Thesis (D. Min.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 1999. / Abstract. Some parts in Chinese. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 308-312).

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

The paper argues that the distinction between religious and secular realms of society is not as clear-cut in modern societies as it appears in theories of functional and institutional differentiation. The data used are mainly from China with a short excursion to the United States. The starting point is ancestor worship, which is a central element of traditional Chinese religion. The significance of ancestor worship in Chinese history and culture is briefly explained to illustrate on the one hand its central importance as a ritual practice and on the other hand the ambiguities of interpretation. On this basis, some theoretical considerations about the existence of ancestors are presented. This is followed by a report on contemporary temple festivals focusing on the worship of Fuxi, a mythic figure considered to be the first ancestor of the Chinese people. The next step is the description of official state rituals devoted to the worship of the very same mythological hero in contemporary China. Against this backdrop, the last part of the paper discusses the theoretical questions of classification and distinguishing between the religious and the secular. / Theoretischer Ausgangspunkt des Beitrages ist die Unterscheidung zwischen Religion und säkularen Bereichen der Gesellschaft. Es wird argumentiert, dass diese Unterscheidung auch in modernen Gesellschaften weniger klar ist, als es Theorien der funktionalen und institutionellen Differenzierung unterstellen. Die empirische Basis der Überlegungen bilden Beobachtungen zu kollektiven Formen von Ahnenkult im heutigen China. Dazu werden zunächst die Bedeutung und verschiedene Interpretationen von Ahnenkult in China historisch erläutert. Daran anschließend folgen einige theoretische Überlegungen zur Existenz von Ahnen. Die nächsten Abschnitte beschreiben die heutige kollektive Verehrung von Fuxi als Ahn des chinesischen Volkes in zwei verschiedenen Formen: im Rahmen eines populären Tempelfestes und im Rahmen eines offiziellen staatlichen Rituals. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird im letzten Abschnitt gezeigt, dass bei der Verehrung von Toten die Grenze zwischen religiösen und säkularen Ritualen verschwimmt.

Text in English / Oruuano is an Independent Church in Namibia founded in 1955 because of members of the Herero community breaking away from the Rhenish Mission Church. Oruuano has the same doctrinal position as the Evangelical Lutheran Churches. In all church services it uses the standard Lutheran liturgical forms and the Otjiherero Lutheran hymnal. Belief in the ancestors is strong among the Herero. It is centred around the holy fire that is found between the main house of the head man and the cattle's kraal. The church does not acknowledge the ancestors, but it allows its members to venerate their ancestors outside the church. The church's approach is that of tacit consent. This dissertation discusses this approach and concludes that Oruuano cannot remain silent on the ancestors any longer. Time has come to deal with it theologically, showing the supremacy of Christ, while integrating Herero traditional practices and spirituality with the worship and practice of Oruuano. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The object of this study is to assess African Christian beliefs in ancestors in lieu of a responsible interpretation of 1 Corinthians 8 :4 - 6. Warranting this assessment is the confusion that arises from the perception that African beliefs in ancestors and the tenets of Christian faith are compatible. Scriptural teaching seems to address the question of "ancestral worship" and does seem to portray it as something mutually exclusive to the tenets of Christian faith. Some of the authors cited in the thesis attest to this, and others seem to be rising in defence of "ancestor worship" by accommodating it without any problem on the same level as Christianity. Syncretism arises in the desire to strike a compromise between the two religions and allow African Christians to practise "ancestor worship" whilst confessing to be Christians at the same time. The selected text, ] Corinthians 8: 4-6, will be the centre of the assessment into the practice of "ancestor worship" by African Christians. This is because it contains a passage where Paul addresses the issue of food dedicated to idols. Paul's resolution of the issue - with his intention of maintaining harmony in the church and in the spirit of love - seems to accommodate the eating of meats offered to idols, but encourages abstinence in consideration of the weak. This principle of love may seem to bring accommodation, yet after a rigorous discussion the thesis concludes that the text still excludes the worship of idols. "Ancestor worship" is in this thesis seen to be within the given definitions of idolatry as it involves the sacrificing of meats and foods to ancestors and the deceased. In the final analysis the quest for a solution to ancestor beliefs and practices by African Christians challenges the Church to focus on a responsible interpretation of Biblical texts, and in such a way that it would bring light as to whether ancestor beliefs and practices are in continuation with Biblical perspectives or not. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om Afrika-Christene se opvattings met betrekking tot hul voorouers aan die hand van 'n verantwoorde verstaan van 1 Korintiers 8:4-6 te evalueer. Die studie is genoodsaak deur verwarring oor die vraag of die beginsels en praktyke van "voooroueraanbidding" met die Christelike geloof versoen kan word. Vol gens die studie blyk dit dat die gekose teks die vraag van "vooroueraanbidding" aanspreek, en wel as onversoenbaar met die wesensaard van die Christelike geloof. Sommige van die bronne waarna die tesis verwys, onderskryf hierdie standpunt, terwyl ander "vooroueraanbidding" verdedig en probleemloos op dieselfde vlak as die Christelike geloof akkommodeer. Die gevolg is dat sinkretisme ontstaan as 'n kornpromis tussen die twee perspektiewe, wat dit vir belydende Afrika-Christene moontlik maak om "vooroueraanbidding" te bedryf. 1 Korintiers 8:4-6 vonn die kemgesigspunt vanwaar die praktyk van "vooroueraanbidding" deur Afrika-Christene geevalueer word. In die gedeelte bespreek Paulus die vraag of Christene voedsel mag eet wat aan afgode gewy is. In die lig van sy bedoeling om 'n gees van liefde en eenheid in die gemeente aan te moedig, laat hy ruimte vir Christene se vryheid om afgodsvleis te eet, maar beveel aan dat dit ter wille van swakkeres in die geloofliefs gelaat moet word. Hoewel die liefdesbeginsel ruimte mag laat vir die akkommodering van "vooroueraanbidding", kom die tesis 11<'1 indringende bespreking tot die slotsom dat I Korintiers 8:4-6 dit as 'n opsie vir Christene uitsluit, "Vooroueraanbidding" word hier gedefinieer as afgodery, aangesien dit die offerande van vleis en ander kos aan voorouers en afgestorwenes insluit. Om enigsins 'n oplossing vir die probleem van "vooroueraanbidding" deur Afrika- Christene te vind, vra in die finale instansie dat kerke sal fokus op 'n verantwoorde interpretasie van die Bybel, wat sal kan aandui of sodanige geloofspraktyke 'n voortsetting van Bybelse perspektiewe is al dan nie.

When it comes to ritual ceremonies like Qing Ming, Chong Yang, Yu Lan, one will see all kinds of fascinating ritual paper offerings, ranging from the traditional to fashionable-living necessities, even though the recipients are dead. The types of ritual paper offerings can be categorized into paper materials (joss paper), bamboo-paper objects (traditional crafts), and non-bamboo framed objects (contemporary crafts). Though the life of these ritual paper objects is very short, because they are burned soon after they are made, they are designed and crafted in a very unique way. The topic of ritual paper objects is a very interesting one; however, it has hitherto received little scholarly attention from a heritage conservation perspective. It is found that a large body of literature mentions ritual paper objects in the context of the funeral ceremony. Building on the existing studies, this dissertation will demonstrate and recognize the cultural significance of the art and craft of bamboo-paper objects in Chinese culture with reference to the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), and thereby suggest ways for safeguarding this traditional craftsmanship. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

This research work is about rituals practice, with specific reference to burning of impepho (an indigenous African Plant) and how this practice excludes women in general. Impepho is an indigenous African plant that, once dried, is burnt in order to communicate with one’s ancestors. Impepho is well-known to the majority of Sub Saharan Africans as it is used to communicate with their ancestors and it is also used by traditional healers to communicate with the deceased. It is used in various ceremonies, as well as in traditional feasts, when chickens, goats or cows are offered to the ancestors. The aim of this study was to find out why women are not allowed to burn impepho. Times have changed to the point that there are now many Zulu households that are headed by women, and these women do in fact burn impepho in order to communicate with their ancestors. This then is the pertinent question: do these women’s requests or prayers go unheard by the ancestors? The study aims to find out from the female participants if they burn impepho in their home or if they still adhere to this male constructed mentality that women should not burn impepho. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Text in English / Oruuano is an Independent Church in Namibia founded in 1955 because of members of the Herero community breaking away from the Rhenish Mission Church. Oruuano has the same doctrinal position as the Evangelical Lutheran Churches. In all church services it uses the standard Lutheran liturgical forms and the Otjiherero Lutheran hymnal. Belief in the ancestors is strong among the Herero. It is centred around the holy fire that is found between the main house of the head man and the cattle's kraal. The church does not acknowledge the ancestors, but it allows its members to venerate their ancestors outside the church. The church's approach is that of tacit consent. This dissertation discusses this approach and concludes that Oruuano cannot remain silent on the ancestors any longer. Time has come to deal with it theologically, showing the supremacy of Christ, while integrating Herero traditional practices and spirituality with the worship and practice of Oruuano. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

ALBUQUERQUE, Carlos Vinicius Frota de. Tá na água de beber: culto aos ancestrais na capoeira. 2012. 134f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Sociologia, Fortaleza (CE), 2012. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-10-25T11:41:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-DIS-CVFALBUQUERQUE.pdf: 2513525 bytes, checksum: 58b880e131233230836ca5cbfcfb6cad (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-10-25T12:25:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-DIS-CVFALBUQUERQUE.pdf: 2513525 bytes, checksum: 58b880e131233230836ca5cbfcfb6cad (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-25T12:25:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-DIS-CVFALBUQUERQUE.pdf: 2513525 bytes, checksum: 58b880e131233230836ca5cbfcfb6cad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Capoeira is a dance-fight-game that is part of the set of traditions coming from the heritage of blacks kidnapped in Africa and subject to the system of slavery in Brazil. In capoeira, the ancestors are the object of deference and admiration throughout the ritual of the wheel and the transmission of knowledge. The research aims to understand the ancestor worship practiced in the Centro Cultural Capoeira Água de Beber (CECAB), a nonprofit association that operates by spreading this cultural manifestation. From an ethnographic perspective, participant observation presents itself as the main methodological approach, emphasizing a qualitative analysis. To perform a bibliographic review, we turn to the scientific literature produced mainly around the themes of capoeira, the collective memory, and concepts of field, habitus and class in Pierre Bourdieu. We observed the devotion to the ancestors, in the daily CECAB along the transmission of knowledge, the ritual of the wheel, narratives and discourses of the master, power relations and treatment of the theme of religion. The memory of these characters, places and events in the history of capoeira is designed on contemporary experiences, offering support to the feeling of belonging to the group and the trajectory of black culture in Brazil. The ancestors are presented as true representatives of the relationship of capoeira with other African-Brazilian culture, a relationship that, in day-to-day practice, the wheels and events, the capoeiristas of CECAB affirm your commitment to continuity. The masters are the guardians of the memories of ancestors and primarily responsible for the preservation of tradition. However, in the ancestor worship, the memory is shaped so as to consolidate the social order and legitimize the power of its current officers, the masters of this. The representations about the past and its characters undergo a process of selection from power relations, interests and concerns present in poultry in the universe when they are articulated and expressed. / A capoeira é uma luta-dança-jogo que faz parte do conjunto de tradições oriundas das heranças dos negros raptados no continente africano e submetidos ao regime escravocrata no Brasil. Na capoeira, os ancestrais são objeto de deferência e admiração ao longo do ritual da roda e na transmissão dos conhecimentos. A pesquisa visa compreender o culto aos ancestrais na capoeira praticada no Centro Cultural Capoeira Água de Beber (CECAB), uma associação sem fins lucrativos que atua difundindo esta manifestação cultural. Partindo de uma perspectiva etnográfica, a observação participante apresenta-se como principal procedimento metodológico, priorizando uma análise qualitativa. Para a realização do levantamento bibliográfico, recorremos principalmente à literatura científica produzida em torno das temáticas da capoeira, de memória coletiva, e dos conceitos de campo, habitus e classe em Pierre Bourdieu. Observamos a devoção aos ancestrais, no cotidiano do CECAB, ao longo da transmissão dos saberes, do ritual da roda, das narrativas e dos discursos do mestre, das relações de poder e do tratamento da temática da religiosidade. A memória destes personagens, dos acontecimentos e de lugares da história da capoeira é projetada sobre as experiências contemporâneas, oferecendo suporte ao sentimento de pertença ao grupo e à trajetória das culturas negras no Brasil. Os ancestrais são apresentados enquanto autênticos representantes da relação da capoeira com as demais culturas afro-brasileiras, relação esta que, no dia-a-dia dos treinos, das rodas e dos eventos, os capoeiristas do CECAB afirmam o compromisso com a sua continuidade. Os mestres são os guardiões das memórias dos ancestrais e principais responsáveis pela preservação da tradição. Contudo, no culto aos ancestrais, a memória é moldada de forma a consolidar a ordem social e legitimar o poder dos seus atuais representantes, os mestres do presente. As representações acerca do passado e dos seus personagens sofrem um processo de seleção a partir das relações de poder, dos interesses e das preocupações presentes nos universo da capoeira no momento em que são articuladas e expressas.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation is based on fieldwork conducted among Japanese immigrants from the city of Santa Maria / RS. From this fieldwork, I tried to interpret their religious practices. Such practices are kept in the family, within home, shaped the foundations of the research and the reflections presented here. The central focus of the discussion is about the actions that can be linked to religion or custom, including ancestor worship, the sense of community relations and family. As well as the construction of an ethnic identity from the contact of the immigrant culture with brazilian culture, while adoptive country. To this goal I tried to build a historical overview of Japanese immigration to Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul until the official arrival of the first immigrants at the city of Santa Maria, considering that despite having arrived in the period after the World War II, they emigrated to Brazil with the same goal of the first immigrants which arrived in 1908, to raise funds and return to their home country in a maximum period of five years. I checked yet how these Japanese established and how they kept or not, the elements of their native culture in the host society, both in the sense of being inserted in the community, keeping diacritical traits that still identify themselves as Japanese. Through dialogue with the subjects, I could observe, by means of the memories told by them, why their religion is kept intimate and in the family, and by which adaptations they went through to turn into what they are today. With that, I tried to learn the adaptations of these practices over the years and across generations, and tried to visualize the possibilities of their continuity or not among the families with whom I interacted. Finally, after searching theoretical references to characterize the result of my interpretations of religious practices among Japanese, I propose to address the concept of "weave" culture, in which the elements are Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism and Christianity in complementarity, without the deletion of an activity by another. / Esta dissertação está fundamentada em trabalho de campo realizado junto aos imigrantes japoneses da cidade de Santa Maria/RS. Procurei, a partir das saídas a campo, interpretar as práticas religiosas dos japoneses em Santa Maria, as quais são realizadas em cunho doméstico e familiar, conformaram os alicerces da pesquisa e das reflexões apresentadas. O foco central da discussão concentrou-se nas ações, que podem ser relacionadas com a religiosidade ou com o costume, e que englobam o culto aos antepassados, o sentimento de coletividade e as relações familiares, bem como a construção de uma identidade étnica proveniente do contato da cultura imigrante com a cultura do Brasil, compreendido como país adotivo. Para tanto, busquei construir um panorama histórico da imigração japonesa no Brasil e no Rio Grande do Sul até a chegada oficial dos primeiros imigrantes à cidade de Santa Maria, ponderando que, apesar de terem chegado no período posterior a II Guerra Mundial, emigraram para o Brasil com o mesmo objetivo dos primeiros imigrantes, chegados em 1908, de juntarem recursos e voltarem ao país de origem em, no máximo, cinco anos. Verifiquei ainda, como estes japoneses estabeleceram-se e como mantiveram ou não elementos de sua cultura natal na sociedade acolhedora, tanto no sentido de se inserirem na comunidade, como de manterem traços diacríticos que os identificam ainda hoje como japoneses. Através dos diálogos estabelecidos com os interlocutores, pude observar, por meio das memórias por eles contadas, os motivos pelos quais a sua religiosidade conserva-se em âmbito íntimo e familiar e por quais adaptações elas passaram até se configurarem nos moldes em que se encontram atualmente. Com isso, busquei apreender como estas práticas se ressignificaram ao longo dos anos e através das gerações, bem como tentei visualizar as possibilidades de continuidade ou não delas em meio às famílias com quem convivi. Por fim, após buscar referências teóricas para caracterizar o resultado de minhas interpretações sobre as práticas religiosas entre os japoneses, proponho abordar a concepção de ―trama‖ cultural, na qual presenciei elementos como Budismo, Xintoísmo, Confucionismo e Cristianismo em complementariedade, sem a exclusão de uma atividade pela outra.