3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Indigenous religious values: understanding work and rest(2017) Masikane, Fikile GoodnessThis thesis argues that indigenous (native, traditional) religious values and beliefs engender a more nuanced and alternative thought – as opposed to the existing capitalist definition or interpretation- of what emancipatory work is for black people; this alternative interpretation of emancipatory work, I suggest, is relevant to black people as it is defined by black people themselves and not those in power, this is in light of the broader South African black emancipation project. I have made use of the Shembe church’s concept of ‘rest’, as the theoretical framework, in order to answer the question: how if at all, does the Shembe church’s doctrine of the Sabbath rest [help us] conceptualize the problem of work for blacks in the post-apartheid South Africa? How, furthermore does this practice of the Sabbath rest [help us] conceptualize black liberation? Further, this study used the Shembe church’s doctrinal book (church manual or law book), which largely follows the laws or commandments presented in the book of Exodus (Bible). Adopting a qualitative research design, helped in using a method of biblical hermeneutics as a way to dissect and critically analyze the concepts of work and the proposed concept of rest as a way to begin to think of /and practice liberation through the lenses of Isaiah Shembe, the founding father of the movement. Isaiah Shembe understands the Sabbath rest in its literal sense of ‘inactivity’, this is done by taking the last day of the week off from work and any form of activity that an individual would partake in, in the week. Following this, rest for Isaiah Shembe provides a sense of practical and present/current freedom that individuals claim for themselves as opposed to freedom/liberation as something only hoped for in future, especially for the ever hopeful black people. It is through this understanding of ‘rest’ that, as Isaiah Shembe presents, helps us understand the problem of waged work, which has been ideally presented by the post-apartheid government, as an emancipatory tool to bridge the gap of inequality for black people. Given the reality of the growing gap of inequalities wagedwork, is evidently, never satisfactory as the individual is consistently working without reaping the necessary benefits. For Isaiah Shembe then, it becomes important to rethink and redefine the idea of what work is (for black people) which for him should be meant to elevate the individual mentally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually by allowing the individual to work creatively without imposition and supervision. At play, ultimately, Isaiah Shembe argues that by understanding rest, one will understand what work is and further how to work in order to get satisfaction. Key Words: work [waged], rest, emancipation, indigenous religious valuesItem The Wits Institute of religion & art: a centre of dialogue(2018) Shapiro, JoshuaThe Wits Institute of Religion & Art: a Centre of Dialogue is an architectural research report centering around a proposed Institute which strives to foster "Dialogue"- through a museological and educational exploration of the secular and religious realms - between diverse constituencies and communities and across multiple scales. The report explores ideas of sacred space as conceived by traditional religious thought systems, and the architectural and spatial devices employed in the creation of these holy places. It also looks at the secular realm's sacred space as embodied in the museum, with a focus on the art museum. It charts the evolution of the contemporary museum and it's differing roles in shaping and reflecting ideas of value in society, uncovering hidden machinations and narratives implicit in the museum type. All this is undertaken with a view to applying the lessons and devices of both types to the creation of an Institute and architecture which explores and encourages these ideals of openness and dialogue.Item The role of spirituality in South African specialist psychiatric practice and training(2012-01-31) Janse van Rensburg, Albert Bernard-RepsoldIntroduction: An increasingly important role for spirituality has been observed in health, mental health and psychiatry. In South Africa it has become particularly apparent in how the Western scientific biomedical model has increasingly been regarded as only one approach in parallel to local African traditional faith and healing practices. It is currently important for local psychiatrists themselves to consider from within the discipline, as to what they would judge the role of spirituality to be in specialist psychiatric practice and teaching. Methods: This study is an explorative, descriptive, contextual, phenomenological and theorygenerating qualitative investigation. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with individual academic specialist psychiatrists affiliated to a local South African university were conducted as primary data source. Considering selected journal articles from a review of the international literature as secondary data items, the content of the conducted interviews was subsequently compared and integrated with the content of the literature on the subject. A layered grounded analysis was made of the interview and literature content. Final categories of concepts were identified from the integrated content, as well as one single core concept for model construction. The elements of the core concept were defined by determining their dictionary (denotative) and subject (connotative) meaning. Essential and related criteria were established for the definition of each element. A practice-orientated model was developed based on the defined single core concept. The steps adopted for the construction of the model referred in particular to the methodology for nursing theory development. Results: The local interviews and the international literature revealed a strong consensus that the role of spirituality should be incorporated into the current approach to local specialist psychiatry, mainly because of its important role in the lives of people in general. Incorporation of this role should, however, only be considered within the parameters of the professional and ethical scope of the discipline, and with all faith traditions and belief systems accommodated equally. The model accounted for the two-fold nature of this central core concept, by drawing an analogy with the comparable counterbalanced two-directional transportation systems of large trees, to describe the structure and relationships of the elements of the concept. The model was operationalised, providing guidelines for its implementation in different practice and training scenarios. Discussion: The model may contribute to the acknowledgement of, and participation in, the discourse on the place of spirituality in local psychiatry, clinical medicine, health and mental health. Defining terminology, specifically what exactly “spirituality” and “religion” would mean in a particular scenario and for the study, proved to be one of the most critical elements of this investigation. Appropriate guidelines for clinical care, for ethical practice and training, and for the referral of patients to relevant spiritual professionals are necessary. Academic institutions in South Africa may have to reconsider their approach to the training of specialist psychiatry and of clinical medicine in general, in order to account for the currently increasingly important role of defined spirituality in local practice and training.Item Chaplains in independent church schools straddling church and school.(2008-12-24T09:34:35Z) Krige, Jeanette RosilandCertain educational institutions still claim to be Church schools and continue to employ chaplains in spite of post-Enlightenment cynicism and secularization. A number of chaplains face a struggle to balance obligations to both Church and school. Some face ambivalence about their continued appointment in their liberal educational institutions. In some cases it appears that they are merely appointed out of deference to tradition. In other schools, however, there is a strong declaration that the chaplain and all that the position entails in terms of chapel services and the teaching of the Christian religion, remains an integral part of the Church school. There is confusion regarding the role, expectations and prospects of chaplaincy. Certain chaplains are definitely marginalised from the mainstream of school life until traditional religious services require what is apparently a charade of Church faith at schools that are largely secularised. I argue that the marginalisation of the spiritual from the rest of the school programme is not in the best interests of continuing the excellence of the educational experience and the transformation of South African Independent Church schools. This would be better served by seeking an integrated worldview to sustain a way of life beyond school years. Chaplains may take on the role of encouraging education for the whole of life by facilitating critical thinking and broad conversations across the artificial barriers of school subject compartments. They may also lead a Church school community towards a fresh investigation of Christianity that will involve the chaplain’s liturgical, teaching, pastoral and social action roles, a marriage of theory and praxis to bring the balance of head, heart and hands.