This study aims to investigate the challenges of translating metaphors of the Quran. It examines English speakers' understanding of a number of Quran metaphors which are selected from three well known English versions of the Quran translations. In addition, the study highlights the root causes which may be deemed to be a source of misunderstanding Quran metaphors. The study also aims to find out to what extant metaphors of the Quran can maintain their sense in today's context. Translation in today's globalised world is gaining relevance as a means to enhance communication among multicultural nations. Translation studies have contributed significantly in bridging the linguistic and the cultural gap among languages. However, the key literature of this study suggests that, translating metaphors and translating metaphors of the Quran in particular have been under researched as they are very often overlooked in translation studies. The conclusion that can be drawn from the predominant literature related to translation studies is that the on-going debates over the faithful, loyal approaches of translating vs. the free and dynamic methods have generated in parts insightful explanations and interesting and useful, but they have fallen short of providing a general consensus. This study takes the view that there is no master plan for translating and that a word for word approach often leads to stilted translation particularly when dealing with metaphors. Given the nature of the topic under consideration, this study combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. The advantage of the use of both methods for collecting data is highly considered and recommended. Utilization of this combination enhances the trustworthiness of findings as well as reduces limitations. The qualitative method in this study represents scholars' interpretations and views and a questionnaire as a data collection instrument is adopted to enhance the result of this study. The findings suggest that the three selected English versions of the Quran have fallen short of conveying the meaning of Quran metaphors. The findings also indicate that the meaning is often mistranslated or misleading or misunderstood by English readers.

This thesis examines the experiences and the attitudes of Bradford females who have Pakistani Mirpuri heritage. The study has involved people of different ages ranging from sixteen to thirty-five and older women aged in their forties and beyond. The women explore their relationship with their parents, the biraderi (their extended family), career and educational aspirations, involvement with religion and culture and how these fit into their personal identities. The data was gathered incrementally over three stages. Each stage was equally important, and themes emerged at each stage, which were then explored further. The data comes out from a number of questionnaires, which were followed by interviews. The research evidence creates consistent pictures and provides an insight into the lives and experiences of Bradford females, of Pakistani Mirpuri origin. The concern was to explore the notions of their sense of personal identity in the face of conflicting cultures and conflicts between culture and religion. The research evidence shows that younger women believed they did share a close relationship with their parents. At times this relationship was tested. The evidence shows that an area of major inter-generational tension was where parents were trying to control the behaviours of younger women by using cultural interpretations of Islam. This was particularly mentioned by younger women in relation to education, careers, and marriage and on issues of freedom generally. The relationship of younger women, with the biraderi (kin) is not as close as their parents' relationship with it. Younger women are leading independent lives and have high career and educational aspirations. The majority of the respondents felt their parents had supported their aspirations. The evidence shows that younger women feel comfortable with the freedom they have. They wanted to be able to fulfil their education and career aspirations and socialise with friends. The younger women felt they understood Islam and followed religion more than culture. They felt they were able to distinguish between culture was and where parents were confusing religion and culture. The majority of women in this study described having multiple identities and were comfortable with this. Being British did not mean they had to compromise them as Muslims. The thesis demonstrates that Pakistanis are not homogonous and that there are many differences based on gender, cast and sect. At the core, however, is the sense of personal identity and the use the women made of their religious beliefs, not as a sign of the subjection to their inheritance but a symbol of their sense of personal independence.

Religiosity has been researched in relation to psychological well-being through assessing cognitive and behavioural components of religion (e.g. prayer). The lack of consensus in defining and measuring religiosity is a complex matter. Different forms of religiosity are measured in relation to positive and negative psychological well-being. The literature review identifies orthodoxy and spirituality as two forms of religiosity. Research is examined in detail to establish how orthodoxy relates to negative well-being whereas, spirituality associates with positive well-being. Shame is a distressing emotion that involves negative evaluations of the self. Whereas, self-compassion is contrasted in that a positive relationship with the self is evident. Since shame and self-compassion are opposite constructs the prediction was that orthodoxy may relate to greater shame and lower self-compassion, whereas spirituality may associate with lower shame and greater self-compassion. The empirical research explored how both forms of religiosity; orthodoxy and spirituality relate to shame and self-compassion in South Asian (SA) Muslim women. The study’s qualitative component explored the conceptualisation of shame. The results show that orthodoxy and spirituality are related yet distinct entities. Greater shame associates with lower self-compassion. No significant association was detected between shame and both forms of religiosity. Orthodoxy negatively correlated with self-compassion. That is a unique finding since this had never been researched previously. The qualitative component enabled the development of a process model for shame experience pertinent to this population that may be relevant for clinical practice. Implications of these findings, the study’s limitations and recommendations for future research are debated.

The thesis tackles the issue of Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophic thought system in the context of Christianity and Christian theology. It is divided into four chapters and contains a dedicated methodological concept. The first chapter focuses on the beginning of Steiner's life journey, paying special attention to his spiritual influences affecting him prior to his public appearance. The following subchapter tackles the genre structure of Steiner's collective works (as in Gesamtausgabe) and creates an original proposal of its periodization as well as a description of its presence on the Czech li- terary market. Chapter two looks at those elements of Steiner's thinking that are theologically important and relate especially to the Trinitology. The final chapter selects those ideas from Steiner's ideological system that are in conflict with classic theological way of thinking and aims to provide them with a wider context.

The Secret Doctrine is the magnum opus of H.P. Blavatsky and one of the foundation texts of the Theosophical Society. It represents her attempt to appropriate authority in a wide variety of fields, including, science, religion, and philosophy. This study examines H.P. Blavatsky’s engagement with Ancient Egypt in relation to two specific themes, the constitution of the individual and the afterlife, as they are portrayed in this work. It locates Theosophy in its historical context, the late nineteenth century, in relation to various fields of knowledge. It reviews the sources that H.P. Blavatsky drew on in her work and discusses the various interpretive techniques she employed to insert Theosophical content into various world religions. Finally, it contrasts the Theosophical presentation of Ancient Egypt in The Secret Doctrine with that of mainstream modern Egyptology. The fundamental disconnect which is revealed highlights the challenges that the Theosophical perspective faces. / Religious Studies & Arabic / M. A. (Religious Studies)

The Secret Doctrine is the magnum opus of H.P. Blavatsky and one of the foundation texts of the Theosophical Society. It represents her attempt to appropriate authority in a wide variety of fields, including, science, religion, and philosophy. This study examines H.P. Blavatsky’s engagement with Ancient Egypt in relation to two specific themes, the constitution of the individual and the afterlife, as they are portrayed in this work. It locates Theosophy in its historical context, the late nineteenth century, in relation to various fields of knowledge. It reviews the sources that H.P. Blavatsky drew on in her work and discusses the various interpretive techniques she employed to insert Theosophical content into various world religions. Finally, it contrasts the Theosophical presentation of Ancient Egypt in The Secret Doctrine with that of mainstream modern Egyptology. The fundamental disconnect which is revealed highlights the challenges that the Theosophical perspective faces. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M. A. (Religious Studies)

The thesis examines the role of Islam and Shariah (Islamic law) in the economic development of Malaysia and it rejects the assumption that Islam and Shariah inhibit economic development. In contemporary Malaysia, there are two 'policies' adopted by the Government. Firstly, 'Islamisation' which is for the advancement of Islamic law and institution building. Secondly, 'Malaynisation' which promotes the socio-economic development of the Malay ethnic group. The study adopts a holistic approach which covers the political economy of law in Malaysia. The thesis explores the relationship between the two policies considering in particular whether they are essentially the same. The study covers the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods although the focus is on the post-1969 period which involved the application of the New Economic Policy (NEP). The NEP was a pro-Malay Policy to rectif,' the economic imbalance of the Malays vis-à-vis other communities. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is on the Malay- Muslim population of Peninsular Malaysia who form the bulk of the Bumiputera (indigenous people). Two Bum iputera and Islamic organisations, Bank Islam (BIIMB) and Tabung Haji (TH) as well as the Bumiputera unit trust scheme, Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) are used as the case studies. Their establishment, structure and organisation are examined. There is a specific focus on the extent to which they are examples of Islamisation or Malaynisation. It is clear that in contemporary Malaysia, Islam and Shariah are being used by the Government to promote economic development. Islamic values have been used to further Malay economic participation in the commercial sector. As a consequence, the economic position of many Malay-Muslims has greatly improved. However, the Government position is questioned by the Islamic opposition who say that the Islamisation policy in many respects is either contrary to Islam or merely cosmetic, and want a 'pure' Islamic approach. The thesis therefore involves a critical examination of the perspectives of both the Government and the Islamic opposition.

The thesis critically examines the view that associates religion with bellicosity in politics. It is argued that the structural link between religion and the propensity to (political) violence is inaccurate because (1) religious theories of just war can be shown to be tolerant of difference in important instances and thus not belligerent; (2) secular ideology can be shown to be intolerant and bellicose in important cases; and consequently (3) the more important explanatory factor of bellicosity is not necessarily religion but it can be found elsewhere. It is argued that the true source lies in the association of a monistic ideological commitment and the willingness of its political agents to impose it on those with different ideological views. The thesis is a critical and comparative discussion of those who have dealt with ideological violence. It compares interventionist theorists with those who are not in religious tradition and contemporary theory of just war to reveal that the cause of violence is located in an avoidable failure to reconcile religious morality and politics. The thesis adds a new perspective on the debate, calling for a rethink of the relationship between religion and violence in politics. It also proposes greater scepticism about widely held assumptions about the bellicose tendency of religiously motivated political agents, arguing that theorists should rethink the real cause of bellicosity beyond the religious domain and pay closer critical attention to the sources of the belligerence of secular agents.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran was based and formed upon the concept of Khomeinism, the religious, political, and social ideas of Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini. While the Iranian revolution was carried out with the slogans of independence, freedom, and Islamic Republic, Khomeini's framework gave it a specific impetus for the unity of people, religious culture, and leadership. Khomeinism was not just an effort, on a religious basis, to alter a national system. It included and was dependent upon the projection of a clash beyond a “national” struggle, including was a clash of ideology with that associated with the United States. Analysing the Iran-US relationship over the past century and Khomeini’s interpretation of it, this thesis attempts to show how the Ayatullah projected "America" versus Iranian national freedom and religious pride. This projection used national interest and the religious and social culture of Iranians to mobilise the masses to overthrow a secular and pro-American political system, replacing it with an Islamic, anti-American system. However, while anti-Americanism was an essential part of Khomeinism, it was a conditional and impermanent concept. As the historical investigation shows, hostility between Iranian and American communities has been exceptional for much of the period since 1850. That recognition, as well as the critique of Khomeinism, offers possibilities for improvement in future relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the West, especially the US.

Cette dissertation possède un abordage qualitatif et se base sur l´ethnographie réalisée pendant la période de septembre 2013 au décembre 2014 au cours des conférences publiques offertes hebdomadairement par la Loge Théosophique Dharma, localisée dans la ville de Porto Alegre. L´objectif de cette étude consiste à analyser comment les préceptes de la Théosophie Moderne s´articulent et sont agenciés par les sujets de recherche en son quotidien. À partir de l´observation participante, de conférences semi-structurées, et recherche dans la littérature théosophique, il a été possible conclu quelle compréhension de Théosophie Moderne présentée par les sujets analysés chez Loge Théosophique Dharma se met si tant en lieu et place d´une courante de spiritualisme du siècle XIX qui preserve des caractéristiques de l´exotérisme, de l´occultisme, et les réligions orientales selon les écritures de Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, mais s´ajoutent également des références à la réligiosité et pratiques de l´univers Nouvelle Ère. / Esta dissertação possui uma abordagem qualitativa e baseia-se na etnografia realizada no período de setembro de 2013 a dezembro de 2014 em palestras públicas oferecidas semanalmente pela Loja Teosófica Dharma, localizada na cidade de Porto Alegre-RS. O objetivo desse estudo consiste em analisar como os preceitos da Teosofia Moderna articulam-se e são agenciados pelos sujeitos de pesquisa em seu cotidiano. A partir da observação participante, de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e pesquisa na literatura teosófica, foi possível concluir que a compreensão de Teosofia Moderna apresentada pelos sujeitos analisados na Loja Teosófica Dharma se coloca tanto entre o lugar de uma corrente do espiritualismo do século XIX que preserva características do esoterismo, do ocultismo, e das religiões orientais conforme os escritos de Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, mas soma também referências a religiosidades e práticas do universo Nova Era. / This study has a qualitative approach and based on the ethnography conducted from September 2013 to December 2014 in public lectures offered weekly by Theosophical Dharma Lodge, located in Porto Alegre-RS. The aim of this study is to analyze how the precepts of Modern Theosophy are articulated and are touted by research participants in their daily lives. From participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and research in theosophical literature, it was possible to conclude that understanding of Modern Theosophy presented by the analyzed subjects in the Theosophical Dharma Lodge arises between the place of a spiritualism current of 19th century that preserves esotericism, occultism and Eastern religions features as the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, but also adds references to religiosities and practices of the New Age universe.