The land issue is one among the many challenges faced by South Africa. In this work I look at dispossession of land in the South African context, and reflect on the biblical account of Naboth's vineyard. Naboth was dispossessed of his vineyard through the abuse of power and the lack of justice. In like manner, people of colour in South Africa were dispossessed of their land by a very powerful minority. The legal system did not protect the weak and vulnerable - hence many injustices occurred. The aim of this dissertation is to remind ourselves of land dispossession through the abuse of power and the lack of justice. Through this reminder, I encourage and challenge the church of its responsibilities in the land discussion. The church has a biblical mandate to speak out prophetically and to become proactive in correcting the injustices of the past. Through the church responding in this manner, it will directly assist in poverty alleviation and will drive toward an improved quality of life for all human beings. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The initiative “fairlangen.org – fair leben in Erlangen” (fair living in Erlangen) campaigns for global justice. Its activities are based on a holistic understanding of mission. Through networking, fostering public relations, educational work and specific campaigns, the initiative supports local commitment to global justice. Its main focus is the promotion of fair consumer behaviour. This MTh dissertation offers a missiological reflection of the initiative fairlangen.org, which is the author‘s action research project. Firstly, it establishes the missiological grounds on which local commitment for global justice can be understood as a part of holistic mission. This is concretised by actions to promote fair consumer behaviour, with an emphasis on Fair Trade. On this basis, the specific segment of fairlangen's practical activities are analysed using qualitative methods, and reflected upon in missiological terms. This study concludes by giving new impulses to other missionary projects that are planning to campaign for global justice. / Die Initiative »fairlangen.org – fair leben in Erlangen« setzt sich auf der Grundlage eines ganzheitlichen Missionsverständnisses für globale Gerechtigkeit ein. Durch Netzwerkarbeit, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bildungsarbeit und Kampagnenarbeit fördert sie den lokalen Einsatz für globale Gerechtigkeit, vor allem fördert die Initiative ein gerechtes Konsumverhalten. In der vorliegenden Masterarbeit wird die Initiative fairlangen.org, die das Handlungsforschungsprojekt des Autors ist, missiologisch reflektiert. Dazu wird zunächst erarbeitet, wie der lokale Einsatz für globale Gerechtigkeit als ein Aspekt von ganzheitlicher Mission missiologisch begründet werden kann. Konkretisiert wird dies am Engagement zur Förderung eines gerechten Konsumverhalten – mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Fairem Handel. Davon ausgehend wird die Praxis des Handlungsforschungsprojekts fairlangen.org in diesem Bereich mit qualitativen Methoden untersucht und missiologisch reflektiert. Als Fazit der Untersuchung können Impulse für andere missionarische Projekte formuliert werden, die sich für globale Gerechtigkeit einsetzen möchten. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Undocumented immigration from Latin America is a heated and divisive topic in United States' politics. Politicians in Washington, D.C. are debating new legislation which would provide a pathway to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants. While several federal immigration reform bills were debated in the early 2000s, each one failed in either the House of Representatives or in the Senate. The Indianapolis Congregation Action Network (IndyCAN), a grassroots activist group in Indianapolis, is organizing the Latino community through faith and shared political goals. Undocumented Latino immigrants are utilizing IndyCAN as a method to influence progressive policy change. However, anti-immigrant groups challenge these efforts by attempting to define who can be considered an "American" and are attempting to block legislation due to their negative perceptions of Latinos. Debates about citizenship have racial discourses and reveal the embeddedness of race and ethnicity. Despite this, many Latino immigrants are forging their own identities in the United States and are engaging in a political system that refuses to grant them a legal status. Through an enactment of activism called la fe en acción [faith in action], these immigrants ground their political organizing with IndyCAN and attempt to appeal to the religious faith of politicians. I explore issues of race, political engagement, and religion in the lives of Indianapolis’ Latino community. In this case study, I demonstrate that IndyCAN is acting as a vehicle through which undocumented Latino immigrants are engaging in the political process. This political involvement occurs through religious strategies that seem apolitical yet are implicitly an enactment of activism. Ultimately, I reveal how undocumented Latino immigrants in Indianapolis are impacting the political process regardless of their legal status.