| Summary: | Thesis (DTh)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. === 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. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die vraagstuk of die plaaslike
kerk wel optree as 'n agent van verandering deur die sosio-ekonomiese behoeftes van
'n arm grondvlakgemeenskap onder die loep te neem. Hierdie studie kan in die gebied
van missiologie geplaas word, deurdat dit die noodsaaklikheid vir die kerk om 'n
missionere raamwerk vir ontwikkeling te gebruik as uitgangspunt het. Hierdie studie
beskou die kerk egter in verhouding tot die kerk se konteks, dit maak gebruik van
verwante subvelde van teologie en verskeie ontwikkelings- en sosiale wetenskappe
om 'n oorsig saam te stel van die huidige uitdagings waarvoor die kerk te staan kom
in die stryd teen armoede. Die studie fokus op die gemeenskap van Lavender Hill wat
op die Kaapse Vlakte in die Wes-Kaap gelee is.
Weens die interdissiplinere aard van hierdie studie is teoretiese sowel as
metodologiese triangulasie aangewend. Hoofstuk 1 lei die studie in en verskaf
teologiese konseptualisering. In hoofstuk 2 word 'n raamwerk van Ontwikkeling as
Transformasie bepleit wat 'n eiesoortige motivering, doel en kerklike identiteit
aanbied wat in ag geneem moet word wanneer die kerk 'ontwikkelingswerk doen'.
Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat alhoewel die raamwerk kenmerkend van aard is,
dit nie huidige ontwikkelingsteorie vervang nie, maar dit eerder as 'n dialogiese
konsepsuele raamwerk ter taak stel. In hoofstukke 3 tot 5 word die Second Carnegie
Inquiry into Poverty and Development in South Africa (1984) as 'n nuttige teoretiese
werktuig aangebied. Hierdie studie neem 'n vergelykende historiese ontleding in
aanmerking, veral aangesien Carnegie II 'n uitdaging aan die kerk stel met betrekking
tot armoede. Ten spyte van die prominente rol wat aan die kerk deur die geskiedenis,
Carnegie-ondersoeke, die regering en bree burgerlike samelewing gegee is, word die
gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die kerk steeds na Carnegie II voor dieselfde uitdagings te
staan kom. In hoofstuk 3 sowel as 4 word verskeie sleuteluitdagings geidentifiseer en
die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat dit vir die kerk noodsaaklik is om bewyse te
lewer van 'n holistiese teologie en onderhoubare optrede met betrekking tot sosiale
verantwoordelikheid. Optrede word steeds grotendeels op 'n liefdadigheidswyse
uitgevoer. Vennootskap, in al sy verskeie vorme, word as 'n noodsaaklike en meer
onderhoubare strategie in 'n konteks van ongelykheid geidentifiseer.
In hoofstukke 5 en 6 word meer spesifiek op die konteks van Lavender Hill gefokus
en word die teoretiese raamwerke gebruik om die data te analiseer. Metodologiese
triangulasie is aangewend en daarom is verskeie metodes van dataversameling
gebruik. In hoofstuk 5 word die verweefde dimensies van armoede in Lavender Hill
bespreek, met verwysing na Carnegie II sowel as onlangse vakkundigheid. In
hoofstuk 6 word die teoretiese raamwerke gebruik om meer spesifiek te ondersoek of
die plaaslike kerk in Lavender Hill wel as agent van verandering optree. Die
betrokkenheid van die kerk is beskryf en word verken met verwysing na die
uitdagings (kontekstueel sowel as missioner) soos in hoofstukke 1 tot 5 uiteengesit.
Bevindinge dui daarop dat die plaaslike kerk te staan kom voor baie van die
uitdagings wat in hoofstukke 3 en 4 geidentifiseer word, en dat die teologie in
besonder ten nouste verbind is aan die praktyk. Besondere aandag word daarom gegee
aan die rol wat deur teologie gespeel word om optrede te bepaal, en Ontwikkeling as
Transformasie word toegepas as 'n raamwerk wat 'n gebrek aan holistiese teologie
ondersoek. Aanbevelings vir optrede word voorgestel sodat plaaslike kerke in areas
soos Lavender Hill gelei kan word om meer betekenisvolle rolspelers in hul
gemeenskappe te word.
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