Original Research
The experiences of African Roman Catholic Church seminarians
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 73, No 3 | a4151 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v73i3.4151
| © 2017 James O. Juma, Karen van der Merwe, Danie Du Toit
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 September 2016 | Published: 26 April 2017
Submitted: 27 September 2016 | Published: 26 April 2017
About the author(s)
James O. Juma, Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South AfricaKaren van der Merwe, Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
Danie Du Toit, Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
Abstract
This qualitative study describes and interprets the lived experiences of African RomanCatholic Church seminarians (priests-in-training). The interpretive lens employed was worldview, a conceptual tool extensively used in African-centred psychology. Sixteen Africanseminarians (age range 21–31 years) were purposely selected and interviewed in depthAdditional sources of data were reflexive notes and observation notes. Data were subjected tovarious iterative cycles of analysis. Participants described their difficulty in adjusting in theseminaries where teaching and living predominantly reflects a Western world view. Theyevidenced cognitive dissonance, emotional discomfort and feelings of marginalisation. Thefindings point to the importance of acknowledging the world views and cultural heritage ofseminarians in their training.
Keywords
African seminarians; Roman Catholic Church; Worldview; Marginalisation
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