The end of essentialist gods and Ubuntu : a feminist critical investigation
- Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Authors: Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Feminist theology - Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122018 , uj:20597
- Description: Abstract: Armstrong (1993, 2009), Ferguson (1995) and others have convincingly demonstrated that different people conceptualise different god ideas to suit their diverse socio-cultural contexts. Their work laid the necessary groundwork for this study which juxtaposed god and Ubuntu constructs, affirming the fact that people are natural social constructivists involved in a continuous process of conceptualising ideas (ideologies/theologies) that work for them and give meaning to their contexts. Extending the ongoing construction of new god ideas also to that of Ubuntu, different sets of ideas of Ubuntu were investigated. This proved that this basic idea of African “humanness” similarly becomes concretised within diverse interest groups. Thus the thesis of this study as reflected in its title, “The end of essentialist gods andUbuntu: A feminist critical investigation” was substantiated. Two research methods, one general (social constructivism) and one specific (feminism) were employed to conduct the study. Social constructivism is a theory developed to understand human interactions and consequent ideas. It has two essential elements known as philosophical idealism and philosophical materialism; and culture and context form its basis. Insights of the notion of philosophical idealism were employed to analyse the ideationist constructs of religion (gods) and of Ubuntu. Whereas social-constuctivism served as the broad overarching hermeneutical tool, feminism was used as the specific interpretive framework to critically scrutinise mostly patriarchally biased conceptualisations of god and Ubuntu... , D.Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Feminist theology - Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122018 , uj:20597
- Description: Abstract: Armstrong (1993, 2009), Ferguson (1995) and others have convincingly demonstrated that different people conceptualise different god ideas to suit their diverse socio-cultural contexts. Their work laid the necessary groundwork for this study which juxtaposed god and Ubuntu constructs, affirming the fact that people are natural social constructivists involved in a continuous process of conceptualising ideas (ideologies/theologies) that work for them and give meaning to their contexts. Extending the ongoing construction of new god ideas also to that of Ubuntu, different sets of ideas of Ubuntu were investigated. This proved that this basic idea of African “humanness” similarly becomes concretised within diverse interest groups. Thus the thesis of this study as reflected in its title, “The end of essentialist gods andUbuntu: A feminist critical investigation” was substantiated. Two research methods, one general (social constructivism) and one specific (feminism) were employed to conduct the study. Social constructivism is a theory developed to understand human interactions and consequent ideas. It has two essential elements known as philosophical idealism and philosophical materialism; and culture and context form its basis. Insights of the notion of philosophical idealism were employed to analyse the ideationist constructs of religion (gods) and of Ubuntu. Whereas social-constuctivism served as the broad overarching hermeneutical tool, feminism was used as the specific interpretive framework to critically scrutinise mostly patriarchally biased conceptualisations of god and Ubuntu... , D.Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)
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"Two souls" leadership: dynamic interplay of Ubuntu, Western and New Testament leadership values
- Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Authors: Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Date: 2010-05-20T06:35:43Z
- Subjects: Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Social values , Christian leadership , Training of religious leaders
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3240
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The post-1994 South African society has become humanistic, pluralistic and tolerant. The era is characterised by a call and commitment to build a non–racial, non–sexist, and non–discriminatory society enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa. These conditions challenge African evangelical leaders to minister the gospel without losing their faith and cultural identity. They also provide such leaders with an opportunity to effectively minister the gospel to others within their cultures and value systems. In an earlier study, which described how leaders of this type have developed and which values influenced them, the researcher discovered that: (a) these leaders follow the same developmental phases mentioned in Clinton‘s leadership emergence pattern and (b) the family played an important role in influencing, shaping and passing certain values to these leaders. In addition to these observations, the results of the completed questionnaires in the earlier study reflect that the leaders who participated in the previous study were significantly influenced by African and Western values. The influence of theses sets of values was referred to as operating with ―two souls‖, a condition which indicates that a person is simultaneously embracing both African and Western values without creating a dichotomy. The implication is that these leaders have embraced both kinds of values in their ministry and daily lives, without realising it. The researcher based the current study upon the recommendation that a qualitative study on African evangelical leadership development be conducted to determine areas that the researcher did not cover earlier. Based upon this recommendation he engaged in three tasks which constitute the purpose of this study: to (a) compare Ubuntu with Western values among African evangelical leaders in the same district and relate these values to New Testament leadership values, (b) argue that the ministry context of African evangelical leaders in the district dictates that they operate with ―two souls‖, and (c) develop a leadership training module for evangelical leaders in the district who participated in the study to enable them to minister in the culturally diverse, humanistic and pluralistic society of South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo
- Date: 2010-05-20T06:35:43Z
- Subjects: Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Social values , Christian leadership , Training of religious leaders
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3240
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The post-1994 South African society has become humanistic, pluralistic and tolerant. The era is characterised by a call and commitment to build a non–racial, non–sexist, and non–discriminatory society enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa. These conditions challenge African evangelical leaders to minister the gospel without losing their faith and cultural identity. They also provide such leaders with an opportunity to effectively minister the gospel to others within their cultures and value systems. In an earlier study, which described how leaders of this type have developed and which values influenced them, the researcher discovered that: (a) these leaders follow the same developmental phases mentioned in Clinton‘s leadership emergence pattern and (b) the family played an important role in influencing, shaping and passing certain values to these leaders. In addition to these observations, the results of the completed questionnaires in the earlier study reflect that the leaders who participated in the previous study were significantly influenced by African and Western values. The influence of theses sets of values was referred to as operating with ―two souls‖, a condition which indicates that a person is simultaneously embracing both African and Western values without creating a dichotomy. The implication is that these leaders have embraced both kinds of values in their ministry and daily lives, without realising it. The researcher based the current study upon the recommendation that a qualitative study on African evangelical leadership development be conducted to determine areas that the researcher did not cover earlier. Based upon this recommendation he engaged in three tasks which constitute the purpose of this study: to (a) compare Ubuntu with Western values among African evangelical leaders in the same district and relate these values to New Testament leadership values, (b) argue that the ministry context of African evangelical leaders in the district dictates that they operate with ―two souls‖, and (c) develop a leadership training module for evangelical leaders in the district who participated in the study to enable them to minister in the culturally diverse, humanistic and pluralistic society of South Africa.
- Full Text:
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