Bachelor Of Sacred Theology

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    THE IMPLICATIONS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH HINDUISM An Analysis of the Pont-Praslin Interreligious Dialogue Centre, Mauritius
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) PRUDENCE, JOSEPH LELIO
    The Motivation for Choosing This Topic Mauritius has a population of about. one million two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. Fifty eight percent of the inhabitants are Hindus, fourteen percent are Muslims and twenty-eight percent are Christians. People of different ethnic group and religions meet in the street, at work and some in places of pilgrimage (examples Grand Bassin and the sanctuary of blessed Father Laval). Mixed marriages' are increasing. We have awarded ourselves titles such as "La nation arc en ciel" ("The rainbow nation") and -the multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural country." Experiences show that we are still a juxtaposition of ethnic groups rather than a united nation. In February 1999, because of the death of a Creole singer -Kaye, war broke out between Hindus and Creoles. Three persons were killed. Police stations were destroyed and houses burnt. Many people feared of a new racial war like in 1960-1968. After this event many people lack confidence in the persons of other ethnic groups and religions. Now we can hear people saying: -never again such a situation like February 1999." These situations show that we have to make an effort to understand and know each other better. We have to overcome our prejudices. We are confronted with a situation that should be altered. N:B. Mixed marriage is used in the Mauritian context to define a marriage between two persons of different faith. The term is not restricted to marriage between two Christians of different Churches as in the Code of Canon Law. 1 However. on the 30 September 2303. Mr Pau! Beremzer, was the first Creole to become the prime minister of Mauritius.2 From the independence of Mauritius (12th March 1968) up to 2003. the prime minister of that island has always been a Hindu from the Vaish caste.3 This is a sign of hope. Our is:and Mauritius that appears to visitors as the 'star and the key of the Indian Ocean' is gradually becoming a point of encounter where European, African and Asian civilisati )n collaborate to create a new homeland and build our destiny in accord. This situation is part of the design of the Divine Providence calling Mauritians to replace the climate of suspicion and fear by an atmosphere of understanding and dialogue.
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    THE CHRISTIAN IN FRONT OF SUFFERING Response to the Problem of Suffering in Job 40:4-5; 42:2-6 and Rom 8:28-30
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) JORGE, ENRIQUE ORMESIO QUIROZ
    Every human being at some time in their lives is touched by suffering, and I was not an exception. Suffering knocked at my door in different circumstances. However, I looked around me and I found different ways people suffer. Among those ways, there are people who suffer for no apparent reason, especially those children sexually abused by people whom they trusted. From news around the world we came to know of so many priests who abused not only the trust, but also the lives and bodies of children in their care. These abuses leave on the victims a wound that is difficult to heal, especially because they have been inflicted by people who are "representing" God. This moved my pastoral heart to find ways to help them first of all to understand their suffering and the role God plays in it. This was the spark that started the present work and drove me to continue the investigation. Thus, aiming at a deeper understanding of suffering, we try to distinguish a way a Christian may understand suffering. To this end, we investigate three passages in the Christian Scriptures Job 40:4-5; 42:2-6 and Rom 8:28-30. We chose these passages because they present an understanding of suffering in the Old and New Testament respectively. In this work, we use the Book of Job to understand undeserved suffering in the Old Testament. Thus, we also presuppose that Job is righteous and that his sufferings are undeserved. The fact that Romans explains the Christian life is not a matter of discussion; this Christian life is lived by Christians who have been made righteous by God. Then, the sufferings that they undergo are not supposed to happen to them because Christ had already paid the price for their victory. Thus, this essay is divided into three chapters. In this chapter, we analyse Job's response to his suffering. In this analysis, we survey the different ways in which the Old Testament understood suffering; then, we proceed with the delimitation and context of the text. This is followed by the exegesis of the text, and, finally, we present its theological message. In the second chapter, we survey Rom 8:28-30 to understand the place suffering has in the life of the Christian. We start with presenting the approach on suffering of Jesus and his disciples; then, we will have the delimitation of the text and the examination of its context; subsequently, we will do the exegesis to finish with the theological message of the text. Finally, in the third chapter we will compare the findings of the previous two chapters and underline the particular Christian response to suffering.
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    IMPACT OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION IN PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS ON THE CATHOLIC YOUTH: A Case study of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall Kampala
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) D'SOUZA, WILFRED
    1. Background and Significance of the Study The permanent bureau of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar meeting in Accra Ghana in 1993, issued a document New Christian Movements in Africa and Madagascar' in which it observed that contemporary Africa is witnessing an explosion of new religious movements. Mainline Churches such as the Catholic Church have been greatly affected, losing substantial numbers of the youth to these new groups. The new movements are promising quick happiness, contentment and purpose in life to the hundreds of thousands of young people they are attracting into their ranks. This constitutes an urgent pastoral challenge to the Catholic Church. 2. Statement of the Problem The challenge is to understand what these movements are, what is making them so successfiil in attracting the Catholic youth into their ranks, and what needs these groups are meeting which the Catholic Church is failing to answer. By far, the brand of these new Christian movements that is proving so attractive to the Catholic youth, is Pentecostalism. It is the type that largely dominates the African landscape, and it is the type that is spreading rapidly through crusades, revivals and workshops that have become a feature in many African cities. Pentecostalism is vigorously being spread through radio and television because Pentecostal movements see the modern media as a prime source of recruitment of youth and a means of spreading the word of God. Several radio and television stations have been set up by different Pentecostal groups, and other groups that cannot afford to 'SECA M (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar), Afew Christian Movements in :grow and Madagastar.Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi 1993. set up their own stations, have huge budgets for purchase of airtime. They put to shame many Catholic groups in this regard. To examine the appeal of Pentecostalism to the Catholic youth, this essay explores where many youth first get introduced to Pentecostalism, the Pentecostal radio and television stations. Many young people find the electronic media of Pentecostal movements more appealing than the Catholic electronic media. The reasons that explain the attraction of young people to the radio and televisions of Pentecostal groups, are the very reasons that explain the appeal of Pentecostalism to the Catholic youth. Since these new religious movements are largely an urban phenomenon and place much importance on evangelization through extensive use of the electronic media as priest-anthropologist Aylward Shorter observes, Uganda's capital Kampala was an ideal place in which to situate our research. Uganda's current president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on coming to power in 1986, stressed freedom of worship laying the ground for the rapid growth of Pentecostal movements that had been outlawed by Idd Amin's regime. Museveni has liberalized Uganda's airwaves leading to the setting up of many privately owned FM radio and television stations. Several of these FM radio and television stations belong to different Pentecostal groups. 3. Description of the study site The research for this essay particularly sampled the urban youth of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall in Kampala city. 'Sharing' as the youth center is popularly known among youth circles, is a large youth center that was begun by the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in 1986 to reach out to the urban youth. It is believed by many youth chaplains across Uganda to be a model youth program. 2 4. Hypotheses and Research Methods This research was based on three main hypotheses; the First being that the electronic media used by Pentecostal movements has a stronghold on the Catholic youth, Secondary that there are some needs of the Catholic youth which the Catholic electronic media is not adequately addressing, and Thirdly that there are some features of the Kampala situation which have favored more the development of the electronic media of Pentecostal churches than the Catholic media. The research methods employed, included administering a questionnaire to Catholic youth, interviews with the youth, youth chaplains and those engaged in the running of the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media, and lastly listening and viewing both the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media. 5. Organization of the Study This work is divided into four chapters. Chapter One gives a presentation of the origins of Pentecostalism in the world and in Uganda, its general characteristics and main groupings in Kampala, Chapter Two examines the message spread by these movements, analyzed against the socio-economic and psycho-religious needs of the Kampala youth. Chapter Three restates the Church's call to a serious media ministry because that is where most Catholic youth are being introduced and eventually recruited into Pentecostalism. This work closes with proposals on how to do an effective youth ministry especially through the mass media.
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    HE MUST INCREASE, I MUST DECREASE" (JOHN 3:31) A new axiomfor an ordinary Christian (ife Today An Exegesis qf John 3:22-31 with Ayylication to leadershyl
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) OSWALD, MULENGA, SDB
    Reading the gospel of John especially the book of signs which contains the text we are dealing with, the first impression is that chapter three is largely composed of different scantly misplaced episodes. Anyhow. the evangelist makes sure that one strong message comes out at the climax in verse 30 of the whole chapter three. This is why I find it necessary through this thesis with the help of the Jewish background and biblical exegesis to discover the meaning behind this text. Through this thesis. I will attend to the flair questions as addressed by the evangelist in chapter three, namely: (1) what was the role of John the Baptist and the baptism he administered in the ministry of Jesus? (2) Who was Jesus in the life of Israel (Judaism) and the kind of baptism he offered'? (3) What is the difference between the baptism of John and that ofJesus? (4) For the one who is greater, what is the basis for his greatness'? In the whole book of signs. John the evangelist tries to answer these questions using different motifs and symbol isms. However, in my work as I attempt to attend to them. I do not promise to be very exhaustive in my- approach since the volume of this nature can not allow me. My main preoccupation in this work is to bring to bare the obscure faith theology of the author veiled in the statement of John the Baptist, "he must increase. I must decrease" John 3:30, for his community. The mention of the word honour immediately denotes shame as its opposite concept However, in this case I do not intend to treat the two concepts side by side, instead I will focus on honour and the notion of increase within the Jewish context since what is at stake in the statement of the Baptist is honour. My intention is thereafter, to give the same theology relevance to our contemporary world, particularly the context of the Church in Africa. Though my aim is not to oiler solutions to African problems, at least through this work. I intend to raise some profound awareness in our African Christian way of living. This thesis is composed of three chapters. With the general introduction at the very begin, each chapter starts with a short introduction and conclusion. The general conclusion then comes at the end of the third chapter. Systematically. chapter one deals with the Jewish background laying a foundation for a detailed exegesis in chapter two which will give us the theology for pastoral application in our last chapter. Placed in its proper context the text will act as an eye opener to our readers. Besides, it will act as a window from which to look at the Jewish culture and its faith problems during the time of Jesus in comparison to our Faith crisis today caused by similar structures. All this is to be done NA, ithin the frame work and mindset of the author and his community for whose prospect lie composed this episode. This thesis conies at a time when our contemporary society is really in need of change. However, if we want to stand for that change as Christians, then we will have to be prepared as well to be rejected by the same society since any change will bring about disorder in the status quo of the beneficiaries. Here the message for Christians today is to remain open and receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit from within.