Browsing by Author "Abale-Phiri, Hastings Matemba"

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    Interculturalisation as transforming praxis : the case of the church of Central Africa Presbyterian Blantyre synod urban ministry
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Abale-Phiri, Hastings Matemba; August, Karel Th.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: From within the epistemological framework of missional praxis in Participatory Development Theology, the researcher addresses ethnocentrism, poverty and regionalism in the historical contexts of the CCAP Blantyre Synod and Malawi. Over-against this condition, he advocates for a change in mindset to a hermeneutic of hospitality, respect and caring based on the construct of Interculturalisation in Development Theology. In accordance with his contextual and identity analyses’ and in line with participatory development challenges, he succeeds in designing a model for an intercultural missional approach which he argues would assist the CCAP Blantyre Synod to affect its calling and being as liberating, reconciling and transforming public entity. The thesis also includes thorough background information about Malawi such as of the early history, the geography and aspects of the economy. The role of the missionaries and the colonial administration is highlighted and there is a description of all the churches active in Malawi. ‘Interculturalisation’ has the potential to provide a forum where people of different ethnic, regional, denominational, cultural, national, religious and ideological backgrounds can meet and engage in a respectful intercultural dialogue because of its emphasis on hospitality and interdependence based on the Biblical anthropological principles and Kingdom values of acknowledging the other and the dignity of all human beings. Through intercultural-dialogue they can come to an understanding about the meaning of development as transformation, globally as well as locally. Interculturalisation therefore serves to facilitate and strengthen ecumenical formation and to nurture ecumenical consciousness. This mission model will enable people to concentrate on things that unite them rather than on those that divide them. Our submission here is that it is only with a united voice that other development partners can take the Church seriously. At present, however, the CCAP Blantyre Synod struggles with these issues because of the ongoing divisions among churches (particularly within the CCAP family) and churches not doing mission in unity. The result is that ecumenical work and addressing issues like poverty is difficult because there is no cooperation between denominations. The human dignity of all parties suffers and the gospel is neutralized. Ecumenism does not necessarily focus on individual development. The Church is both social and sacred; it is influenced by what happens outside as well as inside (cf. Heitink 1999: 9). We now live in a globalized world. The CCAP’s social task therefore is to be a missional transformation church – a church for all peoples regardless of class, race, ethnicity or culture. When she does that she will not need to have another social ethic because, by her life and witness, it will be clear that she is already that (Hauerwas 1983:104). White and black missionaries who established Blantyre Mission worked together– when working together, there was real progress, when not working together, there was no tangible progress. So let us also learn to live and work together as brothers and sisters created in the image of God and called into the kingdom of God, who should find our first and primary identity through our baptism into the one body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6). The “scandal of the disunity of the CCAP” family is very painful when we consider the church’s social task. This disunity exists in our time in the face of the alarmingly everincreasing proportions of unemployment, poverty, inequality. HIV/Aids, hunger, nepotism, corruption, women and child abuse, property-grabbing and lack of moral fibre adversely affecting the Church and society at large in Malawi. How can we justify the situation in which we who have been called to be the forerunners of God’s peaceable kingdom cannot, it seems, maintain unity among ourselves? Schreiter (1985:29) argues that, “if Christianity is alive at all in a situation, it will certainly change things about the culture. The Christian message, after all, is about change: repentance, salvation, and an eschatological reality to be realized. Therefore, to think that Christianity will not change the situation [in Malawi] is to rob the Christian message of its most important part”. The researcher refers to the fact that some of the earliest Scottish missionaries were culturally sensitive and respected all people. Everybody was treated with dignity. Where and when this was practiced, ethnocentrism did not take hold and the gospel reached across all boundaries. The church should follow this example. As brothers and sisters created in the image of God, we should find our first and primary identity through our baptism into the one body of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6; cf. Ephesians 2:14).