Is Christianity in South Africa a label or a spiritual and ethical value system? : a study of Christian adherence in the city of Welkom / by Marjorie Froise. [print]

Wordprocessed copy.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: The Status of Christianity Explored

Chapter 3: Christianity By Name But Not By Deed

Chapter 4: A Study of the City of Welkom

Chapter 5: Social Perspectives on Ethical Problems

Chapter 6: A Study of the Problem from an Ethical and Biblical Worldview

Chapter 7: Growth and Decline in the Church

Chapter 8: Conclusion

Addendum Welkom Research Project questionnaire

List of Figures

List of Tables

Thesis University of South Africa 2004.

Includes bibliographical references.

A problem that demands an answer -- South Africa's Christian status -- 'Christian' and 'Christendom' are not necessarily synonymouus -- Christianity is more than cultural change -- Christianity is more than spirituality -- Christian faith entails more than church affiliation or attendance -- The problem explored -- The macro-problem-why the disparity between religious and social indicators? -- Considering the micro-problem -- The wider implications of the research -- Contents of the chapters, sources of material used and data collection methods -- Census reports confirm a Christian status -- A study of the city of Welkom -- Welkom Research Project -- The objectives of the research -- Social perspectives on ethical problems -- A biblical perspective on ethical problems -- Growth and decline in the church -- Terminology -- Racial terms - Conclusion.

Introduction-South Africans regard themselves as Christian -- A statistical study of Christianity in South Africa from Census reports -- Black Christianity -- The 2001 Census report -- Church membership examined from data compiled in the South African Christian Handbooks -- Comparison between census statistics and denominational affiliation -- South Africa's Christian heritage -- Christianity in the early settlers -- Early missionary activity and its historical significance -- The role of Christianity in the history of the Coloured community -- The development of Afrikaner nationalism and the historical role of the Dutch Reformed Church -- Black political resistance -- Summary of the findings -- History also confirms a Christian status.

Introduction -- The nature and extent of the crime problem -- Crime statistics -- Other crimes -- People's perception of crime -- South African Police Service, crime and confidence levels -- The perpetrators -- Structural violence existed before independence -- Fraud and corruption -- Dealing with crime -- Rape and sexual violence -- Rape in children -- HawaiiV and AIDS -- The incidence of AIDS -- Ante-natal surveys -- Engagement with HawaiiV/AIDS -- Behavioural change -- Abortion -- Summary of findings -- The problem of crime -- Who is responsible for high crime levels? -- Rape and sexual violence -- HawaiiV and AIDS -- Abortion.

Introduction -- Choice of the City of Welkom for the research study -- Church participation in the project -- Historical background -- A demographic study of Welkom -- The people -- Employment -- Education -- Place of residence -- Religious affiliation in Welkom -- HawaiiV/AIDS in Welkom -- Understanding the value systems of the people -- Resondents' views on the quality of their lives -- Family is important -- Relationships with friends -- The importance of personal fulfilment -- Success and achievement -- Attitudes towards possessions -- Concern for others -- The influence of television in establishing values -- Does the church have a role to play in society? -- Views on ethical issues -- Crime -- Corruption -- Abortion -- Sexuality -- The role of the church in society -- Understanding religious beliefs: how people feel about their faith -- Religious affiliation -- Perspectives on the Christian faith -- 'Is the Christian faith unique?' -- 'Is the Christian faith relevant to the way you live today?' -- Church attendance -- Belief in the power of prayer -- Summary of findings -- Information on respondents -- Values are explored -- Religious beliefs.

Introduction -- The problem of poverty -- Development of the State's social welfare policy -- Poverty and inequality -- October Household Surveys -- Chronic poverty -- Poverty and unemployment -- Poverty and education -- The crime problem -- The link between poverty and crime -- Urbanisation and its effects -- Corruption -- Challenges facing the country -- Summary of findings -- Poverty -- Urbanisation pressures -- Poverty, unemployment -- The crime problem.

Introduction -- South Africa's 'rainbow' system -- The basis of an ethical system -- The role of culture in determining an ethical system -- The role of values in establishing an ethical culture -- A Christian ethic explored -- The church is largely nominal -- Historical factors that have led to nominalism -- An inadequate settler faith -- The planting of Christianity among indigenous people: the introduction of Western culture rather than a biblical worldview -- The spirit world is denied in a Western belief system -- Split-level Christianity -- The effects of nominalism in the church -- Worldviews in conflict -- A biblical worldview -- A call to return to ubuntu thinking -- Secularisation of society -- Secularisation of South Africa -- Humanism -- Postmodern thought -- What postmodernism means for society -- Postmodernism and the Christian faith -- Summary of findings.

Introduction -- Growth and decline in South African churches -- Data from the South African Christian Handbooks -- Increase in clergy and churches -- Increase in training -- Increase in workers in other countries -- Data from the Welkom Research Project -- Indicators of Christian faith -- Value systems -- Responses to ethical issues -- Factors influencing church growth and decline -- Criteria for growth -- There is a decisive link between training and church growth -- The church has a purpose or vision -- The church adapts to change -- The church meets social needs -- A study of three church groups -- The Methodist Church of Southern Africa -- Pentecostal and Charismatic churches -- African Independent Churches -- Summary of findings.

Introduction -- The research question -- South Africa at the macro-level -- South Africa's Christian status is confirmed -- Black Christianity -- History confirms a Christian status -- The breakdown of moral values -- Who is responsible for the high crime levels? -- Other moral issues -- Understanding the context -- The problem from an ethical and biblical worldview -- Prevailing worldview considered -- Considering the problem on a micro-level -- The Welkom Research Project -- South African Christian Handbooks -- Growth and decline in the church -- Final comments.

'South Africa is a Christian country' -- 'Our country is in moral decline' -- The growth of Christianity from 1911 to 2001 as shown in the census reports -- Religious affiliation by population group from Census reports -- Denominational trends as a percentage of the total population -- Numerical church affiliation in the Black population group in the 1996 and 2001 census reports -- Affiliation in the African Independent Churches from the 2001 Census report -- Religious affiliation in the White population group -- Data from the 2001 Census compared with SACH statistics -- Murders per 100,000 population -- Incidence of HawaiiV-positive women at ante-natal clinics from 1999-2003 -- Employment statistics (WRP) -- Religious affiliation by denominational group (Census 2001) -- Religious affiliation by age group (Census 2001) -- Comparison of religious affiliation between the 2001 Census and the WRP -- 'Life in South Africa has improved over the past five years' -- 'My family is important to me' -- Respondents' views on personal friendships -- 'The purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment' -- Denominational responses to 'I agree/disagree' that 'the purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment' -- 'To reach the top of my career and gain public recognition' -- 'You can tell a successful person by what he/she owns' -- 'You can tell a successful person by what he/she owns' by church group -- 'How I feel about the poor in South Africa' by age group -- Hours of television watched per day by age group -- 'If the unemployed resort to crime, they should not be punished' -- Views on crime compared with education -- 'Taking or giving bribes is Oklahoma in Africa' -- 'Christian medical staff should comply and perform abortions' -- 'Christian medical staff should be prepared to terminate pregnancies' by denomination -- 'It's Oklahoma to sleep together' -- 'Sex is for marriage only' by denominational affiliation -- 'What does the church need to do to be relevant?' -- Religious affiliation for Matjhabeng -- Religion affiliation by age -- Religious affiliation in the WRP -- 'South Africa is a Christian nation' -- 'All religions are the same' -- 'All religions are the same' by denomination -- 'The Bible is totally accurate in all its teachings' -- Indicators relating to those who stated that 'all religions are the same' -- 'Is the Christian faith relevenat to the way you live your life today?' -- Relevance of the Christian faith by denomination -- Church attendance -- Attendance at a church meeting by denomination -- Unemployed compared with level of schooling-WRP -- Dimensions of a culture -- Christianity and its relationship with other ideologies and cultures -- Syncretism in both traditional and Western worldviews -- Data from the Census reports compared with SACH statistics -- Growth in the number of churches and clergy from the 1996/7 and 1999/2000 editions of the SACH -- Students in Bible colleges -- seminaries and universities studying for ministry -- Training by theological persuasion -- Data from four editions of the SACH on workers in other countries -- Church attendance -- Responses to reading of the Scriptures and relevance of the Christian faith -- Responses to the uniqueness of the Christian faith -- Hours of TV watched compared with factors that influenced respondents' lives -- Values that are held in high regard -- Opinions on ethical issues -- MCSA as a percentage of total population from census reports.

2001 Census summary of main religious groups by population -- Reported crime statistics -- Quality of life by province -- Western and African worldviews encountered at the time of introduction of Christianity into South Africa -- Models of churches.

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