The purpose of this research is to explore possible ways of making the Eucharistic celebration more meaningful to Catholics in Mutare diocese, Zimbabwe. The reason for this concern is that the Eucharist is the `source and summit' of the Christian life. Since inculturation is a possible means of achieving this aim of a meaningful celebration, it was found necessary in this study to examine how the Eucharist has been taught and inculturated in the Catholic Church over the years. From this It was discovered that inculturation was absent in the writings and catechesis of early Church authors and Fathers during the periods reviewed. Although an observation was made that it was indirectly implied in the Eucharistic prayers of the early Christians, it was only after a new `understanding of culture' emerged, following Vatican II, that permission was given by Rome to use local languages at Eucharistic celebrations. In the course of this study, efforts were made to determine the elements that constitute Eucharistic inculturation in Mutare diocese. These include: symbolic gestures, local languages, proverbs, enthronement, local staple food, invocation of ancestors, and others. In an empirical study to find out the extent of inculturation that has taken place in Mutare diocese, questionnaires were sent to sixteen out of twenty-four parishes in the diocese. Oral interviews were also conducted for this purpose. After analyzing the responses from respondents and those interviewed, it was discovered that some areas of inculturation have been realized, though not fully. Two outstanding areas which have not yet been realized were found to be the use of local staple food and the invocation of ancestors. The conclusion was that inculturation is not fully implemented in Mutare diocese and this impacts negatively on the celebration of the Eucharist. Eucharistic inculturation is an achievable goal in Mutare diocese, however, provided there is intensive catechesis which takes into account Shona-rich cultural values, aided by active involvement of small Christian Communities and the support of the hierarchy. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

陳明麗. / "2013年8月". / "2013 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-220). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Chen Mingli.

This doctoral thesis claims the vital significance of music in mission work, particularly from the Lutheran point of view. It, therefore, calls for a liturgical missiology which would positively affect missionary efforts, especially in the African mission context. After giving a theological foundation - the doctrine of the Trinity - and the concept of the missio Dei as its missiological basis, the thesis investigates its topic from different angles: Luther and music, music in the work of the Hermannsburg Mission in the region of the ELCSA-Western Diocese, the role of music in African culture and spirituality, some qualities of music relevant to mission and a few musical steps to approach the future of music in mission. These analyses corroborate music's importance in future Lutheran mission designed for the African context. Examining Luther's stance towards music, a strong affinity to music is recognised, both theoretically and practically. While interpreting music theologically, Luther employs music in his liturgical, educational and reforming efforts. However, the example of the Lutheran Hermannsburg Mission shows a usage of music without a proper theoretical foundation, as well as only partial efforts at contextualisation. In Africa, music plays a prominent role in the interpretation and expression of life and religion indicated in the Tswana choruses; music represents the wholeness of African existence symbolising the paradigm of harmony. Further, in mission, music's qualities, such as its cultural-social, symbolic, ritualistic and community-building qualities, support the integration of the convert into a fundamental relationship between the missio Dei and the missiones ecclesiae. With the help of a musica missionis, which includes missiological music and missionary music, the practice of future mission can be approached successfully; for instance, through the Africanisation of the Lutheran mission liturgy based on a context-musicology. Thus, a liturgically orientated theology of mission, meditating deeply on music's qualities (music being one essential element of Lutheran worship), has the potential to develop into a future liturgical missiology. This musical-liturgical approach to mission is encouraged by this thesis. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

The purpose of this research is to explore possible ways of making the Eucharistic celebration more meaningful to Catholics in Mutare diocese, Zimbabwe. The reason for this concern is that the Eucharist is the `source and summit' of the Christian life. Since inculturation is a possible means of achieving this aim of a meaningful celebration, it was found necessary in this study to examine how the Eucharist has been taught and inculturated in the Catholic Church over the years. From this It was discovered that inculturation was absent in the writings and catechesis of early Church authors and Fathers during the periods reviewed. Although an observation was made that it was indirectly implied in the Eucharistic prayers of the early Christians, it was only after a new `understanding of culture' emerged, following Vatican II, that permission was given by Rome to use local languages at Eucharistic celebrations. In the course of this study, efforts were made to determine the elements that constitute Eucharistic inculturation in Mutare diocese. These include: symbolic gestures, local languages, proverbs, enthronement, local staple food, invocation of ancestors, and others. In an empirical study to find out the extent of inculturation that has taken place in Mutare diocese, questionnaires were sent to sixteen out of twenty-four parishes in the diocese. Oral interviews were also conducted for this purpose. After analyzing the responses from respondents and those interviewed, it was discovered that some areas of inculturation have been realized, though not fully. Two outstanding areas which have not yet been realized were found to be the use of local staple food and the invocation of ancestors. The conclusion was that inculturation is not fully implemented in Mutare diocese and this impacts negatively on the celebration of the Eucharist. Eucharistic inculturation is an achievable goal in Mutare diocese, however, provided there is intensive catechesis which takes into account Shona-rich cultural values, aided by active involvement of small Christian Communities and the support of the hierarchy. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The goal for this dissertation was to research the music in liturgy and daily life of early Christians (of the first two centuries AD) and to reveal the main factors affecting the fornation of music and liturgy in the early church. Therefore the music backgrounds of the early Christians (the Jewish and Hellenistic music cultures) together with the evidences from early Christian literature (New Testament and some of the Church Fathers) have been examined. On the strength of the investigations done, the author concludes that Christianity inherited musical traditions first of all from Judaism, and later on, as it was extended to the entire Roman Empire, it was influenced by Hellenism as well. Consequently, there was not a united form of worship in early Christian church, and from the very beginning the music of different communities could vary depending on their cultural backgrounds.Thus, music life of Jewish Christianity differed from the churches consisting mainly of Christians from the Gentiles. / Cristian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (New Testament)

Dress plays an important role in Christian worship. The aim of this study is to describe the importance of dress in the South African Christian context. particularly within the Black Christian society. Two main ideas are covered: firstly. the emphasis on the use of unifonn as a factor influencing worship attendance and secondly, how a uniform affects the quality of worship. Personal investigations into various church groups in the Eastern Cape, particularly the St Anna Sodality, have indicated that specific uniforms are an essential sign of belonging to a particular church. Dress or uniforms also serve as a reminder of people's commitment to their faith. For some groups, a uniform develops a sense of identity, security and fellowship which may have been lost through past political policies. Most importantly the relationship between worship and dress can bring a transformative assertion of the self before God and fellow human beings / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This study considered indigenisation to involve a process of making the local people `feel at home' in their Church. The ministry of early catechists such as Bernard Mizeki and Frank Ziqubu was crucial in showing the fact that the Anglican Church was not necessarily a church for Europeans only, but for the indigenous people as well. After this first generation of catechists there were numerous indigenous catechists who also ministered in the Diocese of Mashonaland by way of preparing people for the different sacraments found in the Anglican Church. On the other hand the training of the indigenous people for the ordained ministry was also another significant step in the process of indigenisation in the Diocese of Mashonaland. In this regard theological institutions such as St Augustine's Seminary in Penhalonga Manicaland, St Peter's Seminary Rossettenville in Johannesburg and St John's Seminary in Lusaka provided the much needed training. This study also revealed that although the Diocese of Mashonaland had an indigenous person at its helm in 1981, it remained European in several facets of its life. Although translations as a form of indigenisation started from the beginning of the Diocese of Mashonaland and continued right up to 1981, it seems it actually crippled the local indigenous peoples' innovativeness and ingenuity. In addition indigenous musical instruments also took sometime before they could be accepted in divine worship. On the other hand local art and décor as well as local architectural expressions took time to be incorporated into the Diocese of Mashonaland. However few early European missionaries such as Arthur Shirley Cripps and Edgar Lloyd tried to implement local architecture and décor in their churches in Daramombe and Rusape respectively. This study has also established that although the Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland got indigenous leadership by 1981, its liturgy, theology as well as its Acts and Canons remained European. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Div. (Church History)

Text in German / Zusammenfassung Die Predigten zur Parusie Jesu finden im Perikopenplan der Evangelischen Landeskirche eine geringe Aufmerksamkeit. Die Thematik beschränkt sich auf das Ende, wie auf den Anfang des Kirchenjahres, genauer gesagt auf den 2. Advent. Das Thema der Parusie Jesu ist nicht unbedingt ein Hauptthema in der Predigtarbeit. Aber die Parusie Jesu ist das Hauptziel des Glaubens der Christen. Durch diese Arbeit soll der Predigtarbeit, sowie dem Thema der Parusie Jesu mehr Beachtung geschenkt werden. In dieser Arbeit wird die DDR Sozial- und Kirchengeschichte mit den Kurzbiographien der Prediger vorgestellt. Diese sind zum Teil Hintergrundinformation für die Predigtanalysen. Die Arbeit widmet sich einer Predigtanalyse zum biblischen Hintergrund und zum historischen Hintergrund der DDR, um den Stellenwert der Parusie Jesu in den Predigten zu erforschen. Die Bewertung der Predigtpraxis und die Evaluation bilden den Abschluss der Arbeit. Zusammenfassung Die Predigten zur Parusie Jesu finden im Perikopenplan der Evangelischen Landeskirche eine geringe Aufmerksamkeit. Die Thematik beschränkt sich auf das Ende, wie auf den Anfang des Kirchenjahres, genauer gesagt auf den 2. Advent. Das Thema der Parusie Jesu ist nicht unbedingt ein Hauptthema in der Predigtarbeit. Aber die Parusie Jesu ist das Hauptziel des Glaubens der Christen. Durch diese Arbeit soll der Predigtarbeit, sowie dem Thema der Parusie Jesu mehr Beachtung geschenkt werden. In dieser Arbeit wird die DDR Sozial- und Kirchengeschichte mit den Kurzbiographien der Prediger vorgestellt. Diese sind zum Teil Hintergrundinformation für die Predigtanalysen. Die Arbeit widmet sich einer Predigtanalyse zum biblischen Hintergrund und zum historischen Hintergrund der DDR, um den Stellenwert der Parusie Jesu in den Predigten zu erforschen. Die Bewertung der Predigtpraxis und die Evaluation bilden den Abschluss der Arbeit. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology))

One of the concerns of the modern Christian church and dissident groups is to ensure that the Church's fundamental doctrines, leadership, women's ministries and religious practices conform with the early apostolic church teachings. In this study the writer offers a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the modern church in the light of the early church. The case of the modern Seventhday Adventist (SDA) Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and worldwide is examined and compared, basing its survey on numerous published and unpublished documents from a combined use of primary, secondary materials and individual statements. Setting the early history of the SDA Church within the religious context of nineteenth-century America, the writer describes how SDA doctrines, leadership, women's ministries and religious practices link with those beliefs and practices in the early apostolic church, showing whether the SDA Church has departed from the early apostolic church’s Biblical, timeless principles or not. Several pertinent issues however have stirred up as much controversy in recent years within the Adventist dissident groups as that of the women’s ministries in the church, the righteousness by faith doctrine, the monarchical leadership, and various religious practices. Nevertheless, in the light of the early apostolic teaching, some enlightenment has been achieved, and several critical accusations from dissident groups were illuminated and confirmed.The accusation regarding the deterioration of Biblical doctrines appears not to have been confirmed by the Biblical evaluation and the lifestyle of the SDA believers. Rather, concerning this issue, it is confirmed that in the DRC and worldwide, the SDA Church has not departed from the fundamental doctrines of the early Apostolic church. / Thesis (D. TH. (Church History))

There is dissatisfaction with the Collects when scholastically (classically) understood. An alternative phenomenological understanding is an engaging and artistic philosophical enquiry. Phenomenological philosophical enquiry engages the individual in meaningful interpretation and construction of the life-world founded on a non-dichotomous ontology. Phenomenological enquiry (existential philosophy) interprets the present and relates to the future such as is not possible in scholastic (classical) philosophy. The early twentieth century philosophers, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, conceived a phenomenological method of interpretation which innovatively placed the subject and object in a dialectical union. Understanding the Collects phenomenologically presents new insights susceptible to consensus within a community. At present, the Collects are structured on the principles of classical (dichotomous) ontology. The Collects reflect the collective religious meaning of the life-world and provide a vision upon which a community may build. In phenomenological interpretation an individual and a community, in the presence of that which is divine, participate as co-creators of the life-world. Thus, in contemporary western society phenomenological methodology ~ay be more helpful and therefore more desirable than scholastic methodology for theological interpretation. The hypothesis that phenomenological philosophy is more helpful, thus more desirable, than scholastic philosopl1y began as a hunch on my part. From a theological perspective, I examined data obtained from a particular focus group. Intelligent reflection, phenomenologically not classically understood, is a working principle in this thesis. / Taking into account phenomenological methodology and conceptualising the problem as originally and scientifically as circumstances permit, I offer a resolution to the dissatisfaction with the Collects. I suggest replacing scholastic ontological understanding with the more helpful phenomenological ontological understanding in liturgical interpretation. This replacement-solution hypothesis is evidenced in this study minimally, but sufficiently, to conclude that such replacement is occurring in theological understanding. There are clear existential intimations of a shift from classical understanding to phenomenological understanding. The results of the survey show traditional understanding to be favoured, however. In the concluding remarks, I evaluate my findings and suggest what direction future studies may take. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)