Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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    Poverty as A Structure of Sin in The Slums A Case Study of Mukuru Kwa Reuben Slum
    (Tangaza University College, 2003) Muriuki, Stanley
    At the very mention of the word slum, what first comes into people's mind is poverty and crime. In our human and religious categories, poverty is looked at as an object of mercy and a misfortune that has befallen a person or group of people. Crime on the other hand is treated with resentment and one who participates in it is seen as an enemy of society. In my pastoral experience in the slums, one question however has been going on in my mind; why all these evils associated with the slums? Is it that Satan is more present there? In this paper, I am going to focus my investigation on how poverty in the lives of slum dwellers can be a structure of sin in the extent it influences the occurrence of the various evils that are rampant in the slums. Pope John Paul II talks of structures of sin as rooted in personal sin, that is, concrete acts of individuals who introduce and consolidate them, making them difficult to remove. Poverty is normally understood in the context of material things, and one who lacks enough to cater for his/her needs is seen as poor. I am going to treat poverty not only as a lack of material things but a whole interconnected network of deprivations that is characteristic of slum dwellers. Engbert Mveng could not expose this in a better way than he did in his article "Impoverishment and Liberation: A Theological Approach for Africa and the Third World": a kind of poverty which no longer concerns only exterior or interior goods or possessions, but strikes at the very being, essence and dignity of the human person'. He goes ahead to call this anthropological poverty. I will carry out this study in four chapters. The first will be a social analysis which is an outcome from interviews with the residents of Mukum kwa Rueben slum. This will be preceded by some background information about this slum, which consists of a section of the vast Mukuru slums in Embalcasi district of Nairobi province. The second chapter is going to be a theological background based on scripture and some specific documents of the church. The third chapter will be a set of reflections that makes a theological or Christian response to the problem of poverty based on the teaching of the Church. These are values and attitudes that can be very instrumental in an attempt towards salvation from the structures of sin that are the subject of our study. The last chapter presents a practical response towards a solution to poverty and its effects on the people. I am going to look at what is being done already in the fight against poverty, and what more could be done. In all this the church is called upon to collaborate, support, encourage and challenge the various bodies involved, be it the government or NG0s. My main goal in all this is to create an awareness that poverty is not only a problem by itself but a root cause of many other evils that pose a great threat to society and faith. It calls for a deeper understanding and more profound response that surpasses mere charity.
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    The Effects of Material Possession on the Ministerial Priesthood: A Study in the Archdiocese of Nyeri
    (Tangaza University College, 2016-06) Mwangi, Martin Ngura
    This Long Essay is intended to explore the effects and challenges posed by possession of material wealth by the Clergy in the Archdiocese of Nyeri. The world today has become secularised and the church is not spared and this has generated a lot of challenges on the priesthood ministry of the clergy. Possessing material wealth is not the issue, but, its effects and how it is administered and is the issue. The Church has been emphasizing on the need for the clergy to live a life of poverty and simplicity. Possession of wealth by the clergy was one of the reforms the Church has tried in some of the Church Councils. This issue needs a new approach other than the canons that were developed in the various Councils, as well as change of attitudes by the Clergy of what material wealth means to them.
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    The Role of the Church in Poverty Alleviation in Kenya.
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Oguok, Omondi
    According to the latest Kenya Human Development Report, the number of the poor people increased from 3.7 million in 1972-1973 to 11.5 million in 1994. It also increased from 12.5 million in 1997 and exceeded 13million by the end of 1998. The same Kenya Human Development Report also states clearly that if the potential aspiration of the poor to come out of poverty are ignored, this could result into disaffection which may lead to social unrest and political instability.' In the face of this rapid growth of poverty in this country, the government has recently launched a poverty eradication programme in which it has spelled out some of the various means and ways of solving the problem. In fact, in the recent meeting of the heads of African states held in Gabon, the government of Kenya represented by President Moi committed itself to the reduction of poverty by one half by the end of 2015. 2As Christians we are called upon to contribute positively to this noble course, not simply because the government has proposed this programme but more so because the reduction of poverty which undermines the dignity of the human person pertains to the very nature of our Christian calling. Pope John Paul II in his post synod apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa stresses the fact that the incarnation of the Word of God is the foundation of the restoration of the human dignity. Therefore, to proclaim Christ to the people is to reveal to them their inalienable dignity received from God. By extension, nobody should in any way. live in sub-human socio-economic and political conditions, (cf. F A. No.69). Poverty in Kenya is definitely a threat to the dignity of the people living in this country. Therefore, the contribution of the Church in this effort to reduce poverty in Kenya is very necessary. In this essay, we will bring into the limelight the contribution of the Church towards poverty alleviation in the past and what she could still do in the future. We shall basically use the written documents namely the scriptures, some documents of the Church, the works of some theologians and some books on economic analysis. We shall also complement our readings with practical researches based on our experience, oral interview and written questionnaires and personal reflection. 2 Editorial,
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    Deprived Children In An African Ghetto
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02-16) Mulenga, John Bosco
    As the title suggests, my commitment in this paper is to look at the situation of children in the ghetto setting in view of stretching out the question of deprivation. For the sake of appropriation, I am compelled to analyse this question in relation to the cause, which I believe, lies in the unjust and oppressive structural environment. Both the question of deprivation and the oppressive environment belong to the same ecosystem because they influence each other and are closely linked. They are inseparable. Any strenuous effort towards the eradication or rather, the transformation of the slum-children's appalling life situation would be to no avail if the unjust and oppressive environment is not eradicated or even transformed. Any social transformation depends on the transformation of the contagious environment: the most dangerous "sick who walk " Certainly, my task in this paper is not to offer a solution to the subhuman life-situation of the slum children. But rather, to suggest afresh that while it is good to roll up our sleeves in our meticulous care and concern for the deprived and depraved, it is even better to consider the environmental background of oppression as well.
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    Encounter with Possessions In Discipleship in Luke – Acts
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Nizniak, Krzysztof
    The problem of reconciling possessions with Christian life and the consecrated life has puzzled me for a long time. I have been looking at it from different perspectives in order to find the real significance of possessions in Christian life, especially in the consecrated life. I must say that the lectures in Tangaza College, especially in Scripture and particularly on the Gospels, helped me to broaden my understanding on this matter. Therefore, due to my completion of theology and as a result of my reflection I decided to write the Long Essay on the theme of possessions. This Long Essay ENCOUNTER WTTH POSSESSIONS IN DISCIPLESHIP IN LUKE-ACTS, is an exegetical-pastoral work based on what I have learned from the lectures and the available research on Luke-Acts. Who is the recipient of this Long Essay? First of all this work is addressed to me that I might be made more and more aware of my discipleship with Jesus, primarily as a Christian then as a Salesian of Don Bosco. Second, it should be of great use for all those Christians who own a great deal of possessions. I intend to make use of what is written in this paper during my ministry wherever I find myself The message contained in this essay can be transmitted during my sermons or organised catechesis on possessions. It may help one to think more about or understand better one's life as Christian. Perhaps it will change one's attitude towards one's possessions and towards those who are in need. Furthermore it should be of great use for all those Christians who own anything in their life despite the measure of their wealth, because sharing is a part of human nature regardless of one's amount of possessions. This Long Essay consists of three chapters. The first chapter explores the meaning of discipleship according to Luke. The second chapter considers the aim of possessions, their danger, goodness and their proper use. Primarily this second chapter contains the exegesis of some texts and verses, which are enriched with pastoral implications. The third chapter explores the pastoral implications of Luke's teaching on discipleship and possessions. It is based on my own reflection and different readings on this issue. The whole essay will end with a conclusion. Of course it is impossible to explore fully Luke's teaching on possessions; it requires a larger number of pages. However, my main aim of this Long Essay is to present in general Luke's teaching on possessions in light of discipleship, so that it may give certain guidelines for Christian living, whether it is inside or outside the religious community.
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    Luke's Teaching on Poverty in his Gospel and Acts.
    (Tangaza University College, 1999-02-12) Stybor, Marek
    The intention of my work is to demonstrate that the disciples' obligation to help the materially poor is based on God's care for them expressed through Jesus' attitude according to the Luke's Gospel, and the commitment of the Early Christian Community according to Acts of the Apostles. 1 intend to follow the exegetical approach. First of all, I have to tried to familiarize myself with the texts of Luke-Acts pertaining to my topic by referring to various commentaries and relevant authors. And then, I have developed the material in three parts. In the first part, I have outlined God's attitude to the poor as revealed through the person of Jesus. Here, there is a message to the world which God wants to communicate through the presence of the poor, I have emphasized this. I have referred to the various passages from the Gospel of Saint Luke and the heart of this chapter is the Year of Favor (Lk. 4:18), where Jesus announces his mission as that of proclaiming the good news to the poor. This part of my work develops the theme of God's attitude towards the poor, as revealed in the person of Jesus. In the second chapter I talk about the disciples' fulfillment of the obligation to help the poor. Here, I have analyzed the lifestyle of the Early Christian Community vis a vis the poor, according to the Acts of the Apostles. The lifestyle of the Early Christian Community, according to Luke-Acts, will help us to understand the obligation of disciples to help the materially poor. Their concern for the needy brother and sister reflects the divine concern for the poor. The present day application is contained in the third chapter of my work. My concern in this final part is the challenge which the poor give to the religious who are to be today's disciples of Jesus in a special way. How are we going to face the challenges given to us as people consecrated to God by those who are oppressed, persecuted and suffering because of hunger and other-itijuitices? This is the burden of this chapter. The main guiding question of my work is: What message does Luke-Acts communicate to the Christian disciples concerning their attitude toward the poor? I hope my work answers this question as we go through the text of Luke-Acts from the perspective of the situation of the materially poor in relation to God, and the Early Christian Community's attitude towards them.
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    Poverty as a Challenge to the Church in Africa
    (Tangaza University College, 1997) Kibal, Emery
    Poverty by nature is a universal issue experienced throughout the world, but being challenge to the Church's ministry especially in Africa by virtue of its acuity. Far from being fate or a choice, African poverty is identified by the lack of material possessions insufficiencies which, by its very existence is a human-made creation implying a lot of misery and destruction in all the spheres of life including religion. Unworthy of human dignity, poverty reveals itself a very big challenge to a young Church in the process of being self-governing, self-ministering and self-supporting; this Church has become familiar with poverty and its demands. By all means, poverty is not a value, but rather an evil which undermines God's people from their original dignity. The African poverty, in contrast to other parts of the world's, is a counter-witness of a religion which to penetrate and transform the soul of African people. Thus Africa needs a transforming Christianity able to liberate it from poverty, greed, despair, dependency, idleness oppressing structures. Throughout our reflection we are going to deal mainly with the Church's responsibility and stance for the new social order on account of the oppressive structures that are operating within the continent. Moreover the church has the duty to challenge the complacency of African people who accommodate themselves with the existing and unjust order through education and structural reforms as part of her ministry. Before tackling such a crucial we will define the nature of poverty and determine its origin, respectively in chapter one two. The third and fourth chapters are paradigmatic experiences from both the Old and Testaments as the Jewish prophets and the first century Christians depicts an ideal community based on divine law though their life style and proclamations. Before launching any option for the future in the sixth chapter, it is preferable to examine the prophetic role of the Church today in the fifth chapter as a response to the challenges poor. Finally, if the Church through her social concern, is to remain vital and creative, she be able to speak to, listen to and struggle with African people so that her message may capable of being accepted and interpreted without being compromised.