1,720,997 research outputs found
African Churches Ministering “to and with” Persons with Disabilities: Perspectives from Zimbabwe
No full textThis book engages with Christian church traditions and disability issues in Africa, focusing on Zimbabwe in particular. It critically reflects on how the church has not done much to intentionally minister ‘to and with’ persons with disabilities. In the context of this volume, ‘ministering to’ is concerned with creating worshipping space for persons with disabilities; while ‘ministering with’ is connecting and identifying with persons with disabilities to meet their needs from the material life of the church. The author considers a stewardship model of disability as an appropriate ministerial response to transform lives in poverty-stricken postcolonial contexts. The argument put forth is that the church is a living organism endowed with spiritual and material resources, and that these resources should be appropriated to marginalised stakeholders
The Impact of the Coalition of Pentecostalism and African Traditional Religion (ATR) Religious Artifacts in Zimbabwe: The Case of United Family International (UFI)
Full text linkThe rise of the mega- Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe has brought an overarching coalition of religious artifacts in its quest to engage with the private and public lives of many Zimbabweans. Adaptation to the unstable political and economic decline in Zimbabwe has led to some proliferation of complex, interwoven practices between Pentecostalism and African Traditional Religion. Intrinsic violence, manipulation, extortions, cunning miracles, misrepresentation of the Bible and an elusive rhetoric of prosperity are used to gain obedience of the suffering populace. Somewhat, an alliance of religious artifacts, expressions, identity, and meaning forms a new hybrid of African Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe. This article explores the social, economic, psychological and political meaning of these religious artifacts coalition. The article uses United Family International (UFI) as a case study. This study collected data through interviews and sermons analysis
African Pentecostal spiritual men in the United Kingdom
No full textThe African Pentecostal spiritual men in the diaspora have gone through a rigorous metamorphosis in order to save their dignity, marriage and families. Many factors affect masculinities, but this study focused on diaspora and African Pentecostalism spirituality. Diasporic contexts present a plethora of challenges, and African Pentecostal spiritual men are continuously negotiating to produce new forms of masculinities—a gap needing scholarly attention. Therefore, there is a stripping of the residual overarching patriarchal tendencies embedded in both culture and African Pentecostal spirituality. Over decades of staying in the diaspora, African Pentecostal spiritual men spiritually marinate themselves in the power of the Holy Spirit to succeed in challenging terrains. This study used Pentecostal hermeneutics as a theoretical framework and a qualitative methodology. Sermonic discourse analysis, participant observations and informal conservations were the methods used to gather data. The study explored the opportunities that African Pentecostal spiritual men in the diaspora are embracing because of embracing transformative masculinities. The significant findings of this study showed that African Pentecostal spiritual men in the United Kingdom are seeking peace with everyone; using the spirit of grabbing milk and the spiritual men are surviving a decaying world
The Spirit, theological training, and PhD/DPhil acquisitions in African Pentecostal churches
No full textGoing beyond christian doctrinal disability discourses to embrace human rights in Zimbabwe
Full text linkChristian doctrines, practices, beliefs and convictions are tools that are shaping perspectives and provide meaning to disability in most religious settings in Zimbabwe. Most Christian and African Traditional religions in Zimbabwe are not yet open to public discourse about disability and even proactively bringing the needs of persons with disability to the centre of their missional agenda. Disability perspectives and proactive strategies to help persons with disabilities are still trapped within Christian sermonic outlets and few charitable deeds. Besides providing an overall religious disability discourse in Zimbabwe, this article explores options for going beyond Christian doctrinal and/or biblical perspectives to a position of
complementing institutional activism enshrined in the 2030 Disability Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. This article uses disability theology as a lens to understand Christian doctrinal disability discourse. Qualitatively, this article uses document analysis to gather data. This article concludes that religious communities in Zimbabwe should transform to not merely integrate persons with disabilities and provide charity but also focus on inclusion as a human right as advocated by secular stakeholders such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union Agenda 2063 especially focusing on creating awareness of disability rights and integrating Zimbabwean laws on disability
Contested interpretations: the case of Zimbabweans in the diaspora in the United Kingdom responding to the new dispensation
No full textHow to interpret the political transition that happened in Zimbabwe in 2017/2018 has generated debate and controversy among citizens in the country and outside the country. This chapter focuses on how Zimbabwean Christians at home and abroad engaged in biblical and theological reflections to try and make sense of the transition. It highlights how Christianity continues to be a critical aspect of Zimbabwe’s national consciousness. One of its major features, the Bible, is a significant tool used in the democratisation processes in Zimbabwe before and after independence. Some politicians, religious leaders and some groups in Zimbabwe have used the Bible to authenticate the removal of Robert Mugabe from power. They claim this act is justified as ‘God was in it’; that it was a Kairos (divine opportune) time marking the birth of the Second Republic in Zimbabwe. Mugabe was regarded as a ‘political messiah’ when he ascended to power in 1980 after the British colonial rule, but towards the end of his regime there was economic decline and violence which triggered massive migrations. Painful stories and experiences are told about Zimbabweans in the diaspora as they seek asylum, as well as the illegal and legal migrations. This chapter reflects on how the Zimbabweans in the diaspora deconstructed the theological and political voices used during the political processes of the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. Guided by the transnational theory of migration, the chapter qualitatively analyses data gleaned from social media and systematic literature reviews to present diverse interpretations of the transition from Mugabe to Mnangagwa and the status of the opposition. It shows how both supporters and opponents of the regime appropriate and deploy biblical and theological ideas to buttress their arguments and convictions
Going Beyond Christian Doctrinal Disability Discourses to Embrace Human Rights in Zimbabwe
Full text linkChristian doctrines, practices, beliefs and convictions are tools that are shaping perspectives and provide meaning to disability in most religious settings in Zimbabwe. Most Christian and African Traditional religions in Zimbabwe are not yet open to public discourse about disability and even proactively bringing the needs of persons with disability to the centre of their missional agenda. Disability perspectives and proactive strategies to help persons with disabilities are still trapped within Christian sermonic outlets and few charitable deeds. Besides providing an overall religious disability discourse in Zimbabwe, this article explores options for going beyond Christian doctrinal and/or biblical perspectives to a position of complementing institutional activism enshrined in the 2030 Disability Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. This article uses disability theology as a lens to understand Christian doctrinal disability discourse. Qualitatively, this article uses document analysis to gather data. This article concludes that religious communities in Zimbabwe should transform to not merely integrate persons with disabilities and provide charity but also focus on inclusion as a human right as advocated by secular stakeholders such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union Agenda 2063 especially focusing on creating awareness of disability rights and integrating Zimbabwean laws on disability
Christian Faith and Sexual Orientation in the Context of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe
Full text linkNowadays insightful information about the causes, meaning, prevention and management of HIV and AIDS is available. Statistics show new infections especially in areas not penetrated by the church because of different perceptions about sexuality. As such, not much literature exists about the church queer studies and theology in the context of HIV and AIDS. Discourses about sexual orientation in the church have triggered complex debate. The tension includes the inclusion of homosexuals within worship, as well as their identity and space in the worship experience. As such, this raises questions about the compatibility of Christian faith, rituals, and practices. The demise of families, shifting identities of marriages, including marrying and ordaining gays, human rights and religious freedom are fundamentals in this article. Somewhat, there is relegation of the lesbians, bisexuals, and gays, while it is a contributor to issues of HIV and AIDS. Thus, this article seeks to understand the extent to which the Pentecostal faith, practices, and rituals can dialogue with homosexuals in the context of HIV and AIDS. This article utilizes Queer theology, and data collection is through in-depth interviews and sermonic discourse analysis. This article concludes that reaching out to lesbigays in Pentecostalism create space for the church to mitigate the widespread of HIV and AIDS. This article constructively contributes to the understanding of HIV and AIDS, sex, and sexuality in Africa
The Moral Dimension of Development in Zimbabwe
No full textRegardless of the availability of gold, diamonds, platinum and arable land, Zimbabweans experience abject poverty because of poor resource management. In Africa, most politicians and elite religious actors are guilty of corruption, greed, cheating, violation of human rights and individual amassing of wealth. Such behaviour by African leaders disrupt the Africa’s traditional development ethos bundled in communalism and collectivism. Besides arguing that morality is a fundamental principle which substance development, this paper explores moral ethos that defines development, including ethical judgement for a good life, good society, and good relationships. The paper concludes that African Indigenous Knowledge Systems, culture, philosophy and morality are toolkits for development in Africa
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