MTHMS15/101/2012
DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY,
CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY
Discipline: Missiology
To all students enrolled for the
Structured MTh programme
Tutorial letter 101/2012
Please read
carefully
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Entering Master’s studies – A qualitative change
3
1.
Our approach: Contextualisation
3
2.
Two structured M Th programmes
6
3.
The study process
6
4.
The three study units
9
5.
Deadlines and short term goals
14
6.
What is research?
14
7.
Choosing a dissertation topic and a supervisor
16
8.
The parable of the volunteer gardeners
17
9.
Selecting and polishing your tools
20
10.
Managing your data
21
11.
Formal features of academic writing
23
12.
What makes a study missiological?
25
13.
What is a good dissertation?
26
14.
Checklist for submission of dissertation
26
15.
Conclusion
27
List of references cited
28
Appendix 1
Instruction words
Appendix 2
Contract of Agreement
Appendix 3
Library Instructions
Appendix 4
List of other relevant tutorial letters
Appendix 5
Work sheets
List of recommended books
List of electronic reserves articles
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31
33
35
36
46
48
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MTHMS15/101
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TO ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED FOR THE STRUCTURED MTH PROGRAMME
Dear Student
Welcome to the community of research students in the Discipline of Missiology at Unisa! We hope that this tutorial letter
will be a helpful reference as you proceed through the structured M Th programme. If you have any unanswered
questions or areas of uncertainty after reading this letter, please let us know so that we can answer your query but also
improve this letter for future students.
Right at the outset, we would like to introduce ourselves to you. As from the beginning of 2010 there are seven of us
(three permanent staff and four on contract appointment) who are responsible for the structured MTh programme in
missiology at Unisa. The permanent staff are Prof NA Botha, Prof JNJ (Klippies) Kritzinger and Prof Annalet van
Schalkwyk, whereas the contract staff are Prof (emeritus) Willem Saayman, Prof (extraordinarius) Johannes Reimer,
Dr Christof Sauer as an associate, and Prof (extraordinarius) Jesse Mugambi from Kenya. Prof Saayman was, until his
early retirement, the head of our department. Prof Reimer, on the other hand, lives and works in Germany and is our
department’s external professor for the growing number of German students doing our structured M Th degree. Here
are our telephone and fax numbers, as well as our e-mail addresses, if you need to contact us:
NAME
TEL. NO.
FAX NO.
E-MAIL
Prof NA Botha
(012) 429-4533
(012) 429 4619
bothana@unisa.ac.za
Prof JNJ Kritzinger
(012) 429-4759
do
kritzjnj@unisa.ac.za
Prof A van Schalkwyk
(012) 429-4685
do
vschaa@unisa.ac.za
Prof WA Saayman (on contract)
(012) 429-4477
do
saaymw@gmail.com
Prof J Reimer (on contract)
Dr Christof Sauer
(0949)-2261-3024524
(021) -5587744
-
Johannes.Reimer@GBFE.org
christof@sauer-fam.de
Prof Jesse Mugambi (on contract)
(09254)-608 810
(09254)-722-753-227
jmugambi@iconnect.co.ke
Entering Masters level studies – A qualitative change
You have made many transitions to get this far. You went from primary to secondary school, and from secondary school
to college/seminary/university. Now you are making another very important transition: from undergraduate to
postgraduate studies. Some of you may already have done an Honours degree, and will therefore have some
perception of what postgraduate studies are about. But even for you this transition will be so different from the
transitions you have made before, that we wish to discuss it a bit more fully.
Being admitted into our Master's programme does not signify simply another year in your career as student. It
signifies primarily a qualitative change, a transition into a new way of being a student of Missiology. Actually, you are
now beginning to do missiology in earnest. Previously we were interested in your mastery of the contents of a limited
number of set books and recommended literature, your understanding of the points of view the authors presented, and
your ability to reproduce those views in your own words. From now on we will be interested in the first place in your
ability to enter into a debate with as large a number of authors as possible, your ability to present their views fairly and
concisely, your ability to formulate your own arguments in agreement or disagreement with these authors, and – above
all – your ability to become a missiological researcher who can generate and formulate new knowledge. From now on
we will not be satisfied if you have simply reproduced the views of others; we will be expecting, first and foremost, an
expression of your own evaluation of their views and creative new ways of formulating your own. In terms of the content
of your study material, this is the qualitative transition we have referred to.
SECTION 1: Our approach – Contextualisation
The fundamental missiological approach of our department is that of contextualisation, as we explained in our Honours
course (MSG422E) on Mission praxis. This does not mean that we merely acknowledge the influence of context
(upbringing, class, gender, etc.) on people’s views, but that we consciously integrate context analysis into theology. We
do this by encouraging students to think in terms of the – “pastoral cycle” formulated by Holland & Henriot (1983) and
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developed by Cochrane et al. (1990), which sees a circular relationship between the four dimensions of insertion,
analysis, reflection, and planning (see figure 1).
We can explain this further by saying that according to a contextual approach, there is no universally valid theology. An
authentic theology arises from the particular context within which it is done. Contextual theologians emphasise that
Jesus has many faces and needs to become uniquely incarnated in every human situation.
In a contextual approach to theology a constant interplay between text and context is suggested. For
Protestants, the Bible is the textual source of knowledge about salvation history, whereas for Orthodox and Catholics
the Bible is seen as the fountainhead of an ongoing Christian tradition that is entrusted to the church as the guardian of
the truth. Over against this textual source, there is the context or real life situation. In a contextual approach, text and
context have to be integrated and studied together. There should be a constant to and fro (= dialectical) movement
between these two poles. Contextual theology exposes the fallacy that theology has to do with timeless truths that can
be expounded objectively.
Contextual theology also emphasises the constant interaction between action and reflection. Theological insights
should both arise from and culminate in deeds. Missiological reflection can never take the place of active participation in
God’s mission, while missional action should in turn stimulate missiological reflection. The study and the practice of
mission are vitally important to each other and should never be separated. The term praxis, as used in a contextual
missiology, is not a synonym of practice, but refers to this totality of action and reflection, which are seen as having a
dialectical (mutually dependent) relationship to each other. This use of the term praxis is derived from the philosophy of
Aristotle (and later Karl Marx), as this was developed (among others) by the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. The
Marxian influence on this terminology should not, however, make us dismiss the contextual approach as a Communist
plot. The notion of the inseparable relationship between thinking (or believing) and acting is deeply rooted in the
prophetic biblical tradition, as can be seen in verses like Isaiah 58:1-12; Jeremiah 22:16; Amos 5:21-24; Matthew 7:2123; James 2:14-17 and many others.
In order to clarify the relationship between the four terms (text-context, action-reflection), it may be helpful to
adapt the diagram of the pastoral cycle (which we could also call the cycle of missionary praxis) as follows (figure 2):
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According to a contextual
approach to theology, the
first step in doing theology is that of insertion. In other words, practical involvement in Christian praxis for the sake of
the kingdom of God. The second step is that of context analysis, which involves the conscious use of analytical tools to
unlock the underlying dynamics (often hidden from view in a naive approach to reality) that are at work in a particular
situation or context. The third step is that of theological reflection on the situation (which includes the church) which
consists of a re-reading of the Bible and the Christian tradition in response to the questions raised by insertion and
social analysis. This dimension of doing theology is sometimes regarded as the only “real” theology, but a contextual
approach argues that it is only one dimension of a fourfold process of theologising, which can easily become distorted if
it is not studied in relation to the other three dimensions of this circular process. The fourth step is that of planning for
action, which completes the circle since it leads back to insertion. This final element underlines the view of contextual
theology that theology should not be abstract theories that are of no earthly use to the people of God, but instead give
them direction and courage as they worship and struggle to be faithful to the gospel in daily life.
The clockwise movement around the circle (as indicated by the curved arrows), which reveals the “inner logic”
of this approach to theology, does not imply a chronological sequence between these elements. There isn’t a one-way
movement from insertion to analysis to reflection, to planning, in a “mechanical” fashion. There is a constant interaction
between all four the elements, as indicated by the straight arrows. The four dimensions can not only be seen as four
stages of a process but also as four aspects of a system.
Please note the words in bold. In the action-reflection dialectic, the two “blocks” at the bottom of the diagram
represent action and the two “blocks” at the top represent reflection. Likewise, the two “blocks” on the right represent
text and the two on the left represent context in the text-context dialectic.
This adaptation of the pastoral cycle expands it to become a cycle of mission praxis, which enables one to
study mission activities in a critical way, in other words, to do missiology. The notion of praxis, understood as Christian
action aimed at transformation, either of individuals or of whole societies, is most appropriate for understanding mission
and missiology. We therefore want to encourage you to use it in your missiological reflections and in your research
design.
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SECTION 2: THREE STRUCTURED M TH PROGRAMMES
Unisa presently offers three structured MTh programmes under the heading of Missiology: a) The general MTh in
Missiology programme; b) The MTh in Missiology, with specialisation in Urban Ministry; and c) The Women, Gender
and Religion (focus: Missiology) programme. The structural features of the three programmes are identical, but
throughout this tutorial letter we will indicate where there are differences in content between them. The information on
the general MTh programme will be the main narrative, and the other two programmes will be explained in occasional
blocks bearing the headings WGR and UM.
WOMEN, GENDER AND RELIGION
The Women, Gender and Religion (WGR) M Th programme is an interdisciplinary MTh course presented by a group
(“cluster”) of lecturers from different theology departments in the College of Human Sciences. The first half of the
programme is offered jointly by various lecturers of the cluster, but the second half is offered specifically by the
department in which the student is registered. Full details of the programme appear in Section 3. It is very important
to state that the WGR programme is not reserved for women. It is open to anyone who wishes to study the position
of women in mission or (more broadly) the role of gender in mission, primarily in the African context. It may interest
you to know that a number of men are enrolled for this programme. For those who are not aware of the terminology
used here, gender refers to more than sexual (biological) differences between men and women. It refers to the social
roles and statuses assigned to women and men in society, in accordance with the values of particular cultures,
religions and classes. In other words, this course does not look at the relationships between men and women in a
static way, as based on fixed “natural” or “God-given” laws, but as social constructs that are learnt from one’s culture
and that are therefore changeable in the light of Christian faith and Christian mission.
URBAN MINISTRY
The structured MTh in Urban Ministry is offered in collaboration with the Institute for Urban Ministry (IUM), which is
based in Pretoria. The three course work modules introduce you to the specific application of the praxis cycle to
urban ministry. To enrol for this programme, you need to contact IUM, since the programme requires of you to attend
their annual Summer School in January and their annual Winter School in July. These events will put you in contact
with the wide network of urban mission practitioners and researchers that IUM has built up over the past 12 years,
thereby enhancing the relevance and quality of your urban ministry research.
SECTION 3: THE STUDY PROCESS
The general structured MTh in Missiology consists of three modules of course work and a dissertation of limited scope.
The logic of the programme is that the three modules lead you step by step towards the writing of the dissertation. One
could portray the three study units as concentric circles:
 The first module (MThMS15), “Recent developments in Missiology”, is the widest circle since it deals with
broad issues of missiological method;
 The second module (MThMS26), “To be determined between supervisor and student”, focuses on the specific
missiological field of study in which you wish to work. Therefore your supervisor will prescribe a tailor-made
reading list in the field of your research;
 The third module (MPCHS91), “Master proposal”, will guide you in the writing of the research proposal for your
dissertation of limited scope.
Finally, the dissertation of limited scope (DIS523L) is a short dissertation that carries out the research proposal you
drafted in MPCHS91.
WOMEN, GENDER AND RELIGION
Like the basic structured MTh programme in Missiology, the Women, Gender and Religion (WGR) programme also
consists of three modules of course work and a dissertation of limited scope. The first two modules are presented on
an interdisciplinary basis, but the third study unit and the dissertation are specifically missiological in nature. They
can also be seen as concentric circles:

Study unit 1 (MThMS15), “Recent developments in Missiology”, deals with feminist methodology, research
methods and various issues in feminist theology.
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

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Study unit 2 (MThMS26), “To be determined between supervisor and student”, deals with women, religion
and society in Africa.* Your supervisor will prescribe a tailor-made reading list in the specific field of your
research;
Study unit 3 (MPCHS91), “Master proposal”, will guide you in the writing of the research proposal for your
dissertation of limited scope (see below). It will focus on feminist issues as they surface in the specific
discipline for which you are enrolled. In our case, a student will focus on the feminist/gender issues that are
relevant to the topic of her/his missiological dissertation.
Dissertation of limited scope (DIS523L) is a short dissertation that addresses a feminist or gender topic, according to
the research proposal you drafted in MPCHS91.
* If you do not live in Africa, this study unit will be adapted for your particular context, in consultation with your
supervisor.
URBAN MINISTRY
Like the basic structured MTh programme in Missiology, the Urban Ministry programme also consists of three
modules of course work and a dissertation of limited scope. The logic of the programme is that the three modules
introduce you to the main aspects of urban ministry and thereby lead you step by step towards the writing of the
dissertation.

Study unit 1 (MThUM1J), “Theological method, urban studies and congregational studies;

Study unit 2 (MThUM2K), “Culture, community and spirituality: Towards a transformed ministry”;

Study unit 3 (MPCHS91), “Master proposal”, will guide you in the writing of the research proposal for your
dissertation of limited scope (see below).

Dissertation of limited scope (DIS522K) is a short dissertation that carries out the urban ministry research
project that you designed in MPCHS91.
3.1
Recommended material
For each study unit you will be given a reading list of recommended material (books and articles) comprising more or
less 2 000 pages in total. Since these are not prescribed books, you need not buy any of them. They are recommended
books and therefore a few copies of each will be available in the Study Collection of the Unisa library. If you do not live
in the vicinity of Pretoria, you can order these books by mail (using the cards provided for that purpose) or by fax (012429-2925; give all the bibliographical details of the book and mark your message for attention: BOOK REQUESTS).
Please consult the library information booklet you received on registration for other relevant details.
The recommended sources in each reading list should form the basis of your assignment, but you should not
limit yourself to these. We expect you to find your own additional material, from books you have on your shelf, the
publications of your denomination, other publications referred to in the footnotes or bibliographies of the recommended
books, or books that you have found while browsing the theological shelves of the Unisa (or another) library. You are
now a researcher and the operative verb in the word research is search. We expect of an MTh student to be like
Sherlock Holmes, sniffing around for clues to unravel the mysteries of the fascinating religious world in which we live. If
you only make use of the recommended material in a reading list, you may pass the assignment, but you are not likely
to do well. Finding one's own material is one of the key skills one should develop at the Masters level.
If you have completed a study unit and have not yet received the instructions and reading list for the next study
unit from your supervisor, please contact him/her immediately. Since it is important (if at all possible) to complete each
study unit within six months, insist on getting prompt service from your supervisor.
INVITATION
At this point we want to invite you to become a member of the Southern African Missiological
Society (SAMS). This is a community of missiologists who meet every January to reflect together on the meaning of
Christian mission in Southern Africa. The papers read at these annual congresses (as well as others that are
submitted to the editorial committee) are published in Missionalia, the official journal of SAMS. In addition to papers,
Missionalia also contains book reviews. So if you want to stay abreast of recent developments in missiology
worldwide, read Missionalia. You could receive this journal either by joining SAMS or by subscribing to it. If you only
subscribe to Missionalia it presently costs R150,00 p.a. in Southern Africa, while full SAMS membership (which
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includes Missionalia subscription) costs R150.00 p.a. Subscription for the rest of Africa (air mail delivery) is US$30
(individuals) and US$35 (institutions). For the rest of the world the subscription (air mail delivery) is US$ 60 (for
individuals) and US$70 (institutions). For that money you get around 500 pages of up to date and stimulating
missiological information each year (appearing in three issues: April, August, November), specifically related to the
Southern African context. By reading Missionalia you will have a much wider missiological frame of reference when
doing assignments and oral exams. One can join SAMS by attending an annual congress (which lasts 3 days and is
always held in the third week of January). For full details on subscription and SAMS membership, contact Mrs Jansie
Kilian at Missionalia, P.O. Box 35704, Menlo Park 0102; or by email: jansie@cpro.co.za
3.2
The first two modules
3.2.1
Assignments
In each of these two modules you are required to complete one assignment. Work through the reading list of each
module, studying the books with the specific purpose of writing the assignment required. An assignment should be 2530 pages in length (i.e. 7 500-9 000 words), be typed in 1.5 spacing, and conform to all the requirements of academic
writing (see Section 11). If you do not have a personal computer, please arrange to get access to one. Using a word
processing programme on a computer is an essential skill that you need to master if you want to do postgraduate
studies in today’s world.
When doing an assignment, pay close attention to the instruction word (describe, discuss, evaluate, etc.) used
in it. Please consult the list of instruction words included in Appendix 1. In academic writing everything hinges on the
careful and precise use of words, so make sure that you understand what you are expected to do in each assignment.
The assignment required in a particular module must be submitted before you may sit for an examination in
that module. The examiners need the assignment(s) beforehand so that they can prepare meaningfully for the
encounter (see 3.3 below).
3.2.2
Examinations
There are three possible ways of being assessed in each module, once you have completed your assignment: a) an
oral examination; b) a written examination; c) by submitting two articles (long essays).
3.2.2.1 Oral Examination
Most of our students (and we ourselves) prefer this option, because it helps to establish a personal relationship
between supervisor and student. Generally, oral exams take the form of a discussion, not an inquisition! We are
primarily interested in your ability to take part in a reasoned, intelligent missiological debate and in the theological
insights you have regarding the material, rather than in your ability to memorise a heap of facts. Many students have
never done an oral examination before and are therefore anxious and tense about the prospect. Have a good
discussion with your supervisor beforehand – he/she will be more than willing to discuss your fears and anxiety with
you. The exams are also “open book” exams, so you are welcome to bring along books and notes if you would like to
do so.
An oral exam lasts for up to one hour and you sit down with an examination commission of three persons: your
supervisor, an internal examiner (another member of our department) and an external examiner (from another
university or seminary). This three-person commission must be approved by the College Management Committee,
which meets weekly for most of the year, except during July. You will make matters impossible for your supervisor if you
contact him/her a week or so before your intended oral exam. Plan your study programme more carefully than that, so
that your supervisor has enough time to make all the necessary arrangements.
If you live a long distance from Pretoria, we can arrange for you to do an oral examination by means of Unisa's
conference telephone. This means that the examiners sit around a speaker phone at Unisa and you sit at home with
your telephone to your ear. All the other features are identical to a face-to-face examination.
There is also another possibility, which is preferred by some students living outside South Africa. They
complete and submit the assignments for all three their study units and then travel once to South Africa to do the oral
examinations for all three study units in the space of a week, e.g. on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Such a student
then also uses the opportunity to meet his/her supervisor personally and to discuss the writing of the dissertation.
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3.2.2.2 Written examinations
For a student who does not have the financial means to travel to Pretoria for oral examinations, or who simply prefers to
sit a written exam, this can easily be arranged, but such examinations may take place only during January-February.
The paper has a three hour time limit, but all further details will be supplied by your supervisor. It is possible to write
one, two or all three your papers in the same year. In this case, too, there will be a panel of three examiners marking
the papers. If you wish to sit for a written exam in January-February of the following year, you should notify your
supervisor during June of the previous year, so that s/he can draw up the exam paper before the Unisa deadline of 15
July.
3.2.2.3 Two articles
The third option is for a student to write two long scholarly articles (of 30 typed pages or 9 000 words each) in each
module and to submit these for examination. These must be of such a standard that they should be publishable in an
academic theological journal. As in the previous options, there will be a three-person examination committee to assess
these articles. If you choose this option, contact your supervisor without delay so that you can negotiate the topics, the
required reading material and all the other requirements.
3.2.3
Examination results
Unfortunately we are not allowed to give you your results immediately after an oral examination. The three examiners
do allocate a mark after the oral, but that result first has to be approved by the College Management Committee and
processed by the relevant administrative department of Unisa before it may be officially made known to you. And all of
this takes time. One clear indication of how you have fared (in an oral examination) will be whether your supervisor
gives you permission to proceed with the next module. If you fail an examination, you will have to repeat it, and
therefore will not be able to continue immediately with the next module.
PLEASE REMEMBER
If you wish to do an oral examination, contact your supervisor well in advance with the details, so that s/he will
have enough time to make the necessary arrangements.
3.3
The Masters proposal (MPCHS91)
As from 2010, every Masters student at Unisa will have to pass a formal module that comprises the writing of the
research proposal for the dissertation. This module has been integrated into our structured MTh programme as the
third module of course work (MPCHS91). Your supervisor will give you clear guidance on how to approach the writing of
your proposal. There is no examination in this module; the only outcome is a completed (and academically acceptable)
research proposal.
3.5
The dissertation of limited scope
The first half of the MTh programme (the three modules of course work) counts 50% of the final mark. The second half,
which is the writing of your dissertation (of limited scope), makes up the other 50%. It often happens that the exact
choice of the topic (title) of the dissertation is not finalised until rather late in the process. You need to indicate a title or
topic of study on your registration form when you register for the degree, but it often happens that the focus of the study
shifts while you are reading your way through the recommended literature of the first two modules. It is important to
keep this final goal of the process constantly in mind while you do the assignments and oral exams in the first two
modules. Keep thinking about your dissertation’s title and content, and keep refining your focus, so that you can design
a good research proposal in the third module (MPCHS91). In Section 7.2 we give more specific details about the
selection of a dissertation topic.
SECTION 4 – DETAILS ON THE THREE STUDY UNITS
4.1
Study Unit 1 (MThMS15) – Recent developments in missiology
The place to begin your structured M Th programme is the reading list for the first module (MThMS15), which is
10
included below. This module introduces you to the general field of Missiology and the various methods used in it. You
are required to work through these recommended publications and then write an assignment on it.
4.1.1


4.1.2
Assignment 01
Analyse, compare and evaluate the methodological approaches to missiology found in FOUR of the
recommended books listed below (Bosch, Bevans & Schroeder, Bediako, Pachuau, Wickeri). The books by
Bosch (1991) and by Bevans & Schroeder (2004) are compulsory, but you may choose any two of the
remaining three books. Make sure that at least one of these books is from a theological tradition or continent
different from your own.
Conclude the assignment with a description of your own understanding of missiology.
Particulars of this assignment
4.1.2.1 Length
Your assignment should be between 25 and 30 pages (7 500 – 9 000 words) long. Make sure that it conforms to the
five formal requirements of academic language explained in Section 11. Do not read the books with a view to
memorising their contents. Read them with the specific purpose of doing the assignment. We are much more interested
in your ability to reason, formulate and persuade than your short term memory. So please interpret your sources and
enter into debate with them; do not merely reproduce or summarise their views.
Unless your supervisor recommends other books to you specifically, this is the standard assignment for the first module
of all missiology students in the structured MTh programme.
4.1.2.2 Focus
This module deals with missiology, i.e. the systematic, critical, and ecumenical discipline which studies the practices of
Christian mission. We therefore do not expect you to comment on all the material aspects of the practice of mission
dealt with in the recommended books; We want you to concentrate on the methodological approaches to the study of
mission, in other words, the things that make missiology an academic discipline.
Give special attention to questions of theological method, i.e., questions concerning the interrelationship between
the following factors in missiology: Bible, context, culture, other religions, personal experience, mission history,
empirical research, gender, “race,” economic structures, political structures, ecology, the relationship between theory
and practice, etc.
To help you focus on theological method, we have recommended some literature that give critical reviews of these
books, as well as a general introduction to missiology (for a broad orientation to the field), a missiological dictionary (to
look up unknown terms), and three publications that give special attention to models of (contextual) theology. All these
titles are given below.
4.1.2.3 General information on recommended books
Limited copies of these books are available in the Study Collection of the Unisa library, and can be requested by
students enrolled for the particular programme.
Note:
A list of these recommended titles with their respective book numbers appears at the end of this tutorial letter. You
should fill this in on the request card when requesting books from the Library. Recommended books may be ordered
telephonically from the Main Library in Pretoria at (012)-429-3133 [internationally: +27-12-429-3133]. Have your book
numbers and your student number at hand when you phone.
4.1.3
Literature to be consulted
4.1.3.1 RECOMMENDED LITERATURE
ANALYSE, COMPARE AND EVALUATE THE MISSIOLOGICAL APPROACHES OF FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING
BOOKS
Compulsory:
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Bosch, D.J. 1991. Transforming Mission. Paradigm shifts in theology of mission. Maryknoll: Orbis (Give special
attention to Introduction: pp.1-11 and Part 3: pp. 349-519).
Bevans, Stephen B. & Schroeder, Roger P. 2004. Constants in context: a theology of mission for today. Maryknoll:
Orbis (Give special attention to Part 1: pp.7-72 and Part 3: pp.281-398).
Choose ANY TWO of the following publications:
Bediako, Kwame. 1992. Theology and Identity: The impact of culture upon Christian thought in the second century and
in modern Africa. Oxford: Regnum. (Focus on Chapter 1 and Part Two = pp xi-xvii; 1-63, 225-444).
Pachuau, Lalsangkima. 2002. Ecumenical Missiology. Contemporary trends, issues and themes. Bangalore: United
Theological College.
Wickeri, Philip L. (ed). 2002. Scripture, community, and mission. Essays in honor of D Preman Niles. Hong Kong:
Christian Conference of Asia & London: Council for World Mission.
4.1.3.2 ADDITIONAL LITERATURE
a) On the books to be evaluated
When analysing and evaluating a recent missiological publication, it is very helpful to read reviews of the book in a few
good missiological journals. Journals that are particularly helpful in this regard are International Bulletin of Missionary
Research; Missiology; International Review of Mission; Missionalia and Exchange. The subject reference librarian for
theology (Mrs Elsabé Nell, see Appendix 3) will help you locate book reviews on all five the recommended books.
Internet book sellers such as Amazon.com also carry reviews of some of the books that they offer for sale. On
classical publications (like Transforming Mission of David Bosch) there is usually a host of secondary literature, e.g.
doctoral theses by John Kevin Livingston, Tiina Ahonen and Pieter Cornelis Tuit and two honorary volumes
(Festschriften) in honour of Bosch, in which his colleagues enter into dialogue with him on his work:
Kritzinger, J.N.J. & Saayman, W.A.(eds) 1990. Mission in creative tension: A dialogue with David Bosch. Pretoria: S A
Missiological Society = Missionalia 18:1 (April 1990).
Kritzinger, JNJ & Saayman, WA (eds.) 1996. Mission in bold humility: David Bosch's work considered. Maryknoll, NY:
Orbis. viii, 184 pp.
The other recommended works have not (yet) called forth so much secondary literature, but you will certainly find
insightful book reviews to help you interpret and evaluate them.
b) On missiological method
Bevans, Stephen B. 1992. Models of contextual theology. Maryknoll: Orbis. – This book gives a helpful survey of
different approaches to contextual theologising.
Recommended journal articles
Bate, Stuart C. 1998. Method in contextual missiology. Missionalia 26:2 (August): 150-185.
Kritzinger, JNJ. 2002. A question of mission – a mission of questions. Missionalia 30:1 (April): 144-173.
Note:
Photocopies of recommended journal articles are supplied by the library free of charge to postgraduate students, but
your requests for such photocopies must be made on the standardised PERIODICAL REQUEST CARDS. Fully
completed request cards should be posted or faxed to the Library (Fax: 012-429-2925). Requests in letters (mailed or
faxed) will be referred back to you. Periodical request cards are available from the Library (Tel. 012-429-3134).
Photocopies will be sent by air mail only if request cards are accompanied by the appropriate air mail postage. See
Your Service Guide @ Unisa for tariffs. Requests for photocopies to be airmailed may, therefore, not be faxed.
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4.1.3.3 BACKGROUND LITERATURE
The following reference works will give you a broad introduction/orientation to missiology
Moreau, A.Scott, Corwin, Gary & McGee, Gary. Introducing world missions. A Biblical, Historical and Practical Survey.
(Includes Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions on CD-ROM). Series: Encountering Mission. Baker Book House,
2004, cloth/hardcover, 350 pp. - Start with reading this introduction if you have never read an introduction to
missiology.
Evangelical dictionary of world missions / Gen. ed.: A. Scott Moreau. Associate ed.: Harold Netland. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 2000. - 1068 pp. This comprehensive reference work contains over 1,400 articles on the theory,
practice, theology, and history of mission. To gain a general orientation in the discipline, read the relevant articles on
missiology listed in the Master Outline ' 2, pp.1050-1052, on theological method, theological systems and theology of
mission ' 5.13-15, pp. 1059-1060, and on missio Dei, as well as any other articles which seem relevant to your
assignment or are of interest to you.
Encyclopedia of missions and missionaries, edited by Jonathan Bonk. New York/London: Routledge, 2007. This
contains around 150 entries that give a wide-ranging introduction to the field of Christian missions and missionaries.
Dictionary of Mission: theology, history, perspectives, edited by Karl Müller and Theo Sundermeier. Maryknoll: Orbis,
1997. Translated from German, this dictionary is a very good introduction to the wide field of missiology. It has 110
entries written by widely respected missiologists.
WOMEN, GENDER AND RELIGION
Following is the assignment topic and reading list for the Women, Gender and Religion programme. If you
have any questions, please contact Dr Annalet van Schalkwyk PAPER/STUDY UNIT 1: EPISTEMOLOGY AND
METHODOLOGY OF FEMINIST THEOLOGY (PLEASE NOTE: Each of the two sections of the assignment should
be between 15 and 20 pages long. In total, the assignment should therefore be between 30 and 40 pages. Make sure
that they conform to the five formal requirements of academic language explained in Section 11. )
ASSIGNMENT 01:
1.1
Describe and discuss the shared epistemology and methodology used in the differing, but overlapping
contexts of the various feminist or women’s theologies.
1.2
Give your own interpretation of the approach of a contextual South African women’s theology. Describe
some of the sources and practical research methods you will use to ensure that the stories, experiences
and felt needs of South African religious women on grassroots level are taken into full account in the
shared doing of a South African women’s theology.
Recommended books (available in Study Collection)
Note: A list of recommended titles appears at the end of this tutorial letter. Each title has been allocated a book
number which you should supply on the request card when requesting books from the library. Recommended books
may be requested telephonically from the Main Library in Pretoria at telephone number 012 - 429 3133 by supplying
the book numbers and your student number.
Fabella, Virginia & Oduyoye, Mercy A (eds). 1989. With passion and compassion. Third World women doing
theology. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis.
Ortega, Ofelia (ed). 1995. Women’s visions. Theological reflection, celebration, action. Geneva: WCC.
Green, Elizabeth & Grey, Mary (eds). 1994. Ecofeminism and theology. Kampen: Kok Pharos.
Meyer-Wilmes, Hedwig. 1995. Rebellion on the borders. Kampen: Kok Pharos.
Ruether, R.R. 1993. Sexism and God-talk. London: SCM Press.
Ackermann, D M., Draper, J & Mashinini, E (eds). 1991. Women hold up half the sky: Women in the church in
Southern Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications
Kuzwayo, Ellen. 1985. Call me woman. London: Women’s Press
Kathy Keay. 1994. Laughter, silence and shouting. An anthology of women’s prayers. London: Harper Collins
Hope, Ann & Timmel, Sally. 1984. Training for transformation. A handbook for community workers. Part One. Gweru:
Mambo Press
Mackenzie. Liz. 1992. On our feet: taking steps to challenge women’s oppression. Bellville: CACE Publications.
Cochrane, J R; De Gruchy, J W & Petersen, R. 1991. In word and deed: Towards a practical theology for social
transformation. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications.
Recommended journal articles:
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Note: You can order these articles from the library, using your PERIODICAL REQUEST CARDS. Photocopies of
recommended journal articles are supplied by the library free of charge to postgraduate students. Fully completed
request cards should be posted or faxed to the Library (Fax: 012-429 2925). Photocopies will be sent by air mail only
if request cards are accompanied by the appropriate air mail postage. See Unisa: Services and procedures for tariffs.
Ackermann, DM. 1988. Feminist liberation theology: A contextual option. Journal of Theology in Southern Africa (No
62): 14-28.
Ackermann, DM. 1985. Liberation and practical theology: A feminist perspective on ministry. JTSA (No 52):30-41.
Kretzschmar, Louise. 1991. Gender and oppression: A South African feminist underview. Missionalia (Sept 1995).
URBAN MINISTRY
Students who enrol for the structured MTh in missiology with specialisation in Urban Ministry will receive the details
of the assignments and reading lists for the modules MThUM1J (“Theological method, urban studies and
congregational studies) and MThUM2K (“Culture, community and spirituality: Towards a transformed ministry”) and
MPCHS91 in a separate tutorial letter..
4.2
MThMS26 – Your specific field of study within missiology
As explained above, the second module (MThMS26) already concentrates on the specific field of missiology that you
wish to explore in your dissertation. To make matters easier for students, we have drawn up a list of six possible fields
for module 2. They are:
Theology of mission
History of mission
Intercultural communication
Interreligious encounter
Africanisation of Christianity
Liberation missiologies (including womanist / feminist approaches)
These missiological fields of study are described in more detail in Section 7.1 below. If you intend writing your
dissertation on some aspect of mission history, for example, you will choose the History of mission option for this
module. The reading list and accompanying assignment(s) for these options are not standardised, as with the first
module. Each reading list is tailor-made for your specific needs by your supervisor, so that you will be required to study
only the most relevant books and articles for your project. Your supervisor will therefore send you a personalised
reading list.
WOMEN, GENDER AND RELIGION
If you are doing the Women, Gender and Religion programme, the second study unit will deal with
Women, religion and society in Africa. The reading list for MThMS26 is available from Prof Annalet van
Schalkwyk.
URBAN MINISTRY
Students who enrol for the structured MTh in missiology with specialisation in Urban Ministry will receive the details
of the assignments and reading lists for the modules MThUM1J (“Theological method, urban studies and
congregational studies) and MThUM2K (“Culture, community and spirituality: Towards a transformed ministry”) and
MPCHS91 in a separate tutorial letter..
4.3
MPCHS91 – Master proposal
As indicated above, the outcome of this third module is a formal research proposal for your dissertation (of limited
scope). You will be guided by your supervisor on how to design a good research proposal. A separate tutorial letter with
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this specific guidance will sent to you in due course.
WOMEN, GENDER AND RELIGION
If you are doing the Women, Religion and Gender programme in our department, module 3 will focus on
feminist missiological issues relevant to the topic of your dissertation of limited scope. The MPCHS91 reading
list will be tailor-made for your dissertation topic and can be obtained from Prof Annalet van Schalkwyk.
SECTION 5: DEADLINES AND SHORT TERM GOALS
At this stage at least some of you may perhaps feel that what we have described is not really that much different from
what you have done in your undergraduate studies. If that is the case, we are grateful. But do not be lulled into
complacency or rest on your laurels. You will find that you now have to shoulder many more responsibilities yourself
than in your undergraduate studies. As a matter of fact, researching and writing an MTh dissertation can be a lonely
and frustrating experience. Your supervisor will be there to help you as much as possible (and this tutorial letter is one
way of doing just that), but you will have to take the initiative. Gone are the days of due dates for assignments, essays
and exams that are set for you by a lecturer. From now on you have to set these short and medium term goals for your
project and you will have to see that you keep them.
We find that a student who succeeds best at this level is someone who draws up a tight but realistic time table
for completing the various assignments, doing the oral exams and handing in the dissertation. Your supervisor can give
you guidance in this process, but you alone know your schedule well enough to make the final decisions.
Having said this, it is important to remind you that there are a few fixed dates that you need to take into
account. At the end of the process, there is the submission date for dissertations. There are two submission
deadlines each year: 15 June and 30 November. In the middle of the process there is the annual deadline for
renewing your registration, which is 31 January. Please make sure that you re-register timeously from year to
year. Then there is a recommended deadline for each of the three study units: we encourage students to aim at
completing a study unit
within six months. At that rate the course work will take 18 months, which means that you should be able to complete
the whole degree in between 24 and 36 months, depending on how many difficulties you encounter in writing the
dissertation.
SECTION 6: WHAT IS RESEARCH?
It is good not to take it for granted that you know what research is and then to jump into a research project without
careful consideration of all the implications.
The recommended book mentioned above (Mouton, Johann. 2001. How to succeed in your Master’s and
doctoral studies. Pretoria: Van Schaik) contains information and guidance on every aspect of Masters and doctoral
research. It is essential that you consult this extremely helpful guide to the whole research process. In fact, we strongly
recommend that you consider buying this book, so that you may refer back to it regularly during the research process.
Now we explain briefly the key concept of “research problem” and the three basic types of missiological
research.
6.1
The research “problem”
The qualitative difference between undergraduate and postgraduate study, referred to in Section 1, can also be
expressed as a paradigm shift from being a student to being a researcher. But what is research and how is it done?
This is a massive question, so what we say here is very basic and fundamental.
Research begins with a sense of wonder and puzzlement that raises nagging questions like: What is going on
here? Why is it happening? When did it start? Who is responsible and who is affected? etc. Put in other words,
research is the systematic and sustained effort to formulate and then investigate a specific research problem which one
has encountered. Many students waste a great deal of time in their research because they do not formulate the problem
they are researching in clear and precise terms very early in their project. We come back to this in Section 7, where we
address the choice of a dissertation topic. See Mouton (2001: 49-55).
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Basic types of missiological research
Missiological research can be divided into three basic types: literature studies, historical studies and empirical studies.
In the rest of this section we briefly introduce these three types of research.
6.2.1
Literature studies
The term “literature study” is self-explanatory: it is a study based exclusively on published sources. This can take the
form of a) an exegetical investigation of biblical notions of mission (dealing with Hebrew or Greek texts, commentaries,
etc.); or b) a systematic investigation of the missiological publications of an influential author such as John Stott or
David Bosch. There is no pure literature study, however, since personal interviews and discussions with colleagues
(and your supervisor) often play a major role in your interpretation of literature. Such interviews need to be
acknowledged in one’s dissertation, but the focus of this type of study is clearly on the interpretation of published
sources.
6.2.2
Historical studies
Historical studies are literature studies, but they have a few unique characteristics that make it useful to treat them
separately. The main features that distinguish a historical study from other literature studies are the type of sources
used (e.g. archival material, handwritten manuscripts, foreign languages, etc.) and the greater importance of the
question of reliability of sources. In Missiology, as in other academic disciplines, there is a historical dimension to every
research project, but in certain projects historical questions constitute the central focus. It is also important to note the
growing importance of oral history, especially in communities whose histories have not yet been written down.
If you are going to do historical research, you will do well to study the following publications to help you sharpen
your theoretical tools:
Barzun, Jacques and Graff, Henry F. 1985. The modern researcher. San Diego, etc.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publishers.
Bradley, James E. & Muller, Richard A. 1995. Church History. An introduction to research, reference works, and
methods. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 236 p.
Saayman, W.A. 1995. Christian mission history in South Africa. Rethinking the concept. Missionalia, 23(2):184-200.
Hofmeyr, Isobel. 1994. We live our lives as a tale that is told. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
6.2.3
Empirical studies
The term “empirical” refers to all research approaches that involve the investigation of the actual practices of a
community. In Missiology it therefore refers to investigations of the missionary activities of particular Christian
communities. It always includes the gathering of data from people “in the field,” as opposed to reading books or articles
obtained from a library or bookshop.
Please note, though, that empirical research does not exclude all literature study. On the contrary, you should
do careful preparation beforehand and only embark on full-scale empirical data collection once you have: a) read
everything you can find in written form on your research “problem;” b) developed a good research design; and c) run a
small “pilot study” to test the suitability of your research design.
Regarding a), it is essential to make use of the subject reference librarian and the advice of your supervisor to
find all the relevant publications. Regarding b) and c), shelves full of books and articles have been written on the
methodology of empirical research. In order to develop a good research design and a meaningful pilot study, you need
to read a few standard works on the methodology of empirical research, as well as some completed empirical studies in
Missiology, to see how other researchers approached their projects. If you are going to do an empirical missiological
study, the following books (in alphabetic order, not order of importance) are essential reading:
De Vos, A.S. (ed.). 2002. Research at grass roots. For the social sciences and human service professions. Second
edition. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Mason, Jennifer. 1996. Qualitative researching. London: Sage Publications.
Mouton, Johan. 1996. Understanding Social Research. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
Spradley, James P. 1980. Participant observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
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Some empirical studies are primarily descriptive. This does not mean that they are devoid of theoretical work, but the
main emphasis is on describing a phenomenon which has not yet been properly observed or described. Such
description has to be done as far as possible by shelving one's own preconceived notions of the phenomenon, and
certainly all premature value judgments on it. There is often the danger of superficiality in descriptive studies, since not
enough effort is expended on finding satisfactory interpretations or explanations of what is described.
Other empirical studies are more analytical in nature. They develop a finely tuned analytical framework in an
introductory chapter, which they then use to analyse or interpret a phenomenon. The danger of reductionism is very real
in analytical studies, in other words the tendency to suggest that this particular analysis of the phenomenon is the way
the phenomenon is, without accepting the validity of other viewpoints or approaches to it.
6.2.4
Research ethics
One problem raised in all research, but which is particularly prominent in empirical research, is the question of research
ethics. Since knowledge is power, research gives you power over other people, especially if you become closely
involved with people through observing them or interviewing them about their cherished personal views. The question is
what you do with that power: is your research aimed at the good of the people you are observing, or are you abusing
their trust to find the information that will enable you to write a good dissertation and then walk away from them, at best
ignoring their plight and at worst harming them by writing negative things about them behind their backs?
Another ethical dilemma sometimes faced in empirical research is the question to what extent one should get
involved in phenomena which other Christians (or even oneself) may regard as “evil” or “demonic,” in an effort to arrive
at an adequate understanding of the phenomenon. When do I do violence to my conscience in entering the world of
another cultural or religious community?
There are no easy answers to these questions, especially not from the safe distance of an academic “ivory
tower.” These questions can only be answered by responsible researchers “on the ground” who makes themselves
accountable to people who trust them enough to tell them their personal stories. Any student wishing to do empirical
research must think through these questions very sincerely. See also Mouton (2001: 238-248).
SECTION 7: CHOOSING A DISSERTATION TOPIC AND A SUPERVISOR
Completing the structured MTh programme in our department is meant, quite sincerely, to be an enjoyable process,
and one of the greatest joys of postgraduate study lies in the freedom to select your own research topic within the wide
array of our collaborative research projects. From now on, there will be no more slogging through areas of work that do
not interest you. Now you can choose to research that topic which has always intrigued you. So the ideal way to arrive
at a field of study for module 2 and a dissertation topic for your research proposal in module 3, is that you take the
initiative in making these choices and then discussing them with your supervisor. But we know from experience that
selecting a topic is not always a smooth or straightforward process.
7.1
Choice of supervisor
The Department assigns you to a specific supervisor, but if you know one of them personally and would like to study
specifically with that person, you are welcome to make such a request before you commence your study. If
circumstances in the department permit, we will honour your request.
7.2
Possible fields of study in Missiology
Before commenting on the choice of dissertation topic, we want to point out in general terms some possible fields of
study within which you might wish to choose your dissertation topic. These fields have already been indicated in 4.2, but
if you are not sure of the field in which you want to do research, please consult one of our staff members. See p.3 for
our contact details.
These fields exist in most of our collaborative research projects:
Theology of mission: the biblical basis for mission; the aims, goals and methods of mission; the relationship
between church and mission, etc.
History of mission: new histories that have not been written before, re-interpretation of existing histories,
methods of writing history, etc.
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Intercultural communication: the role and place of culture in Christian communication; contentious issues
such as polygamy and circumcision; understandings of sickness and well-being, etc.
Interreligious encounter: a Christian theology of religions; various contentious topics such as the ancestors,
reincarnation, pilgrimage, interreligious relationships, etc.
Africanisation of Christianity: the African Indigenous (Zionist and Ethiopian) Churches, African Theology,
African initiatives in mission, etc.
Liberation missiologies: South African and North American Black Theology, Latin American Liberation
Theology, Feminist/Womanist and African Women's Theology, etc.
Urban ministry
Women, gender and religion in Africa (focus: Missiology)
7.3
Your dissertation topic
Back now to your choice of topic. In the first place, it is of utmost importance that your dissertation topic should not be
too wide. The Unisa calendar refers to this study as a “dissertation of limited scope” and stipulates that it should be in
the vicinity of 60-70 pages. This may sound like a massive study to you, since your undergraduate assignments seldom
exceeded 15 pages, but it is amazing how quickly one can fill up 60 pages once you get going on a topic close to your
heart! If you choose a topic which is too wide – and your supervisor allows you to proceed with it – the inevitable result
will be a superficial dissertation. It is much wiser to choose a very limited topic and to delve in it deeply. In that way you
will be able to make an in-depth analysis, so that the examiners can recognise that you have produced a Masters level
dissertation.
In planning your dissertation topic, the first person to sit down with is your supervisor. Arrange this as soon as
possible, and discuss with him/her a possible outline for your topic and possible ways of addressing the issue you wish
to research. It is imperative that you draw up an acceptable outline of the study at this early stage. As we have pointed
out before, the assignment for the third study unit is to write a proposal of your dissertation. So what you should
negotiate with your supervisor at the appropriate stage is the refining and focusing of that assignment into a full-blown
introductory chapter.
The second person you should visit, as soon as you have finalised your dissertation topic, is the Subject
reference librarian for Missiology (see Appendix 3). She will provide you with invaluable help and advice regarding the
books, articles and journals that you could consult. It is her job to compile a detailed bibliography for you and you should
discuss with her all the key words and phrases that she could use in her search to find relevant material for your topic.
The effectiveness of her search will depend largely on how specific and appropriate your choice of key words are. She
is very friendly and helpful, and has enormous resources at her disposal. Do not hesitate to contact her if you encounter
any problems in obtaining a book or article. She will do her best to track it down. She will supply you with a letter on
library matters called "Important Information for Masters and Doctoral Students".
Her contact details are:
Mrs Elsabé Nell, Library, Unisa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria 0003. Tel: +27 12 429 3633, Fax: +27 12 429 2925, email:
nelle@unisa.ac.za
SECTION 8: THE PARABLE OF THE VOLUNTEER GARDENERS
(or: How to match your theoretical approach with your dissertation topic)
In this section we follow the biblical example of using a parable to illustrate a number of aspects of postgraduate
research, especially the relationship between one’s choice of dissertation topic and one’s choice of research method
(theoretical approach).
A group of students working on their MTh dissertations are like people working in a vegetable garden. They
have all volunteered to do this in addition to their daily work, and were allowed, on condition that they would finish the
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job within a week. The caretakers have given them the freedom to decide in which part of the garden they wanted to
work and which tools from the shed they would use. They have to pay an amount of money for the right to enter the
shed and use the tools. Each volunteer is also assigned to a caretaker, who has the responsibility to show his or her
group of volunteers how to get in and out of the shed and how to use the various tools. The money paid by the
volunteers is used to buy new tools from time to time and to pay the caretakers, who do this as a profession. Volunteers
are not paid for completing their job; the reward for doing well is that they are given a bright purple robe to wear to the
weekly Friday evening party, where all the successful volunteers receive certificates and spend the evening with their
friends, singing songs about the glories of gardening. Someone who has received a robe and a certificate is then
allowed to join the group of more experienced gardeners the next week. Some volunteers do not continue after the first
week. Those who do, work in an adjacent garden, where they have to volunteer for a two week period and where they
work on more difficult terrain, using more complicated tools like picks, drills and crowbars. Some of these gardeners
look rather tired and wrinkled from working so long in the sun.
The caretakers were also volunteer gardeners once, but after finishing their second period of voluntary
gardening and receiving a golden robe, they were fortunate enough to be appointed by the owner of the property to
supervise the work of the volunteer gardeners. They are also expected to do their own gardening, so that the volunteers
can occasionally walk over to their section of the garden to see how it’s supposed to be done. But some caretakers are
so busy helping volunteers that their own parts of the garden are looking a bit ragged. And then there is the queue of
would-be gardeners standing outside the gate who keep on calling the caretakers to come and help them fill in their
application forms correctly...
8.1
The gardeners are volunteers
Postgraduate Missiology students at Unisa are volunteer gardeners. The vast majority of them are full-time Christian
workers who are studying along with various other church and family commitments and who are not being paid for
doing this study. As a matter of fact, students have to pay tuition fees to get into the tool shed to learn how to operate
the garden forks, spades, etc. The question of funding for their studies is therefore a real problem for many MTh
students. What can be done about this? Two bits of information:
8.1.1
National Research Fund (NRF) Bursaries
The NRF allocates bursaries to full-time, non-salaried postgraduate students in theology. A number of MTh students
from our department have already received bursaries. The closing date for applications is early January. Please write a
letter to the Research Directorate, Unisa, PO Box 392, Unisa 0003, including a copy of your academic record as well as
your ID. Only students acquiring an average of 60%+ will be considered. Also include your contact details - telephone
number and email address. The physical address is Research Directorate, Theo van Wyk Building, Room 10-45.
8.1.2
David Bosch Memorial Theological Bursary Fund
Some years ago, the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies established a bursary fund for postgraduate students in
memory of the late Professor David Bosch, who was the head of our Department of Missiology and also the Dean of the
Faculty for a number of years. Now that the Faculty has become the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and
Theology, this fund is till being maintained. It does not have a great deal of money in it, but manages to allocate two
prestige bursaries and a number of smaller ones each year. The main criterion used in this allocation is the relevance
of the student’s research project. You should have received an application form for this bursary on registration. Here,
too, funds are limited and the applications many, but it is worth applying. Two people are going to receive bursaries
each year; one of them may just be you.
8.2
Volunteers must finish before Friday
Unisa has laid down a rule that an MTh student should complete the degree within three years. The main reason for this
is that the government subsidy for a Masters student drops away if s/he has not completed it within a stipulated period.
Unisa then has to bear the full cost of the student’s programme, which puts further pressure on its limited financial
resources. This does not mean that you are going to be “kicked out” when you fail to finish within three years, but you
will have to supply good reasons why you have not yet finished and set clear goals when you do intend to complete your
dissertation. At re-registration these details will have to be supplied. But it is also in a student’s own financial interest to
complete an MTh programme within less than three years. So an MTh degree obtained in less than three years
represents a win-win outcome for Unisa and its students.
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Volunteers must match their ground with their tools
If a part-time gardener knows that s/he has to complete a job within a week, it is of the greatest importance to choose a
manageable part of the garden. We have already addressed this issue in Section 7.2. The main point that this
gardening parable wants to add is that the most important thing to “get right” in an MTh programme is to find a good
combination of ground and tools. The tools (theoretical methods) you use must be appropriate and fitting for the
particular piece of the garden you have chosen, to enable you to complete the work in the stipulated time (or even
before that).
If you to choose a piece that is too large, you will have to use a fork with short teeth to dig it up, thus producing
shallow (= superficial) work in the space of a week. If you use a standard fork to dig up such a large part of the garden,
it is probably going to take you two or three weeks! If you choose a patch that is too small and dig it up with a standard
fork, you are going to dig it over and over, thus producing a great deal of unnecessary repetition. If, on the other hand,
you spend too much time designing and polishing your tools, you may only be able to start digging by Thursday and
then your result will also be superficial, even though you may have developed a wonderful set of tools! The trick is to
find a small enough part of the garden that can be dug deeply and thoroughly with a standard fork within the space of a
week. The sooner you can find that right combination, in consultation with your supervisor, the more satisfactory your
study experience is going to be and the quicker you will be able to complete the programme.
To stretch the parable a bit further, the 18 months or so that you spend doing assignments and oral exams for
the three study units is time that you spend in the tool shed, coming to know the characteristics of the vegetable garden,
as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each tool in the shed. This formative experience should prepare you to
make a wise combination of ground and tools that will enable you to finish the programme successfully in the
prescribed time.
8.4
Volunteers can learn from one another
One final issue to be drawn from the parable is the fact that gardeners in real life probably learn just as much from
talking to one another as from listening to their supervisors. This can mean two things:
8.4.1
Read completed MTh dissertations
Make a point of looking at what other MTh students have done in their dissertations. There is a copy of each finalised
MTh dissertation in the Unisa library. If you are not aware of any students who have walked this road before you, your
supervisor will be able to give you a few names and titles. By this we are not suggesting that you should copy everything
you see in someone else’s dissertation. We often learn even more from other students’ mistakes than from their
successes. Take a very critical look at what other students have done. As you compare their work, you will begin to
sense the difference between a good, average and excellent dissertation.
8.4.2
Attend the M & D seminars in Pretoria
Twice a year, usually in May and September, we arrange seminars with the postgraduate (MTh and DTh) students of
our department. At these meetings there is usually: a) one lecturer who reads a study unit to provide some stimulating
input; b) one student who reports on her/his recently completed dissertation or thesis; and c) another staff member from
Unisa who addresses the formal aspects of the research and writing process, such as research design, academic
writing, reference techniques, etc; d) enough time for questions and in-depth discussion of the presentations; e) time to
meet personally with your supervisor over lunch or after the seminar (make sure, though, to arrange this beforehand
with your supervisor). If you live within reach of Pretoria, do yourself the favour and attend these seminars regularly. We
have seen time and again over the past few years how students have been motivated and encouraged to push ahead
with their studies by regularly attending these seminars. A tutorial letter giving the date and speakers of each seminar is
sent out long in advance, so that you are able to diarise the dates before other commitments encroach on your time.
Gardeners produce better work if they occasionally take time off to sit under a tree and reflect on their work.
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SECTION 9: SELECTING AND POLISHING YOUR TOOLS
One thing which did not become clear in the previous section is the exact nature of the “tools” spoken of in the
gardeners’ parable. This section will give a brief description of what we mean by scholarly “tools.”
The first point to make in this regard is that it is in the phases of analysis and reflection in the pastoral cycle
(see Section 1) that the careful and disciplined use of scholarly tools is most critical. Put differently, our emphasis there
is on the analytical and reflective tools that distinguish academic writing from other forms of writing such as a poem, a
newspaper article, a novel, etc.
A second important point is that tools are necessary when human hands alone are insufficient. It is possible to
do gardening with one’s bare hands, but it takes much longer, it is much more taxing on the health, and certain types of
terrain will simply be impossible to work on. In other words, there is a difference between naive, everyday (barehanded) knowledge and academic knowledge, because the latter has been achieved by means of specialised,
analytical tools that enable one to “dig beneath the surface” and so attain a deeper understanding of the issue at stake.
9.1
Words as tools
The first kind of “tool” used in academic thinking and writing is words or terms. A specific use of language represents
the most basic “tools of the trade.” One could even say that the whole purpose of undergraduate study in Missiology is
to learn the basic terminology of this particular academic discipline, in dialogue with a set of related disciplines. For
example, an MTh student in Missiology should be familiar with terms such as Missio Dei, three selves, moratorium,
contextualisation, dialogue, etc. Words like these could be called the technical terms of Missiology, since the way they
are used and understood gives Missiology its unique character.
There are many terms, though, that Missiology shares with the other theological disciplines. After all, the
boundaries between disciplines such as Practical Theology, Theological Ethics and Missiology are artificial; there are
other ways of distinguishing between these different dimensions of the theological enterprise. In fact, it is even possible
to have a theological faculty without any of these divisions, since the exegetical, historical, systematic and practical
dimensions of theology can never be separated. In other words, terms like eschatology, apocalyptic, revelation,
kingdom (or reign) of God are the common treasure of theology as a whole.
But there is an even wider circle of analytical terms that are used in Missiology, drawn from the common stock
of the social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, psychology and history. Here one could think of terms such as
culture, ideology, racism, sexism, colonialism, etc. that we use to describe and analyse particular situations. Whoever
uses a word like this, must be aware of all the “bells that start ringing” in the minds of a reader, that is, the implications
of using it. None of these words is neutral or “innocent.” Each is embedded in a specific intellectual tradition or way of
looking at the world. It is crucial at postgraduate level that you are fully aware of the implications of your choice of terms.
One could even say that the whole academic enterprise is about the disciplined use of words.
You therefore need to say in your introductory chapter what you mean with each of the central terms used in
your dissertation, by interacting with the views of other scholars. Enter into debate with people who use the term
differently from you and argue the case why you are using it in the way you do. Terms that are less central to your
argument, but are nevertheless used in your study, should be clarified in a footnote, the first time you use it (see
Section 11.4). It is the death of the academic enterprise when we start using words in a vague, superficial or
sloganeering way, without defining carefully what we mean by them. This does not mean that we must always use
terms in the way other scholars use them; but we must know what the dominant academic uses of a term are and
argue how and why you use them differently, if we do. This is what we mean by saying that you should not only select
your words carefully, but also polish them, that is, prepare them for the precise way that you are going to use them in
your study.
9.2
Be constantly aware of your audience
While addressing the question of one’s choice of words in academic writing, another fundamental issue comes to mind,
namely the question: Who is my audience? This is an important question, because no communication happens in a
vacuum. Every message generated by a human being, whether in oral or in written form, has an address or an
audience in mind, to whom it is directed, even if one is sometimes unconscious of this fact. Sometimes, when reading a
chapter submitted by a student, one can hear a preacher standing on a pulpit, speaking to a congregation. The tone of
the communication, the character of the message, the authority which it assumes (rather than argues or substantiates)
and the generalising way in which issues are addressed clearly set it apart as the kind of communication which is at
home on a pulpit and which is acceptable to (most) church members. The problem is that this kind of discourse is not
acceptable in an academic context, because your audience in this milieu is not an appreciative congregation who came
to church to listen to you, but a critical (sometimes even a bit ruthless) community of scholars who want to see every
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concept clarified, every assumption argued or proved, and every source acknowledged. It is a discourse which you
should imagine as taking place in a hall filled with academics: fellow students, lecturers, professors, visiting scholars
from overseas, even journal editors. And all of them are listening to you very intently, with keen interest, to hear if
something new and exciting may emerge from your treatment of the subject, or some new information about an issue
they have studied themselves. They are not a pack of wolves who will tear you to pieces if you make a mistake, but they
will certainly ask you sharp and pointed questions about every assumption, every generalisation and every conclusion
of your study. And you must be able to defend your case before this critical community of scholars.
In other words, in your dissertation you need to prove to the existing academic community that you “know the
rules” and can “play the game.” What you need to establish once and for all is that, even though you may be younger or
less experienced than some of them, you are nevertheless a scholar in your own right, whom they have to respect and
reckon with from now on. Your dissertation must be a sustained argument to persuade your readers to respect you and
to take serious note of what you are saying. That is only possible if you understand your dissertation from the outset as
a discussion or debate with other academics. That is why you need to read widely in your field of interest and related
fields, so that you know the arguments of the people sitting in your audience and can therefore anticipate their
questions and criticisms. As a matter of fact, in your text (and sometimes in footnotes) you should indicate that you
have already heard their questions, taken then into account and answered them.
To conclude, the way you use language in a dissertation must reflect the fact that you are an academic,
addressing an academic audience. This does not mean that you must deliberately write in a way that is Greek to
everyone but professors. Hiding behind jargon is usually a sign that you do not quite understand what you are saying! If
you really understand an issue, you will be able to explain it in simple terms. Do not therefore try to “sound clever” in
your dissertation; use technical terms precisely and sparingly: to save words and to illuminate matters, not to obscure
the issues or merely to impress the readers.
What we have just written can give rise to serious tension for a student who is doing empirical research among
poor or illiterate Christians. One can be torn apart by one’s loyalty and commitment to one’s illiterate discussion
partners (interlocutors is the big word for this) and one’s academic audience before whom one has to argue and defend
one’s interpretations and insights. There will inevitably be this kind of tension in such a study, but it need not become
unbearable; one can transform it into a creative tension that enriches the lives of everyone concerned. Please discuss it
with your supervisor if you experience any difficulties in this regard.
9.3
Theoretical frameworks
We said above that words are not innocent or neutral but embedded in intellectual traditions and frameworks. This
needs to be explained further. For example, when someone uses the terms conscientisation, praxis, false
consciousness, empowerment, oppression in a dissertation as central words of the argument s/he is presenting, it
should be immediately evident to a reader that the author has adopted a neo-Marxist theoretical framework (influenced
by people like Karl Marx, Paulo Freire, etc.) to explain reality. Likewise, if someone uses terms like identity, “thick
description,” culture, worldview, socialisation, cognitive processes, kinship, and body language as central terms, that
person has adopted a framework determined by social anthropology (influenced by people like Clifford Geertz, Eugene
Nida, Charles Kraft, etc.).
Each of these approaches has its own inner logic and should be coherent and consistent within itself, so we are
not trying to say that the one is wrong and the other correct. What is crucial is that you should be keenly aware of the
framework or frameworks you are using, that you should openly admit this in your introductory chapter and strive to be
consistent and self-critical in the way you use such a framework. This is what gives integrity to an academic study.
SECTION 10: MANAGING YOUR DATA
One very important difference between undergraduate and postgraduate work is the amount of data that one is working
with. In undergraduate or even Honours assignments one seldom works with more than ten sources at a time in writing
an assignment. For a MTh dissertation of limited scope, on the other hand, you are expected to use between fifty and a
hundred sources (books and journal articles). In a literary study the number of published sources quoted will obviously
be more numerous than in an empirical study. The problem raised by this situation is: How do I manage my data in
such a way that I do not “drown” in it or lose important references? This points to the need for a well planned
information gathering and retrieval system, which enables one to put together what belongs together and to find all the
notes that one has made on each specific section of each chapter.
There is no single “right” way of doing this, but what is important is to approach the matter in a structured and
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systematic manner. The most common way used by students to manage their information is a system of note cards
(roughly 5 cm x 8 cm) that are available at stationery shops such as the CNA, on which you can make notes in
handwritten form. Let us imagine you are reading Prof Bosch's book Transforming Mission with the purpose of writing a
literature study on Christian witness in a multi-religious context.
10.1
Bibliographical cards
The first card to fill in is the one on which you note the bibliographical details of the book you are reading. It is advisable
to note on the card:
Bosch, D.J. 1991. Transforming Mission. Paradigm shifts in theology of mission. Maryknoll: Orbis.
Underneath this, note where you got hold of the book. If it is a library book, write down its Dewey catalogue number
(e.g. 266 BOSC), so that you can easily find it later, if necessary. If it is your own book, note: Own. If you borrowed it
from someone else, note the owner’s name (and make sure to return it to him or her!). By doing this, you will save
yourself an incredible amount of time and frustration later on, in case you need to look up something again in the book.
Keep these bibliographical cards on a separate pile and save yourself time later by stacking them in
alphabetical order from the beginning. This little heap of cards will become your Bibliography or List of References. Not
only will this save you a lot of unnecessary work later on, but it will also enable you to find a book or article quickly if you
need to return to it later.
10.2
Content cards
While reading through Bosch's book, you are constantly on the lookout for ideas and quotes which you can use in your
dissertation. If you use a card system, you are not making a summary of the book; instead, you are lifting separate units
of information out of written sources in a way that gives you easy access to them later. In other words, note down on a
card only one item of information. So when you find a useful snippet of information, write down on a card:
Nature of Christian mission
“...mission must be done in bold humility...” (Bosch 1991:328).
If you have a good idea on how you would like to present this notion of “bold humility” in your study or what you would
like to add to it, note this down immediately on the card, underneath the quote. You may not remember it later.
When you come across a whole paragraph that you find relevant to your study, and which you want to
formulate in your own words for later use, write on the card, for example:
Relationship with other religions
Bosch (1991:423-435) points out that we should not suffer from any superiority complex
over adherents of other religions. We are not the “haves” and they the “have-nots.” Was
that not exactly the problem of early Christian missionaries in Africa?
As soon as a clear chapter outline for your dissertation begins to emerge, you can start sorting your heap of cards
according to the chapters or sections in which you want to use them.
PLEASE NOTE: It is quite possible to operate an information management system, like the one sketched
above, by means of a computer data base. The principles are exactly the same, only the “cards” that you write on
become electronic files. However, when it comes to the actual writing of the dissertation, difficulties arise for some of
us, who find it very difficult to “oversee” a set of forty or fifty electronic files in a database and to write a chapter from
them. A heap of cards can be spread out in front of you on a desk or table, so that it is much easier to sort them into the
different sections and subsections of the chapter. If you use a computer database and you encounter this problem, you
may need to print out all your database files and then treat them in the same way as the note cards described above.
10.3
Writing the dissertation
When you have gathered all the information for writing your dissertation, take out your collection of cards for the specific
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chapter you are working with, sort them into sections and then use them as the basis for your writing. Let me just add
another point. As you progress with your reading, you will be able to formulate your own thoughts on the topic more and
more clearly. Whenever such a new insight in the form of a clear thought strikes you, write it down immediately on a
card and store it with the right chapter. In this way you start “writing” the different chapters of your study while you are
still doing the reading.
SECTION 11: FORMAL FEATURES OF ACADEMIC WRITING
In this section we wish to emphasise five important formal features that distinguish academic writing (“discourse” is the
big word for this) from informal language. Make sure that all your academic writing conforms to these basic formal
characteristics.
11.1
Plan your structure carefully - Table of Contents
Scholarly writing is about constructing an intelligent and persuasive argument. In order to do this, you need to give
careful attention to the structure of every assignment, every chapter and especially of your dissertation as a whole.
Every unit of academic writing - from sentence to paragraph to chapter to dissertation - should be structured in such a
way that it expresses a logical and unfolding argument that is at once pleasing and persuasive to its readers. The
macro-structure of an assignment or dissertation is embodied in its Table of Contents, which therefore makes it an
absolutely essential feature of academic writing. In order to produce a meaningful Table of Contents, however, you
need to use numbered headings and sub-headings throughout your assignment or dissertation.
11.2
Write respectfully - avoid offensive and exclusive language
A very important feature of academic language is that it should treat the people about whom it writes with deep respect.
Hurtful and offensive terms should therefore not appear in your writing, except when you are quoting verbatim from a
source in which the terms are used. The rule is that you never change or improve a quote. If there is a glaring
grammatical error in a sentence that you are quoting, indicate that the error is not your fault, by placing the Latin word
sic (=like this) in brackets after the faulty word or expression. For example: “The preachers does (sic) not know where
to stand.”
There are other words which have a history of being used negatively and hurtfully, e.g. pagan, heathen,
barbaric, as well as other blatantly racist and ethnocentric terms. Such words do not belong in academic writing, except
if they are locked up “behind bars” by being placed in inverted commas to indicate that you distance yourself from them,
but have to use them in order to interact with the viewpoints expressed by them. These “criminals” should certainly not
be allowed to be “on the run” in your writing.
A special case of offensive and exclusive language is the deeply ingrained habit of referring to all humanity by
using man, mankind, he, him, etc. In our Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies we have adopted a set of rules for
avoiding sexist language. It is included in tutorial letter FAKTLGC/303/2010, which you received on registration. Please
study it carefully and put it into practice in everything you write. Some authors have adopted the habit of using (sic) to
distance themselves from sexist expressions in quotations they use. For example: “God has created man (sic) in his
(sic) own image.” This is really not necessary, since it can disturb the flow of a quotation considerably if you do this
consistently. As long as a quotation is placed in inverted commas, indicating that those are not your words, you need
not apologise for the language contained in it. But if this is a matter of deep conviction to you, you will not be penalised
for doing it.
11.3
Acknowledge your sources – use references
In all the writing you need to do in the structured MTh programme, we expect you to produce texts of a high scholarly
standard. In terms of language, the way you formulate your own ideas (grammar and style) and the way you
acknowledge or document the views of others (reference technique and bibliography) become even more important
than before. Where a missed or incorrect reference could still sometimes be tolerated at undergraduate level, this now
becomes a cardinal sin. Making use of another author's ideas, either approvingly or disapprovingly, is quite legitimate in
academic writing. But one must acknowledge one's indebtedness to the other author, otherwise there is no meaningful
interaction with him or her. If one does not do so, it amounts to plagiarism (stealing intellectual property), which is not
24
only a punishable legal offence, but can also mean that you fail your degree.
Please take special care therefore to study the tutorial letter dealing with reference techniques which you
received on registration (MSALLEL/302/2010) and apply it rigorously. That tutorial letter spells out only the basic
requirements of the Harvard reference method. If you are uncertain about what you should do with regard to a specific
reference or bibliography item, please contact your supervisor. A very helpful (and more detailed) guide to academic
style and reference techniques is the book Reference Techniques by Marlene Burger (1992), which is available from
Unisa Press. We include an order form at the end of this tutorial letter.
It is necessary at this stage to explain the why and how of the use of references a bit more explicitly. In our dayto-day communication with each other, we often make use of a proverb to drive home a special point we wish to make.
When someone failed in a venture because of becoming complacent about its successful outcome, we often quote:
“There's many a slip between the cup and the lip.” The use of references and footnotes can in many instances be
compared to such use of proverbs. We may use proverbs for many reasons; the above proverb was used as a mild
rebuke, but we also use proverbs to invoke authority, to explain, or to prove a point. We need references in our
academic writings for many of the same reasons. In the first place we must give a reference when we make use of
someone else's words and/or ideas to avoid plagiarism, as we explained already. But we will also use references to
strengthen a point we have made ourselves, by invoking the authority of other writers who have said something similar.
11.4
Keep your main argument flowing - use footnotes
Footnotes, on the other hand, are never used in the Harvard system for mere bibliographical references. Footnotes are
used, for example:



to define a technical term the first time it is used in the study, since only key terms can be defined in the
Introduction.
to refer to a point of view that differs from your own, when there is no scope for this in the text itself. Do this to
acknowledge that your point of view is debatable and that other missiologists come to different conclusions. But
employ a footnote only if the information will disturb the flow of your argument in the main text; otherwise do it
in the text itself.
to add an “aside or to explain one’s point of view more fully, by adding some detailed information or
argumentation which would disturb the flow of the argument in the text.
A reference consists only of the surname, year of publication and page number(s), and is placed in brackets, e.g.
(Bosch 1991:234). It is therefore unobtrusive and does not hinder the flow of the argument. But if one wants to refer to a
conflicting point of view or enter into debate with other scholars, one needs more space to do it, and that requires a
footnote.
11.5
Give full details of your sources – end with a LIST OF REFERENCES
A bibliography is a complete list of the sources used in writing the study. In the Harvard method, however, it is
customary to use a List of References which contains only the sources actually referred to in the text rather than a
Bibliography which contains all sources consulted. Either way, it is essential that you supply the full bibliographical
details of each source in the List of References. Study tutorial letter MSALLEL/302 and/or Burger (1992) very carefully
in this regard. It is easier to get it right from the very beginning than to change it at a later stage.
11.6
Have your language checked by an editor
A final aspect of language use in a dissertation is the question of spelling, grammar and style. This constitutes an
important aspect of a dissertation, and is one of the criteria on which it will be judged by the examiners (see Section
13). Most spelling errors can be eliminated by using the “Spell Check” function of the word processing programme that
you (or your typist) uses, but not all typing errors will picked up that way. For example, if you accidentally typed “heat”
instead of “hear,” the Spell Checker will not notice that, since “heat” is a correctly spelt word. So there is no perfect
substitute for careful word-for-word proofreading.
Grammatical and stylistic errors are even more difficult to deal with. If you cannot afford to have your text
checked by a professional language editor, which can cost quite a bit of money, please ensure that someone with a
very good command of the English language does check it for you. Discuss this with your supervisor, because
grammatical errors seriously detract from the value of a dissertation. If academic work is fundamentally about the
disciplined use of language (see Section 9.1), then sloppy formulation and bad choice of words can be seen as the
failure of the whole enterprise.
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SECTION 12: WHAT MAKES A STUDY MISSIOLOGICAL?
A very important question needs to be addressed at this stage: What exactly is it that makes a study missiological, thus
distinguishing it from historical, systematic or ethical dissertations? During one of our postgraduate seminars at Unisa
we asked all our lecturers to state, very briefly and with no prior preparation, what they considered to be the
missiological dimension of a theological dissertation. From their thoughts I have put together the following account:

It is very difficult to provide a precise definition of Missiology as a separate discipline. It is perhaps closer to the
truth to describe Missiology as an inter-disciplinary “field” of study. Many disciplines, such as all the other
established theological disciplines, as well as anthropology, economics, communication science, linguistics,
etc., impinge on this field of study. One feature of a missiological dissertation is therefore the way in which it
combines approaches from different social sciences and integrates them into a coherent theological design,
characterised by at least four features:

The first of these is an intentional extroversion - an outward-directedness, a concern for people other than
ourselves and our own groups. It is a primary characteristic of a missiological approach that it is concerned with
the needs, sorrows, joys, and well-being of others rather than ourselves. Very often this extroversion is directed
towards the weak, the poor, the disenfranchised, the despised, the unreached, the unsaved, etc.

Our concern for others is, however, not simply a general, undefined concern. It is generally a concern to
change and to heal (make whole). Missiology is never content simply to describe the world as it is. Whether it
embodies a strongly evangelistic concern like that of the Moravian missionary pioneer, Nikolaus von
Zinzendorf, to “win souls for the Lamb,” or a liberationist concern to initiate political action for social justice, or a
developmental concern to sink boreholes to bring clean drinking water to poor rural communities, all these
approaches to mission are directed towards encouraging change and making people or communities whole.

Missiology is also characterised by a willingness and a concern to translate between different communities whether the differences are religious, cultural or political. Missiology reveals a constant concern to translate
and interpret in situations of misunderstanding or conflict. I am not satisfied that I have done my job
missiologically if a certain group understands only themselves (although a self-critical reflection on our own
missionary existence is of the utmost importance). In Missiology there always seems to be the urge to translate
interculturally and interreligiously.

This is so because Missiology, more than any other theological discipline, exists at the cutting edge, or on the
edges (sometimes the margins) of the Christian community. Missiology comes into being where the Holy Spirit
wishes to guide the Christian community on its next step in its journey into the world. For this very reason
mission has to exist both as agent of change and as agent of interpretation.
Let me attempt to sum up in a few brief statements what has been said above. A missiological concern will express
itself, amongst others, in the following:
(a) a sensitivity for what is “missionary” in the topic of study;
(b) a stance of commitment to the Christian faith (rather than rational scientism), matched by a fearless and self-critical
scientific rigour;
(c) a reluctance to offer a complete and final definition of mission;
(d) an interest in the interrelations or encounters: between Christians and other people, between God and people who
are immersed in different cultures, between the Christian community and its surrounding society. Missiology is not
interested in mere doctrinal descriptions of God, the Christian community or the world;
(e) an awareness that it is not only certain isolated aspects of people’s lives and of the Christian faith that are
missionary, but all of it, coherently and holistically.
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SECTION 13:
WHAT IS A GOOD DISSERTATION?
Another question often asked by students is: What is it that examiners are looking for in a dissertation, if it is to qualify
as a good study? It is impossible to answer this question in a categorical manner. Different examiners look for different
things, and in any case it is impossible to list a set number of things as conditions for a “good” dissertation. But let us try
to provide you with at least some guidelines.
We start by quoting to you from the set of guidelines that are sent to external examiners by the University
administration, together with the copy of the dissertation that has to be examined:
Examiners are at liberty to compile their reports as they see fit, but where applicable they should pay attention to the
following:

The University rules stipulate that a master’s dissertation should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to work
independently and that a doctoral thesis should show evidence of original work and constitute a decided
contribution to the knowledge of and insight into the subject.

Scientific and academic standard of research: research procedures and techniques; methodology; demarcation
and scope of research; theoretical substantiation; exploration of the literature; grasp of the field of research.

Scientific and academic quality of presentation: processing, presentation and analysis of data; structure and
logical development/arrangement of content (internal coherence and classification); critical findings and
recommendations.

Language and editing

Technical presentation and layout.
It is good for you to be aware of the different aspects that the examiners will be looking for in your dissertation. You are
not expected to produce any original work in an M Th dissertation; that is only required in a doctoral dissertation. But
you are required to demonstrate your ability to work independently. That means the ability to design your own research
project, do the necessary reading and other data collection, interpret and process the findings systematically, and
present it in a coherent way.
Take note of the fact that the last two categories in the requirements listed above (language and editing; technical
presentation and layout) are very important features of a dissertation. It makes the difference between and average and
a good study, or between a good and an excellent study. An examiner who picks up spelling, grammatical and stylistic
errors on every second page is not going to be positively disposed towards the student. You have been warned! Please
give very careful attention to the formal requirements and the external “shape” of your dissertation.
SECTION 14:
CHECKLIST FOR SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION
Item
Is the title the one formally approved?
Is the layout of the title page correct?
Have you included the declaration of authorship?
Have you signed the declaration of authorship?
Are the key words or phrases listed on a separate page?
Is the abstract the correct number of words?
Have you included an acknowledgement page?
Do the headings and page numbers in the table of contents match those in
the text?
Are your abbreviations listed in alphabetical order?
If you have used tables or figures have you listed them?
Does each chapter start on a new page?
Tick
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Are headings and sub-headings numbered correctly (is there a consistent
hierarchy of headings; is the chapter number included in each heading?)
Are your headings and sub-headings in consistent type fonts?
Are all your references listed in the bibliography?
Is the bibliography in alphabetical order?
Are appendices clearly marked?
Have you proofread the entire text?
Are all pages numbered correctly?
Have you printed the correct number of copies for examination?
Have you made an electronic back up copy of your thesis?
Have you paid the necessary fees?
Once the examiners’ reports have been made available to your supervisor you will need to make any of the required
corrections. Be sure that these are done and check again to see that any page numbers that might have changed are
in agreement with the table of contents.
Follow the required procedures for the final submission of your bound and unbound copies. Make sure the title
and your name are on the cover and spine of the thesis.
SECTION 15: CONCLUSION
Our department is very proud of the achievements of all our students, both undergraduates and postgraduates. But you
as postgraduate students occupy a special place in our own work, because many of you will in the not too distant future
become missiologists yourselves and perhaps even have the wonderful privilege of teaching other students. This
special place of postgraduate students is recognised in the whole university structure, to the extent that during her/his
sabbatical, a lecturer is relieved of all teaching duties, except for her/his postgraduate students. You can rest assured
that we will do our utmost to provide you with the best tuition and service we can. Do not hesitate, therefore, to contact
your supervisor to ask advice, to share an exciting discovery, or simply to find a shoulder to lean on when things have
not gone well. Be assured that as a department, including our “user-friendly” (sic!) secretary, Ms Mariki Willemse, and
our Subject Reference Librarian, Mrs Elsabé Nell, we will always be willing to help you where we can.
We look forward to a fruitful and exciting period of study, research and writing.
Prof JNJ (Klippies) Kritzinger (with the help of various colleagues, particularly Dr Christof Sauer)
(012) 429 4759
email: kritzjnj@unisa.ac.za
\Tutorial Letters 2010\MTHMS15…
UNISA
28
LIST OF REFERENCES CITED
NOTE: The recommended books that are only referred to in the reading list (Section 14) are not repeated here.
Barzun, Jacques and Graff, Henry F. 1985. The modern researcher. San Diego, etc.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publishers.
Bosch, D.J. 1991. Transforming Mission. Paradigm shifts in theology of mission. Maryknoll: Orbis.
Burger, Marlene. 1992. Reference Techniques. Pretoria: Unisa Press.
Cochrane, J.R., de Gruchy, J.W., Peterson, R. 1990. In word and deed. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications.
Holland, Joe & Henriot, Peter. 1983. Social Analysis. Linking faith and justice. Revised and enlarged edition. Maryknoll:
Orbis.
Mouton, Johann. 1996. Understanding social research. Pretoria: HSRC.
Mouton,Johann. 2001. How to succeed in your Master’s and doctoral studies. Pretoria: Van Schaik
Saayman, W.A. 1995. Christian mission history in South Africa. Rethinking the concept. Missionalia, 23(2):184-200.
Spradley, James P. 1980. Participant observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Bak, N 2004. Completing your thesis: a practical guide. Pretoria: Van Schaik. 160 pages, Rand 129,50
Henning, E, Gravett, S, & Van Rensburg, W 2002. Finding your way in academic writing. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
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APPENDIX 1
INSTRUCTION WORDS
ENUMERATE: You have to list names or facts in a specified category.
For example: “Enumerate four causes of the
current crisis of mission.” No discussion or explanation is required.
EXPLAIN: A detailed answer is required. You have to expound the matter under discussion as lucidly and extensively
as time and space permit.
SUBSTANTIATE: You are expected to adduce proof or evidence to substantiate some case or viewpoint. your answer
should therefore be a logical, systematic presentation of supportive evidence (proofs) and appropriate
conclusions.
CHARACTERISE: You are required to enumerate the most distinctive and outstanding features of something.
COMPARE: Indicate both differences and similarities. Students often make the mistake of pointing out only similarities
and disregarding differences, or vice versa.
CONTRAST: identify differences only.
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN: Identify features or attributes that will enable the reader to see the difference between two
or more things.
DEFINE: State the exact meaning of a concept.
DISCUSS: Consider the matter from different viewpoints and substantiate each of them in turn. Unless specifically
required, you need not synthesise the different points of view.
DESCRIBE: Provide a word picture that enables the reader to visualise the subject in question. This requires logical,
systematic exposition.
EVALUATE: Give a value judgment based on criteria - either those provided in the question or ones that you have
formulated for yourself. This is a difficult instruction, since you have to specify the grounds for your value
judgment. An evaluation usually culminates in a synoptic conclusion.
30
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APPENDIX 2
DISCIPLINE OF MISSIOLOGY
CONTRACT OF AGREEMENT FOR MASTERS STUDIES
___________________________________________________________________
Name of Student
___________________________________________________________________
Name of Supervisor
First Year Registered__________________________________________________
I agree to the responsibilities as stated below in sections 1, 2 and 3. If at any time I cannot meet these
responsibilities I will consult with the above named supervisor/student to work out an arrangement in consultation
with the Discipline Leader/ Head of Department/Acting Head of Department.
………………………………………
Student
………………………………………………
Supervisor
...........................................................
Joint Supervisor (where applicable)
......................................................
Date
1
...........................................................
Date
Responsibilities of the supervisor
The overriding responsibility of a supervisor is to provide continuing support to the student in researching and
producing a dissertation to the best of the student's ability. Specific responsibilities are:
1.1 makes the student aware of what the discipline/ department /university requires in terms of working towards a
Masters dissertation.
1.2 to support the student in developing a formal dissertation proposal.
1.3 to maintain regular contact with the student by letter, phone, e-mail or office visits and to ensure that a
reasonable timetable is set for progress reports using the writing plan of the student to maintain accountability.
1.4 to provide appropriate, helpful, and explanatory feedback to the student on any submissions, to return such
feedback in reasonable time (normally turn around time should be within a month of when a submission reaches
the supervisor), to send copies of feedback to the joint supervisor if one has been appointed and to assist students
to develop solutions as problems are identified.
Submissions by email should be acknowledged immediately to ensure the sender that they did not get lost. This
prevents misunderstanding and the frustration of fruitless waiting for a response to an item that the supervisor in
fact never received.
1.5 to carefully monitor the performance of the student relative to the work agreement and the standard required
for the degree.
1.6 to bring to the attention of the student any relevant literature or ways to improve her/his work.
1.7 to encourage participation in six-monthly postgraduate seminars to present research.
1.8 to advise the student of the required procedures for submission of the dissertation.
1.9 to make students aware of the required article based on the dissertation to be submitted to an accredited
journal.
1.10 to assemble a panel of suitable examiners.
32
1.11 to convey to the student the results of the examiner’s assessment of the dissertation and ensure that all the
required corrections are made in the final copies that are submitted to the university.
1.12 to advise the student about membership in professional societies..
2
Responsibilities of the Joint Supervisor
A joint supervisor is sometimes appointed when the area of research or the specific methodology that a student will be
using requires special expertise. The responsibilities of the joint supervisor are:
2.1 to provide relevant guidance to the student in one’s area of expertise.
2.2 to maintain contact with the supervisor so that no conflicting advice is given to the student.
2.3 to send feedback to the student in the normal period of a month.
2.4 to send copies of his/her communication with the student to the supervisor.
2.5 to serve as one of the examiners of the dissertation, when it has been completed.
3
Responsibilities of the student
The primary responsibility for the undertaking and completion of the research rests with the student. Specific
responsibilities are:
3.1 to negotiate an agreement/contract of work to be done and schedules to be adhered to with one’s supervisor, with
any changes reviewed and agreed upon by both student and supervisor.
3.2 to prepare a dissertation proposal that meets the requirements of the Discipline of Missiology.
3.3 to maintain regular contact with the supervisor(s) and to ensure that a reasonable timetable of meetings and/or
communication in other forms is maintained.
3.4 to present required written material in sufficient time to allow for comments and discussions.
3.5 To verify that the supervisor(s) has/have indeed received the material. If sent by email and no receipt has reached
you within one week after sending, simply repeat your mail with the note "re-sent" added to the header.
3.6 to be computer literate .
3.7 not to submit any work unless it has been proofread for spelling, grammatical or typing errors and follows the
Harvard method of referencing.
3.8 to maintain academic and ethical standards for one’s research and writing.
3.9 to participate in postgraduate seminars as often as possible.
3.10 to comply with the university’s requirements for the submission of copies of the dissertation for examination.
3.11 to make the corrections to the final copies of the evaluated dissertation, as required by the examiners.
3.12 to accept responsibility for the final copies of the dissertation and to submit a dissertation which meets the
university’s requirements.
3.13 to submit at least one article based on the research done for the dissertation to an accredited journal.
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APPENDIX 3:
LIBRARY INSTRUCTIONS
Important Information from the desk of Mrs Elsabé Nell, your Personal
Librarian
LIBRARY SERVICES
You will need a PIN for most of your library transactions. To create your PIN or if you have problems with
it, go to http://oasis.unisa.ac.za > Create your PIN, read the instructions, then create your PIN at
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za > view and renew your loans.
Masters and doctoral students may borrow 16, and honours students 8 books at any one time. Students
who live in South Africa are allowed to keep their books for 42 days unless the books are in the Study
Collection. Students who live beyond the borders of South Africa may borrow books for up to three months.
You may request your books and journals

electronically:
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za/illj for journal requests, and http://oasis.unisa.ac.za/illb for book requests. Fill in
your details to log on to the library catalogue and then proceed to complete the online request form,
or


http://www.unisa.ac.za > library > requests > journal article or book
by using the library’s official request cards. Post them to
Information Resources (IR): Request Services, Unisa Library, PO Box 392, UNISA 0003, or
fax them to + 27 12 429 2925
Lists of requests sent by email are not acceptable.
Please make sure that you return your books in good time as you will receive an account if they are
returned late. You may renew your books

by telephone on + 27 12 429 4164

by e-mail at bib-circ@unisa.ac.za, or

electronically:
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za > View & renew loans > Type in the required information to display
your loan record > Items currently checked out > Select the items you wish to renew.
NB: You may not renew items that are on a waiting list or that have already been renewed three times.
Requests for material on inter-library loan may be placed by
34

fax: + 27 12 429 2925, or

e-mail: libr-ill@unisa.ac.za
Request for a literature search may be placed by:

http://www.unisa.ac.za > library > requests > request a literature search

E-mail: lib-search@unisa.ac.za

Fax: 012 429 2925
SUBJECT REFERENCE DATABASES
The Unisa library subscribes to many core online subject databases to which all registered students have
access. These are important because they contain references to academic, peer-reviewed journal articles in
your field as well as references to theses, books and chapters in books which are not necessarily available
in the library:
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za > Search subject databases > Resources by subject > Select your discipline
FULL TEXT ELECTRONIC JOURNALS
Many of the journals (or parts of them) in the Unisa library are available electronically. This means that you
can access and print journal articles from your computer rather than requesting them from the library.
There are two ways of establishing whether your journal title is available electronically:

by looking up the journal title on OASIS
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za > Title > Type in the title eg. Journal of rural studies > Enter > If access is
available, a message stating “View full text via …” will appear in hypertext > Click on it to start
searching

if your journal is not available as set out above
http://www.unisa.ac.za > Library > Search for information resources > a-z list > U > Unisa
Library E-Journal Finder > Type in your title > Select.
I strongly recommend that you use this valuable resource frequently
If you cannot find a full text link to your journal article by either of these options, it means the library does
not have access to the journal. You should therefore request your article as set out above.
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If you intend visiting the Pretoria campus, you are welcome to visit your Personal Librarian, Elsabé Nell,
who will show you how to use the library’s resources as a researcher. This will include for eg subject
specific assistance in the use of electronic databases suitable to your research topic; how to find the
electronic full text for selected items and searching the online catalogue. Should you wish to request a
literature search, please go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=20948
36
APPENDIX 4: List of other relevant tutorial material

Tutorial letter on Reference Methods (MSALLEL/302/2010)

Tutorial letter on Inclusive Language (FAKTLGC/303/2010)
The three tutorial letters were included in the package of materials you received at registration. If you misplaced any of
these, please order a new one from our departmental secretary, Ms Mariki Willemse, at +27 12 429 4477 or
willemj@unisa.ac.za

Unisa study guide for CMM305X: The research challenge: Doing empirical research in theology
If you wish to get a copy of the study guide, please contact the Department of Despatch at (012) 429-2806.
37
APPENDIX 5:
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WORK SHEETS
These worksheets are the result of a seminar on the supervision of postgraduate theses and dissertations.
We suggest that you work through these worksheet one by one. If you find them helpful, you could use your results as
the basis for a discussion with your supervisor.
The worksheets deal with the following issues:
1.
Worksheet 1:
The ideal supervisor
2.
Worksheet 2:
Exercises for clarity on your research project
3.
Worksheet 3:
Checklist for a research proposal
4.
Example of the cover page of a research proposal
5.
Generic Table of Contents for a research proposal
6.
Standard structure of a completed dissertation
38
WORKSHEET 1 – THE IDEAL SUPERVISOR
1.1_
The roles and responsibilities of your supervisor (and co-supervisor)
To clarify roles and expectations in the delicate process of interaction involved in postgraduate research, it is helpful to
identify the profile of your “ideal” supervisor – and to communicate this to your own supervisor. If you have been
allocated a co-supervisor to look after a specific aspect of your research, please also create a profile of your
expectations his/her role. When you have completed this worksheet, we suggest that you send it to your supervisor so
that s/he may respond.
We suggest that you to structure these profiles according to the following functions: Management, Academic, Personal.
1.2
The ideal supervisor
1.2.1
Management (of the research and writing process)
1.2.2
Academic (scholarship)
1.2.3
Personal (attributes)
1.3 The ideal co-supervisor (indicate only where this differs from the supervisor)
1.3.1
Management (of the research and writing process)
1.3.2
Academic (scholarship)
1.3.3
Personal (attributes)
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WORKSHEET 2: EXERCISES FOR CLARITY ON YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT
2.1
Narrow down: from the field of study to the title of your research
Discipline:
Missiology
Field of Study: ............................................................ (e.g. theology, history, methods ...)
Subfield of Study:
............................................................ (e.g. hermeneutics)
Topic:
............................................................ (e.g. text and context)
(For a systematic structure of Missiology see the Master Outline in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions 2000,
pp.1047-1063 or the tables of content in Jan A.B. Jongeneel 1995/1997, The philosophy, science and theology of
mission in the 19th and 20th centuries. Vol 1+2, Frankfurt: Peter Lang.)
2.2
2.3
Complete the following sentence:
2.2.1
I am investigating (topic) ....................
2.2.2
because I want to find out (problem/what/why?) ....................
2.2.3
in order to (justification/rationale/why?) ....................
2.2.4
by (broad approach/method/how?) ....................
Find or revise your title
You have to formulate two titles:
2.3.1 Formal title
Not more than ten words.
(This is the formal title for registration and for the NEXUS research database. This title also needs to comply with
various sensitivities. It might therefore be less precise than you would desire).
40
2.3.2 Longer title
Working title – this can be longer than ten words and more detailed. (This is the internal title for yourself and your
supervisor. It should be unique to your research and distinguish it from any other.
Evaluate your formal title by asking the following questions:
Criteria
Does the title accurately describe the exact nature of the main elements of the study?
Does the title communicate a concise, unambiguous picture of the contents?
Does the title serve as a good identification of the study for retrieval purposes? (are all the key
words there?)
Is the title free of obscure technical terms and jargon?
Yes
No
2.4
Discussion: Once you are satisfied, send this completed form to your supervisor/promoter and discuss it with
her/him. Circulate and revise it until both of you are satisfied.
2.5
Revision: Repeat this during the course of your research when new insights make a revision to your title
necessary. When you have agreed with your supervisor that a change of title is necessary during the course of
your studies, you may apply to the Registrar Academic at Unisa to register this new title. However, to avoid
making regular changes to your title, it is advisable to wait until you are ready to submit your dissertation; then
you submit the final title in the document that you send to the Registrar, indicating your intention to submit your
dissertation for examination.
For further explanation see:
Bak, N 2004. Completing your thesis: a practical guide. Pretoria: Van Schaik, ' 1.6, pp.6-13.
Mouton, J 2001. How to succeed in your master’s and doctoral studies. Pretoria: Van Schaik. pp 39-41.
(These worksheets have been adapted by Dr Christof Sauer from Worksheets 10 & 11, Simulation Exercise
by Prof. Chris Kapp, Centre for Higher and Adult Education, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa)
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WORKSHEET 3: CHECKLIST FOR A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Your supervisor will evaluate your research proposal, by applying each of the following criteria (where relevant), using
the following rating scale.
(Adapted from: Centre for Adult and Higher Education, University of Stellenbosch 2004):
Rating scale:
0 - Not applicable
1 - Non-existent - has to be included in a next draft.
2 - Unacceptable and leaves much room for improvement; has to be redone.
3 - Satisfactory, but needs some improvement and has to be resubmitted.
4 - Good, but needs minor refining as indicated.
5 - Acceptable - can continue as it is.
Criteria
Rating
scale
0 1 2 3 4 5
1. The topic:
1.1 represents a major problem area which warrants
research.
1.2 can be justified within the parameters of the discipline
(does not ‘interfere’ with the domains of other disciplines).
1.3 can be accommodated within the research focus
areas of the department.
2. The title:
2.1 is a concise reflection of the content of the proposal.
2.2 The title captures the key words which enables other
researchers to retrieve the research.
3. The introduction and background:
3.1 leads the reader into the context and the scope of the
topic.
3.2 provides sufficient information to contextualise the
topic and the problem.
3.3 contains all the elements expected in an introduction.
4. The statement of the problem
4.1 flows naturally from the introduction and background
4.2 is of practical/scientific significance and thus could
lead to knowledge creation.
4.3 sets out different points of view and assumptions in
an unbiased way.
4.4 is congruent to the title as well as the purpose of the
study.
4.5 The theory, practical problem or previous research
from which it proceeds, is clearly described.
4.6 The statement of the problem leads logically to a
research goal & research questions.
5 The rationale/justification/need for the research
5.1 is explained clearly and succinctly.
5.2 provides sufficient motivation for doing the research.
5.3 should be sustainable throughout the research.
6. The research goal/purpose/hypothesis
6.1 follows naturally from the problem statement.
6.2 is formulated clearly and unambiguously.
6.3 is limited to the issues at stake.
7. The literature review
7.1 is relevant to the topic, the problem statement and the
purpose of the research.
7.2 is sufficiently comprehensive regarding the
expectations.
7.3 uses essential information sources (including recent
essays and articles, gray publications, policy, expert
opinions where applicable).
Comments
42
7.4 is properly integrated, synthesized and provides an
own justified point of view.
7.5 attends to theories relevant to the study.
7.6 presents previous research technically correct, shows
perspective and justifies criticisms of it.
7.7 provides evidence that sources on research
methodology have been consulted.
7.8 includes evidence of a computer literature search and
the search of relevant databases (NEXUS for research in
RSA (printout?).
7.9 Terminology is defined or concepts are clarified in the
literature review.
8. The research design and methodology
8.1 provide sufficient evidence of an understanding of
research paradigms and philosophical approaches to
research (ontology, epistomology, three worlds).
8.2 are appropriate for the problem in question.
8.3 justify the use of specified approaches and methods
(in congruence with 8.1).
8.4 provide evidence of sufficient knowledge of the
chosen approach/method.
8.5 are described clearly and with proper evidence to
ensure replicability.
8.6 In the case of empirical sociological research ....
population and sampling procedures are described.
8.7 the classification of respondents or the way
participants are assigned to groups are described.
8.8 issues related to internal and external validity are
discussed.
8.9 reliability of measuring instruments are discussed.
8.10 validity of measuring instruments are discussed.
8.11 the data collection techniques (instruments) and
administering are briefly described.
8.12 examples of instruments (questionnaires, survey
instruments) are provided as appendices.
8.13 techniques for data analysis (quantitative or
qualitative) are briefly explained.
8.14 if statistical techniques are to be used, it has been
cleared with an accredited statistician.
8.15 an ethics statement is included.
9. Language/style/layout
9.1 The language used is of acceptable standard.
9.2 An appropriate scholarly style is used.
9.3 The layout is according to the guidelines and limited
to the given number of pages/words.
10. Chapter breakdown
10.1 The proposal sufficiently covers all the aspects of the
research.
10.2 The breakdown meets the criteria for postgraduate
research of the institution (scope, depth).
11. Time frames/Schedule
11.1 A well-designed long-term plan is submitted.
11.2 Short term targets are clearly spelled out.
11.3 Sound project management principles are applied.
12 Bibliography/References
12.1 are sufficiently comprehensive for the purposes of the
proposal.
12.2 are used correctly according to the Harvard Method
12.3 are technically correct in terms of bibliographic
requirements (effective retrieval).
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YES
NO
13. General issues
13.1 Administrative procedures are sorted out
(admission, registration, appointment of supervisors,
examiners).
13.2 Funding and leave issues have been dealt with.
13.3 Issues regarding intellectual property rights are
observed.
13.4 Contract has been negotiated and signed and roles
and responsibilities clarified.
13.5 Other (please specify)
Overall assessment of the proposal
Very good
Acceptable
Good; needs minor changes.
Satisfactory, but needs many changes
Unacceptable – major omissions
75+%
61-74%
50-60%
40-49%
lower than 40%
General feedback to the student
Strengths:
Limitations:
Aspects which need attention:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Acknowledgement (of Centre for Higher & Adult Education):
Although these criteria and the checklist is the product of experience with approximately 50 postgraduate students in
the past five years and with numerous NRF proposals, the influence of the following authors and organizations are
acknowledged:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The National Research Foundation
Mouton, J. 2001: How to succeed in your Master’s and Doctoral Studies, Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Welman, J.C. and Kruger, S.J. 1999: Research Methodology for the Business and Administrative
Sciences. Johannesburg: Thomson Publishers.
A series of Conferences on Quality in Postgraduate Research attended in Adelaide, Australia since 1994.
Several publications edited by and workshops facilitated by prof. Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt.
44
4.
EXAMPLE OF THE COVER PAGE OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
BY
CHRISTOF SAUER
Student Number: 1234-456-7
PO Box 535
Edgemead 7407
Republic of South Africa
Phone: xx27-(0)21-558 77 44
Cell: xx27-(0)83-788 21 03
Fax: xx27-(0)21-559 77 45
email: CSauer@metroweb.co.za
FOR A DTH IN MISSIOLOGY
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY,
CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY
AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON
Christian-Muslim Encounter
REACHING THE UNREACHED SUDAN-BELT:
GUINNESS, KUMM AND THE SUDAN-PIONIER-MISSION
Promoter: Prof J Reimer
Co-promoter: Dr K Fiedler
Submitted: 31 January 1998
45
5.
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GENERIC TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
[A. Parts which will appear in the dissertation in a revised form]
1. Introduction and Research Question
2. Rationale of the Study
3. Demarcation of the Study
4. Present State of Research and Preliminary Literature Review
5. Research Methodology
6. Sequence of Chapters (brief preliminary survey of the chapters)
[B. Research Resource Management – parts that do not appear in your Thesis]
7. Work Schedule
8. Budget
9. Dissemination Plan
[C. This will appear in your thesis in an expanded form]
10. Preliminary Bibliography
46
6.
STANDARD STRUCTURE OF A COMPLETED DISSERTATION
A) Generic Pages before Table of Contents
Title Page
Scripture quotations taken from ... (Copyright)
Summary
Key Terms
Statement of Authorship
Preface
Table of Contents (short)
Table of Contents (amplified)
B) Sample Table of Contents
Amplified Table of Contents
List of Illustrations and Tables
List of abbreviations used
1. Introduction (details only in amplified table of contents)
1.1 Subject / Problem / Question
1.2 Present state of research (literature review)
1.3 Sources (for historical study)
1.4 Approach / Methodology
1.5 Outline
2. FIRST CHAPTER to Second Last Chapter
xx. LAST CHAPTER (Conclusion)
Bibliography
Appendix I: Primary texts on ... (for historical source study)
Appendix II: Secondary texts
47
LIST OF RECOMMENDED BOOKS WITH BOOK NUMBERS
LYS VAN AANBEVOLE BOEKE MET BOEKNOMMERS
MTHMS1 2010
When requesting recommended books from the Library, please
supply full book number on your request card.
Verskaf asseblief volledige boeknommer wanneer aanbevole boeke
by die Biblioteek aangevra word.
Books supplied subject to availability
*Limited copies available. If unavailable, please request alternative.
TITLE
AUTHOR
Transforming mission : paradig
266.001 BOSC
Bosch, David Jacobus
10-006087-MTHMS1-r
Constants in context : a theol
266 BEVA
Bevans, Stephen B.,
10-029868-MTHMS1-r
Theology and identity : the im
261.096 BEDI
Bediako, Kwame.
10-044126-MTHMS1
With passion and compassion :
230.088042 WITH
10-006097-MTHMS1-r
Women's visions : theological
230.082 WOME
10-006098-MTHMS1-r
Ökofeminismus und Theologie =
201.77082 OKOF
10-006099-MTHMS1-r
Rebellion on the borders
230.082 MEYE
Meyer-Wilmes, Hedwig
10-006100-MTHMS1-r
Sexism and God-talk : toward a
230.082 RUET
Ruether, Rosemary Ra
10-004601-MTHMS1-r
Women hold up half the sky : w
270.0820968 WOME
10-006102-MTHMS1-r
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48
Call me woman
305.488968092 KUZW
Kuzwayo, Ellen
10-006103-MTHMS1-r
Laughter, silence and shouting
242.643 LAUG
10-006104-MTHMS1-r
Training for transformation :
307.14 HOPE
Hope, Anne.
10-002936-MTHMS1-r
On our feet : taking steps to
305.420715 MACK
Mackenzie, Liz.
10-006106-MTHMS1-r
In word and deed : towards a p
261.10968 COC
Cochrane, James R.
10-006096-MTHMS1-r
49
MTHMS15/101
DIS523L/101
DIS522K/101
ELECTRONIC RESERVES ARTICLE LIST
MTHMS15 2010
When requesting ARTICLES from the Library, please supply full
Request number on your request card.
Verskaf asseblief volledige Aanvraag nommer wanneer
ARTIKELS by die Biblioteek aangevra word.
AUTHOR/TITLE
REQUESTNUMBER
African women's quest for justice : a review of African women's
theology / Musimbi Kanyoro.
Journal of Constructive Theology. Vol. 2, no. 2 (1996).
p. 5-18.
10-012528-MTHMS1-r.
En-gendering theology : South African voices / B. Haddad.
Bulletin for contextual theology in Southern Africa and Africa
Vol. 4, no. 2 (1997).
p. 1-3.
10-040584-MTHMS1-r.
Feminist liberation theology : a contextual option / Denise Ackermann.
Journal of Theology for Southern Africa. Vol. 62 (1988).
p. 14-28.
10-013715-MTHMS1-r.
Gender and oppression : a South African feminist underview
/ Louise Kretzschmar.
Missionalia. Vol. 23, no. 2 (Aug. 1995).
p. 147-161.
10-013716-MTHMS1-r.
Liberation and practical theology : a feminist perspective on ministry
/ Denise Ackermann.
Journal of Theology for Southern Africa. Vol. 52 (1985).
p. 30-41.
10-013714-MTHMS1-r.
Method in contextual missiology / Stuart C. Bate.
Missionalia. Vol. 26, no. 2 (Aug. 1998).
p. 150-185.
10-030283-MTHMS1-r.
A question of mission : a mission of questions / J.N.J. (Klippies) Kritzinger.
Missionalia. Vol. 30, no. 1 (April 2002).
p. 144-173.
10-030284-MTHMS1-r.