Abstract:
This is a hermeneutical study of an attempt to inculturate a Redemptorist parish mission in
a black township parish. The purpose of Redemptorist parish mission is conversion and
renewal. This study is influenced by -
- the spirit of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
founder of the Redemptorists
- Vatican II (1962-1965) and by
- the African Synod (1994);
and it uses the systemic stage model of Rambo and the spiral model of Costas, as a
framework to understand conversion. The conversion experiences of ten parishioners of St.
Peter's parish are used as data for the study. A theological reflection on the ten conversions
confirmed the following: that cultural context is important for understanding conversion;
that conversion is both a distinct moment and a continuous process; that it is imperative to
understand conversion from the perspective of the convert him/herself. For 'mission preaching' to effect genuine conversion it must be inculturated.