Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study

Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: De Beer, Stephan F
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613454280425473
access_status_str Open Access
author2 De Beer, Stephan F
author_browse De Beer, Stephan F
author_facet De Beer, Stephan F
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2021 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, 2021.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/95255
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:24.202Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
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:2263/95255 A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study De Beer, Stephan F selenaheadley@gmail.com Headley, Selena Diane UCTD African urbanization Embodied spirituality Flourishing/ transformed cities Praxis-based approach Theological education/formation Womanist theology Urban futures Theology theses SDG-04 Theology theses SDG-10 Theology theses SDG-11 Theology theses SDG-16 Theology theses SDG-17 Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. This study begins by framing the challenges for theological education/formation which remain disconnected from urban realities. The rationale for the study stems from a personal experience as a participant in a praxis-based approach to theological education during the Leadership in Urban Transformation (LUT) course in 2016, which opened up a quest to understand liberative pedagogy for the urban context. The aim of the principal research question is to discover how a praxis-based approach shapes the consciousness and actions of urban practitioners towards liberating engagements with their urban contexts. The research methodology is grounded in the transformative paradigms of a praxis-based approach and Womanist theological conceptions which are presented as the vehicle to explore theological education in Cape Town. The aim of the study is investigated in three ways, namely (1) focus groups with theological educators, alumni of theological education programmes, community-based practitioners and ministers, (2) an auto ethnographic exploration and (3) semi-structured interviews with 2016 LUT participants. As a methodology the praxis cycle and the requisite series of action-reflection movements – exploring immersion, social analysis, theological reflection and co- constructing plans for action – were used as a framework to analyse lived spiritualty in the city. Utilising the praxis cycle, participatory action research methods and pastoral ethnographic interviews, data was collected, complied, transcribed, reviewed and scrutinised using thematic analysis to identify themes for examination. An autoethnographic chapter expounding on the biography of the researcher in conversation with Womanist theological literature and a praxis-based approach preceded the ethnographic investigation of the narratives of the LUT participants. Throughout the autoethnography, four quintessential resources of Womanist theology – redemptive self-love, critical engagement, radical subjectivity, and traditional communalism – were amalgamated with the movements of the praxis cycle to contribute to a developing pedagogical method for urban challenges. In the ethnographic research, the praxis cycle movements and Womanist ideals aided in identifying: (1) how the context of the city was brought to life for LUT participants, (2) how participants received new lenses to read the past, present and future of urban contexts, (3) how the participants refined or developed fresh faith practices, and (4) what dissonances were generated for participants in the learning process. Finally, a revitalising orientation of theological education/formation using the praxis cycle methodology preparing practitioners for informed engagement with urban challenges was outlined. Synthesising the study, focus group themes and imaginative scenarios were brought into conversation with the ethnographic explorations and relevant literature to substantiate how the praxis-based approach in tandem with womanist theology were joined reflecting liberative pedagogical and epistemological features for urban theological education. Finally, praxis-based and Womanist approaches where used to propose a transformative urban pedagogical framework employing Katie Geneva Cannon’s transformative pedagogical imperatives consisting of historic ethos, embodied pathos and communal logos. In addition, a fresh conception of imaginative oikos was fused together with Cannon’s ideals towards a liberative praxis-based pedagogical framework suitable to prepare practitioners for urban challenges. ae2026 Practical Theology PhD (Practical Theology) Unrestricted Faculty of Theology and Religion SDG-04: Quality education SDG-10: Reduced inequalities SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals 2024-03-18T12:28:18Z 2024-03-18T12:28:18Z 2022 2021-11 Thesis * A2022 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95255 en © 2021 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
African urbanization
Embodied spirituality
Flourishing/ transformed cities
Praxis-based approach
Theological education/formation
Womanist theology
Urban futures
Theology theses SDG-04
Theology theses SDG-10
Theology theses SDG-11
Theology theses SDG-16
Theology theses SDG-17
A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title_full A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title_fullStr A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title_full_unstemmed A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title_short A praxis-based approach to liberating theological education : a Cape Town case study
title_sort praxis based approach to liberating theological education a cape town case study
topic UCTD
African urbanization
Embodied spirituality
Flourishing/ transformed cities
Praxis-based approach
Theological education/formation
Womanist theology
Urban futures
Theology theses SDG-04
Theology theses SDG-10
Theology theses SDG-11
Theology theses SDG-16
Theology theses SDG-17
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95255