By:Thomas Wable Among the key figures of global housing inequality is the average living space per person. Thus, it comes as no surprise that during the past decade, tiny houses have become an attractive option for some who want to set an example in an affluent society of the global north: free-standing, two-storey building with..
Read moreThe garden city as a commons: Social-ethical perspectives on the new housing question
By: Torsten Meireis & Lukas Johrendt Europe faces a severe shortage in affordable housing. Even though the situation is less dire than in many cities of the Global South, rising rents and real estate prices affect the poorest hardest. Faith-based organisations, especially Christian churches, have monitored and tackled this problem for more than six decades.
Read morePractical Theology and Mission Studies: Understand, contemplate and do! South African Perspective
By Beukes, Jacques (editor) Practical Theology and Mission Studies: Understand, contemplate and do! South African Perspectives is an academic book that consists of theoretical contributions from lecturers and research associates of the Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies at the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria (UP). Practical theology is multifaceted. It..
Read moreEnhancing socio-ecological interactions to achieve sustainable decentralised sanitation systems: Why people are not using technical solutions
By: Bestsie le Roux, Attie van Niekerk, Erna Kruger, Betty Maimel Apart from some obvious problems, such as safety risks (particularly for women and children) and environmental pollution to be considered in the design of a sanitation system, there are also more invisible problems, such as religious and cultural thought patterns that affect the use..
Read more‘Pentecost of the city’
Towards an African urban migratory theology
Migration is a growing phenomenon affecting African cities. This article engages the current reality of migrants in the City of Cotonou, Benin, theologically. It re-imagines theological education for Cotonou to flourish by 2050, producing an African urban migratory theology that deeply engages the presence of migrants as contributors to socio-economic development. The central question is:..
Read moreAndrew Murray’s “Missionary Problem”: addressing the gap between the spiritual and the everyday lives of church Members
The article compares two views on the missionary problem: one was expressed in Andrew Murray’s book The Key to the Missionary Problem, about 120 years ago. Murray emphasised the low level of the spiritual life of the church as the main missionary problem; the key to solving this problem is the revival of a strong..
Read moreRepositioning Theological Institutions for Urban Ministry: A case for the kampala Evangelical School of Theology
The unprecedented urbanisation trends in Africa have not been matched with the corresponding theological formation and praxis that is consciously oriented towards the urban in terms of curriculum, pedagogy and spirituality. Nevertheless, theological institutions can be active stakeholders in their cities to the extent that they envision those cities theologically. The author used the Kampala..
Read moreMending the broken city of Pietermaritzburg through a transformative urban theological programme: A challenge to Union Bible Institute
Rapid urbanisation, globalisation, and the advancement of information and technology come as a challenge for theological education in South Africa, generally, and, specifically, in an emerging city like Pietermaritzburg. This is a city with a multitude of urban fractures: the contesting space between informal traders and the taxi industry; rife political violence; gender- based violence;..
Read moreEquipping Lay Leaders for Christian Ministry in the Anglican Church of Kenya through Theological Education by Extension
The mission of ecclesia is to empower and equip its leaders for Christian ministry. This has been possible through theological education, particularly for the ordained ministry. Though laity form a substantial number in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) ecclesiastical context, they are theologically ill-equipped for Christian ministry despite their integral roles in pastoral and..
Read more“Just City-making” in Cape Town Liberating Theological Education
Aspirational terms such as world-class, resilient, climate-friendly and just City stand in contrast to adverse terms such as unequal, divided, colonial, violent, and segregated to describe the present and future state of the City of Cape Town. How do institutions offering tertiary qualifications in theology engage with the competing narratives of the City in the..
Read more