D.Litt. et Phil. / Pentecostals tend to have a negative view of the Old Testament. Although no official distinction between the Old - and New Testament exists, in practice the Old Testament is regarded as less authoritative than the New Testament. This influences the way worship in the Old Testament is regarded. Pentecostals generally view the New Testament as prescriptive for the worship experience of the Church. This study wants to show that the Old - and New Testament are on equal footing regarding it's authority as the inspired Word of God, also concerning it's teaching on worship. A second problem addressed, is the place of the lament in worship. Pentecostals tend to think that Christians should always be positive and that God should be praised, regardless of the situation. This leads to a denial of the fact that Pentecostals experience pain and negativity and feelings of rage and anger in their lives. They try to hide those feelings from God, which leads to dishonesty in their relationship with Him. Lamenting is regarded as an act of un-faith. On the contrary, this study wants to show that lamenting is an act of bold faith. The psalms teach that we should be completely honest in our relationship with God. We may express all our feelings of negativity and pain and anger and fear and vengeance to God. By doing this, we place it in the hand of a God who cares and understands, a God who transforms us and our situations by the power of his love and grace. Different situations in life call for different types of psalms to be used in worship. Depending on our experience, we can praise or lament or use any of the other types of psalms we find in the book of Psalms. This study focuses on a selection of different types of psalms to ascertain how they can be used in the Pentecostal tradition. The following Gattungen are • discussed: Wisdom psalms, royal psalms, liturgical psalms, psalms of trust, psalms of lament and psalms of praise. The results of the study have shown that the use of the psalms in Pentecostal worship falls within the parameters of the characteristics of Pentecostal hermeneutics. The fact that they are not being used, is contrary to Pentecostal hermeneutics. They can be used in different ways, e.g: in the liturgy of the Church, in the prayer-life of the believer, during pastoral counselling, prophetically and homiletically.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis examines the role played by Pentecostalism in the lives of people, particularly by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Thohoyandou. The importance of this study lies in its demonstration of how Pentecostalism seems to solve some of the pertinent problems that prevail in society. The change of government in South Africa in 1994 had far reaching implications in the arena of political decisions which also affected the socio-economic aspect of the population. By covering the historical development of Venda and also showing how the democratic government changed the whole set up the study represents how religion, particularly prosperity Pentecostalism, may be used as a weapon to fight against socio-economic uncertainties where youth are the hardest hit. The study is premised on the assumption that the end of youth transition is not simply adulthood but also being part of the global economy. This to most youth, seems to be delayed and this leads young people being delayed to reach full adulthood. Against this background young people today have begun to redefine their identities in relation to the government and thus questioning meanings of success. Besides youth the elderly people who for some reasons feel deprived of their prosperity are trying to seek refuge in Pentecostalism. Some feel they have been robbed of their wealth and, therefore the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God as a coping strategy and a means to recoup what they had in the past. While some view the church in a positive light there are those who see it as encumbered by ill-practices. The thesis examines the above, through chapters entitled: history and functioning of the Universal Church, Youth and the Universal Church, other members of the church as well as the views of non-members of the church. It further opens up space for further research into the whole phenomenon of Pentecostalism as a coping mechanism during time of change. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die rol wat Pentekostalisme speel in die lewens van mense, met besondere verwysing na die Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Thohoyandou. Die belang van die studie lê daarin dat dit aantoon hoe Pentekostalisme blykbaar daarin slaag om ernstige sosiale probleme suksesvol aan te spreek. Die verandering van regering in Suid-Afrika in 1994 het verrykende implikasies gehad in die arena van politieke besluitneming wat die sosio-ekonomiese aspek van die bevolking geraak het. Die studie dek die historiese ontwikkeling van Venda en wys hoe die demokratiese regering die hele sisteem verander het. Dit toon aan hoe religie, en met name voorspoed- Pentekostalisme, gebruik kan word as 'n wapen in die stryd teen sosioekonomiese onsekerheid wat die jeug die swaartse tref. Die studie gaan van die veronderstelling uit dat die einde van jeug nie bloot oorgang tot volwassenheid is nie, maar dat dit deelname aan die globale ekonomie insluit. Die meerderheid jeugdiges ervaar 'n oponthoud ten opsigte hiervan en dit lei tot 'n vertraging in die bereiking van volwassenheid. Teen hierdie agtergrond het jongmense begin om hulle identiteit ten opsigte van die regering te herdifinieer, en sodoende om die betekenis van sukses te bevraagteken. Ouer mense wat vir 'n verskeidenheid van redes voel dat hulle van hulle welvaart ontneem is, probeer ook om 'n veilige hawe te vind in Pentekostalisme. Party van hulle voel dat hulle beroof is van hulle rykdom en daarom verteenwoordig die Universal Church of the Kingdom of God vir hulle 'n strategie om die mas op te kom en 'n middelom terug te kry wat hulle in die verlede gehad het. Die kerk word deur sommige mense in 'n positiewe lig gesien, maar daar is ook diegene wat dink dat dit gebuk gaan onder problematiese praktyke. Die verhandeling ondersoek die bogenoemde temas in hoofstukke getiteld: die geskiedenis en werkswyse van die Universal Church; die jeug en die Universal Church; ander lede van die kerk; sowel as die beoordeling van die kerk deur nie-lede. Die weg word geopen vir verdere navorsmg oor die fenomeen van Pentekostalisme as 'n oorlewingstrategie in tye van verandering.

In the first part of this dissertation I investigate whether the Pentecostal Churches in South Africa has a reductionist understanding of crucial missiological issues. Issues such as the definition of mission, motivation for missions, the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, mission as a quest for social justice, mission as anti-racism, mission as a quest for gender equality and mission as inter-religious encounter. In the second part of the dissertation I present a more contextual approach to these missiological issues, challenging the Pentecostal churches to move: towards the formation of a more relevant missiology. l finally present the 'cycle of missionary praxis' or 'the Pastoral cycle' as a tool that can be used to formulate a contextual missiology / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

no abstract available / Practical Theology / M.Th.(Systematic Theology)

Pentecostal churches are growing significantly across the world, but occasionally theological tensions arise within Pentecostal churches, sometimes related to intergenerational differences, which hinder both quantitative and qualitative growth. This study analyses the dynamics of a particular generation gap in one South African Pentecostal congregation. It explores the initiatives of a cell group from the younger generation, aimed at enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of the congregation's witness. The cell group initiatives highlighted issues of leadership, biblical hermeneutics, and the need for a theological re-assessment of local traditions that had always acted as identity markers for the older generation. This study contends that the conflict between a more collectivist older generation and a more individualist younger generation can be bridged through well prepared conflict resolution processes led by credible intervention teams and through some form of accommodation of the views and desires of both generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die Pinkster Protestante Kerk (PPK) is deel van die wereldwye Pinksterbeweging en het op I 0 Oktober 1958 ontstaan uit die Apostoliese Geloofsending (AGS), die grootste Pinksterkerk in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie redes kan toegedig word vir die ontstaan. Eerstens was daar die doelbewuste poging van die AGS om die struikelblokke uit die weg te ruim ten einde as kerk deur die Nederduitse Gereformeerde kerk erken te word. 'n Tweede hoofrede was die party-politieke bedrywighede van pastoor Gerrie Wessels, 'n lid van die Uitvoerende Raad van die AGS. Die skrywer toon aan hoedat rassisme en Apartheid beslag gekry het in die ekklesiologie en missiologie van die PPK. Daar is tans vier aparte outonome rassekerke. Rassisme is die hoof oorsaak vir 'n onverenigde kerk. Deur die loop van die kerk se geskiedenis was daar vyf konstitusionele opsette ten einde eenheid te laat realiseer, maar sender veel sukses. 'n Sesde konstitusionele opset, een PPK, word tans beding. / The Pentecostal Protestant Church (PPC) is part of the worldwide Pentecostal Movement and originated from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), the largest Pentecostal Church in South Afiica, on October 10, 1958. There are various reasons that contributed to the birth of the church. Firstly, the AFM removed on purpose the obstacles that stood in the way in order to be acknowledge as a church by the Dutch Reformed Church. The party-political involvement of pastor Gerrie Wessels, an Executive Council member of the AFM, was the second main reason. The writer indicates how racism and Apartheid took root in the ecclesiology and missiology of the PPC. At the moment there are four separate outonomous race churches. The main reason for a not united church is racism. The church had five different constitutions in the course of her history in an attempt to bring forth unity, but without success. A six constitutional design for one PPC is currently being negotiated. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Sendingwetenskap)

no abstract available / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th.(Systematic Theology)

In the first part of this dissertation I investigate whether the Pentecostal Churches in South Africa has a reductionist understanding of crucial missiological issues. Issues such as the definition of mission, motivation for missions, the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, mission as a quest for social justice, mission as anti-racism, mission as a quest for gender equality and mission as inter-religious encounter. In the second part of the dissertation I present a more contextual approach to these missiological issues, challenging the Pentecostal churches to move: towards the formation of a more relevant missiology. l finally present the 'cycle of missionary praxis' or 'the Pastoral cycle' as a tool that can be used to formulate a contextual missiology / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

Pentecostal churches are growing significantly across the world, but occasionally theological tensions arise within Pentecostal churches, sometimes related to intergenerational differences, which hinder both quantitative and qualitative growth. This study analyses the dynamics of a particular generation gap in one South African Pentecostal congregation. It explores the initiatives of a cell group from the younger generation, aimed at enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of the congregation's witness. The cell group initiatives highlighted issues of leadership, biblical hermeneutics, and the need for a theological re-assessment of local traditions that had always acted as identity markers for the older generation. This study contends that the conflict between a more collectivist older generation and a more individualist younger generation can be bridged through well prepared conflict resolution processes led by credible intervention teams and through some form of accommodation of the views and desires of both generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die Pinkster Protestante Kerk (PPK) is deel van die wereldwye Pinksterbeweging en het op I 0 Oktober 1958 ontstaan uit die Apostoliese Geloofsending (AGS), die grootste Pinksterkerk in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie redes kan toegedig word vir die ontstaan. Eerstens was daar die doelbewuste poging van die AGS om die struikelblokke uit die weg te ruim ten einde as kerk deur die Nederduitse Gereformeerde kerk erken te word. 'n Tweede hoofrede was die party-politieke bedrywighede van pastoor Gerrie Wessels, 'n lid van die Uitvoerende Raad van die AGS. Die skrywer toon aan hoedat rassisme en Apartheid beslag gekry het in die ekklesiologie en missiologie van die PPK. Daar is tans vier aparte outonome rassekerke. Rassisme is die hoof oorsaak vir 'n onverenigde kerk. Deur die loop van die kerk se geskiedenis was daar vyf konstitusionele opsette ten einde eenheid te laat realiseer, maar sender veel sukses. 'n Sesde konstitusionele opset, een PPK, word tans beding. / The Pentecostal Protestant Church (PPC) is part of the worldwide Pentecostal Movement and originated from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), the largest Pentecostal Church in South Afiica, on October 10, 1958. There are various reasons that contributed to the birth of the church. Firstly, the AFM removed on purpose the obstacles that stood in the way in order to be acknowledge as a church by the Dutch Reformed Church. The party-political involvement of pastor Gerrie Wessels, an Executive Council member of the AFM, was the second main reason. The writer indicates how racism and Apartheid took root in the ecclesiology and missiology of the PPC. At the moment there are four separate outonomous race churches. The main reason for a not united church is racism. The church had five different constitutions in the course of her history in an attempt to bring forth unity, but without success. A six constitutional design for one PPC is currently being negotiated. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Sendingwetenskap)