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Papers by Sibusiso Masondo

Research paper thumbnail of A Theological Biography of Bishop Manas Buthelezi = Bischof Manas Buthelezi : Eine theologische Biographie

Umstrittene Beziehungen, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of The growth model for managing changes in African Christianity: The case of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in a Cape Town township

Research paper thumbnail of Models of change in African Christianity: South African Case studies

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2002

Sibusiso Masondo Models of Change in African Christianity: South African Case Studies Introductio... more Sibusiso Masondo Models of Change in African Christianity: South African Case Studies Introduction The present study is aimed at exposing the inadequacies of the divide between the mainline or missionary churches and the African independent or indigenous churches by ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Crisis Model for Managing Change in African Christianity: The Story of St John’s Apostolic Church

Exchange, 2013

St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission, founded by Christinah Nku (also known as Mme Christinah) and a... more St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission, founded by Christinah Nku (also known as Mme Christinah) and all its splinter groups can be theorized as presenting a crisis model for managing change. These churches provide their members with a well worked out path of inclusion through baptism and related rituals, as well as, alleviation of crisis through an assortment of healing, cleansing and deliverance rituals. There is also a strong element of maintaining a person’s healing through an assortment of rituals of celebration and ideological reinforcement. They do this through a process of resource mobilization from both Christianity and African Religion to set up a religion that adequately responds to both the existential and spiritual needs of their members.

Research paper thumbnail of Ironies of Christian Presence in Southern Africa

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of The African indigenous churches' spiritual resources for democracy and social cohesion

Verbum et Ecclesia, 2014

This article outlines resources possessed by the African indigenous churches (AICs) that help the... more This article outlines resources possessed by the African indigenous churches (AICs) that help them engage with the democratic dispensation and could be used to foster social cohesion in South Africa. It starts off with the premise that social cohesion is that which holds the nation together. The South African rainbow-nation narrative tended to focus on tolerance and there cognition of diversity as strength. Tolerance does not address the fundamental issues that would facilitate cohesion. The idea of cultural justice as advocated by Chirevo Kwenda is seen as the most useful tool to move forward. Cultural justice ensures that all citizens are able to draw on their cultural resources without any fear of being discriminated against. The AICs have an assortment of resources at their disposal that are drawn from African religion,Christianity and Western culture. These resources enable AIC members to appreciate being African and Christian, as well as being South African.

Research paper thumbnail of Indigenous conceptions of conversion among African Christians in South Africa

Journal for the Study of Religion

The paper explores the meaning of conversion for African Christians in South Africa by looking at... more The paper explores the meaning of conversion for African Christians in South Africa by looking at some of the indigenous terms that have populated the Christian vocabulary. The paper focuses on terms like ukuguquka, ukukholwa, ibandla, ikholwa, igqobhoka, inkonzo, and inkolo. These terms are found among people who speak Nguni languages. It shows how they were used in pre-Christian context and traces their evolution in Christian contexts. Research conducted in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, St John's Apostolic Faith Mission, and Methodist Churches in Cape Town between 1997 and 2001 has indicated that conversion was not a simple religious process but involved diverse political, economic and social aspects. Conversion involved a transformation of an African Christian identity from the margins to the centre. It also involved extensive negotiation of what it means to be Christian through the translation of Christian content into an African idiom. The paper goes through various ter...

Research paper thumbnail of Prophets never die? The Story of Bishop P.J. Masango of the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission

Bishop Petros Masango rose to prominence at St. John’s Apostolic Faith Mission and eventually bec... more Bishop Petros Masango rose to prominence at St. John’s Apostolic Faith Mission and eventually became a leader of one of the splinter groups that resulted from the split that occurred after a long drawn out court battle with the founder Ma Christinah Nku. This article is an exploration of his life and teachings through the lenses of his official biographer Rev. JB Mhlongo. We explore his childhood, marriage, conversion, calling, ministry and prophecy. Mhlongo, in the title of the biography calls him the famous prophet. The theme of the spirit and its influence runs through his narrative. The story of Masango represents the failure of African Christianity to break away from the dominant western Christian paradigm when it comes to the subordination of women and according them equal status.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversion, crisis, and growth : the religious management of change within the St John's Apostolic Faith Mission and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Cape Town, South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of A Theological Biography of Bishop Manas Buthelezi

Research paper thumbnail of The growth model for managing change in African Christianity: The case of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in a Cape Town township

Research paper thumbnail of Why do you hate me so much? An exploration of religious freedom from the perspective of African religion(s)

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, Feb 8, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of A Problem of Presence: Beyond Scripture In An African Church

... Page 4. A Problem of Presence beyond scripture in an african church Matthew Engelke universit... more ... Page 4. A Problem of Presence beyond scripture in an african church Matthew Engelke university of california press berkeley los angeles london Page 5. ... A problem of presence : beyond Scripture in an African church / Matthew Engelke. p. cm. ...

Research paper thumbnail of The history of African indigenous churches in scholarship

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2005

In this article I take the opportunity to reflect on historical developments in the study of Afri... more In this article I take the opportunity to reflect on historical developments in the study of African Indigenous Churches (AICs) up until the present and show that there have been a number of distinct phases in the study of AICs. In conclusion, I argue that up until recently, the AICs have been studied as a synthesis of African traditional religions and Christianity but that a more meaningful approach begins with an acknowledgement that they are both African and Christian

Research paper thumbnail of A Theological Biography of Bishop Manas Buthelezi = Bischof Manas Buthelezi : Eine theologische Biographie

Umstrittene Beziehungen, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of The growth model for managing changes in African Christianity: The case of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in a Cape Town township

Research paper thumbnail of Models of change in African Christianity: South African Case studies

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2002

Sibusiso Masondo Models of Change in African Christianity: South African Case Studies Introductio... more Sibusiso Masondo Models of Change in African Christianity: South African Case Studies Introduction The present study is aimed at exposing the inadequacies of the divide between the mainline or missionary churches and the African independent or indigenous churches by ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Crisis Model for Managing Change in African Christianity: The Story of St John’s Apostolic Church

Exchange, 2013

St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission, founded by Christinah Nku (also known as Mme Christinah) and a... more St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission, founded by Christinah Nku (also known as Mme Christinah) and all its splinter groups can be theorized as presenting a crisis model for managing change. These churches provide their members with a well worked out path of inclusion through baptism and related rituals, as well as, alleviation of crisis through an assortment of healing, cleansing and deliverance rituals. There is also a strong element of maintaining a person’s healing through an assortment of rituals of celebration and ideological reinforcement. They do this through a process of resource mobilization from both Christianity and African Religion to set up a religion that adequately responds to both the existential and spiritual needs of their members.

Research paper thumbnail of Ironies of Christian Presence in Southern Africa

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of The African indigenous churches' spiritual resources for democracy and social cohesion

Verbum et Ecclesia, 2014

This article outlines resources possessed by the African indigenous churches (AICs) that help the... more This article outlines resources possessed by the African indigenous churches (AICs) that help them engage with the democratic dispensation and could be used to foster social cohesion in South Africa. It starts off with the premise that social cohesion is that which holds the nation together. The South African rainbow-nation narrative tended to focus on tolerance and there cognition of diversity as strength. Tolerance does not address the fundamental issues that would facilitate cohesion. The idea of cultural justice as advocated by Chirevo Kwenda is seen as the most useful tool to move forward. Cultural justice ensures that all citizens are able to draw on their cultural resources without any fear of being discriminated against. The AICs have an assortment of resources at their disposal that are drawn from African religion,Christianity and Western culture. These resources enable AIC members to appreciate being African and Christian, as well as being South African.

Research paper thumbnail of Indigenous conceptions of conversion among African Christians in South Africa

Journal for the Study of Religion

The paper explores the meaning of conversion for African Christians in South Africa by looking at... more The paper explores the meaning of conversion for African Christians in South Africa by looking at some of the indigenous terms that have populated the Christian vocabulary. The paper focuses on terms like ukuguquka, ukukholwa, ibandla, ikholwa, igqobhoka, inkonzo, and inkolo. These terms are found among people who speak Nguni languages. It shows how they were used in pre-Christian context and traces their evolution in Christian contexts. Research conducted in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, St John's Apostolic Faith Mission, and Methodist Churches in Cape Town between 1997 and 2001 has indicated that conversion was not a simple religious process but involved diverse political, economic and social aspects. Conversion involved a transformation of an African Christian identity from the margins to the centre. It also involved extensive negotiation of what it means to be Christian through the translation of Christian content into an African idiom. The paper goes through various ter...

Research paper thumbnail of Prophets never die? The Story of Bishop P.J. Masango of the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission

Bishop Petros Masango rose to prominence at St. John’s Apostolic Faith Mission and eventually bec... more Bishop Petros Masango rose to prominence at St. John’s Apostolic Faith Mission and eventually became a leader of one of the splinter groups that resulted from the split that occurred after a long drawn out court battle with the founder Ma Christinah Nku. This article is an exploration of his life and teachings through the lenses of his official biographer Rev. JB Mhlongo. We explore his childhood, marriage, conversion, calling, ministry and prophecy. Mhlongo, in the title of the biography calls him the famous prophet. The theme of the spirit and its influence runs through his narrative. The story of Masango represents the failure of African Christianity to break away from the dominant western Christian paradigm when it comes to the subordination of women and according them equal status.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversion, crisis, and growth : the religious management of change within the St John's Apostolic Faith Mission and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Cape Town, South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of A Theological Biography of Bishop Manas Buthelezi

Research paper thumbnail of The growth model for managing change in African Christianity: The case of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in a Cape Town township

Research paper thumbnail of Why do you hate me so much? An exploration of religious freedom from the perspective of African religion(s)

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, Feb 8, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of A Problem of Presence: Beyond Scripture In An African Church

... Page 4. A Problem of Presence beyond scripture in an african church Matthew Engelke universit... more ... Page 4. A Problem of Presence beyond scripture in an african church Matthew Engelke university of california press berkeley los angeles london Page 5. ... A problem of presence : beyond Scripture in an African church / Matthew Engelke. p. cm. ...

Research paper thumbnail of The history of African indigenous churches in scholarship

Journal for the Study of Religion, 2005

In this article I take the opportunity to reflect on historical developments in the study of Afri... more In this article I take the opportunity to reflect on historical developments in the study of African Indigenous Churches (AICs) up until the present and show that there have been a number of distinct phases in the study of AICs. In conclusion, I argue that up until recently, the AICs have been studied as a synthesis of African traditional religions and Christianity but that a more meaningful approach begins with an acknowledgement that they are both African and Christian