https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/44 2026-11-06T07:03:35Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33085 The house of God or a place to worship? : a critical phenomenological analysis of the ambiguities of sacred place in the Christian tradition Ballard, Steven Peter This study asks: How do Christians in selected UK congregations understand and experience sacred place, and to what extent do their accounts align with essentialist or socio-constructivist theories of sacred space? It tests whether sacredness is understood as an intrinsic property of the site, as “God's house”, or whether the sacred (or the Holy) is perceived wherever Christians gather to worship. The research adopts a critical phenomenological approach. I collected data through semi-structured interviews with forty-five participants across four Christian traditions in Scotland: the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Scotland, and the Society of Friends (in the latter case, I also visited a Quaker meeting house in northern England). I recruited participants through congregational invitations, except at the Scottish Episcopal Church, where the Rector insisted on their selection. The interviews explored personal experiences of sacred places, theological beliefs, and liturgical practices. I also included a quantitative exercise in which participants rated, on a 1-10 scale, their preference for two hymns that represented contrasting understandings of sacred places. Data analysis revealed patterns indicating how participants negotiate transcendence and immanence in the places where they worship. Findings showed that neither essentialist nor socio-constructivist models, taken in isolation, adequately explained participants’ experiences. Quantitatively, denominational averages varied: Roman Catholic participants averaged 4.5, indicating stronger alignment with the “God's house” view, while Scottish Episcopalian participants averaged 6.9, favouring the “where people gather” view. The Church of Scotland and the Society of Friends averaged 6.7 and 6.1, respectively, although the latter score was constrained by low participation at one site and by no engagement at the other. Qualitatively, three patterns emerged. First, participants held a dynamic understanding of sacred place, in which theological belief, liturgical practice, and spatial design interact, rather than viewing it as a static metaphysical reality or a purely social construct. Second, they experienced their places of worship as sites where transcendence and immanence meet, enabling both individual spiritual encounter and communal integration. Third, while some participants reported experiences of conflict or exclusion associated with sacred sites, others described therapeutic effects, including acceptance and social cohesion. The study proposes an integrated model that moves beyond the essentialism-versus-socio-constructivism binary. It argues that a sacred place is best understood as a lived, ongoing human experience in which divine transcendence is embodied in belief, ritual, and design. This model offers a framework for Christians and others to articulate the relationship among place, practice, and perception without reducing sacredness to a location or social context. 2026-01-31T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32993 An African philosophical perspective on the concept and practice of lobola: continuity or disconnect with ubuntu? Fothane, Ditupa This study explores the connection between the cultural practice of lobola and the African philosophy of Ubuntu. It sets out to excavate meanings, understandings and interpretations of the concept and practice of lobola as it was practised during pre-colonial times and how it is currently practised in the post-colonial Southern African context. Through an interpretive desktop design, and a critical engagement with literature, the study explored the manifestation of Ubuntu in the concept and practice of lobola, in its ‘original form’ and in its current form. The findings of this study indicate that there is a disconnect between the practice of lobola as it is currently practised and the African philosophy of Ubuntu. The study found that the practice of lobola hinders access to marriage due to the exorbitant amount of money required; Nyakišišo ye e hlahloba kamano magareng ga mokgwa wa setšo wa lobola le filosofi ya Seafrika ya Ubuntu. E ikemišeditše go sekaseka ditlhalošo, dikwešišo le ditlhalošollo tše di amanago le kgopolo le mokgwa wa lobola bjalo ka ge e be di dirišwa mehleng ya pele ga bokoloniale, le ka fao e dirišwago ka gona mo maemong a Afrika Borwa bja ka Borwa ka morago ga bokoloniale. Nyakišišo ye e dirišitše mokgwa wa nyakišišo wa tlhathollo wa deskthopo (interpretive desktop research design) gomme ya sekaseka dingwalo tša maleba ka tshekatsheko ye e tseneletšego. Ka mokgwa wo, nyakišišo e nyakišišitše tekanyo yeo filosofi ya Ubuntu e bonagatšwago ka yona ka gare ga kgopolo le mokgwa wa lobola, bobedi ka sebopego sa yona sa mathomo le ka sebopego sa yona sa lehono. Diphihlelelo tša nyakišišo ye di bontšha gore go na le go se sepelelane magareng ga mokgwa wa lehono wa lobola le filosofi ya Seafrika ya Ubuntu. Nyakišišo e hweditše gore mokgwa wa lehono wa lobola o arogetšwe le metheo ya motheo le dikelo tša Ubuntu. Go feta moo, e hweditše gore mokgwa wa lobola ke lepheko go batho bao ba nyakago go tsena lenyalong ka lebaka la ditefelo tša tšhelete tše di godimo kudu tše di amanago le tefo ya lobola.; Lolu cwaningo luhlola kabanzi ubudlelwano obuphakathi kwesiko lokulobola kanye nefilosofi yase-Afrika yoBuntu. Luhlose ukumba luphinde luhlaziye izincazelo, ukuqondwa kanye nokuhunyushwa komqondo nomkhuba wokulobola njengoba kwakwenziwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi sobukoloni, kanye nendlela okwenziwa ngayo njengamanje esimweni saseNingizimu ne-Afrika ngemva kobukoloni. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yokucwaninga ehunyushayo esekelwe ekuhlaziyweni kwemibhalo (interpretive desktop design), kanye nokuhlaziywa okubucayi kwemithombo yolwazi efanele. Ngale ndlela, ucwaningo luhlolisise indlela ifilosofi yoBuntu ebonakala ngayo emcabangweni nasemkhubeni wokulobola, kokubili esimweni sawo sokuqala kanye nasendleleni owenziwa ngayo esikhathini samanje. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi kunokungahambisani phakathi komkhuba wokulobola njengoba wenziwa namuhla kanye nefilosofi yase-Afrika yoBuntu. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi indlela yokulobola yanamuhla isiphambukile ezimisweni nasezimisweni eziyisisekelo zoBuntu. Luphinde lwathola ukuthi umkhuba wokulobola uvimbela abantu abaningi ekungeneni emshadweni ngenxa yemali eningi kakhulu edingekayo ukuze kukhokhwe ilobolo. 2026-03-12T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32979 Islam and ubungoma : case studies of Muslim sangomas in South Africa Langa, Vincent Thulani This thesis explores the intersection of traditional African spirituality and Islam in South Africa through the lens of Muslim sangomas. The study focuses on Ubungoma, a form of divination and healing deeply rooted in the traditional beliefs of South Africa's indigenous peoples. Even though Ubungoma is generally not associated with Islam, it has also been adopted by many Muslims in South Africa, who struggle to reconcile their Islamic faith with their traditional African upbringing. The thesis employs case studies to examine the experiences of Muslim sangomas who face challenges in integrating Ubungoma into their Islamic beliefs and practices. Through interviews and ethnographic observation, the thesis explores how these individuals negotiate the tensions between their Islamic identity and the traditional African beliefs associated with Ubungoma. The study examines the relationship between Islam and culture, specifically in the social and cultural context in which these individuals practice Ubungoma and how their Muslim identity influences their practice. The thesis will thus offer further insights into the complex interplay between religion, culture, and identity in post-apartheid South Africa. 2018-10-18T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32966 Women’s leadership and empowerment in a black Pentecostal church in South Africa Jacobs, Phumeza Cordelia Nonnie This practical theological study explores women’s leadership and empowerment within African Pentecostal churches, specifically investigating Black Pentecostalism’s stance on gender equity, women’s empowerment, and the challenges posed by resistance to change. It also addresses the persistent marginalisation of women and the barriers to their ordination as pastors. Rooted in a reflective theory of practice, this research examines Christian praxis about human experience, aiming to articulate women’s lived experiences and analyse the causes and implications of their non-ordination within South African Pentecostal churches. It also examines the evolving relationship between African Pentecostalism and gender, focusing on how contemporary Pentecostal movements engage with women’s empowerment while raising awareness and promoting social justice activism to eliminate systemic prejudice and amplify women’s voices. It employs a qualitative methodology, utilising a descriptive narrative case study approach with 24 senior pastors from the Assemblies of God Back to God (BTG) denomination across various provinces in South Africa. Though BTG serves as a case study, the research situates itself within the broader discourse on gender dynamics in African Pentecostalism. The study critically explores how Pentecostal theological frameworks, ecclesial structures, and socio-cultural contexts influence women’s roles in leadership and agency. Thematic analysis is facilitated. Atlas.Ti software was applied to identify patterns in leadership perspectives, institutional practices, and theological justifications regarding women’s ordination. Findings reveal significant tensions between progressive theological visions advocating gender inclusion and entrenched patriarchal interpretations that limit women’s ministerial agency. While some Pentecostal leaders acknowledge the need for change, structural inefficiencies, rigid biblical hermeneutics, and prevailing cultural norms continue to obstruct meaningful transformation. The study suggests that meaningful change may require considerable time and effort, especially due to inefficiencies and leadership styles within African Pentecostal churches. By positioning gender as a critical lens for examining power dynamics in Pentecostal ecclesiology, this research contributes to the scholarly discourse on religion and social justice. It underscores the urgent need for sustained theological reflection and institutional reform to challenge systemic inequalities and foster inclusive leadership within African Pentecostal churches. Abstract and text in English 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z