This research interrogates Bennie van der Walt’s third way as a solution for the “divided soul” of the African people - a divided soul that creates a false dilemma. This division is the creation of political colonialism and neo-colonialism, which impacts negatively on the African socio-economic and political structure. The myth of the superiority of Western culture propagates this vice. Van der Walt’s clarification of the concepts of a world view and culture are depicted in chapter 1. He wrestles with the complexity of culture and world view; showing that a world view is deeply religious and pre-scientific and shapes culture. He also shows how religion, world view and culture relate to one another. In chapter 2 Van der Walt’s comparison and evaluation of the African and Western cultures and their world views is reconstructed. It is pointed out that Van der Walt notices fundamental differences between the two cultures, and that he warns of difficulties in the reconstruction endeavour. He then identifies the underlying presuppositions of both the African and Western cultures. Chapter 3 discusses Van der Walt’s articulation of the impact of the world view clash between African and Western cultures on African society. This impact is felt in the socio-economic-political and educational environment. He considers the Western derogatory approach towards African culture and African reactions towards it. Van der Walt rejects especially ethnocentric approaches to African culture and also the African ethnocentric reaction. In chapter 4, the fundamentals of Van der Walt’s third way is enunciated. He notes that his views are founded on Scripture, acknowledgement of sin and redemption through Christ, the sustaining nature of God’s grace and the recognition of trans-cultural dialogue and non-reductionists ontology. Chapter 5 critically analyses Van der Walt third way. Major strengths and weaknesses of Van der Walt third way are identified. Solutions to Van der Walt’s weak points are recommended for his consideration. Finally, chapter 6 articulates that Van der Walt’s third way aimed to prevent any future damage to African culture as it counters a reductionist ontology prevalent in shaping Africa by propagating a non-reductionist ontology. This ensures that Africa’s problem of a false dilemma, divided soul, and negative ethnocentrism is resolved. / MA (Philosophy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research interrogates Bennie van der Walt’s third way as a solution for the “divided soul” of the African people - a divided soul that creates a false dilemma. This division is the creation of political colonialism and neo-colonialism, which impacts negatively on the African socio-economic and political structure. The myth of the superiority of Western culture propagates this vice. Van der Walt’s clarification of the concepts of a world view and culture are depicted in chapter 1. He wrestles with the complexity of culture and world view; showing that a world view is deeply religious and pre-scientific and shapes culture. He also shows how religion, world view and culture relate to one another. In chapter 2 Van der Walt’s comparison and evaluation of the African and Western cultures and their world views is reconstructed. It is pointed out that Van der Walt notices fundamental differences between the two cultures, and that he warns of difficulties in the reconstruction endeavour. He then identifies the underlying presuppositions of both the African and Western cultures. Chapter 3 discusses Van der Walt’s articulation of the impact of the world view clash between African and Western cultures on African society. This impact is felt in the socio-economic-political and educational environment. He considers the Western derogatory approach towards African culture and African reactions towards it. Van der Walt rejects especially ethnocentric approaches to African culture and also the African ethnocentric reaction. In chapter 4, the fundamentals of Van der Walt’s third way is enunciated. He notes that his views are founded on Scripture, acknowledgement of sin and redemption through Christ, the sustaining nature of God’s grace and the recognition of trans-cultural dialogue and non-reductionists ontology. Chapter 5 critically analyses Van der Walt third way. Major strengths and weaknesses of Van der Walt third way are identified. Solutions to Van der Walt’s weak points are recommended for his consideration. Finally, chapter 6 articulates that Van der Walt’s third way aimed to prevent any future damage to African culture as it counters a reductionist ontology prevalent in shaping Africa by propagating a non-reductionist ontology. This ensures that Africa’s problem of a false dilemma, divided soul, and negative ethnocentrism is resolved. / MA (Philosophy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Present development path is based on the Western ideas, with focus on market, competition, capitalism and individualism. It has shown to create unsustainable patterns in terms of a growing ecological footprint, decreased wellbeing and growing inequities. This calls for new, alternative development paths. The traditional African values are based on a holistic and humanistic ideology which focuses on health and safety of common citizens; meeting all peoples basic needs, sharing, social connectedness, living in harmony with other species and nature, a healthy environment, to experience satisfaction when your basic needs are met, not wanting more than you need (luxurious cravings), and the concern for health of future generations. In this sense, traditional values are sustainability bearing, and are also suggested to influence human wellbeing in a positive way.   This study have explored to what extent sustainability-bearing values from the traditional African lifestyle are considered to be important for the wellbeing of young, black individuals, and analyzed whether the values of means to achieve wellbeing differs or corresponds between people living a traditionally influenced lifestyle and a Western influenced lifestyle. Generally, the respondents found all these values more important for their wellbeing than luxurious consumption.     This suggests that values that are sustainability bearing are important for peoples wellbeing, and is thereby important to include in the development debate. / Dagens utveckling är baserad på den Västerlänska livsstilen med fokus på marknad, konkurrens, kapitalism och individualism. Detta har visat sig orsaka ohållbara mönster i form av ett allt större ekologiskt fotavtryck, sänkt välbefinnande och växande sociala klyftor, vilket visar behovet av nya, alternativa utvecklings vägar.                                                          Traditionella Afrikanska värderingar baseras på en holistisk och humanistisk ideologi där man fokuserar på hälsa och säkerhet för framtida generationer, tillfredsställa allas grundläggande behov, att dela med sig, social samhörighet, att leva i harmoni med andra arter och naturen, en frisk miljö, att uppleva tillfredsställelse när grundbehoven är tillfredsställda, att inte kräva mer än man behöver samt omsorg om hälsan för framtida generationer. På detta sätt är traditionella värderingar hållbarhets skapande och anses även inverka positivt på mänskligt välbefinnande.                                                                                                                                 Denna studie har utforskat I vilken utsträckning hållbarhetsskapande värderingar från den traditionella Afrikanska livsstilen anses viktiga för välbefinnandet hos unga, svarta personer, samt analyserat om det som anses viktigt för människors välbefinnande är likvärdiga eller särskiljer sig, mellan människor som lever en traditionellt influerad livsstil, och de som lever en Västerländskt influerad livsstil. Generellt ansåg respondenterna att dessa värderingar var mer viktiga för deras välbefinnande än lyxkonsumtion. Detta antyder att värderinga som är hållbarhets skapande är viktiga för människors välbefinnande, och de är därmed viktiga att inkludera i utvecklings debatten.

Submitted by Andréia Cristina Fidelis null (deinha.fidel@bol.com.br) on 2016-11-25T12:47:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Andréia Cristina Fidelis de Souza - Versão Final Dissertação.pdf: 3097686 bytes, checksum: cf4625739d9663268a695afd8f06e56b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-29T13:54:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_acf_me_sjrp.pdf: 3097686 bytes, checksum: cf4625739d9663268a695afd8f06e56b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-29T13:54:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_acf_me_sjrp.pdf: 3097686 bytes, checksum: cf4625739d9663268a695afd8f06e56b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A Lei 10.639/03 torna obrigatório, nos estabelecimentos públicos e privados de ensino fundamental e médio, o ensino sobre História e Cultura Afro-brasileira. Oportunizar que os descendentes de africanos tenham garantidos a valorização de sua identidade, história e cultura tornam-se necessários nos trabalhos curriculares do ensino dos diferentes segmentos da etapa básica. Esse direito se estende a todos os cidadãos brasileiros por também constituírem e participarem do processo de construção da sociedade brasileira, juntamente com os diferentes povos que aqui já estavam e os que vieram para o Brasil. O presente estudo objetiva a valorização da história dos afro-brasileiros aliada ao desenvolvimento de habilidades matemáticas presentes na estrutura e execução dos jogos e/ou na construção dos tabuleiros usados pelos alunos do 5º e 9º ano de duas turmas da rede pública localizadas na região norte do município de São José do Rio Preto (SP). Para realizar tal intento foram utilizados os jogos africanos Oware e Borboleta justificados por possuírem uma variada prática cultural, propiciarem aos estudantes ricas oportunidades de construção e ampliação das ideias aritméticas, geométricas e comportamentais presentes nesses jogos, além de permitirem a interação dos alunos com a cultura africana. / Law 10.639 / 03 makes compulsory, in public and private establishments of elementary and secondary education, the teaching on Afro-Brazilian History and Culture. Providing that the descendants of Africans are guaranteed the value of their identity, history and culture become necessary in the curricular work of the different segments of the basic stage. This right extends to all Brazilian citizens because they also constitute and participate in the process of building Brazilian society, together with the different peoples who were here and those who came to Brazil. The present study aims to value the history of Afro-Brazilians combined with the development of mathematical skills present in the structure and execution of games and / or in the construction of the trays used by 5th and 9th grade students from two public school groups located in the north region Of the municipality of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo. In order to accomplish this, the African games Oware and Butterfly were used, because they have a varied cultural practice, giving rich students opportunities to construct and expand the arithmetic, geometric and behavioral ideas present in these games, as well as to allow students to interact with culture African.

FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / Este trabalho consiste em uma pesquisa participante realizada em uma escola pÃblica municipal de Fortaleza. Possui carÃter empÃrico e tem como principal objetivo contribuir para a aplicaÃÃo da Lei Federal n. 10.639/03 atravÃs da realizaÃÃo de atividades interativas com os alunos do perÃodo da tarde das turmas de infantil ao 5 ano. A proposta das oficinas foi criar mecanismos de valorizaÃÃo da cultura negra nessa escola. Estando o estado do Cearà sob o estigma de que âaqui nÃo hà negrosâ, muitos alunos e professores negam seu pertencimento Ãtnico, o que dificulta as aÃÃes direcionadas à valorizaÃÃo da HistÃria e Cultura Africana e Afro-brasileira em nosso estado. Outro fator citado relevante que interfere de forma negativa nas relaÃÃes Ãtnico-raciais dentro da escola, alavancando preconceitos, à a quase que total invisibilidade de personagens negros na mÃdia e na literatura, ou quando existem, ocupam papÃis irrelevantes ou malignos. As atividades realizadas na escola tiveram carÃter antirracista e evidenciaram o negro como figura de destaque. Para tanto, elas procuraram se enquadrar especialmente nas Ãreas de Literatura, HistÃria e EducaÃÃo ArtÃstica, sendo estas consideradas prioritÃrias no contexto escolar pela Lei Federal n. 10.639/03. Como anÃlise final, foi possÃvel verificar como os alunos reagiram de forma positiva com a introduÃÃo de conteÃdos sobre as populaÃÃes africanas e afrodescendentes. Ademais, ocorreram mudanÃas significativas na escola como tentativa de garantir a continuidade de atividades de valorizaÃÃo da cultura negra. / This work consists of a participatory research in a public school in Fortaleza. It has empirical character and its main objective is to contribute to the implementation of Federal Law 10.639/03 by conducting interactive activities with students in the afternoon classes with the groups of children from infant education to 5th period. The purpose of this research was to create mechanisms for recovery the Black Culture in this school. Concern to the stigma that state of Ceara "has not black people hereâ, many students deny their ethnic origins, which makes it more difficult the actions directed to the recovery of history and Afro-Brazilian and African culture in our state. Another factor cited as relevant that interfere negatively in the ethno-racial relations in the school, leveraging prejudices, is the almost total invisibility of black characters in the media and literature, and when they exist, deal with irrelevant or malignant roles. The activities at school were anti racist. To this end, they sought to fit especially in the areas of literature, history and art education, which are considered priorities in the school context by Federal Law 10.639/03. As the final analysis, it was possible to see how students reacted positively to the introduction of content about African people and their descent. Furthermore, it was noticed significant changes in the school as an attempt to ensure the continuity of recovery of Black culture.

The history of African Independent Churches (AICs) in Southern Africa goes back for more than a hundred years. They have proliferated geographically and demographically in Africa more than the mainline churches could ever have imagined. They have grown to be as widespread and as influential as the African mainline churches. The reason for this growth is that the AICs are the churches of African indigenous people. They are launched by Africans from a background of an African traditional and cultural frame of reference. The most significant reason is that the founders of these churches are not Westerners, but Africans. Western missionaries find it difficult to understand the AICs from their perspective. Thus the Western churches describe the AICs as sectarian, separatist, syncretist, nativitist, and so on. Nevertheless, some scholars are attempting to view the AICs in positive ways. The fact that these two different churches have never acknowledged each other as true churches is a big challenge for Christian missions in Namibia. Each group has been viewing and judging the other party through suspicious eyes from their own perspective, each driving the other to block the channel of reconciliation before the presence of God. With the aim of solving this problem, this thesis attempts to answer the following questions about the AICs in Namibia: • What are the reasons that the AICs in Namibia have been seceded from mission churches? • What are the activities in civil society in which the AICs in Namibia are currently involved? • Do the AICs engage in any activities which go against the Word of God? • What causes other churches to be suspicious of the AICs? • What level of enculturation is inherent to the AICs in Namibia? In other words, what is the relationship between the liturgies of the AIC and African traditional religion and African culture? • What makes the AICs in Namibia regard themselves as a church? Would it be possible for the AICs and the mainline churches in Namibia to cooperate in Christian missionary work? • What is a possible Korean missionary perspective on this particular situation? This will be dealt throughout this thesis from a Korean missionary missional perspective. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Science of Religion and Missiology / PhD / Unrestricted

Submitted by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-13T15:06:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MACHADO_Elaine_2016.pdf: 11426332 bytes, checksum: bf19f404b1d624c3ef4d6b4a41db7533 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-13T15:06:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MACHADO_Elaine_2016.pdf: 11426332 bytes, checksum: bf19f404b1d624c3ef4d6b4a41db7533 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-13T15:06:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MACHADO_Elaine_2016.pdf: 11426332 bytes, checksum: bf19f404b1d624c3ef4d6b4a41db7533 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-13T15:06:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MACHADO_Elaine_2016.pdf: 11426332 bytes, checksum: bf19f404b1d624c3ef4d6b4a41db7533 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-22 / Não recebi financiamento / This dissertation presents the route of a reasearch performed in two elementary municipal schools in a town near Sorocaba (SP). Here we use the african traditional culture Dagara and the ubuntu philosophy to recreate ancestor experiences of care and enable the enlargement of the notion of humanity developed in the ocidental contemporary education. We understand that taking care is to establish relationships and, as from the civilizing values of african societies, we aim to take care communaly, with nature and spirituality. By the cartography method, we could experience the community caring which aims to interrupt medicalization and pathologization of life, as educators somehow affected compose each child's community. Once in community, we can see the invisible dimmension of care, we admit another way to live time and aim to desconstruct any excludent devices. The care for nature happened in the school's gardening project, where the teenagers could, through their enchantment, experience communion with nature. Knowing experience with nature, drawing attention to details and imagine themselves in a pleasant situation with nature led to enchantment. Care for spirituality was due to the experience of transcendence for appreciation of ancestors. We have reconnected the teenagers to their histories, costumes and knowledge, so the workin the field was valorized and respected in the school's gardening project, as an ancestry element. At a meeting with school inspectors the transcencence experience has contributed to compose their practices' ancestry. While experiencing care in an afro-focused perspective, I have been moving on my blackening process. I have diven in the african culture, in the black culture, to make ancestry my existance's meaning. I have participated in lectures, shows and several cultural workshops so blackness could inhabit my my mode of existence and understanding the world; it has been our way to reverse the whitening phenomenon because of which black people still feel the consequences. In this dissertation we describe how care happens in the traditional african cultures perspective and leaving spoors so it can be que ele possa tried in other contexts, allthough we need to tell that these have been inspiring experiences, but they have not changed those schools, neither education in that town, country, or ocident. Exist in these experiences the bias of provisoriety, the circumstancethat only political fight can confirm and establish. A fight for a humanized education, non-hegemonic and that considers the human dimensions excluded until then, but that african traditional cultures have much to teach. / Esta dissertação apresenta o percurso de uma pesquisa realizada em duas escolas de ensino fundamental da rede municipal de uma cidade próxima a Sorocaba (SP). Nesta pesquisa tomamos as culturas tradicionais africanas vividas pelo povo Dagara e na filosofia ubuntu para recriar experiências ancestrais de cuidado e possibilitar a ampliação da noção de humanidade desenvolvida na educação ocidental contemporânea. Entendemos que cuidar é estabelecer relações e, a partir dos valores civilizatórios das sociedades africanas, buscamos cuidar em comunidade, com a natureza e pela espiritualidade. Pelo método da cartografia, pudemos experimentar o cuidado em comunidade, que procurou interromper processos de medicalização e patologização da vida, na medida em que educadores afetados de alguma forma passaram a compor a comunidade de cada criança. Uma vez em comunidade, reconhecemos a dimensão invisível no cuidado, admitimos outra forma de viver o tempo e procuramos desconstruir artifícios de exclusão. O cuidado com a natureza aconteceu no projeto de horta escolar, onde os adolescentes puderam, pelo encantamento, experimentar a comunhão com a natureza. Conhecer a experiência com a natureza, chamar a atenção para os detalhes e imaginar-se numa situação prazerosa com a natureza propiciaram o encantamento. O cuidado pela espiritualidade se deu pela experiência de transcendência para valorização dos ancestrais. Fomos reconectando os adolescentes com suas histórias, costumes e saberes para que o trabalho no campo fosse valorizado e respeitado no projeto da horta escolar como elemento de ancestralidade. Na reunião com os inspetores, a experiência de transcendência contribuiu para constituir a ancestralidade de suas práticas. Enquanto experimentava o cuidado numa perspectiva afrocentrada, também caminhava em meu processo de enegrecimento. Mergulhei na cultura de matriz africana, na cultura negra, para fazer da ancestralidade, sentido para minha existência. Participei de palestras, espetáculos e oficinas culturais diversas para que a negritude fosse habitando meu modo de existir e de compreender o mundo, buscando reverter o fenômeno de branqueamento pelo qual todo negro e negra ainda sente as consequências. Nesta dissertação estamos narrando como o cuidado, na perspectiva das culturas tradicionais africanas, aconteceu e deixando pistas para que ele possa ser experimentado em outros contextos. Contudo, é preciso dizer que estas experiências foram inspiradoras, mas ainda não transformaram aquelas escolas, nem tampouco a educação daquela cidade ou ainda a educação brasileira ocidental. Existe nestas experiências o viés da provisoriedade, da circunstância que somente a luta política pode confirmar e estabelecer. Luta por uma educação humanizada, contra-hegemônica e que considera dimensões do ser humano excluídas até então, mas que as culturas tradicionais africanas têm muito a ensinar.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jair de Almeida Junior.pdf: 1266913 bytes, checksum: 4bf57167a814ad35993487d0c1a7fe48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-23 / The Contestado War, 1912-1916, was a guerrilla war for lands between settlers and landowners. It was a phenomenon sparked by social causes, and feasible by religious reasons. At the beginning of 20th century, at the West of Santa Catarina state, monarchic ideas were predominant. Within the context of a recent Brazilian Republic proclaimed, politics started dividing an occupied land by subsistence farm workers. In addition, a railroad connecting São Paulo to Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul state was been built by a north-American Brazil Railway Company. According to an agreement, the company obtained from the government the right to explore a strip of land 15 km wide on each side of the railroad. The concession guaranteed also the opening of a company to extract rich wood throughout Santa Catarina West. This means that subsistence farm workers were suddenly driven out from their lands. The name Contestado refers to an inland region contested by the States of Paraná and Santa Catarina, prompting the spirits to war. Previous to this social caos, the Contestado received influence from three monks in the region. The first, João Maria de Agostini. He was a devout to Saint Anthony, who wandered as a healer and miracle performer. The second appeared right after João Maria, who also adopted the alias of João Maria, although his real name was Atanás Marcaf. He walked in the same path as his predecessor, but having his own nuances. Marcaf was seen as someone supporting the Federalist Revolution. The third monk, José Maria, self-proclaimed João Maria´s brother, attract to himself people's admiration and confidence. The first two ones preferred a nomad and lonely life, whereas the third had many followers and became even a military leader. José Maria was killed in combat, and his followers settle themselves politically and religiously. Soon their leadership became intimidation. As a result of visions the virgenato and the meninos-deus are established. They were groups who were receiving direction straight from José Maria. We can realize religious elements from Africa and from native Indians in this kind of messianic movement amidst the Contestado. Of course, all of these were blended within a popular Catholic Church environment. Generally speaking, this last group gave rise to an embrionary model of local animism and possession of spirits. Specifically, their contribution in the religious scenario was with rites, beliefs and ceremonies. A constant resistance from the subsistence farm workers brought over them a military intervention. Federal troops, supported by local cowboys, were sent to the region to crush the rebellion. Close to the end of the war the religious feeling started being supplanted by a kind of barbarian behavior. As a result the South of Brazil experiences a religious legacy of reverence to João Maria in the popular Catholicism of three South states. This legacy goes beyond, reaching the Kaingangs, a native American ethnic group, and even contemporary minority movements as MST. / A Guerra do Contestado, ocorrida entre 1912 a 1916, foi um fenômeno de causas sociais, viabilizado pelo religioso. No Oeste Catarinense do início do século XX, predominava a mentalidade monárquica. Com a Proclamação da República, os políticos lotearam a área, distribuindo terras ocupadas pelos campesinos àqueles de seu interesse. Soma-se a isso a construção da Estrada de Ferro São Paulo Rio Grande, assumida pela Brazil Railway. Segundo o contrato, tinha o direito de exploração da faixa de terra correspondente a 15 quilômetros marginais, em ambos os lados da ferrovia, por todo o seu trajeto, o que justificou a criação de uma madeireira para explorar a grande quantidade de madeiras nobres que cobria o Oeste Catarinense. Assim, mais campesinos se viram desalojados de suas terras. É chamado Contestado pois quase todo o Oeste Catarinense tornou-se área disputada por Paraná e Santa Catarina, instigando a belicosidade a já tumultuada sociedade sertaneja. Paralelamente ao caos social que ia se estabelecendo, surgiu o primeiro monge, João Maria de Agostini, um eremita devoto de Santo Antão, que foi tido como curandeiro e milagreiro. Perto de seu desaparecimento, surgiu o segundo monge, João Maria de Jesus, cujo nome verdadeiro era Atanás Marcaf. Trilha o caminho de seu antecessor, com algumas nuanças peculiares. É visto apoiando os revoltosos da Revolução Federalista. Por fim, o terceiro monge, José Maria, dizendo-se irmão de João Maria, teve liberdade para trabalhar seu personagem. Os dois João Maria preferiam o nomadismo e a solidão, enquanto o último monge admitiu seguidores e tornou-se líder militar. Morto em combate, o movimento organiza-se política e religiosamente. A liderança fundada no prestígio começa a dar lugar à coerção. Estabelece-se o virgenato e os meninos-deus , videntes que recebiam orientações diretas de José Maria. Percebem-se elementos da religiosidade negra e índia no messianismo Contestado, amalgamadas no catolicismo popular. Falando-se genericamente, influenciaram com o modelo de possessão e certa medida de animismo. Especificamente, contribuíram com algumas crenças, ritos e cerimônias. A resistência dos caboclos provocou reações cada vez mais enérgicas por parte do Exército Brasileiro, apoiado por vaqueanos contratados. À medida que o fim se aproximava, mais o religioso era substituído pelo barbarismo. Como legado religioso, nota-se a adoração de João Maria no catolicismo popular dos três estados sulistas e sua assimilação como um dos principais santos dos Kaingang. Mesmo o MST sofreu sua influência, podendo ser descrito como a causa Contestada secularizada.

Magister Legum - LLM / In many societies, a division between genders exist. This differentiation is attributed to a patriarchal culture which creates gender norms in sexualities.1 A set of cultural practices and expectations exist; these cultural practices and expectations assume that heterosexuality is the cornerstone of social unions - this phenomenon is known as heteronormativity.2 Heteronormativity affords that there are only two sexes with predetermined gender roles,3 creating the homophobia in societies. Human rights infringements on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation has become noticeable across Africa.4 Homophobia in Africa is linked to the codification of laws that infringed on human rights under colonialism, which still forms part of the current norms around sexuality.5 Homosexuality is prohibited and is unlawful in most of the countries in Africa, South Africa being the only country that allows for the legal union of same-sex couples.6 There have been a number of academic texts debating the importance of culture against the right to equality in the South African context; 7 however, there is an inadequate amount of academic text available about this topic on an African level. Therefore, an ongoing debate about the protection of "sexual minorities" contrasted with the protection of cultural rights exists on an international scale. 8 The rights of sexual minorities are disregarded too often and they are often denied equal and fair access to the law. A large number of African countries believe that homosexuality is un African,9 thus choosing to exclude lesbians and gays from citizen rights. 10 Due to this belief, the practice of homosexuality in Africa is seen one that goes against the morals and values of the majority of society. This creates a stand-off between cultural rights and equality rights of sexual minorities.

This is a hermeneutical study of an attempt to inculturate a Redemptorist parish mission in a black township parish. The purpose of Redemptorist parish mission is conversion and renewal. This study is influenced by - - the spirit of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) founder of the Redemptorists - Vatican II (1962-1965) and by - the African Synod (1994); and it uses the systemic stage model of Rambo and the spiral model of Costas, as a framework to understand conversion. The conversion experiences of ten parishioners of St. Peter's parish are used as data for the study. A theological reflection on the ten conversions confirmed the following: that cultural context is important for understanding conversion; that conversion is both a distinct moment and a continuous process; that it is imperative to understand conversion from the perspective of the convert him/herself. For 'mission preaching' to effect genuine conversion it must be inculturated. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Th. M. (Missiology)