Theses and Dissertations (Church History and Church Policy)

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Bearing Witness: histories of black clergy wives in South African churches from 1948 to the present
Masango, Tshepo Morongwa (University of Pretoria, 2026-06)
Across the mid to late twentieth century, more than 85 percent of Black clergy within South Africa’s mainline Protestant churches entered ministry as married men. For many, marriage functioned as a central source of stability and support in their professional lives. Clergy who began their service unmarried often married shortly after ordination in response to expectations expressed by their congregations. The numbers matter because they reveal that marriage among clergymen was not an incidental occurrence. Marriage was an expectation, almost a prerequisite for ministry. The expectation was not simply wrapped up in the politics of respectability but in the understanding that clergy wives served a particular and important purpose in the Black church, even if the church did not openly acknowledge it. Even without degrees, titles, or formal training, clergy wives served alongside their husbands: preaching, teaching, praying, and organizing the mainline protestant churches, especially at the start of the twentieth century forward. Thus, clergy wives have long been an integral part of the Black church experience in southern African congregations. This pattern of joint ministerial service had regional echoes across Southern Africa, specifically in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, where clergy wives were even more of a fixture n these more socially conservative contexts. These echoes throughout the region are quite telling, with South Africa often being the denominational hub for these countries. These findings remind us that missionaries made marriage a model for church leadership. This arrangement came to bear as European missionaries aimed to convert Africans beyond the missionary station, which was often established within or adjacent to the colonial city created by Europeans representing the governance of the metropole. When Europeans set their sights on implementing the mandate Jesus Christ had given his followers as stated in Matthew 28:18-20, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you," they worked together with their African colleagues to achieve it. European missionaries often relied on their African colleagues to carry out the Great Commission and lead conversion work in the interior of the nations, where they had less presence, despite the Africans’ subordinated position as evangelists. Many accounts of their work recognize that African evangelists worked in tandem with their spouses to spread the Christian gospel among their people. African church leaders, often coupled, worked beyond the initial framework that missionaries envisioned, cultivating a unique church culture. Long after the structure of the mission station gave way to colonial order, African clergy and their spouses remained an organizing force. To think of a congregation was to think of a minister; to think of a minister was to imagine his wife at his side. Clergy wives did not function merely as extensions of their husbands or of their husbands’ ministerial roles. They worked alongside them; more precisely, they were expected to do so. That expectation was cultural; it was spiritual; it was communal. Ministry was not conceived as solitary. It was firstly a covenant with God through ordination and then, secondly, in this context, a covenant with their wives. Ministry was interlocking and coterminous. This shared vocation did not stop at the church; the ministerial home was also an important site of ministry. It is important to note that for African clergy and their wives, the ministry extended far beyond physical walls, as it does with most church leaders. Within the physical church itself, ministers’ wives preached, led prayers, and organized associations. Beyond the church walls, they visited the sick, mentored young women, and often represented districts in denominational structures. Together, clergy and their wives engaged in important work even without the full authority vested in their vocational status. Only a small number of ministers’ wives pursued formal theological training or enrolled in seminaries during the mid to late twentieth century. Instead, training came through immersion; through mentorship; through song and prayer; through constitutions read aloud at kitchen tables; through the prayer meetings established and maintained, and through constant improvisation. The wives were revered, yes, but also burdened by the assumption that they could simply be a clergy wife from the beginning of their marriage. Their leadership was complementary, but not in the conservative sense articulated by the complementarian doctrine of U.S. evangelicals (Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, 1988). Ministers’ wives defined their dominions and brought other women within their fold. The notion of a minister’s wife being complementary has never been steeped in the ideology of gendered deficient difference but instead was birthed out of a clear understanding of gendered spiritual need articulated by African women for African women. Among U.S. evangelicals, complementarianism is the sharp demarcation of women’s roles often defined by men (Aune, 2008; Gallagher, 2004; Ruether, 1985). It is a patriarchal exercise, emanating from the church. In contrast, African clergy wives’ complementarity has meant occupying distinct registers of ministry, never mere exclusion. Clergy wives have held an important vector of power in the church, all of it emerging from an expectation that came with marrying a religious cleric.
Leadership Succession disputes and Economic Interests in the African Apostolic Church of Johanne Marange
Magaracha, Joseph Tendai (University of Pretoria, 2013-08-01)
Abstract The African Apostolic Church of Johanne Marange (AACJM) in Zimbabwe, as an African Initiated Church (AIC), like many others, puts economic determinism at the centre of its activities. The AACJM has been engulfed in succession disputes since in 1963 at the death of its founding leader, Johanne Marange (1912 – 1963). Arnold (Anerod) Taguta, the elder brother to the founder, facilitated Abel Momberume to succeed his father (Johanne Marange) as the Church’s High Priest, which sparked off the initial leadership succession dispute. The Nguni model of succession was initially used where the father’s property is given to the first-born son as an inheritance. This frustrated the ambitions of some of his father’s deputies such as Simon Mushati, and prompted him to refer to the AACJM as a. Nguni Church (Chechi yema Nguni). At the succession ceremony, Abel, Maccabees (Makebo) and Judah Momberume were given Johanne Marange’s Church staffs, which at this stage were regarded as the founder’s personal property. Simon Mushati began to complain against the personalisation of the two Land Rovers purchased by the Church being treated as personal objects of inheritance. Mushati challenged the conflation of the family and Church institutions. The succession dispute has continued after the death of Abel Momberume (1992) through a series of litigation through court cases. Noah Taguta, the son of Arnold Taguta, did not appoint Abel Momberume’s son, Stephen, according to the Church’s and Nguni traditions. Instead, he usurped the leadership of the Church. This has attracted the attention of the media, and one can assume that economic interests are at the heart of all these leadership succession struggles. New models of leadership succession and their mechanisms have been developed to legitimise the social constructs of new factions and their leaders such as the control of sacred shrines, Church and biblical traditions. Constructs in contest for power are useful for excluding other members of the AACJM, where economic interests feature too strongly, and this has generally been the trend in most AICs.
Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches
Shaai, Creflo Lawrence (University of Pretoria, 2025)
This study critically examined the applicability and reception of the Western soteriological doctrines of Anselm of Canterbury (Satisfaction Theory) and Martin Luther (Justification by faith alone) within South African rural and urban churches. Situated at the intersection of Historical, Systematic, Practical, and Contextual Theology, the research addresses a significant gap in scholarship. While Anselm's Cur Deus Homo and Luther's theses have been extensively studied within Western traditions, their reception, adaptation, and impact in the heterogeneous socioeconomic and cultural landscapes of South African congregations remain severely underexplored. The research was motivated by the identified tension between these historically influential models—which emphasise legal atonement and forensic justification—and African theological frameworks that conceptualise salvation in holistic, communal, and tangible terms. Employing a qualitative literature-based methodology, this study conducted a comparative analysis of primary texts by Anselm and Luther, as well as secondary sources from prominent African theologians like John Mbiti, Kwame Bediako, and Tinyiko Maluleke. The findings reveal a significant theological disconnect, rooted in divergent conceptions of the human problem (individual guilt vs. communal brokenness) and the solution (forensic imputation vs. participatory restoration). However, the study also concludes that the core principles of sola gratia (grace alone) and Christ's final satisfaction provide indispensable theological safeguards. This dissertation argues that the relevance of Western Soteriology in South Africa is conditional upon its critical contextualisation. It ultimately contributes to modern ecclesiology by proposing that a constructive dialogue between these frameworks and African perspectives is essential for developing a Soteriology that is both theologically robust and meaningfully addresses the spiritual and existential realities of African Christians, thereby bridging the gap between formal doctrine and lived experience.
Redefining the church's mission : towards a contextual and missional ecclesiology in responding to poverty in South Africa
Prinsloo, Christoffel Bernardus (University of Pretoria, 2024-09)
This research critically examines the transformative potential of adopting a contextual and missional ecclesiology to enhance the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika's (NHKA) engagement with poverty alleviation in South Africa. Against the country’s severe socio-economic challenges, the study seeks to redefine the church's mission in addressing this pervasive issue more effectively. Central to this investigation is the hypothesis that a shift towards missional ecclesiology – rooted in the Trinitarian mission of God - can significantly empower the NHKA to respond more effectively to poverty. This approach calls for moving beyond traditional ecclesiology models to embrace responsive, contextually informed practices that align with the missio Dei. The research integrates historical reflections on the NHKA's involvement in poverty alleviation, theoretical explorations of missional ecclesiology, and practical considerations for the church's societal engagement. It aims to bridge the gap between ecclesiological theory and the practical realities of addressing socio-economic challenges in contemporary South Africa. Key concepts such as missional ecclesiology, diaconal ministry, and contextual theology are foundational to understanding the proposed shift in the NHKA’s approach to its mission. The study posits that by re-envisioning its mission and practices in light of these concepts, the NHKA—and other ecclesial bodies—can significantly enhance their impact on poverty alleviation. Ultimately, this research contributes to the broader ecclesiology and social engagement discourse in South Africa. It highlights the church's potential as a transformative force in society, emphasising the importance of theological reflection, historical awareness, and actionable strategies in driving its mission forward. This thesis advocates for a missional reorientation of the church’s role in society, suggesting that deeper engagement with the gospel's transformative power can lead to more effective responses to the urgent challenge of poverty in South Africa.
A critique of land reform in Zimbabwe from the perspective of Miroslav Volf's public theology
Useni, Chifuniro Joseph (University of Pretoria, 2024-08)
The ultimate objective of this thesis is broadening our view of social justice so that it lessens conflict rather than fostering it and is firmly rooted in the justice of God. This endeavour is centred around Miroslav Volf's Public Theology. The thesis is focusing on the branch of historical theology known as public theology. When collecting data and interpreting the pertinent research data, the inquiry is using a mixed method to qualitative research. The study is focused on text analysis, using Volf's writings about his social life as well as images, words, affirmations, and other literature. In accordance with Van Aarde (2008:1216), public theology can be found in a wide range of media, including music, novels, films, art, architecture, marches of protest, newspapers, and articles from magazines. While establishing Miroslav Volf's public theology as a point of comparison and critique, the study is encouraging "historical-theological" critique of land reform as well as interrogating the socio-political situation and social exclusion in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean Land Reform Programme of 2000 serves as an illustration of a disregard for social justice within Zimbabwe. The study is employing a social transformational approach to reading the Bible and historical hermeneutics in theological analysis. Additionally, it is advocating for a social hermeneutic among Christian Bible interpreters. The study is beginning by providing a general overview of the socio-political situation in Zimbabwe, where an ongoing social and political crisis is significantly affecting the public's standard of life. The study is evaluating the major issues and making recommendations based on Volf's public theology of justice that may yield useful solutions for the future pursuit of justice. Second, the study is exploring and identifying the development of the past and present-day instances of social justice in Zimbabwe, as well as the role that Christian individuals and institutions are playing in advancing social justice. Based on the study, public engagement requires to be improved to further the cause of justice. This is ought to follow from Volf's conception of his public theology, which is emphasising embracing, remembrance, and inclusion. Extended thinking can be used to transform interactions with the public. The key to proactively pursuing justice is attempting to develop one another and allowing the other to shape oneself for the common good. The third section of the study is looking at the theological foundations of Volf's research into public theology. The writings of Volf can provide insight into public theology, which has important implications for the quest of justice. A conviction of justice can exist in a nation where everything is promoted for the good of the whole because of Volf's initiatives. Finally, it is outlining the procedures by which the church might engage the public in a good and faithful manner for the sake of justice and within the confines of this mandate. In accordance with Volf's public theology and the study's proposed strategic map for Christian public engagement, the quest of justice must concentrate on restoring appropriate relationships beyond the obligation due and be a continual procedure rather than disconnected actions. Christian institutes and local churches can foster responsible citizenship on the part of their members by encouraging them to participate in public interest groups.
A critical analysis of the role played by the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon in addressing the political crisis in Cameroon, 1990 – 1992
Mokoko, Thomas Mbue (University of Pretoria, 2023-10-23)
The aim of this study was to critically analyse the role played by the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) in addressing the political crisis in Cameroon from 1990 – 1992. This research sourced data from primary and secondary sources. The qualitative method was employed in the collection and treatment of data. This research examined the Dietrich Bonhoeffer paradigm as a tool for the analysis of the role the PCC played in resolving the 1990-1992 political crisis in Cameroon, and compared it to the South African and El Salvadoran models, established the remote and immediate causes of the 1990 – 1992 political crisis in Cameroon, identified and examined the various roles the PCC played in addressing the 1990-1992 political crisis in Cameroon, critically analysed the role the PCC played in addressing the crisis in the light of Bonhoeffer’s paradigm and proposed a contextual model for the public role of the Church in Cameroon. In applying the Bonhoeffer three-step model to the role the PCC played in addressing the 1990-1992 political crisis in Cameroon this research realised that the PCC aptly applied the first step, timidly applied the second step, and did not engage the third step. This research found out that PCC’s inability to engage the third step was caused by the inapplicability of this step given the Cameroonian context of church-state relations, the lack of precedence in Cameroon of church involvement in politics beyond the first step and the constraints of the Constitution of the PCC. This was the foundation of the proposed contextual model. The research work rounded off with some recommendations and a conclusion.
Towards an understanding of dispensationalism before John Nelson Darby : a transition from Disregard to Dialogue
Sanders, Marlin (University of Pretoria, 2023-10-05)
The broad aim of this study is to recognize the instances where dispensational concepts arose throughout church history in order to dispel the common belief that dispensationalism is a modern phenomenon. The research highlights the various instances where dispensational concepts or ideas arose in church history prior to John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). This research was used as a basis to dialogue with the ministers of the Dutch Reformed Churches in Pretoria, South Africa, in order to form a model and bridge for others in cities and suburbs seeking to form partnerships and relationships with their own local Dutch Reformed Ministers.
African traditional religion : a receptive vessel for the preparation for the Christian faith
Nthali, Micah Mhlupheki (University of Pretoria, 2023)
South Africa has been characterised by affliction of colonialism, apartheid and the failure to love other races, a Christian country which oppressed and forced blacks to embrace western style of life imparted by the missionaries. Due to colonisation and missionary zeal, Africans were to live in pretence by a double standard which has now resulted in schizophrenic behaviour of betrayal of their own roots. Swazi beliefs and practices were not taken into consideration as they were regarded non-existent.The research study will introduce the Swazi African Traditional Religion of South Africa as the main source of Christianity and examine how it prepared so many millions of the Swazi people to embrace the Christian faith; make a contribution to nation building and social cohesion of the Swazi people of South Africa and other South African ethnic groups as well as the continental Swazi people; establish the relationship between Swazi African Traditional Religion and Christanity;make a contribution to the contemporary Church context; analyse the data captured during the interviews of both Christians and adherents of SATR in the fourteen traditional councils in order to formulate some findings; examine where Christianity and Swazi African Traditional Religion have their meeting points to merge the ideas and understanding and make recommendations to the FBOs, Government and sampled Traditional Councils for possible implementation and their benefit. The researcher will engage in field research methodologies where other multi-disciplinary applications such as history; anthropology; liberation, black and African Christian theologies will be considered and involved. The reason to use this multidisciplinary approach is that the study involves God, human beings, their religion, their environment, their patterns of social, cultural behaviour and their liberation as societies of the past, present and future.We will use mainly qualitative research method which includes participant observation, direct observation, and conducting interviews using questionnaires entailing structured and unstructured questions.
A historical-critical analysis of the Church of England in South Africa’s historiographical claim of apoliticism during apartheid (1948-1994)
Mbebe, Daluxolo Gerald (University of Pretoria, 2023)
This study investigates the role of the Church of England in South Africa during the apartheid years from 1948 to 1994. It examines its Truth and Reconciliation Commission claim of political disengagement, which resulted in it being classified as a victim, not an agent, of oppression. It traces the history of Evangelical Anglicans in the Cape Colony and argues that its Erastian and Reformed theology made it a natural receptor of apartheid political ideology. This study also demonstrates that CESA aligned itself with the government from 1954 when it was used by the state to discredit prophetic voices from the Church of the Province of South Africa. It argues that CESA should be viewed as a historically Right-Wing Christian Group which advocated for State Theology. It questions the claim that its 1985 Synod resolution against violence and discrimination indicated a departure from its historical position. It argues that CESA did not condemn apartheid until the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings and thus proves that it obfuscated the truth before the commission. Last, this study demonstrates that the commission failed to investigate CESA and recommends the retraction of CESA’s TRC statement because of its historical inaccuracy.
A history of ministerial formation of Uniting Churches at the University of Pretoria : 2000-2017
Womack, Jonathan Michael (University of Pretoria, 2019)
This research has focused on the history of ministerial formation in the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (UPCSA) and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). This history falls within a focus period from 2000 to 2017. This work was inspired by a perceived lack in contemporary history surrounding ministerial formation from an ecclesial perspective inside South Africa. Ministerial formation is the way in which leaders of the church are formed and trained. As such, an understanding of the recent history of ministerial formation is important, not only in understanding the current situation but also in its future development. This research worked through the method of comparative histories. This methodology allowed insight to be developed that was relevant and meaningful to each denomination (Ideographic insight) as well as the development of general principles pertinent to ministerial formation in general (nomothetic insight). Working from this perspective, a recent history of ministerial formation was established. This history has importance in its own right, as well as in how it can educate and guide future endeavours in ministerial formation. In order to establish the history of ministerial formation, a theory surrounding the discipline was first outlined. This theory focused on both the ideal understanding of ministerial formation and the contextual relevance of such a theory. Once established this theory was used to help guide the development of the historical narrative of each denomination. First focusing on each denomination as an independent case study, this research worked to draw out key events in their approach to ministerial formation. Here each denominations success and struggles with ministerial formation were presented. Following the case studies, a comparison was undertaken. This comparison allowed for confirmation of the significance of each individual history. Further, the comparison allowed for the development of general principle relating to ministerial formation. Working predominantly from the discipline of church history, but also incorporating church polity, missiology and practical theology, this work has brought forward information from an ecclesial perspective relevant to the wider dialogue on ministerial formation. This work has challenged current discourse which tended to focus on theory and demonstrated the vital importance of practicality. Working from an ecclesial perspective has allowed it to give insight to the two focus denominations, highlighting success and challenges. Beyond this, it has shown the importance of understanding, and being rooted in, the local context and developing approaches to ministerial formation which are practically achievable and guided by a strong theoretical understanding of the nature and aims of ministerial formation.
The tough-love proposal : a novel theodicy
Thai, Le Pham (University of Pretoria, 2020)
In this study, we reviewed the literature concerning the problem(s) of evil and found that, while there is a consensus that the logical problem of evil as raised by J. L. Mackie has been successfully addressed by Alvin Plantinga’s “Free Will Defense,” the evidential problem of evil as argued by William Rowe has yet to be resolved. The various solutions suggested by recognized scholars (e.g., John Hick and Richard Swinburne) have not met with broad acceptance. Most of the efforts to resolve the problem have been focused on Rowes’ factual premise (i.e., there are gratuitous evils). This approach has been fraught with difficulties and uncertainties as the determination of “gratuitousness” may be “beyond our ken.” Instead, this research aims to challenge Rowe’s theological premise (i.e., God prevents all gratuitous evils) by supplying a morally justifying reason (i.e., “tough-love) for God to exist in the presence of evil (gratuitous or otherwise). We also endeavor to stay within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy in affirming that God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and the omnibenevolent creator of the universe. As Rowe insisted on keeping the discussion within the narrow confines of Restricted Standard Theism (i.e., an Omnigod creator without other religious claims), in the section for non-theists, we introduce a “Tough-love Proposal” that does not rely on biblical or religious literature. As humans deny God’s existence, God lets them go their own way (resulting in good and evil) and in “tough love,” waits patiently for them to respond to his message of salvation as proclaimed by the Church and the Holy Spirit. The evils in this world (gratuitous, excessive, horrendous . . .) are strictly the results of people living independently from God. Rowe’s argument that the presence of “gratuitous” evils makes God’s existence improbable is answered by the commonsense notion of “tough love” as often used in the restoration of broken relationships. The numerous requirements advocated by scholars for a “successful” theodicy are shown to be met by the “Tough-love Proposal,” using findings from other fields of knowledge (e.g., economics, psychology . . .). As God does not act in the same way toward believers and non-believers, in the section for theists, following the historical-grammatical method of hermeneutics (i.e., interpretation using lexical data, grammatical data, historical and cultural backgrounds, near and broader contexts), we apply Christian Scriptures and show that God promises that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28), thus negating the possibility of gratuitous evils in (faithful) believers’ lives. The question raised by theists and non-theists concerning the creation of humans with “free will and no possibility of sinning” is answered by the “simplicity” of God, logically preventing him from creating a creature sharing the divine impeccability. Additionally, we propose some theories concerning the “world of death” (i.e., our world with the “survival of the fittest”) and the world of life (i.e., a new heaven and a new earth). In God’s sovereignty, we are free to choose the world/path that we desire.
The “Poor of Christ” and their significant impact on setting the scene for the 16th Century Reformation
Müller, Horst (University of Pretoria, 2020)
During the 500th Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 a huge emphasis was placed on the main Reformation characters of 1517, especially Martin Luther. Those that preceded him were side-lined. Jan Huss was hardly mentioned, although the 600th anniversary of his execution by fire was only two years earlier, in 2015. Valdes of Lyon did not feature at all. This study shows that this lay person, Valdes, about whom hardly anything is known, had a significant impact on the 16th Century Reformation. This impact is not immediately obvious. The researcher reveals it by looking at the movement that resulted from his conversion in 1174, normally called the Waldenses, but in this study referred to as Poor of Christ, a name that they identified themselves with. The research does not focus on the Romanesque part that later formed the Waldensian Church, but on those living and ministering in the Holy Roman Empire, especially the German region. Original sources such as papal letters, inquisition reports and reports of eyewitnesses of that time are researched and the information gathered. Through historical contextual analysis and synthesis, the information is brought together to show the impact that the Poor of Christ ultimately had in their own context and beyond. The researcher shows how the Roman Church, instead of engaging with these lay preachers, tried to silence and eradicate them over a period of 350 years. This action harmed the church itself more than it did the people it was fighting against. The study shows how doctrines and decrees were formulated in reaction to the Poor of Christ, which became major issues in the run-up to the Reformation. The study shows an important link between the Poor of Christ and the Augustinian Order, that is generally not taken note of, and throws a different light on why the Augustinian Order played such an important role in producing Reformation Theologians. Further, the research shows how the underground lay movement influenced the thinking in cities and regions in Germany which became the first strongholds of the 16th Century Reformation, and that through their ministry the basics of Solus Christus and sola scriptura where already taught and practised in homes and families for generations prior to 1517. The researcher argues that Martin Luther and the other prominent Reformers were not the originators of the 16th century Reformation. Unlike Jan Hus a hundred years before, they succeeded because the climate in Europe, and especially Germany, had changed due to the presence and ministry of the Poor of Christ. The real force behind the Reformation were not the theologians, but the lay men and women who for generations shaped Christ- centred values, who, for 350 years prior to 1517 had already been studying and teaching scripture in the local vernacular. This study hopes that the Poor of Christ will become part of main stream Reformation teaching, a place the movement deserves. The study heightens the historical value of this research by showing how core aspects of the Poor of Christ can help the church today to be resilient and relevant. Their authentic way of living their faith is an example worth following. Church leadership are reminded of the importance of servant leadership, and all theologians are reminded that the real strength of the church lies in the lay people who are not dependent on clergy, but empowered to live and share what they believe.
The ANC chaplaincy : a religio-political perspective
Nthali, Micah Mhlupheki (University of Pretoria, 2019)
No abstract
The decline of Confessional Calvinism among Baptist Associations in the Southern States during the Nineteenth Century
Lumpkins, Edgar Peter Frank (University of Pretoria, 2018)
No abstract
A Critical historical evaluation of the Anglican Diocese of Harare's decade of turmoil, 2002-2012
Mutamiri, Farai (University of Pretoria, 2017)
The Anglican Diocese of Harare found itself dragged through a decade of turmoil which ran from 2002 to 2012, by the actions of its sitting Bishop, Bishop Nolbert Kunonga who, for reasons, of which some are highlighted in this research, became intent on severing ties with the Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA). In the process Bishop Nolbert Kunonga formed his own Province called the Anglican Province of Zimbabwe (APZ) but, notwithstanding this, was determined to hold on to the properties that belonged to the CPCA. The build-up to the formation of the APZ, saw the Anglican Diocese of Harare clergy and laity being subjected to and witnessing the total disregard of the Constitution and Canons of the Province of Central Africa by Bishop Kunonga and some of those who were supporting him. This unusual development which did not conform to the often cited ‘quest for belonging’, caused a lot of bickering involving the Bishop, some clergy and some parishioners which culminated in an attempt to bring Bishop Kunonga before an ecclesiastical court on thirty-eight charges among them that of inciting murder. The second half of the decade of turmoil, the years 2008 to 2012, was characterised by the persecution of CPCA Anglicans in the Diocese of Harare as they fought to regain their properties. The ‘doctrinal’ reason for withdrawing the Diocese of Harare from CPCA, as cited by Bishop Kunonga, that the CPCA was condoning homosexuality drew the ire of the state. The fierce fighting between the two Provinces, that is the APZ and CPCA, over control of the properties belonging to the Anglican Diocese of Harare, saw the police and state intervening but seemingly taking sides with Bishop Kunonga. By so doing the Anglicans in the Diocese of Harare CPCA ended up appearing as if they were a political outfit fighting the state in the guise of fighting for their properties. The Supreme Court ruling of the 19th of November 2012 brought the matter to its finality when it ruled in favour of the CPCA and declared that Bishop Kunonga had no legal right to claim ownership or control of properties that belonged to an organisation (CPCA) which he had withdrawn from.
Faithful Reformation : the Importance of Apostolicity and Consensual Orthodoxy for Emerging Christian Expressions
Sharpe, Jonathan (University of Pretoria, 2018)
In this study, we have considered if, how, or to what extent emerging Christian expressions within the context of the Emerging Church (EC) movement, and related Emerging Missional partners and postcedents, might reform, contextualize, innovate, or revise Christian forms, language, practices, or doctrines to reform the church and inculturate the gospel in postmodern contexts, while retaining continuity and congruence with apostolicity and orthodoxy. We also wished to see if, how, or to what extent EC voices considered accountability to apostolicity and orthodoxy and, if not, to what they were accountable and also to what extent they remain authentically Christian. We have done so by examining the perspectives of leading EC authors, practitioners, and current and historical conversation partners including Vincent of Lérins and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, using historical, theological, ethnographic and narrative inquiry and analysis methods. Our review of literature from EC authors provides insights into debates that led to fracturing of the EC movement and that offer challenges to orthodoxy. Our analysis also reveals methods EC authors appealed to in order to justify their views, or defense or revisions of core historic doctrines. When they rarely appealed to orthodoxy, there were two common but divergent approaches in which orthodoxy was either viewed as a system of beliefs, in which one could treat orthodox doctrines trans-subjectively, or else as being subjectively grounded in the incarnate Christ, in which accountability to Christ was primarily evidenced in materialist acts. We also placed our analysis of key EC sources and their approaches to apostolicity and orthodoxy in conversation with the historical perspectives of Vincent of Lérins and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as well as with current EC practitioners, via an ethnographic questionnaire. We found that Vincent’s method of consensual orthodoxy, instead of seeing orthodoxy as a system of universal beliefs, or as entirely subjective, appeared to center orthodoxy in the unified life of the Body of Christ in which doctrine may grow and, yet, its apostolic meaning is safeguarded by requiring Christians to surrender current interpretations of Scripture to the universal ecumenical consensus of the Body of Christ through history. Then too, our review of Bonhoeffer’s works reveals the ways that he provides room for questioning and flexibility, while holding that the creedal beliefs and sacred practices of the apostolic faith must be surrendered to as-is, as agents of revelation. In further analysis of primary sources and ethnographic responses, the study also reveals a third EC approach to apostolicity and orthodoxy, in which, in synergy with Vincent and Bonhoeffer, orthodox doctrine is seen as the unified faith, obedience, worship, and witness of the Body of Christ, and in which body doctrine may contextually grow in faithful alignment with apostolicity. Additionally, we considered Vincent’s method as providing orthodox EC voices a rule to guide contextual listening, inculturation and growth of doctrine while ensuring continuity and congruity with apostolicity.
The identity of Bernard Mzeki from the formative history of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe (1890-2013) : retracing his life, martyrdom and influence
Chawarika, John (University of Pretoria, 2017)
The intention of this investigation was to retrace the life, martyrdom and influence of Bernard Mzeki’s identity from the formative history of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe (1890 up to 2013). This study intended to establish the following objectives: tracing the history of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe from its formative period leading up to the death of Bernard Mzeki; to establish the socio – anthropological, political and economic factors that might have contributed to the death of Mzeki; to establish the theological and biblical notion of martyrdom; to analyze the historical and religious life of Bernard Mzeki leading to his mysterious and controversial death, resultant commemoration and influence to the Anglican Church. And finally, the last objective was to give a critical examination of Mzeki’s martyrdom in light of contemporary African Christendom notion and the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe. In terms of research methodology of the study, there were many forms from which historical data was obtained. Primary and secondary sources were used to gather information. Critical analysis was done using a tool of probability value. Furthermore, historical, comparative, socio-anthropological, theological, phenomenological and political approaches were considered and utilized in order determine specific information in this research work. The theoretical framework of post-colonial theory was used as water that flowed along the study since Mzeki was a character lived in the late eighteen hundred. Bernard Mzeki was traced from his childhood life history in Mozambique, his calling, education in South Africa and his journey to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) through Beira Mozambique to establish a new Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland with Bishop Knight Bruce as part of the formative history of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe. Mzeki was murdered during the revolt on the 18th of June, 1896 due to his Faith as established by the Western historian who painted and claimed him a martyr. After the study, the researcher highlighted conclusively that the political, economic and socio – religious factors forwarded disqualified him to be named a martyr. According to the researcher, history was silent on the procedure that the Anglican Church took to confer the status of martyrdom on Bernard yet the church referred to him as a saint and martyr. This research work alluded to the fact that Anglican Church in Zimbabwe, CPCA and the Anglican Communion worldwide did not have a process or system put in place or a liturgy in its history that bestowed saintly/martyrdom status like the Roman Catholic Church did. Yet, Mzeki was being venerated as a martyr without no traceable criteria or public function sanctioned by the church to bestore martyrdom on him. And his name was in the lectionary of the Church to be commemorated in the Anglican Communion worldwide annually. This showed how significant and influential Mzeki was as part of the spirituality of the Anglican community in Zimbabwe, CPCA and the Anglican Communion when shrines, institutions and many more were named after him. The researcher raised Revd. Wagner and Mrs (Mbuya) Mandeya, Anglicans who were claimed to have died of their faith and there was a need to recognise them as contemporary martyrs of the twenty first century in the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe but there was no procedure to do so. Recommendations were forwarded, one of them being an advocacy for the Anglican Church to establish a way of conferring martyrdom.
Ds. L.E. Brandt (1873 - 1939) as kerklike leier en bouer
Botes, Hendrik Jacobus (University of Pretoria, 1989)
Afrikaans: Louis Ernst Brandt wat op 21 Oktober 1873 te Zoeterwoude in Nederland gebore is, het tussen 1904 en 1939 'n groat bydrae tot die Suid-Afrikaanse kerklike en openbare lewe gemaak. Hy het onder besonder bevoorregte omstandighede in Velp groat geword, waar sy vader die amp van burgemeester beklee het. Sy skoolopleiding ontvang hy tuis en aan die Stedelike Gimnasium van Arnhem. Vanaf 1893 tot 1898 studeer hy teologie aan die Universiteit van Utrecht, waar hy in aanraking kom met 'n teologie wat grootliks deur die Nederlandse etiese rigting van die negentiende eeu bepaal is. Prof J J P Valeton jr ( 1848 - 1912) was een van sy vernaamste mentors. Brandt was 'n eminente student wat veral op kulturele en sportgebied uitstaande prestasies gelewer het. Na voltooiing van sy universit~re studie word hy die eerste voltydse sekretaris van die NCSV waarvan hy 'n leidinggewende stigterslid was. Vanaf 1900 tot 1903 is hy predikant van die Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, gemeente Niezijl. Op 28 Augustus 1902, tree hy in die huwelik met Johanna van Warmelo van Transvaal, 'n gevierde Afrikaner-heldin gedurende die Engelse Oorlog van 1899 - 1902. In 1904 verhuis die gesin na Transvaal waar Brandt agtereenvolgens Nederduitsch in die volgende gemeentes van die Hervormde Kerk van Afrika dien:- Zoutpansberg/Waterberg, Johannesburg, Vereeniging/Heilbron en Kensington/Turffontein. Sy bydrae wat hy gelewer het tot opbou van die Kerk na die ontwrigting van die oorlog en die bewo~ twintiger en dertiger jare wat daarop gevolg het, kan nie te hoog waardeer word nie. Afgesien van talle kerklike kommissies waarop hy gedien het, was hy vir 21 jaar voorsitter van die Algemene Kerkvergadering. Die vernaamste vrugte van sy ewewigtige leierskap was die vestiging van 'n deeglike kerklike infrastruktuur, die teologiese fakul tei t aan UP en sendingwerk onder die heidene. Hy vereenselwig hom volkome met Afrikaner-nasionalisme. Onvermoeid bevorder hy die ideaal op die terrein van die onderwys, kul tuur en ekonomiese opheffing. Hy beywer hom doelbewus vir die verbetering van tussen-kerklike betrekkinge en speel in die verband 'n beduidende rol. Op 23 Junie 1939 sterf hy op 66-jarige ouderdom.
Die beskuldiging van vrysinnigheid teen die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk : ŉ Herinterpretasie van die teologiese diskoers (1842 - 1894)
Dreyer, Willem Akkerhuys (Wim) (University of Pretoria, 2018)
In this study the accusations of theological liberalism made against the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika is tested to see if they are historically and theologically justified. Four incidents, namely the establisment of the Hervormde Kerk in 1842, the schism of the Gereformeerde Kerk van Suid-Afrika in 1859, the schism of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Transvaal in 1865, and the failed church unification of 1885 are trawled for a sign of theological liberalism. The only justifiable occurence of theological liberalism found in this period is in 1865 when the Rev. Dirk Van der Hoff repudiated the Canons of Dordt and the teaching on the election. It is found that the Hervormde kerk is not a liberal church, but a church that harbours a certain theological diversity. Furthermore it is concluded that a single occurence (in terms of Rev. Van der Hoff) fundamentally influenced South African ecclesial historiography regarding the Hervormde Kerk and it’s supposed theological liberalism.
An appreciation of the correlation between academic theology and the local church : John Calvin as a vision for contemporary South Africa
Womack, Jonathan (University of Pretoria, 2018)
This work, inspired by the concept of the Pastor-Theologian, explores the correlation between academic theology and the local church in contemporary South Africa and the person of John Calvin. It is motivated by the assumption that academic theology and the local Church need each other but, within South Africa, these two institutes are struggling to correlate to each other. As such this research elicits an appreciation of the historical correlation between the local Church and academic theology. This appreciation aims to start to reawaken the need for a correlation between academic theology and the local Church within contemporary South Africa. This research works mainly from a method of critical correlation to establish how academic theology and the local church function in their own right but also correlate in a mutually beneficial way. In line with this methodology, a historical overview of the tradition is given providing the background to the debate. This history proves the longevity of the tradition, making it normative, while also outlining its demise. In the analysis of contemporary South Africa, the demise of the tradition is explored specifically in relation to the South African context. Here it is discovered that the correlation between academic theology and the Local church is in a state of disconnect which is detrimental to both. Academic theology is becoming isolated and commercialised. This had created a mix reaction among various churches. Some denominations have separated from theological education, while those still positive towards the academy experience its works to be irrelevant. In response to this Calvin is presented as a Pastor and a Theologian over two chapters, demonstrating the benefit of a correlation between academic theology and the Local Church. This in-depth historical analysis works to provide a vision for today. It shows the importance of the Pastor and the Theologian in its own right, as well as the essential need for the two vocations to correlate. In closing, this research brings all the lines of investigation together to prove how the vision of the Pastor-Theologian, as demonstrated through Calvin, is beneficial for today and in need of appreciation.

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