Jonas Sello Thinane
Biographic Data
| ID | 1111563 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jonas Sello Thinane |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jonas Sello |
| FAMILY NAME | Thinane |
| SIGNATURE | THINANE J S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of South Africa |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8522-8519 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 4 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 31 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Reframing Tentmaking Ministry
“Tentmaking ministry” has become a common term in contemporary church discourse to legitimise dual engagement in secular employment and pastoral service. Yet the concept often lacks precision and has generated ethical contestation, especially in church contexts marked by economic precarity and the increasing commercialisation of religion. This article offers a conceptual and theological-ethical critique of contemporary tentmaking ministry in Sout…
Missio Maritatus in the Missio Dei
Marriage is a sacred institution that represents God’s sent interpersonal relationships to proliferate humanity, rather than just the act of remaining as husband and wife. The phrase “be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth” is perhaps a better way to describe this missio maritatus, or marriage mission, as God instructs humanity in Genesis 1:28. God, the eternal missionary here, calls on humanity to be fruitful, multiply, and steward the eart…
Challenging the Gates
The location, acceptance, and tolerance of religious education in public spaces have been fiercely debated since South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994. As a result, South Africa’s constitution now guarantees religious freedom in all public places, including educational institutions. The primary question is, however, how much do these public universities’ theological and religious faculties guarantee that all religious or faith traditions h…
Reformed Pulpit and God’s mission
The five Solas of the Reformation, Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus and Soli Deo Gloria, harmoniously or correspondingly affirm the central position of God in the work of salvation (missio Dei). The conceptualization of the missio Dei, which grew out of the 1952 International Missionary Council (IMC) reasoned on the basis of Solae doctrines, equally points to the central role of God in the work of salvation. Although the cen…
LGBTQI Rights crucified in Indonesia? New Penal Code anti missio Dei
Literature continues to document the ways in which Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQI) communities continue to grapple with or face unprecedented abuse in many nations of the world. Members of LGBTQI groups are reported to face discrimination and legal obstacles in countries like Indonesia, since its socio-cultural norms acquiescently discourage homosexuality or gender transitioning in any form. Furthermore, recent amendm…
Translating missio Dei
Missio Dei , particularly from the 1952 International Missionary Council perspective, highlights God’s unmerited grace, which invites broad human participation in the realisation of salvation (Σωτηρία) and the kingdom of God (Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ). The achievement of these goals depends on divine providence and the involvement of churches, including but not limited to the vital ministry of Bible translation. The crucial role that Bible translation p…
Missio Dei towards the Kingdom of God
Verbum et Ecclesia is a theological research journal that challenges traditional discourses within and between the fields of biblical, religious, social and human sciences as well as the constructive engagement with the natural sciences. It is an instrument of engagement between theological disciplines, on the one hand, and theology and other disciplines, on the other
The Passing-On of F.W. de Klerk
After his death on 11 November 2021, social media in South Africa was immediately inundated with reactions to the mixed legacy of Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last President of South Africa during apartheid (1989–1994) and the former Vice President of Nelson Mandela (1994–1996) under the democratic dispensation. In most transitional justice processes, truth is often required in exchange for reconciliatory or peace accords. With the benefits of t…
Synchronizing Missio Dei with Process Theology and Theodicy
Since the second half of the 20th century, missiology has continued to elevate Missio Dei to a topic of the highest importance in theology. According to Missio Dei, the salvific mission is more theocentric than anthropocentric in that its actuality is wholly rooted in the nature of God. However, much work remains to be conducted to evaluate and reconcile the modern interpretation of the Missio Dei and its predecessor theological doctrines, to avo…
Commercialisation of Religion in South Africa
This book gathers scholarly contributions which offer valuable insights into the basics of what is meant by the commercialization of religion
Missio Dei’s complexity prefaced in synergism
Augustine’s thoughts on human salvation not only influenced early Protestant theology but also dominated the conceptualisation of the missio Dei from the perspective of the 1952 Willingen Conference. His doctrine of synergism arguably only manifested much later in the conception of the missio Dei , which anticipated human obedience or active participation in the mission to attain the goal of human salvation. The idea of synergism in this regard, …
Missio Dei refuting the pactum salutis
The doctrine of pactum salutis has in the past sparked serious theological debate and has often been rejected because of its contradictions with Reformed orthodoxy. Among other early church fathers and theologians, the pactum salutis is found in the writings of Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther. This doctrine is closely related to, or possibly overlaps with, the doctrine of predestination, as both involve the belief that God ha…
Uncovering Covert Syncretic Holy Water among ANPCs in South Africa
In most societies where Christianity is dominant, it has manifested itself in different ways, reflecting its admixture with indigenous religious practices, an admixture commonly seen in most African contexts. This is evidenced by overt syncretic practices and rarely covert syncretic practices that conceal the blending of beliefs, including belief in the mystical powers of water. In part, this explains why African Christian believers, particularly…
Missio Dei’s Pleromatic Disposition
What characterized the missiological shift from pre- to post-1952 Willingen and its resulting perspectives is the recognition of the pleromatic (Greek for “Fullness”) nature of the mission, denoting the totality of the Trinitarian God constantly or coherently at work saving the entire universe. Although the missiological literature commendably continues to emphasize total salvation and the attainment of the all-encompassing kingdom of God as the …
Missio politica on Coalition Governance
Missio Dei has both total salvation and the attainment of the all-encompassing kingdom of God as central objectives, meriting the participation of all sectors of human society. However, as the resulting circumstances of several African developing countries can attest, the unsustainably disruptive nature of Governments of National Unity (GNUs) or coalition governments contradicts such unifying divine mandate. Using South Africa's coalition politic…
Decoloniality on Culture and Religion
Decolonial discourse continues to challenge Eurocentrism and, among other things, raises profound questions about culture and religion or their unreceptive interactions. Conversely, both culture and religion remain products of the social context in which they are located. Some have even gone so far as to conceptualize religion as a form of culture, or vice versa. Historically, however, in societies such as South Africa where dominant religions su…
Missio hominum in missio Dei
Recent efforts to introduce and develop the concept of missio hominum, first by Prof. Nico Smith, followed by Dr Jonas Thinane, are equally plausible and commendable. However, these efforts leave untouched the question of the biblical roots of the missio hominum as a missiological framework in the context of the missio Dei. For the missio hominum to stand up to scholarly criticism, it is important to first restore its biblical basis. This objecti…
Xenophobia in South Africa
Generally, the problem of xenophobia remains a complex and challenging topic for most countries of the world, for Africans and South Africans in particular. Constructed upon existing literature, this paper contributes to the discourse on anti-immigrant or xenophobic feelings in South Africa. This paper uses Missio Politica as a missiological framework combined with political theology to examine xenophobia. Although alluring further extensive rese…
Missio Dei through complexity theory
Complexity theory continues to fascinate the academics owing to its capability to describe complex systems holistically. This theory makes it possible to understand a complex system by studying its constituent subsystems. Understanding the missio Dei has become somewhat complex, particularly from the perspective of the 1952 Willingen Conference. This conference emphasised mission as a divine activity embodied in the core missions of the Son ( mis…
Mysterium Deus in missio
As in all other world religions, a deep sense of the mystery is also central to the Christian religion. The mere existence of God is accepted as something mysterious beyond human comprehension. While theological literature speaks extensively of the mysterious nature of the triune God, little or nothing is said of such mysterious nature of God in missiology in the context of the missio Dei, particularly from the perspective of the Willlingen’s Int…
Conceptualisation of missio hominum as an expression of imago Dei
Academic data show little evidence that the concept of the missio hominum was ever explored beyond its context as developed by Nico Smith. There is little to no research that has conceptualised this phenomenon in light of imago Dei and the role it should play in fulfilling missio Dei’s mandate. It uses the relational nature of the Union of the Divine Trinity derived in imago Dei to conceptualise the idea of the missio hominum in the broader conte…
Missio hominum as commissioned by missio Dei
The Christian image of God rightly goes back to the Bible as the only source of revelation. According to the creation account in the book of Genesis, God is primarily seen as the creator of heaven, Earth and humankind. Following this understanding, the International Mission Conference (IMC) in Willingen in 1952 expanded the scope of mission beyond the ecclesiastical sphere and anchored it in the doctrine of the Triadic God. In other words, the Wi…
Oath taking viewed Biblically and perjury by South African Politicians
As it is the case with many other countries around the world, South Africa has a unique and strong tradition of religious devotion, encompassed by belief in God which is even expressed in the constitution’s preamble invoking the presence of God. To ensure that the judicial system carries out its duties responsibly and upholds the fair administration of justice, courts of law, judicial authority and commissions of inquiry discourage perjury by req…
ANC’s step-aside rule through the eye of the missio politica as mandated by Missio Dei
The broader practice of politics in the world, while detached from the religion, cannot be excluded from the mission of the Missio Dei. In fact, the question of mission and politics has prompted Professor Johannes Reimer to propose missio politica as a missiological framework that puts the mandate of mission and politics in one basket. Following this solid foundation, this paper will propose the use of missio politica as an important missiologica…
Missio politica in missio Dei
The understanding of the missio Dei from the point of view of the International Missionary Conference in Willingen has rightly broadened the missiological horizon and promoted new approaches to God’s mission in the world. This conference abandoned the ecclesiological approach to mission and focused attention on God as the foundation or source of mission. Inherently, this new perspective opened the door for other human institutions, such as politi…
Missio politica in missio Dei
The understanding of the missio Dei from the point of view of the International Missionary Conference in Willingen has rightly broadened the missiological horizon and promoted new approaches to God’s mission in the world. This conference abandoned the ecclesiological approach to mission and focused attention on God as the foundation or source of mission. Inherently, this new perspective opened the door for other human institutions, such as politi…
Translating missio Dei
Missio Dei , particularly from the 1952 International Missionary Council perspective, highlights God’s unmerited grace, which invites broad human participation in the realisation of salvation (Σωτηρία) and the kingdom of God (Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ). The achievement of these goals depends on divine providence and the involvement of churches, including but not limited to the vital ministry of Bible translation. The crucial role that Bible translation p…
Religious perspectives on Vaccination
In public health history, vaccinations have been seen as very helpful as they help protect societies from preventable diseases and save many lives around the world. Despite the fact that few religious groups oppose vaccination for a variety of reasons, almost all major religions in the world support vaccination as long as it complies with religious precepts for the preservation, protection, or well-being of livelihoods. However, during the surge …
Missio hominum for social justice in South Africa
Decades after the fall of apartheid, South Africa continues to face problems such as racism, heterosexism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, and gender-based violence leading to feminicide, which undermines all efforts being made to achieve social justice. Every Christian mission begins or flows out from missio Dei and has a common endeavour to achieve its goal. This article examines missio hominum as the new fundamental paradigm from the perspective …
Missio hominum as the compassionate response to socio-economic and vaccine challenges during Covid-19 in South Africa
It is likely that the storm of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Africa will calm only when the country attains herd immunity. In South Africa, the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out plan will first prioritise key frontline forces, the elderly and those with comorbidities. Although there is some new academic insight on COVID-19 within the context of churches, not much has been written on the role that churches can play in partnership with gover…
Missio hominum guided by an understanding of Ubuntu for missio Dei
Missio hominum as a theological framework within the discipline of missiology in understanding missio Dei still lacks proper exploration. Few attempts have been made by theologians in the past but in different disciplines other than missiology. The exception is the previous studies by Nico Smith who investigated and conceptualised the subject at great length. This article builds on Smith’s perspectives on missio hominum with the aim of providing …
Religious perspectives on Vaccination
In public health history, vaccinations have been seen as very helpful as they help protect societies from preventable diseases and save many lives around the world. Despite the fact that few religious groups oppose vaccination for a variety of reasons, almost all major religions in the world support vaccination as long as it complies with religious precepts for the preservation, protection, or well-being of livelihoods. However, during the surge …
Misuse of Religious titles by self-proclaimed spiritual leaders
In the world of religions, different religious officials are given different titles. Christianity as a religion in the world and in South Africa particularly, has been severely attacked by self proclaimed spiritual leaders who perform false miracles and abuse titles that have been respected by traditional mainstream churches for decades. These self-appointed spiritual leaders make utilization of these titles either through self-propagating or by …
Thuma Mina - an Isaiah 6
This article builds on the excellent article by Prof. Kgatle and Mashau who examined the prospects and success of the presidency of Cyril Ramaphosas by reflecting on the concept of Thuma Mina. In this article, Ramaphosas Thuma Mina's manifesto is placed in the same restorative context as the implementation of the African National Congress (ANC) step-aid resolution. Almost 27 years of democracy today since the ANCs came to power in South Africa in…
Missio Dei as the Main Project
The emergence of the concept of Missio Dei (Mission of God) from the perspective of the International Missionary Council (IMC) arguably demonstrated that the role of the Triune God in his own mission was undeservedly marginalized for decades, if not centuries preceding 1952. Over the past decades there has been a sustained research activity conceptualizing Missio Dei, and at the same time renewing missiological interest in other Christian mission…
Xenophobia in South Africa
Generally, the problem of xenophobia remains a complex and challenging topic for most countries of the world, for Africans and South Africans in particular. Constructed upon existing literature, this paper contributes to the discourse on anti-immigrant or xenophobic feelings in South Africa. This paper uses Missio Politica as a missiological framework combined with political theology to examine xenophobia. Although alluring further extensive rese…
Missio Dei through complexity theory
Complexity theory continues to fascinate the academics owing to its capability to describe complex systems holistically. This theory makes it possible to understand a complex system by studying its constituent subsystems. Understanding the missio Dei has become somewhat complex, particularly from the perspective of the 1952 Willingen Conference. This conference emphasised mission as a divine activity embodied in the core missions of the Son ( mis…
Mysterium Deus in missio
As in all other world religions, a deep sense of the mystery is also central to the Christian religion. The mere existence of God is accepted as something mysterious beyond human comprehension. While theological literature speaks extensively of the mysterious nature of the triune God, little or nothing is said of such mysterious nature of God in missiology in the context of the missio Dei, particularly from the perspective of the Willlingen’s Int…
Conceptualisation of missio hominum as an expression of imago Dei
Academic data show little evidence that the concept of the missio hominum was ever explored beyond its context as developed by Nico Smith. There is little to no research that has conceptualised this phenomenon in light of imago Dei and the role it should play in fulfilling missio Dei’s mandate. It uses the relational nature of the Union of the Divine Trinity derived in imago Dei to conceptualise the idea of the missio hominum in the broader conte…
Missio hominum as commissioned by missio Dei
The Christian image of God rightly goes back to the Bible as the only source of revelation. According to the creation account in the book of Genesis, God is primarily seen as the creator of heaven, Earth and humankind. Following this understanding, the International Mission Conference (IMC) in Willingen in 1952 expanded the scope of mission beyond the ecclesiastical sphere and anchored it in the doctrine of the Triadic God. In other words, the Wi…
Oath taking viewed Biblically and perjury by South African Politicians
As it is the case with many other countries around the world, South Africa has a unique and strong tradition of religious devotion, encompassed by belief in God which is even expressed in the constitution’s preamble invoking the presence of God. To ensure that the judicial system carries out its duties responsibly and upholds the fair administration of justice, courts of law, judicial authority and commissions of inquiry discourage perjury by req…
ANC’s step-aside rule through the eye of the missio politica as mandated by Missio Dei
The broader practice of politics in the world, while detached from the religion, cannot be excluded from the mission of the Missio Dei. In fact, the question of mission and politics has prompted Professor Johannes Reimer to propose missio politica as a missiological framework that puts the mandate of mission and politics in one basket. Following this solid foundation, this paper will propose the use of missio politica as an important missiologica…
Missio politica in missio Dei
The understanding of the missio Dei from the point of view of the International Missionary Conference in Willingen has rightly broadened the missiological horizon and promoted new approaches to God’s mission in the world. This conference abandoned the ecclesiological approach to mission and focused attention on God as the foundation or source of mission. Inherently, this new perspective opened the door for other human institutions, such as politi…
Commercialisation of Religion in South Africa
This book gathers scholarly contributions which offer valuable insights into the basics of what is meant by the commercialization of religion
Missio Dei’s complexity prefaced in synergism
Augustine’s thoughts on human salvation not only influenced early Protestant theology but also dominated the conceptualisation of the missio Dei from the perspective of the 1952 Willingen Conference. His doctrine of synergism arguably only manifested much later in the conception of the missio Dei , which anticipated human obedience or active participation in the mission to attain the goal of human salvation. The idea of synergism in this regard, …
Missio Dei refuting the pactum salutis
The doctrine of pactum salutis has in the past sparked serious theological debate and has often been rejected because of its contradictions with Reformed orthodoxy. Among other early church fathers and theologians, the pactum salutis is found in the writings of Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther. This doctrine is closely related to, or possibly overlaps with, the doctrine of predestination, as both involve the belief that God ha…
Uncovering Covert Syncretic Holy Water among ANPCs in South Africa
In most societies where Christianity is dominant, it has manifested itself in different ways, reflecting its admixture with indigenous religious practices, an admixture commonly seen in most African contexts. This is evidenced by overt syncretic practices and rarely covert syncretic practices that conceal the blending of beliefs, including belief in the mystical powers of water. In part, this explains why African Christian believers, particularly…
Missio Dei’s Pleromatic Disposition
What characterized the missiological shift from pre- to post-1952 Willingen and its resulting perspectives is the recognition of the pleromatic (Greek for “Fullness”) nature of the mission, denoting the totality of the Trinitarian God constantly or coherently at work saving the entire universe. Although the missiological literature commendably continues to emphasize total salvation and the attainment of the all-encompassing kingdom of God as the …
Missio politica on Coalition Governance
Missio Dei has both total salvation and the attainment of the all-encompassing kingdom of God as central objectives, meriting the participation of all sectors of human society. However, as the resulting circumstances of several African developing countries can attest, the unsustainably disruptive nature of Governments of National Unity (GNUs) or coalition governments contradicts such unifying divine mandate. Using South Africa's coalition politic…
Decoloniality on Culture and Religion
Decolonial discourse continues to challenge Eurocentrism and, among other things, raises profound questions about culture and religion or their unreceptive interactions. Conversely, both culture and religion remain products of the social context in which they are located. Some have even gone so far as to conceptualize religion as a form of culture, or vice versa. Historically, however, in societies such as South Africa where dominant religions su…
Missio hominum in missio Dei
Recent efforts to introduce and develop the concept of missio hominum, first by Prof. Nico Smith, followed by Dr Jonas Thinane, are equally plausible and commendable. However, these efforts leave untouched the question of the biblical roots of the missio hominum as a missiological framework in the context of the missio Dei. For the missio hominum to stand up to scholarly criticism, it is important to first restore its biblical basis. This objecti…
Missio Maritatus in the Missio Dei
Marriage is a sacred institution that represents God’s sent interpersonal relationships to proliferate humanity, rather than just the act of remaining as husband and wife. The phrase “be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth” is perhaps a better way to describe this missio maritatus, or marriage mission, as God instructs humanity in Genesis 1:28. God, the eternal missionary here, calls on humanity to be fruitful, multiply, and steward the eart…
Challenging the Gates
The location, acceptance, and tolerance of religious education in public spaces have been fiercely debated since South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994. As a result, South Africa’s constitution now guarantees religious freedom in all public places, including educational institutions. The primary question is, however, how much do these public universities’ theological and religious faculties guarantee that all religious or faith traditions h…
Philosophy (28 works) · Christian Theology and Mission (24 works) · Sociology (24 works) · Theology (24 works) · Political science (18 works) · Religion, Society, and Development (18 works) · Law (15 works) · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies (14 works) · Philosophy (14 works) · History (13 works)