In principle discipleship is the continuation of the mission of Jesus through the imitation (hupodeigma) of Jesus' way of life. This implies that his disciples will live according to the will of God, for Jesus was the personification of the will of God. The disciples of Jesus are therefore the locus of the manifestation of God -- their way of life must indicate the presence of Jesus (and God) in the world in a different mode. Discipleship indicates a personal relationship between Jesus and his disciples which is modelled/based on the Father-Son relationship which is elucidated by the agency model. A Descent-Ascent Schema forms the setting for this concept, with the Johannine dualism as the determining factor for this schema. Thus the 'agency' motif constitutes the structure for discipleship in the Fourth Gospel with a revelatory-salvivic assignment. The revelatory aspect concerns the disciples' relationship towards God and the salvivic aspect their directedness towards the world. The disciples have to live a holy life through which God will be revealed and which will enable them to accomplish their mission in the world so that the world may become saved. This study concentrates on the theological perspective of discipleship with some reference to the characteristics of discipleship. / Thesis (DD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

This project begins to build a bridge between the commonly held assumption that congregational renewal is leader-dependent and the understanding that new life is found by tending to relationship as learned through worship. Samuel Wells’ concept of “being with” and James K. A. Smith’s liturgical anthropology provide a theoretical framework for relationally oriented renewal and reimagined worship. This project provides a practical means for the Franklin United Methodist Church (Franklin, Massachusetts) to conceive, implement, and assess the efficacy of worship to help congregants relate. By reimagining worship as relational, relationships should be strengthened, and the community should find new life together.

The legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer has largely been dependent upon the understanding of his position of pacifism and just war in the context of the Second World War. His own writings and presentations, particularly ones advocating for pacifism, seem contrary to his actions and involvement in the resistance movement against Nazi Germany. Scholars on both sides of this debate have presented compelling evidence to sway their audience one way or the other concerning Bonhoeffer's ethical position. This debate is further complicated by Bonhoeffer's own view of his life as a "straight and unbroken course." As many have claimed Bonhoeffer's ethics to justify their own stance on pacifism and just-war, the purpose of this paper is to determine if such claims are warranted. This paper seeks to investigate such claims by looking at Bonhoeffer's own writings throughout the course of his life. It traces his biography in attempts to place his writings in context. While many of his writings are important in understanding Bonhoeffer's worldview, this paper largely focuses on Sanctorum Communio as the basis for his theological framework, and his publications of Discipleship and Ethics wherein lies the tensions of understanding his position. This paper will attempt to show that while Bonhoeffer was not against pacifism and in fact advocated for peace, his contextual ethics serves as strong evidence that he was not a pacifist according to its most basic definition.

This MA thesis aims to address discipleship, one of many possible concepts of Christian spiritual leadership of people to maturity in Christ. The theoretical part defines the expression of discipleship, furthermore it highlights examples of discipleship and biblical principles that result from the Old and New Testament. The practical part contains a description of four kinds of discipleship in practice of the Brethen Church and a comparison with the biblical principles of discipleship in the theoretical part. These are the leadership of a group of disciples, discipleship dormitory Tyrannus Hall in Prague, spiritual parenting and spiritual motherhood.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: DRC Grasvoëlkop is a small urban congregation that can, in the light of Galatians 6:4, be proud of its involvement in local and global missions as a partner in the proclamation of God’s Word. Demographic and cultural changes have, however, forced the congregation to look afresh at its identity and calling as declining membership, financial pressure, and self-questioning of its relevance within its immediate context arise. The researcher has been a minister of this congregation for 24 years. The researcher undertakes an empirical study of the congregation, together with a description of the changing context, that aims to expose the impotence of an institutional hermeneutic to move the congregation forward into growth and fruitful ministry. Part I will describe additionally the changes that have taken place in Western culture and how these cultural shifts have unwittingly influenced the church. Rather than being merely missions-minded, a congregation needs to be missional. This requires the church to recognise false accommodations to Western culture, and to transition from an institutional to a missional hermeneutic. The research aims to show how an understanding of missional theology can assist the congregation in moving to a more biblical understanding of culture, calling and identity; and how a fruitful future lies in rejecting self-preservation to embrace the missio Dei. This is undertaken in Part II, which distinguishes three key aspects of missional theology: 1. The Trinity, with the possibilities that a fuller and more faithful view of God may bring to bear on a struggling congregation through a renewed faith; 2. The Kingdom of God, and what it means in terms of salvation and hope, showing how a struggling congregation can interact fruitfully with the world; and 3. The call to discipleship, and how love can help the congregation rediscover identity and calling. The study fleshes out these three aspects by describing how missional theology corrects an unbiblical accommodation to Western culture (secularisation, spiritual escapism and individualism) and supplies a healthy corrective. The study shows how the church can err through a reactionary response to these errors that then swings to an opposite, equally unbiblical pole. Together with an appreciation of missional thought, the study endeavours to offer a fresh contribution to the missional conversation by highlighting the important place of proclamation (and how missionmindedness can be developed further) and the vital but underappreciated role that vocation can play as a missional calling. The growing mystical emphasis within the denomination is questioned and an alternative, found in Puritan spirituality, is advocated. This study underlines the inadequacy of a missions-focus that does not spring from a missional ecclesiology and finds in missional theology the parameters to transform the congregation as a participant in the missio Dei, able to minister and thrive within a changed context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die NGK Grasvoëlkop is 'n klein stedelike gemeente wat, in die lig van Galasiërs 6:4, trots kan wees op haar betrokkenheid in plaaslike en globale sending deur vennoot te wees in die uitdra van God se Woord. Demografiese en kulturele veranderings het egter die gemeente gedwing om nuut te kyk na haar identiteit en roeping soos 'n dalende lidmaattal, finansiële druk en die bevraagtekening van haar eie relevansie binne haar onmiddellike konteks ontstaan. Die navorser is die afgelope 24 jaar leraar van hierdie gemeente. Hierdie navorsing onderneem ʼn empiriese studie van die gemeente en 'n beskrywing van die veranderende konteks wat ten doel het om die onmag te beskryf van die heersende institusionele hermeneutiek om die gemeente na groei en ʼn vrugbare bediening te neem. Deel I beskryf die veranderings wat in Westerse kultuur plaasgevind het, en hoe die kerk onbewustelik deur hierdie kulturele kenmerke gevorm is. Eerder as om bloot ʼn sendingbetrokkenheid te hê, is dit nodig dat 'n gemeente missionaal moet wees. Dit vra dat die gemeente sal herken waar daar onskriftuurlike akkommodasie gemaak is vir Westerse kultuur en om te skuif van 'n institusionele na 'n missionale hermeneutiek. Die navorsing wys hoe 'n begrip van missionale teologie die gemeente kan begelei na 'n Bybelse begrip van kultuur, roeping en identiteit, en hoe 'n vrugbare toekoms ontdek word deur weg te beweeg van selfbehoud na deelname in die missio Dei. Dit word onderneem in Deel II, wat drie sleutelaspekte van missionale teologie onderskei: 1. Die Drie-eenheid, met die moontlikhede wat 'n voller Godsbegrip bring vir 'n sukkelende gemeente deur ʼn hernude geloof; 2. Die Koninkryk van God, en wat dit in terme van verlossing en hoop beteken, soos dit vir die gemeente toon hoe sy in die wêreld vrug kan dra; 3. Die roeping tot dissipelskap, en hoe liefde die gemeente kan help om haar roeping en identiteit te herontdek. Die studie beskryf hierdie drie aspekte en hoe missionale teologie dien as korrektief op die foutiewe akkommodasies van Westerse kultuur (sekularisasie, wêreldversaking en individualisme) en bied 'n nodige korrektief. Die studie wys verder hoe die kerk kan fouteer deur, in reaksie op hierdie misvattings, oor te hel na 'n teenoorgestelde en ewe onbybelse pool. Saam met 'n waardering van missionale teologie wil hierdie navorsing ook 'n vars bydrae tot die missionale gesprek maak deur klem te lê op die belang van verkondiging (en die plek wat sendingbetrokkenheid binne die gemeente behoort te hê), asook die belangrike maar onderwaardeerde rol van roeping (“vocation”) in die daaglikse lewe van die lidmaat. Die groeiende klem op mistiek binne die denominasie word ondersoek en 'n alternatief vanuit Puriteinse spiritualiteit word voorgestel. Die studie onderstreep die onvermoë van 'n sendingbewustheid wat nie gebore is uit ʼn missionale ekklesiologie nie, en vind in missionale teologie die nodige parameters vir die gemeente om te transformeer as 'n deelnemer in die missio Dei, en om te bedien en te groei binne 'n veranderde konteks.

The principal contention of this thesis is that the earliest Christians viewed the crucifixion of Jesus as paradigmatic for discipleship, confirmation of which can be found in the history and function of a particular saying ascribed to Jesus, namely the ‘cross saying’ (Mk 8:34 and par.). To verify this claim, I explore both the literary tradition and material culture of early Christianity as they relate to the cross saying, explicating the various ways that “taking up the cross” functioned to ensure unwavering loyalty to Jesus. Taking a traditional exegetical approach, I also engage recent work on sapiential literature (mainly Q) and Historical Jesus studies, observing the diverse ways in which the first several generations of Jesus’ followers adapted this saying—both as an aphorism for inclusion in gospels, and in the development of cognate versions useful in more theological settings (e.g., Gal 2:20). Proceeding diachronically via a textual analysis of the cross saying in Q, the Synoptics, and then the Gospel of Thomas, I trace the ways in which the composers of these texts addressed the different social situations of their audiences in an effort to secure commitment to Jesus (or, in the case of Gos. Thom., conformity to his enlightened teachings). Then, turning from the literature to the social and political environment of the New Testament, I note the radical reversal, occurring early in Christian thought, which transformed the crucifixion of Jesus from a shameful social experience into one of honour, and worthy of emulation. Even more significant in terms of current research, I break from the opinions of several New Testament scholars in finding little evidence that the cross saying (presuming it was dominical) functioned as a call to political insurrection. Rather, as evidenced in Christian material culture from the second and third centuries (symbols, the orant prayer posture, making the ‘sign of the cross,’ and so on), the association of crucifixion with discipleship was understood primarily in terms of religious devotion to Jesus.

Submitted by Eunice Novais (enovais@uepg.br) on 2018-06-28T17:28:03Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Adriano A Barreto.pdf: 956174 bytes, checksum: 689527776e9a013ef5c3ea973d0b896f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-28T17:28:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Adriano A Barreto.pdf: 956174 bytes, checksum: 689527776e9a013ef5c3ea973d0b896f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-25 / Este trabalho versa sobre a sexualidade de jovens na agência missionária Jovens com uma missão (JOCUM) na cidade de Ponta Grossa- PR. Duas expressões são fundamentais nesta pesquisa: O discipulado e a sexualidade. Quanto ao discipulado investigamos as redes de inteiração e os modelos práticos relacionais na JOCUM. Em termos da sexualidade procuramos investigar como os jovens da JOCUM estão envolvidos em práticas discursivas que controlam a afetividade no campo missionário. Estes dois elementos foram explorados a partir de entrevistas com os missionários e da literatura básica desenvolvida pela JOCUM que tratam de tais temáticas. Além disso, o referencial teórico básico se fundamenta nas leituras de Michel Foucault. Deste, obtemos instrumentos de analise que nos ajudaram a pensar a relação entre o discipulado e a sexualidade na JOCUM. Por fim, o que temos aqui é uma rede de discursos e práticas em torno do discipulado e da sexualidade que permeiam toda configuração social dos jovens missionários que fazem parte dos Jovens com uma missão. / This work deals with the sexuality of young people in the missionary agency Young people with a mission (YWAM) in the city of Ponta Grossa-PR. Two expressions are fundamental in this research: Discipleship and sexuality. In discipleship we investigate the integration network and the practical models related in YWAM. In terms of sexuality, we seek to investigate how the young people in YWAM are involved in discursive practices that control affectivity in the mission field. These two elements were explored from interviews with the missionaries and the basic literature developed by YWAM that deal with such issues. In addition, the theoretical basis is based on Michel Foucault readings. From this, we get instruments of analysis that helped us to think about the relation between the discipleship and sexuality in YWAM. Finally, what we have here is a network of discourses and practices around discipleship and sexuality that permeate all the social configuration of the young missionaries who are part of the YWAM. Keywords: Discipleship; Sexuality; Religious Group.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre Gustavo De Fiore.pdf: 852447 bytes, checksum: 7b94c4df789f7691ef803ba996f65cf2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The final text of the V CELAM Conference brings Missionary Discipleship as a central element for the pastoral and evangelizing action of this Church in Latin America and directly takes up the conciliar ecclesiology of People of God Church. In this sense, the missionary activity of the Latin American Church face of today's realities urges the entire People of God to assume a proactive stance where all the baptized are called, from his gifts, charisms, conditions and ministries to stay on a permanent state of mission. We can see then that this call is directed strongly to the laity. Once belonging to the mystical body of Christ, which is the Church, they are called to be protagonists and share responsibility in continuing the mission of Jesus Christ. However, despite the clarity of the document, some barriers prevent the practical application of the aspirations of the V CELAM Conference. The traditional tension between clergy and laity; the lack of a theological and integral formation of the People of God; the difficulty of dialogue between hierarchy and society; the self-indulgence and lack of awareness on the part of the laity prevent the missionary discipleship becomes, in fact, an established practice in the communities. Given these observations, this paper presents three urgencies in the Latin American Church that can stimulate missionary discipleship and prevent the Aparecida document to be summarized as a beautiful theoretical text, but without practical application: The first consists of a mentality change by the whole Church, leaving aside historical trends hierarchized; the second is investment in a theological and integral formation of the whole People of God; Finally, it is vital a reform in church structures so that the Latin American Church gets a ministerial face, where the co-responsibility and communion of all, clergy and laity in the Church's mission be recognized / O texto conclusivo da V Conferência do CELAM traz o Discipulado Missionário como elemento central para a ação pastoral e evangelizadora da Igreja presente na América Latina e retoma diretamente a eclesiologia conciliar de Igreja Povo de Deus. Nesse sentido, a ação missionária da Igreja latino-americana frente às realidades hodiernas exorta todo o Povo de Deus a assumir uma postura proativa, onde todos os batizados são chamados, a partir de seus dons, carismas, condições e ministérios, a se colocarem em estado permanente de missão. Percebe-se então que esse chamado é direcionado com muita força aos leigos. Uma vez pertencentes ao corpo místico de Cristo que é a Igreja são chamados a serem protagonistas e corresponsáveis na continuidade da missão de Jesus Cristo. Contudo, apesar da clareza do documento, algumas barreiras impedem a aplicação prática dos anseios da V Conferência do CELAM. A tradicional tensão entre clero e leigos; a carência de uma formação teológica e integral do Povo de Deus; a dificuldade de diálogo entre hierarquia e sociedade; o comodismo e a falta de uma tomada de consciência por parte dos leigos impedem que o discipulado missionário se torne, de fato, uma prática constante nas comunidades. Diante dessas observações, o presente trabalho apresenta três urgências na Igreja da América Latina que podem estimular o discipulado missionário e evitar que o Documento de Aparecida se resuma a um belo texto teórico, porém, sem aplicação prática: A primeira delas consiste em uma mudança de mentalidade por parte de toda a Igreja, deixando de lado tendências hierarquizantes históricas; a segunda consiste no investimento em uma formação teológica e integral de todo Povo de Deus; por fim, é fundamental uma reforma nas estruturas eclesiais a fim de que a Igreja latino-americana adquira um rosto ministerial, onde seja reconhecida a corresponsabilidade e a comunhão de todos, clérigos e leigos na missão de Igreja

Theological training presupposes a mandate from God, and hence, a responsibility to him. The task of theological training is to nurture gifted leaders who are in turn to nurture other believers so that the church can effectively fulfil her missional mandate. The effectiveness of theological training must therefore be measured by how it enhances the practice of ministry in the work of its graduates. There exists a general concern about the way theological schools are preparing men and women for church ministry, with the church leadership feeling like graduates are not up to the task of ministering despite the theological training that they have been given in Bible Schools and Seminaries. This study begins by noting the limitations of the traditional training models of ministerial training. Then it examines the relationship between theological training and practical ministry with the purpose of addressing the fundamental problems that hinder theological training from becoming relevant. Ultimately the study establishes the need for a competent training program modelled after the New Testament discipleship model approach. This model integrates knowledge, being and practical training. The research focuses on the Pan Africa Christian College (PACC) alumni 1984-2004 as case study, with a view to establishing the relationship between training and practical ministry. At the same time, to establish the extent to which theological training at PACC has helped the graduates in their placement and practice of ministry. Finally, the study re-examines the scriptural basis for theological training and practical ministry and proposes a new model for that addresses common inadequacies in theological training. The research has established that there is a relationship between theological training and practice of ministry and that practical ministry can only be improved through enhancing theological training. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Theological training presupposes a mandate from God, and hence, a responsibility to him. The task of theological training is to nurture gifted leaders who are in turn to nurture other believers so that the church can effectively fulfil her missional mandate. The effectiveness of theological training must therefore be measured by how it enhances the practice of ministry in the work of its graduates. There exists a general concern about the way theological schools are preparing men and women for church ministry, with the church leadership feeling like graduates are not up to the task of ministering despite the theological training that they have been given in Bible Schools and Seminaries. This study begins by noting the limitations of the traditional training models of ministerial training. Then it examines the relationship between theological training and practical ministry with the purpose of addressing the fundamental problems that hinder theological training from becoming relevant. Ultimately the study establishes the need for a competent training program modelled after the New Testament discipleship model approach. This model integrates knowledge, being and practical training. The research focuses on the Pan Africa Christian College (PACC) alumni 1984-2004 as case study, with a view to establishing the relationship between training and practical ministry. At the same time, to establish the extent to which theological training at PACC has helped the graduates in their placement and practice of ministry. Finally, the study re-examines the scriptural basis for theological training and practical ministry and proposes a new model for that addresses common inadequacies in theological training. The research has established that there is a relationship between theological training and practice of ministry and that practical ministry can only be improved through enhancing theological training. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.