Papers by Kelebogile Thomas Resane
Pharos Theological Journal, 2024
Church history demonstrates that the Church has always encountered cosmic powers. It is an appeal... more Church history demonstrates that the Church has always encountered cosmic powers. It is an appeal to church historians to consider cosmic powers as the reality to be dealt with. Through a literature review study, this paper gives some historical knowledge of the activities of cosmic powers from the Old Testament through the New Testament into the church history. The objectives are to point out that demons and their activities are part of church history; and that the current church and world at large still confront these demonic activities in diverse ways. The picture of human misery is elaborated upon and left open to interpretation as different disciplines scrutinise these miseries differently, but theologically as church history has demonstrated over centuries, they are the cosmic powers at work, manifesting as powers that promote injustice, coldness of heart, fear, and despising and abusing God's creation. These human miseries are the reason for the call to church to seriously study the subject of cosmic powers (demonology). Historical studies show that all Christian churches, especially Pentecostal and Charismatic operations seem to be in touch with the cosmic powers reality and endeavours are made to deal with them just as is the case in all mainline churches. Conclusion is an appeal to church historians to note that demons should not be treated as an absurdity and that the religion should not conclude that God is dead, or irrelevant.
Verbum et Ecclesia, 2024
This article focusses on the church in Africa, dwelling with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit to... more This article focusses on the church in Africa, dwelling with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit to confront the cosmic powers. Using the African ‘circular’ patterns, God’s presence with his people from the Old Testament times through the New Testament, an argument is presented that the African church possesses the potency to confront the cosmic powers that impinge upon the human dignity, with intentions of breaking down the community of Christ. The circle is presented as a force building towards community cohesiveness and, therefore enhancing the communality for strength against eternal forces that are aimed to
destroy the church. The secret of the victory of the community over the cosmic powers is through God’s presence with his people, communality (togetherness) of his followers, and the empowerment by the Holy Spirit. God made his presence visible through shekinah, tabernacle, miracles of provision for their needs, sacrificial rituals, temple and prophetic
leadership. The article concludes that God has always opted to commune with his people, because he himself is a communal God. He is in community, the trinitarian God dwelling together with and among his people. During the uncertain times of confrontation with cosmic powers, he has been at the centre while his people are encircling him and look
towards him as a centre of attraction.
HTS/Theological Studies, 2024
The aim of this paper is to point out a hermeneutic gap in Assemblies of God – Back to God’s orde... more The aim of this paper is to point out a hermeneutic gap in Assemblies of God – Back to God’s order of service where 1 Corinthians 14:26–32 is read, eschewing verses 33–38. It points out the Assemblies of God’s perception of women’s ordination into the ministry, where women are
allowed to participate in public worship but are not allowed to take up the pastoral leadership of the local assembly. The research problem is the hermeneutic gap behind refusal to ordain women into the ministry. The selective reading of the Scriptures poses a problem for hermeneutical inclusiveness that embraces social exegesis to arrive at the conclusion that it is not unscriptural to ordain women into pastoral leadership. The conclusion gives the remedial actions of the scenario, to suggest breaking out of a shell, agency and resilience, engaging social exegesis and hermeneutics, and engaging the community through dialogue to justify the
rationale for ordaining women into the pastoral ministry in the same par with men.
Stellenbosch theological journal, Jul 9, 2024
Conspectus, Apr 1, 2024
Evangelicals living in a democracy are faced with the pressures of constitutionalism and the infl... more Evangelicals living in a democracy are faced with the pressures of constitutionalism and the influence of secularism. These two forces unsettle God from the public spaces and enhance decadent culture. This article addresses the current challenges Evangelicals face in the decadent culture of democracy in South Africa. The essence of the proposal is how South African Evangelicals should maintain their confession, while surrounded by unethical practices of corruption and greed. An interdisciplinary approach is followed, so literature from the disciplines of Church History, Systematic Theology, Ethics, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Studies are reviewed to address the problem. The history of the Evangelical faith and the rationale behind Evangelical
Pharos journal of theology, Mar 1, 2024
Pharos journal of theology, Mar 1, 2024
HTS teologiese studies, Jan 24, 2024
In die skriflig, Oct 2, 2023
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Nov 14, 2023
Pharos journal of theology, Oct 31, 2023
HTS Religion & Society Series
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2024
South Africa is a divided racially, religiously, economically, politically and digitally country.... more South Africa is a divided racially, religiously, economically, politically and digitally country. Gadgets become personal and humans gravitate towards them instead of towards each other where botho 1 can be experienced. Technology has negative and positive impacts on the community. This article provides some practical steps from theological perspective for citizens to cross the digital divides. It is here recommended that botho be interpreted through communion ecclesiology lenses. To do this communion ecclesiology and botho will be elaborated, compared, and contrasted. Through the literature review and social media, these two tools are presented as a solution towards divided communities of faith. The findings are that the digital divides can be overcome through theological reflections, self-offering, and robust engagement with communities. The contribution made by this article is that communality cannot be bought. Becoming a spiritual community comes through self-denial and crossing the digital divides-being incarnationally present on the cutting edges of communities.
In Luce Verbi, 2024
The intention of this article is to demonstrate that theological ethics as a discipline can be
ex... more The intention of this article is to demonstrate that theological ethics as a discipline can be
expressed through some Setswana proverbs and idioms, which is another way of decolonising
theology in Africa. Decolonising theology through African proverbs in expressing ethics is
another way of decolonising theology since the philosophical elucidations and the meaning
embedded in proverbs does not easily change over time. Proverbs are important in the
substantiation of philosophical claims, and therefore are a powerful tool for education and
moral formation in all sectors of society. The method used in this research is a literature study,
as the main tool to gather the information of these proverbs and how they are educatively used
in ethical and moral decision-making. The objective of this article is not just to define the
proverbs but to point out that African folklore is rich with moral and ethical instructions.
Methodologically, various proverbs are quoted to indicate that individuals are responsible for
self-development when it comes to ethical and moral formation. The same sentiment prevails
that an individual is a member of the community, and that as an individual he or she achieves
higher goals of life not in isolation but through the contribution of the community. Application
of these Setswana proverbs is didactive when considering an individual’s development and
achievement, the importance of community involvement, and the complementarity where an
individual cannot live in isolation. The conclusion is made that there is still some hope that
although ethics and morality are dwindling in African cultural fabrics, African preachers
should embark on popularisation of proverbs, promote school curricula that include proverbs,
and articulate theological ethics through proverbs.
Conspectus, 2024
Evangelicals living in a democracy are faced with the pressures of constitutionalism and the infl... more Evangelicals living in a democracy are faced with the pressures of constitutionalism and the influence of secularism. These two forces unsettle God from the public spaces and enhance decadent culture. This article addresses the current challenges Evangelicals face in the decadent culture of democracy in South Africa. The essence of the proposal is how South African Evangelicals should maintain their confession, while surrounded by unethical practices of corruption and greed. An interdisciplinary approach is followed, so literature from the disciplines of Church History, Systematic Theology, Ethics, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Studies are reviewed to address the problem. The history of the Evangelical faith and the rationale behind Evangelical
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2024
The current developments in New Prophetic Churches (NPCs) raise the necessity for theological res... more The current developments in New Prophetic Churches (NPCs) raise the necessity for theological research. There are some practices within these formations, similar to African spiritualities. Spirituality is defined and some reflections on African spiritualities highlighted. This article identifies the NPCs and African spiritualities and how the two converge towards spiritual formation for Christians in these churches. Literature review and social media are used to research and conclude the research question, which is the resurgence of African spiritualities in faith formation of this faith community. Justification for this resurgence is based on both theological and etymological analyses of features, especially occultism and deliverance. Research finding is that many believers abandon Christian faith or opt to be opponents of the Gospel when promised prophecies are not fulfilled. Hence a conclusion is arrived at as an appeal for the return to Christian apologetics and vivacious socio-cultural contextual studies in the church. Robust dialogue with NPC leaders is long overdue, as at the end the local pastors are the ones engaged with damage control after the prophet has passed. Minimum standards should be suggested to minimize emotional damage in individuals and communities of faith, and discipleship into Christian faith needs to be heightened.
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2024
The focus is women suffering due to commercialisation of religion in Neo-Pentecostal Churches. Mo... more The focus is women suffering due to commercialisation of religion in Neo-Pentecostal Churches. Most of the religion commercialists are men with women as victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV). The CRL Commission discovered that women participation in religious commercial practices is quite alarming in terms of the ratio between men and women. There is a very serious gender bias in these churches in terms of abuse and outrageous practices. This paper focuses on vulnerability of women caused by marriage expectations, barrenness, divorce, and lack of leadership. The methods and techniques of religious commercialists will be used as demonstrations that women are indeed the victims of these malpractices. The area of finances will be highlighted to capture the truth that indeed women are victims of commercialisation of religion. Literature and social media will be engaged to validate facts. Theology of dialogue (Godtalk) contributes towards the solution to these practices that have tainted the Pentecostal faith with negative outlook. Appeal is made to male perpetrators to reevaluate their patriarchal egos at the expense of women and that their theology should take a new turn of embracing feminist theology, which helps to understand the women's value as God's image carriers.
Uploads
Papers by Kelebogile Thomas Resane
destroy the church. The secret of the victory of the community over the cosmic powers is through God’s presence with his people, communality (togetherness) of his followers, and the empowerment by the Holy Spirit. God made his presence visible through shekinah, tabernacle, miracles of provision for their needs, sacrificial rituals, temple and prophetic
leadership. The article concludes that God has always opted to commune with his people, because he himself is a communal God. He is in community, the trinitarian God dwelling together with and among his people. During the uncertain times of confrontation with cosmic powers, he has been at the centre while his people are encircling him and look
towards him as a centre of attraction.
allowed to participate in public worship but are not allowed to take up the pastoral leadership of the local assembly. The research problem is the hermeneutic gap behind refusal to ordain women into the ministry. The selective reading of the Scriptures poses a problem for hermeneutical inclusiveness that embraces social exegesis to arrive at the conclusion that it is not unscriptural to ordain women into pastoral leadership. The conclusion gives the remedial actions of the scenario, to suggest breaking out of a shell, agency and resilience, engaging social exegesis and hermeneutics, and engaging the community through dialogue to justify the
rationale for ordaining women into the pastoral ministry in the same par with men.
expressed through some Setswana proverbs and idioms, which is another way of decolonising
theology in Africa. Decolonising theology through African proverbs in expressing ethics is
another way of decolonising theology since the philosophical elucidations and the meaning
embedded in proverbs does not easily change over time. Proverbs are important in the
substantiation of philosophical claims, and therefore are a powerful tool for education and
moral formation in all sectors of society. The method used in this research is a literature study,
as the main tool to gather the information of these proverbs and how they are educatively used
in ethical and moral decision-making. The objective of this article is not just to define the
proverbs but to point out that African folklore is rich with moral and ethical instructions.
Methodologically, various proverbs are quoted to indicate that individuals are responsible for
self-development when it comes to ethical and moral formation. The same sentiment prevails
that an individual is a member of the community, and that as an individual he or she achieves
higher goals of life not in isolation but through the contribution of the community. Application
of these Setswana proverbs is didactive when considering an individual’s development and
achievement, the importance of community involvement, and the complementarity where an
individual cannot live in isolation. The conclusion is made that there is still some hope that
although ethics and morality are dwindling in African cultural fabrics, African preachers
should embark on popularisation of proverbs, promote school curricula that include proverbs,
and articulate theological ethics through proverbs.
destroy the church. The secret of the victory of the community over the cosmic powers is through God’s presence with his people, communality (togetherness) of his followers, and the empowerment by the Holy Spirit. God made his presence visible through shekinah, tabernacle, miracles of provision for their needs, sacrificial rituals, temple and prophetic
leadership. The article concludes that God has always opted to commune with his people, because he himself is a communal God. He is in community, the trinitarian God dwelling together with and among his people. During the uncertain times of confrontation with cosmic powers, he has been at the centre while his people are encircling him and look
towards him as a centre of attraction.
allowed to participate in public worship but are not allowed to take up the pastoral leadership of the local assembly. The research problem is the hermeneutic gap behind refusal to ordain women into the ministry. The selective reading of the Scriptures poses a problem for hermeneutical inclusiveness that embraces social exegesis to arrive at the conclusion that it is not unscriptural to ordain women into pastoral leadership. The conclusion gives the remedial actions of the scenario, to suggest breaking out of a shell, agency and resilience, engaging social exegesis and hermeneutics, and engaging the community through dialogue to justify the
rationale for ordaining women into the pastoral ministry in the same par with men.
expressed through some Setswana proverbs and idioms, which is another way of decolonising
theology in Africa. Decolonising theology through African proverbs in expressing ethics is
another way of decolonising theology since the philosophical elucidations and the meaning
embedded in proverbs does not easily change over time. Proverbs are important in the
substantiation of philosophical claims, and therefore are a powerful tool for education and
moral formation in all sectors of society. The method used in this research is a literature study,
as the main tool to gather the information of these proverbs and how they are educatively used
in ethical and moral decision-making. The objective of this article is not just to define the
proverbs but to point out that African folklore is rich with moral and ethical instructions.
Methodologically, various proverbs are quoted to indicate that individuals are responsible for
self-development when it comes to ethical and moral formation. The same sentiment prevails
that an individual is a member of the community, and that as an individual he or she achieves
higher goals of life not in isolation but through the contribution of the community. Application
of these Setswana proverbs is didactive when considering an individual’s development and
achievement, the importance of community involvement, and the complementarity where an
individual cannot live in isolation. The conclusion is made that there is still some hope that
although ethics and morality are dwindling in African cultural fabrics, African preachers
should embark on popularisation of proverbs, promote school curricula that include proverbs,
and articulate theological ethics through proverbs.
emerging charismatic or apostolic churches with a special reference to their church polity
based on the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4:11. The survey of the traditional church
government is done as a basis and directional guide for church government and polity.
Since the Classical Pentecostals and Charismatics form a sizeable part of evangelical
Christianity, their ecclesiology is explored and it is discovered that this is generally not
formulated into certain cohesion. This mainstream evangelical Christianity does not
formulate dogma, but adds pneumatological dynamism to their faith. However, the
ecclesiastical understanding of the emerging apostolic movement is endeavored as a way
of trying to understand the premise of ecclesiological understanding.
There is a historical survey of the fivefold ministry since the dawn of the twentieth
century, especially starting with the Latter Rain Movement. As in all researches of this
kind, the marks of this phenomenon are identified and the different terms used to refer to
it explored. These marks are highlighted in view of their theological and hermeneutical
approaches to doctrinal conclusions.
The rationale behind the movement’s fivefold ministry hangs on the doctrine of
restoration, whereby the church is believed to be prepared in the last days for a great
eschatological realization, and that to accomplish this, the restoration of church
government structure based on the fivefold ministers is to be applied. It is believed that
the church can only fulfill its mission here on earth when it operates under the guidance
of apostolic structure as laid out in Ephesians 4:11.
The research argues the theological bases and the roots of the fivefold ministry and
compares this with the current scenarios found among the apostolic churches. This is
examined in regard to the leadership in the early church, the principles of ecclesiality and
contextuality, phenomenology, Realpolitik and vox populi. The argument is enhanced by
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Ecclesiology Of The Emerging Apostolic Churches – Fivefold Ministry K.T. Resane July 2008
v
the fact that the Charismatic theology lacks cohesion and synergy because of the lack of
catechesis and apostolic paradosis.
The Ephesians 4:1-16 exegeses acts as a precursor to understanding the fivefold ministry
and the charismata in the church as supported by history and the application of domata
that the fivefold ministry was intended for ecclesia’s growth, life and nourishment. The
domata of Eph 4:11 were intended for maturity, not for the government of the church.
The climax of the research endeavours to answer the hypothesis if the fivefold ministry
can be a theologically legitimate application for church government. The apostolic
churches are reviewed and their distinctive characteristics surveyed. The fivefold
ministry is critically discussed and the arguments against if for church government
brought forth. These arguments are evaluated by comparing them with the contemporary
participative ecclesiologies.
Some further valuable deductions can be made from research:
1. There is disparity and lack of synergy regarding the fivefold ministry among the
Charismatics.
2. Ephesians 4 passage cannot be used to justify the church government structure
based on the fivefold ministry.
3. The ecclesia is a charismatic fellowship.
4. The church needs structure for the sake of order and effectiveness in the world.
5. Most of the fivefold ministry promoters are not scholarly or theologically elite.
A few constraints have been encountered which have a limiting effect on the research.
The research highlights a number of important areas which can be further researched.