http://repository.anu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1297 2026-11-02T11:05:16Z 2026-11-02T11:05:16Z Mtukwa, Gift http://repository.anu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1300 2026-11-02T09:15:31Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Work and Community in the Thessalonian Correspondence: An African Communal Reading of Paul's Work Exhortations Mtukwa, Gift In this important study, Dr. Gift Mtukwa investigates the relationship between work and community in Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. Utilizing an African biblical hermeneutic, he provides a theology of work that takes seriously the communal nature of Paul’s context and its parallels with a traditional African worldview. He combines cultural and historical insight with biblical analysis to demonstrate that work has a critical role to play in community formation. It is neither a burden nor an individual pursuit but a purposeful communal activity done to benefit self and neighbor. This fresh look at Paul’s work exhortations from a contextualized African perspective offers a powerful reminder that work – like all human endeavors – should have the glory of God and love of others as its goal.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Mwailu, Daniel Mathano http://repository.anu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1298 2026-11-02T08:25:40Z 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z

To Be Like Jesus: An Appraisal of Biblical Theology in Practice of Personal and Ministerial Spiritual Formation Mwailu, Daniel Mathano PREFACE This book started as lecture notes during my sabbatical and other teaching lectures online. As such, it has more extensive citations and Biblical references than usual. It is an academic book interspersed with the personal story of my spiritual journey, with added reminiscences to animate the text. As an academic scholarly document, it has numerous notes, citations, and references to facilitate further research. As I studied on the subject of spiritual formation, I felt it was an opportune moment to interweave my spiritual journey and development as a person and as a Christian minister to elucidate and illustrate the subject of Spiritual Formation. I offer my spiritual journey and reflection with the prayer that others would find the insights and experiences related helpful to enrich their lives, in pursuit of spiritual formation and their Christian ministries. It is my prayer also for those who might read this book, and have not started on their spiritual journey, and encounter with Jesus Christ that they may find this book an inspiration to begin their journey and that those who have already started, may find it encouraging and an inspiration to keep on. To those students who have just started on their personal and ministerial journeys, it is my prayer that you may take the seven pillars or disciplines (spiritual vitamins) suggested in this book seriously for, believe you me, using them will pay high spiritual dividends in your life's journey. Investing time to follow these disciplines would greatly enrich your experience. I highly commend these disciplines (spiritual vitamins) and the insights of this book to you, praying that God will use this book to bless you. In his classic novel, The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan wrote allegory of the progress of the Christian Pilgrimage from the City of Destruction (this world) to the Celestial City (the world to come). Written in 1678 and now translated into over 200 languages, its message is still significant and relevant for Christians today. As an allegory, it pictures the struggles and challenges that confront Christians at all times. This book, relates the true story of a Christian journey that started over fifty years ago in Africa but extended to Europe (England) and America. It is interspersed with personal stories, encounters and reminiscences that point to the struggles, hurdles and hindrances faced by Christians today in their journey anywhere in the world. It suggests spiritual vitamins essential for spiritual stamina in the Christian journey in spiritual formation. The book evaluates the vital characteristics of spiritual formation and suggests from a biblical and theological perspective the disciplines necessary for its development. It affirms its validity with reference to the way in which class meetings played a major role in the Wesleyan tradition of spiritual formation. It recommends that exploring modern forms of class meetings would address current church decline.

2019-01-01T00:00:00Z