This thesis is concerned with, in the words of Song of Songs, finding an appropriate answer to Qohelet's vanity - vanity of a human life and things that inherently come with it, as Qohelet himself proclaims in his book. The first chapter introduces the Book of Qohelet and aims to capture the main themes of vanity and transience, while also providing the ways out from this situation, as presented by Qohelet. The second chapter introduces the reader to the Song of Songs book while also describing its content which concerns the interpretation of love between a man and a woman. The third chapter brings forward efforts of the author and the main themes and conclusions of the book are analysed. This allows - in the conclusion of this thesis - to answer the question of whether the love in the Songs of Songs is a possible answer to Qoheleth's vanity - the transience of a human life, as brought out by Qohelet in his work.

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology’s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed. / This dissertation identifies the shape, content, and marks of the theology of the cross, an ancient and still extant epistemological and soteriological system of Christian thought. Applying the resulting hermeneutic it then shows this system to be present with renewed vitality and future significance in the modern project of seminal Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968).

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology���s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed.

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The intent of this thesis is to understand how we as educators and learners in our Western system of education can bridge and heal the fundamental principles of a constructed divide embedded in our consciousness that continues to be reproduced in our Western academy. The primary goal is to make visible this divide that is based on the intellectualization of Western education in the absence of spiritual aspirations, thus revealing the potential of spiritual transformation within the academy and our everyday lives. In my literature-based thesis research I explored, analyzed and discussed two bodies of literature: the historical intellectualization of Western education on the one hand, and, on the other, Eastern Philosophy with the emphasis on Higher Self Yoga, African Philosophy and North American Aboriginal Spirituality. I investigated these bodies of literature employing a research paradigm that has its foundation in a spiritual ontology and epistemology. I analyzed my findings using such methodologies as appreciative inquiry, content analysis and textual analysis, including anti-colonial and indigenous knowledges theoretical frameworks. I found that the synthesis and integration of the inner life wisdom revealed in the three philosophies is an integral component fundamental toward a whole life vision of education, an educative vision that has the potential to serve as a catalyst to open the gates for life-enhancing change in the academy and our everyday lives. Change implies becoming aware of our true origin, who we truly are, and what our intrinsic purpose is. Change implies becoming aware of humanity’s accelerated transition toward a higher level of spiritual planetary consciousness, a spiritual evolution as an inner quest of unity with nature, the larger human community, the universe, and the divine Source itself. Change implies whole life educational processes, inclusive of the unfoldment of inner life wisdom, the authority of the human spirit, and the sense of divinity, as useful bridging work in healing the divide in our aware consciousness and our educational institutions. Whole life change needs to be the responsibility of academic education, as well our self-responsibility of realizing ourselves as citizen of the world living within one-world consciousness. All is one.

The intent of this thesis is to understand how we as educators and learners in our Western system of education can bridge and heal the fundamental principles of a constructed divide embedded in our consciousness that continues to be reproduced in our Western academy. The primary goal is to make visible this divide that is based on the intellectualization of Western education in the absence of spiritual aspirations, thus revealing the potential of spiritual transformation within the academy and our everyday lives. In my literature-based thesis research I explored, analyzed and discussed two bodies of literature: the historical intellectualization of Western education on the one hand, and, on the other, Eastern Philosophy with the emphasis on Higher Self Yoga, African Philosophy and North American Aboriginal Spirituality. I investigated these bodies of literature employing a research paradigm that has its foundation in a spiritual ontology and epistemology. I analyzed my findings using such methodologies as appreciative inquiry, content analysis and textual analysis, including anti-colonial and indigenous knowledges theoretical frameworks. I found that the synthesis and integration of the inner life wisdom revealed in the three philosophies is an integral component fundamental toward a whole life vision of education, an educative vision that has the potential to serve as a catalyst to open the gates for life-enhancing change in the academy and our everyday lives. Change implies becoming aware of our true origin, who we truly are, and what our intrinsic purpose is. Change implies becoming aware of humanity’s accelerated transition toward a higher level of spiritual planetary consciousness, a spiritual evolution as an inner quest of unity with nature, the larger human community, the universe, and the divine Source itself. Change implies whole life educational processes, inclusive of the unfoldment of inner life wisdom, the authority of the human spirit, and the sense of divinity, as useful bridging work in healing the divide in our aware consciousness and our educational institutions. Whole life change needs to be the responsibility of academic education, as well our self-responsibility of realizing ourselves as citizen of the world living within one-world consciousness. All is one.

This dissertation examines the nature, scope, and significance of a new pedagogical approach to teaching of views on nature of science (VNOS) to high school students. Educational approaches based on teaching ‘correct’ VNOS continue to be dominated by the epistemology of logical empiricism and, as I will point out, these approaches are inadequate to address the issues of VNOS. I assert and the findings presented in this dissertation offer evidence that students’ VNOS are dynamic and context-based. In this research I used filmmaking to explore students’ VNOS. High school students, supported by a professional filmmaking crew, completed a short film entitled, The Shadows of Hope; this film explores the use of scientific knowledge in understanding everyday life problems. The filmmaking environment introduced simultaneously a number of contexts in which students’ VNOS were concurrently collected using mixed methods methodology. The results show that contexts sway students’ VNOS and generate a variety of the VNOS for each student. Evidence shows that there is a common, theme-based pattern to individual students’ set of VNOS. The variety of expressed VNOS seemed natural to the students, with no registered discomfort. However, in this study a contrast between students’ VNOS and their ‘school-based’ understanding of science also became apparent. This is evidence that cognitive dissonance is not sufficient to explain the full spectrum of ways in which students learn, deepen knowledge and arrive to conceptual change. I assert that including cognitive contextual expansion in our understanding of conceptual change is essential to provide a framework that allows to integrate cognitive diversity into the theory of learning, reflecting a perhaps more natural way human mind works. The project’s findings offer evidence that students’ VNOS deepened and expanded through filmmaking; students arrived to a more examined and mature VNOS while enjoying the activity of making a film. There is evidence that cooperation with a professional team provided students with a feeling of respect and pride. Filmmaking offers a robust way of learning, based on collaborative work that enlivens a large number of learning-enhancing activities. Additional resources and a Brief Guide For Teachers are added to this text to support teachers in adopting filmmaking as a unique pedagogical method. / Graduate / 0714 / 0900 / 0533 / akottova@uvic.ca

En réadaptation en déficience physique, les intervenantes psychosociales utilisent plusieurs types de savoirs, mais la relation entre ceux-ci est peu étudiée. Ce projet regarde quelle place ces intervenantes accordent à différents types de savoirs dans leurs pratiques. Nous distinguons savoirs théoriques, produits scientifiquement, savoirs pratiques, produits par l’action et l’expérience, et savoirs existentiels, englobant croyances et valeurs. Les données recueillies qualitativement par huit entrevues semi-dirigées auprès d’intervenantes psychosociales en réadaptation ont été codifiées et analysées horizontalement et verticalement. Ceci démontre que tous les savoirs ont une place dans l’intervention et qu’ils devraient être égaux et complémentaires. Ils remplissent des fonctions influençant divers aspects de l’intervention ou s’adressant à différents acteurs, à différents moments de l’intervention. Ce projet a permis de construire des savoirs pratiques et des savoirs théoriques qui ont des retombées sur la pratique et la recherche, mais laissent plusieurs points en suspens à reprendre ultérieurement. / Social workers practicing in the physical rehabilitation field work with different types of knowledge, but only a few studies looked into the relationship between them. The present research project aims at understanding the place these social workers allow different types of knowledge in their practice. We distinguish theoretical knowledge, produced scientifically, practice knowledge, built from action and experience, and existential knowledge, like beliefs and values. The information collected qualitatively from eight semi-directed interviews with these social workers was codified and analyzed horizontally and vertically. This demonstrates that all types of knowledge have a place in practice and are equal and complementary. They fulfill different functions either addressed to specific actors, and moments in intervention, or to many of them at once. This project produced both practical and theoretical knowledge that have an impact on practice and research, but that leave some unresolved questions to get back to in the future.

領導者之決策對於組織的影響甚大，不僅決定企業的獲利，更可能影響組織的存亡。在現今快速變遷的環境中，領導者經常面臨在時間壓力下需快速做出正確的決策，因此本研究著重於探討領導者才能對於領導者決策品質，以及團隊競爭力與績效之影響。具體而言，本研究從Sternberg所提出的WICS模式為出發點，探討「領導者智慧」、「領導者實用智力」、「領導者分析智力」及「領導者創新能力」對於「領導者決策品質」、「團隊競爭力與績效」之影響，並建構「領導者才能之競爭力模式」。至於領導者才能之競爭力模式，不僅可以做為後續相關研究之重要參考，亦可協助企業與領導者檢視其領導效能，進而做為改善競爭力與績效之重要依據。 本研究之問卷經嚴謹之程序編製，首先進行專家會議、信效度及因素分析之檢驗，之後再進行研究變項間之探討。研究樣本採立意取樣方式，以團隊為單位，每個團隊收集團隊領導者及其五位直屬部屬之調查問卷。本研究總計回收40位領導者與200位部屬之有效樣本，統計分析結果顯示，本研究所有量表皆具有良好之內部一致性信度（.754~.972）與效標關聯效度（.280~.820）。 此外，本研究根據結構方程模式驗證本研究之假設，綜合結果顯示：1. 領導者智慧、實用智力、分析智力及創新能力對於領導者決策品質具有顯著且正向之影響；2. 領導者決策品質對於團隊競爭力具有顯著且正向之影響；3. 團隊競爭力對於團隊績效具有顯著且正向之影響；4. 「領導者才能之競爭力模式」獲得實證支持。最後，研究者根據本研究結果，提出對未來學術研究與實務應用具體之建議。 / Leaders’ decisions have a great impact on organizations; they influence not only the revenue but also the survival of organizations. In this fast-changing environment, leaders always need to make fast and correct decisions under time pressure. Therefore, the focus of this study is the effect of leaders’ skills on the quality of leaders’ decisions so as to improve the competitiveness and performance of teams or organizations. The present study starts from WICS model which developed by Sternberg to examine the effect of leaders’ wisdom, practical intelligence, analytic intelligence, and creativity on the quality of leaders’ decisions, team competitiveness and performance, and to construct the competitiveness model of leaders’ skills. The development of competitiveness model of leaders’ skills could not only be used by following related studies, but also assist organizations and leaders to review leadership efficacy in order to improve the competitiveness and performance. The present study constructed the questionnaire through an expert committee, tests of reliability, validity, and factor analysis. The samples of team unit were collected using purposive sampling, and each unit included one leader and five immediate subordinates. A total of forty valid sample units which had forty leaders and two hundred immediate subordinates were collected. Through the statistical analysis, it shows the internal consistency reliability (.752-.972) and criterion-related validity (.280-.820) of all scales (leaders’ self-rating and subordinates’ other-rating) were excellent. Furthermore, according to the result of hypothesis testing and Structural Equation Modeling analysis, it shows: 1. Leaders’ wisdom, empirical intelligence, analytic intelligence, and creativity have a significant and positive influence on the quality of leaders’ decisions; 2. The quality of leaders’ decisions has a significant and positive influence on team competitiveness; 3. Team competitiveness has a significant and positive influence on team performance; 4. The constructed competitiveness model of leaders’ skills was supported. Finally, suggestions were proposed for further academic studies and practical application based on the result of the present study.