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The sacrifice of the mass and the concept of sacrifice among the Xhosa : towards an inculturated understanding of the eucharist

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dc.contributor.advisor Motlhabi, Mokgethi B. G. (Mokgethi Buti George), 1944-
dc.contributor.author Sipuka, Sithembele en
dc.date.accessioned 2015-01-23T04:24:15Z
dc.date.available 2015-01-23T04:24:15Z
dc.date.issued 2000-11 en
dc.identifier.citation Sipuka, Sithembele (2000) The sacrifice of the mass and the concept of sacrifice among the Xhosa : towards an inculturated understanding of the eucharist, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/16045> en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10500/16045
dc.description.abstract The last Supper Jesus had with his disciples on the night before he died on the cross is the foundation of a major liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church called 'the Eucharist'. One of the major designations of the Eucharist is that it is a sacrifice. The starting point of this work is that the sacrificial character of the Eucharist is not as meaningful and relevant for Xhosa people as it should be. The way forward is to study the Eucharistic and Xhosa sacrifices, compare them and suggest ways of rendering the Eucharistic sacrifice meaningful and relevant to Xhosa the people. Although not conclusive, the New Testament gives a strong foundation for the sacrificial understanding of the Eucharist. The Eucharist, as interpreted through the Last Supper accounts, covers all the conventional intentions of sacrifice, i.e. propitiation, communion, thanksgiving and mutual responsibility. The Fathers of the Church affirm the sacrificial character of the Eucharist with varying emphases, but taken together, their understanding shows development of thought and complementarity of themes. In the Middle Ages the most pronounced intention of the . Eucharistic sacrifice is propitiation and post Tridentine theological reflection is informed by this mentality. According to modem and contemporary thought, Christ's death on the cross, which is sacrarnentally represented in the Eucharist, is not an act performed on our behalf to appease an angry God but God's act of love towards us. The emphasis is on self-offering to God as exemplified by Christ. The Xhosa people still have regard for sacrificial rituals, but modernity has modified and sometimes changed their understanding and practice of sacrifice. The principle of God's universal salvific will and the doctrine of incarnation provide theological grounds for inculturating the Eucharist. Thus the inclusion of ancestors and use of cultural symbols in the celebration of the Eucharist may render it meaningful to Xhosa people. Relating the Eucharist to Xhosa culture will revitalise the communion element in Eucharistic sacrifice, which element has been lost sight of through the centuries. Eucharistic sacrifice in its turn will help Xhosa Catholics to have a deepened understanding of sacrifice that extends beyond performance of rituals to include self-giving.
dc.format.extent 1 electronic resource (xi, 290 leaves) en
dc.subject Eucharist
dc.subject Sacrifice
dc.subject Last Supper
dc.subject Mass
dc.subject Church
dc.subject Xhosa
dc.subject Ancestors
dc.subject Saints
dc.subject Modem
dc.subject Missionaries
dc.subject Comparison
dc.subject Inculturation
dc.subject Propitiation
dc.subject Communion
dc.subject.ddc 264.36 en
dc.subject.lcsh Lord's Supper en
dc.subject.lcsh Lord's Supper -- Sacrifice en
dc.subject.lcsh Mass -- Celebration en
dc.subject.lcsh Ancestor worship -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Christianity and culture -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Xhosa (African people) -- Religion en
dc.title The sacrifice of the mass and the concept of sacrifice among the Xhosa : towards an inculturated understanding of the eucharist en
dc.type Thesis
dc.description.department Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology
dc.description.degree D.Th.(Systematic Theology) en


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