The Scriptures, as found in the Old and New Testaments, are foundational to a genuine Christian spirituality. Among the different existing approaches to spirituality, the evangelical and charismatic churches in South Africa today need to rediscover a distinctive biblical approach to spirituality for themselves in order to facilitate the discipleship of their own members. A holistic biblical spirituality can also serve society in practical ways and challenge the perceptions and practices of a South African society which is seeking to advance without religious foundations. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an evaluative study of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). It is presupposed in this study that, although the ELCIN, since it became autonomous in 1954, has a long history of doing mission and diaconal work according to her Constitution, it has been recorded that, the Church is more and more lacking in the capacity to meet the challenges and needs of the Namibian post-independent society and subsequently cannot effect social transformation, yet it undoubtedly has the potential. This study focuses on the communities of the Ondangwa and Oshakati informal Settlements situated in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, in the former homeland of “Owamboland.” The study is an overview of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) with regard to her public witness before Namibia’s independence that is during 1971 to 1989 and seeks a better understanding of her functionality fundamental to the Missio Dei. Throughout its history, the Church has been called to have a deep concern for the poor and oppressed. The post-Namibian socio-economic problems present a huge challenge to the church, thus raising questions such as: How well has the Church been responding to the challenges of our times? How helpful has it been to those who turn to it to seek social justice? How helpful has it been to those who seek economic and political justice? How helpful has it been to those seeking gender equality and to the marginalised? How helpful has it been to those infected, affected and afflicted by HIV/AIDS? In short, how helpful and relevant is the Church in addressing persons, laws, structures and institutions that degrade and oppress God’s people? These questions arise from concern regarding the emerging culture of corruption and crimes in the nation as well as questions concerning the prophetic task of the Church regarding socio-political and economic issues. It is argued in this study that the socio-economic challenges faced by the informal settlement inhabitants pose a challenge to the Church regarding poverty. A holistic approach to Church‘s mission in context should embrace radical discipleship, coupled with socio-political and economic involvement, integrating both economic, social, ecological, and spiritual change, and leading to healing and transformation. This means that the mission of God is as comprehensive, broad and deep as the needs and exigencies of human existence that is why spiritual and physical ministry cannot be done separately. A holistic mission approach will enable the Christian faith to penetrate and have its roots deep in the Namibian soil. The most adequate formulation subsumes the total mission of the church under the biblical concept of marturea (witnessing), kerugma (proclamation), koinonia (fellowship) didache (teaching) and diakonia (service). The context should indicate where the emphasis ought to be, and the circumstances dictate the way in which this witness has to be communicated. It is of cardinal (paramount) importance for the Church to continuously minister to the marginalised because of its concern and divine calling to the Missio Dei. The empowerment of people in development at the grassroots level is crucial to overcoming oppression and exploitation. The Church, particularly the Evangelical Lutheran in Church in Namibia (ELCIN), has a responsibility to foster and encourage self-reliance in order that, people can exercise their rights to determine their own future, rights which include sovereignty over natural resources, land, production and distribution. It is argued in this study, based on an analysis of the Church as a Community called by God that the essence of community development and the people-centred participatory development process, is that the Church as a Community-based organization is essentially best served in effecting social change by orientating itself according to the people-centred participatory development approach. The conclusion is drawn, among the key challenges identified, that there is a need for the church to evidence holistic theology and sustainable action with regard to social responsibility. Action remains, for the most part, in a dominant charity mode. Partnership, in its various forms, is identified as necessary and as the more sustainable strategy in a context of inequality. Recommendations for action are proposed at the end of this study in order to guide the ELCIN in areas such as Ondangwa and Oshakati, to become a meaningful role player in these communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ‘n evaluerende studie van die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN). Daar word in hierdie studie veronderstel dat, hoewel die ELKIN, sedet dit in 1954 outonoom het, ‘n lang geskiedenis het van missie en diakonale wek volgens haar Grondwet, dit aangeteken is dat die Kerk is meer en meer aan die kapasiteit ontbreek om te voldoen aan die uitdagings en die behoeftes van die Namibiese post-onafhanklike samelewing en daarom geen invloed op sosiale transformasie het nie, maar ongetwyfeld die potensiaal daartoe het. In hierdie studie word gefokus op die gemeenskappe van Ondangwa en Oshakati se informele nedersettings gelee in die Oshana-streek noorde van Namibie, in die voormalige tuisland van “Owamboland.” Die doel is om ‘n oorsig van die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN) met betrekking tot haar openbare getuienis voor Namibie se onafhanklikwording in die tydperk 1971 tot 1989, te gee en om ‘n beter begrip van haar funksies onderliggend aan die Missio Dei te bewerstelling. Dwarsdeur die geskiedenis, is die kerk geroep is om ‘n diepe besorgheid vir die armes en onderdruktes te he. Die post-Namibiese sosioekonomiese problem bied ‘n groot uitdaging aan die kerk, dus die vehoging in die aantaal vrae soos: Hoe goed het die Kerk ge reageer op die uitdagings van ons tyd? Hoe dra die Kerk tot die soeke na sosiale geregtigheid? Hoe nuttig is dit aan diegene wat die ekonomiese en politieke geregtigheid soek? Hoe dra die Kerk by tot die soeke na geslagsgelykheid en hulp aan diegene wat gemarginaliseer word? Watter hulp bied bied die Kerk aan diegene wat met MIV/vigs besmet is of wat daardeur geraak en verdruk word? In kort, hoe nuttig en relevant is die kerk in die aanspreek van persone, wette, structure en instellings wat God se volk verneder en verdruk? Hierdie vrae ontstaan as gevolg van die kommer wat ontstaan weens die opkomende kultuur van korrupsie en misdaad in die land sowel as vrae oor die profetiese taak van die Kerk ten opsigte van sosio-politieke en ekonomiese kwessies. Daar word aangevoer word in hierdie studied at die sosio-ekonomiese van die inwoners van die informele nedersetting ‘n uitdaging aan die kerk ten opsigte van armoede. ‘n holistiese benadering tot die Kerk se sending in die konteks moet omhels radikale dissipelskap, tesame met ‘n sosio-politieke en ekonomiese betrokkenheid, die integrasie van beide die ekonomiese, sosiale, ekologiese, en geestelike verandering behels. Dit lei tot genesing en transformasie. Dit beteken dat die missie van God net so omvattende, breed en diep is soos die behoeftes en vereistes van die menslike bestaan, dit is waarom die geestelike en die fisiese ministerie kan nie apart gedoen kan word nie. ‘n holistiese missie benadering sal die Christelike geloof in staat stel om deur te dring en het sy wortels diep in die Namibiese grond. Die mees geskikte formulering behels die totale missie van die kerk onder die Bybelse konsep van marturea (getuie), kerugma (verkondiging), koinonia (gemeenskap) en diakonia (diens). Die konteks behoort te le en die omstandighede dikteer die manier waarop hierdie getuienis gekomminikeer word. Dit is van kardinale belang vir die Kerk om voortdurend die Word aan hierdie mense te bring, en om hul te versorg, in hehoorsaamhed aan die goddelike roeping tot die Missio Dei. Die bemagtiging van mense en hul ontwikkeling op voetsoolvlak is noodsaaklik vir die voorkoming van onderdrukking en uitbuiting. Die kerk, veral die Evangeliese Lutherse Kerk in Namibie (ELKIN), het ‘n verantwoordelikheid om selfstangigeheid te be vorder en aan te moedig, sodat mense hul regte, hul eie toekoms, soewereiniteit oor natuurlike hulpbronne, die land, produksie en verspreiding kan bepaal en uitoefen. Daar word aangevoer in hierdie studie, wat gebaseer is op ‘n analise van die Kerk as ‘n Gemeenskap wat deur God geroep is, dat die essensie van ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap en die mens-gesentreerde deelnemende ontwikkeling proses, is dat die Kerk as ‘n gemeenskaps-baseerde organisasie in wese die beste gedien word in die bewerkstelliging van sosiale verandering, deur om te orienteer in die rigting van mens-gesentreerde deelnemende ontwikkeling. Nadat sleutel uitdagings uitgeken word, word die studie afgesluit deurdat daar tot die slotsam gekom word dat daar getuiens gelewer moet word holistiese teologie en volhoubare aksie met betrekking tot sosiale verantwoordelikheid. Aksie sal nog steeds hoofsaaklik liefdadig van aard wees maar daar word vasgestel dat Vennootskappe, in die konteks van ongelykheid, die mees volhoudbare strategie blyk te wees. Aanbevelings vir aksie word aan die einde van hierdie studie gedoen om die ELKIN te lei in gebiede soos Ondangwa and Oshakati, ‘n betekenis volle rol speel.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a historical investigation of the role of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) regarding social development with special attention to education as an agency of social change. ELCIN is the largest Lutheran church in Namibia, which was born out of the Finnish missionary activities after their arrival in the former Ovamboland in 1870. The Finnish missionaries became the first missionaries to do mission work in Ovamboland. This qualifies them to be regarded as pioneers of social development and of the transformation of society through education among the Ovambo people. ELCIN’s humble beginnings started as a mission field and developed into mission congregations; thereafter as a mission church and finally as independent church in 1954. The study shows that since its inception ELCIN has been committed to serve her members holistically (spiritually and socially). The focus of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the role ELCIN played to bring about development through education. The study therefore attempts to answer questions regarding the role the Finnish missionaries played in education and should be understood within the broader context of the history of ELCIN, for example, what arrangements were made and what developments took place during the indigenization process. Further, the study points out the educational challenges ELCIN encountered during the time of social development through education. In answering these questions, the study demonstrates how ELCIN played a decisive role in social development in Ovamboland, especially by way of education and training. The study refers to both informal (Christian) and formal (general or inclusive secular) education and the role each of these forms of education played in social change. The study also reflects on the engagement between ELCIN and the context resulting from the South African mandate in Namibia (then South West Africa). Finally, it is recommended that, in light of the positive contribution made by ELCIN to the social development of its members and communities by way of education in the past, it should continue this role in an independent Namibia. This could be done by way of intensifying Christian education among its members in order to educate and inspire people to remain faithful to their Christian values. In this way, ELCIN will continue to play a meaningful role in the life of communities and their members. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie is ‘n historiese ondersoek na die rol van die Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) ten opsigte van sosiale ontwikkeling met spesiale verwysing na opvoeding as ‘n agent vir sosiale verandering. ELCIN is een van die grootste Lutherse kerke in Namibië, wat ontstaan het uit die aktiwiteite van die Finse sendelinge na hulle aankoms in die eertydse Ovamboland in 1870. Die Finse sendelinge was die eerste sendelinge wat sendingwerk in Ovamboland onderneem het. As gevolg hiervan word hulle beskou as pioniers van sosiale ontwikkeling en transformasie in die gemeenskap deur die opvoeding van die mense van Ovamboland. ELCIN het sy nederige ontstaan gehad as ‘n sendingveld en het ontwikkel tot sendinggemeentes; daarna tot ‘n sendingkerk en uiteindelik in 1954 tot ‘n onafhanklike kerk. Die studie dui aan dat ELCIN sedert sy ontstaan toegewyd was aan die taak om sy lede op ‘n holistiese vlak (geestelik en sosiaal) te ontwikkel. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot ‘n dieper begrip van die rol wat ELCIN gespeel het ten opsigte van hierdie ontwikkeling. Die studie het dus gepoog om vrae te beantwoord oor die rol wat die Finse sendelinge in opvoeding gespeel het en behoort verstaan te word binne die breër konteks van die geskiendenis van ELCIN. Watter reëlings is getref en watter ontwikkelings het plaasgevind gedurende die inheemswordingsproses? Die studie dui verder op die opvoedkundige uitdagings wat ELCIN gedurende die tyd van sosiale ontwikkeling deur opvoeding ondervind het. Ter beantwoording van hierdie vrae word deur die studie aangedui hoe ELCIN ‘n deurslaggewende rol in die sosiale ontwikkeling van Ovamboland gespeel het, veral deur middel van opvoeding en opleiding. Die studie verwys na beide informele (Christelike) en formele (algemene of inklusiewe) opvoeding en na die rol wat elk van hierdie vorms van opvoeding gespeel het ten opsigte van sosiale verandering. Die studie kyk ook eers na die verhouding tussen ELCIN en die Suid‐Afrikaanse regering gedurende Namibië (die destydse Suidwes‐Afrika) se jare as mandaatgebied en daarna word aanbevelings gemaak. In die lig van die positiewe bydrae wat ELCIN in die verlede gemaak het tot sosiale ontwikkeling, word aanbeveel dat hierdie bydrae in ‘n onafhanklike Namibië voortgesit word. Dit behoort te geskied deur ‘n intensifisering van Christelike onderwys onder lede ten einde die mense op te voed en te inspireer om getrou te bly aan hulle Christelike waardes. Op hierdie wyse sal ELCIN voortgaan om ‘n betekensivolle rol in die lewe van die gemeenskappe en hul lede te speel.

This study gives a historical analysis of the life and career of John F. Walvoord. He has served Dallas Theological Seminary for over fifty years in various capacities. The process of gathering information included a review of literature, a review of the institutional records of the Seminary, and a systematic search of the Archives, providing a chronological history of personal correspondence from the Office of the President from 1924 through 1954. An interviewing process concluded the study and served as the means of evaluation and review.

Donald Trump tog världen med storm när han deltog i det amerikanska presidentvalet och sedermera blev vald. Uppsatsen undersöker om Donald Trump kan placeras på en fascistisk skala baserat på hans uttalanden i sex tal; samt hur det kristna stödet, som Donald Trump erhöll i valet, kan förklaras. Sex tal analyseras med basen i kvalitativ textanalys och kategoriseras i fem kategorier för fascism.   Det kristna stödet kan förklaras genom gemensamma värderingar, Lakoffs Strict Father morality, i kombination med rädsla. Rädslan över vad som ska hända med AFS med Hillary Clinton som president är stor, är en tung faktor för konservativa kristna att rösta på Donald Trump. Studien kommer fram till att Donald Trump kan klassificeras som semi-fascist då han delvis uppfyller de kriterier som studien grundar sig på. / Donald Trump chocked the world when he decided to run for president of the United States of America, and won. This study examines if Donald Trump may be placed on a fascist scale based on his statements in six speeches; and how the Christian support, that he received, may be explained. The speeches have been analysed based on a qualitative text analysis and been categorized in to five categories of fascism.   The Christian support may be explained by common values; Lakoff’s Strict Father morality, in combination with fear. The fear for what may happen to the U.S. with Hillary Clinton as president has a big impact on why conservative Christians voted for Donald Trump. The conclusion of this study is that Donald Trump can be classified as a semi-fascist as he partly fulfils the fascist criteria this study presents.

Ecumenism and Theological Convergence: A Comparative Analysis of Edinburgh 1910 and the Lausanne Movement." This thesis evaluates the Edinburgh 1910 World Mission Conference, the ecumenism that flowed from Edinburgh 1910, and its relationship to the ecumenical trends that exist within the Lausanne movement. Additionally, this thesis determines how ecumenism has attributed to a theological convergence, and then examines the impact of such theological convergence on the global church through parachurch organizations. It begins by laying the foundation for any theological convergence that existed at Edinburgh 1910. It then examines ecumenism within the Lausanne movement, theological significance of ecumenism, and its impact on the global church. Finally, the thesis explores the theological convergence within select parachurch organizations since Lausanne 1974 and analyzes the impact of theological convergence on the global church. The researcher of this thesis has surveyed several sources to determine the originality of this topic through search engines World Cat, World Cat Dissertations, Dissertations, Article First, ATLA Religion, Humanities Index, Humanities Abstract, Christian Periodical Index, Worldscope, and also significant works about Lausanne 1974. The search revealed nothing substantial concerning Lausanne’s impact on the Global Church through parachurch organizations, the researcher deems this thesis to be an original work. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology

Marie Tesárková Diplomová práce 2013 Abstract: This work contains a summary of history of Czech Pentecostal Church and of its musical impact on the society. The Conception of Musicians' in Czech Pentecostal Church utilizes surveys of other evangelical churches, that were executed by e-mail correspondence with their leaders. An on-line questionnaire for contemporary musicians of Czech Pentecostal Church became another ground for this work. Thus the proposal for a conception considers all aquired information, along with education plans of several Czech schools of Art and with education plans of American Central Bible college. Key words: Czech Pentecostal Church, musicians' education, evangelical churches, interdenominational events, conception if education

After 1781 there were established several Protestant congregations in Podkrkonoší (North-East Bohemia). Approximately one hundred years later, the whole region was greatly affected by Spiritualism, a belief in communication with spirits of the dead through mediums. My objective is to describe the attitudes of the Protestant congregations in Podkrkonoší towards Spiritualism and analyse their causes and effects. Understanding these attitudes will yield an insight into the character of the present congregations. For this purpose, I studied the congregations in Libštát, Křížlice, and Jičín. In particular I focused on their parish priests because they had the control over their flock in these questions. I went through the archival materials of the respective congregations as well as personal diaries, and I analysed the memories of several interviewed people. These findings were then compared with the attitudes of some congregations in Great Britain. The results revealed three different approaches of the priests. Some were very radical, which led to excommunication of Spiritualists. Others were rather tolerant, which resulted in integration of Spiritualists. Finally, some priests were quite secretive, so their parishioners may not have seen a clear line between Spiritualism and Christianity.

À l'île de La Réunion, les mouvements pentecôtistes-charismatiques se développent depuis une quarantaine d’années. L'importance particulière qu'ils accordent à l'émotion religieuse exerce un rôle pivot dans leur capacité d'attraction. Favorisant les preuves tangibles de l'agir divin au détriment des dogmes, ils concourent à l'imprécision des croyances et à la fluidification des itinéraires religieux, ils contribuent à la poussée des individualismes religieux, ils encouragent la scissiparité ecclésiale. En ces différents éléments, ils mettent l'Église à l'épreuve. Néanmoins, une analyse fouillée de cette mouvance en société créole conduit à interroger cette relativisation des institutions, de la tradition, des médiations, dont elle se prévaut. Une enquête de terrain et le recueil d'entretiens mettent en lumière plusieurs facteurs paraissant construire l'expérience religieuse de type émotionnel : - la situation socio-historique insulaire tout d'abord, ainsi que les dynamiques religieuses qui ont contribué à la formation de groupements pentecôtistes et charismatiques concurrents suffisamment distincts pour ne pas être assimilés à un même milieu ; - les groupes auxquels les fidèles adhèrent ensuite qui codifient leurs pratiques et fabriquent leur « virtuosité » religieuse ; - le temps enfin, en vertu duquel l'itinéraire des individus enregistre différentes phases d'intensité variable. De ce fait, l'expérience religieuse est loin de rimer exclusivement avec effervescence, immédiateté, malléabilité. Elle comporte aussi sa part de régulation, de socialisation, de transmission. C'est au cœur de cette dialectique que s'inscrit cette étude en terre réunionnaise. / In Reunion Island, pentecostal and charismatic movements have been developing for forty years and their emotional aspect plays a pivotal role in their power of attraction. Encouraging tangible evidence of God’s actions at the expense of dogmas, they contribute to the imprecision of beliefs and the dispersion of religious itineraries, lead to an increase in individualism and encourage a tendency to scission in the Church. Because of all this, they put the church to the test. Nevertheless, an in-depth analysis of these movements in Creole society leads us to question the erosion of institutions, traditions and mediations it relies on. Organising a field survey and conducting interviews has made it possible to highlight several factors which seem to inspire religious experience of an emotional kind.- First, the socio-historical situation of the island, and the religious dynamics that have contributed to the formation of competing pentecostal and charismatic groups which are too different to be treated as part of the same environment.- Then, the groups joined by the faithful, which codify their practices and create their religious « virtuosity »- Finally time, because of which individuals itineraries show different phases of varying intensity. So, religious experience is far from being synonymous exclusively with excitement, immediacy and malleability. Control, socialization and transmission are also important part of it. This study conducted in Reunion Island is at the very heart of this dialectic.

No description available.