Research and resources

Resources for churches asking what faithful use could look like.

Start here if you want language, research, stories, and tools to help your church think more clearly about land, buildings, justice, belonging, and faithful use.

Some resources are academic. Some are practical. Some are useful for church leaders preparing a conversation with a committee, council, parish, synod, or leadership team.

You do not need to read everything. Choose the path that meets the question you are carrying now.

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Choose the path closest to where you are.

Best for first-time readers

Accessible entry points if this is a new conversation for you or your church.

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Helpful before using the discernment tool

A useful read before working through the discernment tool.

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Case study

What it has looked like in specific congregations.

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Practical tool

Tools, frameworks, and presentations you can use directly.

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Academic depth

Peer-reviewed research and theses for deeper study.

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Church history

How South African church land came to be, and the patterns it carries.

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Useful for committees

Suitable for sharing with a council, parish, or leadership team.

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The library

These resources are here to support the conversation, not overwhelm it. Start with the resource closest to your current question. You can return for more depth as the conversation grows.

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Showing 3 of 18 resources

Space, Place and the Church: Fostering a Theology of Spatial Justice in South African Churches

Caroline Powell & Ntandoyenkosi MlamboInternational Journal of Public Theology (Brill)2022

Tracks how South African churches have engaged the land question over thirty years and what their declarations have produced in practice.

A peer-reviewed introduction to the theology of spatial justice, written for both academic and church audiences.

Best for first-time readersAcademic depthHelpful before using the discernment tool

TheologyArticle

Spatial Justice in Suburban Churches: Research Presentation

Caroline PowellSacred Foundations2021

Caroline Powell's research presentation — the thesis distilled into a slide deck for talks and workshops.

A useful primer if you don't have time for the full thesis. Suitable for sharing with a church council.

Best for first-time readersPractical toolUseful for committeesHelpful before using the discernment tool

TheologyPresentation

Sacred Foundations Discernment Tool

Sacred FoundationsSacred Foundations2024

A guided 25-question reflection for church leaders, drawn from Caroline Powell's research.

Designed to be used three times — privately by a leader, then with the council, then with the wider congregation. Each pass reveals something different.

Practical toolHelpful before using the discernment tool

TechnicalTool

Not sure where to begin?

If you are trying to choose the right resource for your church, start with the discernment tool or send us a short note about your context. We can help you find the most useful starting point.

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