Father Absence

This paper explores the perspectives of devoted and engaged fathers who provide emotional stability, financial guidance, closeness, spiritual strength (a core element), and moral support to their families during economic hardships. Currently, families are living in dire circumstances owing to economic turmoil, which not only presents significant challenges to their well-being but is also detrimental to their existence. In economic turmoil, resilience, shared responsibilities, collaboration, and open communication help families navigate difficulties while strengthening bonds and ensuring emotional and financial security for all. Devoted fathers view their role as vital and relevant in the current economic situation of families. They also serve as mentors and play a crucial role in fostering resilience. By examining their mentorship strategies, this research highlights how paternal involvement strengthens family cohesion, enhances children's emotional security, and mitigates financial stress, ultimately promoting a stable and nurturing home environment despite economic instability.

Abstract
In a world marked by increasing interconnectedness and complex cultural
dynamics, the spheres of family, school, and community no longer function in
isolation. Instead, they form rich, overlapping dimensions that reflect and influence
educational practice and theory. This volume, Family, School and Community
in the Pluriverse of Current Education, edited by Lavinia Nădrag, Fazel Ebrihiam
Freeks, Cosmin Ciocan and Alina Buzarna-Tihenea (Gălbează), emerges from
that intersection, offering a collection of perspectives that challenge monolithic
understandings of education and open space for a truly pluriversal dialogue.
The idea of the “pluriverse” — a term that signals the coexistence of multiple,
equally valid ways of knowing and being — is more than a conceptual anchor for
this book; it is a call to educators, researchers, and practitioners to engage with
diversity not as an obstacle, but as a resource. The contributions within this volume
explore how educational practices are shaped by cultural context, community
engagement, technological innovation, and evolving understandings of pedagogy
and identity. This book brings together scholars from across continents — Europe, Africa, and America — each offering grounded insights drawn from their local realities and academic investigations. Whether through empirical studies, theoretical reflections, or case-based explorations, the chapters presented here illustrate the dynamic interplay between tradition and transformation in contemporary education.
The volume is structured around two central themes: Teaching and Learning
in a Multilingual and Multicultural World, and Social Issues Concerning Education.
From personality traits that influence teaching style, to the role of digital parenting,
faith-based perspectives on inclusion, or critiques of institutional schooling, the
diversity of topics underscores a shared commitment to rethinking education for
the 21st century.

According to 2017 Korea World Missions Association statistical report, Korea is second largest missionary sending country among the nations. The number of missionaries dramatically increased in short period of time after the Expo' 74 Mass Evangelism Movement at Yoido, Seoul, in1974. However, this radical growth causing crisis in their missions. The prominent problem is that they have lack of biblical and missiological principles of missional theology, anthropology, history and strategy. The lack of foundation mission cause to weaken their spirituality in their cross-cultural missions. Therefore, this paper aims to address the normative objectives inside the Osmer model (2008). The normative job provides insights into the fundamental reasons of the current situation, as well as contextual material that underscores the obstacles encountered by Korean missionaries about the biblical and missiological principles of missional theology, anthropology, history, and strategy. The normative task offers ethical and normative directives derived from Scripture.

This paper illustrates economic challenges on motherhood, womanhood, children, and the issue of GBV. It has become evident in numerous families that societal role of mothers has shifted immensely. As a result, many scholars decided to study the various components of motherhood. Hence, the objective of this paper is to comprehend motherhood in society and its acceptance in the domestic domain. Becoming a mother was not the mother's decision, it was a response to sociocultural pressure that held women accountable pertaining to children. Women had distinct motherhood experiences, but it is kept secret from the family and society. The issue of GBV cause mothers to face immense pressure in a morally acceptable motherhood society. Therefore, mothers have a very negative perception of motherhood, particularly in a highly demanding patriarchal society.

The mission of the Triune God-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-is the focus of this paper since the missio Dei perspective is essential to every section. To bring people from all tribes, nations, kingdoms, and languages together in eternal worship of Him, the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the Holy Spirit. Churches and communities must partake in the mission of God in the world because the gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached. God uses the church as his instrument to proclaim his kingdom to people from all walks of life. Thus, followers of Jesus Christ who engage in the missio Dei-bring love, hope, and peace to a broken and lost world-and should be true to God's calling. God chose people to establish his kingdom and bestows blessings upon them so that they may bless every nation on the earth. God's humanity and God's entire creation are ultimately reconciled and healed by the kingdom. Through Jesus Christ, people can receive the Good News of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. This paper comes from a chapter in a larger PhD study in Missiology 2 .

This paper investigates the importance of gleaning suitable information from the Old and the New Testaments to explore the concepts of ‘mentoring’ and ‘motherhood/or womanhood’. The paper also aims to determine the possibility to employ narratives about women as mentor figures in the Bible. An important issue to consider in the context of this paper is how women/mothers lived as role models for others during biblical times in patriarchal societies. Significantly, God established "right and loving" relationships with women throughout history. God has a special relationship with mothers, and He desires that all women develop caring relationships in order to guide and disciple other women. God assigns both parents the duty of teaching their children about His Word and commandments in Deuteronomy 6:7. Parents have a duty to instil in their children the knowledge of God's rules through instruction and discipline, as stated in Exodus 10:2. The teaching role of parents and gr...

Citizenship entails a relationship that is more than a label for individuals’ rights and duties. Responsible citizenship means acting responsibly towards peace, justice, human rights, good values, and social justice. Social justice connects with the idea of creating a society that is based on responsible citizenship and recognises the dignity of every human being. However, it seems that families face innumerable challenges when it comes to social justice. The world has come to see families as units where violence occurs. In South Africa, a devastated face for families is the issue of gender-based violence. South Africa has the highest rate of genderbased violence in the world. Domestic and sexual violence has marked the post-1994 democratic era. Women and children are abused and murdered and most of the perpetrators are the fathers in the homes. These challenges can be weighed against the plan God has for families. God intended families to be the building blocks of homes, the church...

Spirituality is imperative since it embodies the core meaning of life and denotes the relationship between God and others. It causes the experience and joy of a deeper and trustworthy relationship with God and Christ as related, in the case of the present study, to Korean missionaries. This kind of relationship is personal and promotes transcendence, faith, and living in the fear of God. Spirituality is fundamental to one’s whole well-being. It is therefore not merely restricted to this or that part of human life but embraces, instead, the whole of a person’s inner being, heart, soul, and spirit. In practice, this means that the faith of a 15-yearold boy or girl is just as crucial as that of a 65-year-old man or woman. The spirituality of people takes form and has significance when they become followers of Christ and are prepared to bear the cross of discipleship and are transformed by him. Transformation of Korean missionaries’ spirituality will renew cross-culture missionary work....

This paper aims to address father absence as a key contributory factor to child neglect and abuse and a cause of disrupted and unstable families by means of an explorative literature review. The study follows a biblical and multidisciplinary approach and collaboration between scholars from the fields of social work and theology in an effort to transform broken families. The Children’s Act, 38 of 2005, stipulates that children in need of care and protection refer to children who face social issues such as abuse, absent parents, and children who abuse alcohol and drugs, among other things. These children require adequate care, love, and security. A stable family or home environment can provide stability, security, and a caring environment where children can develop to become emotionally healthy and pro-social. God can transform families, especially the families of children who receive the ministry of his Word. The Scripture in Jeremiah 31 verse 29 proclaims: “The fathers have eaten a ...

The Children's Act, 38 of 2005, (South Africa) states that children in need of care and protection face social ills such as father absence and in addition some children abuse alcohol and drugs, among other things. The Act defines the essence of parental responsibilities and rights regarding children, and fatherhood in this context can be a notable trending topic. This research posits that fatherhood occurs predominantly within the context of families. Notwithstanding this, the nature of fatherhood is changing within an African context. Suspicion of attributing to men any positive aspect is evidenced within the social sciences, let alone appreciation of the role of men in families. The present project results show that transforming fatherless children and fatherhood can be ambiguous and challenging in a world dominated by men. Yet, this paper suggests and embraces faith as a strength perspective where God is seen as Father and parent apropos establishing his Fatherhood in the hearts of men, which characterizes the fatherhood of men, while it is life-giving in a world staggered by father absence. Father absence impedes children from receiving and giving love, and therefore, the manifest constant behavioural problems of children. Poor academic performance and selfperception are linked to father absence and children may suffer due to a lack of educational support and access to health care. Social workers try to collaborate with fathers and mothers to nurture a healthy relationship with their children. Unfortunately, these efforts fail in many instances and children become vulnerable due to a lack of care and love from both parents.

Contribution: This article employed a descriptive and explorative modus operandi and explored a respective method to effectuate family disharmony in the context of South Africa. It endorses the journal's focus on church and family in the field of Missiology and Practical Theology. A fatherless South Africa because of the social ill of father absence is a concerning issue.

The farming communities in the Christiana district with a population of close to 21 000 residents struggled with issues including poverty, unemployment, financial problems, alcoholism, occultism and Satanism and family issues such as father absence, fatherlessness and single parenting. An intervention that included training and equipping of fathers, who were farm workers from the local faith community, was necessary and crucial. Farm workers (faith communities) responded to the need for a biblical fatherhood programme. Human fatherhood should be recognised and given serious consideration because it gave an anticipation of who God the Father is. If human fatherhood did not exist, then all truth and knowledge about God the Father would be void and insignificant. Fatherhood today is an element of broken families and perhaps the most threatened element in the world. The aim of this article was to lessen the social issue of father absence through the implementation of the Biblical Father...

The leadership role of the man in context of family and church is indeed a sensitive topic. The leadership role of the man has significant impact on the wellbeing of the family and church, which in turn has a significant impact on society. This article encompasses data analysis of the quantitative research (questionnaires) that were conducted within five selected evangelical churches in Johannesburg, South Africa. The question that this study endeavours to answer is: Which factors have contributed to men not functioning effectively in their role as spiritual leaders in context of family and church? The article describes the important leadership role that the man fulfils in the context of the family and church and the role that the church has in equipping men for leadership in the two contexts. The article provides a description of the research process related to the quantitative data analysis and its results. This article comes from a chapter in a larger study from a PhD dissertatio...

This paper explores the significant position of Scripture and literature in the formulation of fatherhood in the Old Testament. It deals with the Old Testament passages in which God is explicitly called 'Father'. Human fatherhood originates in the Fatherhood of God. God is the Father of his creation and his people, and the attributes and characteristics of his Fatherhood should be perceived as protection, provision, warmth, gentleness, forgiveness, and involvement so that human parenting can adopt and flow from it. God wants to bring the man to the point where he is doing the will of God, thereby fulfilling his fundamental role and function as earthly father the way God intended it to be. The nature and character of God the Father can channel immense meaning to human fatherhood. Sola Scriptura is crucial for this dynamic concept of fatherhood. The Bible is the main source and authority for human fatherhood because the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible should be read and st...

The fatherhood issue is a serious problem in the South African context and no fatherly presence is a negative and devastating trend in many South African homes. Consequently, mentoring as an approach can be a significant contribution to fathers who grapple with fatherhood issues.

There is a crisis in society with respect to peoples' values. Families are living in an era of moral anxiety and not only South Africa but also the rest of the world is suffering from a value-dilemma. Homes, schools and institutions have problems with the behaviour and values of children. This study explored and described the views about Christian fathers of their role as mentor in the transmission of values within the family context. voluntary sampling. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with the designated group in the broader Tlokwe Municipality. Field notes were taken after each interview. Data analysis was conducted using open coding as well as using an independent co-coder. The results indicated that Christian fathers view their role as vital and relevant in the current situation of families. The six main themes that emerged from the semi-structured interviews with the fathers were their personal experiences of mentorship while growing up, the expect...

Pastoral Theology is a dispersed and changing field that involves many diverse participants and diverse methods. The field is concerned with the theory and practice of pastoral care and counselling. It seeks to bring religious and moral meanings to bear on the needs, problems, and activities of everyday human experience, it seeks to interpret their significance, to understand their aetiology, and to guide interventions appropriately. Our present society is not only in a moral crisis, but is experiencing challenges and enormous changes. Families experiencing violence, murder, drug and alcohol abuse, dishonesty, child molestation, lack of order and discipline at schools and homes. Numerous contemporary forms of family structures such as single parents, childheaded households, children who are raised by grandparents and guardians, gay men as parents, divorce and stepfamilies and feminism are all adverse challenges for fatherhood in society. A pastoral-theological view on the fundamenta...

This chapter investigates the biblical-theological and missiological basis of evangelism in disadvantaged communities. It is important that the missio-Dei perspective is key to all areas within the present study. Mission is the concern of the Triune God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the whole of His creation. The Father sent the Son and the Son sent the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit, God, for His own glory, unite people from every tribe, nation, kingdom, and language to worship Him forever in the New World. The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed. Therefore, it is crucial that churches should wholeheartedly partake in the mission of God in the world. The church is the instrument of God to proclaim his kingdom in all parts of life. Therefore, believers should be faithful to the calling of God. They do this by following Jesus and partaking in the missio Dei, bringing love, hope and peace to a lost broken world. God chose people to build his ki...

This article provides a reflective discussion of and narrative approach to incarcerated fathers based on the attendees of a Fatherhood Faith-Based Values Intervention programme at the Potchefstroom Remand Detention Facility. It is important to note that one-third of South African inmates are between the ages of 18 and 25 years – hence the reason why the majority of intervention and community engagement programmes at correctional services take place amongst the youth age group. The Department of Correctional Services reported in 2011 that South Africa had 159 265 incarcerated inmates at the time, of whom 110 905 were sentenced offenders and 48 360 were awaiting trial. In 2013, the World Incarcerated Brief reported that South Africa had the largest incarcerated population in Africa and the ninth largest in the world. Seventeen-year-olds comprised 53 000 of this number and were guilty of committing serious crimes. These numbers increased tremendously over the years. According to the fo...

This article is about the challenge of father absence and fatherlessness in the South African context, and the involving of concerned fathers. To address this challenge, an intervention was crucial as well as the training and equipping of fathers. This intervention consists of different fathers from the North West Province who responded to the challenge of father absence and fatherlessness after workshops presented in a narrative form. The workshops were based on research on fatherhood as this is conceptualized from a Biblical perspective. The research is necessary because South Africa experiences a challenge of absent fathers and fatherlessness. This research showed that the greatest problem with regard to fatherhood is centred on a man’s failure to resolve an identity crisis in the 21st century, but men are generally afraid to admit it. This problem has consequences for families and communities. Furthermore, this article reports on the responses and feedback of fathers and the sup...

Families remain the world's oldest, most basic form of relationship. However, in the 21st century, families are undergoing multiple crises. The fact cannot be ignored that numerous families experience no fatherly presence. Several missiologists emphasise that a church with an understanding and vision of God's mission (missio Dei) must train parents to take up the task of nurturing children in faith. The term missional has true meaning. It is not merely a Christian buzz word or a catch phrase that families can use as an act. "Missional" should be viewed as an activity of God because it is rooted in Scripture and modelled by Christ. God has not given up on the vital role of the family. Therefore, family life requires the proactive impartation of biblical principles. The role of the family is accentuated within the biblical narrative and its importance is consistently brought to the attention of God's followers. Christian parenting entails that parents model and educate their children in conduct that embraces God's compassion for people who do not enjoy a living relationship with him. Christian fatherhood 2 can guard against father absenteeism since Christian fathers lead sacrificial lives for the sake of their families. The hearts of Christian fathers are filled with a God-given mission aiming to instil a love for Christ in the hearts of their children.

The present empirical study explored and described the views of mothers elicited through in-depth interviews. This research followed an explorative, interpretive and descriptive qualitative design by using purposive voluntary sampling. Mothers were selected by their lived experience and knowledge of the father absence problem, leadership, prominence in society, and involvement in their community. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, and field notes were taken. The data was analysed through open coding. The results of the empirical research in which mothers were involved indicated that the Christian father as mentor is deemed crucial and relevant within current families. Mentoring by the father is vital in the lives of children and should be implemented and emphasised within the family context. As mentor, the father should nurture the children spiritually and shape their character, thus helping them become complete, whole and, by the grace of God, holy ‘before God’ (coram ...

This empirical study explored and described the views about the Christian father as mentor within the family. An explorative, descriptive and interpretive qualitative design was followed in this research using purposive sampling. Respondents were selected by knowledge of the problem of father absence, mentoring, community involvement, leadership and prominence in society. Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews, and field notes were taken after each in-depth interview. Data analysis was conducted using open coding as well as an independent co-coder. The results of the empirical research in which respondents were involved, indicated that the Christian father as mentor is crucial and relevant in the current situation of families. Mentoring by the father is fundamental in the lives of children, and should be implemented and emphasised in the family context. As mentor, the father should nurture their souls and shape their character in order to become complete, whole and, by t...

The article places emphasis on the youth in the Christiana district, South Africa. It seems that the youth in South Africa face serious challenges and problems. The emphasis is especially on the farming communities in Christiana in the North-West Province who struggle with violence, alcoholism, poverty, unemployment, occultism and Satanism. The growing statistics of drug abuse, substance use, violence, rape, prostitution, child trafficking, etc. make the challenges widespread and lead to the lives of many young people being destroyed. Through holistic missional outreach programmes, the youth of the Christiana district can be a great harvest to be reaped because the programmes give hope and enrich lives in spite of the challenges the community is facing. The LIFEPLAN® engagement programme, in particular, is a training and equipping tool, which includes various important and relevant aspects that deal with the above-mentioned problems and seeks creative solutions to inspire and equip ...

The youth in contemporary South Africa seems to face massive challenges and experience problems such as substance use and drug abuse, violence, rape, child trafficking, prostitution, etc., lead to the lives of many young people being destroyed. Farming communities in the Christiana district of the North-West Province of South Africa struggle with poverty, unemployment, alcoholism, violence, occultism and Satanism. Statistics indicate a drastic decline in morals, values, standards, ethics, character and behaviour and society seems to indulge in crisis after crisis. Millions of young people growing up as orphans and even more, without a father figure in their lives, declining education in the schools and frustration with massive unemployment among those who have left school. This article focused on the youth of the Christiana district of South Africa as a large harvest to be reaped through holistic missional outreach programs that will give hope and enrich the lives of young people. The article also aimed to emphasize the LIFEPLAN® programme in a constructive creative critical way from a missio Dei perspective. Going missional 2 , and using in this context a programme require shifts in one's thinking and behaviour.

Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Father absenteeism and fatherlessness lead to many families and, especially, children destroyed. The family is redefined, and significantly, the father does not feature in this definition. Missional fatherhood has an interdisciplinary approach comprising two disciplines: missiology and practical theology. Missional fatherhood implies to live sacrificial lives for the sake of families and children, and cater for the needs of others. Missional fathers are committed to a God-given mission where fathers model and inculcate the love of Christ into the hearts of their children.

The impact of socialization and social structures on humanity: The family as social structure in defining humanity Cite this article: Freeks, Fazel Ebrihiam. "The impact of socialization and social structures on humanity. The family as social structure in defining humanity."

Contemporary familial structures reflect increasing complexity that is reshaping traditional roles. Fathering now embodies emotional engagement, coparenting, and adaptive identity within diverse configurations, challenging normative assumptions, and redefining paternal presence in evolving family systems. In this context, families are systems made up of subsystems and individuals. Problems experienced by one member of the system typically influence the entire system. In the 21st century, the family experienced disappointment and crises as never before, mostly owing to the fathering challenge. Modern family structures exhibit changing paternal responsibilities, with fathers being more engaged in caring, emotional support and everyday activities. This transition contests conventional gender stereotypes, advocating for equitable parental duties. Active paternal involvement enhances children's development, fortifies familial connections, and promotes equitable partnerships within varied and evolving contemporary families.

Sexual reproduction strategies vary both between and within species in the level of investment in offspring. Life-history theories suggest that the rate of sexual maturation is critically linked to reproductive strategy, with high investment being associated with few offspring and delayed maturation. For humans, age of puberty and age of first sex are two developmental milestones that have been associated with reproductive strategies. Stress during early development can retard or accelerate sexual maturation and reproduction. Early age of menarche is associated with absence of younger siblings, absence of a father figure during early life and increased weight. Father absence during early life is also associated with early marriage, pregnancy and divorce.Choice of partner characteristics is critical to successful implementation of sexual strategies. It has been suggested that sexually dimorphic traits (including those evident in the face) signal high-quality immune function and repro...

This collaborative paper by Rheinbolt-Uribe and Freeks examines "maternal-thinking" as a tool for theological and missiological reflection, with a focus on fostering spiritual resilience. Drawing on the African concept of Ubuntu, missiological research, and personal parenting experiences, the authors present a framework to explore the role of maternal-thinking in mission work and theology. They argue that this perspective provides valuable insights, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines maternal imagery in missiological scholarship, investigates the power dynamics associated with motherhood, and suggests practical applications across various fields. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes in-depth interviews and a combination of content and thematic analysis, the research places special emphasis on the Colombian cultural context. The authors underscore the vital role of mothers in transmitting religious beliefs and practices, highlighting their significance in the missio Dei. The paper also explores the concept of "lived religion" and the "fourth public" in theology, demonstrating how maternal-thinking can provide a more comprehensive understanding of faith communities and spiritual resilience. Ultimately, the authors conclude that adopting a maternal-thinking perspective, understood within the context of Ubuntu, has the potential to bring about transformative changes in missiology and offer new insights into spiritual resilience and community building.

The well-being of families is fundamental to a prosperous society. The domestic sphere, or home, is where individuals first experience love, resilience, and the values that shape their character. As our world progresses, the dynamics and challenges of family life also evolve. A concerning trend has emerged among these challenges: the increasing anti-father sentiment that undermines the vital role fathers fulfill in fostering healthy families. Through this work, I aim to highlight the significance of fathers, challenge stereotypes, and promote a renewed appreciation for balanced and equitable family dynamics. I contend that recognizing the diverse structures of modern families and valuing each member—particularly fathers—is essential for fostering emotional stability and resilience. If fathers are indeed important, then the question remains: why do they matter? Recent conceptual and theoretical advancements in the field of father–child relationships have demonstrated that fathers impact their children's outcomes in both direct and indirect ways. Family Well-Being and Paternal Absence in South African Society: Addressing the Anti-Fatherhood Sentiment through a Biblical Lens is more than an academic monograph. It is a passionate call for restoration—a plea for the recognition of fathers as essential pillars of both family life and societal stability. Drawing from years of personal experience, scholarly research, and theological reflection, Prof. Freeks exposes the far-reaching consequences of father absence and fatherlessness while illuminating pathways toward healing and redemption.

This paper emphasises the significance of fatherhood, specifically the Fatherhood
of God, and the experiential reality of faith communities as a viable framework for theology
and public life. Numerous faith communities in South Africa contend with challenges such as
poverty, unemployment, financial difficulties, alcoholism, occultism, Satanism and familial
issues, including gender-based violence, father absence, fatherlessness and single
parenthood. An intervention that encompasses training and the provision of resources for
fathers is necessary and imperative. Faith communities took action on the demand for a
biblical fatherhood initiative. Human fatherhood warrants recognition and serious
contemplation, as it provides a foreshadowing of the nature of God the Father. Contemporary
fatherhood is a facet of fractured families and arguably the most perilous aspect globally. The
study reported on in this paper aims to mitigate the social and destructive problem of father
absence by implementing a biblical fatherhood programme. The programme has a biblical
nature aimed at addressing social issues in faith communities. The programme was developed
from a practical theological study of fatherhood, primarily aimed at training and equipping
participants with knowledge about fatherhood through community engagement.

In South Africa, the youth face immense challenges and problems. Farming communities in Christiana grapple with problems such as unemployment, poverty, occultism, Satanism, alcoholism and violence. The challenges for this specific community are widespread, because they encounter one problem after another, on the one hand, and increasing statistics of social ills such as prostitution, child-trafficking, substance use and abuse, violence and rape, on the other. As a consequence, numerous young people's lives are being destroyed. My current study focuses on the youth of the Christiana District in South Africa as target for a holistic missional outreach programme. The purpose of the study is to give hope, build resilience, and improve or enhance the lives of young people through the TOTAL LIFE programme, despite the challenges they are facing daily. This missional and biblical tool is designed in a constructive, creative-critical way, from a missio Dei perspective. This article explains and describes the training and equipping tool TOTAL LIFE, which the author developed and designed on the basis of a larger study (Freeks 2018). Youth evangelism and missional outreach are crucial to the youth and essential in this context. Evangelism and missions emerge in God (Freeks 2016:211). Evangelism F.E. Freeks

The evolving state of fatherhood in South
Africa can leave us grappling to understand
the broader shifts affecting men today.
Particularly challenging is the growing
detachment of biological fathers from
their children. The feeling of not quite
understanding what is happening to men
regarding fatherhood stems from recent data
trends, which paint a complex picture of the
relationship between fathers, children, and
family dynamics. Examining these statistics
closely is a focus in this introductory chapter.
What can be disheartening when we explore
the data in this report is that men are
struggling, even in roles traditionally associated
with being a man and father. Financial provision,
long considered a father’s primary responsibility,
is now an area where men are falling behind.
In the State of the World's Fathers 2023 (SOWF)
2023 survey, which is discussed later, a higher
percentage of women (85.1%) than men (79.8%)
in South Africa reported that they provided
!nancial support to their biological children.
A higher percentage of women (50.2%) than
men (44.2%) also reported that they provided
!nancial support to children who are not their
biological children. This is also consistent with
the !fth wave of South Africa’s National Income
Dynamics Study (NIDS) in 2017 that found,
taking into account the di"erence in children’s
co-residence with mothers and fathers, the gap
between mothers’ and fathers’ !nancial support
for children was wide: 69.0% of children aged
7 – 14 received assistance with their educational
expenses from their mothers, while only 30.2%
of children received assistance from their
fathers.1
The fact that women are taking on the role of
providing for their families and themselves is no
cause to lose all hope. The question we should
ask is what new roles are men taking on in care
networks as their traditional roles of provider and
protector shift and are no longer accessible to
many?

The research report focuses on the impact of fatherlessness on womanhood within an African context. It explores how pastoral care can address the spiritual development of women who grow up without a father figure. Theoretically, the study is centered on practical theology and an empirical approach of qualitative desktop investigation based on literature and observational data. This study attempts to bring to light the effect of fatherlessness on identity-building processes and spiritual well-being in African women. Additionally, it aims to highlight the church’s role in pastoral care and support while providing practical strategies. Thus, I utilize Osmer’s four tasks to understand the problem, with strategic insights from cultural, emotional, and theological perspectives. An interpretative epistemology will be used in this research to review existing literature through descriptive-empirical, normative, and strategic-pragmatic approaches. The study will unfold in phases, starting with the literature review, and then an analysis based on pastoral care strategies and theological responses. Ethical considerations include responsible sourcing, intellectual integrity, and avoidance of bias while interpreting individual experiences and theological perspectives. As a result, this study will contribute to academic and pastoral discussions on how African churches could better support women affected by fatherlessness.

Numerous voices of disrupted families are expressing themselves more loudly, and visible consequences are observed in countless broken families. Destructive social issues, such as toxic fatherhood, father absence, and disengaged or unavailable fathers, have resulted in significant challenges within families. Contributing factors include the breakdown of family structures, HIV/AIDS, the COVID-19 pandemic, rising divorce rates, and the increasing complexity of family dynamics. The absence of fathers, often linked to the disintegration of nuclear families, has become a significant concern, particularly in the South African context. Over the past four decades, researchers have made substantial progress, developing and refining conceptual frameworks to clarify human fatherhood.

Previous research and policy implementation on absentee fatherhood maintains an overly narrow conception of absence based solely on residency. This paper argues that absence is a variegated experience for many that is inadequately captured through the resident/non-resident binary. Qualitative interviews with 26 men on their experiences growing up with non-residential fathers revealed four ideal-typical patterns of residential absence. The four ideal-types of absence are Consistent, Inconsistent, Extended, and Absolute. This research demonstrates how these four types of absence are each uniquely consequential for how these men make sense of their fathers and conceptualize fatherhood. The paper concludes with policy and research considerations for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

This paper highlights that the notion of motherhood encompasses a wide range of perspectives within families. The significant role of mothers in contemporary Hebrew legal and moral systems is fundamental to this discussion. Motherhood extends beyond biological ties, involving responsibilities such as providing education, nutrition, a hygienic environment, and quality time with both parents. The reverence for motherhood is evident in biblical passages such as

This paper highlights that the notion of motherhood encompasses a wide range of perspectives within families. The significant role of mothers in contemporary Hebrew legal and moral systems is fundamental to this discussion. Motherhood extends beyond biological ties, involving responsibilities such as providing education, nutrition, a hygienic environment, and quality time with both parents. The reverence for motherhood is evident in biblical passages such as

The spirituality of South Korean missionaries is currently in crisis. A survey conducted by the Korean Research Institute for Mission (KRIM) in 2015 revealed that 61.2% of participants acknowledged a lack of spirituality and expressed the need for further training in piety. Two fundamental causes contribute to this spiritual decline among Korean missionaries. Firstly, a deficiency in biblical principles of missional theology. It is argued that failure to derive missional theology directly from Scripture has weakened the spirituality of Korean missionaries. Secondly, the training curricula provided by Korean missionary-sending institutions, lack the necessary focus on spirituality. In response to this crisis, the authors carried out qualitative research to explore the question, "What is going on?"-the first of Osmer's four tasks in practical theology. The study identified five key themes that emerged from the naïve sketches and structured interviews with the participants, who comprised Korean missionaries and members of the Kosin Presbyterian Mission (KPM).

Mentoring is generally understood as having a positive impact on people and society. The informal system of youth mentoring among  Senior  High  School students in  Ghana is referred to in this essay as  “school parenting”.  This exploratory study uses  Kram’s  (1983:613–622)  model of mentoring to investigate  “school parenting,”  which is discussed based on the following findings:  (a)  students’  experience of  “school parenting” in light of Kram’s mentoring model; (b) faith and nurturing; (c) exposure to risky behaviours;  (d)  compassion needs;  and  (e)  approach to social justice.  The article contextualizes mentorship in campus settings and examines it from a missional perspective.

Spirituality is a general term used to refer to one's belief system and lived expression. It is a broad term and has been used to formulate different forms of spiritual expression. In the Christian context spirituality is defined as a life based on biblical faith that originates from a trust in and personal relationship with Christ. Pseudo-Christian groups especially False Christ cults presume, based on the claim of the leader being "Christ", that they are Christian and therefore their spirituality is also Christian. This study investigates the spirituality of False Christ cults compared to Christian spirituality to find the resemblances and differences and found them lacking since the presence of the persona of a so-called "Christ" inevitably changes the essential faith aspect of Christian spirituality namely faith in the redemptive work of Christ. Salvation through Christ is replaced with some manmade religious system of the "modern-day Christ".

This paper investigates the importance of gleaning suitable information from the Old and the New Testaments to explore the concepts of ‘mentoring’ and ‘motherhood/or womanhood’. The paper also aims to determine the possibility to employ narratives about women as mentor figures in the Bible. An important issue to consider in the context of this paper is how women/mothers lived as role models for others during biblical times in patriarchal societies. Significantly, God established "right and loving" relationships with women throughout history. God has a special relationship with mothers, and He desires that all women develop caring relationships in order to guide and disciple other women. God assigns both parents the duty of teaching their children about His Word and commandments in Deuteronomy 6:7. Parents have a duty to instil in their children the knowledge of God's rules through instruction and discipline, as stated in Exodus 10:2. The teaching role of parents and gr...

This paper aims at discussing several issues, both theoretical and practical, concerning family communication: theories, roles, rules, conflicts, negotiation. The authors stress the interconnection between the social, economic, psychological and cultural factors which can, through effective communication, lead to good, trust-based relationships within families/at the family level. The Literature review section approaches the concepts of communication and family, while the Case study shows the objectives, activities and outcomes of a program implemented in South Africa and focused on parents' roles and duties within the family. It tackles issues linked to fatherhood, low literacy, domestic abuse, father absence, unemployment, and a wide array of other social and cultural factors pertaining to the social and economic conditions in this country. The paper also includes some recommendations concerning the adequate and efficient use of certain family communication forms, channels and feedback strategies.

Over time, fatherhood has evolved, leading to significant challenges, repercussions, and difficulties for families in their local communities. The issue of fatherhood is a major challenge facing families today, as many fathers encounter serious obstacles, and often are not present during this period of reconceptualization. The fatherhood issue has disastrous ramifications, as struggles faced by men adversely affect families, society, and eventually the entire world. Family dynamics, encompassing the patterns of interactions between relatives, their roles and relationships, and the factors influencing these interactions, are indispensable. Family members are primary sources of relationship security, relying on one another for emotional, physical, and financial support. However, families are increasingly fading from our society, along with God's intended purpose for them. The fatherhood conundrum in many South African communities suggests that the fundamental problem lies in fathers failing to fulfill their essential roles. Therefore, from a biblical standpoint, the Fatherhood Training and Equipping Program (FTEP) is crucial for salvaging the male role and restoring a healthy and sane family and society. Research has shown that the FTEP not only addresses a major gap in the lives of families but also harnesses the strengths of fathers, enabling them to make significant contributions to their homes and communities. Its primary goals are to enhance family life and address the fatherhood issue. The curriculum consists of a well-defined set of fundamental exercises and activities designed to facilitate learning, foster interpersonal skills through interaction and sharing, and develop critical thinking, decision-making, coping mechanisms, motivation, and commitment to action.

This paper focuses on missional parenting and fatherhood. In the 21st century, families are undergoing multiple crises, with many of them experiencing the absence of a fatherly presence. As a result, numerous missiologists emphasise the role of church as the vision of God's mission (missio Dei). The church is compelled to support parents in nurturing their children in faith. The term "missional" has a profound meaning; it is not merely a Christian buzzword or catchphrase for families to appear spiritual. Missional is an activity of God, rooted in Scripture and modelled by Christ. Missional parenting involves parents modelling and educating children in God's compassion for people. Missional fatherhood signifies that fathers should lead sacrificial lives for the sake of their families.

This paper illustrates economic challenges on motherhood, womanhood, children, and the issue of GBV. It has become evident in numerous families that societal role of mothers has shifted immensely. As a result, many scholars decided to study the various components of motherhood. Hence, the objective of this paper is to comprehend motherhood in society and its acceptance in the domestic domain. Becoming a mother was not the mother's decision, it was a response to sociocultural pressure that held women accountable pertaining to children. Women had distinct motherhood experiences, but it is kept secret from the family and society. The issue of GBV cause mothers to face immense pressure in a morally acceptable motherhood society. Therefore, mothers have a very negative perception of motherhood, particularly in a highly demanding patriarchal society.