In this research work the missional receptiveness of the non-churched in eastern Germany is examined qualitatively using the example of the meetings of the “no-name” church. The goal of the study is to find out what motivates the non-churched to attend Christian meetings, and to recognize patterns/indicators behind the motivation. For this the context of the non-churched in eastern Germany is first highlighted and the structure of the missional church described. Based on the empirical-theological practice cycle, both planning and execution as well as the results of qualitative interviews carried out with ten visitors to the meetings of the “no-name” church planting initiative are then presented. As a result of repeated coding using the Grounded Theory, five typologies of the non-churched can be highlighted. On the basis of the research results, hypotheses for the missional reachability of the non-churched are formulated and challenges for the practical application indicated. This study wants to contribute to a better understanding of the problems of the reachability of the non-churched in eastern Germany. It shows the strengths and weaknesses of the missional church model which should be taken into account in this context. / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird qualitativ die missionale Ansprechbarkeit ostdeutscher Konfessionsloser am Beispiel der Treffen der nonamechurch untersucht. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es herauszufinden, was Konfessionslose motiviert zu christlichen Veranstaltungen zu kommen, um Muster/Indikatoren hinter der Motivation zu erkennen. Dazu wird zunächst der Kontext der ostdeutschen Konfessionslosen aufgezeigt und die Struktur der missionalen Gemeinde beschrieben. Anschließend werden anhand des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus sowohl Planung und Durchführung, als auch die Ergebnisse qualitativer Interviews dargestellt, die mit zehn Besuchern der Treffen der Gemeindegründungsinitiative nonamechurch geführt wurden. Als Ergebnis des mehrmaligen Codierens unter Anwendung der Grounded Theory lassen sich fünf Typologien von Konfessionslosen herausarbeiten. Auf der Grundlage der Forschungsergebnisse werden Thesen bezüglich der missionalen Erreichbarkeit von Konfessionslosen formuliert und Herausforderungen für die praktische Umsetzung aufgezeigt. Die vorliegende Studie will einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis der Problematik der Erreichbarkeit ostdeutscher Konfessionsloser leisten. Sie zeigt Stärken und Schwächen des missionalen Gemeindemodells auf, die in diesem Zusammenhang zu beachten sind. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Text in German / Die vorliegende Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit inkarnatorischer Verkündigung, indem sie danach fragt, wie die christliche Botschaft heutzutage ganzheitlich präsentiert werden kann. Sie soll sowohl die Bevölkerung als auch Kirchen und Gemeinschaften eines urbanen Kontextes erreichen und dazu ermutigen, die Wirklichkeit der Guten Nachricht zu leben. Die Untersuchung definiert, wie ein inkarnatorisches Verständnis von Predigt als Ausdruck der kenotischen Partizipation, der kerygmatischen Leiterschaft und der sozialen Dimension aussieht und wie dieses in der mikro-, meso- und makrosozialen Ebene umgesetzt werden kann. Basierend auf dem Anspruch des Neuen Testaments, dass das Reich Gottes im Messias nahe herbeigekommen ist, dienen die Literaturstudie (deduktiv) und die qualitativen Experteninterviews (induktiv) der Erörterung des Untersuchungsgegenstandes. In einem mehrsprachigen Umfeld, in welchem die christliche Gemeinschaft fragmentiert und multikulturell existiert, kann der besprochene Ansatz zur Dialogfähigkeit, wechselseitigen Wertschätzung und vertieften Konzilianz beitragen. Ein inkarnatorisches Verständnis christlicher Verkündigung vermag Widerständen unterschiedlicher Art zu trotzen. Sowohl innerkirchlich als auch nach aussen gerichtet, kann ein gemeinsames Zeugnis der Gemeinschaften und Kirchen vor Ort wachsen. Die Sprach- und Handlungsfähigkeit einer auf Sammlung und Sendung ausgerichteten Ekklesiologie wird gefördert. / The presented research deals with incarnational preaching by asking how the Christian message can be presented nowadays so that both the population as well as churches and communities of an urban setting can be reached and encouraged to live and experience the Kingdom of God. The study defines what a incarnational understanding of preaching as an expression of kenotic participation, kerygmatic leadership and the social dimension looks like, and how this can be implemented in the micro-, meso- and macro social level. Based on the New Testament’s claim that in the Messiah the Kingdom of God is at hand, literature study (deductive) and expert interviews (inductive) will discuss the object of study. In a multilingual environment with a fragmented and multicultural Christian community, the discussed approach can contribute to dialog ability, mutual respect and reconciliation. An incarnational view of Christian preaching is able to defy various kinds of opposition. As a result a common witness of communities and local churches can grow – directed both within and outside the church. The ability to act and speak of a gathering- and missionoriented ecclesiology is promoted. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

German text / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird der Change Management Prozess des gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus in der Evangelischen Gemeinschaft Rechtenbach untersucht. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, herauszufinden, wie dieser navigierte Wandlungsprozess von Gemeindegliedern bewertet, gedeutet und verinnerlicht wurde, um Handlungsstrategien für ähnliche Projekte ableiten zu können. Dazu werden zunächst die theoretischen Grundlagen des missionalen Change Managements und der diesbezügliche Praxisvollzug beschrieben. Anschließend werden anhand des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus sowohl Planung und Durchführung als auch die Ergebnisse qualitativer Interviews dargestellt, die mit zwölf Teilnehmern des oben genannten Prozesses geführt wurden. Als Ergebnis des mehrmaligen Kodierens unter Anwendung der Grounded Theory lassen sich vier Typologien der Akzeptanz des Prozesses herausarbeiten. Auf der Grundlage der Forschungsergebnisse werden Thesen bezüglich der weiteren Umsetzung des gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus und dessen Reproduzierbarkeit aufgezeigt. Die vorliegende Studie will einen Beitrag zur missionalen Diskussion im besonderen Hinblick auf den gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebau und dessen Umsetzung leisten. / This research examines the change management process of community-relevant church building in the Evangelical Community in Rechtenbach. The aim of the study is to ascertain how church members assessed, interpreted and internalized this navigated change process in order to derive strategies for similar projects. Firstly it describes the basis for missional change management and the related practice. Based on the empirical-theological practice cycle, it then presents the planning and execution as well as the results of qualitative interviews that were carried out with twelve participants in the process mentioned above. The study extracted four typologies of acceptance of this process through repeated coding using the Grounded Theory. Based on the research results it puts forward theses regarding further implementation of community-relevant church building and its reproducibility. This study is intended to contribute to the missional discussion, in particular to community-relevant church building and its implementation. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis is an historical analytical investigation and theological analysis of the fundamental trends of the ‘Third Wave’ Religious Right Movement and the growth of Zimbabwean Christianity. In an attempt to understand the appealing and growth factors of this religious movement in the Zimbabwean Church scene, the research focuses on the trends and behaviour of the Third Wave Religious Right Movement in Zimbabwe and the critical aspect of how this religious movement communicates the Christian faith to its audience. A critical thrust of the study is the question of whether the disciples of the charismatic movement are motivated by faith or economic factors which may ultimately not be the authentic summons of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The research addresses fears and suspicions of many Christians who are caught up between faith and fear response to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the New Religious Right Movements, particularly in Zimbabwe. The hypothetical statement of this work is that there seems to be a subtle reconstruction identity in the theology of the “Third Wave” Religious Right Movement as is clearly manifested through the maneuverings of Christians from the ‘traditional churches’ to these ‘newer charismatic churches in trends which reflect the changing religious geography and the face of African Christianity in general and Zimbabwean Christianity in particular. The research explores the nature, impact and significance of the post – modern ‘Third Wave’ Religious Right Movement in Zimbabwean society in particular. The identity and nature of the ‘Third Wave’ Religious Right Movement in its historical perspective discussed by means of identifying and analyzing the characteristics of this movement and its theological perspectives as well as discussing the factors that promote the growth of the movement in the context of Missio Dei (God’s Mission) and the society in general. Critical to this type of Christianity are the images of power and prosperity which are understood as signs of faith. The impact and effects of this type of faith expression in the socio-political landscape is fully explored. The primary methodology in this study is the historical critical method complimented by oral historiography. Both primary and secondary sources are utilized in this research in a holistic framework for analyzing the historical trends as they unfold in the context of religious declarations and transformations that are part of the phenomenon under investigation. The study observes the translation model of evangelization in the unfolding discourse of the ‘Third Wave’ Religious Right Movement. The study ultimately reveals how people’s economic fears and hopes in the midst of life’s challenges draw them toward religious movements which promise to positively promote a glorious life with practical results being realized “here and now”. This study has clearly exposed how religion, specifically charismatic Christianity, is seen as a package of an abundant life in the context of humanity’s needs and challenges. There is a clear obsession, in the charismatic New Religious Right Movement, with wealth and health as pedestals of salvation and a faithful Christian life. Surprisingly, there is very little reference to moral and ethical issues from the charismatic prophets who are the founders of these New Right Movements. The research notes that the interests of these newer right movements are in prosperity and health: “signs of being saved and blessed”. Lack of economic success is blamed on demons which also causes poor health hence the need to denounce the powers of Satan and engage on “the heavenly gear”. Such teachings have conditioned the prospective converts to seek after material benefits and values as critical aspects of the meaning of salvation and the mission of Christ. The study further reveals that the ‘Third Wave Religious Right Movement promotes a subtle way of making disciples instead of the traditional way of faith response to the gospel proclamation. But does this charismatic religious life have any relevance to our human situation today? The seven compelling chapters of this study have tackled this question and many others, pointing the way to an authentic Christian mission that is alive and relevant to the meaning of salvation in the context of orthodox Christianity. This study concludes that the Church is a catalyst which carries the keys of salvation to bring meaning and solutions to the varied human fears and failures that characterise the temporary nature of human existence. But in doing so; the Church must act in spirit of orthodox Christianity which is the sine qua non of salvation. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted

The thesis looks at Protestant missions to the Ottoman Empire and the countries which emerged from it through Bosch's "Enlightenment missionary" (2003) and Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" (1996) paradigms. It argues that Muslim resistance to Christianity is rooted in innate Muslim intransigence and in specific historical events in which missionaries played important roles. The work utilizes a simple formula: it contrasts the socio-political and cultural framework missionaries imbibed at home with that of their host environment, outlines the goals and strategies they formulated and implemented, looks at the results, and notes the missiological implications. The formula is applied to four successive periods. We begin with the pre-World War I missionaries of the late Ottoman Empire. We look at their faith in reason, their conviction in the cultural superiority of Anglo-Saxon Protestantism, their attitude towards Islam, their idea of reaching the Muslim majority by reviving the Orthodox churches, and the evolution of their theology and missiology. World War I changed the landscape. The Empire's demise led to a struggle for Turkish and Arab national self-determination leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic and various Arab entities, notably French and British mandates. Protestant missions almost disappeared in Turkey, while a small number of "veterans" kept the enterprise alive in the Arab world. While the Arabs struggled to liberate themselves from the Mandatory Powers, these veterans analyzed past failures, recognized the importance of reaching Muslims directly and began experimenting with more contextualized approaches. The post-World War II era saw the retreat of colonialism, the creation of Israel, a succession of wars with that country, and the formation of a Palestinian identity. Oil enabled the Arabian Peninsula to emerge as a major economic and political force. The missionary enterprise, on the other hand, virtually collapsed. Unlike their veteran predecessors, the pre-Boomer generation, with a few notable exceptions, was bereft of fresh ideas. During the 1970s the evangelical Baby Boomers launched a new enterprise. They tended not to perceive themselves as heirs of a heritage going back to the 1800s, though the people they "targeted" did. Their successors, the GenXers, products of post-modernism and inheritors of Boomer structures, face a region experiencing both increased political frustration and the re-emergence of Islam as a socio-political power. In closing we look at Church-centered New Testament spirituality as a foundational paradigm for further missions to the region. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

German text / Seit dem Fall der DDR arbeiteten Kirchen jeder Couleur daran, unter der atheistischen Bevölkerung der neuen Bundesländer Gemeinde zu bauen, aber das erhoffte Gemeindewachstum blieb aus. Trotz vieler Fortschritte ist die Kirche nach wie vor lediglich eine Nische der ostdeutschen Gesellschaft. Auch freikirchliche Bemühungen sind bisher weitgehend erfolglos geblieben (Schröder 2007:2). Die Menschen im Postsozialismus scheinen gegen das Evangelium immun zu sein. Weil aber Gemeinde Jesu dazu gesandt ist, Menschen jeder Kultur und jeden Milieus mit dem Evangelium zu erreichen, muss sich Missiologie darüber Gedanken machen, wie Gemeinde dieser Sendung auch in Ostdeutschland gerecht wird. Wie kann es gelingen, das Evangelium im speziellen Kontext Ostdeutschlands zu beheimaten? Westliche Gemeindemodelle können in der kulturellen Prägung Ostdeutschlands nicht greifen. Der Besonderheit des ostdeutschen Kontextes muss im Gemeindebau Rechnung getragen werden. Die neuen Bundesländer brauchen einen kontextuellen Gemeindebau. Ausgehend von einem missionalen Gemeindeverständnis, das eingebettet ist in die missio dei (Reimer 2009:170), ist es deshalb Ziel dieser Studie einen kontextuellen Gemeindebau für die neuen Bundesländer zu entwickeln, der die Fragen und Nöte der Menschen im Osten kennt und das Evangelium für ihre Lebenswelt kontextualisiert. Mit Hilfe des bei der Unisa gebräuchlichen Praxiszyklus soll es dabei nicht nur um Theoriebildung gehen. Die vorliegende Studie mündet in Handlungsempfehlungen für die ostdeutsche Gemeindepraxis allgemein und ganz konkret für Magdeburg-Sudenburg. Diese Handlungsempfehlungen versuchen, sowohl dem ostdeutschen Kontext als auch den biblischen Leitlinien für missionale Gemeinde gerecht zu werden. / Since the fall of the GDR, churches have worked hard in the new German states. Despite that, the church is still only a niche in East German society. East Germans seem to be immune to the gospel. But how can Jesus' church fulfill her mission in East Germany, where western models of church planting have been largely unsuccessful. East Germany needs a contextual church planting. Starting from a missional church understanding that is embedded in the missio dei, this study develops a contextual church planting stratagy for the new states, that takes the uniqueness of East-Germany into account and contextualizes the gospel. This study should not end in theory. It leads to recommendations for the East German church in general practice and more specifically for Magdeburg-Sudenburg. These recommendations seek to meet the needs of both the East-German context and the biblical guidelines for missional church. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

In this research study, the correlation between culture and gospel is investigated by examining changes in the interpretation of the cross of Christ from Early Christianity up to present times, using the method of paradigmatic analysis designed by David J. Bosch. Following the concept of the Missio Dei within mission theology, this study aims to find a perspective on the event of the cross which is relevant for today's practice. With reference to the topics of cultural context, sin, sacrifice, vicariousness, cross and mission, this study shows that in every paradigm the diverse perspectives of the interpretation of Jesus' death were explicable and helpful within their relevant contexts. It can also be seen that in its objectives, message and practice, mission correlates with the respective motifs prevalent at the time. In conclusion, after determining the proper place of the results within the concept of Missio Dei in mission theology, the study examines the relevance of these results for the Missio Christi, in order to offer a contribution to the debate and a potential perspective for explaining the significance of Jesus' death in the current German-speaking cultural context. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

In this research study, the correlation between culture and gospel is investigated by examining changes in the interpretation of the cross of Christ from Early Christianity up to present times, using the method of paradigmatic analysis designed by David J. Bosch. Following the concept of the Missio Dei within mission theology, this study aims to find a perspective on the event of the cross which is relevant for today's practice. With reference to the topics of cultural context, sin, sacrifice, vicariousness, cross and mission, this study shows that in every paradigm the diverse perspectives of the interpretation of Jesus' death were explicable and helpful within their relevant contexts. It can also be seen that in its objectives, message and practice, mission correlates with the respective motifs prevalent at the time. In conclusion, after determining the proper place of the results within the concept of Missio Dei in mission theology, the study examines the relevance of these results for the Missio Christi, in order to offer a contribution to the debate and a potential perspective for explaining the significance of Jesus' death in the current German-speaking cultural context. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Summary in German and English / Die Arbeit untersucht aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive, wie das christliche Profil der (Gemeinwesen-) Diakonie dargestellt wird, welche Herausforderungen sich daraus ergeben und in welchem Bezug Mission dazu steht. Hierzu dienen die geschichtlichen Entwicklungen von Diakonie und Mission innerhalb Deutschlands und die Ausführung des ganzheitlichen Missionsverständnisses nach David J. Bosch als Grundlage. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass in der Verbindung von Theologie, Diakonie und der Sozialen Arbeit wesentliche Grundannahmen und -spannungen gegeben sind, die Parallelen zur Missionstheologie aufzeigen, welche aber nicht als ‚Mission’ benannt oder anerkannt werden.Das Ergebnis dieser Forschungsarbeit lautet, dass die missionarisch ganzheitlich verstandene Gemeinwesendiakonie einen Ausweg aus der mangelnden Praxisrelevanz theologischer Leitbilder darstellt und somit einen Beitrag zur Stärkung des christlichen Profils diakonischer Einrichtungen liefern kann. / Using an interdisciplinary perspective, this piece of work examines how the Christian profile of diaconal community work is portrayed, the challenges that emerge and how missionary work relates to the debate. The historical developments of social work and missionary work in Germany, as well as David J. Bosch’s holistic understanding of mission serve as a foundation for the analysis. The study will show that the relationship between theology, diaconal community work and social work reveals major assumptions and tensions which show parallel elements to a theology of mission but are not named or acknowledged as such. The conclusion of this study will state that diaconal community work, understood as holistic mission, can offer a solution to the decreasing relevance of theological mission statements and therefore contribute to strengthening the Christian profile of diaconal institutions. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

The thesis looks at Protestant missions to the Ottoman Empire and the countries which emerged from it through Bosch's "Enlightenment missionary" (2003) and Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" (1996) paradigms. It argues that Muslim resistance to Christianity is rooted in innate Muslim intransigence and in specific historical events in which missionaries played important roles. The work utilizes a simple formula: it contrasts the socio-political and cultural framework missionaries imbibed at home with that of their host environment, outlines the goals and strategies they formulated and implemented, looks at the results, and notes the missiological implications. The formula is applied to four successive periods. We begin with the pre-World War I missionaries of the late Ottoman Empire. We look at their faith in reason, their conviction in the cultural superiority of Anglo-Saxon Protestantism, their attitude towards Islam, their idea of reaching the Muslim majority by reviving the Orthodox churches, and the evolution of their theology and missiology. World War I changed the landscape. The Empire's demise led to a struggle for Turkish and Arab national self-determination leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic and various Arab entities, notably French and British mandates. Protestant missions almost disappeared in Turkey, while a small number of "veterans" kept the enterprise alive in the Arab world. While the Arabs struggled to liberate themselves from the Mandatory Powers, these veterans analyzed past failures, recognized the importance of reaching Muslims directly and began experimenting with more contextualized approaches. The post-World War II era saw the retreat of colonialism, the creation of Israel, a succession of wars with that country, and the formation of a Palestinian identity. Oil enabled the Arabian Peninsula to emerge as a major economic and political force. The missionary enterprise, on the other hand, virtually collapsed. Unlike their veteran predecessors, the pre-Boomer generation, with a few notable exceptions, was bereft of fresh ideas. During the 1970s the evangelical Baby Boomers launched a new enterprise. They tended not to perceive themselves as heirs of a heritage going back to the 1800s, though the people they "targeted" did. Their successors, the GenXers, products of post-modernism and inheritors of Boomer structures, face a region experiencing both increased political frustration and the re-emergence of Islam as a socio-political power. In closing we look at Church-centered New Testament spirituality as a foundational paradigm for further missions to the region. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)