Sabinet | Klein plattelandse gemeentes as ruimtes om brûe na die hele gemeenskap te bou : &apos;n prakties-teologiese ondersoek : godsdienswetenskappe
oa Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe - Klein plattelandse gemeentes as ruimtes om brûe na die hele gemeenskap te bou : &apos;n prakties-teologiese ondersoek : godsdienswetenskappe Navigate this Journal About Current issue Previous issues Submit a paper Contact the editor OA African Journal Archive ISSN : 1995-5928
Carin Van Schalkwyk2
University of the Free State and 2
Volume 10, Issue 3,
p. 781 - 799
Keyword(s) : Case study, Faith communities, Geestelike en sosiale kapitaal, Geloofsgemeenskappe, Gemengde-metode-model, Gevallestudie, HIV/Aids epidemic, MIV/Vigs-epidemie, Mixed method research, Plattelandse dorpe, Rural towns and Spiritual and social capital
Abstract HTML Metrics Related Content Abstract Klein plattelandse dorpies bestaan gewoonlik uit verskillende gemeenskappe wat nie noodwendig veel van mekaar weet nie. Gewoonlik is dit politieke, sosio-ekonomiese en rasseverdelings wat tot hierdie skeidslyne aanleiding gee. Die politieke mag is aan die een kant van die dorp en die ekonomiese mag aan die ander kant. Geloofsgemeenskappe is aan beide kante van hierdie verdeling te vind. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die moontlikhede te verken om brûe tussen die twee "aparte" gemeenskappe te bou deur gebruik te maak van die geestelike en sosiale kapitaal wat binne klein gemeentes op die platteland beskikbaar is. Die fokus val veral op &apos;n studie wat in die Suid-Vrystaat gedoen is. In &apos;n ondersoek wat in die ring van Fauresmith onder NG gemeentes onderneem is, is &apos;n semigestruktureerde vraelys aan predikante van die agt gemeentes in die ring gestuur. Uit die reaksies van die predikante is dit duidelik dat daar, soos hulle die saak sien, oor die afgelope vyf jaar wesenlike veranderings in die gemeentes en gemeenskap plaasgevind het. Verder word ook aan &apos;n gevallestudie wat in die gemeenskap van Philippolis onderneem is, aandag gegee. Die hantering en reaksie van die gemeenskap op die Vigs-epidemie word bespreek. In Philippolis se geval was daar nie sprake van die politieke wil, ekonomiese krag of &apos;n betekenisvolle aantal persone om die MIV/Vigs-epidemie te hanteer nie. Almal was lamgelê, maar die kerk het die draer van hoop geword. Die gevallestudie dui &apos;n weg aan om die krisis te hanteer en die gemeenskap te help om nuwe waardes en praktyke te vorm. Die beskikbare geestelike kapitaal in die geloofsgemeenskappe het die taal en praktyke help skep om nuwe moontlikhede oop te maak.
Small rural congregations as places for building bridges in the community as a whole : a practical theological investigation
As a rule small rural towns consist of different communities that do not necessarily know one another. Political, socio-economic and racial divisions commonly lead to boundaries and divisions in these communities. Political power is mostly vested in one side of town and economic power in the other. However, faith communities exist on both sides of this divide. The purpose of this article is to explore opportunities to build bridges between these two "separate" communities by using the spiritual and social capital that is available in small rural congregations. The focus is on a specific study that was done in the Southern Free State.
Christians mostly live together in faith communities or congregations. They live and work on both sides of the above-mentioned division. Usually a Christian faith community lives according to a certain belief system or values that orientate them in their relationship with God, and also their mutual relationships. Furthermore, these relationships have specific implications for the community of which the congregation is a part. Concern for the "other" is an assumed part of the value system of such a faith community. The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) makes it clear that love for one&apos;s neighbour includes care of those on the "other side" of the road. Consequently prophetic discernment is part of the process of theological investigation, which entails listening to the Word and asking questions about its social implications for the congregation.
This investigation should be understood as part of an empirical process. The research is only exploratory in nature and does not seek to be complete or representative. A mixed methodology was used. The research can be described as an explanatory investigation in which the qualitative data is used to explain the quantitative research more completely. A survey was undertaken of congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church in the circuit of Fauresmith in the Southern Free State. A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to the ministers of the eight congregations in this circuit.
Litnet Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC147706