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The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana
Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613723036745728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Human, Dirk J. |
| author_browse | Human, Dirk J. |
| author_facet | Human, Dirk J. |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107728 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:40.528Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107728 The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana Human, Dirk J. ruperthambira@gmail.com Ndoga, Sampson S. Hambira, Rupert Tjitee Isaac UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mission Reconciliation Genocide Justice Dlaspora Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2025. This dissertation critically examines the missional calling of the church in post- genocidal societies, focusing on the descendants of the Herero people dispersed across the Southern African diaspora, particularly in Botswana, following the 1904– 1908 German genocide in present-day Namibia. It interrogates the enduring socioeconomic, cultural, and spiritual repercussions of this historical trauma, highlighting systemic marginalisation, cultural erosion, and the persistent struggle for justice and recognition. By synthesising focus group discussions, interviews, scholarly literature, newspapers, government archives, and missionary records, the study foregrounds the lived experiences of the Herero diaspora. An ethnographic lens—shaped by the researcher’s own heritage as a descendant of genocide survivors—provides a critical vantage point, deepening engagement with these narratives. Through the framework of biblical exilic accounts, such as the Israelites’ captivity, the research develops a theology of reconstruction that underscores the Herero’s resilience, their longing for ancestral lands, and their struggle for cultural preservation. It demonstrates that the church has a profound transformative role in post-genocidal settings, challenging conventional reconciliation models that often neglect the lived realities of affected communities. In critiquing contemporary reconciliation efforts— particularly the inadequacies of the Germany-Namibia negotiations—the study exposes the exclusion of Herero descendants from meaningful dialogue and the reduction of reparations to development aid. By integrating biblical theology, missional praxis, and ethnographic insights, this dissertation provides a contextualised framework for addressing the complexities of post-genocidal societies. It affirms that language, kinship structures, and access to ancestral land are fundamental to cultural identity and community resilience. Ultimately, the study meets its objectives by demonstrating that the church’s missional calling in post-genocide settings must prioritise anti-colonial, non-racial, and nonhierarchical paradigms. It calls for a renewed ecclesial engagement—one that actively fosters justice, healing, and systemic transformation in the wake of historical atrocity. Practical Theology PhD (Practical Theology) Unrestricted Faculty of Theology and Religion SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions 2026-01-30T07:46:53Z 2026-01-30T07:46:53Z 2025 2025 Thesis * S2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107728 N/A en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mission Reconciliation Genocide Justice Dlaspora The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title | The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title_full | The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title_fullStr | The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title_short | The Missional calling of the church in post-genocidal societies in diaspora : the case of the descendants of Herero survivors in Botswana |
| title_sort | missional calling of the church in post genocidal societies in diaspora the case of the descendants of herero survivors in botswana |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mission Reconciliation Genocide Justice Dlaspora |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107728 |