Understanding Religious Conversion


Book Description

Understanding Religious Conversion begins with emphasis on the value of respecting religious/theological interpretations of conversion while coordinating social scientific studies of how personal, social, and cultural issues are relevant to the human transformational process. It encourages us to bring together the perspectives of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and religious studies into critical and mutually-informing conversation for establishing a richer and more accurate perception of the complex phenomenon of religious conversion. The case of St. Augustine's conversion experience superbly illustrates the complicated and multidimensional process of religious change. By critically extending the contributions of the literature within Lewis Rambo's interdisciplinary framework, Dong Young Kim presents a more integrated picture of how personal, social, cultural, and religious/theological components interact with one another in the process of Augustine's conversion. In doing so, he has struggled with how to relocate more effectively and practically the conversion narrative of Augustine within the context of pastoral care and ministry (and the field of the academy)--in order to facilitate a better understanding of the conversion stories of the church members as well as to enhance the experiences of religious conversion within the Christian community.




Conversion in the Age of Pluralism


Book Description

The theme of conversion constitutes a privileged point to study the framework linking an individual to the sociocultural contexts in which he or she is included. Changes in personal biographies and sociocultural change are interwoven when we speak of conversion: values, speech, norms, behaviors, beliefs, lifestyles, interests--everything is open to potential debate when an individual "converts." Conversion is especially developed here through a connection with the dynamics of pluralism, which appears to be the most peculiar cultural characteristic of our era: what does it mean to speak of "conversion" in a time in which it seems that the presumption of only one "true" truth no longer exists, while instead many different truths live together, each with its own judgment criteria.




Conversion Management Handbook


Book Description




The Complexity of Hispanic Religious Life in the 16th–18th Centuries


Book Description

In The Complexity of Hispanic Religious Life in the 16th–18th Centuries, Doris Moreno has assembled a team of leading scholars to discuss and analyze the diversity of Hispanic religious and cultural life in the Early Modern Age. Using primary sources to look beyond the Spanish Black Legend and present new perspectives, this book explores the realities of a changing and plural Catholicism through the lens of crucial topics such as the Society of Jesus, the Inquisition, the Martyrdom, the feminine visions and conversion medicine. This volume will be an essential resource to all those with an interest in the knowledge of multiple expressions of tolerance and cultural dialectic between Spain and the Americas.




Dependability Engineering and Complex Systems


Book Description

These proceedings present the results of the Eleventh International Conference on Dependability and Complex Systems DepCoS-RELCOMEX which took place in a picturesque Brunów Palace in Poland from 27th June to 1st July, 2016. DepCoS-RELCOMEX is a series of international conferences organized annually by Department of Computer Engineering of Wrocław University of Science and Technology since 2006. The roots of the series go as far back as to the seventies of the previous century – the first RELCOMEX conference took place in 1977 – and now its main aim is to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to dependability problems in theory and engineering practice of complex systems. Complex systems, nowadays most often computer-based and distributed, are built upon a variety of technical, information, software and human resources. The challenges in their design, analysis and maintenance not only originate from the involved technical and organizational structures but also from the complexity of the information processes that must be efficiently executed in a diverse, often hostile operational environment. Traditional methods of reliability evaluation focused only on technical resources are usually insufficient in this context and more innovative, multidisciplinary methods of dependability analysis must be applied. The diversity of the topics which need to be considered is well illustrated by the selection of the submissions in these proceedings with their subjects ranging from mathematical models and design methodologies through software engineering and data security issues up to practical problems in technical, e.g. transportation, systems.




Ustawi | The Knowledge Conversion Organization


Book Description

Ustawi is a knowledge conversion organization that facilitates the conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. Ustawi's work also involves formalization of the emerging explicit knowledge to development of products, services, and technologies that improve the human life. Ustawi's effort is concentrated in the new economies and emerging markets with the aim of increasing technological innovations in these countries. The converted knowledge produces market ready products and services.




Polynomial Algorithms in Computer Algebra


Book Description

For several years now I have been teaching courses in computer algebra at the Universitat Linz, the University of Delaware, and the Universidad de Alcala de Henares. In the summers of 1990 and 1992 I have organized and taught summer schools in computer algebra at the Universitat Linz. Gradually a set of course notes has emerged from these activities. People have asked me for copies of the course notes, and different versions of them have been circulating for a few years. Finally I decided that I should really take the time to write the material up in a coherent way and make a book out of it. Here, now, is the result of this work. Over the years many students have been helpful in improving the quality of the notes, and also several colleagues at Linz and elsewhere have contributed to it. I want to thank them all for their effort, in particular I want to thank B. Buchberger, who taught me the theory of Grabner bases nearly two decades ago, B. F. Caviness and B. D. Saunders, who first stimulated my interest in various problems in computer algebra, G. E. Collins, who showed me how to compute in algebraic domains, and J. R. Sendra, with whom I started to apply computer algebra methods to problems in algebraic geometry. Several colleagues have suggested improvements in earlier versions of this book. However, I want to make it clear that I am responsible for all remaining mistakes.




Transforming Conversion


Book Description

This volume offers much-needed theological reflection on the phenomenon of conversion and transformation. Gordon Smith provides a robust evaluation that covers the broad range of thinking about conversion across Christian traditions and addresses global contexts. Smith contends that both in the church and in discussions about contemporary mission, the language of conversion inherited from revivalism is inadequate in helping to navigate the questions that shape how we do church, how we approach faith formation, how evangelism is integrated into congregational life, and how we witness to the faith in non-Christian environments. We must rethink the nature of the church in light of how people actually come to faith in Christ. After drawing on ancient and pre-revivalist wisdom on conversion, Smith delineates the contours of conversion and Christian initiation for today's church. He concludes by discussing the art of spiritual autobiography and what it means to be a congregation.







Committed Worship: Adult conversion and initiation


Book Description

Volume II develops a sacramental theology that addresses the needs of all adult Christians. The chapters on Marriage show how conversion both humanizes and Christianizes human sexuality, providing the context for a foundational rethinking of the meaning of the context for a foundational rethinking of the meaning of Christian Marriage. The discussion of Orders examines the responsibilities of ordained leaders and throws light on the rise of clericalism and on the meaning of priestly identity and ministry, in addition to clarifying the relationship between the priesthood of the laity and that of the ordained. A discussion of Christian nurture explains the practical and theoretical meaning of infant Baptism. This volume also examines the three sacraments that most foster ongoing conversion: Reconciliation, Anointing and Eucharist. After situating each of these rituals in its Biblical and historical setting, the author shows how each contributes to ongoing Christian conversion.