The spirituality of Black Hebrew Pentecostals: a study of two religious communities
| dc.contributor.advisor | Venter, Rian | |
| dc.contributor.author | Sherron, Fred Gilbert | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-11-10T08:29:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-11-10T08:29:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009-04 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The new interest in spirituality forms the background to this research. In step with prominent scholars in the field of spirituality the following working definition for spirituality has been adopted: “Spirituality is an experience in the presence of the Creator and the dynamic transforms us”. The spirituality of various religious traditions has been described. Black Hebrew Pentecostalism is one rich tradition that has been hidden from the view of scholars. This research is an attempt to address this issue. The research problem enquires whether there are unique features to this religious tradition and its corresponding spirituality. Two communities in New York (USA) have been selected for research purposes. Methodologically, literature and empirical research approaches have been employed. A specific contribution has been made to the discipline of spirituality by mapping a qualitative method for studying the spirituality of a religious tradition. In conversation with major scholars a unique set of constituent dimensions for spirituality has been identified; when used as questions during empirical research this could disclose the main feature of spirituality. In studying the two communities of Temple El Shaddai and Gideon Knights Freedom Church of Jesus Christ specific attention was given to the following issues: contextual background, distinctive spiritual features, normativity and authority, theological views, notions of transcendence, distinctive morality, the dynamics of the divine-human relationship and its impact on spirituality. To determine synthetically the profile of the spirituality of Black Hebrew Pentecostalism not only the research results of the two communities were compared, but two additional research strategies were employed: the study of related spiritualities (e.g. that of the Lemba communities, Pentecostalism, Traditional Africa and African-Americanism) and the use of various religious typologies. These help highlight the main and unique elements of Black Hebrew Pentecostal spirituality. The research has disclosed that this religious tradition has unique features that have resulted in a unique spirituality. Here are some of the main constituent elements: o Black Hebrew Pentecostalism integrated the perspectives of two religious traditions – Judaism and Christianity - to form a unique tradition of its own. The faith and concomitant spiritual practices are experienced as coherent. o A string focus on social identity accompanies this spirituality. Without social realities like racism this spirituality cannot be appreciated. o Identity markers like symbolism, ritual, theological conviction and ethical practice functions strongly to determine and maintain spiritual identity. o Normativity and authority which inevitably influence spirituality are located in both the leader of the community and the Bible. o Time-cycles function prominently especially concerning the honoring of the Sabbath and Old Testament Feasts. o Morality and strict moral codes are intimately intertwined with spiritual experiences. o The naming of the divine is exceptionally critical and is another outstanding characteristic of this spirituality. o Spiritual maturity can be defined in terms of power and this is related to the social identity of the tradition. o The spirituality integrates the life of followers and supports them to cope with existential challenges. This research has made contributions, not only to the general corpus of knowledge of this religious tradition, but also to the academic discipline of spirituality. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die nuwe belangstelling in die Spiritualiteit vorm die agtergrond van hierdie navorsing. In gesprek met prominente geleerdes in die veld is die volgende werksdefinisie geformuleer: “Spiritualiteit is ‘n ervaring in die teenwoordigheid van die Skepper en hierdie dinamika werk transformerend”. Die spiritualiteit van verskeie godsdienstige tradisies is alreeds beskryf. Een tradisie wat nog nie aandag ontvang het ni, is Black Hebrew Pentecostalism; en hierdie navorsing spreek die leemte aan. Die navorsingsprobleem vra of daar unieke trekke aan hierdie godsdienstige tradisie is en aan sy spiritualiteit. Twee gemeenskappe in New York (VSA) is gekies vir navorsingsdoeleindes. Metodologie, literêre en empiriese benaderings gevolg. ‘n Spesifieke bydrae is gemaak tot die veld van die Spiritualiteit deur ‘n kwalitatiewe metode te ontwerp om die Spiritualiteit van ‘n bepaalde geloofsgemeenskap te bestudeer. In gesprek met belangrike geleerdes is ‘n unieke stel konstituerende dimensies geïndentifiseer; wanneer dié gebruik word as vrae tydens empiriese navorsing kan dit die hoofkontoere van ‘n Spiritualiteit aandui. Tydens die studie van die twee gemeenskappe - Temple El Shaddai en Gideon Knights Freedom Church of Jesus Christ – is aan die volgende aangeleenthede aandag gegee: kontekstuele agtergrond, onderskeidende spiritualiteitstrekke, normatiwiteit en gesag, teologiese sieninge, gedagtes oor transendensie, onderskeidende moraliteit, dinamika van die God-mens verhouding, en die impak van Spiritualiteit. Om ‘m profiel van die Spiritualiteit van Black Hebrew Pentecostalism te bepaal is nie net die navorsingsresultate van die twee gemeenskappe vergelyk nie, maar twee addisionele navorsingsstrategieë is gebruik: ‘n studie van verwante Spiritualiteite (bv. die van die Lemba gemeenskap, Pentekostalisme, Tradisioneel Afrika en Afrika-Amerikanisme) en die gebruik van tipologieë. Dié het gehelp om die hoof- en unieke elemente van die Back Hebrew Pentecostal Spiritualiteit aan die dui. Die navorsing het aangetoon dat dié godsdienstige tradisie inderdaad unieke trekke het wat ook ‘n unieke Spiritualiteit tot gevolg het. Van die belangrikste konstituerende elemente kan uitgelig word: o Black Hebrew Pentecostalism integreer die perspektiewe van verskeie godsdienstige tradisies – sp. Judaïsme en die Christelike geloof – en vorm so ‘n tradisie in eie reg. Die geloof en die geestelike praktyke word as koherent beleef. o ‘n Sterk fokus op sosiale identiteit lê aan die grondslag van hierdie Spiritualiteit. Sonder sosiale werklikhede soos rassisme kan hierdie Spiritualiteit nie verstaan word nie. o Identiteitsaanduiders soos simboliek, rituele, teologiese oortuigings en etiese praktyke funksioneer sterk om geestelike identiteit te bepaal en te handhaaf. o Normatiwiteit en gesag, wat ‘n groot invloed op Spiritualiteit het, word by beide die geestelike leier en die Bybel gevind. o Tydsiklusse funksioneer kragtig, spesifiek wat die eerbiediging van die Sabbat en die Ou Testamentiese feeste betref. o Moraliteit en ‘n streng etiese kode is nou verbind aan geestelike ervaring. o Die benaming van die Goddelike is prominent en is ‘n uitstaande kenmerk van hierdie Spiritualiteit. o Geestelike volwassenheid word verstaan in terme van krag en is ongetwyfeld verbind aan die sosiale identiteit van hierdie tradisie. o Die Spiritualiteit integreer die lewens van volgelinge en help hulle om die uitdagings van hul lewens die hoof te bied. Die navorsing het ‘n besliste bydrae gelewer, nie net t.o.v. die algemene korpus kennis van hierdie tradisie nie, maar ook tot die akademiese dissipline van Spiritualiteit. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1539 | |
| 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 | Pentecostalism -- United States -- New York | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Pentecostal churches -- United States | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Black Hewbrews | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Spirituality | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Dogmatology))--University of the Free State, 2009 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The spirituality of Black Hebrew Pentecostals: a study of two religious communities | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |