This study is a contextual exegetical encounter with the text of the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:12-7:17 which is an ethical discourse embedded in the Jesus tradition where Jesus speaks and acts in solidarity with the poor and the marginalized. The study applies the ethical paradigms of the discourse for socio-economic and political justice to the context of the present Namibian public economic establishment which is unjustly increasing socio-economic disparities in society. The study has therefore adopted Burridge’s (2007) ethical model of an open and inclusive community of Jesus in Luke which Jesus forms and in which he encourages egalitarian socio-economic praxis. Burridge finds this model -the “all-embracing portrait of Jesus” - in Luke’s community. It opens up to all as “it seeks to imitate Jesus”. The Sermon on the Plain is in the current study seen as the epicenter of Luke’s presentations of Jesus’ socio-economic and political ethical teaching and praxis for an egalitarian community, the ethical model which Luke expands throughout his narrative account of the gospel. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), the particular contextual focus of this study, is taken as an open and transformative community of Bible readers where this ethical model could be embraced and effect some changes in human behavior that may lead to a more fair, inclusive and equitable socio-economic community, both within the Church and in the predominantly Christian Namibian society. For necessary methodological and hermeneutical approaches to ways in which the New Testament ethics of Jesus - which are the ethical paradigms of ancient communities - can be relevant and applicable to our present day contexts, this study has made use of Burridge’s method that considers New Testament ethics as starting with the historical Jesus. The reconstruction of the historical Jesus and our access to the ethics of Jesus are, according to Burridge, possible through our reading of biblical texts and gospels which are like stained glass so that our picture of what lies behind the text is not unimpeded. This model has been employed by the current study to see beyond Luke’s text the historical Jesus who is part of the peripheral peasant communities. In his context, he encourages the families and villages to sustain their limited socio-economic power through sharing, a form of resistance that Moxnes (1988) terms the “moral economy of the limited good” within the exploitative ruling system. The study identifies the ancient levels of the early Jesus tradition through which the socio-economic and political ethics of Jesus underwent adaptations and continuation. Burridge’s method of the imitation of Jesus and its hermeneutic approach of the gospels as stained glass are in this study applied in Draper’s (1991) African contextual exegetical tripolar framework for our present appropriation. Burridge reads the gospels as narrative biographies of Jesus, presenting Jesus’ words and activities, the umbrella narrative genre in which the ethics of Jesus are not considered as isolated rules or moral prescription. Rather they are rather part of the whole life story of Jesus in which both his rigorous and unconditional acceptance ethics are checked against each other. This approach has led the present researcher to see the community of the followers of Jesus as the place where our ethics of love, mercy, and grace are lived out in tension with the justice of God, which is also at the centre of Jesus’ proclamation of the reign of God as the alternative to socio-economic and political exploitation. This study has therefore argued for the love of Jesus for the marginalized, a love which pushed Jesus to the margins, risking even his life for the sake of justice. ELCIN has been implicated by the dense empirical data of this study. Both the interviews and sermons collected in its Eastern Diocese substantially confirm ELCIN”s timidity, even silence, when it comes to addressing socio-economic and political injustice in Namibia. The study’s findings constitute a qualitative pattern that is transferable to the whole of ELCIN. Therefore the study concludes that ELCIN is collaborating with the proponents in our present government of an unjust system. The data indicates that this situation is accountable for socio-economic and political polarization. The study conscientizes ELCIN, in its prophetic task, to speak from the perspective of the poor and the marginalized, among whom the Church’s “social location” is situated as it continues “seeking to imitate Jesus”. The study suggests that the Church should shift from the traditional spiritualizing of human daily life experiences to critical contextual biblical hermeneutics and appropriation which motivates self-theologizing and local debates. It crucially suggests that ELCIN distances itself from the euphoric excitement of political independence to choose a position of critical solidarity with the state and to operate without its voice being marred by ambivalence. Transformative and liberating formal and informal education is suggested as essential for empowering the marginalized, whereby ELCIN can play a vital role. Reading the Bible together as an open community of the followers of Jesus is suggested so that ELCIN will become an interpretive community that dialogues and openly debates socio-economic and political issues in the light of its unbiased appropriation of the biblical message. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-Unviversity of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Grace Gospel Church (GGC) is a small congregation that has met in various venues in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal since 2003. It is a partner church of the Mauritian-based organisation, Church Team Ministries International (CTMI), led by Miki Hardy. Hardy is a pastor who claims to have received a unique revelation from God, and he is considered to be an apostle by his followers. Grace Gospel Church and Church Team Ministries International have gained international attention due to claims that they exert a controversial influence over their members. This influence appears to induce a radical commitment to the partner church and CTMI, leading to behavioural, career and study changes, arranged marriages and estrangement between members and their families. Grace Gospel Church has been accused of being a cult, and this exploratory research questions whether this accusation has justification by comparing the group’s theology and practices against theological, psychological and sociological research on cults. Cult researcher Janja Lalich’s theory of “bounded choice” is described and used to evaluate the commitment witnessed in GGC. Bounded choice exists when, as a result of psycho-social group dynamics, a personal fusion occurs between the individual and the ideology and mores of the group. Out of this fusion, a charismatically committed “true believer” emerges who may appear to have personal freedom, but whose palette of choices is severely curtailed by the beliefs and practices of the group. “Bounded” decision making results which might appear irrational or repugnant to those outside the group, but to true believers represent their highest aspirations. This research indicates that GGC shares many characteristic features of typical cults and also promotes the conditions necessary for bounded choice to occur. It is thus concluded that GGC could legitimately be termed a cult, and that bounded choice is a valid explanation for the controversial choices made by its members. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

The study aims, in the first part, at a coherent formulation of a theory of text production, one located against the backdrop of an Hegelian conception of reality which sees text and society as constituting a dynamic and mutually formative relationship. This theoretical appropriation is situated more broadly in the Tri-Polar exegetical framework as set out by my supervisor, Prof. Jonathan Draper, and in this regard also entails a dialogue with his approach. This then constitutes the first pole of the framework, distantiation. At the second pole, contextualisation, the methodological tool by which contemporary society is critiqued, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment, is used to explicate the mythological degeneration of the modern scientific paradigm in its partnership with the culture industry, where the system’s totalising logic is seen as delimiting the realm of legitimate knowledge generation such that forms of knowledge that might be counterpoised in opposition to this paradigm are from the outset proscribed. The section of contextualisation therefore points to the need for alternative forms of knowledge generation, ones which are not complicit with the internal logic of the system and which thereby seek to avoid either co-option or obsoletisation. In the final stage of appropriation two case studies are offered to suggest how this has been, or could further be, achieved with reference, in the first instance, to the Genesis 3 narrative and the field of anthropological studies and, in the second, to John 20 and the sphere of contemporary ecclesial praxis. The case studies draw on the work of biblical scholars from the relevant fields and seek to represent this work in a kind of re-appropriation interpreting it in light of the theory set out at the stage of distantiation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

The concept of human dignity is a contested term but it is also vital in the world where there are many forms of violations that challenge human beings. The concept of human dignity is crucial in that it affects all spheres of life such as religion, employment, economics, politics and so on. The world of work is another area where several forms of oppression and exploitation are manifested and in the process the human dignity of workers is greatly compromised. As the world of work is a vast subject to be discussed in one dissertation, a specific area needs to be explored in order to understand violations of human dignity. In this regard, experiences of women in paid domestic work in Malawi provide an opportunity of understanding the violations of human dignity and ways in which theology can assist in promoting the concept of human dignity. The aim of this research project is to establish how the concept of human dignity can be promoted in women domestic work in Malawi. This dissertation is developed through the works of African women theology which is grouped within the family of liberation theologies. This research study uses theological underpinnings of African women theologians who belong to the Circle of Concerned Women African Theologians (hereinafter, the Circle). The prominent members of the Circle such as Musimbi Kanyoro, Mercy Oduyoye, Denise Ackerman, Isabel Phiri and Fulata Moyo just to mention a few, present theological insights that encompass a theoretical focus of human dignity. This concept of human dignity is needed both in the church and society. The study is based on the broad framework of African women theology with a special focus on the following concepts: feminist cultural hermeneutics, gender analysis, narrative theological discourses, partnership and prophetic witness. It is also appreciated that African women theologians do not isolate themselves from global feminism; as a result, works of Rebecca Chopp will also be used in this dissertation. In many cases forms of oppression that are manifested in women domestic service such as sexual violence and humiliation, economic exploitation and powerlessness are a result of violations of human dignity. Such violations have adverse effects on the life and general health of women who work in domestic service in Malawi. It is then suggested that a clear understanding and application of the concept of human dignity in African women theology serves as a tool for social transformation in women domestic service, that is, making workplaces for women domestic work to be favourable for women in Malawi and beyond in the 21st century. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

There exists a gender distortion in the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) concerning the participation of women in the ministry, mainly because of the biased patriarchal images about women and their role in church and society. To achieve the goal of women participation, the UCZ has to re-image their understanding of women from a historical bias to that of a fair, balanced, and historical inclusion of both genders. Consequently, this thesis called for the initiation of such a paradigm shift within the church. To achieve this, the UCZ Theological Seminary needed to realign its programmes and curricula in order to be more gender sensitive and thereby include more women scholars as partners in theological education. Such a theology of partnership between women and men was explored through the feminist discourse using ecclesiology and gender partnership theories. This study is located within the United Church of Zambia (UCZ). It set out to explore the unequal partnership between the ordained women and men in the United Church of Zambia from a gendered perspective. Its focus was to address the praxis of partnership between women and men as reflected in the following areas: first, in the church policies on the ordination of women; second, in the experiences of patriarchy by the ordained women; and third, in the theological curriculum at the UCZ Theological Seminary. In view of the above, the UCZ needed to work out interventions to control those leadership structures that are dominated by men and which only represent male interests. Even the theological curriculum offered at the UCZ Theological Seminary was not gender mainstreamed to assist both the clergy and laity to fully embrace the ordination and service of women. Consequently, the study addressed the key question as to how the church had promoted the unequal partnership between women and men in its policies and practices. This was guided by the hypothesis that although the UCZ had encouraged the ordination of women, yet there were no clear policies and practices that supported the partnership of women and men in the church structures and in the theological curriculum. The data analysed in this study was obtained through in-depth interviews with representatives of Synod officers as policy-makers and ordained women. A survey questionnaire was used to generate a mixture of qualitative data with members of staff and students resident at the UCZ Theological Seminary. While previous studies on gender justice theory and praxis had been based upon rhetoric in addressing the gender justice issue in the UCZ, this present study availed a body of knowledge based on the recorded patriarchy experiences by women ordained ministers because of lack of a clear gender policy and gender mainstreaming of the theological education at the UCZ Theological Seminary. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2014.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2005 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research was to determine what the influence of the God-image of parishioners within the Korean Presbyterian Church is on their faith and ability to come to terms meaningfully with the crisis of suffering. With the view to making a pastoral diagnosis and the process of assessment, a pastoral hermeneutics was applied. The basic hypothesis implemented is that inappropriate God-images, exacerbated by the religious-cultural context of the Presbyterian Church in Korea, play an important role in the parishioners' inability to come to terms meaningfully with crises and suffering. In this respect, it was found that Shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, amongst others, profile the dominant religious paradigm that functions among members. This cultural context gives rise to a concept of God that applies the theological presupposition of an almighty, fearful supreme being who controls and is in command of everything - even death. In this regard, the concepts of punishment and judgment play a decisive role. Within theodicy, God is viewed as the ultimate cause of evil. Thus, a merciless God (Ch 'unbeol) is the inevitable cause of suffering. The research found that, in Korea, theodicy relates to the monotheistic concept of a "supreme god" (HanunumIHananim), as well as the punitive component in the category of omnipotence (Ch 'unbeoIIChunneung). Because of a causal paradigm (scheme of cause and effect), manipulation is a strong factor in the Koreans' concept of faith and coping with suffering. This gives rise to a form of "pathology of faith": the manipulation of God with the view to material and health benefits. This hampers maturity in faith. In order to understand the theological concepts of judgment and power, we present the exegesis of relevant biblical texts with the view to the development of a theology of compassion. In this respect, we discuss the theological theories of four theologians, that is the existential concept of a theology of the cross (Luther); the ontological-trinitarian concept of a theology of the cross (Moltmann); the dialectic-emotional pain theology of Kitamori; and Louw's pastoralhermeneutic understanding of the cross within the framework of his promissio-therapy. This study suggests a paradigm shift away from a punitive judgmental paradigm to a sensitive compassionate paradigm. This implies a radical transformation from a hierarchical concept of power to power as a category of sympathy and identification that demonstrates God's compassion in suffering. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die navorsing was om vas te stel wat die invloed van lidmate binne die Koreaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerk se Godsvoorstelling is op hul geloof en vermoe om die krisis van Iyding sinvol te verwerk. Met die oog op die maak van 'n pastorale diagnose en die asseseringsproses, is van 'n pastorale hermeneutiek gebruik gemaak. Die basiese hipotese waarmee gewerk is, is dat ontoepaslike Godsvoorstellings, versterk deur die religieus - kulturele konteks van die Presbiteriaanse Kerk in Korea, 'n belangrike rol speel in die onverrnoe van lidmate om krisisse en lyding sinvol te verwerk. In die verband is gevind dat die dominante, religieuse paradigma wat by lidmate funksioneer, gevoed word deur, onder andere, Shamanisme, Konfusianisme, Taoisme en Boeddhisme. Hierdie kulturele konteks gee aanleiding tot 'n Godsverstaan wat werk met die teologiese vooronderstelling van 'n almagtige, vrees-inboesemende opperwese wat alles beheer en kontroleer - selfs die dood. In die verband speel die konsepte van straf en oordeel 'n deurslaggewende rol. Binne teodisee word God gesien as die uiteindelike oorsaak van die kwaad. Lyding is dan 'n noodwendige, kousale gevolg van 'n genadelose God (Ch 'unbeol). Die navorsing bevind dat teodisee in Korea verbind moet word met die monoteistiese verstaan van 'n "oppergod" iHanunum/Hananim), asook die strafkomponent in die almagskategorie (Ch'unbeol/Chunneungi. Vanwee 'n kousale paradigma (oorsaak-gevolg skema) is 'n manipulasie 'n sterk faktor in Koreane se geloofsverstaan en verwerking van lyding. Dit gee aanleiding tot 'n vorm van "geloofspatologie": die manipulering van God met die oog op materiele en gesondheidsvoordele. Die ontwikkeling van geloofsvolwassenheid word hierdeur gerem. Ten einde die teologiese konsepte van oordeel en mag te verstaan, word relevante Bybeltekste eksegeties aan die orde gestel met die oog op die ontwikkeling van 'n teologie van medelye. In die verband word vier teoloe se teologiese teoriee krities bespreek, te wete die eksistensiele verstaan van 'n kruisteologie (Luther); die ontologies -trinitariese verstaan van 'n kruisteologie (Moltmann); die dialekties -emosionele pynteologie van Kitamori; en Louw se pastoraalhermeneutiese verstaan van die kruis binne die raamwerk van sy promissioterapie. Die studie stel voor 'n paradigmaskuif weg van 'n verdoemende oordeelsparadigma na 'n sensitiewe paradigma van medelye. Die implikasie is 'n radikale transformasie vanaf 'n hierargiese verstaan van mag na mag as 'n simpatieke, identifikasie-kategorie wat God se medelye in lyding demonstreer.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The problem discussed in this thesis is how to resist and subvert the complicity of biblical studies with neo-colonialism as a white male biblical scholar. Traditionally the interpretation of the bible by white male biblical scholars has not been recognised as an interested and situated practice, unlike the interpretations by readers from marginalised backgrounds. The thesis put forward here is that it is the other - understood as infinite and irreducible - that opens up the habitual vicious circle of identity formation and identifiable practices. This interruption is a moment of true decision, i.e. a moment where the self cannot follow any preestablished ethico-political programme but has to respond in a truly innovative way. This innovation is understood to be brought about in a double strategy, which juxtaposes a hegemonic practice with its binary opposition in a nondialectical way. The space in which such an interruption occurs is the interstitial borderline, the liminal space and interface between the self and its other. In the first part, the thesis critically engages with the work of three white male biblical scholars - Daniel Patte, Jeffrey Staley, and Gerald West - who try to overcome the traditional academic discourse of biblical studies by problematising the relationship between their own identities and their academic practices. In the second part, deconstruction, as shorthand for the work of Jacques Derrida, is subsequently presented as a thoroughly postcolonial critique of western ontological concepts and as a viable manner in which to theorise the critical contributions of Patte, Staley, and West. In the third and final part, three approaches within biblical studies - historicism, the bible as popular text, and literary approaches - are singled out and discussed as possible liminal spaces within which the identity of the white male biblical scholar can be reinvented in responsibility to the other. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vraagstuk onder bespreking in hierdie verhandeling is hoe om, as blanke manlike bybelgeleerde die onderlinge medepligtigheid tussen die studie van die bybel en neo-kolonialisme te weerstaan en te ondermyn. Volgens tradisie word die vertolking van die bybel deur blanke manlike bybelgeleerdes nie erken as 'n ge·interesseerde en gelee praktyk nie, in teenstelling met die vertolkings van geleerdes afkomstig uit minderheidsgroepe. Die stelling wat hier gemaak word is dat dit die 'ander' is - begryp as oneindig en onverminderbaar - wat die gebruiklike bose kring van identiteitsvorming en identifiseerbare praktyke oopmaak. Hierdie onderbreking is 'n oomblik van ware besluitneming, i.e. 'n oomblik waarbinne die self nie enige voorafbepaalde eties-politiese program kan volg nie, maar waarbinne die self werklik op 'n oorspronklike en nuwe wyse moet reageer. Dit word verstaan dat hierdie nuwigheid tot stand gebring word in a dubbele strategie wat die heersende praktyk op 'n nie-dialektiese wyse langs sy binere opposisie plaas. Die ruimte waarbinne hierdie onderbreking plaasvind is die tussengrenslyn, die oorgangsruimte en skakel tussen die self en die 'ander'. Die eerste gedeelte van die verhandeling is 'n kritiese bespreking van die werke van drie blanke manlike bybelgeleerdes, naamlik Daniel Patte, Jeffrey Staley en Gerald West, wat poog om die tradisionele akademiese diskoers oor die studie van die bybel te bemeester deur die verhouding tussen hulle eie identiteite en hul akademiese gebruike te problematiseer. Die tweede gedeelte bied dekonstruksie, as snelskrif vir die werk van Jaques Derrida aan as 'n deurdagte post-koloniale kritiek van westerse ontologiese konsepte en as 'n lewensvatbare wyse waarop die kritiese bydraes van Patte, Staley en West teoretiseer kan word. In die derde en laaste gedeelte word drie benaderings tot die studie van die bybel, naamlik 'n historiese benadering, die bybel as populere teks en litirere benaderings uitgesonder en bespreek as moontlike oorgangsruimtes waarbinne die identiteit van die blanke manlike bybelgeleerde herversin en bedink kan word met verantwoordelikheid teenoor die 'ander'.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1973 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: No abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1979 / VOORWOORD: Miskien moet ons ons voorwoord met ‘n bekentenis begin. Dit is nou ruim 18jaar gelede dat ons ons navorsing oor Andrew Murray se teologie begin het. Gedurende hierdie tyd het ons die werk vir lang tye gestaak omdat ons ingrypende probleme met ons onderwerp gehad het. Dit het hierop neergekom dat ons nie Murray se teologie kon inpas of versoen met die gereformeerde tradisies van die N.G. Kerk nie. Liewer dus as om tot negatiewe resultate te kom, het ons ons versamelde stof en bevindinge altyd weer diep weggebêre. Maar, al het ons dit gedoen, kon ons Andrew Murray nooit heeltemal uit ons gedagtes ban nie. So het met die jare bewustelik en onbewustelik ‘n nuwe en meer ewewigtige benadering tot sy teologie gegroei. Ons het geleer om hom in die raamwerk van sy tyd te plaas wat vanself tot ‘n meer milde oordeel gelei het op die punte waarin ons van hom moes verskil. Dit was tog nie billik gewees nie om hom los te maak van die tye waarin hy geleef het en die teologiese klimaat wat hy geadem het, om hom dan uitsluitlik en streng vanuit calvinisties-gereformeerde oogpunt te beoordeel nie. Uit hierdie nuwe benadering het daar ‘n nuwe waardering vir Andrew Murray en sy geestelike grootheid gegroei en kon ons die studie uiteindelik voortsit en tot voltooing bring. Ons wil vertrou dat hierdie poging om Andrew Murray se vernaamste teologiese motiewe bloot te lê en hom te probeer verstaan, 'n nuwe belangstelling in sy geestel ike nalatenskap sal stimuleer. So pas het die jongste lewensbeskrywing van Andrew Murray deur ’n Amerikaanse skryfster, Leona Choy, ons ter hand gekom: Andrew Murray Apostle of Abiding Love, Fort Washington, 1978. In haar voorwoord sê sy: "The books of this spiritual giant of yesterday have influenced my own Christian life since I was in my teens. I could hardly understand their spiritual heights in my immaturity, but instinctively I knew that this man of God beckoned me to start climbing a mountain that would take a lifetime to scale. Through my years of academic preparation, then ministry for the Lord on the mission field and in varied types of Christian service, I read Murray’s books over and over, understanding new sentences which leaped into my spiritual horizon of need. I wrote dozens of poems sparked by phrases from his writings which spoke intensely to my spirit. I feel that I was nourished and sustained on Murray’s soundly Biblical teachings and draw to launch out into the deep with God.” As sy verder sê: “A contemporary biography of Andrew Murray is long overdue", bring dit ons onder die die indruk van hoe wydgelese Andrew Murray sestig jaar na sy dood nog steeds is. Eintlik het ons hier met iets verstommends te doen dat ‘n predikant van die N.G. Kerk in Suid-Afrika uit ‘n vorige eeu as't ware, nog so kontemporêr in die gedagtes van Amerikaners is. Ten slotte wil ons ons opregte dank betuig aan prof. F.J.M. Potgieter wat as ons promotor opgetree het tot met sy aftrede. My hartlike dank aan prof. W.D. Jonker wat hom in hierdie hoedanigheid opgevolg het en ons gedurende die afgelope jaar van intensiewe studie deur die finale stadiums van die werk met soveel onmisbare raad bedien het. Ongelukkig kan my moeder wat so belanggestel het in my werk oor Andrew Murray, nie hierdie gelukkige dag saam met ons belewe nie. As afgevaardigde na die stigtings-konferensie van die C.S.V. in die moederkerk op Stellenbosch het Andrew Murray ‘n onuitwisbare indruk op haar jong gemoed gelaat. Eindelik, ‘n laaste woord van dank aan my huisgenote wat my deur die jare met hulle geloof en belangstelling bygestaan het. In hierdie verband het vroutjie veral in die afgelope jaar van studie ‘n onmisbare rol gespeel.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an interdisciplinary missiological study. It engages the sociological theory of structuration to critically explore the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion in the Lutheran Church, Northwest Tanzania, and their impact on the Haya Christian life. To this end, a theoretical scaffolding matrix of conversion is explored based on biblical and theological understanding, social theories of conversion, patterns and models of conversion. It is also pointed out that conversion is not only a theological but also a social phenomenon. Consequently, the Haya religio-cultural spiritual life and worldview are further investigated. The methods that were employed by missionary Christianity to missionize Northwest Tanzania are also explored based on the missionaries‟ home socio-political cultural context that informed these methods. Lastly, the Haya‟s earlier and later responses to the methods are highlighted and analyzed. The dissertation argues that the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion were important in that they accelerated social change through modernization, new ways of dressing, accessibility to western medicine and appropriation of western education that was instrumental in the production of both church and national potential leaders who later brought about political awareness, modern development and socio-political transformation. Nonetheless, the research has ascertained that the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion produced mainly dual converts who remained adherents of both Christianity and Haya traditional religion. This was because from the outset most western missionaries aimed at almost perverting Haya religion and culture in the placement of Christianity that was intrinsically embedded in western culture. This suggests the reasons for the inadequacy of the missionary Christianity conversion strategic approach to seriously take cognizance of the Haya religio-cultural spirituality and worldview which, as it was unpacked in the study, inherently embraces both the physical and metaphysical existential realm. Thus for the Haya, if this fact is not taken seriously, conversion seems irrelevant. That is why Haya Christians tend to actualize “real” conversion within the Revival Movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic churches‟ form of Christianity instead of maintaining loyalty to the doctrine of their mother churches, for this spiritual form of Christianity has to a greater extent demonstrated the ability to attempt to indigenize Christianity among them as, without ignoring modern ways of life, it addresses the Haya religio-cultural spirituality and worldview. Engaging structuration theory analysis, the study argues that the Haya realization of what seems “real” conversion within the revival framework and other spiritual movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity by most Haya Lutheran Christians in Northwest Tanzania, is an attempt to indigenize Haya missionary Christianity conversion. This is because for the Haya‟s comprehension and praxis of conversion is not only determined by missionary Christianity activity, but to some degree their traditional religio-cultural context plays a role in shaping and structuring conversion that makes sense to them. Since social structure comprises rules and resources (Giddens 1984; Wuthnow 1987; Richard 1994) which human agents draw on and reproduce as they act and yet remain open for transformation, the Haya traditional social structure therefore provides an arena for them to draw on religiosity and other spiritual resources and reproduce them even as they convert to Christianity. The study further proposes that the sociological theory of structuration in an interdisciplinary study of conversion provides a useful tool in attempting to understand the dynamics of conversion among the Haya within the Lutheran Church in Northwest Tanzania, along with their tendency to actualize their “real” conversion within the revivalist or Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity. Since “real” conversion cannot be limited or absolutized in these forms of Christianity, the research proposes an “integrative model of conversion” as the most relevant approach to our contemporary missionary preoccupation and engagement. This model suggests the hermeneutics and ecclesial praxis of conversion that is based on religio-cultural sensitivity that suggests harnessing spirituality and religio-cultural rules and resources from within the framework of Haya traditional religion, missionary Christianity, East African Revival and the Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity through a mutual dialogue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie dissertasie is ʼn interdissiplinêre missiologiese studie. Dit maak gebruik van die sosiologiese strukturasie-teorie om kritiese ondersoek in te stel na missionêre Christelike benaderings en metodes van bekering in die Lutherse Kerk in Noordwes Tanzanië, en die impak daarvan op die Haya se Christelike lewe. ʼn Teoretiese gesteierde bekerings-matriks word verken gebaseer op Bybelse en teologiese begrip, sosiale bekerings-teorieë, patrone en modelle van bekering. Daar word ook op gewys dat bekering nie net ʼn teologiese verskynsel is nie, maar ook ʼn sosiale een. Daarna word die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing verder ondersoek. Die metodes wat ingespan is deur die missionêre Christendom om Noordwes Tanzanië te missionaliseer is ook ondersoek met verwysing na sendelinge se eie sosio-politieke kulturele konteks wat hierdie metodes geïnformeer het. Laastens is die Hayas se vroeëre en latere reaksie op die metodes geïdentifiseer en ontleed. Die dissertasie betoog dat die missionêre Christelike benadering en metodes van bekering belangrik was aangesien dit sosiale verandering versnel het deur modernisasie, nuwe style van kleredrag, toegang tot Westerse medisyne en die toe-eiening van Westerse opvoedkunde. Dít was weer instrumenteel in die vorming van potensiële kerklike en nasionale leiers wat later politieke gewaarwording, moderne ontwikkeling en sosio-politieke transformasie meegebring het. Die navorsing het egter ook aangedui dat die missionêre Christelike benadering en bekeringsmetodes hoofsaaklik tweeledige bekeerlinge geproduseer het wat beide die Christelike en die tradisionele Haya godsdienste aangehang het. Dit was omdat die meeste sendelinge in hul pogings om die Christelike godsdiens, wat intrinsiek in die Westerse kultuur gegrond was, te vestig, die Haya godsdiens probeer demoniseer het. Dit dui aan dat die redes vir die ontoereikendheid van die missionêre Christelike bekering-strategie moet ernstig kennis neem van die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing wat, soos die in die studie uiteengesit word, inherent beide die fisiese en godsdienstige eksistensiële ryke omarm. As hierdie feit nie ernstig bejeën word nie, is bekering dus vir die Haya irrelevant. Haya Christene geneig is om “ware” bekering te aktualiseer in Herlewingsbewegings en Pinkster-Charismatiese kerke se vorm van Christelikheid pleks daarvan om lojaal te bly aan die leer van hul moederkerke, want hierdie spirituele vorm van Christelikheid demonstreer tot ʼn groter mate die strewe om Christelikheid onder hulle inheems te maak deur die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing aan te spreek sonder om die modern leefwyse te verontagsaam. Die studie maak gebruik van strukturasie-teorie analise om te betoog dat die meeste Haya Lutherse Christene in Noordwes Tanzanië se gewaarwording van “ware” bekering binne die Herlewings-raamwerk en ander spirituele bewegings en Pinkster-Charismatiese vorms van Christelikheid is ʼn poging om Haya missionale Christelike bekering inheems te maak. Vir die Hayas word die begrip en praksis van bekering nie net bepaal deur missionale Christelike aktiwiteit nie, maar tot ʼn mate speel hul tradisionele godsdiens-kulturele konteks ook ʼn rol in die vorming en strukturering van ʼn bekering wat vir hulle sin maak. Omdat sosiale strukture bestaan uit reëls en bronne (Giddens 1984; Wuthnow 1987; Richard 1994) waaruit mense put, wat hulle reproduseer en wat tog oop bly vir transformasie, voorsien die Haya tradisionele sosiale struktuur dus ʼn arena waarin hulle kan put uit godsdienstigheid en ander spirituele bronne en dit reproduseer, selfs as hulle-hulle bekeer tot die Christendom. Die studie voer voorts aan dat die sosiologiese teorie van strukturasie in ʼn interdissiplinêre studie van bekering ʼn nuttige werktuig bied om die dinamiek van bekering onder die Haya in die Lutherse Kerk in Noordwes Tanzanië te verstaan, tesame met hul neiging om hul “ware” bekering te aktualiseer in Herlewingsbewegings of in Pinkster-Charistmatiese vorms van Christelikheid. Aangesien “ware” bekering nie in hierdie vorms van Christelikheid beperk of verabsoluteer kan word nie, stel die navorsing ʼn “integrerende model van bekering” voor as die mees relevante benadering tot ons kontemporêre missionêre fokus en betrokkenheid. Hierdie model stel voordat ʼn hermeneutiese en ekklesiale praksis van bekering wat gebaseer is op godsdiens-kulturele sensitiwiteit en spiritualiteit en godsdiens-kulturele reëls vanuit die raamwerk van Haya tradisionele godsdiens, missionale Christelikheid, Oos-Afrika Herlewingsbewegings en die Pinkster-Charistmatiese vorms van Christelikheid deur wedersydse dialoog.