Please do not take the posting of this article as a sign that the previous article is closed for discussion, and please leave comments on the latest two articles if you so wish.
My MPhil and PhD theses work has included the study of philosophical theology, philosophy of religion, Biblical studies, empirical theology, social research methods and statistics.
Empirical theology:
Leslie J. Francis explains that an element of practical theology is the use of empirical data. Francis (2005: 1).
William Dean reasons that empirical theology begins with a particular speculative view of life, which in turn leads to the use of the empirical method. Dean (1990: 85-102).
Clive Erricker, Danny Sullivan and Jane Erricker comment that empirical theology questions how theology relates to social sciences. Erricker, Sullivan and Erricker (1994: 6-7).
Empirical theology is better known in Europe and the British Isles than in North America, but consists of using social research methods and statistics to come up with empirical data concerning theological concepts. My MPhil and PhD theses both contain the use of questionnaires and sections which include statistical analysis of the data.
Interestingly, I have found that within philosophy of religion and social research/statistics the same terms are sometimes used, but not with the exact same meanings. This can make remembering terms tricky, as for my work I need to remember some terms in two contexts, and occasionally more.
Here are two examples:
Empiricism:
Bryman mentions the classic and philosophical use of the term, which I have found in philosophy and philosophy of religion. This a general approach to reality, which suggests knowledge is only knowable through sense experience. Other forms of knowledge would not be acceptable. Bryman (2004: 7).
Bryman then defines the term more specifically in regard to social research and statistics and states that ideas must be subjected to testing before they can be considered knowledge. This would be considered an accumulation of facts. Bryman (2004: 7).
Empirical theology would view findings from questionnaires as at least possible actual theology, and some would consider the findings equal with Scripture. I have rejected this approach and still reason that theological deductions based on Scripture are more important in developing doctrine than are findings from questionnaires.
Although questionnaires can be helpful in discerning the theological mindset of those surveyed, as God has inspired his Scripture through historical persons his theological views take precedence as truth over any contrary views found statistically. Empirical theology can point out weaknesses in how theology is perceived and presented. My findings for both my MPhil and PhD theses demonstrate that Reformed views concerning God and his sovereignty in regard to the problem of evil are not properly understood within the majority of the Christian Church.
Positivism:
Blackburn writes that within philosophy this view holds that the highest or only form of knowledge can be known through sensory perception. This is a version of empiricism. It focuses on optimism from the hopes of science and originated in the 19th century and relates to evolutionary and naturalist theory. Blackburn (1996: 294).
Bryman writes that within social research and statistics, positivism advocates the use of methods of natural sciences for the study of social reality and beyond. This concept can include only knowledge confirmed by the senses. Bryman (2004: 11).
Logical positivism, which is also known as logical empiricism, accepts empiricism, but also allows for the power of formal logic to describe the structures of permissible inferences. Blackburn (1996: 223). Richard A. Fumerton explains that some positivists have allowed for the idea that a proposition can be meaningful if it is likely to be true. Fumerton (1996: 445-446). Fumerton notes that a strict positivism leads to a rejection of religious and moral philosophy. Fumerton (1996: 445). A view that combines the need for empiricism as a method of finding truth and allows for non-empirical rational philosophical propositions that are also considered a form of truth, because the rational philosophical propositions are logical and cannot be reasonably contrasted by superior counter propositions, would be a view that would work with a Christian worldview. Perhaps a form of logical positivism could offer this reasonable compromise position between empirical science and related views and philosophy of religion and theology.
Rationalism is the view that unaided reason can be used in finding knowledge without the use of sense perception. Blackburn (1996: 318). Christian theology uses philosophical reasoning, and a priori knowledge in deducing the existence of God, and this could be considered a form of rationalism and some logical positivists could accept rationalism in conjunction with an acceptance of empirical science. A priori knowledge can be known without the use of sensory experience in the course of events in reality. Blackburn (1999: 21). A posteriori knowledge can be known through the use of some sensory experience, and if something is knowable A posteriori it cannot be known A priori according to Blackburn. Blackburn (1996: 21).
I realize the Francis link now appears dead, but I used the information from the page within my PhD.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
BRYMAN, ALAN (2004) Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
DEAN, WILLIAM (1990) ‘Empirical Theology: A Revisable Tradition’, in Process Studies, Volume 19, Number 2, pp. 85-102, Claremont, California, The Center for Process Studies.
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2791.
ERRICKER, CLIVE, DANNY SULLIVAN, AND JANE ERRICKER (1994) ‘The Development of Children’s Worldviews, Journal of Beliefs and Values, London, Routledge
FRANCIS, LESLIE J. and Practical Theology Team (2005) ‘Practical and Empirical Theology’, University of Wales, Bangor website, University of Wales, Bangor.
http://www.bangor.ac.uk/rs/pt/ptunit/definition.php.
FUMERTON, RICHARD A. (1996) ‘Logical Positivism’ in Robert Audi (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
From your present close-up view this is Albert Einstein, however, from further away this becomes Marilyn Monroe, although not exceptionally clear. Please try looking at this picture from the other side of the room.
The following are the portions of an article that specifically relates to my situation.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2279.html
Obstructive sleep apnea is a significant medical problem affecting up to 4 percent of middle-aged adults. The most common complaints are loud snoring, disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Daytime sleepiness and fatigue is a major problem for me. I have had it my entire life.
Patients with apnea suffer from fragmented sleep and may develop cardiovascular abnormalities because of the repetitive cycles of snoring, airway collapse and arousal. Although most patients are overweight and have a short, thick neck, some are of normal weight but have a small, receding jaw.
I have a thick short neck and a receding jaw of 12 mm.
Because many patients are not aware of their heavy snoring and nocturnal arousals, obstructive sleep apnea may remain undiagnosed;
My sleep apnea was not diagnosed until I was 36 years old.
...therefore, it is helpful to question the bedroom partner of a patient with chronic sleepiness and fatigue. Polysomnography in a sleep laboratory is the gold standard for confirming the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea; however, the test is expensive and not widely available.
Home sleep studies are less costly but not as diagnostically accurate. Treatments include weight loss, nasal continuous positive airway pressure and dental devices that modify the position of the tongue or jaw. Upper airway and jaw surgical procedures may also be appropriate in selected patients, but invasiveness and expense restrict their use. (Am Fam Physician 1999;60:2279-86.)
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by repetitive upper airway obstruction during sleep as a result of narrowing of the respiratory passages. Patients with the disorder are most often overweight, with associated peripharyngeal infiltration of fat9 and/or increased size of the soft palate and tongue.10 Some patients have airway obstruction because of a diminutive or receding jaw that results in insufficient room for the tongue. These anatomic abnormalities decrease the cross-sectional area of the upper airway. Decreased airway muscle tone during sleep and the pull of gravity in the supine position further decrease airway size, thereby impeding air flow during respiration.
Initially, partial obstruction may occur and lead to snoring. As tissues collapse further or the patient rolls over on his or her back, the airway may become completely obstructed.
Whether the obstruction is incomplete (hypopnea) or total (apnea), the patient struggles to breathe and is aroused from sleep. Often, arousals are only partial and are unrecognized by the patient, even if they occur hundreds of times a night. The obstructive episodes are often associated with a reduction in oxyhemoglobin saturation.
I have been recorded to lose my breath 20-30 times in 1.5 hours for up to 45 seconds.
Nonsurgical ApproachesWeight loss is the simplest treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in obese patients. Even a modest 10 percent weight loss may eliminate apneic episodes by reducing the mass of the posterior airway. Unfortunately, however, this treatment option is usually not successful because only a small fraction of people can permanently lose weight. Moreover, success may be limited if patients also have anatomic deficits in the jaw.
This is my current major problem. The government health plan appears to be willing to cover the cost of moving the maxilla and mandible jaw bones ahead 12 mm, but will so far not cover the $8, 000 in orthodontic costs needed. I would need to wear braces for approximately a year to move the teeth forward 12 mm in order to then have the jaw bones moved.
CPAP treatment is used in most patients who have obstructive sleep apnea. With CPAP, the patient wears a snugly fitting nasal mask attached to a fan that blows air into the nostrils to keep the airway open during sleep (Figure 9). Because most people sleep with their mouth closed, the mouth usually does not have to be covered, but a chin strap can be used if necessary.
Sneezing and rhinorrhea are mild but common complications of CPAP but can usually be alleviated with steroid nasal sprays. Some patients develop dry mucus membranes from the continuous positive air flow. This problem may be reduced by humidification. Another frequent problem is dermal irritation from the mask rubbing the face. Dermal irritation is most commonly reduced by changing the mask size or trying a different kind of mask.
Perhaps the biggest problem with CPAP therapy is noncompliance. Frequently, patients use the machine for only a few hours a night or a few days a week. Sneezing, nasal discharge and dryness sometimes result in noncompliance, but CPAP failure may also be caused by perceived discomfort, claustrophobia and panic attacks. Patients with more severe apnea and debilitating daytime sleepiness are often more compliant, because they are motivated by the prompt reversal of their symptoms. The cost of a CPAP machine is substantial (usually around $1,000) but is covered by most insurance carriers.
My surgeon informed me that 70% of persons do not continue to use CPAP. It does not work well for me as the mask is uncomfortable and the air pressure is very hard to relax with, in fact I need to loosen the mask significantly and turn the pressure to low. I can sleep with a bit of air blowing onto my face, but can rarely sleep with breathing the air back into a mask that is tight to my face. I therefore loosely wear the mask.
Younger patients and those who cannot tolerate CPAP may be candidates for surgical intervention to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) involves the removal of part of the soft palate, uvula and redundant peripharyngeal tissues, sometimes including the tonsils. This procedure is often effective in eliminating snoring; however, it is not necessarily curative for obstructive sleep apnea, because areas of the airway other than the soft palate also collapse in most patients with this sleep disorder. Patients who undergo UPPP must be hospitalized for a few days. Furthermore, they may experience the annoying complication of nasal regurgitation of liquids following the removal of palatal tissues.
I have had the UPPP and nasal reconstruction and tip reduction surgeries performed with limited results.
LYLE D. VICTOR, M.D.,is director of the sleep disorders center at Oakwood Hospital, Dearborn, Mich., where he is also program director of the transitional-year residency program. In addition, he serves as clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, and the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit. Dr. Victor received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York.
I could quit theology and get a job working out 4-8 hours a day and I would lose some weight, but the fatigue related results of sleep apnea would remain. As I just told my Dad, I have absolutely no intention of quitting theology as a profession.:)
