Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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    The 'Beasts' In John Of Patmos' Apocalypse An Exegesis Of Rev 13 And Pastoral Application In The Contemporary African Context
    (Tangaza University College, 2003) Gervasio, Riloha Bela
    The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse is not a "mystery book". It is neither a book of the past (irrelevant to our 2l st century world) nor a book narrating "terrible events" that will take place in the future. John of Patmos' Apocalypse is neither a "very difficult" book nor a "dangerous one". What did John of Patmos intend to do by making use of a kaleidoscopic imagery as we find it in the Book of Revelation? The answer is just very simple. He simply intended to convey a faith-message to the Asia Minor Christians. John of Patmos' Apocalypse shows us his profound understanding of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ and how this mystery is to be lived in daily life of the Christians. What John writes is 'the gospel of the Risen Lord'. The whole book is to be interpreted in the light of "the Lamb that was slain, and yet standing" (Rev 5:6), a faith-message to the Christians about Jesus Christ and his Paschal Mystery. This faith-message is still relevant indeed for us Christians today. However, quite a lot of people today, even pastors and theologians, seem to completely ignore the relevance of the biblical apocalyptic to our contemporary world, particularly in the African context. When John of Patmos wrote his Apocalypse, the Christians of Asia Minor, whom he wrote to, seem to have been undergoing terrible trials in a hostile environment to their faith. Roman pagan rulers favored those who were loyal to Roman authority and, in the face of tribulations, many Christians chose the way of least resistance and gave in to the pagan rulers' demands. That was also an environment of power-hungry and money-thirsty people, who in order to have all the possible advantages in this world chose to compromise with Roman authority, an attitude that John of Patmos perceived as a surrender to the forces of evil. John of Patmos' underlying questions in his Apocalypse are basically three: (I) Who is in control of the world, the worldly powers as represented by Rome or God? (2) Who is to be worshipped, God or the 'Beasts'? (3) What is the meaning of the evil at present? Will evil last forever, or the final word belongs to God? In this essay, we are going to tackle these three questions through John of Patmos' beast-symbolism as it is found in chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation. The reason for our choice is based on the fact that Rev 13 is indeed the core of the entire book. Besides, quite a lot of Christians today, especially in Africa, seem to be disconcerted. Thus, as Rev 13 motivated the Asia Minor Christians in a critical situation, today's Christians, especially in the African context, might find in it motivations from winch their life may draw invincible strength and unshakeable faith. This essay has three chapters, with a short introduction and conclusion for each chapter. In Chapter One, we will deal with historical context/background questions related to the biblical apocalyptic, with a specific reference to Rev 13. In Chapter Two, we will focus on literary context questions related to Rev 13, with particular attention to an extensive exegesis of the chapter at stake. This exegesis will indeed contain a lot of information and details that will enable us to unveil "the mystery" of its apocalyptic beast-symbolism. In Chapter Three, we are going to bring out the faith-message (theology) of Rev 13 as it was intended by the author, and we are also going to see how this message can be articulated in the present-day crises facing the Church in Africa.
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    Johannine Peter, Authoritarian or Democrat? Exegesis of The Latecomer Peter in John's Gospel: A Challenge for African Church Leaders
    (Tangaza University College, 2003) Jean, Ikanga Ngeyeye
    In the collective study on Peter in the New Testament, R.E. Brown points out that "much of the material that John reports about Peter is not the same as what is reported in the synoptic Gospels.' In fact, while reading the fourth Gospel, I realize that the Johannine writer downplays the figure of Peter. In opposition to the synoptic Gospels, he presents a Peter who arrives late in many important areas pertaining to the discipleship of Jesus. A host of questions may come to one's mind: why does the Johannine author present a great figure of the Early Church as a latecomer? Was it true that Peter was so slow during Jesus' lifetime? If the Gospels are the living testimonies of the evangelist communities, what was happening in the Johannine Community in order to produce this image of Peter? On the other hand, we have been reflecting on the reasons about the generalized crisis and civil wars in many African countries (D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria).
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    Hymn to Charity (1 Cor 13:1-13) "Exegesis and Application To Daily Life"
    (Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Nzengele Louis-Marie, Lutomantima
    This work is an exegetical investigation that analyses I Cor 13, 1-13 in order to reveal the original message, which Paul communicates. It unveils a clear idea of love according to Paul This Pauline message is relevant for us today, and this same message of Paul is a message that our own societies may still need to hear. This text, which inspired me to investigate this topic, is not an island in the middle of the sea. Surely, it has some historical setting and clearly there is a basic motivation behind this redaction. This is why we need to place some delimitations on our investigation of the text in order to be precise in our presentation. Textual criticism will be the second stage. In this part, we will look at some commentaries, and then see where authors agree and disagree. In the third part we will examine the form and structure of this text. In the fourth part, we will look and consider some parallel texts in the Bible, which are relevant to this text. Now it is important to know when, where and why Saint Paul wrote this beautiful hymn in praise of charity. This will lead us to the study of the historical setting of the text and its context. Finally, we will evaluate this text in some brief concluding remarks.
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    Biblical Foundations of Monastic Life In Early Abyssinia
    (Tangaza, 2002-02) Wold, Estifanos Helafu
    This essay will reflect about monasticism in Eritrea and Ethiopia and their evangelisation since they have the same Christian history. In it, I will show how the people of these two countries were attracted to monasticism in early ages through the mediation of the word of God and how they have shared their faith with others. In presenting this, for convenience sake, I will use the common name 'Abyssinia' in the details of the research instead of repeating the names of these two countries again and again. This essay is made up of three chapters and its objectives mainly are; a) to show that the monastic vocation was a particular way of responding to God's call to ascetic life as well as to evangelisation; b) to present the deeper values, risks and challenges of being monk; c) to show the role Abyssinian monks played in implanting inculturated Christian faith, in translating scripture into local languages, indigenisation of the liturgy, their active role of educating and through the witness of their lives; and d) to critically analyse both positive and negative aspects of monastic evangelisation and suggest areas that could be adapted and improved. In the first chapter of this essay we shall see the active work of the word of God in the lives of his own people and the way he called them to monastic vocations abundantly. In the second part of the first chapter, I will focus on how the Abyssinian monks have evangelised Abyssinia untiringly. I will also clarify plainly their goal, purpose, failures and achievements in the course of evangelisation. In this chapter, I will use many quotations from the scripture which were indicated repeatedly in many books written regarding Abyssinian monks as the main means of inspiration for their monasticism. Then in the second chapter, I will give the modern exegesis of these selected quotations by modem scholars. In the last chapter, I will compare the daily early Christian life of Abyssinian monks and their interpretation of scriptures and today's modem exegetes. Then I will conclude my research with application and guidelines for adaptation and reformation of these monks.
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    An Exegesis of Matthew 1:2-16 The Inclusion of the Five Women as a Paradigm For Gender Equality in Christian Life and Ministry.
    (Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Lambe, Ferena
    Substantially, this is an exegetical investigation that analyses Matthew 1:2-16 in order to expose its original message. It gives particular reference to the inclusion of the five women, arguing that their inclusion is a paradigm for gender equality in Christian life and ministry.
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    The Exegesis of the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt. 22: 1-14) and Its Relevance to Christians Today.
    (Tangaza University College, 2001-02-07) Mbure, Caesar
    When one reads the parable of the wedding feast (Matt. 22: 1 - 14) many themes emerges. Different people understand it in different ways and emphasise a particular theme from it. But my main concern in this paper is to verify how the rejection of Jesus' message by Israel led to its acceptance by others who were not born Jews into the people of God and the relevance of the parable to the Christians today in Africa. The parabolic language used by Matthew may be confining and may make a reader of the pericope to miss this point. Most people who read this parable do not understand the real meaning of it. They ask themselves what does the evangelist want to tell us? Matthew uses a culturally based stylistic device to communicate to his community a specific message. The message is contained in the parable itself and in a way it reflects the situation of his community. He expresses different theological points which are affecting his community. The main issues are why is the Gospel being preached to people who are not born Jews and secondly why does the early Church regards itself as the new people of God? To answer these two main questions, Matthew addresses the issues of rejection of Jesus' message and its consequences. Israel in the person of her leaders has rejected its Messiah who was to liberate them. Other people who were not born Jews have accepted him and has adhered to his message. As a result they have inherited the promises of God to Israel and have become part of the people of God. Matthew's attitude is universalistic and he does not restrict himself to a particular tribe or people: Whoever believes in the message of Jesus the son of God and the Messiah who was promised to Israel has become a member of the people of God. This acceptance by the Gentiles was much possible because of the rejection of Jesus' message by Israel. Though one has become a member of the new people of God, this does not guarantee heavenly inheritance or the kingdom of God. It demands the believer to work hard and attain the promises of Jesus to those who believe in Him. Therefore the parable is a warning and a promise to the new members of the people of God. Even Christians can reject Jesus' message if they do not remain faithful to their vocation. A Christian should not assume that just because one has become a member of the new people of God, he/she will inherit the kingdom of God. This is the message to Christians today in Africa. An African Christian may think that because the Gospel has been preached to him/her, the person does not need to work for one's own salvation. Some may even think that there is no real difference between the God of our ancestors and the God of Jesus Christ. Therefore this parable is a challenge to the Christians in Africa to rethink their perspective of Jesus. It also challenges them to reflect on different ways in which they reject Jesus' message and opt for something else. It also asks them to try and understand Jesus as one of them so as to respond positively to his message. An African Christian is requested to try and understand Jesus' message in his/her socio-cultural situation in order for it to bear some fruits in one's life. This is what Matthew's community did and is what we are requested to do. Instead of rejecting Jesus' message out right as foreign, we should try our best to understand and apply it in our new situations as Matthew's community did. This would discourage indifferentism among African Christians. The Christian community should ask itself how can we appropriate the message of Jesus and remain who we are? In order to address these issues mentioned above this work is divided into three main sections. A proper understanding of the parable, its theological meaning and its application to the present situation in Africa.
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    Challenges of the Small Christian Communities in the Evangelization of Eastern Africa
    (Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Carbonero, Pedro
    In the present long essay I want to tackle some questions that arise from my motivation. What are the challenges and difficulties of SCCs in Eastern Africa? What can the SCCs do to face and to overcome these challenges and difficulties? What is the evangelizing and missionary dimension of the SCCs in Eastern Africa? Is the SCC relevant to the African environment and it really responds to the problems and needs of the African people? These questions create further interest to research on SCCs. When I started to participate in the SCCs at weekends in Kibera (Nairobi), I was amazed by the spontaneity of the members in sharing the bible according to their own understanding. When praying, they speak to God in the second person with familiar confidence to express their problems, sorrows and difficulties. The atmosphere lived in their meetings is of teaching, communal life, celebration and prayers, just like the first Christian community of Acts (Acts 2: 42-47). This has been the motivation behind that made me choose this topic_ This led me to know more about SCCs in Eastern Africa. This long essay has been the opportunity to research on it and to understand better the dynamics and the role of the SCCs in the evangelization process and missionary work.
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    The Annunciation of the Birth Of Jesus in Lk 1:26-38
    (Tangaza University College, 1999-02-12) Odunga, Godfrey
    The practice of reading and studying of the Bible in the Church is gradually taking root, especially during this post-Vatican II era. This is a positive step in the process of evangelization and missionary activity worldwide. In Africa, the reading of the Bible has been enthusiastically promoted in the Protestant Churches notwithstanding the obstacle of illiteracy in the last decades. It is quite recommendable that the Catholic Church is now taking seriously this aspect of evangelization. Apart from the institutions of learning, the Basic Christian Communities have proved to be efficient in this process from the grassroots. The above awareness and experience in the pastoral field of the many questions raised about the message and content of the Bible is what has prompted me to opt for this kind of research. It is the challenge of African scholars to respond to this urgent need using the opportunities available. In this research I have employed scholarly tools and methodology appropriate to the critical study of the Bible. Therefore in the first chapter we shall start with the exegesis and then theological analysis of the text of Lk1:26-38, which is the subject matter of this study. Then will follow the third stage of venturing into the task of applying the fruit of our exegesis in our contemporary African context. This passage is unique and quite relevant since it announces the coming of Our Lord and proclaims fundamental mysteries of our faith
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    Baptism and Eucharist Sacraments Of Oneness in Christ
    (Tangaza University College, 1998-02) Anaicese, Jerome
    The gap between what someone believes in and the way he will live afterwards has always been the preoccupation of most master, pioneer, founder of movement or institute and those in charge of forming people. The concern is often whether the pupils, the followers, disciples would behave or perform according to the teaching they received. To facilitate an easy passage from the theory to practice, most of them do make a set of rule. Jesus for instance, advised his disciples to love one another so that people may know they are his disciples (Jn 13:35). In another text, he condemns the ambiguous behaviour of the Pharisees and the Scribes who say one thing and do the opposite (Mt 23). The recent Rwanda tragedy and the flagrant injustice committed by some political leaders to their fellow citizen, in spite of their apparent Christian identity, has prompted me to reflect on the link between the sacraments the Christian receive and their conduct afterwards and whether the sacraments influence at all their lives. In particular, I will look at the sacrament of Baptism and Eucharist and try to see what interpersonal relationship these sacrament tie between the people, -apart from their previous humanly based relationship- and their behaviour as a consequence of it. In order to avoid the temptation of projecting my idea on the reality of Christian life, in the first part I will analyse consecutively three texts from the epistles of Paul, to find out the ground of the relationship. The study of each text will constitute a chapter of its own. As far as possible I will present for each text a brief historical background to the epistle, a succint structure of the epistle, the immediate context of the passage we shall analyse, its exegesis and theological message. In the second part: the theological application and the missionary dimension, I will try to deduce from the texts the relationship Baptism and Eucharist tie among people once they receive it. It will occur to us that through Baptism and Eucharist we are all made people of God, citizen of God's realm and in Christ we are in communion with one another, we are united to one another as brothers and sisters, although humanly speaking we are from different, ethnic groups and nations. We are also called to express that unity in action. Under the subheading "People of God" we shall briefly tackle the issues of ethnicity and try to suggest an alternative to it. The communion of the people of God in Africa is disturbed by the practice of solidarity based on tribal criteria Finally we shall present the small Christian community as a model koinonia Church, a model upheld by Vatican IL Thus this work will be divided into two main parts and four Chapters. Concerning the biblical quotations I will follow the version of the main commentary used for each text. Far from any pretention,this essay will not convey all the relationships that Baptism and Eucharist tie between people but what we shall put forward is enough reason to affirm and hold the view that Christians should treat one another in a different way on the grounds that new relationships are created Baptism and the partaking in the Eucharist.