Browsing by Author "August, Karel Th."

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    A curriculum for community development in practical theology
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-03) August, Karel Th.; Van Baalen, J. P. J.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Management and Planning.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The basic premise of this study is that a curriculum for Theology and Community Development would provide theological institutions with a social purpose in their theological education program. This is necessary for the Church's involvement in social transformation, particularly in the South African context with its alarmingly ever-increasing proportions of unemployment, poverty, violence and crime. The research attempts to provide, as an outcome, theological institutions with a social development purpose by means of curriculum design. The reason for this is based on the conviction that the Church as a community-based organisation, particularly amongst the marginalised poor, can be an effective vehicle for community development. This is due to the Church's Biblical commission and commitment to the poor, its capacity, in terms of resourcefulness, viz. its members and capital, its understanding and experience of social realities and the holistic nature of its activities. The design of the curriculum is aimed at unlocking the Church's resources and building its capacity to become an agent or catalyst for substantial people and societal development. It is presupposed in the study that the Church, although it has a long history of mission and diaconic work, is more and more lacking in capacity to meet the challenges and need of the post-modern society and subsequently cannot effect social transformation - yet it undoubtedly has the potential. The reason for this incapacity can be ascribed to the nature of theological training, which has as a ministerial-formation model a managerial approach to organisation and maintenance of congregational ministry from inside the institutional structure. As the Church finds itself confronted with enormous community needs, the leaders feel inadequate to deal with the "demo-crisis" of society for there is little in their seminary background that could have prepared them to equip the members for ministries incorporating community development. It is argued in this study, based on an analysis of the Church as a community called by God, the essence of community development and the people-centred participatory development process, that the Church as a community-based organisation is essentially best served in effecting social change by orientating itself according to the people-centred participatory development approach. This approach is embedded in the theoretical assumptions of the Humanitarian school of thought combined with the Social Development school. In theological education a new theological paradigm in which theory re-orientates itself to a "new paradigm of humanity" is inevitable. According to this paradigm, the Church should align itself with the humanitarian focus of development because development is ultimately about a new vision for society, about a new humanity, empowerment of the people to experience full life as given by God in full respect of creation. Only in developing a theological understanding of development and in assisting to equip people for development, will it be able to answer to its calling - will it continue the process which was started by God in creating the Church as the "first fruits" of the new humanity. A curriculum for Theology and Community Development, based on the challenges of development, the sources of theology in the teaching tradition of the Church, the realities of the South African context and the principles of the People-centred Participatory Development Approach is designed to empower the Church to be an effective agent and/or catalyst for social transformation, particularly in South Africa.
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    Development as transformation : the local church in Lavender Hill as agent of change in a post-Carnegie II context
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2005-12) Bowers, Nadine Francis; August, Karel Th.; Swart, Ignatius; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is to explore whether the local church is acting as an agent of change in addressing the socio-economic needs of an impoverished grassroots community. This study falls within the area of missiology as it takes as point of departure the need for the church to appropriate a missional framework for development. However, this study considers the church in relation to its context, it draws on related sub-fields of theology and various development and social sciences to compose a picture of the current challenges the church faces in engaging poverty. The study focuses on the community of Lavender Hill situated on the Cape Flats of the Western Cape. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this study, both theoretical and methodological triangulation have been employed. Chapter 1 introduces the study and provides a theological conceptualisation. Chapter 2 argues for a framework of Development as Transformation and presents a distinctive motivation, goal and ecclesial identity, which has to be taken into account when the church 'does development'. It is concluded that, while this framework is distinctive, it does not replace existing development theory, but rather engages it as a dialogical conceptual framework. Chapters 3 to 5 present the Second Carnegie Inquiry into Poverty and Development in South Africa (1984) as a useful theoretical tool. This study allows for a comparative historical analysis, particularly as Carnegie II poses a challenge to the church regarding poverty. Despite the prominent role accorded the church by history, Carnegie inquiries, government and broader civil society, it is concluded that the church continues to face many of the same challenges in a post-Carnegie II context. Both Chapters 3 and 4 conclude that, among the key challenges identified, there is a need for the church to evidence holistic theology and sustainable action with regard to social responsibility. Action remains, for the most part, in a dominant charity mode. Partnership, in its various forms, is identified as a necessary and more sustainable strategy in a context of inequality. Chapters 5 and 6 focus more specifically on the context of Lavender Hill and utilise the theoretical frameworks in order to analyse data. Methodological triangulation is employed and various methods of data collection are therefore used. Chapter 5 discusses the interlinked dimensions of poverty in Lavender Hill with reference to both Carnegie II and recent scholarship. Chapter 6 utilises the theoretical frameworks to focus more specifically on whether the local church in Lavender Hill is acting as an agent of change. The involvement of the church is described and explored with reference to the challenges (both contextual and missional) presented in Chapters 1 to 5. Findings indicate that the local church faces many of the challenges identified by Chapters 3 and 4 and that theology in particular is closely linked to praxis. Particular attention is, therefore, given to the role played by theology in determining action, and Development as Transformation is applied as a framework which addresses a lack of holistic theology. Recommendations for action are proposed in order to guide the local church in areas such as Lavender Hill to become more meaningful role players in their communities.
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    (Gender) partnership as a transforming paradigm for development in the Church and society
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2012-04) Onwunta, Ester; August, Karel Th.
    This research article made the case for (gender) partnership as an integral part of effective people-centred participatory development theory. Over the years, development has been taught and practiced in different ways. In the contemporary African context, it is a term that is frequently used and even misused by many people and organisations that are involved in development programmes, which truncate rather than transform the people and communities they claim to develop. This article presented a brief survey of some definitions and views on development and argued for a holistic approach to development, one which is anchored on partnership as an essential element in God’s mission; that is, the missio Dei. It highlighted the reasons for, ideals of and obstacles to true partnership in development.
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    The quest for being public church : a study of the South African Moravian Church in historical and contemporary perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-12) August, Karel Th.; Botman, H. Russel; Adonis, J. C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology & Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study falls within the area of Missional theology, which is a functional thoology. As such, it deals with the function (praxis) and mission of the Church in society. It seeks a better understanding of the functionality of the Church fundamental to the Missio Dei. Since Missional Theology is about the Church's serving function to the community, these functions, viz. mission, proclamation, fellowship, education, growth, habitual change and transformation, are brought to bear on the image of the Moravian Church. Because this study concerns the being and public witness of the Church, it adopted a qualitative approach linked to participatory action research. The research was done diachronically and phenomena were analysed over three periods in the formation of the MCSA: (a) The Missionary era (1737 - 1960), (b) the autonomous Church under apartheid (1960- 1994) and (c) challenges of the democratic dispensation for the United MCSA and its future role in the RSA (1994 and further). Drawing upon these resources, Chapters 3 - 5 examine (based on the epistemological framework designed in Chapter 2) the values, symbols and conceptions of the Moravian Ecclesiastical community in relation to its internal and external environment. It also examines its structures and polity in order to come to a critical understanding of its disposition as a faith community in its interaction with public life. Four presuppositions are established as core principles: The first core principle is that the Moravian Church in SA (MCSA), in its quest for being a public Church, had to act true to its calling as the divine proponent of the reconciled, transformed humanity. The MCSA also had to serve (prophetically and sacrificially) a "broken" society with a view to its transformation, which is essentially its missional quality. The second core principle is that the MCSA in its tendency towards being a public Church had to conform to the theological principles of a public Church. In Chapter 2, based on the three identified publics in which the Church (theology) operates, four relations are applied, i.e. the Church in relation to the State; the Church in relation to market economy; the Church and people's empowerment; and the Church and public values - the quality of human life. Subsequently these configurations of the Church are used to design an epistemological framework according to which the public role of the MCSA throughout its history was established. The third core principle is that the Church, given its context, had to act according to the challenges and needs of that context. The historical analysis of the MCSA helped to establish how it-contributed to the public discourse within those contexts. However, in order to establish how it could contribute in future, the MCSA was evaluated according to a reasonable, contemporary social contextual analysis . (in chapter 7), which was imperative. In Chapter 7, the fourth core principle is developed as the outcome of the investigation in the preceding chapters. In order to be an adequate public Church, the MCSA had to harness the potential of its members by training them, equipping them for justice ministl)', which would provide the Church with the much-neglected public ministry. Based on the historical findings, guidelines were designed to assist the church in training its minista-s and congregations for public witness. There is no simple shortcut formula for developing an effective congregational-based public (advocacy) ministry. It requires the congregation to be bold in its vision, committed to its mission, willing to give significant time, energy and resources, to be a risk taker, and to work in partnership with its larger community (macro environment). Most of all, it requires faith in the knowledge that God's righteousness and justice will prevail. The most practical advice is spiritual - to live the belief that justice is central to our calling as Christ's witness in the world - even in the public arena!
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    Where I become you (a response to Rein Brouwer)
    (Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2011) August, Karel Th.
    I hereby wish to express my appreciation for the topic of your presentation for this symposium on Covert Violence and Human Dignity. Your topic ‘Where I become you’ – A practical theological reading of Antjie Krog’s concept of interconnectedness has really challenged me at a deep existential and moral level with regard to matters of citizenship, building a post-colonial society, gender, nation-building and human dignity.