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    Eschatology and the spiritual life in ST. Augustine city of God
    (2006) Jude Mulenga, Chisanga
    The theme for this thesis is Eschatology and the Spiritual Life in Augustine's City of God But here, we should ask the question: what is eschatology? We can define eschatology as a religious language of hope for the fulfillment of the divine promises entailing an interpretation of history 1as well as the satisfying of the nature of man. People are never completely happy when they are still living here on earth, and so they go on longing for joy and peace, wishing that one day in the future they would attain the so much needed solace of body, mind and heart. True harmony in body, spirit and heart will only be achieved at the end of man's life on this earth; when we return to God who created us in His own image and likeness, and this is the· subject of the eschatology. Consequently, the interpretation of the term 'eschatology,' also calls for the understanding of the meaning of the 'spiritual life' so that we can know how to nourish it while we are still in this world; what instrument to use in order for it to mature; we need prayer and spiritual direction that help us to sift through our lives. In spiritual direction and prayer: We receive help to confront ourselves and thereby to discover our authentic voice. That voice alone will· lead us to intimacy with God. We must be patient, however, and ever so silent. We must listen to our heart and not be afraid to hear what it has to say. When we speak from the heart, we soon discover the gentle voice of the Spirit yearning within us. To pray in truth is to pray in the Spirit, the- re-creative We may define the Spiritual Life as man or woman under the action of the ever-coming God actively allowing God to free him or her from all that obstructs the ever-invading love and power of God in order to be more available for God. We are always restless in this life because our present life is temporal; our present state is not what we are meant to be finally when we come face to face with God. It is for this reason that St. Augustine says that we shall only be fulfilled at the end of time when we shall rest in God.3 And so briefly, in the modem theological language, we can also define eschatology as the doctrine of the end of the world and history of mankind; the study of the last things, ta eschata.4
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    A New Model of Pastoral Care Resources from Luo Widows in Kisumu Archdiocese
    (Anglia Ruskin University, 2017-01) Ojore, Aloys Otieno
    This thesis discusses the levirate custom also known as widow inheritance among the Luo of Western Kenya. Persistent observance of the practice by the Luo and its condemnation by the Catholic Church has led to a pastoral dilemma for the Catholic widows in the Archdiocese of Kisumu. Those who reject it are ostracized by the community while those who embrace it are excluded by the Church. This dilemma has remained unresolved for over 115 years since the arrival of Catholicism among the Luo. I have addressed the dilemma in this study. I used a multi-mixed research methods (quantitative and qualitative) to examine the perceptions of the Luo widows regarding the custom. However, the research relied heavily on qualitative methods through the use of focus group discussions, mixed discussion group, narrative techniques and Delphi. The study made use of the pastoral cycle paradigm to facilitate dialogue among the stakeholders in the levirate debate. The findings from the survey showed that a majority of the participants wanted the levirate custom abolished, and widows involved in Church ministries. However, a significant minority wanted it retained and asked the Catholic Church to recognise certain levirate unions. The responses from the focus groups, mixed discussion group and Delphi method, was that the levirate custom as currently practiced, is retrogressive and grossly violates the rights of widows and needs to be stopped. They called upon the government to intervene and protect widows against the abuses. However, the Catholic widows in levirate unions want the Catholic Church to re-think her stand on marriage in the face of diverse human cultures in a rapidly changing world. The desire by widows to be included in Church ministries, pointed to the need for a new model of pastoral care. I have developed a model of widowhood ministry in which Luo widows see Jesus Christ as their ideal husband. The model emerged from the narratives and resources of widows, and from the traditional models of widow care in the Judeo-Christian traditions.