriver hur kvinnor interagerar med Jesus i två utvalda berättelser ur Nya testamentets evangelier. Exegeternas beskrivningar utreds också komparativt för att finna skiljaktigheter och liknelser. Vidare förs det även en didaktisk diskussion kopplat till skolans religionsundervisning om hur tolkningar kring en och samma berättelse som didaktiskt medel kan berika undervisningssammanhang i klassrummet.     Resultatet i uppsatsen visar både hur exegeterna har laborerat fram sina tolkningar och vad dessa tolkningar resulterat i för bibelberättelserna. I ett komparativt arbetssätt utvidgar exegeterna kontexten för bibelberättelserna på macronivå för att understödja den närmre analys de för på micronivå. De finner stöd i bl.a. lingvistik, utombibliska dokument och kulturella företeelser för att understödja deras argumentation om kvinnorna i de bibliska berättelserna. Kvinnorna i de båda bibliska berättelserna porträtteras på ett nytt sätt och utmärks av vissa exegeter till både apostel och lärjunge.     Resultatet för den religionsdidaktiska diskussionen utmynnas i både hur elever och främst lärare bör anamma en reflexivitet för att granska sig själva och hur tolkningar görs i vardagen för att kartlägga mönster där exotifiering och maktförskjutningar sker när religioner behandlas i klassrummet. Religionsdidaktikernas pedagogiska verktyg gynnar elevernas analyserande förmågor och kritiska tänkande vid exempelvis komparativa tolkningsövningar av urkunder. Hos läraren uppmanas en självkännedom genom att aktivt kunna belysa hur tolkningar av religioner förs i klassrummet och ifall det görs på någons bekostnad. Genus förs som en diskussionspunkt i förhållande till uppsatsens val att låta kvinnor ta plats och tolka religion. Genom genus kan en androgyn syn på religionsdidaktik framföras och låta en inkludering ske i religionsdiskursen där kvinnor inte längre är en åtskild minoritet inom religion, utan en aktiv och inkluderande part.