Oscar Momanyi

Date of Award

3-2018

Document Type

Dissertation - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2018.

Degree Name

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)

Director

Anh Q. Tran, S.J.

Abstract

This study focuses on the Church in South Sudan. I argue that the model Church-as-Family can help the Church there to reflect on its mission of bringing lasting reconciliation, justice, and peace which can be enjoyed by the people whom it seeks to serve. The Church in Sudan focused its mission during the first two Civil Wars (1955 to 1972 and 1983 to 2005) on relief work and the accompaniment of refugees and the Internally Displaced People (IDPs). The people experienced exile because of displacement during the war. The Church endeavored to cater for the immediate needs of refugees and IDPs. The operating framework of the Church during the war period was that of a Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This model of the Church is insufficient for the new social context of post-independence South Sudan because it treats immediate needs and suffering as symptoms. Nevertheless, this one-time intervention fails to diagnose the underlying illness, which when treated, can lead to long-term health. Therefore, for the Church in South Sudan to be truly credible to its prophetic vocation, of building the kingdom of God here and now, it needs to reassess its mission in society and move beyond being a Good Samaritan Church. During the Second Sudanese Civil War, the Church had no time for building strong ecclesial communities at the grassroots. Such communities could help build and sustain justice, reconciliation, and peace in the volatile post-war social context of South Sudan. Thus, this study proposes the model Church-as-Family as a vision for the Church in South Sudan which focuses on building strong grassroots ecclesial communities as aids toward achieving healing and reconciliation.

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