Religi��o e Sexualidade: Estudo de caso sobre a presen��a ou aus��ncia de pr��ticas educacionais voltadas para a sexualidade infantil nas Igrejas Metodistas do ABC

Esta pesquisa pretende caracterizar a import��ncia da educa����o sexual dentro dos projetos de educa����o crist�� nas igrejas protestantes. Por��m, especificando um pouco mais a quest��o, esse trabalho circunscreve essas discuss��es ao ��mbito da sexualidade infantil, explicitados em alguns materiais tornados p��blicos em n��vel nacional pela Igreja Metodista e, posteriormente, no contexto da pr��tica de suas Escolas Dominicais (ED), localizadas na regi��o do ABC paulista (Santo Andr��, S��o Bernardo do Campo e S��o Caetano do Sul), estado de S��o Paulo. Metodologicamente, o primeiro momento dessa pesquisa pretende compreender os termos e conceitos ligados a religi��o, a sexualidade e a inf��ncia. Neste sentido, realizou-se um trajeto hist��rico em rela����o ao tema. Em seguida, s��o verificados alguns documentos oficiais da Igreja Metodista em rela����o �� educa����o, a crian��a e a sexualidade, a fim de se estabelecer um di��logo com a pr��tica observada na pesquisa de campo e concretizada por meio de um question��rio respondido pelo pastor(a) da igreja local, um professor(a) de ED e o(a) l��der do minist��rio infantil. Por fim, no quarto cap��tulo, faz-se uma reflex��o acerca do material coletado na pesquisa de campo e tamb��m sobre poss��veis pr��ticas pastorais que valorizem as quest��es sobre a educa����o sexual para a inf��ncia.

ACONSELHAMENTO PASTORAL E A LEITURA POPULAR DA B��BLIA: UM DI��LOGO COM O PENSAMENTO DE CARLOS MESTERS

O presente trabalho aborda as contribui����es da Leitura Popular da B��blia (LPB), na perspectiva de Carlos Mesters, para os processos de cuidado no Aconselhamento Pastoral (AP). Ao repensar criticamente os modelos de Aconselhamento Pastoral (AP), a partir dos principais autores publicados no Brasil sobre o tema, verifica-se que o como fazer do aconselhamento pastoral �� fundamental. Da mesma forma que refletir o como usar a B��blia nos processos de cuidado e aux��lio no aconselhamento deveria estar diretamente relacionado ao saber escutar e discernir a necessidade do outro. Sendo assim, �� proveitoso integrar �� reflex��o e pr��tica do cuidado pastoral, enquanto aconselhamento, as perspectivas da espiritualidade e das ci��ncias do comportamento humano com a metodologia da LPB. A LPB empresta seu modo hermen��utico de ver, julgar e agir e aproveita a pedagogia de Paulo Freire nos processos relacionais entre aconselhador/a e aconselhando/a. Este trabalho pretende assim propor uma leitura de mundo que parta da vida vivida levando em considera����o a idade, etnia, situa����o socioecon��mica, estado civil, g��nero, etc., no sentido de proporcionar sa��de integral ao ser humano. Este tipo de leitura articulada com as contribui����es da LPB pode promover melhor as habilidades para a escuta que reconhe��a as rela����es no Aconselhamento Pastoral como um processo pedag��gico e libertador entre aconselhador/a e aconselhando/a. Processo em que a leitura contextualizada, integral e libertadora da B��blia e ci��ncias humanas iluminam o caminho para uma vida mais humanizadora.

ESPERAN��AS E DECEP����ES Uma an��lise cr��tica da Pr��tica Pastoral do neopentecostalismo na Igreja Internacional da Gra��a de Deus sob a perspectiva da Pr��xis Religiosa

O texto analisa a pr��tica pastoral do neopentecostalismo na Igreja Internacional da Gra��a de Deus. Esta Igreja expandiu-se substancialmente no Brasil, conseguiu arregimentar um n��mero enorme de seguidores e conquistou expressiva visibilidade na m��dia. A pesquisa estuda a trajet��ria hist��rica do neopentecostalismo, o seu desenvolvimento no Brasil e os aspectos teol��gicos do movimento. Estuda-se tamb��m a Igreja da Gra��a, sua origem, sua teologia, sua estrutura de governo, seu minist��rio pastoral e expans��o. Por estar inserida dentro do neopentecostalismo, a Igreja da Gra��a reflete tamb��m a sua teologia, que prop��e banir a doen��a, a pobreza e todo o tipo de sofrimento da vida humana, a fim de produzir uma nova gera����o de fi��is: ricos e saud��veis. De acordo com a sua teologia, o crist��o deve viver todo o tempo de sua vida livre de qualquer aspecto negativo da exist��ncia humana. Se isso n��o acontece, �� porque ele n��o tem f��, est�� sob o poder de Sat�� ou tem um comportamento que desagrada a Deus. Assim, a marca do verdadeiro crist��o �� a plena sa��de f��sica e emocional, al��m da prosperidade financeira. Entretanto, a prega����o neopentecostal tem produzido desapontamentos, principalmente, quando a cura f��sica n��o acontece e o dinheiro n��o aparece. Portanto, esta tese formula uma proposta de pr��tica pastoral de esperan��a que possibilite aos decepcionados com essa mensagem triunfalista retomarem a vida crist�� dentro do seu espa��o crist��o.(AU)

The making of an ideology of the third way:the evolution of christian democracy in Germany (with special reference to 1945-49)

This study investigates the search for the third way in the history of German Christian Democracy. Today, in the United Kingdom, the 'third way' is seen as a new phenomenon, a synthesis of post-war belief in the welfare state and neo-liberal conservatism. Yet it insufficiently acknowledges that the origins of third way thinking, the marriage of social justice with free market economics, of individualism with collective responsibility, are found in the early philosophies of Catholic Social Theory and Protestant Social Ethical Teaching in Germany. This study shows that in the hundred years from the 1840s to the end of the 1940s, there were Catholic and Protestant socio-ethical thinkers and political reformists in Germany who attempted to bridge the philosophical differences between liberalism and socialism, to develop a socio-economic order based on Christian moral values. It will focus on the period 1945-1949, when the CDU was founded as the first interdenominational, Christian party. The study provides the first comprehensive account of the political debates in Christian democratic groups in the Soviet, British, French and American allied occupied zones, also giving equal attention to the contribution from the Protestant wing, alongside the more widely acknowledged role of Catholics in the birth of the CDU. It examines how Christian Democrats envisaged correcting the aberrations of German history, by uniting all social classes and Christian religions in one all-embracing Volkspartei, and transforming party politics from its earlier obsession with sectarian and ideological interests towards a more pragmatic 'third way' programme. The study argues that through the making of its ideology, the CDU modified the nation's understanding of its history, re-interpreted its traditions, and redefined the meaning and perception of established political philosophies. This reveals how the ambiguity of political terminology, and the flexible practice of 'third way' politics, were an invaluable political resource in the CDU's campaign for unity, ideological legitimisation and political power.

Cost and time control of construction project: inhibiting factors and mitigating measures in practice

Despite the availability of various control techniques and project control software many construction projects still do not achieve their cost and time objectives. Research in this area so far has mainly been devoted to identifying causes of cost and time overruns. There is limited research geared towards studying factors inhibiting the ability of practitioners to effectively control their projects. To fill this gap, a survey was conducted on 250 construction project organizations in the UK, which was followed by face-to-face interviews with experienced practitioners from 15 of these organizations. The common factors that inhibit both time and cost control during construction projects were first identified. Subsequently 90 mitigating measures have been developed for the top five leading inhibiting factors���design changes, risks/uncertainties, inaccurate evaluation of project time/duration, complexities and non-performance of subcontractors were recommended. These mitigating measures were classified as: preventive, predictive, corrective and organizational measures. They can be used as a checklist of good practice and help project managers to improve the effectiveness of control of their projects.

Construction project control in the UK:current practice, existing problems and recommendations for future improvement

The aim of this study is to address the main deficiencies with the prevailing project cost and time control practices for construction projects in the UK. A questionnaire survey was carried out with 250 top companies followed by in-depth interviews with 15 experienced practitioners from these companies in order to gain further insights of the identified problems, and their experience of good practice on how these problems can be tackled. On the basis of these interviews and syntheses with literature, a list of 65 good practice recommendations have been developed for the key project control tasks: planning, monitoring, reporting and analysing. The Delphi method was then used, with the participation of a panel of 8 practitioner experts, to evaluate these improvement recommendations and to establish their degree of relevance. After two rounds of Delphi, these recommendations are put forward as "critical", "important", or "helpful" measures for improving project control practice.

Practice based learning approaches in collaborative design and engineering education:a case study investigation into the benefits of a crossdisciplinary practice based learning strategy

This study explores the ongoing pedagogical development of a number of undergraduate design and engineering programmes in the United Kingdom. Observations and data have been collected over several cohorts to bring a valuable perspective to the approaches piloted across two similar university departments while trialling a number of innovative learning strategies. In addition to the concurrent institutional studies the work explores curriculum design that applies the principles of Co-Design, multidisciplinary and trans disciplinary learning, with both engineering and product design students working alongside each other through a practical problem solving learning approach known as the CDIO learning initiative (Conceive, Design Implement and Operate) [1]. The study builds on previous work presented at the 2010 EPDE conference: The Effect of Personality on the Design Team: Lessons from Industry for Design Education [2]. The subsequent work presented in this paper applies the findings to mixed design and engineering team based learning, building on the insight gained through a number of industrial process case studies carried out in current design practice. Developments in delivery also aligning the CDIO principles of learning through doing into a practice based, collaborative learning experience and include elements of the TRIZ creative problem solving technique [3]. The paper will outline case studies involving a number of mixed engineering and design student projects that highlight the CDIO principles, combined with an external industrial design brief. It will compare and contrast the learning experience with that of a KTP derived student project, to examine an industry based model for student projects. In addition key areas of best practice will be presented, and student work from each mode will be discussed at the conference.

Practice based learning for automotive engineering design students

The automotive industry combines a multitude of professionals to develop a modern car successfully. Within the design and development teams the collaboration and interface between Engineers and Designers is critical to ensure design intent is communicated and maintained throughout the development process. This study highlights recent industry practice with the emergence of Concept Engineers in design teams at Jaguar Land Rover Automotive group. The role of the Concept Engineer emphasises the importance of the Engineering and Design/Styling interface with the Concept engineer able to interact and understand the challenges and specific languages of each specialist area, hence improving efficiency and communication within the design team. Automotive education tends to approach design from two distinct directions, that of engineering design through BSc courses or a more styling design approach through BA and BDes routes. The educational challenge for both types of course is to develop engineers and stylist's who have greater understanding and experience of each other's specialist perspective of design and development. The study gives examples of two such courses in the UK who are developing programmes to help students widen their understanding of the engineering and design spectrum. Initial results suggest the practical approach has been well received by students and encouraged by industry as they seek graduates with specialist knowledge but also a wider appreciation of their role within the design process.

Eastern Orthodox Christian fasting in northeastern Pennsylvania

The purpose of this research was to examine the fasting practices of Eastern Orthodox Christians (EOCs) in northeastern Pennsylvania. Fasting, according to Eastern Orthodox Church doctrine, is primarily abstinence from meat, dairy products, fish and certain other foods during Easter Lent and other periods, for approximately 180 days annually. Goals were to discern what EOCs consider their fasting rules to be, their actual fasting practices, what factors influence this practice and the relationship of fasting to nutrition. Methodology included 29 months of ethnographic fieldwork at local parishes, content analysis of local written materials and semi-structured interviews of 58 core church members. A pile sort was conducted whereby subjects classified various foods according to fasting or non-fasting status and then sorted the fasting foods into a hierarchy of avoidance. Data were analyzed using ANTHROPAC and NVivo software. Results included identification of a cognitive hierarchy of avoidance, with meat the most important to avoid, followed by dairy and alcoholic beverages. An important finding was the differences in subjects' knowledge of Church doctrine and a wide variation in their actual fasting practices. Contrary to Church doctrine, fish was not usually perceived as a food to abstain from. A historic Byzantine Catholic presence in the area (with a different fasting doctrine), family members who did not fast, and health concerns were some factors that affected fasting practices. A conclusion is that while meat, dairy and alcoholic beverages were usually categorized as foods to avoid during fasts, it is not possible to generalize with regard to actual practices or the impact of fasting on nutrition, due to individual variation. It was demonstrated that qualitative data could provide information that can be crucial to know prior to conducting quantitative nutrition research or counseling. Findings of this study suggest that one cannot assume subjects who belong to a given religion that has prescribed food avoidance practices are following them homogeneously and/or according to official doctrine. ^

The role of a Christian church in the career development of its congregants

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a Christian church in the career development of its congregants. Contemporary theorists in the 21st century view career development as the totality of an individual's life, and the literature revealed that 85% of Americans claim the practice of Christianity as a major life role. Therefore, an understanding of the church's role in the lives of its congregants is essential when conceptualizing career development theories. Traditional and contemporary theories formed the framework for this examination, which was guided by four research questions: How do congregants of a local church view its contribution to their career development; how do church leaders characterize the potential of the church for making a contribution to the career development of congregants; how useful are church sermon concepts to the career development of congregants; how do church programs and activities contribute to the career development of congregants? A Christian church in South Florida was the study's site, as it was identified as a church which focused on career development. Basic interpretive qualitative inquiry was used to collect and analyze three data sources: interviews, sermon recordings, and church documents. Twenty-four participants were interviewed using two interview guides to elicit perspectives of 15 congregants and 9 church leaders. The interviews and 13 sermon recordings were transcribed and analyzed. Church documents were categorized and analyzed for evidence of career development programs and activities. The findings revealed that the church played the following role in the participants' life career development: empowerment, guidance for life, learning and development, safety and support, and servant-leadership. As a result of their church participation, and through the learning and development from programs and activities, participants developed an awareness of their identity, purpose, and meaning for their lives. These constructs supported their interactions within the environments of home, work, school, and community. This holistic perspective revealed that an integration of traditional and contemporary career development theories was necessary to conceptualize the role of this Christian church in the career development of its congregants.

Developing inclusive practice in Scotland : the national framework for inclusion

Peer reviewed

Developing inclusive practice in Scotland : the national framework for inclusion

Peer reviewed

Walking with God through Nature: An Examination of John Flavel���s Behavioural Instructions on Matters Related to Christian Piety

John Flavel was a Reformed Puritan of the seventeenth-century who wrote a series of devotional guides that offered instructions drawn from Christian mystical traditions on how to improve religious activities as a means of ecstatically encountering God. Evaluating the efficacy of these instructions from a scientifically-based behavioural perspective, this study has found that Flavel���s techniques were likely helpful to his readers in facilitating socially normative ecstatic experiences through ordinary Christian practice. Furthermore, discovering that Flavel promoted the use of these techniques for engaging with ecological materials in the wilderness and country-side, this essay proposes that Flavel introduced his readers to effectual manners that could help them ecstatically encounter God during the practice of meditational nature-based walks.

"Sub Tiberio quies"? Judaea���s Political Situation under the Prefects (6-41 c.e.), between Reality and Ideology

Deeply conflicting views on the political situation of Judaea under the Roman prefects (6-41 c.e.) have been offered. According to some scholars, this was a period of persistent political unrest and agitation, whilst according to a widespread view it was a quiescent period of political calm (reflected in Tacitus��� phrase sub Tiberio quies). The present article critically examines again the main available sources ���particularly Josephus, the canonical Gospels and Tacitus��� in order to offer a more reliable historical reconstruction. The conclusions drawn by this survey calls into question some widespread and insufficiently nuanced views on the period. This, in turn, allows a reflection on the non-epistemic factors which might contribute to explain the origin of such views.

Who needs evidence? Radical Feminism, the Christian Right and sex work research in Northern Ireland

This chapter describes my experiences of conducting research on commercial sex in Belfast, Northern Ireland which was conducted as part of a larger British Academy ��� Leverhulme Trust funded study that examined the policing and legal regulation of commercial sex in Belfast (Northern Ireland) along with three other cities: Manchester (England), Berlin (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic). This study provided the first empirical analysis of commercial sex in the jurisdiction and was instrumental in shedding light on prevalence rates for those involved in the industry as well as providing demographic information on the age, nationality and sexual orientation of sex workers along with the sector worked in, whether on-street or off-street. In the chapter I consider my role as a researcher and highlight some of the difficulties that I experienced conducting what was seen as controversial research in the politically, socially and culturally conservative context of Northern Ireland.