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 moreConstructing an Urban Theology of Liberation in South Africa Today: A Transdisciplinary Praxis-Approach in the Interface between (Urban) Faith, Politics and Planning
Urban theologising in South Africa has to solidify its intentionality, commitment, rigour, and outcomes if it is to contribute in liberating, constructive and transformative ways to the shape and content of current and future South African cities. This particular contribution articulates the importance of constructing urban theologies of liberation, reiterating the ongoing importance of liberationist..
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 moreEveryone counted, counts! The first homeless count in the City of Tshwane, October 2022 Research report
Every person counts. And everyone counted during the City of Tshwane’s first official homeless count, counts! This is a critical moral, political and theological assertion, and insistence. It is also a critical methodological reminder. Losing one survey form, or miscounting, or messing up data, is miscounting one person’s dignity, importance and information. Without such insistence..
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 moreDecolonising theological education in urban spaces A reflection on the “Abantu Book Festival”
The article argues that “Abantu Book Festival” (Abantu) held in Soweto annually signifies a decolonising space for theological education in the urban areas surrounding Soweto. From the perspective of Black theology of liberation (BTL) paradigms, the clear focus on blackness as a methodological framework for the Abantu programme signifies Abantu as a festival reflecting critically..
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 moreCultivating the “good city” The theological engagement of the Institute for Urban Ministry within the City of Tshwane
The vision of the “good city” is worth striving for. Enacting the pastoral circle can be theologically generative towards cultivating the “good city.” The urban transition of 1993 in Pretoria/Tshwane, South Africa, held unknowns and possibilities. During this time, a small community with lived faith committed to journeying with the urban poor using the pastoral..
Read moreImagining Enugu as classroom for theological education in SIST: A trans-disciplinary approach.
Enugu, the coal city, offers hermeneutical and pedagogical resources for re-imagining the theological curriculum of Spiritan International School of Theology (SIST) in Enugu. Enugu is the capital city of Enugu State, Nigeria. With a 2018 estimated population of over 1 million, Enugu is projected to grow to over 2 million by 2050! Like other African..
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