There have been many studies done on Medieval Europe and the Kingdoms and cultures that lived during this period. The Merovingians and the Anglo-Saxons are two of these groups that lived as...Show moreThere have been many studies done on Medieval Europe and the Kingdoms and cultures that lived during this period. The Merovingians and the Anglo-Saxons are two of these groups that lived as neighbours in the same period. A lot of research has therefore been done on them. However, one element has been overlooked by both of them for many centuries: women. Women have been an overlooked part of history and society. Only in the last few decades did they get more attention. This thesis investigates the lives and deaths of women in the Merovingian and the early and middle Anglo-Saxon periods from an archaeological standpoint. It does this by looking at the different themes, such as burial practices, what their status was in society and the influence of Christianity. This thesis is a literary review that discusses two case studies; the Merovingian cemetery of Bergeijk-Fazantlaan and the Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Buckland, Dover. There are a lot of similarities between the two neighbouring groups. A similarity is that both groups highly sexualised their women. Additionally, women did not have a lot of power and control in their lives. Their societal status depended on their fathers and husbands' status. There were still a few differences between the two groups. The Anglo-Saxons still used cremation burials, while the Merovingians discarded them. Another difference is the appearance of knives in the Anglo-Saxon female graves in the case study. These knives show a difference in how women were seen in society. Merovingian women were encouraged to be helpless and to never bear arms. The knives show that the Anglo-Saxon women were encouraged to protect themselves and to be slightly more powerful in life. This thesis showed, that even though the neighbouring cultures had a lot in common, they did have differences. One of the biggest differences between the two is the difference in scholars. This is why cross-culture analyses are important as they show new sides to old research and give people new ideas to test in their respective fields.Show less
The research subject of this thesis is the Continuity of Christianity in Jordan during the rise of the Islam. Christianity itself has a long and complex history in Jordan that can be dated back to...Show moreThe research subject of this thesis is the Continuity of Christianity in Jordan during the rise of the Islam. Christianity itself has a long and complex history in Jordan that can be dated back to the early days of the religion. The subject of this thesis is based on an excavation of a church in Udhruh (Jordan) that was converted into a mosque; the church showed signs of being in longer Christian use during the Muslim reign. This inspirited the will to research Christianity and its continuity in Jordan because of the assumption that Christianity disappeared or stopped when the Islamic reign begun. The purpose of this research was to provide future researchers with a clear story about this transition and providing certain products than can be used for further research. The products that resulted from this research are: a database that consists of information about the churches, multiple spreading maps consisting of all the collected churches, a spreading map consisting of the churches that stayed in use after 630/640 AD, a spreading map that consists of the churches converted into mosques, a spreading map that shows the ‘stayed in use’ churches and the converted churches combined, a table that consists of the collected bishops and a table that consists of the collected monasteries. The results and information about the research goal were retrieved during an extensive literature research. Before starting this research the amount of 7 research questions were formulated: 1. How many churches were present in Jordan before the Islamic reign? 2. How many churches were present in Jordan during the Islamic reign? 3. How did the organizational structure of Christianity develop during the emergence of the Islam? 4. How is it noticeable that a church is converted into a mosque? 5. Which churches in Jordan show signs of being converted into mosques? 6. Which churches in Jordan have been partly used as monasteries? 7. What kind of archaeological remains are proof of the conversion of churches into mosques? The 7 research questions were used as handles in answering the main question: What is the continuity of Christianity in Jordan during the rise of the Islam? During this research 173 churches were collected and researched. The number of 100-165 churches were present before the start of the Islamic reign and the amount of 33 churches were present in Jordan during the Islamic reign. This can indicate that the amount and therefore use of churches did decline during the rise of the Islam. In addition to that seven churches were discovered that showed signs of being converted into a mosque by closing of the apse and/or installing a mihrab (a nice in the wall that shows which way to face during prayer). In the early stages of the research several bishops were collected during the literature study, the amount of 10 bishops were counted in Jordan. When researching the location that the bishops were seated, the information could be used as additional proof for an interesting statement that Udhruh became the new capital of Jordan and Petra became a place of exile. The time of the end of bishopric can also be suggested of being during the time of the rise of the Islam, this is because the seat of the bishop moved to Udhruh and when the church of Udhruh became converted into a mosque it can be suggested that the bishopric also ended there. Furthermore, none of the churches that were collected during the early stage of the research were partly used as monasteries, the monasteries that were found during the research all showed signs of being a separate building from the churches. Some information that was gathered during the research does suggest that Christianity did end or declined very rapidly when the Islam started to rise; the decline in churches, the end of bishopric and the converting of churches into mosques can be seen as ‘proof’. However, the opposite can also be suggested when taking into account the signs that Christianity was still practised during the rise of the Islam; several Christian texts were found at the church in Udhruh that indicate this, new churches were built and 33 churches stayed in use. Together with the statements of several researchers that Christianity continued and even throve during the Islamic rise and the suggestion by for example an inscription that marks a renovation of a church during the Muslim rule, according to researchers it appeared that Christians and Muslims lived peacefully, side by side during the rise of the Islam in the country of Jordan. The results could spark a discussion, this is because the results are based on several English literature sources and only one French source however the native tongue of Jordanians is Arabic and French. More of these publications have not been taking into consideration because of the fact that it was hard to find because the titles of these publications would have been in those two languages and therefore, not that easy to find when these are not languages that are mastered. Furthermore, when these publications would have been found there also would have been a need to find a translator that could help with decipher of the contests of these publications. In addition to the previous statement it could also be discussed if the result that was given during this research can be seen as a final result for the overall subject. This can be argued because the subject is broad and consists of researching a whole country, this takes time. The recommendation is to research this subject in further extent and to perceive the result that was given in this document as a start in answering this big and complex subject.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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This thesis researches the sense of belonging among Christian Chinese first-generation female migrants living in The Hague. The study explores how these women present and produce a sense of...Show moreThis thesis researches the sense of belonging among Christian Chinese first-generation female migrants living in The Hague. The study explores how these women present and produce a sense of belonging in the intercultural context of migration and religion. I reflect on the large issues of migration and belonging, as well as employ an anthropological perspective to highlight the issues of importance in this marginalized niche. I illustrate the complexity, transcendence, and dynamics of these women’s processes of presenting and producing different dimensions of belonging. I, thereby, employ anthropologist Gammeltoft’analytical models of belonging and quantitative research methods, such as interviews and participant observation, through case studies conducted with twelve women. The novelty lies in adding a theological anthropological perspective to existing studies of migration and belonging. The addition of the theology aspect enriches and deepens our understanding and perception of the related research topic.Show less
In this study, the question is addressed regarding how Jewish identity took shape in the fourth century AD. This is accomplished through a comprehensive analysis of the interplay among diverse...Show moreIn this study, the question is addressed regarding how Jewish identity took shape in the fourth century AD. This is accomplished through a comprehensive analysis of the interplay among diverse groups within the Roman Empire: the Jewish factions themselves, the Christian factions, and the imperial power centre.Show less
The Legend of The Grand Inquisitor, as featured in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov, certainly requires little introduction. As a universally acclaimed piece of literature it has...Show moreThe Legend of The Grand Inquisitor, as featured in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov, certainly requires little introduction. As a universally acclaimed piece of literature it has served as a source of inspiration for a wide array of different fields including philosophy, politics, literature, theology and art. Amongst the peculiarities that this Legend holds, we find that the head of the Spanish Inquisition, ‘The Grand Inquisitor’, is himself accused of being an atheist. In this ironic accusation, however, may just lie the expression of a defining feature of Christianity itself, as Slavoj Žižek would argue. With his unorthodox thesis that true atheist freedom is reached only through the process of Christianity, Žižek makes a point that seems to relate to Dostoyevsky’s legendary passage. Through a close analysis of several key points in The Grand Inquisitor, the manner in which the passage implies an intertwinement between Christianity and atheism is explored. In connecting this inquiry with Žižek’s theory of ‘Atheist Christianity’, a case is made for the idea that atheism and Christianity are interdependent and in the most radical sense even equivalent. This cross-analysis leads towards the issue of defining a secular form of faith, while at the same time opening up the way for questions regarding the aptness of Žižek’s Atheist-Christian framework in understanding the social issues brought to light in Dostoyevsky’s intriguing passage.Show less
This paper researches the way in which the Dutch GroeneKerken movement invokes ecotheology in its promotion of environmentalism amongst Christians in the Netherlands. Exploring the movement’s...Show moreThis paper researches the way in which the Dutch GroeneKerken movement invokes ecotheology in its promotion of environmentalism amongst Christians in the Netherlands. Exploring the movement’s appeal to ecotheology will tell us something about the way in which Christian communities in the Netherlands have been adjusting to the rising awareness of the gravity of the environmental crisis. The paper relies upon an interpretative research method. Larger theoretical ideas about ecotheology have been used to make sense of the way in which the GroeneKerken movement promotes environmentalism amongst Christians in the Netherlands. This involved qualitative analysis of the movement through the lens of three different hermeneutical keys for interpreting the Bible ecologically: ecocentrism, environmental justice and environmental stewardship. It will be demonstrated that the GroeneKerken movement implicitly and explicitly invokes the ecotheological notions of ecocentrism, environmental justice and environmental stewardship in its promotion of environmentalism.Show less
In older scholarship, it was often claimed that Christian martyrdom contributed significantly to the conversion of the Roman Empire. This assertion, however, has been significantly criticized in...Show moreIn older scholarship, it was often claimed that Christian martyrdom contributed significantly to the conversion of the Roman Empire. This assertion, however, has been significantly criticized in recent decades, so that conversion in response to witnessing acts of Christian martyrdom now appears to have been relatively minor. In order to both elaborate on and critically evaluate these criticisms, the present thesis compares a number of Christian and ‘pagan’ texts from the second and third centuries CE that deal with martyrdom and/or ‘noble death’. While the thesis pays attention to issues surrounding the scale on which martyrdom occurred and the extent to which witnessing the torture and execution of Christians may have inspired conversion, its main focus is on the importance of martyr texts to the Christianization of the Roman Empire. ‘Christianization’ here is used in a more general sense, and includes not only conversion, but also the formation of Christian (group)identity and the catechesis of new members. With regards to the possibility of Christian texts being used to convert outsiders or instruct the newly-initiated, the thesis works from the assumption that these ‘pagan’ audiences would have been more likely to adopt a favourable view of Christian martyrdom – and perhaps concomitantly, Christianity – insofar as its (literary) representations presented it as similar to noble death. Simultaneously, the thesis argues that Christian martyr texts contain several unique elements, principally religious in character, that allowed them to out-live ‘pagan’ noble death traditions like that of the Acta Alexandrinorum. These shared and unique aspects are recovered through an in-depth analysis and comparison of a number of Christian and ‘pagan’ texts. All in all, the findings of the thesis generally agree with earlier revisionist publications, and suggest that conversion induced by martyrdom was rare, and that the importance of martyr texts to Early Christianity mostly lay in their ability to provide Christian groups with powerful communities identities and moral exemplars.Show less
This thesis examines the evolution of the constructs of gender and sexuality in precolonial, colonial, and independent Zimbabwe and Botswana, with focus on the Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana during the...Show moreThis thesis examines the evolution of the constructs of gender and sexuality in precolonial, colonial, and independent Zimbabwe and Botswana, with focus on the Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana during the (pre)colonial era, and the BDP (Botswana Democratic Party) and ZANU(PF) (Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front) in the late colonial and postcolonial period, to identify what particularities in Botswana’s and Zimbabwe’s historical trajectories explain the divergence between the stance of BDP and ZANU(PF) leadership on the decriminalization of same-sex relations (SSR). The Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana started with a similar outlook on SSR, and in both countries, the British colonial administration imposed penal codes that criminalize(d) SSR. Yet, while BDP leadership grew gradually more supportive of the eventual decriminalization of SSR in 2019, ZANU(PF) leadership has strongly opposed to repealing the colonial-era penal codes. The different (de)colonization process and degree of colonial domination in each country appear to have the strongest explanatory power for these diverging outcomes. Many scholars have linked homophobia to masculinity and patriarchy. At the same time, colonial rule is widely believed to have undermined African masculinities and destabilized existing gender roles, and scholars have argued that misogyny, hyper-masculinity, and homophobia in African nationalist movements can be seen as a reaction to feelings of emasculation among African men. Colonial rule was significantly less invasive in Botswana, and the transition to independence mostly peaceful. Resultantly, there was no strong feeling of colonial domination among Botswanans, and anti-(neo)colonial rhetoric had little value as a source of political support. Thus, homosexuality never became conflated with (neo)colonialism in BDP nationalism, because it never centered on anti-(neo)colonialism to begin with. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s invasive colonial experience and arduous independence struggle created a strong sense of colonial domination among male independence leaders, who experienced it as ‘emasculation,’ and used misogyny and homophobia in attempt to restore a position of patriarchal power. At the same time, the rejection of homosexuality became a way to challenge colonial narratives about African sexuality and masculinity that were used to justify their abasement. Resultantly, the conflation of emasculation and homosexuality with colonial subjugation featured prominently in ZANU(PF)’s anti-colonial nationalism. The influence of Fanonesque and Marxist-Leninist thought further deepened homophobic sentiments in ZANU(PF) nationalism, while these schools of thought were absent from BDP nationalism. There is also scholarly consensus that European missionaries played an active role in codifying homosexuality as ‘immoral’ in Africa, and scholars argue that as Christianity became heavily politicized in the region, so did homosexuality. In that sense, homophobia, much like Christianity, is a political tool in contemporary Africa. Limited imposition of colonial rule and Tswana-controlled integration of Christianity may have further limited the inculcation of European (missionary) notions of sexuality and immorality in BDP nationalism. Moreover, unlike BDP nationalism, ZANU(PF) nationalism was organized around anti-colonialism, and this social glue lost its power once independence was achieved. This necessitated the creation of a new common enemy, while socioeconomic underperformance and declining public support incentivized the creation of a scapegoat to deflect criticism. Political homophobia became part of the creation of this new common enemy and scapegoat, and gained its legitimacy from Zimbabwe’s (de)colonization experience. With steady economic development and widespread public support after independence, there was less of an incentive for the BDP to use sexual minorities as a scapegoat.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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In this thesis I have explored the three different perceptions on Peregrinus that are discernible in De Morte Peregrini in order to find out how it is possible that one man contained so many...Show moreIn this thesis I have explored the three different perceptions on Peregrinus that are discernible in De Morte Peregrini in order to find out how it is possible that one man contained so many personas. Previous research on Peregrinus has often focused on either Peregrinus’ Christianity or on Peregrinus’ cynicism, but a combined approach offers a fuller understanding of Lucian’s invective by showing that Lucian – in both cases – adheres to a similar strategy to satirize the opposing view. In addition, this thesis has adopted a literary approach to De Morte Peregrini. Most existing literature on De Morte Peregrini has focused on the content of Lucian’s narrative, but not so much on its literary nature. By reading De Morte Peregrini in its polemical context, this thesis has shown that the authenticity of Peregrinus’ Christianity and Cynicism is not as ridiculous as Lucian presents it.Show less
Rising numbers of religious extremism are an increasing concern in Western Europe. As Western Europe is secular, and secular ideology seeks to diminish the influence of religion on society, this...Show moreRising numbers of religious extremism are an increasing concern in Western Europe. As Western Europe is secular, and secular ideology seeks to diminish the influence of religion on society, this rise is peculiar. It raises the question why religious extremism is on the rise in Western Europe despite its secular environment. Evidence suggests there is a causal link between religious extremism and secularism. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate such a causal relation between secularism and religious extremism in Western Europe. To rule out other explanations, this study identified two rival explanations: A cultural disconnect and geopolitical factors. The validity of all three explanations was tested through a case study analysis of France, the Netherlands and Belgium. The results concluded that the cultural disconnect and the geopolitical explanation are not correct. However, the study concluded that certain forms of secularism lead to a rise of religious extremism in Western Europe. The cases demonstrate the mechanism behind this: States enforce disproportionately strict secular policies through a strict separation between the public sphere and the private sphere, and a positive bias towards the pre-existing dominant religion. These two factors trigger reactive religiosity, leading to religious extremism. Conclusively, disproportionate secularism plays a pivotal role in the rise of religious extremism in Western Europe.Show less
With the slogan ‘unity in diversity’, the EU has been striving to promote a European identity that EU citizens can identify with next to their national identity, and to stimulate cohesion between...Show moreWith the slogan ‘unity in diversity’, the EU has been striving to promote a European identity that EU citizens can identify with next to their national identity, and to stimulate cohesion between the European member states. This motto expresses an “imagined cultural community of Europe”, which uses history and heritage as a collective identity marker. In the twentieth century, the cultural heritage of Christianity has been viewed to descend as an identity marker. This is due to the increased secularization in Europe. However, secularism in Western European countries and the EU have been contested by other European countries in several cases. Hence, Christianity has reclaimed a critical role in the debates on the European identity. This thesis will study how Christianity, as a cultural and historical characteristic of Europe, plays a role in the debates on the collective European identity in the EU. A close analysis will be done on speeches and statements from EU political actors about the EU Constitutional Treaty and the refugee crisis.Show less
The central question in this thesis is what the role of Christianity was in the transition from the Roman into the Merovingian period in Cologne and Maastricht. The hypothesis is that the...Show moreThe central question in this thesis is what the role of Christianity was in the transition from the Roman into the Merovingian period in Cologne and Maastricht. The hypothesis is that the Merovingian elite used Christianity as a way to legitimize their power. In a city as Cologne there is much more evidence available, but even in the small castellum Maastricht, there is evidence to support this theory. Christianity played a significant role in the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in both Maastricht and Cologne. Christianity became a significant sign of continuity.Show less
This thesis analyses the application of Cultural memory and the unity between the Christian and pre-Christian origins of Christmas in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, John Masefield's The Box of...Show moreThis thesis analyses the application of Cultural memory and the unity between the Christian and pre-Christian origins of Christmas in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, John Masefield's The Box of Delights and Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising.Show less
