Undergraduate Projects/Long Essays

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    Authentic Witness in Religious Life: A Case Study of The Sisters of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) Nwankwo, Justine Ndidi
    The key terms of the topic are the two key words "authentic" and "witness" and this chapter will be base on them. My intention is to investigate in this chapter the meaning of authentic witness, beginning by defining and mentioning briefly on the separate words in order to come to a concrete meaning of authentic. To deepen and support this meaning I will also look into the Biblical and African understanding of authentic witness. This is in attempt to answer the question What is an authentic witness? In this section I will like to give a brief explanation of the meaning of authentic witness. Then at the end I will come with a definition of authentic witness.
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    The Challenges Facing Modern African Christian Families in Respect to Human Dignity and Remedial Approaches with Particular Reference to Kenyan Situation
    (Tangaza University College, 2009) Muiruri, Edwin, Gichaga
    Nowadays there are thousands and thousands of consecrated religious people living in different communities in different parts of the world. Are they all leading a harmonious and meaningful life in their communities? Are they all happy with their community members? The answer may not be a positive one always, because there are conflicts and misunderstandings in our religious communities. One of the contributing factors present in the great majority of religious communities is multicultural nature of the local community. This we can state is a mark of modem consecrated community life. This reality call for an awareness on the part of all and concrete steps towards an inculturation of the Gospel in these settings
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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
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    Authentic Witness in Religious Life
    (Tangaza University College, 2005-04) Nwankwo, Justine Ndidi
    It is a common saying that the people of today are in search of witnesses rather than teachers, and if teachers are sought, they are not only teachers but witnesses too. Hence, in the midst of men and women of this generation, so immersed in the absolute, we are called be witnesses, not just witnesses but authentic witnesses, witnesses to the invisible in a secularized society, which too often excludes every transcendental Dimension. We must be constant reminders of that destiny, which takes place in time but has eternity as its goal; witnessing by our lives the necessary direction of our existential course. Our vocation as religious which places us as chosen forerunners of humankind must be able to find the model and anticipation of that which it is also called to be in spite of its burdens and its compromises. For an effective and eloquent movement to be an authentic Witness, it is good to search and know what it means and entails to be one The purpose of this work is to describe some of these aspects. This long essay comprises of three chapters. Chapter one deals with the meaning of authentic witness. It covers the understanding of authentic witness in the Old Testament as walking with God, keeping the Law, and doing God's will. Then in the New Testament it treates authentic under Jesus and ST. Paul and also as living the Gospel values. The chapter also coveres the understanding of authentic witness in traditional Africa as a matured person with integrity and living the cultural values. All these subheadings reflect on the meaning of authentic witness as a person with integrity of life, who practices justice, honesty, goodness, uprightness etc. Chapter two deals with the meaning of religious life in the light of authentic witness, as a call to holiness, a life of prayer, a life lived in community, a vowed life, bringing out how religious life can be a way of witnessing authentically and the major challenges facing religious life in the process of witnessing authentically. While chapter three describes how the lifestyle of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as an indigenous congregation has been striving to witness authentically to its congregational Charism.