ABSTRACT Rites of passage are a universal phenomenon marked by transitions during major life changes. In the Nomiya Church (NC), circumcision and baptism as religious rites of initiation are simultaneously performed on the male infant on the eighth day after birth whereas the female infant gets baptism on the fourteenth day, thus presenting the double rite of passage. The NC as the first African Initiated Church (AIC) in Kenya started among the Luo people, a community that traditionally did n...
INTRODUCTION From early days soldiers have looked to the church for spiritual guidance and support and in the practice of their faith have found comfort and strength in all difficulties and dangers. The Old Testament often refers to priests accompanying troops into battle: “Before you engage in battle,” states Deuteronomy 20: 2 - 4, “that the priest shall approach and speak to the people”. Another well-known example is found in Joshua 6: 2 - 5. In this passage, seven priests each car...
ABSTRACT The aberrations that exist among Pentecostals in Igboland of Nigeria have created doubts on the minds of people on what true Pentecostal spirituality is all about. The excesses which include monetization of anointing, flamboyant lifestyle of some Pentecostal preachers and prosperity gospel among others have caused some Christians to deviate from true Christianity. The purpose of this research is to reconstruct and x-ray the life and contributions of George Nnoromchi Alioha (1912-199...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the actuality of stress among the Namibian Police Force members by investigating the causes and impact it has on members and the organisation itself. The study identified possible effective ways of coping with stress in the Namibian Police Force. The purpose of the study was to assist and guide the Namibian Police Force members to deal with stress related problems from psycho-spiritual perspectives. A mixed research methodology of qualitative and...
This investigative and evaluative study aims at contributing to the ongoing dialogue on the necessity to have a diaconal ministry within the framework of the overall mission of the church under discussion (the ELCRN). A further aim is to present some workable proposals and recommendations for the revitalization of this much-needed ministry under the umbrella of the said Church in particular, but also to have a message to the Church of the Lord in Namibia. The assumption is made and the hypoth...
ABSTRACT In this study we address the crisis of AIDS as it continues to be a great challenge to Christians everywhere. How should we think, speak, and act as Christians, after you have discovered that your spouse, or your child, or a brother or sister or father or mother is infected with HIV? What difference should my faith make in the midst of such a sad situation? What goal should the Church have in times of HIV/AIDS? Why being involved as the Church in HIV/AIDS? If being involved what will...
ABSTRACT The content of this study is the communal ritual meal Otor of the Worawora‟s of Ghana as a strategy for alternative conflict resolution and reconciliation. This communal meal is celebrated during the main festivals of the people of Worawora namely the Akwntutenten, yam and rice festivals. The Akwntutenten, festival has however, become the major festival of the people of Worawora. The symbolic ritual meal is very significant since it is perceived as a means by which conflict resolut...
ABSTRACT This study investigates the complications raised in teaching a confessional Religious education
ABSTRACT The Christian faith has several important doctrines. One of such doctrines is the doctrine of the Trinity. According to Trinitarian theologians, the doctrine is built on three biblical trusts: There is God, God exists in three persons and each of those persons is fully God. However, several criticisms have been raised concerning the theological appreciation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Major among these include Modalism (persons are the ways God expresses Himself), Arianism (the S...
ABSTRACT The study concerns a reading of Galatians 5 and practices and its appropriation for Christians in the A`l4 Traditional Area. The chosen text deals with a situation of intra-religious debate between two religious beliefs and practices -Judaism and the Christian faith. The text is appropriated to the context of A`l4 Christians who usually clash with the traditional rulers during the ban on drumming and general noise making. The Tri-Polar Exegetical Model as developed by Draper (2001) w...
ABSTRACT Prophetic services are a common feature amongst Contemporary Baptist Churches. Ritual contexts are formed to illicit spiritual responses to the anxieties and fears of participants, who are predominantly influenced by the African concept of causality. These services are marked by Charismatic experiences and their outcomes are attributed to the active presence of the Holy Spirt. Furthermore, ‘spiritual’ media (body spray; oil; soap; etc.) are used by prophets to meet the needs an...
ABSTRACT Several works have explored the relationship between religion and food. Such works posit that the two are undeniably close (Meyer-Rochow, 2009; Norman, 2003). Inferring from Eastern Buddhist and Christian monastic traditions, one observes the significant roles these religious centres played in maintaining the traditional foods of a people. The preservation of such foods was possible because they were often associated with religious rituals and ceremonies. In much the same way, we c...
ABSTRACT This thesis examined the influence of the Indigenous Assin Religion (IAR) on the inheritance and succession practices of the Assin. The purpose was to establish the link between the IAR and the inheritance and succession practices and find out whether the presence or absence of the influence of the IAR has affected these practices. The research was conducted in four selected towns. Using an interpretative paradigm mainly semi-structured interview guide and focus group discussions, t...
ABSTRACT This study is premised on the assumption that the body of Christ is today plagued by numerous internal conflicts resulting in breakaways or divisions because the appropriate conflict resolution and management mechanisms are not used to manage and resolve them when they do occur. Using a methodology based on a combination of the purposive and stratified random sampling techniques coupled with both qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected, a case study was done on the ...
ABSTRACT This work sought to use Contextual Bible Reading, where the text (1 Cor. 14: 34- 40) was read with ordinary readers (women’s groups) to find out what meaning they derive from the text. In preparation for the Contextual Bible Reading, a textual analysis of 1 Cor. 14:34-40 was done. The research went on to establish the implications of the text on the churches with regard to their doctrinal standpoint including the decisions of church councils or General Assemblies of the churches co...