This thesis explores the role of lament and praise in the respective theological approaches of Walter Brueggemann and David Ford for the purpose of examining how Christian faith transforms human response to suffering. The first three chapters trace Brueggemann’s engagement with Israel’s lament psalms, beginning with his observation that their typical dual form mirrors the collective shape of Israel’s psalter as well as all biblical faith. Influential interactions with sociology eventually lead Brueggemann to propose faith not simply as response to God’s faithfulness, but rather through rhetorical tension maintained between conflicts perceived in aspects of scripture such as praise and lament. We critique this view of irresolvable textual tension for leaving Brueggemann with an unresolved understanding of divine fidelity which obscures biblical expectation that God will respond faithfully to human lament. The fourth and fifth chapters concern David Ford’s consistent engagement with praise and subsequently, Christian joy. His early collaborative scholarship proposes praise as the result of faith in who God is through the suffering person and work of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, continued ethical concerns lead Ford to identify Christian faith as an inextricable relationship between joy and responsibility resulting from “facing” Christ’s life and suffering death. We critique Ford for failing to clarify how such “facing” is made possible through who God is in Christ, rendering faith merely the result of human expression of Christ’s example, and thus obscuring any real reason for praise amidst suffering. Beyond a synthesis of Brueggemann and Ford’s respective approaches to lament and praise, the final chapter argues that a trinitarian approach to Christ’s atonement is necessary to propose how God confronts both suffering and sin thereby producing faithful human response amidst persistent evil. We conclude by arguing that a trinitarian understanding of praise cannot be proposed apart from either who God is in Christ’s atonement or how the atoning Christ is humanly faithful in lament.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisors: Mia Carter and Lisa Moore. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

The purpose of this thesis will be a contrast of the Buddhist and the Christian responses to this-worldly suffering. Many scholars have proposed that the best way to create a better world with less suffering is to make Christianity more like Buddhism, so that an interfaith synthesis between the two religions results. These scholars’ proposals are described in Chapter 2. However, what these scholars desire (i.e. less this-worldly suffering) will not logically result from the solution they suggest (i.e. Buddhicizing Christianity). For to make Christianity more like Buddhism in its essentials would render Christianity less potent to oppose this-worldly suffering. The thesis will thus contrast Buddhism with Christianity in five crucial areas, namely, their viewpoints on ultimate reality, ultimate attachments, ultimate aversions, ultimate example, and ultimate purpose. These five areas provide the content to accurately define Buddhist compassion and Christian love. Chapter 3 describes Buddhism’s struggle to ground love of neighbor ontologically, whether by the ontological givens of dependent co-arising or nirvana. Buddhism struggles to ground not only whether we should love our neighbors, but also whether we can do so. Christianity, on the other hand, proves entirely capable of grounding love of neighbor—whether should or can—given its theistic ontology. Chapter 4 describes the Buddhist and Christian responses to suffering when it comes to attachments. Buddhism asks us to let go of rigid attachments to persons, truth and goodness. Meanwhile, Christians are to cling to God, and as a result of loving God, they are to love people, hunger and thirst for the good, and rejoice in the truth. These ultimate attachments to persons, truth, and goodness help overcome this-worldly suffering. According to Chapter 5, Buddhism and Christianity differ sharply when it comes to aversion to and grief over sin. Buddhists cultivate equanimity toward the sin, reasoning that the problem is not actually the person’s fault and, furthermore, that the problem is not really a problem. Christians, however, are to love people enough that they hate the sin which destroys them. In hating evil and restoring people, Christianity undermines immense worldly suffering. Chapter 6 contrasts Gautama and Jesus as examples of combatting suffering. At each juncture, Jesus offered more to actually fight against suffering than did Gautama. Incredibly, the interfaith scholar who would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate example would mar the portrait of the paradigm who exemplifies the very qualities the interfaith scholar wants to emulate. Chapter 7 examines the Buddhist emphasis on “thusness” and the Christian emphasis on purposefulness. Insofar as the interfaith scholar would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate purpose, the robust purposefulness that gives one’s life meaning and motivation would erode into a purposelessness which, however emancipating, leaves one comparatively impotent in the face of this-worldly suffering. In light of these five contrasts, Christian love and Buddhist compassion are able to be defined and contrasted. The logical conclusion drawn is that to Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimacy would be to truncate Christianity’s efficacy, a result which should motivate these interfaith scholars to reconsider their proposals. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this thesis will be a contrast of the Buddhist and the Christian responses to this-worldly suffering. Many scholars have proposed that the best way to create a better world with less suffering is to make Christianity more like Buddhism, so that an interfaith synthesis between the two religions results. These scholars’ proposals are described in Chapter 2. However, what these scholars desire (i.e. less this-worldly suffering) will not logically result from the solution they suggest (i.e. Buddhicizing Christianity). For to make Christianity more like Buddhism in its essentials would render Christianity less potent to oppose this-worldly suffering. The thesis will thus contrast Buddhism with Christianity in five crucial areas, namely, their viewpoints on ultimate reality, ultimate attachments, ultimate aversions, ultimate example, and ultimate purpose. These five areas provide the content to accurately define Buddhist compassion and Christian love. Chapter 3 describes Buddhism’s struggle to ground love of neighbor ontologically, whether by the ontological givens of dependent co-arising or nirvana. Buddhism struggles to ground not only whether we should love our neighbors, but also whether we can do so. Christianity, on the other hand, proves entirely capable of grounding love of neighbor—whether should or can—given its theistic ontology. Chapter 4 describes the Buddhist and Christian responses to suffering when it comes to attachments. Buddhism asks us to let go of rigid attachments to persons, truth and goodness. Meanwhile, Christians are to cling to God, and as a result of loving God, they are to love people, hunger and thirst for the good, and rejoice in the truth. These ultimate attachments to persons, truth, and goodness help overcome this-worldly suffering. According to Chapter 5, Buddhism and Christianity differ sharply when it comes to aversion to and grief over sin. Buddhists cultivate equanimity toward the sin, reasoning that the problem is not actually the person’s fault and, furthermore, that the problem is not really a problem. Christians, however, are to love people enough that they hate the sin which destroys them. In hating evil and restoring people, Christianity undermines immense worldly suffering. Chapter 6 contrasts Gautama and Jesus as examples of combatting suffering. At each juncture, Jesus offered more to actually fight against suffering than did Gautama. Incredibly, the interfaith scholar who would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate example would mar the portrait of the paradigm who exemplifies the very qualities the interfaith scholar wants to emulate. Chapter 7 examines the Buddhist emphasis on “thusness” and the Christian emphasis on purposefulness. Insofar as the interfaith scholar would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate purpose, the robust purposefulness that gives one’s life meaning and motivation would erode into a purposelessness which, however emancipating, leaves one comparatively impotent in the face of this-worldly suffering. In light of these five contrasts, Christian love and Buddhist compassion are able to be defined and contrasted. The logical conclusion drawn is that to Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimacy would be to truncate Christianity’s efficacy, a result which should motivate these interfaith scholars to reconsider their proposals. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Bakgrund: Självskadebeteende är ett ökande fenomen bland världens ungdomar. Det har visat sig vara fler flickor än pojkar som självskadar. Psykisk ohälsa är en individuell uppfattning och därmed svår att definiera men det resulterar ofta i ett stort personligt lidande där en ständig kamp mellan gott och ont, lust och lidande pågår inom människan. Sjuksköterskan ska främja hälsa och lindra lidande och ett negativt bemötande har visats kunna förvärra ett självskadebeteende. Många med ett självskadebeteende har bemötts med kritik och känt skam över sitt beteende. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att belysa tonårsflickors upplevelser av bakomliggande orsaker till självskadebeteendet. Metod: Använd metod var kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Ur analysen framträdde två kategorier: Utsatt för övergrepp och Känslostormarnas våld med fyra underkategorier Konklusion: Studien visar att övergrepp och känslostormar var bakomliggande orsaker och att flickorna hade svårigheter att hantera detta på egen hand. Sjuksköterskans svårigheter att bemöta tonårsflickorna med självskadebeteende kan relateras till kunskapsbrist. Studiens syfte uppnåddes då tonårsflickornas upplevelser av bakomliggande orsaker till självskadebeteendet belysts i resultatet, vilket kan ge ökad förståelse för sjuksköterskor i framtida vårdmöten. / Background: Self-destructive behavior is a growing phenomenon amongst teenagers in the world. It has proven to be more girls than boys who self-harm. Psychological illness is an individual perception and thus difficult to define but often results in a great personal suffering, where a constant struggle between good and evil, desire and suffering is going on within the person. A nurse shall promote health and alleviate suffering, and a negative attitude has been shown to worsen the self-destructive behavior. Many of the people with a self-harm behavior has been met with criticism and felt ashamed of their behavior. Aim: The aim of his study was to shed light on teenage girls’ experience of underlying causes of the self-destructive behavior.  Method: The used method was a qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.. Results: From the analysis of the data material emerged two categories emerged: The victim of abuse and the violence of emotional storms with four subcategories. Conclusion: The study shows that abuse and emotional storms were the underlying causes and that the girls had difficulties to handle this on their own. Nurses have difficulties to meet teenage girls with a self-destructive behavior related to their lack of knowledge. The study's aim was achieved when the teenage girls' experience of what is behind the self-harm was highlighted in the results which may increase understanding of nurses in future treatment sessions.

Background: The word euthanasia provokes many emotions within patients and healthcare professionals. In some countries it’s legal and in others, illegal. During end-of-life caree the nurse meets a lot of patients who are suffering. There are different kinds of suffering, physical, mental, social and existential. Nurse’s role in palliative care is to alleviate suffering and to support relatives. There are many aspects of what kind of problems you face when patients receive end-of-life care. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe euthanasia within end of life care from the nurse’s perspective. Method: A literary review was performed based on previous knowledge and by using five scientific articles with a qualitative design, one mixed method and five quantitative, peer reviewed articles. The articles were researched through the databases Cinahl Complete and Pubmed. Katie Eriksson’s nursing theory was used and her concept of suffering was used to discuss the results. Results: Four themes emerged from the results, Suffering as a reason to end a life, Religion as a reason for resistance, Education and experience and The way to decision. Many different factors affected the nurse’s views on euthanasia, and showed differences between countries where it is legal and illegal. It proved difficult to take a stand for or against euthanasia, as most nurses felt that every individual case was situation-based. Discussion: What emerged in the discussion was that if patients have a good palliative care where they get good relief of symptoms will the question of euthanasia not appear. It turned out interesting that Sweden, a country that is secularized today, was against euthanasia when we discussed religion as one of the reasons for resistance. / Bakgrund: Eutanasi (dödshjälp) är ett ord som väcker många känslor hos patienter och vårdpersonal. I vissa länder är det lagligt och i andra olagligt. I vården i livets slutskede möter sjuksköterskan många lidande patienter. Det finns olika typer av lidande, fysiskt, psykiskt, socialt och existentiellt. Sjuksköterskans roll är då att lindra och uppmärksamma lidande hos patienten samt att vara ett stöd till anhöriga. Det finns många aspekter av de problem sjuksköterskan möter när patienter vårdas i livets slutskede. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva sjuksköterskans syn på eutanasi inom vården i livets slutskede. Metod: En litteraturöversikt utfördes utifrån tidigare kunskap genom att använda sig av fem vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ design, en med mixad metod samt fem med kvantitativ design. Artiklarna söktes fram via databaserna Cinahl Complete och Pubmed. Katie Erikssons omvårdnadsteori om lidande har använts för att diskutera resultatet. Resultat: I resultatet framkom det fyra teman, Lidandet som grund för viljan att avsluta sitt liv, Religion som skäl till motstånd, Utbildning och erfarenhet samt Vägen till beslutet. Det var olika faktorer som påverkade sjuksköterskans syn på eutanasi och att dessa skiljde sig åt mellan länder där eutanasi är olagligt respektive lagligt. Sjuksköterskan hade svårt att ställa sig positiv eller negativ till eutanasi då de flesta sjuksköterskor upplevde att varje enskilt fall var situationsbaserat. Diskussion: Det som framkom i litteraturen var att om patienter får en god palliativ vård där de blir väl symtomlindrade kommer frågan om eutanasi att uppstå mer sällan. Det visade sig även intressant att Sverige som är ett sekulariserat land är idag emot eutanasi då vi diskuterat religion som beskrivs vara ett av skälen till motstånd i resultatet.

This thesis explores the intersection of phenomenological, bio-political and ethical facets of spectatorship in relation to female suffering and gendered violence in contemporary film produced in Europe (mainly drawing on examples from France) and the United States. I argue that the visceral and affective cinematic embodiment of female pain plays a vital role in determining the political and ethical relationships of spectators to the images onscreen. Drawing on phenomenological theory, feminist ontology and ethics (primarily the work of Hélène Cixous), as well as the ethical philosophies of Gilles Deleuze and Jean-Luc Nancy, I establish the bio-political and ethical positions and responsibilities of spectators who encounter female suffering in film. In doing so, I highlight the ways in which adopting a phenomenological approach to theorizing and practicing spectatorial perception can open up new areas of ethical engagement with (and fields of vision within) controversial modes of filmmaking such as European New Extremism and body horror. I analyze how suffering female bodies embody contemporary corporeal, socio-political and ethical problematics in what I define as the “cinema of exposure.” I argue that through processes of psychosomatic disturbance, films within the cinema of exposure encourage spectators to employ a haptic, corporeally situated vision when watching women experience pain and trauma onscreen. I explore how encounters with these suffering female bodies impact spectators as political and ethical subjects, contributing a crucial bio-political dimension to existing work on spectatorial engagement with cinematic affect. The goal of this thesis is to highlight the continued importance of feminist critiques of gendered and sexualized violence in film by attending to the emotional, physical, political and ethical resonances of mediated female suffering. This thesis contributes productively to those areas of film and media studies, women's studies and feminist philosophy that explore the construction of female subjectivity within contemporary culture.

Bakgrund: Amyotrofisk lateralskleros (ALS) är en obotlig neurologisk sjukdom, där de motoriska nervcellerna bryts ner och påverkar den viljestyrda muskulaturen. Sjukdomen kan leda till förlamning och andningssvikt, vilket kan debutera inom loppet av tre till fem år. Den psykologiska delen är viktig, då människan övergår till en annan fas i livet och påverkas genom de händelseförlopp som sjukdomen medför. Med en obotlig sjukdom har begreppet lidande en stor närvaro i människans liv. För att kunna hjälpa människor måste det framgå vad det är som skapar lidande. Syfte: Att beskriva hur personer med ALS upplever lidande relaterat till sjukdomen. Metod: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av fyra patografier. Resultat: Resultatet är baserat på fem kategorier, samt elva underkategorier. Resultatet visar på ett fysiskt lidande, ett socialt lidande, ett existentiellt lidande samt ett lidande relaterat till den maktlöshet sjukdomen medför. Men resultatet visar inte endast en negativ bild kring begreppet utan också en upplevelse av acceptans i slutskedet av livet trots lidandet. Slutsats: Att drabbas av ALS innebar en markant förändring i personernas liv. ALS upplevdes generera ett långt lidandeförlopp med många faser, som påverkade både den fysiska och den psykiska hälsan. Lidandet övergick med tiden till en acceptans över situationen. Vidare forskning krävs för att beskriva upplevelser som kan förbättra omvårdnaden. / Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a non-curable neurological disease, in which the motor neuron cells breaks down and affects the involuntary musculature. The disease can lead to paralysis and respiratory failure, which can debut in the course of three to five years. The psychological part is important, because people enters another phase in life and are influenced by events caused by the disease. With an incurable disease, the concept of suffering is a major presence in human life. In order to help people it must be shown what it is that creates suffering. Aim: To describe how people with ALS experience suffering related to the disease. Method: A content analysis of four pathographies. Results: The result is based on five categories and eleven subcategories. The result shows a physical suffering, a social suffering, an existential suffering and the suffering associated with the impotence of the disease. But the results show not only a negative image about the concept, but also a sense of acceptance in the final stages of life despite the suffering. Conclusion: To suffer from ALS has had a significant change in people’s life. ALS generates a long suffering process with many stages where ALS affected both the physical and mental health. Suffering turned over time into an acceptance of the situation. Further research is needed to describe experiences that can improve the care.

No description available.