1,920 research outputs found

    Philosofilm: towards a cinematic philosophy

    Full text link
    Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityThis dissertation examines existing attempts to answer the question "Can film philosophize?" (the"CFP question") and offers an original, affirmative account of the possibility of philosophizing by means of film. Focusing OD. narrative fiction films, this dissertation shows how the practice of philosophy can be transformed, and its powers expanded, through its encounter with the realm of moving images. The first chapter presents the groundwork for such a discussion, laying bare the scope of the various theoretical bases through which film and philosophy have been thought to intersect. The chapter follows the threads of extant discussions, from (a) explicitly philosophical approaches to film ("philosophy of film") to (b) in-depth studies of film's thematic constructs ("film theory") and (c) proposals of the symmetry or even fusion of film and philosophy ("film-philosophy"). Each of the three subsequent chapters addresses one of three possible answers to the CFP question.Chapter two focuses on a conservative approach ("the exclusivist thesis") that negates the possibility of any meaningful philosophical capacity in film. Chapter three considers a more moderate view ("the inclusivist thesis") that acknowledges the cinematic capacity for philosophical argumentation, in a manner that is unique, but only partial. The fourth and last chapter introduces an innovative perspective ("the integralist thesis") that countenances a unique cinematic potential to philosophize by insisting on a radical conception of the practice of philosophy itself. To reach this ultimate conclusion, the dissertation elaborates two crucial features of film - the non-linguistic nature of its narrative and the role played by the audience in film - and shows that exclusivists and inclusivists fail to take these features into consideration (largely owing to the principles from which these theorists set out to answer the CFP question). Exclusivists and inclusivists argue that film cannot philosophize (at least not properly) because philosophizing is an essentially linguistic endeavor and film is not.If, however, those crucial features are taken into account, it becomes apparent that exclusivist and inclusivist approaches alike are fatally flawed. The dissertation concludes, in conversation with the integralists, with an affirmation of film's philosophical potential

    A paradigmatic analysis of authority within Pentecostalism

    Get PDF
    En ressuscitant l'expérience charismatique des premières communautés chrétiennes, le Pentecôtisme a connu une croissance phénoménale depuis une génération, en dépit de la suspicion dont il a été l'objet. Forme populaire de christianisme, le Pentecôtisme défie les modes traditionnels de régulation de la foi chrétienne en proposant un nouvel équilibre entre l'autorité de l'Écriture (Verbe écrit), l'autorité du partage communautaire de la Parole de Dieu (Verbe parlé) et l'autorité du discours officiel (Verbe institutionnel).Le but de cette étude est d'analyser le fonctionnement de l'autorité dans le mouvement pentecôtiste contemporain, en particulier dans les Assemblées de la Pentecôte du Canada (ADPC). Le regard est à la fois théologique, historique et sociologique. Le corpus étudié sera essentiellement constitué d'écrits pentecôtistes caractéristiques de chacune des périodes considérées et des résultats d'une enquête que nous avons menée auprès de 200 pasteurs pentecôtistes du Canada. Notre hypothèse sera que la régulation de la foi a été conçue successivement selon trois différents paradigmes (modèle intuitif mu par un souci d’orthopathie, modèle opportuniste guidé par des préoccupations d’orthodoxie, et modèle technocratique fondé sur une volonté d’orthopraxie) et que le pragmatisme a joué un rôle déterminant dans cette évolution. Notre étude se déroulera en deux parties. La première partie s'intéressera aux fondements théoriques de la régulation de la foi. Nous chercherons d'abord à identifier la compréhension que le Pentecôtisme a progressivement développée de son rapport à la Bible (Parole écrite), au partage communautaire de l'Évangile (Parole proclamée) et au discours officiel (Parole institutionnelle). La seconde partie proposera un regard sur la pratique. Il s'agira de vérifier comment l'autorité de cette triple Parole s'est exercée pratiquement dans trois questions typiques respectivement du vécu doctrinal (baptême dans l'Esprit), éthique (divorce et remariage) et juridique (ordination des femmes) du mouvement pentecôtiste contemporain. Notre conclusion est que le Pentecôtisme s'en remet d'abord à la primauté de l'Écriture, cependant considérée comme Parole toujours vivante. Il croit à la permanente nécessité de la proclamation, dans l’Esprit, de cette Parole. Quant au discours officiel, toujours suspecté, il ne réussit à s'imposer que par la voie du pragmatisme

    Grace and Truth: A Divorce Theology For Missionary Organizations

    Get PDF
    Throughout church history, divorce has been a very sensitive subject, and with the divorce rate of the general population at almost fifty-percent, some controversy is inevitable. The issue becomes even more complex as more Christians, including church leaders and pastors, experience divorce. In light of this increase in the incidence of divorce, missionary organizations will inevitably encounter more divorced men and women who apply for service. The challenge for these agencies is to encompass a biblically based divorce theology that recognizes the seriousness of divorce on one hand while not appearing to submit to cultural influence on the other. This paper suggests that truth and grace are factors to consider in developing a divorce theology and a subsequent divorce policy. The most frequently cited, and the most controversial Old and New Testament verses are examined, specifically, Genesis 2:24, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:3-12, and 1 Corinthians 7:10-15. The intriguing part about the analysis of these texts is that scholars arrive at different conclusions even though the study is based on the identical text. Additionally, the divorce policies of fourteen missionary organizations are presented so the reader can compare the recommendations with actual practices. There is a spectrum of policies that are identified that range from rejection of divorced applicants to acceptance of applicants whatever the circumstances of their divorce. Most of the organizations fall somewhere between these two extremes. Many times the divorced applicant is asked too many probing questions regarding the past, and there is not enough inquiry into the status of their present character and heart. The emphasis in the study is placed on God\u27s grace and forgiveness that enables a divorced applicant to move on to new beginnings

    Transformational Ethics of Film-Philosophy:Thinking the Cinemakeover

    Get PDF
    What is ‘the good’ of the film experience? And how is this question answered by the prevalent theoretical notion that films can act as a form of philosophy? This doctoral thesis opens up a new ethical plane within the now maturing debate on ‘film as philosophy’ and the project of ‘film-philosophy’ more generally. The central claim is that philosophers value films-as-philosophy just as much for purposes of personal transformation as they do for philosophy per se. Whenever philosophers argue that films ‘do philosophy’ or ‘think’ in a cinematic way, they often suggest, or imply, practical, transformational benefits that such films hold for the viewer. Films may renew our thinking, sharpen our senses, and even reconstitute our experience of the world. In order to explore this motive of personal transformation in the field, this thesis first develops an analytical framework with which to articulate the notion of transformational ethics of film, to subsequently unravel the many expressions that such ethics finds in film-philosophy. Second, a range of case studies, dedicated to a range of film philosophers who deal differently with the question of ‘film as philosophy’, demonstrates how these differing approaches each cast their own vision of the viewer’s potential self-transformation through film. This allows to ascertain film philosophers’ interpretative pathways, their ethical assumptions, and implicit value-attributions — doing so as a plea for proactive meta-critical reflection on the project of construing films as philosophy. Ultimately, this thesis exemplifies the potential benefit of such meta-hermeneutical and ethical reflections: it shows how a seemingly abstract debate about film as philosophy sets a definite agenda for the everyday, ethical significance that we attach to viewing films. That is to say, film-philosophy gives us the material with which to piece together what we may think of as an inner makeover through cinema – a ‘cinemakeover’

    Transformational Ethics of Film-Philosophy:Thinking the Cinemakeover

    Get PDF

    The Portuguese version of the Psychological Adjustment to Separation Test-Part A (PAST-A): a study with recently and non-recently divorced adults

    Get PDF
    Past research has demonstrated that divorced adults show more health problems and psychological distress than married adults. Considering the high prevalence rates of divorce among Western countries, new and robust measures should be developed to measure psychological distress after this specific transition in adulthood. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate a Portuguese version of the Psychological Adjustment to Separation Test-Part A (PAST-A; Sweeper and Halford in J Family Psychol 20(4):632–640, 2006). PAST-A is a self-report measure that assesses two key dimensions of separation adjustment problems: lonely-negativity and former partner attachment. Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of PAST-A were assessed in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity, in an online convenience sample with divorced adults (N = 460). The PAST-A two-factor structure was confirmed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, with each factor demonstrating very satisfactory internal consistency and good convergence. In terms of discriminant validity, the Portuguese PAST-A reveals a distinct factor from psychological growth after divorce. The results provided support for the use of the Portuguese PAST-A with divorced adults and also suggested that the explicative factors of the psychological adjustment to divorce may be cross-cultural stable. The non-existence of validated divorce-related well-being measures and its implications for divorce research are also discussed

    Metáforas espaciales y estructuras mentales : una perspectiva sociológica

    Get PDF
    When we think about thinking, we usually envision an individual thinker –a chess player analyzing her opponent’s last move, a scientist designing an experiment, an old man reminiscing about his childhood. This vision of an individual thinker, so powerfully captured by Auguste Rodin in his statue The Thinker, is a typical product of Western civilization, which practically invented individualism. Since the seventeenth century, it has also been bolstered by the empiricist theories of knowledge developed by John Locke and George Berkeley, which posit a blank mind (tabula rasa) upon which the world impresses itself experientially through our senses.Cuando pensamos sobre el pensar, normalmente imaginamos un pensador individual –un jugador de ajedrez observando las jugadas de su contrincante, un científico diseñando su próximo experimento o una persona anciana recordando su niñez. Esta visión de un pensador individual captada magistralmente por A. Rodin en su estatua: el pensador, es un producto típico de la civilización occidental. A partir del siglo XVII, además, esta visión fue impulsada por las teorías empiristas de John Locke y George Berkeley, que supusieron una mente vacía (tabula rasa) sobre la cual el mundo se inscribe a través de los sentidos.Peer Reviewe

    A Study of the Internal Family Systems Model Applied to Remarried Couples of Stepfamilies in Different Stages of Adjustment

    Get PDF
    Problem. Stepfamilies are becoming the largest family type in the United States. This has significant implications for understanding the complications of remarriage and providing clinical interventions that support the adjustment process of stepfamilies. The Internal Family Systems Model, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, asserts that an individual\u27s personality is multiple naturally, and that there are interactions within the individual that have significant impact on their external systems. In applying the IFS model to the study of stepfamilies, this present study identifies the IFS maps of the partners of remarried couples active in stepfamily interaction and to determine how this IFS Map enhanced or detracted from stepfamily development. Method. A combined qualitative and quantitative study was designed. The Stepfamily Adjustment Scale, developed by Dr. Margaret Crosbie-Burnett, provided quantitative assessment of the stage of stepfamily adjustment. Stepfamilies were assessed qualitatively as to their stage of stepfamily adjustment as well. The IFS Map of each individual in stepfamily interaction was identified along with their access to Self. Results. Six stepfamilies were found to be in Stage II of stepfamily adjustment, two in Stage III, and two in Stage I. SAS results supported these qualitative conclusions, with one exception. IFS Maps disclosed both functional and extreme personality parts present in stepfamily interactions. Conclusions. The ability to evoke Self leadership was found to be a significant factor in stepfamily adjustment with these stepfamilies. The SAS appeared to be a valid instrument in assessing stage of stepfamily adjustment, and more so when accompanied with a qualitative evaluation. Internal personality parts played acomplex role in the adjustment process of these stepfamilies

    The Biblical Model of Marriage in Preventing Divorce: Maintaining Healthy Relationships Among Couples

    Get PDF
    The purpose of this thesis project is to provide methods for married couples to follow as it relates to Ephesians 5:25-33 and Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling. As divorce rates increase and couples struggle to remain in their marital union, this project brings relevant data, information, research, and solutions to couples so they can maintain. This project provides insight from the perspectives of couples and ministers as it relates to characteristics of a healthy marriage, the current state of marriages, common marital issues, biblical principles, and solutions to resolve problems so that couples can have healthier marriages based on what God envisioned marriage to be. Researching methods included data analysis of interviews, surveys, and feedback from a focus group session. Acknowledging the importance of implementing effective marriage counseling combined with interventions that demonstrate suitable approaches to possessing healthier, biblically based marriages that prevent couples from divorcing is necessary. This research project stands to influence other marriage counselors, pastoral counselors, ministers, pastors, and Christian counselors in their plans to direct married couples and design plans for couples to flourish. For couples, the newly created course will allow them to gain ways to sustain their marriages using better mechanisms to maneuver through the marital journey and life
    • …
    corecore