A Freedom Charter statement regarding land is highlighted as follows: “The land shall be shared among those who work it, demands a redistribution of the land and state assistance for the peasantry, as well as the abolition of any restrictions on movements of people, access to land, and stock holdings.” The quest for inclusive and participatory governance enshrined in the South Africa’s Land Reform Programme resonates with efforts to develop and strengthen an active and critical rights based citizenship. The need to boost local community awareness of land reform challenges necessitates continuous evaluations of the lived realities of poor communities through participatory and collaborative methodologies in order to articulate their socio-economic problems. Land is regarded as a resource that gives people access to certain basic needs necessary for them to lead a dignified life. This research explores the participation of the Catholic Church on land reform programmes in South Africa between 1994 and 2014. It also looks at the Catholic Church’s land ownership policy and how it has been using its land in two decades of democracy (1994-2014). This research further explores the Catholic vision for land reform in South Africa. It also highlights some key theological criteria which may assist to achieve the intended objectives. In the light of this reality, the research shows that there is lack of meaningful progress in enabling those who are impoverished to assert their right to own land. Even the majority that have benefited from various land reform programmes and have become land owners have not received sufficient support to enable them to use and care for the land in such a way that benefits them. This leads to an unproductive and demeaning lifestyle. More emphasis needs to be placed on proper financial support from the government. Further emphasis needs to be placed on training for skills development as a condition for receiving Church assistance on the part of the beneficiaries. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Church History)

This thesis explores the impact and consequences of the teachings of the church, perceptions of The Divine [God] and of Mary, in the making of personal identity. In spite of secularisation and the prediction that the church would collapse in the face of modern science, recent evidence suggests that - in its various forms - religion, and belief in a higher power remain important and potentially powerful aspects in society. A foundation stone of the Christian faith is the doctrine of Imago Dei: humanity created in the image of The Divine. Although not male, The Divine is repeatedly spoken of - and addressed - in anthropomorphic masculine terms, but perceived in gender-specific stereotypical terms. Alongside The Divine - in the Roman Catholic Church - is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is spoken of in feminine terms, but is also perceived in gender-specific stereotypical terms. Although not officially considered to be divine, Mary fulfils important needs in the life of the believer and it is in this context that her influence is evaluated. The role of the church as a community - and social institution - is also explored, based on Giddens’ theories of identity development. Belonging to a church community can provide a context for relationship, continuity, and trust. However, this potentially positive environment can have negative implications on self-identity in that restrictions on self-expression and personal choice can be as limiting as the sense of belonging is liberating. The patriarchal nature of the church is deemed to be of immense relevance. In order to establish the role of the church, The Divine, and Mary in the making of self-identity, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve research participants belonging to Charismatic and Roman Catholic congregations, and Giddens’ criteria for self-identity development was used as the standard for evaluating participants’ personal sense of self-identity. Explored from the perspective of feminist theology, the findings of this qualitative research project suggest that it is more than gender language regarding The Divine that affects the agent’s perception of The Divine, and that the role of the church in identity formation is not uniform in its influence. It also concludes that perceptions of Mary can be influential in the development of selfidentity.

Funeral leaders share the ministry of comfort with others. They make a specific religious contribution towards restoring life or decontaminating from death, which affects the faith and hope of the bereaved. Their ministry responds to a need of the bereaved by affirming community in the face of death. It is based on spirituality and grounded in the biblical and apostolic tradition; it is carried out in a catholic contextualisation. The leaders' insertion into both the cultural background and the religious realm encourages contextualisation. Their verbal proclamation is done in various ways and is linked to ritual. It reflects the three dimensions of the model employed in pastoral theology by taking life seriously, interpreting it in the light of faith, and leading a celebration that opens up the future of the participants. The leaders' proclamation is sincere when they link cultural family-procedures and church rituals in a parallel way. Sincerity suffers when community leaders, used to provide a comprehensive service, cannot preside over the promised celebration of the Eucharist, which could be the culmination of the rite of passage. Their ministry remains incomplete because of factors beyond their control. It nevertheless contributes to justice in many ways, in particular by deploying local people. While the ministry is carried out independently, it depends on collaboration with the pastoral staff, in particular the priests. They safeguard the quality of ministry by formation and through supervision. The collaborative formation contributes to the cultural insertion of the local and expatriate staff and enhances their competence. This collaborative ministry serves the bereaved, the community of faith, and theology. It allows the development of a contextualised liturgy, and a local theology. It is a step forward on the road towards a genuine form of community ministry in this particular African context. It corresponds with contemporary secular approaches towards leadership and management. African approaches emphasise the need for contextualised management forms. They assume the compatibility of different practices employed in different contexts. The comprehensively grounded ministry seems to contribute to the avoidance or overcoming of some of the grave shortcomings of ministry as provided in the past. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Funeral leaders share the ministry of comfort with others. They make a specific religious contribution towards restoring life or decontaminating from death, which affects the faith and hope of the bereaved. Their ministry responds to a need of the bereaved by affirming community in the face of death. It is based on spirituality and grounded in the biblical and apostolic tradition; it is carried out in a catholic contextualisation. The leaders' insertion into both the cultural background and the religious realm encourages contextualisation. Their verbal proclamation is done in various ways and is linked to ritual. It reflects the three dimensions of the model employed in pastoral theology by taking life seriously, interpreting it in the light of faith, and leading a celebration that opens up the future of the participants. The leaders' proclamation is sincere when they link cultural family-procedures and church rituals in a parallel way. Sincerity suffers when community leaders, used to provide a comprehensive service, cannot preside over the promised celebration of the Eucharist, which could be the culmination of the rite of passage. Their ministry remains incomplete because of factors beyond their control. It nevertheless contributes to justice in many ways, in particular by deploying local people. While the ministry is carried out independently, it depends on collaboration with the pastoral staff, in particular the priests. They safeguard the quality of ministry by formation and through supervision. The collaborative formation contributes to the cultural insertion of the local and expatriate staff and enhances their competence. This collaborative ministry serves the bereaved, the community of faith, and theology. It allows the development of a contextualised liturgy, and a local theology. It is a step forward on the road towards a genuine form of community ministry in this particular African context. It corresponds with contemporary secular approaches towards leadership and management. African approaches emphasise the need for contextualised management forms. They assume the compatibility of different practices employed in different contexts. The comprehensively grounded ministry seems to contribute to the avoidance or overcoming of some of the grave shortcomings of ministry as provided in the past. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)