Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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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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    Ministerial Priesthood: An Inspiration for Holistic Growth
    (2001-02) Nyandwi, Camille
    It is quite normal to hear from "Wazee" (the respectable elderly) a litany of complaints about the young generations. These are blamed for being taken up by modernity and to have left the traditions out there. Wise men and women in their turn keep blaming not only the youngsters, but also their elder brothers and sisters, who, after abandoning the blessed traditions have failed as well to embrace totally the modern culture. They are living in identity crisis. Globally, the society in Africa is undergoing an identity and model crisis. "Neither the teachers nor the parents nor the community are good models for the young people". Faced with these two types of crisis, one would wonder where to get the models for youth! This is why the goal of this Essay is to present the lifestyle of genuine priests as "a model" for youngsters. Priests have chosen to follow Christ "the way, the truth and the life". They are on the right track. Therefore, like St Paul, a true priest today can stand in the crowd and say: "Imitate me, then, just as I imitate Christ" (1Cor. 10: 33). What is there to imitate in priests? This Essay is telling us what!
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    The Official Teaching of the Catholic Church on the Issue of Women’s Ordination to the Ministerial Priesthood
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Bartodziej, Slawomir
    First, we will introduce the content of the first document followed by the contemporary criticism of only some objects of uncertainty. Second, we will look very briefly at the second document, followed by the exposition of the controversy which has been caused by its claim to infallibility in Responsum ad Dubium. Thirdly, we will present the content of the document, Ad Tuendam Eidem, where the infallible teaching has been clearly defined and Pope John Paul II gave a final word with regard to the non ordination of women to the ministerial priesthood. Before we conclude the whole research we will look at some topics, namely: - "Theology of the Priesthood of Christ" "The Twelve Apostles" "The Role of Women in the Church" which are, in my opinion, very much related to the problem of women's ordination. This last chapter before the conclusion is meant to help us, in our personal reflection, to make a proper and mature discernment of the whole issue, in the light of the official teaching of the Church on one side and the voices of critics on the other, as Christian faithful in the Catholic Church. As a matterof fact this research does not contain all existing arguments for and against women's ministerial ordination, due to its large and complex extent. It is impossible to deal with all the theological problems raised by the question of the possibility or non possibility of the ordination of women in this paper. This restriction must be noted from the very outset. The core of this essay is the presentation of the developing understanding of the issue of women's ordination to the ministerial priesthood by the Magisteriurn of the Catholic Church which has been presented in the official documents.
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    Biblical Foundation of Jesus' Priesthood Vis-A-Vis Inculturation Of Ministerial Priesthood In The Democratic Republic Of Congo.
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Shabani, Edmond
    We are presently experiencing a religious crisis where priesthood seems to be rejected by the challengers of the priests of the Catholic Church. The Church meets serious objections and challenges in this area. The objections are caused by a secularized mentality. Some people think that to talk of priesthood today is meaningless; and others claim that the Church has no right to insist on it because its founder was not, according to them, a priest. If we go back to the ancient Jewish religion, the ministers were called "priests". Today, in our century there are many religions and sects, whose number grows every year in the world, but only few of these religions and sects use the term "Priest". Some religions and some sects use the term "Pastor ", others" Mtumishi " ( Kiswahili word meaning" Servant" ), some use" Apostle ", others " Shepherd ", " Evangelist "and some others use similar words to these. Only a few religions use the term" Priest ". One could ask him/herself: what is the meaning of" priest", why do many religions avoid the use of this term, what is its foundation, is this term understood by people or does it have a negative background? How can our priesthood be justified today? This work will have four chapters which are connected to one another. The first Chapter aims at discovering the history of priesthood and its divine institution in the Old Testament. The aim of the second chapter is to examine the priesthood in Jesus' time and its relationship with him. And we will see the judgement of Christ on the priests of his time and his correcting behavior toward them. The third chapter is to analyze the priestly function of Jesus. The priesthood of Christ remains a very complex mystery: we can not exhaust all its aspects, because we have also to leave space for faith. If we want to talk of this mystery at the present moment, it is to enlighten the greatness and the seriousness of the Christian priesthood as it is exercised by our priests, because to deny Christ' priesthood, is to cut the root of the ministerial priesthood of the Church. To reject the ministerial priesthood of the Church is to ignore its initiator, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Priest. The fourth chapter about inculturation will tell us how every culture exercises the ministerial priesthood according to its genius without neglecting the place of Jesus the founder of the true priesthood and of all cultures. The final point is to show that inculturation should go beyond its own external or ritual form. At the end of our work, we don't claim to have said everything, or to have said exactly what we intended to say. We are aware of our limits in this matter, trusting that the Lord himself will add to our contribution the necessary elements which are missing, and doing all this for his own glory.
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    Celibacy in Religious Life And Priesthood
    (Tangaza University College, 1999-02) Mmakola, Mina J.
    The topic of celibacy seems to enter into any discussion of the priesthood today. It also seems to appear whenever the subject of priesthood is potrayed or discussed in the media. Much of the discussion focuses on die question of "obligatory" versus "optional" celibacy, institutional requirement or personal choice. I hope to move beyond that discussion. I seek to look at the meaning of celibacy as an integral dimension of priestly life and virtue. I see celibacy as a life choice for the priest In order to make a mature life choice for celibacy, the case for celibacy needs to be made. The first chapter will first take a look at the current situation surrounding celibacy. This will help clarir the background of assumptions, questions and arguments that are typical of a critique of priestly celibacy. In the second chapter, I would like to review the historical development of mandatory clerical celibacy. The third chapter will look briefly at the topic of human sexuality, in a specifically Christian context. This will be the ground from which my discussion of celibacy will arise. The fourth chapter will look at some of the deeper religious and theological rationale for clerical celibacy. Finally, in the filth chapter, I would like to reflect on a couple of other areas in the realm of celibacy. Celibacy in Religious Life and Priesthood Before we go any further, I think that it is important to clarif, my working definition of celibacy. Celibacy does not mean simply "living alone" since many celibates live in community nor does celibacy simply mean being "unmarried". Celibacy is also not the same as being single. The celibate is not a bachelor. In the parlance of Roman Catholic theology, a single person is an unmarried person who is open to marriage. The celibate is unmarried and intends to remain tnimarried.1 For this paper, celibacy means "consecrated celibacy". The consecrated celibate is not only unmarried, but endeavours to forego all direct and willful indulgence in the pleasure of genital sex - whether alone or with others. This is what it means to remain absolutely chaste. Celibacy in and of itself is merely an ascetical practice, an exercise in self - discipline. But celibacy is made "consecrated" by the nature and motive of one's commitment to it. This commitment is usually expressed in a vow or promise to God. Religious priests, like Benedictines and Franciscans, commit themselves to celibacy by a vow - a direct promise to God. Diocesan priests commit themselves by way of an oath - a promise made to the local ordinary or his delegate while asking God to witness this promise. The motive of the religious and diocesan priest is the same: for the sake of their witness to the kingdom of God. This motive will be explored in chapter four.2