In search of a family : the challenge of gangsterism to faith communities on the Cape Flats

Abstract

Gangsterism, as described in this study, is a serious problem.It has deep historical roots in Cape town has developed into a kind of 'resident evil' that rears its ugly head time and again, despite several efforts by state organs to crush it.The study was not attempted as a thorough and in-depth research on gangs as such.The main research question was: How do faith communities, in particular Christian churches, respond to the challenges of gangsterism on the Cape Flats.upon to be open, practicing hospitality as they welcome gangsters and ex-gangsters into their spaces of worship [Chapter 3].The next question to explore is: What kind of pastoral care is needed when faith communities on the Cape Flats have to deal with the challenge of gangsterism and other social phenomena like poverty, unemployment and substance-abuse?In order to answer this question, it was necessary to trace back the development of pastoral care and counseling over many centuries.Learning from these historical developments, a communal-contextual paradigm for pastoral care was chosen as a base theory.This choice indicates a move away from individual care with a focus on the human "self" to a hermeneutics of systemic, public care and compassionate presence.Some of the elements of this kind of care is discussed which include contextuality, as well as the eco-systemic, hermeneutical, anthropological, relational and public nature of pastoral care.It is also important that pastoral care operates and is practiced inter-disciplinary in order to provide the best possible help to care-seekers.The final question that is posed is: How different is the care that faith communities provide from the care of any other welfare agency or non-governmental organization (NGO)?In order to link an eco-systemic and social hermeneutic paradigm to the theology of presence of God within communal and contextual systems, a pneumatological approach to theory formation in pastoral care is proposed.Pastoral care has to offer more than behavioural and social sciences, because we believe that the salvation and grace it offers are good news to people.Pastoral care offers not only comfort and consolation, but also transformation (change and growth) and the fostering of a mature faith and spirituality by means of Scripture, prayer and the sacraments within the communion sanctorum, the familia dei [Chapter 4]..

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