Academic literature on the topic 'Evangelical lutheran church – Namibia'

Linguistic features were used by Bishop Kleopas Dumeni of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) in the pre-independence era to persuade the audience to support the struggle for independence. Bishop Kleopas Dumeni used linguistic devices in an attempt to convince his target audience that the Namibians suffered a great deal at the hands of the colonial authorities. Thus international community support was desired to break the shackles of colonialism. Although Bishop Kleopas Dumeni employed various linguistic features in his speeches as a tool to whip up support for struggle for independence of Namibia, his language choices were never subjected to a critical examination to unravel their contribution to the effectiveness of the speeches. This paper thus examines how Bishop Dumeni used linguistic devices in his speeches to appeal to his audience as well as the effects these features had on the audience to support the struggle for Namibian independence. The paper is pegged on Aristotelian theory to reveal how language choice affects the three appeals of Aristotle namely, ethos, logos and pathos. Content analysis was used to deconstruct the selected speeches of Bishop Dumeni thereby identifying and evaluating the linguistic features in the speeches. The conclusion from this investigation is that Bishop Kleopas Dumeni effectively used the linguistic devices to woo his audience to his side to support in his efforts to end the wickedness of colonialism in Namibia.

On the worldwide scale Africa is the least-known continent demographically. Until the mid-twentieth century not even the size of the population was precisely known in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The major problems in African historical demography have either been the almost total lack of relevant sources or, if some have been available, they have been fragmentary and non-systematic. The reliability of the most commonly-used sources in African historical demography—population counts and early censuses—remained questionable until the 1960s. However, fairly far-reaching conclusions and estimations based on these sources using indirect methods have been drawn. Despite the development of methods in historical demography, the questionable source materials have naturally provided serious grounds for argumentation.An excellent example is the debate between the natalistic and antinatalistic school over changes in fertility and mortality in sub-Saharan African societies during the precolonial and early colonial period. The fragmentary nature of the available sources has offered a firm basis for the disagreement.The objective of this paper is to discuss limitations, pitfalls, and opportunities related to sources used in African historical demography. The paper first reviews the conventional sources—population counts, censuses, and surveys—and then presents an old but seldom-used group of sources, Christian parish registers. The usability of parish registers is discussed through a concrete research project based on data produced since the late nineteenth century in the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). Finally, attention is paid on widening the range of disciplines where African parish registers could be utilized.

Abstract The artworks produced at the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre at Rorke’s Drift, KwaZulu-Natal, have been highly appraised and appreciated in South African art-historical circles, not in the least so as African expressions of postcolonial and anti-apartheid resistance. The work of Namibian artist John Muafangejo (1943–1987) is prominent amongst these. In this article, while borrowing generously from the methods of art historical research, our interest is primarily in works of art as objects of material religion. Erwin Panofsky introduced iconology as a way of determining the meaning of art. Iconology wants to enable the seeing of the unseen; seeing the transcendence—making it most applicable to the study of religion as a cultural practice. This article investigates in a critical way how iconology can assist in the study of material religion, especially as applied to the study of religious art. Because meaning is contextual, the conditions under which religious objects are made and interpreted are as important as the work itself. A discussion of a specific work by John Muafangejo originating from the Rorke’s Drift Centre will be conducted by testing the potential of iconology as an analytical tool in this African Christian environment.

The membership rates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are declining; thus its position in society is becoming more and more precarious. This article focuses on a description of how charismatic religiosity, as one possible answer to the challenges faced, has gained a foothold inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and what might be the premises that have made its emergence within an institutionalized Evangelical Lutheran religion possible. Because of the several decades of work done by the association known as Spiritual Renewal in Our Church, the publication of the Bishops’ Commendation, and the Church’s awakening to the ‘crisis of the folk church’, more doors have been opened to collaboration and the search for sources of inspiration.

The twentieth Annual Congress of the European Consortium for Church and State Research was held in Järvenpää in Finland, on the subject of Religion in Criminal Law. It was held at the Training College of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, hosted by and ceremonially opened by Matti Repo, Bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland, Joni Hiitola from the Ministry of Education and Professor Sophie van Bijsterveld, President of the European Consortium.

In the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, the use of pulpit altars has never been obligatory or exclusive. However, the importance of the cult centre in the increasingly uniform internal space as a principle of interior design brought this form into life; one that is exclusively characteristic of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church. In Hungary, pulpit altars were built from the time of the Edict of Tolerance (1781) until the end of the 19th century. In their form, they were mostly to local specifications and options, which played an important role over and above the strong Western European influences. In the evolution of the typology, it is not only the interaction between the Catholic and Reformed elements that can be pinpointed but also the national differences so characteristic within the Evangelical-Lutheran Church.The Slovak, German and Hungarian speaking Lutheran communities, with their diversified and unique relationships, had enriched the forms used in church furnishing in Hungary; this can best be seen in the pulpit altars constructed in the same period.

In 2001 the Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's National Convention, meeting concurrently in Waterloo, Ontario, agreed to a relationship of Full Communion. Readers will be familiar with the Porvoo Communion and the associated Declaration. The Waterloo Declaration is similar in effect and borrows some wording from the Porvoo Declaration, the key difference being that, in the Canadian context, Anglican and Lutheran churches share the same territory, which provides greater opportunity for day-to-day collaboration.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an evaluative study of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). It is presupposed in this study that, although the ELCIN, since it became autonomous in 1954, has a long history of doing mission and diaconal work according to her Constitution, it has been recorded that, the Church is more and more lacking in the capacity to meet the challenges and needs of the Namibian post-independent society and subsequently cannot effect social transformation, yet it undoubtedly has the potential. This study focuses on the communities of the Ondangwa and Oshakati informal Settlements situated in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, in the former homeland of “Owamboland.” The study is an overview of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) with regard to her public witness before Namibia’s independence that is during 1971 to 1989 and seeks a better understanding of her functionality fundamental to the Missio Dei. Throughout its history, the Church has been called to have a deep concern for the poor and oppressed. The post-Namibian socio-economic problems present a huge challenge to the church, thus raising questions such as: How well has the Church been responding to the challenges of our times? How helpful has it been to those who turn to it to seek social justice? How helpful has it been to those who seek economic and political justice? How helpful has it been to those seeking gender equality and to the marginalised? How helpful has it been to those infected, affected and afflicted by HIV/AIDS? In short, how helpful and relevant is the Church in addressing persons, laws, structures and institutions that degrade and oppress God’s people? These questions arise from concern regarding the emerging culture of corruption and crimes in the nation as well as questions concerning the prophetic task of the Church regarding socio-political and economic issues. It is argued in this study that the socio-economic challenges faced by the informal settlement inhabitants pose a challenge to the Church regarding poverty. A holistic approach to Church‘s mission in context should embrace radical discipleship, coupled with socio-political and economic involvement, integrating both economic, social, ecological, and spiritual change, and leading to healing and transformation. This means that the mission of God is as comprehensive, broad and deep as the needs and exigencies of human existence that is why spiritual and physical ministry cannot be done separately. A holistic mission approach will enable the Christian faith to penetrate and have its roots deep in the Namibian soil. The most adequate formulation subsumes the total mission of the church under the biblical concept of marturea (witnessing), kerugma (proclamation), koinonia (fellowship) didache (teaching) and diakonia (service). The context should indicate where the emphasis ought to be, and the circumstances dictate the way in which this witness has to be communicated. It is of cardinal (paramount) importance for the Church to continuously minister to the marginalised because of its concern and divine calling to the Missio Dei. The empowerment of people in development at the grassroots level is crucial to overcoming oppression and exploitation. The Church, particularly the Evangelical Lutheran in Church in Namibia (ELCIN), has a responsibility to foster and encourage self-reliance in order that, people can exercise their rights to determine their own future, rights which include sovereignty over natural resources, land, production and distribution. It is argued in this study, based on an analysis of the Church as a Community called by God that the essence of community development and the people-centred participatory development process, is that the Church as a Community-based organization is essentially best served in effecting social change by orientating itself according to the people-centred participatory development approach. The conclusion is drawn, among the key challenges identified, that there is a need for the church to evidence holistic theology and sustainable action with regard to social responsibility. Action remains, for the most part, in a dominant charity mode. Partnership, in its various forms, is identified as necessary and as the more sustainable strategy in a context of inequality. Recommendations for action are proposed at the end of this study in order to guide the ELCIN in areas such as Ondangwa and Oshakati, to become a meaningful role player in these communities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ‘n evaluerende studie van die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN). Daar word in hierdie studie veronderstel dat, hoewel die ELKIN, sedet dit in 1954 outonoom het, ‘n lang geskiedenis het van missie en diakonale wek volgens haar Grondwet, dit aangeteken is dat die Kerk is meer en meer aan die kapasiteit ontbreek om te voldoen aan die uitdagings en die behoeftes van die Namibiese post-onafhanklike samelewing en daarom geen invloed op sosiale transformasie het nie, maar ongetwyfeld die potensiaal daartoe het. In hierdie studie word gefokus op die gemeenskappe van Ondangwa en Oshakati se informele nedersettings gelee in die Oshana-streek noorde van Namibie, in die voormalige tuisland van “Owamboland.” Die doel is om ‘n oorsig van die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN) met betrekking tot haar openbare getuienis voor Namibie se onafhanklikwording in die tydperk 1971 tot 1989, te gee en om ‘n beter begrip van haar funksies onderliggend aan die Missio Dei te bewerstelling. Dwarsdeur die geskiedenis, is die kerk geroep is om ‘n diepe besorgheid vir die armes en onderdruktes te he. Die post-Namibiese sosioekonomiese problem bied ‘n groot uitdaging aan die kerk, dus die vehoging in die aantaal vrae soos: Hoe goed het die Kerk ge reageer op die uitdagings van ons tyd? Hoe dra die Kerk tot die soeke na sosiale geregtigheid? Hoe nuttig is dit aan diegene wat die ekonomiese en politieke geregtigheid soek? Hoe dra die Kerk by tot die soeke na geslagsgelykheid en hulp aan diegene wat gemarginaliseer word? Watter hulp bied bied die Kerk aan diegene wat met MIV/vigs besmet is of wat daardeur geraak en verdruk word? In kort, hoe nuttig en relevant is die kerk in die aanspreek van persone, wette, structure en instellings wat God se volk verneder en verdruk? Hierdie vrae ontstaan as gevolg van die kommer wat ontstaan weens die opkomende kultuur van korrupsie en misdaad in die land sowel as vrae oor die profetiese taak van die Kerk ten opsigte van sosio-politieke en ekonomiese kwessies. Daar word aangevoer word in hierdie studied at die sosio-ekonomiese van die inwoners van die informele nedersetting ‘n uitdaging aan die kerk ten opsigte van armoede. ‘n holistiese benadering tot die Kerk se sending in die konteks moet omhels radikale dissipelskap, tesame met ‘n sosio-politieke en ekonomiese betrokkenheid, die integrasie van beide die ekonomiese, sosiale, ekologiese, en geestelike verandering behels. Dit lei tot genesing en transformasie. Dit beteken dat die missie van God net so omvattende, breed en diep is soos die behoeftes en vereistes van die menslike bestaan, dit is waarom die geestelike en die fisiese ministerie kan nie apart gedoen kan word nie. ‘n holistiese missie benadering sal die Christelike geloof in staat stel om deur te dring en het sy wortels diep in die Namibiese grond. Die mees geskikte formulering behels die totale missie van die kerk onder die Bybelse konsep van marturea (getuie), kerugma (verkondiging), koinonia (gemeenskap) en diakonia (diens). Die konteks behoort te le en die omstandighede dikteer die manier waarop hierdie getuienis gekomminikeer word. Dit is van kardinale belang vir die Kerk om voortdurend die Word aan hierdie mense te bring, en om hul te versorg, in hehoorsaamhed aan die goddelike roeping tot die Missio Dei. Die bemagtiging van mense en hul ontwikkeling op voetsoolvlak is noodsaaklik vir die voorkoming van onderdrukking en uitbuiting. Die kerk, veral die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN), het ‘n verantwoordelikheid om selfstangigeheid te be vorder en aan te moedig, sodat mense hul regte, hul eie toekoms, soewereiniteit oor natuurlike hulpbronne, die land, produksie en verspreiding kan bepaal en uitoefen. Daar word aangevoer in hierdie studie, wat gebaseer is op ‘n analise van die Kerk as ‘n Gemeenskap wat deur God geroep is, dat die essensie van ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap en die mens-gesentreerde deelnemende ontwikkeling proses, is dat die Kerk as ‘n gemeenskaps-baseerde organisasie in wese die beste gedien word in die bewerkstelliging van sosiale verandering, deur om te orienteer in die rigting van mens-gesentreerde deelnemende ontwikkeling. Nadat sleutel uitdagings uitgeken word, word die studie afgesluit deurdat daar tot die slotsam gekom word dat daar getuiens gelewer moet word holistiese teologie en volhoubare aksie met betrekking tot sosiale verantwoordelikheid. Aksie sal nog steeds hoofsaaklik liefdadig van aard wees maar daar word vasgestel dat Vennootskappe, in die konteks van ongelykheid, die mees volhoudbare strategie blyk te wees. Aanbevelings vir aksie word aan die einde van hierdie studie gedoen om die ELKIN te lei in gebiede soos Ondangwa and Oshakati, ‘n betekenis volle rol speel.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a historical investigation of the role of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) regarding social development with special attention to education as an agency of social change. ELCIN is the largest Lutheran church in Namibia, which was born out of the Finnish missionary activities after their arrival in the former Ovamboland in 1870. The Finnish missionaries became the first missionaries to do mission work in Ovamboland. This qualifies them to be regarded as pioneers of social development and of the transformation of society through education among the Ovambo people. ELCIN’s humble beginnings started as a mission field and developed into mission congregations; thereafter as a mission church and finally as independent church in 1954. The study shows that since its inception ELCIN has been committed to serve her members holistically (spiritually and socially). The focus of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the role ELCIN played to bring about development through education. The study therefore attempts to answer questions regarding the role the Finnish missionaries played in education and should be understood within the broader context of the history of ELCIN, for example, what arrangements were made and what developments took place during the indigenization process. Further, the study points out the educational challenges ELCIN encountered during the time of social development through education. In answering these questions, the study demonstrates how ELCIN played a decisive role in social development in Ovamboland, especially by way of education and training. The study refers to both informal (Christian) and formal (general or inclusive secular) education and the role each of these forms of education played in social change. The study also reflects on the engagement between ELCIN and the context resulting from the South African mandate in Namibia (then South West Africa). Finally, it is recommended that, in light of the positive contribution made by ELCIN to the social development of its members and communities by way of education in the past, it should continue this role in an independent Namibia. This could be done by way of intensifying Christian education among its members in order to educate and inspire people to remain faithful to their Christian values. In this way, ELCIN will continue to play a meaningful role in the life of communities and their members.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie is ‘n historiese ondersoek na die rol van die Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) ten opsigte van sosiale ontwikkeling met spesiale verwysing na opvoeding as ‘n agent vir sosiale verandering. ELCIN is een van die grootste Lutherse kerke in Namibië, wat ontstaan het uit die aktiwiteite van die Finse sendelinge na hulle aankoms in die eertydse Ovamboland in 1870. Die Finse sendelinge was die eerste sendelinge wat sendingwerk in Ovamboland onderneem het. As gevolg hiervan word hulle beskou as pioniers van sosiale ontwikkeling en transformasie in die gemeenskap deur die opvoeding van die mense van Ovamboland. ELCIN het sy nederige ontstaan gehad as ‘n sendingveld en het ontwikkel tot sendinggemeentes; daarna tot ‘n sendingkerk en uiteindelik in 1954 tot ‘n onafhanklike kerk. Die studie dui aan dat ELCIN sedert sy ontstaan toegewyd was aan die taak om sy lede op ‘n holistiese vlak (geestelik en sosiaal) te ontwikkel. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot ‘n dieper begrip van die rol wat ELCIN gespeel het ten opsigte van hierdie ontwikkeling. Die studie het dus gepoog om vrae te beantwoord oor die rol wat die Finse sendelinge in opvoeding gespeel het en behoort verstaan te word binne die breër konteks van die geskiendenis van ELCIN. Watter reëlings is getref en watter ontwikkelings het plaasgevind gedurende die inheemswordingsproses? Die studie dui verder op die opvoedkundige uitdagings wat ELCIN gedurende die tyd van sosiale ontwikkeling deur opvoeding ondervind het. Ter beantwoording van hierdie vrae word deur die studie aangedui hoe ELCIN ‘n deurslaggewende rol in die sosiale ontwikkeling van Ovamboland gespeel het, veral deur middel van opvoeding en opleiding. Die studie verwys na beide informele (Christelike) en formele (algemene of inklusiewe) opvoeding en na die rol wat elk van hierdie vorms van opvoeding gespeel het ten opsigte van sosiale verandering. Die studie kyk ook eers na die verhouding tussen ELCIN en die Suid‐Afrikaanse regering gedurende Namibië (die destydse Suidwes‐Afrika) se jare as mandaatgebied en daarna word aanbevelings gemaak. In die lig van die positiewe bydrae wat ELCIN in die verlede gemaak het tot sosiale ontwikkeling, word aanbeveel dat hierdie bydrae in ‘n onafhanklike Namibië voortgesit word. Dit behoort te geskied deur ‘n intensifisering van Christelike onderwys onder lede ten einde die mense op te voed en te inspireer om getrou te bly aan hulle Christelike waardes. Op hierdie wyse sal ELCIN voortgaan om ‘n betekensivolle rol in die lewe van die gemeenskappe en hul lede te speel.

This volume lists those church records housed in Moshi and two other places in Tanzania that have been digitized under a project initially sponsored by the British Library's 'Endangered Archives' programme. Copies of the DVDs, covering a total of 40,000 pages, have been deposited at the Tanzania National Archive in Dar es Salaam and at the British Library, as well as in Moshi itself. They relate to documents written in German or Swahili between 1897 and 1950.

The topic of my study is: Becoming a missional church- the case of Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (ELCSA). The lack of missional astuteness and intelligence emanating from Christendom mind-sets and agendas is detrimental to the growth of the church and is creating missional chaos and paralysis; this is what I am struggling with in my study. The challenge I am grappling with is that the ELCSA as a church has been exposed to a variety and multiplicity of missional cultures and mission settings through a diversity of missionaries operating from different missional landscape and backgrounds. The various and differing missional histories has created inconsistencies in the theological foundations that underpin and add force to her missional outlook and maturity. As the church considers becoming a missional church, there is an imperative need to radically revisit her traditional ecclesiologies in order to develop a clearer understanding of her missional vocation. The missional direction of the church is in quandary, partly because of the leadership failure to manage the contradictory and inconsistent missional attempts and missional immaturity within the ELCSA. Leadership development and formation within the Lutheran training institutes in Southern Africa, which are crucial in church life seems inadequate from a curriculum perspective. Failure to understand and appreciate the current missional language will inadvertently confuse the church’s understanding of God’s mission in the world (missio Dei). The challenge facing the ELCSA will therefore be an imperative and absolute need to move from a church with mission to a missional church. The study seeks to further explore and investigate insights from the ELCSA’s mission history with a view of determining the missional health and checking whether the church has a comprehension and understanding of the concept and language of a missional church and missional leadership. In this study I will also attempt to answer two possible sub-problems of the study viz. How does the ELCSA create a missional leadership aptitude environment and how does the ELCSA implement the missional conversation(s) to the operating landscape of the church? This study will also contrast the attractional and incarnational mindsets I reflect in the conclusion the significance and importance of a missional church and highlight the characteristics or indicators of such a church by applying it to the ELCSA. Recommendations are indicated for consideration by the ELCSA and are not presented as an answer or solution to the challenge that the church is facing.
Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Science of Religion and Missiology
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