Browsing by Subject "Contextual theology"

The Lutheran identity is not always clear, and Lutheranism has many local forms around the world. This thesis looks at the Lutheran identity in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana based on the interviews of some Lutheran theologians in the church. Being a small church surrounded by many other churches and African traditional beliefs and customs, the theologians are faced with questions of what Lutheranism in their context is and how to respond to spiritual and other needs of the people in Botswana. The theologians look at their identity from the causes for becoming a Lutheran, reason what keep them in the church and describe characterising features of the Lutherans in Botswana. They go back to Luther and the Lutheran core teachings. They identify with the Lutheran community around the world yet seeing their own variations. The theologians explain what it means to be evangelical, sacramental, diaconal, confessional, and ecumenical in their context. They explore the concept of church and their relationship with other churches belonging to three main groups: the mainstream churches, Pentecostal-charismatic churches and the African Independent Churches. Spirituality in Botswana is seen in many ways, from the African Traditional Religion with its rituals, the spirit world and the ancestral veneration, to a personal relationship with God, who is present in the church through the Holy Spirit. The response to the African spirituality differs in the answers of the theologians. All of them see good in the local culture and customs, especially in the traditional ethics, Botho. The contextual models of Bevans give light to the contextualisation processes in the Lutheran church in Botswana. Lutheran identity in Botswana is varying but still strongly attached to the Lutheran roots and the theologians’ cultural heritage and local identity. They are looking for ways to find a balance between these two.