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The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality
Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1995.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2012
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| _version_ | 1867614119448805376 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Smit, Arnoldus Tobias |
| author2 | Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944- |
| author_browse | Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944- Smit, Arnoldus Tobias |
| author_facet | Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944- Smit, Arnoldus Tobias |
| author_sort | Smit, Arnoldus Tobias |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1995. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/54914 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:58.390Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/54914 The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality Smit, Arnoldus Tobias Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944- Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. Parishes Spirituality Spiritual formation Church meetings Questionnaires Leadership -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Christian leadership -- Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1995. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The church at large is currently in the midst of a most challenging era in its history, an era of paradigmatic change, involving all sectors of society. The church has again a unique opportunity to discern the times to be a sign and sacrament of God's eschatological promises. For the church this is not necessarily a new challenge, but surely fresh and authentic appropriations of ecclesial presence in the world are desperately needed. The old paradigms of ministry are losing their vitality and validity. Reactions to the challenge are many, but few are promising in all respects. Too many responses at congregational level are driven by programmatic and managerial interventions and too few are characterized by a proper ecclesial hermeneutic that involves the heart of ecclesial existence. This study contributes towards the development of an ecclesial hermeneutic through attending to two indispensable ingredients thereof: spirituality and leadership. With regard to spirituality the study contributes toward a corporate and systemic description thereof and roots it in hermeneutics rather than in phenomenology. The definition of congregational spirituality proposed here is the following: Congregational spirituality is the manifestation of a congregation's apprehension of and response to the presence and activity of God in the world. With regard to leadership, the study focuses on the collective expression thereof as it is manifested in the familiar practice of meetings. The meeting, as instrument of shared leadership, is actually a centre of communal discernment, metaphorically called the gymnasium of congregational spirituality. An ecclesial hermeneutic should first be cultivated and mastered in the meetings of the leadership. The definition of leadership proposed here is the following: Leadership in a faith community is that interactive and corporate function that guides the congregation's apprehension of and response to the presence and activity of God in the world with the purpose of arranging the shared life and ministry of the congregation accordingly. The dissertation is structured around three movements. Chapters 1-3 aim at base theory development. Chapter 1 offers an introduction to an ecclesial hermeneutic, called the practice of discernment. Chapter 2 offers a definition of c0ngregational spirituality and investigate the processual dynamic inherent to the phenomenon. Chapter 3 puts the meetings of the leadership in a systemic perspective as it relates to the formation of congregational spirituality. Chapter 4, as the second movement, focuses on present practice in congregations with regard to leadership and spirituality. The meetings of the leadership in four congregations are, through empirical Inquiry, utilized as windows on congregational spirituality. The purpose is to verify the research problem and to endeavour a reality test of the base theories offered in the first three chapters. Chapters 5 and 6 aim at the renewal of present practice. Chapter 5 aims at restoring the purpose of meetings to be more appropriately supportive of the formation of congregational spirituality. Chapter 6 calls for a new orientation to pastoral leadership. The researcher is satisfied that the guiding hypothesis of the study is verified: The practice of discernment by the leadership of a Christian faith community is a direct factor in the formation of congregational spirituality. Therefore the ministry of a congregation is to a large extent a manifestation of the leadership's understanding of God's presence and activity in the world. An intervention into the processes of the leadership will therefore affect the spirituality and ministry development of the congregation in significant ways. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kerk is tans midde in 'n baie uitdagende tydvak. Dit is 'n era van paradigmatiese veranderinge wat alle sektore van die samelewing raak. Dit bied aan die kerk 'n unieke geleentheid om, midde in die tyd, die eskatologiese beloftes van God byna sakramenteel te vergestalt. Hierdie is nie noodwendig 'n nuwe uitdagting vir die kerk nie, maar dit is wel 'n situasie wat roep vir vars en outentieke uitdrukkings van ekklesiale teenwoordigheid in die wereId. Die ou bedieningsparadigmas is besig om hulle lewenskrag en geldigheid te verloor. Reaksies op hierdie uitdaging is volop, maar weinig hou die belofte van duursaamheid in. Te veel intervensies verloop programmaties en bestuursmatig en te min word gekenmerk deur 'n ekklesiale hermeneutiek wat uit die hart van kerkwees opkom. Hierdie studie maak 'n bydrae tot die ontwerp van 'n ekklesiale hermeneutiek deur aan twee bestanddele daarvan aandag te gee, nl. Spiritualiteit en leierskap. Spiritualiteit word in hierdie studie korporatief en sistemies beskryf en in hermeneutiek begrond. Dit word as volg gedefinieer: Gemeentelike spiritualiteit is die manifestasie van 'n gemeente se verstaan van en antwoord op die teenwoordigheid en werk van God in die wêreld. Leierskap, soos hier in behandeling geneem, fokus op die kollektiewe beoefening daarvan in vergaderings. Die vergadering, as instrument van kollektiewe leierskap, is 'n sentrum waarin die beoefening van onderskeiding op 'n gemeenskaplike grondslag plaasvind. Derhalwe word in hierdie studie metafories na die vergadering van die leierskap as die gimnasium van gemeentelike spiritualiteit verwys. 'n Ekklesiale hermeneutiek moet eerste in die vergadering van die leierskap gekweek en bemeester word. Leierskap word soos volg gedefinieer: Leierskap in 'n geloofsgemeenskap is daardie interaksionele en korporatiewe funksie wat die gemeente se verstaan van en antwoord op God se teenwoordigheid en werk in die wêreld begelei met die doel om die gemeente se lewe en bediening dienooreenkomstig in te rig. Die proefskrif is rondom drie bewegings gestruktureer. Hoofstuk 1-3 verteenwoordig die eerste beweging en is gemik op die ontwikkeling van basisteorieë. Hoofstuk 1 bied 'n inleiding op die ontwerp van 'n ekklesiale hermeneutiek, ook genoem die beoefening van onderskeiding in geloofsgemeenskappe. Hoofstuk 2 bied 'n definisie van gemeentelike spiritualiteit en doen ondersoek na die prosesmatige dinamika inherent tot die verskynsel. Hoofstuk 3 plaas die vergaderings van die leierskap in 'n sisteemperspektief en beskryf die verband waarin dit tot gemeentelike spiritualiteit staan. Hoofstuk 4, as tweede beweging, focus op die huidige praktyk binne gemeentes met verwysing na leierskap en gemeentelike spiritualiteit. Op die aanname dat die vergaderinge van die leierskap as vensters op gemeentelike spiritualiteit beskou kan word, is 'n empiriese studie in vier gemeentes onderneem. Die doel was om die navorsingsprobleem in die bedieningspraktyk van gemeentes te veranker en die basisteorieë, wat in die vorige hoofstukke ontwikkel is, aan die realiteit te toets. Hoofstuk 5 en 6, as derde beweging, fokus op transformasie. Hoofstuk 5 bied voorstelle om vergaderings in gemeentes sodanig te transformeer dat dit meer ondersteunend tot die ontwikkeling van gemeentelike spiritualiteit kan wees as wat tans die geval is. Hoofstuk 6 is 'n pleidooi vir 'n nuwe bewussyn en orientasie tot pastorale leierskap wat kongruent met die voorstelle in hoofstuk 5 is. Die navorser is tevrede dat die begeleidende hipotese van hierdie studie geverifieer is: Die beoefening van onderskeiding deur die leierskap van 'n Christelike geloofsgemeenskap is 'n direkte faktor in die ontwikkeling van gemeentelike spiritualiteit. Derhalwe is die bediening van 'n gemeente grootliks die manifestasie van die leierskap se verstaan van en antwoord op God se teenwoordigheid en werk in die wêreld. Daarom sal 'n intervensie in die prosesse van leierskap die spiritualiteit en bedieningontwikkeling van 'n gemeente betekenisvol beïnvloed. Doctoral 2012-08-27T11:36:48Z 2012-08-27T11:36:48Z 1995-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/54914 en Stellenbosch University 288 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Parishes Spirituality Spiritual formation Church meetings Questionnaires Leadership -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Christian leadership -- Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Smit, Arnoldus Tobias The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title | The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title_full | The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title_fullStr | The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title_short | The role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| title_sort | role of leadership in the formation of congregational spirituality |
| topic | Parishes Spirituality Spiritual formation Church meetings Questionnaires Leadership -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Christian leadership -- Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/54914 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smitarnoldustobias theroleofleadershipintheformationofcongregationalspirituality AT smitarnoldustobias roleofleadershipintheformationofcongregationalspirituality |