Research suggests that there is a relationship between religion and business ethics. When looking at the South African society and the statistics that says that 80 percent of the population is Christian but on the other hand we are confronted within this country with increasing incidents of corruption in private companies as well as in public services. Why would that be the case? This study seeks to understand if Christianity or the local church really makes an impact on the lives of its members. The research starts of by looking at behaviour in general and what constitute to good ethical decision-making. In the study on Christian ethics it becomes clear that there is a strong appeal in the Bible on ethical behaviour. The Bible goes as far as to claim that, when in a relationship with the Lord, the followers will show His character in the way they live at home and the way they behave and make ethical decisions at the workplace. This study used focus groups to research the role of the local church in changing behaviour. The study finds that Christianity per se does not change the behaviour of church members. The church members‘ definition of the church largely determines the impact the church will have on their lives. In the study on the Christian ethics it was clear that ethics were seen as something that was formed in communities and not by rules or regulations. It was not a case of people telling others what to do and what not. It was more a case of mentors that helped others to live differently in community with others. The study finds that when the local church is build on relationships and if there is a strong sense of community, the church has a huge impact on the lives of its members. This suggests that the local church should be more focused on strong and intimate relationships and not so much on the church as organisation or institute. This is also important for the businesses that will employ these members because they will make better ethical decisions.

The purpose of this research project was to establish in what way Christian entrepreneurs, in this case owner-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, drew on their Christian faith – as an identity-creating construct – in the day-to-day running of their businesses. Religion was identified as one of the significant contributing elements that form part of individuals’ underlying values that are used to make numerous value-based decisions. Because SME owner-managers that adhere to the Christian faith constitute a fairly large segment of society in the Western World, a study of this nature can be regarded as a worthwhile undertaking that provides valuable insights related to how and to what extent this particular group of economic actors merge religious convictions with business operations. The research was set up in such a way that SME owner-managers in South Africa, who were self-proclaimed Christians and broadly defined as members of the Protestant tradition, constituted the sample participants. The methodology regarded as most suitable was a qualitative, grounded-theory approach whereby interviews were conducted along the lines of a semi-structured interview schedule. An openended exploratory strategy was adopted that allowed respondents to convey their thoughts and ideas pertaining to the research phenomenon from their personal perspectives. A number of conceptual and linguistic frames offered by the respondents – that gave language to the way they rationalised their faith in the context of managing their businesses – were recorded. A total of sixteen major themes and an additional eight sub-themes emerged from the data. The themes recorded and analysed were: faith, grace, calling, stewardship, kingdom, holiness, discipleship, discernment, love, relationship, anointing, inseparable dimensions of life, the Christian life journey, money, cultural perspectives and biblical principles, including the centrality of the Bible, integrity and honesty, sowing and reaping, humility, forgiveness, power of the tongue, importance of prayer and the centrality of Christ. The research findings revealed that a correct understanding of the Christian identity as well as a correct application thereof is crucial in successfully incorporating Christian ideals in the market. Full integration of the Christian identity plus an internalisation of God’s purposes and principles create an inner sense of direction that is less focused on external moral guidelines and codes of conduct – the phrase living from the inside out’ seems appropriately fitting to describe a group of economic actors who pursue their business careers with a sense of calling coupled with a belief that their commercial whereabouts are distinctively linked to a transcendent objective. In addition, general business administration guidelines, where the issue of religious affiliation per se is of no particular consequence, allow for the integration of the value concepts uncovered through the study by way of the corporate governance framework as contained in the King III report – particularly with reference to business practice interventions related to the formulation and implementation of core organisational values and moral codes.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Development Studies by coursework and research report to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2018 / Nigerian charismatic Pentecostalism has become a permanent feature of South African urban society. This Pentecostalism has had considerable influence on local churches in South Africa. Nigerian Pentecostal churches have also greatly influenced how other churches in South Africa respond to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This study sought to understand how these South African churches that are linked to Nigerian Pentecostalism are responding to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. To achieve this objective, the researcher conducted an ethnographic study at the Church for Christ Ministries (CFC) based in Johannesburg. This church has strong connections to the famous Nigerian charismatic leader TB Joshua. Results from this study show that, the use of media technology has become an integral part of the CFC’s efforts against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The CFC combined together their doctrinal teachings and HIV and AIDS programmes with the use of media technology, to address the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Johannesburg. These doctrinal teachings and programmes have been merged with the use of video-media technologies to come up with a formidable response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Johannesburg. The study combined together Michel Foucault’s concept of biopower and Erving Goffman’s concepts of stigma and the dramaturgical perspectives, to come up with a framework that can be used to understand the impact of merging video media technology to existing church strategies against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This study made use of a qualitative research design. Data was collected using interviews, participant observations, document analysis, reviewing of video footage and review of the church’s Facebook page. Snowball, purposive sampling and Facebook sampling were utilized as sampling techniques by the researcher. Finally, the study made use of thematic content analysis as a way of analysing data. / TL (2019)

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Approved for public release, distribution unlimited / Since the early 20th century, persons across the Muslim world have attempted to move their society toward a more religious Islamic path. They have attempted to form political parties and participate in elections, only to be marginalized and repressed. Some have reacted violently, carrying out attacks against government officials and other targets. Typically a cycle of violence, repression and political exclusion transpires. Democratic reform is not uncomplicated. Both practical considerations and moral ones demand changes in the policies of both the United States and Egypt. The Egyptian government's electoral engineering and interference does not go unnoticed by the world and undermines the legitimacy of the government to its own citizens and the world community alike. Co-opting moderate Islamists may seem threatening to President Mubarak as well as to Western countries, whose public continues to embrace Orientalist ideas. This study maintains that when moderate Islamists are allowed to participate in politics, they will restrain their stances regarding strict interpretations of Islam, as have the New Islamists in Egypt. The alternative is the status quo, which aside from being immoral in terms of personal liberty is also not workable for those desiring stability in the Middle East. / Major, United States Air Force

Thesis advisor: O. Ernesto Valiente / Thesis advisor: Margaret E. Guider / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

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