Do the Young Mirror New Values?

Science.gov (United States)

Helve, Helena

1992-01-01

Although about 90 percent of the children in Finland are christened in the Evangelical-Lutheran church, the sets of values and views of the world that adolescents cherish are not uniformly based in Christianity, nor does Marxism have much relevance to today's young people. (Author/JOW)

Common Belief. Australia's Faith Communities on Climate Change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-12-01

Sixteen Australian faith communities representing the world's great religious traditions have united to speak out on climate change: Aboriginal people, the Australian Christian lobby, Baha'i believers, Baptists, Buddhists, Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Greek Orthodox, Hindus, Jewish people, Lutherans, Muslims, The Salvation Army, Sikhs, The United Church

Biskoppen, hun..

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Else Marie Wiberg

2011-01-01

This article looks into what lies behind the talk of a gender neutral ministry. Through an examination of the debate and the legislation on women’s access to the ministry of the folk church in the years between 1918 and 1947, it is demonstrated how the, in an Evangelical-Lutheran context, traditi......This article looks into what lies behind the talk of a gender neutral ministry. Through an examination of the debate and the legislation on women’s access to the ministry of the folk church in the years between 1918 and 1947, it is demonstrated how the, in an Evangelical-Lutheran context...... of the ar-ticle is that when some maintain that the state, with its law changes in 1947, interfered in the church’s internal matters, this is simply not true. Quite to the contrary, the state interfered in the years 1920 to 1947, whereby it obstructed the communities’ freedom and obligation to call a pastor...

Religious affiliation and psychiatric morbidity in Brazil: higher rates among evangelicals and spiritists.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalgalarrondo, Paulo; Marín-León, Leticia; Botega, Neury José; Berti De Azevedo Barros, Marilisa; Bosco De Oliveira, Helenice

2008-11-01

To verify the association between the prevalence of mental symptoms and excessive alcohol intake with religious affiliation, church attendance and personal religiosity. A household survey of 515 adults randomly sampled included the WHO SUPRE-MISS questionnaire, SRQ-20 and AUDIT. Weighted prevalences were estimated and logistic analyses were performed. Minor psychiatric morbidity was greater among Spiritists and Protestants/ Evangelicals than in Catholics and in the ;no-religion' group. The latter had a greater frequency of abusive alcohol drinking pattern and Protestants/Evangelicals showed lower drinking patterns. Although belonging to Protestant/Evangelical churches in Brazil may inhibit alcohol involvement it seems to be associated to a higher frequency of depressive symptoms. Processes of seeking relief in new religious affiliations among sub-groups with previous minor psychiatric symptoms may probably occur in the Brazilian society.

Hudba pro století luterské reformace I. Martin Luther a duchovní hudba

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vytlačil, Lukáš

2017-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 9 (2017), s. 28-30 ISSN 1210-8081 Institutional support: RVO:68378076 Keywords : lutheran reformation * Martin Luther * sacred music * Johann Walter * Leonhard Lechner * music and liturgy * gospels * 16th century music history * renaissance music * evangelic church (sacred) music Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage OBOR OECD: Performing arts studies ( Music ology, Theater science, Dramaturgy)

An Architecture for the Electronic Church: Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Grubiak, Margaret M

2016-04-01

More than a university, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also the headquarters for evangelist Oral Roberts's electronic church. The electronic church in America, dominated by Christian evangelicals, used technology to spread the Gospel over radio airways and television signals to a dispersed audience. Yet evangelicals like Roberts also constructed ambitious campuses in real space and time. The architecture of Oral Roberts University visualized a modern and "populuxe" image for the electronic church in the 1960s and 1970s. The university's Prayer Tower purposely alluded to the Seattle Space Needle, aligning religion and the Space Age, and the campus's white, gold, and black color palette on late modern buildings created an image of aspirational luxury, conveying Roberts's health and wealth gospel. Oral Roberts University served as a sound stage for Roberts's radio and television shows, a pilgrimage point for his audience, and a university dedicated to training evangelicals in the electronic church.

Ethnographic Ecclesiology and the Challenges of Scholarly Situatedness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buch-Hansen, Gitte; Lorensen, Marlene Ringgaard; Felter, Kirsten Donskov

2015-01-01

This article reflects on the importance of being aware of one’s own situatedness when carrying out empirical research. The unforeseen outcome of a project in which we studied converting refugees’ encounter with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark provoked these reflections. The fieldwork...... informants as collaborators with regard to both scholarly reflexivity and the concrete outcome of research in a shared quest for ecclesiological knowledge....

Volunteer work in the church among older Mexican Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Neal; Hayward, R David

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the amount of volunteer work that older Mexican Americans perform in the place where they worship. The relationship between religion and volunteering is viewed from a social identity perspective. Data from a nationally representative sample of older Mexican Americans suggest that Evangelical/Pentecostal church members spend more time performing volunteer work at church than older Mexican Americans who affiliate with other denominations. Moreover, the findings indicate that the difference in the amount of volunteering between the two groups can largely be explained by differences in the nature of the spiritual support that Evangelical/Pentecostal receive from their fellow church members as well as depth of their commitment to their faith.

Lutheranism and the Nordic States

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buchardt, Mette

2017-01-01

The Reformation in the Nordic region – today consisting of Island, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland – was Lutheran and state driven. This chapter addresses the question of Nordic forms of Lutheranism as well as the question of the impact of Lutheranism in the North by focusing on the relation...

The church's missionary efforts among domestic workers with special reference to Johannesburg West / by Malatsi Samuel Mofokeng

OpenAIRE

Mofokeng, Malatsi Samuel

2007-01-01

This research deals with the role of the church in its efforts to bring the gospel to domestic workers with reference to five church denominations in Johannesburg-West namely, the Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Anglican and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. Church leaders of the above mentioned church denominations used the integrated ministry by introducing programmes, projects and skills training along side the preaching of the gospel to empower domestic workers spiritua...

Female leaders in an international evangelical mission organisation: an empirical study of Youth With A Mission in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.A.S. Hornstra-Fuchs

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Evangelicals are frequently perceived as conservative, for instance in their perspective on women. There is indeed a widespread evangelical hierarchical or complementarian theological view which objects to women in church leadership. There is, however, a growing egalitarian counter position, sometimes also referred to as “evangelical feminism”, which supports female leadership. This article concentrates on the international missionary organisation Youth With A Mission (YWAM, which clearly endorses female leaders in formal statements. In YWAM Germany, however, women are under-represented in leadership positions. The article seeks to explain this under-representation, especially in terms of the role played by Scripture. By means of interviews with leaders in YWAM Germany, possible answers were explored. Surprisingly, for an evangelical organisation, the interpretation of Scripture proved not to be a significant factor. Factors that do play a role are church background, the lack of female role models, lower self-confidence of women, family responsibilities, and the role of incumbent leadership. The latter appears to be the most crucial factor, since the incumbent leaders, who mostly are men, select and appoint new leaders. It is likely that in this they are influenced by stereotypical conceptions of the leader as male and are inclined to appoint leaders similar to themselves.

Attitudes toward epilepsy and perceptions of epilepsy-related stigma in Korean evangelical Christians.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang-Ahm; Choi, Eun-Ju; Jeon, Ji-Ye; Paek, Joon-Hyun

2017-09-01

The scriptural description of Jesus driving out an evil spirit from a boy with epilepsy supported the idea of the spiritual nature of epilepsy for centuries. Korea has a shorter history of Christianity than the Western world. We determined whether there are differences in attitudes toward epilepsy and perception of epilepsy-related stigma between people with and without belief in evangelical Christianity in Korea. Data were collected from evangelical churches and theological colleges. People without religious beliefs were enrolled as a control group through convenience sampling. The Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale and the modified Stigma Scale for epilepsy were used. Familiarity with and knowledge of epilepsy were also assessed. Evangelical Christians were categorized as professional or nonprofessional depending on whether they had received professional education in Christian theology. A total of 227 evangelical Christians and 139 controls were included. The scores on the Stigma Scale and in the two PATE domains were significantly lower in the professional Christian group than in the controls or the nonprofessional group (pKorea. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emerging Churches in Post-Christian Canada

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Steven Studebaker

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The traditional mainline and evangelical churches in Canada, as in most western countries, are either in decline or static. Taken as a measure of the future, the prospects for Christianity in Canada, and more broadly the West, are bleak. Post-Christian Canada, however, contains thriving alternative and innovative forms of church, often called ‘emerging’ churches. They take many forms of expression, but share common theological convictions. Based on site research and personal interviews, this article describes the various types and contexts of these churches in Canada. It then highlights three of their central theological characteristics. First, rejecting the ‘culture wars’ social involvement of Christendom churches, they embrace practices and initiatives that transform their local communities. Second, they embrace an incarnational and contextual understanding of Christian life and ministry. Eschewing mega-church franchise models, they endeavor to shape their ministry to the their local communities. Third, they adopt a comprehensive rather than compartmental spirituality.

Does Transnational Experience Constrain Religiosity? Korean Evangelical Women’s Discourse on LGBT Persons

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Gowoon Jung

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A large literature studies the views and discourses of Western, and especially American, conservative Christians with respect to homosexuality; only a few examine the discourse of Christians in non-Western countries, and none focuses on non-Western Christians with advanced, overseas education and careers. This paper examines the discourse of South Korean Evangelical women with overseas, educational or career experiences. I draw on 15 in-depth interviews with current and former members of a Seoul-based, Evangelical mega-church. Transnational, evangelical women show comparatively mild-minded and tolerant views toward homosexuality and LGBT persons. The women illustrated two pathways to reconcile their conflicting beliefs in conservative religion and human rights: first, the values of equity and meritocracy; and second, personal contacts with LGBT persons. This study suggests that for transnational migrants, traditional religiosity is challenged and constrained by sustained experiences in liberal, pluralistic societies.

Hymns and Hymn-Singing as an Indicator of the Situation of the Church

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balslev-Clausen, Peter

2009-01-01

This article investigates the hymnals of four Lutheran churches in Germany, North America, Sweden and Denmark in order to identify the connection between ecclesiastic and theological development during the 20th century, as well as the editorial process used in crreating the hymnals of the period....

Evangelical Religion and Evangelical Democracy: Lincoln’s Legacy

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David Goldfield

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Evangelical religion and evangelical democracy reinforced each other in nineteenth-century America. The spread of evangelical Christianity and democracy across a continent justified the wars against Native Americans and Mexico, and provided the moral framework for the fight against slavery which many Americans came to see as incompatible with Protestant Christianity and democratic government. The problem with mixing religion and politics in this manner was that political issues became moral issues and, therefore, more difficult to deal with in the political process.

Revivalist movements and religious contracultures in Finland

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Juha Pentikäinen

1975-01-01

Full Text Available The religious behavior of the Finns has usually been characterised as an extremely static phenomenon which is further colored by a strong ecclesiastical tradition. This may be seen in that over 92 % of the Finnish population belongs to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and that the largest religious movements function within this church. This conception seems to receive additional support by the fact that, with the exception of the most recent neo-pietism (uuspietismi organised during the period of the second world war, the main revivalist movements functioning within the church are more than a century old: Knee-praying (rukoilevaisuus from the 18th century, Revivalism (herännäisyys from the transitional period between the 18th and 19th century, Lestadianism (lestadiolaisuus and Evangialism (evankelisuus from the middle of the 19th century.

Love and Truth in Social Involvement of the Church

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Henryk Szmulewicz

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This study begins with a brief outline of the essence of the whole encyclical Caritas in veritate . Benedict XVI expresses the desire for „the dialogue with the world”. He understands this dialogue as a special kind of the service of the Church towards eternal love and truth, fully revealed in Christ. The dialogue of the Church with the world, in the spirit of love and truth, is accomplished every day at the level of so-called official relations. There are numerous opinions that in the past the Church repeatedly neglected the dialogue with the world. Indeed, the Church historians point out the existence of examples of the fall of the authority of the Holy See in particular countries and circumstances. Similarly, the Church is the sign of objection in the contemporary world. Instructed by past experiences the Church is aware that what is necessary for the renewal of culture and society, is evangelical love and truth.

Informed consent: cultural and religious issues associated with the use of allogeneic and xenogeneic mesh products.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Eric D; Yip, Michael; Melman, Lora; Frisella, Margaret M; Matthews, Brent D

2010-04-01

Our aim was to investigate the views of major religions and cultural groups regarding the use of allogeneic and xenogeneic mesh for soft tissue repair. We contacted representatives from Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Scientology, and Christianity (Baptists, Methodists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Catholics, Lutherans, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Evangelical, and Jehovah's Witnesses). We also contacted American Vegan and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Standardized questionnaires were distributed to the religious and cultural authorities. Questions solicited views on the consumption of beef and pork products and the acceptability of human-, bovine-, or porcine-derived acellular grafts. Dietary restrictions among Jews and Muslims do not translate to tissue implantation restriction. Approximately 50% of Seventh-day Adventists and 40% of Buddhists practice vegetarianism, which may translate into a refusal of the use of xenogeneic tissue. Some Hindus categorically prohibit the use of human tissue and animal products; others allow the donation and receipt of human organs and tissues. PETA is opposed to all uses of animals, but not to human acellular grafts or organ transplantation. Some vegans prefer allogeneic to xenogeneic tissue. Allogeneic and xenogeneic acellular grafts are acceptable among Scientologists, Baptists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, and Catholics. Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints leave the decision up to the individual. Knowledge of religious and cultural preferences regarding biologic mesh assists the surgeon in obtaining a culturally sensitive informed consent for procedures involving acellular allogeneic or xenogeneic grafts. Copyright (c) 2010 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The evangelical church of Zaire and the female ordained ministry 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Mulemfo

1997-12-01

Full Text Available African culture(s had assigned inferior roles to women in society. The first Christian missionaries did very little to liberate women from this cultural enslavement. The missionaries's understanding of the leadership roles of women was not very different from that of African culture and its societal organisation. Many churches in Africa had kept to this cultural conservatism and also adopted the missionary theology. However, there are some Christians who accept women into the pastoral ministry, while others consider this move as blasphemous and unbiblical. The role of the church in this conflictual issue is to elaborate a new biblical hermeneutic which would help the church to create a conducive environment where men and women would understand their humanity on an equal basis and participate in God's salvific mission for the world.

Female Clergy as Agents of Religious Change?

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Kati Niemelä

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on female clergy as potential agents of change in the Church. I argue that the adoption of female clergy is one of the main factors that cause the Church to change its practices, policies and theological orientation. The first female ministers were ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in 1988. This is fairly late compared to other Nordic countries. However, the number of female ministers and female students has been growing fast and nowadays about 70 percent of theology students are female.The paper is based on quantitative surveys conducted among the members of the Clergy Union in 2002, 2006 and 2010 (N = about 1,000 each and among the applicants for university studies in theology in 2010. The research shows that clergywomen are changing the Church in a clearly more liberal direction. They do it in various areas of church life: they change the perception of faith and dogma, the policies of the Church as well as daily practices in parishes. Clergymen are notably more traditional in their orientation, even young clergymen. Therefore it is especially the female clergy who serve as agents of religious change in the Church.

“...But the Poor Opted for the Evangelicals!”– Evangelicals, Poverty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

, poverty and prosperity. Have the global evangelical celebrations of 2010 bridged the dichotomy between social responsibility (Ecumenicals) and the proclamation of salvation (Evangelicals)? The article focuses on the rapid growth of a ...

MINORITATEA GERMANĂ DIN ROMÂNIA ÎNTRE DECLIN DEMOGRAPHIC ŞI ADAPTARE

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WILFRIED SCHREIBER

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The German minority in Romania between demographic decline and adaptation. As most of the other national minorities in Romania, the German population declined by 40% between 2002 and 2011. The highest decreasing levels were registered in the counties and settlements where Germans had been colonized throughout the centuries, especially in Transylvania. Growth was only registered in Ilfov County due to the economic attractiveness. In 2011 there were still 11 towns with more than 500 German inhabitants and 14 rural municipalities with more than 100 Germans. The demographic setback determined adaptation measures, especially within the Democratic Forum of the Germans in Romania and the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The Bible Student’s Sacrifice: Gender Fluidity and Consecrated Identity in Evangelical America, 1879-1916

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Timothy Robert Noddings

2012-11-01

Full Text Available American feminist scholars have often represented gender in nineteenth-century evangelical Protestantism as a binary conflict between oppositional ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories of identity and experience. Drawing on the theoretical work of Jeanne Boydston, this article argues that gender within evangelical religion is better understood as a ‘system of distinctions’ that could be articulated in a variety of ways, some of which violated the gendered division of masculine/feminine. The American Bible Student movement, as a fervent millennialist organization, demanded that its members sacrifice their individuality to become ‘harvest workers’ for Christ. This sacrifice temporarily provided Students with a degree of freedom to construct spiritual identities that combined ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ signifiers, de-stabilizing the binary meaning of gender. After 1897, a series of internal challenges and schisms re-solidified the gender line, associating stability with the limiting of women’s power within both church and home.

The spirituality of the congregation from a liturgical perspective

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Bernice Sundkvist

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this article I have focused on three main types of worship in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The church has a long liturgical tradition and its liturgical services for Sunday worship and other divine services have been reformed, paying attention to both the tradition of the church and its changing context. The work of the Spirit is not excluded per definition by a fixed service. First, the formula allows scope for variation; but foremost, the Evangelical Lutheran theology interprets the work of the Spirit as an immediate inner work in and through external forms. Sunday worship engages the faithful members of the church. The service is ordered by the liturgical year and its spirituality emphasises the beliefs and values of the Christian tradition and the church. But worship cannot be interpreted as just a transmittal of information, the liturgy is structured as a dialogue between God and the congregation. One is in the presence of God, engaging all the thoughts and emotions in one’s life. At the other end of the spectrum, are special services, such as baptism, confirmation, wedding ceremonies and funerals. In these, the emphasis is on life circumstances and the dimension of spirituality as a way of life. These situations are the reason for the ritual. The challenge here in shaping spirituality is to keep both existential questions and questions of faith together as an integrated whole. Between Sunday worship and the special services, we see worship models emerging that have special topics, such as Gloria Dei-masses, metal music masses and rainbow masses and so on. These also focus on spirituality as a way of life, but not from the point of view of the individual or a family, but through specific topics. This form of worship can help the congregation in communicating and serving special needs. The three main types of worship all try to integrate different dimensions of spirituality in their dialogue with God. They are part of the

Reappropriating sacramental thinking within Protestant Evangelicalism: A move towards systemic awareness

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Dennis D. Elliott

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The dissertation on which this article is based, has been a polemical study aimed at exploring the sacramental theology of the late Roman Catholic theologian, Edward Schillebeeckx and thereby using it as a ‘foil’ against which to propose an alternative, if not renewed, ecclesiology for Protestant Evangelicalism. The study accomplished this aim within the framework of a systematic theological method with an approach that was inclusive of theological inquiry as well as sociological theory and praxis. Engaging Schillebeeckx with some significant conversation partners, both Roman Catholic and Protestants, has drawn out his hermeneutical inconsistencies. Two observations have emerged from this informed dialogue: Firstly, it established Schillebeeckx’s sacramental theology as upholding the systemic awareness of Roman Catholic sacramental thought. Secondly, insofar as the Protestant tradition is concerned, it established that, in spite of the diverse sacramental views within Reformation thought and Protestant evangelicalism, in particular, the doctrine of grace is upheld as foundational for the church. With a more directed focus on the diverse views concerning the Lord’s Supper, the dissertation honed in on the trajectories of Zwingli (‘symbolic memorialism’, Bullinger (‘symbolic parallelism’ and Calvin (‘symbolic instrumentalism’. Emerging from this exploration, a Zwingli-Bullinger confluence has been proposed.

Missionary Destinations and Diasporic Destiny: Spatiality of Korean/American Evangelism and the Cell Church

OpenAIRE

Han, Ju Hui Judy

2005-01-01

The existing literature on immigrant Korean Protestant churches in North America typically addresses identity formation and dynamics of assimilation in the context of North American religious pluralism and multiculturalism, particularly focusing on the role of religion in “maintaining ethnicity” and “preserving traditions.” In this literature, the immigrant Korean church is depicted as an ethnic enclave, a bounded territorial enclosure that facilitates adjustment and transition into the main...

The Conflict between Lived Religion and State Control of Poor Relief. The Case of Emma Mäkinen’s Private Orphanage at the Turn of the 20th Century

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Annola Johanna

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the conflict between lived religion and the state control of poor relief in a modernizing society by analysing the case of Emma Mäkinen’s private orphanage. Emma Mäkinen’s philanthropic work among neglected children was motivated by her Evangelical Revivalist conviction. Because of her trust in the transformative power of faith, she considered it appropriate to establish an orphanage next to a shelter for ‘fallen’ women. This decision led her onto a collision course with the State Inspector of Poor Relief and the general public, who did not share her religious views but emphasized the legislative and moral aspects vis-à-vis organizing social work. The conflict demonstrates, firstly, how the ancien régime and the traditional religious authority of the Evangelical Lutheran state church in particular was challenged by individual agency in voluntary associations such as the Evangelical Revivalist Free Mission. Secondly, the case of Emma Mäkinen’s orphanage reflects how new kinds of boundaries were created by the encroaching of state control into the sphere of private philanthropy, followed by the strengthening role of scientific theories and nationalistic thinking in social work. Thirdly, the conflict opens up a view on border-crossings, thus emphasizing the undefined nature of a modernizing society.

Leadership succession patterns in the apostolic church as a template for critique of contemporary charismatic leadership succession patterns

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Cephas Tushima

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The pattern of leadership succession observed globally in most contemporary Pentecostal movements and churches can be characterised as dynastic succession. Yet historic modern Pentecostalism (in the Azusa tradition prided itself on being biblical. This article explores the biblical sources, examining first the leadership structure and then the leadership succession patterns in the apostolic church as well as the extra-biblical sources of the apostolic patristic era. Our findings from this New Testament (and patristic sources survey of leadership succession in the apostolic church and post-apostolic churches furnish a template for critical evaluation of the prevalent succession approaches of contemporary Pentecostal groups. Critical elements of apostolic and leadership structure and succession patterns are highlighted, and needed inferences are drawn for the re-shaping of leadership and its succession in contemporary Christian ministries and churches. Keywords: Azusa; Apostolic Leadership; Leadership Succession; Pentecostalism; Evangelicals; Leadership Patterns

By Law Established

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Lisbet

2017-01-01

An analysis of the degree and content of statutory law regulation of Nordic Lutheran majority churches in 2017......An analysis of the degree and content of statutory law regulation of Nordic Lutheran majority churches in 2017...

Presença de anticorpo anti-Lutheran B em paciente com leucemia linfóide aguda Anti-Lutheran B in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

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Maria do Rosário F. Roberti

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Leucemias agudas necessitam de suporte hemoterápico para serem tratadas adequadamente. A presença do anticorpo anti-Lutheran B e a alta freqüência do antígeno em nossa população dificulta o tratamento de doenças hematológicas que necessitam de suporte transfusional, tais como a leucemia linfóide aguda (LLA. Alternativas de tratamento hemoterápico são abordadas neste artigo. Descreve-se o caso de uma paciente com LLA e anticorpo anti-Lutheran B. A dificuldade em encontrar sangue compatível levou os autores a adotarem estratégia conservadora no tratamento hemoterápico. O uso de eritropoetina e a adoção de protocolo quimioterápico individualizado viabilizaram os resultados obtidos.Acute leukemia needs hemotherapeutic support to be successfully treated. The Lutheran B antibody, specifically the high frequency of this antigen in our population, has made it difficult to treat hematological malignancies that need transfusional support, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Finding compatible blood is complex and so the authors adopted a conservative treatment strategy. The prescription of epoetin and an individualized chemotherapy protocol may improve results. We describe a case report of a patient with anti-Lutheran B antibody and how difficulties to find compatible blood were solved.

The Intersecting Identity Politics of the Ecuadorian Evangelical Indians

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Rickard Lalander

2013-02-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se analiza el movimiento indígena evangélico ecuatoriano con el énfasis particular en las tensiones entre etnicidad y religión en contextos de movilización política en la provincia de Chimborazo. Chimborazo ha sido una fortaleza tradicional tanto de la Iglesia Católica como posteriormente de las Iglesias Evangélicas, lo que ha contribuido a la excepcionalidad de la provincia y asimismo ha animado la formación de diferentes movimientos políticos. El enfoque principal está en la 'Federación Ecuatoriana de Indígenas Evangélicos '(FEINE y su brazo electoral 'Amauta Jatari', así como sus complejas relaciones con el más amplio movimiento indígena. Teórica y metodológicamente, el artículo se apoya en ideas de 'Interseccionalidad '– que originalmente emergieron en estudios de género – sobre las relaciones entre identidades y categorías socio-culturales. Estas ideas se integran dentro de un marco analítico sociológico-politológico, y consecuentemente se justifica esta integración analítica no solamente por su valor para la apertura de posibilidades de problematización del tema, sino también para poder comprender más claramente la compleja mezcla identitaria que influye en las lógicas colectivas e individuales en la sociedad. ¿Hay un cierto orden jerárquico entre la identificación étnica y religiosa entre pueblos étnicamente definidos y con creencias religiosas específicas? ¿Es esta jerarquía imaginaria constante, o puede cambiar según los diferentes contextos sociales y políticos? English: This study analyses the Ecuadorian Evangelical Indigenous movement with a particular focus on the tensions between ethnicity and religion in political mobilization processes in the Chimborazo province. Chimborazo has been a traditional stronghold both of the Catholic Church and later of Evangelical churches, which makes the province exceptional and has triggered the formation of different political movements

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and the religious marketing

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Ubirajara Morais

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Several studies have show that the decline in Catholic Church attendance, as a result of its ongoing stagnant policy that does not attempt to win back or retain its flock, apart from its general neglect as to the financial situation, may have in­fluenced the rise of new religious institutions. But the reasons behind the growing number of evangelicals, especially followers of the Universal Church of the King­dom of God have yet to be seriously studied. Could it be that the leaders of this denomination have been using conventional marketing tools to support its expan­sion? And what would such tools be? Within this scarcely investigated context, the object of the present study has to propose a methodology and an instrument to appraise the profile of the followers’ entry and permanence.

Performing piety in sexual health research: gender, health and evangelical Christianities in a Mexican human papillomavirus (HPV) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wentzell, Emily

2017-12-01

Recent research suggests that health surveillance experiences like clinical trial participation might have unanticipated social consequences. I investigate how evangelical Christians participating in longitudinal, observational sexual health research incorporate that long-term medical surveillance into their religious practice. This exploratory research focuses on Mexican Cristianos' participation in the Cuernavaca arm of the multinational 'Human Papillomavirus in Men' ('HIM') study, which tested men for the common and usually asymptomatic sexually transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV) over time. I draw on interviews with heterosexual male research participants and their female partners throughout their medical research involvement, and data from church-based participant observation, to understand how couples framed the HIM study as an arena for performing piety. I argue that evangelical understandings of piety as moral practice encouraged participants to view long-term sexual health surveillance as assistance for living out the health, gender, and marital behaviors promoted by their congregations. This finding suggests that health research designers and ethics committees should consider the health and social outcomes of research participants' agentive incorporation of religious observance into study protocols.

Heaoluühiskond kui luterluse tagajärg: Welfare Society as a Consequence of Lutheranism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Põder, Johann-Christian

2018-01-01

Essay on Max Weber, Calvinism and Capitalism, Lutheranism and the modern Welfare State Opinion Section of the Estonian Public Broadcasting/TV......Essay on Max Weber, Calvinism and Capitalism, Lutheranism and the modern Welfare State Opinion Section of the Estonian Public Broadcasting/TV...

Evangelical women in politics: stress between public and private

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Sandra Duarte de Souza

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The low representation of women in the Brazilian National Congress has been recurrently criticized by the feminist movements, international agencies and the parliament representatives themselves. From the 513 parliament representatives elected for the 55th legislation, 51 are women representatives, and only 10 of these are evangelical Christians. The acting of evangelical women in politics has not been a subject of interest by the academy in the field of religious and feminist studies. The present article addresses the acting of evangelical women representatives in the current Brazilian politics, taking in consideration the timid participation of women in political parties, the process of evangelical insertion into Brazilian politics and the invisible place of evangelical women on political acting in their parties, including on Legislative drafting related to the right of women. Such an approach has its theoretical basis in discussion of the public/private dichotomy, on the assumption that there is an interdependence between them, and that the social nuisance with the presence of women in the public sphere has to do with the genderization and subsequent hierarchization of such spheres. As a methodological resource, there was made a recollection of the drafts proposals of the 10 evangelical women representatives on their 6 first months of mandate during the current legislation, and also of the draft proposals during the former legislation of the reelected ones.

Darwinism and cultural struggles in rural Askov and metropolitan Copenhagen in nineteenth-century Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjermitslev, Hans Henrik

In the 1870s, when Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and Descent of Man were translated into Danish by the botanist-turned-poet J. P. Jacobsen, evolutionary thought played a seminal role in the modern breakthrough advocated by the freethinker and literary critic Georg Brandes. A group...... of students and artists assembled around Brandes in the capital of Copenhagen - the only Danish city hosting a university in the late nineteenth century - and used Darwinism in their cultural struggle against what they regarded as reactionary Christian and conservative values which dominated in the country....... At the same time in the village of Askov in rural Jutland, a liberal fraction of the Evangelical-Lutheran State Church, the Grundtvigians, had a stronghold at their high-profile folk high school. Here materialism and Darwinism associated with the Brandes circle were tabooed and later condemned. However...

The value of traditional African religious music into liturgy: Lobethal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-06-04

Jun 4, 2015 ... It was concluded that introducing traditional African religious music into Evangelical. Lutheran .... framework of music; the changes occurring through introduction of .... continuity of culture is vital to a smooth transition and thus.

Embodying the Global Soul: Internationalism and the American Evangelical Left

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David R. Swartz

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In the last half of the twentieth century, neo-evangelicalism moved from an anticommunist nationalist consensus to a new internationalism characterized by concern for human rights, justice, and economic development. Case studies of World Vision, a global relief and development organization, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a campus ministry, demonstrate that this trajectory was due in part to a growing global reflex in which many missionaries and third-world evangelicals “spoke back” to American evangelicalism. Interpreting the Bible for themselves—and increasingly for American evangelicals—substantial numbers of non-Western converts and missionaries offered sharp criticisms of American politics, culture, and capitalism. These critiques, sacralized by their origins on the mission field, helped turn some young evangelicals toward Vietnam protests, poverty relief, civil rights, and a tempered nationalism. By the 1970s, these progressive elements—and a more resolute global concern generally—had become important markers of the evangelical left.

Evangelization, media and marketing: provocation to debate

OpenAIRE

Murad, Afonso Tadeu; FAJE; ISTA

2014-01-01

This article develops a reflection on the relationship between evangelization, media and marketing, especially in Catholic circles. In the first part, we present the six dimensions of Christian religious experience that are part of evangelization: mystical, ritual, ethics, Cognitive (intellectual), communal and missionary. The article also shows that these dimensions come in different concentration on multiple agents acting in religious media. In the second part, serving up the contribution o...

Ditlhohlo t�e Malutere a Borwa bja Afrika a lebanego nat�o

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Elelwani B. Farisani

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The challenges facing Lutherans in South(ern Africa. This article seeks to discuss what the future appears to hold for Lutheranism in South Africa. In order to do this, it is important to look at the past through the history and involvement of Lutheranism in South Africa. This will show the strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities for Lutheran theology and the Lutheran churches in South Africa in relation to Lutheranism in its global context. Accordingly the article starts off by providing a brief history of Lutheranism in South Africa, examining the role of missionaries from Germany, Norway and Sweden in establishing Lutheranism in South Africa. The article also looks at how apartheid divided the faithful along racial lines, thereby pointing to the challenges, weaknesses, as well as the strengths of the mission of Lutheran churches in this part of Africa. It then moves on to discuss some challenges before Lutheranism in South Africa today. Some of the challenges discussed in this article are as follows: (1 efforts to unite the Black and White Lutherans have so far not succeeded, (2 the role of Lutheran theological education in equipping ministers to address current societal challenges, (3 financial sustainability, (4 African Religious Pluralism, (5 the promotion of gender sensitivity and equality amongst Lutheran congregants, (6 ethnicity and (7 the role and status of self-supporting ministry. And, finally, the article highlights few issues about the changing world of Lutheranism globally.

The Marian Feasts Across the Lutheran Reformation in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Nils Holger

2015-01-01

A discussion of continuities and changes in conceptions and celebrations of Marian feasts across the Danish Lutheran reformation, based in particular on discussions of Hans Tausen's sermons at Marian feasts from his published sermon collection (1536) and the liturgical documentation in Niels...

Highly-Valued Reasons Muslim Caregivers Choose Evangelical Christian Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Rumbaugh, Andrew E.

2009-01-01

This study investigated what were the most highly-valued reasons among Muslim caregivers for sending their children to Lebanese evangelical Christian schools. Muslim caregivers (N = 1,403) from four Lebanese evangelical Christian schools responded to determine what were the most highly-valued reasons for sending their children to an evangelical…

Religious Conviction, Morality and Social Convention among Finnish Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Vainio, Annukka

2011-01-01

The assumptions of Kohlberg, Turiel and Shweder regarding the features of moral reasoning were compared empirically. The moral reasoning of Finnish Evangelical Lutheran, Conservative Laestadian and non-religious adolescents was studied using Kohlberg's Moral Judgment Interview and Turiel Rule Transgression Interview methods. Religiosity and choice…

Evangelicalism in Africa - what it is and what it does

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Balcomb, Anthony Oswald

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Evangelicalism is experiencing spectacular growth on the African continent. However definitions of Evangelicalism continue to be dominated by a western understanding of the phenomenon. An African understanding of Evangelicalism as well as African examples need to feature in discussions of the topic. Evangelicalism in Africa should be understood more by what it does for its adherents than by its doctrinal formulations. Its success on the sub-continent of Africa could be due to the fact that it transacts at the interface of a modern and pre-modern worldview. It meets the needs that an African condition creates and opens the way to what a modern condition demands. It resonates both with the spirituality of Africa and the materialism and individualism of modernity and provides its adherents the sense of agency demanded in the modern world but which is opaque and complex in an African universe. It translates in various and diverse ways, both positively and negatively, into the social, economic, and political structures of African society.

Esitleti kaht raamatut Eesti kirikuloost / Lea Jürgenstein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Jürgenstein, Lea

2000-01-01

Riho Saardi doktoritöö "Eesti rahvusest luterliku pastorkonna väljakujunemine ja vaba rahvakiriku projekti loomine, 1870-1917" ja Mikko Ketola doktoritöö "The Nationality Question in the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Curch 1918-1939" (Rahvusküsimus Eesti Evangeelses Luterlikus Kirikus aastail 1918-1939)

Recognizing the signs of time in the perspective of Jesus’ call to the evangelization

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Dariusz Adamczyk

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The call of Jesus to recognize the signs of time from Mt 16, 3 has a timeless character. The investigation and explanation of the Gospel light is the duty of the Church. This has a fundamental importance for the effectiveness of evangelization. The signs of time can be correlated directly with God’s initiative to save us. The sign of time can be considered the sign of God in which God’s freedom addresses our freedom, calling us to create history. God, thanks to the signs of time, not so much manifests his definite will, but rather directs us towards freedom. The signs of time show the direction of behaviour for the development of the world which is unanimous with the thought of God. They are God’s calls, which are directed towards men, therefore, recognizing the signs of time has mainly a practical dimen- sion, not a theoretical one. Recognizing signs nowadays allows us to discover new and current elements in the Gospel.

"Healing is a Done Deal": Temporality and Metabolic Healing Among Evangelical Christians in Samoa.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardin, Jessica

2016-01-01

Drawing on fieldwork in independent Samoa, in this article, I analyze the temporal dimensions of evangelical Christian healing of metabolic disorders. I explore how those suffering with metabolic disorders draw from multiple time-based notions of healing, drawing attention to the limits of biomedicine in contrast with the effectiveness of Divine healing. By simultaneously engaging evangelical and biomedical temporalities, I argue that evangelical Christians create wellness despite sickness and, in turn, re-signify chronic suffering as a long-term process of Christian healing. Positioning biomedical temporality and evangelical temporality as parallel yet distinctive ways of practicing healing, therefore, influences health care choices.

Mission of evangelization of the Roman Catholic Church in the information era

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Kyyak Maksym Tarasovich

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Radical changes that are taking place in the media sphere lead to a significant cultural and social development. New technologies not only change the way we communicate, but communication itself so that we can state that we live in times of great cultural transformations. Modern media not only transform the existing system of values but also form new axiological space. Media nowadays has turned into an effective modelling tool of value orientation of society. By the level of impact on the value system, society media can be compared with religion today. Along with the development of the information society, as well as with the development of the Internet, appears a new virtual reality. The Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965 is characterized by its dynamism and modernity; it has many benefits from that era which is called informational, especially in its evangelistic mission.

Geloof en ritueel nabij de poolcirkel : Een antropologisch onderzoek naar een religieuze minderheid in Zweeds Lapland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiper, Yme; Kleistra, Jelle; Kuiper, Yme; Koster, Adrianus; Verrips, Jojada

1986-01-01

Laestadianism was a Lutheran revival movement that began in the north of Sweden in the early-nineteenth century. To-day followers of the Lutheran, pietistic church administrator Lars Levi Laestadius (1800-1861) are strongly conservative Christians, who called themselves the Congregation of

The Catholic Bishops and the Rise of Evangelical Catholics

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Patricia Miller

2016-01-01

Full Text Available White Catholics are increasingly trending toward the Republican Party, both as voters and candidates. Many of these Republican-leaning Catholics are displaying a more outspoken, culture-war oriented form of Catholicism that has been dubbed Evangelical Catholicism. Through their forceful disciplining of pro-choice Catholics and treatment of abortion in their quadrennial voting guides, as well as their emphasis on “religious liberty”, the U.S. bishops have played a major role in the rise of these Evangelical Catholics.

O vydávání Bible gdaňské v 18. a 19. století

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pišna, Jan

-, č. 2017 (2017), s. 66-79. ISBN 978-80-89303-56-4. ISSN 1337-0723 Institutional support: RVO:68378068 Keywords : history of book culture, biblical editions, Bible in Polish, Evangelical church in Poland, 17 th– 20th century * biblical editions * Bible in Polish * Evangelical church in Poland * 17th– 20th century Subject RIV: AJ - Letters, Mass-media, Audiovision OBOR OECD: Specific literatures

EVANGELIC VERSES IN L. TOLSTOY’S NOVEL “RESURRECTION”

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Elena A. Masolova

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The author elaborates the idea of Tolstoy in his late literary writings as of a “non-Christian writer,” examines the functioning of Evangelic verses in the novel “Resurrection”. Evangelic verses in “Resurrection” fulfi lling the functions of a parable and a plot modeler create a Christian hypertext with the universal enclosing and internal rhymes, and predetermine the parabolic composition of the novel, whose outline of events serves as an illustration to the Holy Scripture. An old believer appealing to the Gospel, suff ers a defeat because he was preaching the Word of God only in words, the same happened to an English missionary who didn’t know the Russian language and didn’t cite the Gospel. The number of chapters in each part of “Resurrection” is not random mere coincidence. Evangelic verses in the last chapter of Tolstoy’s novel are aimed at a retrospective understanding of the novel’s plot and predict the resurrection of mankind. “Resurrection” is a parable-novel, where the features of the Christian realism are manifested.

The Laminin 511/521 Binding Site on the Lutheran Blood Group Glycoprotein is Located at theFlexible Junction of Ig Domains 2 and 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mankelow, Tosti J.; Burton, Nicholas; Stedansdottir, Fanney O.; Spring, Frances A.; Parsons, Stephen F.; Pesersen, Jan S.; Oliveira, Cristiano L.P.; Lammie, Donna; Wess, Timothy; Mohandas, Narla; Chasis, Joel A.; Brady, R. Leo; Anstee, David J.

2007-07-01

The Lutheran blood group glycoprotein, first discovered on erythrocytes, is widely expressed in human tissues. It is a ligand for the {alpha}5 subunit of Laminin 511/521, an extracellular matrix protein. This interaction may contribute to vasocclusive events that are an important cause of morbidity in sickle cell disease. Using X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering and site directed mutagenesis we show that the extracellular region of Lutheran forms an extended structure with a distinctive bend between the second and third immunoglobulin-like domains. The linker between domains 2 and 3 appears to be flexible and is a critical determinant in maintaining an overall conformation for Lutheran that is capable of binding to Laminin. Mutagenesis studies indicate that Asp312 of Lutheran and the surrounding cluster of negatively charged residues in this linker region form the Laminin binding site. Unusually, receptor binding is therefore not a function of the domains expected to be furthermost from the plasma membrane. These studies imply that structural flexibility of Lutheran may be essential for its interaction with Laminin and present a novel opportunity for the development of therapeutics for sickle cell disease.

Brand Relationship and Its Effect Towards Brand Evangelism to Banking Service

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Sri Vandayuli Riorini

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Brand relationship, Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism. This study using purposive sampling technique in which samples were selected in this study as much as 200 commercial Banks customers have used the services of the Bank at least 12 months. Data analysis instrument used was Multiple Regression Analysis with SPSS assistance. The results obtained are consistent with previous studies, in which customers increasingly have a relationship, trust, identification, involvement, and commitment to the brand Commercial Bank will increasingly have the intention to buy the brand, reference brand they use positively, and give contradictory references the back of a competing brand to others or called with Brand evangelism. Furthermore, it is known that the most dominant factor influencing Brand evangelism is a Brand commitment. Further research is recommended to investigate the influence of Brand relationship with all of its dimensions, namely Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism with its entire dimension (Positive brand referrals, Brand purchase intention, and Oppositional brand referrals. Furthermore, it also is advisable to do research for brands other services, such as hotels and restaurants.

An Examination of Internet Pornography Usage among Male Students at Evangelical Christian Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Chelsen, Paul O.

2011-01-01

Internet pornography access among male students at Evangelical Christian colleges presents two dilemmas. First, Internet pornography access is institutionally prohibited based on a Biblical view of sexuality. The second dilemma is that individual students who choose to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ in the context of Evangelical Christian…

Evangelical Christian College Students and Attitudes toward Gay Rights: A California University Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, Joshua R.; Himes, Heather L.; Kwon, Ellen Miller; Bollinger, Richard A.

2012-01-01

Research demonstrates that Evangelical Christians generally hold more negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians, and are less supportive of gay rights than the general U.S. population. To assess these attitudes, undergraduate students at an Evangelical Christian university in California (N = 319) completed the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay…

Meanings of volunteer work: a study with members of a lutheran institution / Sentidos do trabalho voluntário: um estudo com membros de uma instituição luterana

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Pietra Borchardt

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To understand the meanings of volunteer work among members of a lutheran protestant church. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: This research adds to the field of knowledge of the meanings of work, especially because of the specific context studied. In addition, it extends the discussion on volunteering, by entering the management of religious institutions that are supported by the help of volunteers. Key methodological aspects: A qualitative approach to research was adopted and data were gathered in documents, interviews, and non-participant observation of the board meetings of a lutheran church synod in Southeast Brazil. The perspective used to analyze data was that the production of meanings is also a means for interpreting. Besides, using associating ideas mapping technique allowed the identification of categories based on the content and logical sequence of discourse. Summary of key results: The study found eight meanings of work: identification with the lutheran ethics; integrity and image of the institution; unit; conditions and willingness to participate; incentive from others; relation with the profession; pleasant relationship between a board of directors; and monitoring, support, and recognition. Key considerations/conclusions: The study revealed a better understanding for volunteering at a religious organization on how to think about ways to manage it. Also, it was realized that the experiences and interaction with others shape the individual and his or her relationship with the church, and that the meaning of work has a different relationship to each religion. Objetivo: Compreender os sentidos do trabalho voluntário para membros de uma igreja protestante luterana. Originalidade/Lacuna/Relevância/Implicações: Esta pesquisa agrega à área de estudos dos sentidos do trabalho, pelo contexto específico estudado. Além disso, amplia a discussão sobre voluntariado, por adentrar a gestão em instituições religiosas que

The Wonders of Conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Midena, Daniel Richard

This dissertation examines the scientific and evangelical activities of Lutheran missionaries from the Neuendettelsau Mission Society from their arrival in Germ an New Guinea in 1886 until the First World War. It brings to light material from mission and state archives that have a bearing on how we...... understand the history of anthropological fieldwork as well as the interre lated - expansion of Chri stianity and modern science in non - Western contexts. There are two main questions that frame this study : How did the Neuendettelsau missionaries’ scientific worldview shape their approach to evangelism......? And in what way did the Neuen dettelsau missionaries’ evangelical concerns and theological positions inform their particular ethnographic practices? The dissertation contends, firstly, that the Neuendettelsau missionaries’ neo - Kantian belief in the division of the world between natural and transcendental...

Brand Relationship and Its Effect Towards Brand Evangelism to Banking Service (33-45

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Vandayuli Riorini

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Brand relationship, Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism. This study using purposive sampling technique in which samples were selected in this study as much as 200 commercial Banks customers have used the services of the Bank at least 12 months. Data analysis instrument used was Multiple Regression Analysis with SPSS assistance. The results obtained are consistent with previous studies, in which customers increasingly have a relationship, trust, identification, involvement, and commitment to the brand Commercial Bank will increasingly have the intention to buy the brand, reference brand they use positively, and give contradictory references the back of a competing brand to others or called with Brand evangelism. Furthermore, it is known that the most dominant factor influencing Brand evangelism is a Brand commitment. Further research is recommended to investigate the influence of Brand relationship with all of its dimensions, namely Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism with its entire dimension (Positive brand referrals, Brand purchase intention, and Oppositional brand referrals. Furthermore, it also is advisable to do research for brands other services, such as hotels and restaurants. Keywords: country image,Brand relationship,Brand trust,Brand identification,Brand involvement,Brand commitment,Brand Evangelism

Pneumatology and discipleship: Trinity and church in the theology of Stanley Grenz

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Roland Spjuth

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In today’s ecclesiology, the notion of the Spirit and the church has been heavily influenced by a recent and broad retrieval of Trinitarian theology. In this article, I discuss this in relationship to baptist and evangelical traditions as it is represented by Stanley Grenz. His “theology for the community of God” demonstrates the fruitfulness of the Trinitarian retrieval for such traditions. However, the main argument in the article is that it also implies certain risks. According to the Baptist tradition, the central message of the New Testament is the invitation to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. As Kathryn Tanner and Karen Kilby have argued elsewhere, when the biblical challenge to be like Jesus Christ is turned into a more general exhortation to become an image of the Trinity, it often results in abstract ethics and an ecclesiology that focuses mainly on general exhortations to love and to live in community. In contrast, this article claims that the biblical notion of discipleship has greater possibilities to allow for a more substantial and more holistic account of the Church, one that reunites ecclesiology, ethics and the Spirit’s transformative work within liturgy, charismatic service and mission.

Principals' Decision Making in Discipline Policy Implementation: The Lutheran Schools' Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Katherine J.

2013-01-01

This quantitative study examines the relationship of philosophical beliefs of administrators of Lutheran schools and the influence of those beliefs on discipline decision-making styles, job satisfaction, and other factors. The study patterns the survey work from William Perry (1999) and other theorists regarding philosophy and ethics. A…

Glocalization of “Christian Social Responsibility”: The Contested Legacy of the Lausanne Movement among Neo-Evangelicals in South Korea1

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Myung-Sahm Suh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the contested legacy of the First Lausanne Congress in South Korean neo-evangelical communities. In response to growing political and social conflicts in the Global South during the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of evangelical leaders from more than 150 countries gathered at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974 to discuss the proper relationship between evangelism and social action. The meeting culminated with the proclamation of the Lausanne Covenant, which affirmed both evangelism and public involvement as essential elements of the Christian faith. However, the absence of practical guidelines in the Covenant opened the door for all sorts of evangelical social activism, whether from the Evangelical Right or the Evangelical Left, for years to come. In light of such diverse ramifications of the Congress at both the global and local level, this paper explores the various ways in which the idea of “Christian social responsibility” has been interpreted and implemented by two distinct generations of neo-evangelical social activists in contemporary South Korea in relation to their respective socio-historical experiences of the Cold War and the 1980s democratic movement.

Protestantism in the Balkans and Serbia

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Todorović Dragan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available After the end of the unity of the Western church at the beginning of the 16th century, the reformation movement of returning to Evangelical ideals of Christian collectiveness arrived inevitably to the area of the Balkans. The spectrum of churches belonging to the reformation heritage with different doctrines, relying upon the agency of the first medieval heretic movements (Waldenses, Bogomils, Hussites, Hutterites, Unitarians, endeavored with varying success to grow in the reformation oriented aristocracy and wider peasantry in the South Slavic countries. The Evangelisation of Slavic population in the Balkans intensified in the middle of the 19th century. Christians and Jews became the focus of missionary activities in the Ottoman Empire, since talking to Muslims was punishable by death. The support of the American consular officers and the sympathy of Turkish authorities toward technologically advanced Western forces on the wave of the first industrial revolution was helpful. The changed social atmosphere for further process of protestantisation among the population loyal to traditional churches and religious communities first led to the end of World Wars and then to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the start of civil wars on the territory of former Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1990's. Through a meticulous analysis of the collected theological, ethnographic, historical, sociological, and other material, the author here presents the most represented Protestant religious communities in the Balkans, in the ex-republics of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia and contemporary Serbia (Calvinists, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Nazarenes, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Pentecostals.

The state-church relations in Estonia during the years 1944 - 1953

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Nepochatova Marina

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The article features an analysis of the nature and dynamic of church-state relations in Estonia during the first years following its integration into the USSR. In 1944 the religious situation in the republic was characterized by a number of distinctive attributes. The local population, which had lived prior to the accession of the Baltics to the USSR in 1944 in an atmosphere of relative religious freedom, presented the Soviet authorities with a new phenomenon that would have to be reckoned with. The Plenipotentiaries for Estonia appointed by the Council on ROC Affairs at the USSR Council of Ministers were able to convince their superiors of the need to tread carefully in light of the local specifics. The article deals with an analysis of the distinctive features of the Estonian Orthodox Church. As a secondary denomination in the region, it felt the powerful influence of Lutheran customs and rites. The ethnic heterogeneity of the fold and pronounced language barrier determined the choice of candidacy for the ruling eparchy. The Estonian diocese was rather well endowed with cathedrals, meaning that the main problem of church life in the USSR since the easing of persecution in 1944-1947 - the opening of new parishes - was not an issue in Estonia. On the whole, the church-state relations that dominated the republic in 1944-1947 were quite stable, just as they were around the country; moreover, they were typified by a cautious policy on the part of the Soviet authorities. In 1948-1949 the situation began to deteriorate across the country and Estonia was no exception. The difference was in the methods used: in Estonia, the decision was made to fight the Church and its clergy primarily through collectivization, which was actively pursued in the Baltics beginning in the early 1950s. Collectivization left rural parishes and their clergy in dire straits, and religious life in the countryside began to wane. Yet, the arrival from the central regions

The Service of Evangelism, the Evangelism of Service : The Influence of John R. Mott, Hendrik Kraemer, Willem A. Visser 't Hooft and Johannes C. Hoekendijk on the Development of the Understanding of Mission in the Reformed Church in Hungary (1910-1968)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gonda, L.

2008-01-01

The Reformed Church in Hungary - a Protestant church in Central and Eastern Europe - had to struggle to find ways of fulfilling her call in thecontext of two ideological dictatorships - Nazism and Communism – in the 20th century. This study offers an introduction to the development of the

The Hour of God? : People in Guatemala Confronting Political Evangelicalism and Counterinsurgency (1976-1990)

OpenAIRE

Melander, Veronica

1999-01-01

This dissertation is focused on one of many aspects of religion and politics in Guatemala in recent history (1976-1990). This period is characterized by unequal wealth distribution, ethnic divisions, civil war, and U.S. influence. It is a contemporary mission history examining missionary efforts directed from the United States, Guatemalan responses, and indigenous initiatives. The problem concerns a movement within Protestant evangelicalism, which in this study is called Political Evangelical...

Glocalization of “Christian Social Responsibility”: The Contested Legacy of the Lausanne Movement among Neo-Evangelicals in South Korea1

OpenAIRE

Myung-Sahm Suh

2015-01-01

This paper examines the contested legacy of the First Lausanne Congress in South Korean neo-evangelical communities. In response to growing political and social conflicts in the Global South during the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of evangelical leaders from more than 150 countries gathered at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974 to discuss the proper relationship between evangelism and social action. The meeting culminated with the proclamation of the Lausanne Covenant, which affirmed both evangelis...

Love and Justice: The Foundations of Gudina Tumsa's Social ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Different groups have laid claim to the legacy of Gudina Tumsa, a prominent Ethiopian evangelical theologian and church leader. Some consider him a prophet, others a theologian, still others a martyr, and many more a political activist. Gudina stands out among Ethiopian evangelical leaders of recent decades. As such he ...

Articulating the Value Base of the Communication Curriculum in a New Program at a Small Private College.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuster, Thomas A.

In the spring of 1996, the Board of Regents of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, decided to ask the administration and faculty to do what was needed to change the small private church-related two-year college into a small private church-related four-year college. The first designated major was to be Communication. The first step in…

76 FR 77249 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-12

..., (Chatham County MRA) 2488 Wade Paschal Rd., Siler City, 11000973 Henderson County Rice, Clough H., House..., 11000982 Travis County Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 200 W. Anderson Ln., Austin, 11000983 VIRGINIA Roanoke...

Reflections on Inculturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucido, Frank, Ed.

The Catholic Church throughout the world, following the lead of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II, has begun to define its mission and identity in terms of the rich concept of evangelization. Father Herve Carrier states that evangelization has two essential components: (1) inculturation; and (2) liberation. Inculturation is more…

An Inquiry into the Selection and Spiritual Formation of Catholic Public School Lay Principals in Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Domfeh-Boateng, Joseph

2011-01-01

The teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the role of the laity in the Church has re-awakened a renewed participation of the laity in the evangelizing mission of the Church. The lay faithful are now occupying a number of significant positions in the Church and are playing various leadership roles once exclusively played by the clergy and…

76 FR 47593 - Award of Replacement Grant for Preventive Health to Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Award of Replacement Grant for Preventive Health to Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, Fargo, ND AGENCY: Office.... Amount of Award: $66,000. SUMMARY: In Fiscal Year 2006, in an effort to assist States and local health...

Church, mission and ethics. Being church with integrity | Dreyer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article is an exercise in Practical Ecclesiology. The author reflects on church, mission and ethics from historical, hermeneutical and strategic perspectives. Using the ecclesiology of Karl Barth as a point of departure, the author argues that the church needs to be church if it wants to be a credible witness to the Gospel of ...

Relationship between expansion strategy and growth of charismatic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... vital strategy being prayer. Other important growth strategies were: evangelism, type of sermon, membership welfare and service structure. The Franchise/ Business model was found to yield better church growth than the Episcopal model. Keywords: Franchise, Business model, Episcopal model, charismatic churches ...

John Nelson Darby: His Contributions to Evangelical Christian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, Winston Terrance

2010-01-01

The study reported in this article focused on the contributions of John Nelson Derby to biblical hermeneutics and contemporary eschatological thought. Darby continues to exert a great influence on Christianity, particularly conservative evangelical Christianity. This research provides a discussion of Darby's contributions to contemporary…

Ethnic vs. Evangelical Religions: Beyond Teaching the World Religion Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tishken, Joel E.

2000-01-01

Offers background information on the formation of comparative religion. Demonstrates that the world religion approach is inadequate by examining case studies of Mithraism, Santeria, Mormonism, and Baha'i to illustrate the shortcomings of this approach. Advocates the use of an ethnic versus evangelical religion approach to teaching global…

Differences in Religiousness in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Twins in a Secular Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahrenfeldt, Linda J; Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune; Möller, Sören; Christensen, Kaare; Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Hvidt, Niels Christian

2016-02-01

Sex differences in religion are well known, with females generally being more religious than males, and shared environmental factors have been suggested to have a large influence on religiousness. Twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) pairs may differ because of a dissimilar psycho-social rearing environment and/or because of different exposures to hormones in utero. We hypothesized that OS females may display more masculine patterns of religiousness and, vice versa, that OS males may display more feminine patterns. We used a web-based survey conducted in Denmark, which is a secular society. The survey included 2,997 twins aged 20-40 years, identified through the population-based Danish Twin Registry. We applied la Cour and Hvidt's adaptation of Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of meaning: Cognition, Practice, and Importance, and we used Pargament's measure of religious coping (RCOPE) for the assessment of positive and negative religious coping patterns. Differences between OS and SS twins were investigated using logistic regression for each sex. The analyses were adjusted for dependence within twin pairs. No significant differences in religiousness and religious coping were found for OS and SS twins except that more OS than SS females were members of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church and fewer OS than SS females were Catholic, Muslim, or belonged to other religious denominations. Moreover, OS males at age 12 had higher rates of church attendance than did SS males. This study did not provide evidence for masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to religiousness. Nor did it show any significant differences between OS and SS males except from higher rates of church attendance in childhood among males with female co-twins.

An evangelical voice in Africa: the worldview background of the theology of Tokunboh Adeyemo (1 October 1944-17 March 2010

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B. J. van der Walt

2011-07-01

  The set-up of the investigation is as follows: Firstly, a brief out- line is given of his life history, especially his training in the Evangelical tradition. Then, the décor (the overall situation of African Christianity that was the background against which he lived and worked is painted. Thirdly, it is followed by the strengths and weaknesses of Evangelical Christianity of which Adeyemo was a representative. Fourthly, it is indicated how Adeyemo thought in line with post-Lausanne Evangelicalism. In the fifth place a preliminary worldview evaluation of his legacy is given. To assist possible future research a bibliography of his most important publications concludes the investigation.

Is Discrimination against Evangelical Christians a Problem in Social Work Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Bolen, Rebecca M.; Dessel, Adrienne B.

2013-01-01

This article reviews the literature regarding discrimination by social work practitioners and educators against evangelical Christian social workers. We examine the methodology of articles that compare religiosity and political ideology between social workers and the general population and also of articles that address discrimination against…

AGAPEIST ETHICS IN GIOVANNI PAPINI'S STORIA DI CRISTO

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

generation, reached an unsatisfying impasse in an era of rapid cultural transition. ... Papini sought a fundamentally new direction. That he found it .... the topic.5 Larger denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, the state Lutheran ...

The Moral Reasoning of U.S. Evangelical and Mainline Protestant Children, Adolescents, and Adults: A Cultural-Developmental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Lene Arnett; McKenzie, Jessica

2016-01-01

This cultural-developmental interview study examined moral reasoning in relation to religious culture (evangelical, mainline Protestants), age (children, adolescents, adults), and moral issue (public, private; N = 120). Compared to adolescents and adults, children used more Ethic of Autonomy and less Ethic of Community reasoning. With age, differences between religious cultures became pronounced. Mainline adults invoked an Ethic of Divinity for private issues. Evangelical adolescents and adults used this ethic frequently, but more for public than private issues. These and other findings indicate that evangelical and mainline Protestants diverge on what should be society's moral lingua franca, and cast new and nuanced light on America's "culture wars." Results furthermore highlight comodulation of development and culture that requires life course research on moral reasoning. © 2015 The Authors. Child Development © 2015 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

“This Is Our Jerusalem”: Early American Evangelical Localizations of the Hebraic Republic

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Steele Brand

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines how evangelical pastors applied Protestant notions of a Hebraic Republic for their parishioners as America transitioned from a colonial frontier to a new republic. As the American constitutions took shape during and after the Revolution, many evangelical pastors argued that America emulated or was inspired by the Israelite polity as described by the Old Testament. America and its institutions thus became a reincarnated Hebraic Republic, a new “city on a hill”, and a new Jerusalem. Originally these pastors drew on a broader, global movement that was shaping republican attempts at reform in Europe, but as they localized the biblical model to their own particular experiences, they brought new meaning to it and exported the transformed model back out to the world.

Challenges of the Institutionalization of Same Sex Marriage for Religious Pluralism in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saggau, Emil Bjørn Hilton; Vinding, Niels Valdemar

2016-01-01

The Danish religious landscape has been significantly transformed, especially during the last three decades. This transformation is marked by the shift from near religious hegemony towards a much more diverse religious population. Originally, the Danish Lutheran state church was closely intertwin...

Teologické důvody charitativní činnosti církve

OpenAIRE

Daly, Jana

2009-01-01

The theological reasons for The Church's charity The Roman Catholic Church has three major missions - liturgy, evangelization and deacony. Charity had been given an organised structure in the first century A.D when the apostels chose seven men, the deacons, and so established it indefinitely in church life. The goal of this thesis was to find the origins of the third church mission, charity. The first written part describes charity from its historical point of view. It also introduces several...

“...but the poor opted for the evangelicals!”– evangelicals, poverty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

enquiry, this article reflects on the radical claim of dispensing “health and wealth” to the .... of forgiveness of sin, of life in abundance, and of liberation for all poor and .... promotion of justice, including solidarity and advocacy on behalf of the .... members, especially the elderly, love the fact that in our church we pray,.

Understanding Brand Evangelism and the Dimensions Involved in a Consumer Becoming Brand Evangelist

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Lina Anggraini

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Smartphone market is rapidly changing and facing a highly competitive environment, with constant product introductions. It is characterized by quickly evolving technology and designs, aggressive pricing, short product life cycles, and rapid imitation. Thus, the players in smartphone industry need to invent a major breakthrough in their marketing strategy. Consider a large company like Apple. Apple loyalists are some of the most recognized product evangelists in the market, sharing their experiences with emerging technology in enthusiastic ways. Apple as the pioneer of Brand Evangelism in 1984, the company relies on customers to communicate marketing messages to other potential customers. It can be an alternative marketing tool for organizations that want to achieve their sustainable competitiveness as brand evangelists will deliver positive information, ideas, and feelings toward a specific brand to others voluntarily in order to influence consumption behaviour. This study aims to examine the phenomenon of brand evangelism and understand the dimensions involved in a consumer becoming brand evangelist. The research method of this study is based on the implementation of quantitative survey research design. The data used in this study were obtained by administering online questionnaires to 468 respondents who have used Apple iPhone for at least 6 months in Indonesia. The data analysis method used in this study is multiple regression analysis. The findings show that brand satisfaction, consumer-brand identification, brand salience, brand trust and opinion leadership have positive influence towards brand evangelism.

Lõuna-Florida Pauluse Kogudus 20-aastane / foto: Edith Erton

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2006-01-01

jaanuaris toimunud aastapäeva pühitsemisest Peace Lutheran Church kirikus, Ft. Lauderdale´is. Koguduse esimees Allan Pensa tegi ülevaate koguduse tekkeloost ja tegevusest tänaseni. Jutluse pidas praost Valdeko Kangro, pärast jumalateenistust oli pidulik koosviibimine kiriku kõrvalsaalis

Church Vestries as Part of Church Administration in North Tobol Region During 1810-1860

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Tsys’ Olga

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper examines main characteristics, structure and functions of church vestries in North Tobol region during the period of 1810–1860. It is concluded that the church vestry as a governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church during the Synodal period acted as an information mediator between the diocese and parish. As a rule, the church vestry exercised the authority over a particular district or part of it. Responsibilities of vestries were mainly limited to gathering and interpreting various pieces of information, overseeing the accounting and documentation of the parish clergy, fining the clergy and laymen for minor misconduct, and distributing the consistory’s decrees. The paper also demonstrates that vestries were collegial units, where decrees of the diocese, as well as reports and presentations of its members were discussed. It should be noted that boundaries of the district under the vestry’s jurisdiction were vague and not clearly marked. The common drawback of the vestries, as part of church administration, was the ambiguity in definition and description of roles and responsibilities. It was discovered that the remoteness of church administration from the majority of its parishes was specific to North Tobol region. It is concluded that church vestries were set up as administrative and organisational centres, and played a significant role in the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, in the course of time the vestries started to lose their original role, becoming a redundant mediator in diocese and parish relations, which, in turn, led to the full abandonment of church vestries.

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

; and ... multidisciplinary approaches to the management of conflict in the church while still .... classifies them into three: Inherency (Micro), contingency (Macro) and, .... Contemporary Evangelicals are fairly accused of uncritically importing ...

76 FR 66961 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-28

...., Waterloo, 11000813 Buena Vista County Danish Lutheran Church, 113 W. 4th St., Alta, 11000814 Carroll County..., 11000824 NEW MEXICO Eddy County LA 157206--White Oaks Pictograph Site (Guadalupe Mountains Rock Art MPS), Address Restricted, Queen, 11000829 LA 158783--Ambush Site (Guadalupe Mountains Rock Art MPS), Address...

Uitdagings vir die Ned Geref Kerk in Suidelike Afrika met Malawi en Zambi� as illustrasiegebiede

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D. Crafford

1990-08-01

Full Text Available Challenges for the Dutch Reformed Church in Southern Africa with Malawi and Zambia as illustration areas What will be the challenges for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa if in the coming decades its isolation from Africa could be ended because of political developments in a post-apartheid era? The Dutch Reformed Church planted indigenous churches in many African Countries like Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Namibia. The role of the church in Africa will be determined by its relations with these younger churches. The challenges in the fields of evangelism, church ministry, the youth and in the socioeconomic and political areas are illustrated specifically in the cases of Malawi and Zambia.

Spiritual gifts for biblical church growth

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Brian A. DeVries

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article examines the use of spiritual gifts for church growth, particularly in relation to the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. The article begins with a definition of spiritual gifts and by highlighting their purpose for growing the church. This is followed by two practical considerations: How should Christian believers use spiritual gifts for church growth, and how should church leaders motivate gift use for this purpose? Since the Holy Spirit works though believers to build up the body of Christ, advocates of biblical church growth should seek to employ his means to motivate spiritual giftedness in the church.

The keys of the kingdom as paradigm for building up the church in reformed church government

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A. le R. du Plooy

1998-06-01

Full Text Available This article adopts an ecclesiological approach and concentrates on the prominent concepts the keys of the kingdom and building up the church. The article attempts to determine the significance those concepts may have for the government of the church and emphasises the close relationship between the keys of the kingdom and the building up of the church. According to Reformational viewpoints the administering of the keys serves the edification of the church. It becomes clear that the notae ecclesiae and the keys of the kingdom function as the basic elements of the church order and must be regarded as the basis or pillars upon which the church is built.

Churching Alone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leth-Nissen, Karen Marie

bridging forms of social capital. Methodologically, I combined the use of surveys with interviews and fieldwork, including document sources and statistical data. In the course of my study, I worked in different modes – distanciation and participation – using both quantitative and qualitative research...... methods. My research approach resembles the approaches used in the research field of empirically informed practical theology. Though using a diverse research strategy, I do not claim to present a universal knowledge of the context of the church through this study; my goals are “particularity......The aim of my dissertation is to study changes in the use of the Danish folk church. Through my studies, I am establishing a new research concept: churching alone. I work as a practical theologian using methods from the sociology of religion. My theoretical perspectives are drawn from the research...

Sociomaterial Movement Learning in Evangelical Student Activism: A Case Study in Environmental Education

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, Sherrie

2016-01-01

What began as a professor's classroom illustration to encourage students to take climate change seriously sparked a student movement that transformed Eastern University into a leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility. How did this happen at an evangelical university in a conservative coal state that, at the time, was producing…

Church Tourism in Batangas Province, Philippines

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JAYZEL ANN. T. DE CASTRO

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Church tourism has clearly increased over the past ten years. Churches are an important part of the tourism product of many parts of the country. This study aimed to determine the contribution of the churches in terms of social, cultural and economic aspects of the place, to identify the problems encountered in the promoting church tourism and propose plan of action to sustain the tourism of the Province of Batangas through churches. The researchers used the descriptive method of research and utilized self-made questionnaire as the main data gathering instrument of the study. The respondents were consisting of 5 people in the offices of the pilgrim churches from Batangas City and 10 churchgoers. The respondents agree that pilgrim churches contribute to tourism in terms of social and economics aspect while they strongly agree in term of cultural aspect. The most commonly experienced problems were the accessibility of the transportation and an action plan was proposed to address the problems encountered. The recommendation addressed that roving guards should be provided to ensure the safety and security of the tourists during their visit in the church. The church personnel may provide creative and command activities that will encourage people. Also they may have a briefing about the history of the church so that if visitor needs information it easy for them to answer and an action plan may be implemented to solve the problem encountered.

Evangelizacion Indigena en Cuba (1512-1550): Estrategia y Razones de su Fracaso (Evangelization of Indigenous People in Cuba (1512-1550): Strategies and Reasons for its Failure).

Science.gov (United States)

Puentes, Roberto Valdes; Reyes, Francisco Barroso

2000-01-01

Presents the different moments and contents of the strategies of the evangelization process practiced by the Spanish during the conquest and colonization of Cuba, as well as possible reasons for its failure. States that the Indians were enslaved and directed through evangelism toward acculturation. (BT)

The Partisan Trajectory of the American Pro-Life Movement: How a Liberal Catholic Campaign Became a Conservative Evangelical Cause

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Daniel K. Williams

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This article employs a historical analysis of the religious composition of the pro-life movement to explain why the partisan identity of the movement shifted from the left to the right between the late 1960s and the 1980s. Many of the Catholics who formed the first anti-abortion organizations in the late 1960s were liberal Democrats who viewed their campaign to save the unborn as a rights-based movement that was fully in keeping with the principles of New Deal and Great Society liberalism, but when evangelical Protestants joined the movement in the late 1970s, they reframed the pro-life cause as a politically conservative campaign linked not to the ideology of human rights but to the politics of moral order and “family values.” This article explains why the Catholic effort to build a pro-life coalition of liberal Democrats failed after Roe v. Wade, why evangelicals became interested in the antiabortion movement, and why the evangelicals succeeded in their effort to rebrand the pro-life campaign as a conservative cause.

Faith-Learning Interaction in Graphic Design Courses in Protestant Evangelical Colleges and Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, Lorraine

2010-01-01

Integration or connectedness between faith and learning is a core aim of Protestant evangelical colleges and universities. It is pursued in a number of different ways in the academic programs of these institutions, even in commercially oriented courses that they offer, such as graphic design. However, the different ways that practical and…

Social topos of church architecture

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Zarochintseva Irina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article proves the idea that descendants are reminded about the history and culture of their country through the architectural forms of Church architecture. Church architecture expresses the power and greatness of folk feats, patriotism and love of freedom. Each church has its own history, includes the architectural style of its epoch, and occupies a certain position among the other religious buildings. Churches have city-forming significance and represent the sacred center of the city; as well they possess a sign, marking function in the area, which can be “read” as a common landmark in the social topes

Church, mission and reconstruction: Being a church with integrity in reconstruction discourse in post-colonial Zimbabwe

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Canon B. Shambare

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The church in Africa, like its counterparts elsewhere in the world, is called to fulfil the mission of God as expressed in the call ‘Missio Dei’ and influentially remains with the integrity of the mission of Christ (Missio Christos, which is liberative and practical. For Christ was not only concerned with the spiritual needs of the people, but also with their material well-being. The following question therefore arises: how can the church in Africa, in general, and in Zimbabwe, in particular, actively do God’s mission and remain with integrity in the midst of the reality of suffering. Furthermore, how can the church for mission and reconstruction be understood in a post-colonial Zimbabwe given the contextual realities of political crises, corruption, poverty, moral decadence, defined or censored truth, leadership crises and no freedom of expression? This article argues that, although the church is faced with these arduous realities, it remains called by God to do God’s mission. While in post-colonial Zimbabwe the socio-political, socio-economic and socio-religious situation might seem hopeless, the church has remained vibrant and alive for reconstruction theology. The transformation of society is possible given the authority and mission mandate of the church. This article argues that the church is a key player in reconstruction theology and in the transformation of society. For transformation to be possible, the church should witness to the gospel of Christ without fear of being labelled, castrated and persecuted. The article asserts that the spirit of the Bible should be revived in a time of reconstruction in Zimbabwe. The assumption in this article is that Zimbabwe is ready for reconstruction discourse. For this to happen, the researchers argue that the church as a critical relevant player in reconstruction needs to ‘be church’ in its missional mandates. Integrity is essential if a church wants to be relevantly missional and

One Body in Christ?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Else Marie Wiberg

2011-01-01

Focusing on gender issues, this article emphasizes that a true ecclesial unity can only take place from below and in a real dialogue with others. Only once the communion of Lutheran church is fully inclusive - accepting women and men in the ministry - will it be true to the imago Dei...

Sem lenço, sem documento e com uma Bíblia nas mãos: o movimento estudantil evangélico nos anos sessenta (Without handerchief, without document and a Bible in hands: the evangelical student movement in the sixties. DOI: 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2012v10n26p385

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Eduardo Gusmão de Quadros

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Os movimentos juvenis tiveram papel destacado nas transformações do campo protestante no Brasil durante as décadas de cinquenta e sessenta. Neste artigo, enfocamos especialmente a história dos grupos evangélicos que exerceram o trabalho religioso dentro das universidades: a Associação Cristã Acadêmica e a Aliança Bíblica Universitária do Brasil. Para compreender melhor as inovações que trouxeram, traçamos primeiramente um quadro do protestantismo brasileiro após a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Em segundo lugar, fazemos uma história das organizações estudantis de tradição evangélica, enfatizando suas diferenças identitárias e sua busca de penetração nas instituições eclesiásticas. Por fim, analisamos o contexto repressivo dentro e fora das igrejas após golpe civil-militar ocorrido em abril de 1964. Apresentamos, assim, as diferentes propostas teológicas, as práticas inovadoras e os embates surgidos com as instituições na tentativa de articulação feita pelos jovens entre as exigências confessionais do meio protestante, o engajamento sócio-político e o ambiente universitário da década de sessenta. Palavras-Chave: Universidade. Movimento Estudantil. Engajamento Social. Política.  Abstract: The youthful movements has a paper detached in transformations of Brazil’s protestant field during the 50’s and 60’s decades. In this article, we look at the history of evangelical groups inside the universities with religious work: the Academic Christian Association and the University Biblical Alliance of Brazil. To better understand the innovations, we, first, traced a picture of the Brazilian’s Protestantism after World War II. In second place, we make an history of student’s organizations in evangelical tradition, emphasizing its identities, differences and search of presence although ecclesiastical institutions.  Finally, we analyze a repressive context inside and outside of protestant churches after military

Evangelization and Causes of Religion Conversion from Hindu to Christian at Badung District Bali

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Ni Kadek Surpi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This research focuses on the effort of evangelization and religious conversion factors from Hinduism to Christianity in Badung, Bali. Bali as a unique island and famous all over the world has long been used as a target of missionary. In the early stages, the process of spreading Christianity is very slow. Even, Dutch East Indies government closed the door to evangelization and prohibited its activities in Bali. This study uses a cross field of knowledge and find that there are many causes behind the religion conversion in the area of study. Findings of this research shows that the reason for religious conversion is the social upheavals because of dissatisfaction on system and religion, individual crises, eco- nomic and socio-cultural factors, the influence of mysticism, spiritual thirst and the promise of salvation, family breakdown and urbanization, wedding and birth order in the family, education and professional evangelistic activity and lack understand- ing of Hinduism.

Brand Relationship and Its Effect Towards Brand Evangelism to Banking Service

OpenAIRE

Sri Vandayuli Riorini; Christine Catur Widayati

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Brand relationship, Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism. This study using purposive sampling technique in which samples were selected in this study as much as 200 commercial Banks customers have used the services of the Bank at least 12 months. Data analysis instrument used was Multiple Regression Analysis with SPSS assistance. The results obtained are consistent with previous...

Connecticut church passes genetics resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Culliton, B J

1984-11-09

The Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, which represents the largest Protestant denomination in the state, has passed a resolution affirming an ethical duty to do research on human gene therapy and is planning to form local church groups to study the scientific and ethical issues involved. The resolution is intended to counter an earlier one proposed by Jeremy Rifkin to ban all efforts at engineering specific traits into the human germline. The Rifkin proposal had been endorsed by a large number of religious leaders, including the head of the U.S. United Church of Christ, but was subsequently characterized by many of the church leaders as overly restrictive.

Beliefs About Sex and Parent-Child-Church Sex Communication Among Church-Based African American Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Erin; Berkley-Patton, Jannette; Bohn, Alexandria; Hawes, Starlyn; Bowe-Thompson, Carole

2015-10-01

Parent-child sex communication has been shown to be protective against sexual risk among African American youth. The current study sought to use the theory of planned behavior as a framework for focus group discussions (N = 54 youth participants aged 12-19 years) to explore church youths' (a) sex beliefs and values (attitudes), (b) sources and evaluation of sex communication and education (subjective norms), (c) facilitator/barriers to adolescent sexual risk reduction and communication behaviors (perceived behavioral control), and (d) intentions to engage in these behaviors. Additionally, participants identified strategies for consideration in developing tailored parent-child-church sex communication education programs for use in African American churches. Themes suggested both positive and negative attitudes toward premarital sex and parents and churches as key sources of sex education and communication. Strategies to enhance parent-child-church sex communication are discussed in the context of these findings.

Churches, chaplains and the Great War

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Takken, A.J.

2015-01-01

When in 1914 the European nations mobilised for war, the churches followed suit. Notwithstanding pre-war church peace conferences and close international cooperation, most churches and churchmen immediately and whole-heartedly supported their nation’s participation in war and provided the religious

The Dutch Reformed Church as a prominent established South African church: In transition towards the 21st century

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Pieter Kruger

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk is in transition because of the influences of the more recent South African epochs of democratisation, Africanisation and globalisation. The histories of these epochs extend over more than 20 years and have had a significant influence on the church. The Dutch Reformed (DR Church changed institutionally because its place and influence within society changed considerably as a result of political and social transformation since 1994. The ongoing process of Africanisation that accompanies these transformations brings certain reactions to the bosom of the church via the experiences of its members. Most are Afrikaners being more inclined to westernised social frames of reference. Ironically, these people are more susceptible to the effects of globalisation, especially secularisation, which transposes the religious set-up of the DR Church into an open and individuated system. These developments pose major challenges to the DR Church in the sense that it has to reconsider how it approaches society, what it can contribute to the ecumenical church, why it is necessary to reflect on its denominational identity and what its academic, theological endeavours in these regards entail.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article has an interdisciplinary scope because the multiplicity of the present-day calls for interdisciplinary academic reflection. For the purpose of this article, Church Historiography helps to systemise recent ecclesiastical developments within the DR Church. To clarify the influences of these developments on the DR Church, sociological premises are incorporated to describe them within a broader social context. References to the conducted empirical study serve to explain respondents� (members of the DR Church social and religious constructs regarding these ecclesiastical and sociological phenomena.

Is it possible to bring together pastoral youth service with the academic learning process?

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Pedro Soto

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Is it possible a dialogue between the dynamics of youth ministry and academic learning process. As animated by the adult personnel of the school helps to guarantee a correct initiation or pedagogy of the proper imprint in the academic world for the evangelizer, and involves students in the work of evangelization whereby they connect the four pillars of education treated in the Delors Report with the three levels of evangelization under the guidance of the Church. Youth ministry, which is an organized action of the Church, is carried out by young men and women who involve themselves with Jesus Christ and his message and become protagonists of a civilization of fraternity, thus fulfilling the mandate of Jesus: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature (Mk. 16, 15. When the school moves thus, it is to say that it becomes a school of “pastoral importance”; one that, despite difficulties encountered from the various points of view, employs stragies for inserting the seeds of the Gospel into different scholastic environments, which often results in high academic learning and at the same time a robust living of the values of the Gospel.

Pizza Preachers Unseparate Church and State

Science.gov (United States)

Boston, Rob

2004-01-01

In this article, the author discusses several issues and concerns on the case of religious groups who attempt to seek converts in school, hiding under the guise of assemblies and free talks on any topic that might be of interest to the school. Students are then lured to a pizza party after, where they are subjected to high-pressure evangelism and…

Evangelický kostel v Třinci

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mezihoráková, Klára

2016-01-01

Roč. 65, č. 1 (2016), s. 13-22 ISSN 1211-3131 Institutional support: RVO:68378033 Keywords : Třinec * Evangelic Church * 19th century architecture * Friedrich Fulda * Luwig Kametz * Julius Leisching Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

Church unions and their consequences in Poland

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Antoni Mironowicz

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Orthodox Christians in Poland have faced numerous attempts to be forced into union with the Roman Catholic Church, ranging from the thirteenth to the twentieth century. The first attempt at a union between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church took place as early as the mid-thirteenth century. Another attempt at forcing the Orthodox Church into union with Rome took place during the reign of Ladislaŭ II Yagiello. The problem of church union returned in the reign of Alexander the Yagiellonian. When Ivan III rejected all projects for bringing the Florence such a union into practice, discussion on church union disappeared until the end of the sixteenth century. The mission of the papal legate, Father Antonio Possevino, to Ivan IV, had been intended to draw Moscow into the union, and its failure caused the papacy to concentrate its efforts on the Orthodox Church in Poland. The Ruthenian bishops’ obedience to the Pope was officially announced on the 8 October 1596. The decisions of the Uniate-Catholic synod were met with numerous protests from the Orthodox clergy and nobility. The larger part of the clergy and the faithful, together with bishops remained in the Orthodox camp. Despite the failure of the Brest Synod in fully uniting Orthodox and Roman churches, new union projects concerning the Orthodox Church in Poland continued to arise prior to the end of 18th century. The Vatican’s interest in the Orthodox Church in Central Europe was renewed at the end of the First World War. On April 1st, 1917, the Pope created the Congregation for the Oriental Churches which was responsibile for all issues relating to the activities of all the Eastern denominations. Despite aims at unification, attempts at church union have had a negative influence on the relations between the Roman Catholic and Polish Orthodox Church in contemporary Poland. The result of centuries of attempts at unification under the Pope has been fragmentation and division.

Religious Authority in African American Churches: A Study of Six Churches

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Karen Hye-cheon Kim Yeary

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A sociological study of religious authority and gender in the context of a rural, impoverished community was conducted in African American churches in one county of the Arkansas Lower Mississippi Delta region to understand relationships between religious leadership, gender, race, and social justice. Three female and three male African American pastors were interviewed as key-informants of their churches to investigate views of female religious authority, and to compare and contrast the congregational culture of female-headed vs. male-headed churches. Among male-headed congregations, views of gender and leadership were complex, with beliefs ranging from no support to full support for female-headed congregations. Two congregational cultures emerged from the data: Congregations with a Social Activist orientation focused on meeting the social needs of the community through Christ, whereas congregations with a Teach the Word orientation stressed the importance of meeting the spiritual needs of the community through knowing the Word of God. Although aspects of both congregational cultures were present to some extentin all six congregations studied, the Social Activist culture played a more dominant narrative in female-headed congregations, whereas the Teach the Word culture was more evident in male-headed congregations. This study reports preliminary information about gender and religious authority in rural African American churches by revealing the different clergy training requirements and church placements of female and male clergy, a myriad of views about female religious authority in the African American faith community, and through uncovering two distinct congregational cultures. This study also enhances understanding on the role of gender in Black churches’ perceptions and interactions with rural, socioeconomically challenged communities.

Steering the Ship through Uncertain Waters: Empirical Analysis and the Future of Evangelical Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rine, P. Jesse; Guthrie, David S.

2016-01-01

Leaders of evangelical Christian colleges must navigate a challenging environment shaped by public concern about college costs and educational quality, federal inclinations toward increased regulation, and lingering fallout from the Great Recession. Proceeding from the premise that empirical analysis empowers institutional actors to lead well in…

A Korean perspective on megachurches as missional churches

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Cornelius J.P. Niemandt

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Both the megachurch and the missional church are on-going global phenomena. Working from the premise that the church has to be missional, this article operates from a Korean perspective and researches whether a megachurch can be missional. The megachurch is not simply a very large church in terms of membership or the physical size of its building(s � because of the influence of the interaction between socio-cultural, historical, and theological backgrounds, the megachurch has its own missiological and ecclesiological perspectives. The megachurch understands that the growth of an individual church implies the expansion of the kingdom of God, which means that the individual church has a responsibility to be both functionally and structurally sound, in order to ensure the efficient growth of the kingdom. This is an influential tendency that is found not only in larger size churches, but in all churches who are trying to achieve the quantitative growth of the church by way of evangelisation. The Korean megachurches, represented by the Poongsunghan Church, display these characteristics. The missional church is not simply a mission-driven church, sending many missionaries to other countries; the missional church believes that all churches are sent to the world by God, who wants to reconcile the whole universe with himself. The implication of this is that the church has to restore its missional essence in order to be able to participate in the mission of God. Thus, the missional church is a reforming movement that witnesses to God�s rule by recovering its apostolic nature. The characteristics of this movement are clearly visible in one of the case studies � the Bundang Woori Church. The importance of the missional movement for Korean churches is emphasised.Interdisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research is a case study of Korean megachurches from a missional perspective. The research represents a critique of practises in

Religious Authority in African American Churches: A Study of Six Churches

OpenAIRE

Yeary, Karen Hye-cheon Kim

2011-01-01

A sociological study of religious authority and gender in the context of a rural, impoverished community was conducted in African American churches in one county of the Arkansas Lower Mississippi Delta region to understand relationships between religious leadership, gender, race, and social justice. Three female and three male African American pastors were interviewed as key-informants of their churches to investigate views of female religious authority, and to compare and contrast the congre...

Sex and the Church : a study of the Catholic Church and reproductive health in Chile

OpenAIRE

Longenecker, Karen

2010-01-01

This work explores the modern day discourse on sexuality in Chile with particular attention given to the influence of the Catholic Church on reproductive health policy. The Catholic Church has historically been involved in popular social reform efforts in the 19th and 20th centuries, and was also heavily involved as the protectorate of human rights during the Pinochet dictatorship. Due to this popular reputation of the Church after the dictatorship and during the transition to democracy, the ...

One in the Spirit: Multiculturalism in Church Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilton, Donna L.

2001-01-01

Describes the importance of creating church libraries that include multicultural materials, examining preliminary points to consider (how multiculturalism varies from church to church, factors to consider in building a diverse collection, ethnic group characteristics, and the multicultural church collection). Discusses finding and ordering…

Church mediation - een vak apart

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Annelies Klinefelter; dr Hans A.J. Jonker

2009-01-01

Welke rol kan mediation in de kerk spelen in de diverse geledingen en specifieke activiteiten? In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op kerkelijke conflicten, gelaagdheid in church mediation, en specifieke dilemma's van church mediation. Daarnaast komen enkele benaderingen aan bod zoals: helende

Getting young adults back to church: A marketing approach

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Michelle C. van der Merwe

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Worldwide, church membership is decreasing. A decline in the number of young adults that attend church services is also evident. The purpose of the research was to determine whether the application of a well-established body of knowledge of marketing theories and principles could be used by churches to encourage young adults to return to the church. The application of services marketing to the church as a non-profit organisation is discussed by focussing on non-physical and physical atmospheric cues in the church’s servicescape that could enhance church attendance. A quantitative approach was used by testing the opinions of 200 church service attendees of different denominations. The findings indicated that certain elements in the servicescape of a church may be useful in attracting young adults. It was found that music is a strong determinant of whether young adults attend church services, followed by layout and design of the church and then by the signs and symbols used in the church. Females reported significantly higher levels of positive perceptions concerning the layout and design. Although the research showed that some marketing elements, such as a positive servicescape, could improve church attendance, other personal elements such as forming personal relationships with fellow Christians and God need to be further explored.

Negotiating the Complementarian Gender Ideology of an Evangelical Student Subculture: Further Evidence from Women's Narratives

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Alyssa N.

2009-01-01

This study is based on a longitudinal, qualitative investigation of a burgeoning evangelical student organisation on a university campus in the USA. In addition to four months of observation, in-depth interviews were conducted with students in their first and third years of college to understand the gender climate and ideology that characterised…

Conceptions of Church Slavonic

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Helmut Keipert

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In our time Church Slavonic is a “language without native speakers,” but it is not in all respects a “dead” one. It is for this reason that the Slavs have given it a great variety of names, the different use of which in philological publications heavily depends on the respective linguists’ connotative purposes (e.g., national and ideological interests and so forth. As a rule, the description of the language is based on the analysis of written or printed texts. Only recently have a few additional corpora been introduced in addition to the well-known group of “classical” Old Church Slavonic manuscripts, which, for all their merits in the history of Slavistics, can give only a vague idea of the rich language tradition of Church Slavonic as a whole, since, as a means of actual (oral communication, it can nowadays be observed only in the liturgy. The article discusses the main linguistic conceptions applied to Church Slavonic in the past and present (root language, i.e., proto-language, common language, literary language [Schriftsprache], Ausbau language, etc.; singles out binaristic approaches in opposition to vernaculars; gives an overview of the numerous varieties to be differentiated within the language (connected to regions, chronology, functions, individuals, and groups; recalls the role of reconstruction in modern textbooks and the widely neglected construction devices used in early grammars and dictionaries; and, at the end, refers to the possibility of including Church Slavonic as a model for comparative judgments on degrees of diversity in the structural development of Slavonic languages.

Orientation of medieval churches of Morava school

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Tadić Milutin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the mathematical and topographic analysis of orientation of the most significant churches (11 of Morava school, the last style in architecture of medieval Serbia whose executors were chief architects. The deviation from equinox East of the main axis of each church and the dates when the Sun rises on the physical horizon, in the extension of the main axis, have been calculated. These were the dates when the church could have been oriented towards the rising Sun. This possibility has been ruled out for four churches. As for the other churches, the matching of the mentioned dates with the patron’s days wasn’t established. The churches in monasteries Ljubostinja and Kalenic are oriented with astronomical precision towards equinox East, an admirable fact considering the tools available to the builders. Rade Borovic, the only chief architect who put his signature on his work, was the chief architect of Ljubostinja.

Lutheran Clergy in an Orthodox Empire. The Apppointment of Pastors in the Russo-Swedish Borderland in the 18th Century

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Räihä Antti

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The history of the parishioners’ right to participate in and influence the choice of local clergy in Sweden and Finland can be taken back as far as the late Medieval Times. The procedures for electing clergymen are described in historiography as a specifically Nordic feature and as creating the basis of local self-government. In this article the features of local self-government are studied in a context where the scope for action was being modified. The focus is on the parishioners’ possibilities and willingness to influence the appointment of pastors in the Lutheran parishes of the Russo-Swedish borderlands in the 18th century. At the same time, this article will offer the first comprehensive presentation of the procedures for electing pastors in the Consistory District of Fredrikshamn. The Treaty of Åbo, concluded between Sweden and Russia in 1743, ensured that the existing Swedish law, including the canon law of 1686, together with the old Swedish privileges and statutes, as well as the freedom to practise the Lutheran religion, remained in force in the area annexed into Russia. By analysing the actual process of appointing pastors, it is possible to discuss both the development of the local political culture and the interaction between the central power and the local society in the late Early Modern era.

Overcoming violence - a basic task of Christian churches

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Wolfgang Huber

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this article � based on the second of two keynote lectures at a conference on violence � the view is developed that the task of the church with respect to violence consists mainly in overcoming violence. In the first part of the article dealing with the basic tasks of the church it is argued that the task to overcome violence is close to the essence of the church. The point of departure is taken in Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession, which understands the church as the �communion of saints� and names the pure proclamation of the gospel and the right administration of the sacraments as the two characteristics of the church. The Christian message that the church has to proclaim the gospel entails a preferential option for nonviolence that includes the responsibility to put an end to existing violence. In the second part of the article attention is given to the implications the basic task of the church in overcoming violence holds for the practice of the church. It is argued that the starting point is that the church has to proclaim the gospel of peace and as a community of faith become a community of peace herself. Some of the most important practical consequences the proclamation of the gospel of peace has for the church as a community of action, for her work in education, for her promotion of justice and for her solidarity with those in need, are discussed.

Democracy in understanding of the Orthodox church.

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Grigorios M. Liantas

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Subject of this paper is the notion of “democracy” in understanding and practice of the Ortho-dox Church. Beginning with genesis of the term and its application in ancient Greece author of the paper presents similarities and differences between concepts of “democracy” and “conciliarity”. “Democracy” is a form of government in which people are the source of political authority which is executed by elected representatives and rules on behalf of a nation. However, organization of the Orthodox Church is not “democratic” in common understanding of the term. Every member of the Church has the same duties and carries on the same mission, but everything is based on equality of the Apostles to whom Christ has entrusted spreading of the Gospel and establishment of the Church. “Democracy” in life of the Orthodox Church bears a name of “conciliarity” (greek „συνοδικότης” and it is lived in an unceasing community of all the Church members among themselves and their Divine Head mainly in the Mystery of Eucharist, the core of unity of the Church in Christ. Institution of conciliarity is not just a matter of Church administration or canon law but constitutes fundamental principle of ecclesiology. The fact of presence of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity at each Council provides conciliarity with charismatic character. Organization of the Orthodox Church as ob-served in monastic community of Mount Athos, the world most ancient existing democracy, is set as an example for all social-political systems aiming to improve organization of society.

The Evangelical Origins of Mass Media in America, 1815-1835. Journalism Monographs Number Eighty-Eight.

Science.gov (United States)

Nord, David Paul

1984-01-01

It was the evangelical Christian publicists in the tract and Bible societies who first dreamed of genuinely mass media--that is, they proposed to deliver the same printed message to everyone in America. To this end, organizations such as the American Bible Society and the American Tract Society helped to develop, in the very earliest stages, the…

Brand Relationship and Its Effect Towards Brand Evangelism to Banking Service (33-45)

OpenAIRE

Sri Vandayuli Riorini; Christine Catur Widayati

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Brand relationship, Brand trust, Brand identification, Brand involvement, Brand commitment to Brand evangelism. This study using purposive sampling technique in which samples were selected in this study as much as 200 commercial Banks customers have used the services of the Bank at least 12 months. Data analysis instrument used was Multiple Regression Analysis with SPSS assistance. The results obtained are consistent with previous studies...

Contacto, conhecimento e conflito: Dinâmicas culturais e sociais num movimento evangélico cigano na Península Ibérica Contact, knowledge and conflict: Social and cultual dynamics in an evangelical gypsy movement in the Iberian Peninsula

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Ruy Llera Blanes

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Este texto propõe uma análise dos cultos evangélicos da Igreja Filadélfia, um movimento cristão protestante de forte implantação entre os ciganos de Portugal e Espanha. Procurando compreender a importância da prática ritual na experiência religiosa e identitária dos crentes, proponho os conceitos de "contacto", "conhecimento" e "conflito" como mecanismos para explicar como os cultos são local e socialmente implantados na contemporaneidade cigana, ligando ideologia, memória e práticas.This article proposes an analysis of the evangelical cults of the Filadelfia Church - a Christian Protestant movement created among Portuguese and Spanish Gypsy communities. In order to attempt an understanding of the role played by ritual praxis within religious and identitary experience, I propose the notions of "contact", "knowledge" and "conflict" as explanatory devices for the local and social implantation of the cults within Gypsy contemporariness, connecting ideology, memory and practices.

Luther and the Law in the Lutheran Church of Uganda

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-05-26

May 26, 2016 ... that no work of man is able to justify him before God. For .... with words and with lesser deeds. (p. ... these examples we learn to trust and love God, and also learn ..... by the council of elders composed of both male and female ...

Deaf Sociality and the Deaf Lutheran Church in Adamorobe, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Kusters, Annelies

2014-01-01

This article provides an ethnographic analysis of "deaf sociality" in Adamorobe, a village in Ghana, where the relatively high prevalence of hereditary deafness has led to dense social and spatial connections. Deaf people are part of their hearing environment particularly through family networks, and produce deaf sociality through many…

Church Attendance and Religious Experience

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Marianne Nilsen Kvande

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that gender may moderate the relationship between religiousness and mental health in most countries, but few studies have been conducted in Norway and Denmark. This study examined gender differences in religious experiences and church attendance as predictors of existential well-being among 295 women and 233 men from the general Norwegian population. Analyses showed that the structural equation models for women and men did not differ significantly on the global level. The models for women and men, however, showed different patterns. Among men, church attendance and negative religious experiences predicted existential well-being; among women, positive and negative religious experiences were related to existential well-being, but church attendance was not. The present findings suggest that men may benefit more from active religiousness, whereas women may benefit more from affective religiousness. Comparing these results with research in other cultural contexts, we find that different operationalizations of church attendance yield the same types of patterns across cultural contexts. Consequently, the benefits of religiousness may be similar for women and men irrespective of cultural context.

Ethiopian church forests : opportunities and challenges for restoration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wassie Eshete, A.

2007-01-01

In Northern Ethiopia almost all dry Afromontane forests have been converted to open agricultural lands. Only small isolated fragments remain around churches ("church forests"), but these are many. This study analyses forest community structure and composition of the church forests, investigates

Women and Popular Church

OpenAIRE

Maria Brendalí Costa; EST

2013-01-01

From the early 1960s, the Popular Church organized and influenced the actions, ideas and objectives of the Brazilian civil society. From the Feminist Theology, the article reflects on the different ways which this praxis influenced, through principles, worldviews and methodologies, the actions performed by women in the 1980s who engaged in the Urban Popular Church in suburbs of cities which belonged to the diocese of Caxias do Sul. The study is bibliographic, documental and is analyzed throug...

Gnosticism, church unity and the Nicene Creed

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C. F.C. Coetzee

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Gnosticism (derived from the Greek word “gnosis; knowledge” is the well-known phenomenon or movement which dates from the first centuries of church history. The teaching of Gnosticism questioned and/or contradicted the teaching of the church on some of the fundamental truths of Scripture. Apart from Gnosticism, the Early Church also had to deal with the heresy of Arianism. In the Nicene Creed, formulated by the councils of Nicea (325 AD and Constantinople (381 AD the universal or catholic church responded officially to the heresies of both Gnosticism and Arianism. In the final edition of the Nicene Creed we also find an article on the unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity of the church. Both Gnosticism and Arianism posed a serious threat to the unity of the church.   In our times we experience a revival of ancient Gnosticism, both pagan and “Christian”. This revival is also called the New Age or the Age of Aquarius. Within the framework of this new worldview, we are witnessing a rediscovery of gnosis. The discovery and publication of certain ancient gnostic texts like the Nag Hammadi Codices, play a significant role in this revival. Consequently the canon of Scripture is questioned or openly rejected and also the creeds based on that Scripture.   The Nicene Creed played a major and decisive role in preserving and maintaining the unity of the church on the basis of the truth of Scripture. This age-old creed is today just as relevant and important in proclaiming and confessing the true faith and preserving the true unity of the church.

Church Colleges Today. Perspectives of a Church Agency on Their Problems and Possibilities. Studies in Christian Higher Education, No. 15.

Science.gov (United States)

Geler, Woodrow A., Ed.

Six articles giving the perspective of the United Methodist Church on the problems and possibilities in higher education are presented. The topics include: Why is the Church in Higher Education?, Church-College Relationships and Challenges, Higher Education for Blacks, The Crisis in Enrollment, New Generations for New Days, and Trends and…

MEANS OF ESTABLISHING CHURCH PROPERTY AND FUNDING SOURCES

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Cricovean Mircea

2013-07-01

Regarding the administration of goods, the Church finds guidance in the laws of the State to which it belongs (Stan, 1952 but taking into consideration the fact that the Church cannot “have its special principles and rules contradicted”(Floca, 1990: 448. However, the church, in fulfilling its purpose - the salvation of believers, needs wealth or heritage. This is not to understand that the Church can “lose its essential character, supernatural character, because, for the Church the earthly possessions and temporal happiness are not an immediate end” (Floca, 1990: 451-452. To understand the Church’s sources of financing it is necessary to take account of its properties. Along the time the church was holder of ownership rights. Its property had to be maintained, at least, so it needed funding. The Church’s canonical and statutory provisions are those governing the Church’s source of funding. They cannot conclusively be understood without observing the principles and rules specific for the ecclesiastical wealth management. Noted should be that previously there were no generally accepted rules on the management of financial resources of the church. The canonical, legal and statutory establishments have become customary in time, making it possible this way, by the dioceses supervisors, that sources of funding should be directed towards the maintenance of the Church, of the worship and of social activities.

Restoration and Rehabilitation of world heritage Site of Chupan Church

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S. Darvish Rohani

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Church of Chupan is located in Jolfa cityin north of Iran and is laid at south side of Arax River. Built of the church traced back to 14th to 15th century and the time when Armenians were inhabited in the region. Chupan church had been inscribed at World Heritage List of UNESCO under no 1262 in 2008, as one of the five churches of “Armenian Monasteries of Azerbaijan province of Iran” dossier. As it is located at a religious and tourism road of Darresham and each year most of Armenian from all over the world visited the church as a part of a religious ceremony, also as the same church on opposite side of the Arax in Republic of Nakhchivan is completely destroyed between 1998-2002 and the church is the only existing evidence of these two couple church, the restoration and rehabilitation of chupan church is very important. Because of very bad statues of structure stability and long-term neglect of the conservation and preservation of the building, restoration and rehabilitation of the church in the earliest was necessary. Restoration of this church was my MA degree thesis and now as a Ph.D student in field of urban design and planning student, I am working on the next step which is to revitalization and rehabilitation of the church.

Restoration and Rehabilitation of world heritage Site of Chupan Church

Science.gov (United States)

Darvish Rohani, S.

2015-08-01

Church of Chupan is located in Jolfa cityin north of Iran and is laid at south side of Arax River. Built of the church traced back to 14th to 15th century and the time when Armenians were inhabited in the region. Chupan church had been inscribed at World Heritage List of UNESCO under no 1262 in 2008, as one of the five churches of "Armenian Monasteries of Azerbaijan province of Iran" dossier. As it is located at a religious and tourism road of Darresham and each year most of Armenian from all over the world visited the church as a part of a religious ceremony, also as the same church on opposite side of the Arax in Republic of Nakhchivan is completely destroyed between 1998-2002 and the church is the only existing evidence of these two couple church, the restoration and rehabilitation of chupan church is very important. Because of very bad statues of structure stability and long-term neglect of the conservation and preservation of the building, restoration and rehabilitation of the church in the earliest was necessary. Restoration of this church was my MA degree thesis and now as a Ph.D student in field of urban design and planning student, I am working on the next step which is to revitalization and rehabilitation of the church.

The Church Bridge Project: An Academic-Community Perspective of a Church-Based Weight Management Pilot Intervention among Young Adult African Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemacks, Jennifer L; James, Robert E; Abbott, Laurie; Choi, Hwanseok; Parker, Ashley; Bryant, Ashley; Ralston, Penny A; Rigsby, Annither Gilner; Gilner, Patricia

2018-01-01

Churches are effective community partners and settings to address weight management among African Americans. There is limited information on the use of churches to reach young adult populations and church collaborations with primary care clinics. The Church Bridge Project represents a community-academic partnership that presents the recruitment process of a church-based weight management intervention and describes baseline data of participants recruited from churches and primary care providers. We also discuss research contributions, challenges and limitations, study applicability, and practice implications from an academic and community perspective. Church leaders were involved in the entire research process. The theory-driven intervention included 12 diabetes prevention program-adapted education and motivational interviewing (MI)-guided sessions. Participants were recruited through primary care providers and church leaders. Demographics, medical and weight history, stage of change for weight loss, social support, and self-efficacy for diet and physical activity, weight, and girth circumferences were measured. Baseline descriptive data were analyzed. Of 64 potential participants, 42 (65.6%) were enrolled in the study and 16 (25.0%) completed baseline data collection. No participants were recruited through primary care providers. Recruited participants were similar to the target population except for being all obese and mostly female. The mean ± SD age of participants was 34.31 ± 8.86 years with most reporting having more than a high school education (n = 14 [87.5%]), individual yearly income of less than $59,000 (n = 12 [75.0%]), and been married or living with a partner (n = 9 [56.3%]). Most reported a history of hypertension and an immediate family history of diabetes and hypertension. Most participants were classified as class III obesity. Young adults and primary care providers are difficult to engage in church-based interventions. Church leaders were

Self-secularisation as challenge to the church

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Jaco Beyers

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The concept of self-secularisation has been identified by Wolfgang Huber, bishop of the German Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD, when he reflected on the context of the church in Germany. Self-secularisation however, is a worldwide phenomenon with effects in South Africa as well. After discussing the origin of the concept and its interpretations, the author tries to identify instances of self-secularisation within especially the Afrikaansspeaking churches, although not limited to them, in South Africa. The theological jargon comes under scrutiny, civil religion, the pluralistic society within which the church exists, the effect of emotionalism, the commercialisation of the church, the role of mass media and the phenomenon of infotainment, rationalisation and a lack of ethics are some of the elements identified and discussed. Finally the author attempts a correction by indicating what the church ought to do in order to counter the effects of self-secularisation.

JUST 27 No. 3 December 2007

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2007-12-03

Dec 3, 2007 ... eral, and Global Evangelical Church (Ghana) in particular. They will become aware of the vari- ous demographic factors which influence job satisfaction of clergy. This awareness will help them to take steps necessary to increase the level of satisfaction of clergy. The following recommendations are based.

How Theologizing with Children Can Work

Science.gov (United States)

Buttner, Gerhard

2007-01-01

"Theologizing with children" has arisen from influences of philosophizing with children, from research in the Piagetian tradition and also from the interest of the Evangelical Church in Germany to "change to the child's perspective". It searches for the theological quality of children's remarks which are considered to be a…

Why I Left the Church

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leth-Nissen, Karen Marie Sø

2014-01-01

both drivers and triggers. The drivers are the motifs and reasons building up the possibility of leaving the church. The trigger is the straw the breaks the camel's back, and is therefore just a trigger, and not as important as the drivers. The study argues that economy as a reason for leaving...... to better explain the multifaceted reasons why members decide to leave the National Church. The aspects explored are the motifs, thoughts and reflections of the former members. Methods applied will be qualitative life-historical semi-structured interviews. The study produces data comparable with a similar...... the church is more of a trigger than actually a driver, why we should be more aware of the other reasons for resigning membership....

The first coronation churches of medieval Serbia

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Kalić Jovanka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The medieval ceremony of coronation as a rule took place in the most important church of a realm. The sites of the coronation of Serbian rulers before the establishment of the Žiča monastery church as the coronation church of Serbian kings in the first half of the thirteenth century have not been reliably identified so far. Based on the surviving medieval sources and the archaeological record, this paper provides background information about the titles of Serbian rulers prior to the creation of the Nemanjić state, and proposes that Stefan, son of the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, was crowned king (1217 in the church of St Peter in Ras.

Antecedent Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Graduate Students at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology

Science.gov (United States)

Mbogo, Rosemary Wahu

2016-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a Master's level thesis work that was done in 1997 to assess the antecedent factors affecting the academic performance of graduate students at the Nairobi Evangelical School of Theology (N.E.G.S.T.), which is currently Africa International University (AIU). The paper reviews the effect of lack of finance on…

Sacred Space: A Beginning Framework for Off-Planet Church

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, T. K.

As governments and corporations continue to engage space security, commerce, exploration and colonization, the Christian Church will not be far behind. Historically the Church has always been part of the first waves of explorers and colonizers, with its ideological interests being easily supported by generous resources and strong infrastructures. The exploring Church has not always been a friendly guest, however, and at times has initiated or condoned great harm. This paper offers a beginning framework as one way of insuring an appropriate presence in space for the Church. This framework is built with three common religious planks, namely, theology, ecclesiology and church worker vocation. Each of these is recast in terms of the off-planet scenario. This paper concludes that an appropriate off-planet Church will be founded on an "exomissiological" theology, will embrace an ecclesiology that emphasizes religious health, and will adequately select, train and monitor its off-planet church workers.

Church, mission and ethics. Being church with integrity

African Journals Online (AJOL)

documentaries and books proved this point. A quick ... Triune God's new creation and involvement in this world. It is quite clear .... reformation history into modern times, the church struggled with issues ..... Augustine and his Manichaean audience: ... Randi, J., 1987, The faith healers, Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY. Reuver ...

Relational leadership and the missional church

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Jacob J. Breedt

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The global realities regarding cultural shifts and the transition between traditional, modern and postmodern world perspectives have particular implications for leadership in general. In several institutions, including those in commercial, educational, medical and religious circles, leaders face the challenges of constant change in lifestyle, relational intelligence and responsibility. The combined impact of these changes in thought and culture, information technology, globalisation and racial, ethnic and religious pluralism has displaced the historic role the church has traditionally played. In this article it was argued that the church would have to take a hard look at relationships, in order to be the successful missional church which was demonstrated by Jesus Christ. The church needs to change, evolve and advance in relational intelligence and leadership � and leaders should set the pace. This implies that a paradigm shift is necessary; it is believed that this can be achieved through the proposed relational leadership style, as clearly demonstrated in the Trinitarian discussion. The Trinity, especially a relational Trinity, revealed the core understanding of missional ecclesiology and leadership and showed that as a result of the total �oneness� of God, there is no hierarchical order in the Godhead and as such the church should function and operate with the Trinity as its model and example.

Church as heterotopia

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Tanya van Wyk

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This article reflects on an ecclesiastical institution as a spatial panoptic structure which domesticates representational space as a hierarchy of power devoid of a sensitivity for the ‘human Other’ (Autrui. The notion of heterotopia is promoted to deconstruct spatiality and linearity (time as theological binary concepts. Being church as heterotopia does not deny the desire for the utopian dimension in religious thinking but holds on to utopian thinking amidst adversity and diversity. Therefore the concept of heterotopia is used to describe reconciliatory diversity, which is characteristic of an inclusive postmodern church which is a space where unity is not threatened by diversity, where the one is not afraid of the Other.

Effective strategic leadership: Balancing roles during church ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effective strategic leadership: Balancing roles during church transitions. ... a substantive grounded theory of organisational change and leadership, particularly focusing on the manifestation and management of organisation inertia in churches ...

Who Are Seventh-day Adventists?

OpenAIRE

Wyhmeister, Nancy J.

2005-01-01

A simple answer to the question “Who are Seventh-day Adventists?” can be stated briefly: the Seventh-day Adventist Church (or in Croatia, Christian Adventist Church) is a worldwide body of more than 10 million Christians who observe Saturday as the Sabbath and expect Jesus’ second coming soon. In more detail, one might say that Seventh- day Adventists are a conservative Protestant body of evangelical Christians whose faith is grounded in the Bible and centered on Jesus, with stress on His ato...

Modern Church Construction in Urals. Problems and Prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Surin, D. N.; Tereshina, O. B.

2017-11-01

The article analyzes the problems of the modern Orthodox church architecture in Russia, special attention is paid to the problems of the Ural region. It justifies the importance of addressing to this issue connected with the Orthodox traditions revival in Russia over the last decades and the need to compensate for tens of thousands of the churches destroyed in the Soviet period. The works on the theory and history of the Russian architecture and art, studies of the architectural heritage and the art of building of the Ural craftsmen are used as a scientific and methodological base for the church architecture development. The article discloses the historically formed architectural features of the Russian Orthodox churches the artistic image of which is designed to create a certain religious and aesthetic experience. It is stated that the restoration of the Russian church construction tradition is possible on the background of architectural heritage. It sets the tendencies and vital tasks in church construction and outlines a complex of measures to solve these tasks at the public and regional levels.

Together towards new life for missiology? Mission and missiology in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Any meaningful discussion of the various understandings of mission and Missiology needs to take cognizance of the important policy document accepted by the World Council of Churches at its 10th Assembly in Busan, South-Korea, in October 2013: “Together towards life – mission and evangelism in changing landscapes” ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-11-06

Nov 6, 2009 ... ethical questions, especially within the Reformed persuasion. ... The 22nd General Assembly of the WARC in Seoul in 1989 reached ..... In parts of the Evangelical Church a new approach (different to .... or the general public and is therefore ineffective. ..... What is the relation of the earlier confessional.

Parental Involvement in Elementary Children's Religious Education: A Phenomenological Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Bunnell, Peter Wayne

2016-01-01

The issue of parental involvement in religious education is an important one for the family, the church, the Christian school, and society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe parents' concepts and practices of involvement in their children's religious education as evangelical Christian parents in Midwestern communities.…

Orientation of medieval churches of Morava school

OpenAIRE

Tadić Milutin; Gavrić Gordana

2012-01-01

In this paper we present the mathematical and topographic analysis of orientation of the most significant churches (11) of Morava school, the last style in architecture of medieval Serbia whose executors were chief architects. The deviation from equinox East of the main axis of each church and the dates when the Sun rises on the physical horizon, in the extension of the main axis, have been calculated. These were the dates when the church could have been oriented towards the rising Sun....

Evangelical Christian Parents' Attitudes towards Abstinence-Based Sex Education: "I Want My Kids to Have Great Sex!"

Science.gov (United States)

Dent, Lauren; Maloney, Patricia

2017-01-01

While an overwhelming majority of people in the USA support some form of school-based sexual education, the specific content and context for that instruction varies widely, making it difficult to assess support for particular types of programmes. This is particularly the case for evangelical Christians, about whom there is a lack of scholarly…

Jeremy Bentham and Church of England Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Brian

1979-01-01

The author traces Jeremy Bentham's attacks, in 1815 and 1816, on the Church of England's role in the provision of schooling in Britain, particularly his objections to Church policies excluding non-adherents from instruction. (SJL)

Relational Principles for Effective Church Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Watt, Willis M.

2014-01-01

In the 21st century, effective church leaders need to be prepared to emphasize and demonstrate ethical leadership, personal responsibility, and community service. The foundation for success in all those areas lies in the ability of church leaders to initiate, develop, and maintain positive functioning relationships. Based on over 40 year's…

Beyond individualisation: Neo-evangelical lessons for religious socialisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kock, J. de; Roeland, J.H.; Vos, P.

2011-01-01

Young Christians may be less individualised than some widely shared reflections in the literature suggest. Even though their faith may no longer be exclusively or primarily nourished in the traditional institutional contexts of family, school and church, they often prefer their faith being lived and

Experiencing Churches as Spiritual and Religious Places: A Study on Children's Emotions in Church Buildings during Scholastic Field Trips

Science.gov (United States)

Kindermann, Katharina; Riegel, Ulrich

2018-01-01

Going on a field trip to the church, pupils can experience lived religion. But how do they feel during such a church visit? In this paper, we analyse statements of 516 German third graders (about 8 years old) made after they had visited their local church on a field trip. Using affective schema theory, we develop a conceptual model of emotions in…

Orientation of English Medieval Parish Churches

Science.gov (United States)

Hoare, Peter G.

Our understanding of the alignment of English medieval parish churches, after more than three centuries of research, is far from complete. The arrangement of relatively few structures has been explained beyond reasonable doubt, and tests of the overwhelmingly popular festival orientation theory are often insufficiently rigorous to provide convincing answers. Much work remains to be done, including verifying and analyzing some of the existing raw data, determining whether the present church was dedicated at the time of construction, examining wills for evidence of early dedications, measuring the effect of eastern horizons on sunrise azimuths, and consulting excavation reports to assess whether earlier buildings may have influenced the arrangement of those churches that replaced them.

Acoustic energy relations in Mudejar-Gothic churches.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara; Galindo, Miguel

2007-01-01

Extensive objective energy-based parameters have been measured in 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the south of Spain. Measurements took place in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. Monoaural objective measures in the 125-4000 Hz frequency range and in their spatial distributions were obtained. Acoustic parameters: clarity C80, definition D50, sound strength G and center time Ts have been deduced using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. These parameters spectrally averaged according to the most extended criteria in auditoria in order to consider acoustic quality were studied as a function of source-receiver distance. The experimental results were compared with predictions given by classical and other existing theoretical models proposed for concert halls and churches. An analytical semi-empirical model based on the measured values of the C80 parameter is proposed in this work for these spaces. The good agreement between predicted values and experimental data for definition, sound strength, and center time in the churches analyzed shows that the model can be used for design predictions and other purposes with reasonable accuracy.

Thermoluminescence dating of some Hungarian medieval churches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasa, I.; Bajnoczy, G.

1984-01-01

Thermoluminescence dating of three Hungarian historic churches was performed using the quarz inclusion technique and sup(60)Co gamma irradiation. Quarz grains obtained from the bricks were irradiated and the radiation doses were measured by CaSOsub(4):Dy TL dosemeters. Glow curves of irradiated and non-irradiated samples were also measured. From the results it was concluded that the ages of two churches were 10 and 30 percent less, respectively, than the ages estimated earlier. The age of the third church proved to be correct. (R.P.)

Radio and the Church – a Historical Glance

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Carl-Mario Sultana

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Radio is a very powerful mass communication medium. In radio broadcasting, one can hear the echo of Christ’s words to his apostles in the missionary discourse: “You received without charge, give without charge...What you hear in whispers, proclaim from the house tops” (Mt 10,8b.27. Although the Church uses radio as a means to transmit the Good News of salvation, and we as human beings receive radio transmissions as a part of our daily life, we barely stop to think and reflect upon the underlying aspects of radio as a means of communication. In this paper, the Author endeavours to give a historical overview of what makes radio an important medium for evangelisation according to four key documents of the Church, while also studying the underlying theological positions found in these documents. These documents enable us to study radio as a broadcasting medium, highlighting the possible reactions of the Church to radio and how the Church changed its stance on radio over the years. The reason for focussing specifically on radio is for two particular reasons: from the very beginning, the Church has considered radio as a means for evangelising the masses. Notwithstanding this, what is going to be discussing in the paper can be equally applied to Television as a mass communication medium. Secondly, the Church took an active role in radio broadcasting by asking Guglielmo Marconi himself to construct the Vatican Radio in 1931. The documents of the Church also offer us a theology of radio as a mass communication medium, with unity, progress and evangelisation being the fundamental aspects. Church documents posit that not everything should be broadcasted over radio but only messages which bring about peace and unity.

Finger of a saint, thumb of a priest: medieval relics in the Diocese of Turku, and the archaeology of lived bodies

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Visa Immonen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The relics of Turku Cathedral are remains belonging to the bodies of holy persons, different from ours, even today, although the cathedral is the see for the archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and relics are not on public display. Among the relics of the cathedral, there is a fragment of a radius, which according to its authentica, belongs to St Henry. Relics and reliquaries were in the core of medieval piety, and the cult of saints had infused throughout the society. Due to their central position in culture, relics offer glimpses at a range of material, social and cultural phenomena related to medieval embodiment.The Department of Archaeology at the University of Turku began to study the finger relic of St Eric and other items in the assemblage of Turku Cathedral in 2007. Relics and reliquaries are being opened and documented and organic as well as inorganic samples are being taken for a range of scientific analyses. So far the project has concentrated on building a chronological chart of individual artefacts. The majority of the relics date to the fourteenth century, although much more recent datings have also been obtained. The challenge of the project is not to stop when a better understanding of materials, their origins and age has been accomplished, but to use the results as a steppingstone into a study of the practices of medieval relic veneration. Medieval bodies and those material processes which authenticate relics, or distinguish saints’ bodies from other human remains, are thus at the heart of this article discussing embodiment.

Divine empowerment: The Holy Spirit and church revitalisation

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Brian A. DeVries

2015-07-01

Full Text Available How do principles of church revitalisation correlate with the divine work of the Holy Spirit? This article argues that the Spirit is the primary agent of church revitalisation, and churchleaders should cooperate with the Spirit as he works for revitalisation. Thus the Spirit empowers church leaders who are used by him to revive, renew, and revitalise a church community. After briefly defining the Spirit’s empowerment with biblical examples, this article examines the underlying principles of empowerment for church leaders, followed by briefly considering methodology for church revitalisation. The author concludes by suggesting several signs of biblical empowerment in a local church community. Goddelike bemagtiging: Die Heilige Gees en kerkherstel. Watter plek beklee die goddelike werking van die Heilige Gees in die beginsels van kerkherstel? Hierdie artikel poneer dat die Heilige Gees die primêre agent is om nuwe lewe in die kerk te bring en kerkleiers behoort onder leiding van die Heilige Gees hulle hiervoor te beywer. Die Heilige Gees bemagtig dus die kerkleiers wat Hy gebruik om ’n kerklike gemeenskap te laat herleef, te vernuwe en hulle te besiel met lewenskragtigheid. Die Gees se bemagtiging word kortliks aan die hand van bybelse voorbeelde gedefineer, waarna die grondliggende beginsels vir die bemagtiging van die kerkleiers ondersoek word. Daarna word die metodologie om nuwe lewenskrag in die kerk te bring kortliks oorweeg. Die outeur sluit af deur verskeie tekens uit te lig wat op skriftuurlike bemagtiging van die Heilige Gees in die plaaslike kerkgemeenskap dui.

Personality traits of Church Planters in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paas, S.; van Saane, J.W.; Foppen, Annemarie

2017-01-01

In this article we present the results of a Big Five personality test among 59 religious entrepreneurs (church planters) in Europe, and we compare these results with (a) a general database, and (b) existing research among secular entrepreneurs. Our study concludes that church planters are

The amazing growth of the early church

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Wim A. Dreyer

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The church grew rapidly during the first centuries. The question is: Why? Generations of scholars approached this question from different perspectives and with different methods. Historical research, analysis of early Christian texts and theological reflection were the most common methods used to shed light on the growth of the church. In this contribution five different models of growth were discussed, using the approach of A.M. Schor as a point of departure. These models of church growth were put under the headings of an apostolic mission model, values reproduction model, social reaction model, network model with an institutional model added.

Memetizing and mediatizing: memes as an evangelical discursive strategy

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Herivelton REGIANI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study addresses a communicational approach to internet memes, understanding them as devices that take place in the process of mediatization of society. It focuses on the discursive aspects involved in the production and reproduction of memes, which are re-signified through operations that involve deframing and reframing and that trigger interdiscursivity. This research analyzes the use of internet memes in the Brazilian Protestant religious field, in web pages that describe themselves as having an evangelical humor. The main objective is to identify the discursive strategies and the effects of meaning constructed through memes. A multiple case study is undertaken, analyzing memes in three web pages chosen from the identification of reading contracts that hold similarities and also singularities, memes that act as enunciation devices by which new interactions of the religious and media fields in the environment of social networks are delineated.

The Dutch Reformed Church Mission in Swaziland - A dream come true

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Arnau van Wyngaard

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article covers the time from 1652 onwards when employees of the Dutch East India Company – most of whom were members of the Reformed Church in the Netherlands – arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in present South Africa. With time, a new church, the Dutch Reformed Church, was established in the Cape. In 1836, a number of pioneers moved from the Cape to the east of South Africa and some of them eventually made Swaziland their new home. Although most members of the white Dutch Reformed Church opposed any integration with Christians from other races, there was nevertheless a desire that they should join a Reformed Church. In 1922, the first Dutch Reformed congregation in Swaziland was established in Goedgegun in the southern region of the country, intended for the exclusive use of white, Afrikaans-speaking church members. In 1944, the first Reformed congregation for Swazi members was formed, which later became known as the Swaziland Reformed Church. This article documents the history of this church and concludes with a description of the Swaziland Reformed Church in 1985, with four missionaries from South Africa ministering in the four regions of Swaziland.

Conversion growth of Protestant churches in Thailand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, M

2008-01-01

This study set out to answer the question what factors are conducive for church growth through conversion in Protestant Thai churches. After 180 years of unhindered Protestant missionary activity only 0.3% of ethnic Thai, about 185,000 people, have become Protestants. Though small, ethnic Thai

Skrif en Kerkorder/Scripture and church order | Celliers | Acta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This enables the congregation to adhere to its calling for obedience, love, and witness, so that the church can continue to exist. The outlines of the nature and order of the church should be addressed in all church orders to avoid pragmatism and arbitrariness on the one hand, and to create space for the various demands of ...

Church, freedom and bolshevisation of Moscow University

Science.gov (United States)

Gaina, Alex

2008-05-01

A short description of events, occured in Russia after 1917 with emphasysis on main phyilosophycal curents such as marxism and believing, first of atheistic content and second of christian moralty content is given. It is argued, that bolshevicks contributed to progress of Russia, but this was reached by mean of purges and terror, during which many peoples were killed, especially representatives of the Russian Ortodox church. A list of scientists, which contributed more than other to the bolshevisation of the Russia and Moscow University, particularly, is given. The controverse between Hegel and Einstein from one part and Marx and bolshevicks from other part is examined also. The bolshevicks destroyed the Russian ortodox church, instead of its modernisation, is argued. The Calendar in the Russian Ortodox church is discussed, which is Julian, and it is argued, that a peaceful dialogue between the representatives of the Church and scientists is needed in order to make a transition to the Gregorian one.

Poland: A Dark Side of Church Cultural Policy

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Szocik Konrad

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The cultural policy of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland is incorporated into state-run cultural policies. The organs of public authority enforce the objectives of Church regardless of Church’s actual ability to influence the society. It should be pointed out that the secularization of religion in Poland is frequently misinterpreted and usually equated with its deprivatization. It is worth mentioning that Catholicism is the dominant religion of the country and the Roman Catholic Church has hold a special position in Poland and play a major role in the country’s social and political life. In practice, however, Polish society appears to be religiously indifferent. This paper proves that the official, state-run cultural policy in Poland is based on favoritism of the Roman Catholic Church, regardless of Church’s actual ability to wield influence on society. Thus, there is a variety of implicit and explicit cultural policies implemented by the authorities to support Church. This work also aims at addressing the question of social attitudes to women, especially the one concerning the UN and EU law embracing women’s rights, until recently still not implemented in Poland. This paper further explores some peculiarities of this topic as an example of a specific outcome of Church cultural policy and its impact on both the past and present-day society.

Nõmme Lunastaja kirik = The Saviour's Lutheran Church in Nõmme / Margit Mutso

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mutso, Margit, 1966-

2010-01-01

Tallinnas Õie 10 asuva kirikuhoone (arhitekt Robert Natus, 1932) restaureerimisest. Arhitekt Fredi-Armand Tomps, sisearhitekt Anne Koppel, ehitusjärelevalve: Rein Joller, ajaloolane Aleksandr Pantelejev. Žürii liikme Mait Summataveti hinnang EK arhitektuuri sihtkapitali 2009. a. restaureerimispreemia pälvinud hoonele

Church parties in the Arian controversy: problems of typologization

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Georgy Zakharov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problems of typologization of the church parties of the 4th century. This historical phenomenon arises within the framework of a long church conflict, called the Arian crisis. The designations of the church parties used by contemporaries are polemical concepts and do not correspond to the self-consciousness of their supporters. In the early Christian heresiological tradition and in the modern historiography, the basis of church parties’ classification is their theological position. However, it is necessary to take into account other consolidating factors, such as Eucharistic communion and church-political activity. The formation of church parties, as a rule, was directly related to the development of the synodal institution. Analysis of sources in the 4th century allows us to distinguish, in addition to the extensive currents - macro-parties - claiming a universal or regional consensus based on the heritage of one of the representative and authoritative councils, some small consolidated groups - micro-parties, which gather for little councils and constantly coordinate their actions within the ecclesiastical confrontation. Micro-parties could exist both within the limits of macro-party, in many respects determining the trends of it’s development, and beyond it’s boundaries. In the latter case, it is actually a marginal church group rallied around one or more extraordinary theologian, sometimes even without the episcopal rank.

The Legacy of Christianity in West Africa, with Special Reference to Burkina Faso

Science.gov (United States)

Ouedraogo, Philippe

2010-01-01

In the following paper, I am going to discuss education and religion and consider the legacy of Christianity in education in West Africa with particular reference to the Evangelical churches in Burkina Faso. The paper will start with a general introduction to West Africa and the place of missionaries' activities in the region. I will then attempt…

Church attendance and self-esteem among adolescents

OpenAIRE

Robbins, Mandy; Francis, Leslie J.; Williams, Emyr

2007-01-01

A total of 279 young people (123 males and 156 females) aged between 12 and 16 years of age attending one school in Wales completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory alongside a measure of frequency of church attendance. The data indicate a small positive correlation (r = .18) between self-esteem and church attendance.

Church-Based Recruitment to Reach Korean Immigrants: An Integrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chorong; Jang, Myoungock; Nam, Soohyun; Grey, Margaret; Whittemore, Robin

2017-04-01

Although the Korean church has been frequently used to recruit Korean immigrants in research, little is known about the specific strategies and process. The purpose of this integrative review was to describe recruitment strategies in studies of Korean immigrants and to identify the process of Korean church-based recruitment. Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Four stages of church-based recruitment were identified: initiation, endorsement, advertisement, and implementation. This review identified aspects of the church-based recruitment process in Korean immigrants, which are different from the Black and Hispanic literature, due to their hierarchical culture and language barriers. Getting permission from pastors and announcing the study by pastors at Sunday services were identified as the key components of the process. Using the church newsletter to advertise the study was the most effective strategy for the advertisement stage. Despite several limitations, church-based recruitment is a very feasible and effective way to recruit Korean immigrants.

Faith-Based HIV Care and Prevention in Chinese Immigrant Communities: Rhetoric or Reality?

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ezer; Chin, John J.; Behar, Elana

2012-01-01

Ethnic churches attended by first generation Chinese immigrants are uniquely positioned to address emerging HIV prevention and care needs within the Chinese community at-large. Efforts to develop faith-based HIV programs necessitate identifying how HIV intersects with the sinicization of Christianity within Chinese churches. This paper will review the process of contextualizing HIV within theological and cultural frameworks that are meaningful for ethnic Chinese church leaders and members. The authors specifically propose two points of integration between public health and ecclesial functions: (1) HIV stigma-mitigation initiatives as informed by Christo-centric teachings of compassion and justice, and (2) HIV prevention and care reframed as social responsibility and informed by the Christian tradition of evangelism. Systems and practices that hinder and promote the involvement of Chinese churches in HIV prevention, care, and stigma-reduction will be discussed. PMID:23483037

Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning or Queer Students at Evangelical Christian Colleges as Described in Personal Blogs

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Kevin C.

2018-01-01

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer (LGBTQ) students at evangelical Christian colleges are a population frequently overlooked in the literature on the spiritual lives of college students. The author used qualitative content analysis within a phenomenological tradition to examine blog posts by such students, who face…

Os “evangélicos sem fronteiras”: história e religiosidade evangélica em Londrina (PR

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Edson Elias de Morais

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article examined how the peculiar process of evangelical religion occurred in Londrina and how this process reproduces the dynamics of the national religion in the specific historical context. From bibliographical, electronics, field and oral research, it was identified that the evangelical religious trajectory of Londrina took place in four phases: the first one is called “ecumenical”; the second, “institutional division”; the third, “new religiousness” and the fourth “borderless evangelical”. As a final result, we affirm that this contemporary phase has characteristics that can be extended to the national level, given that the doctrines no longer delimit a church from another and that the gospel style is present in most of them.

Crossing the Threshold of Hope into the Media Culture

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Margaret J. Obrovac

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The “new atheism” and the “new evangelization” have become the buzzwords of the age. Atheism is now the fastest growing “religious” group in the United States; the new evangelization decisively shaped the conclave that elected Jorge Bergoglio to the papacy. Twenty years ago, in Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul II reflected pastorally on some of the philosophical, spiritual, and cultural roots of both. His insights, embodied in Christians who live them, offer the Church a key to our times. If evangelization today is to announce the Gospel in the languages of today, what script might it use? What images might it evoke? What might its cadence be like?

Aurora Borealis, A Painting by Frederic Edwin Church

Science.gov (United States)

Love, J. J.

2015-12-01

This year marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. In 1865, the same year as the War's end, the great American landscape artist, Frederic Edwin Church, unveiled Aurora Borealis, a painting that depicts a fantastic, far-northern place, an auroral arch stretched across a quiet night-time sky, above dark mountains and a frozen sea. Church was born in Connecticut, lived in New York, and traveled to Labrador; he would have often seen the northern lights. Church might have also been influenced by the spectacular displays of aurora that were caused by some unusually intense magnetic storms in 1859. Aurora Borealis can certainly be interpreted in terms of 19th-century romanticism, scientific philosophy, and Arctic missions of exploration, all subjects of interest to Church. As with so many of his paintings, Church's meticulous attention to detail in Aurora Borealis reveals his deep admiration of nature. But his depiction of auroral light is a curious and possibly intentional departure from natural verisimilitude. Some art historians have suggested that Church painted Aurora Borealis as a subdued tribute to the end of the Civil War, with the drapery of auroral light forming an abstract representation of the American flag. If so, then colors of the flag have been unfurled across a cold and barren landscape, not in extravagant celebration, but in somber recognition of the reality of post-war desolation and an uncertain future.

The facilitation by church leaders in overcoming resistance to change.

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

Little has been done to address the issue of how to overcome resistance to change in a change effort in the church world. “How to overcome resistance to change?” is a question that requires serious consideration among church leaders. Church leaders continue to act in ways that produce resistance to change and ultimately failed change efforts. These actions on the part of church leaders often strengthen and reinforce the sources of resistance to change, making it very difficult for change to b...

The birth of an Empire of Two Churches : church property, theologians, and the League of Schmalkalden

OpenAIRE

Ocker, Christopher

2010-01-01

Did the creation of Protestant churches in Germany during Luther's generation follow someone's intentions? Heiko Oberman, appealing to a medieval Luther, portrays the reformer as herald of a dawning apocalypse, a monk at war with the devil, who expected God to judge the world and rescue Christians with no help from human institutions, abilities, and processes. This Luther could not have intended the creation of a new church. Dorothea Wendebourg and Hans-Jürgen Goertz stress the diversity of e...

Self-Disclosure and Spiritual Well-Being in Pastors Seeking Professional Psychological Help.

Science.gov (United States)

Salwen, Erik D; Underwood, Lee A; Dy-Liacco, Gabriel S; Arveson, Kathleen R

2017-01-01

Pastoral mental health is a topic that has only rarely been researched empirically in the psychological literature, yet a pastor's mental health can have a significant impact on churches, communities, and even nations (Royal and Thompson, Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 31 (3), 195-204, 2012). One of the thoughts prompting this research is that evangelical pastors might be expected to resist the findings of psychological research and lack understanding of specific mental illnesses they are potentially facing. Combined with historical and cultural dynamics that could influence resistance to professional psychological help, evangelical pastors have personal, internal factors that could also strengthen resistance, including the researched issues of self-disclosure flexibility and spiritual well-being. A correlational research design with multivariate regression was used to determine potentially significant or predictive relationships between the relevant factors. Among evangelical seminary students ( N  = 251) preparing for parish-based pastoral ministry, this research determined that no significant relationship, predictive or otherwise, existed between self-disclosure flexibility, spiritual well-being, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Implications include a shift in focus toward external factors influencing pastors' help-seeking attitudes, such as the need for the mental health community to develop connections with evangelical pastors and the development of more support for Christian mental health professionals in the larger evangelical community.

The church and nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, G.O.

1978-03-01

The subject is covered in sections, entitled: foreword (explaining that report is a synopsis of the Hearing on Nuclear Energy arranged by the World Council of Churches, held in Sigtune, Sweden, June 24 to 29, 1975); humanity's energy needs); alternative sources of energy (nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, non-nuclear processes; some generalisations (concerning the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy to various sections of the world); what risks are acceptable (radiation hazards, reactor safety, radioactive wastes, misuse of Pu, safeguarding); nuclear weapons; nuclear energy - a challenge to the Churches; social and ethical issues; certain conclusions; postscript -the American move. (U.K.)

HEALS: A Faith-Based Hypertension Control and Prevention Program for African American Churches: Training of Church Leaders as Program Interventionists.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodani, Sunita; Sullivan, Debra; Pankey, Sydney; Champagne, Catherine

2011-01-01

Background. A 12-session church-based HEALS program (healthy eating and living spiritually) was developed for hypertension control and prevention program in African Americans (AAs). This study presents specifics of training lay health educators to effectively deliver HEALS to high-risk AAs. Methods. A one-day workshop was conducted by the research experts in an AA church. Five church members were recruited to be program interventionists called church health counselors (CHCs). Results. Using principles of adult education, a training protocol was developed with the intention of recognizing and supporting CHCs skills. CHCs received training on delivering HEALS program. The process of training emphasized action methods including role playing and hands-on experience with diet portion measurements. Conclusion. With adequate training, the community lay health educator can be an essential partner in a community-based hypertension control programs. This may motivate program participants more and encourages the individual to make the behavior modifications on a permanent basis.

A Viennese Project in Valpovo (Croatia. Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Valpovo and Baroque Churches with Two-Bay Naves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horvat-Levaj, Katarina

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Valpovo (1733–1736, exceptional both in its spatial organization and the design of its exterior, was constructed in specific circumstances in the aftermath of the liberation of Slavonia from the Ottoman occupation. The old lands of Valpovo, with the medieval fort of Morović, were, in accordance with the Habsburg politics, given as a feud to Baron Hilleprand by Charles VI. The baron initiated the construction of a monumental parish church on his estate by commissioning its design in Vienna, as evidenced by the rich archival material on Hilleprand's property housed at the State Archive in Osijek. In keeping with the provenance of its design, the church was built as a monumental structure consisting of a two-bay nave covered with domical vaults and flanked by a narrower semicircular groin-vaulted sanctuary and a facade belfry. The type represented by the church in Valpovo – single-aisled structure with two bays – was a sort of innovation by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, inspired by the famous church of San Fedele in Milan (1569 and often used by Hildebrandt in his own church projects built under the patronage of high Austrian nobility, such as the parish church in Seelowitz in Moravia (1722–27 with an integrated facade belfry, or the parish churches in Aspersdorf (1730, Stranzendorf (1733 and Großstelzendorf (1735–37. This architectural type was adopted and further developed by Hildebrandt's contemporaries, especially his immediate follower Franz Anton Pilgram, a Viennese architect whose design for the parish church in Münchendorf (1740 shows great similarity with the Valpovo church, both in its proportions and in the treatment of details. All this is hardly surprising if one keeps in mind the Viennese origin and the courtly status of the commissioner and donor of the parish church in Valpovo. It took more than two decades for the spatial features of this church to

REMARKS ON THE CHURCH IN THE CONSUMER SOCIETY ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1.1 Product and services are inseparable. In business the concept of the customer is of paramount importance. The customer is so powerful that .... the early history of the church, it has always been evident that the church makes a difference in ...

the racial discourse and the dutch reformed church

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) distanced itself from racism in the middle eighties, and in ... “card” is part of the current debate, and the church is part of the discussion ...... Race an inequality in Brazil, South Africa and the United. States.

A pastoral examination of the Christian Church's response to fears of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-02-24

Feb 24, 2014 ... churches), the second is the African Independent Churches and the third is ..... Spiritual warfare is a lifestyle, not just an occasional event of .... and are mutually exclusive', The church leader in Africa: A training publication of.

Nursing body and soul in the parish: Lutheran deaconess motherhouses in Germany and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreutzer, Susanne

2010-01-01

In Lutheran Germany, parish nursing traditionally constituted the deaconesses' principal work. As "Christian mothers of the parish" they were charged with a wide spectrum of tasks, including nursing, social service, and pastoral care. At the center of the Christian understanding of nursing was the idea of nursing body and soul as a unity. This article analyzes the conception and transformation of Protestant parish nursing in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Germany and the United States, which developed very differently. In West Germany, parish nursing proved surprisingly resistant to modernization even in the face of upheavals of the 1960s, and in some places this traditional model survived as late as the 1980s and 1990s. In the United States, by contrast, an understanding of nursing rooted in the division of labor between care for body and care for soul had come to prevail by the 1920s and '30s, pushing out the German model of the parish deaconess altogether.

Calvin’s view on church discipline and unity: a South African perspective

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P.J. Strauss

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The reformer John Calvin, born in 1509, considers discipline and unity as two essential aspects of the Christian church. According to him, the bond of church discipline is a way to unite church members in the truth of the Word and the Christian faith based thereupon. If discipline is exercised with exaggerated strictness and without compassion, tolerance and love, it can break the unity. Because church unity is essentially a unity of faith, or a unity in the truth of the Word, discipline can sever adulterated elements that threaten the unity from the church. Discipline, if correctly ap- plied, builds the unity of the church as a unity in religious truths.

Medieval Round Churches and the Shape of the Earth.

Science.gov (United States)

Haagensen, Erling; Lind, Niels C

2015-12-01

There is a unique cluster of four medieval round churches, linked by a simple geometry, on Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. Why so many and why so close together? Immediate simple answers are "Just by chance" and "For no reason." Why are the churches round? "Defense." This essay proposes another hypothesis for this unique situation: the churches are astronomical observatories, meant to solve a scientific problem (Is the Earth really spherical?) and a practical problem (How far is it to sail west to the Orient?). The capacity and desire to find answers, together with other practical needs related to astronomy, can better explain these round churches' special architecture. The geometry that connects them fits the ideal pattern with an angular accuracy of 1 minute of a degree. The round churches may be the earliest astronomical observatories in Christian Europe; other hypotheses have been shown to be untenable. Their location provides for a good method to estimate the Earth's extent in the east-west direction, seemingly the earliest such measurements.

The Christian Churches, the State, and Genocide in Rwanda

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Court, Anthony

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The churches in Rwanda have exercised considerable political influence during both the colonial and post-colonial periods. Although formally autonomous institutions subordinate to the state, in actuality they have cultivated political influence through their religious teachings and secular role as the loci of material and social resources. However, there is at least one key factor, which has contributed to their fluctuating political influence within Rwanda. During the colonial period, the dominant Catholic Church functioned within a colonial regime of indirect rule, predicated on sustaining the political authority of a Tutsi-dominated Central Court presiding over the territories roughly contiguous with the present-day republic. This threefold division of power and authority acted as a brake upon the hegemonic ambitions of the Church, the royal house and the colonial administrators. Following the abolition of the monarchy in 1961, the structure of political power and authority of the state was fundamentally transformed, clearing the way for the emergence of a state church whose political role in the two Hutu dominated post-colonial republics would have significant historical implications. In this essay, I argue that it was this structural transformation of the Rwandan polity - marking the shift from a trilateral to a dual relationship between state and Church -, which contributes to our understanding of how the Church became embroiled in the mass violence and genocide in the twentieth century Rwandan polity.

Against all odds: Alphaeus Zulu and racism in church and society

OpenAIRE

Simangaliso Kumalo, R; Mbaya, Henry

2015-01-01

This article examines the response of Bishop Alphaeus Hamilton Zulu to the racism that was prevalent in both the church and society when he was elected as the first African Bishop of the Anglican Church in South Africa. Clergy, especially bishops, are by virtue of their ecclesial positions expected to transcend racial prejudices, to embrace all members of their churches and to transform their churches to multi-racial ones. This means that they have to deal with racial stereotypes both within ...

The Evangelical Covenant Church’s Response to the Civil Rights Movement, 1963–1968

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Ramelia Williams

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this article I examine whether denominational resolutions on racial relations were in fact increasingly followed by action during the civil rights era. Focusing on the years 1963–1968, my study begins by considering broad denominational engagement through attention to the work of the Christian Citizenship Committee and to Covenant publications. Two congregational case studies follow. After briefer attention to Community Covenant Church of Minneapolis, I consider North Park Covenant Church of Chicago as an in-depth case study, enabled by extensive archival records housed at the Covenant Archives and Historical Library. My research bears witness to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the church and denominational leaders that defied the status quo and proclaimed through their actions the presence of the kingdom of God on earth.

INCREASING ECONOMIC WELFARE OF CHURCH CONGREGATION : A CONCEPT OF EMPOWERMENT

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TONGAM SIHOL NABABAN

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In our community, many structural problems unresolved well, especially in social and economic life. Seeing this reality, the Church needs to have a sensitivity and a strong commitment to encourage cooperation of some parties to empower people, especially its congregation. Congregation of the Church, especially the poor need to be raised and empowered to pursue their own welfare through economic business. One manifestation of the Church's task is to empower the community-based and to revitalize its role more focused on optimizing the institution of community economy. For that, it is important to use the Model of Empowerment of Congregation-Based Community Economic in form of business partnership. The success of congregation economic empowerment lies in the motivation and orientation of the actors themselves, where the Church is expected to seriously fight. Keywords: Church, Congregation, Community-Based Economic, Business Partnership,  Empowerment.

Solar and Calendrical Symbolism in the Early Medieval Finnish Church Murals

Science.gov (United States)

Ridderstad, Marianna

2015-05-01

The earliest church murals of the first stone churches in Finland were painted at the time when Christianity had only just become the official faith in the region and the old ethnic religion was still widely practiced. The 'pagan' motifs of these Early Medieval Finnish church murals reflect the complexity of the religious beliefs in this transition phase. The church actively transformed the festivals of the vernacular religion by giving Christian meanings to the symbols and rituals, as well as by replacing the ethnic deities with Christian figures. The solar symbolism and the calendrical motifs of the church murals are interpreted as imagery largely based on the Christianized remnants of the pre-Christian annual festivals. The earliest church murals thus provide important insight into the pre-Christian religious beliefs of late Iron Age Finland. Many of the motifs and symbols represented in the murals are related to the annual fertility cult and the solar goddess as one of its central figures.

Black churches and HIV/AIDS: factors influencing congregations’ responsiveness to social issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Fulton, Brad R

2011-01-01

The ambivalent response of many black churches to current social issues has caused some scholars to question the centrality of black churches within African-American communities. Using a nationally representative sample of black congregations, this study engages the debate about the institutional centrality of black churches by focusing on their response to HIV/AIDS. Although many congregational studies treat black churches as a monolithic whole, this analysis identifies heterogeneity among black churches that shapes their responsiveness to social issues. Contrary to prior claims, a congregation's liberal-conservative ideological orientation does not significantly affect its likelihood of having an HIV/AIDS program. Beyond assessing churches’ internal characteristics, this study uses institutional theory to analyze churches as open systems that can be influenced by their surrounding environment. It demonstrates that externally engaged congregations are significantly more likely to have a program. These results indicate that black churches maintain institutional centrality by engaging their external environment.

SOME CHURCH MANAGEMENT IN THE PRINCIPALITY SOUTHEAST RUSSIA IN XI-XII CENTURIES

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Наталья Вячеславовна Логачёва

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper shows that the joint cooperation of church and state in the principalities of South-Eastern XI-XII centuries. Emphasizes that the problem is not only scientific but also of practical interest for the modern Russian society. This experience is for national history an invaluable contribution to the field, both secular and ecclesiastical administration in feudal principalities and Old Russian state as a whole. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the process of establishing the relationship between church and state, which were formed, changed and improved over the centuries. In particular, the article says that the medieval relations between church and state were more active and expressed that the church served a number of public functions and is thus, a special part of government agencies and their authorities. At the same time, the author notes that the church was in this historical financial content of the state apparatus. In view of this church-state relations in ancient Russia, primarily in the South-East of Russia, wore a special character - the church was interested in the state, and the state - in the church.

Christian Church: A Catalyst for Economic Development in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Toshiba

The issue of economic development is of national concern. The. Nigerian economy ..... The Christian church has provided both moral and economic impetus ... posits that the church needs to concentrate on the business of creating economic ...

Unshackling the Church

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Vuyani Vellem

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In whose ‘order’, ‘newness’ and ‘foundation’ is ecclesiology based in South Africa? The colonial legacy of pigmentocracy, the cultural domination and annihilation of the indigenous dispensation of black Africans, is not devoid of institutional structures of faith and their historical performance in South Africa. The church is one institution in South Africa that played a crucial role in perpetrating perversities of racial, economic and cultural exclusion with a fetish of its institutional character that is still pervasive and dangerously residual in post-1994 South Africa. By presenting a brief outline of the basics on ecclesiology, the article argues that things remain the same the more things seem to change if the methodological approach to ecclesiology circumvents the edifice and foundations on which the history of ecclesiology in South Africa is built. To unshackle the church, a Black Theology of liberation must begin from and debunk the foundations of models of ecclesiology that are conceived on perverse theological and ideologised forms of faith that have become residually hazardous in South Africa post-1994.

Pentecostal mission spirituality: a study of the classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana

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White, Peter

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Mission is not just about proclaiming the gospel - it encompasses spiritual preparation of those involved in both mission activity and in converted souls. This approach is what is termed as mission spirituality in this article. Mission spirituality is the means by which churches and individual believers participate in the mission of God, through the way they live in and by the Holy Spirit, in order to know the will of God regarding what He is doing in their context and to follow His example. In view of the importance of mission spirituality in missionary activities of the church, this article explores the mission spirituality of the classical Pentecostal churches in Ghana (The church of Pentecost, Christ Apostolic Church International, The Apostolic Church Ghana and the Assemblies of God.

Elaborating on ubuntu in a Johannesburg inner-city church

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Elina Hankela

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article was originally delivered as the speech of the winner of the 2014 Donner Institute Prize for Outstanding Research into Religion, and deals with some core findings of the research that won the prize, namely, the doctoral thesis Challenging Ubuntu: Open Doors and Exclusionary Boundaries at the Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg. The author approaches the meanings of ubuntu (Nguni: humanity/humanness in the context of a Methodist church that sheltered thousands of African migrants in its premises in the inner city of Johannesburg. Using ethnographic research methods, she analyses both the inclusionary message of humanity preached at the church and the exclusionary boundaries between the people who lived in the church and the local congregation that worshipped there. Based on the social dynamics of the church community, the author suggests the rules of reciprocity and survival as some of the socio-moral patterns that set the boundaries to the actualisation of the moral ideal of ubuntu in this context. Overall, the case of this particular church speaks to a broader discussion of the meaning of and limits to being human in one world.

HEALS Hypertension Control Program: Training Church Members as Program Leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodani, Sunita; Beayler, Irmatine; Lewis, Jennifer; Sowders, Lindsey A

2014-01-01

Health disparities related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including stroke have remained higher in the African-Americans (AAs) than in other populations. HEALS is a faith-based hypertension (HTN) control program modified according to AA community needs, and delivered by the church-lay members called church health advisors (CHAs). This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of training CHAs as HEALS program leaders. Four CHAs completed a 10-hour HEALS program training workshop at the Church, conducted by the nutrition experts. Workshop was evaluated by CHAs on their level of satisfaction, clarity of contents covered and comfort in delivery the program to the church congregation. The overall six main HEALS curriculum components were completed. Workshop was highly evaluated by CHAs on length of training, balance between content and skills development, and level of satisfaction with program delivery. Church-based culturally modified health promotion interventions conducted by the community lay members may be a way to reduce health disparities in ethnic minorities.

The Spoken Word, the Book and the Image in the Work of Evangelization

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Jerzy Strzelczyk

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the ‘material’ equipment of the early missionaries who set out to evangelize pagans and apostates, since the authors of the sources focused mainly on the successes (or failures of the missions. Information concerning the ‘infrastructure’ of missions is rather occasional and of fragmentary nature. The major part in the process of evangelization must have been played by the spoken word preached indirectly or through an interpreter, at least in the areas and milieus remote from the centers of ancient civilization. It could not have been otherwise when coming into contact with communities which did not know the art of reading, still less writing. A little more attention is devoted to the other two media, that is, the written word and the images. The significance of the written word was manifold, and – at least as the basic liturgical books are concerned (the missal, the evangeliary? – the manuscripts were indispensable elements of missionaries’ equipment. In certain circumstances the books which the missionaries had at their disposal could acquire special – even magical – significance, the most comprehensible to the Christianized people (the examples given: the evangeliary of St. Winfried-Boniface in the face of death at the hands of a pagan Frisian, the episode with a manuscript in the story of Anskar’s mission written by Rimbert. The role of the plastic art representations (images during the missions is much less frequently mentioned in the sources. After quoting a few relevant examples (Bede the Venerable, Ermoldus Nigellus, Paul the Deacon, Thietmar of Merseburg, the author also cites an interesting, although not entirely successful, attempt to use drama to instruct the Livonians in the faith while converting them to Christianity, which was reported by Henry of Latvia.

Portuguese Cistercian Churches - An acoustic legacy

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Fabiel G.; Lanzinha, João C. G.; Martins, Ana M. T.

2017-10-01

The Cistercian Order (11th century) stands out as an apologist of the simplicity and austerity of the space. According to the Order of Cîteaux, only with an austere space, without any distractions, the true spiritual contemplation is achieved. This Order was an aggregator and consolidator pole during the Christian Reconquest. Thus, as it happens with other Religious Orders, Cîteaux has a vast heritage legacy. This heritage is witness, not only of the historical, but also social, political, and spiritual evolution. This legacy resumes the key principles to an austere liturgy, which requirements, in the beginning, are based on the simplicity of worship and of the connection between man and God. Later, these requirements allowed the development of the liturgy itself and its relation with the believers. Consequently, it can be concisely established an empirical approach between the Cistercian churches and the acoustics conditioning of these spaces. This outcome is fundamental in order to understand the connection between liturgy and the conception of the Cistercian churches as well as the constructed space and its history. So, an analysis of these principles is essential to establish the relation between acoustic and religious buildings design throughout history. It is also a mean of understanding the knowledge of acoustics principles that the Cistercian Order bequeathed to Portugal. This paper presents an empirical approach on Cistercian monastic churches acoustics. These spaces are the place where the greatest acoustic efforts are concentrated and it is also the space where the liturgy reaches greater importance. On the other hand, Portugal is a country which has an important Cistercian legacy over several periods of history. Consequently, the Portuguese Cistercian monastic churches are representative of the development of the liturgy, the design of spaces and of the acoustic requirements of their churches since the 12th century until the 21st century and it is of

Getting young adults back to church: A marketing approach

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-04-04

Apr 4, 2013 ... In a business context, marketing is used to recruit new customers. Similarly, the .... church can be used as a basis for young adults to experience the church .... the spatial relationships (distances) between the items, whereas ...

Geological and geotechnical properties of the medieval rock hewn churches of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Asrat, Asfawossen; Ayallew, Yodit

2011-01-01

Lalibela is a medieval settlement in Northern Ethiopia famous for its 11 beautifully carved rock hewn churches, registered as World Heritage Site in 1978. The rock hewn churches are grouped into three based on their proximity: the Bete Medhane Alem (Church of the Holy Saviour), Bete Gabriel-Rufael (Church of St. Gabriel-Rafael) and Bete Giorgis (Church of St. George) groups. The churches are carved out of a single, massive scoriaceous basalt hill which was deposited along an East-West extending palaeovalley in the Oligo-Miocene Trap basalt of the northwestern Ethiopian plateau. The Rock Mass Rating (RMR) classification scheme was used to classify the rock mass (assuming each church as a separate rock mass) based on their uniaxial compressive strength and the spacing and conditions of discontinuities. Though most of the churches are hewn from medium to high strength rock mass, discontinuities make them vulnerable to other deteriorating agents mainly weathering, and water infiltration. Most of the rock hewn churches are affected by pre-carving cooling joints and bedding plane discontinuities, and by mostly but not necessarily post-carving tectonic and seismic induced cracks and fractures. Material loss due to deep weathering triggered by rain water infiltration and uncontrolled groundwater seepage affects most of the churches, particularly the Bete Merqorios (Church of St. Mark) and Bete Aba Libanos (Church of Father Libanos) churches. The scoriaceous basalt which is porous and permeable allows easy passage of water while the underlying basalt is impermeable, increasing the residence time of water in the porous material, causing deep weathering and subsequent loss of material in some of the churches and adjoining courtyards.

Becoming Bioethically Confident: The Contribution of Learning Experiences in Seminary and Congregational Ministry to Evangelical Pastors' Wise Leadership on Bioethical Concerns

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Paige Comstock

2017-01-01

This study explores the factors that contribute to evangelical pastors becoming bioethically confident leaders of their congregation. This basic qualitative study invited twenty-five pastors who have a M.Div. or similar seminary degree to share their experiences of theological education, congregational ministry, and their views of pastoral moral…

Hiding behind the Cloth: Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Kathryn A.; Alpert, Judith L.

2007-01-01

The existence of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has shocked many. In this article, the authors review the history of child sexual abuse in the church, the recent events that brought this tragedy into societal consciousness, and the efforts by the church to conceal the abuse. Two sources of empirical literature, the general…

Statements of the church on the peaceful use of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldhaus, S.

1990-01-01

Also the churches participated in the extensive discussion of energy politics effected in the FRG in the middle of the 70ies by the increased use of nuclear energy. There are a whole host of statements of the church, from general questions of energy supply to concrete yes/no statements on the further peaceful use of nuclear energy. Within the framework of a comparative analysis it has been tried to bring out of records the chronological order of statements on this subject made by both churches as well as by the ecumenical movement, the differences and common ground with regard to the analysis categories, the way the church sees herself, theological interpretations, ethical criteria and thus the requirements concerning energy politics based on these. The result shows that there are considerable differences of opinion between the Catholic and the Protestant Church about nuclear energy whereas the ecumenical statements constitute a real compromise as in the end the opinion of none of the two churches could gain full acceptance. (orig.) [de

Church Member Support Benefits Psychological Well-Being of Pregnant African American Women

Science.gov (United States)

Giurgescu, Carmen; Murn, Nicole L.

2016-01-01

Depression during pregnancy is common, and pregnant African American (AA) women are more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared with pregnant non-Hispanic white women. This study explored AA women’s experience of church attendance, church member support, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being at 15–25 weeks’ gestation. Nurses need to be aware of the importance of church support and encourage clergy and church members to be supportive of pregnant women. PMID:27119803

Northeast Church Rock Mine

Science.gov (United States)

Northeast Church Rock Mine, a former uranium mine 17 miles northeast of Gallup, NM in the Pinedale Chapter of the Navajo Nation. EPA is working with NNEPA to oversee cleanup work by United Nuclear Corporation, a company owned by General Electric (GE).

Hierarchy of the Russian Church and Relations between the Horde and the Russian Church during the Tatar-Mongol Invasion of 1237–1240 according to Contemporary Estimates.

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T.R. Galimov

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The author analyzes activities of the Russian church and its supreme hierarchs during the most active period of the Russian-Horde conflict (1237–1240. Materials: Old Russian chronicles and tales remain the main source of information on the activities of the church hierarchy during the military-political confrontation between Russian principalities and the Horde. As it has been shown by studies of recent years, complex of scenes depicting the struggle against the invaders is not so clear, as it was considered to be in the national historiography for many decades. This observation allows a new reading of the reports on church life in Rus’ during the most acute phase of Russian-Horde war. Results and novelty of the research: Events of 1237–1240 led to a fundamental change in the existing situation in Rus’. This concerned not only the power but also religious institutions. The results of this study suggest that behavior of church hierarchs became the main cause of changes in the socio-political and economic spheres of ancient Russian ecclesiastical organization. The church accepted the rule of the Horde over Rus’ and the Horde benefits and awards reinforced the higher clergy’s loyalty to the khans’ power. This circumstance required the church to declare its stance in respect to the new power. As a result, the need for accepting existing relations between the church and the Horde found its justification in the concept of “Plagues of God”. Such an ideological justification removed conquerors’ responsibility for the ills that befell Rus’ and justified contacts between the church and the Horde. Old Russian sources do not provide direct estimates of the prelates’ behavior. But reading of the chronicle reports leave the impression that contemporaries assessed the behavior of the church quite ambiguously and probably reprehensibly.

Christianization of folk customs: An example of Ox'Church

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Ivanović-Barišić Milina

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the process of transformation of a pre-Christian custom in Zuce, a village near by Belgrade. The custom is called 'provlaka', held all until the WW II on August 29. This custom was established after the cattle pest in the village. Since WW II, however, this day is celebrated as the village St. patrons/slava day. After the village church has been built and blessed in 2002, the day became also celebrated as one of the church's slava days. Transformation of holidays assumes vanishing of some and appearance of some other segments of the given custom: 1. Until WW II the most important segment of the custom 'provlaka' was extracting wild fire and passage of people and cattle. This custom was maintained with an aim of preventive protection against epidemics. 2. A significant feature of annual celebration of calendar holidays included collective gatherings. On this day people visit relatives from other villages, attend lunch together, and gather at a particular village spot in the afternoon. 3. The beginning of the church building has allowed introduction of religious elements in celebration. In the morning, it is a time usually to attend a liturgy, while what follows represent some inherited customs like reception and eating together with relatives and friends. 4. After the village church has been built and blessed in 2002, the day became also celebrated as one of the church's slava days. This assumes presentation of the village cake maker and cake cutting in the church, accompanied by a local priest.

Insight into the Fulnek Church and Parish Medieval Building Chronology

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Augustinková Lucie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The church of the Holy Trinity and parish in Fulnek was for nearly four centuries an Augustinian canonry and collegiate church (1293-1389. The medieval church and parish building chronology, however, have not been thus far established. From research between 2015 and 2016 we have been able to identify medieval portions of the buildings, clarify the site medieval construction phases and date the parish buildings (formerly the canonry from dendrochronological analysis of embedded wooden scaffolding.

Theologian in the service of the Church

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Gheorghe Metallinos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The word about God anticipates some knowledge of God, and the knowledge of God can never be a fruit of the rational, intellectual, metaphysical research, but only of the holy-spiritual experience. Consequently, a theologian of the Church is not the rational man, however great his achievements may be, but the spirtual man, who has the experience of the Saints, namely who has tasted and is living the states of purification, illumination and deification. Disconnected from the reality of the spiritual life, a theologian becomes a false prophet. On the other hand, the Church cannot be divided into two parts, one that ministers to the believers in the place of worship, and another one that speaks from the teacher’s desk, through the theologians’ voice, but is one and the same Church. Actually, there is no existence more tragic than the one of a theologian, on any education level, teaching things to which he is not connected on the inside, by the heart, and which he does not accept or believe. If such a thing means failure for any science, however, for the area of Theology it is directly suicidal. In fact, the lack of the Orthodox and ecclesial way of thinking and living makes the person theologizing in the area of the Orthodoxy dangerous, because as an officially recognized teacher of Orthodox Theology, he functions as a representative of the Church tradition, while he is nothing but a false prophet. And, while, probably, the science of philology is not endangered by an unlearned philologist or the science of law by an unjust legist, the science of theology is logically denied in the person of its servant who is an unbelieving or atheist theologian and creates very great obstacles in the way of the accomplishment of the redeeming mission of the Church in the world.

Probabilistic Feasibility of the Reconstruction Process of Russian-Orthodox Churches

Science.gov (United States)

Chizhova, M.; Brunn, A.; Stilla, U.

2016-06-01

The cultural human heritage is important for the identity of following generations and has to be preserved in a suitable manner. In the course of time a lot of information about former cultural constructions has been lost because some objects were strongly damaged by natural erosion or on account of human work or were even destroyed. It is important to capture still available building parts of former buildings, mostly ruins. This data could be the basis for a virtual reconstruction. Laserscanning offers in principle the possibility to take up extensively surfaces of buildings in its actual status. In this paper we assume a priori given 3d-laserscanner data, 3d point cloud for the partly destroyed church. There are many well known algorithms, that describe different methods of extraction and detection of geometric primitives, which are recognized separately in 3d points clouds. In our work we put them in a common probabilistic framework, which guides the complete reconstruction process of complex buildings, in our case russian-orthodox churches. Churches are modeled with their functional volumetric components, enriched with a priori known probabilities, which are deduced from a database of russian-orthodox churches. Each set of components represents a complete church. The power of the new method is shown for a simulated dataset of 100 russian-orthodox churches.

A Model Program for Churches and Ex-Offender Reintegration.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Thomas; Ryan, Patricia; Parikh, Crystal

1998-01-01

Prison Fellowship Ministries' church and community based Transition of Prisoners (TOP) program in Detroit is examined. TOP mobilizes, trains, and equips primarily African-American churches and volunteers to assist ex-offenders to successfully reintegrate into their community. Preliminary outcome data suggest that participation in TOP reduces need…

Iceland as a western country. How to classify medieval church law in the vernacular

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Lára Magnúsardóttir

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Iceland’s subjection to the king of Norway in 1262-64 was followed by a legislation in which a law book for Church and spiritual matters was composed in the vernacular for each country. Such law was implemented in Iceland in 1275 along with a separate secular law book in 1281. Both books remained in force until the middle of the 16th century. A church law that was separate, both from the secular law and that of Roman Church appears to set Iceland apart from other Western European countries where spiritual matters were governed according to the Latin law of the Roman Church. This has been viewed as an indication of constant rivalry between the religious and secular authorities, usually presenting the Church as an overreaching and even oppressive institution against which laity struggled. But a comparison of Icelandic Church law with the Latin Canon law shows that the Church in Iceland submitted entirely to the authority of the Roman Church and thus shows that the Icelandic Church law was, despite its obscure language, a specific representation of the law of the Roman Church. A Norwegian concordat from 1277 shows the king’s recognition of separate spiritual and temporal jurisdictions. This cooperation is readily apparent in later court cases.

Alexios I Komnenos and his Church Policy

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Iakovos MENELAOU

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Alexios I Komnenos has been characterized as a gifted military leader. Nevertheless, apart from his military career and after he took the throne, Alexios proceeded to certain measures in order to revive an empire in condition of decline. Alexios established himself as a defender of Orthodoxy, since he helped monasticism, fought heresies and supported the building or renewal of foundations, such as monasteries and churches. In this paper, I deal with Alexios’ church policy and how he defended Orthodoxy.

The Potential Role of Business Intelligence in Church Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Felder, Charmaine

2012-01-01

Business intelligence (BI) involves transforming data into actionable information to make better business decisions that may help improve operations. Although businesses have experienced success with BI, how leaders of church organizations might be able to exploit the advantages of BI in church organizations remains largely unexplored. The purpose…

Missional church and local constraints: A Dutch perspective

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Rein Brouwer

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The missional church concept promises to guide local churches in the direction of a new identity and mission. It is a response to a sense of ecclesiological and congregational urgency that is felt all over the world. In Africa, North America and Europe, churches and local faith communities have been challenged by the changes in the religious state of affairs since the 1960s. Whether we still call it �secularisation� or rephrase it as �differentiated transformation�, the face of religion is changing globally. In many parts of the world, this raises a feeling of crisis that gives way to the redef nition of the mission and purpose of the church. �Missional church�, however, is a precarious concept. Nobody disagrees with the intention but can it be more than an inspiring vision? In order to realise this vision, a multi-layered and multi-dimensional analysis of �culture� is essential. We should move the analysis beyond the philosophical interpretation of relatively abstract and evasive macro-level processes, such as �modernity� and �post-modernity�. The future of the missional church depends on a differentiated and empirical, informed perspective on culture. For this purpose, this article proposes the concept of ecology: A system of diverse populations, including populations of congregations and faith communities, that interacts with these populations and with their specific environments. Preparing a missional congregation for the future should be accompanied with a thorough empirical investigation into the ecology of the congregation. We should be thinking intensively about and looking for vital ecologies.

Healthcare and Catholic identity in the universal Church.

Science.gov (United States)

Danneels, C D

1987-10-01

Two topics that are closely related to the daily work and the primordial concern of Catholic healthcare givers are the meaning and sense of Catholic healthcare institutions, and the relationship between a particular Church and the universal Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council. Some question whether it is worthwhile to maintain independent Catholic institutions, rather than working with others in nondenominational healthcare institutions. Christian institutions are indispensable as a defense against the well-organized forces of evil in the world, and because togetherness is needed in the struggle for good and for faith. Without this togetherness, the danger exists that the power of faith will be taken over by the power of money and financial interest groups. The elements of the Catholic identity of institutions and organizations are a service to the world, the Gospel message, a balance between technology and humanism, a permanent solicitude for the whole person, and a respect for human liberty. This Catholic identity must be fostered in our institutions, especially among the laypeople working there. The relationship between the universal Church and local Churches has come under stress since the Second Vatican Council, and a balance must be found. The problem has two aspects: the theological, and the cultural and psychological. A sound communion theology must be established to provide a good perspective on the relationship. In addition, a dialogue must be established between Rome and the particular Churches to prevent the universal message of Christ in his Gospel from conflicting more and more with local styling of the message.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Relationships between Diversity Climate and Organizational Performance in Accredited, U.S. Evangelical Christian Colleges and Universities: Applying Cox's Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Kissell, Bradley W.

2014-01-01

The main objective of this study was to determine whether relationships existed between workplace diversity and organizational performance in accredited U.S. evangelical Christian colleges and universities. Evidence points to a rapidly changing demographic landscape. The U.S. and its workforce are quickly becoming racially and ethnically diverse.…

Employing the Church as a Marketer of Cancer Prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Lumpkins, Crystal Y.; Coffey, Candice R.; Daley, Christine M.; Greiner, K. Allen

2013-01-01

Health promotion programs designed to address colorectal cancer disparities among African Americans are increasing. Unfortunately, this group still shoulders a disproportionate mortality burden in the United States; these numbers are also reflective of colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities in the Midwest. The purpose of this study was to extrapolate results from in-depth interviews and brief surveys on the effectiveness of the church as a social marketer of CRC-prevention messages. Results show that pastors believe the congregation has limited knowledge about CRC risk and prevention; they also believe the church can improve cancer-prevention communication among members and those affiliated with the church. PMID:23718957

Spolia from the Church of St. Nicholas in Nikoljac

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Pejić Svetlana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Two, so far unknown, spolia with carved interlace ornaments, built into the wall of the Church of St. Nicholas in Nikoljac are analyzed. These spolia are a part of the collection of fragments discovered earlier in the Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje. A comparative analysis was performed on a multitude of pre-Romanic material, in order to determine the time when they were made and whether they originated from any specific circle of stonemasons, and also to identify the initial position of the fragments in the liturgical church furniture for which they had been carved. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177036

Instituting dispute resolution procedures in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe church

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Norman Chivasa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The need to institute dispute resolution procedures in the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM in Zimbabwe church informs this study. Remarkably, one of the most critical problems facing the AFM in Zimbabwe church is intrachurch disputes, which manifest in diverse forms such as pastors’ transfers disputes, election disputes and pastors’ performance disputes. Such disputes have produced undesirable consequences not only for pastors but also for the wellbeing of the church in general. Intrachurch disputes require internal mechanisms to manage them so that constructive rather than destructive results are achieved. To do this, internal dispute resolution procedures become critical as they provide a framework for the constructive resolution of disputes. The lived experience of disputes in the AFM in Zimbabwe church confirms the appropriateness of systems theory, which states that social institutions are vulnerable to disharmony owing to differing interacting elements. To mitigate the negative impact associated with disputes, this study proposes the need to institute dispute resolution procedures in the AFM in Zimbabwe, because the church currently relies only on disciplinary procedures to address disputes. The study further emphasises that instituting dispute resolution procedures will help the church handle disputes from within its ranks without necessarily involving local courts, which may have negative financial and relationship implications. Finally, the study develops a model for dispute resolution procedures as an instrument that can assist local churches in AFM in Zimbabwe church to handle disputes as and when they arise.

Acoustic simulations of Mudejar-Gothic churches.

Science.gov (United States)

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2009-09-01

In this paper, an iterative process is used in order to estimate the values of absorption coefficients of those materials of which little is known in the literature, so that an acoustic simulation can be carried out in Mudejar-Gothic churches. The estimation of the scattering coefficients, which is even less developed, is based on the size of the irregularities. This methodology implemented is applied to six Mudejar-Gothic churches of Seville (southern Spain). The simulated monophonic acoustic parameters, both in the frequency domain and as a function of source-receiver distance (spatial distribution), are analyzed and compared with the in situ measures. Good agreement has been found between these sets of values, whereby each parameter is discussed in terms of the just noticeable difference. This procedure for existing buildings, especially for those which are rich in heritage, enables a reliable evaluation of the effect on the maintenance, restoration, and conditioning for new uses, as well as the recreation of the acoustic environment of ancient times. Along these lines, the acoustic influence of the timber roof and the presence of the public in these churches have also been studied.

Oral Sources and Missionary Historiography in Igbo Church History ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper takes a look at the problems of oral sources and missionary historiography in Igbo church history, 1940-2012. Findings show that the problems of missionary and African Christian oral informants and historiographers had significant effect on Igbo church history. Primary and secondary means in the collection of ...

Responses to migration: Tensions and ambiguities of churches in Pretoria Central and Mamelodi East

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Wayne Renkin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article is a result of research being conducted to explore how churches in two regions of the City of Tshwane – Pretoria Central and Mamelodi East – respond to urban change and vulnerability. Both regions are deeply affected by urban migration patterns. Firstly, I will explore various forms of migration – transnational, rural-urban, urban–suburban and generational – and the causes of migration – social-economic and political – as experienced and described by the churches themselves. Secondly, I will seek to reflect on some of the tensions or ambiguities of how churches respond to migration, how the identity, self-understanding or locatedness of churches inform their responses to migration, and/or how churches and their identity are shaped by migration – commuter or local church, home or temporary church.

The Irish Church Disestablishment Act (1869) and the General Synod of the Church of Ireland (1871): The Art and Structure of Educational Reform

Science.gov (United States)

McCormack, Christopher F.

2018-01-01

Historians have observed that the period 1860-1890 was educationally progressive. This paper identifies the renaissance with the creation of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in the aftermath of Church Disestablishment. Disestablishment legislation facilitated the inclusion of the laity in Synod. The paper argues that the lay-clerical…

The Brand's PREACH Model: Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Dorine J; Alston, Reginald J

2017-09-01

Despite many attempts to reduce health disparities, health professionals face obstacles in improving poor health outcomes within the African American (AA) community. To promote change for improved health measures, it is important to implement culturally tailored programming through a trusted institution, such as the AA church. While churches have the potential to play an important role in positively impacting health among AAs, it is unclear what attributes are necessary to predict success or failure for health promotion within these institutions. The purpose of this study was to create a model, the Brand's PREACH ( Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health) Model, to predict the readiness of AA churches to engage in health promotion programming. Thirty-six semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with 12 pastors, 12 health leaders, and 12 congregants to gain information on the relationship between church infrastructure (physical structure, personnel, funding, and social/cultural support), readiness, and health promotion programming. The findings revealed that church infrastructure has an association with and will predict the readiness of a church to engage in health promotion programming. The ability to identify readiness early on will be useful for developing, implementing, and evaluating faith-based interventions, in partnership with churches, which is a key factor for sustainable and effective programs.

The political economy of churches in Denmark, 1300-2015

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paldam, Martin; Paldam, Ella

2017-01-01

The paper reports new time-series for the numbers and sizes of churches in Denmark over a 715-year period. Per capita, the new series are termed church densities. A pattern emerges in the series that corresponds to the main development in the economy: Until 1750, the economy was in the traditional...

The Pauluskerk: an unorthodox church in Rotterdam

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Frank van der Hoeven

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The tale of the rebuilding of the Pauluskerk (St. Paul’s Church in the Dutch city of Rotterdam is a multilayered story that blurs the lines between architecture, societal issues, policymaking and urban redevelopment.The original Pauluskerk was built in the late 1950s in a city centre that was still recovering from the damage it suffered during the Second World War. The church may never have received the attention it has were it not for Reverend Visser, who developed the church into a refuge for the outcasts of Dutch society: asylum seekers, homeless people and drug addicts. Visser’s activism eventually evolved into the Perron Nul (Platform Zero initiative, through which he organized support for the addicted and indigent on a scale not seen before in the city.The close proximity of the Pauluskerk to Rotterdam Central Station and the controversy surrounding its mission brought it slowly but steadily onto a collision course with the renewal and redevelopment of the station area, which would eventually lead to the demolition of the original Pauluskerk in 2007 and the construction of a new church building as part of the CalypSO project, designed by British architect William Alsop.This article brings these story lines together to showcase the complex process involved in an inner-city urban development founded in the well-established practice of local democracy, where consensus-seeking is the norm, even when this crosses societal borders.

Indicators of Commitment to the Church: A Longitudinal Study of Church-Affiliated Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Roger L.

1993-01-01

Examined late adolescents who drop out of church and others who remain committed to it. Survey of Seventh-day Adventist youth found commitment related to cognitive, experiential, and activity dimensions of religion. Ethical considerations, perception of one's importance to local congregation, and peer influence also played part in stepwise…

JPRS Report, China.

Science.gov (United States)

1991-09-30

five religions (Evangelical Christianity, can be carried out in the most rustic of circumstances. Catholicism, Buddhism, Taoism , and Islam ) have...church 30 none thorough analysis of religion in the area, including the Islam 800 5 1800 2 laws which govern its development, its organizational and...mosques mosques personnel structure, and its systems and activities, thereby Taoism 10-20 none 4-5 1 temple arriving at an objective evaluation of its

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: experimental results.

Science.gov (United States)

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria.

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: Experimental results

Science.gov (United States)

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria. .

The data collection/data distribution center: building a sustainable African-American church-based research network.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldmon, Moses; Roberson, James T; Carey, Tim; Godley, Paul; Howard, Daniel L; Boyd, Carlton; Ammerman, Alice

2008-01-01

This article describes the Carolina-Shaw Partnership for the Elimination of Health Disparities efforts to engage a diverse group of Black churches in a sustainable network. We sought to develop a diverse network of 25 churches to work with the Carolina-Shaw Partnership to develop sustainable health disparities research, education, and intervention initiatives. Churches were selected based on location, pastoral buy-in, and capacity to engage. A purposive sampling technique was applied. (1) Collecting information on the location and characteristics of churches helps to identify and recruit churches that possess the desired qualities and characteristics. (2) The process used to identify, recruit, and select churches is time intensive. (3) The time, energy, and effort required managing an inter-institutional partnership and engage churches in health disparities research and interventions lends itself to sustainability. The development of a sustainable network of churches could lead to successful health disparities initiatives.

Constantine and Christianity: The formation of church/state relations ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper discusses the effects of the events and legislation of that period on both church and state. It will attempt to explain how as a result of Constantine's policies, the Christian Church and the Roman State each gained control of, and influence over the other. This in turn resulted in a mutual dependency which allowed ...

The racial discourse and the Dutch Reformed Church: Looking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this article is to give a descriptive-empirical description of the relationship between the DRC and race by using the Church Mirror surveys. An altered social distance scale is used to measure church acceptance. In the discourse on race, acceptance and unity in the DRC with regard to racial prejudice and attitudes ...

21st Century Notae Ecclesiae specifically necessary for churches

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Test

2011-06-07

Jun 7, 2011 ... the true church from the false as arcane disciplines. However, these marks ... gospel is by the spread of gossip. ... are the four conditions of the true church. ..... to share the good news of the kingdom' (WCC, NMC 2005:11,. §41). .... February 2010, from http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=505.

Atomic energy - challenge to the church. Atomenergie - Herausforderung an die Kirchen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altner, G [comp.

1977-01-01

In the nuclear debate, the church has astonishingly soon and clearly stated its point of view and supported the social-ethic commitment of many of its members, of preachers, bishops, and church councils. This volume, in its first part, presents and comments on the church's statements concerning the nuclear problem, with special interest in the focal points of the nuclear debate, i.e. Wyhl, Brokdorf, Biblis, Grafenrheinfeld, and Borken. The second part deals with the challenge of nuclear power.

The law and financial transparency in churches: reconsidering the form 990 exemption

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John Montague

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Il contributo - già apparso su Cardozo Law Review, vol. 35, october 2013, n. 1, pp. 213-265 - è ora pubblicato per la cortesia dell’EditoreTABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction - I. Legislative History A. Early Legislative History of the Information Return Requirement - The Revenue Act of 1943 - 2. The Imposition of the Unrelated Business Income Tax in 1950 - 3. Expanding the Information Return and Unrelated Business Income Tax in 1969 - B. Televangelist Scandals During the 1980s - C. Recent Legislative History of the Information Return - 1. The William Aramony Scandal and Aftermath - 2. Recent Revisions to Form -II. Increased public access to and use of FORM 990 Information Returns - III. Churches should not be exempt from filing form - A. Churches Are Especially Susceptible to Financial Abuses /- 1. Many Churches Lack Basic Forms of Oversight and Accountability, Revealing Too Much Trust in the Honesty of Religious People - 2. Churches Where Power is Concentrated in the Hands of One Leader Provide the Ideal Structure for Financial Abuse - 3. Even at Churches with More Independent Boards, Leaders Still Maintain Undue Influence - 4. The Nature of Spiritual Leadership Gives Church Pastors Extraordinary Power - 5. Hierarchical Churches also Lack Proper Financial Oversight, and Lay Members Have Little Say in Accountability - B. Churches Themselves Would Benefit from Increased Transparency and Accountability - 1. Greater Transparency May Increase Donations - 2. Requiring Transparency Would Mitigate the Inevitable Fall in Donations from Scandals at Similar Institutions -3. Financial and Other Scandals, Caused or Exacerbated by Lack of Transparency, Have the Potential to Damage the Spiritual Lives of Churchgoers - C. Many Churchgoers Would Likely Welcome More Financial Transparency - D. Financial Transparency is Consistent with the Teachings of Many Churches - E. Self-Regulation Is Insufficient to Prevent Financial Abuse

The use of the term ‘DNA’ as a missiological metaphor in contemporary Church narratives

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Scott Andrews

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Missiologists propose that the Church and mission are inseparable as the Church has its very being because there is mission, and it is the Missio Dei which constitutes the Church. In recent history the Anglican Church has interpreted this as the essential ‘DNA’ of the local church which is to be a missional community. The church’s mission therefore is presented as the gift of participating through the Holy Spirit in the Son’s mission from the Father to the world. In other words, it is proposed that the Church is both the fruit of God’s mission and the agent of His mission. But, in order to communicate this relationship between Church and mission in a postmodern context, the use of new metaphors and new terminologies, which are derived from our contemporary context, is shaping new ways of thinking. An exploration of the development of missional churches considers the significance of developing and embedding what has become referred to as missional DNA or mDNA at every level of the organisation of the Church. This mDNA is the outward model of missional behaviour that compels the whole church to reach a lost world. It can be seen from evidence-based, case study research amongst large churches in the UK that there is consistency in the adoption and use of the term DNA by its leadership in reference to the local church’s values and its attitude towards mission. This article explores the hypothesis that the term DNA is commonly accepted amongst local churches as a contributor to a contemporary language that forms the narrative of the Church and explores its feasibility and shortcomings as an adopted missiological metaphor.

PROMOTING TRADITIONAL FAMILY BY THE CHURCH – RELIGIOUS MARKETING STRATEGIES

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Ciprian GAVRA

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We live in a postmodern period where the old values or imperatives have lost the force as they were replaced by new values. Amidst this chaos, the Church opens its road by promoting values such as family and marriage based upon responsibility, understanding, compromise, etc. If the current trends move towards the personal satisfaction with everything this aspect involves, the Church is trying to preserve the traditionalism, the union between a man and a woman, the marriage. In our work we aim to analyze the methods by which the Orthodox Church promotes the heterosexual marriage.

Church-Based Social Support Among Caribbean Blacks in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Ann W.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Chatters, Linda M.

2016-01-01

An emerging body of research notes the importance of church-based social support networks in the daily lives of Americans. However, few studies examine church-based support, and especially among ethnic subgroups within the U.S. Black population, such as Caribbean Blacks. This study uses data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) to examine demographic and religious participation (e.g., attendance, interaction) correlates of church-based social support (e.g., receipt of emotional support, receipt of general support, provision of support to others, and negative interaction) among Caribbean Blacks residing in the U.S. Multiple regression analyses indicated that religious participation was associated with all four dependent variables. Church attendance was positively associated with receiving emotional support, general social support, and providing support to others, but was not associated with negative interaction. Frequency of interaction with fellow congregants was positively associated with receiving emotional support, receiving general support, providing support to others and negative interaction. Demographic findings indicated that women provided more support to church members and experienced more negative interactions with members than did men. Education was positively associated with frequency of support; household income was negatively associated with receiving emotional support and providing social support to others. Findings are discussed in relation to the role of church-based support networks in the lives of Caribbean Black immigrants and communities. PMID:27942078

Financing of the National Churches in the Nordic Countries, England and Scotland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjems, Sidsel; Bille, Trine

This article analyses the financing of seven national churches in a large comparative study. The national churches in the Nordic countries and in England and Scotland are compared. They have many similarities in terms of history, intertwinement with the state, type and level of religiosity...... of the population, public role and public responsibilities, but the level of financing differs greatly. The purpose of the article is to discuss possible explanations for the differences in the level of financing. Adjusting for cost of public service tasks and for GDP leaves a large difference in financing among...... the seven national churches. We suggest that the source of finance is a determinant factor for the level of finance of national churches. Comparing the sources and level of financing of seven national churches in the Nordic countries, England and Scotland shows that financing by a taxation right yields...

Ecumenical church renewal: the example of the United Reformed Church.

OpenAIRE

Camroux, Martin Frederick

2014-01-01

Background to the Research.\\ud In his enthronement sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1942 William Temple famously declared the ecumenical movement to be ‘the great new fact of our era’. For much of the twentieth century it was the major metanarrative of Church renewal. By the end of the century however the enthusiasm had largely dissipated, the organizations which represented it were in decline, and the hoped for organic unity looked further away than ever. Surprisingly little has been wr...

Liquidation of the Belarusian Renovationist Church in 1934–1938

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Baranenko Viktor

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the process of liquidation in 1934-1938 of the Belarusian Renovationist Church as a religious community having its hierarchical and organisational structure. The study is based on a complex of legal archival documents. The aim of the paper is to describe the activity of renovationist institutions in the territory of the BSSR in the absence of a collective form of government of the Russian Orthodox (Renovationist Church during the period of “independent clerical government”. The paper also gives statistics on the clergy and Orthodox ecclesiastical institutions of the BSSR in the 2nd half of the 1930s. It also discusses forms of adaptation of Orthodox clergy to prohibitions and limitations imposed by the state during the period of the “Great Purge”. The main conclusion of the paper is that the reason for the disappearance of Church Renovationism in the BSSR was the oppressive politics of the Soviet government against the Belarusian Renovationist Church fi gures.

360° FILM BRINGS BOMBED CHURCH TO LIFE

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K. Kwiatek

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explores how a computer-generated reconstruction of a church can be adapted to create a panoramic film that is presented in a panoramic viewer and also on a wrap-around projection system. It focuses on the fundamental principles of creating 360º films, not only in 3D modelling software, but also presents how to record 360º video using panoramic cameras inside the heritage site. These issues are explored in a case study of Charles Church in Plymouth, UK that was bombed in 1941 and has never been rebuilt. The generation of a 3D model of the bombed church started from the creation of five spherical panoramas and through the use of Autodesk ImageModeler software. The processed files were imported and merged together in Autodesk 3ds Max where a visualisation of the ruin was produced. A number of historical images were found and this collection enabled the process of a virtual reconstruction of the site. The aspect of merging two still or two video panoramas (one from 3D modelling software, the other one recorded on the site from the same locations or with the same trajectories is also discussed. The prototype of 360º non-linear film tells a narrative of a wartime wedding that occurred in this church. The film was presented on two 360º screens where members of the audience could make decisions on whether to continue the ceremony or whether to run away when the bombing of the church starts. 3D modelling software made this possible to render a number of different alternati ves (360º images and 360º video. Immersive environments empower the visitor to imagine the building before it was destroyed.

360° Film Brings Bombed Church to Life

Science.gov (United States)

Kwiatek, K.

2011-09-01

This paper explores how a computer-generated reconstruction of a church can be adapted to create a panoramic film that is presented in a panoramic viewer and also on a wrap-around projection system. It focuses on the fundamental principles of creating 360º films, not only in 3D modelling software, but also presents how to record 360º video using panoramic cameras inside the heritage site. These issues are explored in a case study of Charles Church in Plymouth, UK that was bombed in 1941 and has never been rebuilt. The generation of a 3D model of the bombed church started from the creation of five spherical panoramas and through the use of Autodesk ImageModeler software. The processed files were imported and merged together in Autodesk 3ds Max where a visualisation of the ruin was produced. A number of historical images were found and this collection enabled the process of a virtual reconstruction of the site. The aspect of merging two still or two video panoramas (one from 3D modelling software, the other one recorded on the site) from the same locations or with the same trajectories is also discussed. The prototype of 360º non-linear film tells a narrative of a wartime wedding that occurred in this church. The film was presented on two 360º screens where members of the audience could make decisions on whether to continue the ceremony or whether to run away when the bombing of the church starts. 3D modelling software made this possible to render a number of different alternati ves (360º images and 360º video). Immersive environments empower the visitor to imagine the building before it was destroyed.

EVANGELICAL IMAGES AND MOTIFS IN SERGEY ORLOV'S POEMS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF KULIKOVO (IN COMPARISON WITH ALEXANDER BLOK'S CYCLE OF POEMS "ON THE FIELD OF KULIKOVO"

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Svetlana Olegovna Zakharchenko

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The Battle of Kulikovo is one of the most significant events in Russian history. This article studies five poems by Alexander Blok and Sergey Orlov devoted to this battle. Alexander Blok's cycle of poems On the Field of Kulikovo prophetically predicts future changes in Russia. Sergey Orlov's poems devoted to this historical event can be seen as a certain indicator of his creative evolution. The image of the homeland, as well as the image of his wife (widow, both in Blok's and Orlov's poems originates from the image of the Mother of God. Images of a celestial body used by both poets are associated with military paraphernalia and arise from the evangelical images, while the warrior image is based on the evangelical image of brotherhood. Poetic experience of Alexander Blok and Sergey Orlov reveals Orthodox roots that nourish the entire Russian culture.

Assessment of Participation of Churches in Social Forestry in Uyo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

These reasons, individually had significant (p<0.05) influence on respondents' unwillingness to plant trees on vacant lands. There is need for enlightenment campaigns in churches in Uyo LGA of Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, to deflate wrong beliefs that trees host evil spirits. Keywords: Participation, churches, social forestry, Uyo ...

''Your Big Wedding Day''. Temporal Goal in Church Marriage Rituals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robinson, R.; Hermans, C.A.M.; Scheepers, P.L.H.; Schilderman, J.B.A.M.

2007-01-01

In this contribution the authors explore notions about the origin and destiny of bridal couples’ relationships from participants’ views of church marriage rituals. A church wedding can be a pivotal moment in a bridal couple’s life, and on these occasions people tend to contemplate the past and the

Pilgrimage to Wellness: An Exploratory Report of Rural African American Clergy Perceptions of Church Health Promotion Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Carter-Edwards, Lori; Hooten, Elizabeth Gerken; Bruce, Marino A.; Toms, Forrest; Lloyd, Cheryl LeMay; Ellison, Calvin

2013-01-01

Churches serve a vital role in African American communities and may be effective vehicles for health promotion in rural areas where disease burden is disproportionately greater and healthcare access is more limited than other communities. Endorsement by church leadership is often necessary for the approval of programs and activities within churches; however, little is known about how church leaders perceive their respective churches as health promotion organizations. The purpose of this exploratory pilot was to report perceptions of church capacity to promote health among African American clergy leaders of predominantly African American rural churches. The analysis sample included 27 pastors of churches in Eastern NC who completed a survey on church health promotion capacity and perceived impact on their own health. Capacities assessed included perceived need and impact of health promotion activities, church preparedness to promote health, health promotion actions to take, and the existence and importance of health ministry attributes. The results from this pilot study indicated a perceived need to increase the capacity of their churches to promote health. Conducting health programs, displaying health information, collaborations within the church (i.e., kitchen committee working with the health ministry), partnerships outside of the church, and funding were most commonly reported needed capacities. Findings from this exploratory work lay the foundation for the development of future, larger observational studies that can specify some of the key factors associated with organizational change and ultimately health promotion in these rural church settings. PMID:22694157

The unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa: Reflections and recommendations

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Mookgo S. Kgatle

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article reflects and makes recommendations on the recent unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa. Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa refer to churches that have crossed denominational boundaries. These churches idolise the miraculous, healing, deliverance and enactment of bizarre church performances often performed by charismatic and highly influential spiritual leaders. There have been unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches that include, among others, the eating of grass, eating of snakes, drinking of petrol, spraying of Doom on the congregants and other experiences. There are many possible theological, psychological and socio-economic explanations for these unusual practices. Given the facts that many South Africans experience various socio-economic challenges, it is argued here that the socio-economic factor is the main explanation for the support of these unusual practices. The unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa are critically unpacked by looking at various churches where the incidents happened. The possible theological, psychological and socio-economic explanations for such practices are outlined in detail. Recommendations are made based on the scientific findings on the unusual practices.

Calvin on church and government

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W.A. Dreyer

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This article examines Calvin’s understanding of civil govern- ment as well as the relationship between church and govern- ment against the background of radical political change during the sixteenth century. It becomes clear that Calvin had an organic understanding of church, government and people. These three entities are interwoven and interact on the basis of the covenant and civil contract. Calvin’s approach, however, is not limited to the covenant, but has a surprising richness and diversity. He integrated theological, juristic and philosophical concepts in his understanding of the state. It is further shown that Calvin’s high regard for civil government, entrenched the corpus christianum, even though he clearly distinguished between ecclesiastical and civil governance. It is also shown that Calvin had a fundamental influence on many of the political concepts which are generally accepted within modern democra- cies.

House Church: Investigating Chinese Urban Christians’ Choice of Religious Practicing Site in Wuhan, China

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Junqiang Han

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we discuss the reasons why urban Christians choose certain sites for religious activities and explain the rapid development of house churches in urban areas in China from the perspective of individual Christians, through survey data obtained by the Chinese Urban Research Center for Ethnic and Religious Affairs Management in the city of Wuhan. We found that Christians who attend religious activities in urban house churches are generally younger in age, higher in education level, and more likely to be working in independent, private, or foreign-invested enterprises. Further investigation reveals that “Three-Self churches” are few in number and poorly planned geographically, resulting in very limited service abilities, thus being far from satisfactory for all believers. Moreover, the activities of such churches are unvaried and lack attractiveness. On the other hand, in house churches, Christians are able to build tight-knit social networks and house churches are more competitively aware in the “religious market”, leading some urban Christians to choose house churches, thereby inciting the fast development of house churches in Chinese urban areas.

Feminists and their perspectives on the church fathers' beliefs regarding women: An inquiry

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Hannelie Wood

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The church fathers and their views on women were influenced substantially and significantly by philosophical voices, such as that of Aristotle and Plato, amongst others. A brief account on Aristotle�s and Plato�s ideas about women, from feminist perspectives, will be touched upon. The article furthermore explores feminist voices, regarding the church fathers� thinking about women, and how these views contributed to women�s subordination and domination. The research will focus on the many varied views on women held by Latin church fathers, such as Tertullian (c. 155�255, Cyprian (c. 200�258 AD, Jerome (c. 347�419, Ambrose (c. 339�397 and Augustine (354�430, and the Greek church fathers, such as Clement of Alexander (c. 150�215, Origen (c. 185�254 and Chrysostom (c. 347�407, from the perspective of feminists. It will be contended that an insensitive and too early denunciation of the early church fathers as misogynists often occurs in women�s history without taking into consideration the church fathers� philosophical and social contexts and, hence, the opinions that formed their views. One such theory that helped to shape the church fathers� views about women is the classic medical theory, and this therefore merits a brief discussion. Another important point one has to take into account is the church fathers� perceptions of the carnal (sexual and the spiritual world that shaped their views about women.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: History teaches us what people before us did, what their intentions were and where they failed or went wrong. If historical viewpoints about women reflect women�s subordination and oppression, they force women to discover their roots and their past. The church fathers, however, inherited a long tradition of debates, beliefs, and arguments regarding women�s moral, intellectual, and natural capacities. Therefore, generalised, simplified, and unsympathetic views

Church-State Relations in Cameroon's Postcolony: The Case of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The socio-political role of mainline Christian churches in the African postcolony tends to be more complex than a number of pessimistic and optimistic scholars originally assumed. There is growing evidence that the relations between church leaders and the authoritarian and corrupt elites, who seek to exercise hegemony in ...

Mathematical-geographical analysis of the orientation of St John’s church of the Studenica monastery

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Tadić Milutin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the fact that ecclesiastical rules do not precisely say that a church must be directed “to the East” or “to sunrise”, it should always be checked if there is a connection between the orientation of a church and geometry of the Sun. In this paper, such examination is performed on the example of the church of St. John (the 13th century, one of four churches of the Studenica monastery, in the following way: 1 using gnomon method, the azimuth of the main longitudinal axis of the church is measured; 2 the altitude above the horizon of the point in which the extended axis of the church touches the true horizon is determined by cartometry; 3 the most probable dates when the Sun rises at that point are determined: May 7th according to Gregorian calendar, or April 30th according to Julian calendar, in the 13th century. The applied method is described in details and it can be applied for the analysis of the orientation of any other medieval church. This method can determine the time when the church was founded, as well as the fact if the church is original, or possibly erected on the foundations of some older sacral object.

Effective strategic leadership: Balancing roles during church transitions

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Noel J. Pearse

2011-08-01

Full Text Available As part of their responsibilities of leading the organisation, strategic leaders are responsible for leading change. This article investigated the application of the strategic leadership of change within the church context. A Straussian approach to the grounded theory method was used to generate a substantive grounded theory of organisational change and leadership, particularly focusing on the manifestation and management of organisation inertia in churches within South Africa that were transitioning from a programme based to a cell based church design. This article reported on one aspect of this study and focused on the patterns of leadership roles. It further distinguished between effective and ineffective leadership patterns that either enhanced or compromised the credibility of the leader and by implication, affected the success of the change intervention. The results of the study were discussed from the perspective of social capital theory, thereby contributing to understanding the role of strategic leaders in building social capital within the context of organisation change.

Spiritual and Affective Responses to a Physical Church and Corresponding Virtual Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Matt; Davies, Jim

2017-11-01

Architectural and psychological theories posit that built environments have the potential to elicit complex psychological responses. However, few researchers have seriously explored this potential. Given the increasing importance and fidelity of virtual worlds, such research should explore whether virtual models of built environments are also capable of eliciting complex psychological responses. The goal of this study was to test these hypotheses, using a church, a corresponding virtual model, and an inclusive measure of state spirituality ("spiritual feelings"). Participants (n = 33) explored a physical church and corresponding virtual model, completing a measure of spiritual feelings after exploring the outside and inside of each version of the church. Using spiritual feelings after exploring the outside of the church as a baseline measure, change in state spirituality was assessed by taking the difference between spiritual feelings after exploring the inside and outside of the church (inside-outside) for both models. Although this change was greater in response to the physical church, there was no significant difference between the two models in eliciting such change in spiritual feelings. Despite the limitations of this exploratory study, these findings indicate that both built environments and corresponding virtual models are capable of evoking complex psychological responses.

El acompañamiento pastoral para jóvenes desde la comprensión psicológica y pedagógica humanista

OpenAIRE

Segarra Sánchez, Edgar Iván

2014-01-01

The pastoral care for youth involves treating the theological, educational, psychological dimensions and teaching, the latter presents the associative array as the central experience of evangelizing youth ministry proposal for the integral growth of the young, who are accompanied by pastoralists with a basic profile to make, with vocation and professionalism, this task entrusted by the Church. El acompañamiento pastoral para jóvenes implica tratar las dimensiones teológica, educat...

Getting young adults back to church: A marketing approach | van der ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Getting young adults back to church: A marketing approach. ... A decline in the number of young adults that attend church services is also evident. The purpose of the research ... Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

What Would They Do? Latino Church Leaders and Domestic Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Behnke, Andrew O.; Ames, Natalie; Hancock, Tina U.

2012-01-01

Understanding what Latino church leaders believe about domestic violence, and what they do when they confront it, is a key step in developing programs to help them engage in domestic violence prevention and intervention activities in their congregations. This article presents the findings from an exploratory study of 28 Latino church leaders. The…

The political economy of churches in Denmark over 700 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paldam, Ella; Paldam, Martin

This paper reports new macro time-series for the number and size of churches in Denmark from year 1300 to 2000. Church densities are defined as the series per capita. The densities are interpreted as a proxy for religiosity. It is falling throughout all 700 years, but two events gave an extra fall...

Galileo's Religion Versus the Church's Science? Rethinking the History of Science and Religion

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, D. B.

Galileo's conflict with the Catholic Church is well recognized as a key episode in the history of physics and in the history of science and religion. This paper applies a new, historiographical approach to that specific episode. It advocates eliminating the science and religion. The Church concluded that the plainest facts of human experience agreed perfectly with an omniscient God's revealed word to proclaim the earth at rest. Supported by the Bible, Galileo, God-like, linked the elegance of mathematics to truths about nature. The Church, in effect, resisted Galileo's claim to be able to think like God, instead listening to God himself - and paying close attention to what man himself observed. We can thus see that the phrase ``Galileo's religion versus the Church's science'' is as meaningful (or meaningless) as the usual designation ``Galileo's science versus the Church's religion.''

Remarks on the church in the consumer society: similarities and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pastors should make it clear that the gospel message is not a product for sale; however the gospel message should be directed at the needs of people. This article outlines the influence of the consumer society on the church. The article also outlines the similarities and dissimilarities between the church and the consumer ...

The place and role of youth in the liturgical life of the Church

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Isbasoiu Iulian

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The Church takes good care of each single person, from the beginning of their lives, giving them all the support so that they achieve the final goal of human creation: their salvation. From birth, man is involved in the liturgical life of the Church, which initiates them as members, transforming them progressively into active members, who participate on their own free will in the divine worship and in the social and cultural events held by it. Acknowledging the role that the young have in the activity of the Church we will discuss in our study an overall view of their involvement in liturgical life. We will emphasize the role of the Church in completing the religious information received within the family, as well as methods to help the Church get the young involved in the liturgical, social and cultural activities held by it. In addition, we will highlight the decisive role the priest has in motivating the young by using the power of the word (preach and catechesis and above all by personal example. Applying the most suitable methods in order to get the young people closer to the Church and involving them in the life of the Christian community offers the Church the certitude of fulfilling its role within the contemporary society.

Regional Demographic Differences: The Effect of Laestadians

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Emma Terämä

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Laestadianism, a conservative revival movement inside the Lutheran church, has an estimated 100,000 followers in Finland. Laestadians have characteristics differing from the followers of the mainstream state church in areas such as religious activity, regional concentration, fertility and family planning, but these are generally not quantified due to lack of easily accessible data. This study highlights the importance of including location and religiosity, and not only religious affiliation in the study of fertility behaviour. The research uses statistical tools to study the correlations between such variables as religious density and total fertility rate. It is found that on the regional level, the total fertility rate and the increasing number of small children in the family is positively associated with the proportion of Laestadians. The regional variation of religiousness, and the subsequent effects on population structure and socioeconomics are discussed.

Compassionate leadership? Some reflections on the work and life of Michael Lapsley

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Ian A. Nell

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In June 2007, I had the privilege of attending a Healing of Memories workshop lead by Father Michael Lapsley, one of the founder members of the Institute for Healing of Memories. The purpose of the workshop was to help the predominantly white members of a middle class Dutch Reformed congregation in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town and the predominantly coloured members of a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elsies River on the Cape Flats, to share their stories of the past with regard to apartheid with each other. Apart from the stories that were told and the sharing of experiences about the apartheid history that took place, I was struck by the way in which Father Lapsley conducted the workshop. There was a deep compassion for all the participants as was embodied through the way in which he treated each of us with respect. But apart from his cordiality in leading the workshop, one could sense a deeper source of compassion, a source revealing a compassionate understanding of God�s presence amidst the violence and turmoil in our broken world. The aim of this article is to reflect on whether one could speak of something like �compassionate leadership�, and to take a closer look at the relationship between compassion and God images in the life and work of Michael Lapsley. Special attention will be given to the way in which he exercises leadership through his many involvements related to his own personal story of trauma.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article presents literary research on the notion of compassionate leadership as a specific kind of leadership. The results indicate that the leadership of Father Michael Lapsley does indeed portray features of this kind of leadership. The research can become the source for finding new strategies for religious leadership.

#BlackBabiesMatter: Analyzing Black Religious Media in Conservative and Progressive Evangelical Communities

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Monique Moultrie

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article explores how conservative and progressive black Protestants interrogate the theological theme of the sacrality of black life through digital media. The innovations of religious media in black evangelical communities remain an understudied phenomenon in African American religion, making this an apt arena for further discovery. This current intervention into the study of African American Religion examines digital activism through examples of religious media produced by blacks for black audiences. This article begins its interrogation of the sacrality of black life by juxtaposing those who contend that Black Babies Matter as pro-birth-oriented, religiously motivated activists with those religious opponents asserting Black Lives Matter who present an intersectional pro-life approach. The comparison of views relies on womanist cultural analysis as its main methodology to analyze and interpret digital media and explore its ramifications for African American Religion.

1 Corinthians 14:33b�36 in light of women and church leadership in Nigeria

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Solomon O. Ademiluka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available 1 Corinthians 14:33b�36 contains the injunction by Paul that women should not speak in the church. In Nigeria, many of the mainline denominations exclude women from church leadership, basing the doctrine on this passage. This research examines the text with a view to assessing its relevance for women�s participation in church leadership with a focus on contemporary Nigeria. An examination of the history of the Jews reveals that women had a very small role in religious leadership. However, Jesus in his woman-friendly ministry marked a change in the male-dominated social structure. Paul built upon this, having many women as co-preachers; which would contradict a literal interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:33b�36. However, the text is best understood from the perspective of the Greek term ekklesia. In its popular context, it refers to the assembly of a Greek city-state in which women were not permitted to speak. In similar Christian assemblies, they were permitted on the basis of the Christian brotherhood. Apparently, in the Corinthian church, women were abusing this privilege by disrupting church services, which warranted Paul�s order. This being the case, the crucial issue is the disorderliness being caused by the women, and not their participation. Therefore, in this text it was not the intention of Paul to establish a doctrine disallowing women from participating in church leadership. Hence, for the Nigerian context, the text does not provide a basis for excluding women from church leadership.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research involves the disciplines of New Testament theology and church history. It examines 1 Corinthians 14:33b�36 with a view to assessing its relevance for women participation in church leadership and anticipates a situation in which all the mainline churches in Nigeria would involve women in church leadership.

Development and Testing of the Church Environment Audit Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczynski, Andrew T; Jake-Schoffman, Danielle E; Peters, Nathan A; Dunn, Caroline G; Wilcox, Sara; Forthofer, Melinda

2018-05-01

In this paper, we describe development and reliability testing of a novel tool to evaluate the physical environment of faith-based settings pertaining to opportunities for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). Tool development was a multistage process including a review of similar tools, stakeholder review, expert feedback, and pilot testing. Final tool sections included indoor opportunities for PA, outdoor opportunities for PA, food preparation equipment, kitchen type, food for purchase, beverages for purchase, and media. Two independent audits were completed at 54 churches. Interrater reliability (IRR) was determined with Kappa and percent agreement. Of 218 items, 102 were assessed for IRR and 116 could not be assessed because they were not present at enough churches. Percent agreement for all 102 items was over 80%. For 42 items, the sample was too homogeneous to assess Kappa. Forty-six of the remaining items had Kappas greater than 0.60 (25 items 0.80-1.00; 21 items 0.60-0.79), indicating substantial to almost perfect agreement. The tool proved reliable and efficient for assessing church environments and identifying potential intervention points. Future work can focus on applications within faith-based partnerships to understand how church environments influence diverse health outcomes.

The Catholic Church, Moral Education and Citizenship in Latin America

Science.gov (United States)

Klaiber, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

The Catholic Church, with deep roots in the history of Latin America, exercises considerable influence on all levels of society. Especially after the Second Vatican Council and the bishops' conference at Medellin (1968) the Church took up the banner of human rights and the cause of the poor. During the dictatorships and in the midst of the…

Kingdom, church and civil society: A theological paradigm for civil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article deals with the role that churches can and should play in civil society to develop societal morally. The central-theoretical argument is that the biblical notion of the kingdom of God can, when it is systematically and theologically developed, offer an acceptable foundation for the civil action of churches. In light of this ...

Impossible Subjects: LGBTIQ Experiences in Australian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches

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Mark A. C. Jennings

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper is the product of in-depth interviews with 20 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ people who identify, or formerly identified, as members of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian (PCC churches. Interviewees typically found themselves confronted with a number of choices (not necessarily mutually exclusive: remain closeted, come out but commit to remaining celibate, undergo “SOCE” (Sexual Orientation Conversion Efforts therapy, or leave. Most left their churches, often after agonising attempts to reconcile their faith and their sexuality. Several of the practices adopted by Australian PCC churches exclude LGBTIQ people from full participation in their own congregations, rendering them “impossible subjects.” Australian Pentecostalism’s surprisingly egalitarian history, wherein the spiritually authorised ministry of women was both recognised and celebrated, suggests another, more inclusive way forward in regard to this vexed issue.

The Training of Semiliterate Rural Pastors in the Northwest Region Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church

Science.gov (United States)

Fellows, Timothy Steven

2014-01-01

A common plea in missions is the need to train pastors and church leaders for the rapidly multiplying churches in the Majority World, resulting in numerous formal and nonformal theological education training programs. In spite of these efforts, many rural churches remain without pastors. Using appreciative inquiry and participatory…

The Filling Station as a Fresh Expression of church for consideration ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... whether it meets the values of authentic missional churches. In examining whether The Filling Station ought to be considered for import into appropriate local congregational contexts, it enquires whether it satisfactorily addresses prevailing social trends affecting churches, including consumerism and the need for identity.

Gendered representations of fatherhood in contemporary South African church imagery from three Afrikaans corporate churches

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Leandra H. Koenig-Visagie

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The South African secular media do not frequently portray men in parental roles; on the other hand, it seems that media and visual culture created by the Christian sector is more likely to engage with issues of fatherhood. Accordingly, it is relevant to explore representations of fatherhood in the Christian context, as these constitute some of the few examples of men�s parental roles in the South African visual culture landscape. Through a Barthean visual semiotic analysis, this article describes and problematises the representation (and non-representation of certain aspects of fatherhood in the recent visual culture of three Afrikaans corporate churches in the Pretoria-Centurion area. It further establishes that strong connections between breadwinning, male headship and fatherhood exist in images created by these churches. Fathers are mainly shown as patriarchs, heads of households and as active outdoor adventurers. We argue that although men are depicted as involved parents, there are certain limitations and exclusions to this involvement.

The role of church youth in the transformation agenda of South African cities

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Eugene Baron

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The churches in City of Tshwane have incredible youth capital. There is so much energy and passion that fill the concrete walls of the mushrooming churches. This article emerges from a research that was conducted to explore religious innovation and competition amidst demographic and social change among churches in the City of Tshwane. The data of the study suggest that the impetus behind most of the innovation and development in the churches is borne from the hearts and minds of the young people. The striking involvement of the youth in the congregations, their participation and also the reflection in the data in terms of youth agency highlight the concern on their involvement in urban, social change, with specific reference to the City of Tshwane. The article assesses the participation of the church youth in the transformation of the city.

The Presbyterian Churches in New South Wales, 1823-1865 : with particular reference to their Scottish relations

OpenAIRE

Bridges, Barry John

1987-01-01

This study covers the period from arrival of the first minister to union of most congregations in a Church unconnected with the Scottish parent Churches. My thesis is that reliance on the Scottish Churches was a necessary condition for establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the Colony but also the principal cause of failure to attempt to become a major religious force. Equality with the Church of England was conceded gradually and, initially, reluctantly and from the first State aid and ...

An extravaganza of old church music

OpenAIRE

Mercieca, Simon

2005-01-01

To celebrate the completion of its first course in Diploma in Music (Sacred Music), the Mediterranean Institute has invited the Choir of the University of Palermo to Malta to give three public performances in local Churches.

The early medieval tesserae from the St Servatius Church excavations in Maastricht - The Netherlands (1981-1989)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Panhuysen, T.

2016-01-01

In the eighties of the last century a massive excavation was carried out in the Church of St Servatius in Maastricht in the context of an overall restoration of the church building which dates from the 11th to 15th century. The Servatius Church was originally a grave church that was founded in the

Optimal setpoint operation to reduce peak drying of a church organ

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schijndel, van A.W.M.

2008-01-01

The paper presents the characteristics of the Walloon Church in Delft (Netherlands) and a description of constraints for the indoor climate, giving criteria for the indoor air temperature and relative humidity with the focus on the preservation of the monumental church organ. The set point operation

Implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions for young adult African American women in church settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Jennifer M

2014-01-01

To assess the barriers and facilitators to using African American churches as sites for implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions among young African American women. Mixed methods cross-sectional design. African American churches in Philadelphia, PA. 142 African American pastors, church leaders, and young adult women ages 18 to 25. Mixed methods convergent parallel design. The majority of young adult women reported engaging in high-risk HIV-related behaviors. Although church leaders reported willingness to implement HIV risk-reduction interventions, they were unsure of how to initiate this process. Key facilitators to the implementation of evidence-based interventions included the perception of the leadership and church members that HIV interventions were needed and that the church was a promising venue for them. A primary barrier to implementation in this setting is the perception that discussions of sexuality should be private. Implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions for young adult African American women in church settings is feasible and needed. Building a level of comfort in discussing matters of sexuality and adapting existing evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of young women in church settings is a viable approach for successful implementation. © 2014 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

The founder of the church of Saint George at Pološko

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Pavlović Dragana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper seeks to establish who was the founder of the church of Saint George at Pološko and revise the conclusions of previous researchers regarding this issue. According to the opinion commonly adopted in the scholarly literature, Jovan Dragušin, a cousin of King Dušan, had merely undertaken the construction of church at Pološko, whereas his mother was responsible for the completion of construction and painting of frescoes in the church. Through an analysis of written and visual sources the conclusion is reached that the sole person responsible for the construction and painting of the church at Pološko was the nun Maria, the mother of Jovan Dragušin. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177036: Srpska srednjovekovna umetnost i njen evropski kontekst

The Roman Catholic Church, the Holocaust, and the demonization of the Jews

Science.gov (United States)

Kertzer, David I.

2015-01-01

Following eleven years’ work, in 1998 a high-level Vatican commission instituted by Pope John Paul II offered what has become the official position of the Roman Catholic Church denying any responsibility for fomenting the kind of demonization of the Jews that made the Holocaust possible. In a 2001 book, The popes against the Jews, I demonstrated that in fact the church played a major role in leading Catholics throughout Europe to view Jews as an existential threat. Yet defenders of the church position continue to deny the historical evidence and to launch ferocious ad hominem attacks against scholars who have researched the subject. The anti-Semitism promulgated by the church can be seen as part of the long battle it waged against modernity, with which the Jews were identified. PMID:27011787

African American church-based HIV testing and linkage to care: assets, challenges and needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Jennifer M; Thompson, Keitra; Rogers, Christopher

2016-01-01

The US National HIV AIDS strategy promotes the use of faith communities to lessen the burden of HIV in African American communities. One specific strategy presented is the use of these non-traditional venues for HIV testing and co-location of services. African American churches can be at the forefront of this endeavour through the provision of HIV testing and linkage to care. However, there are few interventions to promote the churches' involvement in both HIV testing and linkage to care. We conducted 4 focus groups (n = 39 participants), 4 interviews and 116 surveys in a mixed-methods study to examine the feasibility of a church-based HIV testing and linkage to care intervention in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Our objectives were to examine: (1) available assets, (2) challenges and barriers and (3) needs associated with church-based HIV testing and linkage to care. Analyses revealed several factors of importance, including the role of the church as an access point for testing in low-income neighbourhoods, challenges in openly discussing the relationship between sexuality and HIV, and buy-in among church leadership. These findings can support intervention development and necessitate situating African American church-based HIV testing and linkage to care interventions within a multi-level framework.

Exarh of the Bulgarian Church metropolitan Stephen and the Moscow Patriarchy

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Kostriukov Andrei

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The article covers the last period of church-administrative activity of the Sofia’s metropolitan Stephаn (Shokov. The author describes the testimonies of contemporaries about the character and personal qualities of this ambiguous hierarch. In 1945–1948 metropolitan Stephan was the exarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and participated in the Meeting of heads and representatives of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches in 1948. The author considers the circumstances of the dismissal of metropolitan Stephаn and his exile as especially important and interesting ones. The meeting of 1948 became the critical event in the exarch’s destiny. Being the supporter of ecumenism, metropolitan Stephen tried unsuccessfully to convince Patriarch Alexis of his rightness in order not to allow the condemnation of ecumenical contacts by the Moscow meeting. However Moscow looked on ecumenism differently in those days. In Moscow the Soviet management aspired to establishment of the centre of World Orthodoxy and tried to cite the Moscow Patriarchy against Constantinople that was under the influence of the USA and the Great Britain. As the Constantinople Patriarchy approved the ecumenical movement, the Moscow Patriarchy has been forced to take of an opposite position. Therefore, the participation of the Russian Church and Churches of the socialist countries in the ecumenical movement was impossible. Metropolitan Stephan, supporting the superiority of the Moscow Patriarchy in the World Orthodoxy, supported the active participation of all Local Churches in the ecumenical movement. The communistic management applied the maximum force to the exarch in order he has not made undesirable statements at the meeting. The fate of metropolitan Stephan has been decided after this meeting. In 1948 he was fired and exiled. The Moscow Patriarchy did not exclude the possibility of moving of metropolitan Stephаn to Russia and his location in any monastery. However metropolitan

THE EVANGELICAL AS THE NATIVE IN THE “BROTHERS KARAMAZOV” AND IN “A WRITER’S DIARY” (1876–1877 BY FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY

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Elena A. Fedorova

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The article identifi es the reasons for Fyodor Dostoevsky’s appeal to the traditions of Old Russian literature in “A Writer’s Diary” during the Russian-Turkish war. One of the main reasons is seeking for national foundations of Russian spirituality. The writer learned the world of medieval literacy getting acquainted with hagiography, walking, spiritual eloquence. Later Dostoevsky reverted to the Old Russian monuments in the course of his work on the novel “The Brothers Karamazov” (in particular on the chapter “Th e Russian Monk”. As follows from the comparison of the texts the dominant qualities of the ideal image of a Russian saint are repentance, humility and suff ering, desire for purifi cation, spiritual ability to resist the evil. The ideal form of existence of Russian people becomes conciliarism. The type of historicism is the movement to the Last Judgment. Gospel allusions and metaphors reinforce the author’s interpretation. Th us, Dostoevsky carries on the dialogue with the evangelical word at an ideological, imaginative, genre, motive and narrative level of the text. Th e hallmark of the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky who followed the evangelical tradition, becomes a dialogical word.

Computing Beyond the Church-Turing Limit

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Robert

2009-05-01

Dershowitz and Gurevich claim to have proven the Church-Turing theorem starting from a set of 4 reasonable postulates. (Bulletin of Symbolic Logic, vol. 14, num. 3, Sept. 2008, pg. 299) But their postulate II assumes fixed vocabulary. Humans, however, change their vocabulary words (and concepts) over time. My Asa H artificial intelligence also changes its vocabulary. (Trans. of the Kansas Acad. of Sci., vol. 109, no. 3/4, pg 159, 2006, www.bioone.org/archive/0022- 8443/109/3/pdf/i0022-8443-109-3-159.pdf) Their postulate I excludes nondeterministic transitions between states. I don't know how often humans flip a coin but my Asa H does employ random transitions under certain circumstances. Perhaps humans and Asa H go beyond the Church-Turing limit. (Trans. Kansas Acad. of Sci., 108, 3/4, pg. 169, 2005)

Silence or condemnation: The Orthodox Church on homosexuality in Serbia

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Miloš Jovanović

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the representation of the gay population in the discourse of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The declarations of Church bodies and officials, as well as unofficial public statements of prominent believers regarding gay persons are analysed. There is an ambivalent attitude towards gay people that is usually expressed in the ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ formula. There is also a different kind of ambivalence: the Serbian Orthodox Church as well as its faithful either stick to the ‘policy of silence’ regarding LGBT(Q issues, or they resort to a very strong moralistic judgment and condemnation. This was particularly noticeable around the time of the gay parade taking place in Belgrade in 2010, as well as during the public discussion before the passing of the anti-discrimination law in the national assembly in 2009. The inclusion of philosophical and medical concepts in theological discourse can also be ascertained. As a result, besides the expected ‘sin’, the categories of ‘unnatural/contrary to nature’ and ‘(mental illness’ are often mentioned in the Church discourse, which is usually saturated with accentuated anti-Westernism.

Subjective study of preferred listening conditions in Italian Catholic churches

Science.gov (United States)

Martellotta, Francesco

2008-10-01

The paper describes the results of research aimed at investigating the preferred subjective listening conditions inside churches. The effect of different musical motifs (spanning Gregorian chants to symphonic music) was investigated and regression analysis was performed in order to point out the relationship between subjective ratings and acoustical parameters. In order to present realistic listening conditions to the subjects a small subset of nine churches was selected among a larger set of acoustic data collected in several Italian churches during a widespread on-site survey. The subset represented different architectural styles and shapes, and was characterized by average listening conditions. For each church a single source-receiver combination with fixed relative positions was chosen. Measured binaural impulse responses were cross-talk cancelled and then convolved with five anechoic motifs. Paired comparisons were finally performed, asking a trained panel of subjects their preference. Factor analysis pointed out a substantially common underlying pattern characterizing subjective responses. The results show that preferred listening conditions vary as a function of the musical motif, depending on early decay time for choral music and on a combination of initial time delay and lateral energy for instrumental music.

NIGERIAN PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES AND THEIR PROSPERITY ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

UWUJA ALEX

prosperity messages are a safe guard against poverty in Nigeria. .... As the leader of the Pentecostal movement, Seymour (in 1906) received an invitation ... CAC led to the formation of prayer groups and Churches to cushion the effect of the.

Self-Disclosure and Spiritual Well-Being in Pastors Seeking Professional Psychological Help

OpenAIRE

Salwen, Erik D.; Underwood, Lee A.; Dy-Liacco, Gabriel S.; Arveson, Kathleen R.

2017-01-01

Pastoral mental health is a topic that has only rarely been researched empirically in the psychological literature, yet a pastor?s mental health can have a significant impact on churches, communities, and even nations (Royal and Thompson, Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 31(3), 195?204, 2012). One of the thoughts prompting this research is that evangelical pastors might be expected to resist the findings of psychological research and lack understanding of specific mental illnesses they...

Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Church-Based Adolescent Sexual Health Programs in Baltimore City.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Terrinieka W; Weeks, Fiona H; Illangasekare, Samantha; Rice, Eric; Wilson, James; Hickman, Debra; Blum, Robert W

2017-02-01

Black churches are an important community resource and a potentially powerful actor in adolescent health promotion. However, limited research exists describing the factors that may influence the successful implementation of evidence-based adolescent sexual health programs in churches. In the present study, a multi-informant approach was used to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing adolescent sexual health programs in black churches. Nine Black churches located in Baltimore, MD, were recruited to participate in this study. The senior pastor and youth minster from each congregation participated in an in-depth interview (N = 18). A total of 45 youth (ages 13-19 years) and 38 parents participated in 15 focus groups. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative content analytic approach. Participants agreed that comprehensive adolescent sexual health education should be available for youth in black churches. They also believed that abstaining from sex should be discussed in all adolescent sexual health programs. Three facilitators were discussed: widespread endorsement of church-based adolescent sexual health education, positive influence of youth ministers on youth, and life lessons as teaching tools. Four barriers are described: perceived resistance from congregants, discomfort among youth, lack of financial resources, and competing messages at home about sexual health. Our findings suggest that churches are a preferred place for adolescent sexual health education among some parents and youth. Study findings also reinforce the feasibility and desirably of church-based adolescent sexual health programs. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trust Building Recruitment Strategies for Researchers Conducting Studies in African American (AA) Churches: Lessons Learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonner, Gloria; Williams, Sharon; Wilkie, Diana; Hart, Alysha; Burnett, Glenda; Peacock, Geraldine

2017-12-01

An initial and vital important step in recruiting participants for church-based hospice and palliative care research is the establishment of trust and credibility within the church community. Mistrust of medical research is an extremely important barrier hindering recruitment in African American (AA) communities. A church-based EOL dementia education project is currently being conducted at four large urban AA churches. Church leaders voiced mistrust concerns of previous researchers who conducted investigations in their faith-based institutions. We explored strategies to ameliorate the mistrust concerns. Specific aim: To identify trust-rebuilding elements for researchers following others who violated trust of AA church leaders. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from a convenient sample of four established AA church leaders. Interviews were held in the informants' churches to promote candor and comfort in revealing sensitive information about trust /mistrust. Content analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Elements identified from the analysis were then used to create themes. Multidimensional overarching themes emerged from the analysis included: Experience with researchers (positive and extremely negative), violation of trust and trust building strategies. Findings suggest that researchers who wish to conduct successful studies in the AA religious institutions must implement trust rebuilding strategies that include mutual respect, collaboration and partnership building. If general moral practices continue to be violated, threat to future hospice and palliative care research within the institutions may prevail. Thus, potential benefits are thwarted for the church members, AA community, and advancement of EOL care scholarship.

The State-Church Relationship in Post-Communist Romania

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ANCA GORGAN

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Starting from the Romanian edition of Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu’swork Religion and Politics in Post-Communist Romania, we argue in favour of thenecessity to study the relationship between the State and the Romanian OrthodoxChurch using an approach which takes into account the details and the possibleexistent perspectives, bringing a plus of objectivity, which is so needed in a fieldperceived as a sensible one. The arguments put forward will be justified by thehistorical tradition of the State-Church relationship in the Byzantine Empire, but alsoin Romania, as well as by the predominantly Orthodox structure of our country.

The real crisis of the church

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-05-21

May 21, 2015 ... various religious communities, in courses of theology and religious studies and in the field of ... is used a great deal in North Atlantic Reformed circles these ... (e.g. China and Korea) and in Africa the church is growing.

The role of the theology of retribution in the growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches in Africa

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Jonathan Kangwa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article considers the contribution of the theology of retribution to the growth of Pentecostal-charismatic churches in Africa. It argues that the beliefs and practices of African Pentecostal-charismatic churches uphold the theology of retribution. The success of prophecy and healing in these churches is based on their extensive engagement with the theology of retribution. To show this, the article begins with a brief review of the principle of retribution, describing it as resulting from the conception of a perfect and just universe in which every human deed brings with it consequences. Good deeds are followed by good consequences, evil deeds have bad consequences. Based on this understanding of retribution, the article discusses beliefs and practices of Pentecostal-charismatic churches which support the principle of retribution and whose involvement in healing and prophecy is attractive to Africans. The article concludes that the current discourse on Pentecostal-charismatic churches in Africa focuses strongly on the aspects of healing and prophecy while neglecting the contribution made by the theology of retribution to the popularity of these churches.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Located within African theologies and African church history, this article maintains that the current discourse on Pentecostal and charismatic churches in Africa, as it concentrates on healing and prophecy, overlooks the role played by the theology of retribution in the growth of these churches.

A Church with the Poor – Lessons From Scripture and From ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The church has an essential role to play in communities riddled with poverty, disease, and despair. Communities in informal-settlement areas suffer a great deal. Churches in these communities are often small and have few means for alleviating poverty. In the Bible, the community of God is a community of love. Although ...

Finding Common Ground Between Earth Scientists and Evangelical Christians

Science.gov (United States)

Grant Ludwig, L.

2015-12-01

In recent decades there has been some tension between earth scientists and evangelical Christians in the U.S., and this tension has spilled over into the political arena and policymaking on important issues such as climate change. From my personal and professional experience engaging with both groups, I find there is much common ground for increasing understanding and communicating the societal relevance of earth science. Fruitful discussions can arise from shared values and principles, and common approaches to understanding the world. For example, scientists and Christians are engaged in the pursuit of truth, and they value moral/ethical decision-making based on established principles. Scientists emphasize the benefits of research "for the common good" while Christians emphasize the value of doing "good works". Both groups maintain a longterm perspective: Christians talk about "the eternal" and geologists discuss "deep time". Both groups understand the importance of placing new observations in context of prior understanding: scientists diligently reference "the literature" while Christians quote "chapter and verse". And members of each group engage with each other in "fellowship" or "meetings" to create a sense of community and reinforce shared values. From my perspective, earth scientists can learn to communicate the importance and relevance of science more effectively by engaging with Christians in areas of common ground, rather than by trying to win arguments or debates.

The problem of religious freedom in late imperial Russia: The case of Russian Baptists

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Alexander Polunov

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the development of the Baptist movements (Stundism and Pashkovism in late Imperial Russia, their perception by the ecclesiastical and secular authorities, the measures undertaken by the Church and government in order to combat the Protestant sectarianism. Different approaches of the contemporaries to the religious dissent are being investigated. While the members of educated society, liberals and moderate conservatives viewed evangelical movements as a reflection of social changes in postreform Russia and a reaction to the shortcomings of the official Church, the ecclesiastical authorities treated the rise of evangelicalism as a result of the sectarians' “ignorance” and as a threat to the political and social order of Russia. When conservative tsar Alexander III ascended in 1881 to the throne, his former tutor and the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod Constantine Pobedonostsev launched an energetic campaign against the heterodoxy based on a combination of repressive and educational measures. This campaign turned out to be a failure mostly due to passiveness of the official Church which was paralyzed by the strict control of the state. The position of the secular administration which was not eager to be drawn into religious struggle also hampered the attempts to combat the heterodoxy. Finally, the effective repressions against the sectarianism were paralyzed by the protests of the Senate, supreme juridical body of the Empire which had to overview the compliance with the law. Though the repressions against the Baptists were stopped in 1905, they made a negative impact on the Russia's development contributing to the sharpening of the social and political contradictions on the eve of revolution.

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM AND THE CHURCH

African Journals Online (AJOL)

in the CMa 125 the ministry of the gospel as human contribution is added. We conclude with the .... the main manual for instruction of the Christian faith, also on the church. It is remarkable that leading .... De Jong, r. 2013. Trouw. [Online.] ...

City’s lost jewel. History of Cracow’a All Saints church till the end of XVI century

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Katarzyna Walczak

2013-12-01

Full Text Available One of the oldest churches in Krakow, dedicated to All Saints, was situated between Grodzka and Franciszkańska Street. It was build in the XIII century, could had been replacement church for first Cracow’s parish, which was transferred from Saint Trinity church. The name of All Saints church was mentioned for the first time in Vita S. Stanislai. The second time in 1278 his rector Arnold was noted. Most interesting fact is that in the Tables of Pence from 1325–1327 you can find two rectors, who had separate salary and were called rectors of wooden and brick churches. In 1490 church got a collegiate title. Than double rectory was liquidated and positions of provost and dean were established. Church was a place where Brotherhood of the Poor created by Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki used to work. Our knowledge of churches looks comes from iconography which was made when the building was already a ruin. According to those sources church had two naves, was oriented and had simply completed presbytery. The building had adhered tower, sacristy, treasure and chapel, called capella antiqua. Description of the interior of the church comes from 1599, when Jerzy Radziwiłł, Bishop of Cracow had visited it. According to the decision of the City Beautification Committee, the church was demolished in 1835, and church’s equipment was sold on auction. The tower survived till 1840, when it shared the fate of the rest of the building.

Karl Barth's role in church and politics from 1930 to 1935

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p1243322

have severe consequences for the Protestant Church in the years to come, were the following: .... In an attempt to deal with Barth's insights from 1930 to1935, I will examine his ...... 17 “It is neither the same perception, conviction or deliberate learning that brings people to the church and ..... LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

Karl Barth's definition of church in politics and culture: Growth points ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article describes briefly Karl Barth's views on church, its role in politics and how it relates to culture. This is done by identifying the way in which the church participates in the social realm through its relationship with the State. The historic religious question asks whether there is a natural mutual-determining relationship ...

The black church as the womb of black liberation theology?: Why the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-04-30

Apr 30, 2015 ... Southern Africa (URCSA) is not a genuine black church? This article ..... peculiar constituency of black slaves and freed men[sic] what no one else was .... church in the USA, which started during the early 20th century when ...

Ekumenisiteit as ’n Skrifgefundeerde raamwerk vir kerklike eenheid – ook op die gebied van sendingwerk

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C. J. Smit

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Ecumenicism as a Scripturally-founded framework for ecclesiastical unity – also in missionary work In this article the foundations of a Scripturally-based ecumenicism utilised as a framework within which the dilemma of church division, also in missionary work, can be approached are investigated. The article identifies these foundations as the attributa ecclesiae (the core characteristics of the church, namely unity, catholicity, apostolicity and holiness. The conclusion arrived at is that the purpose of ecumenicism is the unity of the church, because of the catholicity of the church, based on the apostolicity of the church and aimed at the holiness of the church. Within this framework, missionary work should rather focus on cooperation than on emphasising ecclesiastical differences. The concluding issue concerns the boundaries of ecclesiastical cooperation, also in missionary work. Is it possible that different churches within the Reformed tradition can cooperate in missionary fields? Is it furthermore possible that the boundaries can be extended to encompass more than the approach of the Reformed tradition? In which way can churches from the Reformed tradition also cooperate with, for instance, churches from the Lutheran tradition, or with churches from the charismatic or even Roman Catholic traditions? The conclusions arrived at point to the notae ecclesiae (the core marks of the church as the widest boundary for ecclesiastical cooperation. This approach accommodates the diversity of culture and ethos within the boundaries of the core marks of the church which determine what the church should be like in order to be church of the Lord. In the currently rising ecumenical phase of the history of Christianity the emphasis will increasingly fall on unifying rather than on dividing aspects of the church. The conclusion indicates that the unity of the church, also in missionary work, can only be attained and maintained within the framework of the

THE CONCEPT OF IDENTITY IN THE SOCIO-POLITICAL DISCOURSE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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E. M. Morozov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the strategy of the Russian Orthodox Church for the revival of national, state and church identity in Russia. The peculiarities of the church interpretation of the concept of identity and the risks of loss of national identity are revealed from the standpoint of the Church. The author concludes that in the socio-political discourse of the Orthodox Church the concept of identity is presented as a cultural and social marker and is comprehended in the paradigm of conformity with established standards and behavioral responses. Spiritual identity is seen in Orthodoxy through an appeal to the religious tradition and is correlated with the moral imperative formed in the past and with the social and legal code. The Church considers the Orthodox self-identification of citizens and its participation in sociocultural transformations of Russia to be important factors of state identity. In declarations on the topic of Christian identity, the leaders of the Church rely on the idea of Russian religious philosophy about the genetic connection of Orthodoxy with national consciousness. The tendency of Orthodox participation in the public examination of secular cultural events, in teaching schoolchildren (“General Professional Competences’ in the course of ‘The Basics of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” and in the scientific activity of higher educational institutions (the inclusion of “theology” in the list of scientific disciplines of the Higher Certifying Commission is developing. Public support for the interaction of the Church with state institutions of culture and education is regarded by the author as a factor of acquiring institutional features of identity by Orthodoxy. The active participation of the Church in the public discussion on the relationship between Russia and European countries is motivated by the desire to develop international cooperation, which is hampered by the value contradictions that the �

Ancient Worship Wars: An Investigation of Conflict in Church Music History

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Michael J. Wood

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to prove that conflict in church music is nothing new. Even in the time of the early church fathers, dissenting views on what were acceptable and unacceptable practices in church music were present. The music of the 2nd century through the 14th century is examined. The method used to find specific conflicts in church music history involved reading early Christian literature on music. When possible, both sides of the conflicts included in the project are presented. However, oftentimes only one side of an argument can be found since there is not an abundant supply of early Christian writings on music. When this is the case, a brief attempt at reconstructing the opposing side is made. The most important resources for this research were James McKinnon’s Music in Early Christian Literature and Oliver Strunk’s Source Readings in Music History: Revised Edition. These were integral to this project as they provided primary sources translated into English.

"Holy Rus": The Geopolitical Imagination in the Contemporary Russian Orthodox Church

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suslov, M. D.

2014-01-01

The author analyzes the geographical and geopolitical ideas inherent in the concept of "Holy Rus" as used by Patriarch Kirill and other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.......The author analyzes the geographical and geopolitical ideas inherent in the concept of "Holy Rus" as used by Patriarch Kirill and other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church....

Seismic performance assessment of three masonry churches through FE simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Milani, Gabriele; Shehu, Rafael; Valente, Marco

2017-07-01

The paper presents some seismic analyses on three masonry churches located in Emilia-Romagna (Italy), recently stricken by a devastating earthquake sequence from 20th to 29th May 2012. These churches have a similar geometrical configuration, consisting of three naves, a central colonnade and a simple apse. Limit analyses are conducted on the most important macro-elements of the structure and a full investigation of the churches is carried out by means of the commercial FE Code SAP2000, in both linear and non-linear ranges. Two accelerograms are considered: one is defined in accordance with Italian code response spectrum and the other is based on a natural record of the 29th May earthquake. For both scenarios, the seismic behaviour of the churches is analysed in detail and some vulnerability considerations are drawn. A remarkable consistency is found between limit analyses of macro-elements and response spectrum analyses, whilst some discrepancies can be noted for non-linear dynamic analyses. The results put in evidence the insufficient strength of the apses for shear actions, the columns of the naves for bending moments, the façade for overturning and the triumphal arch for the formation of an in-plane four hinges mechanism.

Influence of Architectural Features and Styles on Various Acoustical Measures in Churches

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Antonio Pedro Oliveira De.

This work reports on acoustical field measurements made in a major survey of 41 Catholic churches in Portugal that were built in the last 14 centuries. A series of monaural and binaural acoustical measurements was taken at multiple source/receiver positions in each church using the impulse response with noise burst method. The acoustical measures were Reverberation Time (RT), Early Decay Time (EDT), Clarity (C80), Definition (D), Center Time (TS), Loudness (L), Bass Ratios based on the Reverberation Time and Loudness rm (BR_-RT and rm BR_-L), Rapid Speech Transmission Index (RASTI), and the binaural Coherence (COH). The scope of this research is to investigate how the acoustical performance of Catholic churches relates to their architectural features and to determine simple formulas to predict acoustical measures by the use of elementary architectural parameters. Prediction equations were defined among the acoustical measures to estimate values at individual locations within each room as well as the mean values in each church. Best fits with rm R^2~0.9 were not uncommon among many of the measures. Within and interchurch differences in the data for the acoustical measures were also analyzed. The variations of RT and EDT were identified as much smaller than the variations of the other measures. The churches tested were grouped in eight architectural styles, and the effect of their evolution through time on these acoustical measures was investigated. Statistically significant differences were found regarding some architectural styles that can be traced to historical changes in Church history, especially to the Reformation period. Prediction equations were defined to estimate mean acoustical measures by the use of fifteen simple architectural parameters. The use of the Sabine and Eyring reverberation time equations was tested. The effect of coupled spaces was analyzed, and a new algorithm for the application of the Sabine equation was developed, achieving an average of

Emotional Eating Mediates the Relationship Between Role Stress and Obesity in Clergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Manister, Nancy N; Gigliotti, Eileen

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between role stress, emotional eating, and obesity in clergy. A random sample of United States Lutheran Church Missouri Synod clergy who met the study criteria (N = 430), response rate 38%, completed the Role Stress and Emotional Eating Behavior Scales, and self-reported height and weight for Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. Obesity was high (81.4% overweight/obese, 36.7% obese), and emotional eating partially mediated the relationship between role stress and obesity. This study tested relations of the Neuman Systems Model. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Coptic Church in South Africa: The meeting of mission and migration

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David A. Ogren

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Previously identified as an entrenched Egyptian community, Copts have propelled themselves into the greater Africa through two main phenomena: migration and mission. Copts have recast displacement to transcend powerlessness and loss by highlighting the sovereign opportunity to consolidate identity in new contexts and widen the fold of the Coptic community, expressed through ecumenism, holistic ministry, cultural sensitivity and the presentation of the Coptic Church as essentially ‘African’. In migration, the Coptic Church creates identity through physical presence (church buildings, recasting the narrative (African originality, employing a rubric of sovereignty (agency rather than passivity and engaging others ecumenically (gaining Orthodox legitimacy. Beyond reaching out to migrants, much energy has been devoted to mission by establishing institutions, including a missionary training department at the Institute of Coptic Studies and a Department of African Studies in Cairo. In mission, the Coptic Church extends its influence beyond migrants to include non-Copts and non-Christians through ecumenism, social programs and the presentation of Copts as essentially African.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Denmark (1741-2016 seen in a Danish-Russian historical perspective

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Christensen Carsten Sander

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the history and the problems of the Russian Orthodox Church in Denmark – and here seen in a Danish-Russian historical perspective, especially, in the last 300 years. The relations between the Danes and the Orthodox Church began, however, around 900 years before, in the Eastern European state of Kievan Rus. The article shows that the history of the church is closely linked to the political development in Russia. In this article, the history of the church and the changing Russian congregations will be illuminated in a historical perspective so that both the church and church buildings will throw a new light on the role of the Russian Church in both Danish and Russian history. In addition, it will be analysed to what extent trade policy, strategy and power policy and family relations have influenced the role and position of the Russian Church in Danish history.

Discovering and exploring ubuntu-language in the dialogue between the Dutch Reformed Church and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa

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Lieze Meiring

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Discussions with members of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA in Ohrigstad illustrate the possibilities of ubuntu-language in overcoming racism and prejudice. After proposing a number of meanings and values related to ubuntu, this research explores the role of ubuntu-language � and at times the lack thereof � in the concrete relationship between these two faith communities as an expression of recent South African history. Ubuntu-language seems to offer unique outcomes in this relationship in strengthening identity, unleashing vitality, celebrating diversity, awakening solidarity, revealing humanity, bolstering individualism and enhancing Christianity.

An Evaluation of Spatial Organization of the Church Architecture of Kerala during the Sixteenth to Seventeenth Centuries

Science.gov (United States)

Panjikaran, S.; Vedamuthu, R.

2013-05-01

The churches of Kerala of the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries exhibits an architectural character which is different from that of the indigenous Church Architecture of Kerala. Preliminary studies show that the spatial organization of these churches also varied from that of the indigenous churches of Kerala. Did these variations in spatial organization arise of any change in functional requirements of churches? How did the indigenous Architectural character adapt to these changes or did it give way to a new style? The objective of this study is to understand the spatial organization of the indigenous Church Architecture of Kerala and to evaluate the changes in spatial organization during the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. This study is primarily based on field survey and documentation, evaluation is done by relying on the Rapoport's theory. It is concluded that the church architecture of this period is a fusion of the Western and Eastern ecclesiastical traditions in terms of spatial organization and planning.

The Influence of Pastors' Ideologies of Homosexuality on HIV Prevention in the Black Church.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Katherine; Dickson-Gomez, Julia; Young, Staci

2016-10-01

Young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, and Black Churches may be a source of stigma which can exacerbate HIV risk and contribute to negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Findings from this study are based on 21 semi-structured interviews with pastors and ethnographic observation in six Black Churches. Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed in MAXQDA using thematic content analysis. Although pastors espoused messages of love and acceptance, they overwhelmingly believed homosexuality was a sin and had difficulty accepting YBMSM into their churches. The tension around homosexuality limited pastors' involvement in HIV prevention efforts, although there still may be opportunities for some churches.

The influence of pastors’ ideologies of homosexuality on HIV prevention in the Black Church

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Katherine; Dickson-Gomez, Julia; Young, Staci

2016-01-01

Young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV and Black churches may be a source of stigma which can exacerbate HIV risk and contribute to negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Findings from this study are based on 21 semi-structured interviews with pastors and ethnographic observation in six Black Churches. Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed in MAXQDA using thematic content analysis. Although pastors espoused messages of love and acceptance, they overwhelmingly believed homosexuality was a sin and had difficulty accepting YBMSM into their churches. The tension around homosexuality limited pastors’ involvement in HIV prevention efforts, although there still may be opportunities for some churches. PMID:27099095

Liturgical language of the Eastern Slavonic Orthodox Churches. The Position of The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church’s Faithful Concerning Liturgical Language

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Tomasz Stempa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The analysis of collected materials from the life of the Slavic Orthodox Churches indicates, that in some cases Church Slavonic language is no longer a current or justifiable liturgical language. Bilingualism was introduced or Church Slavonic language was replaced by national languages. A closer investigation into the liturgical language situation in Orthodox Churches reveals that the topicality and the validity of using Church Slavonic language as a liturgical language depends on a few factors. As in the case of the non-canonical Orthodox Churches in Macedonia and Ukraine, the Church Slavonic language has been replaced by national languages for nationalistic reasons. In the case of Bulgaria and Serbia, the main factor that has influenced this change is treating Orthodox Church as a national church. In Eastern Slavonic Orthodox Churches (Belarus, Poland and Russia, changing the liturgical language has occurred at a slow pace. The history of churches in XIX and XXI century, the temper and character of Eastern Slavs have had an influence on this. In this case, the biggest opponent of the Church Slavonic language is democracy in a broad sense. Orthodox Christians in Poland still want to pray in the Church Slavonic language. It is worth mentioning, that in churches, where the national language is used, Church Slavonic language has not been completely removed from liturgical life. Bilingualism of liturgical languages is common and in some cases, when the place is considered as backbone for the Orthodox Church, reversion to Church Slavonic language has been noted (Serbia, Bulgaria.

SOCIAL ACTIVITY OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN 1990-2000S: CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF REALIZATION

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Мария Александровна Симонова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the essential characteristics of the social activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1990-2000s. There are characterized priorities, shape, effective practice of social work and examined the conceptual foundations of the social activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. The analysis enables to establish the conceptual framework and the specifics of the social activities implementation of the Russian Orthodox Church. Particular attention is paid to the study of the status of the Russian Orthodox Church in the state and society. The specificity of the Social Concept of the church was active development, determined by social practices. In this regard, special attention is paid to the activities of the spiritual and educational centers, which are formed into a single system connected to various forms of ecclesiastical education and social service. In the analyzed period the Church clarified its position towards the state and civil society institutions and identified the principles and promising areas of cooperation. The Russian Orthodox Church has become one of the key social institutions that implement the function of the spiritual care of the moral state of society.

The church and the secular: The effect of the post-secular on Christianity

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Jaco Beyers

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Paradigms determine relationships. During the Enlightenment period Emile Durkheim proposed a relationship between the sacred and the profane. Religion, which is concerned with the sacred, was defined in terms of being different from the profane. The profane came to denote the secular. The organic character of religion caused some scholars to predict the end of the church at the hand of modernisation and rationalisation. Some scholars instead envisaged a new form and function of the church. Some scholars anticipated the growth of Christianity. Reality shows that Christianity has not died out but seems to be growing. The new era we are currently in (identified as the postmodern has been described as the post-secular age where a process of re-sacralisation takes place. How will the post-secular influence the church? What will the relationship between the church and the secular be like under a new paradigm? This article suggests that within a postmodern paradigm, the post-secular will emphasise the place of the individual in the church. Fragmentation of society will also be the result of the post-secular. Religiosity in future will have to contend with fundamentalism and civil religion.

The Spanish Church and the American Social Help (1954-1968

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José Luis Mínguez Goyanes

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The historical research about the contemporaneous Spanish Church has most of all pay attention to the política dimension in the Church-State relationships, disregarding dates about welfare work and social help. Cardenal Quiroga Palacios, President from the episcopal Committee for Charity, was the maximun responsible in the distribution of the American Social Help. Together with a Bibliography, the Article offers documentation from the «Archivo Histórico Diocesano de Santiago».

Dimensions of religiousness and cancer screening behaviors among church-going Latinas.

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Allen, Jennifer D; Pérez, John E; Pischke, Claudia R; Tom, Laura S; Juarez, Alan; Ospino, Hosffman; Gonzalez-Suarez, Elizabeth

2014-02-01

Churches are a promising setting through which to reach Latinas with cancer control efforts. A better understanding of the dimensions of religiousness that impact health behaviors could inform efforts to tailor cancer control programs for this setting. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between dimensions of religiousness with adherence to cancer screening recommendations among church-going Latinas. Female Spanish-speaking members, aged 18 and older from a Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 78), were interviewed about cancer screening behaviors and dimensions of religiousness. We examined adherence to individual cancer screening tests (mammography, Pap test, and colonoscopy), as well as adherence to all screening tests for which participants were age-eligible. Dimensions of religiousness assessed included church participation, religious support, active and passive spiritual health locus of control, and positive and negative religious coping. Results showed that roughly half (46 %) of the sample had not received all of the cancer screening tests for which they were age-eligible. In multivariate analyses, positive religious coping was significantly associated with adherence to all age-appropriate screening (OR = 5.30, p religious coping could increase the impact of cancer control interventions for Latinas.

Confessing the Catholicity of the Church

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Sarot, M.

2013-01-01

Starting from a recent discussion in the Netherlands about the application of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication for the internet extension ‘.catholic,’ the author inquires into the meaning of confessing the catholicity of the church. He shows that ‘catholic’ is a title phrase, a

Effective strategic leadership: Balancing roles during church ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-08-15

Aug 15, 2011 ... Received: 10 Nov. 2010. Accepted: ... as strategic leadership) or 'inner growth engines' of an organisation that account for its success. (Hoskisson ... a cell church design, the central characteristic being affected was the sense ...

Forging a Collaborative Relationship between the Black Church and the Counseling Profession

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Adksion-Bradley, Carla; Johnson, Darrell; Sanders, JoAnn Lipford; Duncan, Lonnie; Holcomb-McCoy, Cheryl

2005-01-01

In the field of counseling, there has been a growing awareness of the important role the Black church plays in African American communities. Although counseling professionals have begun recognizing the influence the Black church has in the lives of African Americans, there seems to be little information on how counselors can collaborate with…

Women, sexuality, ecology, and the church.

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Ruether, R R

1993-01-01

This abridged article originally was given as a lecture at Seattle University. The view presented is that women's status within the Catholic Church is subordinate to men's status, and that the Church is misguided in its notion of protection of and support for life. Affirmation of life is not promoted by isolated acts of giving birth, but exists in a social and ecological system in a community over time. The fit between children being born and the network to sustain their lives is misaligned. The minority of the world's population has control over the majority of the world's resources, while the majority live in misery, poverty, and starvation. The affirmation of the value of human life must be both qualitative and quantitative. The woman must be empowered, and not continually defined and controlled by male decision makers. Being prolife means to change the conditions of women and the conditions that deny most humans adequate food, clear air and water, housing, and land to sustain life. The American Catholic Bishops confuse teachings on abortion and teachings on nuclear arms buildup. American Catholic Bishops have had great difficulty formulating a pastoral letter on women, which is unfair to the growing number of women who are alienated by the treatment of the church. The denigration of women is deeply imbedded within Catholicism and Christianity, in general, in spirituality and practice. The issue of abortion has more to do with paternalism and women's sexuality and reproduction than valuing or nonvaluing fetal life. Women are denied leadership within the church because of women's sinful nature and the need for paternalism as a punishment for self-determination. St. Augustine stated that two men were not created in God's image and lack personhood. Thomas Aquinas agreed with Aristotle that women are defective due to a gestational process which deprives women of full mental, moral, or physical humanity. Only a man can fulfill the role of priest. The taboo of woman

The role of the church in the struggle against poverty: A Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika perspective

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S. P. Mpanza

1996-12-01

Full Text Available The essence of being a church is love. The church as an organization based on love has the responsibility of loving God, his people and the world which God himself loved first. This paper is about the responsibility of a 'poor church', the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika, which despite its poverty still has the vocation of becoming meaningful to its members. Two appeals are made here: firstly, that both the rich and the poor churches should, despite their circumstances, play their roles in combating poverty among their members. Secondly, churches should shift from charity work to development.

Poverty and Christian Welfare Scheme: Evidence from the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion Osun State, Nigeria

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S. Awoniyi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Existing studies on welfare schemes in Nigerian Churches have focussed on the political and economic perspectives, neglecting the ethical dimension which has a stronger basis in the Bible. This study, therefore, examined the welfare scheme of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion, Osun State, Nigeria as evidence with a view to assessing their method of generating welfare resources, as well as their implementation and monitoring strategy against the provision of the Bible on welfare ethics. Data were obtained through interviews, observation and questionnaire. In-depth interviews were conducted with 90 randomly selected key informants including 12 clergy, 24 poor members of the church, 18 welfare scheme officers and 36 beneficiaries. Four welfare schemes were observed between 1991 -2012 in a total of 30 Anglican Churches in major towns in Osun State. A total of 600 copies of the questionnaire were purposively administered to beneficiaries, church members and welfare scheme officers. Out of these, 550 were retrieved and analysed using percentages. The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion generated resources for welfare schemes through compulsory  levies, donations, annual harvest proceeds, offering collection ,tithes/offering and foreign assistance .Four categories of welfare schemes were adopted: Health care delivery, vocational rehabilitation, micro-credit loans, and women’s empowerment. One implementation strategy was adopted, namely, social advocacy. The church utilized sensitisation mechanism, widow retreat workshops, free health campaign, radio/television programmes and supportive counselling. Welfare scheme for the Church of Nigeria offered socio-economic benefits to members of the Church, but they were weakened by limited human coverage, insufficient funds and poor monitoring. These call for moral reorientation on the part of stakeholders in order to inculcate the ethics of justice and fairness as enshrined in the Bible.

A Qualitative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Digital Immigrants' Use of Church-Based Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

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Brinkman-Kealey, Renee

2012-01-01

Individuals and societies have traditionally sought answers to important questions in life through religion. In the 21st century, physical churches with clergy are no longer the sole source of spiritual answers or knowledge. Since the late 1960s, church attendance has been declining. Church leaders have begun to implement new methods such as using…

Historical and artistic aspects of St Nicholas's Church in Czulice

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Lucyna Rotter

1999-12-01

Full Text Available Czulice is a village in the Małopolskie voivodeship; the village which belongs to the Kocmyrzów/Luborzyca municipality. The parish church is the place which offers the faithful an opportunity­ to deepen their religious life; it also becomes a reflection of their care and involvement. Understandably, priests, landowners and parishioners strove to adorn the temple in the most distinguished manner. The church in Czulice is a treasure trove of priceless heritage dating back from medieval to contemporary times.

ptimal setpoint operation to reduce peak drying of a church organ

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A. W.M. van Schijndel

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the characteristics of the Walloon Church in Delft (Netherlands and a description of constraints for the indoor climate, giving criteria for the indoor air temperature and relative humidity with the focus on the preservation of the monumental church organ. The set point operation of the Heating Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC system is evaluated by simulation. The next main model components are presented and combined in a single integrated model: 1 a whole building response model for simulating the indoor temperature and relative humidity, 2 a Partial Differential Equation (PDE based model for simulating detailed dynamic moisture transport in the monumental wood (church organ and 3 a SimuLink controller model. The building model is validated with measurements. The main advantage of the integrated model is that it directly simulates the impact of HVAC control set point strategies on the indoor climate and the church organ. Two types of control strategies are discussed. The first type is a limited indoor air temperature-changing rate. The second type is a limited indoor air relative humidity changing rate. Recommendations from international literature suggest that 1 a changing rate of 2 K/h will preserve the interior of churches and 2 a limited drying rate is important for the conservation of monumental wood. This preliminary study shows that a limitation of indoor air temperature changing rate of 2 K/h can reduce the peak drying rates by a factor 20 and a limitation of the relative humidity changing rate of 2%/h can reduce the peak drying rates by a factor 50. The second strategy has the disadvantage that the heating time is not constant.

Technical Limitations in Merging Secular and Sacred Functions in Monumental Churches

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Piatkowska, Ksenia

2017-10-01

The abandonment of churches and their adaptation for secular purposes is a current subject in Europe and worldwide. Most cases involve objects that were desacralized and then rebuilt as a whole object for alternative functions. Thus far, the merging of secular and sacred functions in one monumental Catholic church has not raised any issues. The paper describes the case of St. Catherine’s Church in Gdansk, Poland, where sacred function exists parallel to the new secular function being implemented. The study is based on the authentic, professional experience of the author. It describes the technical limitations arising from the need to ensure destinies for the optimal conditions of both sacred and secular function, while avoiding undesirable interference between them. The author further identifies architectural solutions most relevant to current requirements for protection of sacred zones in the church, for preservation of the monument, and for optimal function of a modern science museum. Significant design issues include: the inviolability of the sacred zone, preservation of the historical value of the monument, proper operation of new secular zones in compliance with contemporary standards of safety, performance of the assumed mission and profitability. The research indicates specific areas where the highest probability of collision exists between the sacred and profane and where technical problems are likely to occur.

Violence in post-apartheid South Africa and the role of church and theology

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C.F.C. Coetzee

2004-08-01

Full Text Available South Africa is known as one of the most violent countries in the world. Since the seventeenth century, violence has been part of our history. Violence also played a significant role during the years of apartheid and the revolutionary struggle against apartheid. It was widely expected that violence would decrease in a post-apartheid democratic South Africa, but on the contrary, violence has increased in most cases. Even the TRC did not succeed in its goal to achieve reconciliation. In this paper it is argued that theology and the church have a great and significant role to play. Churches and church leaders who supported revolutionary violence against the apartheid system on Biblical “grounds”, should confess their unbiblical hermeneutical approach and reject the option of violence. The church also has a calling in the education of young people, the pastoral care of criminals and victims, in proclaiming the true Gospel to the government and in creating an ethos of human rights.

The ‘enemy within’ the post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church

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Graham A. Duncan

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965 is regarded as one of the most significant processes in the ecumenical church history of the 20th century. At that time, a younger generation of Roman Catholic theologians began to make their mark in the church and within the ecumenical theological scene. Their work provided an ecumenical bridge between the Reforming and the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical traditions, notwithstanding the subsequent negative response of the Roman church hierarchy. Despite important advances, recent pontificates significantly altered the theological landscape and undermined much of the enthusiasm and commitment to unity. Roman Catholic theological dissent provided common ground for theological reflection. Those regarded as the ‘enemy within’ have become respected colleagues in the search for truth in global ecclesiastical perspective. This article will use the distinction between the history and the narratives of Vatican II.

Communities: Development of church-based counselling teams

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Stella D. Potgieter

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Pastoral care is a biblical mandate to the Church to be involved in the lives of God’s people. A key metaphor used by Jesus to describe his pastoral role was that of a shepherd. Thus, to be God’s shepherds and instruments of healing and transformation in God’s world is an imperative to all people, clergy and laity alike. The brokenness in South African society is strikingly apparent, exacerbated by the effects of exceptionally high criminal behaviour as statistics show. The demand for pastoral care and assistance with various personal problems is on the increase, with many non-church goers turning to churches for help. Also apparent in South Africa is the acute shortage of trained individuals to offer care and counselling. The task of offering care is not the sole responsibility of clergy, as all are called to be shepherds and caregivers. The importance and urgency in training church-based counselling teams cannot be overstated. More so in that we are becoming increasingly aware that not only are individuals in need of care, but whole communities are struggling with trauma and life’s challenges, and often do not know whom to turn to. In pursuance of the realisation that pastoral care is the function and duty of all Christians, this article will delineate in particular an explanation of lay counselling, reasons for its importance including biblical foundations, where and how ordinary South Africans can get involved, and will propose certain models and approaches for getting started. These models will not be discussed in depth, but present an opportunity for the next. Teams for these models consist of professional counsellors, but ought not to be restricted to a select few, as all are called to this special ministry and can be trained for the task, which will include on-going supervision and mentoring. The overall purpose of this article is to highlight the urgency of training lay counsellors and some recommendations will be made how to

Semi-renovationism in the Russia Orthodox Church in the middle of 1920-s.: toward the question about the church policy’s estimate of bishop Irenaeus (Shulgin of Elabuga and bishop Alexiy (Kuznetsov of Sarapulsk

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Zimina Nina

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The article concerns the activity of the St. Petersburg Department of the Moscow Society for Religious education, targeted to give the western Christians the knowledge about the affairs’ state of the Eastern Church. The author identifies the literature published and translated by Russian theologians and members of clergy for western Christians from 1871 to 1880. She describes the work’s methods of the Department. The response of western theologians was the publication of works about the Eastern Church. Members of the St. Petersburg Department managed to fulfill designated tasks despite the short period of activity. They illuminated as much as possible the state of the contemporary Church, a church history and theology and assisted western and east Christians in the dialog’s development.

Action and Church : Pastoral Work as the Focal Point of a Liberating Ecclesiology

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Först, Johannes; Dillen, Annemie; Wolfteich, Claire

2016-01-01

Pastoral work is the church in action. That is perhaps the most concise definition of pastoral work. Despite its briefness, however, it offers an ingenious point of departure for reflecting on key issues concerning the church and its task in the world. Based on this short definition, the current

THE FORTIFIED CHURCHES FROM TRANSYLVANIA - HOW WELL ARE THEY KNOWN BY THE ROMANIAN CITIZENS?

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Serb Silvana Valentina

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The Fortified Churches from Transylvania represent an important category of historical and religious sights of the anthropic touristic potential - historic cultural potential of this region. However, they are not exploited from a touristic point of view at their fair value, one reason being the weak promoting activity, especially the lack of information among citizens about the existence of these churches. In this paper, I intend to highlight on the information level awareness among the Romanian citizens regarding the existence of these churches, to identify which are the most well known and visited churches and to establish the profile of those who visit the churches. In the end, the results of this research impose a set of measures to improve the level of information among the Romanian citizens concerning the existence of this historic and religious heritage. The paper is relevant for the doctoral research project called Marketing Places - religious and historical sights of touristic interest from Transylvania under the guidance of Professor Doctor Marius Pop, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, during 1st of October 2009 - 1st of October 2012.

Handling of pastoral misconduct and discipline: Evidence from the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe church

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Norman Chivasa

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Misconduct has permeated almost every community across the globe and Christian churches have not been spared either. The two basic questions that the current study addresses were what are some of the reported behaviours of male pastors that constitute misconduct in the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM in Zimbabwe church?; and is there any policy framework in the AFM in Zimbabwe designed to repair distressed relationships between offending pastors and the church? Results showed that in the AFM in Zimbabwe, pastoral misconduct is seen as a negative force that militates against sustaining harmony in the church. As such, whenever a male pastor commits an act of misconduct, disciplinary action is taken against him. It was also found that constructive dialogue to address misconduct is still a blind spot in the church under review. And because there is no policy framework to amend distressed relationships after administering discipline, social interactions between offending pastors and the church remain antagonistic. In view of the identified problem, this study proposed that the AFM in Zimbabwe might need to embrace a peace building framework because it has the propensity to repair broken relationships and to build friendships, social networks and trust between people. This framework can be instrumental in repairing distressed relations between offending pastors and the church at large. The strength of peace building lies in the values of brotherly love, forgiveness, reconciliation and relationship building, which are compatible with Christianity.

The meaning of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Microcredit evangelism, health, and social policy.

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Bond, Patrick

2007-01-01

The awarding of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, provides an opportunity to consider the use and abuse of microfinancing, especially because credit continues to be touted as a poverty-reduction strategy associated with health education and health care financing strategies. Not only is the Grameen diagnosis of poverty dubious, but many structural problems also plague the model, ranging from financial accounting to market failures. In Southern Africa, to illustrate, microcredit schemes for peasants and small farmers have been attempted for more than 70 years, on the basis that modem capitalism and peasant/informal system gaps can be bridged by an expanded financial system. The results have been disappointing. A critical reading of political economy posits an organic linkage between the "developed" and "underdeveloped" economies that is typically not mitigated by capitalist financial markets, but instead is often exacerbated. When applied to health and social policy, microcredit evangelism becomes especially dangerous.

Creating social spaces to tackle AIDS-related stigma: reviewing the role of church groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Campbell, C; Skovdal, M; Gibbs, A

2011-08-01

An expanding body of literature explores the role of African church groups in facilitating or hindering the support of people living with AIDS and challenging or contributing to HIV/AIDS-related stigma. Treating church groups as social spaces in which HIV/AIDS-related stigma may potentially be challenged, we systematically review this literature, identifying five themes that highlight the complex and contradictory role of the church as a potential agent of health-enhancing social change. In many ways the church perpetuates HIV/AIDS-related stigma through (i) moralistic attitudes and (ii) its reinforcement of conservative gender ideologies. However some churches have managed move towards action that makes a more positive contribution to HIV/AIDS management through (iii) promoting various forms of social control for HIV prevention, (iv) contributing to the care and support of the AIDS-affected and (v) providing social spaces for challenging stigmatising ideas and practices. We conclude that church groups, including church leadership, can play a key role in facilitating or hindering the creation of supportive social spaces to challenge stigma. Much work remains to be done in developing deeper understandings of the multi-layered factors that enable some churches, but not others, to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS.

Culture, pouvoir et eglise (Culture, Power, and Church)

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Vallin, Pierre

1973-01-01

Examines the historical evolution of the terms "culture" and "civilization" in Europe beginning with the medieval concept of the "studium," and focuses on the influence of the church in shaping these concepts. (RL)

The Catholic Church & Social Justice Issues: An Expose of Vatican Power in America.

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Mumford, Stephen D.

1983-01-01

Three popular modern movements--ERA, family planning, and legal abortion--all undermine church authority and power by having as their ends the promotion of acts that completely counter the tenets with which the church leadership has indoctrinated its congregants. Actions the Vatican has taken to counter these threats are discussed. (RM)

Affected by Ritual : Predictors of Agreement with Church Marriage Rites in The Netherlands

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Robinson, Remco; Hermans, Chris; Scheepers, Peer; Schilderman, Hans

2007-01-01

Why do couples opt for a church wedding ritual living in a modern secularized society. Based on the ritual form hypothesis of Lawson and McCauley, the authors identify the specific church wedding rites as special agent rituals and the rites that form the ritual framework of every eucharist or prayer

Territorial Dioceses and Ethnic Episcopies in the Structure of the Church Organization of the First Bulgarian Kingdom (Canonical Aspects

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Archpriest Alexander Zadornov

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The coexistence of ethnic and territorial principles in the structure of ecclesiastical organizations is a well known fact in church history. Both principles are equally legitimate from the point of view of canonical law. The “ethnic principle” was based on legal norms of the so-called 34th Apostolic Rule, and contrary to the opinion of scholars of the 19th century, it was still in use after the era of the Ecumenical Councils. This fact must be considered by students of the history of Church organizations in the First Bulgarian Kingdom, too. The observations regarding the structure of church organizations in Simeonic Bulgaria make it possible to assume the coexistence of ethnic and territorial principles of church organizations in his kingdom. As is known, Slavonic church schools were established in the southwestern part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom after 886. They were aimed at training the Slavonic clergy for the Slavonic church organization. In 893, the Bulgarian King Simeon was elevated to the throne, and a Slavonic eparchy headed by St. Clement of Ohrid was established in the southwestern territories of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. As a result, heterogeneous church organizations were established in the region, and church structures of ethnic and territorial types appeared. They differ from each other by the language of their church services. Old Church Slavonic must have been used as a liturgical language in the ethnic Slavonic eparchy. Since direct historical evidence for such heterogeneous church structure in the First Bulgarian Kingdom is absent, new interpretations of sources made on the basis of canonical law can be of importance for Slavonic studies.

New Insights about St Michael’s Church in Ston

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Ivana Tomas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available St Michael’s church in Ston is an important monument of medieval architectural heritage within a wider area of Dubrovnik and the only positively attested monument of the so-called southern Dalmatian single-nave dome type in the area of historical Zahumlje. The church stands on the top of the Gradac hill or St Michael’s Mount (107 m.a.s.l., at the location of an earlier fortification. Based on an analysis of St Michael’s architecture, as well as its stone furnishing, the author has argued that the church is pre-Romaneseque in origin. It has also been suggested that the belfry (the structure to the west was built together with the church, since the concept of the ground plan (the width-length ratio, the slightly protruding apse, its small dimensions, as well as its vertical stratigraphy (the belfry and the dome indicate that it was constructed as a ruler’s chapel. It is most probable that the church was dedicated to Archangel Michael from the very beginning, as the cult of the heavenly host-leader as the patron saint of rulers and their military campaigns was widespread among the upper classes in the early Middle Ages. The time of construction should most probably be connected with the first historically attested and significant ruler of Ston – Duke Mihajlo Višević (before 910 – after 928, who raised Ston to an administrative and ecclesiastical centre of this Sclavinia. An analysis of the younger layer of sculpture in St Michael’s (the monumental window frames and a fragment with human face, as well as its murals, has suggested that the ruler’s chapel was furnished more richly around the mid-11th century. Considering the historical sources on Ston in this period, it has been suggested that its renovation took place at the initiative of Stefan Vojislav (before 1018 – 1043/1050, founder of the Vojislavljević dynasty. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that Vojislav, having defeated Byzantium and its allies (among them the

Comprehensive personal witness: a model to enlarge missional involvement of the local church

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Hancke, Frans

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In the The Split-Level Fellowship, Wesley Baker analysed the role of individual members in the Church. He gave a name to a tragic phenomenon with which Church leaders are familiar. Although true of society in general it is especially true of the church. Baker called the difference between the committed few and the uninvolved many, Factor Beta. This reality triggers the question: Why are the majority of Christians in the world not missionally involved through personal witness and which factors consequently influence personal witness and missional involvement? This article explains how the range of personal witness and missional involvement found in local churches are rooted in certain fundamental factors and conditions which are mutually influencing each other and ultimately contribute towards forming a certain paradigm. This paradigm acts as the basis from which certain behavioural patterns (witness will manifest. The factors influencing witness are either described as accelerators or decelerators and their relativity and mutual relationships are considered. Factors acting as decelerators can severely hamper or even annul witness, while accelerators on the other hand, can have an immensely positive effect to enlarge the transformational influence of witness. In conclusion a transformational model is developed through which paradigms can be influenced and eventually changed. This model fulfils a diagnostic and remedial function and will support local churches to enlarge the individual and corporate missional involvement of believers.

Church music in the light of national legislation in the principality of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbia

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Peno Vesna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Officially, the Serbian Orthodox Church enjoyed a legally guaranteed status throughout the 19th century and Orthodox faith was considered to be prevalent both in the Principality of Serbia and in the Kingdom of Serbia. Nevertheless, after gaining its autonomy within the Constantinople Patriarchate in 1831 (under whose forced jurisdiction it had been since 1766, Knez Milos’s attitude and a number of state provisions led to the unsparing diminishing of the Church authority together with frequent subversions of the Church Canon law. Introduction of the constitutional and legislative framework for the activities of the Serbian church, the enforcement of institutionalized mechanisms of control, and above all, direct interference of the State authorities in the elections of Church hierarchs and their activities, marked relations of the Church and the State in the 19th century. “Might makes right” rule was always on the State side. Investigations so far have least examined those provisions of the Government concerning general and theological education, in which church music also found its place. Presentation and analysis of the facts about the beginnings of organized music education go in favor of the existing findings on concurrencies and discrepancies in two cultural policies - that of the State and the one of the Church. Attitudes of the Sovereign and the Government towards the educational process, so vital during the decades of the State formation, are also indicative for affirmation of chanting practice and music art in general, as are (non- conflicting interests between the prelates and distinguished public figures on one, and those in charge at the ministries on the other side. This paper presents all relevant government legislations regulating religious and music education at regular and theological schools. Attempts of the Church dignitaries and learned Serbian musicians to raise the level of music culture with the help of the State

Jurisprudence, Peyote and the Native American Church.

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Lawson, Paul E.; Scholes, Jennifer

1986-01-01

Examines federal and state governments' attempts to suppress peyote use in Indian rituals as historically Christian-inspired. Focuses on questions of morality versus criminal law. Explains history and development of Native American Church of North America. Examines nine contemporary peyote trials. Concludes larger questions of tribal sovereignty…

Community and Christianity in the Black Church.

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Morris, Joseph R.; Robinson, Dianne T.

1996-01-01

Explores the experience of Christianity for many African Americans and how such experience provides a foundation for social activism. Discusses Black church burnings with respect to the more traditional Christian African American view of religion. Explores implications for incorporating the religious traditions of Christian African Americans into…

Church and state in South Africa and human rights

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Piet J. Strauss

2015-10-01

Full Text Available After the Second World War, there was a universal rise and greater acknowledgement of human rights, which entered churches and ecumenical organisations’ way of thinking. Human rights influenced the church’s understanding of justice and human dignity both internally and externally. The concept of human dignity came from the biblical believe that man is created in the image of God. In South Africa human rights were also increasingly recognised and respected. A charter of human rights was included as chapter 2 of the 1996 Constitution and churches regard human dignity as a central tenet of their approach to members and non-members. Differences between church and state on the issue have arisen as the result of differences on the freedom of religion. Church and state in South Africa can complement each other in the promotion of human dignity. Opsomming: Kerk en staat in Suid-Afrika en menseregte. Na die Tweede Wêreldoorlog is menseregte wêreldwyd erken en aanvaar. Dit was ook die geval in kerke en ekumeniese organisasies. Menseregte het kerke se siening van geregtigheid en menswaardigheid in hulle interne sowel as eksterne optrede beïnvloed. Die begrip menswaardigheid het ontstaan uit die bybelse oortuiging dat die mens na die beeld van God geskape is. In Suid-Afrika is menseregte ook toenemend erken en aanvaar. ’n Verklaring van menseregte is as hoofstuk 2 in die 1996-grondwet ingesluit en kerke beskou menswaardigheid as toonaangewend in hulle benadering van mense binne en buite die kerk. Verskille tussen die kerk en die staat in Suid-Afrika oor menseregte het ontstaan as gevolg van verskille oor die inhoud van die vryheid van godsdiens. Teen hierdie agtergrond kan kerk en staat mekaar egter aanvul in die bevordering van menseregte.

Thinking beyond Secularism: The Catholic Church and Political Practice in Rural South India

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Aparna Sundar

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This article re-opens the debate on secularism in India by looking at a religion and a region that has historically been marginal to this discourse, focusing on the way in which the Catholic Church has historically mediated the relationship between individuals and the state, among the fishing communities of South India. The Catholic Church’s dominant position among the fishing communities, its minority status within India, as well as theological and other shifts that have taken place within the global Church, lead it to articulate a secular, even radical politics as its primary mode of religious engagement. Radical clergy, many from fishing backgrounds, act as both organic and traditional intellectuals in the Gramscian sense, linking the traditional religious concerns of the Church to the secular interests of their parishioners. Likewise, villagers participate in Church-generated associations spaces to secure wider political goals. The paper concludes that certain forms of religious organisation in the public sphere might indeed be compatible with democracy, citizenship, and even secularism.

The early Korean Protestant Churches' impact on Korea's ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-06-20

Jun 20, 2014 ... general and the Korean Presbyterian Church in particular on the early phases of .... The missionary first asks for religious liberty, and then proclaims ..... which was historically founded in 1907, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Concept And Its Implementation During The Reconstruction Of The Church Of Blessed Virgin Mary In Chojna

Science.gov (United States)

Płotkowiak, Maciej

2015-12-01

St. Mary's parish church in Chojna was erected at the turn of XIV and XVc. in a shape of three aisles, hall church without transept, completed from the west with a single tower and from the east with polygonal presbytery with an ambulatory attached. The convergence of characteristic structural and decorative features with employed ones in medieval churches being attributed to Hinrich Brunsberg's fabric resulted in such a way, that also authorship of St. Mary in Chojna was assigned to this legendary architect and master builder of late Middle Ages period. The church was destroyed by fire during WWII in February 1945 and since then had remained as an open ruin. In 1997 reconstruction procedure of the church was begun under the leadership of the author and it still continues. This text consists of the sum of experiences connected with confronting design ideas and solutions with their executions on the site during construction works.

The Political Position of Southeast Russian Church Council (1919 During the Civil War

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Biriukova Iuliia

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The article studies the attitude of the Southeast Russian Church Council toward rather an inhomogeneous politically White Movement. This council took place in Stavropol in 1919. Various socio-political forces, represented at the council, tried to take advantage of that assembly in order to use its authority for political causes, but the council successfully ignored such attempts. According to the council the main purpose of the Church was to work constructively in a religious and moral sphere. Since the White Army became an ally of the Church in its struggle with militant atheism, the leader of the White Movement General Anton Denikin was the only political fi gure who received a special support from the council

CHURCH, Category, and Speciation

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Rinderknecht Jakob Karl

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Roman Catholic definition of “church”, especially as applied to groups of Protestant Christians, creates a number of well-known difficulties. The similarly complex category, “species,” provides a model for applying this term so as to neither lose the centrality of certain examples nor draw a hard boundary to rule out border cases. In this way, it can help us to more adequately apply the complex ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council. This article draws parallels between the understanding of speciation and categorization and the definition of Church since the council. In doing so, it applies the work of cognitive linguists, including George Lakoff, Zoltan Kovecses, Giles Fauconnier and Mark Turner on categorization. We tend to think of categories as containers into which we sort objects according to essential criteria. However, categories are actually built inductively by making associations between objects. This means that natural categories, including species, are more porous than we assume, but nevertheless bear real meaning about the natural world. Taxonomists dispute the border between “zebras” and “wild asses,” but this distinction arises out of genetic and evolutionary reality; it is not merely arbitrary. Genetic descriptions of species has also led recently to the conviction that there are four species of giraffe, not one. This engagement will ground a vantage point from which the Council‘s complex ecclesiology can be more easily described so as to authentically integrate its noncompetitive vision vis-a-vis other Christians with its sense of the unique place held by Catholic Church.

Pentecostals and the pulpit: A case study of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa

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Marius Nel

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In general, early Pentecostals did not use any pulpits in their halls in order to underline their emphasis that each believer is a prophet and priest equipped by the Holy Spirit with gifts for the edification of other members of the assembly. All participated in the worship service by way of praying, prophesying, witnessing and bringing a message from God. From the 1940s, Pentecostals in their desire to be acceptable in their communities formed an alliance with evangelicals, accepted their hermeneutical viewpoint and built traditional churches in accordance with the Protestant tradition. From the 1980s, the pulpit started disappearing from the front of Pentecostal churches. This is explained in terms of new alliances that Pentecostals made with neo-Pentecostalist churches and a new hermeneutical viewpoint. The hypothesis of the article is that the Pentecostal stance towards the pulpit was determined by its hermeneutical perspectives. It is described by way of a comparative literature study and applied to a specific case study, the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa.

A HERMENÊUTICA ECUMÊNICA DA FÉ CRISTÃ: UMA CONTRIBUIÇÃO AO DIÁLOGO ENTRE CATÓLICOS E LUTERANOS NO CONTEXTO DOS 500 ANOS DA REFORMA DE LUTERO

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Elias Wolff

2017-04-01

Full Text Available RESUMO: O artigo aborda questões de hermenêutica da fé cristã e suas implicações tanto na história da divisão cristã como na busca da reconciliação. O foco é a relação entre as Igrejas Católica e Luterana, no contexto dos 500 anos da Reforma de Lutero. Mostra a vivência da fé como resultado de um processo hermenêutico dos Evangelhos, de onde se originam diferentes tradições teológicas que configuram identidades eclesiais distintas. Se durante 500 anos, católicos e luteranos divergiram na compreensão do Evangelho, urge agora uma hermenêutica ecumênica que favoreça na superação das divergências. O artigo retoma aspectos da hermenêutica de Lutero e os relaciona com a hermenêutica católica; apresenta elementos metodológicos para uma hermenêutica católico-luterana da fé cristã; e mostra como a comemoração dos 500 anos da Reforma, em 2017, pode impulsionar a comunhão na fé entre católicos e luteranos. ABSTRACT: The article addresses Christian Faith hermeneutics and its implications in the history of Christian division and search of reconciliation. The focus is the relationship between Catholic and Lutheran churches in the context of the Reformation’s anniversary. It demonstrates the living out of faith as a result of a hermeneutical process of the Gospels where the different traditions emerge and configure distinct ecclesial identities. So, if during five hundred years Catholics and Lutherans diverged on the understanding of the Gospel; Ecumenical hermeneutics that favor overcoming these is urgent. The article takes some aspects of Luther’s hermeneutics and relates them to Catholic hermeneutics; demonstrating some methodological elements for Catholic-Lutheran Hermeneutics of Faith, and shows how the joint commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 may motivate communion between Catholics and Lutherans.

Exploring the role of the church as a ‘reformation agency’ in enhancing a socially transformative agenda in South Africa

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Micheal M. van Wyk

2017-03-01

Full Text Available International political, social, economic and religious developments influence how local communities operate. The South African church society is influenced by such developments taking place globally and which clearly influence how local churches function. This article explores the role of the contemporary church as a ‘reformation agency’ in enhancing a socially transformative agenda in South Africa. A qualitative research approach – an interpretative phenomenology design – was employed to negotiate a shared understanding through conversation and intersubjective meaning-making with church ministers, with the primary focus being their subjective experience of the changing role of the church in enhancing a transformative agenda in a South African context. A purposive sampling (n = 6 consisted of local church leaders who participated in the face-to-face and telephonic semi-structured interviews to achieve the purpose of the study. The findings clearly show that deliberate and intentional actions by churches allow them to become a voice for the marginalised, to create spaces for searching for excellence and to increase the quality of servant leadership, all as vehicles for transforming church society. Furthermore, servant leadership is a social phenomenon, a philosophy-in-practice aimed at leading by example to achieve a common goal. To accomplish this, church ministers are required to spearhead the challenge as a prerequisite to creating ‘lived experienced’ opportunities for members as an inward-outward spiritual journey. Finally, church leaders believed that transformation is a secular dimension, but that it can also be aligned towards God’s redemption plan and enhancing a socially just transformation agenda. Ultimately, this study proposed several recommendations to allow the local church to be relevant in practicing and promoting stronger unity and reconciliation amongst all churches nationally and globally.

A missional study of Ghanaian Pentecostal churches' leadership ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-06-11

Jun 11, 2015 ... Leadership is an organisational challenge, and the nature of the church ..... word; a priestly people, offering the sacrifice of a life lived ..... Dessler, G., 2012, Supervision and leadership in a changing world, Pearson Education,.

"In my house": laying the foundation for youth HIV prevention in the Black church.

Science.gov (United States)

Lightfoot, Alexandra F; Woods, Briana A; Jackson, Melvin; Riggins, Linda; Krieger, Kathleen; Brodie, Kimberly; Gray, Phyllis; Howard, Daniel L

2012-01-01

This article describes the process our community-academic partnership used to lay the groundwork for successful implementation of an adolescent-focused, evidence-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum in two Black churches. We highlight the challenges encountered and lessons learned in building a relationship with two churches, garnering the pastor's support, and implementing the curriculum within church youth groups. We engaged a Community Advisory Board (CAB) made up of youth, parents, and diverse faith leaders to ensure community relevance and guide project development, implementation, and evaluation. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach helped us to (1) engage diverse, intergenerational community members, (2) initiate a "culturally humble" process to build relationships with faith leaders, (3) remain responsive to stakeholder concerns, and (4) open the door to HIV prevention in the Black church. Finding effective and responsive ways to implement HIV/AIDS prevention in faith settings is facilitated by engaging diverse partners throughout the research process.

Evangelikalismen utfordret

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Bjørn Øyvind Fjeld

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the implicit epistemology of James K.A. Smith in his book Who’s Afraid of Post-modernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard and Foucault to Church (2006. The analysis concentrates on Smith’s interpretation of three French postmodern philosophers: J. Derrida, J.F. Lyotard and M. Fou-cault, but includes also a yearlong discussion between Smith and D.A. Carson, rendered in the book and in Carson’s books Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church (2005 and Christ & Culture Revisited (2008. Carson defends the evangelical movement which today is criticized and challenged by several post-evangelical writers, among them Smith, who claims that faith is the sole bridge be-tween reality and knowledge. He calls his view confessional realism. The aim is to present and con-structively evaluate Smith’s epistemology and its relation to issues like rationality, truth, objectivity and reality. The theoretical basis for the assessment of Smith’s presentation of Radical Orthodoxy and its epistemology is what M. Stenmark calls “The everyday life epistemology upgraded” (Vardagslivets kunskapsteori uppgraderat (VKU. Stenmark argues that we may know the truth, but nobody own the truth. Based on VKU, the article critiques Smith’s epistemology and his theology of incarnation, as partly built on a local language game, partly on his intrabiblical understanding of reality, and partly for the risk of ending up in fideism. VKU is also the basis for a critical assessment of the epistemology of evangelicalism and Carson’s arguments for the biblical “non-negotiables”. The article defends a criti-cal realism which allows a view of revelation that the triune God is able to transcend the limitations of human sin and subjectivity, and that God the Creator is able to communicate his plan of salvation to rational men. Human rationality never replaces faith, but rationality is able to give good grounds for faith among people endorsing modernity or

SOCIAL ACTIVITY OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN 1990-2000S: CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF REALIZATION

OpenAIRE

Мария Александровна Симонова

2014-01-01

This article deals with the essential characteristics of the social activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1990-2000s. There are characterized priorities, shape, effective practice of social work and examined the conceptual foundations of the social activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. The analysis enables to establish the conceptual framework and the specifics of the social activities implementation of the Russian Orthodox Church. Particular attention is paid to the study of ...

ROLE OF COMMON VESTRY OF ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH IN MAROSEIKA STREET IN SPIRITUAL LIFE OF MOSCOW IN XXTH CENTURY

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Анна Филипповна Грушина

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article concentrates on the history of the formation and development of the Common Vestry of Moscow Church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki. There are revealed the outstanding characteristics of the living, its spiritual origins and bonds. In the centre of the research is the ministration of two hegumens of the church, namely: archpriest Alexius Mechov and his son priest Sergius Mechov. The father started the penancing-liturgical family and the son continued the father's work, retained and enriched his pastoral heritage. The Common Vestry of the Church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki, which had been guided by father Sergius, turned out to be one of the most wonderful phenomena of the Russian Church history of the previous century. In the years of the persecutions against the Church it survived. The peculiarity of this living was that it was disintegrated after the shutdown of the church and the taking away of the pastors. This peculiarity is unique not only for Moscow, but also for all Russian Orthodox Church.

The Dynamism of the Sacraments of Healing in the Service of Church Community Building

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Marek Kluz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Inspired by the prophetic vision of Blessed John Paul, the pastors of the Church in Poland made huge efforts to ensure that the Church is becoming a real home for her children. The statement became the keynote of the Polish Pastoral Program at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. Building the Church community is of key importance for creating a common sense of fraternity, unity and peace in the world. The sacraments play a fundamental role in enhancing the process. Among all the sacraments, the so called Sacraments of Healing, namely the sacrament of penance and reconciliation and the sacrament of anointing of the sick, are of crucial importance, since they constitute an indispensable element of ecclesial identity. The article aims at showing the clearly ecclesial character of the sacrament of penance and the sacrament of the anointing. It also points out that faithful Christian fulfilment of all obligations arising from the sacraments of penance and anointing becomes the leaven of the Gospel, making the community of unity, love and peace present in the Church. Man reconciled with God in the Sacrament of Penance and strengthened in the Sacrament of the Anointing contributes to the growth of the whole Church and her holiness. Therefore, every important aspect of the life of the Church, and all that gives it the true dimension and meaning, can be found in the Sacraments of Healing.

NEW WAYS TO DEVELOP AND PPROMOT TOURISM THROUGH RESTORATION OF WOODEN CHURCHES FROM BUZAU REGION

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Elena-Teodora, NECULA

2014-11-01

Full Text Available With highlighting of the wooden churches from the sub-Carpathian region is possible to make projects of development and promovation of tourism in Buzau. Publishing a book of the wooden churches witch presents the overview on architecture helps with the prom ovation of tourism by bringing new light on the full set, geographical specking it brings new territory to view. Advantage by placing wooden churches in the vicinity of hermitage caves from Buzau will attract even more interest of the large public for seed region. Realizing a few projects of conservation-restoration of wooden churches which are declared historical monuments, will bring a local developing from a cultural-tourist view. A particular case is the wooden church "Saints Emperors" from the vicinity city Nehoiu which has ruttier access, helps with the cost for restoration and number of viewers. Through realizing interventions of conservation-restoration and placing it in a favorable aesthetic view, the monument can be used in a cultural-tourist circuit of international important and this way it can help with the growth of value of monuments and developing cultural-tourist with the final scope heightening the economy.

Reconstitutions of the evangelical text in the Mysteries of the Orthodox Church

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Tuca Nicusor

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The miracles performed by Jesus Christ are primary forms of practice of the Holy Mysteries. Therefore, every one of the seven Holy Mysteries finds its correspondent in the healings performed by our Savior: for the Mystery of Baptism, we have highlighted as paradigms the healing of the man born blind, but also the resurrections from the dead; for the Chrismation Mystery, the paradigms are the healing of the woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for 12 years and the healing of the deaf man who could hardly speak, while for the Mystery of Confession we have highlighted as defining examples the public confession of the father of the lunatic child, the blind men of Jericho and Bethsaida and the leper of Galilee. The Mystery of the Holy Eucharist has as special paradigms the parable of the emperor’s son’s wedding and the parable of the people invited to supper, while the Mystery of Priesthood (or Ordination is prefigured by the second wonderful fishing and the first multiplication of the loaves of bread. As far as the Mystery of Marriage is concerned, beside the miracle of Cana in Galilee, suggestive is also the “salvation of Zacchaeus’ house”, while the healings of the devil-possessed are eloquent for the illustration of the Mystery of the Holy Unction.

The Church of St. Stephan on Šćepan polje near Soko-grad

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Popović Marko

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The Church of St. Stephan, in this paper, belonged to a medieval residential complex above the confluence of the River Piva and the River Tara, in the extreme northeast of the present-day Republic of Montenegro. The central part of the complex consisted of Soko-grad, a castle with the court of the prominent, aristocratic, Kosača family, which, at the end of the 14th century, right until the Turkish conquests in the sixties and seventies of the 15th century, ruled the regions later known as Hercegovina. At the foot of the castle, on Šćepan polje, is the suburb with the Church of St. Stephan the endowment of the grand duke, Sandalj Hranić (+1345. At the foot of the northern slope, beneath the castle, in the area of Zagrađa, is another church erected by the grand duke's successor, Herzeg Stefan Vukćić Kosača (+1465. After the Turkish conquest, the complex of the Soko castle with its suburb was destroyed and the churches became deserted and were never renewed. The ruins of St. Stephan were discovered, investigated and then conserved from 1971-973, however, the results of this research have not been published until now. In reviewing the results obtained in the course of the archaeological excavations, it is possible, in a considerable measure, to comprehend the position and former appearance of the Church of St. Stephan and establish roughly, the time when it came into being. This was the largest church erected in the regions governed by the powerful, Kosača noble family, during the 15th century. The total length of the church exceeded 25 metres and its width was approximately ten metres. In the preserved body of the construction, of which the remaining walls rise to a height of four metres one may see three basic stages of building. A narthex was later erected beside the church, and subsequently a small parakklesion was added, on the northern side. The original church had a single nave, a cruciform base and a gently, horseshoe-shaped apsis

PUPILS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS OF THE WOODEN CHURCHES IN MARAMUREŞ, ROMANIA

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SORIN-ALIN KOSINSZKI

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the research was to study the perceptions and representations of some pupils and students, living in Maramureş, of the wooden churches from Maramureş and their employment as tourist attractions. The specific objectives of this research were the following: conceiving, analysing and applying a research instrument for the perceptions and representations on the wooden churches from Maramureş and their employment as tourist attractions, the analysis and interpretation of the obtained results. The following research hypothesis was tested: pupils and students do not have very precise representations of the wooden churches in Maramureş and their employment as tourist attractions. After the questionnaire was applied and the results were analyzed, the working hypothesis was confirmed.

Exploring the Influence of Social Determinants, Social Capital, and Health Expertise on Health and the Rural Church.

Science.gov (United States)

Plunkett, Robyn; Leipert, Beverly; Olson, Joanne

2016-09-01

In rural communities, religious places can significantly shape health for individuals, families, and communities. Rural churches are prominent community centers in rural communities and are deeply woven into rural culture. Thus, health influences arising from the rural church likely have health implications for the greater community. This article explores health influences emerging from rural churches using social determinants of health, social capital, and health expertise. Although nurses are important health resources for all populations, their value in rural areas may be exceedingly significant. The contribution of nurses to church-based health capital in rural communities may be quite significant and underestimated, although it remains poorly understood. © The Author(s) 2015.

John's gospel and the Johannine church: A mirror of events wifhin a text or/and a window on events within a church

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H. A. Lombard

1987-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the problem of an alleged Johannine church/ school. The hermeneutical paradigms and results of two mainline exegetical methods are assessed, namely the historico-critical method and literary criticism (a textimmanent procedure. Their respective approaches of using the text of John's Gospel (JG as a window and as a mirror are correlated. An analysis of the narrator's commentary (footnotes, asides furnished important conclusions. They are that a referential correlation exists between the worlds within and outside the text. The direction of reference runs from the textexternal to the textexternal worlds, furthermore, the pragmatics of JG as a religio-historical text justifies the assumption that the readers/church within and outside the text are to be identified as ambivalent entities consisting of both Jewish and Hellenistic elements.

Church Hierarchy and the Elections of 5 June 1949 in Colombia

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Andrés Felipe Manosalva Correa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available During the elections of 5 June 1949 in Colombia, the bishops and archbishops  of the Catholic Church voiced their opinion regarding the exercise of vote. According to general opinion, the Church was homogeneously conservative and intractable with respect to communism and liberalism; however, the article shows that there were different positions within that hierarchy. Some were intractable, others less so, and there was even a special case of moderation: that of the then Bishop of Manizales, Luis Concha Córdoba.

Four-dimensional conversion for spiritual leadership development: A missiological approach for African churches

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Kalemba Mwambazambi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The process of a four-dimensional conversion and/or transformation strives in helping the leadership of an organisation, especially such as the church, with practical ways that may lead to the development of an effective leadership by observing the four important aspects of human spirituality as elaborated on in the article. The spiritual, intellectual, moral and socio-political dimensions of the transformation can be catered for so that the complete inner being of humans, as well as their social and political attitudes and behaviours, can equally be transformed to maximum spiritual, personal and socio-political profitability. Mutombo-Mukendi demonstrates that the need for a spiritual leadership that can contribute to an effective transformation of Africa is dire, both for the church and the larger community. The real challenge is how to develop such leadership. This article provides intentional and practical ways that may lead to the development of the needed leadership. Four-dimensional transformation of people can be planned and carried out both in the church arena and in the surrounding communities. Skills development and transfer can also take place when skilled people from the church work with unskilled people from the community.

A critical historical analysis of the South African Catholic Church's HIV/AIDS response between 2000 and 2005.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshua, Stephen Muoki

2010-12-01

The South African HIV and AIDS experience is unique in many ways considering the country's delayed and robust epidemic, the apartheid context, and successive HIV-denialist government regimes. While the struggle for democracy may have overshadowed the enormity of the unfolding HIV epidemic, there was also a delay in constructive religious responses to it early on. In 1990, HIV/AIDS was declared a Catholic institutional focus, and by 2000 the Church had established the largest system of care and treatment in the country besides that of the government. However, the Catholic Church suffered severe criticism on account of its anti-condom policy to HIV prevention. As a result, the institutional Church underwent both organisational and ideological changes in an attempt to adapt to the contextual challenges brought about by HIV and AIDS. Informed by archival collections and oral sources, this article endeavours to critically analyse the HIV/AIDS-related care and treatment activities of the Catholic Church in South Africa between 2000 and 2005. It argues that the complex interplay between HIV and AIDS, the controversy about condom use, and the availability of antiretroviral therapy, accompanied by church activists' multiple engagements with these issues, changed the Church's institutional HIV/AIDS response at that time, in effect transforming the Catholic Church in South Africa into a substantial health asset and agent. However, its stance against the use of condoms for HIV prevention, informed by a larger religious tradition on sexuality, proved to be a health liability.

Uusi andmeid Mihkli kiriku vanemast ajaloost / New data on the early history of the church of Mihkli

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Ain Mäesalu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The church of Mihkli is located in Pärnumaa County, approximately 40 km north-west of Pärnu. It is unknown when the limestone building of the church was constructed. The current vaulted church was probably built in the fourth quarter of the 13th century.Preparatory works for building a new roof for the church of Mihkli were carried out in August 2011. The removal of a layer of debris, which had cumulated on top of the vaults of the church, uncovered a layer of soil containing human bones. The results of the archaeological excavations there have led to the assumption that the human bones were brought there in the 19th century together with soil taken from the immediate vicinity of the church, where there used to be a cemetery during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periodSome of the 55 finds were originally grave goods. A bronze ring, three iron knives, an iron belt-buckle and four silver coins can be considered as such. The artefacts have been dated to the 15th and 16th centuries, whereas the coins were minted in 1515 (?, 1577, 1621 and 1664.The 26 shards of window-glass, some with traces of painting, which were found in the soil, are probably remnants of the church windows. The extraordinary finds were two bronze book clasps that are similar to book clasps used in Northern-Germany and the Netherlands in the 16th century.Three three-ponged sconces produced at the end of the 19th century were found in the holes in the walls located 80–90 cm below the top of the northern and southern walls of the church. The sconces were taken apart and hid in these holes in 1943 during the Second World War.It is now clear, as a result of the excavations that the original stone church had been without vaults, with a simple beam ceiling and plastered from the inside. A two metre long passage within the upper part of the northern wall of the church revealed that it had originally been a fortified church.This paper also discusses if priest Henry, the author

Church of St. Peter and Paul in the village under Kopaonik

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Raičević Slobodan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In the border of the municipality towards Kosovo, Kuršumlija preserved the St. Cemetery's church of Peter and Paul in village Lukovo near the famous rehabilitation center Lukovo's spa. Church is one nave with a semicircular apse at the east vaults with semicircular arch reinforced with cross sec­tion curve, which relies on a few strong pilasters placed inside long walls. According to folk tradition the church was built in the middle ages and served to diggers and foundries of lead ores of King Milutin. Upon termination of exploitation ore the church neglected and in the 19th century it suffered its first renewal 1871st and another 1895th year. Saved epigraphic inscription with carved year of renewal (1895th, icons and wall decor of the church provide information about reliably judging its recent history and artistic value. Soon after the bricklaying work 1895th Church has received from the altar wall of icons, and after that, and mural painting small artistic value. The crown of the vault is painted Pantocrator, about whose performances are painted scenes of the Transfiguration, Ascension of Christ, Vavedenje and Entry into Jerusalem. On the western wall are shown the Dormition of the Mother of God and in the first zone are shown standing figures of Sts. Constantine and Helena, St. Simon Mir refills and St. Prince Lazar - kefaloforos. On the triumphal arch are Old. Testament scenes of hospitality and sacrifice of Abraham and in the apse bust of God Savaot. In the zone of standing figures are shown Sts. Druid, St. Czar Uroš and St. King Stephen, St. Sunday, St. Petka, St. Procopius, and St. George. From the figures standing at the altar of bishops are shown St. John Chrysostom, St. Sava Serbian, St. Basil the Great and St. Athanasius. There was saved the altar compartments with icons. At the czar's gate are shown Blagovesti and in the order of main icons: Christ Almighty, Mother of God with Christ, St. John the Forerunner, icons of patron St

Specifics of nursing care for members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church

OpenAIRE

VOTRUBOVÁ, Veronika

2016-01-01

Seventh Day Adventist Church was established in the United States in the 19th century and belongs among the Protestant churches. Adventists are characterized by the fact that they expect the second coming of Jesus Christ and hold Saturday holy for celebration of God. The theoretical part deals with the definition of multicultural nursing, nursing and describes the nursing process. It is focused on nursing models Leininger and Giger with Davidhizar. Another part of the theoretical work deals w...

From Alexander von Humboldt to Frederic Edwin Church: Voyages of Scientific Exploration and Artistic Creativity

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Frank Baron

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Article in English, Abstracts in Spanish, German and English.Stephen Jay Gould wrote recently that “when Church began to paint his great canvases, Alexander von Humboldt may well have been the world’s most famous and influential intellectual.” Humboldt’s influence in the case of the landscape artist Church is especially interesting. If we examine the precise relationship between the German explorer and his American admirer, we gain an insight into how Humboldt transformed Church’s life and signaled a new phase in the career of the artist. Church retraced Humboldt’s travels in Ecuador and in Mexico. If we compare the texts available to Church and the comparison of Church’s paintings and the texts and images of Humboldt’s works we can arrive at new perspectives on Humboldt’s extraordinary influence on American landscape painting in the nineteenth century.

Explaining seemingly paradoxical consumer experiences: conjoining weekly road rage and church attendance.

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Gau, Li-Shiue; Woodside, Arch G; Martin, Drew

2015-02-01

The purposes of the current study are threefold: Provide evidence that an extreme paradoxical group exists-people frequently attending church and exhibiting road rage, profile this group, and frame possible explanations for the seemingly paradoxical behaviors. This study employs data from a national (USA) lifestyle survey conducted by Market Facts with 3,350 American respondents. The major questions asked about church participation and road-rage behavior ("giving a finger" and "flashing headlights"). Nomologically, relevant activities include 3 items for church goers and 3 items for road-rage givers. Additionally, 14 items profiled the lifestyles of the unique paradoxical behavior segment. Utilizing cross-tabulation tables, property space analyses identify the double extreme (XX) group (18 people) and other 6 groups with a significant chi-square test, confirming the extreme group exists. Analyses of variance test results show that comparing nomologically relevant activities among the seven groups is all statistically significant, indicating the nomological validity is met. Overall, the XX group tends to have more males, be younger, and have a higher proportion of people working in sales. The profile of lifestyle analyses shows the XX group members have both high ambitions and expectations, might be very frustrated individuals, and equip with the adventurous and masculine traits related to aggression. The XX behavior group's demographic and psychographic characteristics portray similar lifestyles that differ from other groups. Case-based analyses provide further contextual information of nuances to XX segment individuals. The limited energy theory, the Eagleman's theory of unconscious mind, and justification theory help to explain why people conjointly go to church and commit road rage. Addressing chronic paradoxical behaviors provides implications for social de-marketing to reduce aggressive anti-social behavior such as road rage. Frequent church attendance may

Catholic Church-State Relations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: A Review of 20 Years

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Beatrice K.F. Leung

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The Catholic Church and the Hong Kong British Government formed warm relations when the Church became the contractor of the government to provide education and social and medical service. The British did not provide democracy to Hong Kong but allowed ample freedom including religious freedom which the Hong Kong Catholics would like to protect in the post-colonial period under the Communist Party rule. For religious freedom, right after Hong Kong became the Special Administrative Region (HKSAR, the Hong Kong Catholic Church under the prophetic and vocal leadership of Bishop Joseph Zen, became very active in political participation. Zen’s leadership was short-lived (1996-2009 and the soft-spoken Bishop John Tong replaced him with a different approach of consolidating the church without antagonising the government with social issues.

Church-based social marketing to motivate older adults to take balance classes for fall prevention: cluster randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

DiGuiseppi, Carolyn G; Thoreson, Sallie R; Clark, Lauren; Goss, Cynthia W; Marosits, Mark J; Currie, Dustin W; Lezotte, Dennis C

2014-10-01

Determine whether a church-based social marketing program increases older adults' participation in balance classes for fall prevention. In 2009-10, 51 churches (7101 total members aged ≥ 60) in Colorado, U.S.A. were randomized to receive no intervention or a social marketing program. The program highlighted benefits of class participation (staying independent, building relationships), reduced potential barriers (providing convenient, subsidized classes), and communicated marketing messages through church leaders, trained "messengers," printed materials and church-based communication channels. Between-group differences in balance class enrollment and marketing message recall among congregants were compared using Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test and regression models. Compared to 25 control churches, 26 churches receiving the social marketing program had a higher median proportion (9.8% vs. 0.3%; psocial marketing effectively disseminated messages about preventing falls through balance classes and, by emphasizing benefits and reducing barriers and costs of participation, successfully motivated older adults to enroll in the classes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved HVAC operation to preserve a church organ

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schijndel, van A.W.M.; Schellen, H.L.; Wit, de M.H.

2009-01-01

The common operation of heating systems installed in churches in the Netherlands has led to typical building physics problems directly related with heating. One of the main problems is the drying related shrinkage and damage to (monumental) wooden organs under cold winter conditions. The paper

Leadership for the church: The shepherd model

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-05-30

May 30, 2014 ... also monarchical leaders (2 Sm 5:2) and God himself (Is 40:11; Ps 23:1). The prophetic ... referred to are Abraham (Gn 12:16); Rachel (Gn 29:9); Jacob ... these functions are contrary to the shepherds of Ezekiel's era, ..... Volf, M., 1998, After our likeness: The church as the image of the trinity, Wm. B.

Healing in Herero culture and Namibian African independent churches

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Selaelo T. Kgatla

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The current phenomenon of Namibian African Independent Churches (NAICs draws attention from various people in civil society in Namibia. Although the ministries of NAICs are engaged with activities which are unusual for Christian churches, such as healing the people, fighting against evil spirits and power, performing certain rituals, prophesying and leading the worship services with African Traditional Religion (ATR as a frame of reference in 21st century, they do have a very big influence on various aspects of society in Namibia, which cannot be ignored. This is because those activities are familiar to the everyday lives of Africans and in touch with their culture. With regards to this, this article focuses on the causes of integration or harmony between the Herero culture and the NAICs.

Toward Appropriate Missiology for Post-Soviet Evangelicals: Global Missiological Trends and Local Realities

OpenAIRE

CHERENKOV, Michael

2011-01-01

The future of missions in post-Soviet countries is tied to the formation/development of an appropriate, indigenous, authentic, effective, comprehensive missiological paradigm, which is based on Biblical principles, opens up into a holistic theoretical system, synthesizes the historical experience of churches and various theological approaches, takes into account the local context, and is oriented towards the needs and issues of local communities. Each of these requirements is presented as nec...

Lead theft--a study of the "uniqueness" of lead from church roofs.

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Bond, John W; Hainsworth, Sarah V; Lau, Tien L

2013-07-01

In the United Kingdom, theft of lead is common, particularly from churches and other public buildings with lead roofs. To assess the potential to distinguish lead from different sources, 41 samples of lead from 24 church roofs in Northamptonshire, U.K, have been analyzed for relative abundance of trace elements and isotopes of lead using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. XRF revealed the overall presence of 12 trace elements with the four most abundant, calcium, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur, showing a large weight percentage standard error of the mean of all samples suggesting variation in the weight percentage of these elements between different church roofs. Multiple samples from the same roofs, but different lead sheets, showed much lower weight percentage standard errors of the mean suggesting similar trace element concentrations. Lead isotope ratios were similar for all samples. Factors likely to affect the occurrence of these trace elements are discussed. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Racism and xenophobia: The role of the Church in South Africa

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Jerry Pillay

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Racism and xenophobia have become a worldwide issue and challenge. The recent flood of immigrants and refugees into Europe and America has put this matter on the world map. In South Africa racism and xenophobia have, in recent times, reached explosive proportions and have greatly intensified the need for the Church to get more deeply involved in the creation of racial harmony and peace as it works towards the fullness of life for all people. This chapter explored the challenges of racism and xenophobia in South Africa and concluded by discussing the role of the Church in combating these realities.

Jeremy Bentham, the Church of England, and the Fraudulent Activities of the National Schools Society.

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Taylor, Brian W.

1978-01-01

The article examines charges which Jeremy Bentham levelled at the National Schools Society and establishes reasons for his hostility toward the Church of England. The argument centered around Bentham's interest in the education of the poor and the Church's belief that the poor needed religion more than education. (KC)

The urban explosion of black majority churches : their origin, growth, distinctives and contribution to British Christianity / by Babatunde Aderemi Adedibu

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Adedibu, Babatunde Aderemi

2010-01-01

British church history in the last sixty years is best described as a “coat of many colours”. This image is appropriate because of the growth and proliferation of Black Majority Churches in urban areas of the British Isles. The advent of these churches has contributed to the prevailing pluralistic theological landscape. This thesis aims to evaluate the current status of Black Majority Churches with respect to their origin, growth, distinctives and contributions to British Ch...

The wall painting in the church of the assumption of the virgin in village Donje Korminjane

OpenAIRE

Ženarju, Ivana S.

2014-01-01

As a part of religious revival in the 19th century church of the Assumption of the Virgin in the village Done Korminjane, was renewed. Painter Avram Dičov was engaged to paint the church interior in the 1870, along with his companions Zafir, Todor and Spiro. The decorative program of wall painting was common for the parish churches in the Diocese of Raska and Prizren in the 19th century. The program was organized in two horizontal zones on the walls, and vault was painted as well. The altar a...

Medieval Churches in Shushica Valley (South Albania and the Slavonic Bishopric of St. Clement of Ohrid

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Skënder Muçaj

2014-08-01

In St. Clement’s bishopric Church Slavonic was used as a liturgical language. For that purpose, a set of Byzantine liturgical books was translated from Greek into Church Slavonic, and Clement took an active part in this process. Liturgical pecularities of these books partially observed in Greek manuscripts of South Italian provenance testify to the hypothesis that Greek sources of the earliest Church Slavonic translations belonged to liturgical tradition of Epirus, similar to those of South Italy. This also proves the location of St. Clement’s bishopric in the valley of the Shushica River.

A Niche in a Conflict Area: The Development of the Baptist Church in the Areas of Petrinja, Glina, Sisak and Dvor

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Laura Šakaja

2007-06-01

Full Text Available One of the aspects of social changes during the transitional period in most post-socialist countries was the revival of religion. The revival of Churches that accompanied the national upsurge in some countries was associated with the growth of post-socialist nationalism. This discussion focuses on the development of a different, transnational religious option in an area of ethnic conflict. It analyses the development of the Baptist Church in the post-conflict region of Banovina. The paper is based on interviews conducted mostly among representatives and members of the Baptist Church. After the Croatian Homeland War, in Banovina there was an increase in the number of members of this Church. Among new members the majority were ethnic Serbs, persons from mixed marriages and former communists. Neither the Catholic Church nor the Serbian Orthodox Church were acceptable options to them. The authors conclude that the Baptist option was sustainable due to three factors. First, the development of the Church was based on an already existing tradition and on memories of events from World War II, which were activated by the new war situation at the beginning of the Nineties. Second, the Baptist Church ensured a middle, transnational option in an ethnically mixed setting, and in this way attracted all those who were looking for a neutrality niche in an ethnically strongly divided and conflictive society. Third, the active involvement and help of humanitarian organisations associated with the Baptist Church, during the war and the afterwards, helped to create an image of the Baptist Church as a shelter. These humanitarian activities made it possible for the Baptist Church to leave the shadows and become “visible”, and thus prevail over perceptions in which it was seen as an obscure sect.

Investigations of biodeterioration by fungi in historic wooden churches of Chiloé, Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Rodrigo; Párraga, Mario; Navarrete, José; Carrasco, Ivo; de la Vega, Eduardo; Ortiz, Manuel; Herrera, Paula; Jurgens, Joel A; Held, Benjamin W; Blanchette, Robert A

2014-04-01

The use of wood in construction has had a long history and Chile has a rich cultural heritage of using native woods for building churches and other important structures. In 2000, UNESCO designated a number of the historic churches of Chiloé, built entirely of native woods, as World Heritage Sites. These unique churches were built in the late 1700 s and throughout the 1800 s, and because of their age and exposure to the environment, they have been found to have serious deterioration problems. Efforts are underway to better understand these decay processes and to carryout conservation efforts for the long-term preservation of these important structures. This study characterized the types of degradation taking place and identified the wood decay fungi obtained from eight historic churches in Chiloé, seven of them designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Micromorphological observations identified white, brown and soft rot in the structural woods and isolations provided pure cultures of fungi that were identified by sequencing of the internal transcribed region of rDNA. Twenty-nine Basidiomycota and 18 Ascomycota were found. These diverse groups of fungi represent several genera and species not previously reported from Chile and demonstrates a varied microflora is causing decay in these historic buildings.

A relevant liturgy for Reformed churches of African origin concerning liturgical music

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Letšosa, R.S.; De Klerk, B.J.

2007-01-01

The question to be answered in this article is: How can the Reformed Churches of African origin come to liturgical music that is Biblical and contextual? The following basis theoretical principles for Reformed Churches can be summarised: Liturgical music must be faithful to the Bible and it has to glorify God; it must edify the congregation and the music should be composed in such a way that people should sing from the heart, through the Spirit and in understanding. Liturgical music is a spir...

The church hisTory socieTy of souThern AfricA (chssA) ATTemPTing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

it is attempting to come of age and the prospects for the future are relatively positive. ... itself to be dominated by primarily Transvaal teachers' organizations and for ... the initial and recurring pleas and even attempts for a representative membership ... church history students in the ministry of the reformed churches attended.

A framework for crafting and implementing a congregational strategy in the local congregations of the Reformed Churches of South Africa

OpenAIRE

Grobler, Aldeon B.; van der Walt, J. Louw; de Klerk, Barend J.

2012-01-01

The church is not like any other institution or organisation in society. Although the church is primarily invisible and spiritual, it is a visible organisation in the world, and it spans across borders of nations, languages and countries. John Calvin strongly rejected the notion that the church is only a spiritual organisation of which the visible administrative side is downplayed. The fellowship of the church must not only be seen as a mystical relation with Jesus Christ. During 2010, an emp...

Dimensions of sustainability for a health communication intervention in African American churches: a multi-methods study.

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Scheirer, Mary Ann; Santos, Sherie Lou Z; Tagai, Erin K; Bowie, Janice; Slade, Jimmie; Carter, Roxanne; Holt, Cheryl L

2017-03-28

Sustainability of evidence-based health promotion interventions has received increased research attention in recent years. This paper reports sustainability data from Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning) a cancer communication implementation trial about early detection, based in African American churches. In this paper, we used a framework by Scheirer and Dearing (Am J Publ Health 101:2059-2067, 2011) to evaluate multiple dimensions of sustainability from Project HEAL. We examined the following dimensions of sustainability: (a) continued benefits for intervention recipients, (b) continuation of intervention activities, c) maintaining community partnerships, (d) changes in organizational policies or structures, (e) sustained attention to the underlying issues, (f) diffusion to additional sites, or even (g) unplanned consequences of the intervention. Project HEAL provided a three-workshop cancer educational series delivered by trained lay peer community health advisors (CHAs) in their churches. Multiple sources of sustainability were collected at 12 and 24 months after the intervention that reflect several levels of analysis: participant surveys; interviews with CHAs; records from the project's management database; and open-ended comments from CHAs, staff, and community partners. Outcomes differ for each dimension of sustainability. For continued benefit, 39 and 37% of the initial 375 church members attended the 12- and 24-month follow-up workshops, respectively. Most participants reported sharing the information from Project HEAL with family or friends (92% at 12 months; 87% at 24 months). For continuation of intervention activities, some CHAs reported that the churches held at least one additional cancer educational workshop (33% at 12 months; 24% at 24 months), but many more CHAs reported subsequent health activities in their churches (71% at 12 months; 52% at 24 months). No church replicated the original series of three workshops

Church-based health programs for mental disorders among African Americans: a review.

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Hankerson, Sidney H; Weissman, Myrna M

2012-03-01

African Americans underutilize traditional mental health services, compared with white Americans. The authors conducted a systematic review of studies involving church-based health promotion programs for mental disorders among African Americans to assess the feasibility of utilizing such programs to address racial disparities in mental health care. A literature review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ATLA Religion databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2009. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies were conducted in a church; the primary objective involved assessment, perceptions and attitudes, education, prevention, group support, or treatment for DSM-IV mental disorders or their correlates; number of participants was reported; qualitative or quantitative data were reported; and African Americans were the target population. Of 1,451 studies identified, only eight met inclusion criteria. Five studies focused on substance-related disorders, six were designed to assess the effects of a specific intervention, and six targeted adults. One study focused on depression and was limited by a small sample size of seven participants. Although church-based health promotion programs have been successful in addressing racial disparities for several chronic medical conditions, the literature on such programs for mental disorders is extremely limited. More intensive research is needed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing church-based health promotion programs as a possible resource for screening and treatment to improve disparities in mental health care for African Americans.

Unity and catholicity in the Korean Presbyterian Church: An ecumenical Reformed assessment

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Jaegeon Ha

2016-03-01

Full Text Available I attempt to find the main causes of the serious disunity in the Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK, which started as one church but is now divided into more than 100 denominations, as well as a solution to promote the unity of the PCK. This attempt starts with an exegesis of Ephesians, with special reference to Ephesians 4:1�16, to understand the biblical principle on this matter. This article draws on a mature ecclesiology and a mature sense of unity as key concepts. After that, the history of the PCK disunity is briefly described, dealing with four major schisms. Based on this historical investigation, the disunity in the PCK is assessed. In addition, the weak sense of unity and weak ecclesiology of the PCK, which played a role in its disunity, are discussed in view of the confessions of faith, the ministry of the word and the Lord�s Supper, and ecumenical efforts in relation to national and international ecumenical organisations. Lastly, contributory suggestions based on the mature sense of unity are offered to the PCK in particular and the Reformed family and all Christian churches in general.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In my ecumenical Reformed intradisciplinary assessment of unity and catholicity in the PCK, which started as one church but is now divided into more than 100 denominations, I identify the main causes of serious disunity in the PCK, namely a weak sense of unity, immaturity and secularisation.

The early Korean Protestant Churches’ impact on Korea’s democratisation: With special reference to the Korean Presbyterian Church

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Jae-Buhm Hwang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study examines the significant influence of the early Korean Protestant churches in general and the Korean Presbyterian Church in particular on the early phases of Korea’s democratisation. Firstly, the Western Protestant mission works in general were visibly conducive for dissemination and cultivation of egalitarian and democratic ideals, with the mission churches becoming sites of do-it-yourself democracy. Secondly, the Nevius (Mission Methods of the Korean Presbyterian Church came to foster the democratic spirit of self-support and self-government, resulting in its rapid growth. Thirdly, with the implementation of a nationwide, representative and democratic polity (presbytery with a constitution, the church even facilitated law-binding and institutional democracy for Koreans in general and Korean Christians in particular. Fourthly, the church’s democratic working deeply inspired Korean democratic politicians, especially Mr Changho Ahn, who had an important influence on the making of the Provisional Government of Korea and its Constitution.

Justice and the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church

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Jaco Botha

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article engages with the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC from the perspectives of solidarity with the poor and justice for South African society. The democratic South Africa continues to face significant socio-economic problems and an increasingly dissatisfied population. In the light of this, the article presents an introductory conversation with the Missional Framework Document in order to ask whether it offers an adequate response to South Africa�s current contextual challenges. The lens through which this article will engage the Framework Document is the theological paradigm of justice, specifically the theory of justice presented by Nicholas Wolterstorff as well as some important contributions from contemporary South African scholars who advocate for a theology from the margins of society. It is contended that the DRC remains a predominantly white middle-class church. This social, economic and political location has an impact on the missional theology of the church as expressed in the Framework Document. Hence, we engage with the Missional Theology of the DRC by means of a paradigm that operates from the �underside� or the economic, political and social �margins� of South African society. We argue that any missional theology aimed at furthering God�s Kingdom in South Africa at present must develop in community with the marginalised majority of the nation. The critical engagement with the Framework Document will be done by sketching a theological landscape where current contextual realities are brought into relief against a kairos moment on which the efficacy of this church�s mission, indeed its public work and witness, is being called into question.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This interdisciplinary study in Systematic Theology and Ethics engages the missional theology found in the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church. Methodologically, the

The Russian Orthodox and Catholic Church in 1980 – the 1990th Years: to History of Relationship

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Larisa A. Koroleva

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In article relationship of Russian Orthodox Church and Catholic in 1980 – the 1990th years is considered. Dialogue development between them had not only internal political, but also foreign policy value. One of the most painful questions in relationship of Russian Orthodox Church and the question of the uniatsky church earlier existing in the territory of Ukraine and Belarus and restored in the second half of the 1980th years was Catholic. Divergences in a number of theological questions remained. In particular, it belonged to the doctrine confirmed with the Second Vatican Cathedral about Papal infallibility and a primacy of the Roman High priest. Peacekeeping activity was that sphere where the Russian Orthodox and Catholic churches most successfully cooperated though rivalry was present and here.

Gene therapy, human nature and the churches.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunstan, G R

1991-12-01

Moral analysis must begin with respect for the empirical features, the "facts of the case". Major advances in genetic knowledge and technology -- as in other sciences -- inevitably change mental attitudes. But they could not change human nature, a product of the distinctively human cerebral cortex. Human capacities like compassion and justice are our own and for us to guard. To ask (as some do) about a "right" to inherit a non-manipulated genome is to ask an unanswerable question: the language of rights is inappropriate in this context. Parents have a duty to safeguard and to serve the interests of their potential child. The medical duty is to help in that task in ways which they have limited freedom to choose. The role of churches is to be faithful to their deposit of faith and their theological principles, including that of freedom of conscience. Churches are too easily led in practice to over-rule conscience on grounds of authority, ecclesiastical or biblical, not sustained by convincing reason. This is most evident in some declarations concerning human reproduction. Better were it for them to help their faithful in moral reasoning, the ethics of choice; to keep consciences tender.

Tacit consent: the Church and birth control in northern Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalla-Zuanna, Gianpiero

2011-01-01

This article employs novel documentation to examine ways in which the Church's moral rules on contraception were (or were not) communicated to parishioners in a predominantly Catholic context in a period of rapid fertility decline: the diocese of Padua, in the northeastern Italian region of Veneto, during the first half of the twentieth century. The account is based on documents that have until now been overlooked: the moral cases discussed during the periodic meetings among Padua priests in the years 1916–58, and the written answers provided by priests in response to a question asked of them concerning their efforts to combat the limiting of births. This documentation reveals the limited effect on the reproductive behavior of the position of the Catholic Church against birth control.

Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH)

Science.gov (United States)

Lorna H. McNeill, PhD, MPH, is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Disparities at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. McNeill's research is on the elimination of cancer-related health disparities in minority populations. Her research has particular emphasis on understanding the influence of social contextual determinants of cancer in minorities, with a special focus of the role of physical activity as a key preventive behavior and obesity as a major cancer determinant. Her research takes place in minority and underserved communities such as public housing developments, black churches, community-based clinics and low-income neighborhoods-communities with excess cancer death rates. She has been continuously funded, receiving grants from various funding agencies (i.e., National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, etc.), to better understand and design innovative solutions to address obesity in racial/ethnic minority communities. Dr. McNeill is PI of several community-based studies, primarily working with African American churches. One is a called Project CHURCH, an academic-faith-based partnership established to: 1) identify underlying reasons for health disparities in cancer and cancer risk factors (e.g., screening, diet) among AAs using a cohort study (N=2400), 2) engage AAs as partners in the research process, and 3) to ultimately eliminate disparities among AAs. In 2014 Dr. McNeill furthered her partnership through the Faith, Health, and Family (FHF) Collaborative. The goals of FHF are to enhance the Project CHURCH partnership to address family obesity in African Americans, strengthen the partnership by developing a larger coalition of organizations and stakeholders to address the problem, assess church and community interest in family obesity and develop an agenda to address obesity in faith settings. To date we have 50 churches as members. Dr. McNeill is also director of the Center for Community

Picture Good Health: A Church-Based Self-Management Intervention Among Latino Adults with Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Baig, Arshiya A; Benitez, Amanda; Locklin, Cara A; Gao, Yue; Lee, Sang Mee; Quinn, Michael T; Solomon, Marla C; Sánchez-Johnsen, Lisa; Burnet, Deborah L; Chin, Marshall H

2015-10-01

Churches may provide a familiar and accessible setting for chronic disease self-management education and social support for Latinos with diabetes. We assessed the impact of a multi-faceted church-based diabetes self-management intervention on diabetes outcomes among Latino adults. This was a community-based, randomized controlled, pilot study. One-hundred adults with self-reported diabetes from a Midwestern, urban, low-income Mexican-American neighborhood were included in the study. Intervention participants were enrolled in a church-based diabetes self-management program that included eight weekly group classes led by trained lay leaders. Enhanced usual care participants attended one 90-minute lecture on diabetes self-management at a local church. The primary outcome was change in glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). Secondary outcomes included changes in low-density lipoproteins (LDL), blood pressure, weight, and diabetes self-care practices. Participants' mean age was 54 ± 12 years, 81 % were female, 98 % were Latino, and 51 % were uninsured. At 3 months, study participants in both arms decreased their A1C from baseline (-0.32 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.62, -0.02 %). The difference in change in A1C, LDL, blood pressure and weight from baseline to 3-month and 6-month follow-up was not statistically significant between the intervention and enhanced usual care groups. Intervention participants reported fewer days of consuming high fat foods in the previous week (-1.34, 95 % CI: -2.22, -0.46) and more days of participating in exercise (1.58, 95 % CI: 0.24, 2.92) compared to enhanced usual care from baseline to 6 months. A pilot church-based diabetes self-management intervention did not reduce A1C, but resulted in decreased high fat food consumption and increased participation in exercise among low-income Latino adults with diabetes. Future church-based interventions may need to strengthen linkages to the healthcare system and provide continued support to

Motier church - refurbishment of heating system; Kirche Motier Sanierung der Raumheizung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grizzetti, V.

2003-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office for Energy describes the refurbishment of the space heating system of the historical church in Motier, Switzerland. The 50-year old, inefficient electrical direct heating system of the church, which is a listed building, and the new, heat pump-based system are described. Heating energy is distributed via a warm-air system, geothermal energy provides the primary heat source for the heat pump. Technical details of the heating characteristics and energy consumption of the old and new heating systems are presented in the form of tables and diagrams. The maintenance of the heating system's ventilation unit is also discussed.

Bridging cultures: Nonprofit, church, and emergency management agency collaboration after the May 2013 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Haley; Pudlo, Jason

Community-based organizations, such as nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and churches, play an important role in helping individuals and communities bounce back after a disaster. The nature of disasters requires organizations across sectors to partner together to provide recovery services; however, collaboration is difficult even in times of stability and requires trust and communication to be built through prior collaborative relationships. These prior relationships rarely exist between the majority of the nonprofit sector, churches, and existing emergency management structures. Furthermore, these organizations often have very different cultures, values, and norms that can further hinder successful postdisaster collaboration. The authors use data collected from interviews with nonprofit and church leaders involved in recovery efforts after a series of devastating storms impacted central Oklahoma in 2013 to understand how well nonprofit and church leaders perceive their organizations collaborated with each other and with government and emergency management agencies in response and recovery efforts. Interview data suggest that NPOs and churches without a primary or secondary mission of disaster response and recovery have a difficult time collaborating with organizations involved in existing emergency management structures. The authors suggest that nonprofits with a primary or secondary purpose in disaster response are a potential bridge between other nonprofits and emergency management agencies.

The Muted Voice of the Catholic Church in Angola

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

laboring for the Church in the spacious lands of Africa.” 87 Harkening back to the centuries of colonialism, this document anachronistically celebrates ...112 The peace conference, which was endorsed by Pope John Paul II, featured a 107Comerford, “The

An enquiry on poverty discourses in public theology for the calling of the church to respond to poverty: A case for the Africa Inland Church in Kenya

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Noah K. Tenai

2016-08-01

Full Text Available As an emergent and rapidly growing international field of study, public theology has its focus on how Christian faith and practice impact on ordinary life. Its principle concern is thewell-being of society. In Africa, and in Kenya in particular, where poverty levels are still high, there is a need to enquire into the value and efficacy of the poverty discourses in publictheology, for the calling of the church to respond to poverty. One of the main and fast growingchurches in Kenya, the Africa Inland Church (AIC, has vast resources used for, amongst otherthings, various on-going work amidst the poor and the vulnerable in remote and poor areas. Due to the unrelenting nature of poverty in Kenya, the AIC needs a theological perspective, which is sufficiently sensitive to poverty and can enable it to respond to poverty moreeffectively. Public theology’s emphasis on gaining an entrée into the public square andadopting the agenda of communities, including public theology’s calling on churches toactively participate in rational and plausible public discourses, can assist the AIC to respondeffectively to the challenge of poverty in Kenya.

Follower-Centric Influences on Sexual Decision Making in a Pentecostal Church Faith Community

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Elias Mpofu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study utilized participatory action research approaches to construct a follower-centric framework for measuring influences on sexual decision making by youth members of a church organization. Participants were Batswana Pentecostal church members self-reporting on their engagement in pre-marital sex (n = 68, females = 62%; age range 15–23 years; median age = 20.3 years from eight of 26 randomly selected congregations. They completed a multi-stage concept mapping process that included free listing of statements of potential influences on their sexual decisions. They then sorted the statements into groupings similar in meaning to them, and rated the same statements for relative importance to their sexual decisions. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis of the data yielded a five cluster solution in which church teachings emerged as most salient to the teenagers’ sexual decision making followed by future orientation, community norms, knowledge about HIV/AIDS and prevention education. While the youth believed to be influenced by religion teachings on primary sexual abstinence, they self-reported with pre-marital sex. This suggests a need for secondary abstinence education with them to reduce their risk for STIs/HIV and unwanted pregnancies. Concept mapping is serviceable to construct frameworks and to identify content of follower-centric influences on sexual decision making by church youth members.

Mitigating the Impact of Bats in Historic Churches: The Response of Natterer’s Bats Myotis nattereri to Artificial Roosts and Deterrence

Science.gov (United States)

Zeale, Matt R. K.; Bennitt, Emily; Newson, Stuart E.; Packman, Charlotte; Browne, William J.; Harris, Stephen; Jones, Gareth; Stone, Emma

2016-01-01

Bats frequently roost in historic churches, and these colonies are of considerable conservation value. Inside churches, bat droppings and urine can cause damage to the historic fabric of the building and to items of cultural significance. In extreme cases, large quantities of droppings can restrict the use of a church for worship and/or other community functions. In the United Kingdom, bats and their roosts are protected by law, and striking a balance between conserving the natural and cultural heritage can be a significant challenge. We investigated mitigation strategies that could be employed in churches and other historic buildings to alleviate problems caused by bats without adversely affecting their welfare or conservation status. We used a combination of artificial roost provision and deterrence at churches in Norfolk, England, where significant maternity colonies of Natterer’s bats Myotis nattereri damage church features. Radio-tracking data and population modelling showed that excluding M. nattereri from churches is likely to have a negative impact on their welfare and conservation status, but that judicious use of deterrents, especially high intensity ultrasound, can mitigate problems caused by bats. We show that deterrence can be used to move bats humanely from specific roosting sites within a church and limit the spread of droppings and urine so that problems to congregations and damage to cultural heritage can be much reduced. In addition, construction of bespoke roost spaces within churches can allow bats to continue to roost within the fabric of the building without flying in the church interior. We highlight that deterrence has the potential to cause serious harm to M. nattereri populations if not used judiciously, and so the effects of deterrents will need careful monitoring, and their use needs strict regulation. PMID:26771548

Religionens mange dimensioner

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anderson, Sally Dean

2014-01-01

This article is based on fieldwork with young Muslim refugees from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, who attend small-town schools in the Danish countryside. The article explores the Danish schools’ ’mixed bag’ approach to religious education. Drawing on theology, philosophy, cultural history and the s......This article is based on fieldwork with young Muslim refugees from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, who attend small-town schools in the Danish countryside. The article explores the Danish schools’ ’mixed bag’ approach to religious education. Drawing on theology, philosophy, cultural history...... and the sociology of religion, the national curriculum privileges evangelical Lutheran Christianity while postulating a universal ’religious dimension’ in people’s lives. The article discusses how this school theology that highlights a common human religious attitude simultaneously excludes any serious discussion...... of a child’s relationship with God and the many other dimensions of religion that impact the lives of Muslim refugee children. While reporting that they enjoy learning about Christianity, Muslim children also feel compelled by God, family, classmates and their teacher’s lack of knowledge of Islam to find...

Luminescence (IRSL) dating of Yeni Rabat church in Artvin, Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Şahiner, Eren; Meriç, Niyazi; Uygun, Selda

2013-01-01

Luminescence dating is a chronological method that has been used extensively in terrestrial materials. In this study, we present Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) dating results obtained for sediment and pottery samples taken from Yeni Rabat Church, Ardanuç, Artvin, Turkey. For this purpose, equivalent dose (ED) and annual dose rate (AD) of samples were measured. For annual dose rate, concentrations of radioactive isotopes (U, Th, K) were determined by using a high-purity germanium detector. For the equivalent dose, polymineral fine grain SAR (Single Aliquot Regenerative Dose) and MAAD (Multiple Aliquot Additive Dose) procedures were used. The optimal preheat temperature was determined for sediment and pottery samples. Ages were calculated by Aitken's luminescence age calculation method, which found 710±190 years for the pottery sample and 1450±370 years, 1390±420 years, 1430±310 years, 2210±520 years and 1640±390 years for different sediment samples, respectively. These estimated age ranges support the theory that Yeni Rabat Church could have been constructed in medieval times. - Highlights: ► The luminescence (IRSL) ages of the samples, taken from in Yeni Rabat church in Artvin-Turkey were found. ► Equivalent doses and annual doses were determined. ► Polymineral fine grain SAR (Single Aliquot Regenerative Dose) and MAAD (Multiple Aliquot Additive Dose) procedures were used

Leadership mentoring and succession in the Charismatic churches in Bushbuckridge

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Richard M. Ngomane

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Leadership mentoring and succession programmes are critical in the development and preparation of emerging leaders for leadership transitions. By virtue of their one-founder-leaders whose special leadership talents are usually celebrated by their followers, Charismatic church leaders may fail to identify and develop young emerging leaders who may be equally gifted to prepare them for leadership succession. This quantitative study investigated the state of leadership mentoring and succession programmes in the Charismatic churches in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa (Bushbuckridge is one of five local municipalities in the Ehlazeni District Municipality situated in the north-east of the Mpumalanga province in South Africa. It borders private game ranches and the Kruger National Park. A population of 287 respondents drawn from 48 churches from rural and urban locations was assessed. Many of them (85% were reported to have leadership mentoring programmes in their congregations and 72% of them reported that they had leadership succession programmes in place. Location was found to have no statistically significant effect on leadership mentoring. Gender and education levels were reported to have a statistically significant effect in describing leadership mentoring. Charismatic groupings in Bushbuckridge believe and take the Bible seriously as authoritative for faith, life and ministry. We therefore think it is appropriate to include in this article a relevant illustrative text – 2 Timothy 2:1–3.

A contribution to the study of architecture of the monastery church of St. Archangel Michael in Prilep

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Korunovski Sasho

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with architecture of the one of the most significant churches in the Prilep region that was built in the years around 1280 as a foundation of John, the megas chartoularious of the West. The main focus is on the typological concept of the church, and its’ unique combination of a two-domed and two-storeyed structure. In the survey the particular elements of the church structure are elaborated with a reference to the most striking structures that bear such elements in the architecture of the Byzantine sphere of influence.

Contamination of a church ceiling due to the burning of candles in combination with floor heating

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellen, H.L.; Deelman, J.; Aarle, van M.A.P.

2005-01-01

An air heating system originally heated St. Martinus’ church in Weert. Together with a large restoration in 1984 a floor heating system replaced this heating system. After this major renovation a number of problems arose: due to the floor heating system and massive granite floor the church could

Contamination of a church ceiling due to the burning of candles in combination with floor heating

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellen, H.L.; Aarle, van M.A.P.

2005-01-01

An air heating system originally heated St. Martin's church in Weert. Together with an extensive restoration in 1984 a floor heating system replaced this heating system. After this major renovation a number of problems arose: due to the floor heating System and massive granite floor the church could

Ecclesial Opposition to Large-Scale Mining on Samar: Neoliberalism Meets the Church of the Poor in a Wounded Land

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William Norman Holden

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the government of the Philippines (adhering to the precepts of neoliberalism has promoted large-scale mining as a method of stimulating economic development. Mining, an activity with substantial potential for environmental harm, is staunchly opposed by the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines, particularly on the island of Samar. The crux of the church’s opposition to mining are the adverse environmental consequences that mining may impose upon the rural poor who, engaging in subsistence agriculture and aquaculture, are vitally dependent upon access to natural resources. Should there be a mining-related environmental disruption, these people will be thrust from subsistence into destitution. The commitment of the church to act on behalf of the poor emanates from the conciliar documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965, the fertile ground for liberation theology in the Philippines provided by the Marcos dictatorship (1972–1986, and by the commitment of the church in its 1992 Second Plenary Council to become a church of the poor. Samar contains quality mineralization set amid a wealth of biodiversity, grinding poverty, a simmering Maoist insurgency, and a vulnerability to natural hazards such as typhoons and El Niño induced drought. The opposition of the church to mining on Samar demonstrates the commitment of the church to be a church of the poor and how this praxis stands in contradistinction to the intellectual hegemony of neoliberalism.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF PARISH CLERGY IN CIRCUMSTANCES OF GOVERNMENTALIZING OF ORTHODOX CHURCH IN RUSSIAN EMPIRE OF 19 TH CENTURY

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Светлана Геннадиевна Зубанова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the experience of the Russian empire of the 19 th century in creating the conditions for social activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. The author describes such types of the Russian Orthodox Church activities aimed at helping those in need as helping the poor, coordinating the work of poor-houses, collecting donations, supporting parochial schools, poor houses, orphanages, hospitals, construction and reconstruction of churches. The author analyzes the role of the parochial patronages in the charity and social service activities, as well as in the moral and spiritual education of the population. The work of the well-known members of the clergy which forms a part of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian history in general is given as an example of the above mentioned activities. The article extensively covers the responsibilities of parish priests, the difficulties which they come across, and highlights the reasons for the negative attitude towards the clergy in the late 19 th - early 20 th centuries. The author summarizes the historical lessons of the social activity of the Russian Orthodox Church. The article provides grounds for the opinion that the social activities of the Church should not interfere with its main religious functions, and the partnership of the state and the Russian Orthodox Church in the social projects should contribute to the improvement of people’s life and their moral and spiritual growth.

The Church as a Bridge to Deliver Health Resources Via Telehealth

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-25

Obesity; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Church; Healthcare Disparities; Minority Health; Mobile Health; Telehealth; Community-based Participatory Research; Primary Health Care; Weight Loss Programs; Health Behavior

THE BELHAR CONFESSION AND CHURCH AND SOCIETY: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Naudé 77-89, and for a more academic account, Naudé 1997. ... perspectives: The priestly task of the church requires it to proclaim in word and deed .... In the broader field of hermeneutics and Biblical Studies, the ... by feminist scholars, materialist exegetes, black and African theologians, .... But for the first years after 1982,.

Associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Tatar ASSR during 1960s – 1980s

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Aivaz M. Fazliev

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the problem under study is caused by multi-confessional character of Russian society and the need of power to take into account the specific features of each confession in its religious policy. In order to understand the essential characteristics of contemporary issues in the state-confessional and inter-confessional relations the events and the processes taking place in the atheist Soviet past should be examined carefully. The purpose of the article is to study the specifics of the relationship between the authorities and associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists during 1960s – 1980s, using the example of such a multi-confessional region as Tatarstan. The leading approach to the study of this problem was the civilizational approach, which enabled a comprehensive study of the object under study. The main results of the study are the studying of Tatar ASSR Baptist association forms and ways in the context of Soviet political and legal realities. The materials of the article can be useful in the preparation of educational literature, as well as in the practical activities of state structures implementing the policy in the spiritual sphere.

Postmodernism and the Church: An Opportunity and a Challenge

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Timothy Hynes

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Postmodernism is, in many respects, a term that has lost most of its cultural and academic cachet. This does not, however, mean that the themes, context, and conditions to which it referred are no longer relevant. In this essay, I will briefly review the latest reports which show a decreasing interest in organized religion, and interpret these results as symptomatic of a larger change in the state of knowledge. To this end, I will examine Jean ‑François Lyotard’s analysis of the loss of metanarratives as a way of understanding the implicit rules of the dialogue that occurs between the theist and the atheist or agnostic. Next, I will note the unique capacity of beauty to transcend the diverse language games played by both sides of the conversation. I will conclude by contending that this characteristic of beauty offers a kind of common ground which can be built upon, fostering further dialogue as well as an opportunity for evangelization.

Re-Building Coal Country: A Church/University Partnership

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Carl Milofsky

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a developing partnership between a church-based service learning center and a university initiative to build a field station in a low-income community in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania. It is a case study of how secular and religious institutions have been collaborating to achieve the shared goal of improving social conditions in specific communities. The theoretical focus of the paper is on how a change from a “glass is half empty” to a “glass is half full” perception of the community opens new possibilities for change. This paper concentrates on the story of one partnership as a case study demonstrating current trends in service learning both within universities and within the Catholic Church in America. Analysis centers on the basic question of why the project had symbolic power for both partners and on the institutional processes within both organizations that helped the partnership grow. We use the framework of Assets-Based Community Development (ABCD, also known as the “strengths perspective”, to conceptualize the contrast.

A NOVA EVANGELIZAÇÃO NA EUROPA

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Martin Maier

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Neste estudo, o olhar dirige-se em primeiro lugar para a situação religiosa da Europa. Em seguida, resumiremos o conceito da nova evangelização de acordo com os últimos papas. O passo seguinte será perguntar o que as igrejas podem oferecer à Europa. A nova evangelização deve acontecer no horizonte do ecumenismo e da globalização. Importante ponto de conexão para a transmissão da fé é a constante sede de espiritualidade e de experiência espiritual, bem como de conhecimento da religião e da fé. Por fim, desenvolveremos algumas chances que podem relacionar-se com a nova evangelização na Europa.  ABSTRACT: In this study, the focus is directed first of ali to the religious situation in Europe. Then we will sum up the concept of the new evangelization according to the recent Popes. The next step will be to ask what the churches can offer to Europe. The new evangelization must happen on the horizon of ecumenism and globalization. An important point of connection to the transmission of the faith is the constant thirst for spirituality and spiritual experience as well as the knowledge of religion and faith. Finally, we will develop some opportunities that can relate to the new evangelization in Europe

Towards the Romanization of the Mexican Church in the Late-Nineteenth Century

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Cecilia A. Bautista García

2005-07-01

Full Text Available During  the second half of the nineteenth century,  the papacy designed a specific reform for catholicism in Latin America, consisting  in a gradual centralization of pontifical  authority in detriment of the power  exerted by local hierarchies. This process was known as Romanization and, in the  case of Mexico, was translated  into  a series of actions including the  arrival of special delegates from Rome with the purpose of intervening  in the ecclesiastical reorganization of local churches  and in the reshapement of Church-State relations.

RURAL CHURCHES, „PEARLS” OF RURAL ARCHITECTURE IN CRIȘANA AND MARAMUREȘ

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Alexandru ILIEȘ

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In Romania in general and in particular Crişana and Maramureș wooden churches are identifies of local identity. Using specific tools and methods used in geographical but complementary fields, in conjunction with an interdisciplinary architectural heritage element are analyzed wooden churches as tourist planning perspective. Each „land" and ethnographic area of the Tisa and Mureș north to south has a specific fingerprint identifiable architectural style of these „pearls" of Romanian folk architecture. This diversity is an element of favorable effects on tourism diversification and increasing the attractiveness of a region or locality.

Ali, Cunich: Halley's Churches: Halley and the London Queen Anne Churches

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Jason R.; Cunich, Peter

2005-04-01

Edmond Halley's enormous contribution to science has received much attention. New research adds an intriguing chapter to his story and concerns his hitherto unexplored association with the baroque architectural visionary Nicholas Hawksmoor, and some important Temple-inspired churches that were built in London in the early 1700s. We argue that Christchurch Spitalfields and St Anne's Limehouse, which were both started in the summer of 1714, were aligned exactly eastwards using ``corrected'' magnetic-compass bearings and that Halley influenced or aided Hawksmoor. By this time the men had probably known each other for 30 years and had recently worked together on the Clarendon Building in Oxford. Despite there being more than 1500 years of Chinese and about 500 years of Western compass technology at the time, these probably represent the first constructions planned using a modern-day ``scientific'' technique. The research also throws light on Halley's contended religious position.

Historic Church of the Holy Cross in Kielce - Valuable Substance and Cultural Heritage in the Space of the Modern City

Science.gov (United States)

Gil-Mastalerczyk, Joanna

2017-10-01

In the frequently modified city fabrics, sacral architecture still plays an important role defining aspects of spatial forms and their compositional relations to the surroundings. The historic church of the Holy Cross in Kielce (1903-1939) has been a characteristic sight, a landmark and a contributing factor to the structure of the modern city. Large dimensions and dominant vertical shapes give a sturdy, recognizable form to the church architecture. The body of this Neogothic church, original and distinguishable from its surroundings, has been highly appreciated by the community members. The church provides an example of the aesthetics of the time in which it was built, it also documents changes in the people’s lives and attitudes. It shows Poland’s economic, legal and social transformation. The church has gained a status of one of the symbols of the city.

Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia: German Protestantism, conscience, and the limits of purely ethical reflection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartmann, Peter

2003-01-01

In this essay I shall describe and analyse the current debate on physician assisted suicide in contemporary German Protestant church and theology. It will be shown that the Protestant (mainly Lutheran) Church in Germany together with her Roman Catholic sister church has a specific and influential position in the public discussion: The two churches counting the majority of the population in Germany among their members tend to "organize" a social and political consensus on end-of-life questions. This cooperation is until now very successful: Speaking with one voice on end-of-life questions, the two churches function as the guardians of a moral consensus which is appreciated even by many non-believers. Behind this joint service to society the lines of the theological debate have to be ree-discovered. First it will be argued that a Protestant reading of the joint memoranda has to be based on the concept of individual conscience. The crucial questions are then: Whose conscience has the authority to decide? and: Can the physician assisted suicide be desired faithfully? Prominent in the current debate are Ulrich Eibach as a strict defender of the sanctity of life, and on the other side Walter Jens and Hans Kung, who argue for a right to physician assisted suicide under extreme conditions. I shall argue that it will be necessary to go beyond this actual controversy to the works of Gerhard Ebeling and Karl Barth for a clear and instructive account of conscience and a theological analysis of the concepts of life and suicide. On the basis of their considerations, a conscience-related approach to physician assisted suicide is developed.

The Byzantine wall-paintings in the church of Saint Theodore at Platanos, Kynouria (Arcadia

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Agrevi Maria

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The church of St Theodore (also known as "Sts Theodoroi" at Platanos, Kynouria, is a single-nave building of small dimensions. The interior surfaces of its walls preserve their Byzantine paintings, which are partially visible under the coat of plaster that covers most of them. The paintings exhibit affinity with wall-paintings of churches in the Peloponnese (neighbouring Laconia included, and can be dated to the last quarter of the thirteenth century.

As I see it: a study of African American pastors' views on health and health education in the black church.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowland, Michael L; Isaac-Savage, E Paulette

2014-08-01

The Black Church is the only institution that has consistently served the interest of African Americans, and there is no other institution in the African American community that rivals its influence (Camara, 2004). The spiritual well-fare, social support, health, and well-being of its people have been one of its main goals. With health disparities of African Americans still at an alarming rate, the Black Church has used informal education as a means to impart knowledge on health, as well as other non-religious and religious topics. One of the avenues least researched within the Black Church is the pastor's perception of its educational role in health and wellness and its efforts to reduce health discrimination and health disparities between African American and European Americans in the U.S. Since social justice appears as a theme and concern in the traditions of many churches, it is only appropriate that, among other things, the Black Church should address the issue of health education and interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore African American pastors' perceptions of the role of the Black Church in providing health care, health education, and wellness opportunities to African Americans. Many pastors reported their church provided some form of health education and/or health screenings. Their perceptions about the important issues facing their congregants versus African Americans in general were quite similar.

Indicators of the church in John’s metaphor of the vine

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Johann Fourie

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This article aims to answer the question of what belongs to the essence of the church, as God intended it to be, by identifying certain indicators of the essence of the church through a study of one of the central metaphors of the New Testament: the vine in the Gospel of John. Through structural analyses, commentary and metaphorical analyses, several indicators of unity as part of the essence of the church emerge in this metaphor. These indicators are the primacy (or authority of Christ, trinitarian balance, equality, interdependence, inclusivity, growth and unity (in diversity. Hierdie artikel poog om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Wat behoort tot die essensie van kerkwees soos God dit bedoel het? Dit word gedoen deur sekere aanwysers van die essensie van kerkwees te identifiseer vanuit ’n studie van een van die essensiële metafore vir kerkwees in die Nuwe Testament, naamlik die Wynstok in die Evangelie van Johannes. Deur middel van struktuuranalise, kommentaar en metaforiese analise kom verskeie eenheidsaanwysers as deel van die essensie van kerkwees in hierdie metafoor na vore. Hierdie aanwysers is die hoër gesag (of outoriteit van Christus, die balans van die Drie-eenheid, gelykheid, interafhanklikheid, inklusiwiteit, groei en eenheid (in diversiteit.

Pentecostalism & schisms in the Reformed Church in Zambia 1996

African Journals Online (AJOL)

the documentary evidence from church records and media coverage of the events ... The motivation to do this research emerged from ... Economic, political and social influences of globalization had ..... investment, tourism and natural calamities, to name a few. ... daily experiences of life define the shift in Zambian culture.

O CONCÍLIO VATICANO II OU A IGREJA EM CONTÍNUO AGGIORNAMENTO

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Mario Miranda

2006-01-01

Full Text Available O artigo examina textos do Concílio Vaticano II na perspectiva do diálogo e do aggiornamento, como chave principal de leitura do mesmo. Os três temas estudados, a saber, Igreja e ecumenismo, Igreja e diálogo inter-religioso e Igreja e cultura, demonstram que a atualização permanente da Igreja passa necessariamente pelo diálogo com as comunidades evangélicas, com as religiões não cristãs e com a cultura do tempo. Para tal se expõe gradualmente ao longo do artigo como isto aconteceu durante o evento conciliar, no período pós-conciliar e como repercutiu em nosso país. ABSTRACT: The article examines texts of the Second Vatican Council in the perspective of dialogue and of updating as principle keys to its reading. The three themes studied are the Church and ecumenism, the Church and interreligious dialogue, and the Church and culture. The themes demonstrate that the permanent updating of the Church occurs necessarily through dialogue with the evangelical communities, with the non-christian religions and with the culture in its temporal context. For this purpose it is explained gradually along the course of the article how this happened during the Council, in the post-conciliar period and how it has reverberated in our country.

The appreciation of the spiritual in mental illness: a qualitative study of beliefs among clergy in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Leavey, Gerard

2010-09-01

Clergy in the UK continue to provide health and social care services. However, collaboration between mental health services and clergy may be problematic, particularly in the resolution of conflicting beliefs and therapeutic modalities. For example, belief in demonic possession and other supernatural causes of mental illness, which are contentious among secular medical practitioners, remain prevalent in many ethnoreligious communities. Thus, interpretations of illness by clergy within health systems may be crucial to appropriate intervention for people with mental illness. However, clergy conceptualizations of suffering also reveal something about the secularization within religious institutions through the despiritualization of particular phenomena. This paper on Christian clergy beliefs and attitudes to supernatural explanations, describes how the negotiation of such beliefs are complex and often equivocal among mainstream clergy but integral to the Pentecostal churches and evangelical clergy in the mainstream, institutional churches. These beliefs and their implications for collaboration with psychiatry are discussed in the context of a rapidly changing religious and cultural landscape.

Church silver in the monetary reform of 1922-1924 years

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Ivanov Sergei, deacon

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article offers support the claim expense seized in 1922 under the slogan of helping the starving of church property in the minting of coins in connection with the monetary reform. It is primarily a silver, whose share in the value of the selected property in the existing temples was 86 percent. Need dragmetalah as the reform of the circulation of money there, regardless of the problem of hunger 1921–1922 and determined refusal of the Bolshevik leaders from the course on monetary economy in the post-war chaos. Evidence for the main thesis of the article served as the internal reports of structural divisions of People’s Commissariat of Finance and the People’s Commissariat of Workers ‘and Peasants’ Inspection, which indicated that in the period of the campaign for the withdrawal and delivery of church property in the state store, recently seen as the main source of silver for coinage on Petrograd Mint. Information about church silver was present in the reports to send to the metal from Gokhran Mint statements and the amount of metal intended for coinage. Demand for silver for the execution of production programs for minting exceed the available reserves of the metal, which resulted in the purchase of silver on foreign markets and buying coins Imperial coinage in the population of the country. Silver in donations and reform played a role supportive factor for strengthening confidence in the paper currency treasury.

Cosmological Symbolism in the Decorative Cycles of Mid-Byzantine Churches

Science.gov (United States)

Shrimplin, V.

2016-01-01

Fundamental links between theology and astronomy are widely reflected in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. From Genesis to Revelation, the great mysteries of the beginning and end of the universe, and the cycles of birth and death of individuals, are explained in terms of cosmological concepts. These are in turn reflected in art and architecture and nowhere more broadly, perhaps, than in Byzantine architecture and decoration. Following the Iconoclast prohibition of images in the Orthodox church (726-843), the mid-Byzantine period (843-1204) witnessed the primacy of the representation of the heavens in art and architecture. Reinforced by such writers as Cosmas Indicopleustes and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, not only were individual images reflective of the heavens (nativity and rebirth at the winter solstice, and rebirth/resurrection at the spring equinox) but entire cycles of church decoration were devised so as to reflect the ordering of God's universe. The architecture and decoration of the quintessential mid-Byzantine cross-in-square church was symbolic itself of the universe, as at Hosios Loukas and Daphni (eleventh century). From the location of the Pantocrator in the central celestial dome, to the descending zones of squinches and pendentives and the lowest earthly zones, decorative schemes are used to reflect the view of the sky/heavens above earth. Hierarchical systems depicting the life of Christ and ascending/descending ranks of saints and angels were rigorously adhered to, with Mary in the apse as bridge between heaven and earth.

Social Relationships in the Church during Late Life: Assessing Differences between African Americans, Whites, and Mexican Americans.

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Krause, Neal; Bastida, Elena

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study is to see if there are differences in the social relationships that older African Americans, older whites, and older Mexican Americans form with the people where they worship. Data from two nationwide surveys are pooled to see if race differences emerge in eleven different measures of church-based social relationships. These measures assess social relationships with rank-and-file church members as well as social relationships with members of the clergy. The findings reveal that older African Americans tend to have more well-developed social relationships in the church than either older whites or older Mexican Americans. This is true with respect to relationships with fellow church members as well as relationships with the clergy. In contrast, relatively few differences emerged between older Americans of European descent and older Mexican Americans. However, when differences emerged in the data, older whites tend to score higher on the support measures than older Mexican Americans.

Reproductive rights in Poland: when politicians fear the wrath of the Church.

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Heinen, Jacqueline; Portet, Stéphane

2010-01-01

The historical prestige of the Polish Catholic Church is the result of its presence as a national symbol of resistance, both under foreign occupation and during the communist regime. In the post-communist era the power of the Church within the political arena has significantly increased, through the Concordat that was signed with the state as well as through formal and informal ties with political parties. Catholicism is the de facto religion of the state, even if Poland remains a nominally secular country. This was illustrated by the adoption, in 1993, of a total abortion ban. Although the relation of Poles to the Catholic dogma on sexuality and reproductive rights tends to be weak, fearing criticism from Church authorities, most politicians avoid controversial topics and express their commitment to Catholic dogma. Thus women's groups have encountered serious difficulties in their efforts to defend women's rights to sexual and reproductive autonomy. Although accession to the European Union has put Poland in an awkward position with respect to equality of rights between women and men, it has not fundamentally altered the real situation with respect to the controversial topic of abortion.

Undoing Racism in America: Help from the Black Church.

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Vora, Erika; Vora, Jay A.

2002-01-01

Investigated whether a planned engagement of white college students, which had very little contact with African Americans, with members of a black community in a safe, welcoming environment (a black church) would significantly reduce racism. Participant surveys indicated that positive interactions between Blacks and Whites resulted in positive…

Christian Church: A Catalyst for Economic Development in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Christian Church: A Catalyst for Economic Development in Nigeria. ... African Research Review ... The Nigerian economy had a truncated history from independence to present times and the economy has suffered series of economic instability because of a long period of unsustained growth in the per capital real income of ...

Essence of Daylight in the Cistercian Monastic Church of S. Bento de Cástris, Évora, Portugal

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Ana M. T.; Carlos, Jorge S.

2017-10-01

Natural light in the Cistercian churches is closely linked not only with the liturgical requirements at the “officium” but also with the canonical hours based on the "ora et labora" dictated by the Rule of St. Benedict. The Cistercian architecture, in its beginnings (12th century forward) is characterized by austerity, simplicity and the play of light and shadow that gives value to the monastic architectural space itself, making it perfect for a contemplative experience. In the Cistercian Monastery the church is the central piece of the monastic building. Nave, transept and apse are the main architectural components to which is added the choir. This paper contextualizes the importance and close connections of natural light, within the Cistercian Monasteries architecture. Thus the essence of daylight is analysed within the Church of the Monastery of S. Bento de Cástris, in Évora, Portugal. This former Monastery (13th - 19th centuries) includes the church, at the south-eastern corner which has not only a high choir, but also a low lateral choir (within the presbytery). Its unchanged exterior walls are made of solid masonry. Although the function of the walls is primarily structural, the windows allow the daylight to penetrate the space of the church. The church has two external façades facing northeast and southeast. The combined orientation effect of the church’s main axis and the sun trajectory determines how the sunlight reaches the interior of this architectural structure. This study presents the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the luminous environment in the church of S. Bento de Cástris, being the first based on the authors’ perception of the effect of the daylight within the different areas of the enclosed space. The appreciation of the spatial experiences was supported by quantitative daylight simulations that were conducted in selected areas within the space. With this paper is intended to contribute to the debate about the specificity

Ideologies of Black churches in New York City and the public health crisis of HIV among Black men who have sex with men.

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Wilson, Patrick A; Wittlin, Natalie M; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard

2011-01-01

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in New York City (NYC). Black churches in NYC have a history of engaging in community mobilisation; however, research suggests that churches play a role in promoting stigma against Black MSM, which impedes prevention efforts. The goal of this study was to explore church ideologies surrounding sexuality and health, and the relationship of these ideologies to church mobilisation in response to HIV/AIDS among Black MSM. We conducted interviews and focus groups with pastors and parishioners at Black churches in NYC. Three prominent themes were identified: (1) 'Love the sinner, hate the sin'--distinguishing behaviour and identity; (2) 'Don't ask, don't tell'--keeping same-sex behaviour private; and (3) 'Your body is a temple'--connecting physical and spiritual health. We discuss the implications of these ideologies for church mobilisation and HIV prevention efforts. In doing so, we pay close attention to how ideologies may both impede and facilitate church dialogue around sexuality and heightened responses to the HIV crisis affecting Black MSM.

Defender of the Faith – hagiography’s topos in the Orthodox Church

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Michał Dżega

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, the author wanted to show the specific for Orthodoxy – topos Her defender. As demonstratedby this topos is universal for any kind of holiness. Starting from the Martyrs ending the Hierarchs and Ascetics, inthe Orthodox Church, there is a never-ending battle for Purity of the Faith in Christ. In this paper author have shown thethree main determinants for the Fight of Faith: 1 Holy Zeal, 2 Holy Pride and 3 Holy Insubordination. To confirm histhesis the author gives some examples from the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church. At the same time author usingthe patristic and liturgical texts.

Assessing Peer and Parental Influence on the Religious Attitudes and Attendance of Young Churchgoers: Exploring the Australian National Church Life Survey

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Francis, Leslie J.; Penny, Gemma; Powell, Ruth

2018-01-01

Drawing on data from the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS), this study was designed to assess peer and parental influence on frequency of church attendance, attitude toward church, and attitude toward Christianity among a sample of 6256 young churchgoers between the ages of eight and 14 years, attending a range of denominations,…

Roman Catholic Church and media in information age

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Kyyak Maksym Tarasovich

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Roman Catholic Church in the modern information age extensively exploits opportunities of traditional and new media. It has always been trying to be a dynamic and successive participant in the global information space. However, the media has become not only the most important attribute of the information society but also one of the most valuable instruments of religious authority.

Writers and chanters in the nineteenth century as keepers of the tradition of Serbian church music

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Marjanović Nataša

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, parts of the memoir literary works from the second half of the nineteenth century are presented as important sources for the research of Serbian traditional church chant. The testimonies on church music from diaries, memoirs and autobiographical notes by famous Serbian writers, statesmen and politicians, namely Jovan Subotić, Jakov Ignjatović, Milan Savić, Milica Stojadinović Srpkinja, Todor Stefanović Vilovski, Vladimir Jovanović and Kosta Hristić, were analyzed. Those writings bring to light a time when church chant was appreciated as an important part of the spiritual, folk heritage and had an important role in everyday culture of Serbian people both in the Habsburg Monarchy and in the Principality and Kingdom of Serbia. The authors wrote about musical skills of chanters from clerical, church circles and about the practice of chanting among school teachers. They also described different kinds of musical performances of church chant among laymen and children. These sources testify to writers’ general and musical education and experiences, to their environment and its relation to the aesthetics of spiritual folk tradition. This paper also analyzes sources in the context of the history and theory of literature, having in mind the authors’ commentary techniques and narrative style. Those issues are discussed in relation to the poetics of romanticism, Biedermeier and realism in Serbian literature. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177004: Identiteti srpske muzike od lokalnih do globalnih okvira: tradicije, promene, izazovi

Correlations between attitude toward Christianity, prayer, and church attendance among 9- to 11-yr.-olds.

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Robbins, Mandy; Babington, Peter; Francis, Leslie J

2004-02-01

Data provided by 150 9- to 11-yr.-old primary school pupils in England showed scores on the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity more highly correlated with (personal) prayer (r = .57) than with (public) church attendance (r = .23), providing support for the view that attitude scales access a deeper level of religiosity less contaminated by those contextual and social factors which may influence public church attendance more than personal prayer.

American Views of the Progressive Catholic Church in Brazil, 1964-1972: From Suspicion to Collaboration

OpenAIRE

ROMERO, SIGIFREDO

2017-01-01

Both the United States and the Brazilian Catholic Church played decisive roles during the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil between 1964 and 1985. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship between these influential political actors is imperative. This article explores American views of and interests in the Brazilian Catholic Church through a critical examination, categorization, discourse analysis and periodization of cables produced by the U.S. diplomatic mission in Brazil from 1...

'Now we know that the enemy is from within': Shembeites and the Struggle for Control of Isaiah Shembe's Legacy and the Church

OpenAIRE

Kumalo, Simangaliso; Mujinga, Martin

2017-01-01

In 1911, Isaiah Shembe (1865-1935) founded the Nazareth Baptist Church popularly known as KwaShembe (Dube 1936: 29). The church became the first amongst the Zulus to be founded 'with the quest to restore the Zulu to their glorious past' (Masondo 2004: 69-79). Today it is the oldest and most respected church founded with the intention of bringing Christianity and the quest for Zulu nationalism and culture together in South Africa. In its early days, the church was faced with much opposition fr...

Church acoustics: A state-of-the-art review after several decades of research

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Girón, Sara; Álvarez-Morales, Lidia; Zamarreño, Teófilo

2017-12-01

This work describes and analyses the principal contributions to the acoustics of occidental Christian churches from the second half of the last century to the present day, mainly in ancient historical churches. After more than six decades of research, it seems appropriate to summarise the major pieces of work in this field, and, to this end, this paper aims to provide an up-to-date document of all the most relevant studies which describe the exhaustive investigations of acoustic characterisation in time-consuming experimental campaigns carried out by several groups of researchers in various European countries. The article presents, for the research into church acoustics developed in each country, the experimental procedures, the results, discussions, the theoretical interpretations of the sound propagation in these spaces, the subjective aspects in the listening experience, and the method of implementation of computer simulation techniques and their applications in these complex enclosures. Other contributions from Asian and American continents are also included. Findings and advances in each of these areas as well as perspectives on their future challenges are summarized and discussed in this work.

HONEST TO GOD AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN CHURCHES IN 2016

African Journals Online (AJOL)

the rise of a liberal, secular and science-informed culture in Britain was undermining ..... up to God. Once again, Robinson argues for an ethically oriented view that ... How sound was Robinson's view of the future of his own Church of England.

Theological poverty of churches in the developing world: Its causes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2010-11-29

Nov 29, 2010 ... also undeniable that the Korean Protestant churches, having more than 10 million adherents, have not yet .... new sense of sin, do away with his practice of religion, as base .... Recently, a leader of a North American mission.

Saxa loquuntur? Elasticity and capacity of age-old city churches

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Marieke C. Kuipers

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Redesignation, wholly or partly, appears to be the magic charm to preserve church buildings. Consequently, attention has shifted from retrospective restoration to prospective intervention for contemporary uses. Most new interventions were designed as 'reversible' additions. The question is how much cultural elasticity churches have in order to bear the sometimes substantial interventions for the sake of exploitation without losing their power of expression as places of worship. Does it only concern the preservation of the 'speaking stones' or also the space in between or around them? Another question is whether the concept of 'compatibility', usually meant in a technical sense, can also be used in a wider sense for the assessment of the cultural-historical, functional and architectonic appropriateness of the interventions. These questions are explored on the basis of seven monumental churches which are more or less comparable to the Rotterdam Laurenskerk. For the new 'ministry' for Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam Cornelis Wegener Sleeswijk aimed at congruity in use of material (natural stone and a timeless-traditional form language, but in 1980 this approach was criticized as being too historicizing. Pieterskerk in Leiden was redesignated as a multifunctional centre and restored for the second time in 2010. Consolidation, prevention of wear and tear and modest contemporary additions were the guidelines here. In 1984-1987 after a long search for a new use, Nieuwkerk in Dordrecht was converted into a combination of social hostel and supermarket after a design of Theo van Halewijn. This resulted in an intervention in which the conflict of interests between monument values and consumer values is inevitably expressed. Grote Kerk in Veere has had many functions. In spite of architectonic contrasts, the recent conversion (2004 into a music podium by Marx & Steketee was executed with more respect for the historical structure and more attention for coherence

Religion and Displacement in Africa: Compassion and Sacrifice in Congolese Churches in Kampala, Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauterbach, Karen

2014-01-01

This article is about the role of religion in contexts of displacement. The article looks at the role churches and church leaders play in the lives of refugees and more particularly the assistance that these actors provide. The analytical approach is to take into consideration both religious idea...... to refugees, how this is conceptualised as well as the practices in a perspective that includes the intersection between religious ideas (compassion and sacrifice) and ideas around social relationships, gift-giving and reciprocity....

Reasons for the migration of church members from one ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of secularisation and the Enlightenment, and their consequences at various levels, as well as the theories of McDonaldisation and Consumerism were taken into consideration to explain the migration of church members between congregations. The answer is not simple in the sense that two tendencies can be ...

Refusing to be Co-opted? Church Organizations and Reconciliation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zimbabwe, throughout its history, has had a culture of violence and impunity which has resulted in massive displacements of people, murder, physical and traumatic memories of the past. In all the epochs of violence, it is worth noting that some church organizations were vocal and castigated the politicians whilst others ...

The earliest phases of the parish church of Saint Margaret and Saint Stanislaus in Żębocin

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Sławomir Dryja

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper has been based on archaeological and architectural exploration of the church in Żębocin carried out in 2011. Żębocin, a village in the Miechów district and the Proszowice deanery, had its beginnings reportedly in the mid-11th century. However, the first squire of Żębocin documented in historical sources was Tomko, coat of arms unknown, mentioned in 1384. According to tradition, the first church in the village, which has not survived, was built in the years 1059–1071 and consecrated by St. Stanislas of Szczepanów. In a local legend, the wife of knight Mikołaj of Żębocin took shelter in the tower of a stone church in Żębocin during the unrest in the reign of Boleslaus the Brave. The stone foundation under the north-eastern corner of the chancel belonged probably to a stone building, its function unknown, which may have stood there already in those turbulent times. The extant church, erected in the mid-13th century or soon afterwards, was a small single-nave structure with a chancel closed with a straight wall, built from bricks (with a wendian bond pattern on its elevation on stone foundations. It combined two styles: Romanesque (as shown by the surviving splayed window in the northern elevation of the chancel and Gothic (the brick ogival frame in the northern elevation of the nave. The important question whether the church had a tower from the start and where that tower was located remains undecided; the tower could have been incorporated into the body of the nave from the west or built above the chancel; it could also have been added afterwards, in the 16th century at the latest. Reportedly, the church in Żębocin once had a defensive character and was located in knights’ fortified town. Its founder may have been a progenitor of the Strzemieńczyk or the Odrowąż families. It should be remembered that Romanesque single-nave “village” churches built on a simple plan are quite frequent in Central Europe; there are

Changes in community perspectives on the roles and rules of church forests in northern Ethiopia: evidence from a panel survey of four Ethiopian Orthodox communities

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Travis William Reynolds

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Some of the only Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia today is on lands managed by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, where for centuries priests and communities have conserved forest groves around church buildings. The ecological value of the thousands of church forests in Ethiopia has been widely acknowledged, but little is known about the diverse local institutions that govern these resources, or how such institutions might be changing in response to Ethiopia’s rapid recent economic development. This study uses a unique panel survey to explore changes in community perspectives on the social and ecological roles of church forests, and rules governing church forest use, in four Orthodox communities over time. Our sample consists of 122 household surveys conducted in 2002 and a further 122 surveys from 2014, with 71 households interviewed in both periods. We find that reported uses of church forests vary across forests and over time, with larger forests more likely to be used for extractive purposes such as firewood and construction timber, while smaller forests have become more restricted to renewable or non-extractive uses such as natural medicines, honey, and prayer. Results of logistic regression suggest church followers’ support for preserving church forests increases with age and access to alternative sources of firewood – including exotic Eucalyptus spp. plantations which are increasingly widespread in northern Ethiopia. We also observe a shift since 2002 away from an expectation that church followers themselves hold responsibility for rule enforcement in church forests to a perceived sharing of responsibility by church authorities (i.e. priests and government (i.e. police in 2014. Together the progressive introduction of exotic tree species in church forests combined with the erosion of religious norms surrounding local forest governance may threaten the integrity and diversity of these unique social-ecological systems.

An instance of secularization? The Finnish online discussion of the issue of same-sex marriages

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Jenni Hokka

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In October 2010 one of Finland’s four national TV channels aired a panel discussion dealing with gay and lesbian rights in society. Among the debaters were members of parliament from various parties, well-known actors and other public figures, as well as a priest, a bishop and other religious spokespeople. Afterwards, a great number of people publicly expressed their views on same-sex marriages. The ways the Lutheran Church treated the same-sex couples, as well as the reasons and outcomes of a vast number of resignations from the Church were discussed, particularly in the online discussion forums. The public discussion spread rapidly, especially through the social media. Resignations from the Church are often perceived as a clear sign of the decline of religious beliefs and practices, which is an integral aspect of the secularization process. But lately the whole notion of a secularization of society has been questioned and a growing number of researchers have stated that the concepts of resacralization, desecularization, or a resurgence of religion would actually better describe the current situation than the theory of secularization. The aim of this article is to examine whether the concept of secularization still has some explanatory power at least in the Nordic countries. Another aim is to contemplate what kind of knowledge this special case has to offer when rethinking secularization.

Secularization and changing moral views : European trends in church attendance and views on homosexuality, divorce, abortion, and euthanasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Halman, Loek; van Ingen, Erik

2015-01-01

Analysing survey data from the European Values Study, we investigate whether and how changes in church attendance bring about changes in people’s acceptance of abortion, homosexuality, divorce, and euthanasia. We argue that decreasing church attendance not only should enhance overall acceptance of