To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Poverty – Religious aspects – Uganda.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Poverty – Religious aspects – Uganda'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Poverty – Religious aspects – Uganda.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Flowers, Daniel R. "Explaining poverty : Protestantism and the poor." Virtual Press, 2008. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1391230.
Full textAbstract:
This study uses data from the 1990 General Social Survey to examine how Protestants explain the existence of poverty. The denominations are categorized using Steensland et al's (2000) methodology and include evangelical, mainline, and black Protestants. This study seeks to expand on prior research which uses Feagin's (1975) individualistic and structuralistic explanation scales to examine how individuals explain why people are poor. Individual explanations investigated include lack of effort, loose morals, poor schools, and lack of jobs. Ordered Logistic Regression models are used to investigate differences between the Protestant groups. Findings indicate support for Smith's (1998) subcultural theory of identity as evangelicals are more likely to assert loose morals as an important reason for why people are poor. Additionally, black Protestants were also more likely than mainline Protestants to indicate loose morals is an important explanation for poverty indicating a possible shift away from their traditional structuralistic oriented belief system.Department of Sociology
2
Menatsi, Richard. "The concept of "the people" in liberation theology." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015654.
Full textAbstract:
The concept of "the people" has become a key concept within the work of several Latin American theologians, Korean Minjung theologians and South African theologians. When liberation theologians use the concept of "the people" in their literature they do so with a lack of clarity, to the extent that the exact meaning of the term is obscure. In their usage of the concept "the people" liberation theologians come up with differing and at times contradictory meanings, particularly as regards the concrete and symbolic meanings of the concept. This thesis sets out to investigate the use of the concept "the people" by liberation theologians by consulting a selection from Latin American theology, Korean Minjung theology, South African liberation theology and Marxism, to detect its influence on the use of this notion. A general overview of the thesis indicates the following. The first chapter provides a detailed analysis of the concept of "the people" in the work of different liberation theologians. Chapter two considers "the people" in relation to poverty and oppression. The third chapter deals with "the people" as subjects of history. In the fourth chapter "the people" as a concept is developed in relation to belief within the Christian church. The final chapter is an evaluation. The thesis reveals that the following characteristics are central to "the people", they are poor and oppressed but are also inclusive of all those persons who identify and actively support the struggle against poverty and oppression. "The people" are subjects of their own history, finally they are Christian believers.
3
Jansen, Cedric Benjamin. "Die plek van armoedeverligting binne die kerk se sendingtaak: 'n kritiese analise van die Suid-Afikaanse missiologiese diskoers." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2007. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_5184_1256899968.
Full textAbstract:
It is the aim of this study to determine the location of poverty alleviation within the framework of the church's missionary activity. The following three approaches will be examined, namely a dualistic approach, the approach of liberation theology and a multi-dimensional approach. The author analysed literature of writers within the context of South African missiological discourse.
4
Mathewson, Susanna Elizabeth. "Spiritual nurturing of children living in the context of poverty, with specific reference to the role of the christian childrenn's worker." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17988.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research was to identify the role of the Christian children’s worker in the spiritual nurturing of children living in the context of poverty. The nurturing of about twelve million poverty-stricken children in South Africa is an overwhelming task. This is especially true when these Christian children’s workers are an unrecognised force and unsure what such nurturing entails. Unintentionally children could be harmed by hurtful actions. This research is placed within the field of Practical Theology and has been undertaken from a Christian spiritual perspective. The thesis is designed as a literature study and utilised Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems approach as a lens in the research. It considered the effects of poverty on children and investigated children’s spiritual development in a context of poverty. An exploration of childhood poverty revealed that poverty is by nature complex, multidimensional and never stands on its own. Children’s lives are entangled within the web of poverty affecting all their life contexts. The invisible “violence” of poverty shapes all areas of children’s lives, leaving scars on their physical, cognitive, educational, emotional, behavioural, social and spiritual development which is carried throughout life. An investigation of children’s spiritual development revealed a renewed interest in children’s spirituality from different perspectives, which resulted in different emphases. Children’s spirituality, like a diamond which has multiple dimensions, includes relational consciousness, awareness-, mystery- and value-sensing, and concerns the wellness of the whole-person. Christian children’s spirituality, in addition, emphasises a conscious relationship with God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Context, contextual learning and care for the whole child, which is based on a Christian premise, are essential aspects in the process of a child’s spiritual journey. The role of the Christian children’s worker is to ensure that spiritual nurture embraces all aspects of the lives of poverty-stricken children Practical theological reflections revealed that the perceptions of the Christian children’s worker can influence the effectiveness of ministry. Dangers of having a god complex, dualistic views, compartmentalising ministry and a flawed anthropology of children result in ineffective ministry. In contrast, even though poverty affects all relationships, God is already present with the poor, and the face of God can be found in each child. This requires treating them with dignity and guiding them in restored relationships. The principal conclusion was that the Christian children’s worker can play an important role in the spiritual nurturing of poverty-stricken children. The role includes providing a context of regular relationships with a high level of warmth, support and loving care and offering a Christ-centred Christian children’s ministry where children become aware of God’s presence in their lives. The challenge of conflicting tensions, such as financing resources, meaningful relationships with larger groups and ministry to non-Christian children, will remain. Further research is needed on the interplay between spiritual development and childhood poverty and how to explore God’s presence in larger groups among South Africa’s poor children.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die Christelike kinderwerker se rol in die geestelike versorging van kinders in ‘n konteks van armoede te bepaal. Die geestelike versorging van die sowat 12 miljoen kinders in Suid-Afrika vasgevang in armoede is ʼn ontsaglike taak, veral in kontekste waar Christelike kinderwerkers nie juis veel erkenning ontvang nie en boonop onseker is van wat geestelike versorging in hierdie konteks behels. As gevolg hiervan kan ondeurdagte optrede kinders onopsetlik skade aandoen. Hierdie navorsing word vanuit ‘n Praktiese Teologiese- en ʼn Christelike-geestelike hoek gedoen. Die tesis is ontwerp as ʼn literatuurstudie, en gebruik Bronfenbrenner se ekologiesesisteembenadering as analitiese lens. Die navorsing handel oor die uitwerking van armoede op kinders, en ondersoek veral kinders se geestelike ontwikkeling in ‘n konteks van armoede. ʼn Verkenning van kinderarmoede bring aan die lig dat armoede van nature kompleks en multidimensioneel is en nooit alleen staan nie. Kinderlewens is verstrik in die web van armoede, wat ál hulle lewenskontekste raak. Die onsigbare ‘geweld’ van armoede het ʼn uitwerking op alle gebiede van kinders se lewens, en laat letsels op kinders se fisiese, kognitiewe, opvoedkundige, emosionele, gedrags-, sosiale en geestelike ontwikkeling wat hulle lewenslank met hulle saamdra. ʼn Ondersoek na kinders se geestelike ontwikkeling dui op hernude belangstelling in dié onderwerp uit verskillende perspektiewe, wat natuurlik ook verskillende aspekte beklemtoon. Soos ʼn diamant met sy veelvuldige dimensies, sluit kindergeestelikheid ʼn relasionele bewussyn sowel as ʼn bewustheids-, misterie- en waardebesef in, en handel oor die welstand van die persoon in sy geheel. Christelike kindergeestelikheid plaas voorts die klem op ʼn bewuste verhouding met God in Jesus Christus deur die Heilige Gees. Konteks, kontekstuele leer, en versorging van die kind in sy geheel – alles gegrond op Christelike beginsels – is noodsaaklike komponente van ʼn kind se geestelike reis. Die rol van die Christelike kinderwerker is om te verseker dat geestelike versorging alle aspekte van die lewens van armoedige kinders omsluit. Praktiese Teologiese refleksie toon dat die opvattings van die Christelike kinderwerker die doeltreffendheid van bediening kan beïnvloed. Die gevare van ʼn godkompleks, dualistiese sienings, die kompartementalisering van die bediening, en ʼn gebrekkige antropologie van kinders lei tot ondoeltreffende bediening. Desondanks, selfs al beïnvloed armoede alle verhoudings, is God alreeds by die armes teenwoordig, en waar kinders is, is Hy in hulle sigbaar. Daarom moet hulle met waardigheid behandel en tot herstelde verhoudings begelei word. Die hoofgevolgtrekking is dat die Christelike kinderwerker ʼn belangrike rol in die geestelike versorging van armoedige kinders kan speel. Dié rol sluit in die voorsiening van ʼn omgewing van bestendige verhoudings met baie warmte, steun en liefderike sorg, en die bied van ʼn Christusgerigte Christelike kinderbediening waardeur kinders bewus word van God se teenwoordigheid in hul lewens. Tog duur die uitdaging van botsende spanninge, soos hulpbronfinansiering, sinvolle verhoudings met groot groepe, en bediening aan nie- Christenkinders, voort. Verdere navorsing is nodig oor die wisselwerking tussen kinders se geestelike ontwikkeling en kinderarmoede, en hoe om groot groepe uit Suid-Afrika se arm kinders God se teenwoordigheid te laat beleef.
5
Marais, Stanley Dawson. "'n Missionale ekklesiologiese praksis evaluasie ten opsigte van die Kerk se bediening in die Stellenbosch area : 'n gevalle studie." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17455.
Full textAbstract:
Assignment (MDiv)--University Stellenbosch, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The researcher makes a study of poverty in the Stellenbosch area and the reaction of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) towards this problem. He is convinced that even though the aid given to the poor is a common practice in church it is usually just relief orientated, and not focused on long-term community development. To evaluate the church's response to poverty the Bible's standard should be studied. That is why chapter 2 will study the Old and New Testament and the biblical reactions on poverty. In chapter 3 the profile of the Stellenbosch area will be laid out with the focus on the Cloetesville and Kayamandi area and their needs. Chapter 4 will study the general Synod's national response to poverty, with a later focus on the workings of BADISA in the western cape and then the DRC motherchurch of Stellenbosch as a case study on how they react to the problem of poverty in their area. The researcher will then close the argument with a evaluation of this response and a summary of what has been said.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorser doen ondersoek oor die armoede in die Stellenbosch area en die Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) se reaksie daarop. Hy is van oortuiging dat alhoewel die hulpverlening aan die armes algemeen is in die kerk, dit gewoonlik armoedeverligting is en nie gemeenskapsontwikkeling wat langtermyn effekte het nie. Om die kerk se response te evauleer op armoede word dit gemeet aan die standaard van die Bybel. Daarom word daar in hoofstuk 2 die Ou en Nuwe Testament bestudeer en die bybelse reaksies op armoede. In hoofstuk 3 word die Stellenbosch area se profiel uiteengelê met die fokus op Cloetesville en Kayamandi en hulle behoeftes. In hoofstuk 4 word die Algemene Sinode van die NGK se nationale reaksie op armoede bestudeer, met ‘n latere fokus op eerste BADISA se werksaamhede in die Wes-kaap en dan NGKerk moedergemeente Stellenbosch as ‘n gevalle studie oor hoe hulle armoede in hulle omgewing benader. Die navorser sluit dan af met ‘n evaluering van hierdie response en die algehele samevatting.
6
Van, Deventer Wilhelm Visser. "Poverty and a practical ministry of liberation and development within the context of the traditional Venda concept of man." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/2394.
Full text
7
Brown, Janet L. "HIV/AIDS alienation : between prejudice and acceptance." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5491.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (DTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation aimed to ascertain, in a practical theological way, how to bridge the gulf between the congregation and the AIDS community using home based care as the vehicle of change. The initial hypotheses of the research were based upon a model initially developed by World Vision in Nkhotakota, Malawi. The research question, which the study address, is as follows: 1. Can the negative attitudes, prejudices and behaviours which are held and demonstrated by many in the church towards those suffering with HIV/AIDS, be changed by using deliberate attempts to alter their perspective of this pandemic by providing accurate information, in juxtaposition with the demonstration of Christ’s love and compassion to this community? 2. In conjunction to this first question comes a second: Can the compassionate outreach of the church, as it follows Christ’s mandate to love change the perspective of those in the HIV/AIDS community so that instead of viewing the church (as a whole) as cold and unloving, their perception will change with the demonstration of such love and compassion by its membership that they begin to see the church as a source of hope and love? To describe the contextual situation in which this study takes place, the historical background concerning the church’s response to the issue of the HIV/AIDS pandemic was explored in chapter two. The third chapter discusses the cultural paradigmatic focuses, unique to the African situation, with attention to the role in the church as it seeks to comply with its mandated mission. Chapter four then examines the cultural practices found, specifically in the Malawian context, that promote the spread and transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus amongst the Chewa people and the surrounding tribes. Over and against the identified traditional practices and their interrelationship with the worldviews of the people of Malawi, chapter five focuses on the practical theological implications of the church seeing to find identity in Christ. The ramifications of the praxis process regarding this hermeneutic, in consideration with the response of the Church as it seeks to reflect the character of the God, as represented primarily by the attribute of love towards those who are suffering from being infected or affected by this disease are explored in this chapter. It deals with the theological ramifications concerning the faith community as it represents the body of Christ by providing eschatological hope to this suffering world. The remaining chapters describe the methodology and praxis process utilizing the research hypothesis developed from the Nkhotakota model. Final conclusions were then drawn in order to provide understanding as to how to obediently participate in God’s witness to the world as the faith community addresses the problem of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in very poor areas in Malawi. Although the initial optimistic goals of this research were not met as anticipated, essential discoveries that illuminate the faulty paradigms associated with critical issues such as the effects of abject poverty were exposed. Difficulties that were initially considered secondary to the main thrust of this research, whose complexities are generally misunderstood by the western paradigm came to light as the praxis process unfolded. Attempts to sidestep stark issues such as poverty, in order to address the ‘real’ issues under study served to highlight these problems as their magnitude forced their recognition and consideration. This research has exposed is the necessity for further exploration into the intricate ramifications of issues such poverty by demonstrating the unfortunate fact that for those struggling to survive at the lowest levels of Maslow’s hierarchy, the luxury of benevolent service is simply not possible. For these, there is no other issue but survival. Calling on these sufferers to act as ‘the church’ when their need is so dire is not only unrealistic, it borders on sacrilege.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis beoog om op ‘n prakties-teologiese wyse vas te stel hoe om die kloof tussen ‘n gemeente en ‘n Vigs-gemeenskap te oorbrug met tuisversorging as medium van verandering. Die aanvanklike hipoteses van die navorsing is gebaseer op ‘n model wat oorspronklik deur World Vision by Nkhotakota, Malawi, ontwikkel is. Die navorsingsvraag waarop dié studie gerig word, is die volgende: 1. Kan die negatiewe houding, vooroordele en optrede van baie kerklidmate teenoor MIV/Viglyers verander word deur die gebruik van doelgerigte pogings om hul siening van hierdie pandemie te wysig deur die verskaffing van die korrekte inligting, tesame met blyke van Christus se liefde en medelye aan hierdie gemeenskap? 2. Tesame met hierdie eerste vraag, volg ‘n tweede. Kan die kerk se deernisvolle uitreik, met die betoning en uitvoer van Christus se opdrag om liefde te gee, die siening van mense in die MIV/Vigs gemeenskap só wysig dat, in plaas dat hulle die kerk (as ‘n geheel) ervaar as koud en liefdeloos, hulle hierdie begrip wysig deur die lidmate se betoning van dié liefde en deernis, dat hulle begin om die kerk te beskou as ‘n bron van hoop en liefde? Die beskrywing van die kontekstuele situasie waarin hierdie studie plaasvind, sowel as die historiese agtergrond ten opsigte van die kerk se respons tot die vraagstuk van die MIV/Vigs pandemie, is in hoofstuk twee ondersoek. Die derde hoofstuk bespreek die kulturele paradigmatiese fokusse, uniek aan toestande in Afrika. Dit gee aandag aan die rol van die kerk in sy doelwit om sy sendingmandaat uit te voer. Hoofstuk vier ondersoek die kulturele praktyke wat, spesifiek in die Malawiese konteks, die verspreiding en transmissie van die MIV/Vigs virus onder die Chewa bevolking en omliggende stamme bevorder. Bo en behalwe die geïdentifiseerde tradisionele praktyke en hul betrekking op die Malawiërs se lewens- en wêreldbeskouing, fokus hoofstuk vyf op die prakties-teologiese implikasies van die liefdesgebod. Die uitgangspunt van die hoofstuk is dat die kerk in haar uitreik tot hulle wat ly, iets van die (liefde) karakter van God moet weerspieël. Die praxis proses het dus liefde as hermeneutiese sleutel. Teologies gesproke moet die geloofsgemeenskap, as die liggaam van Christus, eskatologies hoop aan hierdie lydende wêreld verskaf. Die res van die hoofstukke beskryf die metodologie, proses en navorsingshipotese wat ontwikkel is uit die Nkhotakota model. Die finale gevolgtrekkings spreek die probleem aan van hoe om die MIV/Vigs pandemie onder mense wat in uiters arm stedelike areas in Malawi woon, aan te spreek en ‘n Christelike getuienis te lewer. Al is die aanvanklike optimistiese doelwitte van hierdie navorsing deels bereik, is wesenlike ontdekkings gemaak wat die foutiewe paradigmas in verband met kritieke vraagstukke, soos die invloed van volslae armoede, blootgelê. Probleme wat aanvanklik sekondêr beskou is tot die hoofmikpunt van die navorsing het aan die lig gekom in die navorsingsproses. Dit was duidelik dat die ingrype in die gemeenskap die vervreemding tussen die kerk en vigslyers positief verander het. Veel meer waardering en aanvaarding het ontwikkel. Maar: die kompleksiteit van die probleem word in die algemeen deur die westerse paradigma oppervlakkig verstaan. Die navorsing het bepaalde implikasies van armoede en blootgelê. Vir mense wat op die laagste vlakke van Maslow se behoeftes-rangorde ‘n stryd het om te bestaan, is die luukse van vrywillige diens aan ander eenvoudig nie moontlik nie. Vir hulle is een saak oorheersend: oorlewing. Om vanuit ‘n lewe vol sekuriteite hierdie armes op te roep om op te tree as onbetaalde dienswerkers, terwyl hul eie nood so groot is, is nie net onrealisties nie, maar ongevoelig.
8
Smalridge, Scott. "Early American Pentecostalism and the issues of race, gender, war, and poverty : a history of the belief system and social witness of early twentieth century Pentecostalism and its nineteenth century holiness roots." Thesis, McGill University, 1998. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=21265.
Full textAbstract:
Early American Pentecostalism had an ambiguous social witness, which contained both radical and conservative elements. The millennarian-restorationist core of the Pentecostal belief system was prophetic and counter-cultural in that it inspired adherents to denounce the injustices of the status quo and announce the justice of the soon-coming Kingdom of God. Consequently, in the earliest years of the American movement, many Pentecostals, professed and practiced (1) racial equality, (2) gender equality, (3) pacifism, and (4) anti-capitalism. However, this prophetic social witness co-existed, from the very beginning, with a strong conservative ethos, which defended the norms, beliefs, and values of nineteenth-century 'Evangelical America' against the apparent religious and cultural 'anarchy' of modern society. As Pentecostal groups (especially white Pentecostal groups such as the Assemblies of God) organised, institutionalised, and rose in socioeconomic status, the prophetic voices of early Pentecostalism were increasingly ignored, and the conservative ethos grew to dominate Pentecostal social concerns.
9
Magezi, Vhumani. "Life beyond infection : home-based pastoral care to people with HIV-positive status within a context of poverty." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1085.
Full text
10
Landman, Leanne. "Restoring Shalom in the economy." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51899.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates why human poverty and environmental degradation still exist to the extent that they do in a world where there appears to be sufficient scientific and social knowledge to reduce them considerably. It asserts that the reason they continue to exist on such a large scale is because their root cause - a mistaken understanding of humanity's role in creation - has not been sufficiently examined. Humanity's mistaken understanding of ourselves as the Cartesian lords of creation is addressed by introducing the Biblically-based concept of Shalom, as interpreted by theologians Ulrich Duchrow and Gerhard Liedke in their book, Shalom. Biblical Perspectives on Creation, Justice and Peace (1987). The concept stresses how our exploitative relationship towards creation results in destructive relationships with our fellow human beings and ultimately with God. The thesis argues that global capitalism's central value of accumulating wealth for its own sake has severely disrupted Shalom in society and the rest of creation. Using a second work of theologian Ulrich Duchrow, Alternatives to Global Capitalism. Drawn from Biblical History Designed for Political Action (1995), the social and environmental poverty inducing structures within the world economy are highlighted. It is asserted that in order to reduce poverty and environmental degradation within the economy, this central value of wealth accumulation for its own sake has to be replaced with one that seeks to satisfy the basic needs of all people. The thesis also discusses the inability of the South African government's macro economic strategy - the Growth, Employment and Redistribution plan (GEAR)- to create Shalom. In order for the macro-economic strategy of South Africa to address the exploitative relationships that exist within the economy, it is argued that a more critical attitude towards the values and structures of the market economy is needed.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die vraag hoekom armoede en omgewingsaftakeling steeds bestaan in 'n wêreld waar genoegsame wetenskaplike en sosiale kennis beskikbaar is om dit aansienlik te verminder. Dit argumenteer dat die rede waarom hierdie probleme op so 'n groot skaal voortbestaan, is omdat hulle grondoorsaak - 'n verkeerde verstaan van die mens se rol in die skepping - nie voldoende ondersoek is nie. Die mensdom se misverstaan van sigself as die Cartesiaanse meesters van die skepping word aangespreek deur die ondersoek van die Bybels-gebasseerde konsep van Shalom, soos geïnterpreteer deur die teoloë Ulrich Duchrow and Gerhard Liedke in hulle boek Shalom. Biblical Perspectives on Creation, Justice and Peace (1987). Die konsep benadruk hoe ons eksploiterende verhouding tot die skepping resulteer in 'n vernietigende verhouding met ons medemens en uiteindelik, met God. Die tesis argumenteer dat globale kapitalisme, met die akkumulasie van welvaart vir sigself as sentrale waarde, Shalom ondermyn in die wêreld en die res van die skepping. Deur gebruik te maak van 'n tweede werk van die teoloog Ulrich Duchrow, Alternatives to Global Capitalism. Drawn from Biblical History Designed for Political Action (1995), word die strukture wat sosiale- en omgewings-armoede veroorsaak binne die wêreldekonomie, ondersoek. Dit word gestel dat, ten einde armoede en omgewingsvernietiging te verminder, hierdie sentrale waarde van welvaartakkumulasie vir sigself vervang moet word met een wat daarna streef om die basiese behoeftes van mense te bevredig. Die onvermoë van die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se makro-ekonomiese strategie, naamlik die Groei-, Werkskeppings- en Herverdelingsprogram (GEAR) - om Shalom te skep, word ook bespreek. Dit word geargumenteer dat, ten einde 'n situasie te bereik waar die makro-ekonomiese strategie van Suid Afrika die eksploiterende verhoudings binne die ekonomie aanspreek, 'n meer kritiese houding ten opsigte van die waardes en strukture van die vryemark ekonomie benodig word.
11
Aguiar, Jorge Roberto de Araújo. "Entre a ordem legitimadora da dominação e a esperança de libertação : um estudo sobre o conceito de pobre em Jon Sobrino." Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, 2011. http://www.unicap.br/tede//tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=630.
Full textAbstract:
Examinamos, neste trabalho, o sentido do termo "pobre" na obra O princípio misericórdia de Jon Sobrino, a partir do pensamento do sociólogo Pierre Bourdieu. A ideia do pobre como sacramento de Deus vem sendo transmitida por longa tradição. Essa tradição volta a aparecer no cristianismo profético da teologia da libertação especialmente em Jon Sobrino. Procurei inferir subsídios para uma nova hermenêutica do pobre, não mais como uma categoria sociológica, porém como sacramento. A razão simbólica em Jon Sobrino se caracteriza pela gratuidade, sua luta simbólica tenta mudar as categorias de percepção e apreciação do mundo social, as esruturas cognitivas e de avaliação. Quatro momentos dão estrutura a esta dissertação. O primeiro enfocará as questões de ordem teórico-metodológica da pesquisa, especificamente a teoria do poder simbólico, espaço social e violência simbólica em Pierre Bourdieu, que serão utilizadas para compreender o conteúdo da categoria "pobre" em Jon Sobrino. O segundo momento verificará os possíveis sentidos do termo pobre a partir da teoria da dominação simbólica em Pierre Bourdieu. No terceiro momento, analisaremos as diversas representações sobre a pobreza, na produção de alguns teólogos da libertação na América latina, articulando com o sentido dado por Jon Sobrino. E, por fim, no quarto momento, verificaremos as transformações semânticas do termo pobre em O Princípio Misericórdia
12
Brolhani, Cristina Aparecida. "CONSOLIDAÇÃO OU MUDANÇA? UMA ANÁLISE FEMINISTA DA PASTORAL DA CRIANÇA." Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, 2004. http://tede.metodista.br/jspui/handle/tede/363.
Full textAbstract:
Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:20:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1
Capa.pdf: 6910 bytes, checksum: 50c453bfdfbf84087c5aea1573f20ee6 (MD5)
Previous issue date: 2004-02-27Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
The main focus of this thesis is to investigate the potential for liberation of women beyond the system of kyriarchical domination in the nongovernmental organisation, Pastoral da Criança, an organisation connected to CNBB (National Brazilian Bishops Conference). The research is partly also interested in the question of the extend to which the Pastoral da Criança is influenced by either the Ecclesial Base Communities or the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement. Methodologically a field research is set up in the region of Curitiba utilising semi- structured interviews with twelve women working in the organisation. As theoretical framework, it is used theories developed in Social Sciences as sociology, psychology, psychoanalysis and theology. The feminist qualitative data analysis shows the discursive social representations of the women, the perception of their own identities and the importance of the organisation in the construction of their lives. It brings to the conclusion that the organisation merely reproduces the traditional profile of women with almost exclusive emphasis on the traditional characteristics of motherhood. On the other hand the organisation facilitates for the women the construction of communitarian networks. The Pastoral da Criança is linked to a neo- liberal system of thinking that reproduces the dominating kyriarchal discourse of the Catholic Church hierarchy and of an hygienist medical system. These institutions appropriate women s bodies and lives and reduce them to merely biological, reproductive and nurturing functions. The organization is characterised by activities which do not delve into the root causes of poverty, but it only tries to decrease the effects and consequences of poverty. In the teaching and learning sessions of the organisation a banking system of education is used which reproduces domination and dependency relations for poor women. The organisation, though within the framework of religious ideology, is not systematically embedded in a religious space. A suggestion related to the present situation would be that the organisation could be opened to feminist values and ideas in the field of health and religion in order to promote real liberation and empowerment of poor women. This recommendation is in line with the openness, need for reflection and knowledge shown by the interviewed women in their reactions to the researcher approach during the field research. The limitation in this research is related to the location which do not present any influence from social movements.(AU)
O objetivo central desta tese é investigar o potencial de transformação social da organização não-governamental, ligada a CNBB(Confederação Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil).- Pastoral da Criança - para a libertação de mulheres que lá atuam, das relações de dominação e opressões inerentes ao contexto kyriarchal. Esta pesquisa procura considerar o espaço religioso subjacente à organização em decorrência das influências das CEBs (Comunidades Eclesiais de Base) e do MRCC (Movimento de Renovação Católica Carismática). É feita pesquisa de campo na região de Curitiba com observações e entrevistas semi-estruturadas com doze mulheres atuando na Pastoral da Criança, valorizando-se a relação intersubjetiva entre pesquisadora e pessoas envolvidas na pesquisa. A análise qualitativa de dados em relação ao marco teórico feminista desenvolvido em Ciências Sociais pela sociologia, psicanálise e também a teologia, mostra o discurso das representações sociais das mulheres envolvidas, a percepção de suas próprias identidades e a importância da organização na construção de suas vidas. Nos traz a conclusão que a organização reproduz o perfil tradicional de mulheres na função materna e facilita a formação de redes comunitárias. Averigua-se que a Pastoral da Criança está vinculada ao sistema neoliberal de pensamento que reproduz os discursos de dominação do sistema kyriarchal da hierarquia da Igreja Católica e da medicina higienista. Essas instituições de apropriam da vida e dos corpos das mulheres e os reduzem às suas funções meramente biológicas, reprodutivas e de cuidados. A Pastoral da Criança é caracterizada por atividades que não consideram as causas estruturais da pobreza, mas apenas tentam amenizar os seus efeitos e conseqüências. Em suas capacitações, a organização usa a forma bancária de educação que reproduz as relações de dominação e dependência de mulheres pobres. A organização, mesmo com a estrutura da ideologia religiosa analisada, não está vinculada sistematicamente em um espaço religioso. Sugere-se em relação à situação da organização, a abertura das idéias e valores feministas nos campos da saúde e religião a fim de promover a libertação e empoderamento reais de mulheres pobres. Esta recomendação está ligada com a abertura, a necessidade de reflexão e de conhecimento, mostradas pelas mulheres entrevistadas durante a pesquisa de campo. Considera-se como limitação aos resultados da pesquisa, o local pesquisado por não ter influências de movimentos sociais.(AU)
13
Oundo, Jescar Naome. "Women, poverty and HIV/AIDS : a challenge to women's spirituality : a case study of Mpererwe Township, Kampala-Uganda." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1336.
Full textAbstract:
This study is designed to assess the causes and the effects of poverty and HIV/AIDS on women's spirituality. A case study of Mpererwe Township in Kampala, Uganda was chosen because this researcher has been staying in this township now for 7 years; and has seen most women experiencing difficulties in their daily lives. Poverty and HIV/AIDS among women of Mpererwe Township is a much-needed area of study because the majority of women's lives and their contribution to development have been hampered by economic, religious, political, social and cultural structures. However, all in all, the purpose of this social analysis was first, to identify the factors that render Mpererwe women to be vulnerable to ill situations that pave the way to poverty and HIV/AIDS conditions. Then thereafter, to suggest strategies that may transform the physical, political, religious, economic and social life of women in Mpererwe Township.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.
14
Diga, Kathleen. "Mobile cell phones and poverty reduction : technology spending patterns and poverty level change among households in Uganda." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2073.
Full textAbstract:
This paper exammes the spending behaviour of households with mobile phones in rural agricultural Uganda and whether such strategies such as substitutions have affected the well-being of these community members. According to the findings, rural households are willing to make sacrifices such as travel expenses and store-bought food budget in order to address the expenses of mobile phone services. While gender inequality through exacerbated asset control and mobile phone
inexperience drive further digital divide in this village, the proliferation of small businesses development encourages phone ownership for women. Such strategies to afford a mobile phone or mobile phone services are undertaken to help facilitate longterm
asset accumulation. For development studies, the analysis recommends a revised form of development thinking in a growing knowledge economy.Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.
15
Alokwu, Cyprian Obiora. "The Anglican church, environment and poverty : constructing a Nigerian indigenous oikotheology." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/424.
Full textAbstract:
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.Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.
16
Kutu, Sydney Trupa. "Church and poverty : possibilities for poverty eradication in the Thaba'Nchu region." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3392.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis concerns the role that the church can play in alleviating poverty in Black rural communities in South Africa, through a case study ofthe Thaba'Nchu community in the Free State Province. The thesis argues that the policies of racial segregation of the apartheid era impacted very strongly on the Black communities in our country. Blacks were dispossessed, marginalized and suffered greatly. It is further argued that the New Dispensation after 1994 did very little to ensure that the poor in places like Thaha'Nchu enjoyed a meaningful standard of life. Poverty has continued to be a large factor in the lives of the rural Black South Africans. This situation obliges the church according to its calling to make a difference in the lives of the rural poor communities such as in Thaba'Nchu. It is argued that the Church does have a contribution to make in development. When poverty and unemployment have entrenched themselves in the community, the Church locally and ecumenically have the capacity and the potential to wage war against the scourge. To combat poverty, a clearly drawn programme of action needs to be formulated. This research proposes a two-pronged strategy where first, hunger gets addressed and second, sustainable income generating projects are initiated to empower the poor.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
17
Murekezi, Francois Ferdinand. "Poverty, environment and church : a Christian contribution to the earth crisis as a key to poverty eradication : a Zambian perspective." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2557.
Full textAbstract:
The environmental crisis and the poverty crisis, are among the major challenges the Church in Zambia is facing. In this work I argue that poverty and the ecological crises are interrelated. However, a major problem has been that many programmes carried on by the Churches or church-based organizations seem to focus on poverty
alleviation not recognizing the linkage between poverty and the ecological crisis. For this reason, this study represents the situation of poverty in Zambia and indicates its links to the environmental crisis.
The aim of this dissertation is to remind the Free Methodist Church in Zambia and the Church in Zambia in general, that as Christians we are mandated to respond to these social issues of poverty and ecological degradation. We have the theoretical and theological contributions necessary to address the above two challenges, if we are keen to transform and build up the community we are ministering to. What is needed is to put into practice our beliefs. I argue that unless adequate environmental awareness is carried out, and that Christians understand the relationship between poverty and the ecological crisis we will not manage to break the cycle of poverty in the community. The Church efforts to carry out environmental awareness based on biblical and theological foundation teachings are a unique contribution that Christians can offer to respond to the earth crisis as well as to contribute to poverty eradication.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.
18
Lotter, H. P. P. (Hendrik Petrus Pienaar). "Christians and poverty." Thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25239.
Full text
19
Allen, Judson Derek. "A Grounded Theory of Church Growth in Urban Poverty Zones." Diss., 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10392/2855.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation examines church growth in urban poverty zones and develops a grounded theory to explain the data. Urban poverty zones are impoverished census tracts located in cities of 500,000 or more, and the term is synonymous with the term inner city as defined by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. Chapter 1 details the educational and theological concerns that drive the research and gives a brief overview of the research design.
Chapter 2 reviews the precedent literature from the fields of church growth, and urban ministry. This chapter also contains a theological section, which covers a theology of the city and a theology of the poor. It also contains a section which discusses the definition of urban poverty zone and inner city.
Chapter 3 reports the methodology used to explore church growth in urban poverty zones. Since very little existed in this field, the grounded theory method was used, and the procedures are explained in this chapter.
Chapter 4 relates the findings of the research including the data's interaction with predetermined categories and the development of new categories and subcategories of data. Chapter 4 also includes story lines for each category, and a story line for the main category of community restoration. This story line encompasses the grounded theory.
Chapter 5 presents the conclusions of the research including key insights, the grounded theory, implications related to church growth research and urban ministry research, applications for practice in urban poverty zones, and suggestions for further research.
20
Lwilla, Saul Nehemia. "The challenge of economic development to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Makete, Tanzania." Thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/6088.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation focuses on the involvement ofthe Lutheran Church in poverty alleviation in Makete,
Tanzania. My view is that the level of poverty is escalating at an alarming rate contrary to many
people's expectation that it would decrease. The causes for this poverty increase are many but the
obvious ones are the imbalance between population growth and production, mismanagement of land,
illiteracy, misappropriation of funds and ecological deterioration.
The study looks at what the church there ought to do as an agent for development. I believe that its
mandate comes from God. It was demonstrated in the creation narratives and later in the life and
work ofthe Jesus of history in Galilee. The mission of God aims at the comprehensive wellbeing of
humanity, that is, shalom. In this light, there is no way the church in Makete can become a living
church without being involved in the process of combating poverty. A number of suggestions are
made in regard to this task. These suggestions range from the church taking sides with the poor and
becoming their spokesperson to the state, to creating jobs and giving financial assistance to those
people who do everything in their power to fight poverty.
Finally, we look at the success and failure of the -Ujamaa policy implementation in Tanzania. The
author is of the opinion that the Ujamaa policy was and is a useful strategy for economic
development of all the people but there are many obstructions on its way to success. It was expected
that the Ujamaa policy would reduce the gap behveen the affluent and the poor in the country.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermartizburg, 1999.
21
"Religion (Christianity) and poverty alleviation in South Africa : a human scale development approach." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4051.
Full textAbstract:
Only twenty years ago it was widely assumed that religion had lost its previous place in western culture and that this pattern would spread throughout the world. Since then
religion has become a renewed force, recognized as an important factor in the modern world in all aspects of life, cultural, economic and political. This is true not only of
the Third World, but in Europe - East and West - and in North America. It is no longer a surprise to find a religious factor at work in areas of political tension. In South Africa, the researcher has determined that Christianity is not totally involved in the fundamental human needs of community. This is an urgent matter to address. As churches committed to social and economic justice we cannot stand by and observe. We need to fund answers to a number of important questions: What does poverty really means? What are its causes and its consequences to South African community. As churches we also have deeper roots in the struggle for justice and democracy in South Africa. What is the impact of poverty, if any, on democracy and human rights in our society? This research about such matters comes for the most part from three types of sources. The first is the newspaper which understandably tend to concentrate on newsworthy events, without taking the time to deal with the underlying issues of which they are but symptoms. The second source comprises studies by theologians and social scientists who often adopt a functionalist and reductionist view of the faith and beliefs
which motivate those directly involved in such situations. Finally, there are the statements and writings of those committed to the religious or ideological movements themselves. The poor are the ones who suffer injustice through exploitation, oppression and bondage. The reality is that Christianity do not exist unaffected by social change
which is taking place in our time. The winds of change are blowing at gale force in South Africa and we live in the midst of this change, we are affected by it and we are mutually responsible for it. Also, due to the fact that Christianity is placed in the larger human society, it is inevitable that it will be engaged in the problems affecting
human society such as poverty, HIV/AIDS. As religious stewards we share responsibility for the co-existence of all humankind because God does not want to abandon the earth and its inhabitants to evil. It is Faith that commits churches and their members to be loyal to God, who through Jesus, has entered our human spirit as a human being. Through Jesus' death and resurrection we have overcome our captivity; and through the Spirit God is involved in the situation of people. Being committed to this faith churches cannot live in isolation from society. Churches need to be aware that they and their members encounter the living Christ with and among the discarbed people. These people are excluded from the material and spiritual resources they require for sustaining their lives. People's material living conditions impact on their spiritual life. Churches cannot exist in isolation from the society in
which we live. Neither can churches ignore the plight under which people live. For religious tradition, it is our intention that an accurate and sensitive account of Christianity should be informed by an objective and sophisticated application of perspectives from the social sciences. Theologies of liberation, struggle and protest have made a major contribution to today's theological debate. They have had considerable impact in Latin America and many other parts of the Third World, and are by no means examples of armchair theology. But there comes a time when Christian theology must address a rather different agenda, not neglecting the concern of the poor in the biblical way as Jesus did.Thesis (M.A)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.
22
Warmback, Andrew Edward. "Constructing an oikotheology : the environment, poverty and the church in South Africa." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1753.
Full textAbstract:
South Africa is a country of great natural resources yet suffers from high levels of poverty. This study looks at the relationship between the environment and poverty in South Africa and the role of the church in this context. There is a focus on the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA) and on one of its dioceses, the Diocese of Umzimvubu. While the church in South Africa has been conscious of its responsibility in eradicating poverty, it has not expressed a strong concern for the environment, less still has it been conscious that this concern is closely connected to the task of eradicating poverty. The metaphor of the oikos (or household) of God is explored as a metaphor that may be usefully employed to help describe the relationship
between the environment and poverty. It is proposed that an oikotheology be
constructed to enable the church to engage with both the ecological and the economic aspects of the environment. This study asserts that the preservation and enhancement of the environment impacts positively on the alleviation of poverty. What is also needed, and often neglected, is to ensure that the resources of the environment are accessible to all and equitably distributed. Theological resources that articulate an oikotheology for the South African context are explored, and possible actions for the church promoted.Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
23
Maduka, Johnson Obiora. "Strategies for local Anglican churches to alleviate rural poverty in Igboland, Nigeria." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3431.
Full textAbstract:
This research project concerns the role that local Anglican Churches can play in alleviating poverty in rural Nigeria. After a brief overview of the political, economic and social background of Nigeria, the first chapter considers the causes and impact of rural poverty in Nigeria. The paper then defends a theological vision for rural development, identifying four key elements, namely stewardship, empowerment, self-reliance and
the mobilization of local assets. In the final chapter, the paper argues that a combination of agriculture and micro-enterprise, in the form of small agricultural business, provides the most practical contribution the Church can make. A number of such business opportunities such as garri processing and livestock farming are considered.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
24
Madziyire, Nyasha Monica. "Perceptions of the link between religion and the feminization of poverty : a case of the Johane Marange Apostolic Faith of Seke Area in Zimbabwe." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13764.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation explored perceptions of the link between religion and the feminization of poverty amongst research participants attached to the Johane Marange Church of Seke area in Zimbabwe. The study sought to explore whether the practices in the Johane Marange church exacerbated the feminization of poverty. A qualitative research approach was selected. Data included documentary sources, notes from observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews.
It is found that according to the research participants, some of the church’s traditions may drive the feminization of poverty in the area. In particular, the church’s stance concerning young women’s participation in higher education, people’s health-seeking behaviour, its own understanding of the causes of and treatment for HIV and AIDS, its encouragement of early age at marriage for women and support of the practice of widow inheritance all contribute to a deepening feminization of povertyDevelopment Studies
M. A. (Development Studies)
25
Dean, Samuel O. "A theoretical reflection on concepts of poverty : towards an appropriate development framework for the church in it's [sic] development ministry among the poor." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3276.
Full textAbstract:
This paper argues that an adequate definition of poverty is necessary for the church if it is to make a positive contribution to poverty alleviation. The definitions of Amartya Sen, Klaus Nurnberger and Bryant Myers are examined in the light of the Biblical witness of the Old and New Testaments. Building on the definition of Myers, the essay then explores some possible strategies for the church in poverty alleviation such as building
healthy relationships, using the pulpit, and affirming the poor as agents of their own transformation.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
26
"A contextual interpretation of Archbishop Janani Luwum's model of non-violence resistance and church-state relations in contemporary Uganda." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/952.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is aimed at making a contextual interpretation of Luwum’s model of non-violent resistance and church-state relations in contemporary Uganda. The thesis reconstructs Archbishop Luwum’s life and explores the roots and the formative factors that shaped his thoughts and actions. It notes that the influence of the Acholi culture, early school life, the early Ugandan martyrs, Balokole theology, his theological studies, his ecclesiastical position, his parents and the writings and works of Martin Luther King Jr. shaped and refined his worldview. All of these factors provided grounding for his political and theological articulations of non-violent resistance and church-state relations. The thesis argues the principles of non-violent resistance are in harmony with the Christian understanding of shalom. Thus the church which upholds the principle of justice, love, truth and suffering will find non-violent resistance models an important tool for fighting injustices. With regard to injustice in the Ugandan context the thesis identifies and examined Amin’s ghosts such as the politics of dominance, corruption; a militaristic tradition and a culture of guns, religious conflicts and other problems which have continued to haunt the current Uganda. All of these can be confronted by the church using non-violence resistance model. The study argues that if this is going to be effective, the Anglican Church needs to embrace a pastoral hermeneutic based on non-violence resistance which can enable the church to be involved in social transformation without being co-opted by the state. In view of this, the study finds that through the principles of the non-violence resistance model the church can advocate for reconciliation and for the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to facilitate healing, confessing the past atrocities, identifying of victims and model of non-violence. To make recommendations for possible reparation, and processing the application for amnesty and indemnity so as to prevent the future human rights violations. This will be the beginning of fostering reconciliation in Uganda and establishing justice using non-violent means.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.
27
Segwape, Solomon Kgosi. "Pastoral care to people stricken by poverty." Diss., 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26453.
Full text
28
Chagunda, Chance Arisitaliko. "The contribution of the church to human development in Third World countries : a comparison of initiatives in South Africa and India." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/722.
Full textAbstract:
This research centres on the church's involvement in human development and poverty alleviation programmes. This thesis acknowledges that many Third World nations received political freedom from Western colonialists, but many of these countries failed to successfully exploit the political freedom to improve economic growth and human development. Poverty is therefore one of the major problems facing people in Third World countries.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002
29
Chinyong'ole, Johnson J. "The Anglican church and poverty in Tanzania : a review of development programmes in the diocese of Morogoro." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1854.
Full textAbstract:
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since independence
Tanzania has implemented different development policies, but the gap between the rich
and the poor has increased despite the government's and NGOs' efforts of development
programmes for poverty reduction being implemented. This research has analysed the
approach of the Anglican Church to development programmes for poverty reduction in
the Diocese of Morogoro. It has defined poverty as a lack access to resources, together
with a lack of power, dignity and vocation. Because of this challenge of poverty, the
Church has been involved in community development programmes for poverty reduction.
These programmes have sought to empower the poor, offering dignity and enabling them
to realise their God-given vocations in their communities. The aim of these programmes
is to improve the living standard of poor people and to raise their social and economic
welfare regardless of their religious beliefs.
The research has identified the two main weaknesses in these church programmes as (1) a
lack of a theoretical vision, and (2) a lack of strategic vision. Because of the first
weakness it has consolidated a theoretical vision for development programmes focusing
on theology of development, the definition of development and community development,
and Asset Based Community Development as an approach to community development in
connection with Ujamaa, and particularly Kujitegemea. In tackling the second weakness
it has consolidated a strategic vision for the diocese making use of such as PRA/PLA,
ADPs to take forward the theoretical vision for development programmes in the diocese
of Morogoro.
The thesis concludes by recommending that the relevant diocesan leaders engage with
this research and proposals, so as to provide a way forward.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
30
Hendricks, Carl. "Money raining from heaven?: an appraissal of the prosperity gospel in a missiological framework." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18526.
Full textAbstract:
The constituent concepts of the gospel is not only vital for the correct understanding of the true meaning of Christ, but also for the appropriate meaning and practice of mission to enlarge the church of Christ in his service. The thesis researched the background of the Prosperity Gospel critically in addition to the use of it for missiological purposes to enlarge the church with the luring of poor people with the excessive promises of vast wealth after contributing to the Prosperity Churches generously and substantially from within their poverty.
The heart of the research was the analysis of ten sermons by prosperity preachers according to the “open coding” of the “Grounded Theory”, drawing conclusions from the practical analysis of the sermons, instead of the usual research working with the material from a pre-conceived theory. This approach uncovered and displayed the distortion and falsification of the true gospel. The thesis constructed an appropriate benchmark of the authentic gospel against which to measure deviations from the traditional gospel and mission according to this gospel.
The dissertation exposed courteously, but deliberately that the Prosperity Gospel was infiltrated with alienated concepts from unscriptural humanism, the “American materialistic dream” and the secular Rogerian psychology with its non-spiritual psychotherapeutic approach, as well as the “profane” preaching of Norman Vincent Peale, comprising “New Thought”, metaphysics, Christian Science, and medical and psychological practices. More serious was the specific “cultic” influences and teachings. Cultic here indicated a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and transient belief system regarded by the traditional churches as misguided, unorthodox, extremist, or even false, and directed by a charismatic,
2
authoritarian leader. Ultimately, the Prosperity Gospel was contaminated with Swedenborgianism, Mesmerism and Unitarianism.
The thesis, however, is not negative about the overflowing blessings of God, also regarding temporal prosperity, but the research unearthed the true riches of the gospel of Christ in an exegetical scriptural manner and delineated it in an extensive way – money is indeed “raining from heaven”, but spiritually in a true gospel way, through prayer and in obedience to Christ, depending on faith in God. The norm was “abundance, but not accumulation of riches”. It is sad to have unmasked the fact that some prosperity preachers commanded the churches not to pray anymore, but to command the blessings of God “onto” the “true” believers towards accumulation of vast wealth (cf. “pastor” D O OYEDEPO).
The 10 sermons were thoroughly scrutinised and the main problems with the “claiming” of vast wealth according to the gospel brought out in the open – the lack of Christ-centred preaching, the absence of the emphasis of the work of the Holy spirit, the misunderstanding of the “revelation” history, the deficiency of scriptural exegesis and the unscriptural obsession with vast material wealth as a “blessing”. Usually only the prosperity preacher and a few supporters became the “blessed” rich from all the compromised donations of the “masses”.
This was followed by a development of the academic discipline of theology, indicating revelation as a historical process, where the gospel moved from survival to justice in the Old Testament, and finally to unconditional love and care according to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This was situated vis-à-vis an evaluation of the theology of the Prosperity Gospel, portraying the false concept of “faith”.
Towards the end of the thesis the perspective of the development of missiology was explained up to the contemporary point and an oversight of the concept of mission of the past century was outlined: It became clear that ecclesiology did not precede missiology, but rather, missiology precedes ecclesiology, because a community of Christians did not first create a church and then developed its mission; a community of Christians participated in God’s mission and thus constituted a church, according to the New Testament. This placed the preaching of the blessings of the gospel and the functioning of God’s mission in true perspective.
As poverty is a vital concept regarding the preaching of the Prosperity Gospel the plight of the poor in all its shocking depths were exposed as a problem and a mission task for all the churches of Christ - approximately 15 million people in South Africa live in dire poverty without any hope of alleviation, and 1 billion people in the world live under the poverty datum line. This is a wake-up call for the church of Christ, existing for God’s mission, to face this challenge of mission to the poor.
The research closed with a summary of the mission task to the poor.
The dissertation concluded with a delineation of possible further topics in this field to be studied.Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology
M.Th. (Missiology)
31
Matimelo, Sinatra. "Women, poverty and livelihoods : development strategies for the Zambia Baptist Association in Ndola, Zambia." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3716.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation seeks to address the issue of women, poverty and livelihoods in Ndola and how the Zambia Baptist Association, (the Z.B.A.) could implement development strategies in response to this problem.
Through my field research, where I interviewed a number of poor women in Ndola, Church leaders at both local and national level within the Z.B.A, library research and internet search, I have come to realize that the problem of poverty among women needs addressing.
I found out during my research that many poor women in Africa live in chronic poverty as a result of economic and social injustices they face in many societies. By virtue of their social status as females, many women are denied access to and control of assets that would enable them realize their development aspirations. I found out that many poor women in Ndola have come up with six key livelihood strategies for survival. These livelihood strategies being; selling food and groceries in shacks, subsistence farming, begging and sending children to beg, charcoal burning, formal employment and brewing illicit beer. Through this research, I was also made aware of the potential that the Z.B.A. has to help alleviate poverty among women in Ndola, despite some area of concern with regard to their patriarchal leadership structures at both local and national Church level and the patriarchal theology that restrict women's activities within the Church.
This dissertation offers a number of development proposals based on the sustainable livelihoods framework which is a coherent and clear tool that is used to understand people's livelihoods. I propose in this dissertation that the Z.B.A. needs to respond to women's poverty in Ndola through three approaches, namely; transforming religion and culture, building poor women's asset portfolio and enhancing those strategies that could potentially become sustainable. When this is done, it would help to alleviate
poverty among poor women in Ndola.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
32
Mambwe, Evaristo M. "The challenge of poverty for the church in Zambia : a response to the effects of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3760.
Full textAbstract:
The effects of the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) that have been the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) prescribed economic reforms have accentuated poverty levels in Zambia.
For the majority ofthe population, the Structural Adjustment Programmes have exacerbated poverty if not directly contributing to it. This paper argues that poverty has a historical aspect dating back to the colonial strategy of establishing and perpetuating rural-urban dual structures. The Zambian government upon attainment of independence continued this dual economic structure. The dualist approach favoured urban areas at the expense of rural areas in terms of social and economic development. To date it is estimated that 80% of Zambia's population of about ten million people (2000 Census) lives under conditions of abject poverty.
The Zambian economy did well in the first ten years of independence (1964 -1974), but went on a continuous decline from that period to date. Both internal and external factors have contributed to the continuous steep decline ofthe economy and subsequent increase in poverty levels.
Among efforts to turn round the economy, the Zambian government in cooperation with the IMF and World Bank embarked on the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP). President Kenneth Kaunda
hesitatingly introduced the first SAP in 1981. The economic reforms, particularly the decontrol of prices and abolition of subsidies resulted in the increase of prices of foodstuffs leading to civil disobedience, violence, riots, looting and deaths in 1986. The SAP also contributed to income
disparities. In 1991 when Frederick Chiluba won the presidency, he implemented the SAP fully. The implementation ofthe SAP meant the decontrol of prices and removal ofall forms of subsidies. The immediate effect was a rapid rise in prices and poverty levels.
This paper argues that in the face of this poverty the involvement of the Church has not been as comprehensive as taught by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Emphasis has r-emained on spiritual emancipation with little stress on material well-being. Equally there has not been participation in
decision-making by the affected people as the government and the donor-community make most decisions without consulting the citizens.
There also seems to have evolved a culture ofdependence on "handouts" or free things, and lack of good work ethics and standards.
The improvement in the standards of life of the people may be realized if the Church through its prophetic ministry challenges global capitalism so that the powerful and rich western countries accept
the New World Order that the Third World has been advocating for many years. The Church should also voice the fact that the Zambian politics and economic policies should not be motivated by profit making and individual gain but by a desire for hard work and fair distribution of the world and
nation's wealth. It is further proposed that the best economic and development policies are those that sustain human life and bring a better life in every human community. This ideal may be fulfilled if the
Church through its diaconal ministry gets involved in developmental issues.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
Christian Aid (UK) through the University of Natal, School of Theology,
33
Owusu-Sekyere, Bernard Nyarko. "Is the HIPC initiative of benefit to the people of Northern Ghana? : a theological reflection." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1940.
Full textAbstract:
The HIPC debt relief initiative is a controversial IMF/World Bank program. This thesis examines whether the HIPC initiative in Ghana is "pro-poor". The concept of the "poor" and what this means for pubic policy is discussed in the framework of the biblical concept of shalom, that is the promotion of human wellbeing, within the context of Northern Ghana. To enable a fair assessment of the HIPC program in Northern Ghana, a review of Ghana's debt crisis is provided alongside a brief economic history. The origin of the debt crisis is traced to the first republic. A review of HIPC is undertaken from the perspectives of both theory and its practical implication. In the implementation process, particularly in Northern Ghana, the research identifies a number of infrastructural projects being accomplished by the HIPC funds and evaluates their usefulness and relevance. The thesis argues that there are three strengths to HIPC in Northern Ghana, namely, political accountability, social participation and infrastructure development; and that there are six weakness, namely, dependency syndrome, cultural relevance, ethnic conflict, adult capability development, personnel provision and economic distribution. It concludes that problem of human development that has been lacking in Ghana's economic policies, and the crisis of skilled personnel could undermine the provisions of HIPC in Northern Ghana to contribute meaningfully to shalom, or some measure of real development in people's life.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
34
Khariseb, Petrus. "The contribution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) to poverty relief in the Usakos Circuit, with special focus on the Otjimbingwe rural community." Thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3011.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation examines the contribution that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) can make to poverty alleviation at local community level, through research in the Otjimbingwe rural community two hundred kilometers north-west of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It is clear from the historical background and current situation that the impact of poverty is severe on the lives of indigenous people. The question posed by the research is: How can the Church contribute to poverty alleviation in a rural community such as Otjimbingwe? To answer this question, this thesis analyses the real life situation that the people of Otjimbingwe experience daily. It further looks at the coping strategies of the people. The thesis identifies the capacities, skills and assets that the Church can develop and build on in its poverty alleviation process. The study argues that the Church has a vital contribution to play as both an 'insider' and an 'outsider' to the community at Otjimbingwe. It then suggests some strategies that the Church can utilize to ensure maximum participation of the local people and to mobilize and encourage co-operation of all concerned individuals and organizations in the process of development.Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.
35
Kinyua, Amos Murage. "The church against poverty : an assessment of the work of the Christian Community Services (CCS) in the Kirinyaga Anglican Diocese in Kenya." Thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4484.
Full textAbstract:
This study centres on Church involvement in community development. The study seeks to demonstrate that the model adopted by the Christian Community Services is a fruitful experiment of church involvement in community development - one that has a tremendous potential to shed
theological as well as practical light on church involvement in community development. After offering the statement of the problem and a brief geographical and social analysis of Kirinyaga Diocese, the study traces the genesis, vision and the modus operandi of the Christian Community Services. It then discusses the CCS 'Food Increase Programme' through the
organisation's Rural Development Department. The Community Health and Social Services Programmes are presented as some of the CCS's interventions to reduce poverty in the community. The impact of these interventions was evident after the data collection, analysis and
interpretation. The study then offers a theological evaluation and reflection of the work of the CCS as a model of church involvement in development activities in the community.The study argues that Christian theology has a particularly significant contribution to make to the debates about community development. In a pluralistic society in a secular age, a special
responsibility is laid on the Church to present its distinctive understanding and insights to address the abject poverty among the vast majority of her followers. Without this, her public life is impoverished. Theology of development is the tool of the Church to achieve this vision. Although difficult to define, development is seen as the process of transforming the conditions of life of the people referred to as 'the poor' such that they can lead a more holistic life. The main objective of the CCS development activities is to allow the poor to become the subject, not the
object, of development strategies. Given the opportunity to do so, they have shown themselves to be capable of making rational choices regarding their own destinies. In this context, it is hoped that this dissertation will help to contribute to an increased understanding of Church involvement in development from within for, by and with the poor. As a result, therefore, new optimism for the role of the Church in development may emerge
from the current pessimism. The study has concluded that the Church's involvement in development is not an 'extra' but a bona fide function of the Church.Thesis (M.Th)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.
36
Carlos, Helder Luis. "Retrieving elements of an economic ethic from Ezra 3 : Ezra's building project in dialogue with poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district in Mozambique." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/9315.
Full textAbstract:
This research seeks to retrieve elements of an economic ethic from Ezra’s building project that can dialogue with poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district in Mozambique. The research argues that the Mosaic economic ethic retrieved from Ezra’s building project is a valuable biblical resource which can be used to orient economic analysis and reflection in Homoine district in the context of poverty and economic inequality.
This research consists of three related parts. One part consists of a detailed socio-historical analysis of the context of poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district in Mozambique. The focus here is on three related issues. Firstly, it analyses the general economic-historical background of Mozambique, focusing on the three micro-economic policies that have been influencing the development process of the country since independence. Secondly, it locates Homoine district within this economic-historical background of the country, focusing on the causes of poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district. Thirdly, it analyses the response of the church (United Methodist Church in Mozambique) to the problems of poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district. The second part consists of a socio-historical and literary analysis of Ezra’s building project. The focus here is on three related aspects. Firstly, it analyses the economic-historical background of Ezra’s building project, focusing on the economic situation of the Israelites who were left in Palestine after the destruction of Judah, the economic situation of the Israelites who were deported to Babylon and the economic policies of Persia. Secondly, it locates Ezra 3 within this economic-historical context in order to retrieve elements of an economic ethic from this narrative. Thirdly, it analyses the response of religion towards the economic struggle in Ezra’s building project. The third part consists of an analogical dialogue between Ezra’s building project and the context of poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district. The focus here is on the affinity of struggle for economic liberation between the two contexts and the relevance of the Mosaic economic ethic retrieved from Ezra’s building project in the context of poverty and economic inequality in Homoine district.
The research concludes by suggesting that the United Methodist Church and/or theologians should educate communities in Homoine district (and elsewhere in Mozambique) about the Mosaic memory and its liberation capacity as an alternative economic motivation which can reduce the problems of poverty and economic inequality.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.
37
Hearn, Louisa Jacoba. "Evil and suffering in the light of creation, reconciliation renewal and consummation-multicultural : multi religious dimensions of the HIV/AIDS problem." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/3124.
Full textAbstract:
Evil and suffering are a constant reality of this world and major catastrophes and issues such as swine flu and bird flu gain enormous relief funding, media coverage and frantic government action, yet HIV/AIDS, a cause of immeasurable suffering after years of being in the public spotlight receded into the background. This study grapples with evil and suffering in the light of creation, reconciliation, renewal and consummation from the viewpoint of a diversity of cultures and religions, with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS. The cluster of sin, evil and suffering are reflected upon and this revolves around five angles: firstly, multicultural and multi-religious sense making God-human-world approaches; secondly, the mystery of the simultaneity of the close connection and radical otherness of: God, being human and the natural world; thirdly, the full Gospel of God’s grand acts of creation, reconciliation, renewal and consummation; fourthly, different approaches towards texts, theories, natural processes and human doings; and fifthly, the multidimensionality of God, human beings and the natural world.
In the thesis the origin of evil and suffering is discussed, which leads to a discussion of dualist views, amongst others, Zoroastrianism and its influence on modern monotheistic religions. Moreover, the response of the major faith groups towards evil and suffering are discussed and consensibly negotiated with the purpose of achieving better co-operation between faith groups in their tackling of HIV/AIDS. An attempt at establishing the outlines of a theology of HIV/AIDS is considered as well as the role, value and enhancement of faith counseling. Modern and postmodern views of evil and suffering are touched upon especially regarding the close proximity of God, humanity and the natural world to the sufferer. Despite significant differences in the various faith systems, sufficient commonality around respect for human beings is found to exist. Finally, in terms of consensible negotiation of portions of the various scriptures a way forward is envisaged that undergirds the notion of solidarity in support of HIV/AIDS sufferers in various faith systems.Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics
D.Th. (Systematic Theology)
38
Buffel, Olehile Andries. "Pastoral care in a context of poverty : a search for a pastoral care model that is contexual and liberating." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28744.
Full textAbstract:
This research deals with poverty as a context in which pastoral care is developed and practiced. The research is done from the “belly of the whale” as liberation theologians usually say. Efforts are made to study poverty from the painful reality as experienced by the poor. It is theology (pastoral care) from the “underside of history.” The research:Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Practical Theology
PhD
unrestricted
39
Murage, Josiah Kinyua. "Harambee as an indigenous lived philosophy : empowering the poor in the Kenyan Anglican church." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/295.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis deals with the Harambee as an indigenous lived philosophy and its capacity of empowering the poor in the Kenyan Anglican Church. From a historical perspective, it explores and scrutinises the origins, the definition and the philosophy behind Harambee. The thesis shows how Harambee was incorporated in the Kenyan Anglican Church and how it has been used as a survival strategy in the midst of the dominant development models which have failed to address the social-economic and political issues in Kenya. The thesis notes that even though Harambee is promoted in Kenya as a cultural, socio-economic and political philosophy its basic orientation is in harmony with the Christian theology. In this regard, the thesis offers a theological understanding of Harambee in the light of themes such as creation, imago Dei, incarnation, justice, redemption, love and solidarity. In undertaking this task, the thesis attempts to shed more light on how Harambee is in harmony with the principles and values of the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) model. It argues that Harambee shares many concerns with ABCD even though Harambee has a Kenyan cultural flavour. Therefore, it affirms that Harambee as a lived philosophy is likely to empower the poor in the community, and the Kenyan Anglican Church should consider enhancing Harambee to mobilise the local resources. In view of this, the study highlights various projects initiated by the church through Harambee and it concludes by proposing that the Church needs to go beyond humanitarian programmes and initiate sustainable projects that can address the causes of poverty thus striving to make the twenty-first century a century of hope for millions of people who are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.
40
Walker, David Stanley. "Radical evangelicalism and the poor : a challenge to aspects of evangelical theology in the South African context." Thesis, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/11400.
Full text
41
Kansimbi, Sylvester Tonje. "A critical evaluation of the members of the religious Congregation of the Holy Spirit's understanding of their mission to the poor in the Dioceses of Bethlehem & Durban - South Africa." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/318.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is an evaluation of the members of the missionary religious Congregation of the Holy Spirits' understanding of their mission to the poor in the Dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban in South Africa. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit was founded on 27th May, 1703, Feast of Pentecost. A group of poor clerical students knelt before the statue of the Black Virgin of Paris (Our Lady of Deliverance) in the Church of St. Etienne-des-Gres. Their friend and leader was Poullart des Places. This small group of young men consecrated themselves to the Holy Spirit so marking the foundation of the Congregation. In the year 1848 some forty missionaries of the Congregation of the Holy Heart of Mary founded by Francis Libermann in 1841 were integrated into the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. From its foundation, the mission of the Congregation has always been the "evangelization of the poor" (Luke 4:18). For the founders, the poor meant those who were oppressed and marginalized among whom were the poor students and slaves in the colonies. My particular concern, however, is to evaluate the members of the Holy Spirits' understanding of their mission to the poor in the Dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban in South Africa. How do Spiritans in these two dioceses understand or interpret "the poor" whom they serve? How does this contemporary South African Spiritan understanding of the poor match with that of the founders or constitution of the Congregation? My response to these questions is an affirmation. In the evaluation, we will discover that the poor in the dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban include those who are unemployed, HIV/AIDS patients, orphans, children and women who are abused, refugees / asylum seekers, street children and many others. In summary, it is noted that the poor are those who lack physical necessities, socially oppressed and spiritually poor. In faithfulness to the intuition of the founders, it is observed that Spiritans in both Bethlehem and Durban Dioceses are attempting to be at the service of the poor. They are serving the poor through the proclamation of the Word, administration of the Sacraments, visitation of people in their own homes, attending to those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS pandemic, promoting the values of the Kingdom of God through justice and peace ministries and finally, Spiritans are working among the refugees, prisoners and hostel dwellers. Looking at these Spiritan ministries, it is noted that their choices of works are in accordance with the vision of the founders a well as what is in the Spiritan Rule of Life or constitution. Spiritans in both Bethlehem and Durban perceive their vocation as being at the service of these people. However, as religious, there are other elements which should be taken into consideration, such as prayer, community life and missionary spirituality. These are essential elements in the life of the members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. In general, the interviews show a lack of community life among members of the Congregation. This lack of community life affects prayer life as well. Other important elements include the need to revisit the idea of education and recovery of prophetic dimension of the Congregation where its members are always at the frontier situations.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.
42
Mazive, Angelica Zuca. "Development, sin and salvation : lessons from the Millennium Declaration, NEPAD and the Kingdom of God for the Union Baptist Church of Mozambique." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2096.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis discusses issues relating to development, sin and salvation. It examines the development visions of the Millennium Declaration and NEPAD Documents and compares them with the values of the Kingdom of God. It identifies some lessons from the Millennium Declaration and NEPAD Documents, and the Kingdom of God for the Union Baptist Church of Mozambique. These lessons are to help the denomination as it involves itself in the mission of the Kingdom of God in the community in Mozambique. The thesis argues that there is a relationship between the visions of the Millennium Declaration and the NEPAD Documents, and the values of the Kingdom of God on a number of issues such as the issues of sickness, orphans, vulnerability, gender inequality, poverty, the poor, hunger, unemployment, oppression, exploitation, wars, crime, violence against women and children, injustice and corruption. The Kingdom of God is about love, health, well-being for all, care, justice, unity and solidarity; harmony, life, peace, freedom, restoration, acceptance, righteousness, community, and salvation that includes both spiritual and physical salvation of the whole person both now in this life before death and after death. However, the thesis argues that the eschatological aspect of the Kingdom of God helps us see that sin is deeply rooted in human life, and even our best efforts at development will not rid the world of sin. The Church therefore has to remind society of this deeper sin, and to proclaim the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, while struggling with the evidence of that sin in poverty, sickness, injustice and violence. The church, especially the Union Baptist Church of Mozambique, has to be a key player in striving for Kingdom values. The church is called to holistic and integral mission. It should take a leading role in the issues that concern our people and society today, because that is doing the will of God. The commandment to love our neighbour as we love ourselves has to be expressed through our participation in integral mission, which is concerned with all human beings and all God's creation. The shalom of the Kingdom has to be experienced by all, and the church must be the means through which shalom is realised.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.
43
Okyere-Manu, Beatrice Dedaa. "The livelihood challenges posed by the commercial sex industry to Christian concern for poor women in Pietermaritzburg." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3712.
Full textAbstract:
The genocide of April 1994 left the Rwandan society completely ruined and the survivors totally disoriented with numerous problems ranging from material deprivation to bodily and psychological injuries. As in other conflicts, especially in Africa, women and children were the most affected by the Rwandan genocide; consequently Rwanda has a sizeable number of widows and orphans. After the genocide, Rwanda witnessed an influx of many non-governmental organizations, which came with the aim to help the Rwandans in general, and genocide survivors in particular, as part of a program to put the Rwandan society back on its feet. Rwanda claims to be overwhelmingly a Christian nation, which theoretically gives the Christian community in Rwanda a prominent hand in all efforts of rebuilding the Rwandan society. This work therefore, is a Case Study, which seeks to investigate the role of Christian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in responding to the needs of genocide widows residing in Kigali-Ville province-Rwanda. The study thus aims to assess efforts of the above-cited Christian NGOs and highlights their success and shortcomings in the light of a Christian model of understanding and responding to human needs. The investigation also surveys the background to the genocide. It focuses on the interpretation of the history of the people of Rwanda, the role impact of the colonial rule and Christian missionaries, and the role of the civil war of early 1990s. The study also investigates the plight of genocide widows from fives angles: economic loss, personal and social relationships, bodily injuries, psychological damage and spiritual welfare. The assessment was carried out through the analysis of the data collected mainly from selected Christian NGOs, genocide widows, churches, and written materials. The paradigm used to critically analyze the response of Christian NGOs has stemmed out of a body of literature that focuses on Christian response to human need, with particular emphasis on the distinctiveness of the Rwandan context. The findings, conclusion, recommendations of this study are of cardinal significance not only to Christian NGOs operating in Kigali-Ville province but also to other groups involved in the ministry to the needy in other parts of Rwanda and beyond her boundaries.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
44
Bahizi, Thierry. "The response of the Anglican Diocese of Bujumbura to the challenge of urbanization in Burundi." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/22022.
Full textAbstract:
The study explores the response of the Anglican diocese of Bujumbura to the challenge of urbanization, especially in the area of urban poverty. The introductory Chapter provides the framework within which the study will be conducted. It also includes a literature review, which is devoted to urban poverty showing how it could be addressed. In Chapter 2, the study analyses the context of urbanization in Burundi, particularly in the Bujumbura municipality, where urban poverty is reported to be high. It then highlights the Church’s missionary calling when it comes to the challenges of urbanization. Chapter 3 reports the findings of interviews and focus groups conducted with members of the nine Anglican parishes serving the Bujumbura residents. These findings are interpreted in Chapter 4 through the lens of the praxis cycle. Chapter 5 provides an effective model in the context of urban poverty.
The study explored through the reasons behind urban poverty and proposes effective solutions to it. It aims at sensitizing the Church to be concerned about urban ministry and suggests an efficient model for eradicating poverty and bringing about a transformed community to be enjoyed by all the residents. This model will inspire both the Anglican Church, the other denominations, the faith-based organisations and whoever strives to serve urban residents.Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th. (Missiology-with specialisation in Urban Ministry)
45
Magagula, Paul Zondi. "Towards the millennium: a critical theological exploration of the Seventh-Day Adventist church's engagement with the poor in Soweto." Thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25604.
Full textAbstract:
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the youngest Christian denominations in modern history. It is also one of the smallest, numerically, in South Africa. However, because of the church’s high evangelistic zeal Adventists can be found in almost every part of South Africa. From a motley figure of about 3500 at the time of the church’s legal organisation in 1861, Adventists now number about 18 million globally. There is a notable presence of Adventists in Soweto, west of Johannesburg.
In this study, the focus is on how the Adventist church responds to the phenomenon of poverty in Soweto. The intent is to identify current activities of the church relative to poverty alleviation, actual or possible weaknesses in the church’s response to poverty and whether these are consequences of socio-theological or other factors in the structures and institutions of the church. The end of the study will be a propositional discourse that will suggest pointers towards a more relevant and sustainable poverty alleviation programme informed by sound theological, practical pastoral and developmental considerations. This work is a missiological study focusing on Soweto, seeking to critically assess the extent to which Adventists are involved in alleviating poverty in Soweto.
It also explores a model by which they can successfully and redemptive encounter the poor at their point of need. Although the main focus will be given to the missiological task of the Adventists of Soweto, the study will also integrate other disciplines to deal with sociological and political considerations. The approach adopted in this study is a pastoral contextual approach of doing theology in Soweto. Within this contextual approach I shall apply the pastoral cycle since this method converges with other relevant methods of analysis and social critique.Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th. (Missiology)
46
Paulo, Martinho. "Investigating environmental degradation theologically : a challenge for the Igreja Uniao Baptista de Mocambique, (Union Baptist Church of Mozambique) with particular focus on the city of Nampula." Diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19648.
Full textAbstract:
Consent form, persmission letter and declaration translated into Portuguese. Interview schedule translated into Makhua and PortugueseEconomically, Mozambique is one of the poorest countries globally. Given to its poor state, Mozambique remains environmentally deteriorated. Fortunately, the Mozambican government has embarked on environmental programmes as a strategy for ecological management. However, these strategies seem irrelevant due to ineffective implementation of such programmes. It lacks local community awareness, involvement and participation. The church lacks eco-theology as well as theology that can protect nature and people’s struggles. This study investigated the policies and their implementation towards environmental management in Mozambique. The study also discussed church’s role and proposed a comprehensive theology towards the environment in the city of Nampula. Nampula city is one of the busiest cities in the province and in the northern region of Mozambique due to its business attractions. This study was limited to the Union Baptist Church of Nampula. The data collection was based on two approaches, fieldwork and literature analysis. Fieldwork approach resulted in 20 Nampula citizens’ residents being interviewed. The finding showed that environmental crisis is a socio-economic, political and religious problem of concern. It also revealed that the citizens of Nampula face detrimental and environmental health impacts caused by a weak waste management policy. The incapacity of the implementation of waste management policy, deficiency in the enforcement of awareness and local people input contribute for ecological crisis, leading for water pollution and health problems. The ambiguity of making ecological regulations and resources available worsens ecological crisis. When such regulations are drafted and promulgated without local people’s participation, it may indicate that the law-makers exclude local knowledge about environment into the scientific debate. This can lead local people to resist and not participate even when they are called for. Hence, the research has shown that to make a dynamic ecological policy and an effective waste management, a combination of both top-down and bottom-up approaches are needed. A top-down approach guarantees constant framework while the bottom-up approach encourages local community involvement. In this study, the significance of local community involvement, church advocacy, and pressure in making waste management policy function constitute a key finding. Without active involvement of local people in planning, designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and the decision-making process participation, the earth management may never take place. Therefore, the challenge remains for the government, the church, and the private sector to draw and define methods to attain economic development, protect ecological and civil society.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
M. Th. (Missiology)
47
Nzabilinda, Anastase. "Environment, livelihoods and the church in Mozambique : a theological reflection." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1863.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis concerns the relationship between poverty and the environment in Mozambique, and the response that is required from the Church. It is a way to describe and analyse the situation, and also to provide possible strategies for the Church. The thesis begins by providing a general overview of the environmental crisis in Africa at present. Then, drawing on field-work in the Matutuine District of Mozambique, and making considerable use of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, it provides an indepth description and analysis of people's livelihood strategies, noting the strong link between poverty and the environment, and how there is a cause and effect relationship between them. In order for the Church to respond in an adequate fashion, the thesis provides theological resources for caring for the environment, and then ends with a range of strategies which the Church can be engaged in. The key findings of the thesis are that, given the immense vulnerability of the poor in Mozambique, households have very little access to human, social, financial and physical capital, and so are forced to rely upon the existing natural capital for survival. Livelihood strategies involve subsistence farming, charcoal production and hunting, all of which deplete the natural resource base, and yet there is no commitment to restore the base which provides these things. Thus these strategies are unsustainable and require a response from the church. The thesis concludes with a range of practical strategies for the Church including awakening people to their obligations as creatures on earth, being involved in holistic mission, responding to pollution, deforestation and land degradation, contributing to and enhancing existing livelihood strategies, contributing to food security, and supporting people in small scale farming practices.Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
48
Manci, Thembayona Paulus Emmanuel. "The response of African religion to poverty, with specific reference to the Umzimkhulu Municipality." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/580.
Full textAbstract:
"The Response of African Religion to Poverty with specific reference to the Umzimkhulu Municipality" is a particular effort of the wider world that researches the ways and means for combating the scourge of poverty in society aiming at securing a better future for the future generations.
In as much as African traditional religion is part of the culture, tradition and custom of its tenants, and as such aims at the wellbeing of its tenants, it is able to offer a response to poverty. It teaches about the importance of the values of community, meaningful and life-affirming relationships and the value of ubuntu. All these clamour for extended sharing and extended participation which are essential if society will continue to exist.
African traditional religion maintains an ethic that says: `Real poverty results from the
blockage of the vital links'. Celebrating economic achievements in food must be preceded by the celebration of people. `Batho pele': is the contemporary Democratic South Africa's slogan that suggests putting people in the center of life. It does not only call us to serve the poor, but also to allow them to champion the courses of the kind of service they desire.
African traditional religion teaches that, together with the other institutions that govern the lives of people, religion and politics should have among other things a concern about production and distribution of the resources, hence the claim: `Food is also politics'. In their dealing with the problem of poverty, religion, politics and other social institutions ought to dedicate a special place to instilling positive attitudes towards the concept of work among their tenants. In this way the slogan `Batho pele' or people first, does not merely mean waiting to be served, but it also means that every body to the best of their ability ought to be doing something towards the production of the items of service.
The inclusiveness of African religion in terms of what it calls `community' cautions society about the importance of the other beings in its consideration of poverty alleviation. Our economic wellbeing depends mostly on our attitude towards the other non-personal neighbours, prominent among which is our common abode, the earth, the land.Religious Studies & Arabic
D.Th. (Religious Studies)
49
Mapani, Paul Simandala. "Exploring economics neo-pentecostalism and scientific rationality: a critical reflection on imagining a better pentecostal theology." Thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26808.
Full textAbstract:
Abstracts in English and TsongaThis study explored the lack of integrating a scientific imagination and rationality in the hermeneutic and theological practices of neo-Pentecostal churches in the town of Livingstone, Zambia. Although the vantage point of the study was primarily practical theology, the researcher adopted both an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary approach. This assisted the researcher in understanding the different theoretical nuances that inform neo-Pentecostal theological practices as propagated by its proponents. An in-depth scientific analysis premised on the critical theory approach was conducted to find out whether or not neo-Pentecostal communicative practices contribute positively to the economic conditions of local church members in Livingstone. The theological framework for this study was based on the “pastoral cycle”, which ought to be at the very heart of any contemporary practical theology (Ballard & Pritchard 2006). The research methodology consisted of data collection, interpretation and analysis (comparing and contrasting primary sources in the light of the data collected). Research participants' personal narratives of their experience of neo-Pentecostal practices were heard in a semi-structured format. These aided in establishing ecclesiastical views on the causes of the lack of integrating a scientific imagination and rationality in neo-Pentecostal spiritual experience; and consequently informed the study on whether the current theological orientations of neo-Pentecostal congregations in Livingstone have a positive or negative impact on the economic conditions of members. Two forms of data collection were employed, namely qualitative interviews and observation instruments.
Ndzavisiso lowu wu langutisa ku pfumaleka ka vuanakanyi hi vuntshwa bya xisayense na ku va na ngqhondo eka mamfambiselo ya vulavisisi na vuxopaxopi ku hlamusela matsalelo na mafambiselo ya swa vugandzeri eka tikereke ta Pentakosta leyintshwa edorobeni ra Livingston, eZambia. Hambileswi masungulo ya ndzavisiso a ku ri mafambiselo ya vugandzeri, mulavisisi u tirhise fambiselo ra interdisciplinary na multidisciplinary. Leswi swi pfunete mulavisisi ku twisisa ku hambana eka swa thiyori leyi yi nga xiseketelo xa Pentakosta leyintshwa ya swa vugandzeri na mafambiselo ya kona tanhilaha swi endliwaka hi lava nga vachumayeri va yona pentakosta leyintshwa. Vuxopaxopi bya xisayense byi seketeriwe hi thiyori yo xopaxopa leyi nga endliwa ku kuma leswo xana mafambiselo ya Pentakosta leyintshwa ya pfuneta eka swiyimo swa ikhonomi eka swirho swa kereke swa yona eLivingston. Rimba ra swa vugandzeri eka ndzavisiso lowu wu seketeriwe hi ndzhenzheleko wa vurisi bya kereke ku nga "pastoral cycle", lowu wu faneleke ku va mbilu ya mafambiselo wahi na wahi ya vugandzeri (Ballard & Pritchard 2006). Methodoloji ya ndzavisiso a yi katsa ku hlengeletea vutivi, ku byi toloka no byi xopaxopa (ku kotlanisa na ku pimanisa swihlovo swa vutivi hi ku landza data leyi yi nga hlengeletiwa). Lava a va ri na xiavo eka ndzavisiso, va endle marungula ya vona na ntokoto wa vona hi mafambiselo ya Pentekosta leyintshwa ya yingiseriwile hi fomati yo ka yi nga kunguhatiwangi swinene ku nga semi-structured format. Leswi swi pfunete ekusunguleni mianakanyo ya kereke ya vukreste hi swivangelo swa ku pfumaleka ka ku hlanganisa na ku anakanya hi vuntshwa mavonelo na ntokoto eka swa moya hi swa Pentekosta leyintshwa; hi ku landza swona leswi, swi pfunete ndzavisiso hi leswo xana mavonelo yo hambana hi swa vugandzeri bya Pentakosta leyintshwa eka nhlengeletano eLivingston leswo xana yi na vuyelo lebyinene kumbe lebyi nga ri ku lebyinene eka swiyimo swa ikhonomi ya swirho. Ku tirhisiwe minxaka mimbirhi ya nhlengeleto ya vutivi, ku nga qualitative interviews na xitirho xa ku languta kunene leswi endlekaka (observation instruments).
Practical Theology
D. Th. (Practical Theology)
50
Kimilike, Lechion Peter. "An African perspective on poverty provebs in the book of proverbs : an analysis for transformational possibilities." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/2372.
Full textAbstract:
An African Perspective on Poverty Proverbs in the Book of Proverbs: An Analysis for Transformational Possibilities. This thesis contributes to the emerging global scholarly discussion on prioritising the practical relevance of biblical interpretation, particularly in Africa. Taking poverty as a case study, this thesis employs the notion of the popular social origin of proverbs to critically analyse the subject in the Book of Proverbs. A social anthropological approach, historical-critical methods, rhetorical criticism and contextual exegesis are used to analyse proverbs regarding the poor in the Book of Proverbs and African proverbial material. On one hand, the investigation reveals that many Western scholars take their cue from the `official' social context of the Book of Proverbs. However, the impact of an unconscious subjectivity owing to the Western secularising influence on their studies into poverty has posited a conservative status quo in the way the Book of Proverbs addresses it. On the other hand, an investigation of similar traditional African proverbial material on the poor reveals a holistic transformative possibility. Its life-centred dynamism is located in an integrative worldview that comprises mutual assistance, collective responsibility, family, community, social, political, religious and economic networks as one whole. Because cultural parallels exist between the society of ancient Israel and traditional African societies, the thesis argues the use of the African proverbial performance context in the interpretation of proverbs concerning the poor in the Book of Proverbs. The result of such cross-cultural application highlights the possible transformative social, economic, political and religious supportive networks essential to a viable and sustainable holistic development of society. Consequently, such a holistic approach to poverty may enable Bible readers to make meaning and empower the will of African Christians to rise practically to the challenge of poverty eradication in all spheres of their lives. A caution also to the universal church is to be found in the fact that the Book of Proverbs made an essential contribution to the transformation of the social, economic, political and religious life of Israel. Approaching the Book of Proverbs in terms of a popular context is a fact that can no longer be simply ignored.Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
D.Th.