Since Covid-19, so-called ‘hot spots’ where there are concentrations of homeless persons, have increased in the City of Tshwane, South Africa’s administrative capital. Not only have ‘hotspots’ increased, but it contributed to greater visibility of homelessness in the City, and are also distributed across the metropole’s seven regions, including areas where historically there were no..
Read morePolarisation beyond the Pandemic? Fissures within the German Public and the Role of Public Theology
By Thomas Wabel After some initial background information on the relation of church and state inthe German context, the article examines reactions by churches and other Christiangroups in Germany to the Covid-19 containment measures. While representatives ofmainline churches focussed on consolation in the crisis and support state measures, aminority of radical voices acted in a..
Read moreRaising the future together: Assessing the impact of the Chics program on primary caregivers in low-income daycares
By Antoinette van der Merwe, Catherine Senyolo & Attie van Niekerk Parental involvement in a child's school is crucial during early childhood, a critical period for skill-forming and neurodevelopment. However, the impact of early childhood programs on parents is understudied. This study evaluates the Chics program – which includes teacher training, an improved curriculum, and support meetings – on parental..
Read moreMobilisation of Berea Baptist Mission Church’s assets towards ‘Just housing’ in Johannesburg: An oikomissiological perspective
By Lukwikilu C. Mangayi Housing is one of the greatest needs that African immigrants confront in Johannesburg’s inner city, South Africa. One of the reasons for the manifestation of a shortage of housing correlates with the large-scale and uncontrollable migration, which has occurred over the past three decades or so. This mass migration, predominantly of..
Read moreFuture(s) for the church on the corner: A proposed praxis of spatial justice for South African congregations
By Caroline J. Powell South Africa, is a racially, economically and spatially divided nation, a legacy of our colonial and apartheid histories. Thirty years into democracy, discourse across all spheres of society around land, spatial and housing justice continues to provoke questions about the political and societal will for making access to land ownership and..
Read moreSafe spaces for marginalised young people: Ambivalent pastoral engagement of Pentecostal churches in the slums of Guatemala
By Martina Bär Many marginalised young people in Guatemala City, one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in the world, face a bleak future. Faced with poor prospects, many turn to the Mara youth gangs, where crime and drug abuse are part of everyday life. The Pentecostal churches offer an alternative to the power..
Read moreDecolonial cities: Considering the potential of the periphery in Rio de Janeiro
By Graham McGeoch Augustine has long set the ‘gold standard’ for any theology of the city. However, in the Americas, Thomas Aquinas’ De regimine principum exerts a greater practical and political influence as it was the basis for the instructions of Spanish and Portuguese crowns to the conquistadores. Colonial city architecture and urban planning followed Christian medieval..
Read moreUrban land ownership and the housing question in Germany: Insights from Catholic social ethics
By Julian Degan As one measure to combat the housing affordability crisis, land policy is once again receiving more attention. However, it is little known that Catholic social ethicists in Germany were also heavily involved in urban land policy debates between 1950 and 1980. Along the lines of Catholic property ethics, they criticised that land..
Read moreJust housing: Transdisciplinary perspectives from theology and the built environment
By: Thomas Wabel & Stephan de Beer In cities worldwide, housing is precarious. Local socio-economic environments can exacerbate existing social differences and exclusions, but can also contribute to alleviate these differences, and to foster high levels of social inclusion. This article introduces a special collection of articles asking how theology should contribute theologically to address..
Read moreManaging the COVID-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhood: The case of Accra and Johnnesburg
Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra..
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