This study is a comparative exploration of the mystical spirituality of two 16th century women, Mirabai of Rajasthan and Teresa of Avila. However different their contexts, these two women shared many commonalities. They were born into well-educated families, and very early felt a calling to God and a religious life. Perhaps most profoundly, their journeys toward union with God was spirituality enacted as subversion of traditional societal roles ascribed for women of their generation and their places. To explore the mystical spirituality of these two women is to offer a lens through which to view the distinctive ways in which each and every religion has developed, precisely in a period when globalization threatens to homogenize all traditions. Moreover, to explore the spirituality of Mira and Teresa is to illumine ways in which diverse traditions may be in mutually enriching dialogue. It is also to affirm that the transformative possibilities embodied by these women in their own traditions can catalyze transformations in many generations and places. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This dissertation is an assessment of the response of Ubunye Free Methodist Church (UFMC) of Pietermaritzburg to domestic violence in light of the mission of the church in the world as missio Dei. It was undertaken because of the suspicion that the response of this church deals with consequences of domestic violence, but leaves aside its origin and causes, thus providing an incomplete solution to deal with the complex problem. This suspicion was nurtured by my observation of what the church was doing and the knowledge of the theology of the missio Dei, one of the current understandings of the mission of the church in the world. With missio Dei, the church is understood as not having its mission as such but as participating in God’s mission. As the situation to which the church was responding relates to women’s oppression, the model of accomplishing God’s mission during oppression was drawn from the reaction of the prophets in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New Testament to the injustice and the oppression in the community. With regard to this, prophets’ and Jesus’ approach displays four main elements: envisioning a just community, standing with the oppressed, caring for the oppressed, and challenging oppressive structures. Therefore, the question this study sought to answer was: to what extent does the response of UFMC to domestic violence embody the fullness of these elements taken as characterising missio Dei? Through empirical research, these four elements have been used as yardsticks to analyse the goal, strategies and activities comprised in the UFMC’s response. Finally, the study revealed that this response fulfils three conditions as follows: envisioning a just community, standing with the oppressed, and caring for the oppressed. It falls short in the area of challenging oppressive structures. From these results, some lessons have been drawn and have served as basis to suggest how this response can be improved so as to reflect the fullness of missio Dei. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The purpose of the study is to investigate and analyse the theological, hermeneutical and, to a lesser extent, the cultural reasoning behind the prevention of women being ordained in the Evangelical Church in Zambia. The study also seeks to propose a theology that is more inclusive than the one which the church currently propagates. While the government is trying its best to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, the churches, in particular the Evangelical Church in Zambia (ECZ), are still subordinating women, using some biblical texts to defend their actions. Women in the ECZ are denied ordained ministry or prevented from living out their vocation to its fullest because of the Church‟s beliefs concerning women‟s humanity and their beliefs regarding the interpretation of Scripture. The study analyses the arguments for and against the ordination of women from the stance of Scripture and from the point of view church tradition. The study further looks at the ecclesiological and hermeneutical principles of the ECZ on which the ordained ministry to women is denied. The study establishes that the refusal of women‟s ordination is based on the creation story in Genesis and on Pauline teachings which indicate that women may not have authority over men and which demand their submission in life and in the church. The study also established that the arguments against the ordination of women from the church tradition are based on the secular pagan prejudice which considers women as inferior by nature, in a state of punishment and ritually unclean. The ECZ continues to follow this tradition. The conclusion emphasised the need for the ECZ to research the Scriptures and tradition for imagery of human wholeness. / Thesis (M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This study is designed to assess the role of the Rwandan Presbyterian Church in women’s empowerment using a case study of the Agaseke Project in Ruyumba Parish. Women in Ruyumba area, like other parts of the country, have been affected by the genocide which happened in Rwanda in 1994. The country lost human and material resources. Today Rwanda is in the process of rebuilding. The majority of the population are women and more that 34 percent of families are headed by women. It is a challenge to the church that carries out God’s mission in the world. The Presbyterian Church as God’s agent had to take initiatives to empower women who live in vulnerable contexts due to the consequences of genocide. They are also oppressed by patriarchal culture. Through training in various seminars and workshops the Church has contributed to the social transformation of Ruyumba Parish in Rwanda. The research question of this study was to assess in what ways the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda has responded to women’s empowerment through the Agaseke Project in Ruyumba Parish. The methodology used in order to attempt to answer this question was sharing stories with women involved in Agaseke Project. Through discussions, it was discovered that women have the potential to improve their livelihoods. From what the study show, it can be said that women have natural gifts imparted to them by God. The gifts that women have can change the Church and society’s attitudes bounded by patriarchal biases against women, which considers women as second-class citizens in participating fully in developmental agendas of the society. In the conclusion of this study, it was argued that the Church needs to renew and transform its mission toward gender equality in order to change the hierarchy. This would lead to the formation of partnership between men and women as women are perceived as created equally in the image of God. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This study was a part of a baseline research within ARHAP on going studies into the relationship between religion and public health. It examined the nature and function of Religious Health Assets that were identified through the activities of Mission Aviation Fellowship- Lesotho; an FBO providing aircraft transport to the Lesotho Flying Doctor Services (LFDS). The basic finding was the critical role FBOs activities play in the provision of health care in Lesotho. The study drew from 6 open-ended narrative interviews by key informants who contributed to the Home Based Care Project (HBCP) facilitated by MAF and the fieldwork research of 3 one week stays in the remote mountain villages of Lesotho based at different Health Care Centres where MAF has HBCPs over a period of nine months. The analysis revealed that FBOs occupy a crucial role in the delivery of Health care in Lesotho. The networks that FBOs align themselves with can be trans-national, tapping into RHAs that beneficiaries would otherwise have no access to. The ubiquity of religion in African livelihoods was confirmed to be an important factor in how Basotho engage health provision and seeking strategies. The mobilisation of community members for voluntary participation in maintaining community well being drew the agency of some members which seems to tap into the altruistic values of ‘ubuntu’ and ‘sense of community’. The concepts encompassed in bophelo healthworlds offered us insights into the symbiotic strategies necessary to tackle the multi-faceted health challenges facing developing countries. An integrated approach that draws from the holistic constructs offered in indigenous conceptions of being can be utilised to significantly transform our praxis in religion and public health. The dissertation confirmed ARHAP’s notions that assets and capacities need alignment within and among the different stake holders to harness the various factors for maximum benefit. The development and maintenance of well being in developing countries has been critically deficient in the face of challenges posed by civil wars, bad governance and HIV and AIDS. Health care providers are thus called to not only effectively implement their planned programmes, but to re-visit the structures, policies and ideologies that influence them. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Since the reformation, from the seventeenth century onwards, the christian church has evangelised through missionary activity. Church growth has been rapid in the second half of the twentieth century, particularly in third world countries. This phenomenon has given rise to the development of Missiology and the Study of Church growth as independerit; fields of theology. In this dissertation, the historically unpreledented growth of the Korean Church has been analyzed as singularly important model for Church Growth Theology. This study is concerned with the relationship between Church Growth and Shamanism as the traditional Korean Religion. It focuses on special elements of Korean Church Growth, including the translation of the Bible prior to the entry of missionaries, the astounding numerical growth of Church membership, and the prominence of Christians in social and political structures. The contribution of specific social conditions, pastoral zeal, and 'early prayer' and Bible study movements to Church growth are examined. More important, however, is the influence of elements of Shamanism in establishing Christianity as a popular religion. The affinities between Christian Doctrine and Shamanistic practices, in particular, the decisive role of Shaman, are explored, and both the positive and negative aspects of the melding of the two religions identified. While the increasing power and wealth of the Korean Church and the remarkable capacity for self-prorogation have been manifested in its extensive missionary programmes, the principle task confronting the church is how to dispel the compromising or damaging features of Shamanism from Korean Christianity. Since similar problems occur in other world Churches which encounter indigenous religions in the process of evangelism, it is hope that this hesitation will eliminate possible accommodations, between Christianity and traditional beliefs, and provide a basis for subsequent studies of Church Growth. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1993.

SUMMARY OF THE THESIS Pastoral therapy is placed within the context of post modernity. Pastoral therapy for occult troubled adolescents can take place only if the Bible is the point of departure. The implication of this is that the therapeutic model is structured within a diaconiological epistemology. This implies a critical stance towards Practical Theology as well as postmodern epistemological therapies. It also means that the use of certain therapeutic strategies must comply with the diaconiological epistemology as point of departure. Pastoral theology must never become secular. The postmodern critique on modernism is plausible but the negative influence of the New Age movement on postmodernism must be emphasized. Qualified postmodernism is however, maintained. The pastoral therapy may use postmodern strategies without accepting assumptions such as relativism. The epistemology of the diaconiological approach, with the Bible as point of departure, is accepted rather than Practical Theology. For this reason the poimenetic models and postmodern epistemologies may be used for pastoral therapy provided the reformed aspects of Biblical truth, covenant orientation and redemption occupy center stage. The research methodology has looked at the pastoral therapy of occult troubled adolescents by means of a reformed dogma. The semantic clarification assists the therapist to eliminate misunderstandings regarding problems in the field of occult related phenomena. It is necessary for the therapist to establish the nature of his or her client�s involvement in occultism. Clients may sometimes feel bound because of a certain psychopathological problem. The pastoral therapist has the responsibility to discern these symptoms from occult manifestations by means of a process of elimination. Therefore the therapeutic process may have a different approach. It won�t help using conventional pastoral strategies. Rather a pastoral process of proclaiming the Gospel message in conjunction with a ministry of deliverance must be undertaken when symptoms of occult manifestations are diagnosed. If drug abuse is prevalent in the client, he or she needs to be rehabilitated while the therapist is included in the multi-professional team. The therapist must take note of the scope of adolescence as well as the pastoral therapeutic markers for adolescent personality and behaviour. The therapist must acquire a working knowledge of delinquency, peer groups and subcultures. The elements of an occult subculture have been distinguished. In the phenomenological study reasons for involvement with occult subcultures have been established. In general the findings of the media search had the same correlation with the findings of the phenomenological study. Mention was made of cases where the pastoral intervention had no success. The profiles of adolescents who can be helped involve those who commit themselves to both a spiritual growth programme and pastoral therapy. The multi-professional approach is part of this commitment. The insights of the semantic discussion and both the nature of adolescence and subcultures as well as the research results of the empirical study, pastoral therapy may use the theoretical results in the basis theory to minister to the occult troubled adolescent. In the use of the poimenetic principles the therapist must take particular note of psychopathology and anxiety disorders. Especially post-traumatic stress disorder is to be highlighted. Therefore the pastoral therapeutic intervention towards occult troubled adolescents needs to incorporate trauma counselling. The guidelines for therapists concerning survivors of sexual abuse must be incorporated within the pastoral therapeutic framework. In conclusion the pastoral process must be highlighted for adolescents who were trafficking in occult subcultures. KEYWORDS Pastoral therapy Diaconiological Occult subcultures Satanism Adolescents Counselling Deliverance Spiritual warfare Demon possession Occultism

This 'dance' of study gives us, both the researcher as and reader, the opportunity to take part in the 'dancing movement' of pastoral therapy with grieving parents after traumatic child death. The 'pastoral therapeutic dance' becomes the existential participation in parentsâ life struggle to co-search for an escape of traumatic child death in the light of Godâs story. The conversations that took place in the therapeutic processes served as mediation between God and grieving parents. Through these conversations God entered grieving parentsâ existential needs and met them with new hope. In three 'pastoral therapeutic dances' I saw myself as an instrument of Godâs love which includes the all-inclusive actions of various kinds; thus, all the actions and reactions in word and deed between therapist, grieving parents and God within the therapeutic conversation. This love made me a conversational partner with a wider circumspect attitude; a more humble approach; a deeper sensitivity to mystery, miracle and meaning, and a higher respect for grieving parents within a person-centred framework. The therapeutic approach that highlights the importance of language and meaning, and simultaneously moves away from a mechanistic, reductionist and deterministic method with a tendency to reify the social status quo and power hierarchies, is Narrative Therapy. Narrative Therapy is based on the postmodern epistemological framework of qualitative research. This view represents movement away from definitive conclusions and labels based on taken-for-granted assumptions. As a postmodern researcher, I see my main task as discovering, by means of a process of interpretation, the patterns of meaning that emerged from the observation and examination of grieving couplesâ words, actions and records. The process of discovering is on the way, and is always as if not yet plainly understood, and relies on the clues that were given. I present those patterns of meaning in this 'dance' of study as close to the construction of the world as the participant grieving parents originally experienced it. I remained the participant-observer and the participant-manager throughout the therapeutic conversations without becoming the expert who took charge of the therapeutic conversations by influencing them in a particular direction or towards a certain outcome, or who analysed and diagnosed on the basis of what should and what should not. However, the grieving couples remained the experts of their own stories and meanings: they were encouraged to accept responsibility for their own lives by acting on their own behalf according to their own capabilities, capacities, resources and strengths. By means of Narrative Therapy, grieving parents were enabled through externalisation and deconstruction, to separate themselves from their problem-saturated dominant stories that had been constitutive of their lives and relationships after traumatic child death. Problems only survive and thrive when they are supported and backed by particular truths and beliefs from the dominant cultural discourses within the family of origin or within the broader social context such as gender specifications based on cultural stereotyped norms, or cultural specifications and expectations on how bereaved parents should grieve appropriately. However, these constraints within parentsâ marriage relationships were overcome. Gradually, a new story was co-created and a new reality began to emerge. As an alternative dominant story became rooted in parentsâ imaginations, it took over and had no end. This new direction was built upon unique outcomes and was dependent on parents who assumed responsibility for the problem, for new choices in their lives and for pursuing new possibilities. The new alternative dominant story was also dependent on parentsâ ability to become engaged in emotional patterns and interactions that are based on the Biblical view of the 'dance' of marriage. In this 'dance' of study it was found that parentsâ new alternative dominant story after traumatic child death developed by means of Narrative Therapy towards a new emotional attachment between them as marriage partners. Thereby, as soon as gender differences were balanced, and parents were liberated from other taken-for-granted truths of the broader social culture and their families of origin, a meaningful and alternative marital discourse emerged. The pastoral trauma therapist, as a conversational artist, had to facilitate a therapeutic dialogue that had the ability to direct the 'dance' towards a happy ending.

Recently meditation and visualization have acquired some prominence in the media. This has given rise to the question whether meditation and visualization can be used in pastoral therapy. Can right brain methods be employed to a larger extent in pastoral therapy and can meditation and visualization play a role in this? Traditionally churches have regarded meditation with some scepticism. This study investigated whether meditation and visualization can be regarded as Biblically sound, and whether Church history tells us more about the early use of visualization and meditation. Pastoral methods were investigated to establish an epistemology which could serve as an approach. The models investigated were: Heitinkâs bipolar model, Clinebellâs eductive model, Louwâs convergence model and the narrative model. An eclectic approach was preferred with meditation and visualization being used as components within the combined application of all the above models. Brain functions play their part in meditation and visualization. The function of inter alia the reptile brain was discussed. It was concluded that meditation and visualization assist in converting the brainâs fight or flee reaction. It was also observed that during meditation brainwaves are in the Alpha phase which makes the brain susceptible to suggestion. This is why meditation ahead of visualization is important in order to prepare the brain for suggestion. Development tasks incumbent on the early adolescent were investigated. General characteristics of Generation X were delineated. A possible method was proposed where meditation and visualization were used as components of pastoral therapy. This method was applied to five clients.

This thesis addresses the fundamental problem of whether Jesus Christ can still be thought to be that very decisive, absolute and unsurpassable revelation of God. And you may rightly ask: If this is the case, then what has gone so drastically wrong about that which was taken for granted for so long in the Christian world? The truth of the matter is that today Christianity is remembered mostly by its systematic destruction of the other-me than by its perennial preaching of love of neighbour. Yet only yesterday Christianity seemed to make the whole world go round as âthe only reliable religionâ capable of answering adequately the very deep spiritual recesses of the human heart and human finitude in general. Today that privileged position has drastically changed. Christianityâs traditional bold claim of being a unique kairos moment in human affairs, in which Godâs self-communication cannot be surpassed in anyway by any other religion, is seriously challenged. But lovers of this religion or this âNew Way of Lifeâ, with their immense faith; and in their hope against hope, refuse to throw in the towel no matter the cost. They are now doing their level best to save authentic Christianity from the systematic and rigorous onslaught, which opposes the Christ event as a âvery specia l and absoluteâ theological locus classicus in human affairs. While these concerned, honest and committed Christians try to restore the healing face of the Christian faith, critics of religion (with their many faces), especially those of the Democratic Rule, give them sleepless and anxious nights. Indifference among the latter towards âwho Jesus Christ isâ is well pronounced; while confusion, divisions and scandals among the former about how Jesus Christ ought to be understood, are today well documented and are making headlines on regular intervals in the media and even within churches themselves. This research joins these lovers of Christianity by proposing an alternate route in answering the perennial double question: âWho do people say that I am?â and âWho do you say that I am?â (cf. Mk 8:27-30). This alternate route is built on Godâs Promises to Abraham without whom the universal uniqueness of Jesus the Christ = the Messiah would be concealed, disfigured and seriously betrayed. Godâs Promises to humanity through Abraham are the historical theological foundation of human salvation in all its mysterious beauty. And within this amazing mystery of Godâs Plan of our salvation, Sarah, Hagar, Mary, and Khadija 1 , equally play a crucial role. In addressing this problem of Jesusâ uniqueness in the totality of human history, this thesis contrasts and juxtaposes three pillars of authentic revelation namely, the reality of our fallen human nature, the incarnation of the Christ = the awaited Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth, and Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), to date, as the last Witness (Prophet) of Godâs revelation. These trinitarian pillars of our salvation are firstly pressed and shaken together, and are then put into a serious healing tension with each other for the enrichment of all peoples of the human race. The thesis argues strongly that the universal salvific truth lies in the fact that the theological watershed of human salvation has already been sealed irreversibly between Godâs covenant with Abraham and Godâs covenant with humanity at Pentecost; and that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is the last reliable Testament/Witness of this universal, historical truth. Constantinian Christianity, in its many faces, is here held responsible for corrupting this universal truth up to our own time. Byzantine, papal and colonial evangelism will go down in history as the most heretical and corruptive Christian traditions that have ever emanated from that Constantinian Christianity. This thesis concludes by calling all Christians of goodwill from Orthodox, Protestant and Roman catholic communities firstly to authentic acceptance of Kubler-Ross, and then repentance of John the Baptist in order to stop the further corrupting of Jesusâ name where it is still being used to mean anything, everything and nothing today and beyond. The sin of Supersessionism, the sin of Hagarism and the sin of ecclesiastical timocracy (idolatrous sin of seeking first the kingdom of the Church), are here exposed as heresies and setbacks in the universal enrichment of all peoples of the human race. These are sins that have systematically concealed, disfigured and seriously betrayed (like Judas) the true universal meaning of âwho Jesus of Nazareth really isâ concerning the salvation of every human being from primordia l time of the Fall to our generation of today and beyond.