Once a theology of interdependence is constructed, it must then be applied. Any ecclesiastical TRC must therefore base itself firmly on a theological foundation, one that seeks to repair the separation and exclusion that a theology of racism engenders. Racism in the church is not only political, it is also theological. As I researched those previous commissions, I came to the conclusion that the TRC for the Diocese would actually have a far different mandate from the others. One framework that the Diocese considered was that of a truth and reconciliation commission (TRC), similar to the recent commissions in South Africa, Chile, and Peru that sought political reconciliation. Eugene Sutton as the first African American bishop of the Diocese of Maryland on June 28, 2008, the Diocese decided to embark upon on examination of the racist practices of its past, with the intent of pursuing religious and racial reconciliation in the Diocese. A case study of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission will demonstrate this point in addition to providing examples of what the socio- political implications of Pentecostal spiritual worldviews can be. This spiritual idioms used are never constant and even sometimes contradict one another, but they are always practical. While these problems are rarely effectively solved Pentecostals maintain their beliefs and find new explanations and methods of solving their enduring problems. This attention to spiritually-based solutions for solving this-worldly problems, situated within a clearly dualistic framework provides Liberians with a language in which they can make sense of and talk about these problems, in addition to providing spiritual activities which enable them to feel that they are active in addressing these problems. Amidst the huge variation in churches the common underlying emphasis is that the devil must be defeated and the Holy Spirit embraced in order for problems to be overcome and progress to be made. I argue that the most important aspect to consider in evaluating these roles is that Liberian Pentecostals think about, articulate and act upon all types of this-worldly problems that Liberians are faced with – individual, familial, social and national – in spiritual terms. This thesis will evaluate to what extent the Pentecostalism plays any of these roles, and what additional roles it might play. A number of arguments have been made by scholars to try to elucidate the socio-political role of Pentecostalism in different contexts. It carefully examines the massive growth of Pentecostal churches within the unique post-conflict setting of nearly total social, economic, educational and political collapse in Liberia. This PhD Thesis (written for the Department of the Study of Religions, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) is concerned primarily with the socio-political role of Pentecostalism in Liberia. However, these current events suggest that the study remains relevant for national reconciliation and theological praxis because of the abiding issues of conflict that cry out for reconciliation. It should be noted that events in Zimbabwe continue to progress at a rapid rate and the social context changes from week to week. From these seven levels, two strategies for the practice of reconciliation were suggested: ecumenical and strategic partnerships. ![]() For a deeper theology of reconciliation, seven levels for reconciliation were suggested: individual, social, cultural, institutional, political, theological and religious. ![]() In conclusion, the study established the basis for a deeper theology of reconciliation, by focusing on three key areas: social dynamics, theological reflection, and practical and logistical steps to national reconciliation. Reconciliation was seen to lie at the edge of two parallel truths justice and forgiveness truth and reconciliation. In responding to the second criticisms, the theology is deepened through an examination of Miroslav Volf‟s, Exclusion and Embrace, John de Gruchy‟s, Reconciliation: Restoring Justice, the Kairos Document and the Belhar Confession. In responding to the first criticism, the study undertakes a detailed analysis of three key areas of enmity, namely, the ethnic conflicts between the Shona and Ndebele, the racial conflicts between white and black centered on land, and the political conflicts between ZANU-PF and civil society and the MDC. Two criticisms of the NVDD are advanced, namely, the lack for a critical social analysis, and a weak theological reflection. The analysis of the social context in which the NVDD was written sets the tone for this study, and provides the basis for discussing and constructing a deeper theology of reconciliation in Zimbabwe. The study focuses on the National Vision Discussion Document (NVDD) from Zimbabwe, and is a reflection of the need for, and the churches‟ approach to, reconciliation in Zimbabwe.
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