FINAL DISSERTATION (original) (raw)
Related papers
Combating HIV: A Ministerial Strategy for Zambian Churches
2009
This work is about a missiological praxis for the creation of ‗Circles of Hope' as an entry point for faith based organisations and, particularly, local churches in Zambia for an effective battle in the fight against HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The HIV pandemic is one of the worst tragedies to have befallen humankind in the 21 st century. Lost to many people is the fact that it does not affect all regions of the globe equally. Figures show that over 70% of PLWHA (people living with HIV) are in sub Saharan-Africa while most affected are young and therefore, in theory, energetic. With an overall HIV prevalence rate of 16% and a life vi Gepaste teologiese refleksie oor die heerskappy van God is noodsaaklik. `n Revelante HIV teologie sal gewone lidmate insluit, sal bedag wees op fundamentalistiese sieninge, sal bybels wees en sal gebaseer wees op ʼn trinitariese godsbegrip. Die teologiese basis vir die wegbeweeg van `n teologie van straf/oordeel na een van versorging, waarheid, vryheid, geregtigheid en vrede, is geleë in gemeenskap en kameraadskap. Hierdie refleksie is `n poging om in `n tyd van HIV ʼn konstruktiewe interpretasie te gee van die huidige realiteite. Kritiese en sensitiewe leierskap behoort in die huidige situasie te poog om God se wil te soek om die gebrokenheid van 'n MIV siek gemeenskap aan te spreek. Die rol van die plaaslike kerk en netwerkingsaktiwiteite is onontbeerlik vir die realisering van die visie van ʼn Zambië sonder MIV. Die-Kringe van Hoop‖-program van die Zambiese Raad van Kerke is ‗n bedieningstrategie wat die MIV pandemie wil aanspreek en wat die kerk in Zambië uitdaag om mee te doen. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATION This study would not have come to fruition without the guidance of and encouragement from my promoter Professor H.J. Hendriks, the head of the department of Practical Theology and Missiology at Stellenbosch University. His inestimable suggestions, invaluable theological insights, support and creativity have been a delight and an inspiration. I am greatly indebted to Tanya Barben and Maryke Hunter-Hüsselmann who read through my text, offered invaluable suggestions and called my attention to useful editorial amendments. I am equally thankful to Beatrice Aliba for referring me to useful sources of information, Reuben Daka and Rian Venter who took the time to read through my work and also made helpful suggestions. For financial and moral support, my sincere gratitude goes to the Dutch Reformed Church in Western Cape through their student support office, the Council of Churches in Zambia, Sjoerd Haagsma who understood my need to take a study leave following the loss of my first wife Petronella Peninah Simango Ndhlovu arising from child birth complications and his successor Hans Snoek of the Global Ministries-Netherlands. My appreciation also goes to the many friends and family members in and out of the Reformed Church in Zambia, Pastor Martyn Turck and members of the Strand Baptist Church, brothers at Weidenhof Street NetACT house in Stellenbosch, Thandi Sililo in Somerset West, and the staff at the Council of Churches in Zambia, for their prayers and encouragement. Finally, my gratitude goes to my wonderful familymy dear wife Caroline Owegi-Ndhlovu, Chitonthozo our eldest son and our twins Nkosikulu and Nkosinathi for their unwavering support and patience. They endured my absence from home for the duration of this study, as I combined it with several work related travels when I served at the Council of Churches in Zambia. This work is dedicated to Joy Lubinga and all members of the Council of Churches in Zambia Circles of Hope. To them all I owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude for teaching me Christian hope and positive living as they struggled to fight the silence, shame and stigma associated with living with HIV. viii This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my late brother, Matthew Sailota Ndhlovu, whose death from AIDS would have been delayed if ARV therapy had been available to him.
NOW also online at OPUS: http://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bamberg/files/5599/BIAS12Prophetsopusse1A2.pdf
This volume examines the phenomenon of prophets and prophecy in contemporary Zimbabwe. By applying insights from biblical studies and other approaches, the volume sheds light on how this contentious phenomenon has been discussed in the Zimbabwean context. The different chapters highlight the role of the Bible, gender, media, literature and other perspectives have influenced attitudes towards prophets and prophecy in Zimbabwe. While the phenomenon has been principally associated with the new wave of Pentecostalism, it remains critical to appreciate pre-existing attitudes towards prophets from African Initiated Churches (AICs), as well as traditional healers in African Indigenous Religions (AIRs). Contributors to this volume have explored the complexities that characterize prophets and prophecy. The volume is of interest to scholars in biblical studies, theology, religious studies, political science, anthropology, philosophy and other disciplines. General readers, church leaders and civil society activists will also find the chapters in this volume valuable. The Editors and Contributors: Dr David BISHAU | Dr Kudzai BIRI |Dr Tarisayi A. CHIMUKA | Dr Anna CHITANDO | Prof Ezra CHITANDO | Nehemia CHIVANDIKWA | Agness CHIWARA | Dr Masiiwa Ragies GUNDA | Joyline GWARA | Shakespear HAMAUSWA | Prof Joachim KÜGLER | Dr Francis MACHINGURA | Prof Fainos MANGENA | Dr Charity MANYERUKE | Molly MANYONGANISE | Dr Tapiwa Praise MAPURANGA | Pauline MATEVEKE | Samson MHIZHA | Obert Bernard MLAMBO | Clemenciana MUKENGE | Dr Canisius MWANDAYI | Prof Tabona SHOKO | Dr Nisbert Taisekwa TARINGA | Prof Lovemore TOGARASEI | Dr Obvious VENGEYI | Clive Tendai ZIMUNYA
Aids Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church CMA Catholic Men's Association viii Acknowledgements This academic journey would not have been possible without the motivation, support and mentoring of my supervisors Dr Joram Tarusarira and Prof Kocku von Stuckrad. I could not have imagined any better supervision, advice, guidance and support than what you provided. It would not have been possible for me to carry out this research without the funding from Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (NUFFIC) and all those who facilitated my study and stay in Groningen, especially Wiebe Zijlstra and Esme Bakker. The Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies was my home for four years. I am very grateful for the support I received from both the academic and administrative staff. I will not forget all the research participants who were so generous with their time and their stories, the Korekore Catholic women of Kristo Mambo Parish, Mt Darwin, vasikana vangu vadiwa, God bless you abundantly! The Catholic Church leadership in Chinhoyi diocese, Mt Darwin and St Alberts hospitals staff, Population Services Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Gender and Women Affairs, Mt Darwin District. This thesis would not have come into fruition without your insights. I thank you. I would also like to mention those who became part of the PhD journey in several ways, Professor Elizabeth Schmidt for providing feedback and advice on my thesis, Dr Brenda Bartelink, for helping to shape my research topic, the Graduate school and all my PhD colleagues, thank you for travelling this journey with me, the saying "if you want to go fast go alone but if you want to go further go with others" explains the journey we travelled together. Last but not by any means the least, I would like to thank my congregation, the LCBL sisters for believing in me and giving me a chance to study abroad, the then mother general, Sr. Illumina Katsukunya, even to the extent of visiting me in Groningen. I felt really supported. Thank you once more to my Kristo Mambo Mt Darwin community for all the support during my fieldwork. My mum and dad for every encouraging word that came out of you now and then and for assuring me that it will be fine, my siblings-for your support and prayers. To all my friends whom I hesitate to mention by names for fear that I will leave out others, thank you. To all of you who have been part of this journey in one way or the other, Thank you, Tatenda, Siyabonga!
2007
This work is a sincere dedication to a long-standing friend, teacher and mentor. We met 16 years ago and we have been good friends ever since. His name is William van den Hurk. There are not many friends like him. He is loyal, honest, straightforward and frank: never beating around the bush, or meandering around the world. And this is what friends should be for-to correct you when you are wrong, reprimand you when you insist on being wrong and congratulate you when you correct your evil ways. William is such a friend, and we do not know many of his kind. As a teacher of logic, he taught us consistence and he has been consistent himself. As a teacher of psychology he taught us endurance and he has taught us to endure by his own example. He stood by us, even when all other fairweather friends took cover, when things seemed to go out of control. Thanks William and God bless you so much. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This book is the work of many hands, without which it could not have been achieved. In my country we say a degree is the work of pulling together (digrii ni kazi ya harambee), and pulling together we did. We wish to sincerely thank our informants who diligently, selflessly and assiduously laboured to provide us with all the information we needed in the field in order to make our research a success. More so, we thank all those who gave us operational bases (mainly though not exclusively the catholic parishes) from where we carried out the field research with ease. Since we cannot afford to say "Goodbye", we say, sörö nyo wow nyo man wechara, a kiperurok Tororöt. We also wish to thank the students of Christ the Teacher Institute for Education (CTIE), Tangaza College (a constituent college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa) who made us aware, for the first time, of the existing discrepancy between the written word of the Scriptures and the actual practice of the people on the ground. We would like to thank Aylward Shorter (former principal of Tangaza), Fritz Stenger (our field supervisor) and Ronald Roggenback (former director of CTIE). We sincerely thank the theological faculty of the Radboud University Nijmegen, particularly the Graduate School of Theology for making this study possible through the award of a four-year study scholarship. We say a big thank you to the scholarship committee for considering us for this unique opportunity. We also wish to thank the entire teaching and non-teaching staff in the faculty for the kind assistance they offered us when we first arrived as new comers and had to be literally led to where we could get the required facilities. They could always say loop met me-walk with me-because they realised that it was futile to try and tell us where such facilities were available. And when things were not clear, even to themselves, they would urge patience and tell us, even kijken-let's see. In particular to be thanked is the student community because, they introduced us to the way of studies in this country and helped us with the much-needed adjustment-a process that is still going on. Last but not least, we thank our supervisors in a very distinguished way for walking with us, step-by-step (stap voor stap) from the start of this study to its conclusion. It has been a long and tedious, and sometimes unpleasant walk, but all in all worthy the effort we have all put to it. For this we would like to thank Frans Wijsen, Johannes Jacobus Visser, Patrick Chatelion Counet and Pirn Valkenberg. Johannes van der Ven (the immediate former dean of the faculty of theology) and Peter Nissen (the current dean). Rogier van Rossum (former rector, Nijmegen College) deserves to be mentioned in a special way because he was the person to welcome us in this country and gave us a room to rest our tired bodies and minds. He also slowly and painfully introduced us to life in the Netherlands and many are the times he even did shopping for us, when we bought wrong items due to language barrier! Special thanks go to members of the Manuscript commission, Georg Essen, Robert Schreiter and Victor Zinkuratire for the approval of this work. Others that deserve to be mentioned are Ad
Women in the CCAP Nkhoma synod : a practical theological study of their leadership roles
2014
Leave her alone, why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me … I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (Mark 14:6, 9). This is how Jesus Christ perceives woman; with gratitude, dignity and respect. Unfortunately, women have often been ill-treated, discriminated against and even oppressed by her own fellow human beings of the opposite sex just because she was born a woman. Many women have asked themselves, "Why was I born a woman?" Questions such as these motivated the researcher to carry out this current study on women The purpose of this dissertation is to: (1) Determine through an in depth literary analysis factors that have contributed to the desperate position of women leadership in CCAP Nkhoma Synod. (2) To conduct empirical research in the different congregations of the Synod among members of Chigwirizano cha amai, church elders and reverends. (3) To explore a new model of reading and interpreting New Testament texts with regards to addressing the problem of the lack of women in leadership positions in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod. The research has shown that women in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod are denied leadership positions because of historical, cultural and biblical factors. Historically, the first Dutch Reformed missionaries who came to Malawi used a patriarchal type of leadership, which sidelined women from leadership positions. Culturally, it was discovered that people brought their cultural beliefs along with them to church, that a man is superior, powerful, respectful and a controller; while woman are considered to be weak, inferior and submissive. Through Social Fifthly, I give my gratitude to my editor, Lee-Ann Roux for the job well done. Thank you for your loving and caring heart. You have done a recommendable work. Sixth, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my beloved mum, Rosemary Jere for the job well done all the time I was away from home attending to my studies. I know you encountered many problems and challenges as you were looking after my children in Nkhoma but you chose to persevere for the sake of my studies. Leaving your home, culture and duties was not easy but you sacrificed them all in order to allow your daughter achieve her godly given dreams. You really portrayed the figure of a loving and caring mother. Seventh, it will be sinful to ignore the outstanding contribution of my three beautiful godly given daughters for your unceasing prayers and encouragement. I know how hard it is to stay alone at home without a mother, but you allowed it to take place, even though with a lot of pains and patience. I still remember Thoko when she was three years old saying, "I don't know what will happen to me if both of my parents die in South Africa where they have gone for studies"; Thandi saying, "I miss you mum, when are you coming?" and Temwa saying, "I don't want mum who is on the Skype, but I want real mum!" All this shows how devastated you were in my absence, but still you persevered. May the Lord Jesus Christ richly honour you for your sacrifice. Lastly, I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to the following brothers and sisters in the Lord for their spiritual, financial and moral support for the duration of my studies. From South
Towards mission spirituality in the Presbyterian community of Kinshasa
2009
assisted me in many ways. I thank my heavenly Father for His grace, support and provision that allowed me to complete this work after many years. May all the glory, honour and majesty be given to Him. My supervisor Professor Nico Adam Botha, with his great heart and patience, enhanced this work through his guidance. He endured the period of my English language adaptation. I salute his missionary care and his pastoral capacity to encourage. I thank him very much. My wife suffered through long days of absence, silence and loneliness while I was busy reading material at home or in the library. Nevertheless, she was a source of encouragement, strength and spiritual support for me. I am very grateful to her. I sincerely thank Reverend Josué Tshimungu Mayela, the president and legal representative of the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa, who did not hesitate to recommend me to the World Council of Churches for the provision of financial support. I appreciate his engagement and determination to train the Lord's servants.