Bachelor of pastoral theology Theology

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Browsing Bachelor of pastoral theology Theology by Author "Kinyua, Joseph"

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    Unveiling the Theological Meaning Of Reconciliation Among the Tharaka Community
    (Tangaza University College, 2002) Kinyua, Joseph
    The Church has opened the doors and windows to other religious and cultures wanting to enter into a true dialogue with them. It is in this respect that the following pages attempt a possible study of the Tharaka views of Reconciliation and the Catholic rite of Reconciliation. This is just the beginning of a long process of research and discernment for myself first of all, and may be for other people in the pastoral field as well. In this research I want to study how the Tharaka people understands reconciliation and what meaning it has in the Church. I myself coming from the Tharaka community want the Gospel to take deep root in this culture. The Sacrament itself is under threat and few people go for Reconciliation these days. I want to see people going for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and accepting it in their own life and culture. Therefore, it is an attempt to see elements in Tharaka which could be used in the liturgy and inculturation. Many people lack both proper study and knowledge of the sacrament and they are carried and absorbed by non-Catholic ideas, for instance the teaching that one can confess directly to God. I hope that this research will encourage and prompt the peoples to value and seek reconciliation in their lives to be in good relationship with others and God. The sources used in this paper is from materials got through observation and interviews carried out, and also by listening and attending talks on reconciliation. There has been informal dialogues and group discussions. I have also read books on reconciliation about the Church. After having done that I have used a criticalcomparative method in this paper. The first chapter looks at reconciliation in Tharaka and how it was understood, received and celebrated. The second chapter studies the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Church, how the Church understands reconciliation and how important the sacrament is to the people. The third chapter puts together the first and the second chapters by looking at reconciliation as the source of healing to both traditional community and the Church. Here the elements of inculturation are discussed, which bring together ideas and values in the first two chapters. Lastly, there is a personal reflection in which I put down my own opinion and understanding on reconciliation. In all this, it has not been easy to come up with materials ready without problems. I have encountered problems of delay, gathering and lack of response from some people interviewed. With all these problems and others, I have not fully exhausted the material and much remains still to be researched by others and me too to contribute.