MTh Theses
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2591
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Item Shaping the Future: Towards the Paradigm of “Socio-Spiritual Synergy” in the Development of Effective Leaders Through Theological Education with Special Reference to the Independent Baptist Church in Durban.(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Meekins, Darryl; Lessing, Pelham; Lessing, PelhamThis study deals with the quality of the educational process for the B.Th and Honours programs offered by the Baptist Bible College of KwaZulu-Natal.The study comments on the program as it relates to the purpose and mission of the Institution itself. I believe that the conclusions reached would also be eminently relevant to other training mechanisms within the Independent Baptist Movement in South Africa. The study will describe a philosophical framework that could lead to dramatic improvement at various levels within the program, if implemented. This framework has been analyzed through the lenses of current cultural trends in leadership and leadership development. In addition, biblical material is consulted, specifically in unpacking the concept of ̳mentoring‘. Lastly, the study explores the framework through various empirical tools among former graduates to test the theory. The process of leadership development through Theological Education is of paramount importance to the administration of BBC KZN. This study hopes to point out the current shortcomings in order to lead to a dramatic improvement in the relevancy of this Institution.Item Japanese Ancestral Practices: A Contextualized Teaching Tool on the Afterlife in the Local Church (Hibachi Theology)(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Nesbitt, Mariana; Stewart, Mark; Stewart, MarkThe vexing multi-dimensional question of Japanese Ancestral Practices is central to most missiological studies in the Japanese church. Statistics show the need for new strategies and a new movement of the Holy Spirit in the local church. We examine the background of Ancestor Practices in the folk religion, Buddhism, Shintoo, Confucianism and Taoism, which all go to make up traditional Japanese religion. The actual rites are listed and details explained. The nexus is the ie, the household. Later additions in Japanese religion are the New Religions, which also emphasize ancestor practices, and new developments, such as living funerals, ash-scattering and further developments in popular occult practices and the influence of the media and the arts. Focus groups of typical city dwellers have indisputably shown the effects of secularisation, the change from ‘worship’ to ‘respect’ and a looser attitiude towards the butsudan and the rising importance of grave visits. After examining the above, the abiding emergent themes of ancestor practices are seen to be those of respect, family, gratitude, memorialism, ethics and identity. Are Scripturally forbidden issues involved here? Does necromancy take place, what about offerings and prayer to the dead? And is worship of the spirit and the mortuary tablet involved? Input about ancestor practices in other lands gives perspective and new insights here. Japanese Christian indigenous movements also show the same themes and they go further than ‘orthodox’ Christian churches in their evangelism of the dead and their care for their ancestors. We examine the teaching about the afterlife in Japanese seminaries, the training given to missionaries by missions, what the denominations teach and practice and in particular, what OMF International missionaries are teaching and practicing with regard to the dead. Space is given to the basic Biblical teaching on life after death with reference to issues that require attention in the Japanese worldview.Item Theological, Educational and Sociological Foundations of Christian Education: The Development and Implementation of a 12-Standards Model for Evaluating and Modeling Adult Bible Studies that Utilize Contemporary Visual Media(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Heskett, John; Stewart, Mark; Stewart, MarkThis research endeavours to examine the Biblical, theological and sociological foundations of Christian education; develop a 12-standards model for evaluating Christian education in a postmodern society; evaluate ten Bible studies that utilize contemporary visual media in terms of the 12-standards model; and develop two model Bible studies built upon the 12-standards model and evaluations of the ten evaluated Bible studies. These model Bible studies utilize visual media.Emphasis is placed upon observation in the relational teaching style of Jesus, the theological foundations and goals central to a conservative evangelical Christian education and Social psychology, specifically persuasive messages and the systematic–heuristic process in social judgment.Standards are developed utilizing observations and conclusions drawn from the above. Current published Bible studies that utilize contemporary visual media are then measured by this 12-standards model and conclusions drawn.Model studies utilizing contemporary visual media are then developed utilizing these conclusions and 12-standards.