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Item The Impact of Cultural Beliefs on the Understanding of Salvation in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church in Vihiga District, Kenya.(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Omuga, Julius; Orera, Zedekiah M.; Orera, Zedekiah M.The Impact of Cultural Beliefs in the Understanding of Salvation in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church in Vihiga District, Kenya, was investigated to have a clear evaluation of the theological implication of salvation as understood by the parishioners. The goal was to investigate and determine the strong effect of culture on the doctrine of salvation. The cultural and Biblical implications were determined by exegetical research of Scripture, deep study and comparison of various literature, data collection, and a case study involving interviewing an affected resident of The Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church in Vihiga District, Kenya. It was found that syncretism was the norm for many adherents. It was found that, when culture supersedes Christianity, then it becomes idol worship. This has come about because of bias and ethnocentrism. The Theological and Biblical implication involve implementing the true doctrine of salvation through training of church leaders and the Parishioners of Vihiga District on the true doctrine of salvation. This will enhance advocacy for sanctity, holiness and truthfulness.Item A Critical Analysis of the Doctrine of Salvation in Free Evangelical Assemblies in Swaziland: A Contextualized Theology(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Buthelezi, Sicelo Jerome; Kunhiyop, Samuel W.This study is a critical analysis of the doctrine of salvation, which is one of the central themes of the scriptures and core message of the Free Evangelical Assemblies. The research investigated the concept and experience of salvation in the Free Evangelical Assemblies.It discusses how Swazi Free Evangelical members experience and interpret the concept of Salvation in response to their existential problems. It is noted that while church members or the Swazi people in general embraced salvation, there has always been the persistent problem where they would turn to traditional religious rituals in times of crises. The research reveals how converts faithfully practiced the Christians‟ teachings, but still would not renounce cultural dictates, and how, by-so-doing, they found themselves living in two worlds. The study suggests that a relevant message of salvation could be the best solution to this dilemma.Chapter One introduces the research problem and the conceptual method,which focuses on the biblical concept of salvation and its relevance to the members of the Free Evangelical Assemblies. Chapter Two discusses the conception of salvation,which is the core belief of the church. The research discovered that the church is faced with a major problem that threatens its core faith as church members seem wont to revert to traditional beliefs each time they face life challenges, and never entirely, at least in practice, seem to believe in the missionaries‟ teachings. They seem to be of the view that the God of the missionaries does not understand the problems of the Swazi people. It would appear that Swazis would appreciate a theology that addresses their worldview. Chapter Three examines the Biblical and Theological concept of salvation.The study shows that biblical salvation is a comprehensive and holistic concept that defines God‟s redemptive involvement in human affairs. The research demonstrates that the redemptive acts of God have been redefined to every generation in every nation in response to questions asked by contemporary people. vi Chapter Four is a response to the universal quest of a contextualized theology,which en-fleshes the word of God in every culture; and positions the church as an extension of the body of Christ,and mediates the message of salvation in the context of their culture. The last chapter gives a reflective summary of the thesis, recommendations and conclusion.Item A Critical Theological Examination of Little’s Creation-Order Theodicy’s Soteriology in Light of the Coexistence of Gratuitous Evil with the Benevolence and Sovereignty of God(South African Theological Seminary) Johnson, ConnieThe task of theodicy is the ongoing effort to rationalize the coexistence of God, with all his attributes, and evil. This research examines Little’s Creation-Order Theodicy, identifying inherent weaknesses in the theodicy, and proposing revisions to eliminate the weaknesses. The resultant revised Creation-Order Theodicy provides for the salvation of all who would be saved and upholds the benevolence and sovereignty of God, while affirming the coexistence of gratuitous evil. This research employs an integrative theology methodology, drawing from multiple fields to construct a holistic resolution. Beginning with an examination of Little’s Creation-Order Theodicy and then to both historical and contemporary theodical theories, comparisons and contrasts are made to extract, or formulate, biblically and theologically sound doctrine. The contributory elements of both historical and contemporary theodical doctrine, in both original and revised formulations, are introduced back into the dialectic circle, effecting the revision of Little’s original Creation-Order Theodicy. Having theologically and systematically formulated revisions to the Creation Order Theodicy, the revisions are evaluated against theories of significant monotheistic theodicists and Little’s original Creation-Order Theodicy to determine if the revised theodicy better addresses soteriology in light of the coexistence of gratuitous evil with the benevolence and sovereignty of God. The resultant revised Creation-Order Theodicy provides sound biblical, theological and logical solutions to the weaknesses found in Little’s original Creation-Order Theodicy. Lastly, the contribution of the revised Creation-Order Theodicy to theology is examined and suggestions for further research are recommended.