The worship service of the Yoruba Baptist Churches of the Nigerian Baptist Convention reflects the Western ways of life. The Nigerian Baptist pastors are oriented from the seminary where suits and ties are the official dress for ministration, the teaching of theology is Western oriented, many of the worship services are conducted in English language, most brides and bridegrooms often put on Western clothes during their wedding ceremonies and Western music and musical instruments are used to the detriment of the indigenous ones. Most of the African ways of life are not encouraged. Consequently, the worshippers are alienated, confused, disoriented and dissatisfied. This alienation is the result of what I describe in this research as ‘psychological slavery’.In this research, I argue that the Yoruba Baptist Christian of Nigeria, like other tribes in the world, have their cultural heritage which ought to be used in the place of the foreign elements/materials of worshipping the Lord. Some of the elements/materials I emphasize in this research include akara (local cake) and sobo drink (juice extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa) in the place of bread and wine for Eucharist, indigenous clothes for the pastors and couples in the place of Western clothes during ministration and the wedding service respectively, indigenous music and musical instruments, oriki Olodumare (God praise-name) and the use of the Yoruba command-language in prayer. The aim of this thesis is to propose a contextual form of worship whereby the Yoruba Baptist Christians have a holistic worship fulfilled within their socio-religio-cultural context.

MA (African Studies) / Department of African Studies / According to St Paul in his letter to the Romans (13:1-7), the governing authorities (vharangaphanda) in the society should be respected, submitted to and honoured. A key word in the text is pason psuche meaning that every living soul should be subjected to rulers on earth. This philosophy has been interpreted a number of times and there are a number of commentaries about it. Interestingly, the very same philosophy was subjected to fierce debates and discussions during the South African apartheid time when whites expected blacks to submit to them although they never cared about them. The debates centred on the moral basis of subjecting oneself to a morally questionable and corrupt authority. The aim of this study is to reflect on the text with Lwamondo Tshivenda speaking congregants or readers using the local Tshivenda language and idiomatic expressions when reading this text. The methodology for this research will be based on qualitative research design using the Contextual Bible Study and Ethnography instruments for data collection. The main objective is to find out whether the state should be guided by the church or the church by the state in matters of vhurangaphanda and protocol. / NRF

Since the 1960’s there has been a marked increase in the number of known conversions from Islam to Christianity. This thesis asks whether certain of these ex-Muslim Christians engage in the process of theology-making and, if so, it asks what these theologies claim to know about God and humans’ relation to God. Utilizing the dialectic of contextuality-contextualization of Shoki Coe, and the sociology of theological knowledge of Robert Schreiter, the thesis seeks to answer these questions by the use of two case studies and an examination of some of the texts written by ex-Muslim Christians. Lewis Rambo’s theory of religious conversion and Steven Lukes’ theory of power will be used to clarify the changing dynamics of power which have helped to foster modern contexts wherein an unprecedented number of Muslims are both exposed to the Christian message and, if they choose to do so, able to appropriate it through religious conversion. The two case studies are of a Christian community which founded a Muslim-background church in the Arabophone world and some Iranian Christian congregations in the USA and UK Diaspora. Aspects of the contexts of these believers are investigated in some detail, including motives for religious conversion, numbers and locations of the converts, how apostates may be treated by Muslims, changes in migration and communications, and the Christian concept of religious conversion. The concept of inculturation which helps to describe the meeting of a specific community with the Christian message will aid in analyzing the communities and individuals being studied. The final chapter brings together the various threads which have been raised throughout the thesis and argues that ex-Muslim Christians are engaged in theology-making, that areas of interest to them include theology of the church, salvation and baptism, and that the dominant metaphor in these theologies is a conceptualization of love and power that sees the two divine traits as inseparable from each other; they represent a knowledge about who God is and what he is like, which, in their understanding, is irreconcilable with their former religion, Islam.

The thesis compares the structure of the theological responses of Martin Luther and contextual theologies , especially those of Juan Luis Segundo and Albert Nolan. The structure of the theologies are described using concepts derived from the methodologies of research programmes developed by Imre Lakatos. The social and ideological background of the ruling ideology of Luther's time (medieval Catholicism) and that of contextual theologies (neo-colonial capitalism) are presented . Parallels are found in that the ruling ideology utilises a monopoly on legitimating authority to orientate the life energies of people to achieving legitimation in terms of norms set up by the ruling class. These norms result in a an exchange of work for legitimation, and so exploit people. This constitutes an 'in and up' theology: Resources are drawn in in order to climb up to a position of legitimation . Both Luther and contextual theologies respond by reversing this pattern, decoupling legitimation from the norms of the ruling class and the work of people. They constitute 'down and out' theologies: God, the legitimator, is down with people, and because legitimation is given freely to people down where they are, energies flow out to serve the common good. Dissimilarities between Luther and Contextual Theologies are found in the locus of legitimation (individual vs. social), the role of faith, and the negative heuristic (dialectic of the cross vs. transformation of the system). It is argued that the difference in negative heuristic is mainly responsible for the perennial nature and conservatism of Lutheran Theology versus the rapid demise of South African contextual theology. The results of the investigation show that the conceptual structure of Lakatos' epistemology, coupled with an analysis of the flow of legitimation and orientation, is useful in structuring and evaluating theological systems on the questions where does legitimation come from, where to does the theology orientate, and how are orientation and legitimation linked. These questions may be seen as a new way of formulating the lawl gospel distinction of classical Lutheran theology. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

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The title of this thesis is Christ in Tropical Africa - in the Tension Between Identity and Relevance. Within a few years Africa will be the greatest Christian continent, and African Christianity will then no longer see itself as a mere continuation of Western Christianity. On the threshold of the 21st Century, this insight challenges Christian theology and missiology which have for a long time answered the helm of the Western missionary movements. This contribution to the scholarly debate on cultural and religions identity issues deals with the question how the recent development ought to be integrated in a systematic reflection, and how Africans - especially African theologians - themselves attempt to highlight the necessity of a relevant and authentic African Christianity and theology. The post-colonial and partly post-missionary era has resulted in a sense of departure and transition which has created space for a renewed and adjusted conception of the question of identity. This dissertation present a critical discourse on African themes and questions concerning identity issues in the perspectives of studies in the areas of theology, anthropology, philosophy, and religion. The discourse shows the complexity of what is called identity, africanity etc. and threw critical light on a tendency of making generalizations and constructions. Dangers of constructions of which Christian African theologians have not always been sufficiently conscious. The interdisciplinary perspective of this study is widening the question of identity while it still constitutes a hermeneutical key to understand the concerns of Christian theology in the tropical part of Africa. African theology is situated in the tension between identity and relevance. This become obvious in African christological proposals. The thesis put a critical test question to the theologians who have contributed with new Christ-titles and -models: Have they both managed to give grounds for the significance of christology for human freedom and identity (the relevance of christology), and at the same time secured the continuity and agreement with the original theological content of christology (the identity of christology in the New Testament)? The question can only partly be answered affirmatively. In some cases the actual understanding of life and conception of reality in a certain context provides the decisive criterion in the interpretation of Biblical concepts and christological titles. This creates hermeneutic problems which are dealt with in the close of the thesis. / <p>Contains an English summary</p>

In this dissertation an attempt has been made to investigate the means by which God is at work in our world. The researcher has acted on the assumption that God rules in our world, but investigates the content of such a belief. The question whether God acts in our world from a basis of control, or from a motivation of shared interest is currently brought to the surface. Istrumental is the use of Critical Theory to investigate the above mentioned problem. With this instument oppressive perspectives (paternalistic views) are identified and unmasked as well as new perspectives (stewardship) implemented. Biblical stewardship seems to be a perspective on how God wants to use the local church to assist in his plan of salvation for those in need. Authority with others rather over others seems to be the stewardship strategy God wants us to participate in. / In hierdie verhandeling word ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop God in die wereld betrokke is (Missio Dei). Daar word uitgegaan van die veronderstelling dat God in die wereld regeer en wat hierdie navorsing poog om te verstaan hoe God in die wereld regeer. Die problematiek wat deurgaans in hierdie studie hanteer word, hou verband met die vraag of God vanuit 'n beheerstelsel (pantokratiese stelsel) in die wereld betrokke is en of sy werksaamhede eerder vanuit 'n bestuurstelsel (oikonomos) verstaan moet word. In 'n poging om bogenoemde probleem op te los word gebruik gemaak van die Kritiese Teorie. Met hierdie instrument word enersyds gepoog om onderdrukkende perspektiewe (soos God as Pantokrator) te weerle, wat onderdrukkende ideologie instand hou. Andersyds word die Kritiese Teorie as instrument gebruik om alternatiewe te ondersoek (soos God as bestuurder van ons heil) wat nuwe perspektiewe daar kan stel. Bybelse rentmeesterskap hou gevoglik daarmee verband dat God die mens/kerk medeverantwoordelik maak in bogenoemde bestuursproses ten einde God se Missio Dei deelnemend te bestuur. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

The research started in a school context where the teachers were severely affected by the changes in and closing of their school. In my qualitatively based research project, I embarked with the research participants on a pastoral, narrative- and appreciative inquiry approach which assist the teachers to deal more efficiently with the effects of the changes they experienced. By sharing and reflecting on their stories, a climate that's conducive to their well-being was constructed. I describe how my participatory action research invited the teachers to be active research participants, who are responsible for their own construction of richer or alternative meanings in their lives. / Practical theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Title in English and Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In this dissertation an attempt has been made to investigate the means by which God is at work in our world. The researcher has acted on the assumption that God rules in our world, but investigates the content of such a belief The question whether God acts in our world from a basis of control, or from a motivation of shared interest is currently brought to the surface. Instrumental is the use of Critical Theory to investigate the above mentioned problem. With this instrument oppressive perspectives (paternalistic views) are identified and unmasked as well as new perspectives (stewardship) implemented. Biblical stewardship seems to be a perspective on how God wants to use the local church to assist in his plan of salvation for those in need. Authority with others rather over others seems to be the stewardship strategy God wants us to participate in. / In hierdie verhandeling word ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop God in die wereld betrokke is (Missio Dei). Daar word uitgegaan van die veronderstelling dat God in die wereld regeer en wil hierdie navorsing poog om te verstaan hoe God in die wereld regeer. Die problematiek wat deurgaans in hierdie studie hanteer word, hou verband met die vraag of God vanuit 'n beheerstelsel (pantokratiese stelsel) in die wereld betrokke is en of sy werksaamhede eerder vanuit 'n bestuurstelsel (oikonomos) verstaan moet word. In 'n poging om bogenoemde probleem op te los word gebruik gemaak van die Kritiese Teorie. Met hierdie instrument word enersyds gepoog om onderdrukkende perspektiewe (soos God as Pantokrator) te weerle, wat onderdrukkende ideologie instand hou. Andersyds word die Kritiese Teorie as instrument gebruik om alternatiewe te ondersoek (soos God as bestuurder van ons heil) wat nuwe perspektiewe daar kan stel. Bybelse rentmeesterskap hou gevolglik daarmee verband dat God die mens/kerk medeverantwoordelik maak in bogenoemde bestuursproses ten einde God se Missio Dei deelnemend te bestuur. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.(Missiology)