Luther and the Eucharistic Controversy

Luther wrote That These Words of Christ … Still Stand Firm to teach people what they should believe about the Lord's Supper and to refute the arguments of his opponents. Luther saw the devil as responsible for the rejection of Christ's substantial presence in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. The disagreement concerning the eucharist rested on the opposing exegesis of key Scripture texts and had implications for Christology and the understanding of the relationship between theology, science, and human reason. Luther believed that his opponents taught a heretical position that endangered people's souls, and so their ideas could not be tolerated.     

Martin Bucer and Church Renewal in Europe

Abstract

Owing to his many personal contacts and tireless activity as a letter writer, Bucer presided over an extensive network of correspondents and ideas in Europe. However, Bucer differs from other great Reformation figures in so far as he considered his connections with the churches in Europe to be a theological mission. Each of these churches was expected to live in community with the others and to inform them of successes, failures and difficulties, thereby sharing or receiving inspiration for the work of Church renewal. At the centre of Bucer's efforts stands the proclamation of the lordship of Christ. The discursive nature of this theology enabled Bucer to tolerate great religious diversity. This flexibility ended where a church—such as the Roman church—or the political power—such as Emperor Charles V after the collapse of the Schmalkaldic League—dictated a single form of Christian belief. In this instance Bucer, in the name of the lordship of Christ, issued a summons to spiritual and religious resistance.     

Eucharistic Action in Early Reformed Churches

Abstract

One of the most significant changes in the use of spaces in early Reformed churches was a shift in the main locus of worship from the chancel to the nave, accompanied by a new emphasis on preaching. But the cause of the greatest controversy within the emerging Reformed tradition (as well as between the Reformed and Lutheran Reformations) was undoubtedly the nature of Christ's presence at communion, and a great deal of theological energy was expended on this issue. On the other hand, scant attention seems to have been paid to the way in which the ‘holy mysteries’ of bread and wine were received by the people, even though the moment of reception was likely to be the high point of the eucharistic service for them, the moment when each would enter into communion with Christ. Many reformers—including Bullinger and Calvin—claimed that the mode of reception (whether into the hand first or directly into the mouth) and the posture adopted by the communicant for reception (whether kneeling, standing, or sitting) were matters of indifference—adiaphora—and should be left to each church to decide. This resulted in the development of various forms of eucharistic action within the early Reformed churches, which is the subject of this paper.     

A Transformative Eucharistic Vision for the Entire Oikoumene

This article begins from the awareness that in a world of affluence, millions are hungry. It addresses the question as to whether this is merely an economic issue or whether it also poses an ethical and theological dilemma, considering ways in which the situation we are living in challenges our faith in the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. It asks how, in the situation as it is, there is any possibility of believing in such a transformation. Finally it questions whether there is any relationship between hope for the transformation of hunger amidst affluence and belief in the transformation of bread into the body of Christ, and outlines a transformative eucharistic vision for the global Christian Church.     

Globalization in Light of Luther's Eucharistic Economic Ethics

This article suggests that Christ “filling all things,” and abiding in a special way in the assembly of believers, offers moral agency for faithful response to economic structures that gravely threaten Earth's regenerative capacities. That claim is explored through Luther's theology of Christ indwelling creation held together with his eucharistic economic ethics, his call to certain practices, his refusal to minimize the pervasiveness of human sin, and his insistence that in brokenness and defeat the saving God is present and calls forth power. The trends designated by the term “globalization,” as used in this essay, are clarified. Dangers posed to the Earth community by that constellation of trends are illustrated.     

Patience as a Mediator Between the Dark Triad and Meaning in Life

Recently, researchers have shed light on the link between personality and meaning in life. The present study was designed to explore this association by investigating the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism), meaning in life, and patience. Notably, patience is a construct derived from the Buddhist six perfections theory. It is composed of (1) the patience to endure suffering willingly (PES), (2) the patience to not retaliate against harm (PNH), and (3) the patience to thoroughly scrutinize phenomena (PSP). We also examined the potentail mediating role of patience in the links between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life. Participants in the present study were 434 company employees in China. A battery of questionnaires measuring the Dark Triad personality traits, patience, and meaning in life was admininstered to the participants. The results showed that the Dark Triad personality traits were negatively correlated with patience and meaning in life. Results also indicated that patience fully mediated the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life. Taken as a whole, the findings suggest that the lack of meaning in life among the working population in China might be associated with inadequate patience. The present study reveals the possible mechanism governing the associations between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life and contributes to the process of bridging Buddhism and psychology.

     

认知评价在婚姻冲突与青少年自尊关系间的中介作用

以538名初一至高三年级青少年为被试,采用儿童对婚姻冲突的感知量表和自尊量表考察青少年父母冲突的特征、青少年对冲突的认知评价和自尊的关系.结果表明:不同年级青少年报告的父母冲突特征没有显著差异,但其对冲突的认知评价却表现出显著的年级差异,年级越高则青少年越少感受到威胁并更少对冲突做自我归因;婚姻冲突对青少年自尊的直接影响显著,但当加入认知评价作为中介变量后,直接影响不再显著,而间接作用很显著,模型检验结果支持认知评价的中介作用.     

Social Involvement as a Mediator of Disaster-Induced Stress1

This study examined individuals either personally or indirectly exposed to disaster and hypothesized that social involvement would differentially mediate the effect of exposure on the mental health of male and female victims. The study reinterviewed individuals previously interviewed just prior to disastrous floods and the discovery of unsafe levels of dioxin. Results indicated that males and females differ in their response to disaster exposure. Males showed increased symptoms of alcohol abuse and depression as a result of either personal, or both personal and indirect, exposure to disaster. In contrast, females' s]ymptomatology was not directly elevated by personal disaster exposure. Both sexes were sensitive to demands for support as a mediator of disaster effects. That is, victims both personally exposed to disaster and heavily relied upon by network members were far more likely to somatize (females) or abuse alcohol (males) than personally exposed individuals subject to more moderate network demands. Although excellent spouse support attenuated male symptomatology, its presence was associated with an exacerbation of symptoms in personally exposed females. Results suggest the importance of considering both the positive and negative consequences of social involvement because, for women in particular, very strong social ties may be more burdensome than supportive in times of extreme stress.     

Creativity as Mediator for Intrinsic Motivation and Sales Performance

Substantial theoretical and empirical literature indicates inconsistent performance implications of intrinsic motivation, suggesting the possibility of some explanatory mechanisms. However, little is known about the factors that might explain intrinsic motivation and sales force performance relation, particularly in highly competitive and demanding fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketplace requiring new and useful solutions. Creativity, being a critical yet underutilized weapon in sales force arsenal, has the potential to assume the role. Therefore, this study aims at developing and testing a theory-driven framework in linking intrinsic motivation to sales performance while using sales force creative performance as partial mediator. By employing structural equation modeling, the empirical validity of the proposed mediating model is evaluated against plausible moderating model in a sample of 688 frontline field salespersons of FMCG companies in Lahore (Pakistan). Findings indicated that sales force creative performance is nurtured by intrinsic motivation that, in turn, promotes sales performance. Practical implications of findings for sales force management and suggestions for future research are presented, too.     

Social Support and Subjective Health in Fibromyalgia: Self-Compassion as a Mediator

Individuals with fibromyalgia report lower levels of health-related quality of life (HRQL) compared to other chronically ill populations and interpersonal factors (i.e., social support) may influence risk. What is less understood is how intrapersonal factors (i.e., self-compassion) may impact the social support-HRQL linkage. We examined the association between social support and HRQL in a sample of persons with fibromyalgia and tested the potential mediating role of self-compassion. Self-identified adults in the United States with fibromyalgia (N?=?508) were recruited from state, regional, and national organizations and support groups and completed an online battery of self-report questionnaires including: Multidimensional Health Profile—Psychosocial Functioning Index, Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form. Individuals with greater subjective social support reported higher levels of self-compassion and, in turn, higher mental HRQL. These findings provide greater information about psychosocial constructs and HRQL and extend our understanding of self-compassion among individuals living with fibromyalgia.

     

Emotional Closeness as a Mediator of the Effect of Genetic Relatedness on Altruism

Inclusive fitness theory has been used to explain the overall pattern of altruistic behavior. However, this theory does not address the proximal causes of altruism. The purpose of the present study was to increase the understanding of altruism by testing a model that includes both ultimate and proximate causes. In particular, emotional closeness was tested as a mediator of the effect of genetic relatedness on altruistic behavior. This was accomplished by having college students choose which of their family members they would most likely provide with life-saving assistance. As expected, results showed that emotional closeness is an important proximal cause of altruism that partially mediates the effect of genetic relatedness on willingness to act altruistically.     

Self-Construal as a Mediator Between Identity Structure and Subjective Well-Being

An examination of the assumptions underlying identity conceptualizations in psychology of self indicates the assumptions are based on an independent, individualistic view of self. If self is constructed as interdependent with others, such identity characteristic as a sense of uniqueness, separateness, and continuity may be less important in promoting well-being. The results of the conducted study (N?=?226) indicated that there were weaker relations between various features of identity structure and subjective well-being for individuals with a highly interdependent self-construal than for those with a highly independent self-construal. The results also showed that specificity, separateness, and stability of identity content influenced positive and negative affect through the mediating agency of independent and interdependent self-construals. These findings emphasize the importance of applying a self-construal perspective in considering adaptive functions of identity.     

Time Structure and Purpose as a Mediator of Work-Life Linkages

This study explores time structure and purpose as a mediator of the relationship between the experience of work and well-being in life, taking into account personality factors. A recursive model is presented in which value attainment at work and job satisfaction are expected to positively affect life satisfaction directly and indirectly through their effects on time structure and purpose. A test of the model using questionnaire responses from 336 workers generally was supportive of the hypothesized relationships suggesting that one mechanism through which work may affect well-being is through work's influence on people's sense of time being spent in purposeful and meaningful ways. Support for the hypothesized role of personality in the model also was obtained. In general, these results are consistent with top-down and bottom-up theories of well-being suggesting that both types of processes likely operate in tandem. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Linking Genes and Political Orientations: Testing the Cognitive Ability as Mediator Hypothesis

Recent research has demonstrated that genetic differences explain a sizeable fraction of the variance in political orientations, but little is known about the pathways through which genes might affect political preferences. In this article, we use a uniquely assembled dataset of almost 1,000 Swedish male twin pairs containing detailed information on cognitive ability and political attitudes in order to further examine the genetic and environmental causes of political orientations. Our study makes three distinct contributions to our understanding of the etiology of political orientations: (1) we report heritability estimates across different dimensions of political ideology; (2) we show that cognitive ability and political orientations are related; and (3) we provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive ability mediates part of the genetic influence on political orientations. These findings provide important clues about the nature of the complex pathways from molecular genetic variation to political orientations.     

Self-Efficacy as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Causal Attributions and Exercise Behavior

The primary purposes of this study were to examine whether the attribution–intention link was mediated by self-efficacy and whether the attribution–behavior link was mediated by self-efficacy. As a secondary purpose, we examined whether the attribution–behavior link was mediated by exercise intentions. These relationships were tested prospectively at multiple time points. Participants were 260 adult exercisers ( M age=32 years) enrolled in 12 weeks of structured exercise classes. Social cognitive measures were assessed at early and midprogram; attendance was tracked for the first and second half of the program. Hierarchical multiple regression procedures indicated support for self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between attributions and behavior. Secondary analyses revealed support for intention as a mediator of the attribution–behavior relationship. Finally, additive relationships in support of social cognitive theory also were detected. The attribution/self-efficacy/behavior link is important for adherence interventions and should be investigated further in both asymptomatic and symptomatic populations.