Browsing by Subject "Religious Studies"
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- ItemOpen AccessA Qualitative Analysis of the ISKCON Movement in South Africa(2022) Bishop, James; Porcu, ElisabettaThis thesis explores the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) movement in South Africa. I employ qualitative analysis and use David Chidester's theory of symbolic exchange to analyze contestations over symbols between ISKCON devotees and proponents of competing perspectives in the contemporary South African context. I analyze the “battlefield” of symbol contestation and its many participants who wish to “own” sacred symbols, alienate others from this ownership, and how symbols are appropriated to serve specific “interests”. Evaluating discourses and contestations over symbols clarify central tenets in the ISKCON movement's worldview, what the religion seeks to communicate, to whom it communicates, the strategies it employs, and its interests that are served.
- ItemOpen AccessA study of Indian Pentecostal Church membership with reference to a model of religious change(1985) Buijs, Georgina Cicely Vauriol; Cumpsty, J SThis thesis is a socio-historical account of the founding and development of the largest Christian denomination among South African Indians - Bethesda, or the Indian branch of the Full Gospel Church of Southern Africa, with reference to a model religious belonging and change developed by Professor J.S. Cumpsty. The members of Bethesda are drawn largely from the descendants of Tamil and Telegu speaking indentured labourers who were brought to South Africa mainly to work in the sugar plantations of Natal in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The early chapters of the thesis examine the background of these people, including the circumstances surrounding their emigration from India, most often due to famine, and the harsh conditions they endured on the estates in Natal in the early years of indenture. The religion the indentured brought with them to Natal was the 1 folk 1 Hinduism of their native Indian villages where worship often centred around local deities who needed to be propitiated to prevent outbreaks of epidemic diseases. This religion conformed to what Cumpsty has called 1Nature Religion 1 in which immediate experience is conceived of as real, reality as monistic and time as cyclical (biological). It is corporate, present texture of life oriented and largely a behaviour pattern. Religious knowledge is typically wisdom. Although some effort was made to convert Indians to Christianity at this time, notably by Methodist and Anglican missionaries, little success was achieved and Christianity remained for Indians in South Africa a 'white man's religion 1. Later chapters in the thesis show that by the nineteen twenties, however, the socio-cultural experience of the Indians had changed. Few then remained in agricultural work, most were employed in unskilled or semi-skilled positions in manufacturing industries or service positions in the rapidly growing urban areas. It was at this time that Bethesda was founded as the United Pentecostal Mission in Pietermaritzburg by J.A. Rowlands and Ebenezer Theophilus. Although the appeal of Pentecostalism was limited among Indians initially, and there is some evidence that early Christian converts were ostracised by their relatives, when J.F. Rowlands, the elder son of J.A. Rowlands, moved to Durban and founded Bethesda, within a few years the church succeeded in becoming well established in Durban and surrounding areas of Natal. This phase in the history of Bethesda may be correlated with what Cumpsty, in terms of his model of religious belonging, has called the Irrational or Paradoxical Stage. In this stage religious beliefs gain their authority from their success in creating the required sense of belonging because they are independent of the chaotic or unacceptable socio-cultural experience. In this paradoxical stage the highly emotionally charged religious meeting, charismatic experience and charismatic figure find their place, as Rowlands provided with his revival campaigns, 1Bethesdascopes 1 , 'Musical Sermons' and the puritanical life style and ethic enjoined in his teachings. By the sixties the chaotic life experience of South African Indians has stabilized. Increasing levels of education for young people and expectations of a better life than their parents had led were reflected in a new emphasis in Bethesda on theological training, dignity and order in both worship and the appearance of church buildings. Thus the members of Bethesda sought to enter an Integrative stage where beliefs and practices had to be relevant to the socio-cultural experience. By the nineteen eighties, and consequent on the death of J.F. Rowlands and closer links with other Full Gospel churches in South Africa, Bethesda has clearly moved away from being an Indian Christian church to an emphasis on_ a wider humanitarian concern in which Indian identity is subsumed under a Pentecostal umbrella which includes missionary activity overseas and links with Pentecostal churches in the United States. The success of Bethesda, in contrast to the relative failure of other Christian denominations among Indians in South Africa, can be clearly seen in its ability not only to provide a sense of belonging in changing sociocultural experiences but to actively promote the aims and aspirations of its members in a rapidly changing world.
- ItemOpen AccessAcquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller(2020) Altalib, Najma; Tayob, AbdulkaderDespite criticism from relatives, religious leaders and her Muslim community, Faghmeda Miller publicly disclosed her HIV status on World AIDS Day in 1996. She became the first Muslim woman in South Africa to do so. Her story of courage in the face of the unknown, stigma and discrimination echo the complex social context in which HIV is experienced nationally and globally. It places emphasis on the fact that HIV affects all humans, irrespective of religion, race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status. Using life trajectory as a method of enquiring into Miller's social and religious meaning making regarding her infection and HIV and AIDS activism, this research presents her challenges and victories in her journey with HIV and AIDS. The biographical study examines how she became the face of a Muslim woman with HIV in society. In speaking up for the infected voiceless and taking a lead in creating awareness about a highly stigmatised disease, Miller shows how personal agency was used to change attitudes, save lives and offer support to the suffering. Mass media in the 1990s—television, radio and print—played a crucial role in her trajectory. This study argues that Miller acquired social capital through the declaration of her HIV status, increasing her public profile, and co-founding the Muslim HIV/AIDS organization, Positive Muslims. The analysis focuses on turning points in her life trajectory, including traumatic experiences, transformative reflections on Islam, and activism. Through her personal and social challenge with the virus, she ultimately embraces an inclusive Islamic theology of compassion.
- ItemOpen AccessAfrican liberation theologies : expressions of a decentred and embodied postcolonial christianity(2014) Taulo, Emmanuel Francisco; Wanamaker, CA [This thesis aims at analysing how African liberation theologies can be seen as expressing the ideas of postcolonial .theory and hence producing a decentred and embodied form of Christianity in the postcolonial context. Of course, today debate goes on as to whether or not African liberation theologies have largely died out as a theological tradition in these first years of the twenty-first century. Because of space-constraints, this is one question that I hope to pursue in another work later. However, in this thesis my only aim is to argue that African liberation theologies can be seen as expressing the ideas of postcolonial theory and hence producing a decentred and embodied form of Christianity in the postcolonial context. But before analysing, let us have a good grasp of our context of discussion.
- ItemOpen AccessAfrican women in religion and culture Chewa women in the Nkhoma synod of the church of central Africa, presbyterian: a critical study from women's perspective(1992) Phiri, Isabel Apawo; De Gruchy, J WThis thesis is an inter-disciplinary approach to the study of Chewa women in the Nkhoma synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. It is an interpretation, from a women's perspective within the Reformed tradition of their status, roles, and experiences. The introduction provides a detailed explanation of the area of study, African women's perspective of religion and culture, and methodology. I Chapter one aims at examining the context of women in Malawi. This includes the current demography, politics, economy and education as they affect women. The chapter also includes a background history of Chewa people and the church of Central Africa, Presbyterian which provide a base for the understanding of Chewa women in the Nkhoma synod. Chapter two considers the position of Chewa women further by providing a detailed analysis of their position in traditional society. The period under study in this chapter is 1400-1870s. Through the study of the Makewana cult, the chapter aims at showing that Chewa women traditionally had religious leadership roles. This led to a discussion on the concept of God among the Chewa. In studying these traditional roles, the chapter shows both the positive and negative elements in Chewa culture. Chapters one and two then provide a framework for chapters three, four, and five. Chapter three analyzes in detail the issues of Chewa women in religious. leadership and culture under the Dutch Reformed Church Mission and the Nkhoma synod from 1889 to present. It examines church policies on women's participation in church leadership positions and theological education. It also examines how the church has handled cultural issues, especially the women's initiation ceremony, bride wealth, child marriages, polygamy, and widowhood. The concern of this chapter is to show that while Christianity liberated Chewa women from some degrading cultural practices, it also denied women leadership positions. Chapter four takes the issue of women's participation in the church further by examining the Chigwirizano-Women's organization. The aim of this chapter is to explore what the organization means to women, how it runs, and most of all, its relationship with the synod. The chapter establishes that Nkhoma synod women do not only suffer from patriarchy but also from clericalism. Chapter five moves from the historical approach to a sociological one. It is primarily a survey of attitudes of men and women in the synod on the issues raised in chapters three and four. It also aims at finding out if the presence of women in the general synod would make a difference. Chapter six considers the effect on Nkhoma synod women who have participated in continental church women's organizations, especially their aims at raising the consciousness of women and the church with regard to women's issues. Chapter seven provides a summary of the findings. It also raises theological issues on interpreting the Bible from a women's perspective and a new understanding of authority in the church. The chapter concludes by posing a challenge to the synod to develop a theology that takes into account the experiences of women in the church, and enables them to fulfil a creative role within it.
- ItemOpen AccessThe alienated religion studies teacher: a case study in Cape Town, South Africa(2017) Driesen, Danika; Tayob, AbdulkaderSouth Africa's post-apartheid National Policy on Religion and Education instituted in 2003 ushered in a new paradigm for the study of religion in the country's schools. It promotes a programme of teaching and learning about religious diversity that constitute the nation. While this revised policy enabled Religion Studies educators to grapple with new ways of thinking about the study of religion, it still demanded them to assume a standardised role that focused more on their duties and responsibilities of promoting a multi-religious approach in an impartial manner. This homogenous policy image neglected the teachers' interpretations and reality of the profession. Consequently, a gap emerged between the policy-imagined role and Religion Studies teachers' perspectives. This thesis explores the gap between what the national policy expects from the teachers and their readiness for teaching Religion Studies. Rahel Jaeggi's concept of alienation is used to critically analyse the alienating effects of the national policy images' failure in recognising the realities of the profession. Jaeggi provides a renewed framework on the concept that entails critically analysing an individual's social role in terms of how s/he succeeds or fails to appropriate and identify with it. A case study research of eleven teachers who taught Religion Studies in high schools in Cape Town, South Africa was conducted. The findings reveal that the gap disrupted their roles, and resulted in a 'double' alienation for them. It also shows educators integrating their religious identities into their teaching methods, which enhanced their proficiency at teaching the subject and alleviating their 'double' alienation. The teachers' methodologies demonstrate that they are open enough to approach the aims of Religion Studies, and to approach diversity that is not from the national policy's perspective of a distant secular approach, but rather one that opens their own religious traditions to new ones. I argue that despite the Religion Studies teachers alleviating their 'double' alienation to some extent by integrating their religious identities into their teaching methods, they still remained in a state of alienation due to the post-apartheid government's top-down education strategy.
- ItemOpen AccessAllied democratic forces (ADF) in Uganda: A Jihadi- Salafi movement or local political movement in disguise(2018) Nsobya, Abdulhakim Abdalla; Brigaglia, AndreaSince 1996, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has waged a campaign of terror in Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has resulted in a number of fatalities and continues to threaten the security of the region. From its inception, the objective of the ADF has been to overthrow the Ugandan government and establish an Islamic state governed by a Salafi interpretation of Islam. This study seeks to document the history of the ADF and to locate its position within contemporary Salafi debates. It does so by answering the following questions: (1) what do we know about the ADF? (2) How did the ADF emerge in Uganda? (3) Is the ADF Jihadi-Salafi movement or local political movement in disguise? This study utilises interviews, as well as archival and ethnographic approaches to research. Findings suggest that the ADF is a Jihadi-Salafi militant movement, which was originally established under the name Salafi Jihad Council (SaJiCo). However, the initial failure to stand alone and the Busitema defeat forced them to join other non-Muslim rebel groups to form the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). In addition, this study confirmed that, persuasive rhetoric of ADF leader, Jamilu Mukulu in addition to a long history of economic, social and political marginalisation of Muslims in Uganda by colonial and post-colonial governments, played a significant role in the creation and recruitment strategies for the Movement.
- ItemOpen AccessAnalysing transition narratives : Christian leaders in public life in post-apartheid South Africa(2004) Getman, Eliza Jane; De Gruchy, John WThe dynamic discourse between religion and public life is illustrated in South Africa in both the pre- and post-apartheid eras. Specifically, this relationship is manifested in the lives of a number of individuals who straddled both facets of society. This thesis centres on a social analysis of the journeys undertaken by thirteen men and women who held Christian faith and political commitment in each hand as the New South Africa emerged from the Old. In-depth interviews were conducted with all subjects using qualitative research methods based on an oral history approach. Subjects were asked to consider their faith identities and the ways in which their faith directed their involvement in the public arena.
- ItemOpen AccessAn analysis of the nature and basis of Karl Barth's socialism(1985) Petersen, Robin M; Villa-Vicencio, CharlesUsing certain insights of F.W. Marquardt's seminal, if controversial thesis, 'Theoloqie und Sozialismus: Das Bespiel Karl Barth's', as a point of departure, this thesis is an analysis of the nature and theological basis of Karl Barth's socialism. A comprehensive study of Barth's writings is conducted in relation to four areas, in an attempt to derive a more precise understanding of the nature of Barth's socialist commitment, and the manner in which Barth grounds this in his theology. The continuity and changes in both of these areas of Barth's thought are analysed, showing the parallel development of his theology and his socialist commitment. More significantly, the fundamental continuities underlying all these changes are identified, and it is argued that these continuities verify the general thesis that in Barth's theology there is a consistent attempt to ground adequately a socialist praxis that neither secularises the gospel, nor divinises the human struggle for freedom. There is thus a dialectical relationship between his theology and his socialist praxis, each influences the other, but neither can be reduced to the other. Barth's theology arises in a context of socialist praxis, as a means of grounding and explicating that praxis in a theological base. It is therefore influenced by this socialist praxis, but it can never be reduced to it. It has another source which is God and God's Word, from which it derives its centre and its power, and although God and humans are held together inseparably in the incarnate Word, Jesus, they cannot be confused or form a God-human hybrid.
- ItemOpen AccessAncestors in African religion : a comparative study of the role of ancestors in the Sotho and Nguni worship and religious ethics(2003) Moiloa, Peter Mokhele; Mazamisa, WelileBelief in ancestral spirits among the Africans has always aroused a hot debate among scholars of African Religion. To a great number of scholars this belief seems to have been exaggerated. The fact that Africans speak more about their ancestors than about God has led some scholars into thinking that God has no place in African Traditional Religion.They argue that God is not worshipped in African Traditional Religion.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Apostolic Faith Mission in Africa, 1908-1980 : a case study in church growth in a segregated society(1989) De Wet, Christiaan Rudolf; De Gruchy, John WThis case-study of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Africa in relation to Church Growth theory covers the period 1908 - 1980. Its geographical scope is South Africa, including the black Homelands. In chapters 1 and 2 we examine the history, origins and development of the AFM in Africa in relation to Pentecostalism and the white AFM. In chapters 3 and 4 we research the contextual issues of racism, apartheid, and the relationship between the AFM, the State, and politics. From chapter 5 to the end our focus is on the church growth of the AFM in Africa. Our study has shown that the AFM in Africa has grown significantly during the period studied. Significant growth factors have been: the prioritization of evangelism accompanied with an emphasis on the supernatural manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit; the active involvement of the laity; their theology of missions revealing a distinctive pneumatology, an eschatological urgency, and a sense of divine destiny; their ecclesiology; their culturally relevant liturgy; and homogeneous groupings of Blacks. Conversely, factors hindering their growth have been the superpaternalistic approach to mission of the white "Mother-church". The endorsement of apartheid and lack of a prophetic witness of the Apostolic Faith Mission towards the State have also harmed their credibility in the black community.
- ItemOpen AccessApplication of Muslim personal & family law in South Africa : law, ideology and socio-political implications(1989) Moosa, Ebrahim; Hofmeyr, Jannie; Lubbe, GerrieWhat I have coined as 'politics' occur at two levels, namely at the level of the differing political perceptions of Muslims and at the level of how they interact with the modern-state. This study approaches the subject from two angles. The first deals with a community's self-perception in relation to its religious symbols and values. The second involves an understanding of the human reality we experience. Law, ideology, economics and a host of other forces dictate the destinies of people. It is against the backdrop of the above two levels that the implications of the implementation of MPL [Muslim Personal Law] is examined in this thesis. It must be said at the outset that MPL has as yet not been applied in South Africa. The debate regarding its implementation has only begun. This thesis thus looks into the dynamics of this experience. Some aspects of the debate is also based on projections and comparative studies.
- ItemOpen AccessThe approach of the traditionalist school to the epistemological and ecumenical concerns of the mystical experience debate(2001) Minnaar, Clinton; Tayob, AbdulkaderThe present thesis begins with an identification of the fact that numerous academic commentators on the mystical experience debate misrepresent the epistemological position of the traditionalist school; and this, through a confusion of the mystical experience with metaphysical intellection.
- ItemOpen AccessArchitects of our own destiny : profiling opportunities for reconciliation and restorative justice within the context of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme in Mitchell's Plain(2005) Esau, Matthew; Cochrane, James; De Gruchy, John WBy the time that President Thabo Mbeki announced in his State of the Nation address to the South African Parliament on 02 February 2000, that Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape would be the focus of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme, Mitchell's Plain had been in existence for 25 years. By this time [2000], the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) had completed most of its work and 'reconciliation' had become probably the most talked-about concept in the country.
- ItemOpen AccessAspect of Budya traditional religion which promote human rights(2010) Mushishi, Clifford; Masondo, Sibusiso TheophilusThe rights to life, liberty, security, shelter, food, integrity, respect, dignity and health care among others are focused in this study on the Budya traditional religion. Aspects that emerge as promoting human rights are examined within an African cultural perspective. Specific aspects examined include: mombe youmai (mother's cow), chiredzwa (child caring appreciation), zunde ra mambo (chief's storehouse as a food security programme), kusungira (taking an expecting mother to her parents to deliver the first baby), kugarwa nhaka (inheriting a deceased's wife), sara pa vana (traditional inheritance of a deceased man's family) and ubuntu (person-hood). The rituals of kupayira (naming of a child), kutsikisa mapota (stepping over protective porridges), makupo (distribution of the deceased's property), mhinza mumba (home bringing ceremony) are discussed.
- ItemOpen AccessThe attitude of the Anglican church of Uganda to the new religious movements and in particular to the Bacwezi-Bashomi in South Western Uganda 1960-1995(1997) Ndyabahika, James N; Kwenda, ChirevoThe central theme of this doctoral thesis is the Attitude of the Anglican Church of Uganda to the New Religious Movements and in particular to the Bacwezi-Bashomi in south-western Uganda, 1960-1995. Since the 1960's Uganda has been witnessing a wave of new religious movements stressing healing and exorcism and to date are attracting a large following. Although the literature on these movements is still scanty with no attempt having been made in the area of academics, the researcher investigated this topic at some considerable length (assisted by six research assistants) using primary and secondary sources a task he has carried out with a sense of satisfaction. In the area of scholarship, he has published articles in Occasional Research Papers - Makerere University (Volume 14); African Journal of Theology (1991): 54-62; Asian Journal of Theology (1991): 136-148 and African Journal of Evangelical theology (1993): 18-40. Currently, he is a lecturer at Makerere University. This thesis is developed in six chapters with intent to establish whether the Bacwezi-Bashomi Movement is a challenge to Christianity or its followers are from the Roman Catholic Church or it is a pseudo-religious group or an independent church. It highlights that apart from the Balokole (born again Christians), abazukufu (the reawakened Christians), Pentecostal preachers and the charismatic renewal believers; many Christians who hardly take their faith and baptismal calling seriously claim that Christianity has failed to provide solutions to their chaotic existence, economic and socio-religious issues, hence the rush to these new religious movements and in particular to the Bacwezi-Bashomi. Defection is caused by the inability to grasp seriously the biblical teachings and the failure to get down-to-earth philosophical explanations. The study then discusses the historical growth of the Movement, highlights the attitudes of the mainline churches and concludes with recommendations and vision of the Anglican Church in Uganda. Now, the mainline churches are urged to foster the Christian faith that addresses the contemporary issues which engulf the indigenous people; to take the traditional healing and the indigenous medicine seriously; and to enhance a fruitful dialogue with the new religious movements, nominal Christians, abalokole and the followers of the Bacwezi-Bashomi Movement leading to mutual respect and understanding. Lastly, owing to the scarcity of in-depth academic studies, there is a need for serious research by church historians, sociologists, missiologists and pastors, hence the justification for this thesis.
- ItemOpen AccessAuthenticity and the transformation of the Camino : an analysis of secular pilgrimage in contemporary academic literature(2015) Vvon Benecke, Gerda; Blond, LouisThis thesis is an analysis and critique of contemporary research on secular pilgrimage. A trend of dedifferentiation between religious pilgrimage, secular pilgrimage and tourism is identified whereby contemporary academic literature is arguing for a broadening of the definition of pilgrimage to incorporate many disparate forms of travel and the multiple motivations that initiate these journeys. In this this thesis, I acknowledge and elaborate on the development that has occurred by which pilgrimage has expanded and fragmented into various forms, termed the "turn inward". What I am disagreeing with and critiquing is the paradigm shift towards dedifferentiation in contemporary academic research on secular pilgrimage. I use Jonathan Z. Smith to critique the comparativism evident in contemporary pilgrimage literature that focuses on similarities and neglects difference. In this thesis, I argue for a differentiation between religious pilgrimage, secular pilgrimage and tourism, as well as the validity of the concept secular pilgrimage, by looking at the foundational differences between the various phenomena. In order to support this argument, I explore various foundational differences between medieval religious pilgrimage and contemporary secular pilgrimage, while using theorists José Casanova and Charles Taylor and their theories of secularisation in order to bring in a philosophical account of meaning and access deep ontological differences in order to support my argument for the distinction between religious pilgrimage, secular pilgrimage and tourism. In order to focus the study, I use the Camino to Santiago as case study because of its Christian medieval origins as well as its current popularity amongst secular pilgrims.
- ItemOpen AccessBaptist identity in ecumenical context : a critical exposition of the 1987 Statement on Baptist Principles of the Baptist Union of South Africa(1996) Harris, James Ian; De Gruchy, John WBaptist Identity In Ecumenical Context is, essentially, an exposition of the 1987 statement on Baptist Principles of the Baptist Union of South Africa. The Statement has had no critical reflection given it to date and therefore this study is a new contribution to the growing corpus of material on Baptist theology in South Africa. The thesis explains the identity of South African Baptists using the key word discipleship. Though not stated as such, the1987 Statement on Baptist Principles is an expression of discipleship. Discipleship is described and critically analysed in the thesis as community, its sign as baptism, ministry is discipleship expressed in society, and freedom is the term given to denote the focus on religious liberty and the separation of church from the state, as well as indicating the church's prophetic role. Drawing from the rich heritage of Anabaptist and English Baptist history and theology, and reflecting on other evangelical and ecumenical theological writings, the thesis shows the value of 'discipleship' as the motif for Baptists in the contemporary South African setting. The thesis invites South African Baptists to re-discover this motif both in the context of their own tradition and in their relations with other Christian churches.
- ItemOpen AccessBefore the pool of Narcissus : the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk's journey to confessional orthodoxy and isolation through the lense [sic] of doctrine(1995) Holkeboer, Mieke Rae; De Gruchy, John WThis thesis considers South Africa's Nederduitse Gerefonneerde Kerk (NGK) in its journey toward confessional orthodoxy and isolation which began already in the late nineteenth century and continued, through the apartheid era, well into the twentieth. The dates chosen roughly to frame this inquiry (1907 to 1962), however, drive equally toward a particular ecclesial unity. For in 1907, the NGK synods established, out of a desire to cooperate more closely, the Federal Council of Churches (FCC). In 1962 this drive toward ecclesial unity then culminated in the convening of the General Synod, where delegates from all the church's "mother" synods gathered in a single synod for the first time in one hundred years. So united, however, the NGK was, in its ecumenical affiliations, at an all-time low. What were the circumstances within which this unity-in-isolation occurred? In light of the NGK's role in sanctioning and advancing apartheid, this thesis explores Afrikaans church and missionary periodicals and church documents from these years with a view to evaluating what went wrong. More specifically, however, the inquiry is driven by an interest in the complex role of doctrine in hermeneutics and the life of the church. Indeed, this thesis views doctrine as the key to understanding the NGK's journey to isolation and apartheid and asks, how did it function - in the church's ecumenical decisions, internal church matters and even its political involvement during this period? In The Nature of Doctrine1 George Lindbeck offers a metaphor within which to conceive doctrine's role for a healthy church: doctrine is "grammar" for the primary language of Scripture. This thesis employs (with several critical divergences) Lindbeck's theory of doctrine in evaluating healthy and unhealthy dynamics within the NGK. The inquiry is broken into four chapters:1) Lindbeck and the NGK; 2) Ecumenicity and the NGK; 3) Confessional Foundations; and 4) Race Relations and the NGK.
- ItemOpen AccessBlack theology : a quest for a true humanity in South Africa(1988) Lapoorta, J J; Mazamisa, WelileThe Apartheid ideology and political system in South Africa has caused blacks to experience their blackness negatively. Being black is the reason for their pain and suffering. This is not merely a political problem but in its deepest sense it is a theological problem because it has caused doubt in the hearts and minds of blacks, as to whether they are created in the image and likeness of God. Apart from that Apartheid also presented itself as a command of God, and as such it is a pseudo- religion. In the thesis this problem is examined from a biblical-theological perspective. Chapter one looks at humans created in the image of God, the dignity which implies their right and their equality before God. After investigating the insight of a cross-section of theologians, it is clear that the dignity of all people irrespective of race and colour is beyond dispute. Chapter two examines the black experience against the biblical background. Despite the theoretical consensus regarding human dignity, blacks are experiencing their blackness in a negative sense. The reason for this is the negative anthropology of white theology. Chapter three discusses the emergence of the critical conscious- ness towards the negative anthropology. The Black Consciousness philosophy played a positive role in countering this negative anthropology. Black Theology used these insights to develop a positive anthropology. It brought awareness of human dignity, but it did not lead to action. Chapter four discusses the total liberation from all situations of oppression, exploitation and dehumanization. The basis for this liberation is found both in the Old and New Testaments. In this regard the Exodus Paradigm and the Nazareth manifesto play significant roles as biblical models for total liberation. From these paradigms it is concluded that Yahweh in the Old Testament is the Liberator of the oppressed, and that New Testament salvation in Christ, links up with the Exodus model in which God sides with the oppressed. Biblical liberation and salvation is not merely spiritual but involve the total human. Chapter five looks at the sources from which Black Theology draws in an attempt to define its positive anthropology. Apart from the already mentioned biblical sources and Black Consciousness ' it also draws from the black experience and the Traditional African Religions. The final conclusions are that black theology brought a new appreciation to the fact that blackness is a gift of God and not a curse. The liberation of humans, an important emphasis in black theology is firmly grounded in the scriptures and involves the total being. That black theology is not racism in reverse, nor is it an ideology, but a quest for humanity, firmly grounded in the biblical tradition.