PhD Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/61
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Item The contribution of the Anglican church of Uganda to environmental ethics : a case study of selected dioceses in Buganda region(Kyambogo University (Unpublished work), 2025-07) Bbosa, Esau KimanjeThis thesis examines the contribution of the Anglican Church of Uganda to environmental ethics, with a specific focus on Namirembe, Mukono, and Kampala dioceses. As stewards of creation, religious institutions, particularly the Anglican Church, are expected to take a lead role in promoting environmental care. However, the Church's involvement in environmental ethics within Uganda’s Buganda region has been limited, particularly in terms of environmental education, which has contributed to harmful practices and ongoing environmental degradation. This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the theological foundations, practical actions, and potential for the Church to develop a contextualized framework for sustainable environmental engagement. Guided by Environmental Stewardship and Deep ecology theories, the study uses a qualitative research approach, which are grounded on interpretivism as a philosophy and a phenomenological design. Data was collected through purposive sampling of key informants, including clergy, theologians, and environmentalists, alongside interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal a clear evolution in the Anglican Church's environmental ethics, moving from an early focus on dominion over nature (based on Genesis 1:28) to a contemporary emphasis on creation care, ecological justice, and environmental sustainability. Theological teachings highlight the Church's duty to promote stewardship of God's creation, encouraging responsible human involvement in the protection of the environment. Biblical foundations, such as Genesis 2:15 and Psalm 24:1, underscore the Church's call for sustainable living, resource conservation, and ecological well-being. The Church also advocates for restoring the human-nature relationship and teaches that ecological destruction is a sin that impedes environmental sustainability. Practically, the Anglican Church of Uganda has implemented several initiatives to promote environmental protection, including tree planting, sustainable agricultural practices, environmental education, and collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The proposed framework for environmental protection integrates principles of biblical stewardship and deep ecology, calling for more robust engagement in climate smart practices, water conservation, and waste management. This framework suggests that the Church should focus on ecological justice by advocating for policies that promote environmental sustainability and actively mobilizing the grassroots to take part in creation care. The thesis concludes with several recommendations for the Church, including strengthening environmental education in theological curricula, forming faith-based environmental networks expanding tree planting initiatives, collaborating with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and raising awareness within congregations through sermons and church programs. The study makes significant contributions to the body of knowledge by reinforcing the biblical foundation for environmental responsibility, showcasing the role of religion in environmental promotion, and providing a faith-driven framework for ecological justice. By offering a comprehensive understanding of the Anglican Church of Uganda's role in environmental ethics, this thesis provides a theological and practical basis for advancing sustainable environmental practices within the Church’s ministry, education, and outreach efforts, contributing to a broader frame work for faith based environmental action in Uganda.Item The ideal wife of proverbs 31:10-31: a contextual study in relation to contemporary marriages in Uganda(Kyambogo University (Unpublished work), 2025-10) Nadunga, AnnetThis study is a contextual analysis of אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל (the ideal wife) of Proverbs 31:10-31 in relation to the African ideological conceptualizations of a good wife. The contemporary African society is a multi-ideological environment, which includes Afro-Christian and women emancipation ideals. These ideologies play concurrent and conflicting roles in informing value judgements in marriage and family life. This study problematizes the contemporary ideological constructs of a good wife and advocates for an ideological framework, which protects the African family and marriage. This ideological framework should emerge from the negotiations between the Afro-Christian and women emancipation ideologies. The study is hinged on the following objectives: to examine the textual and contextual meaning of אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל in Proverbs 31:10-31; Explore the African contextual Bible interpretation of אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל in Uganda; and lastly, to establish ways in which the contextual understanding of אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל can inform an understanding of an ideal wife in the contemporary African society. The study took a textual and contextual Bible Study (CBS) approach, which revealed an array of interpretations of the concept of ideal wife ( אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל ) across different settings and categories of participants. The lexical analysis of the Hebrew word אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל revealed fluidity especially in the functionality of the concept of חיִל . Moreover, the textual analysis across contemporary language translations revealed the cultural whims of the audience on the idea of an ideal wife. On the other hand, the CBS revealed resistance and adaptations from the participants on the notion of an ideal wife, which inevitably highlight differences in the ideological lenses. The views from the textual and contextual analysis were used in informing the advocacy for the new ideological space. The fluidity in the Hebrew חיִל gave the researcher liberty to reimage and reconstruct אֵֽשֶׁת־ חיִל in view of an ideal wife in the contemporary context. It is from this framework that the religio-cultural notions of a good wife, as well as the excesses of emancipation ideals are questioned in search of a third ideological space that is friendly to contemporary marriages and family relation.Item Virtue-ethics as sine-qua-non to economic empowerment of grassroot pastoral agents for evangelization in 21st century-Arua diocese, Uganda(Kyambogo University[unpublished work], 2022-11) Aluma, Wadri RobertThe twenty first century is an era of fortunes and misfortunes. Though globalization and capitalism associated with this century has brought integral development, thanks to science and technology, many people have been driven to poverty. Religion has not been spared by the sweeping globalization and capitalism. For religious leaders to survive in this capitalistic environment, they also need capital. Using the case of catechists in Arua Dioceses, this research recognizes the importance of capital wealth and economic welfare in evangelism but posits that this capital-wealth, economic welfare and empowerment should be anchored on virtue-ethics if evangelization is to be effective. Wealth accumulation without virtue-ethics is an anathema and jeopardizes evangelization as a divine mandate (Mt. 10: 1-15; 28: 19-20; Mk. 16: 15-18). Data collection for the study was guided by four research objectives: i. To establish the economic conditions of grassroot pastoral agents. ii. To examine the virtuous behaviour of pastoral agents in economic empowerment for evangelization. iii. To investigate the practice of ministry of evangelization among the grassroot pastoral agents. iv. To draw a way-forward for the pastoral agents themselves and the diocese towards economic self reliance. The research used both qualitative and quantitative approaches—with significant findings about the economic conditions of catechists in Arua dioceses, and the profound impact of poverty on their religious mandates. The data analysis was aided by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS - IBM Version 20) software where Tables and Figures were generated, interpreted, analyzed and presented. From the findings, the economic and living conditions of the grassroot pastoral agents are indicators of high levels of poverty. The socio-economic conditions associated with poverty affects virtuous dispositions and inevitably evangelization. The study recommended that Arua diocese prioritizes economic empowerment of grassroot pastors as a motivational parameter for evangelists. Economically empowered pastoral agents were by ipso facto motivated to deliver results. Virtue ethics should be emphasized in the curricular training of these pastoral agents as a sine-qua-non to mitigate the dangers of wealth accumulation that otherwise jeopardize evangelization. Besides, to liberate the others from negative forces, the agents must first liberate themselves. Hence, there has to be emphasis on entrepreneurial courses on the syllabus of Centers that churn out grassroot pastoral agents to mitigate the negative impacts created by poverty such as giving limited time for evangelism in favor of fulfilling other economic needs, misappropriation of church funds.