Degree of Baccalaureate in Theology

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    "Saved In Hope": Investigation Into The Meaning Of Salvation
    (Tangaza University College, 2011) Missangia, Missawo, Julius
    Are Catholics saved? This is the most vital question, I suppose, to many Catholics or other Christians. It certainly crosses denominational lines. The inspiration to take up this research resulted from a significant incident I encountered during my pastoral experience from June to August 2009 in Tonga Parish in Western Kenya. As a young Passionist religious, interested in having an enriching pastoral ministry. I had an opportunity of meeting various people in the Small Christian Communities. One of the main questions that came up very often in such meetings was: Are Catholics saved? People were looking at me for an answer. The concern of people in these Small Christian Communities is raised by Christians of other denominations who look down to the Catholic in the area. They refer to the Catholic Church as gunda (Luo term), which means a place that was once inhabited, but now is abandoned and un-inhabited. The common phrase used by the members of these religious groups when introducing themselves is, "I am so and so and I am saved-. This is a provocation for some Catholics, who are tempted to do the same. Provoked by this situation, I feel motivated to engage myself in a systematic research on the Catholic concept of salvation. The study is divided in three chapters. Chapter one investigates on the biblical meaning of salvation. Particular attention will be paid to the soteriology of St. Paul, certainly the most mature doctrinal stage in the New Testament. Chapter two in a more historical perspective examines the main post-biblical soteriological ideas employed by the Church; mainly focused on Christ's salvific work as described in St. Paul. We shall present the thought of the Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, and the Reformers in particular Martin Luther. Chapter three in a more systematic manner offers a comprehensive response to the issues discussed in the previous two chapters. This will be elaborated in the light of Second Vatican Council, post-Vatican II theology and the reflections of the twenty first century theologies.
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    Catholic Church Facing the Challenge of the African Traditional Religion and the Question of Salvation
    (Tangaza University College, 2006-11) Nir Anselme Somda, Beter
    We see that many people in our home village and many other places in Africa are very exited to become Catholic Christians. We even sometimes miss teachers to instruct them. For the first year of catechumenate their numbers can reach almost 800 people for the whole parish. After following the required instruction, they receive the sacraments of initiation and become members of the Catholic Church. They confess that Jesus is the Saviour and recite the creed: I believe in the holy, Catholic Church... But we noticed that the same Christians coming to the Church every Sunday, are the very ones going to see diviners, witchdoctors and make sacrifices in order to succeed in their work, or to help their children to pass exams, or to get good health... Facing these facts we ask ourselves for which reason do they go back to their traditional practices though on the day of their baptism they confessed that Jesus is their Saviour and he saved them. This situation led me to start thinking that maybe it is because they do not experience the savific presence of Jesus by belonging to the Church or the Church does not accommodate them, meaning that they do not see the Church as the instrument established by Jesus for the salvation of the world. It looks like people see the Church as a social association or the provider for the poor. If they were totally convinced that the Church is the instrument of salvation, during the time of crises they would have remained in the Church while praying more intensely instead of going back to their former practices. So at the end of my theological studies, I tried to reflect on the main factors which push those converted Christians to go back to their former practices. I • • discovered that though the Church is the instrument of salvation it does not respond filly to the aspirations of the newly convened Christians: for example the element of diviners who can read the future of people, the element of offering sacrifice to obtain favour or the sacredness of the religion. People were trained to believe in what they do not understand. When the traditional doctors speak in words they do not understand they see the mystery and are easily drawn to believe in them. As a first step towards this study I did first a general reading of many books around the topic. I also discussed with some people about the topic. The fruit of that research, study and reflection are expressed in three chapters in this essay. The first Chapter will be the presentation of the notion of salvation and its relationship with the Catholic Church. We shall also talk about the ways through which God offers salvation to people. The second Chapter will look at salvation and the mediation of salvation in the African Traditional Religion. Wc shall also look at the position of the Catholic Church towards the African Traditional Religion. The third Chapter will look at the reason why people do go back to the African Traditional religion, the elements the Church can get from the African Traditional Religion in order to help the newly converted Christians (which aspects of Jesus and of the Church to develop more) and finally I shall give my personal point of view about African Traditional Religion and the Catholic Church. I foresee some limitations for this work. Since I am not an expert in African Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. I am using the books in general on African Traditional Religion. The notion of Salvation is not understood totally in the metaphysical sense meaning we are not going to be discussing on sins and the mystical interventions. This work is intended to create an awareness of what is happening. When I will be writing a doctorate dissertation in the future, it will be more expanded and will be more scientifically done.
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    The Eucharistic Sacrifice as a Culminating Symbol of our Christian Salvation With Reference to Chagga Understanding of Sacrifice
    (2009) Matumaini, Godfried, Mosha
    "Christ's death on the cross is the culmination of that turning of God against himself in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical form." According to the belief of the church as set forth by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, "the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God's infinite love for every man and woman Jesus continues in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to love us 'to the end', even to offering us his body and his blood."2 This is a teaching of the church, which in the course of my studying theology I came to realize is not well understood by many of our faithful Christians. I keep asking myself why Christians are still making animal sacrifices or ritual sacrifices. Why some disciples of Jesus are Christians during the day and pagans at other times? Does it mean that the Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ celebrated every day is not enough? Is there a unifying point between Eucharistic sacrifice and traditional sacrifices? Is there a way forward from this juncture? These are some of the questions which will guide me as I write this essay. The aim of this long essay is to discourage this attitude of double life standard in my culture and in other cultures in the now and future mission of the church.