Libertação, Conversão e Catequese em Jo 9 tem o propósito de identificar o itinerário percorrido por uma pessoa cega de nascença para confessar sua adesão de fé, publicamente, a Jesus, como o Filho do homem, em tempos de exclusão da sinagoga. A libertação das normas e leis que não estão em defesa da vida e, que, por isso, não são de Deus, exige coragem, a partir da abertura dos olhos e da mente, frente a uma situação que exclui. O primeiro capítulo aborda o evangelho segundo a comunidade joanina como um todo, evidenciando suas principais características, sua relação com as festas judaicas e o sábado. O segundo capítulo aprofunda o estudo da narrativa da cura do cego de nascença, para evidenciar como a libertação, conversão e catequese aparecem no texto. Essa narrativa apresenta o processo de adesão a Jesus como o Filho do homem e, como, para isso, Ele precisa ser visto perfeitamente como Ele é. Para tal, é necessária a abertura gradativa da visão, mesmo em tempo de punição e exclusão, por parte dos judeus fariseus, a quem nEle confessa sua fé. O entendimento a respeito de quem é Jesus dá-se a partir do fazer o que ele manda; enfrentar com coragem os interrogatórios do grupo dos judeus fariseus e não temer mostrar opinião contrária a eles, mesmo que isso resulte em uma punição. O cego curado é modelo para a comunidade ao se deixar iluminar por Jesus. O terceiro capítulo aprofunda como a catequese pode ser feita a partir do texto de Jo 9. Estuda a forma como a comunidade joanina desenvolveu o seu processo catequético, o da comunidade judaica e da comunidade cristã primitiva. Com base no itinerário de libertação e conversão, realizado pelo cego curado, apresentamos alguns elementos indicativos para a catequese de adultos em nossos dias. / Liberation, Conversion and Catechesis have the purpose, in John 9, to identify the itinerary of a person born blind in order to profess publicly his adhesion of faith to Jesus, as the Son of Man, in a time of exclusion from the synagogue. The liberation from laws and rules not directed towards defending life and, therefore, not according to the will of God, with regard to an excluding situation, takes courage after having opened eyes and mind. The first chapter considers the gospel according to the community of John as a whole, pointing out its main characteristics, its relation to the Jewish Feasts and the Sabbath. Chapter two deepens the study of the narration about the healing of the man born blind so as to make clear how liberation, conversion and catechesis become evident in the text. The narration presents the process of adhesion to Jesus as the Son of Man, showing how, accordingly, Jesus has to be seen exactly like he is. Therefore, the person who professes faith in Him, even in times of punishment and exclusion by the Jews and Pharisees, needs having his eyes gradually opened. The understanding of who Jesus is begins with doing what he orders, confronting courageously the questionning by the group of Jews Pharisees and not fearing to express an opinion contrary to theirs, even at the risk of punishment. The man born blind now healed, who lets himself be illuminated by Jesus, is a model for the community. Chapter three shows how the text of John 9 can be used for catechesis and how the community of John, the Jewish and the ancient Christian communities developed their catechetical process. Based on the itinerary of liberation and conversion made by the man born blind now healed, indicative elements for the catechesis of adults in our days are presented.

This study explores the relationship between Christianity and autochthonous (indigenous, pre-Christian) worldviews and practices amongst the Aandonga of Owamboland, Northern Namibia. Using participant contributions from a series of Contextual Bible Study (CBS) sessions (with groups of men, women, and children), and supplemented by ethnographic contextualisation, it challenges the oft-contended notion that Christian worldviews and practices have erased the significance of African Traditional Religion for Ndonga (or wider Owambo) communities. The enduring significance of autochthonous worldviews and practices is explored using responses to six biblical texts, each of which relates to at least one of three themes: bodies, spirits, and landscapes. The study examines feasting bodies (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet), bleeding bodies (The Haemorrhaging Woman), and possessed bodies (Legion). It considers possession spirits (Legion), natural spirits (the so-called ‘Nature Miracles’), and ancestor spirits (Resurrection appearances). Perspectives on landscapes are highlighted particularly in relation to aspects of the natural environment (the ‘Nature Miracles’) and the locations explored by an itinerant demoniac (Legion). Responses to the texts engender, inter alia, discussions of contemporary perspectives on diviner-healers (oonganga), witchcraft (uulodhi), the homestead (egumbo), burial grounds (omayendo, oompampa), spirits (iiluli, oompwidhuli), ancestors (aathithi), material agency (for example, apotropaic amulets), and the ‘traditional’ wedding (ohango). Having analysed the ways in which autochthonous worldviews informed participants’ interpretations of the particular texts considered (Matthew 22:1-14 & Luke 14:7-11; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:26-39; Mark 4:35-41 & 6:45-52; Luke 24), each set of interpretations is brought into conversation with professional biblical scholarship. The study therefore highlights the ways in which these grassroots, ‘contextual’ interpretations might nuance New Testament interpretations returned by the Academy, particularly by highlighting the highly contextual nature of the latter.