The unusual practices within some neo-pentecostal churches in South Africa : reflections and recommendations

Dr Kgatle is participating in the research project ‘Socio-cultural Readings’, directed by Prof. Dr Ernest van Eck, Department of New Testament Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria.CRL Rights Commission is the commission for the promotion and protection of the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities.This article reflects and makes recommendations on the recent unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa. Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa refer to churches that have crossed denominational boundaries. These churches idolise the miraculous, healing, deliverance and enactment of bizarre church performances often performed by charismatic and highly influential spiritual leaders. There have been unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches that include, among others, the eating of grass, eating of snakes, drinking of petrol, spraying of Doom on the congregants and other experiences. There are many possible theological, psychological and socio-economic explanations for these unusual practices. Given the facts that many South Africans experience various socio-economic challenges, it is argued here that the socio-economic factor is the main explanation for the support of these unusual practices. The unusual practices within some Neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa are critically unpacked by looking at various churches where the incidents happened. The possible theological, psychological and socio-economic explanations for such practices are outlined in detail. Recommendations are made based on the scientific findings on the unusual practices.http://www.hts.org.zaam2017New Testament Studie

Competing with Christ? A critical Christological analysis of the reliance on Pentecostal prophets in Zimbabwe

How can we make Christological sense of the Zimbabwean Pentecostal prophets’ mediatory role? This article analyses the domineering and mediatory role of the Pentecostal prophets from a Christological perspective. The mediatory role of the Pentecostal prophets is riddled with competition against the mediatory role of Christ between God and humanity (1 Tm 2:5) as it tends to usurp Christ’s role over the church. Instead of being channels that lead people to depend only on Christ for their spiritual security, prosperity Pentecostal prophets present themselves as super spiritual authorities who must be relied upon by the believers in addition to Christ. Prosperity Pentecostalism, also known as the gospel of wealth and health, emphasises that prosperity in material wealth and good health is an integral component of the Christian faith. As super spiritual authorities, Pentecostal prophets project themselves as uniquely anointed by God. This places them closer to God than other people and, in turn, they receive spiritual power and authority over other believers. The prophets mediate their presence in the lives of their followers through anointed objects such as their personal pictures, anointed oil and armbands. This article analyses the distorted views about Christ created by the reliance on the prophets. The article concludes by proposing steps that should be taken to empower Christians to dissuade themselves from reliance on such prophets

Key hurdles in the Mediterranean-style dry fermented sausage “Salsiccia Sarda” as influenced by different ingredients related to product safety

According to EC Reg. 2073/2005, Food Business Operators must demonstrate the safety of fermented sausages by using different approaches based on physico-chemical analyses, predictive microbiology and Microbial Challenge Test. The aim of the present study was to investigate the application of different ingredients related to product safety on the development of key hurdles in Mediterranean-style dry fermented sausages as "Salsiccia Sarda". Weight loss, pH and aw were evaluated as ripening monitoring tool. Predictive mathematical models to evaluate the survival of Listeria monocytogenes complemented the present study. The evolution of aw and weight loss to values capable to support product's safety was shown to be closely related and was validated as a simple and effective monitoring tool of the Critical Control Point ripening. Based on the fermented sausage characteristics, "Salsiccia Sarda" at the end of ripening is unable to support the growth of the pathogen. Practical applications: The correlation between weight loss and aw was validated as a simple and effective monitoring tool of the CCP ripening. The inclusion of a flavour stabilizer based on hydrolyzed pork proteins showed some effects on the aw evolution: the use of this additive can bring benefits in terms of assuring a constant safety of the final products and addressing the needs of reducing the cost of production. The empirical application of the hurdle technology in the production of "Salsiccia Sarda" highlights the need for Food Business Operators (FBOs) to carefully evaluate the physico-chemical properties of the products and to control the ripening stage more effectively ensuring the production of fermented sausages with aw and pH values than can support product's safety

Application of the Modular Approach to an In-House Validation Study of Real-Time PCR Methods for the Detection and Serogroup Determination of Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli ▿ †

European Commission regulation 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for food requires that Escherichia coli is monitored as an indicator of hygienic conditions. Since verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) strains often cause food-borne infections by the consumption of raw food, the Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended their monitoring in food as well. In particular, VTEC strains belonging to serogroups such as O26, O103, O111, O145, and O157 are known causative agents of several human outbreaks. Eight real-time PCR methods for the detection of E. coli toxin genes and their variants (stx1, stx2), the intimin gene (eae), and five serogroup-specific genes have been proposed by the European Reference Laboratory for VTEC (EURL-VTEC) as a technical specification to the European Normalization Committee (CEN TC275/WG6). Here we applied a “modular approach” to the in-house validation of these PCR methods. The modular approach subdivides an analytical process into separate parts called “modules,” which are independently validated based on method performance criteria for a limited set of critical parameters. For the VTEC real-time PCR module, the following parameters are being assessed: specificity, dynamic range, PCR efficiency, and limit of detection (LOD). This study describes the modular approach for the validation of PCR methods to be used in food microbiology, using single-target plasmids as positive controls and showing their applicability with food matrices