The concept of vocation amongst migrant workers of the GMIM (Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa) in postmodern times
| dc.contributor.advisor | Strauss, S. A. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Groenewald, D. C. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Sumakul, Henny William Booth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-11-24T07:11:36Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-11-24T07:11:36Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: This present study examines two main concepts: reformed theology of vocation and postmodernity. These concepts are identified in the migrant workers of the GMIM church (The Christian Evangelical church in Minahasa, Indonesia) working in Japan, the Netherlands and the USA. Based on Protestant principles (sola gratia, sola scriptura, sola fide), Calvin, who was one of the leading theologians, expounded the Christian concept of vocation in the medieval era. He advanced the theology of Luther, his predecessor. Luther claimed that medieval Roman Catholicism had reduced the meaning of vocation to monastic life as a consequence of its dualistic view of soteriology (salvation). This dualism impacted on the way the clergy and the laity were treated. The clergy is more highly esteemed than the laity. With the result that, lay people and their activities were largely ignored. Calvin teaches that work does not apply to secular activities only but also to Christian vocation, which means that Christians should be involved in the perpetual maintenance of God’s creation (Providentia Dei), and God’s election (Predestination) is confirmed through their vocation, to the glory of God. As does Luther, Calvin views lex naturalis in social life (working, family life and politics) as constituted by God, therefore, through these social spheres, Christians are called by God to undertake their tasks, duties and responsibilities. To Calvin, earthly activities such as work, family life and political relations involve critical, Christian submission to superiority and the exercising of power of the authorities in a Christian way; respecting boundaries; and promoting the dynamics of vocation. Calvin also admonishes that moderation, frugality, thrift, awareness of pilgrimage and perseverance should be the ethical attitudes of reformed Christians. The second concept elaborated in this study is postmodernity. The researcher contends that postmodernity is the zeitgeist of people living in the 21st century. According to Lyotard, Baudrillard and other postmodernists, it is stated that postmodernism is the leading concept that can be used to identify the thought, behavior and motivation of people living in contemporary society. One of the claims of postmodernists is that postmodernism supersedes modernism. Modernism is based on a single metanarrative (Rationalism) that promotes progressivism and material production. This phenomenon is waning since globalization theorists argue that in contemporary society, the improvement of technology (Internet, mobile phones, etc.) has swept away the geographical constraints of social interactions. This study claims that globalization is the social integration of people brought about by technological improvement and that it shapes concepts of contemporary reality and how people view contemporary reality (postmodern epistemology and cosmology). Postmodernists state that, although modernity cannot be completely abandoned as it still exists in society, it is no longer a single metanarrative prevailing in society. Postmodernity as a unique reality in which modernity is a part of its elements. Postmodernism claims that non-rationality, emotionalism and other aspects are excluded by modernism as elements of postmodernism. The word pastiche best explains the reality of postmodernism and the pluralism of society. This is the ambiguity of postmodernism, namely, on the one hand it respects pluralism and therefore challenges every element of society, rational or non-rational, Western or Eastern, etc., to participate in celebrating postmodernity. On the other hand, it is an absurd, incoherent and incommensurable. The two concepts as explained above (the concept of vocation in reformed theology and the concept of postmodernity) are examined in the minds of migrant workers of the GMIM church. The reasons are, firstly, that GMIM is a reformed church. This church is a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and holds reformed principles. Migrant workers of this church, working in Japan, the Netherlands and the USA make up the research population. The second reason is that these migrant workers are overwhelmed by postmodernity. The field research indicates that the law of the host countries in which migrant workers work, influence them in the undertaking of their Christian vocation. Each host country has its own legal system. Being migrant workers also involve between the cultures of the migrant workers and the cultures of the host countries. This tendency strengthens the concept that, even in the postmodern era, the function of the nation-state is still influential. The field research also indicates that postmodern media, such as cellular phones and the Internet, are influential in the lives of migrant workers, communally and individually, since they affect their ghetto life and their interaction with their family in their home country. This, to an extent, proves that a postmodern, global borderless country does in fact exist. The hardship of work, the law-enforcement of the host country and the pleasure of experiencing postmodern media make up the “abstract milieu” in which the migrant workers express their Christian vocation. The church has to be aware of the intense pressures of the postmodern influences that pervade every sphere of human life, including Christian ethics, values and attitudes and must provide a ministry that can meet the challenges and the threats of a postmodern society. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die studie ondersoek twee hoofsake: ‘n gereformeerde teologiese opvatting oor roeping, en postmoderniteit. Daar word ook nagegaan hoe hierdie twee begrippe funksioneer onder trekarbeiders van die GMIM – kerk (Christelike Evangeliese Kerk in Minahasa, Indonesië), wat in Japan, Nederland en die VSA werksaam is. Gebaseer op Protestantse beginsels soos sola gratia, sola scriptura en sola fide, het Calvyn, as een van die toonaangewende teoloë, die Middeleeuse roepingsbegrip verbreed. Hy het voortgebou op die teologie van Luther, sy voorganger. Luther het beweer dat die Middeleeuse Rooms-Katolisisme, a.g.v. hul dualistiese opvatting van redding, die betekenis van roeping verskraal het tot die kloosterlewe. Hierdie dualisme het die behandeling van geestelikes en leke beïnvloed. Omdat die geestelikes hoër geag is as die leke, is laasgenoemde en hulle aktiwiteite grootliks geïgnoreer. Calvyn het geleer dat werk nie net op sekulêre aktiwiteite van toepassing is nie, maar ook op die roeping van alle Christene om betrokke te wees by die voortdurende onderhouding van God se skepping (providentia Dei). God se uitverkiesing (praedestinatio) word bevestig deur hulle roeping, tot sy eer. Soos Luther sien Calvyn ook die lex naturalis in die sosiale lewe (arbeid, gesin en politiek), soos deur God ingestel. Christene word derhalwe deur God geroep om in hierdie sosiale kringe hulle take, verpligtinge en verantwoordelikhede na te kom. Aardse aktiwiteite soos daaglikse werk, gesinslewe en politieke verhoudinge veronderstel dus kritiese, Christelike onderwerping aan gesag en die uitvoering van gesag op ‘n Christelike manier; die eerbiediging van grense; en die bevordering van die dinamiek van roeping. Calvyn beveel ook aan dat die volgende etiese gesindhede gereformeerde Christene sal kenmerk : matigheid, spaarsamigheid, bewustheid daarvan om ‘n pelgrim te wees en volharding. Die tweede begrip waarop die studie konsentreer is postmoderniteit. Die navorser is van mening dat postmoderniteit die tydsgees van mense van die 21e eeu is. In ooreenstemming met Lyotard, Braudillard en ander postmoderniste word aanvaar dat postmodernisme die grondmotief is wat die hedendaagse mense se denke, gedrag en motivering bepaal. Postmoderniste maak o.a. daarop aanspraak dat postmodernisme bo modernisme uitgaan. Modernisme berus op ‘n enkele metanarratief (rasionalisme), wat vooruitgang en materiële produksie bevorder. Hierdie verskynsel is egter tans besig om te vervaag. In die lig van die huidige globalisasie meen denkers dat die verbetering van tegnologie (internet, selfone ens.) die geografiese beperkinge op sosiale interaksie in die hedendaagse samelewing afgebreek het. Hierdie studie is oortuig dat globalisasie die sosiale integrasie van mense teweegbring, en dat dit mense se siening van die werklikheid beïnvloed (postmoderne epistemologie en kosmologie). Postmoderniste glo dat, hoewel modernisme steeds voorkom en nie totaal geïgnoreer kan word nie, dit nie meer die enkele metanarratief in die samelewing is nie. Postmoderniteit is ‘n unieke werklikheid, hoewel moderniteit miskien ‘n onderdeel daarvan is. Postmoderniteit maak daarop aanspraak dat irrasionaliteit, emosionalisme en ander aspekte die nie-moderne elemente van postmoderniteit is. Die woord pastiche verduidelik die realiteit van postmodernisme en pluralisme die beste. Dit is die tweeslagtigheid van postmodernisme : Aan die een kant respekteer dit pluralisme en daarom word elke faset van die samelewing (rasioneel én irrasioneel, Westers én Oosters) opgeroep om deel te neem aan die viering van postmoderniteit. Aan die ander kant egter is dit dikwels ‘n absurde, onsamehangende en onverstaanbare denkpartroon. Die twee bogenoemde begrippe (roeping en postmoderniteit) word verder ondersoek in die gedagtes van trekarbeiders van die GMIM-kerk. Die redes hiervoor is tweeërlei. Eerstens is GMIM ‘n gereformeerde kerk, lid van die Wêreldbond van Gereformeerde kerke, ‘n kerk met gereformeerde beginsels. Lidmate van hierdie kerk wat in Japan, Nederland en die VSA as trekarbeiders werk, vorm die navorsingsgroep. Tweedens is juis hierdie trekarbeiders wesenlik onder invloed van postmoderniteit. Die ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat die wetgewing in die lande waar die gasarbeiders werk die uitoefening van hulle Christelike roeping beïnvloed. Elke gasland het sy eie wette. Om gasarbeiders te wees impliseer ‘n wisselwerking tussen die kultuur van die werkers en die kultuur van die betrokke gasland. Dit beklemtoon die feit dat, selfs in die postmoderne era, die funksionering van die nasiestaat steeds belangrik is. Die veldondersoek het ook aan die lig gebring dat postmoderne media soos selfone en die internet die lewens van trekarbeiders beïnvloed, gemeenskaplik en individueel. Dit raak hulle ghetto – bestaan sowel as hulle interaksie met hulle familie in die land van herkoms. In ‘n mate bewys dié verskynsel die bestaan van ‘n postmoderne, wêreldwye grenslose staat. Die swaarkry van die daaglikse werk, die wette van die gasland en die vreugde van die belewing van postmoderne media vorm alles die “abstrakte leefwêreld” waarin die gasarbeiders hulle Christelike roeping moet vervul. Die kerk moet bewus wees van die geweldige druk wat die postmoderne invloed op elke faset van die menslike bestaan plaas, insluitende Christelike etiek, waardes en gesindhede. Die kerk moet ‘n bediening voorsien wat die uitdagings en geleenthede van ‘n postmoderne samelewing die hoof kan bied. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4788 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Systematic Theology))--University of the Free State, 2005 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Vocation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Reformed | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Providentia dei | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Predestination | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Migrant | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Worker | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Work ethos | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Postmodernism | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Postmodernity | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Postmodern ethics | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Minahasan Reformed Church | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa (GMIM) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Church work with migrant laborers | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Minahasa (Indonesia) -- Religion | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Vocation -- Christianity | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The concept of vocation amongst migrant workers of the GMIM (Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa) in postmodern times | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |