In the rich diversity of forms of the Christian Church, there are different perspectives on how believers ought to live holy lives and how their sanctification should progress. As such, the piety and sanctification of Christians entail every facet of our lives and the possibility of misunderstanding is ever present, because humans are fallible and at risk to "work" with the Bible in their own fashion. A wrong understanding of sin inevitably leads to error as regards piety. Pietism or mutations /forms thereof may therefore stifle, rather than promote real piety coram Deo, in the Christian faith community and in conducting our everyday lives. The aim of the study is, therefore, to advance genuine piety with Christian believers. The doctrine of successive works of grace and the style or approach in which proponents of the doctrine treat Scripture, were critically examined in the first section of the basis-theory. A hermeneutical position from the reformed perspective was stated. The sovereignty of God and the acknowledged authority of Scripture are both the centre and periphery of the reformed perspective, and from a grammatical-historical paradigm augmented by historical-cultural information, the construct of sin in the understanding of the first New Testament audience was examined. The juxtaposed construct of piety, as the logical opposite of sin, was correspondingly explored. The doctrine of so-called successive works of grace was reviewed analytically in the second phase of the basis-theory and the conclusion was stated that this doctrine is a form of pietism. The usage of Scripture and the terminology utilized by pietistic groupings to establish their doctrine was evaluated from a grammatical-historical point of departure. The aim of the study was to render pastoral assistance to someone who was, or is involved with the successive works of grace variation of pietism. For this reason, the meta-theoretical facet of the study did not focus on an academic study of sources to explain the phenomenon of pietism, but instead believers' experience of the successive works of grace form of pietism was investigated by means of a narrative empirical study. This investigation took place within the margins of the religious experience of three groups of participants in a church that embraces the particular doctrine. The three categories were believers that advocate the doctrine of successive works of grace, believers that abandoned the same and those that disagree with such a doctrine. From the basis-theory and the interpretation of the empirical results, an uncomplicated hermeneutical counselling strategy was put together with due emphasis on the correct understanding of Scriptural information on the topics of sin and piety/sanctification. The aim of the strategy is to educate believers from a Scriptural position and perspective on the indicative-imperative aspects of reconciliation and sanctification in Christ. The perfection of what Jesus has done and our reciprocal faith response is stated and conveyed in the strategy. A model consisting of a number of counselling sessions are suggested to guide believers not to adopt the particular belief or, otherwise, to provide a pastoral, remedial support to assist believers in finding liberation from the doctrine of successive works of grace. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

John Wesley was a well educated son of a cleric, who chose to be a theologian and a minister in the Church of England. His theological distinctive was his insistence on the possibility of entire sanctification in this lifetime. In response to their position on sanctification, Wesley and the Methodists sought to save souls and cure the ills in society because they believed it was divinely mandated. Their love and work for the less fortunate was a response to their love for God and in obedience to His commandments. This is the great success of their work. They were able to serve God and their generation in a balanced yet inseparable way. The result of Wesley's life, direct and indirect, was that the social and spiritual plight of thousands of individuals and families was improved and dozens of church groups, missionary societies and benevolent organisations have emerged / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Th.M. (Church History)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mairolet Vega.pdf: 380112 bytes, checksum: a99843e12068cf8bf0872f6c7eeeaaa6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present thesis pretends to analyze the message transmitted from Yahweh to the prophet Isaiah in the context of the siro-efraimita war (734 to 732 b.C.), in times of the King Ahaz. The first part of this research presents a general and historical panorama, either international or national, of the situation faced by Judah. In the midst of wars, invasions, desolations and increased taxes, Yahweh decided to be side by side with the people. Through an oracle He shows a way for changing an unjust political system that came out as a result of the sins practiced by Israel. To Regard Yahweh as holy, according to the text, is the unique way of avoiding destruction. To Regard Yahweh as holy has to do with preservation of life, mainly the life of those who were unprotected; which means to be for a new social political an economical order able to provide security and dignity for every one. The goal of this thesis is to understand how the concept of sanctification pointed out by Isaiah can help us to overcome our daily life problems and give us new ethic postures for facing life, that s to say, a concept of sanctification that implies an active engagement with people, specifically with defenseless ones. By studying phrases and words, and through an exegetical work, we bring out insights to understand the passage of Is 8,11-15 and our present-day realities and problems. Through this work we hope to contribute to the Popular Reading of the Bible that several groups are realizing today in order to find new horizons, hopes, dreams, and utopias to go on in the midst of a world in crises.(AU) / Esta pesquisa visa analisar a mensagem de Javé transmitida através do profeta Isaías em meio à guerra siro-efraimita (734-732 a.C.), no tempo do rei Acaz. A primeira parte deste trabalho fornece uma panorâmica histórica da situação tanto internacional quanto nacional da nação de Judá. No meio de sinais de guerras, invasões estrangeiras, desolação e aumento de tributos que acarretam maior insegurança para os setores mais empobrecidos, Javé faz sua aposta pela vida de Israel. Através do oráculo profético mo stra um caminho que pode chegar a subverter a ordem de um injusto sistema político advindo do próprio pecado da nação de Israel. Neste texto, santificar a Javé é a trilha que pode livrar-lhes da queda e da destruição. Santificar a Javé significa cuidar e preservar a vida, especialmente dos mais desprotegidos. Isto implica optar conscientemente por uma nova ordem que garanta uma existência digna para todos e todas. O objetivo desta pesquisa é entender como o conceito de santificação salientado pelo profeta Isaías, na perícope (Is 8,11-15), pode ajudar-nos a superar os problemas cotidianos e fornecer-nos novas posturas éticas para enfrentar a vida, isto é um conceito de santificação que requer do engajamento com o povo, fundamentalmente com a população mais carente e necessitada atualmente. Por meio do trabalho exegético tentamos encontrar respostas escondidas entre palavras, termos e frases, procurando entender o texto em diálogo com a vida cotidiana de seu tempo e do nosso. Este estudo pretende providenciar subsídios para a leitura popular da Bíblia que está sendo realizada por muitos grupos nas igrejas e comunidades cristãs, que buscam novos caminhos, horizontes, sonhos e utopias para continuar a viver em meio de sociedades em crises e de tempos difíceis.(AU)

Research suggest that Black couples tend to marry later, with less frequency, have marriages that do not last as long, and are more prone to divorce than other racial categories. However, religion may play an important role to counteract the negative marriage trends among Black heterosexual couples. As a growing subfield of family psychology this study examines the influence of religion on marital sanctification and relational spirituality among 33 Black married couples (N = 66). In-depth qualitative interviews with Black married couples were analyzed to see how religion informed and shaped perceptions of marital sanctification as well as unique relational domains of relational spirituality. Major findings indicate that religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and communities helped to form a perceptual framework that marriage was holy and sacred. Findings about marital sanctification suggested that religious couples may view their marriage as sacred or holy in four distinct ways: a) God-given; b) God-ordained; c) God-created; and, d) God-inspired. These perceptions of marriage a sacred institution seemed to influence four relational domains of relational spirituality by: a) creating a religiously-inspired goal-oriented perspective for partner or mate selection; b) encouraging a sense of sacred permanence to the relationship; c) fostering a willingness to sacrifice for one's relationship; and, d) evoking a pattern of religious and spiritual relational maintenance within the context of marriage. Marital sanctification was associated with increase in relational spirituality. Likewise, relational spirituality seemed to perpetuate an increase in marital sanctification. Thus, suggesting the potential for positive bi-directionality between marital sanctification and relational spirituality that may foster increased marital satisfaction, quality, and commitment and may also serve as a potential buffer against divorce among Black religious couples. Additional subthemes of marital sanctification and relational spirituality were also discussed as well as limitations of this study and suggestions for future research.Contemporary societal and media portrayals of Black masculinity and fatherhood often give a limited, or potentially negative view of manhood, and/or parenthood among Black males. Black American males are often represented and lauded as sports stars and rappers or marginalized as gangsters and deadbeat dads. The present study seeks to expand the paradigm of Black masculinity and fatherhood and provide a potentially positive, more expansive view of Black males in the success frame of religion and family life. In depth qualitative interview data was analyzed from a subsection of the American Families of Faith Dataset involving 33 religious Black couples (N = 66) from different religious backgrounds (Muslim and Christian) across the United States. Major findings identified two psychological processes that seemed to suggest a religious and family-oriented success frame for defining masculinity and manliness. Participants described undergoing a process of personal spiritual growth and maturity in which individuals left behind the "street life" mentality, in favor of becoming a "Godly man." This process was positively connected with the process of religious or spiritual masculine-identity transformation in which manhood was defined in terms of being relational with God and family, rather than the "bachelor mindset" or "single life" which suggested a relationally isolated view of masculinity. Implications, applications, limitations, and future directions for research were also discussed.

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[pt] A presente dissertação tem como título A santificação como propriedade do Espírito Santo nos Padres Capadócios. Levando-se em conta o apelo crescente do Concílio Vaticano II para o retorno às fontes patrísticas e a necessidade cada vez mais crescente por uma abordagem pneumatológica da teologia e da vida da Igreja, este trabalho tem como objeto analisar a santificação como propriedade do Espírito Santo nos Padres da Capadócia (Basílio de Cesareia, Gregório de Nazianzo e Gregório de Nissa). Apoiando-se na Sagrada Escritura e na tradição da liturgia e dos Padres anteriores e se servindo também da filosofia clássica, o pensamento deles contribuiu para a definição da fé na Trindade no Concílio de Constantinopla I (381). Desta forma, o início do capítulo 2 apresenta a teologia apofática de ambos. O restante do capítulo 2, os capítulos 3 e 4 apresentam a defesa que cada Padre faz do Espírito Santo, marcando seus diferentes pontos de vista. O principal resultado encontrado foi que a santificação, apesar de atribuída a toda a Trindade, é atributo próprio do Espírito como santificador e aperfeiçoador da Criação, provando, assim, a Sua divindade. Caso contrário, a santificação do ser humano seria impossível. A contribuição da pesquisa consistiu na significação do tema e no destaque à necessidade de não se fazer, na atualidade, uma pneumatologia isolada, mas abordar o aspecto pneumático da cristologia, da eclesiologia e de outras dimensões da teologia e da vida da Igreja. / [en] This dissertation is entitled Sanctification as a Property of the Holy Spirit in the Cappadocian Fathers. Taking into account the growing call of the Second Vatican Council to return to patristic sources and the increasing need for a pneumatological approach to theology and the life of the Church, this work aims to analyze sanctification as a property of the Holy Spirit in the Fathers of Cappadocia (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa). Relying on Sacred Scripture and the tradition of the liturgy and the earlier Fathers, and also drawing on classical philosophy, their thinking contributed to the definition of faith in the Trinity at the Council of Constantinople I (381). Thus, the beginning of chapter 2 presents the apophatic theology of both. The rest of chapter 2, chapters 3 and 4 present each Father s defense of the Holy Spirit, marking their different points of view. The main result found was that sanctification, although attributed to the whole Trinity, is an attribute proper to the Spirit as the sanctifier and perfecter of Creation, thus proving His divinity. Otherwise, the sanctification of human beings would be impossible. The contribution of the research consisted in the significance of the theme and in highlighting the need not to make an isolated pneumatology today, but to address the pneumatic aspect of Christology, ecclesiology and other dimensions of theology and the life of the Church.

Pentecostalism, which developed its essential character during the classical period of 1901-1916, has many significant contributions to make to modern theology. Often viewed as a type of fundamentalism, it is actually a theological tradition in its own right that deserves consideration along with the other two major streams of protestantism, conservative evangelicalism and more liberal ecumenical-mainline thought. Although it emphasizes the experience of the Holy Spirit, pentecostalism is highly Christocentric as is evidenced by its foundational symbol of faith, the fourfold gospel of Jesus as savior, healer, baptizer, and coming king. This work examines how the pentecostal fourfold gospel, as a functional, from below Spirit Christology, anticipates and intersects with trends in twentieth century ecumenical theological thought. The result of the study is the articulation of a fuller, more holistic understanding of the work of Christ in salvation in the world today. / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The thesis explores the subject of purgatory and its relative value for modern people. It summarises: 1. The manner in which biblical texts used to underpin the doctrine; 2. The history of the doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church and the reaction to it during the Reformation and beyond; and 3. Contemporary formulations of purgatory and purgatory-like ideas. The thesis argues, from several perspectives, that a modern formulation of the doctrine is: 1. Reasonable; 2. Biblically consistent; 3. Meets the criteria of an established Tradition at practice within the Church; and 4. Is capable of assisting people in understanding and appreciating the existential questions of death and the after life. The thesis is approached from the angle of a Legal Counsel presenting an argument for acceptance of the thesis. / SYS THEOLOGY & THEOL ETHICS / MTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)

Evangelicalism in western Canada was fuelled by fundamentalist theology and devotion which evolved in this region during the early twentieth century. Generally, Canadian evangelical theologians have focused on the historical and theological implications of evangelicalism within this area. Due to the nature of evangelical theology, which is governed by reason and the defense of truth and dogma, this Christian movement in the west ignored by default concepts connected to mystical theology. This thesis researches a question which has not had an adequate response within evangelical theological tradition, primarily as a result of its disregard for mystical theology. The issue of concern in this thesis is the nature of the process of sanctification of the soul, and particularly, the purpose of the silence of God during this time. Questions to be addressed are: `what is the nature of spiritual transformation?', `what transpires in the soul of the person?' and `what is the role of the `dark night' and the `silence of God' during this experience?' This research responds with an explanation to the underlying cause for the inability of evangelical spirituality in the Canadian west to respond to this issue. It also provides a plausible resolution to the problem which is embedded in the literature of John of the Cross, a sixteenth century Spanish mystic. / CHR SPIRIT, CHURCHIST, MISS / DTH (CHR SPIRIT)

This thesis examines the use of hagios and related words in the Pauline Literature. Its aim is to outline the understanding of holiness in Paul. A methodological outline is following on introduction (Holiness in OT and Second Temple Judaism) and summary of research. A first survey of the relevant biblical references indicates a division into three chapters to be appropriate: Holy Spirit, Sanctification and the Holy Ones. Paul’s thinking on Holiness and Sanctification is theocentrically grounded with strong christological inclinations. Sanctification concerns all areas of life, demands dedication and ethical consequences and leads to eschatological perspectives. Sanctification is a com- munal enterprise, forms identity and urges for solidarity. Sanctification doesn’t follow on justification. Both are parallel expressions for the Christ-event reaching out on human lives. Holiness-terminology has a manifold communicative potential: the transfer towards God’s sphere is described, paraenesis is motivated for, identity founded and strengthened, christian solidarity advertised for. / Diese Arbeit untersucht den Gebrauch von Heiligkeitsterminologie (insbesondere Hagios und Stammverwandte) im Corpus Paulinum, um sich so dem Heiligkeitsverstandnis des Paulus zu nahern. Nach Einleitung (u.a. Heiligkeit in AT und Fruhjudentum) und Forschungsuberblick wird die Konzeption der Untersuchung dargestellt. Ein erster Uberblick uber die relevanten Stellen legt nahe, das Material in je ein Kapitel zu „Heiligem Geist", „Heiligung" und „den Heiligen" zu gliedern. Paulus versteht Heiligkeit und Heiligung theozentrisch-soteriologisch fundiert und christologisch akzentuiert. Heiligung betrifft das ganze Leben, erfordert Hingabe und ethische Konsequenzen und geht einher mit eschatologischer Orientierung. Heiligung geschieht in Gemeinschaft. Heiligkeit formt Identitat („die Heiligen") und fordert Solidaritat. Rechtfertigung und Heiligung stehen nicht im Verhaltnis eines „Nacheinander", sondern sind parallele Ausdrucksformen fur das Menschen ergreifende Christusgesehehen. Das kommunikative Potential von Heiligkeitsterminologie ist vielfaltig: der „Transfer auf die Seite Gottes" wird beschrieben, Paranese motiviert, Identitat gestiftet und gestarkt und um christliche Solidaritat geworben. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)