ISHANESU S E X T U S GUSHA

This article has interrogated the prophetic role of musicians in Zimbabwe’s political discourse with Winky D’s latest album Eureka Eureka (which was launched on 31 December 2022) being the case study. Two tracks (Dzimba Dzemabwe and Ibotso) have been singled out for analysis. The message of John the Baptist in Luke 3:7–14 has been used as the framework for understanding the prophetic phenomenon of the 1st century AD Palestinian environment. The article has employed the comparative methodology in comparing these two distant figures. The fivefold process of selection, description, juxtaposition, redescription, and rectification and theory formation has been employed as steps in doing a comparative study. The study identified some notable similarities as well as some differences in the messages of Winky D and John the Baptist and concluded that Winky D’s message played a prophetic role in the Zimbabwean political discourse in a similar way that the message of John the Baptist in Luke 3:7–14 played in the 1st century AD Palestinian context.

The tension between the Ndebele and Shona people dates back to the pre-colonial era and this has been one of the major threats to Zimbabwe’s peace. Ethnic tensions have resulted in the loss of thousands of lives since the country’s independence in 1980, especially during the Entumbane clashes and Gukurahundi massacres. The government has in several ways tried to bring social cohesion between the two ethnic groups but with limited success. Four examples are: the initiatives done through the 1980 reconciliation pronouncement by Prime Minster Robert Mugabe, 1987 Unity Accord between PF ZAPU and ZANU PF, the Government of National Unity, and the Commission on National Healing and Reconciliation of 2008. The failures are mainly attributed to amnesia and the unwillingness to repent from past evils by the perpetrators. Seemingly, the major problem may be attributed to the fact that interested parties often played the mediatory role; and one cannot objectively be both player and referee. In...

Religious texts are important for believers and this is true of the Christian faith where the Bible is taken as an inspired and holy word of God. The challenge for biblical scholars, theologians, environmentalists, ecologists and biblical readers would be the use of morally challenging biblical examples in the proclamation of the kingdom. Texts that sound environmentally unfriendly, for example, Genesis 1:28 (where God instructed His created beings to subdue and have dominion on the earth), Mark 5:1-20 (where the healing makes the herd of pigs be driven into the sea) and Jesus cursing a fig tree. These are typical examples of morally difficult texts on the relation between the kingdom of God and the environment. The following questions have been raised: What is the morality of Jesus’ actions in cursing the tree? Do biophobic biblical texts have an impact on Christians’ interactions with their environment? Is sustainable development possible in a context of biophobic tendencies? How best can such texts be interpreted in a context where there is an environmental crisis characterized by deforestation, contaminated waters, polluted air and rampant poaching? Are the texts sensitive and friendly to the environment? How would African Christians morally regard and interpret such actions on the environment? Traditional culture sanctions peoples’ behaviour and interaction with their environment. As a result, fruit trees are highly regarded amongst Africans. Any behaviour that destroys nature is not encouraged. It is, therefore, the task of this paper to discuss the miracle of the cursing of the fig tree in Matt 21:18-22 in the light of sustainable development and environmental theology. Further, how would a Zimbabwean Christian sustainably read Matt 21:18-22 for development?

When Zimbabwe attained her independence from colonial powers in 1980, prospects of a peaceful nation were high, especially following the pledge made by the Prime Minister Elect in his victory speech. Isaiah 2:4b was quoted as a metaphor of peace, but things did not turn out as expected in the following years. The vicious cycle of violence that was inherited from the colonial legacy continued and the worse phase of that cycle was the Midlands and Matabeleland crisis, commonly known as Gukurahundi. Approximately 20 000 people died in the state-sanctioned violence (genocide). Using Cue-Dependent Forgetting Theory, this paper critically appraises possible reasons why the promised bliss through reconciliation did not materialise. Among the reasons cited in this paper are the lack of a serious Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and also the phenomenon of amnesia as the major contributory factors to this cycle of violence.

The paper is a comparison of pilgrim identities between the Passover Feast and Bernard Mzeki pilgrimages. Bernard Mzeki is one of the most celebrated martyrs in the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe and worldwide. 18 June is reserved as the day of celebrating his martyrdom. Anglican pilgrims from all over the world travel to Bernard Mzeki shrine in Marondera, Zimbabwe in honour of his sacrificial life towards the propagation of the gospel. The form critical approach helps in the reconstruction of the identities of Passover pilgrims and the Comparative analysis help in comparing the two. The paper established some significant similarities in terms of the pilgrim identities of the two, while certain peculiarities had been considered as well. Though religious pilgrimages are purpose of worship and encounter the Holy One, not all pilgrims attend the festival for these primary focuses. Some have different purpose hence the quest for these different pilgrim identities.

The interpretation and appropriation of Romans 13:1–7 have been a challenge for generations because this text confuses Christians as to how they should relate and participate in the politics of the day. This article interprets the text in its historical and literary context before appropriating it to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. The conclusion reached is that the text does not directly speak to church–state relations but rather should be understood in its context in Paul’s time. Appropriating the text to the Second Republic requires us to delineate whether the governing authorities of the Second Republic are doing the will of God or whether they are terrorising people into obedience. The article concludes that the text does not forbid people from resisting illegitimate and brutal governments and does not demand passive citizenship. Contribution: The article is an interpretation and appropriation of Romans 13:1–7 to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. Appropriating the text to the S...

Religious texts are important for believers and this is true of the Christian faith where the Bible is taken as an inspired and holy word of God. The challenge for biblical scholars, theologians, environmentalists, ecologists and biblical readers would be the use of morally challenging biblical examples in the proclamation of the kingdom. Texts that sound environmentally unfriendly, for example, Genesis 1:28 (where God instructed His created beings to subdue and have dominion on the earth), Mark 5:1-20 (where the healing makes the herd of pigs be driven into the sea) and Jesus cursing a fig tree. These are typical examples of morally difficult texts on the relation between the kingdom of God and the environment. The following questions have been raised: What is the morality of Jesus’ actions in cursing the tree? Do biophobic biblical texts have an impact on Christians’ interactions with their environment? Is sustainable development possible in a context of biophobic tendencies? How best can such texts be interpreted in a context where there is an environmental crisis characterized by deforestation, contaminated waters, polluted air and rampant poaching? Are the texts sensitive and friendly to the environment? How would African Christians morally regard and interpret such actions on the environment? Traditional culture sanctions peoples’ behaviour and interaction with their environment. As a result, fruit trees are highly regarded amongst Africans. Any behaviour that destroys nature is not encouraged. It is, therefore, the task of this paper to discuss the miracle of the cursing of the fig tree in Matt 21:18-22 in the light of sustainable development and environmental theology. Further, how would a Zimbabwean Christian sustainably read Matt 21:18-22 for development?

The paper is a comparison of pilgrim identities between the Passover Feast and Bernard Mzeki pilgrimages. Bernard Mzeki is one of the most celebrated martyrs in the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe and worldwide. 18 June is reserved as the day of celebrating his martyrdom. Anglican pilgrims from all over the world travel to Bernard Mzeki shrine in Marondera, Zimbabwe in honour of his sacrificial life towards the propagation of the gospel. The form critical approach helps in the reconstruction of the identities of Passover pilgrims and the Comparative analysis help in comparing the two. The paper established some significant similarities in terms of the pilgrim identities of the two, while certain peculiarities had been considered as well. Though religious pilgrimages are purpose of worship and encounter the Holy One, not all pilgrims attend the festival for these primary focuses. Some have different purpose hence the quest for these different pilgrim identities.

The interpretation and appropriation of Romans 13:1–7 have been a challenge for generations because this text confuses Christians as to how they should relate and participate in the politics of the day. This article interprets the text in its historical and literary context before
appropriating it to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. The conclusion reached is that the text does not directly speak to church–state relations but rather should be understood in its context in Paul’s time. Appropriating the text to the Second Republic requires us to delineate
whether the governing authorities of the Second Republic are doing the will of God or whether they are terrorising people into obedience. The article concludes that the text does not forbid people from resisting illegitimate and brutal governments and does not demand
passive citizenship.

The article is on the exegesis of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25–35) and its relevance to the challenges that are being posed by COVID-19. Through the historical critical approach, the article has concluded that the parable is relevant in troubleshooting the challenges that are caused by COVID-19, such as discrimination, stigma, hate and
stereotypes. The article sees COVID-19 as teaching humanity the important lesson that no one can live in isolation, however powerful or economically strong they are. Therefore, there is a need to take the opportunity of being a neighbour. Neighbourhood is understood
as offering services to those in need and COVID-19 has presented a chance to the entire world to help someone with needs. A need-based world requires neighbours and this makes the parable relevant.

The tension between the Ndebele and Shona people dates back to the precolonial era and this has been one of the major threats to Zimbabwe’s peace. Ethnic tensions have resulted in the loss of thousands of lives since the country’s independence, especially during the Entumbane clashes and Gukurahundi massacres. The government has in several ways, tried to bring social cohesion between the two with limited success. Four examples are: the initiatives done through the 1980 reconciliation pronouncement by Prime Minster Robert Mugabe, 1987 Unity Accord between PF
ZAPU and ZANU PF, the Government of National Unity, and the Commission on National Healing and Reconciliation of 2008. The failure may be attributed to amnesia and the unwillingness to repent from past evils by the perpetrators. Seemingly, the major problem may be attributed to the fact that interested parties often played the mediatory role; and one cannot objectively be both player and referee. In addition, over the years, the church through her ecumenical bodies has tried to build bridges between the two but the efforts were also fruitless due to the unwillingness by the government to take recommendations from the church and civic organisations.
The thesis proposes Pauline ethics regarding reconciliation in the Corinthian correspondence as inspiration for social cohesion between the Ndebele and Shona tribes. As hermeneutical tools, Paul’s key symbols such as Christ, the Cross of Christ, Ambassador, New Creation, and Baptism shall be deployed as epistemological lenses in promoting identity tags that go beyond ethnicity. I propose that, for these symbols to be effective, the following recommendations should be taken seriously; setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), refraining from using ethnic offensive language, introduction of Ndebele and Shona languages in primary and secondary schools in the provinces dominated by these two ethnic groups, substituting ethnic provincial names with neutral ones, substituting ethnic registration system of people with a neutral one, and the devolution of power.

In this article, I am discussion the problem of suffering in the book of Job from an African liberative perspective. The book brings an interesting perspective on the problem of suffering that was not common to the Israelite theology of retributive principle. Contrary to the common notion that God rewards the righteous and punish the evil, the book neither confirms the retributive principle nor denies it. The most pious Job is seen suffering for no reason except the test of faith. The conclusion is that it is a narrow perspective to define God in terms of the retribution perspective. God is beyond that principle and He is sovereign to do what he wants. The book has some problems in applying it to the African context that has a similar notion of retributive principle like that of the Israelites. The article concludes that the book helps in shaping the African view on suffering and liberates Africans from the slavery of bereavement. The book is useful for pastoral care and bereavement counselling hence it is not congruent with the African view on suffering. It does not really liberate Africans from their suffering but, it can negatively promotes pessimism on addressing the issue of human induced suffering.
Introduction

When Zimbabwe attained her independence from colonial powers in 1980, prospects of a peaceful nation were high, especially following the pledge made by the Prime Minister Elect in his victory speech. Isaiah 2:4b was quoted as a metaphor of peace, but things did not turn out as expected in the following years. The vicious cycle of violence that was inherited from the colonial legacy continued and the worse phase of that cycle was the Midlands and Matabeleland crisis, commonly known as Gukurahundi. Approximately 20 000 people died in the state-sanctioned violence (genocide). Using Cue-Dependent Forgetting Theory, this paper critically appraises possible reasons why the promised bliss through reconciliation did not materialise. Among the reasons cited in this paper are the lack of a serious Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and also the phenomenon of amnesia as the major contributory factors to this cycle of violence.

Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Program also known as the; Fast Track Land Redistribution, Land Grabbing, Jambanja, and the Third Chimurenga attracted global political discourse in the early 2000s. This paper seeks to discuss whether the Land Reform program empowered the people of Zimbabwe, especially farm workers and peasants. Why focusing on these two groups of people? The Jesus we read in the gospels, particularly in the gospels of Luke is biased towards the socially marginalized people of the society. New Testament scholars, in most cases are keen to investigate the biblical narratives on the plight of those people who anchor the social pyramid of the society or those at the bottom of the heap. Such point of departure seems to raise certain flags in the society particularly from those who are at the apex of the socio-economic pyramid. David Sheppard (1983:9) is right in arguing that “to argue that there should be bias in favour of one group rather than another risks conflict.” Sheppard reinforces his argument in that “there is a divine bias to the poor which should be reflected both in the church and in the secular world.” According to Sebastian Bakare (1993: XI), “the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters are the landless, homeless, squatters, unemployed, poor, and hungry who need to be cared for now.” Therefore, any revolution that is not meant to empower the oppressed or the socially marginalized is not worthy undertaking. The Zimbabwe Land Reform Program (herein after referred to as ZLRP) as a revolution to correct the colonial imbalances of Land Redistribution should empower the poor, peasants, farm workers, and other socially marginalized groups of people. Such an argument forms the basis for the writing of this paper. The discussion is centered on the parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21). The paper is structured in the following way: background of the land issue in Zimbabwe; conflicts surrounding land in the Old Testament; an exegesis of Luke 12:16–21; relating Luke to the plight of farm workers and peasants; and conclusion.

Many Christians regard the Bible as a normative book; meaning that they require the bible to give them all answers pertaining life issues. This study attempts to find the position of the bible especially the New Testament on beer/wine drinking since it is an area of controversy in the Anglican Diocese of Harare. Those from the church’s evangelical wing condemn beer drinking as sinful, while those from the Anglo-catholic wing support beer drinking. So who is right and who is wrong?  So the court of appeal is the bible since all of them are claiming that their answers are from this holy book. The study has established that the bible does not explicitly condemn beer/wine drinking; but drunkenness. Moderate drinking is not condemned but abuse of alcohol. It also emerged that the majority of Christians do not know the difference between moderate drinking and drunkenness. These Christians are interpreting verses that condemn drunkenness as to mean beer/wine drinking. It is therefore recommended that the church should give people proper interpretative tools. The church should also refrain from using hyperbolic language when it comes to matters of faith. This creates another sin of hypocrisy.

The title of the book; Soul of Soller A Journey Through Time is very appropriate and catching especially as one reads the book. What is a soul? In general terms, a soul is the part of the person that makes a person what he/she is, alive, aware and able. It is the essence of a being and the title explicitly speaks to the essence of Soller. Well done, Ellen for putting up such an appropriate and engaging title. The layout of the book by Anthony Kinne demonstrates immerse creativity especially as one opens the contents table which is unique showing a winding journey through times. Was the designer thinking of the winding journey through times or was he thinking of the winding road to Soller from Palma? It only the designer who can answer this question. It is rare to read a book and find no typing or grammatical errors but I hardly find one in this book and credit goes to the entire editorial team especially the proof readers David Brown and Catrin Giynne Jones. The other thing that makes the book an easy read are the three hundred and six pictures and a single image of the map

A film review of the story of Oscar ARNULFO Romero the catholic bishop a rural diocese in Mexico who was later elected the archbishop of Mexico. Romero is one of the highly esteemed champion of human rights who criticised the oppressive government of his day to the point of being assassinated while celebrating mass.

This chapter focuses on the appropriation of the Bible in the Zimbabwean narrative by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) (see also Chapter 1 by Gunda in this volume). The context of this appropriation was the 40th independence celebration of Zimbabwe in 2020 and the number 40 was theologised in relation to these celebrations. The primary document for this appropriation has been the Pastoral Letter which was referred to as the 21st-century oracle by the 21st-century prophets. The chapter explores the significance of the Bible in the public space in Zimbabwe and lessons that can be drawn from this appropriation by the Second Republic. The chapter concludes that the 40th independence was an opportunity for a reflection of the past, a window for a new beginning for Zimbabwe and a reconfiguration of the country’s narrative.

The issue of boundaries has been a source of identity, peace and conflict throughout history. This chapter seeks to discuss the issue of deflecting traditional disciplinary boundaries in biblical studies. The debate on deflecting academic boundaries has been in existence for centuries with a combination of success and failure. The saying by Tertullian, who was the Bishop of North Africa, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem, the acad
emy with the church?” is testimony to the existence of the debate on protecting disciplinary boundaries (Herman, 1997:49). Athens repre
sented the discipline of philosophy, and prominent ancient philosophers came from the academies of Athens. Jerusalem on the other hand repre
sented theology or the Christian faith. Therefore, Tertullian questioned the link between these two disciplines, and for him there was norelationship between the two. This meant that the two disciplines should not interact, especially in research and the production of knowledge. This is a thinking that has created rigid disciplinary boundaries for centuries, and this has become an acceptable tradition in scholarship. In my discus
sion of deflecting traditional disciplinary boundaries, I start by defining key terms such as deflecting, tradition, discipline and boundary. Next, I explore in brief the history of the study of the Bible in different epochs as a way to establish the disciplinary boundaries that were in existence in biblical studies and how some of these boundaries were deflected but to a limited extent at other times. The chapter will then proffer some solutions on how these biblical boundaries can be deflected but without losing their identity.