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This study explores the dynamics at play in the nineteenth century interaction between European mission Christianity and the peoples and cultures of West Africa with Akan (Gold Coast) and Yoruba (Nigeria) lands serving as the model theatres of the interaction. It appreciates the fact that in a context such as West Africa, where religious consciousness permeates every aspect of life, the coming of the Gospel to its peoples impacted every aspect of the social and religious lives of the people. Chapter one sets the agenda for the study by exploring the dynamics involved in the transmission of the Gospel as it spread from Palestine to the Graeco-Roman world, medieval Europe, Enlightenment Europe and, later, Africa in the nineteenth century. It also defines the limits of the study to the period 1820-1892. Chapter two explores the religious and the cultural environments that gave shape to the modem European missionary movement. It highlights the features of the European Reformation that were factors in defining missionary methods in West Africa. It also emphasizes the subtle infiltration of Enlightenment ideals-the primacy of Reason, the way of Nature, and the idea of Progress-into missionary consciousness about Africa and its peoples. Chapter three delineates the religious and the cultural milieus of West Africans in contrast to that of European missionaries. It underscores the integral nature of religion to the totality of life among West Africans. It also contrasts the socio-political conditions of Akan land and Yoruba land in the nineteenth century while appreciating the rapid changes impinging on their peoples. Chapter four explores how the prevailing realities in Akan and Yoruba lands defined the fortunes and the prospects of the missionary message among the people. In doing this, it draws from four model encounters of mission Christianity with West African peoples and cultures. In Mankessim, the deception associated with a traditional cult was exposed. At Akyem Abuakwa, the contention between missionaries and the royalty for authority over the people led to social disruption. The resistance of the guild of Ifa priests to Christian conversion and the assuring presence of missionaries to the warrior class created ambivalence at Abeokuta. Ibadan offers us an irenic model of interaction between mission Christianity and West African religions as Ifa, the Yoruba cult of divination, sanctioned the presence of missionaries in the city. Chapter five reflects on the issues that are significant in the interaction of the Gospel with West African cultures. It appreciates the congruence between the Gospel and West African religious worldview. It assesses the impact of missionary methods on the traditional values of West Africans, appreciating the strength and the weaknesses of the school system, the value of Bible translation into mother-tongues, and the contextual relevance of the mission station method of evangelization. It also explores the meaning of Christian conversion in West Africa using the models of A.D. Nock, John V. Taylor and Andrew F. Walls. Chapter six concludes with Andrew Walls' three tests of the expansion of Christianity. The conclusion is that in spite of the failures and weaknesses of some of the methods adopted by European missionaries in evangelizing West Africa, their converts understood their message, domesticated it according to their understanding and appropriated its benefits to the life of their societies. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The thesis links African Theology with three notions: identity, mission and empowerment. Out of this linkage arise three interrelated themes that dominate the thesis. Firstly, different African theologies can be read as different modes of the quest for identity. The thesis demonstrates how the quest for identity in African Theology fits into political, philosophical, religious and other quests for identity in Africa, which are driven by historical factors such as the slave trade, imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism. The responses of inculturation and liberation theologies to these historical factors of disempowerment leads to the conclusion that being Christian can be both liberating and fully compatible with being African. Secondly, the quest for identity in African Theology properly belongs to the notion of mission understood as missio Dei. This conclusion is derived from an examination of critical aspects of missio Dei. These include determining the purposes of missio Dei as being the restoration of the imago Dei and the salvation and liberation of humankind. The conclusion is also derived from acknowledging that missio Dei is effected through missiones ecclesiae and missio hominum. Thirdly, constructing mission as missio Dei leads to the notion of the quest for identity as a mission of empowerment and an empowerment for mission. A multidiscipline theoretical framework of empowerment leads to a stipulation of ways in which African theology, through a quest for identity, is empowering or can empower its interlocutors. At the same time the mission of empowerment becomes an empowerment for mission. This is especially significant in the light ofthe acknowledged southward shift in Christianity's centre of gravity. That shift implies African Christianity having a missionary responsibility that extends to the rest of the world. The quest for identity in African Theology is fraught with ambiguities, dilemmas and risks. But this is a price various African theologies are willing to pay in order both to help uplift the historically disadvantaged Africans and also to secure the future of Christianity on the continent. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This thesis is about Thomas Jefferson Bowen (1814 - 1875), a Baptist missionary of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, United States. Bowen worked in Africa and tried to work with slaves in Brazil. These facts made Bowen a missionary ahead of his time. He had a different perspective and attitude to Africa and Africans. His book Central Africa, his personal letters, his articles, his life, show that he was deeply involved with the idea that Africa could be much more than only a good place to purchase slaves. His whole missionary life was expended in a project to train blacks to work in Africa as missionaries and teachers. What made Bowen a different missionary from his fellows in his time was the fact that he was able to understand and respect the culture of the people with whom he was involved. He could see and appreciate the structures of the African society and he planned a development project from the African perspective. He was a missionary who believed that the Western society was not appropriate for Africa. Africa had to find its own way. He was different because he believed that missionaries have to speak the language of the people and should not force the native people to learn English as a "holy" language. We present this work as a tribute to this missionary whose life and relationship with blacks can be seen as an example of respect and understanding of the culture of a people. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This dissertation analyses Reinhard Bonnke's evangelistic ministry in Africa, and examines to what extent his propagated "Evangelism by Fire" conforms with the New Testament ministry of evangelism. The results of an analysis of the New Testament ministry of evangelism, especially of the evangelistic ministry of Philip, provide the basis for a comparison with Bonnke's understanding and practice of the evangelistic ministry. A thorough analysis of Bonnke's publications, especially those referring to the theme of evangelism, allows a systematic insight into his understanding of the evangelistic ministry. In order to examine the conformity between Reinhard Bonnke's understanding and his practice of evangelism, expert interviews referring to his gospel crusade in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 2002 are analysed, and compared to his understanding of evangelism. Finally, the findings about Bonnke's understanding and practice of evangelism are related to the New Testament evangelistic ministry, and analysed synoptically. The research results of this study show that Bonnke's understanding of evangelism and his practice of evangelism, during the gospel crusade in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, conform with each other. Bonnke's propagated and applied "Evangelism by Fire" shows him to be an evangelist orientated to the New Testament. Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Dissertation setzt sich mit Reinhard Bonnkes evangelistischem Dienst in Afrika auseinander und überprüft, inwiefern die von ihm bekannt gemachte ,,Evangelism by Fire" mit dem neutestamentlichen evangelistischen Dienst übereinstimmt. Die Ergebnisse aus einer Untersuchung des evangelistischen Dienstes im Neuen Testament, insbesondere des evangelistischen Dienstes des Philippus, bieten die Grundlage für einen Vergleich mit dem Evangelisationsverständnis und der Evangelisationspraxis Bonnkes. Eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit Bonnkes Publikationen, insbesondere zum Thema Evangelisation, gibt einen systematischen Einblick in sein Verständnis des evangelistischen Dienstes. Um Reinhard Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis auf Übereinstimmung mit seiner Evangelisationspraxis zu überprüften, werden Experteninterviews zu seiner 2002 durchgeführten Großevangelisation in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, ausgewertet und mit seinem Evangelisationsverständnis verglichen. Schließlich werden die gewonnenen Forschungsergebnisse zu Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis und Evangelisationspraxis in Relation zum neutestamentlichen evangelistischen Dienst gesetzt und synoptisch ausgewertet. Die Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis und seine Evangelisationspraxis während der Evangelisation in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, kongruieren. Die von Bonnke propagierte und praktizierte ,,Evangelism by Fire" offenbart ihn als Evangelisten mit neutestamentlicher Grundausrichtung. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / (D.Th.(Missiology))

Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis states that the concepts of MODIMO [GOD] (Setiloane 1976) in Sotho Traditional Religion are different to the concepts of the Christian God. The notions of MODIMO are panentheistic (all pervading), whilst the notions of the Christian God are monotheistic. The notions of MODIMO are impersonal whilst those of the Christian God are personal. The monotheistic notions of the Christian God are Hellenized (p'Bitek 1970). The task of this thesis is to de-Hellenize the notions of MODIMO. The Sotho Traditional Religion attributes of deities emphasize their nature and the pragmatism more than their natural and moral attributes. The notions of the Christian God, on the other hand, are conceived through their moral and natural attributes. In addition, the conceptual content of the attributes of the Christian and Sotho Traditional Religion concepts of deities differ. This investigation seeks to present the Sotho concepts of MODIMO as Basotho would express them, to unearth the Sotho concepts of MODIMO and to present them with the concern and the consciousness of the syncretistic fusion (Kgatla 1992) that has inevitably happened due to contact with missionary Christianity and western culture. One feature of this contact was coercion and domination, as missionary-colonizers imposed their Hellenized concepts of the Christian God, as well as imposing the British capitalist mode of production on the African agrarian and pastoral communities in South Africa. The notion of the cultural superiority of western European culture, in which the missionaries and colonizers were immersed, blinded them. This was because of the 'world' from which they came from. Unfortunately, the Christian God they preached to Africans was a strange deity that had no consideration for African people as 'full' humans. The African concepts of MODIMO have been resilient and it is possible to unearth them. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This dissertation analyses Reinhard Bonnke's evangelistic ministry in Africa, and examines to what extent his propagated "Evangelism by Fire" conforms with the New Testament ministry of evangelism. The results of an analysis of the New Testament ministry of evangelism, especially of the evangelistic ministry of Philip, provide the basis for a comparison with Bonnke's understanding and practice of the evangelistic ministry. A thorough analysis of Bonnke's publications, especially those referring to the theme of evangelism, allows a systematic insight into his understanding of the evangelistic ministry. In order to examine the conformity between Reinhard Bonnke's understanding and his practice of evangelism, expert interviews referring to his gospel crusade in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 2002 are analysed, and compared to his understanding of evangelism. Finally, the findings about Bonnke's understanding and practice of evangelism are related to the New Testament evangelistic ministry, and analysed synoptically. The research results of this study show that Bonnke's understanding of evangelism and his practice of evangelism, during the gospel crusade in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, conform with each other. Bonnke's propagated and applied "Evangelism by Fire" shows him to be an evangelist orientated to the New Testament. Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Dissertation setzt sich mit Reinhard Bonnkes evangelistischem Dienst in Afrika auseinander und überprüft, inwiefern die von ihm bekannt gemachte ,,Evangelism by Fire" mit dem neutestamentlichen evangelistischen Dienst übereinstimmt. Die Ergebnisse aus einer Untersuchung des evangelistischen Dienstes im Neuen Testament, insbesondere des evangelistischen Dienstes des Philippus, bieten die Grundlage für einen Vergleich mit dem Evangelisationsverständnis und der Evangelisationspraxis Bonnkes. Eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit Bonnkes Publikationen, insbesondere zum Thema Evangelisation, gibt einen systematischen Einblick in sein Verständnis des evangelistischen Dienstes. Um Reinhard Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis auf Übereinstimmung mit seiner Evangelisationspraxis zu überprüften, werden Experteninterviews zu seiner 2002 durchgeführten Großevangelisation in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, ausgewertet und mit seinem Evangelisationsverständnis verglichen. Schließlich werden die gewonnenen Forschungsergebnisse zu Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis und Evangelisationspraxis in Relation zum neutestamentlichen evangelistischen Dienst gesetzt und synoptisch ausgewertet. Die Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass Bonnkes Evangelisationsverständnis und seine Evangelisationspraxis während der Evangelisation in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, kongruieren. Die von Bonnke propagierte und praktizierte ,,Evangelism by Fire" offenbart ihn als Evangelisten mit neutestamentlicher Grundausrichtung. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / (D.Th.(Missiology))

Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

An evaluation of the spiritual experience of South African expatriates living in or migrating to other African countries, as a process of practical theology, established that expatriates do not isolate themselves from their churches in South Africa (SA). SA churches only make provision for traditional missionary outreaches and do not make provision for the SA expatriates, black or white, living in these African metropolitan areas. The subjects studied included SA expatriates, the relationships between SA churches, local African churches and expatriates, the act of migration, repatriation and its challenges together with the spiritual and social impact on individuals, marriages and families. A topical view implicates a direct relationship between fieldworkers, missionaries and chaplains deployment into African countries from SA. Furthermore, from research it is implied that the church in SA remains the spiritual home and resource centre of the migrant. The practical theological call for a realignment of mission praxis is vital and is linked to Christ’s parable of the ninety nine sheep, whilst one is lost (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7). This analogy produces the direct requirement of the Church to reconstruct missions to encompass combined support for their congregants in SA, the ninety nine, and those expatriates living in other African countries, the one. The missions to Africa should no longer be missions that only seek to convert African tribes to Christianity, but rather to serve Africans and others immigrating to countries on the continent. Church resources for SA expatriates would be made available when a visionary change occurs at the planning stages of strategies for African missions. Proposed mission strategies should include cell church, care group and discipleship models geared for missions and the African expatriate terrain. A realistic strategy that harmonises resources within the church to serve those abroad shall ensure positive impact on the spirituality, family and marriage of the expatriate. Finally two challenges are laid before the SA church, one, to continue with missions in Africa according to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:19-20, with the second, to combine the expatriate discipleship models into its mission strategies. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)