Main Churches Research Articles

Konteksty badań komparatystycznych – temat i metoda

The text is a theoretical justification for the method of research due to be applied in a study concerning four churches in medieval Toruń. Its aim is to make a short introduction to the matters of history, range and possible application of comparative research. This type of research is and so far has been a domain of literature specialists, yet the attempts to compare different works of art for their better understanding had been made in the past far more remote.The ancient Romans bearing in minds their dependence upon Greek culture intuitively compared the texts of both nations. Similarly, in modern times comparing was rather an unaware process. In 18th century the interest in comparative studies had been aroused but the main purpose was to exhibit the similarities and differences of compared works.Romanticism was a time when the notion of comparative literature took its form. Soon it became a new, distinguished field of study with a lot of departments of comparative literature being established. The most significant research was conducted by both German (e.g. Fridrich and August Schlegel) and French scholars (initiated by A.F. Villemain).The next stage was the period of positivism when comparative study was classified as the history of literature’s field of research and has been considered a part of evolutionistic trend. The theory of continuity, development and borrowing (M. Haupt, J.A. Symonds) became significant.The end of 19th century was a renewed turn to the fact collecting and genetic research. This trend was also maintained in the beginning of 20th century. The creation of the AILC – an independent comparatists organization in Oxford in 1954 was the symbolic breakthrough, yet the real one occurred only in 1958 when two independent texts by French (R. Etiemble) and American scholars (R. Wellek) were published. They both criticized positivistic method of fact collecting and “influenceology” proposing comparative studies based upon deductive sciences. Regardless of the opinion on their views, they initiated the 20th century phase of the comparative studies development. This phase is characterized by the vast pluralism of views on the goals, range and status of comparative studies. Amongst diverse ideas the two research traditions emerge: French, restricted to comparison between literatures and rejecting textual criticism and American, preferring vast approach allowing to confront literature with the other humanities.The opinions based mainly upon the literature-specialist research are far more universal. The comparative study is practiced in the other fields of the humanities.Comparison is, with varying emphasis on different references, the essence of the work of art style analysis (H. Wölfflin, G. Kubler), its substance (E. Panofsky, J. Białostocki), structure (H. Sedlmayr) and a research apparatus to draw numerous conclusions such as date, authorship or genetic and typological progressions. All this serves one purpose – to capture similarities functioning on different levels between the examined work of art and the others, an by this to prove the artist’s dependence to his predecessor’s achievements. Eventually, this helps connecting the work of art with its roots and placing it in a suitable artistic tradition.It seems that amongst different comparative approaches one has to select those applicable to comparative studies of the main churches of the medieval Toruń. The basic guidelines are preserving the proper research apparatus for architectural history and taking advantage of the research from the other fields of the humanities. The decisive factors for creating a comparison, should be: situational similarities, convergence of problems, necessity of making similar choices. The main issue appearing in various moments would be the attempt to explain the function of the references between particular works of art.

Microscopic, mass spectrometric and spectroscopic characterisation of the mordants used for gilding on wall paintings from three post-Byzantine monasteries in Thessalia, Greece

The main churches of three monasteries in Thessalia, Central Greece are decorated with wall paintings from the post-Byzantine period. The main goal of the present study is to offer insights into the decorative technique of mordant gilding, especially the chemical composition of the mordants and the effects on them of ageing. Light microscopic (LM) examination was carried out on samples taken from the gilded areas of the paintings to view their layer build-up. Direct temperature resolved mass spectrometry (DTMS) under electron ionisation (EI) and chemical ionisation (CI) conditions led to the identification mainly of the organic, as well as some inorganic compounds. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) gave an account of the elemental composition on selected cases. The results from samples taken from different wall paintings were compared with each other to observe their differences and similarities. Furthermore, the three churches in question are believed to have been painted by the same painter, who has only been identified in one of them. Hence, the comparison of the wall paintings as far as the mordant gilding technique is concerned provided additional evidence on the identity of the painter in the other two churches.

’n Beoordeling van die vernaamste kerklike en teologiese tradisies se bydrae tot die etiek van sosio-ekonomiese regte

An adjudication of the most prominent ecclesiastical and theological traditions to the ethics of socio-economical rights In this article the contribution of the Roman Catholic Church and that of the main protestant churches to the ethics of socio- economical rights is investigated and adjudicated. The Roman Catholic Church stresses the importance of socio-economic rights, but socio-economic rights are founded in natural law and not in Biblical principles. In the Lutheran tradition socio- economic rights are ascribed to the domain of the world, and no proper Biblical foundation is given. The World Alliance of Re- formed Churches gives a Biblical foundation to socio-economic rigths, but unfortunately it is influenced by political theology. The Testimony on Human Rights of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod is a comprehensive study on human rights in the re- formed tradition, and proper Biblical foundation is given to socio-economic rights.

‘The enemy within?’: the clergyman and the English school boards, 1870–1902

This paper seeks to ascertain the attitudes to, and work on, English school boards of clergymen from the three main Churches which had taken an active interest in education in England in the nineteenth century – the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Were the clergy ‘the enemy within’, attempting to subvert the cause of non‐denominational education? Little has previously been written about this work. The research has used a variety of primary sources, among them annual HMI reports on the educational provision in their areas and the pronouncements made by the leaders of the three Churches about their own representations on the boards. A variety of qualitative data has been accessed on the clergy influence in certain areas in the North of England using extant school board managers’ minutes. The picture that emerges from the evidence studied is of a significant and growing influence for Anglican clergy in rural areas. They undoubtedly had self‐interests in their membership, to ensure religious teaching in schools, to protect their own institutions and in part to assert their own status within society. In large towns and cities, boards proved to be independent of clergy control, with much authority given over to the headteachers. Roman Catholic priests often became board members and in doing so were in a position to defend their own schools. Throughout, the one group that did not share the influence on boards was the Wesleyan ministers, who were constrained by their own itinerant ministry. It is hoped that this will encourage further studies of individual communities, where School Board Managers’ Minutes survive, to add further qualitative evidence and further analysis of the direct influence of the clergymen of the three Churches discussed.

Screening and Brief Advice for Risky Substance Users among Charismatic and Main Stream Churches in South Africa

The aim of the study was to investigate screening and brief advice for risky substance users among charismatic and main stream churches in South Africa. The sample included 117 clergy (63 from charismatic and 54 from mainstream churches) chosen randomly from exiting lists of 98 churches in Vhembe district in South Africa. Results indicate that clergy have pastoral counselling interactions with an ample number of church members including problems of alcohol and drug abuse. Many of these clergy were found receptive to learning about screening and intervention on alcohol and drug problems. Clergy from both charismatic and main stream churches could play an important role in screening and intervention on alcohol and drug problems in South Africa.

The Church Census and the Brontës

On 30 March 1851, a census was meant to be held in every place of worship in England and Wales in order to establish the number of people going to church or chapel.1 Some parishes refused to cooperate, but there was no backsliding in Haworth and thanks to the labours of Robin Greenwood the figures for Haworth can be given in the Appendix. Total figures supplied in Chadwick’s History of the Victorian Church (1966) indicate that the Church of England had 5,292,551 adherents, the Roman Catholic Church 383,630 and the main Protestant dissenting churches (Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational and Baptist) 4,536,264. The national picture took over two years to calculate, and Chadwick explains the difficulty of the compiler, Horace Mann, in trying to work out what proportion of the population went to church. Some people went to church more than once, some were too old or too young to attend. It was generally thought that Dissenters were more likely to attend more than once. In Haworth, people might travel in from outlying places like Stanbury and Oxenhope, although in 1851 both villages had their own Anglican church. The total population of Haworth was 2,800, the total population of England 18,000,000, and it is immediately obvious that in Haworth the Methodists and Baptists had very large congregations both in comparison with the Church of England and in comparison with the total population, although the latter proportion is hard to calculate. It is now generally accepted that the Church of England lost ground in the Industrial Revolution both to the Free Churches and to total neglect of any form of worship. In Leeds and Bradford we find Dissenters outnumbering Anglicans by two to one with only four in ten going to either church or chapel. The great strength of the Church of England lay in the South. Nevertheless I find Greenwood’s figures surprising. Somehow when we climb up the hill to Haworth Church and Parsonage, set in the centre of the village and in the centre of our minds, we expect the Church of England to have been at the centre of Haworth’s religious life, and clearly it was not. I suppose it is some consolation that the preponderance of Dissenters over Anglicans was more the result of the former’s success than the latter’s failure. It is also a kind of consolation to know that the proportion of people attending church or chapel in 1851 is very different from what it is now. In Shipston on Stour, where I live, about 100 people attend the three services in the Church of England,

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland

This year's General Synod was held, for the first time ever, in Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, Armagh, at the recently constructed City Hotel and Conference Centre, which provided an excellent forum. The occasion was graced by the presence of the leaders of the other three main Churches in the province and by the preaching of the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Synod Eucharist in the recently renovated and refurbished Cathedral.

Investigation of the gilding technique in two post-Byzantine wall paintings using micro-analytical techniques

The main churches of two important monasteries in Thessalia, Central Greece, are decorated with wall paintings that hail from the post-Byzantine period. The mural decoration of the main church of the St. Byssarionas Monastery at Doussiko has been attributed to the iconographer Tzortzis. The same painter is believed to have also operated in the main church of the Transfiguration Monastery at the monastic community of Meteora. The light microscopic (LM) examination of the cross-sections of samples taken from the gilded areas of the wall paintings, together with the direct temperature resolved mass spectrometric (DTMS) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (SEM-EDX) analysis, revealed a further resemblance of the materials and the methodology employed. The gold leaf was applied to the paintings by means of a mordant, which contains linseed oil mixed with a lead-containing dryer and an earth pigment or clay. The present study can constitute additional evidence to reinforce the idea that the two churches may have been painted by the same painter or workshop.

WE CAN EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD: THE RELATION BETWEEN FAITH AND HEALING

AbstractAs signs of the eschatological breaking in of the kingdom, of God, the healing of physical and psychological diseases was an essential part of Jesus Christ's mission. Through Jesus people came into contact with the healing power of God that healed them with regard to different dimensions of their lived. Jesus charged and empowered his disciples to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. Whereas the apostles and the early church continued to heal, Jesus' command to heal wad neglected over the centuries. Yet, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the churches rediscovered their specific task in the field of healing, and the connection between faith and healing was pointed out by epidemiological studies.During consultations in Ghana and in Chile, members of Pentecostal, charismatic and historical churches affirmed their conviction that the Holy Spirit is acting in reconciling and healing today, and they agreed on an extended definition of health and healing. All healing comes from God, but there are different approaches to health and healing. Today, Christians often do not expect God to heal them and Christian communities face many obstacles on their way to becoming healing communities.Personal experiences in Ghana and in Chile are given as examples of healing communities.At the beginning of the third millennium, the traditional churches in Europe are losing members, whereas new religious movements outside the main churches are growing. There is some evidence that people are attracted by these movements because in them the healing power of faith is visible and can be experienced. Therefore, healing is essential for Christian mission today.

'The Armies of the Lord': Christianity, Rebels and the State in Northern Uganda, 1986-1999

AbstractThe accession to power of the National Resistance Movement in Uganda in 1986 was intended to inaugurate a new beginning for Uganda, an end to the political, ethnic and religious divisions that had characterised the country's violent history since the 1960s. Although peace, stability and the strengthening of democratic structures have brought substantial progress to many parts of the country, the Acholi of Northern Uganda have felt largely excluded from these benefits. Violence and insecurity have characterised the districts of Gulu and Kitgum since 1986. It is not simply the failure of development that has been so distressing for the inhabitants, but the collapse of the moral framework and the institutions that gave society coherence. Religion has played a considerable part in articulating the sense of loss and anger at this state of affairs. Traditional Acholi and Christian religious sentiments have helped to shape and sustain rebel movements against the central government, and to inform Acholi responses to the violence inflicted by rebels and government. The article, based on field work conducted in 1999, examines ways in which the main Churches, Catholic and Protestant (Anglican), have historically been bound up with the political divisions of Acholi. It examines the painful adjustments which loss of access to power has necessitated, particularly for the Anglican Church. Since 1986 the Churches have had a vital role in conflict resolution and in envisioning new futures for Acholi. The majority of the population, required to live in 'protected villages', have few material and spiritual resources. The importance of Christian faith and practice for Acholi living in such situations of prolonged conflict, with few signs of speedy resolution, is assessed.

Schooling, the churches and the state in Northern Ireland:a continuing tension?

After a period of generally collaborative, professionally based relations between the main churches and successive governments in Northern Ireland since the late 1960s, a feature of the recent politics of education has been the renewed concern of the Protestant churches about the protection of their interests in the state school system, which most Protestant children attend. As one of the reforms of school governance in the 1980s, the setting up of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools created a middle‐tier organization in the school system, which, in spite of its limited remit, has been able to establish itself as the ‘voice’ of the Catholic school system. In addition, government has supported the development of a religiously integrated group of schools with its own ‘parent’ body, the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. In their response to these developments the main Protestant churches have sought to obtain government recognition of an ‘umbrella’ Protestant church body to reassert the Protestant nature of the schools which they once owned, but transferred to the state. In this paper we outline the main developments in church—state relations since the formation of the government of Northern Ireland, describe the changes introduced since 1980, and explore the responses of headteachers and governors, and of church and government representatives, to the questions which have been raised by recent church initiatives. Finally, we consider the extent to which the concerns of the Protestant churches are likely to be formally addressed.

Reforming Religious Education in Northern Ireland: A Critical Review

This essay is intended as a tribute to Dr John Greer, who retired in 1993 from a Readership in Education at the University of Ulster, Coleraine and died in August 1996. Its aim is to provide a straightforward account of the process and results of recent educational reform in Northern Ireland with regard to Religious Education. Discussion focuses on the joint production by the four main churches of a Core ('Agreed') Syllabus, and the Government's decision to accord it statutory status. Reactions to the Core Syllabus are recorded and a number of critical points are made.

Religious Change Among Women in Urban Botswana

Empirical studies of change of religion in Africa are somewhat rare.' Within Christian adherence, it has been common to point to the rapid growth of the Independent African Churches in Southern Africa at the expense of the mainline churches, and more recent investigations have noted the increasing expansion of neoPentecostal movements.2 But scientific data is hard to come by and increases claimed by individual religious groups themselves are often suspect. The primary object of the research upon which this paper is based was to test commonly held assumptions on church growth, and at the same time to examine the motivation for religious change. My focus on women reflects the growing interest in women's studies in Africa and Asia. Within Botswana there are additional reasons for focusing on women. Overall women are in a substantial majority in Botswana though (as common in Africa) they are a minority in the urban centres.3 More importantly, they make up by far the largest proportion of church goers in all denominations. A substantial number of households are one-parent families consisting of mother and children. The upbringing of children therefore falls largely to the mother (and sometimes the grandparents) who is therefore more likely to influence the trends of religious adherence in the next generation. At the same time women enjoy a high status in Botswana; there is substantial legislation in favour of equal rights for women, and many women attain positions of importance in government, parastatals and in the education system. This is not matched in the churches, however, where progress towards the ordination of women is practically nonexistent among the main line churches except in the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. Botswana has not yet become a major arena for competing world faiths. Though strenous efforts are being made to establish Islam

St Gertrude's Chapel, Hamburg, and the performance of polychoral music

The physical characteristics of the building for which a particular piece of music was written must be considered an essential element in any attempt to recreate the aesthetic impact of that piece. This article is concerned with a small building in Hamburg, not one of the four main churches (Hauptkirchen) or the Cathedral, but the St Gertrude's Chapel, or Gertrudenkapelle, which acted as an important centre of musical activity in the 17th century. Because it made particular provision for the performance of polychoral music, a study of its layout and of contemporary descriptions of performances can shed light on the performance practices associated with polychoral music elsewhere in the early Baroque period. The Gertrudenkapelle was built between 1391 and 1399, as a sister church to the nearby Jacobikirche, on cemetery land owned by the St Gertrude's Guild (see illus. 1).' The function of this body was to provide housing, health care and burial assistance for the poor and the sick (especially lepers); it was aided in this by

Gods of Goodness: The Sophisticated Idolatry of the Main Line Churches. By Bruce L. Blackie. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975. 170 pp. $5.95

Gods of Goodness: The Sophisticated Idolatry of the Main Line Churches. By Bruce L. Blackie. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975. 170 pp. $5.95

Dimensions of Canadian Religions: A Preliminary Study

THE SIMILARITY of faiths can be seen as one of the critical variables in the study of interactions between faiths, i.e., ecumenical movements, conversion rates, intermarriage rates, members' attitudes toward other faiths, adjustments to mixed marriages, etc. Rokeachl examined the relationship between some of these phenomena and the perceived distances among six main line American churches. These correlations were strong, often in excess of .90. This research locates each of a set of nine faiths (Roman Catholic, Anglican, United, Lutheran, Baptist, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarian, and Jewish) in a multidimensional distance space. The distance between each pair of faiths is expressed as a scale value representing the extent of general similarity between them. This research further seeks to explain these distances by finding a set of descriptive attributes which accounts in a regression sense for them.