Teaching theological discernment : youth ministry programme in ECWA Nigeria and contemporary hip hop culture

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Theological discernment as discussed in this study is the normative process of reflection, decisionmaking, thinking, and the judgement of right and wrong in relation to the elements and outlets of hip hop culture. The study pleads for a normative process of theological discernment as an ethical, theological and practiced response to the learned behaviour of hip hop culture through the praxis of the Christian faith, Christian life and Christian ministry as a guiding lens in situations of life. Theological discernment is synonymous with thinking theologically and biblically about daily issues and questions of concerns. This research study investigated, “How does the ECWA youth ministry programme equip its youth with the theological discernment to identify and engage with the challenges and opportunities within hip hop culture?” as its primary research question and “How can the faith community equip youth to engage HHC in cosmopolitan cities?” To investigate these research questions, I engaged the research design of qualitative study. I made use of the research methodology of theoretical (literature) and empirical study, and a practical theological framework as promoted by Richard R Osmer. This framework consists of an investigative structure of four theological tasks: the descriptive-empirical task (What is going on?); the interpretive task (Why is this happening?); the normative task (What ought to be happening from God’s perspective?); and the pragmatic task (What action should be taken henceforth?). With the aid of these tasks, I investigated thoughts, experiences of lifestyles and behaviours through engagement of primary and secondary data of literature, and primary data of participants in Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA). The findings from the literature and empirical study reveal and propose how practical theology through youth ministry program (and beyond program) can practically and missionally equip the youth as social actors through a theology of youth ministry and theological models such as you[theology], theology of genetivus subjectivus, deliberative theology, theology of listening and equipping young people as lay theologian. It is Bible studies, prayers, discipleship and mentorship, symbiotic networking of youth ministry and cultural gatekeepers (academician, practitioners, administrators, and parents), reception history theory, enculturation, acculturation and a hip hop church that can equip ECWA youth with the theological discernment to identify and engage with the challenges and opportunities of the lifestyle and behaviours of contemporary hip hop culture. The equipping will not eradicate the challenges nor maximise the opportunities of hip hop culture in society, but it will enable the equipped youth to discern theologically how to navigate this phenomenon in society using a normative lens.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teologiese onderskeiding soos in hierdie studie bespreek, is die normatiewe proses van refleksie, besluitneming, denke en die oordeel van reg en verkeerd in verhouding tot die elemente en afsetpunte van hiphopkultuur. Die studie pleit vir 'n normatiewe proses van teologiese onderskeiding as 'n etiese, teologiese en geoefende reaksie op die geleerde gedrag van hiphopkultuur deur die praktyk van die Christelike geloof, Christelike lewe en Christelike bediening as 'n leidende lens in lewensituasies. Teologiese onderskeiding is sinoniem met die teologiese en Bybelse denke oor daaglikse kwessies en vrae van kommer. Hierdie navorsingstudie het ondersoek: "Hoe stel die ECWA-jeugbedieningprogram sy jeug toe met die teologiese onderskeid om die uitdagings en geleenthede binne hiphopkultuur te identifiseer en aan te pak?" As die primêre navorsingsvraag en "Hoe kan die geloofsgemeenskap die jeug toerus om betrek HHC in kosmopolitiese stede? "Om hierdie navorsingsvrae te ondersoek, het ek die navorsingsontwerp van kwalitatiewe studie verrig. Ek het gebruik gemaak van die navorsingsmetodologie van teoretiese (literatuur-) en empiriese studie, en 'n praktiese teologiese raamwerk soos bevorder deur Richard R Osmer. Hierdie raamwerk bestaan uit 'n ondersoekende struktuur van vier teologiese take: die beskrywende empiriese taak (Wat gaan aan?); die interpretatiewe taak (waarom gebeur dit?); die normatiewe taak (Wat behoort van God se perspektief te gebeur?); en die pragmatiese taak (Watter aksie moet voortaan geneem word?). Met behulp van hierdie take het ek gedagtes, ervarings van lewenstyl en gedrag ondersoek deur middel van betrokkenheid van primêre en sekondêre literatuurdata, en primêre data van deelnemers aan die Evangeliese Kerkwennende Allen (ECWA). Die bevindings uit die literatuur en empiriese studie onthul en stel voor hoe praktiese teologie deur middel van jeugbedieningprogramme (en buite die program) die jeug prakties en mities kan toerus as sosiale akteurs deur 'n teologie van jeugbediening en teologiese modelle soos jou [teologie], teologie van genetivus subjectivus, deliberatiewe teologie, teologie van luister en die voorsiening van jongmense as leke teoloog. Dit is Bybelstudies, gebede, dissipelskap en mentorskap, simbiotiese netwerk van jeugbediening en kulturele poortwagters (akademici, praktisyns, administrateurs en ouers), ontvangsgeskiedenissteorie, enculturatie, akkulturasie en 'n hiphopkerk wat ECWA-jeug kan toerus met die teologiese onderskeid om te identifiseer en betrokke te raak by die uitdagings en geleenthede van die lewenstyl en gedrag van die hedendaagse hiphopkultuur. Die uitrusting sal nie die uitdagings uitwis of die geleenthede van hiphopkultuur in die samelewing maksimeer nie, maar dit sal die toegeruste jeug in staat stel om teologies te onderskei hoe om hierdie verskynsel in die samelewing te navigeer deur gebruik te maak van 'n normatiewe lens.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Theology -- Study and teaching, Church work with youth, Hip-hop -- Africa, Youth -- Africa, UCTD
Citation