Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-239) / Chapter one begins by introducing and orientating the reader to the study and the purpose of the study, namely the revelation of God. It also opens up what is central to the study by a way of a problem statement concerning this revelation of God, the black church and the human condition. The aims of the study and the research methodology are set out. The chapter ends with a hypothesis concerning the future doctrine of revelation and the prospects of this revelation in the lives of black people. Chapter two entails discussion on God and the church, as it pertains to revelation, starting with a historical account of Christian theology on the subject of revelation. The subject of revelation is engaged on an existential level, particularly the main areas of Christian theology, namely; special and general revelation. This is a section that puts both concepts within black experience, to see the viability for a black ecclesiology and black theology. Chapter two moves on to contend that for black church, there is a serious theological insurgent that is necessary and it is part and parcel of God’s revelation to blacks and the oppressed. This outlook places a section of critical reasoning in South African context and society concerning God’s revelation. Chapter three engages a philosophical meditation, ascribing meditation as a state of self-reflection for the black church and black theology. This meditation is cognisant of black experience and is self-diagnosis concern God and humanity, particularly the dehumanising, (how it must affirm essence and substance). The meditation of the black church engages the concept of absurdity as Camus (1995) (also see Melancon 1983) has posited the absurd as a malaise in the world and silence of the word to that malaise. The absurd is also linked to theodicy, however, the black experience and the encounter with God transcends absurdity and theodicy. As part of the transcending aspect of the black experience, the research considers Western atheism, Christianity and death of God, whose burial is in the mind, souls and bodies of blacks. The chapter then moves on to discuss the black church as a receptor of God’s revelation, the new image of the crucified and the new metaphysics guaranteeing the upliftment of blacks. Chapter four focuses on the black invisibility and the hiddenness of God, it is seeing invisibility and hiddenness as linked together. The chapter also focuses on the need for black visibility rooted in the ontological and physiological expression and experience of being human; Imago Dei. The chapter links black visibility with the concept of whiteness, being a dehumanising political identity imposed on the people of colour. The chapter then translates into the context of visibility, invisibility and God’s revelation within the economic South African context. The final analysis of the chapter is a confession of God’s revelation rooted in God’s visibility and running parallel to that of black visibility. Chapter five proposes that the black experience and the use of the Bible Sola Sriptura, as it reveals the black church as part of church history. As such, it takes the early church’s reading of the New Testament and understanding of Christology through kenosis; the emptying of God to be human and using that paradigm to link Christ’s human experience and the experience of the dehumanising and humanising that of blacks. The chapter concludes with a Christology and black Messiah, who links the secular and divine, general and special revelation. Chapter six concerns the findings of the study, recommendations and conclusion. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

With globalization the subject of partnership has become one of the main issues in World Mission. Partnerships are formed in all parts of the world in order to promote collaboration between churches, denominations, and mission organizations. Although good partner relationships are a desired objective, historical prejudices and cultural differences and bias lead to barriers which hinder good partnership relations. How can these barriers be overcome? Christian partnerships are usually only based on a collaboration of the partners and the Christian aspect in a relationship in World Mission is neglected. This study presents a theological basis for a Christian relationship in World Mission, coming from the creation of the human being in the image of God, the communion within the Trinity, especially the concepts of “kenosis” and “koinonia,” and the image of the Body of Christ. A second part of this study researches the historical and sociological aspects of partnership in order to identify barriers for a good partner relationship. The findings of the theological research will then be compared with the outcomes of the historical and sociological study and conclusions for an improvement should be presented. The foundation for mission-church relationship in a global context needs to be a spiritual relationship, since the acting partners come together on a basis of their Christian faith and are part of the universal Body of Christ. The kenotic attitude of the partners plays a major role in their relationship and the proposed model for functioning relationships in World Mission needs to be an organic-complementary communion. The last part then presents a new model for the relationship in World Mission, in which several elements of organic-complementary communion are described. These elements are living together in the Body of Christ, learning together, serving together, suffering and celebrating together, sharing together, working together, and discovering theology together. The study concludes with a proposal of a concept of a “common space” in order to show how such a new model could be lived out in the everyday relationships in World Mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

[pt] O sofrimento e o mal levantam uma série de questões sempre recorrentes. Tratando-se de homens e mulheres no contexto da mentalidade moderna, surge a indagação: como harmonizar a afirmação de um Deus Todo-Poderoso com a realidade do sofrimento e do mal, salvaguardando a autonomia do ser humano e do mundo? Através de três teólogos contemporâneos, Andrés Torres Queiruga, Jürgen Moltmann e Jon Sobrino, buscamos responder a esse questionamento, enfatizando a contribuição de cada um dos autores estudados, percebendo as lacunas e debruçando-nos sobre as críticas para completar, enriquecer e aprofundar suas reflexões. Nosso estudo parte de uma questão pastoral, refletida de forma teológico- sistemática, em vista de uma práxis cristã coerente para erradicar, amenizar e/ou integrar o sofrimento e o mal. / [en] Suffering and evil always raise a series of recurring questions. In dealing with man and woman, in the context of modern mentality, there arises an inquiry: how can we harmonize the affirmation of an All-Mighty God with the reality of suffering and evil, safeguarding the autonomy of the human being and the world? In dialogue with three contemporary theologians, Andrés Torres Queiruga, Jürgen Moltmann and Jon Sobrino, we try to deal with this questioning, emphasizing their contributions, detecting lacunas, and discerning the critiques in order to complement, enrich and deepen their considerations. Our study departs from a pastoral question, analyzed in a systematic-theological way, in order to establish a coherent Christian praxis which seeks to erradicate, ease and/or integrate the suffering and evil.