This thesis looks at the general character of the synod of the Evangelical church of Czech Brethern (ČCE), based on archival documents since 1990. (The) first chapter describes how the Synod functions within the church and briefly mentions the issue of coping with communism, especially how some pastors got involved politically. I also touch on the events of the Velvet Revolution. The next chapter focuses on an analysis of the Synod's work based on classifying the synod's resolutions into different catogories. The results are given in three diagrams. The goal of this analysis is to show which types of resolutions dominate and which types are more unusual. The third more extensive chapter deals with the most important topics being resolved in the synod. It describes the origin of …, its progress and consequences for the church. To show the character of the ČCE Synod, I highlight its internal discussions regarding church law, the practical and theological discussions on …(church education, ordination and baptism…). Then I discuss the ČCE Social Welfare organisation, a free standing topic, as well as subjects that have revealed the Synod's views. This third group address the church's outside concerns. The synod talked about these topic both inside and outside the church as well as with the ecumenical...

Il presente lavoro, intitolato Mansueto, Damiano e il Basileus: la Suggestio e l’Expositio fidei della sinodo milanese a Costantino IV, consiste in un’edizione critica della sinodale inviata da Mansueto, metropolita di Milano, a Costantino IV in occasione del Concilio del 680-681, in cui venne sancita la definitiva condanna del monotelismo. Oltre alla ricostruzione della tradizione manoscritta e dei contesti in cui avvenne la circolazione della documentazione sinodale dal IX fino al XVI secolo, si è cercato di stabilire quale fosse la realtà della provincia ecclesiastica milanese nel VII secolo, inserendone le vicende nel quadro più ampio delle dinamiche interne alle grandi sedi episcopali tra Oriente e Occidente. / The present work, entitled Mansuetus, Damianus and the Basileus: the Suggestio and the Expositio fidei of the Milan Synodal to Constantinus IV, is a critical edition of the synodal texts sent by Mansuetus, bishop of Milan, to Constantinus IV at the Council of 680-681, which condemned the doctrine of the one Will in the person of Christ. In addition to the reconstruction of the manuscript tradition and the contexts in which the synodal document circulated by the ninth to the sixteenth century, I paid also attention to determine what was the reality of the ecclesiastical province of Milan in the seventh century, by entering the events in the broader context of the dynamics within the great bishops’ sees between East and West.

La Franche-Comté a connu des changements importants au cours du dix-septième siècle. Pendant la guerre de Dix Ans, version locale de celle de Trente Ans, elle perd la moitié de sa population. Elle se relèvera démographiquement grâce à une immigration française, savoyarde et lorraine. Au début du siècle elle était un état autonome au sein de la monarchie des Habsbourg. Besançon perd en 1654 son statut de ville libre d’Empire et son droit de siéger à la Diète. La Franche-Comté est réunie à la France en 1678 par le traité de Nimègue. La suppression des Etats de la province va déséquilibrer les institutions en favorisant l’absolutisme. Sur le plan ecclésiastique, le chapitre métropolitain perd son droit d’élire l’archevêque ; un indult de nomination est concédé à Louis XIV en 1698. Pendant un siècle et demi après le concile de Trente, la réforme du clergé et des fidèles va se déployer en étant soutenue par un élan religieux. L’année 1665 avec la fondation du séminaire de Besançon constitue un moment décisif. L’année suivante l’archevêque demande qu’une école primaire soit ouverte dans chaque village. Choisis par un concours, les curés deviennent suffisamment instruits pour enseigner leurs ouailles. / Franche-Comte went through significant changes in the seventeenth century. During the “10 Years War”, a local episode which was part of the “30 Years War”, it lost half its population, expanding subsequently through immigration from France, Savoy and Lorraine. At the beginning of the century it was an autonomous State under Hapsburg rule, but in 1654 Besancon lost its status as a “free town” and its right of a seat in Parliament. In 1678 Franche-Comté was re-united with France under the Treaty of Nijmegen. The abolition of the States of the province destabilized the institutions favouring absolutism. The Metropolitan Chapter lost the privilege of electing its Archbishop, this responsibility passing to Louis XIV in 1698. After the Council of Trent, the reform of the clergy and the followers increased and was carried away by a religious impulse. 1665 saw the founding of the Seminary of Besancon, a decisive moment because the following year the Archbishop called for primary schools to be opened in every village. Parish priests, who were to teach their flock, were selected by competition and were to be trained to carry out these duties.

Thesis advisor: Jane E. Regan / In the contemporary United States, trauma is a significant disruptive force in the lives of families. By its nature, however, traumatic suffering isolates and marginalizes its victims, with the result that the pastoral caregiving needs of suffering people can go unrecognized and unmet. This dissertation proposes that caring for families who struggle to cope in contexts of traumatic suffering and chronic distress is a vital work of mission for the Catholic church in the twenty-first century. It further proposes that this work can best be enacted in the local church setting when configured as a synodal, trauma-aware, relational, caregiving community of practice (a STAR caregiving CoP) ministry. The ministerial model offered here is designed to enable parishes and dioceses to develop compassionate, competent ministerial initiatives that can meet the particular needs of families in their communities. Grounded in the theoretical discourses of theological anthropology, ecclesiology, situated learning theory, the ethic of care, and traumatology, the model also reflects insights drawn from the author’s qualitative doctoral research study of two pastoral caregiving ministries that serve men and women struggling with the personal traumas that erupt in family life. The STAR caregiving CoP model offers the local church a flexible, robust framework to employ in the construction and evaluation of familial pastoral caregiving ministries. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

Formation of Protestant Hymnbook of Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren This diploma thesis presents the history of preparation of the new Protestant Hymnbook of Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB). Four chapters of this work include the work chronology in respectual departments, evolution of opinions and the final publication. The first chapter describes the oldest hymnbooks from 1918 (foundation of ECCB), second chapter studies the beginning of systematical work in departments in the years 1941 - 1950, the third chapter follows the work in the Department of Hymnology of the Synodal Council of ECCB in the years 1951 - 1979, when the new hymnbook was finally published. The fourth chapter concludes the thesis with the summary of reaction of the church after the publication of the new hymnbook, publication of the Appendix of the new hymnbook and describes the situation in present days. The whole thesis is finished with an interview with a contemporary witness, Mr. Jiří Otter, former secretary of the Synodal Council. His task was to superintend the press in Germany and he gave some photos to the author of this thesis (see Appendix). The whole thesis is based on archival materials found in the Archive of ECCB and National Archive in the first half of 2013.

AFRIKAANS: In hierdie proefskrif is ‘n Praktiese Ekklesiologie ontwikkel op grond van vier perspektiewe: <ul><li> ‘n Historiese perspektief wat na vore kom in ‘n Histories-vergelykende Ekklesiologie. </li><li> ‘n Empiriese perspektief wat na vore kom in ‘n Prakties-teologiese Ekklesiologie. </li><li> ‘n Hermeneutiese perspektief wat na vore kom in ‘n Eksegetiessistematiese Ekklesiologie. </li><li> ‘n Strategiese perspektief wat na vore kom in ‘n Missionale Ekklesiologie. </li> </ul> In die proefskrif toon die promovendus aan dat die kerk ‘n ernstige krisis beleef. Die krisis is grootliks te wyte aan ‘n proses van institusionalisering wat deur eeue heen plaasgevind het. Empiriese navorsing het aangetoon dat institusionalisering destruktiewe gevolge vir die kerk inhou. Die proefskrif toon verder aan dat ‘n radikale en omvattende transformasie van die kerk van uiterste belang is. Transformasie impliseer ‘n proses waarin die sisteemverhaal van die kerk verander, van ‘n institusionele benadering tot kerkwees tot ‘n meer organiese verstaan van kerkwees, gebou op Bybelse metafore. ‘n Organiese kerkbegrip en Missionale Ekklesiologie dien as basis vir die transformasie van die gemeentelike bedieningspraktyk, van ‘n pastorale bedieningspraktyk na ‘n missionale bedieningspraktyk. ENGLISH: In this dissertation a Practical Ecclesiology is developed based on four perspectives: <ul> <li> The historical perspective is reflected in an Historical-comparative Ecclesiology. </li><li> The empirical perspective is reflected in a Practical-theological Ecclesiology. </li><li> The hermeneutical perspective is reflected in an Exegetical-systematic Ecclesiology. </li><li> The strategic perspective is reflected in a Missional Ecclesiology. </li> </ul> The promovendus argues that the church is experiencing a severe crisis. This crisis is mainly due to a process of institutionalisation which had taken place over centuries. Empirical research had shown the destructive effects this process had on the church. The dissertation indicates that a radical and global transformation of the church is essential. Transformation implies a process in which the system story of the church need to change. This transformation could be regarded as a change from an institutional to a more organic functioning of the church, based on Biblical metaphors relating to the church. An organic understanding of the church will lead to a transformation of the congregational ministry, from a pastoral ministry to a missional ministry. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This dissertation presents a contribution to measure the church order and ecclesiastical law in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa against the Presbyterial-synodal understanding of church government. The latter forms the canonical outline of Biblical Reformative Theology as an indication of the theology currently practiced in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa. At the outset a historical overview is given on the origin and development of the Presbyterial-synodal church government that was mainly shaped by Calvin in Geneva and later elaborated upon in Paris, and then further developed in the Netherlands. Reference is also made to the Algemeen Reglement of 1816, the 1951 church order of the Nederlandse Hervormde Church, as well as the 1951 church order of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa. A description is given of what is understood by Biblical Reformative Theology as a revelation theology, which objectively assesses man as a sinner redeemed by grace through Jesus Christ. In this regard the church is willed by God and exists in eschatological expectation when Jesus will be everything in everyone. An exposition of Presbyterial-synodal church government calls attention to the church's existence from the beginning of time, founded by God, and it is therefore of a covenantal nature. Offices are seen as gifts from God to mankind to bring those who had been saved by Jesus Christ to faith in Him. Office bearers gather together in an assembly of offices to govern the church according to the Word of God. The church is a confessing church who confesses its faith with the church of all ages, as summarized in the ecumenical creeds and the three formularies of unity. Reference is also made here to the sacraments, ceremonies, church festivals and days of remembrance. The chapter concludes with a reference to church discipline as well as the relationship between church and state. Finally the church order and ecclesiastical law in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa is measured against the previous definition of the Presbyterial-synodal understanding of church government. / Thesis (PhD (Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted