Doctoral Degrees (Biblical & Historical Studies, Theological Studies & Ethics)

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1 Enoch in Jude and in the EOTC "Canon" : developing an adequate insight in second temple literature (STL) in the various Ethiopian churches for a better understanding of each other and for the promotion of ecumenism and mutual cooperation.
(2015) Asale, Bruk Ayele.; Decock, Paul Bernard.
The Epistle of Jude not only used 1 Enoch and some Second Temple Literature as authoritative Scripture, but also it has been significantly influenced by it. Until it disappeared from the Church since the fifth and sixth centuries, except the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, 1 Enoch has been used as authoritative Scripture among many Jewish and Christian communities. Unlike any other church, the EOTC is the Church that has preserved the text in Ge’ez in its entirety and made 1 Enoch part of its canon, which is unique both in its concept and extent. As part of its Scriptures, which has been received as early as the reception of Christianity itself, 1 Enoch has significantly influenced the EOTC directly and other Ethiopian churches indirectly. However, the unifying factor of the Scriptures and the positive role 1 Enoch and other STL would have played, have been misunderstood as a source of differences among Ethiopian churches. This misunderstanding arises from the neglect and misrepresentation of the concept and extent of the canon of the EOTC by the western scholarship, which is permeated Ethiopian Evangelicalism. So, the central question this thesis asks is: Why do the Ethiopian Churches, Orthodox and Evangelicals, who have the Scriptures in common, who are considered as Trinitarian churches and who have been shaped and influenced by 1 Enoch, hold strongly opposing views on the STL in general and on 1 Enoch in particular? The tripolar African contextual approach, complement by the history of reception approach, and an ecumenical appreciative approach, is the best framework to this study. The tripolar African contextual approach helps us to see this from an African/Ethiopian context, against the western approach which tends to assume that all contexts as the same. Whereas the history of reception approach helps us to frame the reception history of both the Scriptures and Christianity to Ethiopia, the ecumenical appreciative approach directs us to positive impacts in cooperation and unity. The findings suggest that (1) the concept of the canon of the EOTC refers more to the “rule of faith” understanding than a “list of books”. (2) 1 Enoch has an impact in shaping the ancient Ethiopian literature, culture, theology, spirituality, chronography and popular religious practices. (3) With all the possible interpretive differences, the Scriptures have more of a unifying than a dividing effect in the Ethiopian churches, and if other dividing elements are adequately and properly addressed, they can play a positive role in ecumenical unity. (4) Ecumenical unity is indispensable for all Ethiopian churches not only to tackle the challenges of the twenty-first century, but also for their very existence. It is suggested that these findings should be taken positively and seriously for a better future of both citizens and churches in Ethiopia.
A critical discernment of the image of God amongst the Black, urban, isiXhosa speaking Catholics within the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Town, in relation to other sources of sacred power, in a context of on-going change.
(2024) Goldie, Pierre.; Decock, Paul Bernard.
With view to a deeper appreciation of how the Xhosa Catholics within the Archdiocese of Cape Town have assimilated Catholicism, the thesis delimits this compound objective to the way in which the image of God has been appropriated by the urban amaXhosa, in relation to other sources of sacred power, a manageable scope for this paper. Pauw (1975) presents research on how the Xhosa have adopted Christianity, assisted by a substantial team of research assistants. Some Catholic researchers have contributed to religious-cultural analyses of indigenous Catholics in South Africa, but there is a research deficiency within the Cape Town environs due in part to the relatively smaller proportion of Black Catholics within this Archdiocese. These numbers have grown substantially with on-going migration from country to city. A qualitative questionnaire has been utilised as part of an interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the image of God held by the Xhosa Catholics supplemented with a comprehensive literature review. The research discovers that there are a range of contenders for sacred power with which to cope with existential issues, not only ‘God’. Also, God exists no longer as a distant, awesome deity, represented as such in African Tradition. He now dominates the religious consciousness of the people. The ancestors have been displaced from their formerly dominant role but are still perceived as significant dispensers of sacred power. Christ’s image as God is overshadowed and he does not appear to command a pre-eminent, authoritative relationship with the congregants. The ancestors generally invite more deliberation than Christ. This depreciation of the Christ image critically undermines the Easter mystery, for the Catholic Church the pivotal episode of revelation. Catholic parishioners also patronise other sources of sacred power. The research results generally concur with literature, concluding that the qualitative impact of Christianity is found wanting. Lack of cultural awareness, and imperfect evangelization account for the partial realization of Christian mission. The Holy Spirit too has only been partially appropriated. Results highlight a significant Christological shortcoming, even crisis. Tlhagale (2018) adjudicates indigenous Christians to be closer to ATR than to Christianity. Strategies are proposed to address the challenges.
A critique of ministers’ welfare policy in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.
(2022) Zinduru, Knowledge.; Siwila, Lilian Cheelo.; Moyo, Herbert.
This study uses a post-colonial theory to critique the welfare policy of ministers in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA)’s Presbytery of Zimbabwe. The UPCSA traces its origins to the Scottish missionaries and the missionary activity that coincided with the colonial activity in Southern Africa. The UPCSA uses a congregational stipendiary system in which a minister is paid at the local congregation where he/she is attached. This system leaves some ministers vulnerable as they are placed in congregations that cannot pay their remuneration. The study therefore sought to answer the question: How contextually relevant and progressive is the UPCSA ministers’ welfare policy to the ministers as the intended beneficiaries of the policy? Previous work has highlighted the challenges that ministers face when perform their duties however this study discusses the policy in place to enhance the welfare of ministers in the UPCSA. The policy was enacted in a segregated context whereby the minority white people were economically empowered and could easily pay the ministers appointed in their congregations who also happened to be white. The black congregations became dependant on the subsidies of the white congregations. However, with the demise of colonial governments, the UPCSA has remained stuck with the same policy and has failed to remunerate its ministers. This study was a qualitative empirical research and used in-depth interviews with selected UPCSA ministers and UPCSA to generate data. The study found that the UPCSA policy on the welfare of ministers is static and ambiguous. The existence of two types of congregations-one that can call a minister because of the financial muscle and the other that has a minister appointed to them because of the lack of finances puts ministers at a different footing. The study concludes by proposing that the UPCSA must draw from the Christian tradition of koinonia, the ubuntu philosophy and training ministers differently as ways of enhancing the welfare of ministers
The accountancy profession and its professional and social responsibility: a systems theoretical approach to social and ethical accounting.
(2018) Muvandi, Denson.; Murove, Munyaradzi Felix.
The accounting profession all over the world has found itself entangled in many scandals. Businesses, organizations and society at large rely on the financial information that is provided by the accounting profession. The financial information which accountants give remains critical to the overall economic wellbeing of society. In this regard, financial misinformation has led to serious economic crises in the world and sometimes to the collapse of powerful companies. Whilst the traditional understanding of the accounting profession was based on acquiring techniques and abiding by the codes of ethics that govern this profession, the experience of accountants is that their work place is characterized by chaos and complexity instead of orderliness which is implied in the codes and the popular technical practices of the profession that are mostly required in the office. Scholars have argued that the current type of education which is given to accounting students which is mainly based on technique acquisition does not prepare the student with professional competency when it comes to issues of ethical maturity which cannot be attained through the acquiring of professional qualification. The accountancy profession has a responsibility not only to shareholders or to the organizations which employed them but responsibility to stakeholders as well. The financial information which accountants provide is thus for the good of the whole of society and sometimes for the world as a whole. For this reason, some scholars have argued that accountants should be seen as guardians of the public interest. In the contemporary global neo-liberal capitalism, the question of whether accountants have any social responsibility when performing their professional responsibilities has been influenced by the debate on whether a business person has responsibilities towards society. The current global deregulation of financial markets has brought about the profession of accounting in a way that alienates the majority of the global citizens from benefiting from the financial information which is provided by this profession. The standardization of the global financial reporting is intended to facilitate the smooth flow of global capital in a way that serves the interests of investors, lenders and creditors who are in most cases the providers of capital on the global market. Accurate accounting and accountability are superficially undertaken with the aim of giving legitimacy to the shareholders of global capitalism. In light of the above observation, this study argues against the shareholder theory by insisting that shareholders are not the sole owners of business as there are others in society who are affected directly or indirectly by the activities of the business or organization. The implication of this argument is that the accounting profession must provide information that takes into consideration the expectations of all stakeholders. By adopting the stakeholder model of accounting,I have shown that monetary value requires reporting that takes into consideration social and environmental issues, which in most cases are not necessarily and solely determined by monetary value. The stakeholder perspective that has been adopted in this study finds its complementarity in general systems theory. Thus the accounting information as a sub-system should be seen as contributing to the suprasystem. Since systems theory is based on a holistic view of reality, it is argued that accounting education should be integrative whereby it incorporates information from other disciplines. From the perspective of general systems theory, any information that is provided should be seen as an abstraction from the suprasystem. Each system taken in isolation can only be seen as extending a partial view of reality. The study also argues that ethical and social accounting requires an inclusive approach in one’s professional outlook, especially when one takes into consideration the reality of complexity inherent in human society and social organization.
Administration of Islamic law of succession, adoption, guardianship, legacies and endowment in South Africa.
(1998) Toffar, Abdul Kariem.; Nadvi, Syed Salman.; Dangor, Suleman Essop.; Omar, M. S.
Abstract not available.
The African cultural heritage : deculturation, transformation and development.
(2004) Tondi, Tsoabisi Pakiso Ensle.; Smit, Johannes Andries.
This study begins by highlighting the fact that after identifying the causes of defects in the socio-economic development of Africa and its populace African scholars argue for the re-centering of African cultural heritage as a strategy for (re)-construction and socioeconomic development. In fact, the alienation and marginalization of African cultural values and traditions by the designs of colonialism and apartheid have resulted in the distortion and disorientation of some of the most fundamental aspects of the culture of the colonized. Undeniably, this phenomenon contributed immensely to the situation of 'underdevelopment' in Africa Culturally, people were prevented from engaging the European culture(s) on their own terms. Economically - because the African cultural heritage was degraded to the level of the 'savage', the 'primitive', 'uncivilized' and even the level of the 'superstitious' or 'mystical' compared to the ' logical' found in the Western cultural thought and behaviour - African people(s) were mostly prevented from participating in the development of the continent. More importantly, given the present unfolding scenario of the African leaders' dream for an African century- manifested in the transformation of the Organization of African Union into the African Union (AU) (during the week of the 9 to 12 July 2001) and the vision and mission of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) - juxtaposing this ideal to the pressures globalisation process exerts on the African continent, this study III seeks to identify essential elements of African Cultural Heritage that (if reclaimed and redefined) can contribute towards the transformation and development of (South) Africa and its people. The two critical questions here are: (a) Against the backdrop of Africa's economic disposition, what is the way forward for the continent to extricate itself from the quagmire of poverty, disease and instability? (b) Is Pan-Africanism the solution to the African crisis in the 2IIt century and the globalizing world? The African Renaissance discourse (as a new Pan-Africanism vision in the 2IIt century and a philosophical framework for (re)-construction and development) is central to this study, precisely because no nation that was uprooted from its soul can be able to recover wholly and progress without basing its socio-economic development plans on its own cultural identity and self-knowledge. It is hoped that this study will form part of existing critical resource material concerning the legacy of underdevelopment, and the constructive proposals and strategies critical in the socio-economic (re)-construction and development of Africa in the context of g1obalisation and its marginalising tendencies and practices against the countries of the South.
African ministers and the emergence of resistance to colonial domination : the development of indigenous clergy in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Zimbabwe from 1891 to 1980.
(2011) Gondongwe, Kennedy.; Denis, Philippe Marie Berthe Raoul.
This study is a critical assessment of the degree of political consciousness of the Zimbabwean Wesleyan Methodist indigenous ministers from 1891 to 1980. It documents the nature of the domination that the Wesleyan Methodist indigenous ministers experienced. It also documents and analyses how the indigenous ministers responded to the domination. The study relies upon primary documents from the National Archives of Zimbabwe, the Methodist Connexional Archives and other private archives. Information found in these archives includes minutes of synods, minutes of quarterly meetings, minutes of conferences, ministers' personal files and many other documents. The thesis also depends on interviews and other secondary material relevant to the study. Additionally, this thesis explores the training of the indigenous ministers. It emerges that the theological training of the indigenous ministers brought about some form of political radicalism. This was strengthened by the fact that the stipends and working conditions were not attractive. This thesis argues that the indigenous ministers had no clear position with regard to the significance of African culture. They oscillated between its rejection and acceptance. When they were politically inspired they rejected African culture to embrace it when it seemed expedient to do. It is further observed that the indigenous ministers contributed immensely to the liberation struggle. Using, Of Revelation and Revolution, Peasant Consciousness, Domination and the Arts of Resistance and Savage Systems as theoretical frameworks, this thesis concludes that the level of political consciousness of the indigenous ministers increased phenomenally in the second half of the 20th century. This was because of a number of reasons including the role played by mission churches in education, the impact of the Second World War, and adherence to certain constructions of John Wesley particularly those with liberation emphasis and many more. It also emerges that, although the political consciousness of the indigenous clergy was high, quite a number of them oscillated between two poles of patriotism and expediency. Put differently, the indigenous clergy were sometimes ambivalent in terms of what they adhered to. This was particularly so in cases to do with African culture.
African sacral rule and the Christian church : an investigation into a process of change and continuity in the encounter between Christianity and African tradition, with particular reference to Cameroon and Ghana.
(2003) Fossouo, Pascal.; Bediako, Kwame.
This investigation into a process of transformation was intended to explore the institution of African sacral rule in its relation to the Christian church and to provide a theological model, which could be used to establish a new mission field. The bulk of the work has been conducted through anthropological and historical methods crossing international boundaries and cultures within both sacral rule and the Christian church in Africa. The specific case studies have been the sacral rule of Grassfields people in Cameroon and the Akan in Ghana with focus on the Basel Mission and resulting churches. On the one hand, this comparative approach brought to light in-depth knowledge of the sacral ruler's encounter with the institution of the Christian church and its representatives. On the other hand, the investigation shows that with some preconceived ideas of sacral rule inherited from the missionaries who had established themselves in deliberate rejection of the existing system of government and the people involved, the African church leaders were put at a disadvantage. However, it has been demonstrated that in the process of struggle for survival and change, each institution has been partially assimilated by the· other. Those who have helped these two institutions to deepen their relationship through a genuine dialogue are outstanding Christians who occupied the position of sacral rulers in both Cameroon and Ghana. They have provided historical material on which an understanding of the cultural changes within sacral rule as well as the Christian church was based. The previous religious experience and knowledge of the sacral rulers are invariably used as a frame of reference for their understanding and interpretation of the Bible and their relationship with Christ.
An African symbolic Hermeneutical critique of the theory and practice of penal substitution theory of the Doctrine of Atonement in Church Of Christ in Nations (COCIN) within the context of Jos, Nigeria.
(2018) Luxman, Yusuf Jactu.; Hewitt, Roderick Raphael.; Kaunda, Chammah Judex.
This study is an African symbolic hermeneutical critique of the penal substitution theory, a theological concept that constitutes one of the ecclesial doctrines of the atonement as understood and practiced by the Church of Christ in Nations in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The leaders and members live and practice this doctrine within Jos, a context plagued with systemic and symbolic violence. African symbolic hermeneutics is an ongoing broader perspective used in inculturating Euro-centric Christian doctrines within Africa. This perspective offers an afro-centric nuance in transmitting European cultured Christianity in Africa. Through the African symbolic hermeneutical perspective, this study interrogated the penal substitution theory as a missio-cultural tool that the church can utilise to respond to the violence-prone context. The study also examines the extent to which the leaders and laity are equipped with the African symbolic approaches that can adequately respond to the systemic and symbolic violence. The focus on the clergy leaders is because theologically they are trained to communicate the church’s doctrines and disciplines to its members. The penal substitution theory of the doctrine of atonement asserts that Christ took the legal responsibility of human sin and through his death paid the debt in order to satisfy the compulsory justice of God. In light of this, contemporary scholars have argued that this core teaching of the church has the potential for its followers to embrace violence as a method of demonstrating their allegiance to Christ and the church. Consequent to the retributive nuance contained within the doctrine, this study calls into question the context in which the doctrine was constructed and how this it was transplanted by the Western missionaries following the founding of the Church of Christ in Nations. Contemporary scholars have proposed a shift from the traditional Penal substitution theory of the doctrine of atonement which presents Christ as one who was violently punished for the sake of fallen humankind to a perspective that presents him as one who identifies with God’s love of creation. This assertion was made possible through an empirical research conducted within the Church of Christ in Nations in Jos, Plateau State where it was presented, analysed and interpreted. The symbolic hermeneutical perspective used in this study therefore seeks to appropriate the retributive understanding of the substitutionary work of Christ through the symbolic African viii cultural experience of Pyem people, one of the ethnic groups within Jos, Plateau State, which can better serve as a medium through which the penal substitution theory can be expressed within the violence-prone context of Jos. This serves as an alternative model of the doctrine under consideration that can equip the missional identity of the Church of Christ in Nations to positively respond to the religio-cultural, socio-political and violent context of Jos so as to bring about a just peace among its religiously diverse population.
African women's theologies of survival : intersecting faith, feminisms, and development.
(2000) Haddad, Beverley Gail.; Maluleke, Tinyiko S.; Cochrane, James R.
This study intersects the disciplines of gender and development, feminist studies, and women’s theology. It is located within the socio-economic and political context of the region of Vulindlela, on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its subjects are poor and marginalised indigenous African women of faith who live in the area and attend the local Anglican churches. Engaging the theoretical debates of these three areas of gender studies, it argues that indigenous African women live by subjugated survival theologies. These working theologies are forged within a context of struggle for literal survival and give expression to the voices of millions of women in South Africa. Survival, it contends, intersects faith, feminisms, and development. Two potential locations of survival theologies of poor and marginalised women are identified in the study: the Mothers’ Union (MU), the Anglican women’s prayer union which is a part of the indigenous manyano movement, and a contextual Bible study group of women from the area. In the MU, an established site of women’s theology, rituals such as the wearing of the church uniform, extempore praying and preaching, and fundraising are practices which reveal aspects of subjugated survival theologies. In the contextual Bible study group, a new social site was established through the efforts of the author, in order to create a place for the safe articulation of these theologies. This aspect of the study explored the extent to which collaborative work amongst women across race and class is possible and the ways in which it furthers the liberative agenda of the women’s project. Employing postmodern notions of identity, subjectivity, agency, and historicised local knowledges, this study argues that survival faith needs to shape the way feminist paradigms understand notions of liberation, activism, and solidarity. It contends that these subjugated survival theologies pose a challenge to the academy and to the practice of the church because they are, in part, a resistance discourse which has not been recognised. The voice and agency of poor and marginalised women of Vulindlela is highlighted throughout and, the study argues, it is these voices that have been neglected in the women’s project. It is the subjugated knowledges of poor and marginalised women of faith that have to be recognised and recovered, if the women’s project is to truly reflect all South African women.
The Afrikaanse Konferensie (1968-1974) and its significance for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in South Africa.
(1999) Pantalone, Antonio.; Kitshoff, Mike C.
In 1968 a group of Afrikaans believers protested that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa had remained foreign to their experience. They maintained that American leaders had dominated the Church. They also asserted that their cultural, linguistic and literary needs had not been adequately catered to, and that the work of evangelization in the Afrikaans speaking areas had been sadly neglected. Some headway had been made by the Church in the years prior to 1968 with translations, firstly, into Dutch and later also into Afrikaans. Advancement had also been made by evangelists into the Afrikaans-speaking areas of the Transvaal and the Orange Free-State. The history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in this country, however, corroborates many of the grievances enumerated by the dissatisfied Afrikaans believers. The predominance of English in the administrative work of the Church and at its educational institutions had always been a thorny issue, resulting in continuous friction between the Church leaders and the Dutch and Afrikaans-speaking members. Problems had also arisen with regard to the use of Afrikaans at the publishing house of the Church. Positions of leadership in almost every department of the Church had been filled by non-South Africans. As a result, by the late 1960s, tensions in the Church had reached a boiling point. At the end of 1968, at a special business session of the Transvaal Conference, the objections of the Afrikaans believers met with very strong resistance. No opportunity was granted to them to air their frustrations and grievances and, as a result, a number of delegates left this meeting in protest before it had been officially closed. This unilateral action resulted in the establishment of an organization called Die Afrikaanse Konferensie van Sewendedag Adventiste. This new conference was, however, considered to be schismatic and was never acknowledged by the established Church. From the outset, the Afrikaanse Konferensie set out to cater to the needs of Afrikaans-speaking people in very forceful fashion. Many people felt that this new conference had a legitimate cause and its membership grew very rapidly. It initiated a welfare society, opened up several geriatric centres, its own printing press and a correspondence Bible school. It also held, throughout the ensuing years, numerous evangelistic campaigns. By the middle of 1973, however, the opposition and incessant pressure applied by the established Church and the severe problems that had emerged from within the ranks of the Afrikaanse Konferensie, swiftly contributed to its demise, with most of its members eventually rejoining the established Church. At the time of the disintegration of the Afrikaanse Konferensie, the leaders of the Church resolved to strengthen the evangelistic work directed at Afrikaans-speaking people. They also determined to have more literature produced in Afrikaans, and to strongly promote the use of Afrikaans at the publishing house and at the Church's educational institutions. These resolutions, however, proved ineffectual , and in the years that followed, the work of the Church showed no improvement in its approach to the Afrikaans speaking people. Twenty-five years have passed since the demise of the Afrikaanse Konferensie and the Church finds itself, because of both, external and internal factors, in a position that could be considered decidedly worse than at the time of the formation of the Afrikaanse Konferensie in 1968. As from 1995, after a protest march by students on the campus of Helderberg College, instruction in Afrikaans was no longer provided at a tertiary level. The production of Afrikaans books and the translation of reading material into Afrikaans is almost non-existent. As a result, voices of dissent are once again being heard that the Afrikaans work is being neglected. This predicament in the Church can neither be ignored nor circumvented and the only way for the Church is to deal with the crisis in the utmost sincerity without allowing itself to succumb to it. The source of the problem appears to lie primarily in Seventh-day Adventist ecclesiology where a gulf exists between its interpretation of unity, and its understanding of mission in a multicultural context. Authentic church unity cannot consist only of an outer dimension whereby unity and mission are cosmetically combined. It involves a deeper internal dimension, where the striving for unity becomes a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, while the mission of the church simultaneously embodies the obligations to cater to the cultural and linguistic needs of all of Christ's people. It is this essential synthesis that has yet to take place in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where both these facets are to be fostered as complementary aspects of its total vocation. It is this fusion of unity and mission which will open the way for the Church to complete its mission, unhindered either by the polarizing and divisive effect of religious and cultural diversity, or by any misguided attempts to impose uniformity. In their quest for positive resolutions for the challenges facing the Church, its leaders must ask what it means to be "church" in the social context in which it finds itself, what precisely is its mission in the pluralistic, multicultural situation in which it is located and how essential is the Church to God's mission in this country? Judging from the nature of the dilemma that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa still faces today, it appears that these are questions that have not been satisfactorily answered. After assessing both the past and present modes of the Church's operation it becomes essential for the Church leaders to do some critical rethinking about certain facets of its existing ecclesiology and its missionary strategies. It is just as important to systematically abandon the organizational structures that no longer fit the purpose and mission of the Church and to realign them with new paradigms that will effectively cater to the spiritual, cultural and linguistic needs of all the peoples of this country.
An analysis of the Gutsaruzhinji polity in Zimbabwe.
(2017) Bhasikiti, Kudakwashe.; Matolino, Bernard.
The absence of a sound and robust African political ideology grounded in Africa‘s traditional and cultural philosophy of hunhu/ubuntu has led to Africa‘s continued subjugation and domination by both Western and Eastern bloc nations. Africa has been compelled to choose between capitalism or socialism which are both foreign ideologies. The author strongly contests the above view and provides an alternative ideology which is in all respects African and grounded in Africa‘s richest philosophy of hunhu/ubuntu. Gutsaruzhinji, both as a philosophy and political ideology is entrenched in traditional African cultural ideals rooted in the hunhu/ubuntu philosophy. It is the author‘s contention that gutsaruzhinji is an authentic African philosophy, tested in Zimbabwean politics, deserves to be assigned both regional and international status. The author believes, it is time for ubiquitous philosophy that can be employed to extricate Africa and its people from perpetual poverty and inequalities perpetrated by colonialism. Gutsaruzhinji focuses on effectively meeting the social and economic needs of all citizens who had been marginalised by colonial apartheid development trajectory. This will immediately see the abandonment of both capitalism and socialism as guiding ideologies in African social, economic and political development. Gutsaruzhinji was nurtured throughout the pre-colonial period and is evident in such traditional practices as nhimbe or majangano or letseka, where free labour and service was given to enable every member of the community to get food and be self-sufficient. The merit of this thesis is that it brings a new African political thought and consciousness needed to continue embracing hunhu/ubuntu values which are key to the survival of African Philosophy and good governance. The two important vehicles of African identity and survival, hunhu/ubuntu and gutsaruzhinji are set to continue defending the African intellectual territory and political landscape to eternity. This thesis is intended to also assist in extricating and blending African philosophies like Ujamaa, Consciencism, Negritude and Humanism from the label ―African Socialism and bond them with hunhu/ubuntu philosophy, making them an integral part of gutsaruzhinji polity. Africa will for the first time adopt and use its own political ideology to better the livelihood of its citizens.
Analytical study of the theme of liberation in the Psalms.
(1994) Nelumbu, Martin.; Wittenberg, Gunther Hermann.
Abstract available in pdf file.
And God said "Let there be charismatics in the city" : a study into the practise [sic] and presence of a charismatic megachurch in the city of Durban.
(2007) James, Genevieve Lerina.; Balcomb, Anthony Oswald.
The turn of the century has brought with it a global population explosion that has never before been experienced by any other generation. In addition to this, for the first time the world is now more urban than rural. Over half of the world's six billion people now live in cities. This study includes two areas of increasing sociological and theological interest during the 21st century, both of which are maligned in many circles: the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, and, the City. The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is active in 80% of the world's 3300 metropolises. In South Africa a positive growth trend in Pentecostal/Charismatic churches has been noted. As the city grows, so too does the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. This growth has decisive sociological and theological implications in South African cities since "the pulse of South Africa" is "beating to an urban rhythm". This study is located in the city of Durban where the Urban Foundation1 recorded the highest population growth in the world during the period between 1970 and 1980. The record growth was 100 % (the city with the second highest growth rate was the Nigerian city of Lagos at 93, 7% (in De Beer 1998: 30). In the light of the dynamic urban context of Durban, this study attempts to critically evaluate the transformative praxis of a Pentecostal/Charismatic megachurch in the city. A probe into the subject group's urban presence and social interventions were conducted in order to explore the intentional and unintentional consequences of the church's initiatives. The critical analysis in the study displays the significant role of this faith community as an urban asset and a vital agent of societal change, as well as, its unwitting espousal of neo-liberalism, consumerism and middle-class values.
The Anglican church, environment and poverty : constructing a Nigerian indigenous oikotheology.
(2009) Alokwu, Cyprian Obiora.; De Gruchy, Steve M.
This research proposes a Nigerian indigenous oikotheology to assist the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) better meet the challenges of the “double earth crisis” of poverty and environmental degradation. The thesis begins by arguing that the crisis of poverty and the crisis of ecology are inextricably linked. It does this by examining the situation globally, in Africa and in Nigeria. It argues that for the church to be able to articulate the needed theological paradigm in response to the “double earth crisis”, it is important that it is adequately informed and equipped with environmental knowledge as well as the dynamics of the global capitalist system and its hegemonic influences. This understanding is imperative because these affect the environment and poverty nexus. The thesis then examines the response of the Anglican Church to the environment and poverty by situating this within the wider biblical, Christian and ecumenical history, and the history of the Anglican Church itself. It then looks at the Anglican Church in Nigeria by investigating the engagement of the three Anglican Dioceses in Anambra State (Nigeria) in environment and poverty issues. It also investigates the understanding of the diocesan clergy on these issues. Findings from the research field work indicate that a majority of the clergy exhibited an appreciable level of environmental awareness contrary to the hypothesis of the study. However, this knowledge is a “paper knowledge” because of its heavy reliance on the ‘traditional’ view of understanding of the environment. Thus it creates a huge gap between theoretical knowledge and practical commitment on the part of the dioceses. Collective will and practical commitment which are vital for the church’s engagement in poverty and environment issues are therefore lacking, and this leads to the church’s difficulty in significantly living up to its environmental responsibility in practical ways. In responding to the identified gap, the thesis examines ‘four generations’ of ecological motifs in theology, namely, dominion, stewardship, eco-theology and oikotheology. Oikotheology is an attempt to strengthen the weaknesses in the Christian ecological thoughts (from dominion to ecotheology) and hence provide an eco-theological framework that will engender commitment and action. However, because of the challenges with which Oikotheology grapples (strong eschatological influences and inaccessibility to African culture), it could not achieve this aim in the Nigerian setting. In a continued search for an eco-theological framework that is more African, the study articulates the synthesis of Oikotheology and African indigenous ecological ethics (a fifth generation) as a theological framework which would uniquely appeal to African Christianity in its attempt to collaborate with other disciplines in addressing the challenges of the environment and poverty in Africa and the world. Key to this synthesis is an examination of Nigerian Igbo proverbs-the egbe belu precautionary principle and onye aghana nwa nne ya in particular, and the African cosmology in general. This synthesis, considered in our opinion as Africa’s gift to humanity and Christendom, will no doubt significantly contribute to the global discussion on the current double earth crisis of environment and poverty. The thesis concludes with a series of practical suggestions including among others the formation of a National Commission on the environment by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as a way of fostering environmental education.
The applicability of the translatability and interpretation theory of Sanneh and Bediako : the case of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in namibia, in northern Namibia.
(2010) Ngodji, Martin.; Phiri, Isabel Apawo.
This thesis contends that the translatability and interpretation theories are what allow the Bible and its message to be accepted by and relevant to all people in the world, including those in the northern belt of Namibia, among Ovawambo and Okavango communities. This thesis deals with the applicability of the translatability theories in the process of the translation of the Bible into Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama and Rukwangali, a project undertaken by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). The thesis starts with the introduction, which shows how the work was carried out, and its objectives are described in chapter one. Chapter two deals with the translatability and interpretation theories of the Bible as represented by Lamin Sanneh and Kwame Bediako. Lamin Sanneh (1989) and Kwame Bediako (1997) speak of the translatability theory of the Bible and of Christianity as a whole, which allows everyone to speak of the wonderful work of God in his/her own tongue. Translatability is the theoretical framework of this thesis. The theory aims at translating the Bible from one language to another, and goes further to include the social sphere of the person. The translatability theory is what makes the translation process in any vernacular language relevant and acceptable. The translatability theory not only includes the language, but also the cultural aspects of the people.
Authenticity of Christian conversion in the African context : an investigation on the rationale for the Hehe to convert to Christianity with special reference to the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (1899-1999)
(2005) Mdegella, Owdenburg Moses.; Balcomb, Anthony Oswald.
This thesis contends that Christian conversion in the African context has been authentic because of the translatability of the event of Christ. The event of Christ is defined as the incarnation, the suffering and death on the cross and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Through these events God made the calling of all humanity including Africans, for transformation unto salvation. God is perceived as the originator and the initiator of Christian conversion while human beings and their culture are perceived as the recipients and channels of God's mission. The combination of the concepts of preparation evangelical, the translatability of the event of Christ and the theology of the cross are the basis of the theological deliberations of this thesis. The thesis contends further that the proclamation of the gospel hence, Christianisation moved together with the wave of modernization. Due to the continuity of translation, Christianity strengthened its influence and became the Word of God in the Hehe vernacular. In that way Christianity was naturally indigenised and continually contextualised in the Hehe culture and belief thus being deeply entrenched in their daily life and could be rightly described as renewed Hehe (African) Religion. Therefore, the Hehe accepted Christianity because God appeared in the human (Hehe) nature through Jesus Christ and dwelt in the Hehe community and shared everything with them. God through Jesus Christ participated in the daily suffering. He was humiliated and became vulnerable and weak. Through the translation of the Word God was no longer the ineffable beyond. Through the manifestations of the spiritual gifts God remained among the Hehe; instructing, comforting and reminding them of the benevolent love and the call of God for the universal salvation through which the Church builds its response to God's mission.
Awareness as a process toward a liberating theology for the women of South-East Zimbabwe.
(2006) Chauke, Elesinah.; Phiri, Isabel Apawo.
This research is a study in systematic theology with strong implications on the biblical doctrine of anthropology for women. Having said this, it needs to be made clear that it was not the intention of this research to deal with the traditional abstract of theology in all its details. The doctrine however is alluded to, from the perspective of African Women's Theology, in that the research builds upon women's experiences, and looks at them in the light of what the researcher sees as God-given dignity for all humanity including women, from the time of creation. It is from this perspective that the researcher approached her synthesis and the basis of such analysis is multi-disciplinary. The people under study are that of the Mashangana (va-Hlengwe) and the (ya-Karangd) who inhabit South-East Zimbabwe. Special emphasis was placed on the situation of women in this area. Chapter 1 presents the motivation for the study, namely, the invisibility of women in positions of leadership responsibilities in the Church and in the public sector. The chapter seeks to investigate the causes of this imbalance and discusses the thesis of this study that women are capable of leading, but are prevented from doing so due to cultural and theological factors. The methodology and theoretical frame of reference used is also discussed in this chapter. Chapter 2 examines briefly the background information about the people under study, and related issues of geography, culture, Christianisation and civilisation. It should however be mentioned that this study has no intention of giving a detailed history of Zimbabwe and its people. Other scholars, including, Ranger, T.O. (1967; 1970); Daneel, M. L. (1971); Murphree, W. M. and Cheater, G. (eds.) (1975); Dachs, J. A. (ed.) (1973) provide adequate information in this regard. This study provides only the basic background on those aspects that are essential for purposes of this present study; consequently, the background that is given is designed to set the stage for a deeper understanding of life in South-East Zimbabwe. Chapter 3 investigates the contribution of Christianity and modernisation in shaping the identity of women. This is done in order to provide a further foundation upon which the interviews with the women and men of South-East Zimbabwe are presented. Chapter 4 begins the analysis of responses from the interviews with the people under study. From this chapter the causes of the problem become identifiable and levels of women's awareness begin to show, as analysis of the responses is undertaken. Chapter 5 continues with the analysis analyses of the responses of the interviews on the effects and influence of Christianity and western civilisation upon women, including, education, political and socio-economics. Chapter 6 is the last of the three chapters that deal specifically with the analysis of the field research, and deals in particular with the responses on the question of leadership, Church and culture as it relates to women. The limited number of women in leadership is brought out in particular from the interviews. Chapter 7 reviews African Women's Theology as a possible instrument of liberation. The goals and aspirations of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians are examined as a means of providing hope for the women of South- East Zimbabwe. Chapter 8 investigates empowerment as a way forward. It discusses the empowerment of women through both Church and society. Suggestions are made as to how empowerment can be implemented. Women themselves are challenged to take action. Chapter 9 is a summary of the entire research and a challenge to the women of South-East Zimbabwe to stand up and boldly claim their humanity and dignity and to exercise their God-given responsibilities.
Between remembering and forgetting: a theological and contextual investigation of nation-building in Deuteronomy and how it intersects with nation-building in Zimbabwe.
Moyo, Andrew.; West, Gerald O.; Decock, Paul B.
This work seeks to highlight a biblically inspired notion of nation-building which advocates the unity of all the people as an imagined political community, with a sovereign role in the land. The definition of nation-building will be based on Benedict Anderson’s terms ‘imagined political community’ and the ‘sovereign role of the people’ in order to emphasize the notion of nation-as-people which is most appropriate for this work. The emphasis of this work is influenced both by the ideo-theological perspective to read the Bible from the perspective of the poor and from a liberationist perspective which privileges the ‘dangerous memories’ of the subjugated communities in order to work for a future that is better. Within this framework it is possible to bring the use of memory in the ancient community of Israel into dialogue with the modern post colonial state of Zimbabwe. The research will use literary narrative and rhetorical analysis to compare the use of a liberation memory to construct the imagined political community in the book of Deuteronomy and in post-colonial Zimbabwe. The biblical model of nation-building, as motivated by the pacifying memory of divine deliverance and the dangerous memory of the oppression of the people, advocates the ethical liberation categories of freedom, justice and equality to build the unity and sovereign role of the imagined communities. A tripolar analysis will bring the text of Deuteronomy into dialogue with the context of postcolonial Zimbabwe, to highlight the differences in the use of the pacifying and dangerous memories of liberation. The focus will be on the realization of unity and freedom for the people through the ethical use of the memory of liberation. This work concludes that the dangerous memories of the people are fundamental to the construction of a nation-as-people and that the ethical use of the pacifying and dangerous memory of liberation can be a unifying factor for postcolonial countries and a fundamental resource for the construction of a nation-as-people.
Between remembering and forgetting: a theological and contextual investigation of nation-building in Deuteronomy and how it intersects with nation-building in Zimbabwe=Phakathi kokukhumbula nokukhohlwa: uphenyo lwemfundiso yenkolo nokwesimo sendawo yokwakhiwa kwesizwe kuDutheronomi nokuthi luhlangana kanjani nokwakhiwa kwesizwe eZimbabwe.
(2021) Moyo, Andrew.; Decock, Paul Bernard.; West, Gerald Oakley.
This work seeks to highlight a biblically inspired notion of nation-building which advocates the unity of all the people as an imagined political community, with a sovereign role in the land. The definition of nation-building will be based on Benedict Anderson’s terms ‘imagined political community’ and the ‘sovereign role of the people’ in order to emphasize the notion of nation-as-people which is most appropriate for this work. The emphasis of this work is influenced both by the ideo-theological perspective to read the Bible from the perspective of the poor and from a liberationist perspective which privileges the ‘dangerous memories’ of the subjugated communities in order to work for a future that is better. Within this framework it is possible to bring the use of memory in the ancient community of Israel into dialogue with the modern post colonial state of Zimbabwe. The research will use literary narrative and rhetorical analysis to compare the use of a liberation memory to construct the imagined political community in the book of Deuteronomy and in post-colonial Zimbabwe. The biblical model of nation-building, as motivated by the pacifying memory of divine deliverance and the dangerous memory of the oppression of the people, advocates the ethical liberation categories of freedom, justice and equality to build the unity and sovereign role of the imagined communities. A tripolar analysis will bring the text of Deuteronomy into dialogue with the context of postcolonial Zimbabwe, to highlight the differences in the use of the pacifying and dangerous memories of liberation. The focus will be on the realization of unity and freedom for the people through the ethical use of the memory of liberation. This work concludes that the dangerous memories of the people are fundamental to the construction of a nation-as-people and that the ethical use of the pacifying and dangerous memory of liberation can be a unifying factor for postcolonial countries and a fundamental resource for the construction of a nation-as-people. IQOQA Lo msebenzi uhlose ukuqhakambisa umbono wokwakha isizwe kulandelwa indlela yebhayibheli, ngenhloso yokwakha ubumbano kubona bonke abantu kwezepolitiki, babe namandla okuzimela ezweni abalakhele. Incazelo yokwakhiwa komphakathi izobe igxile kulawa matemu kaBenedict Anderson ‘omphakathi wezepolitiki esiwufisayo’ kanye ‘namandla abantu okuzimela’ ukuze kuqhakanjiswe umbono wesizwe esihambelana ncamashi nezinhloso zalo msebenzi. Lo msebenzi ugcizelela ubumqoka bombono oncike enkolweni wokufunda ibhayibheli ngendlela ebalula imizwa nosizi lwabampofu futhi ehlose ukubakhulula nokuthi bangakulibali ukuhlupheka kwabo ukuze balwele ikusasa elingcono. Ngokulandela le ndlela yokucabanga, kuba lula ukujeqeza emuva emlandweni wabantwana bakwa-Israyeli uma kudingidwa lolu daba, kuqhathaniswe nesimo esikhona eZimbabwe manje emva kohulumeni wengcindezelo. Lolu cwaningo luzosebenzisa indlela yokucubungula imibhalo kanye nokucubungula okubheka zonke izinhlaka zemicabango ukuze kuqhathaniswe ukusebenza kokujeqeza emuva elwazini olukhona ukwakha umphakathi wezepolitiki esiwufisayo ngokwencwadi kaDutheronomi kubhekwa isimo esikhona eZimbabwe manje emva kohulumeni wengcindezelo. Ukwakhiwa kwesizwe okulandela imigomo yebhayibheli, njengoba kuqhakambisa umehluko phakathi kokwakha uxolo nolwazi oluyingozi ngokucindezelwa kwamalungelo abantu, kuphakamisa indlela elungile yokulwa nengcindezi ukuletha inkululeko, ubulungiswa nokulingana ukwakha ubumbano kanye namandla okuzimela komphakathi wezepolitiki esiwufisayo. Indlela yokucubungula enxantathu izokwazi ukuhlaziya incwadi kaDutheronomi kubhekwa isimo esikhona eZimbabwe manje emva kohulumeni wengcindezelo, ukugcizelela umehluko ekusetshenzisweni kwemizamo yokwakha uxolo kanye nolwazi oluyingozi ngomzabalazo wenkululeko. Inhloso ukwakha ubumbano nokuzuza inkululeko yabantu ngendlela elungile yokujeqeza emuva olwazini lomzabalazo wenkululeko. Lo msebenzi uphetha ngokuthi ulwazi lwangaphambilini ngomzabalazo wenkululeko lubaluleke kakhulu ekwakhiweni kwesizwe nabantu futhi nokuthi ukusetshenziswa ngendlela efanele kwemizamo yokwakha uxolo nolwazi lomzabalazo wenkululeko kungaba ngenye yezindlela zokuletha uxolo emazweni asephumile phansi kwengcindezelo, kanti futhi kungaba yindlela enhle yokwakha isizwe nabantu.

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Biblical & Historical Studies, Theological Studies & Ethics) by Title