This research investigated the impact measures (such as lockdowns) used to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) have on the church’s mission. When people face travel and assembly restrictions, the church as a community of witnesses testifying and participating in Christ’s work risks is being neutralised, and its presence weakened. What then does mission as ‘being with’ look like in these situations? Is faithful presence something one can turn on and off at will depending on the (...) situation? If faithful presence was no more, what then was the impact of such absence on the church’s mission? These questions underscore the relevance of this research which sought to ascertain the impact the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had on the church’s mission. The crucial area this research sought to explore are the lessons from the COVID-19 lockdown that will help the church prepare for future pandemics which scientists say are inevitable. The research made use of a qualitative interview method to discover the meaning of ‘being with’ in the context of the COVID-19 lockdown. The results revealed six attributes of a missional church. Based on these attributes, the research recommends a seven-step process to prepare the church for possible future pandemics.Contribution: This research has provided the church with an opportunity to shift from being ‘inward-looking’ to a church that is community focused, a church that prepares, trains and equips its adherents for the work of ministry in their own communities such that the work of ministry continues with or without gatherings. (shrink)

This article investigates why the Ecumenical Church in South Africa has not responded effectively to social issues such as bad governance, corruption, inequality, crime, and ethical decline. It uses contextual and comparative analysis to examine the historical, political, and theological factors that influence the church’s role and identity. It draws on missiology, practical theology, and ecclesiology to argue that the church is neglecting its moral and prophetic duty to uphold human dignity and value, and to offer hope and healing to (...) all. The investigation identified six reasons for the church’s social failure and proposes some practical and theological ways to improve its social responsibility and witness.Contribution: This article challenges the church to be a prophetic voice and witness for social transformation in South Africa. It calls for a national convention of Christian leaders to craft a unified vision for the country’s future and foster dialogue, cooperation, and social responsibility among diverse and complex churches. (shrink)

_The Hearing Impaired Child_ introduces the background issues of hearing impairment then discusses specific aspects. These include causes of hearing loss, speech and language, personality and emotional development, and careers. Appendices provide checklists for language acquisition and reading and writing skills, lists of useful addresses, a helpful glossary and references for further reading.

This paper consists of 3 pages. Please ensure that you have them all. This paper divides into four sections. Please answer all sections. Section A: Please answer FIVE questions in this section. Section B: Answer ALL the questions in this section. Section C: Answer ALL the questions in this section. Section D: Answer this question.

In _Susceptible to the Sacred_, Bani Shorter, a well-known Jungian analyst, examines the psychological experience of ritual in contemporary life and how this promotes awareness of the individual's natural potential. Basing her book on live material, she investigates, with great sensitivity, how people perceive the sacred and use ritual in their search for purpose, motivation and transformation.

This article suggests that the popular western image of the Buddha of the Pali suttas has been influenced by the opening pages of Walpola Rahula’s book What the Buddha Taught. It examines two closely linked qualities postulated by Rahula as attributes of the Buddha: that he is respectful of other religions and that he encourages freedom of thought in his followers. It finds Rahula’s evidence faulty at every turn and goes on to give examples of the Buddha’s and suttas’ disrespectful (...) attitude to other faiths, suggesting that in respect of its ‘exclusivism’, the Buddhism of the Pali suttas is no different from other religions. (shrink)

(1877). I. A Trans-African Telegraph. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 1-11.