Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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The Mission Renews the Church
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Francesco, Pierli
When I realise especially through prayer and a deepened reflection that we are the Church of Christ, the Church which is a gift, grace, and chance. We will easy realise also that we have to take care for the Church in order to make her more and more the community living for Christ and for others. The expression given above enlightens us that to be the Church of Christ is also a task which must be fulfilled. A logic consequence of its acceptance will be a reflection over the mystery of the Church missions. Our task is to take care of the Church we belong to and make it a community of joy. We must discover the Christian enthusiasm in our spiritual life, enthusiasm in giving witness. Our task is the co-operation with the grace of the Holy Spirit who leads the Church and makes her always new and holy. Our task is to do that the Bride Christ that is our Church be always beautiful and Christ could find her constant delight. We live in a time when the Pastor of the Universal Church, John Paul II, points out for us the tasks of a new evangelization. He calls us to the renewal of the Spirit, what will allow us to show again to the world the unchangeable truth of the Gospel as the only truth about God and people. The renewal which is always needed in the Church has one of its sources in its mission calls and task. Our openness for those who are not aware of the greatness of the gift given to the human race, which is the Church, is finally turned towards ourselves, makes new our Christianity and strengthens us in faith which opens our hearts for sisters and brothers. And it is why I chose this topic. I was born and grew up in Poland, I know the reality of Polish Church, but now I'm in Africa and I see many challenges, not only for myself but for the whole Universal Church. In this paper I would like to present the brief history of Polish missionary activity, participation of Poles in the evanngelization. Polish Church is a part of the Global Church, a part of the mission which is the continuation of the mission of Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. I will try to support this with the teaching of the Church and suggest some ideas that our mission would be effective, and may renew the Church.
St. Paul as the Model And The Example for My Missionary Life
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02-12) Grych, Andrzej
St. Paul is the most famous missionary in the early Church. It was his dedication to the mission to the Gentiles which brought Christianity from the Jewish to the Greek world. In his zeal and dedication to the mission he wished to go to the ends of the world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, he never came to Africa. It is now, almost nineteen centuries later, that I am getting ready for the mission on this continent. Thus, I would like to see St. Paul as the missionary who can be the model and the example for my missionary work as a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA) here in Africa. From the very beginning of his mission St. Paul was very conscious of his vocation as a missionary (the Apostle to the nations). It was something that sustained him in his work. His strong missionary vocation and total dedication to what he was doing challenges my attitudes as a young person. The sense of urgency, which can be seen in his mission, inspires me to reflect upon my own convictions and ideas. What was it at the core of the mission that pushed St. Paul ahead? Where did he find the strength and power to move on? Can I be like him? His mission was mostly connected with building and forming local communities. It had a deep impact on his life and he himself was changed by what he was doing. He was ever open to the local needs and as he moved from place to place he was leaving behind different active Christian communities. That is something that makes me "jealous"! How did he do it? Was he not afraid that the work he did would be wasted and the community would die? How did he form the communities so that after his departure they would grow and spread? Is there something I could learn from St. Paul about mission for my future?
Reconciliation as a Model of Mission In Contemporary Africa.
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Chinedu, Ojiekwe Ephraim
It is God's wish to establish a community where brothers and sisters live in unity, through His Son, Jesus Christ.' In this community or society there will be no exploitation and oppression, no more war, hunger and thirst. There will be no more division. Hence, it will be a community of happy and prosperous people. Today, the reverse has been the case. In Africa, there are wars and violence of one kind or another. Poverty and the trauma of the displaced has been the African experience. The words "love", "hospitality", and "peace" which have been important words in the African vocabulary of life have lost their meaning. There appears to be nobody brave enough to accept responsibility for the situation. I believe that the task of building a peaceful, loving and caring African society can only be achieved if individuals and the community as a whole could go into themselves and discover, why they have problems, what they are and what the reasons for them are. Moreover, being able to enter into dialogue and to admit responsibility where it is necessary. This is because, "a civilization that cannot solve the problems it has caused is a decadent civilization'. Hence, the selfexamining, soul - searching and provocative questions which are valid for Africans today are: Why has Africa remained such a shameless beggar in the world of independent men and women? Why is the continent the laughing stock and dumping ground of the civilized world? What has been the nature of the African Church's mission? Has it been quite successful? What model of mission is suitable for Africa today? It is in the line of these questions that I was inspired to write this long essay under the topic: "Reconciliation as a model of mission in contemporary Africa". I am doing so with feelings of eagerness, longing and great desire to see African continent restored to her normal status. It is also my conviction that by taking Jesus as the "focal point" of our mission, we can break all barriers and engage in dialogue with ourselves and other people. Thus, we can build a humanized society where every member experiences the freedom and solidarity of the people of God. In the light of the goal and methodology of the project therefore, I would like to formulate the outline of the project into three chapters thus: CHAPTER 1. SEE: The need for reconciliation in contemporary Africa - What are those areas of life that need to be restored to harmony? CHAPTER 2. JUDGE: The church as mission - Has the Church been a reconciling community in the faces of these conflicts and divisions? CHAPTER 3. ACT: Reconciliation as a model of mission for contemporary Africa - What does God want? In chapter 1, after giving a general view of the African society, I will analyze the present political, socio - economic, and religious conditions experienced by the people. Moreover, I will illustrate more concretely these points with Nigeria and Senegal. In the second chapter, I will try to deliberate on the notion: "The Church as Mission". I shall look at the church's role in this situation. Is their approach to the situation very successful? Lastly, in the third chapter, I will take on what I would call the core of this project namely: in the light of the situation of the contemporary Africa and in the light of our evaluation from a missiological perspective, what line of action are we to adopt? What are to constitute our strategies in addressing the issue? With a general conclusion, I close my long essay.
Poor Representation and Participation of Women In Political Decision-Making Bodies A Challenge To The Church
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02-12) Mutasingwa, Alexus
The problem of under representation and participation of women at top levels of political decision-making bodies is a fact nearly everywhere in the world. By decision-making bodies I mean the government under either an executive president or prime minister. Other bodies are those such as parliaments, senates, cabinets of ministers and diplomatic offices. Members of those bodies are the most influential people in deciding how things should go in their countries and between their countries and the international community. They represent the rest of the population, which entrusts them with a responsibility to govern and make decisions for the interest of all people whom they represent. When we look at the composition of such bodies, we quickly notice male predominance and either total or a nearly total absence of women. Decisions made by those bodies are mainly made from a male perspective with almost no regard for the interests of women. That is not right, because men and women share equal dignity and status with equal rights in the societies. When one group is undermined and excluded from taking part in making decisions which affect it, is that justifiable? In many societies, women are denied their natural rights and are subjected to oppression and exploitation. That kind of relationship has been taken for granted by both men and women without questioning it. Right from childhood men and women see each other in terms of superior and inferior. Some activities and duties have been distributed according to gender, even if what has been assigned to one gender group can be better done by the opposite gender group. The Word of God challenges us to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote justice and equality in all aspects of life. Love was the main theme in the teaching of Jesus. That is what he ordered his followers to strive for and try to spread. It is a duty of the church to ensure that the plan of God and the mission of Christ are fulfilled. It has to ensure that justice is done to each and every human person in the world. The exclusion of women or their poor participation in decision making is a justice issue. It goes against the Christian values which the Church stands for. That calls for measures to be taken to redress the situation. That is why the title of this work says that "Poor Representation and Participation of Women in Political Decision-Making Bodies : A Challenge to the Church ". By the Church I mean especially the Roman Catholic Church, but also all those who call themselves Christians and believers. The privilege of doing my theology studies in Kenya made me realise that Kenyan women are no exception from those of other parts of the world. I followed the events of the 1997 general elections in which many women took part. However, quite a few of them won seats in the parliament for instance. I listened to their complaints, I read comments by political analysts and talked with some voters. All that I learned inspired me to know more about women's concerns. I also attended a seminar course on the topic at Tangaza College and finally I decided to write my long essay on it. My experience in Kenyan politics is short but quite rich. Due to the rich experience I have had, I decided to write my paper with a reference to the Kenyan reality. The paper is divided into three main chapters. The first chapter deals with the analysis of the problem, making a kind of survey. The aim is to find out the intensity and the extent of the problem around the world and in Kenya in particular. The question to be asked is, what prevents women from taking part in political decision-making bodies? We shall also examine whether there is any significance in having women politicians or not. Chapter Two will try to make us aware of how the problem poses a challenge to the Christian faith. It will also show us how God views people and their problems and what the role of the church is and liturgical celebrations regarding the human situations. Chapter Three will try to offer some pastoral suggestions and possible solutions. An attempt will be made to give suggestions with concrete ways of going about them. This will be followed by a general conclusion. That will include an assessment of the situation and highlight some indicators or signs of hope for solving the problem, hence a brighter future.
Mission Through Communication
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Mohr, Verna
Saint Paul used to preach in many places and one of them, was the Areopagus which represented the cultural centre of the learned people. Saint Paul went to the Areopagus and preached the Gospel in the language that was appropriate and understandable to all. In our days, this Areopagus can be used to represent the different sectors in which the Gospel has to be preached. The Areopagus that is very strong today is the means of social communication, which is influencing the whole society. This has become a challenge for the missionary, who, instead of fighting against it, is encouraged to use it for the benefit of the mission and of the people. First, when we went to the mission during the long holidays, we noticed that the missionaries working in that area, that is Wamba in the Diocese of Marsabit, after many years working with the Samburu People still use Swahili as the main language to communicate with them instead of using Samburu language. Hence, we started wondering about the effectiveness of the missionary work among the Samburu People as much as how Evangelization could take roots through a language that is not considered part of that people. Second, going through the courses of Public Speaking and Homiletics and seeing the importance of a well done speech in order to get a message across. Much more, we think, is needed in order to achieve a better result in our missions. Lastly, looking around, we can see that the Mass Media has brought to us many forms on how to reach out to the people starting from the young up to the old in order to sell many ideologies as well as to have certain control over a nation. From this we found ourselves challenged as our means of communicating to the people still remains far behind of catching up as they lack a much broader variety. In order to understand the relation between mission and communication, we did a thorough research on both aspects. By presenting this essay in an organized manner, we followed the methodology: See, Judge and Act. This is the methodology that will be utilized for the three chapters developed in this essay. We will begin the first chapter by seeing the facts about mission and communication. Next we will examine the meaning of mission and communication in the secular and religious sphere. Finally, we will deal with the historical background. In these three parts of the first chapter we want to see how mission and communication are understood and how they are developed through history. Judging mission through communication, we present the vision of the church on mission and communication in the second chapter. We will start with the Vatican Council II documents and then deal with the Code of Canon Law, presenting the norms, views and exhortations on mission and communication. Lastly, but not least, action, we add some suggestions that could be taken into consideration for improving mission through communication in the third chapter. In order to approach this theory we will discuss the vision of the Consolata Missionaries on how they are dealing with mission through communication. At the end of the essay there is a conclusion about the findings and highlights we encountered while writing this essay.
Marriage and the Hereafter in the Kitiul Yansi A Psycho - Religious and Missionary Analysis For Inculturation in Africa
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Kikasidi, Jean-Marie Ebul Bul
Today more than ever in the past, clan structures in which marriage took roots are disintegrating. The kitiul system is one of the matrilineal customary forms of marriage that still prevails. It portrays the communal continuance of the family lineage and the preservation of the unity of the visible and invisible families within an anthropology of clan relatedness. Captivated by the psycho-religious, theological, missionary, pastoral and soteriological questions that it raises in the Church, I selected this topic of marriage and the hereafter. Aiming at an inculturated form of marriage for Yansi Christians, our methodology will be expository, deductive, analytical and comparative. It dwells upon socio - anthropological field research already done by others in the African context. That is, as source, we made moderate attempt to consult quite an amount of French and English literature on different fields of marriage and salvation. However, the scope of this study remains that of kitiul customary marriage in the Yansiland, so to come up with a contextual idea of inculturation. The scheme of our essay follows the different chapters purposely organised. They develop and separate the intertwined themes conveyed in this work. The first chapter much longer than others intends to narrow down the presentation of the Yansi location, their system of marriage based on their world - view, and the socio-religious function of the kithd. The second chapter sketches out the Church teaching on marriage and the presents the sacramental life of these people in their pastoral milieu. The third one assesses and discusses critically church and kitiul traditions on marriage and pave the way to the fourth chapter that deals with inculturation. All together, this essay modestly tries to analyse the marital situation among the Yansi in order to implement properly the teaching of the Church; to empower her people and promote better communal life in a Church known as a family.
Land Issue, a Challenge to the Social Mission of the Church: A Theological Socio-Cultural Study on Kenya Land Tenure
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Catioiti, Alfredo
Indeed the land question in Kenya is a topic that does not need to be introduced, as if it were an issue which significance people are not aware of. At a purely social level the Kenyan land question is such an emotional issue that in discussing it one may easily run the risk of being just rhetorical. This being said, there remains a call rising from the many wananchi who wonder why to date this (land) question is not yet solved and has not been paid its due heed by legislators. If from a sociological point of view it is not necessary to utter many words to explain the relevancy land issues have for ordinary people, that does not apply when we turn to a theological perspective. Is it not unusual that a burning issue such as land which is not alien at all to the biblically rooted Christian faith, has not yet been introduced into the local theological discourse as well as not yet becoming a pastoral concern of our Christian communities? Taking into consideration the fact that for a good number of wananchi land is the thorny crux of their daily life, should not theology stop, stoop down and listen to people's grievance? For many a Kenyan, land has become a real burning issue even to the extent of experiencing the heat of the fire when eviction occurs. For many others, land remains a thorny reality: playgrounds, public fields and forests are fenced off, leaving citizens invaded with frustration, anger and a sense of 2 powerlessness. An increasing number of people, however, no longer want to be passive onlookers: women and men of good will from all walks of life and belief are coming together as God's people, asking themselves what to do before the situation gets worse. Operation Firimbil is an example of this rising common concern. No doubt before taking any resolution it is necessary to understand deeply the present context, looking back at our culture, history and social structures (Chapter One). Faith, if one has it, opens up the human horizon to better value achievements and failures (Chapter Two). All this is to be done with the purpose of struggling as God's people for a truly humane society (Chapter Three), where land is brought back to its original meaning: a place in which to live with God in peaceful acceptance of one another's difference and dignity. The scope of the land problem is so vast that it could not be contained within the limits imposed on the present essay. However, an effort has been made to stretch its limits by annexing extra documentation (appendices).
Can the Church Of Mozambique Be Missionary in Her Own Country?
(Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Vilanculos, Paulo Rafael
Mozambique is a nation that has been involved in a long civil war that brought the country to a total destruction of its economy. This created a perpetual problem of poverty and an unbalanced distribution of wealth among its population as well as creating a disturbing social disorder. During the times of civil war, blame and accusations were always thrown only to one side of the war makers: 'poverty and destruction is caused by the RENAMO fighters'. But today, after the treaty of peace of Rome signed on 4th October 1992, peace has come to the country and democracy was inaugurated in 1994 with the general multiparty elections. Nonetheless, even with peace and stability reigning in Mozambique, a fair distribution of wealth cannot be seen and felt by its citizens. In fact, there are talks of growing figures in Mozambique's economic achievements in the last five years, but this growth does not guarantee a balanced distribution of wealth. The rich are increasingly growing rich and the poor are more impoverished every day. The government has not managed to create chances of employment for most of its population, thus opening channels to criminality and illicit ways of gaining wealth and survival. Corruption has become the order of the day and there is no way the government can guarantee that justice be always administered to the citizens given that even the judiciary has been caught up in similar corrupt behavior like that seen in government offices. It is in this context of sympathy and anguish for my people's pain and desire to see justice administered to them that I decided to write this paper, urging the Church to reflect on her mission and identity and speak for the helpless, the poor and those suffering unjustly in cells for crimes that they did not commit. Therefore, when trying to answer the above stated question I intend to address the following interconnected issues: the social injustice and the worsening levels of poverty in the country due to corruption and lack of solidarity, pleading the missionary-Church to make pronouncements in regard to these burning issues and demand that she get more involved in social matters to the extent of imitating some classical prophets such as Amos, Hosea and Isaiah, who spoke out when they saw injustices being inflicted on their fellow countrymen. These prophets should be taken as models to follow if the Church wants to bring justice to the country so as to stop corruption and eradicate poverty. In this way she will alleviate the pain, the anguish and the suffering of the people of Mozambique. There are many reasons why I address the Church to take up this task: First of all, the Church is the salt of the earth and the light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13-14 and Vat. II, Ad Genies, no.1 ss.2). She represents Christ on earth, and Christ her founder came to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to the oppressed and proclaim a good year of prosperity to all humanity ( cf. Lk 4:18-19; Is 61:1-2). Therefore, the Church has the task of bringing about that justice and freedom from oppressive powers to her people because this was the command of Christ, that she should continue to do what he had begun. Secondly, the Church has, as one of her missions, to be prophetic in her life and proclamation. To be a prophetic Church does not only mean to announce messages about the future, but rather it means to denounce strongly what is wrong in the society today. This is the sign of commitment and care to her members who live here and now. Furthermore, she must bring liberation not only to Christians but to all humanity because the Christ-event was a cosmic event which aimed at redeeming all the universe‘ In the third place, the Church is usually held by many societies as a moral person whose life portrays what she is and lives in accord with the model desired by her founder, a model of love and service to one another. Indeed she is a moral person. The Church also must be free from any allegiances and partisanship so much so that she talks impartially and objectively on matters that hurt the people and the state. For this reason, even though she holds principally and primarily spiritual powers, she must, however, show concern and look after the well being of her flock who live in the state. The Church and the state should co-operate in bringing about justice and social well-being of the citizens of the country (cf. LG, 76). Another reason that makes me think that the Church should address these issues of social justice (and the government should not feel offended), is that I have observed that many governors of nations, presidents and ministers alike, when sworn in to their posts, claim/evoke the authority of the Bible and the constitutions of their countries as their guiding principles of leadership, and utter words like these: 'I will be committed to serve the people according to the constitutions of the country and with the help of God, [symbolized by the Bible]. Therefore, the Church being Christ's representative and holding power and authority to interpret God's will to her people, a will that is contained in the Bible, she is obliged to speak out in the name of God and remind the earthly rulers of the meaning of their public oath taken on the day of their commitment to serve the nation Earthly rulers need to be told what real justice and well-ordered social life is. To accomplish my task of creating a guideline document which must bring awareness and provoke reactions and actions of the reader to the cause of the poor and disadvantaged, I will begin by describing the recent social, political and economic situation of Mozambique. In this opening chapter, I will focus on the problem, the fact that poverty and social injustice exist in Mozambique. I will describe the factors causing this poverty especially corruption. The purpose of this chapter is to raise the problem and state it clearly through a clear and thorough description of facts and events. In the second chapter I will focus on the biblical figures, the prophets, who dealt with a similar need for social justice in Israel The Bible will be the main guiding principle and source from where answers will be fetched after a careful study and critique of the texts and materials using commentaries and other biblical study books. This chapter is the core section of the whole work and, it will determine my conclusions, suggestions and recommendations. Therefore, I will give it a special, objective but critical treatment so as to make my conclusions and recommendations practical, viable and strong, and provoking to the readers. The third chapter contains the lines of action, suggestions, new approaches, new strategies to be implemented in the field by all Church agents both in their preaching and dealing with the government, people and all institutions directly responsible in promoting the common good and fair distribution of wealth. The conclusions will flow naturally from the Bible's teaching as it challenges the present situation within the country and the practical specific needs in the country.
Working for Women's Development Elements of a Theology of Women's Ministry
(Tangaza University College, 1998-02) Machota, Janusz
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither slave nor freeman, there can be neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus" - writes St.Paul to the Galatians. According to these words, the church is a community of equal believers united in their faith in Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of the Father. That community is prompted by the Spirit to go and spread the Good News to the whole world. The same missionary mandate has been endorsed almost 2000 years later by the present Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Ailisszo. It has been given to all the faithful both men and women. Everyone is called to ministry. In two years time we will be celebrating the 2000 anniversary of Christianity. Such occasions make us reflect and evaluate the past, see the present and prepare the fixture. This essay is dedicated to all women who from the beginning of the church have been involving in its ministry. I am going to see whether the church has been faithful to God's intention regarding women. I also intend to give a vision of woman's ministry that would be adequate for the church entering the third millennium. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have enkindled in me the interest in promoting women's ministry. First of all, my thanks go to those women and men who inspired me by their life witness, collaborative apostolate and strong commitment to the work of evangelization. I sincerely thank Rev Fr. Patrick Ryan for his guidance in this work. My words of thanks go to my formators and students in the SMA House in Nairobi, for all the help they showed in bringing this endeavour to completion. I hope that my essay will make a small contribution to the development of women's dignity and to the proper understanding of their (tall to evangelize given to them by the Lord. Lastly, I hope that it will help me in the missionary work that I am about to begin.
The Eternity of Uoi (Witchcraft) In Ukambani
(Tangaza University College, 1998-02) Ndumbi, Urbanus Mbolu
Witchraft is a subject which has been discussed by many scholars of African culture. However, for us we have undertaken to investigate what it is, who practises it, and finally why bother about it? This we have done by having a case study of Matuu parish of Machakos diocese. The people under study are Akamba, both Christians and non Christians. In Pastoral Psychology we came to realize that witchcraft is one of the problems or issues that confront the pastor in his pastoral ministry. This is true also of pastors working in Machakos diocese. We hence thought it is an important subject which needs a careful study and a critical analysis in order to address it properly. Throughout this long essay/project, we have come to realize that not every Mukarnba is a witch and that witchcraft affects Christians and non Christians alike, and so a cause for our concern. We have also come to realize that witchcraft cannot be eradicated by a pastor preaching against it, more is required in terms of catechesis and open dialogue between the Catholic Church and the local culture. It has become clear to us that riches or economy has its part to play in this phenomenon. This then reminds us that what we are dealing with here is more than we often read about witchcraft in books.. Witchcraft is the power that counters the good in society, that is, good life and prosperity, and as we have found out, it cannot be narrowed to a clear definition. The more we have tried to understand it, the more mysterious it has become. We have also found out that it is an eternal phenomenon always taking new forms as the society takes new forms of development. In our research we have found out that the Akamba have a clear distinction between a witch and a priest less doctor and whoever has to work in this society as a pastor has to be aware of this distinction if he has to address the phenomenon of witchcraft effectively. The two are opposed to one another in theory and practice.

Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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