Die erediens van die lewe : ‘n prakties-teologiese verkenning

English: This research, with it’s focus on liturgy, as a field within Practical Theology, proceded from the conviction that liturgy and life are intimately related, and aims to shape the lives of believers, within a South African context, with it’s unique challenges and ministry opportunities. Therefor, the hypothesis of this research is that the worship service is of central importance when it comes to the realisation of the church’s life-impacting potensial. This research asked the question: Does the Sunday worship service have an impact on believers’ Christian identity and way of life? Using the grounded theory method of emperical research, this research studied the experiences of congregants (from three different denominations, in the East of Pretoria), with regards to the worship service, along with the meaning given to different liturgical rituals. The research studied the impact (or lack thereof) of the Sunday worship service, on the daily lives of believers, by connecting the findings of the emperical study, with existing literature, with the aim of realising the potensial life shaping impact of the worship service. The research concluded that the worship service does indeed have an impact on the daily lives of believers, but only if the message thereof is communicated in a way that is relevant to the living circumstances of believers. It also concluded that the depth of meaning, of the different liturgical rituals, are not being communicated in a way that highlights the implications thereof, for the lives of believers, therefor inhibiting the potensial impact of the Sunday worship service. Still, the research concluded that the worship service and life are indeed not only related, but also shaped by each other in a reciprocal way. Using the image of an hour-glas, the research described its praxis theory for the worship service, as the worship service of life, in so doing, the worship service becomes more than the Sunday worship service, lasting approximately one hour, but flows over into the day to day existence and spaces of believers.Afrikaans: Hierdie navorsing, met ‘n definitiewe fokus op die liturgie, as veld binne die Praktiese Teologie, het vanuit die werkshipotese te werk gegaan dat liturgie en lewe onlosmaaklik aan mekaar verbind is, en dat die erediens sentraal tot die ontdekking en realisering van die kerk se lewensimpakterende potensiaal in die huidige tydsgees, en Suid Afrikaanse konteks, staan. Die navorsing vra die vraag: Het die Sondag-erediensgebeure ’n effek op die gelowige individu, se Christelike identiteit en lewenswyse? Die studie het van ‘n grounded theory metode van empiriese ondersoek gebruik gemaak, waar die erediensbelewenis van lidmate (vanuit drie verskillende denominasies in die Ooste van Pretoria), en die betekenis wat aan verskeie liturgiese rituele geheg word, verken is. Die navorsing het die potensiële impak (of gebrek daaraan) van die erediens ondersoek, deur die empiriese ondersoek met bestaande literatuur in gesprek te bring, met die doel om die lewensimpakterende potensiaal van die erediens tot sy volle reg te laat kom. Hierdie navorsing het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die erediens wel van belang vir die alledaagse lewe van gelowiges is, mits die boodskap daarvan relevant tot die leefwêreld van gelowiges oorgedra word. Daar is ook bevind dat die volle boodskap van verskeie liturgiese rituele, en die impak daarvan vir die alledaagse lewe van gelowiges, nie voldoende aan die woord kom tydens die Sondag-erediens nie. Nietemin, word die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die erediens en die lewe onlosmaaklik aan mekaar verbind is en op mekaar inspeel. Aan die hand van die beeld van ‘n uurglas, het die navorsing ‘n praxis teorie, vir die verstaan van die erediens as die erediens van die lewe, daar gestel. Só verstaan is die erediens meer as die ongeveer een uur lange Sondag-erediens gebeure, maar word die Sondag-erediens eerder waardeer as die beginpunt, vanwaar die erediensgebeure oorspoel en voortleef in die dag-tot-dag bestaanswerklikhede, van die gelowige individu.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019.Practical TheologyPhDUnrestricte