Bachelor of Arts in Theology

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    Youth towards a Theology of Reconstruction: A Salesian Perspective
    (Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Augustine, Jacob
    As we march with courage in this new era of science and technology, a century full of hope and great expectations, the youthful population of Africa, a valuable asset in hand charged with aspirations to excel and participate in the affairs of the world, challenge all those who are involved in youth ministry on the African soil. The education of the young with which a youth minister involves himself/herself should involve a 'liberating and empowering' method, a method that challenges the young to set the world on the move towards liberation. The words of Pope John Paul II in his address to World Youth Day 2000 speak of such pulsating response that is required of a person interested in the affairs of the world. "When you return home," says the pope, "do not grow lax. Reinforce and deepen your bond with the Christian communities to which you belong... paraphrasing St. Catherine of Siena's words, reminds you: if you arc what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze'?" In response to the existing educational. socio-political and religious challenges that the African landscape faces today, the African theologians (since I990s) speak of "reconstruction of Africa" in their theological investigations. Likewise, having the interest of the young at heart, every Salesian is challenged to respond to and to educate young people towards this reconstruction project. How are we to venture into such renewal in spirit? What does it mean to be young and work for reconstruction by setting the world ablaze? Are the young just future possibilities and never a present potentialities, dying to participate in this reconstruction process? what are the possibilities for a Salesian style of ministry in Africa in this era of 'reconstruction'? These are some of the queries that will be dealt with in this essay. The adventurous, emotional and dynamic youth population is indeed a weapon in our hands to reconstruct a new Africa. Most of the time we x iew the period of the young as having a lot of problems and hence giving' becomes the end of all our youth ministries. This essay is aimed at showing not just how young people are sometimes seen as a problem. but also how they are people filled with energies to transform society. This quest to transform should be ‘iewed as a 'reconstruction project' which e need to inculcate in the young. The essay. is divided into two parts. Part one deals more with the theoretical part of the emerging theology of reconstruction and the Biblical foundations to such theology in Africa. Second part deals with the response of the Salesans of Don Bosco in Fastern Africa. Based on the Salesian educative method of Reason. Religion and Loving Kindness,2 this section shows how a breakthrough is necessary, in terms of a - reconstruction project' in our youth ministry, today. The concluding part of the essay discusses possible developments in the Salesian presences in the Eastern African province.
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    The Traditional Religious Leaders among the Gogo Society Of Central Tanzania
    (Tangaza University College, 1999-02-12) Chilala, Mlabu E.
    "My son; for the contemporary generation and this religion of yours, it is very difficult to understand and appreciate what has been done and what is being done by the real traditional diviners". It is a statement by an old lady, about eighty years old, called Chando Msonjela When I was interviewing her, in detail about the traditional religious leaders in the Nyambwa community she was not comfortable, because it is her belief that the world we are living is quite different from the world she lived; we are living in a chaotic world. The reasons being that, there is no respect for the traditional customs, traditional religious leaders are becoming fewer and fewer and most of those who are calling themselves traditional religious leaders are not true diviners but liars. Her world view is just in a small village called Sanza and other neighbouring villages in the Eastern part of Singida region in Tanzania. Mama Chando, was trying to express how it is becoming so difficult for the new generation to value and appreciate the traditional religious leaders in the Nyambwa community; this community is part of the (logo society in central part of Tanzania. The Gogo society is divided into two main communities, the Nyaugogo community in the eastern and central part of Dodoma, and the Nyambwa community which is in the western part of Dodoma and the eastern part of Singida region, situated in the Central Rift Valley . These two communities speak the same language but they differ in accent and some few expressions of words. As a result of my interviews from experienced elders of the Nyarnbwa community and going through different books, I hope that this paper will be helpful for us to understand about the traditional religious leaders in Africa, using the Gogo society specially the Nyambwa sub-group, as a case study. In this paper I will try to explain the reality of the African traditional religious leaders, their existence, role and how the African communities looked at them. Explaining the past about these religious leaders it will not be enough without trying to see , what is the attitude of the contemporary society toward them. Having an idea of who are these religious leaders and their importance to the African societies it will not help us, unless we pick something from them that could help our Christian priests and the whole Christian community at large in their Missionary work. The song of inculturation will not click to any mind, unless the wisdom and knowledge of the African traditional religious leaders is consulted,since their wisdom is the foundation of the African beliefs. It is my hope that, something positive and educative from the African traditions will come out. With open and critical mind we will be able to understand the African traditions, which later on is going to be very helpful for our missions in Africa.
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    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.
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    Women in AMECEA Local Churches Challenges and Ropes
    (Tangaza University College, 1998-02-16) Dada, Romano Rokani
    Down through the centuries, the African woman has played major roles in the socioeconomic, political, cultural and religious development of society. Traditionally, women played the role of providing food for subsistence, were the primary agents of socialization, giving values, aspirations and moral foundation to their children and therefore being the pillars for the construction of balanced societies. Women also produced surplus food for barter trade and maintained the families when the men were out, either hunting, gathering, trading or raiding neighbouring ethnic communities for animals and more women. Today, their is great social change, women's situation and women's roles are greatly changing as they become more and more involved in different activities. This change, which is to be found at different levels, is also creating new needs and challenges that have to be met. The role of women in the society and in the church deserves a special attention. This has become a burning issue world-wide and Africa is not an exception. It is this reality which prompted me to give such a special attention, albeit restricted only to the AMECEA local Churches. The Encyclical letter, the Redeinptoris Missio, of Pope John Paul II, refers to the challenge presented, by women as a new Areopagus to which he invites the church to direct her commitment. These challenges can be classified in to the following headings: social, cultural, economic, religious and political. The recently concluded African Synod of Bishops came at a time when the African woman is so to say, rising from her down trodden social condition. She has been challenged to be herself, a true African woman, a person of dignity and self worth, a person who can participate fully in the church and society. The major challenge, however, is to rise above oppressive traditional structures, both in the church and society. In Chapter One, of this essay I will analyse the situation of women as it stands in the traditional African set-up; considering social, cultural, economic, political and religious perspectives. In Chapter Two, I will present a Christian Vision and Praxis, a biblical (Judaeo- Christian) experience and a brief analysis of the situation of women in the course of the history of the Church, citing some relevant encyclicals and other Church documents. Chapter Three, will offer some proposals to the Church and Society as to how to improve on the image of women and enhance their full participation in socio-cultural, economic, political and religious sphere. This topic is quite broad and extensive, for it raises many challenges. An attempt to discuss it exhaustively within a limited lenght of an Essay like this one will deprive the reader of a broader horizon. lnspite of this, my sincere wish is that while reading through this manuscript, the reader will be contented with the scope and the subject matter discussed.