Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study is to gain clarity on the conflict that occurs around the minister in the congregation. The following questions will be asked: Why did the conflict occur, what caused it and how was this conflict handled? If there was a better understanding of the cause of the conflict, it can be better managed in the future. The following research question is formulated: What were the biggest hurdles in the missional transformation process in the Dutch Reformed Congregation Op-die-Berg en how was this unlocked? The notion of members of what the essence of the essence and being of the church is and what they expect of the minister play a very important part in the changing context in which the congregation try to discover her missional vocation and actually live missionally. For the purpose of the study the work was done within the field of practical theology on the basis of Richard Osmer’s (2008) model of practical theology. He explored four questions that guided our interpretation and our response to the situation. The four questions are: What is going on? Why is this going on? What ought to be going on? How might we respond? Answering these questions is the four tasks of practical theological interpretation. These tasks are: The descriptive-empirical task; gathering information that help us discern patterns and dynamics in particular situations and contexts. The interpretive task; drawing on theories of the arts and sciences to have a better understanding of and explain why these patterns and dynamics are occurring. The normative task; using theological concepts to interpret particular situations and constructing ethical norms to guide our responses. The pragmatic task: determining strategies of action that will influence situations in ways that are desirable and entering into a reflective conversation. Together, these four tasks constitute the basic structure of practical theological interpretation. A metaphor to describe this process will be that of a spiral and not a circle. Chapters two to six is a discussion of these questions en tasks. The hermeneutical lens of the research is the question of the missio Dei and the role of the Trinitarian God in the transformation process. The research want to help members to answer the question: How might we respond? Thus, they will be able to understand the four questions of Osmer, but will also be able to live with spiritual discernment. The study describes a paradigm shift which the congregation experienced during the past twenty years. The influence of the Christendom paradigm as well as the influence of the business model of running an organization, in which most of the members operate, is challenged by the theology that developed from the missio Dei and the Trinity concepts. The study described the process in a rural community which changed its identity and culture. The influence of the ever-changing context was discussed. Postmodern society challenged the influence of patriarchy. The community and its relationships form the backdrop in the research. This study shows that transformation can’t happen if the minister is not willing to be transformed. The practice of faith-forming habits played an important role. Leadership had to lead through spiritual discernment. The changes that happened doesn’t happen because of a program, but is discovered on a journey of spiritual discernment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is om helderheid te verkry oor die konflik wat in die gemeente rondom die persoon van die leraar ontstaan het. Wat het daartoe aanleiding gegee en hoe is dit ontlont? As die faktore wat daartoe aanleiding gegee het, beter verstaan kan word, kan dit ook in die toekoms beter hanteer word. Die volgende navorsingsvraag is geformuleer: Wat was die moeilikste hekkies in die missionale transformasieproses in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Gemeente Op-die-Berg en hoe is dit ontsluit? Lidmate se kerkbegrip en die rolverwagting van die leraar speel ʼn wesentlike rol in ʼn veranderende konteks waarin die gemeente strewe om sy missie nie net te ontdek nie maar ook uit te leef. Dit is ʼn prakties teologiese studie aan die hand van Richard Osmer (2008) se model waarin vier vrae gevra word. Osmer het vier vrae ontwikkel wat ons interpretasie en reaksie op die situasie begelei. Die vier vrae is: Wat is aan die gebeur? Hoekom gebeur dit? Wat behoort te gebeur? Hoe behoort ons daarop te reageer? Om hierdie vier vrae te beantwoord, is die basis van prakties teologiese interpretasie. Die take wat voortvloei uit die vrae kan as volg beskryf word. Die deskriptief-empiriese taak: Hierdie taak behels die insameling van inligting sodat patrone en dinamika in gegewe situasies en kontekste geëvalueer kan word. Die interpretasie-taak: Die taak behels om deur middel van wetenskaplike metodes en teorieë beter te verstaan en te kan verduidelik waarom die spesifieke patrone en dinamika na vore kom. Die normatiewe taak is om met die hulp van teologiese konsepte die praktiese situasie te interpreteer. Etiese norme word daar gestel om die respons te begelei. Die pragmatiese taak ontwikkel strategieë wat die situasie positief sal beïnvloed en om oop reflekterende gesprek moontlik te maak. Die dinamiese interaksie en invloed van bogenoemde take op mekaar, ( vergelyk dit met die werking van ʼn spiraal in teestelling met die van ʼn sirkel), onderskei praktiese teologie van ander wetenskaplike navorsing. Veral die normatiewe en pragmatiese take is tot die wese van praktiese teologie. Die vier vrae en take word in hoofstuk twee tot ses bespreek. Die hermeneutiese lens van die navorsing, is die vraag na die missio Dei en die rol wat ʼn Trinitariese Godsbegrip in ʼn transformasieproses speel. Die studie wil lidmate help om die vraag te beantwoord: Hoe behoort ons te reageer op die situasie? Lidmate kry nie net in die studie ʼn verstaan van die vrae van Osmer nie, maar veral hoe om geloofonderskeidend in ʼn klein gemeente te lewe. Die studie beskryf die paradigmaskuif waardeur die gemeente van Op-die-Berg die afgelope twintig jaar beweeg het. Die invloed of houvas van die Christendom paradigma asook die uitwerking van die besigheidsmodel waarbinne meeste lidmate opereer, is uitgedaag deur ʼn nuwe verstaan van die missio Dei en die Triniteit. Die studie beskyf die proses en stryd wat ʼn klein plattelandse gemeente deurloop het tydens die skuif in identiteit en kultuur. Die invloed van die konteks word ook deeglik bespreek. Mens kan ook sê dat die postmoderne samelewing implikasies het vir patriargale sisteme. Die studie toon aan hoe sodanige verskuiwings baie van die predikant vra en dat dit net kan gebeur as die geestelike leiers van die gemeente leer om geloofonderskeidend te leef, veral deur die beoefening van geloofsgewoontes. Die gemeenskap en die onderlinge verhoudinge (koinonia) is die hele tyd op die spel. Die verandering wat gebeur het, is nie deur ʼn geïmplementeerde program bewerk nie, maar is op ʼn geloofsonderskeidende reis ontdek.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1978.

This dissertation looks into the ministries of Isaiah Shembe and Emmanuel Milingo to examine their contributions to African Christianity. It also seeks to investigate their endeavours at 'affirming African identity in the process of inculturating Christianity into the African culture. Their contexts are, respectively, South Africa and Zambia. The dissertation also seeks to find a model that could help the mainline churches refer to in the quest of assuming a true African church that addresses the questions of Africans within their world view. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the study. The second and third chapters look into the profile of both Shembe and Milingo and also examine the context that influences their ministries. They also bring to the fore the neglect that has set in due to missionary teaching eventually leading to the current problems besetting the mainline churches owing to ignoring the African world view. The chapters four and five discuss the healing ministries of the two leaders and the patterns of inculturation emerging from their ministries. These chapters show how healing forms an integral part of the African society and cannot be ignored, and the essence of inculturation in the African church as demonstrated by Shembe and Milingo. The final chapter discusses a model of the church that emerges from Shembe and Milingo' s ministries which can serve as something the main line churches can learn from in order to affirm their ministries. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

In this study I investigate the narratives of near-death experiences in the Nazarite Church as one way in which this community grapples with the question of death and the after-life. However, I am particularly interested in the manner in which Nazarite members deploy these experiences to define individual and collective identities. I argue that in the Nazarite Church the significance of near-death experiences is neither rooted in the future nor in the past, but it is something of the here and now. As Biesele states, " Old stories are powerful not because they come from the past, but because they are told in the present" (1999: 167). Nazarite members are not only regarded by many as backward, uneducated, and unemployed rural people, they are also accused of worshipping another human being like themselves, Shembe. For the Nazarites then near-death narratives are important because they serve as proof that Shembe is not just an ordinary human being, he is the one sent from above. Many near-death experiencers testify that they have met Shembe on their spiritual journeys. While this does give the Nazarites a sense of what may happen to them when they die, it is more important as a tool for confirming or defending their faith against the people who criticise and look down upon them and their church. However, Nazarite members, especially those who have had near-death experiences, also use these experiences to imagine individual identities. Since the church has grown rapidly in the past decades, there has been a growing need to define the self in relation to the group. Newcomers (there are many of them) are regarded as ignorant of the ways of the church and are sometimes called by pejorative names like Qhawe, (Braveman) and Khethankosi (Converts). The near-death experience provides those 'newcomers' who have experienced it with a means to assert their agency in that they have been to the other world and have witnessed what many only hear about. Even for those who were already members of the church when they had the experience, this make them important. They have seen 'home'. Their stories are recorded and disseminated in the church, thus becoming part of the church's cultural capital. Sometimes ministers and preachers invite those who have had near-death experiences to come and share their stories in the Temples they oversee. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

In this dissertation I shall give a brief historical survey of Black Theology and the African Independent Churches (AI Cs). The study focuses mainly to the developments of the two trends in South Africa. This was done after realising that Black Theologians often ignored the history of Black people, including that of the AI Cs which has in the end stymied their efforts. The immediate effects were negative in that little results were produced. ATCs and Black Theology have interesting histories which complement each another. I will present the current state of affairs and give some guidelines on how the future debate can be carried out. The two theological trends have weaknesses and strengths which are clearly identifiable. In chapter four I give guidelines for future debates and possible new developments. This study is also carried out to expand the scope of dialogue and constructive debate among the two. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

No abstract available / Thesis (PhD (Science of Religion and Missiology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The Shembe Church's integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity has been met by many challenges. This merger has been rejected by both African traditionalists and Christians. The Shembe Church has been met by intolerance even though the movement in some ways creates multiculturalism between different people and cultures. This thesis documents the Shembe Church's ideas and practices; it discusses how the Shembe Church combines two ideologies that appear to be at odds with each other. In looking at Shembe ideas and practices, the thesis discusses African religion-inspired rituals like ukusina, ancestral honouring, animal sacrificing and virgin testing. The thesis also discusses the heavy Christian influence within the Shembe Church; this is done by looking at the Shembe Church's use of The Bible and Moses' Laws which play a crucial role in the Church. The challenges the Shembe Church faces are another main theme of the thesis. The thesis looks at cases of intolerance and human rights violations experienced by Shembe members. This is done in part by looking at the living conditions at eBuhleni, located at Inanda, KZN. The thesis also analyses individual Shembe member's experiences and discusses how some members of the Shembe church experience the acceptance of the Shembe religion in South African society. This thesis concludes by trying to make a distinction between intolerance and controversy. I try to highlight the idea that what many Shembe followers see as discrimination and intolerance towards them is sometimes a difference in opinion from other cultural groups. Sometimes these differences are not geared towards criticising other religious groups or perpetuating intolerance.

In the first part of this dissertation I investigate whether the Pentecostal Churches in South Africa has a reductionist understanding of crucial missiological issues. Issues such as the definition of mission, motivation for missions, the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, mission as a quest for social justice, mission as anti-racism, mission as a quest for gender equality and mission as inter-religious encounter. In the second part of the dissertation I present a more contextual approach to these missiological issues, challenging the Pentecostal churches to move: towards the formation of a more relevant missiology. l finally present the 'cycle of missionary praxis' or 'the Pastoral cycle' as a tool that can be used to formulate a contextual missiology / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

Dress plays an important role in Christian worship. The aim of this study is to describe the importance of dress in the South African Christian context. particularly within the Black Christian society. Two main ideas are covered: firstly. the emphasis on the use of unifonn as a factor influencing worship attendance and secondly, how a uniform affects the quality of worship. Personal investigations into various church groups in the Eastern Cape, particularly the St Anna Sodality, have indicated that specific uniforms are an essential sign of belonging to a particular church. Dress or uniforms also serve as a reminder of people's commitment to their faith. For some groups, a uniform develops a sense of identity, security and fellowship which may have been lost through past political policies. Most importantly the relationship between worship and dress can bring a transformative assertion of the self before God and fellow human beings / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die Pinkster Protestante Kerk (PPK) is deel van die wereldwye Pinksterbeweging en het op I 0 Oktober 1958 ontstaan uit die Apostoliese Geloofsending (AGS), die grootste Pinksterkerk in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie redes kan toegedig word vir die ontstaan. Eerstens was daar die doelbewuste poging van die AGS om die struikelblokke uit die weg te ruim ten einde as kerk deur die Nederduitse Gereformeerde kerk erken te word. 'n Tweede hoofrede was die party-politieke bedrywighede van pastoor Gerrie Wessels, 'n lid van die Uitvoerende Raad van die AGS. Die skrywer toon aan hoedat rassisme en Apartheid beslag gekry het in die ekklesiologie en missiologie van die PPK. Daar is tans vier aparte outonome rassekerke. Rassisme is die hoof oorsaak vir 'n onverenigde kerk. Deur die loop van die kerk se geskiedenis was daar vyf konstitusionele opsette ten einde eenheid te laat realiseer, maar sender veel sukses. 'n Sesde konstitusionele opset, een PPK, word tans beding. / The Pentecostal Protestant Church (PPC) is part of the worldwide Pentecostal Movement and originated from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), the largest Pentecostal Church in South Afiica, on October 10, 1958. There are various reasons that contributed to the birth of the church. Firstly, the AFM removed on purpose the obstacles that stood in the way in order to be acknowledge as a church by the Dutch Reformed Church. The party-political involvement of pastor Gerrie Wessels, an Executive Council member of the AFM, was the second main reason. The writer indicates how racism and Apartheid took root in the ecclesiology and missiology of the PPC. At the moment there are four separate outonomous race churches. The main reason for a not united church is racism. The church had five different constitutions in the course of her history in an attempt to bring forth unity, but without success. A six constitutional design for one PPC is currently being negotiated. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Sendingwetenskap)