Bachelor of Arts in Theology
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Item A Message of Hope from Paul for Our Christian Journey (Rom 8:18-30) the Impact of Paul's Message on Our Christian Attitude Towards Nature(Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Redmond, TimothyOne of the hot issues in our time that draws the attention of world leaders is the ecological crisis. It is an urgent problem that needs the attention of everyone because the place where we live in common is threatened. If we ignore it we might leave an uncertain future for the coming generation. The widespread extent of the ecological crisis is caused by the barbaric attitude which leads human beings to exploit nature and land resources for their own self-interests. The degradation of land resources and disfigurement of nature at large continue to tell us of the greed and selfishness of human beings and their attitude of being lords over God's creation. This long essay is the result of my own personal motivation to know more about environmental problems, their causes and their consequences. I am aware of the continuing threat to the global village where we live. Paul's message (Rom 8:18- 30) gives me much inspiration and I have come to realize that lam part of the 'large body;' nature, as Michael Dowd describes it in his book Earthspirit. Nature is in great pain and is in a critical situation. As future ministers of the Church we are called to be 'healers and agents' of the Good News to the peoples whom we are going to meet which also extends to the entire cosmos. The same desire motivates me to reflect on Paul's message (Rom 8:18-30) in this long essay. In the first chapter I present the historical background of Paul's use of Jewish teaching and thought to develop his on theology. It is important to know that Paul was very much in the framework of his culture and knew the needs of the people of his own time. In the second chapter, I portray Paul's message of hope (Rom 8:19-30) and show the paradox of Christian life. In Christ and through Christ the whole cosmos is redeemed and yet still waits for future fulfilment. In Christ the whole cosmos holds together and moves to its perfection. Our duty is to involve ourselves in solidarity with the suffering cosmos in order to transform it. It is only in the Christ event that we can grasp fully the meaning of suffering in our present situation and transform it into hope and salvation. In the third chapter I raise the special issue of the ecological crisis in Mozambique as one of the most severe cases among the countries around the world. The birth pangs of creation that Paul portrays in Romans (8:23) are still relevant in our situation today. The natural disasters and the long civil war that affected Mozambique have left the country economically unstable and lacking in the necessary human resources to develop that country. The Church, as a sign of hope and the presence of God's love, has an important role of proclaiming the Good News to all creatures and inspiring every person of good will to become involved in saving the whole cosmos from its destruction. In the last chapter I point out some of the important elements of how Paul's message inspires our Christian life and our mission. The Church is challenged by many aspects of the modern world. One particular challenge is that most of the environmental issues and problems of exploitation are related to political issues. Many times the Church has to face the risk of following the example of Christ's suffering and death. Without losing hope it continues to be a strong pillar through its moral teachings by defending human life and resolving ecological problems. The Church, without ceasing, calls Christians and all people of good will to renew their commitment to be stewards and companions of God's creation. Paul's message opens a new horizon on our Christian journey: we are united with the whole of creation on a journey together towards our redemption. It encourages us to look at nature in a different way. Paul reminds us that nature is not primarily a property to be possessed, but a gift from God to be received with admiration and gratitude.Item Biblical Foundations of Monastic Life In Early Abyssinia(Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Redmond, TimothyOn 'struggling' to write this paper on Mozambique, particularly on the topic I have chosen, I first of all asked myself a question: will I succeed in saying anything meaningful and relevant? Therefore, in this connection I would like to point out some relevant elements that I tried to develop in this essay such as: -A well documented courage of the missionary activity of the Church; -An analysis of the different methodologies applied by the missionaries to foster evangelization; -A reading analysis and reflection on the Papal Encyclical "Redemptoris Missio" which, I believe, has enhanced my understanding of the history of the mission in Mozambique and put it into the proper perspective. However, in analyzing the missionary activity in this country, it is necessary to look at it in the following phases: the Mission during the Portuguese colonial era; the 'Mission during the independence war period, specifically between 1964 and 1975; the Mission in the Mozambican Revolution and the Dawning of a new era. Finally, I will concentrate on some first hand witnesses in order to prove, illustrate or to develop each point. Hence, three factors in the history of mission in Mozambique must be analyzed: 1. Religious Transformation: the type of changes that have occurred, bearing in mind that people had their religious experiences before the coming of colonialism. 2. Cultural Transformation: through colonialism and the Church (missionaries) new cultures come: local and foreign cultures; the coming of modernity; the mentality which changes all the cultures. 3. Social Transfonnation: having in mind the revolutions, e.g. "FRELLMO" and others, which also contributed to the Church's development in Mozambique.