Theses and Dissertations

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    Analysis and Critique of Traditional Explanations of African Indipendency : a case study of the Eternity Worship Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
    (2014-05-26) Weah, Jackson Garpu
    In the last two decades a new phenomenon has occurred within African Christianity. There has been a proliferation of new religious groups, churches and ministries which for the most part have seceded from the classical African Initiated Churches or among themselves. These movements arose in the wake of the collapsed economic and political systems in the decade of the 1980s. The failure of nationstates created massive disillusionment which resulted in many Africans turning to these popular religions as a place believed to give full participation and satisfaction. This present work attempts to tell the story of the Eternity Worship Centre as an example ofthis new phenomenon by utilizing oral history, relying heavily on the memories of the founding members. It aims at analyzing and critiquing the traditional explanations of African independency which states that Africa Initiated Churches emerged as a result of revolting against legitimate missionary leadership. The first chapter/ introduction state the purpose, significance and methodology of this task and review some of the relevant literature. The next four chapters tell the story of the Eternity Worship Centre and its secession from the Rhema Fellowship. The second chapter briefly traces the background of Christianity in Africa as well as the rise and traditional explanations of African independency. Chapter three mainly focus on the rise of the new phenomenon (popular religion) in Africa in the decade of the 1980s and concluded with the history of Rhema Fellowship and the birth of Eternity Worship Centre. Chapter four highlights the analysis and influences on the Eternity Worship Centre by different religious forces. Chapter five takes a careful look at the factors which were responsible for the secession of Eternity Worship Centre from the Rhema Fellowship. The thesis concluded with lessons, recommendations, and future of the new phenomenon in Africa in Chapter six.
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    Philosophy of African Folktales : a case study of Akamba Stories
    (2014-05-15) Jean-Pasteur, Kahindo Katavo
    This study involved 100 Akamba tales as recorded in Mbiti's Akamba stories, and Kieti and Coughlin's Barking, you'll be eaten! It had a fourfold purpose: establishing the morphological framework of the corpus, setting down their message, testing their coherence and gauging the degree of their analogy to the biblical worldview. Thus, three research questions, from which five hypotheses were drawn, led the study to five main areas of investigation. Designed as a literary research, this structural analysis rested upon BremondJs morphological model, and Paulme and Cauvin's typological patterns. Both paracompositional and compositional structures were analyzed. It became clear that the narrative economy tended to reproduce all the structural types thus far known. From its dual perspective, the tale genre seemed to express a two-emphasis theme, nine various frequencies of the life-view and three ideals. Despite a few inconsistencies, the commonsensical worldview of tales showed a significant extent of analogy with the biblical worldview. Three corrective ways were suggested and practical recommendations proposed in view of cultural revitalization.
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    The Concept of Sin in African worldview :with Special Reference to the Lugbara People of the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)
    (2014-05-09) Anguandia, Enosh Adia Edre
    In this ethnographic case study I have explored the religious and cultural understanding of sin in African worldview in general and the Lugbara view of sin in particular in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I engaged in this ethnographic fieldwork because I agreed with Luzbetak (1988,284): ''The worldview of a people is really the only medium through which a society is able to understand anything, including the Gospel message and anything else that the Church may wish to communicate." A close examination of the Lugbara worldview, its systems and structures, as far as the concept of sin is concerned, has revealed the following: Firstly, the Lugbara society, as most of African societies, is well aware of the real existence of evil in the world. This reality is demonstrated by the terms used to describe evil. In the study the main terms for evil found in Lugbara nomenclature are dra, onzi and ezata. The first of these three is used generally for epidemics, natural calamities and disasters, but specifically it means death of sickness. The most common Lugbara term for evil is ezata. This is evil committed by a member of the community against the ancestral ghosts or against senior kinsmen or kinswomen. Such evil is "bad" (onzi) because it spoils relationships within the lineage and between the living and the ancestors. Secondly, Lugbara people, as most African people, categorise sins. There are the worst of all offences, that is, incest with and murder of a close kinswoman/kinsman. There are serious offences and minor offences as well. Serious offences call for sacrifices to appease the ancestral ghosts (on) and restore broken ties as well as harmony within the community. Minor offences are not so much accounted for in Lugbara society. Thirdly, sin is dealt with promptly, especially for serious offences and the worst of evils. The choice means of dealing with sin is through animal sacrifices as far as the Lugbara traditional society is concerned. Sacrifices are meant to appease angry ancestors and other divinities and restore harmony within the lineage and between the world of the ancestors and that of the living. Fourthly, sin is dealt with promptly because there is no idea of punishing an offender after he or she has died. This means that the Lugbara cosmology has no concept of an eternity in heaven or in hell. The concept of salvation in the, biblical sense is therefore new to Lugbara cosmology. Fifthly, evil or sin is understood in terms of offences committed to human beings or ancestral ghosts. This understanding takes into account the actions, and deeds, even thoughts and attitudes of people in their relationship and interaction with the world of the ancestors and the living community. Sixthly, the idea that man by his nature is evil (sinful) does not appear to be supported throughout Lugbara society, apart from the claims of the Scriptures. That is why Lugbara people I interviewed, whether in secular setting or in the church, seemed to believe that some people are good and others are evildoers. The findings of this fieldwork raised several implications for missions in African churches and theological educations in African context, for which appropriate recommendations have been made.
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    Understanding Third Culture Kids' Perception of the Teenage Sunday School Classes in two Urban African Churches.
    (2014-05-08) Williams, Grace Kogi
    The purpose of this grounded theory study is to understand and explain the experiences of Third Culture Kids in Sunday school in two urban African Churches and identify ways of helping them adjust to a different culture. Data collected was by means of interviews and e-mails for the sake of TCKs that live far away. The research findings revealed some significant results: • TCKs are kids who have no choice on the movements they have made from location to location. • TCKs have had diverse cultural adjustment issues to cope with in the course of moving from place to place. Their experiences though diverse yet valuable. • TCKs desire friendship from Sunday School teachers in order to receive support as they seek to adjust to various cultural situations they find themselves in. • TCKs react to changes according to how they perceive them, but need to be understood in the sense that if they display any negative reactions to situations, it is not deliberate. For a long time, the attitudes of TCKs in Sunday School classes has been a concern to the church especially in relation to the Western Missionary TCKs, however this study has opened a small window into some of the reasons for the attitudes of TCKs in Sunday School classes. I hope that the church will have solutions for the issue at hand and do better in handling the issues for the benefit of TCKs and the church.
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    Influences and perceptions on writing and publishing by African faculty members serving at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology /
    (2014-05-06) Head, Deborah Lynn
    The need for contextually relevant Christian literature in Africa is significant. Scholars experience negative and positive influences when writing and publishing that either contributes to or detracts from the production of more literature. The purpose of the research project was to identify the subjective perceptions of writing and publishing and what has influenced these experiences among the African faculty members serving at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST) in Kenya, in order to understand how to better facilitate the production of African literature in the future. The experience and perceptions of the occupational, social and publishing influences on the faculty members were researched using qualitative phenomenological methods. Eight African faculty participated in open-ended interviews and select members of the NEGST administration were consulted through interviews or e-mail. Research findings were that all three spheres of occupational, social and publishing influences contributed positively and negatively to the experiences. Social and publishing factors were primarily positive while occupational ones contributed the greatest discouragements. Data analysis revealed a complex interplay of all three spheres, with an emphasis on the role of motivation, accountability and initiative by both the academic institution and the faculty. Responsibilities are shared by the two groups and must be carried out in conjunction to improve the outcomes of writing and publishing in the future.
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    Exploring an African church's strategies for fosteriong HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and care
    (2014-04-15) Katho, Negura Feli
    The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used in initiating mvIAIDS awareness, prevention and care in Africa Inland Church of Kenya. Data were collected through interviews conducted both with the denominational leaders of AlC-AIDS Division and participants working in local AlC-AIDS programs. Documents and archives related to AlC-AIDS program as well were analyzed The study revealed AlC of Kenya had various operational strategies in creating AIDS awareness and prevention among its members, some of which were initiated by individuals who ran AIDS programs within the AlC context before the AlC-AIDS Division was structured This awareness was created especially through education of both mv negative and mv positive people. Prevention among mv negative people was accomplished through education in schools; application of the church's AIDS policy, and preventive policies applied in AlC health facilities. People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) received care in hospitals through the provision of free medication, inexpensive antiretroviral drugs and home-based care. The church also operated a feeding program for AIDS orphans.