Theses

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    Practical Implications of 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 for Christian Married Couples in the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believer’s Church
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Abera, Abay; Taddesse, Esckinder; Smith, Kevin G.
    This mini-thesis aims to explore the marital issues addressed in 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 and apply the biblical teachings to the contemporary context of the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believer's Church (EFGBC). The research identifies the key marital problems within the Corinthian church and examines how Paul's instructions can inform and guide Christian married couples and church leaders in the EFGBC. The study begins with an introduction that outlines the background, aims, objectives, limitations, and methodology. It then provides guidelines for interpreting Pauline epistles, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nature of epistles, the principle of single meaning, and the context of the passage. The context of 1 Corinthians is examined, including its authorship, date and place of writing, occasion, purpose, structure, and themes. The thesis delves into a detailed analysis of 1 Corinthians 7:1-16, focusing on the boundaries, literary analysis, and synthesis of the passage. It identifies the arguments Paul presents to the married couples, the unmarried and widows, and those in mixed marriages (believers married to unbelievers). The study highlights Paul's call for mutual sexual relations within marriage, the importance of staying married, and the prohibition of divorce except in cases of abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. Through interviews with selected married couples and church leaders in the EFGBC, the thesis assesses the practical significance of Paul's teachings for addressing contemporary marital challenges. The study concludes with a summary of findings and recommendations for church leaders and married couples, emphasizing the need for regular counseling, education on biblical marital principles, and support for couples facing marital issues. The thesis contributes to the understanding of marital relationships within the context of the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believer's Church and provides practical strategies for enhancing marital intimacy and stability based on biblical teachings.
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    Marital Counselling in The Context of the Anglican Church of Rwanda
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Verwijs-Vogel, Elizabeth; Song, Arthur; Song, Arthur
    SUMMARY: This thesis is based on the research that has been carried out on marital counselling within the context of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Diocese of Kigali(EAR/DK). Marriage plays an important role in the Rwandan society, and the traditional Rwandan wedding customs are highly valued. Usually three legal paths are followed: the civil wedding before the government officials, the religious ceremony in the Church (where God‟s blessing is invoked over the couple) and the traditional wedding ceremonies before and after the other ceremonies. On one handa strong resistance to question or change to these ceremonies was observed, including in the case of a clash between traditional and modern culture. On the other hand a lack of knowledge of Church members and pastors on the Biblical principles of marriage was observed. The purpose of this research was to study the continuity and discontinuity of traditional Rwandan marriage customs in the Church in order to be able to make a contribution to the pastoral counselling in the Anglican Church of Rwanda. Thus the following questions were raised: What is the view and attitude of the Anglican Church in Rwanda on marriage? What is the view and attitude of the Church towards traditional wedding ceremonies? Does the Church offer (pre)marital counselling?One hindrance was that here was hardly any material available, mainly due to the emphasis on oral culture and the impact of the genocide on the country and the Church.To be able to present an overview of Biblical marriage principles, first the results of the exegesis of some key texts from Genesis 1-2, Matthew19: 1-12 and Ephesians 5: 22-33 were described. Aliterary research was done,about traditional Rwandan marriage customs(mainly based on the available literature of the fifties and sixties). To be able to get actual information, different interviews were carried out. Three senior leaders of the Anglican Church were interviewed. The pastors of the Diocese of Kigali were interviewed through a questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions, about their knowledge of and involvement in the traditional Rwandan marriage customs. Four married couples within the AER/DK were interviewed through in-depth interviews. The results of these interviews were described, compared with 5 one another, and with the findings from the literary research. Finally, these findings were compared with the Biblical principles, as they had been formulated earlier. The outcome of the research was that many of the traditional wedding ceremonies are still celebrated today, although some customs simply disappeared, have been abolished, or have changed in character.The principal conclusion was that the Anglican Church of Rwanda never really studied neither the Rwandan marriage customs, nor the Biblical principles. The Church did not formulate a view on marriage, and did not provide guidelines or teaching material for pastors. The pastors received hardly any training on the matter and a lack of knowledge of the pastors on Biblical principles was observed. The pastors seemed to put more emphasis on the traditional ceremonies than on the wedding ceremony in the Church, and were said to be very involved in them. Although pastors claimed to give premarital counselling, they were not equipped well for this task. The research showed that the pastors‟ teachings were more culturally oriented than Bible based. The results revealed that the Church is not prepared to give premarital and marital counselling, even when couples find themselves in a clash between three cultures: the traditional and the modern Rwandan cultures,as well as the Christian culture. It is recommended that the Church formulate a Biblical view on marriage, and provide proper teaching for its pastors to be able to teach a Biblical foundation on marriage, to equip couples for marriage and to help its members in case of marital problems.Apart from that, the traditional Rwandan cultural concepts of marriage ought to be reviewed. The Church would do well to study the traditional wedding ceremonies in light of the Biblical principles, and provide guidelines for its members.The candidate hopes that this thesis will contribute towards a better understanding of the Biblical concepts on marriage and that the Church will accept the challenge to elaborate on a theology on marriage, and provide proper education and Biblical marital counselling, in order to be able to build solid marriages that reflect the Biblical principles.
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    Christ and the Church as a Paradigm for Marriage: An Evaluation of Christian Pre-Marital Counselling Programmes in Kenya
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Njoroge, Purity Mumbi; Lockard, Anna-Marie; Lockard, Anna-Marie
    The thesis examined Christian Pre-marital counselling among evangelical churches in Kenya. The study set out to investigate the hypothesis that ―Churches fail to set a clear and firm biblical basis on the marriage relationship during Pre-marital counselling in Kenya” resulting in misconceptions about the marital relationship. The study examined the theological foundation of the biblical relationship between Christ and the church in order to understand the socio -cultural relationship between Christian marriage partners. It clarified the commitment, work and expectations involved to make both relationships work.The role, onset and content of Christian pre -marital counselling wasalso explored. This was done by tracing the roots of pre –marital counselling in the Old Testament and considering its implications to today‘s church. A clear distinction was made between secular and Christian counselling. The study population comprised of coordinators of pre –marital counselling and couples in troubled marriages. A review of pre –marital counselling handbooks was also undertaken. T his diverse population was a helpful representation in terms of weighing the topic at hand from a broader perspective. The study combined both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative design permitted collection of rich data from study subjects‘ experiential and perceptual sets. This ensured that the study findings would be relevant and applicable to specific pre –marital counselling contexts. Three data collection instruments utilized were: Questionnaires, interview schedule and a checklist. The study‘s validity and reliability were ensured through the two sample populations and pre-test procedures for questionnaires and in-depth interviews.
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