Masters Theses

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13057/7

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Are You One of Us? : An Exploration of Discursive Identity Formation in the Salvation Army.
(2011) Grey, Terry
Brahmabandhab Upadhyay: an Enigmatic Catholic Freedom Fighter (1861-1907)
(2012-05-03) Firth-Smith, William
This thesis oulines the life and thought of Indian theologian, Brahmabandhab Upadyay (1861-1907), a polymath whose important contributions have been largely overlooked in the western world. The First Part is biographical, consisting of details of Brahmabandhab Upadyay's early life; his Christian witness; his philosophy of teaching; his journalistic dynamism; his attitude to caste; a description of his milieu; his struggles with the church heirarchy; and his political acitivism, sedition trial and death. The Second Part consists of a discussion of topics central to Upadhyay's thought and contribution, including some of his theological explorations; the ashram considered as mode of Christian expression; and nationalism and liberation in an Indian context. It concludes with a critical analysis of his contributions, arguing that Upadhyay's contributions are relevant today and merit greater recognition.
Human-centred design and God-centred discernment: A way of dialogue for Australian Anglicans
(2019) Blackwell, Genieve
Human-centred design and Ignatian discernment provide a way of dialogue (as with Buber and Bakhtin) for Australian Anglicans in order to not only to identify ‘wicked problems’ but develop effective practical solutions. An integrated process is developed and applied to the ‘wicked problem’ of the Anglican Province of Victoria.
Listening to God and the missio Dei
(2016) Olson, Murray
Thesis has outlined the evolution of the concept of the missio Dei and its importance to the Church. The examples have been provided of the way that the missio Dei has been put into action and the importance of listening to God when you are involved in it.
Mercy in Action - Women in the Mission of the Church
(2010) Doherty, Laura Margaret
This study examines two initiatives of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia: their foundations in Pakistan and their work with East Timorese people, both in Australia and East Timor. These recent endeavours are placed in the context of women in mission and late twentieth cintury discussion of mission in the Catholic church. Additionally, the religious, political and social-econimic contexts of Pakistan and East Timor are considered. Attention is given to the understanding ot "mercy" in scripture and theology, the charism and practice of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, and the approach of the Australian Sisters of Mercy to their ministry in these new settings.
Metaphors for “church” and “mission” in the Lutheran Church of Australia
(2023) Mueller, Dan
Multiple metaphors combine and cohere to define “church” and “mission.” This project discovers and critiques dominant metaphors used in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). It asks: What are the prevalent metaphors? Why are these dominant? Are they helpful? Are there other more helpful metaphors? The project has three parts. First is a literature review of Australian Lutheran theological writings. Eight LCA public statements and fifty-one journal articles are identified and analysed. The discovered metaphors include: Mission is work, Mission is witnessing, Mission is motion, and Mission is war. These are predominantly adversarial, drawn from work-related and social behaviour semantic domains. Their causation can be understood in terms of LCA history including struggles during the Reformation, migration to Australia, the lived experience of Lutheran farmers, and factors leading to the union of LCA synods in 1966. Next, three qualitative focus groups explore metaphors across six LCA congregations. Although adversarial metaphors feature heavily in literature, they do not resonate with participants. Instead “constructive” and “welcoming” pictures are preferred. Analysis of transcripts reveal multiple metaphors are needed, while particular ones are favoured. Some metaphors have more intuitive mappings than others, with metaphorical meaning made in community where the pastor plays a key role. Finally, four metaphors are recommended for congregations: Mission is growing deep roots and wild branches, Mission is sharing a meal together, Mission is childbirth, and Mission is providing a safe harbour for weary sailors. These build on existing LCA metaphorical preferences, balance Lutheran emphasises, and speak to our times. Congregations are challenged to explore, critique, and change their metaphors for “mission” by: (1) discovering dominant metaphors, (2) analysing causation of dominant metaphors, (3) choosing new or existing metaphors to feature, and (4) employing these metaphors often and everywhere. New metaphors ignite the imagination and can powerfully shape future LCA identity and practice.
Nyar-U: Towards a Karen Contextual Theology
(2011-05-12) Nyunt, Aung K.
The thesis argues for the importance of a contextual theology for the Karen people from Burma who have been struggling in their journey of suffering. It proposes building a Karen contextual theology around the cultural symbol of Nyar-U, fish-paste.The first chapter explores contextual theology as central for Asia, outlining two Asian theologies, Dalit and Minjung, as two fruitful responses.The second chapter explores the importance for the Karen people of the symbol of fish-paste and how this symbol helps to understand their suffering. In the light of this symbol, the third and fourth chapters further analyse the main issues facing the Karen people,especially their suffering, fear and division.The final chapter details how the symbol of fish-paste can assist the Karen to understand God in their lives and to face their suffering with hope.
Preaching the Gospel Anew: A Reappropriation of Negative (Apophatic) and Positive (Cataphatic) Theology in Redemptorist Mission and Identity in the Age of Globalization.
(2013-05-02) Echano, Joseph
In order for Redemptorists to be faithful to their charism as established by St. Alphonsus and to realise this charism today, they need to preach the gospel anew. To preach the gospel anew is to preach the gospel in the spirit of the times. The spirit of the times which best describe the contemporary situation is globalization. This thesis sought to explore the most significant feature and impact of globalization not just on the structures of society—economics, politics and culture—but more on the everyday life of the people. This thesis then sought the most appropriate heuristic for preaching the gospel anew in globalization. The most celebrated leitmotif about globalization is the greater interconnectedness among nations, cultures and religions in the world and the massive expansion of knowledge and information. The interconnection of globalization has resulted not in sameness but in the radicalization of differentiality. The expansion of knowledge and information, on the other hand, has brought to the fore the limitation of reason, science and language. To preach the gospel anew in globalization is to preach the gospel amidst radical differentiality and unknowing. The heuristic for preaching the gospel anew that is conducive to this ethos of globalization is the ancient tradition of negative theology. Negative theology was prominent from the ancient to the Middle Ages, but was largely forgotten in modern times. It has made a comeback in contemporary theology. Negative theology emphasizes a negative way of talking about God, that is, what God is not. However, it is always complemented by positive theology, which emphasizes a positive affirmation of God, that is, what God is. Negative theology in preaching in globalization follows the path of mysticism while positive theology in preaching in globalization follows the path of prophecy. The heuristic of negative theology in preaching the gospel anew can help facilitate the Redemptorists’ task of reimagining their life and preaching mission in the age of globalization.
The Kingdom of Communities: An argument for Asset Based Community Development in local communities as a practical expression of the Kingdom's advance
(2013-05-02) Van Eymeren, Andre
This paper argues for the use of Asset Based Community development as a method of orientated trasformation. It outlines a participatory understanding of the Kingdom and in the light of this proposes a paradigm of the Western church that allows it to be culturally relevant, whilst fully engaged in Kingdom mission.
The Mission of the Redeemer: Pope John Paul II's Understanding of the Mission of the Church
(2009-05-08) McGregor, Peter
The purpose of this thesis is to discover and analyse the theological foundations of John Paul’s understanding of the Church’s mission. It attempts to demonstrate that this understanding is based on what Vatican II calls the “mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit”, and St. Paul calls the “mystery of God’s plan” and the “mystery of Christ”. It begins with an analysis of John Paul’s understanding of the mission of the Church, followed by his understanding of the mission of Christ, and concludes by attempting to show how the former is based on the latter.
The Spirituality for Mission of Saint Columba and Saint Columban: Insights Gained for Developing a Spiriuaility for Mission for the Twenty-First Centuty
(2013-05-02) Nairn, Julie M.
In the sixth century two Irish monks, Columba and Columban, left their homeland to establish monasteries among the peoples of northern Britain and Europe. As monasteries were founded, the monks became an outstanding example of living the way of Christ by contemplation and by reaching out with pastoral care to those around them. The purpose of this thesis is to identify valuable insights from a study of Columba and Columban for developing a spirituality for mission for the twenty-first century. After a brief examination of the history, culture and theological understanding of early Irish Christianity and monasticism, the writer discusses the motives, lifestyle, and spirituality for mission of Columba and Columban, in the light of their tradition and of contemporary events. This leads her to examine some recent developments in mission spirituality which are influencing the way the Gospel is proclaimed today, including the concept of missio Dei; the emphasis on following Jesus by living the Christian life as a sign of hope to others; the importance of the Holy Spirit; and non-aggressive methods of evangelisation such as inter-religious dialogue. These are all found to harmonise with and extend the spirituality for mission of Columba and Columban. There are some insights gained from the sixth century which are yet to be fully explored in contemporary mission spirituality, including the way Columba and Columban lived in imitation of Christ; their peregrination; their appreciation of the importance of the Trinity for mission; their love and respect for nature; and their particular emphasis on penance as spiritual medicine. These insights, together with more recent developments, are integrated and developed for a spirituality for mission which is relevant and meaningful today, as Christians seek to keep proclaiming the Gospel in word, sacrament, witness and service.
The Transformation of Chin Society: The Effect of the Gospel on the Life of the Hakha Chin in Burma
(2011-05-12) Lian, Japheth
This thesis is the outcome of historical and missiological research into how, over the last 100 years, the Chin people of Burma have left their traditional animistic religion and embraced Christianity. It demonstrates that the gospel has radically transformed Chin society for the better in many dimensions. The study is divided into three parts: Part One provides the background to the study. It describes the geography and societies of the Chin Hills, now known as Chin State in Myanmar, and introduces the various Chin tribes. A brief history of the arrival of the Christian gospel through American Baptist missionaries is given. Part Two deals with the factors contributing to the acceptance of the Gospel and it growth. Between 1899 and 2004 almost the whole Chin population became Christian. The growth of self-supporting, self-governing and self-propagating churches is described, with a focus on Baptist churches, but with reference to other denominations such as the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, the Anglican Church and the United Pentecostal Church. Part Three deals with the impact of Christianity, the transformation of the Chin society and the task ahead. The nature of traditional Chin village life is outlined from historical sources, showing it to have been a society of warring, head-hunting peoples with rigid class divisions (including slavery). The Chin people were a group of disunited clans whose life-expectancy was short and who were isolated, uneducated and without a written language. There were, however,some admirable social values, such as an ethic of self-sacrifice for the well-being of the group. There have been physical, social, intellectual and spiritual dimensions to the transformation of Chin society since the arrival of the Christian gospel. This study explores the many areas in which Chin society has been transformed for the better by the Gospel of Christ. This includes improvement in the status of women, the abolition of slavery, the disappearance of regular drunken revelry, the abolition of infanticide, the removal of class-restrictions on marriage and the end of isolation of one village from another. There is now a written Chin language, a blossoming body of Chin literature and a representation of Chin people in many areas of leadership, from theological teaching to senior positions in the defence forces and the arts. Most of these have sprung from the Christian message, though some have been due to westernization as much as to Christianization. Along with changes for the better have come some changes for the worse, as have been experienced in many societies affected by western modernity. The final chapter outlines the future task of the Chin Churches, which includes evangelism in their own country and beyond, as well as taking further the task of indigenisation begun but not completed by the missionaries.
Ways of Being a Multicultural Church: An Evaluation of Multicultural Church Models in the Baptist Union of Victoria.
(2012-05-03) Yang, Meewon
This thesis identifies and evaluates four different models of multicultural church in the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) in terms of how each relates to communities and congregations of other cultures. An example of each of four models was chosen from within the churches of the BUV. The aim of the study was to discover how each model works, what are its strengths and weaknesses, what the likely future for each model is, and how this information could be profitably used by the BUV in its development and support of multicultural churches.

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Browsing Masters Theses by Subject "D - Missiology"

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