Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-110).

Thesis (Ph. D. in Religion)--Vanderbilt University, May 2006. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa tem como enfoque a ação educativa do movimento negro no Brasil constituído na base católica. Os marcos temporais e espaciais se localizam entre 1988 e 2000 na Diocese de Duque de Caxias e sua paróquia em São João de Meriti, ambas situadas na Baixada Fluminense, região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro. A escolha do ano de 1988 se deve ao papel protagonista que os atores coletivos tiveram na Campanha da Fraternidade da CNBB (Confederação Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil) no ano de 1988, centenário da abolição da escravatura no Brasil. A principal fonte pesquisada o periódico diocesano Pilar, publicado em Duque de Caxias desde 1990 apontou que, ao longo da década em estudo, o movimento negro de base católica operou práticas formativas que buscavam alcançar a consciência da negritude no mundo leigo e eclesial. Os movimentos sociais unem a intencionalidade político-formativa ao projeto de transformação de realidades e, neste sentido, a construção do conhecimento atua para a emancipação dos atores. A luta anti-racista, que ainda afeta patrimônios sociais e culturais, empreendeu uma ação contra-hegemônica interior e exterior à Igreja Católica, aqui analisada à luz do jornal Pilar. / This study aims at discussing the educational action in the Catholic-based Black movement in Brazil. The temporal and spatial boundaries are between 1988 and 2000 at the Archbishop of Duque de Caxias and its parish in São João de Meriti, both located at Baixada Fluminense in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, The choice of the year 1988 is due to the chief role played by the collective actors during the National Confederation of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) Fraternity Campaign in 1988, year of the centennial anniversary of Slavery Abolition in Brazil. The main source of research the diocesan journal Pilar, published in Duque de Caxias since 1990 showed that, during the decade studied, the Catholic-based Black movement operated on formative practices which sought to achieve Black awareness on both secular and clerical world. The social movements join the political-formative intentionality of the project of transformation of realities and, in this sense, the construction of knowledge operates for the actors emancipation. The anti-racist struggle which still affects social and cultural assets undertook an anti-hegemonic action both inside and outside the Catholic Church, as analyzed here in the light of the journal Pilar.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa tem como enfoque a ação educativa do movimento negro no Brasil constituído na base católica. Os marcos temporais e espaciais se localizam entre 1988 e 2000 na Diocese de Duque de Caxias e sua paróquia em São João de Meriti, ambas situadas na Baixada Fluminense, região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro. A escolha do ano de 1988 se deve ao papel protagonista que os atores coletivos tiveram na Campanha da Fraternidade da CNBB (Confederação Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil) no ano de 1988, centenário da abolição da escravatura no Brasil. A principal fonte pesquisada o periódico diocesano Pilar, publicado em Duque de Caxias desde 1990 apontou que, ao longo da década em estudo, o movimento negro de base católica operou práticas formativas que buscavam alcançar a consciência da negritude no mundo leigo e eclesial. Os movimentos sociais unem a intencionalidade político-formativa ao projeto de transformação de realidades e, neste sentido, a construção do conhecimento atua para a emancipação dos atores. A luta anti-racista, que ainda afeta patrimônios sociais e culturais, empreendeu uma ação contra-hegemônica interior e exterior à Igreja Católica, aqui analisada à luz do jornal Pilar. / This study aims at discussing the educational action in the Catholic-based Black movement in Brazil. The temporal and spatial boundaries are between 1988 and 2000 at the Archbishop of Duque de Caxias and its parish in São João de Meriti, both located at Baixada Fluminense in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, The choice of the year 1988 is due to the chief role played by the collective actors during the National Confederation of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) Fraternity Campaign in 1988, year of the centennial anniversary of Slavery Abolition in Brazil. The main source of research the diocesan journal Pilar, published in Duque de Caxias since 1990 showed that, during the decade studied, the Catholic-based Black movement operated on formative practices which sought to achieve Black awareness on both secular and clerical world. The social movements join the political-formative intentionality of the project of transformation of realities and, in this sense, the construction of knowledge operates for the actors emancipation. The anti-racist struggle which still affects social and cultural assets undertook an anti-hegemonic action both inside and outside the Catholic Church, as analyzed here in the light of the journal Pilar.

This research is concerned with the notion of being human. It acknowledges the dislocation of black people through themselves, a process which was exacerbated during, the colonial era and further through apartheid. The interest in this research is due to the historical dehumanisation of black people through dispossession and subjection to foreign rule and culture, by white people. The historical accounts of dehumanisation and disparity, through either pigmentation, poverty or an inferiority complex, led to black people viewing their humanity in terms of materialism and individualism in the present context. This research explores how materialism and individualism have affected black people's understanding of themselves and self-determinism. It is argued in the United States through Black Theology, the notion of the Black Church in the South African context and through Black Consciousness that the humanity of black people is affirmed historically and to date. / Philosophy & Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

This research is concerned with the notion of being human. It acknowledges the dislocation of black people through themselves, a process which was exacerbated during, the colonial era and further through apartheid. The interest in this research is due to the historical dehumanisation of black people through dispossession and subjection to foreign rule and culture, by white people. The historical accounts of dehumanisation and disparity, through either pigmentation, poverty or an inferiority complex, led to black people viewing their humanity in terms of materialism and individualism in the present context. This research explores how materialism and individualism have affected black people's understanding of themselves and self-determinism. It is argued in the United States through Black Theology, the notion of the Black Church in the South African context and through Black Consciousness that the humanity of black people is affirmed historically and to date. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

One of the presuppositions of the present research is that readers and their contexts play a significant role in the interpretation of biblical texts. The key text of this thesis is Proverbs 31: 10-31 and the main readers are African women in a kyriarchal South African (Northern Sotho) context. Given their context of a multiplicity of oppressive forces ( racism, sexism, classism and African culture), how can these women read Proverbs 31: 10-31 appropriately with a view to their liberation? The researcher proposes a new woman's liberationist perspective, a Bosadi perspective, a perspective committed amongst others, to the African-ness of the African woman in South Africa. The question is: If Proverbs 31:10-31 is read from a Bosadi (Womanhood) perspective, how will the Northern Sotho women in a South African context find the text - a text emerging from a kyriarchal Hebraic culture? Will they find it to be oppressive or liberative or will it be found to be containing both elements? The present researcher, like many reformist women liberation biblical scholars (cf some feminists and womanists ), argues that though the Bible emerged from patriarchal cultures, and contains elements oppressive to women, it also has liberative elements. Through the use of socio-critical hermeneutics, reception criticism and historical-criticism, evidence supporting this came to light as the present researcher re-read Proverbs 31:10-31 from a Bosadi critical perspective. It is therefore argued that when the Bible was used by the previous proponents of apartheid to subordinate people of other races, Black Theologians re-read the Bible from a Black perspective and used it for the racial liberation of Black South Africans. Likewise, an average South African woman, particularly an African woman, is basically a victim of male interpreters who use the Bible to subordinate women. It is the task of all African women to take the responsibility upon themselves to use appropriate tools in re-reading the Bible in order to discover that the Bible does not only alienate them, it is also the liberating word; the word which makes more sense to them because of their relationship with the Word which became flesh (Jn 1:1). / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)

<p>The understanding and practice of leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa, in all spheres, is at the heart beat of this work. Questions and concerns over the quality of leadership in most countries in this particular region are reasons which have led to revisit and investigate the formative training of the current cohort of African leadership with a special focus on the ethical aspect of leadership. It is an assumption, in this thesis, that the contemporary cohort of African leadership received their formative training especially in the 1960s and 1970s and that they were deeply influenced by the black consciousness movement and, in association with that, by the emergence of black theology. In this respect, this research project explores the notions of ethics and leadership with a view to determine ways in which an appropriate leadership ethos was portrayed and articulated in the writings of selected exponents of the black theology movement, namely ML King (Jr), Desmond Tutu and Allan Boesak. The purpose of this work is therefore mainly descriptive: to map discourse on a leadership ethos in the context especially of black theology.</p>

The purpose of this investigation is to discuss the relevance of Black theology in light of the emergence of reconstruction theology. It offers a critical survey of a range of contributions on this issue, questioning whether scholars who have used Black theology as a form of self description should shift emphasis, from the paradigm of liberation to reconstruction. The significance of this study has to be understood within the context of the proposal to redirect African theological initiatives from liberation theologies to reconstruction theology. The basis for this call was the end of apartheid in South Africa, which signalled the independence of all countries on the African continent.

<p>The understanding and practice of leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa, in all spheres, is at the heart beat of this work. Questions and concerns over the quality of leadership in most countries in this particular region are reasons which have led to revisit and investigate the formative training of the current cohort of African leadership with a special focus on the ethical aspect of leadership. It is an assumption, in this thesis, that the contemporary cohort of African leadership received their formative training especially in the 1960s and 1970s and that they were deeply influenced by the black consciousness movement and, in association with that, by the emergence of black theology. In this respect, this research project explores the notions of ethics and leadership with a view to determine ways in which an appropriate leadership ethos was portrayed and articulated in the writings of selected exponents of the black theology movement, namely ML King (Jr), Desmond Tutu and Allan Boesak. The purpose of this work is therefore mainly descriptive: to map discourse on a leadership ethos in the context especially of black theology.</p>