Towards defining the Christian development organisation

Autor: Deborah M. Hancox
Jazyk: Afrikaans<br />English
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, Vol 75, Iss 4, Pp e1-e10 (2019)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0259-9422
2072-8050
DOI: 10.4102/hts.v75i4.5514
Popis: Around the world, there exist many organisations who claim a Christian motivation and whose work falls within the scope of the development sector. These organisations are distinctly different from local congregations, and whilst development as a field of theological study is becoming increasingly well-defined and established, there has been limited theological research and reflection on these organisations. Much about them remains unstudied and unclear, raising questions about their purpose, legitimacy and theological contribution. This in turn hampers a responsive and responsible engagement with them within the academy. Contributing to this oversight is the absence of an appropriate, commonly shared name and definition around which research and discourse can occur. This article reviews names and definitions currently being used and then proposes the name ‘Christian developmental organisation’ (CDO). It provides a rich definition, considering the CDO’s organisational, societal, purpose, activity and faith dimensions. In addition, the history dimension brings an understanding of the origins and formation of the CDO whilst the relationship dimension positions the CDO within a web of relational dynamics. It is hoped that the name and definition offered in this article will promote research and engagement with the CDO as well as aid their self-understanding.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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