Thesis (DTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gangsterism, as described in this study, is a serious problem. It has deep historical roots in Cape town has developed into a kind of ‘resident evil’ that rears its ugly head time and again, despite several efforts by state organs to crush it. The study was not attempted as a thorough and in-depth research on gangs as such. The main research question was: How do faith communities, in particular Christian churches, respond to the challenges of gangsterism on the Cape Flats. The research gives an overview of gangsterism as a global phenomenon and how it specifically manifests and presents itself within the context of the Cape Flats of Cape Town. The discussion of gangsterism deliberately wanted to dispel the notion that there are quick-fix solutions to gangsterism. People of faith should guard against superficial analyses and over-simplification of social issues, including gangsterism, poverty and unemployment. With this in mind, the research has traced the historical origins of gangsterism in Cape Town, highlighting various socio-political, economic as well as cultural and personal factors that contributed to the formation and establishment of street gangs. It was also noted how some of these factors still exist in postapartheid South Africa and continue to provide fertile ground for gangsterism to continually raise its ugly head in communities on the Cape Flats. It was important to note that many gangs have evolved from ordinary street gangs to sophisticated, high-profile crime syndicates that have built strongholds in poor communities. This furthermore underlines the fact that there are not quick-fix solutions to gangsterism as if it is only a few youngsters causing trouble that should be sorted out [Chapter 2]. Faith communities on the Cape Flats have come a long way themselves. These communities have shown an incredible resilience in the face of many challenges as a result of socio-political factors. It is therefore important to discuss some of the elements that contributed to this resilience as the research explores the nature of the ecclesiology that has developed over a period of time. What transpired is that the ecclesiology under discussion is dynamic, not static in nature. The type of ecclesiology on the Cape Flats may be called a social-systemic ministry of inter-contextual presence. It is responsive to the social context, and is kept alive by the context with a huge emphasis on orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy. The situation on the Cape Flats requires a missional ecclesiology as faith communities are challenged to continuously involve themselves in the mission dei. While reaching out to the world, faith communities are also called iv upon to be open, practicing hospitality as they welcome gangsters and ex-gangsters into their spaces of worship [Chapter 3]. The next question to explore is: What kind of pastoral care is needed when faith communities on the Cape Flats have to deal with the challenge of gangsterism and other social phenomena like poverty, unemployment and substance-abuse? In order to answer this question, it was necessary to trace back the development of pastoral care and counseling over many centuries. Learning from these historical developments, a communal-contextual paradigm for pastoral care was chosen as a base theory. This choice indicates a move away from individual care with a focus on the human “self” to a hermeneutics of systemic, public care and compassionate presence. Some of the elements of this kind of care is discussed which include contextuality, as well as the eco-systemic, hermeneutical, anthropological, relational and public nature of pastoral care. It is also important that pastoral care operates and is practiced inter-disciplinary in order to provide the best possible help to care-seekers. The final question that is posed is: How different is the care that faith communities provide from the care of any other welfare agency or non-governmental organization (NGO)? In order to link an eco-systemic and social hermeneutic paradigm to the theology of presence of God within communal and contextual systems, a pneumatological approach to theory formation in pastoral care is proposed. Pastoral care has to offer more than behavioural and social sciences, because we believe that the salvation and grace it offers are good news to people. Pastoral care offers not only comfort and consolation, but also transformation (change and growth) and the fostering of a mature faith and spirituality by means of Scripture, prayer and the sacraments within the communion sanctorum, the familia dei. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gangsterisme, soos dit in hierdie studie beskryf word, is ‘n ernstige probleem. Dit het diep historiese wortels in Kaapstad, wat met die verloop van tyd ontwikkel het in ‘n tipe ‘plaaslike euwel’ wat gereeld kop uitsteek, ten spyte van talle pogings deur staatsorganisasies om dit uit te roei. Die studie is nie aangepak met die doel om ‘n deeglike en in diepte navorsing te wees op bendes as sodanig nie. Die hoof navorsingsvraag was: Hoe reageer geloofsgemeenskappe, meer spesifiek Christelike kerke, op die uitdagings van gangsterisme op die Kaapse Vlakte? ‘n Oorsig word gegee van gangsterisme as ‘n wêreldwye verskynsel en hoe dit spesifiek manifesteer en voorkom in die konteks van die Kaapse Vlakte van Kaapstad. Die bespreking van gangsterisme stel ten doel om die idee te verwerp dat eenvoudige oplossings te vinde is vir gangsterisme. Gelowige mense moet waak teen oppervlakkige ontledings en oorvereenvoudiging van sosiale aangeleenthede, insluitend gangsterisme, armoede en werkloosheid. Gedagtig hieraan, het die navorsing die historiese oorsprong van gangsterisme in Kaapstad nagetrek, met klem op die verskeie sosio-politiese, ekonomiese sowel as die kulturele en persoonlike faktore wat bygedra het tot die vorming en vestiging van straatbendes. Melding was ook gemaak van die feit dat sommige van hierdie faktore steeds bestaan in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika en voortgaan om ‘n geskikte milieu te skep vir gangsterisme om voortdurend kop uit te steek in gemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte. Dit was belangrik om te vermeld dat bendes ontwikkel het van gewone straatbendes na gesofistikeerde, hoë profiel misdaadsindikate wat hulle ingegrawe het in arm gemeenskappe. Dit bevestig verder dat daar geen eenvoudige oplossings is vir gangsterisme, asof dit slegs ‘n paar jongelinge is wat kwaad aanvang en uitgesorteer behoort te word. Geloofsgemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte het self ook ‘n lang pad gestap. Hierdie gemeenskappe het ‘n ongelooflike weerstand getoon in die aangesig van menigte uitdagings as gevolg van sosio-politiese faktore. Gevolglik is dit belangrik om sommige van die elemente te bespreek wat bygedra het tot hierdie weerstand in die lig van die bespreking van die aard van die ekklesiologie soos dit met die verloop van tyd ontwikkel het. Dit het geblyk dat die ekklesiologie onder bespreking dinamies en nie staties van aard is. Die ekklesiologie van die Kaapse Vlakte kan na verwys word as ‘n sosiaal-sistemiese bediening van inter-kontekstuele teenwoordigheid. Dit reageer op die sosiale konteks, en word aan die gang gehou deur die konteks, met meer klem op ortopraksie eerder as op ortodoksie. Die situasie op die Kaapse Vlakte vereis ‘n missionale ekklesiologie soos geloofsgemeenskappe voortdurend uitgedaag vi word om hulle te betrek in die mission dei. Wyl hulle uitreik na die wêreld, word geloofsgemeenskappe ook opgeroep om toeganklik en gasvry te wees teenoor bendelede en gewese bendelede deur hulle in hul midde in plekke van aanbidding te verwelkom. Die volgende vraag om te ondersoek is die vraag na die tipe pastorale sorg wat nodig is wanneer geloofsgemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte te doene het met die uitdagings van gangsterisme en ander sosiale verskynsels soos armoede, werkloosheid en dwelmmisbruik. Om hierdie vraag te kan beantwoord, was dit nodig om die ontwikkeling van pastorale sorg en berading oor die eeue na te speur. Gegrond op hierdie historiese ontwikkelinge, is besluit op ‘n gemeenskaplik-kontekstuele paradigma as basis teorie vir pastorale sorg. Hierdie keuse dui op ‘n wegbreek van individuele versorging met die fokus op die menslike ‘self’ na ‘n hermeneutiek van sistemiese, publieke sorg en medelye teenwoordigheid. Sommige van die elemente van hierdie tipe sorg word bespreek, wat kontekstualiteit insluit, sowel as die eko—sistemiese, hermeneutiese, antropologiese, relasionele en publieke aard van pastorale sorg. Dit is verder ook belangrik om kennis te neem dat pastorale sorg interdissiplinêr werksaam is en uitgevoer word om die bes moontlike sorg te bied aan diegene wat om sorg aanklop. Die laaste vraag wat gestel word: Hoe verskil die sorg wat deur geloofsgemeenskappe voorsien word van die sorg van enige ander welsynsorganisasie of nie-regeringsorganisasie (NRO)? Om ‘n eko-sistemiese en sosiaal hermeneutiese paradigma te verbind met die teologie van teenwoordigheid van God binne gemeenskaplike en kontekstuele sisteme word ‘n pneumatologiese benadering tot teorie vorming in pastorale sorg voorgestel. Pastorale sorg het meer om te bied as die gedrags- en sosiale wetenskappe, want ons glo dat die verlossing en genade wat dit bied goeie nuus is vir mense. Pastorale sorg bied nie net bemoediging en vertroosting nie, maar ook transformasie (verandering en groei) en die kweking van ‘n volwasse geloof en spiritualiteit deur middel van Skrif, gebed en die sakramente binne die communion sanctorum, die familia dei.

This thesis uses a practical theological approach to explore concerns regarding black young men (BYM) labelled ‘problematic’, involved in crime and gang-associated activities. Their over-representation in the criminal justice system, also their deaths at each other’s hands, has been the subject of studies and debates in the USA and the UK. Responses and interventions to these concerns have been numerous and varied. This work is rooted in the author’s role as a black Pentecostal pastor in Birmingham and offers a framework from which Black Majority Churches (BMCs) might be able to develop more effective responses to these concerns also exploring the interests and needs of BYM. It addresses the key question: how might the narratives of BYM influence BMCs in shaping more effective theological and pastoral responses to the situation of these men? The research question is explored using a version of the Pastoral Cycle (PC), allowing for the use of interdisciplinary approaches to understand the situation of BYM in Birmingham. Through literature review and empirical investigation of fourteen BYM regarding how they understand their situation and what would help them, conclusions were drawn. The study then explores possible responses of BMCs, using New Testament Church of God (NTCG) as a case study for discussion. It is from these sources that some theoretical, theological and practical prescriptions and conclusions emerge, suggesting that BYM and BMC leaders are prepared to engage in some initial dialogue about the situations facing BYM in Birmingham. This thesis provides new empirically based knowledge about BYM’s perceptions about themselves and their involvement in criminality, and also BMC’s response to their situation. It offers insights into practical theology, sociology and criminology regarding BYM within an urban context.

This thesis describes the theology and praxis of philosopher/theologian Dr. Dallas Willard and its effect on contemporary forms of evangelicalism in America. Willard’s works have become increasingly attractive to emerging generations of Christians protesting the perceived excesses and hegemony of mainstream evangelical culture. Willard presents a positive alternative to contemporary versions of evangelicalism seen by many as increasingly devoted to soteriological escapism, modern consumerism, individualism and sectarianism. Alternatively, Willard proposes a return to the original (proto) message of good news (evangel) articulated by Jesus in the New Testament. For increasing numbers of disaffected evangelicals with postmodern sensibilities, this protoevangelical vision offers a more robust doctrine of God, a return to the primacy of discipleship to Christ, and the experience of a holistic and integrated life in the Kingdom of God. Ethnographies of four evangelical organizations applying Willardian theology provide insight into the current evolution within American evangelical theology and praxis.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Diante do desafio de nosso tempo em relação a problemática do abuso no uso das drogas cresceu a oferta de atendimentos e internações em comunidades terapêuticas para a reabilitação das pessoas atingidas por esse mal. Conforme a legislação vigente sobre a saúde mental, esse espaços terapêuticos devem proporcionar um momento de Espiritualidade em seus programas de atendimento. A Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana dispõe da Pastoral da Sobriedade, um departamento que destina-se a cuidar do assunto de apoio a reabilitação de adictos. Muitos agentes de pastoral se dedicam a tarefa de fazer o acompanhamento junto a essas comunidades terapêuticas. Contudo, nem todos possuem indicações claras de como devem agir em suas atividades direcionadas à reabilitação. Nossa tese visa responder a questão: como proporcionar um momento de Espiritualidade a partir da Lectio Divina respeitando critérios terapêuticos que articulem o momento de Espiritualidade como um momento terapêutico? Diante dessa dúvida buscamos investigar a Logoterapia como uma abordagem Psicoterapêutica que respeita a esfera noológica da pessoa, e em especial, buscar elementos da Biblioterapia, uma das técnicas da Logoterapia que possui características semelhante a Lectio Divina em sua operacionalização. / The challenge of our time we have faced about drug abuse increases the supply of care and admissions in therapeutic communities for the rehabilitation of people affected by this disease. According to current Brazilian legislation on mental health, therapeutic settings should provide a spiritual moment in their care programs. The Roman Catholic Church has the Pastoral da Sobriedade, a department that deals with the issue of supporting the rehabilitation of addicts. Most of pastoral agents are dedicated to the task of support these therapeutic communities. However, not all of pastoral agents have clear indications of how they should work to get success at rehabilitation. Our thesis aims to answer the question: how is possible to provide a spiritual moment according to the Lectio Divina in compliance to therapeutic criteria that causes the spiritual moment as a therapeutic moment at same time? In view of this question we investigate the Logotherapy as a psychotherapeutic approach that respects the person noological sphere. In particular way, we find elements of Bibliotherapy that is one of the Logotherapy techniques has similarities Lectio Divina in its implementation as groundwork to therapeutic criteria.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:19:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pastores Novos em Igreja Antiga final.pdf: 1884742 bytes, checksum: fbe24510b80a0647c8708ecc2afc706c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This is a research that aims to identify and analyze within the universe of Brazilian Baptists religious group established in Brazil for more than one hundred and forty years the relationship between paradigms and archetypes that guided the action of pastors as subjects and main developers pastoral methods that church that within the mission of Protestantism, continues to show growth in the religious landscape since its implementation in land brasilis. Establish the historical trajectory of this group, identifying its beginnings amid Separatism English seventeenth century - the old church - and the paradigms that embraced and followed since then as a hard core in terms of belief and practice, all of which can also be identified in the Brazilian Baptist church and the archetypes developed the Brazilian Baptist pastor. Identify and analyze, from the perspective of the pastor, what were your theoretical and practical assumptions, that is, its practical theology and its pastoral theology through a historical review of professional practice, divided into three historical periods fifty years, identified in generations pastors, through a literature search in texts of missionaries, pastors and American theologians - the pioneers - and pastors and theologians Brazilian Baptists or not, thats your place hermeneutic and somehow dealt with the pastoral ministry Baptist, from the its beginnings to the contemporary, and could provide information enabling typify the Brazilian Baptist minister who therefore is above its historical context. Observe nowadays if these paradigms and archetypes are kept, reaffirmed, transformed and reinterpreted or in praxis of pastors and their churches - the new pastor. Also watch from the defined option, what are the possible impacts on their action nowadays. Through this research, identify the existence of transformation of the relationship between paradigms and archetypes and this transformation manifests as revolutions or disruptions. / Esta é uma pesquisa que tem por objetivo identificar e analisar dentro do universo dos batistas brasileiros - grupo religioso estabelecido no Brasil há mais de cento e quarenta anos a relação entre os paradigmas e os arquétipos que nortearam a ação dos pastores enquanto sujeitos e principais fomentadores da práxis pastoral dessa igreja que, dentro do protestantismo de missão, continua apresentando crescimento no cenário religioso desde sua implantação em terra brasilis . Estabelecer a trajetória histórica deste grupo, identificando os seus primórdios em meio ao Separatismo inglês do século XVII a igreja antiga - e os paradigmas que abraçaram e que os acompanharam desde então como um núcleo duro em termos de crença e práxis, aspectos que também podem ser identificados na igreja batista brasileira e nos os arquétipos desenvolvidos de pastor batista brasileiro. Identificar e analisar, a partir da perspectiva do pastor, quais foram seus pressupostos teóricos e práticos, ou seja, sua Teologia Prática e sua Teologia Pastoral através de um resgate histórico de sua práxis, dividida em três períodos históricos de cinquenta anos, identificados em gerações de pastores, através de uma pesquisa bibliográfica em textos de missionários, pastores e teólogos norte-americanos - os pioneiros - e pastores e teólogos brasileiros, batistas ou não, que de seu lugar hermenêutico e de alguma forma trataram do ministério pastoral batista, desde os seus primórdios até a contemporaneidade, e pudessem fornecer informações que permitissem tipificar o pastor batista brasileiro que, portanto, esteja acima do seu contexto histórico. Observar na contemporaneidade se estes paradigmas e arquétipos são mantidos, reafirmados, transformados e ou ressignificados na práxis dos pastores e suas igrejas o pastor novo. Também observar, a partir da opção definida, quais são os impactos possíveis sobre sua ação na contemporaneidade. Através desta pesquisa, identificar a existência de transformação da relação entre paradigmas e arquétipos e se essa transformação se manifesta como revoluções ou disrupturas

O tema autoajuda tem invadido sem reservas a vida das pessoas no mundo atual. Esse tema, como um desdobramento cultural da modernidade tardia, está presente na literatura, na arte, na filosofia, nas discussões políticas e na administração de empresas. Está presente na pluralidade religiosa, na teologia cristã e nos consultórios de psicólogos e na psicanálise. O fenômeno cultural gigantesco não se limita a um segmento, mas, como iremos notar, faz-se presente em várias camadas sociais, desde as mais simples nas periferias das grandes cidades, até os moradores da zona rural nos rincões do mundo, alcançando a classe média e, aparentemente, fazendo dela sua promotora, interlocutora e reveladora. Uma vez que a cultura de autoajuda transita no mundo das crenças, é plausível admitir que se trate de um fenômeno não somente de natureza psico-física, ambiental ou de desenvolvimento, mas também de um fenômeno metafísico. Autoajuda como cultura recebe e empresta influências no campo religioso. Autoajuda serve a propósitos de filosofias que agrupam o conhecimento técnico em algumas áreas, tais como a psicologia, a administração e a medicina, dentre outras com as experiências transcendentais advindas das mais distintas religiões e crenças. Existe uma inquietação no sentido de que essa cultura de autoajuda já faz parte da vida das pessoas de comunidades cristãs que estão trocando o aconselhamento pastoral e a poimênica por essas leituras. O resultado de tais leituras é um movimento em direção ao individualismo, ao secularismo e pluralização que são desdobramentos dessa época em que vivemos. Nessa pesquisa, vamos trabalhar com a hipótese que o aconselhamento cristão é uma melhor resposta aos anseios das pessoas do que a cultura de autoajuda. O tema do aconselhamento pastoral será pontuado a partir da obra de Howard Clinebell, Aconselhamento pastoral: modelo centrado em libertação e crescimento. No primeiro capítulo, vamos trazer algumas definições de autoajuda. A partir dessas definições, vamos tentar nos aproximar de uma definição que traga os aportes que cumpram o papel de delimitar uma compreensão de autoajuda. A fim de sustentar a compreensão de autoajuda, trataremos, ainda nesse capítulo, da origem da literatura de autoajuda, tanto de um ponto de vista histórico antigo e filosófico quanto de uma posição sobre sua ascensão na cultura moderna. Esse capítulo vai tratar ainda da literatura de autoajuda e sua relação com a autonomia do indivíduo. Para tanto, vamos utilizar os textos de Francisco Ricardo Rüdiger, Auto-ajuda e individualismo. O capítulo dois trará uma introdução a Howard Clinebell, sua metodologia, seus propósitos ao escrever Aconselhamento pastoral: modelo centrado em libertação e crescimento. Apresentaremos o atual desafio da poimênica e do aconselhamento pastoral; e um modelo holístico centrado em cura e crescimento, bem como uma definição do trabalho do conselheiro cristão. Também serão abordadas nesse capítulo as técnicas mais usadas no aconselhamento pastoral. O ambiente do trabalho pastoral também será apontado nesse capítulo. E, finalmente, apresentamos nesse capítulo os cuidados do trabalho do conselheiro cristão. No capítulo três, faremos uma comparação entre o aconselhamento pastoral segundo Clinebell e as propostas da cultura de autoajuda com o conceito de vida plena e as seis dimensões da integralidade. Na conclusão do trabalho, pretendemos responder a nossa inquietação sobre a utilização por membros da comunidade cristã de literatura de autoajuda e responder a hipótese que o aconselhamento cristão é uma melhor resposta aos anseios das pessoas do que a cultura/literatura de autoajuda. / The theme of self-help has invaded without reservation the lives of people in the actual world. This topic as a cultural offshoot of late modernity is present in literature, art, philosophy, political discussions and in business administration. It is present in the plurality of religion, in Christian theology, and the offices of psychologists and psychoanalysis. The huge cultural phenomenon does not limits itself to one segment, but according to our research, we will notice it is presence in various strata of society from the simplest on the outskirts of large cities to the rural residents in the corners of the world, reaching the middle class and apparently making the latter its promoter, partner and developer. Since the culture of self-help transits in the world of beliefs it is reasonable to assume that it is a phenomenon not only of psyco-physical nature, environmental or development and industrial production and technology, but also a metaphysical phenomenon. Self-help culture receives and borrows influences in the religious field. Self-help serves the purposes of philosophies that combine the expertise in some areas of psychophysical nature, management, medicine, and others with the transcendent experience coming from the most diverse religions and beliefs. There is a concern in the sense that this culture of self-help plays great role in the lives of the Christian communities that are replacing the pastoral counseling and pastoral care to these readings. The result of such readings is a movement towards individualism, secularism and plurality that are developed in the present age. This research will work with the hypothesis that Christian counseling is a better response to the expectation of the people of that culture of self-help. The theme of pastoral counseling will be approached based on the work of Howard Clinebell: Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth. The first chapter will bring some definitions of self-help. It is expected that these definitions will bring the inputs to delineate an understanding of self-help. In order to support the understanding of self-help the chapter will point out also the origin of self-help literature, both from a historical point of view and ancient philosophical as well as its position in the rise in modern culture. This chapter will also address the self-help literature and its relation to individual autonomy. For this the texts of Francisco Ricardo Rüdiger: Self-Help and Individualism will be used. Chapter two will bring an introduction to Howard Clinebell, its methodology, its purpose in writing Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth. We will present the actual challenge of pastoral care and pastoral counseling, and a holistic model focusing on healing and growth, as well as defining the work of the Christian counselor. We will also discuss the techniques used in pastoral counseling. The work environment of this ministry will also be identified. And finally this chapter will point out the care of the work of Christian counselor. In chapter three we will do a comparison of pastoral counseling according to Clinebell and the proposals of the culture of self-help within the concept of full life and the six dimensions of human completeness. At the conclusion, we plan to respond to our concern about the members of the Christian community and their use of self-help literature. We will also answer hypothesis that "the Christian counseling is a better response to the expectation of the people than that self-help culture / literature.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed in 2015 by President Obama and began a political and religious battle that ensued for months in the United States Congress. Two of the main actors in the fight against JCPOA were Christians United for Israel (CUFI), a Christian-Zionist lobby[1], and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the most prominent pro-Israel lobbies founded and largely supported by Zionist-Jewish Americans[2]. Both organizations deployed tactics of religious and apocalyptic-religious rhetoric to encourage their large and influential constituencies to join them in the fight against the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, motivating U.S. citizens otherwise unaware and uninvolved of nuclear proliferation policy to become heavily involved in the process of the political debates surrounding the deal. This paper will seek to answer the questions: How is apocalyptic rhetoric typically conveyed through religious outlets? What then, does the deployment of this tactic say about religion in America in the public sphere? [1] Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. The Politics of the Apocalypse. Oneworld Publications Ltd., Oxford. 2006, pp. 165-166. [2] Waxman, Dov. Trouble in the Tribe. Princeton University Press. Princeton. 2016, pp.4.

Very little is known in the UK about how parental church-based ministry impacts the lives of their children. Clergy children themselves have rarely, if ever, been afforded the opportunity to formally express their views and opinions on this crucial aspect of their lives, to the extent that they have been described as a ‘lost voice’ in the Church. This thesis seeks to fill this gap in our knowledge with a combination of extensive literature reviews, data obtained from a Pilot Study using the social network system Facebook, and semi-structured interviews with six adult clergy children from different denominational backgrounds who are now ministers in their own right, and by so doing help raise their profile in the Christian community. Taken together, the data confirms that the church-based ministry of clergy parents does impact their children’s lives and that if responses are any indication, other clergy children too, are able to make their views and insights known if asked. In other words, their voices need no longer be “lost,” but can be heard. In so doing they offer a fresh perspective on the practice of church-based ministry. Based on these findings the thesis proceeds to outline the theological and practical implications for the practice of ministry with a call to affirm the importance of a person’s story in the task of theological reflection; to recognise the contribution of children’s insights to faith and practice, and the values on which pastoral care should be based as outlined by the participants themselves. It concludes by proposing that further research is required in order to ascertain the full extent on how church-based ministry impacts the lives of clergy children, a topic which in the UK still remains a largely unexplored aspect of Church life and practice.

Magister Artium - MA / As a minister who is deeply involved in Christian counselling I am constantly reminded just how many problems marriages are facing today. There is no question that the failure of this fundamental relationship has unquantifiable devastating results in the lives of couples, their children, and society as a whole. The more one works with people one realises that many couples in relationships are just hurting individuals in search of happiness and wholeness. Marriage provides the perfect relationship with elaborate promises and expectations of love and warmth, where all needs and dreams are to be met by the husband or wife. Sadly, however, as substantiated by divorce statistics, too many couples find this sacred space intended for love and fulfilment become the most vulnerable, unsafe space. As a minister searching for a systematic process to unravel this mystery of failed or failing marriages, I discovered a psycho-social model for therapy, called Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), which not only produced excellent counselling results, but also seemed compatible with more theological approaches to couples therapy. IRT unravels for me the “why” and gives me a quantifiable aspect to my work which helps me grasp conceptually that which I instinctively have discovered and known theologically. I have embarked on this research, firstly, to understand the problem and the extent thereof facing our society; secondly to identify the strengths and shortcomings in Pastoral Care theory and praxis (such as the recurring problem of a realistic and workable Biblical counselling model for pastors), and thirdly to investigate the feasibility whether and how the Imago Relationship Theory could be integrated in Pastoral Care praxis. The intention was, and remains, that after I have done this research to make it available, in appropriate format, to help pastors in assisting couples to avoid pitfalls in their marriages. In turn, it is hoped that this new found perspective would also benefit the pastor and his wife, since many pastors find their marriages also under strain. Every pastor who works with the lives of congregants understands the volatility of relationships. This understanding has been built over long periods of time with them and he has witnessed how their lives have morphed under pressure due to problems that at times have been overwhelming. Sadly some of the pain is self-inflicted or has been inflicted upon them. As one delves into this subject matter one becomes aware of just how inadequately equipped some pastors really are and how important it is to equip them to effectively help others. I chose to examine Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), knowing its efficacy, and wondered how this would fit into a Pneumatological counselling model. Various practical theologians (such as DJ Louw and JJ Rebel) have recently been discovering Pneumatology – the reflection on the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom the work of God the Father and God the Son is being applied and appropriated in the person, in the congregation, and in the fullness of life in the world – as the framework for practical theology, especially Pastoral Care. I thus deliberately explored Pneumatology as such a theological Sitz im Leben for reflecting on IRT integrated into a Biblical model for counselling. I needed an affective therapeutic model which would could be integrated, and enhance the biblical framework in counselling. Furthermore this therapeutic mechanism needed to be subservient to attain the greatest goal of God and that is to serve and help transform humankind created in His Image. I conducted a systematic literature review of IRT and relevant theological insights from Pastoral Care theory. This investigation is to establish the viability of an integration of IRT into a Pneumatological Pastoral Care theory and praxis to be used as a Pastoral Tool for ministers dealing with the crisis of broken marriages. It was surprising to see how well IRT fits into the theological framework and can enhance an already effective psychological therapy process.

This present thesis has been prudently undertaken how to approach practically and theologically the ethical issues for the effective preaching with Confucian filial piety which has challenged Korean churches. Serious conflicts are arising among Korean families because of Confucianism teachings that filial piety is the highest virtue of all ethical teachings and that ancestor worship is the continuation of filial piety to the dead parents. This issue creates a rigorous religious controversy for Korean Christians and places obstacles in the path of evangelism in Korean society. Chapter one reveals the research orientation which gives general information on how to approach and develop this issue. I approach this issue historically, theologically, practically, and/or biblically. I adopt fundamental practical theology as the main research positioning, which was suggested by Don Browning. I also make use of seven movements proposed by J C Müller in order to present the literary research and six fundamental steps proposed by Lewis and Demarest only for the theological foundation in chapter three. Chapter two reveals the effect of Confucian ancestor worship has on Asian countries and Christians, specifically in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, which are under the influence of Confucianism, and how Confucian ancestor worship hinders people from receiving and following Jesus Christ and a common barrier to evangelism in these Eastern Asian countries. Chapter three reveals the theological foundations of Confucianism and Christianity. Confucianism has its own specific theologies of worship form, temple, canon, afterlife, and gods like those of Christianity. A comparison with the theological foundations of Confucianism and Christianity is made for a better understanding of Confucian ancestor worship and filial piety. Chapter four reveals the differences between Confucian and biblical teachings on filial piety. Confucian filial piety was taught by Confucius who is a founder of Confucianism, while the origins of biblical filial piety are rooted in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible teaches that filial piety is directed toward living parents, but Confucianism teaches that filial piety is to both living and dead parents; filial piety to the dead parents is ancestor worship. Chapter five reveals the distinctions between Confucian and biblical teachings on ancestor worship. Confucians believe that dead ancestors are able to protect their own families, bring fortunes to their descendants, watch over their own families, and to reward the right and punish the wrong, but the Bible ascribes to ancestor worship as idolatry as taught in the second commandment. Chapter six reveals the ways of practical theological applications of filial piety and ancestor worship. I propose the ways of practical theological applications without compromise in the circumstance of the acceptance of ancestor worship as a custom. Further, I challenge preachers as central to reconciliation how to make an effort to aid the rooting of biblical filial piety into Korean society as a traditional Korean heritage. I hope that this thesis will help non-Christians to understand the Christian perspective of filial piety and ancestor worship and why Christians reject Confucian ancestor worship, and how Christianity emphasizes filial piety. Further, my intent is to help Christians confirm their beliefs, challenge non- Christians by showing what Christians believe, and give wisdom on how to create harmony with non-Christian family members. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Practical Theology / unrestricted