The number of South Africans that fall beneath “a commonly accepted poverty line” has risen from 17 million in 1996 to 23.5 million in 2008 (CDE, 2008: 6). The escalating poverty levels and the critical shortage of state-driven poverty alleviation programmes have led to the expansion of a space in which civil society organisations are attempting to address South Africa's development deficit. Given the potential and actual influence of such organisations, specifically faith-based organisations (FBOs), in poverty alleviation programmes, coupled with recent debates on the dark side of associational life, this research examines FBOs in terms of Putnam's conception of bonding and bridging social capital. Examining one particular FBO, in which no evidence of bonding social capital or exclusion is found, the research questions Putnam's rather narrow perception. However, strict gate keeping exercises on the part of the FBO, a lack of empirical data and the presence of complex social realities prevent a comprehensive evaluation of the FBO. Unable to prove whether this FBO provides a suitable model for the government to implement or whether the FBO is an appropriate candidate for government to partner with in the fight against poverty, it is proposed that a more wide-scale investigation of the programme and its participants, be conducted. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

No abstract available. / Dissertation (MA (Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The Church social missions have undergone different paradigm shifts whilst trying to respond to challenges faced by the poor in the society. It seems that at the beginning the Development paradigm was the one used by churches in designing their social mission strategies. According to this paradigm, help for the poor in the society was to come from the Western countries’ development initiatives; in the process of implementing such strategies the local people’s cultural aspirations were often neglected. On the other hand, the poor were not given a chance to take destiny into their own hands in order to define the solutions to their problems. However, this paradigm was later declared a failure and a need to move to the Post Development Paradigm was advocated. This study argues that most churches in Mankweng still base their social missions strategies on the Development paradigm and therefore they fail to adequately respond to the challenges faced by the poor in that community. The study therefore looks at a possibility of developing a new social mission strategyin Mankweng that is based on the Post Development Paradigm. Though the title is about Mankweng, the focus of the study is on the Western part of the Township called Ntshitshane. Observations and interviews were conducted amongst the community members in that area. After a thorough analysis of the findings it was established that the poor in that context relies among other things on their cultural ethic of bothoas a means of addressing their social challenges. This study concludes that the same cultural ethic of botho used by the poor there can be a viable point of departure in defining a social mission strategy within that context. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Thesis (M. A. (Biblical Studies)) -- University of the North, 1989 / Refer to the document

The Church social missions have undergone different paradigm shifts whilst trying to respond to challenges faced by the poor in the society. It seems that at the beginning the Development paradigm was the one used by churches in designing their social mission strategies. According to this paradigm, help for the poor in the society was to come from the Western countries’ development initiatives; in the process of implementing such strategies the local people’s cultural aspirations were often neglected. On the other hand, the poor were not given a chance to take destiny into their own hands in order to define the solutions to their problems. However, this paradigm was later declared a failure and a need to move to the Post Development Paradigm was advocated. This study argues that most churches in Mankweng still base their social missions strategies on the Development paradigm and therefore they fail to adequately respond to the challenges faced by the poor in that community. The study therefore looks at a possibility of developing a new social mission strategyin Mankweng that is based on the Post Development Paradigm. Though the title is about Mankweng, the focus of the study is on the Western part of the Township called Ntshitshane. Observations and interviews were conducted amongst the community members in that area. After a thorough analysis of the findings it was established that the poor in that context relies among other things on their cultural ethic of bothoas a means of addressing their social challenges. This study concludes that the same cultural ethic of botho used by the poor there can be a viable point of departure in defining a social mission strategy within that context. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

No abstract available / Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This thesis is an evaluation of the members of the missionary religious Congregation of the Holy Spirits' understanding of their mission to the poor in the Dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban in South Africa. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit was founded on 27th May, 1703, Feast of Pentecost. A group of poor clerical students knelt before the statue of the Black Virgin of Paris (Our Lady of Deliverance) in the Church of St. Etienne-des-Gres. Their friend and leader was Poullart des Places. This small group of young men consecrated themselves to the Holy Spirit so marking the foundation of the Congregation. In the year 1848 some forty missionaries of the Congregation of the Holy Heart of Mary founded by Francis Libermann in 1841 were integrated into the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. From its foundation, the mission of the Congregation has always been the "evangelization of the poor" (Luke 4:18). For the founders, the poor meant those who were oppressed and marginalized among whom were the poor students and slaves in the colonies. My particular concern, however, is to evaluate the members of the Holy Spirits' understanding of their mission to the poor in the Dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban in South Africa. How do Spiritans in these two dioceses understand or interpret "the poor" whom they serve? How does this contemporary South African Spiritan understanding of the poor match with that of the founders or constitution of the Congregation? My response to these questions is an affirmation. In the evaluation, we will discover that the poor in the dioceses of Bethlehem and Durban include those who are unemployed, HIV/AIDS patients, orphans, children and women who are abused, refugees / asylum seekers, street children and many others. In summary, it is noted that the poor are those who lack physical necessities, socially oppressed and spiritually poor. In faithfulness to the intuition of the founders, it is observed that Spiritans in both Bethlehem and Durban Dioceses are attempting to be at the service of the poor. They are serving the poor through the proclamation of the Word, administration of the Sacraments, visitation of people in their own homes, attending to those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS pandemic, promoting the values of the Kingdom of God through justice and peace ministries and finally, Spiritans are working among the refugees, prisoners and hostel dwellers. Looking at these Spiritan ministries, it is noted that their choices of works are in accordance with the vision of the founders a well as what is in the Spiritan Rule of Life or constitution. Spiritans in both Bethlehem and Durban perceive their vocation as being at the service of these people. However, as religious, there are other elements which should be taken into consideration, such as prayer, community life and missionary spirituality. These are essential elements in the life of the members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. In general, the interviews show a lack of community life among members of the Congregation. This lack of community life affects prayer life as well. Other important elements include the need to revisit the idea of education and recovery of prophetic dimension of the Congregation where its members are always at the frontier situations. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This research centres on the church's involvement in human development and poverty alleviation programmes. This thesis acknowledges that many Third World nations received political freedom from Western colonialists, but many of these countries failed to successfully exploit the political freedom to improve economic growth and human development. Poverty is therefore one of the major problems facing people in Third World countries. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002

No abstract available / Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Working in a township is a challenging but also rewarding way of living. In this dissertation the researcher, in collaboration with the co-searchers, explore ways to mentor one another as they learn how to deal with trauma, either by experiencing trauma directly or witnessing secondary trauma. This leads to new ways of being 'in the moment', coping with trauma, forming a community of care and learning to be in an aware and empowered position. The responsibility of practical theology and the commitment to pastoral care are explored in the context of theology, and spesifically feminist theology, contributing to 'do hope' in Mamelodi. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)