Dissertationen zum Thema „Hospitality – Religious aspects“

As peregrinações e romarias têm sido objeto de estudos sob diferentes perspectivas, dentre as quais a do turismo religioso e da hospitalidade. É nesse contexto que se situa o presente trabalho, trazendo à reflexão relações de hospitalidade na Romaria ao Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Caravaggio – Farroupilha/RS, sob a ótica do romeiro. Essa é uma prática religiosa, culturalmente instituída, que perdura por mais de um século e que se realiza anualmente, mobilizando milhares de pessoas a cada edição e envolvendo não só moradores do município, mas também de outras cidades do Rio Grande do Sul e, até mesmo, de outros estados. A Romaria a Caravaggio abarca também uma ampla estrutura receptiva, promovendo interações de cunho pessoal, social, institucional. Nesse sentido, num contexto teórico para o qual confluem conceitos de espiritualidade e religiosidade, turismo religioso e hospitalidade, tem-se como objetivo identificar e analisar, via discurso, sinalizadores de relações de hospitalidade sob a perspectiva do romeiro e sintetizar interpretativamente as relações emergentes dessa análise. O desenvolvimento da pesquisa, de caráter prioritariamente qualitativo e com procedimentos metodológicos desenhados a partir de uma abordagem hermenêutica, compreendeu entrevistas semiestruturadas com participantes da Romaria do ano de 2012. Mediante técnicas de análise de conteúdo e de análise de marcas enunciativas, foram categorizados fragmentos das respostas dos entrevistados. Os sinalizadores discursivos apontam, no que tange à hospitalidade, para a predominância de aspectos vinculados ao planejamento e à organização socioadministrativa da Romaria, seguidos das relações sócio-humanas que nela se efetivam. Esses sinalizadores foram ainda analisados estabelecendo-se elos com as manifestações dos sujeitos sobre as motivações para a ida a Caravaggio, a experiência de participação no evento, assim como os destaques que seriam dados sobre a Romaria a um eventual futuro romeiro – o que possibilitou, com o apoio de subsídios empíricos, aportar um outro olhar teórico sobre os conceitos de peregrinação/romaria e turismo religioso.
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The peregrinations and pilgrimages are being object of studies under different perspectives among which are the religious tourism and the hospitality. It is in this context that the present study is situated bringing up for reflection the hospitality relationships in the Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora de Caravaggio – Farroupilha/RS under the pilgrim’s point of view. This is a religious practice, culturally established, which has been done for more than a century and which takes place yearly and mobilizes thousands of people in each edition. It receives not only the town’s residents, but also people from all over the state of Rio Grande do Sul and even people from other states in Brazil. The Pilgrimage to Caravaggio also spans a wide welcoming structure promoting personal, social and institutional interactions. On this sense, in a theoretic context for which converges concepts of spirituality and religiousness, religious tourism and hospitality have as their objective to identify and analyze, via speech, signs of hospitality relationships under the pilgrim’s point of view and to synthesize in a way to interpret the emergent relationships of this analysis. The development of the research, in a qualitative overriding feature and with methodological procedures drawn from a hermeneutical approach embraced semi-structured interviews with participants of the 2012 Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Caravaggio. Trough analysis techniques of content and from analysis of enunciative marks the interviewees’ responses were categorized and fragmented. The discursive results point, in which refers to hospitality, for a predominance of bounded aspects to the socio-administrative planning and the organization of the Pilgrimage followed by the socio-human relationships that effect on it. These results were still analyzed establishing bounds with the subjects’ manifestations related to the purposes which led them for wanting to go to Caravaggio, the experience related to the participation in the event, as well as the highlights about the Pilgrimage, which would be given to further and occasional pilgrim – which enabled, with the support of empiric subsidies, to contribute to a different theoretic perspective on the concepts of peregrination/pilgrimage and religious tourism.

The story of JRS as a Jesuit ministry -- Accompaniment as the practice of solidarity -- JRS and the Spiritual Exercises -- JRS as an embodiment of the biblical virtue of hospitality
Thesis (S.T.L.)--Weston Jesuit School of Theology, 2006
Kevin O'Brien
Bibliography: leaves 102-105

La présente recherche vise à fonder l'hospitalité comme une notion théologique. Nous voudrions, en effet, vérifier dans cette recherche conduite à la lumière du récit de la Rencontre de Mambré (Gn 18) qu'elle représente et engage toujours le divin et cela aussi dans d'autres traditions religieuses que la tradition chrétienne. Après avoir exploré la valeur de l'hospitalité en creusant l'arrière-fond des mythes, des symboles, des motifs littéraires et d'un certain univers mental qui constitue, plus ou moins directement, l'héritage proche oriental commun et intégré dans les textes sacrés des trois monothéismes, nous en viendrons à l'histoire de l'exégèse de Gn 18 et à un regard comparatif sur l'interprétation de la théophanie de Mambré dans les trois religions abrahamiques. Sur la base de cette enquête et en déclinant la catégorie de l'hospitalité, nous voudrions ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives de recherche concernant certains sujets sensibles de la réflexion théologique contemporaine
This study aims to found hospitality as a theological notion. We would therefore wish to ascertain in this research which is led in the light of the narrative of the meeting at Mamre (Gen 18) that hospitality always represents and obliges the divine, and this even in non-Christian religious traditions. After exploring the value of hospitality in the backdrop of myths, symbols, literary motifs and a certain mental framework which more or less directly constitutes the common heritage of the Near East integral to the sacred books of the three monotheistic religions, we deal with the exegetical history of Gen 18 and a comparative view of the interpretation of the theophany at Mamre in the three abrahamic religions. Basing ourselves on this enquiry and extrapolating hospitality as a category we would open new avenues of research concerning certain sensitive subjects of contemporary theological reflection and, in conclusion, for a "pedagogy of intereligious dialogue"

L'iconographie de l'hospitalité d’Abraham (gen. 18) est intimement liée à l'exégèse. Dès l'aube du christianisme cet épisode, comme toute la Bible, est commenté. Tout y est figuré de la vie du Christ. Cette démarche allégorique est, en partie, liée à la culture hellénistique des pères; elle sera suivie par le moyen âge, respect des anciens plus qu'incapacité d'une réflexion personnelle. Le XIIIe siècle se libèrera de l'héritage patristique tout en reconnaissant ce qu'il lui doit ; à la fin du XIIe siècle une nouvelle lecture s'impose, littérale. Le symbolisme trinitaire de gen. 18 est retenu par les pères mais la vraie vision de la trinité est perçue par Ambroise. Allégorie, symbole sont des termes confondus au moyen âge. En dehors de toute connotation trinitaire il y est ressenti une figure de l'annonciation, de l'incarnation, de l'eucharistie, de la résurrection. Les valeurs morales d’Abraham sont aussi magnifiées : accueil, foi - il ne doute pas qu'un fils lui sera donné - confiance en Dieu qui le fait intercéder pour Sodome. L'iconographie s'empare de toutes ces significations et de l'historicité du thème ; des bibles, livres liturgiques, la psychomachie de prudence, la cité de Dieu de saint Augustin sont un reflet du récit, de son symbolisme, des vertus d’Abraham dont la vie s'inscrit dans l'histoire du salut aux murs d'églises paléochrétiennes et romanes. La fidélité au texte est étudiée à travers les envoyés - semblables ou non - la présence de Sara, son attitude, la tente d’Abraham évoquée souvent par une architecture
Iconography of Abraham’s hospitality (gen. 18) is deeply connected to exegesis. As early as the beginning of Christianity, this episode, as all the bible, is annotated everything is about Christ’s life. This allegorical way of thinking is, in part, connected to the fathers' Hellenistic culture. It has been identical during the middle age, by respect of the traditions more than by impossibility of personal reflexion. XIIIth century will free him of this fathers' heritage but in recognizing what he owned to him. At the end of XIIth century, a new literal reading seems indispensable. The Trinitarian symbolism of gen. 18 , is kept by father, but the real vision of trinity is dicemed by Ambroise. Allegory and symbolism are confounded words during middle ages. Beside all Trinitarian connotations, we can feel a figure of annunciation, of incarnation, of the Eucharist, of the resurrection. Abraham's moral values are also glorified: hospitality, faith - he never doubts that he will have a son - trust in god who aiks into interfere for Sodom. Iconography takes possession of all these significations and of the historical part of the subject : bible, liturgical books, the psychomachie de prudence, the city of God from saint Augustin are reflects of the story, of his symbolism, of Abraham’s valor’s whose life is in engrave in the story of the salvation in the walls of paleo Christian and roman's churches. Fidelity to the text is learnt thought the messengers - alike or not - Sara’s presence, her attitude, Abraham’s tent very often evoqued by an architecture

Ce mémoire porte sur l’hospitalité qui est un des défis de l’immigrant. Il répond à la question suivante : Comment le récit du livre de Jonas à la lumière de la philoxenie d’Abraham en Genèse 18 peut-il informer les pratiques de l’hospitalité en milieu évangélique ? Pour répondre à cette question, la recherche a mis en évidence les actions et attitudes qui construisent la grille d’évaluation de la dynamique de l’hospitalité en Genèse 18. Par la suite cette grille a été utilisée pour analyser la dynamique de l’hospitalité dans le livre de Jonas. Yahvé envoie Jonas, membre du peuple élu, apporter un message aux Ninivites, un peuple méchant et ennemi d’Israël. Dans une perspective de théologie exclusive dans laquelle Jonas perçoit Yahvé comme appartenant uniquement aux israélites, il manifestera son inhospitalité à l’égard de la mission et mettra tout en oeuvre pour faire obstacle à la l’hospitalité que Yahvé offre aux Ninivites. Yahvé restera constant dans un dialogue avec Jonas en utilisant entre autres les éléments de la nature et l’accueil qu’il fait à la repentance des Ninivites pour se faire connaitre à Jonas. L’Église, qui est constituée des personnes étrangères à Dieu et qui ont été accueillies en Jésus-Christ, est appelée à vivre une constante hospitalité en interne pour être capable d’exprimer l’hospitalité aux non-croyants. L’immigration fournit aux églises locales au Québec, et à Montréal en particulier une vague de croyants. La plupart de ces croyants considèrent le processus de leur migration comme un élément de leur expérience de foi. Cette considération les conduit à être dans une attente de l’hospitalité dans les églises locales. Dans ce schéma, ils sont en retour appellés à accueillir la différence des accueillants pour une vie communautaire équilibrée. Cet accueil se veut bidirectionnel pour une mission globale de l’Église.

The problem of African women's hospitality has not been well handled in most churches in Africa. Although many churches seem to attach great value to African women's hospitality, there are still a lot of situations related to African women's hospitality that have been dehumanising and oppressive to African women both in the church and in the society. Issues such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, economic hardship and sexuality have all affected African women's practice of hospitality. The fact that problems related with African women's hospitality surface within the church goes to show that this kind of hospitality needs to be re-examined by the Church if it has to be free and liberative to African women. Despite all these effects, African women themselves have valued and accepted hospitality as part of their calling in their service to God. The aim of this thesis is to discuss African women's hospitality from an African woman theologian's perspective. Writing as an African woman theologian, the researcher was able to bring out some of the effects of African hospitality to African women. Apart from hospitality being an African way of life and a virtue that needs to be embraced by both African culture and Christianity, hospitality is also viewed as a' command from God to all the Jews and Christians. On the other hand it is also important to mention that hospitality is a gift from God in that there are people who are gifted in extending their acts of hospitality to others. Hospitality as a concept, which has been practiced mainly by women in most African societies has impacted many dimensions of life especially in the Christian faith where African women's hospitality has been viewed as God's command to God's people. Although there is some literature produced on hospitality, the researcher noted with special interest that not much literature has been covered from the theological side on the issue of African women's hospitality and HIV/AIDS. The study was undertaken in the United Church of Zambia with the Mothers' Union group of St. Margaret Church of Kitwe. Among many others, the study reviewed the need for enculturation and contextualization of the African culture and the gospel. Chapter one is the introduction to the study. This includes the background to and motivation for the study, statement of the problem, the methodology used to collect data and the literature review. Chapter two brings out the historical background of hospitality both from the Biblical and African concept. The chapter shows African women's practice of hospitality in all these aspects and how their practises impacted the communities and people who lived at that time. Chapter three looks at different ways African women express their acts of hospitality. The effects of this expression of hospitality are also discussed. The other issues that have been covered are the response of African women theologians' to African women's practise of hospitality. Chapter four examines how HIV/AIDS has affected the practise of African women's hospitality and how these women who continue to offer hospitality under HIV/AIDS conditions cope with the risks involved in the practice. Chapter five analyses the research findings using cultural hermeneutics of Kanyoro 2000 as the frame of reference. Chapter six concludes African women's understanding of hospitality. This chapter states that African women's hospitality is a gift from God and women who are involved in this practice should be encouraged to do so. However, there is need for the church and community to re-examine the practice and look out for oppressive structures that are destructive to the African women's practice of hospitality. The chapter has also called on the church to be supportive to African women in their practise of hospitality.
Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Under the new Vision 2030 national transformation plan, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks to increase number of annual pilgrims from eight million to thirty million. If oil has certain limits, then pilgrimage is framed as lasting “forever.” But this exuberant claim of “forever” belies a more subtle transformation unfolding at the level of knowledge, technology, and hospitality as Mecca and its crowds are made and re-made into a resource for a national economy. This dissertation examines the Saudi state’s efforts to manage, and ultimately intensify and optimize Mecca’s pilgrimage through new sciences and technologies of crowd management, logistics, and secular hospitality. I demonstrate how these new forms of knowledge production operate in tension with older and decidedly more Islamic ways of knowing, managing, and belonging in the holy city. Instead of approaching religious knowledge and secular knowledge as discrete spheres, my research explores their entanglements and aporias across a range of techno-political practices: navigation, hospitality, urban planning, systems thinking, crowd management, and optimization. Ultimately, I explore how in this moment of ritual intensity, the cosmopolitan logics of the holy city come to be blunted.

This dissertation re-examines Christ's hospitality from the perspective of inculturation/contextualisation, which is a common trend in African Theology today. It starts on the premise that Christ is the ideal model of hospitality that African Christianity ought to draw some lessons from as we embark on a theology of reconstruction. In so doing, it has sought to trace the concept of hospitality from the ancient times to the present times thereby relating it with the contemporary issues. The work is divided into six chapters and a conclusion that serves as a seventh chapter. The Introduction chapter sets the argument, describing the background to and motivation of the research, the review of relevant literature, the research problem, the theoretical framework and the research methodology. Chapter two defines the concept of hospitality tracing its linguistic roots, its ancient interpretations and practices; the Old and New Testament version of hospitality and concludes the chapter by assessing the characteristics of hospitable places with regard to Christ's hospitality. Chapter Three which is a continuation of chapter two continues with the survey of hospitality from Christian monasticism to post-reformation period where Rev. John Wesley emerges as a great beacon of hospitality after the Industrial revolution that took place in Europe. Chapter four revisits the concept of hospitality in Africa from the ancient times to the present times. It cites the general features of African hospitality and examines its uniqueness by comparing it with the Western hospitality. It also looks at the abuse of African hospitality through the ages citing some cases such as slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism. The chapter is premised on the conviction that African hospitality is compatible with Christ's hospitality hence the need to harness it through inculturation. Chapter five examines the faces of Christ in African Christian hospitality. It is based on the premise that Christ is in each and every one of us when we extend love to one another; for he is in the faces of the suffering and all the afflicted peoples of Africa and beyond. In this chapter, Christ is examined as one who cares and is therefore concerned, thereby challenging us to seek Christ in our day today lives. He is thus examined as a liberator, a reconstructor, a healer, a guest, a host, and a unique ancestor. Chapter six is the climax of our study, which specifically examines Christ as a model worth imitating as we grapple with the concerns of the twenty first century. Christ is portrayed as a model in terms of liberation, reconstruction, family level, cultural level, and rural ministry. As an area that has not been exhaustively done in African Theology, the chapter, in some sections, allows the various contributors to give their interpretations on Christ thereby coming very close to chapter five where we were looking at the faces of Christ. A good example is Christ as the model of liberation where the contribution of African Women Theologians (otherwise called the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians) is given prominence as a case in point where women in Africa, have to look at Christ as the model of liberation from patriarchal structures and as one who supersedes all genders. The chapter concludes by a passionate appeal that even if Africa may be walking through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear for Christ the ideal model in every sphere of life is with us. He will make us lie down in greener pastures, restore our souls, guide us in the paths of righteousness and lead us beside quite waters (Psalm 23). We must therefore seek to learn from him hence the caution, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). The chapter therefore acts as a conclusion of the study in spite of the fact that we have chapter seven that concludes the whole study. Chapter seven concludes the study by an appeal to Africa of the twenty first century to swim into action and face the challenges such as sexism, tribalism, regionalism, HIV/Aids and corruption, with confidence knowing that the hospitable Christ is with us and will be there to guide us in our undertakings till the end of the age (Matthew 28: 1820).
Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

This study explores the practice of hospitality within the Pauline churches and links this practice with mission. It is theoretically informed by Käsemann’s (1963) emphasis on the unity of the church as “an eschatological datum.” While highlighting faith, Käsemann downplays the role of organization and religious practices. Neither he nor missiological studies deal with the practice of hospitality within this context. Hospitality has been interpreted in the literature primarily as an ethic one should adopt towards strangers. Alternatively, this study interprets it as a ritual-like practice aimed at family, friends and strangers in the context of meal gatherings. The question is whether it served as an instrument of koinonia, a practice aimed to create, maintain and extend the Pauline churches as an open network, without denying the role of kerygma. This enquiry utilizes two methodological approaches to answer this question. First of all, it uses Stark’s (1996) network theory of conversion, in order to provide a framework for hospitality in early Christian mission. Secondly, it uses Bell’s (1992) ritual theory in order to interpret meal fellowship in the Pauline churches. Presupposing that science is a conversation, the relationship between missiology and anthropology is depicted as a conversation, ideally an ongoing conversation. This conversation is possible and potentially coherent because the “basic convictions” of both disciplines, respectively love and power, do not contradict each other. The key contribution of this study is that it shows that several practices in the Pauline churches such as welcoming, foot washing, seating order, distribution of portions, etc. qualify as ritual-like. This finding establishes the ritual-like character of meal fellowship within the Pauline churches. Yet, these practices were found ambiguous. They were not simply an instrument to achieve social integration or the transmission of beliefs. While they set the meal off from daily reality, they did not resolve the tension within the churches. Paul knew that this tension was part of a larger apocalyptic picture, the battle between Christ and Satan. Through ritual-like practice he participated in this battle, employing a “poetics of power” that fostered the church as an open network.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th. (Missiology with specialisation in Urban Ministry)

Xenophobia is a notoriously difficult concept to explore, especially within the complex South African environment. This exploration has two elements: the theoretical and the practical. The theoretical element focuses mainly on the theories of xenophobia in South Africa, as well as the theoretical response of the Church to the problem. The practical element is a qualitative empirical exploration using small scale focus group interviews to gain insight into the relationship between xenophobia and religion, with special reference to young Christians of The Methodist Church of Southern Africa. The findings seem to suggest that “being religious” does not prevent xenophobic attitudes and emotions and that there is potential to have xenophobic reactions in people who “perceive” themselves to be religious living in an environment of economic and social hardships. Religious involvement combined with economic and social factors may promote xenophobic reactions. In an indirect way(s) religion may be one of the “causes” of xenophobia.
Practical Theology
M Th. (Practical Theology)

In the face of globalisation, one of the challenges for Christians ministering to asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom is the question of integrating Christian asylum seekers and refugees into the Christian community. British churches and para-church organisations that are involved in refugee ministry have to decide whether they want to support the formation of independent refugee churches or the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into local indigenous churches. This thesis examines these options from a missiological perspective. Two social research projects form the heart of this study. One compares the life and ministry of two mature minority ethnic churches, the other investigates the integration process at a British church that has been involved in refugee ministry for almost a decade. Contrary to the widespread view that the establishment of homogeneous churches is crucial for the mission of the church in postmodern British society, the findings of this research suggest that the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into indigenous British churches is the better option. They further demonstrate that it is not the mono-ethnic refugee church but the multi-ethnic church which makes the greater contribution to the integration of Christian asylum seekers and refugees and to the missio Dei in Britain. In a multi-ethnic church, asylum seekers and refugees serve as role models to British Christians and especially as effective agents of mission. These research findings also show that the integration of asylum seekers and refugees is promoted through the congregation within the congregation model and an incarnational approach to mission. However, they equally indicate that various stumbling blocks can hinder the integration process. These include a low ecclesiology, a conversionist approach to mission, a lack of awareness of globalisation, and a reactive leadership style and church culture.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th ((Missiology)Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology)

This thesis focuses on the challenges posed by the refugees from the Great Lakes Region to the ministry of the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It intends to inform the Christian world in general and specifically the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity of the current refugee situation and its causes. Furthermore, this study shows that understanding the refugees' livelihood strategies is a prerequisite to improved interventions. Using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, this study describes some of the positive and negative outcomes from the mechanisms and strategies developed by refugees in order to stabilize and enhance their situation. Looking at the livelihood challenges faced by the Great Lakes Region refugees, this study shows how UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) has been in a weak position to challenge the policies of its funders and host governments even when those policies fail to respond adequately to refugee problems.
Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Das Thema „Gastfreundschaft“ hat in den vergangenen Jahren neu das Interesse der Missionstheologie geweckt. Diese Masterarbeit setzt sich zum Ziel, herauszufinden, ob und inwieweit Gastfreundschaft eine Dimension für den missionalen Gemeindebau sein kann. Sie untersucht dazu biblisch-exegetische, missionstheologische, systematisch-theologische und Gemeindebauliteratur, ob sie in ihren Konzepten explizite oder implizite Merkmale oder Begriffe der Gastfreundschaft gebrauchen. Aus der Literaturanalyse werden Wortfelder ermittelt, wie beispielsweise Gottesbezug, Auftragsorien-tierung, Bedürfnisorientierung, Lern- und Veränderungsprozesse, Räume, Miteinander und auch Gren-zen, die Gastfreundschaft in ihrer Wesensart ausmachen. In einem zweiten Untersuchungsdurchgang wird aus diesen Zwischenerträgen eine Gastfreundschaftskultur entwickelt, die entlang des Kulturmo-dells von Geert Hofstede in vier Kategorien angelegt ist: Werte, Rituale, Symbole und Helden der Gastfreundschaft. Demnach legt Gastfreundschaft in ihrer Art u.a. viel Wert auf Großzügigkeit, Be-dürfnisorientierung, Integration und Gottesbezug. Daraus resultieren Rituale, wie z.B. das Einladen, die hohe Bedeutung, die Freundschaften und Beziehungen beigemessen wird, wie gefeiert wird, meist in Verbindung mit einer gemeinsamen Mahlzeit, bei der Dankbarkeit, Gotteslob und die Lebensfreude nicht zu kurz kommen. Die Kultur der Gastfreundschaft drückt sich insbesondere in Symbolen aus, wie beispielsweise in der Raumgestaltung, in Umarmung, im Essen und Trinken, dem Begriff Heimat oder Zuhause und durch praktische Hilfen u.a.. Helden der Gastfreundschaft sind Modelle, die zum Nachahmen einladen, wie z.B. Gott der Ursprung aller Gastfreundschaft selbst, Jesus Christus, bibli-sche Personen und Beispiele unserer Zeit, die im Kontext von Gemeindebau das Leitmotiv der Gast-freundschaft verfolgen. Diese Gastfreundschaftskultur wird der Qualität und Zielsetzung des „Missio-nalseins“ von Gemeinde gegenübergestellt, um zu erkunden, wie sich diese Lebenskultur dazu eignet, eine im missionalen Sinne einladende, gastfreundliche Gemeinde zu entwickeln. Die vorliegende Stu-die will am Ende nicht bei der theoretischen Ermittlung des Themas stehen bleiben. Dazu setzt sie ihre Ergebnisse an einem Beispiel in Bezug zur systemischen Organisationsentwicklung für die Gestaltung von Lern- und Veränderungsprozessen bei der Transformation einer Gemeindekultur hin zur Gast-freundschaft
In recent years, researchers in the field of missiology have re-discovered hospitality as a topic of inter-est. It is the purpose of this master thesis to ascertain if and to what extent hospitality can be a dimen-sion of missional church planting. This is achieved by examining literature on biblical exegesis, mis-sional theology, systematic theology and church planting for its explicit or implicit use of concepts and/or terminology related to hospitality. Literary analysis is used to identify word fields that define the nature of hospitality such as God focus, mission focus, focus on needs, learning and change pro-cesses, spaces, fellowship and limits. In a second step the results of the literary analysis are used for developing a culture of hospitality based on the four categories of Geert Hofstede's cultural model: values, rituals, symbols, and heroes of hospitality. According to this model, the key elements of hospi-tality are generosity, the focus on needs, integration, and God focus. These lead to rituals such as invi-tations, the high value placed on friendship and relationships, but also the way people celebrate, most-ly with a shared meal expressing gratitude, praise to God and the joy of living. Above all, the culture of hospitality is expressed through symbols such as decoration, embracing each other, sharing food and drink, the concept of home, practical help, etc. Heroes of hospitality are role models who inspire to be emulated such as God, the source of all hospitality, Jesus Christ, biblical characters, and those of our contemporaries who follow the leitmotif of hospitality in the church planting context. This culture of hospitality is compared to the quality and the purpose of the missional church in order to determine how this core culture can be useful for developing a missionally inviting and hospitable church. Final-ly, this thesis aims to go beyond the purely theoretical research into the topic. In order to achieve this, its results are applied to an example of the systemic organisational development to transform the cul-ture of a church for hospitality by shaping learning and change processes
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
M. Th. (Missiology)

This study was conducted within the pressing social conditions of human vulnerability manifested in a worsening situation of homelessness which forces homeless people into a deplorable life in the inner city of Tshwane. The study is not a detailed strategic plan to design support services that could improve the situation. It is rather about imagining alternative ways to journey with homeless people in their struggle to regain their humanity; hence the title: Facing homeless people in the inner city of Tshwane. Chapter 2 analyses homelessness in the inner city of Tshwane, locating it within the bigger picture of the City of Tshwane. It takes into account the poverty that drives poor people to the margins, resulting in further human degradation. It exposes the adverse conditions that homeless people endure due to the absence of a social support net. The study obtained its information primarily from conversations with homeless people and with practitioners in church based organisations dedicated to addressing homelessness. Out of these conversations, five different causes of homelessness emerged, ranging from economic and political, to health, social and cultural factors. Chapter 3 describes a number of church-based initiatives in the inner city of Tshwane that address the situation of homeless people, analysing their strengths and weaknesses in responding to the causes of homelessness as identified in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 describes a number of church-based initiatives in the inner city of Tshwane that address the situation of homeless people, analysing their strengths and weaknesses in responding to the causes of homelessness as identified in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 develops an urban theological vision in response to this situation, in the light of the notions of holiness and hospitality in the Wesleyan tradition. Contemplating this teaching, a framework was generated for the journey of the inner city church with homeless people in their efforts to regain humanity, by prioritising economic, political, health, social, and educational strategies. This chapter highlights the fact that John Wesley’s Methodist movement campaigned for the abolition of African slavery. It also journeyed with poor and vulnerable people like widows, orphans and prisoners, using Methodist “Societies” and “Classes” to integrate them into society. Finally, Chapter 5 presents an integrative urban theological vision and a set of contextual strategies for the inner city church to journey with homeless people, following the horizons of human liberation developed in earlier chapters.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D.Th. (Missiology (Specialisation in Urban Ministry))

The subject of migrants’ social integration in receiving countries is a growing debate in the 21st century amongst the international community and the nations of the world. It is a serious concern for many organizations advocating for social justice. The Church worldwide and the migrant church in Durban South Africa in particular, is called to be among the defenders and promoters of migrants’ social integration; integration which will bring forth migrants’ social and economic contribution to the development of Durban’s social and economic life. This view of this study is that in the post-apartheid period sufficient attention has not been paid by the South African government, policy-makers and the church in the welcoming and protection of migrants who have “flooded” the country. The lack of preparedness has resulted in migrants being used as scapegoat by some South Africans on the pretext that they lower the country’s social life, steal national citizens’ jobs and commit crime. This growing social and economic discomfort in South Africa resulted in xenophobic violence in May 2008. The dissertation surveys migrants’ challenges in South Africa and Durban in particular. It explores the response of a migrant Pentecostal church called Faith Ministries Durban (FMD) to these challenges, as well as its contribution to the promotion of Congolese migrants’ social integration. The study further explores, among other aspects, the theology of migration. This exploration is a call to theologians to advocate for migrants’ care and rights so that they may not endure discrimination, abuse and struggle because of them being outsiders. Migrants have to benefit equal rights as fellow South Africans. From the life narratives of ten FMD’s members, the study explores FMD’s role in the lives of its migrant members.
Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology
M. Th. (Missiology)