Faculty of Theology
Department of Science of Religion and Missiology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The objective of this research project was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of severe diarrhoea in babies on the quality of life of a selected group of low-income households. Diarrhoeal diseases continue to be an important cause of illness and death worldwide. One major cause of infantile diarrhoea is the rotavirus, an airborne virus to which almost all children in both the developing and developed world will be exposed at least once. The study, as well as the clinical trials and cost studies, was commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline to assist in the decision-making processes regarding whether and how to implement a newly developed vaccine against rotavirus through national immunisation programmes. The study was qualitative, explorative and descriptive in nature. A recently developed quality of life (QoL) assessment instrument, based on a comprehensive list of fundamental needs developed by development expert Manfred Max-Neef, was used to assess the impact of diarrhoea in babies on households. The QoL instrument includes 125 open questions related to the basic necessities and activities, localisation, relationships and consciousness of household members. In addition, group and individual interviews were held. Twenty-nine households with children younger than two years of age who had experienced diarrhoea in the previous two months were selected. By means of a number of medical questions related to the duration of the diarrhoea and related symptoms, babies with severe diarrhoea were purposively sampled. After analysing the data, these babies were classified as follows: 20 had severe diarrhoea, six had moderate diarrhoea and three were diagnosed as having had mild diarrhoea. Two babies had previously been admitted to hospital. Of the 29 households surveyed, 22 households were interviewed using the QoL assessment instrument, and seven households were interviewed by means of group and individual interviews. The researchers found that poor housing conditions exacerbated the effect of diarrhoea in infants on the primary caregiver, as well as the other household members. Household members complained about the sound of the babies crying and almost half of the mothers reported that they felt stressed or ashamed about the quality of the air in their dwellings. One mother said that the smell was so bad that she could not eat her food because it caused her to vomit. The lack of basic necessities, for example the shortage of water in a number of households, intensified the struggle to cope with the diarrhoea. It was found that the burden of care fell mainly on the mothers of the babies with diarrhoea. The pressure experienced by some mothers seemed to be related to the way they experience their identity. Mothers indicated that they felt responsible for tasks in and around the household, including the duty of caring for their children. This places a physical and emotional burden on the primary caregiver. Diarrhoea was the cause of tension and conflict in a number of households, not only because of inflated financial costs related to efforts to cope with the illness, but also because of differing views among household members regarding the most suitable treatment: Western or traditional medicine. Mothers identified different causes of the diarrhoea, including teething, heat, wrong food and ‘the problem of the fontanelle’. It became evident that some mothers believed that a sunken fontanelle was the cause of diarrhoea, and this was believed to be best treated by traditional healing methods. The researchers concluded that a vaccine against rotavirus diarrhoea could benefit the households by reducing the emotional and physical burden of care on the mother and reducing the financial burden that childhood diarrhoea imposes on households. The researchers cautioned that the findings showed how rotavirus vaccines could be an adjunct to the primary prevention approach for diarrhoea diseases in children. A vaccine will not provide a substitute for all the other important requirements of a respectable quality of life, such as love, care, education, healthy nutrition, a regular, safe water supply and good sanitation. It is also important to interpret the findings in conjunction with other rotavirus vaccine clinical trials and cost-benefit studies
Contact person: M Murray.
Correct and consistent condom usage remains a pivotal strategy to reach the target set by the South African government to reduce new HIV infections by 50% in the next five years. Studies have found that there has been an increase in condom usage by some categories of the population, but usage has not yet reached the desired levels to meet the target. In this project, the researchers focused on condom usage in eight communities in North West, which was part of a wider HIV/AIDS programme evaluation commissioned by the North West provincial Department of Health. The main aim was to assess accessibility to condoms, and knowledge, attitudes and practices around condom use by four sampled communities in North West. Eight focus group discussions were held and 50 households were interviewed. The study found positive results regarding accessibility and awareness of condoms. However, this often did not lead to the desired behavioural change of using condoms in risky sexual interactions. The majority of respondents still resisted condom usage, used condoms inconsistently, or were not in a position to negotiate protected sexual intercourse. The main reasons reported for this were reduced pleasure, perceived and real physical side effects, myths, lack of information, status, financial reasons, distrust in the efficacy of condoms, family planning, cultural reasons, gender-related reasons and trust. Many of the barriers to consistent condom use cannot be overcome by strategies that target the individual. Interventions need to address underlying developmental factors such as the non-biological factors that increase the susceptibility of women to HIV infection. As this falls outside of the scope of the mandate of the Department of Health, various partnerships with other key role-players need to be established and/or strengthened, such as those with local government, non-governmental organisations and faith-based organisations
Contact person: Prof PJ van der Merwe.
The aim of this research project was to investigate the participation of the African biblical interpreter in Bible translation. It is widely acknowledged that the church in Africa is well established. Even so, it is still necessary to note that, to a large extent, the church is in the process of establishing itself as an African church. The African church continues to validate itself as truly African and not some foreign religion. The presence of the Bible, including the process of Bible translation, is integral to this process. As a result of the way in which the Bible was appropriated to use during the process of colonialism, as well as the way in which the Bible accompanied Western missionary endeavours that often operated hand-in-hand with colonialism, some of those in the African church view the Bible with scepticism. In the light of this, the participation of the African biblical interpreter in Bible translation is not yet fully understood or appreciated. As long as the African church does not properly own the translation process, the Bible could be viewed largely as a foreign book. It will then not be viewed as being sufficiently relevant for the African church or even the African continent as a whole. The effectiveness of establishing the African church as truly African depends on the involvement of an African agency in the interpretation of the Bible. The translation of the Bible into African languages is one of the key factors in this process. The production of accurate and culturally understandable translations, including the acceptance and application of the Bible by the African church, will be enhanced by the involvement of the African biblical interpreter in the Bible translation process. The researcher argues that even though not readily acknowledged by the African church, ownership of and involvement in Bible translation are important to the appropriation of the Christian message. Assessing the data examined in this research, the researchers came to the conclusion that an African agency, albeit the African church, does not yet acknowledge or understand the role of the African biblical interpreter in Bible translation. On the other hand, foreign agencies acknowledge and understand the role of the African biblical interpreter in the translation process. It is important to take note of this dualism, as it will have an effect on the appropriation of the Bible into the life of the African church, and the African church could remain vulnerable to the agenda of foreign proponents of Bible translation. An African agency can make a valid contribution to the Bible translation process. It is acknowledged that the surface of this field of study has hardly been scratched. There are many areas that still need to be explored. Some of these areas are the role of African women in Bible translation, the involvement of an African agency in the appropriation of the Bible, the story of African involvement in Bible translation, which should be told, the hindrances to the indigenous discovery of Bible translation, and translation tools developed by African biblical interpreters. These areas should be identified and made available to the worldwide process of Bible translation
Contact person: Prof PJ van der Merwe.
Ancestor worship is practiced in different forms around the world today, even in societies participating in the modern global economy. Ancestral beliefs are deeply dependent on the premise that the souls of the dead may return to the living and influence their lives, that it is possible and acceptable for the living to communicate with the dead, and that the living are able to exert an effect on the destiny of their deceased ancestors. The following issues are most relevant to ancestor worship: death and the afterlife, the possibility of communication between the living and the dead, and the destiny of believers who die. The researcher investigated these issues from a Biblical perspective, offering Biblical guidelines in assessing ancestor worship and its cosmology and interpreting ancestor worship theologically. According to the researcher, the ritual practices associated with ancestor worship are heavily reliant on the premise that the dead are able to return to the living and have an influence on the lives of the living, that it is acceptable for the living to communicate with the dead, and that the living are able to exert an influence on the destiny of the deceased ancestor. He argues that the Bible condemns necromancy and associated practices, and ancestor worship is therefore not in alignment with the principles of the Bible. Secondly, he points out that although some individuals experience what appears to be the spirits of deceased ancestors, the Biblical evidence that has been presented makes it clear that these experiences or apparitions should not be taken ‘at face value’. Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that once a person has died, it is impossible for him or her to return to communicate with the living. It is clear from Romans 6:23 that all men die and that death is the wage of sin – an inevitable consequence. The only incident in the Scriptures that has been the source of dogmatic controversy is the incident where Samuel ‘appeared’ to the Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28). The explanations that have been put forward have made it clear that what was ‘seen’ was a result of the special working of God’s power, by His permission and for His purposes. As the Bible clearly admonishes, those who dapple in necromancy or spiritism commit what is considered to be spiritual prostitution. The abode of the dead, which is expounded in the Scriptures, is known as hades or purgatory. Hades and purgatory refer to the common grave of mankind, where all souls are destined to go once they have died a physical death. The final destination of the righteous souls is heaven. Therefore, the analogy of Lazarus and the rich man cannot be construed to prove that the living can communicate with the dead or that the living can have a bearing on the destiny of the dead. It was not possible for the rich man to communicate with his living relatives to warn them of their imminent fate if they did not mend their ways. The Scriptures clearly indicate that the righteous who die are immediately reunited with Christ (cf Luke 23:43, Philippians 1:23). At the resurrection, those who have died will be changed and resurrected with a spiritual body to allow them to enter into a fuller state of fellowship with God. The notion of the immortality of the soul is a major precept of the ancestor cult. However, the New Testament’s promise of a resurrection refers to the resurrection of the whole body. The notion of the soul existing in an intermediate state or a deep sleep, which is fundamental to the ancestral rites, is contradictory to the teachings of the New Testament. Passages in the Bible that deal with death as a sleeping state, such as Matthew 9:24, 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13, could be construed as a metaphorical description to ensure that mankind does not fear death, rather than a description of an intermediate state. Some scholars have tried to prove that Christ descended into hades after his death to minister to the dead or to proclaim his victory over them. It became clear, however, that scriptural proof of such doctrine is contentious and that the meaning of 1 Peter 3:18-20, the classical scriptural reference, is obscure. The living is not able to effect a change for the good of the dead. The salvation of mankind is based on Christ’s ransom sacrifice on the cross and sacrifices that are made for the dead are therefore of no value. The researcher argues that the notion of vicarious baptism, which has been suggested by some scholars, does not have sufficient evidence in exegetical or hermeneutical terms to make it a credible argument. Paul denies the interpretation of vicarious baptism when he says in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.” Therefore, it is clear that the final destination of each individual is dependent on their own faith and actions while they were alive. Each individual is accountable to God. Once a sinner has died, the wages of his or her sins cannot be paid by the living. In other words, the central premise, which underpins the theology of ancestor veneration, is flawed. It is impossible for the dead to communicate with the living and it is impossible for the living to improve the destiny of their deceased ancestors. The New Testament is clear that there is no way for the dead to change their fate. The researcher concludes that ancestor worship is incompatible with the Christian faith
Contact person: Prof PJ van der Merwe.
The development of Basa Magogo is a joint effort between researchers from various disciplines, community members, industry and government. It proves that continuous close interaction between people from outside the community and people from the community itself can be the creative step that can trigger a massive positive result. The fact that a programme in the Faculty of Theology received the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) Excellence Award for work with social significance from the Minister of Trade and Industry in 2005 serves as recognition and confirmation that this approach is indeed viable. The Functional Household Programme (FHP) is a joint venture between the Faculty of Theology and the Nova Institute. Nova is an independent non-commercial (Article 21) company that specialises in developing and promoting smart solutions for low-income households. A smart solution is an innovative, tried and tested solution with discernible value to all stakeholders concerned. It complies with the highest criteria for excellence. It should be desirable, beneficial, affordable, effective, replicable, sustainable and quantifiable. Energy is one of the focus areas of the FHP. In this focus area, the researchers are concerned with the energy usage patterns of households. The Basa Magogo project is one of its flagship projects. It illustrates the merit of its research and development approach. The Basa Magogo method was named after a community member of eMbalenhle near Secunda, South Africa, Granny Nebelungu Mashinini. She perfected the method when it was introduced and tested in 1998. This top-down ignition was one of a number of technologies that has the potential to reduce air pollution caused by the domestic use of coal, which was evaluated in actual conditions. These tests formed part of an intensive participatory research and development process conducted during the 1990s with support from Sasol Synfuels and later THRIP. Basa Magogo means “Light up, Grandmother!” It has been promoted by the Department of Minerals and Energy under the name Basa njengo Magogo, which means “Light up like grandmother”. Recently, the method was taken up as part of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism's Clean Fires Campaign. As a method, Basa Magogo is quite simple. Instead of starting the fire with paper and wood at the bottom and then adding coal on top, the opposite procedure is followed: the paper and wood are placed on top of the coal and the fire burns from the top downwards. It must, however, be done correctly. To date, it has been found that the only way people can be convinced to use Basa Magogo is through direct demonstrations, person to person. In 2007 and 2008, the FHP has gained 60 000 new users in townships from Qua-Qua to Middelburg. The local churches and church members provide the social networks to reach all these households. The projects have also drawn support from the Fair Climate Programme of the Protestant Church in The Netherlands, bringing the overseas churches and the local congregations and church members into a partnership. The benefits to households that use Basa Magogo are substantial. The cleaner burning results in cleaner air, better health, higher productivity, a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and savings to residents because they use less coal. Savings on coal have been well documented and are, on average, R380 per household per annum, which translates into R22.8 million per annum for the 60 000 users of the method introduced in 2007 and 2008. Savings in health care costs are more difficult to quantify, but based on several well-documented surveys, could be five to ten times more. All residents, including those who do not use coal, experience cleaner air and much better health, but the users of this method benefit the most. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is about 1 ton of CO2 per household per annum. These reductions can be measured, validated and audited according to international standards for greenhouse gas reductions and can be traded internationally. Income from trading greenhouse gas emission reductions can be used to expand the scope of existing projects and to develop more smart solutions for and with low-income households
Contact person: Dr AS van Niekerk.
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