464 research outputs found
[[alternative]]THE RESEARCH OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH PROMOTING
No full text[[abstract]]THE RESEARCH OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH PROMOTING
THE STRATEGIES OF THE COMMUNITY LEARNING
Jane Wang Lee
Summary
The thesis aims at probing into a research of “The Strategies of the Christian Churches Promoting the Community Learning Activities”. For the purpose of understanding how the Christian Churches promote their community learning activities，first to understand their present situation ,and their difficulties during the processes of their implementing, and probing into the relevant strategies of their organization structure ,and their manpower strategies, also how they integrate their learning resources, and how they excite their learning motivation. In order to reach the purpose, probe into relevant literature at first, and understand the contents of the Christian education, the theories of the community and community learning, theories of the strategy planning that needed in the research, and the methods which the churches used in their promoting community learning programs.
Secondly, draft the design of the investigation and the procedure of implementing. By way of the research method of interviewing, four churches were interviewed which were separated in the north, the middle, and the south of Taiwan. Along with a “Questionnaire of the Investigation of the Christian Churches Promoting the Community Learning Activities” as study tools, this was compiled by the researcher.
Then, 600 shares of the questionnaire were granted altogether, rejecting the useless materials, keeping the effective ones, 310, and carrying on the statistical analysis.
Finally, in order to probing into the results of how the Christian Churches promote their community learning activities to get their present situation , their difficulties during the processes of their implementing, and relevant strategies of their organization structure ,and their manpower strategies, also how they integrate their learning resources, and how they excite their learning motivation. Summing up the conclusion of the results of the research, and propose the suggestion, as follows:
I. Advice for the organization of the church and the administrative department：
1. Church should value the activities of promoting the community learning. Use “the strategies of organizational change” from the inside of the church. Set up clear “the education department of the community specialized unit”. Through “the strategies of communication action”, churches obtain the support from the believers and the residents of community to participate in.
2. Churches should establish ' the strategies to link with official department resource ' in order to combine the resource and cooperation from the government to promote the community learning activity.
3. Set up with non-governmental Social Education Organization ' the strategies of organization cooperation '. Set up the channel that manpower and the material resources could circulate.
4. Set up ' the strategies of the professional people training’.
II. Advice for the human resources：
1. Set up ' the strategies of internship training ' , and pre-training before work, or in-service training.
2. Set up ' the strategies of human relationship ', or set up ‘the database of the residents in the community’ to hold the information resources of the talent people.
3. Set up ' the strategies of the long ears 'to hear the demands of people in the community; to look for the retired teachers in the community as the manpower to promote the community development together.
4. Set up ' the strategies of self assessment of one’s gifts and ability ' to find out the gifts within their brothers and sisters in the church to join in the service.
III. The strategies of the integration of the resources of promoting the community learning activity
1. Set up “the strategies of the community scheme of the project planning”. Taught the community education department, the specialized unit of the church to gather the masses of the community, relevant group, cooperate together on material resources, financial resources , and professional human resources .
2. Set up “the strategies of the integration of the social resources”: Link the channel interconnected system to combine the family , school , social educational institution , organization enterprises , culture and education foundation ,etc. and exactly plan to operate jointly the activity, prevent the function from overlapping.
3. Set up the strategies of marketing of the activity, such as using:
（1） The strategies of the network: Coach on-line through the network, and offer and the information and materials of the learning activity
（2）The strategies of the media using: Through the media, strengthen the propaganda marketing of every activity.
（3）The strategies of the public praising: Set up public praising, the activities that people think of participating in for their growing up, they would think of the activities that the church promoted.
VI. The strategies that excite community residents to study：
1. Set up “the strategies of study authentication and fixed incentive system”: Offer the rewarding and to attract their participating in.
2. Set up “the strategies of the demand assessment wisely”: the contents of the activities should be planned well to accord with the demands of people in the community. Plan all the activities which are demanded by the community to try to develop toward communization to meet the needs of the community.
3. Set up “the strategies of the public praising”: Set up good public praising of every activity, excite the interest of learning with the quality of the activity.
4. Set up “the strategies of the stage: Hold' the achievement exhibition ' of the learning activity”. Have a stage to show for the students in order to excite the interest of learning.
5. Set up “the strategies of the assessment”
（1） Set up the demand assessment. Grasp the demand of people through “the strategies of the long ears”.
（2） Set up the assessment of the quality of the activity
（3） Set up the assessment of the professional teachers
[[alternative]]Young Children's Concept of God--Taking A Christian Church Affiliated Kindergarteners as an Example
No full text[[abstract]]The purpose of this study was to explore young children’s concept of God, and the influence of the practice of religion education on their conception of God. The study was mainly conducted through the method of qualitative research with semi-structured interviews. The study was done in a Christian Church affiliated kindergarten. The curriculum includes education on the Christian religion (mainly gospel lessons). The study sampled 15 male and 15 female children. 11 of them were from Christian families, the other 19 were from non-Christian families. After one-on-one interviews, the children’s response and reaction were observed, marked, and then analyzed. This study had made the following findings:
1. The concept of God of these children came from the church, family, and kindergarten.
2. When the children described the appearance of God, they could make concrete descriptions about Jesus based on their knowledge. However, the children also thought that God was in Heavens and could not be seen. The friends of God were the mankind and the disciples of Jesus. There were various responses when the children are asked about God’s family members. The answers included Jesus, Heavenly Father, Maria, Joseph, the Angels and the mankind.
3. In the minds of these children, the abilities of God included the power of creation, healing, resurrection, and driving away the “dark forces”. The omniscient and omnipresent power of God was what the children at this age could not fully understand.
4. The children believed that God was real and got angry or happy. God would like good things. And the children thought that God loves them.
5. The children could feel God through prayers. And they experienced God’s help and protection in daily lives.
6. The boys and girls had similar knowledge of God. But they differed in feelings and expression.
7. Whether from Christian families or not, the children’s initial knowledge of God did not show differences. But differences can be found when the children were asked deeper questions.
8. The environment where the children were in (the kindergarten, family, church), and the people around the children (parents, teachers, friends, brothers and sisters) had influences on their conception of God.
Finally, based upon the study findings, the researcher proposed a few points for discussion. And drawing on the study results, references and personal observations, the researcher also gave suggestions on the practice of life education for the reference of relevant parties of this study --- parents, teachers, and the educational authorities.
Key words: Young Children, Concept of God, Christian, Life Education, Religion Education, Spiritual Education.
Traditional Christian Thought in Gilbert Keith Chesterton
No full textThis thesis looks at the Christian thought and themes found in works by Gilbert Keith Chesterton.The author discusses Chesterton’s verbal trading of blows with famous contemporaries such as H.G Wells and more often, Bernard Shaw.Chesterton made arguments regarding the first World War, domestic difficulties, patriotism, imperialism, evolution to name a few of the matters the author describes Chesterton’s viewpoints on, illustrated through examining arguments made between Chesterton and Bernard Shaw through contemporary journalism. The author then focuses on commentary Chesterton made on contemporary thinkers who condemned orthodoxy and argues that those contradictory findings made my Chersterdon’s own observations led him to argue in favor of Christianity and the author argues led Chesterdon to become an important and influential writer and propagandist for Traditional Christian thought.
Advisor: Thomas M. Rayso
[[alternative]]A Study on the professional Christian Music Ministry Team in Taiwan--Exemplified by Heavenly Melody
No full text[[abstract]]Music closely correlates with religions in the cultural systems developed by human beings. Hence, in terms of functions and meanings, religious music usually varies with religions. Music is an essential part to Christianity. Sacred music has been existing since the first encounter between human beings and God. People embody their knowledge of God in sacred music. They practice Christian theology by applying music into religious services, which in turn has inspired lots of groups or individuals to begin their ministry.
The present study is to discuss the Christian sacred music in Taiwan in terms of its development and ministry by studying Heavenly Melody, which has worked as one of the professional Christian music ministry teams in Taiwan for a very long time and made its ministry music known to many people at home and abroad. Field visits, personal interviews, documentation analysis, and literature gathering are applied in the study as research methods. By analyzing Heavenly Melody’s eighteen albums of Chinese original compositions, their features and music style are clearly stated, and by conducting and preserving the literature on this Christian music ministry team, the concrete meanings of this team can be continued in the field of Taiwan’s sacred music.
The study consists of five chapters. The first chapter includes the research background, literature review, research subject, research methods, and the explanation of the thesis framework. In the second chapter, the sacred music in biblical times is elaborated in terms of its content, how it was integrated with ministry, and who were qualified to apply sacred music in their ministry. Moreover, how sacred music changes in the history of Christianity and the meanings of some music religious terms are explained here. The third chapter describes the establishment of Heavenly Melody and how it keeps functioning. In the fourth chapter, the background of Heavenly Melody’s Chinese original compositions is presented, and the eighteen albums of Chinese original compositions released between 1979 and 2005 are analyzed in terms of the compositional technique, use of ethnic music materials, music arrangement, accompaniment, and lyrics. The result of the study is reported in the fifth chapter, where the features of Heavenly Melody are listed and the future development of Chinese Christian music ministry teams is proposed.
Situating the 'Letter to the Hebrews' in early Christian history
No full textThe early Christian text known as the 'Letter to the Hebrews' has presented a riddle to scholarship. Its anonymity and anomalous form are puzzling. Scholars like Norman Perrin and Barnabas Lindars also-find Hebrews enigmatic because it does not appear to represent the views of any early Christian community.This thesis contends that the riddle of Hebrews' lack of community-fit is due to a conceptual flaw. Beginning with Franz Overbeck (1882), there has been a tendency to assess early Christian texts as nonliterary, unlike later Patristic texts. Deemed nonliterary, they are thereby thought to document the situation within which they were written. For Hebrews, this has resulted in numerous reconstructions of its historical setting. None, however, has proven satisfactory. This lack of consensus casts doubt on the appropriateness of ruling out Hebrews' essential literary character. Moreover, the explanations used to justify the unique nonliterary character of early Christian literature are not compelling. Thus, the probability of Hebrews' literary character increases.The literary texts written by Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, are more likely comparable to Hebrews. These Patristic texts were produced in the late second century before the shape of orthodoxy became fixed. A survey of representative scholarly literature shows a low expectation of retrieving from these early Patristic texts an unambiguous profile of the author's ideological community, of the text's occasion, or of its audience. Thus, it would be unwarranted to expect Hebrews to be more representative of its situation.Given the probability of Hebrews' literary character, the thesis demonstrates that it is inappropriate to assume that Hebrews represents ideas that extend beyond those of the author to a specific community or to a particular situation. The burden of proof is reversed. Without evidence to the contrary, Hebrews is best explained as a persuasive literary effort by an idiosyncratic author directed to a general Christian audience.Thus, the riddle of Hebrews' lack of community-fit dissolves. Furthermore, questions are raised regarding the contemporary scholarly expectation that other early Christian writings (Matthew, James, etc.) were shaped by and for ideologically distinct communities
The implications of process metaphysics for Christian mysticism
No full textDepartment Head: P. L. McKee.1982 Fall.Includes bibliographical references (pages [95]-96).This study gives a metaphysical discussion of mystical Christianity, comparing and contrasting the traditional static metaphysics with a metaphysical scheme where process is fundamental. Two Christian mystics, Meister Eckhart and St. John of the Cross, are used to exemplify the pattern of life and traditional metaphysical outlook of Christian mysticism. Alfred North Whitehead’s metaphysical scheme, as presented in his Process and Reality, serves as the process alternative. For all three persons the doctrine of God provides the focus for metaphysical discussion. The principal aim of the metaphysical discussion is to argue that process metaphysics provides a more adequate interpretation for the experiences of the Christian mystics than the static, non-process metaphysics the mystics themselves used. The main characteristic of the mystics' experience which metaphysics must take into account is the intimacy the mystic feels with God. Eckhart interprets the intimacy through an ontological union which occurs on God's transcendent level of existence. St. John suggests that no ontological union occurs but that mystical experience is a volitional transformation. Whitehead's metaphysical categories do not allow for an ontological union but do provide a conception of God and a model of human experience where a very intimate relation is possible between the mystic and God. I argue that Whitehead's view of God as relative, changing, and interacting with the world, more adequately represents what the mystics experience than the view of God as non-relative, static, and metaphysically distinct from the world, which characterizes the theologies of the mystics themselves
Son Salutations: Christian Yoga in the United States, 1989-2014
No full textabstract: This work examines the spectrum of Christian attitudes toward yoga as demonstrative of contemporary religious imagination in recent United States history. With the booming commodification of yoga as exercise, the physical and mental elements of yoga practice are made safely secular by disassociation from their ostensible religious roots. Commonly deployed phrases, "Yoga is not a religion," or even, "Yoga is a science," open a broad invitation. But the very need for this clarification illustrates yoga's place in the United States as a borderline signifier for spirituality. Vocal concern by both Christians and Hindus demonstrates the tension between perceptions of yoga as a secular commodity and yoga as religiously beget. Alternatively embracing and rejecting yoga's religious history, Christian yoga practitioners reframe and rejoin yoga postures and breathing into their lives of faith. Some proponents name their practice Christian Yoga.
Christian Yoga flourishes as part of contemporary religious and spiritual discourse and practice in books, instructional DVDs, websites and studios throughout the United States. Christian Yoga proponents, professional and lay theologians alike, highlight the diversity of American attitudes toward and understanding of yoga and the heterogeneity of Christianity. For religious studies scholars, Christian Yoga advocates and detractors provide an opportune focal point for inquiry into the evolution of spiritual practice, the dynamics of tradition, experience and authority, and the dialectic nature of evolving cultural attitudes in a religiously plural and complex secular environment.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Religious Studies 201
Teaching Theology as a Christian Spiritual Practice: The Example of Stanley J. Grenz
No full textDegree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of AmericaThis dissertation explores the recent work on spiritual practices in the academic discipline of Christian spirituality, gathering together the strengths of various conceptions of practice from the literature and developing a rigorous definition of a Christian spiritual practice: Christian spiritual practices are things God enables Christian people to do together over time to address fundamental human needs in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, activities that together form a way of life that pleases God and through which God teaches and transforms persons into the image of the Son.Practices may be Christian or may not be, depending upon whether practitioners ground their practices in the Christian tradition, reflect critically upon them in light of that tradition, and recognize God's agency within them. Thus, teaching theology may or may not be performed as a Christian spiritual practice. This study examines the activities of reading, writing, and teaching—all broadly defined—as the three necessary and sufficient practices of theological education, and determines that each of them may be done in an engaged or a disengaged fashion, an “academic” or a “spiritual” orientation, or some mixture of the two. Engaged theological educators tend to exhibit the dispositions of humble hospitality, reflective and attentive contemplation, and prayerful conversation in their reading, writing, and teaching.After carefully correlating the aspects of the definition of Christian spiritual practices with the composite practice of theological education, this thesis contends that teaching theology can meet the definition of a Christian spiritual practice. The work of Stanley J. Grenz, a prominent evangelical theologian, establishes that he employed reading, writing, and teaching while exhibiting the dispositions enumerated above, marking him as an engaged theological educator. His pursuit of teaching theology as a Christian spiritual practice can serve as a model for others to emulate, possibly contributing to a reunion of spirituality and theological pedagogy in the lives of individual teachers, their students and colleagues, and the corporate people of God.Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1
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On modeled and observed warm rainfall occurrence and its relationships with cloud macrophysical properties
No full text2014 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Rainfall from low-level, liquid-phase ("warm") clouds over the global oceans is ubiquitous and contributes non-negligibly to the total amount of precipitation that falls to the globe. In this study, modeled and observed warm rainfall occurrence and its bulk statistical relationships with cloud macrophysical properties are analyzed independently and directly compared with one another. Rain is found to fall from ~25% of the warm, maritime clouds observed from space by CloudSat and from ~27% of the warm clouds simulated within a large-scale, fine-resolution radiative convective equilibrium experiment performed with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). Within both the model and the observations, the fractional occurrence of warm rainfall is found to increase with both column-integrated liquid water mass and cloud geometric depth, two cloud-scale properties that are shown to be directly related to one another. However, warm rain within RAMS is more likely with lower amounts of column water mass than observations indicate, suggesting that the parameterized cloud-to-rain conversion processes within RAMS produce rainfall too efficiently. To gain insight into the relationships between warm rainfall production and the concentration of liquid water within a cloud layer, warm rainfall occurrence is subsequently investigated as a joint, simultaneous function of both cloud depth and column-integrated water mass. While rainfall production within RAMS is largely governed by the availability of liquid water within the cloud volume, rain from observed warm clouds with relatively little column water mass is actually more likely to fall from deeper clouds with lower cloud-mean water contents. The latter, CloudSat-derived trend is shown to be robust across different seasons and environmental conditions; it varies little when the warm cloud distribution is stratified into ascending (day) and descending (night) CloudSat overpass groups. Using temperature differences between RAMS cloud tops and their immediate, surrounding environments as a proxy for cloud-top buoyancy, an attempt is then made to quantitatively investigate simulated warm rain occurrence within the broader context of cloud life cycle. It is found that rainfall likelihoods from RAMS-simulated warm clouds with cloud top temperatures warmer than their surrounding environments more closely resemble the overall CloudSat-derived rainfall occurrence trends. This result suggests that the CloudSat-observed warm cloud distribution is characterized by increased numbers of positively buoyant, developing clouds
[[alternative]]Chinese Translations of Hans Christian Andersen’s Stories
No full text[[abstract]]This thesis is constructed upon Itamar Even-Zohar’s theory of literary polysystem and reviews the Chinese translations of the stories of Hans Christian Andersen in the past one hundred years. According to Even-Zohar, if translated literature is to maintain a central position in the literary polysystem, the translation must focus on adequacy. On the other hand, if the translated literature occupies a peripheral position in the literary polysystem, the translation should focus on acceptability. Different positions of translated literature in the polysystem will result in different strategies for translators.
In order to further discuss different versions of the Chinese translations of Andersen’s stories in the past one hundred years, I divided this timeline into five different periods of influence.
The first period was “the early period.” The translations at that time were influenced by translation norms of the late Qing dynasty and literally translated versions were not popular. Massive rewritings could be found in the translations in order to correspond with the culture of the target language.
The second period was during the time period known as “a campaign for new culture” and so the translated literature maintained a central position in the literary polysystem. Literal translation, therefore, was the strategy adapted by the translators of Andersen’s stories. Translations at this time focused on adequacy.
The third period occurred during the 1930s. During this period, translators of Andersen’s stories anticipated their readers to be children rather than educated people. The translations of this time period, therefore, developed towards a peripheral literature system for children rather than for adults. We can see simplification and didactic emphasis in these translations.
The forth period discussed the translations of the 1950s and 1960s in Taiwan. The literary system at this time maintained a peripheral position in the macro-polysystem. There were no new translations of Andersen’s stories. It was an empty period in the development of different versions of translation.
The fifth period spans from 1977 to the present day. The development of Andersen’s translations has been divided into systems for both children and adults. Prosperous development can be seen in the children’s literature system of this period, however, due to the restriction of self-image in children’s literature, a lot of adaptations appear. The adult system maintains a peripheral position in the polysystem and there are no new, adequate translations except for the translation of Yeh Jun-Jian.
In conclusion, translating Andersen’s stories into Chinese is not a mere language transferring process. The position of translated literature in the polysystem gives translators different ideas on how to translate. Personally, I suggested that translations in the future should have more variety in order to make up for the deficiency of old versions and to meet the needs of a range of different readers in the polysystem.
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