Verbum et Ecclesia Volume 31 Issue 1 (2010)http://hdl.handle.net/2263/143532024-03-29T06:49:03Z2024-03-29T06:49:03ZA critical assessment of Anton Szandor LaVey’s philosophy of indulgence as a dogma based assault on ScriptureMuwowo, SimonBuitendag, Johanhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/157552022-04-08T22:48:48Z2010-12-01T00:00:00ZA critical assessment of Anton Szandor LaVey’s philosophy of indulgence as a dogma based assault on Scripture
Muwowo, Simon; Buitendag, Johan
The aim of this article has been to critically assess and unmask Anton Szandor LaVey’s Philosophy
of Indulgence reflected in The Satanic Bible (1969) as a dogma based assault on Scripture. The main task of this article has been to expose some contemporary ethical and dogmatic utterances used to express disagreements which LaVey alludes to in The Satanic Bible against Scripture. The debate
in which these disagreements are expressed is their interminable character of the concept of what defines human morality. The philosophy under review has been assessed according to its effects
on humanity. Does it create a just world and a set of values in the same way Scripture does or does it create unity of purpose or divergent views that put the world and the church on crossroads? The conclusion of this work posits a challenge towards evaluating the theology of nature, which now appears to be the main theological framework of the 21st century debate.
2010-12-01T00:00:00ZKreatiewe prediking : die noodsaak van kreatiwiteit in die preekgebeureBotha, Johan S.http://hdl.handle.net/2263/156172022-04-08T22:46:13Z2010-11-01T00:00:00ZKreatiewe prediking : die noodsaak van kreatiwiteit in die preekgebeure
Botha, Johan S.
Using the limited resources for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world
presents problems for preachers. Preaching in the reformed tradition is based primarily upon the
Bible and the tradition of the church. Given the limitations of the age of the source, the preacher
runs the risk of boring the congregation with sermons irrelevant to their living conditions, by
repeating the same basic message. Preachers may run out of ideas and ways of presenting a fresh,
relevant message on a weekly basis. They start employing all kinds of tricks and gimmicks in
order to stay relevant. Creative preaching is suggested as an answer to this dilemma. Creative
preaching is developed and described as a process in which the preacher, with the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, employs creative methods like observation, association, imagination and creative
thinking when creating a sermon. The sermon is structured to be creative and to stimulate the
creativity of the listeners. Creative preaching could be described as stimulating preaching based
on Scripture, imagination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
2010-11-01T00:00:00ZPoetically Africa dwells : a dialogue between Heidegger's understanding of language as the house of being and African being-with (ubuntu) as a possible paradigm for postfoundational practical theology in AfricaMeylahn, Johann-Albrechthttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/156112022-04-08T22:48:24Z2010-11-01T00:00:00ZPoetically Africa dwells : a dialogue between Heidegger's understanding of language as the house of being and African being-with (ubuntu) as a possible paradigm for postfoundational practical theology in Africa
Meylahn, Johann-Albrecht
The search for new paradigms and perspectives for practical theology in South Africa begins with the context, South Africa. What perspectives are given and what perspectives respond to the call of this context when this African context is brought into dialogue with the thoughts of
a thinker who has to a large extent determined the paradigm of postmodern Western thought? This article was inspired by the hope that such a dialogue will reveal unique outcomes that could offer perspectives and possible paradigms for doing postfoundational practical theology
in South Africa. I specifically brought into dialogue Heidegger’s understanding of language and the poetics of Being, with ubuntu, interpreted as Being-with [mit-Sein] and how African ubuntu can be interpreted as being of language – poetically Africa dwells-with-others. This dialogue in Africa with Africa, on and of the house of Being, can only but ‘gift’ practical theology with new perspectives
and paradigms, because practical theology can be understood as a critical theological reflection on the word event (language event) in the various sub-disciplines of practical theology (homiletics, pastorate, liturgics and diaconical ministry), responding to the Word event of Scripture as the written said in answer to the Divine saying. I have reflected on this dialogue, not as an outsider objectifying Africa or postmodernism, but as one born in Africa (as-one-in-Africa) whose mother tongue (house of Being) is that of middle Europe. Theology has always been most creative at the intersection or intercessions of paradigms of thought, that is, Jerusalem–Athens, Jerusalem–Athens–Alexandria, Jerusalem–Athens– Alexandria–Rome, et cetera. The time has come for southern Africa to be part of this intersection
and these intercessions, to offer perspectives and paradigms for practical theology.
2010-11-01T00:00:00ZHow 'religious' is religion and how 'natural' is naturalness? On the question of the naturalness of religionVeldsman, D.P. (Daniel Petrus), 1959-http://hdl.handle.net/2263/156052022-04-08T22:48:47Z2010-01-01T00:00:00ZHow 'religious' is religion and how 'natural' is naturalness? On the question of the naturalness of religion
Veldsman, D.P. (Daniel Petrus), 1959-
The problem addressed in this article is twofold: firstly, how can a question be posed (on the naturalness of religion) consisting of two concepts (naturalness and religion) that are both somewhat vague and secondly, what are the implications of the preceding semantic mappings (or labelling) that determine the sense-making process (i.e. the conceptual problems that follows in the wake of the labelling). The aim of the article is to reflect from a historical perspective on the two concepts that make up the question, namely natural and religion and finally to indicate what is meant by semantic mappings that determine conceptual problems. From this indication it is argued that 'scientific foul play' is the order of the day, that is, that both theology and science are as it were playing 'off-side', thus making the question in the contemporary discourses an emotionally messy endeavour and that, in the author's opinion, the question has therefore to be rephrased.
This article is based on a paper delivered at the XIII European Conference on Science and Theology, 7–11 April 2010, Edinburgh, Scotland.
2010-01-01T00:00:00Z