Masters Degrees (Practical Theology)

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  • ItemOpen Access
    Contextual preaching within the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa
    (University of the Free State, 2002-05) Kofa, Moeti Johannes; KeIlerman, J. S.
    English: Summary of contextual preaching within the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa. This research has proved that preaching is very essential. It is not just an oration that a person or preacher can give to listeners. This means it is very dynamic, and it needs the whole commitment when one is preaching. Not everybody can preach. It comes from God to the listeners and it should be Christ centered. God makes use of the preachers to fuifiii and execute His will. The message delivered by the preacher is not his, but belongs to God himself. A preacher is a messenqer, As a messenger should always adhere to what the prophets said when saying, that whatever they say is from God. This means that a preacher who is to deliver the Word of God to the listeners should be a person who has been called to carry out God's message. That category is a category of legitimate messengers of God. They are spiritually driven. They are also guided by the type of training they have received from their theological training institutes. So preaching is not just an easy thing to do, its modus operandi needs some certain knowledgeable information, a commitment and self-determination. The study has revealed that the relevant and effective preaching, as well as the contextual preaching is essential to the lives of today's people, as such preachers should adopt to bring contextual preachinq to the congregations they are going to preach for. Scriptural It is explicit that there is no relevant preaching unless it emanates from the Holy Scripture itself. This means that the Holy Scripture characterizes both the relevant and contextual preaching. To reinforce preaching itself, a preacher should make use of supplimentaries like commentaries, literatures and any other relevant resources. Historical A relevant and contextual preaching is the one that a preacher does not regard him as a founder. This means that a preacher is not an alpha and omega in this regard. This is a continuation that he received from his predecessors. He should acknowledge that thecongregation he is preaching for does not receive the Word of God for the first time. Through the historical background in theology it is clear that some of them have been exposed to the Word of God long ago. Language God created His people in diversity of races and languages. This has been done through His good will. The Word of God should be conveyed to the people in the language they will understand. Due to this reason a preaching will remain a contextual preaching to the listeners. Culture The Word of God was brought to the people of multicultural believes. This means that they have accepted it in collaboration with their different cultures. The diversity of different cultures should not be regarded as detrimental to preaching. Pastoral The training of pastors should be contextual and relevant to the prevailing circumstances of the new South Africa. The pastors should adopt themselves positively with the prevailing situations in which their congregations live. Theological The most important aspect in this regard is that a preaching that is brought to the people should also be educative to those people who are going to receive it as the Word of God.
  • ItemOpen Access
    'n Ondersoek na die rol van lidmate in die proses van rou
    (University of the Free State, 2000-03) Kloppers, Abraham Lodewickus; Potgieter, M. C.
    English: The bereaved find themselves dependent on the comfort and support of friends, family and parishioners after the loss of a loved one. Few other sources of support plays such an important roll within the first days and weeks after a loss. Professional counselors are usually only consulted in cases of complicated mourning. Literature on the process of mourning is hardly ever read by the bereaved within the first weeks due to the state of shock in which they find themselves. The way in which the bereaved are comforted can either have a negative (frustrating) or positive (facilitating) impact on the resolution of their grief. Comforting can have a negative effect in cases where the bereaved are denied ample opportunities of expressing their grief and encouraged to overcome their grief as soon as possible. This happens when explanatory interpretations and platitudes are offered instead of compassion. This is often done by theologizing, rationalizing or minimizing the loss. Parishioners can play a positive roll in the facilitation of the process of mourning if they have better perception of the griefwork that needs to be done by the bereaved to resolve their grief. Presence, a willingness to listen and the validation of a person's loss could make a meaningful and comforting contribution towards resolution. The study focuses on: Biblical coordinates concerning death, God's will and comforting by fellow believers; a literature study on the process of mourning and effective means of support and comforting; a qualitative investigation as to how the bereaved experience support; and a concept manual with guidelines for comforting the bereaved.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Healing of shame in the Christian faith community: a Korean perspective
    (University of the Free State, 2006-11) Park, Chin-Tae; Janse van Rensburg, Johan
    English: The purpose of this study is to identify the shame that Koreans suffer from, and suggest that pastoral caregivers and the Christian faith community, in a Korean context, can help the recovery of the fragmented or depleted self, which has been caused by shame experiences, through forgiveness and acceptance by grace, by creating a healthy autonomy as the foundation of healthy growth and through the Christian faith community as a healing agent and healing ground. For the benefit of this study, the second chapter illustrates the phenomenon of shame. In this chapter, there is a discussion of a basic understanding of shame in the light of a phenomenological perspective and a psychological perspective. We find that shame is a source of a pathogenic force in the development and maintenance of various clinical disorders. In chapter three, the discussion focuses on Koreans’ experiences of shame in the light of a socio-cultural perspective and the Korean family system. It is pointed out, that in Korea, people learn to know shame in their earliest, most influential educational institution, the family. This occurs through “poisonous pedagogy” and/or “shame-bound parenting” or “toxic parenting.” Chapter four provides an understanding of shame from the perspective of a psychoanalytic understanding of shame. In this chapter an understanding of shame, in order to gain a good understanding of the shame issue of Koreans, is discussed based on the explanations given by Freud, Keren Horney, Alice Miller and Kohut’s self-psychology in relation to failed aspirations and ideals, plaguing and unsatisfactory early-object relationships, and narcissistic manifestations with shame at their core. In chapter five, there is a discussion on a biblical perspective of shame. In this chapter, we see how both the Old and New Testament address the issue of shame and find the ultimate solution of shame through the salvation of Jesus Christ. Chapter six provides some theological perspectives on shame based upon the investigations of the views of John Patton, Lewis Smedes, James Fowler, and Donald Eric Capps. These theologians; especially Capps’ view of shame, provides a theological foundation for a discussion of the healing of shame in a Korean context. In chapter seven, the discussion focuses on the method of healing shame in a Korean context, especially, healing shame through forgiveness and acceptance by grace, and by creating a healthy autonomy as the foundation of healthy growth. This is followed by a discussion of the faith community as a healing agent and healing ground. Lastly, in chapter eight, the discussion is about “how to” heal shame in a Korean context: how pastoral caregivers and counselors can be involved in the healing process, and the implications of this approach for pastoral care in a Korean context.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Die relevansie van kerklike tug in ‘n post-moderne wêreld: ‘n studie van die kerkorde van die Ned. Geref. Kerk
    (University of the Free State, 2015-01) Burger, Sias Werner; Strauss, P. J.
    English: The church discipline is made possible by Christ that governs his church through his Word and Spirit. He is the one that governs his church. Thus the church discipline becomes a result of Christ’s authority in the church. The lines of the church discipline are visible in God’s Word. From this it emerges that the church discipline is not something that is unfounded, but something that is fundamental in the life of the church. The church discipline is used by the Triune God to lead his chosen ones to Him. The church discipline is just like multifaceted diamond that has many characteristics like love. The result is that the love that God has for man, we as his followers have to prove and convey to each other. The church discipline also has a spiritual character. Other characteristics of the church discipline are the judicial, pedagogical, as well as a healing and pastoral character that the church discipline has. Christ is the one that applies the church discipline. He is the Subject of the church discipline. The necessity of the church discipline can be argued from the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. The principle of the church discipline is taught to the disciples by Christ Himself. Christ self has ordained the church discipline and thus it is necessary to maintain the church discipline as a church action. The church discipline is necessary, particularly for the church, because God requires holiness in his church. He requires this because He is holy and He also expects his assembly to be holy. In the Dutch Reformed Church-Church order article 59 it seems that church discipline seeks the glory of God, the salvation of the church and the preservation of sinners. The church discipline is ordained by God to lead those who wander from the Lamb back to him in love. The article goes further to show that there are certain requirements needed for the church discipline to be carried out correctly. The requirements are that the church discipline should be by the Word of God, the Creeds, the church order and other stipulations of the church as well as the service agreements. The church discipline also becomes part of the everyday doctrine and life of each member of the church of Christ. From this it is evident that the church discipline cannot take place without Biblical or spiritual truths, which is exercised by the offices and the believers, in equity and justice. Furthermore it is clear that the church discipline should be applied in love, but also with a certain sense of rigor, without which the church discipline cannot be applied. Yet, if one looks at the practical side of the execution of the church discipline, it is neglected because of the fear that the church could lose its members. The conclusion is that a church that does not exercise the church discipline is a church that does not fulfil its calling from God, and that is the calling that the church is established as God’s love fellowship in the world. Christ is the one that ordains the church discipline and therefore the church discipline must be applied through love, equity and justice, otherwise we abandon our calling as God’s church for worldly acceptance.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Spiritual formation in the training of part-time clergy in the Anglican Diocese of the Free State – a critique
    (University of the Free State, 2012-11) Mills, David; Hoffman, L.
    Abstract not available
  • ItemOpen Access
    A pastoral approach to the problem of an inferiority complex for workers in the Korean context
    (University of the Free State, 2011-12) Han, Eun-Mi; Janse van Rensburg, Johan
    Abstract not available
  • ItemRestricted
    'n Narratiewe benadering tot die pastorale behoeftes van getraumatiseerde jong kinders (7-12) in 'n informele nedersetting (plakkerskamp)
    (University of the Free State, 2012-11) Ferreira, Michael Antonie; Kuyler, Dawid
    Abstract not available