The purpose of the study is to show the presence of Christ in Fanteland by treating five Fante ancestral and current narratives as analogues of Genesis XIV and interpreting the resulting interpenetrating Scripture and Fante narratives sensus plenior in the manner of Hebrews VII for Fante Christians, revealing the hidden presence of Christ in them. This is made possible by a postulate of an affinity between the Hebrew world view and that of the Fante. What is considered right behaviour in Fanteland is also resonant with the ethics in Hebrews. A section on ethics arising out of the presence of Christ in the narrative follows in each case. The first chapter is introductory giving the aim and objectives of the study the justification, scope and limitations. This is followed by the intellectual framework from secondary sources and the methodology used. In Chapter II there is a comparison of the world view of Hebrews and of Fanteland with a view to seeing their affinity. Chapters III -V give the literary and historical background to each narrative, the narratives themselves and a theological and ethical meditation. In conclusion the fruit of these meditations is summarized and an evaluation is made. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This thesis falls under Missiology. Its main objective is to investigate the challenges of evangelizing the African Christian Family in the light of'Familiaris Consortio. J The thesis is unique by virtue of its contextualization. It targets the people who occupy Gokwe diocese, one ofthe eight dioceses in Zimbabwe. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The First Chapter looks at the location and family life in Gokwe diocese. In this chapter, special attention is given to the inhabitants of Gokwe diocese themselves, their social life, marriage, the influence of modernity on marriage and family life, the economic life of the people, their political life and some rituals which include belief in the veneration ofancestors and the kurova guva (bringing home) ceremony. It is in this same chapter that most of the challenges to evangelizing the African (Shona) Christian family in Gokwe diocese come out. Some of these include: polygamy, divorce, bridewealth, poverty, belief in ancestors and the kurova guva ceremony. The Second Chapter gives what the Church teaches on the theology of marriage and family life. It is in two main sections. The first section highlights some important points on God's plan for marriage and family life. The second and largest section emphasizes the role of the Christian family which is realized by fulfilling four main tasks, namely: forming a community of persons, serving life, participating in the development of society and sharing in the life and mission ofthe Church. The Third Chapter is an evaluation of the similarities and disparities between the theological! ecclesiological stance and the real family situation in Gokwe diocese. In a nutshell, it compares and contrasts the first and second chapters, bringing out the similarities and differences existing between the two. Community spirit, value of life, communion between the living and the dead, ethics and morality are among some notable similarities, whilst polygamy, divorce, position of women and attitude towards health and sickness are among the major disparities. The Fourth Chapter is practical in the sense that it seeks to offer some envisaged pastoral solutions and proposals to the already highlighted challenges and problems. Closest attention to the solutions is given to the available resources in the diocese of Gokw.e especially in the areas ofstages, structures and agents ofpastoral care for the family. The Fifth Chapter is a conclusion of the whole thesis. Basically it looks at what I have discovered throughout the whole thesis and offers some general conclusions according to 'Familiaris Consortio. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Spiritual leadership for the church in Africa is facing a crisis. While much of traditional African leadership shares the same basic values found in the Scriptures; modern manifestations of African leadership have been corrupted by various influences. This has resulted in traditional African leadership being grossly misunderstood and culturally unappreciated. Through the use of dialogue between cultures and theologies, and utilizing leadership theory as analytical tools and a frame of reference, this study looks at biblical leadership models, and aims toward a rediscovery, an appreciation, and a mature reappropriation of traditional African leadership values and practices for the African Church. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. 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 study builds on Jesse Mugambi's post-Cold War proposal for a paradigm shift, from liberation to reconstruction. Mugambi's line of reasoning is based upon his understanding of the post-Cold War period in Africa, and the need for a shift from the "dominant" paradigm of liberation, in articulating African theology, to reconstruction. The Cold War had divided Africa (and the rest of the world) into two ideological blocks, namely, the East Bloc nations (i.e., Warsaw Pact) vs. the nations in the West (NATO). With the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the end of western colonial rule in Africa, and the demise of apartheid, Mugambi prods that, there is a need to shift the theological emphasis from the Exodus motif to that of a Reconstructive motif. While the former motif was biblically modelled on Moses, and the Exodus from Egypt and the Journey to the Promised Land, the latter is biblically modelled on Nehemiah who led the Jews in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem following their return from Exile after seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Thus Mugambi sets the stage for the debate in this study, by his proposal that the post-Cold War Africa should now shift its paradigm in theo-social discourses. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

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.

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)

Spiritual leadership for the church in Africa is facing a crisis. While much of traditional African leadership shares the same basic values found in the Scriptures; modern manifestations of African leadership have been corrupted by various influences. This has resulted in traditional African leadership being grossly misunderstood and culturally unappreciated. Through the use of dialogue between cultures and theologies, and utilizing leadership theory as analytical tools and a frame of reference, this study looks at biblical leadership models, and aims toward a rediscovery, an appreciation, and a mature reappropriation of traditional African leadership values and practices for the African Church. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

La mission de la théologie africaine face à une situation socio-politique, culturo-économique catastrophique de l'Afrique, due essentiellement à la question de la spiritualité sociale, d'intelligence sociale et l'aliénation culturelle, est de redynamiser la mission chrétienne, stimuler la renaissance spirituelle africaine et défendre les pauvres et les opprimés, parce que Dieu est toujours du côté d'eux. En effet, l'homme africain et sa société peuvent toujours être au centre de l'engagement théologique et de l'église d'Afrique, pour l'évangélisation comme pour la promotion sociale. Parce que l'homme africain n'est pas seulement individu, il est aussi société et culture. De ce fait, L'église d'Afrique avec ses différentes formes de théologies, n'existe pas pour elle-même, mais pour annoncer la Bonne Nouvelle aux africains. Cependant, cette Bonne Nouvelle n'a aucune pertinence aux yeux des africains si elle tombe en dehors de l'essentiel de leur vie. En d'autres termes, une théologie africaine, quelle que soit sa forme, mais, sans promouvoir la libération totale spirituelle et physique de l'homme Africain et motiver la reconstruction de l'Afrique telle que prônée par Kä Mana n'a pas sa raison d'être. En plus, la théologie africaine peut également stimuler la vraie démocratisation des pays africaines comme principal enjeu de la pastorale théologique et politique des églises chrétiennes et religions traditionnelles africaines. Parce qu'au nom de la dignité de chaque personne, de l'amour de Dieu et l'amour du prochain, de la foi et du salut de tout homme, la théologie africaine ne peut négliger l'identité culturelle et anthropologique du terroir africain et le construit socioculturel inspiré de l'évangile. Cette théologie africaine peut également motiver la remise en question du néocolonialisme africain sous toutes ses formes. Dès lors, le résultat de cette étude peut aider le missiologue/théologien africain qui est l'église de Dieu à bien accomplir sa mission prophétique selon la vision de Dieu, dans le but de transformer spirituellement et physiquement l'Afrique, aussi reconstruirer positivement la société africaine. Evidemment, le développement intégral de l'homme africain, selon moi, suppose le respect de la dignité humaine qui ne peut se réaliser que dans la justice, la paix, l'auto-transformation personnelle, l'éthique et une inculturation personnifiante. Summary The mission of african theology facing African socio-polical, cultural and economic catastrophe that due mainly to social spirituality, social intelligence and cultural alienation, is to revitilise christian mission, stimulate spiritual african renaissance and to defend the poor and oppressed, people by whom God always stands. Of course, the african and their community should always be at the heart of the theological engagement and of the action of the African church concerning evangelism as well ass social promotion. For the African embodies both his or her society and culture. Therefore, the African church and all their different theologies do not exist for their on sake, but rather for the African people to whom they should bring the good news. This good news is not relevant for the Africans as long as it does not deal with their main concern. In other words, whatever the forms of African theology, as long as it overlooks the complete liberation of the Africans, freeing them spirituality, promoting their spiritual and physical liberation and motivating the reconstruction of Africa as promoted by Kä Mana here, it will serve no practical purpose. Besides, African theology has also to stimulate the democratisation of African countries as one of the targets of the African Christian churches and traditional religions. In the name of the dignity of each and every person, of the love of God and the love for the neighbour, that of faith and salvation of the humankind, African theology is not expected to neglect cultural and anthropological identity of the Africans terror and the sociocultural construct inspired by the Gospel. African theology can thus motivate the questioning of African neocolonialism in all its forms. The result of this study can help African missiologists and theologians that are the church of God to fulfil well the prophetic mission after the vision of God, so as to bring about spiritual and physical transformation, and positively reconstruct the African society. As for me, the integral development of the African supposes the respect of their human dignity that can be materialised through peace, justice, personal sel-transformation, ethics and personifying inculturation. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Div. (Missiology)

The notion of identity has always been central to the human person's understanding of self. The question "who am I?" is fundamental to human being. Answers to this question have come from a wide range of academic disciplines. Philosophers, theologians, scientists, sociologists and anthropologists have all sought to offer some insight. The question of individual identity has traditionally been answered from two broad perspectives. The objectivist approach has sought to answer the question through empirical observation - you are a mammal, you are a homo-sapien, you are male, you are African etc. The subjectivist approach has sought to answer the question through phenomenological exploration - I understand myself to be sentient, I remember my past, I feel love etc. A recent development in the field of computer science has however shown a shortcoming in both of these approaches. Ray Kurzweil, a theorist in strong artificial intelligence, suggests the possibility of an interesting identity crisis. He suggests that if a machine could be programmed and built to accurately and effectively emulate a person's conscious experience of being `self' it could lead to a crisis of identity. In an instance where the machine and the person it is emulating cannot be either objectively distinguished (i.e., both display the same characteristics of the person in question), or subjectively distinguish themselves (i.e., both believe themselves to be the `person in question' since both have an experience of being that person. This experience could be based on memory, emotion, understanding and other subjective realities) how is the true identity of the individual validated? What approach can be employed in order to distinguish which of the two truly is the `person in question' and which is the `emulation of that person'? This research investigates this problem and presents a suggested solution to it. The research begins with an investigation of the claims of strong artificial intelligence and discusses Ray Kurzweil's hypothetical identity crisis. It also discusses various approaches to consciousness and identity, showing both their value and shortfall within the scope of this identity conundrum. In laying the groundwork for the solution offered in this thesis, the integrative theory of Ken Wilber is presented as a model that draws on the strengths of the objectivist and subjectivist approaches to consciousness, yet also emphasises the need for an approach which is not only based on individual data (i.e., the objectivist - you are, or subjectivist - I am). Rather, it requires an intersubjective knowing of self in relation to others. The outcome of this research project is an African Theological approach to self-validating consciousness in strong artificial intelligence. This takes the form of an African Theology of relational ontology. The contribution falls within the ambit of Christian anthropology and Trinitarian theology - stressing the Christian belief that true identity is both shaped by, and discovered in, relationship with others. The clearest expression of this reality is to be found in the African saying Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (A person is a person through other persons). / Systematic Theology / D. Th.