Language as a barrier to ministry of the Word with special reference to sign language in ministry: Human dignity perspective

This article is born out of my participation in the General Synod Ministerial Formation for theological training of Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), when a decision was taken to license a student with a disability to be a minister of the Word in URCSA. Furthermore, my experience a...

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Veröffentlicht in:Verbum et ecclesia
1. VerfasserIn: Modise, Leepo J. (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
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Veröffentlicht: Univ. [2016]
In: Verbum et ecclesia
IxTheo Notationen:CH Christentum und Gesellschaft
KBN Subsahara-Afrika
KDD Evangelische Kirche
RB Kirchliches Amt; Gemeinde
weitere Schlagwörter:B Disability
B Language
B Ministry
B Sign Lanuage Human dignity
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Zusammenfassung:This article is born out of my participation in the General Synod Ministerial Formation for theological training of Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), when a decision was taken to license a student with a disability to be a minister of the Word in URCSA. Furthermore, my experience and observation of the licensing of the two candidates with hearing impairments to the ministry of the Word and Sacrament in URCSA and Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (DRCSA) has encouraged me to conduct this research. This article is made up of four important parts: Firstly, the researcher will discuss Belhar Confession as the confession that emphasises unity (inclusivity), reconciliation and justice. Secondly, Belhar Confession and disability from the human dignity perspective will be discussed. Thirdly, the ecclesiological practices and shortcomings from the human dignity perspective will be highlighted. Fourthly, pastoral care as the affirmation of human dignity will be discussed.Interdisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The fields involved in this article are Systematic Theology, Sociology and Psychology. The author challenges classification of people with a disability under the category of limited competence by the Dutch Reformed Church when they license the ministerial candidates. The future results will reveal the inclusivity in terms of licensing and calling of ministers in the Dutch Reformed Church Family. This research calls for the change in the traditional discourse within ecclesiological, sociological and psychological fields, which exclude the people with a disability from the ministry of the Word and Sacraments.
ISSN:2074-7705
Enthält:Enthalten in: Verbum et ecclesia
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.4102/ve.v37i1.1596