The concept of Ũtugi within the HIV and AIDS pandemic : a pastoral assessment of the ecclesial praxis of the Anglican Church in Kenya

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with the concept of Ũtugi in relation to the HIV and AIDS pandemic and its contribution to the ecclesial praxis of the Anglican Church of Kenya. The thesis scrutinizes the HIV and AIDS context in Kenya, examines the origins, the nature, the characteristics and the definition of Ũtugi and its role in socio-economic, political, cultural, moral and religious life of the Agĩkũyũ community in Central Kenya and assesses the ecclesial praxis of the Anglican Church of Kenya. This concern is prompted by the need for the Anglican Church of Kenya to marshal Ũtugi (traditional resources) to complement Christian hospitality (church resources), to enhance human dignity of PLWHA and to fight the HIV and AIDS pandemic. By employing a hermeneutical tool as a praxis approach to pastoral care and counselling to interpret theological and assess the Agĩkũyũ cultural concepts and using a non-empirical research method (a qualitative research) based on conceptual analysis, the study explores critically the role of Ũtugi within the context of HIV and AIDS and its appropriateness as a tool for pastoral care and counselling in the Anglican Church of Kenya. The study poses the following research questions: In which way can the Agĩkũyũ concept of Ũtugi be used to create a healing space? How can Ũtugi be used to reframe the prevailing ecclesiological paradigms applied by the Anglican Church of Kenya? How can Ũtugi as a cultural concept help the Anglican Church of Kenya to become relevant and contextual in her endeavour to respond to the challenges posed by the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the twenty-first century?The thesis unveils that the principles of Ũtugi can complement Christian hospitality to network and help the church to carry the burden of PLWHA, thus, enhancing their human dignity, sharing their joy and comfort, and journeying with them in their pain, sorrow and healing. It was also found that Ũtugi as a contextual model which is culturally rooted, is relevant to the Agĩkũyũ people and that it can help in transforming the existing ecclesial praxis of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Drawing from Daniël Louw's existential model for spiritual healing, the study assesses the appropriateness of Ũtugi as a model for pastoral care and counselling to PLWHA. It is revealed that Ũtugi is not only a paradigm that can augment their physical, social, psychological, economic, moral and spiritual aspects but that it has the capacity to deal with the existential threat of anxiety, guilt and shame, disillusionment and anger, despair and doubt, helplessness and vulnerability. Thus it can enable them to shift from their existential threats to a position of love, care, support, compassion, accommodativeness, liberation and hope.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University