Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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Browsing Bachelor of Arts in Theology by Subject "Acts"

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    The First Christian Community in Acts (1:12-5:42) And "Malkia Wa Amani" A Small Christian Community in Mukurukayaba: A Comparative Study
    (Tangaza University College, 2004) Tubis, Walter B.
    Every Christian community somehow reflects the first community of Acts. We believe it is also true on the case of "Malkia wa Amani" a small Christian community in Mukuru-Kayaba. Our main objective in this study is to establish the biblical foundation of small Christian communities by comparing the first Christian community in Acts 1:12-5:42 (esp. 2:42-47 and 4:32-5:11) and "Malkia wa Amain". Another objective would be, for us to be aware that the early Christian community can serve as an example or a model to any small Christian community today. To reach these objectives, we will, first of all, identify the characteristics of the first Christian community, highlighting its positive and negative elements. As we shall see, the first Christian community being a model community had its own strengths and weaknesses. Its strength is manifested by praying together, sharing everything in common, etc. On the other hand, mistrust and misconduct like the fraud of Ananias and Saphira clearly signify a weakness within the community. Like the first Christian community, "Malkia wa Amani" too has its own strengths and weaknesses. Its strength lies on the fact that this community prays together and also shares the Word of God to each other. Malkia wa Amani has several weaknesses, one of them being, lack of basic biblical knowledge on the part of some members. In this paper, we will start off, in Chapter 1, by writing an overview of the biblical foundation of small Christian communities taking into consideration the Christian communities founded by Paul in the New Testament. We will then proceed by identifying and analysing the characteristics of the first Christian community pointing out its positive and negative elements. In Chapter II, we will first of all give an overview of the origin and foundation of small Christian communities, in the world, in AMECEA region and finally in Kenya. From here we will go down to "Malkia wa Amani," A Small Christian Community in Mukuru-Kayaba. We will first of all go through its historical background. After which we will explain its characteristics taking into full consideration its positive and negative elements. Then we will see how "Malkia wa Amani can serve as an example for other SCCs today. In Chapter III, we will do the comparative study itself here we will evaluate "Malkia wa Amani" in the light of the First Christian Community in Acts ( 1 :12- 5:42). In this Chapter, we will view the similarities and differences between this two communities. As a pastoral application, we will present how the First Christian Community in Acts can serve as an example for "Malkia wa Amani" and other SCCs today. Before we continue, let us note few words that we are going to encounter rather frequently below. First, "Malkia wa Amani" are Swahili words meaning "Queen of Peace." Second, AMECEA, which stands for Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa. Third, AFER, which means African Ecclesiastical Review. We interchangeably use early Christian community. Jerusalem community and first Christian community. They all refer to one and the same community in Acts (1:12-5:52).
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    Holy Spirit in Luke - Acts
    (Tangaza University College, 2004) Rajasekara, Amila Christy
    The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father through his Son Jesus Christ to all the believers, but often forgotten by them in their daily lives. In comparison to the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit has been rather neglected. The notion of the Holy Spirit itself is vague in its usage. It is difficult to give a clear cut definition to it and some find no proper vocabulary to explain it. The Holy Spirit is the divine principle. !Through him God acts in us and in the whole of creation. The presence of this divine principle is evident in God's words and deeds. It exists in the life of the holy people in the Old Testament. It continues to be present in the New Testament, most specially. in the life of Jesus. Its presence was evident in the Church from its very beginning. Its dynamic reality appears in individual members and in the Church at large. The New Testament makes a numerous references to the I loly Spirit. In his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, Luke has presented the Holy Spirit as a great initiator. In the Gospel, the Spirit acts as God's creative power and as the Spirit of prophecy. Today, it is the same Spirit who guides the Church as a community and its individual members. The Spirit works in and through individuals in order to bring the community to its fulfilment. This dynamic presence of the Spirit is the foundation of the Catholic Charismatic Movement. The Christians involved in this movement witness to the world that the Holy Spirit is alive and active among us today. He continues to guide us through his unfailing gifts that Ile has granted us during our Baptism. This thesis demonstrates the actRe presence of the Holy Spirit as it is presented in the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. It also shows the Spirit existence in the Catholic Charismatic Mcwement. For the better understanding of this research paper. we have divided it into three chapters. The first chapter examines the role of the I loly Spirit in the Gospel of Luke. It is done according to the four major themes: Spirit and Prophecy, holy Spirit as the Creative Power of God, the Spirit and Prayer and the Holy Spirit and Witness. In the second chapter, we deal with the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles. We investigate there, the same major themes as we have done it in the Gospel. In the concluding chapter, the centre of attention is mainly on how we may apply today what we have discovered in the first two chapters. Therefore, in the beginning of the chapter there is a short history of the Catholic Charismatic Movement. In this way, we demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is still actively present in the community of the Church and in the individuals as the principle divine force. In order to achieve the above objectives and materialize the theoretical framework, we have mainly followed library based research work, whereby the relevant material on the topic of the thesis has been collected from the available printed sources.
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    Option for the Poor
    (Tangaza University College, 1996-02) Cieslikiewicz, Krzysztof
    "Option for the poor" seems to be of a great importance in today's world. Much have been written on this topic in recent times. With the blossoming of the Liberation theology, "option for the poor" became also the central theme of the interest of many theologians. This paper does not go in the line of the Liberation Theology thought, but in this paper I would rather try to find out what is the meaning and understanding of the "option for the poor" presented to us in the Bible. Yet, I do not intend to show the overview of the option of the poor in the History of Salvation but rather I will concentrate on the meaning of Jesus' proclamation of the "good new to the poor" presented to us in the beginning of his ministry, in the key text from Luke 4:18-21, which includes a quotation from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 61. But in order to understand well the meaning of the option taken by Jesus we ought to refer briefly to the Old Testament notion of the "option for the poor of Yahweh," because Jesus is the One to bring about fulfilment of the promises of the Old Testament. I will start from the first encounter by Israel option for the poor undertaken by God in Egypt and then its understanding in the prophets, mainly in Isaiah to whom Jesus recalls.