Word and Sacrament: An Introduction to Luther\u27s Sacramental Theology

Excerpt: Word and sacrament is central to Luther\u27s theology. No adequate introduction to Luther can pass over this aspect of his thought, In every matter, whether it be the study of Luther\u27s doctrine of justification, of his ethics, or any other fundamental teaching, we are forced to consider this concept. In modern times, however, sacramental thought on the whole, has not been looked on favorably. Sacramental theology does not lend itself well to the rationality of the twentieth century mind. A mystery which cannot be further explained is an anomaly in a structure where everything has an answer. It is incomprehensible to modern man that some mysteries defy explanation

Slot Machine Near Wins: Effects on Pause and Sensitivity to Win Ratios

When a near-win outcome occurs on a slot machine, stimuli presented resemble those presented when money is won, but no money is won. Research has shown that gamblers prefer and play for longer on slot machines that present near wins. One explanation for this is that near wins are conditioned reinforcers. If so, near wins would produce longer latencies to the next response than clear losses. Another explanation is that near wins produce frustration; if so, then near wins would produce shorter response latencies. The two current experiments manipulated win ratio across two concurrently available slot machines and also manipulated near win frequency. Latencies were longer following near wins, consistent with near wins functioning as conditioned reinforcers. We also explored the effects of near wins on sensitivity to relative win rate and found that higher rates of near wins were associated with greater sensitivity to relative win frequency, an effect also consistent with near wins as conditioned reinforcers

Leadership, Management and the Welsh Language

© 2016 European Academy of Management Adopting a multilingual perspective, this empirical paper explores the varied use and meanings of referents of leadership and management among 24 Welsh senior managers. We argue the importance of recognizing the linguistic imperialism of the English language – and its dominant leadership discourse of the heroic individual leader – over locally signified referents of leadership and management in other languages and discourses. At present, the lexical item leadership lacks evaluation of its relevance and meaning within other languages and multilingual contexts. We add to this gap through a discussion of research that analyses 24 Welsh senior managers’ reflections on referents of leadership and management and their varied meanings in their two official workplace languages, namely, Welsh and English. Based on the findings, we explore linguistic power dynamics represented in their reflections on this language diverse work setting and conclude with implications for the practice of leadership and management

The lived experiences of experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Research into the effects and mechanisms of mindfulness training draws predominantly on quantitative research. There is a lack of understanding about the subjective experiences of experienced mindfulness meditators, which may provide additional insights into the effects, processes and context of mindfulness training. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of a novel group of experienced mindfulness meditators who practise Vipassana Mahasi (VM) meditation. The study aimed to understand how experienced VM practitioners make sense of the effects of practice and what processes they ascribe to it. Participants attended semistructured interviews, and their responses were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results yielded overarching themes including (a) improvements in hedonic and eudaimonic well-being; (b) insights into self, others and perception of reality; (c) attaining equanimity; and (d) physical and interpersonal difficulties. Participants perceived VM as a ‘cleansing’ process whereby maladaptive responses were eliminated through mindfulness, other supportive mental qualities, decentering and nonattachment. The findings revealed a complex and dynamic set of interdependent outcomes and processes, which are reinforced by Buddhist teachings and ethical practices. This study highlights the need for additional interdisciplinary research into topics such as insight generation and supportive mental qualities cultivated during VM, novel states of well-being informed by Buddhist constructs and interpersonal difficulties related to long-term practice. Findings also suggest that incorporating Buddhist teachings and ethics into mindfulness-based interventions may enhance practitioner understanding and implementation of meditation techniques.N/

\u3ci\u3eA Kindergarten for the 21st Century\u3c/i\u3e

Called to action by parents, teachers, administrators, and other early childhood professionals in Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), Office of Early Childhood began the process of revising the Kindergarten Position Statement in 2007. NDE’s previous Kindergarten Position Statement was written in 1984 and was a landmark document in the world of kindergarten, not only in Nebraska, but nationwide. The revision of this statement reinforces the expectation of providing high quality experiences for all children to help them reach their full potential, regardless of individual circumstances. The intent of this document is to provide a summary of information about kindergarten that is deeply grounded in years of research, early childhood science, and best practices for young children. The full Position Statement, A Kindergarten for the 21st Century, can be downloaded from http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/pubs/KStatement.pdf.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/facultybooks/1177/thumbnail.jp

Republicanism and Markets

The republican tradition has long been ambivalent about markets and commercial society more generally: from the contrasting positions of Rousseau and Smith in the eighteenth century to recent neorepublican debates about capitalism, republicans have staked out diverse positions on fundamental issues of political economy. Rather than offering a systematic historical survey of these discussions, this chapter will instead focus on the leading neo-republican theory—that of Philip Pettit—and consider its implications for market society. As I will argue, Pettit’s theory is even friendlier to markets than most have believed: far from condemning commercial society, his theory recognizes that competitive markets and their institutional preconditions are an alternative means to limit arbitrary power across the domestic, economic, and even political spheres. While most republican theorists have focused on political means to limit such power—including both constitutional means (e.g., separation of powers, judicial review, the rule of law, federalism) and participatory ones (democratic elections and oversight)—I will examine here an economic model of republicanism that can complement, substitute for, and at times displace the standard political model. Whether we look at spousal markets, labor markets, or residential markets within federal systems, state policies that heighten competition among their participants and resource exit from abusive relationships within them can advance freedom as non-domination as effectively or even more effectively than social-democratic approaches that have recently gained enthusiasts among republicans. These conclusions suggest that democracy, be it social or political, is just one means among others for restraining arbitrary power and is consequently less central to (certain versions of) republicanism than we may have expected. So long as they counteract domination, economic inroads into notionally democratic territory are no more worrisome than constitutional ones

The intrafamilial transmission of rheumatoid arthritis--II : An interview measure of rheumatoid arthritis

Our conclusion is that we have a very usable instrument in the 4-point RA measure, and that if our assumptions are correct, the associations to be presented in subsequent papers are just as true as if the respondents had been examined by a physician equipped with X-ray and laboratory facilities. In some senses this is an affirmation of the medical dictum that the history is by all odds the most important part of a medical evaluation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/32905/1/0000285.pd