scholarly journals The end of leadership?: The shift of power in local congregations

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Nell

In a qualitative study recently carried out by the author amongst ministers in a Circuit of Dutch Reformed Congregations in a suburban context in the Western Cape, South Africa, respondents were asked whether they sensed a ‘shift of view’ concerning the role of leadership during the past 20 years in their respective congregations. The research results paint a picture of ‘the end of leadership’ at least in some form. One can also sense a ‘shift of power’ over the past two decades in these local congregations, indicating the changing dynamics of leadership. There seems to be a shift of power from the individual leader to the team, the group and the network. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to present some of the empirical results and then to reflect on the underlying reasons for this shift of power by giving a description of some broader philosophical and sociological perspectives influencing this state of affairs. This will be followed by a description of, and reflection on, theological developments on the Trinity and power that might help to understand the ‘end of leadership’ in some ways. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the role of power and leadership processes at work in local faith communities.

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
P G J Meiring

Ten years after the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission commenced with its work (1995), the author – using the statements made by representatives of the different faith communities in South Africa – analyses the role the communities played in the past: as agents of oppression, as victims of apartheid, as opponents of apartheid, as well as their role in the country’s transition to a new democratic society. Finally, the contribution of the faith communities in the process of reconciliation and nation building is discussed.


Author(s):  
Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen

This book scrutinizes the relationship between the concept of international legal personality as a theoretical construct and the position of the individual as a matter of positive international law. By testing four main theoretical conceptions of international legal personality against historical and existing international legal norms that govern individuals, the book argues that the common narrative about the development of the role of the individual in international law is flawed. Contrary to conventional wisdom, international law did not apply to States alone until the Second World War, only to transform during the second half of the twentieth century to include individuals as its subjects. Rather, the answer to the question of individual rights and obligations under international law is—and always was—solely contingent upon the interpretation of international legal norms. It follows, of course, that the entities governed by a particular norm tell us nothing about the legal system to which that norm belongs. Instead, the distinction between international and national legal norms turns exclusively on the nature of their respective sources. Against the background of these insights, the book shows how present-day international lawyers continue to allow an idea, which was never more than a scholarly invention of the nineteenth century, to influence the interpretation and application of contemporary international law. This state of affairs has significant real-world ramifications as international legal rights and obligations of individuals (and other non-State entities) are frequently applied more restrictively than interpretation without presumptions regarding ‘personality’ would merit.


2004 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.G.J. Meiring

The author who served on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), focuses on the Hindu experience in South Africa during the apartheid years. At a special TRC Hearing for Faith Communities (East London, 17-19 November 1997) two submissions by local Hindu leaders were tabled. Taking his cues from those submissions, the author discusses four issues: the way the Hindu community suffered during these years, the way in which some members of the Hindu community supported the system of apartheid, the role of Hindus in the struggle against apartheid, and finally the contribution of the Hindu community towards reconciliation in South Africa. In conclusion some notes on how Hindus and Christians may work together in th


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Matthew Erickson

This article examines the role of the Christian, or liturgical, year as one of the simplest yet most powerful ways of spiritually forming people, both individually and corporately, to become more like Jesus. Many Christians and churches are subtly shaped more by the time structures of the average work week or cultural holidays than the life of Christ or the church. The tendency to address individual spiritual formation focuses largely on cognitivist approaches to change or individual formative practices. However, the author explores several ways in which the Christian year offers a wholistic approach to life formation through the steady, time-bound patterns of the Christian year. Engaging both the conscious and unconscious self in cognitive practices and steady habits, both the individual Christian and local congregations are trained toward Christlikeness.


Author(s):  
Fernando Coelho Dias ◽  
Mateus Menezes Ribeiro ◽  
Camilla Oleiro Da Costa ◽  
Zayanna Christine Lopes Lindôso

Introdução: Atualmente, a obesidade é considerada um grave problema de saúde pública, pois além de ser uma doença, é um fator de risco para progressão e desenvolvimento de outras doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Objetivo: Compreender a percepção de indivíduos com obesidade quanto à participação em papeis ocupacionais, grau de importância atribuído a cada papel e padrão de desempenho de papeis ocupacionais ao longo da vida. Método: Configura-se como um estudo transversal do tipo exploratório de caráter descritivo, com análise quantitativa dos dados. Como instrumento, utilizou-se a Lista de Identificação de Papéis Ocupacionais. Resultados: A amostra foi composta por 65 indivíduos com obesidade, 87,7% (n=57) era do sexo feminino e 12,3% (n=8) do sexo masculino, tendo como média de idade 42 anos e 9 meses. Constatou-se que o papel mais comum no passado foi o de estudante e com relação ao presente e futuro, os papeis mais citados foram os de serviço doméstico e membro da família. Quanto ao grau de importância, identificou-se que os indivíduos valorizam os papeis ocupacionais, atribuindo maior valorização aos papeis de membro da família e trabalho, e menor proporção de valor ao papel de participação em organizações. Conclusão: A condição de obesidade pode interferir no modo como o indivíduo se envolve e desempenha suas ocupações, evidenciando a terapia ocupacional como uma estratégia importante no enfrentamento da obesidade. AbstractIntroduction: Currently, obesity is considered a serious public health problem, since it is also a disease, it is a risk factor for progression and development of other chronic non-communicable diseases. Objective: To understand the perception of individuals with obesity regarding the participation in occupational roles throughout life, about the degree of importance attributed to each role, and in a complementary way to identify the performance pattern of occupational roles in Long life. Method: It is configured as a cross-sectional exploratory study of descriptive character, with quantitative analysis of the data, as an instrument used the identification list of occupational roles. Results: The sample consisted of 65 obese individuals. Of these, 87.7% (n = 57) were females and 12.3% (n = 8) were males, with a mean age of 42 years 9 months. It was found that the most common role in the past was that of student and in relation to the present and future the most cited roles were those of domestic service and family member. As to the degree of importance, it was identified that the individuals value the occupational roles, attributing greater value to the roles of family members and work, and less appreciation of the role of participation in organizations. Conclusion: The condition of obesity can interfere in the way the individual engages and performs his occupations, thus placing the occupational therapy professional as an important member in coping with obesity.Key words: Obesity, Activities of Daily Living, Occupations, Occupational Therapy.ResumenIntroducción: Actualmente, la obesidad se considera un grave problema de salud pública, ya que es también una enfermedad, es un factor de riesgo para la progresión y el desarrollo de otras enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. Objetivo: comprender la percepción de los individuos con obesidad con respecto a la participación en los roles ocupacionales a lo largo de la vida, sobre el grado de importancia atribuido a cada función, y de manera complementaria para identificar el patrón de desempeño de los roles ocupacionales en Larga vida. Método: se configura como un estudio exploratorio transversal de carácter descriptivo, con análisis cuantitativo de los datos, como instrumento utilizó la lista de identificación de roles ocupacionales. Resultados: la muestra consistió en 65 individuos obesos. De ellos, 87,7% (n = 57) fueron hembras y 12,3% (n = 8) fueron varones, con una edad media de 42 años 9 meses. Se descubrió que el papel más común en el pasado era el de los estudiantes y en relación con el presente y el futuro, los papeles más citados eran los del servicio doméstico y el miembro de la familia. En cuanto al grado de importancia se identificó que los individuos valoran los papeles ocupacionales, atribuyendo mayor valoración a los papeles de miembro de la familia y trabajo, y menor valorización al papel de participación en organizaciones. Conclusión: la condición de la obesidad puede interferir en la forma en que el individuo se involucra y realiza sus ocupaciones, colocando así al profesional de la terapia ocupacional como un miembro importante para hacer frente a la obesidad.Palabras clave: Obesidad, Actividades Cotidianas, Ocupaciones, Terapia Ocupacional.  


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Fourie Rossouw

This article dealt with racial diversity in homogenous white Afrikaans faith communities such as the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). This study was partially an account of the researcher’s own discontent with being a minister in the DRC against the backdrop of his own journey of finding a racially integrated identity in a post-apartheid South Africa. It focused on the question of how a church like the DRC can play an intentional role in the formation of racially inclusive communities. The study brought together shifts in missional theology, personal reflections from DRC ministers and contemporary studies on whiteness. The researcher looked towards a missional imaginary as a field map for racial diversity in the church. This was mirrored against contemporary studies on white identity in a post-apartheid South Africa. From this conversation the researcher argued for a creative discovery of hybrid identities within white faith communities. Missional exercises such as listening to the stories of strangers, cross cultural pilgrimages and eating together in strange places can assist congregations on this journey.


1998 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-158
Author(s):  
Jörg Arnold ◽  
Emily Silverman

AbstractIn an initial summing up of this necessarily abbreviated and cursory report of findings, the first thing to recognise is that the countries examined in the study accorded different significance to the criminal law as a means for dealing with the past. The Eastern European countries, at any rate, appear to be largely in agreement with regard to the role of rehabilitation and compensation, although more comparative research into their realization in practice is required. With regard to the direct criminal prosecution and punishment of political and state-promoted crime, however, there is much less uniformity. This is clearly illustrated by the disparate criminal justice practices in the individual countries. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that criminal law plays no role whatsoever in accounting for the past.


Author(s):  
Reginald W. Nel

Urban youth marginalisation became a key consideration in scholarly and policy literature in the 1990s. This entailed a shift from an emphasis on youth in relation to activism in the struggle to overcome colonial racism – popularly known as ‘the struggle against apartheid’ – to an emphasis on youth as the object of social inquiry and social welfare programmes. Irrespective of how we valuate this shift, the question in this article is how urban faith communities and youth ministry research are to respond to the agency of youth as dialogue partners – with a focus on social cohesion. This article explores this shift in scholarship on urban youth movements, especially for the period since 1994. It draws from the perspectives of my recent doctoral studies (Nel 2013) in constructing a creative dialogue with youth movements. The ultimate aim of this article is to provide a grounded basis for constructing a methodology for a postcolonial urban theology. In addition, it aims to inform the ongoing Youth at the Margins (YOMA) comparative study on the contribution of faith-based organisations to social cohesion in South Africa and Nordic Europe, with the Riverlea community, in Johannesburg, as one of the case studies.


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