In Africa, and in Zimbabwe in particular, education has played a critical role in transforming society through missionaries who brought education as inseparable from Christianity. This article argues that mission school education was a pillar of transformation and that mission schools functioned as centres of integration facilitation where learners discovered how to contribute in the change of their biosphere. It further argues that Zimbabwean mission schools are still bearing fruit in various contexts as seedbeds of social transformation. For Zimbabwe, education was and is still the hub of social transformation. Using a desk research approach of historical analysis and participant observation, this article explores how Zimbabwean Methodism transforms society by remaining within the academic niche that continues to facilitate societal transformation. It also discusses how the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ) has influenced universal transformation processes through mission schools. The article concludes that mission schools are positive contributors to social transformation in Zimbabwe today, and that no transformation can be argued to have taken place without them. Contribution: This study contributes to the ongoing academic niche that facilitates social transformation through mission schools in society. This also feeds into fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal 4 of quality education which is contributed by mission schools.
Bonaventure discerned the continuous presence of the problem of primary causality in contingent beings. From his perspective, full knowledge of the problem of primary causality emerges only when human reason is reduced to the first cause. In contrast, materialists do not consider primary causality because its empirically scientific epistemological method marginalises the idea of first cause (i.e., God). The zeitgeist of materialism and its entrenched reductionist ontology remains the core of physical and natural science in considering that all that has been is matter and holding that empiricist methods are the most reliable tools through which being can be investigated. These foundational premises are now reembraced in an in vogue ontology in the human and social sciences, New Materialism. In theology and religion, this paradigm has been applied too, despite the obvious perpendicularity in content and method of materialism when compared to metaphysical theorisations held as articles of Christian faith. Given that the human and social sciences are the natural home for expanding the conceptualisation of science, which might include faith, a case is developed that reductionist New Materialism influences against faith. Consequently, a twofold responsive model to New Materialism is made through Bonaventurianism: (1) by critiquing the absoluteness of materialist empiricism and (2) by arguing that reductionist epistemology is unreflective of multimodal being. Contribution: A contribution is made to Franciscan and Bonaventurian scholarship by the reintroduction of Bonaventure’s thought in the ambit of science and religion, focussing especially on ontological and epistemic questions.
Leaders’ morality in the context of principals in Christian school is of great significance in the education environment. However, there are gaps between religious insights, western education and principal’s leadership in Christian schools in Indonesia. Anthropological, social, cultural and other differences can pose hindrances to the effective implementation of external ideas. Therefore, this research emphasises the importance of embracing moral religious leadership values from local cultural heritage that are appropriate to the Indonesian context. Tonaas and Walian leadership in Minahasa are promising alternatives that can contribute to the discourse on principals’ morality in Christian school. This research adopts a descriptive qualitative methodology, critical analysis and argumentation to explore the intersection of moral leadership, local cultural heritage and educational leadership in Christian schools in Indonesia. As a result, the morality values of Tonaas and Walian religious leaders in Minahasa demonstrate the significance of responsibility towards the Christian school environment. Contribution: The results of this study contribute to the conversation about morality among leaders in the Christian school environment. Specifically, the religious leadership of Tonaas and Walian in Minahasa provides valuable local insights that are relevant to the context of education and principals in Indonesia.
This article explores ecological theology in mainland China from 1990 to 2024 through the lens of Stephen B. Bevans’ contextual theology. By analysing its reception, it becomes clear that a distinctly contextualised ecological theology has not yet emerged in China. Considering this gap, the article examines potential directions for Chinese ecological theology across four dimensions of contextual theology. The academic and religious communities should focus on diversified yet overlapping approaches to develop Chinese ecological theology collaboratively. From the perspective of mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilisations, Chinese ecological theology should adopt ‘synthetic model’ to integrate traditional Chinese concepts of ‘Heaven-Nature-Human’ and respond to both local and global challenges. A synthetic model of Chinese ecological theology could become a significant voice in the international theological community, contributing to global sustainable prosperity.Contribution: This article makes two contributions. Firstly, it provides a systematic review and reflection on ecological theology in mainland China from 1990 to 2024. Secondly, it highlights the future development directions and models of Chinese ecological theology from the perspective of contextual theology.
Within churches, congregational health and well-being require not only efficient church leadership, but also prudent church management. Good leadership structures influence governance and ministry tasks, and the awareness of accountability is a vital concept within organisations. It shapes the entire managerial progression influencing values, objectives and practices. This article reports on a study to establish the understanding of ministerial accountability in the New Prophetic Pentecostal churches. Findings reveal a unique understanding of leaders’ personal accountability, communal and cultural ministry practices and public accountability towards the broader community. This article speaks to the normative task of the Church and creates a new reflection on ministerial accountability and ethical practices as well as implications for congregational development broadly.Contribution: This article highlights findings on how New Prophetic Pentecostal churches understand the concept of ministerial accountability with limited literature on the topic. Gaining insight into the African cultural heritage and values when examining the neo-Pentecostal perspective will enhance the understanding regarding their beliefs and principles.
This article combines the model of critical spatiality with collective memory and religious imagination in order to create a theoretical basis from which to study biblical texts. The combination of critical spatiality, collective memory and religious imagination amount to remembered space as hermeneutical method. In order to be able to employ remembered space as hermeneutical method, as applied to Psalm 90 in this article, a number of aspects must be considered. These aspects include the different dimensions of space as per spatial theory, the bases of ancient Near Eastern worldview and spatial orientation, as well as the theoretical principles of collective memory.Contribution: After considering all of these aspects, the article argues that remembered space provides a fresh perspective on the interpretation of biblical texts, highlighting the spatial notions, collective memory and imaginative outcomes underlying biblical texts. As a case in point, Psalm 90 employed remembered space through imaginative remembering to reimagine stability, identity and faith in a post-exilic time of crisis, instability and trauma.
In citing some qualitative case studies and in building on analytical-survey research design, this article explores the place of African women in warding off the pandemics, with particular reference to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in its initial stages (March 2020). With Africa being the most religious continent in the 21st century, African women who led the onslaught against COVID-19 (refer to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf [EJS], Graca Machel, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Vera Songwe, Maria Ramos, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and Blen Sahilu, among others), were largely informed by a religio-cultural concern for the ‘other’ (ubuntu). In demonstrating their sociocultural role of standing out as the bulwark against threats to familyhood, African women met in Monrovia-Liberia on 08 March 2020 during the inauguration of Amujae Leadership Forum that cropped up as a barricade against further COVID-19 spread. In a nutshell, the article draws from Sirleaf’s approach in combating the 2014–2016 Ebola pandemic and samples other leading African women’s contributors who played a pivotal role in responding to the initial stages of the pandemic, a phenomenon that traces its roots from the African heritage.Contribution: This article foregrounds the interface between African women, religious inspiration and health-related matters; and indeed enriches HTS Journal and the academic world. As by-products of a religiously inclined continent, African women’s initial response to the pandemic in March 2020 is well-rooted in their religio-cultural backcloth.
For South African communities to achieve substantive progress, the establishment of strategic partnerships is essential for effectively addressing their complex social challenges. Churches, given their profound community presence and moral authority, are urged to join forces with other societal sectors, particularly government and business, to promote comprehensive community development. This article examines the potential for church partnerships with these sectors, investigating how such alliances can foster sustainable and holistic transformation. Central questions driving this inquiry include: What distinct contributions do churches bring to community development partnerships? and how can these partnerships efficiently combine their resources to tackle social, economic, and environmental issues? By assessing the role of the church alongside governmental frameworks and business resources, this study underscores the importance of an integrated approach to development. The church’s involvement not only provides essential support to vulnerable groups but also contributes strategically to the long-term empowerment of communities. This article ultimately underscores the need for combined engagement, demonstrating how a unified approach can amplify the collective impact on social well-being and resilience within South Africa. By highlighting the theological and organisational identities of churches, alongside the distinct capital and power each entity holds, the article seeks to identify common grounds for cooperation, with a particular focus on the church’s capacity to exert positive, morally guided influence within these partnerships.Contribution: The article highlights the significance of a holistic approach that utilises the strengths of churches, businesses and the government to boost social development in South Africa, thereby contributing to community development pathways.
The 19th-century missionary-biblical discourses that marked the missionary-colonial project promulgated under the guise of Christianisation and civilisation of the heathens in Africa rendered the recipients as slaves. In Africa, the perpetual legacy of this project still manifests among others by the continued demonisation of African cultural practices. Among the vast South African conventional practices that were frowned upon by the missionaries and continue to be demonised through biblical rhetoric is polygamy. This article investigated how the 19th-century missionaries’ biblical discourses promulgated compulsory monogamy among the Vatsonga people in South Africa. It further looked at how the narrative continues to be spread by Christians using biblical discourses in contemporary South Africa. The article argued that this narrative is tantamount to what Wa Thiong’o calls a ‘cultural bomb’, which uses biblical discourses to eradicate African cultural practices. It further contended that the hegemonic superiority complex of Western epistemologies and cultural practices needs to be problematised. Thus, the article used the desktop research methodology to collect and analyse data. The findings revealed that 19th-century biblical discourses are still used as a colonial tool to disregard the Vatsonga cultural marital practices. Contribution: This article aims to contribute to the body of knowledge and discourses that address the legacies of colonialism around the coming of missionaries in Africa. Therefore, this task was sought to be completed by the decolonial call to change the narrative.
Poverty remains a critical socio-economic challenge in South Africa, deeply rooted in the country’s history of colonialism and apartheid. This article examines the multifaceted role of churches in poverty alleviation efforts in South Africa, spanning both historical and contemporary contexts. Through analysis of historical records and contemporary literature, it argues that while churches have significantly addressed poverty, a more comprehensive and transformative approach is needed. The study proposes adopting a missional ecclesiology framework to enhance the effectiveness of church-led poverty alleviation initiatives, offering insights into how churches can engage more deeply and sustainably in the fight against poverty.Contribution: This research contributes to existing scholarship by: (1) Providing a comprehensive historical analysis of church involvement in poverty alleviation in South Africa. (2) Critically examining challenges and opportunities in contemporary church-led poverty alleviation efforts. (3) Proposing missional ecclesiology as a framework for enhancing church-based poverty alleviation initiatives. (4) Offering practical recommendations for churches to address poverty within South Africa’s unique socio-economic context.
An eco-theological analysis of African Initiated Churches (AICs) has revealed that most of these churches use water for a myriad of rituals ranging from baptism to consecratory rites. Their affinity with water even qualifies them to be dubbed water-based churches; yet, the world is faced with an imminent scarcity of this natural resource. The United Nations echoed that access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene are the most basic human needs for health and well-being; but it has observed that unless the water situation improves, by 2030, billions of people will lack access to these services because of climate change. Given this reality, there is a genuine need to examine the possibility of having the eco-theologies of AICs adapted to suit these emerging realities. The paper explores how water is used in the religiosity of the AICs in an effort to elucidate the possible challenges to be encountered because of climate change. It then examines the possibility of realigning the water uses to the current climatic trajectory. The article is largely based on desktop research which utilises secondary sources. Contribution: This article makes a critical contribution to the body of knowledge by making an analysis of the adaptability of AICs’ conceptualisation and use of water in a climate change context. An eco-theological analysis is crucial as it enables the nuancing of AICs’ theologies so that they conform to a world in a climate crisis.
Migration to foreign lands is as old as the biblical stories of Abraham leaving his native land, Ur of the Chaldeans to go to a land that God was to show him. Concomitant with migration, however, is the possibility of death in the new habitat and oftentimes important decisions are made on how to fund the funerals. In the case of Zimbabwean diasporas, this has seen the rise in popularity of funeral insurance companies such as Diaspora Insurance and the GoFundMe initiatives. While the issue of funding funerals appears to be the primary thing that people are seized with when a funeral strikes, the most salient aspects would be issues of religion and culture. This article endeavours to show how, despite the challenging economic environment, the costly repatriation of dead relatives can best be appreciated through a sociotheological interpretation of Genesis 50:25. In other words, Genesis 50:25 can be used as a mirror to understand the value people place on issues of religion and culture. It is thus my argument that the religious background of the actors as well as their socio-cultural setting are critical in making important decisions regarding the place of interment as well as influencing the funding logistics to take the corpse to the desired resting place. Contribution: As the death toll continues to rise of diasporas who would have gone offshore in search of a reprieve from the economic challenges that have become almost an indelible mark of Zimbabwe, issues around the values of traditional religion and culture continue to come to the fore. This research adds a voice to the ongoing religious and political dialogue in Zimbabwe in so far as it seeks to explain and understand the underlying reasons behind the costly repatriation of deceased relatives through a sociotheological reading of Genesis 50:25.
The evolution of the Ladies’ Circle into the Mother’s Union in the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (COCZ) holds great significance in that circles in Africa symbolize collectiveness and consensual decision-making. The Ladies’ Circle emerged as a response by white women influenced by the Victorian Womanhood Cult with regard to the discontent they felt with patriarchy in the church. Black women supported white female missionaries in leadership roles, when they (black women), continued to face oppression due to (white and black) male resistance to change, as well as fear of losing male-privileges. Empirical evidence in the COCZ suggests that black women in Zimbabwe made significant progress in the secular world compared to their progress in church. This study uses a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a theoretical framework to examine how the transformation of the Ladies’ Circle into the Mothers’ Union empowered African women to deal with their own oppression. It aims to understand how white women overcame restrictive Victorian norms and the Womanhood Cult, which promoted submissiveness and domesticity as defining aspects of womanhood. The study further notes that inconsistencies in addressing race and gender differences in the church perpetuated the dominance of African men on women within the church. This study thus acknowledges that the Women’s Unions, like the Mothers’ Union, have the potential to empower COCZ women and challenge racial and gender oppression within that church. Contribution: The study reveals that denying women’s involvement in church can have debilitating effects on gender equality in Zimbabwe. The Ladies’ Circle, a platform created by the Church of Christ, provides women with a space for social and religious participation. The intersection of gender, race, and religion used by religious and cultural authorities to control women, call for a re-examination of the COCZ’s theological foundations on these subjects.
The intersection of religion, culture and gender-based violence (GBV) continues to provoke critical debates in feminist scholarship and activism. Although substantial steps are noticeable in terms of addressing numerous forms of violence against women, religion and culture in the African context continue to promulgate harmful practices. Chika Unigwe’s novel, The Middle Daughter, highlights a world where religion, GBV, social norms, rape myths, silence and agency intersect, shaping women’s lived experiences. Nani, the protagonist, overwhelmed by the loss of her sister and father merely 2 years apart, is lured by a preacher – a wolf in sheep’s clothing – who shoves her into an abusive marriage. Raped but determined to keep the assault under the tongue, Nani further drifts away from her family, friends and community. Imprisoned and battered, yet, Nani’s silent resilience emerges – a quiet but radical strength that defies religio-sociocultural norms. This study is a review of African feminism in eradicating GBV. It discusses how Unigwe’s radical feminist lens unveils the competing female strength and the limits of silence as a form of women’s agency, thereby critiquing the dominant ‘soft’ African feminist approaches.Contribution: This study adopts a radical feminist theory to critique the ‘soft’ African feminisms which fail to serve women facing the intersectional forces of religion, culture and GBV. It argues that feminist activism in Africa has been going on for a lengthy period, yet the double standards embedded in religio-sociocultural beliefs and practices sustain women’s oppression.
No single collection of biblical or Midrashic writings has ever been explicitly cited as a direct source for the Qurʾān. However, as the final divine scripture in the historical continuum of monotheistic religions, the Qurʾān exhibits a clear textual and chronological relationship to the biblical traditions of Judaism and Christianity. Its stories are intertwined with narratives that evoke biblical and Midrashic sources. This connection has motivated some Muslim scholars, particularly narrative exegetes such as Ibn Kathīr, al-Ṭabarī and al-Qurṭubī, to interpret the Qurʾānic text by drawing on biblical and post-biblical knowledge, often referred to as Isrāʾīliyyāt.Contribution: With its treatment of this connection, this article will show that biblical lore has played a crucial role in exegesis of the Qurʾānic scripture, helping the exegetes provide meaning to obscure Qurʾānic verses, uncover its ambiguous figures and expand its stories.
The Christian Platonic theology and philosophy have been criticised for many years by various scholars. The dualistic perspective may belittle the value of plant and animal kingdoms, entangling humans in anthropocentric bias and promoting hierarchical systems. However, subsequent theologians and philosophers interpreted these works in ways that allowed negative perspectives and misunderstandings of the material world and its symbols to develop, leaving a mark on history. Therefore, the discussed Christian Platonic theology represents a specific spiritual gnostic view with a unique perspective on spirituality. It values all living beings as uniquely revealing their divine nature. Therefore, although hierarchical views may exist, it does not mean any being should dominate. Instead, it means that, in the being’s participation in God’s manifestation, the being adds something unique regarding some of God’s features. This perspective allows for revising religious viewpoints that have been misunderstood or overly simplified and promotes a fundamental humanistic spirit of care for all living beings’ inborn spiritual significance.Contribution: This article explores the sacred value of biological totems in Christian Platonic thought, revealing the divinity embodied in all forms of life through a re-examination of traditional dualistic views. This research contributes to ecological theology by emphasising the intrinsic connection between nature and divinity within the framework of Christian philosophy.
The mangongkal holi tradition in Batak is a heritage from ancestors that has been the subject of prolonged theological debate. As a local phenomenon, the tradition needs to be explored with an appropriate approach to interpret it accurately. This study asserts that the ‘kernel’ and ‘husk’ approach has the potential to contribute constructively to the relationship between the church and culture in Batak, particularly regarding the mangongkal holi tradition. The research employs a qualitative-descriptive analysis approach, using books, journal articles and other references as the basis for argumentation. In conclusion, there is alignment between the expectations of culture and the church regarding mangongkal holi. The pursued values such as gratitude, honouring parents and others are elements that are consistent in both cultural appreciation and Christian faith.Contribution: This article provides insight into contextual theology, where global pneumatology and local culture could be paired in the sense that the Holy Spirit could be understood by the community within their local tradition without degrading the values of church doctrine. Rather, it enriches the culture and confirms church identity.
New Testament authors frequently engage with Old Testament characters for various reasons: to be exemplars, to learn from them, to motivate the readers, to encourage the readers, only to name a few. This practice of engagement prompts various spiritualities (‘lived experiences’) in both the reading of those texts and in the lifestyles of readers. In this research, the epistle of James has been chosen to investigate the spirituality of endurance emerging from and generated by the reference to the endurance of Job in James 5:11 as a protagonist of ‘faith’, ‘wisdom’ and ‘endurance’ for his readers. The consequent modus operandi of this research includes: firstly, an Introduction of orientation; secondly, a brief outline of the socio-historical circumstances of the Greco-Roman world; thirdly, a discourse analysis of James 5:7–12 to introduce the spirituality of endurance; fourthly, the exploration of various literary devices present in this pericope, which both engender spiritualities emerging from the reference to Job, and facilitate a reader’s experiential participation in ‘how the Lord is compassionate and merciful’ (Jm 5:11) during personal difficult circumstances.Contribution: The first contribution points out how sufficiently and successfully James has incorporated several aspects from the Book of Job (life characteristics and circumstances) to strengthen the faith of his readers and to encourage them to endure in their difficult socio-economic circumstances. A second contribution points out and applies various literary devices that emerge from the Greco-Roman rhetoric in the text. These devices engender spiritualities surrounding the reference to Job in this pericope. This is to assist readers to take advantage of these linguistic devices, wisely and carefully applied by James, to experience the ‘outcome [τέλος] of the Lord’ (Jm 5:11) by means of faith, prayer, hope, patience and endurance during difficult circumstances.
