Verbum et Ecclesia Volume 25 Issue 1 (2004)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/8358

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Now showing 1 - 16 of 16

The interpretation of the revelatory events in John 17:24-26 : an exegetical exercise
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Van der Merwe, D.J.
John 1:18 spells out the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God (to make God known - ejxhgei`sqai ) and functions as the transition from the prologue to the rest of the Fourth Gospel. With verse 18 the Evangelist signals that the revelation of God, through his Son, is intrinsic to the composition of the Fourth Gospel. This is particularly evident in chapter 17(:24-26), where we find an explicit reference to a triadic revelation: revelation during Jesus' ministry, post-resurrection revelation, and future eschatological revelation. The aim of the investigation of Jn 17:24-26 is to gain an understanding of what Jesus (and the Fourth Evangelist) tries to emphasize and to communicate to his disciples (and the readers) concerning his revelatory (-salvific) mission. In the exposition of this text it is pointed out what each phase in the triadic revelation comprises, and how these phases of revelation link to one another.
The destruction of the nations and the promise of return : hermeneutical observations on the book of Deuteronomy
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Braulik, Georg
Many Israelis, but also many Christian Palestinians, today understand the current conflict around the possession of the land in a Bible-oriented way. They associate it with the radical destruction of all inhabitants of the land and its subsequent occupation as it is formulated in Deuteronomy, namely as an instruction of God, and as portrayed in the book of Joshua, namely as an historical event. This typologising form of common hermeneutics contradicts both modern historiography on ancient Israel and the historic-critical exegesis of the two books as well as their interpretation in Jewish tradition. The campaign of the twelve-tribe nation under Joshua and the destruction of the peoples of Canaan is a theological, fictitious image of radical trust in God, which was designed under King Josiah for mythical ancient times. Neither the laws on warfare nor the promises of return in a synchronically read Deuteronomy know about any future violent conquest of the land of Canaan. The article analyses Israel's relation to the inhabitants of the land, especially in chapters 29-30, which are decisive for Moses' vision of the future. Based on this analysis, it develops the hermeneutics of Deuteronomy for the directives on the destruction of the nations. Applying these directives typologically proves to be ruled out, both for the wars following the conquest of the land and for the return of Israel from exile.
Meta-teoretiese perspektiewe op die waarde van kommunikasie en breinfunksie in die proses van prediking
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Nagel, C.J.; De Klerk, Barend Jacobus, 1945-
The intended object of this article is to undertake an investigation in connection with the importance of creative preaching from a meta-theoretical perspective on the value of communication and brain function. The important role and value of communication is discussed from the viewpoint of communication studies as well as psychology. It is ascertained that interactive communication is very suitable for preaching due to the dynamic interaction that takes place between the sender (God / preacher) and receiver (preacher / congregation) and thus facilitates dialogue between partners of conversation. Further, five basic elements of style, beneficial for the advancement of effective and creative communication, were identified, namely: clarity, interest, evocative language, energy and emotion. The ability to use the whole brain stimulates creativity and the application of the four phases of the process of creativity can successfully be applied in sermon preparation.
Violence and hatred in Psalm 137 : the psalm in its ancient social context
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Steenkamp, Yolande
Psalm 137 has become notorious for the brutality and bloodthirstiness that characterise its last verses. In the face of many past criticisms which rejected the Old Testament as a book of violence, both Christians and Jews need to take texts such as Psalm 137 seriously and interpret them against the social and cultural customs of their time. Before Psalm 137 can be judged against the ethical norms of modern societies, the text must first be understood in its ancient context. The aim of this paper is to show that a better understanding of the socio-cultural background of the Psalm may enhance our understanding of vv. 7-9, as well as of the Psalm as a whole. The hypothesis is that the social values of honour and shame feature so prominently in the Psalm that they form a key to the interpretation of the poem.
War, religion, and white supremacy in comparative perspective : South Africa and the American South
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Muller, Retief
The southern states of the United States of America and South Africa share a number of analogous historical realities. One of these, which is the main subject of this article, is the way in which the memory of a lost war had fused cultural mythology and religious symbolism to provide a foundation for the formation and maintenance of attitudes of white supremacy in both contexts. This article seeks to achieve a historical understanding of the complex interrelationship between the development of cultural identity and Protestant Christianity by focusing on these issues in the histories of the Afrikaner and the white American Southerner in comparative perspective.
Assessing representations of the imperial cult in New Testament studies
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Botha, Pieter J.J.
A distinct conceptualisation of the imperial cult is common in NT scholarship, in which worship of the emperor is portrayed as a "foreign" development which served primarily political aims, with little integrity and no serious religious significance. This depiction does not do justice to the evidence and is basically ethnocentric. That the imperial cult provides us with a crucial window on the mentality of the Roman Period comes closer to the truth. A few aspects of early Christian literature and history which might be reinterpreted in the light of a more comprehensive understanding of the imperial cult are briefly noted.
Christian nominality in methodism
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Bester, A.
The paper explores "discipleship" in the discipline of "Building up the local church". The empirical research indicates a perceived difference in what it means to be a disciple and what it means to be a Christian with the increasing belief that discipleship is an optional extra to the Christian calling and even a "higher form" of Christian development. The causes of nominal Christianity within Methodism and how this has resulted in a misunderstanding of true discipleship are considered. The paper opens a way forward for the local church to overcome nominal Christianity and to enable the process of making disciples and practising discipleship.
Underlying influences on Ben Marais (1909-1999)
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Maritz, P.J. (Petrus Jacobus)
This article considers various personal and academic influences on Ben Marais. The essence of these influences helped form his principles, was present in his early childhood, and is founded in his deep-rooted faith in God. Ben Marais was a child and a product of his times. The academic influences are approached through an analysis of a specific book that he claimed had influenced his thought, his MA dissertations and Ph.D-thesis. These formative influences helped determine his questioning the justification of policies in the NG Kerk.
Psalm 44 : die God wat nooit sluimer of slaap nie ... moet wakker word!
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Mare, Leonard P.
In Psalm 44, the author accuses Yahweh of sleeping. This is an extremely serious accusation, especially in the light of Psalm 121:4 which explicitly states that Yahweh, in contrast with the gods of the other nations, never sleeps. Why does the author make this accusation? The Psalm begins with Yahweh being praised for showing his goodness in delivering his people and bringing them to the Promised Land. No mention is made of Yahweh sleeping here! It is exactly this contrast between what Yahweh has done in the past and the current situation of his people that results in the accusation against God. The aim of this article is to show that believers today have similar experiences where God acts differently from what is expected of Him and that Psalm 44 should be utilized by the Church to teach its people that, they too, can bring their lament and accusations against God to God, when they feel forsaken by Him.
Recent trends in the study of the history of pre-monarchic Israelite religion with particular emphasis on the concept of the covenant
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Linington, Silvia
The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate and compare some of the recent and not so recent works on Israelite history regarding their methodology. Particular emphasis is placed on their treatment of the covenant theme. The time periods under discussion are the primordial, patriarchal and settlement eras.
Om oor God te praat : 'n kritiese oorsig van gesprekke onder Afrikaanssprekende Christene van die gereformeerde tradisie (1998-2003)
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Spangenberg, I.J.J. (Izak J.J.)
The book Die vreemde God en sy mense (The enigmatic God and his people) - published in 1998 - marks the beginning of a new debate about God amongst Afrikaans-speaking people of the reformed tradition. The fall of the National Party government and the end of the Apartheid policy in 1994 forced theologians to reflect on the authority of the Bible; the issue of creation, the Big Bang and evolution; the relationship between Christianity and other religions; the historical Jesus research and the possibility of a new reformation. Afrikaans-speaking people suddenly became part of the global village and could not ignore these issues anymore. Four tendencies in the debates are identified: (1) clinging to the credos of the reformed tradition and adhering to the master narrative of Western Christianity; (2) looking at the credos as cultural and time-conditioned ones but trying to integrate the theories of the Big Bang and evolution with the master narrative of Christianity, (3) breaking away from the master narrative of Western Christianity and creating a new tradition; (4) abandoning the Christian tradition altogether and exploring another religious tradition, especially Buddhism.
Telematiese onderrig en teologiese opleiding : blikpunte op moontlike probleme
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Lombaard, Christoffel Johannes Stephanus; De Villiers, Gerda
The new medium of the internet offers possibilities for teaching Theology unforeseen by previous generations of theological scholars. In this paper, the authors explore some difficulties inherent in such theological "e-ducation". Seven issues are identified and briefly discussed, relating each to the matter of theological training by means of the internet: critical, insightful reading of information on the internet; breadth rather than depth of content; the matter of space and context; the ideology of almost unlimited student numbers taught by a small group of lecturers; the problem of miscommunication; the social dimensions to learning; the use of an "all-rounder" versus a team of different experts.
Religious involvement of University of Pretoria campus students. Results of an enquiry
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Kritzinger, J.J. (Johan Jakob)
In a large sample of full-time University of Pretoria main campus students it was found that a very high percentage of all the students reported an affiliation to religious bodies. They also generally regarded themselves as religious. Many also regularly took part in the religious programmes. Quite a rosy statistical picture could be drawn. The one worrying result is the chasm which shows between what the students regard as their religious organisation's views on certain moral issues, on the one hand, and their own lifestyles, on the other.
The Sabbath : in the law, in the prophets, and in Mark
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Schart, A.
Different versions of the Sabbath law (Exodus 20:8-11; 23:12; 31:12-17; 34:21; 35:1-3; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) and several prophetic texts (Amos 6:1-7 - the name "Sabbath" is text-critically reconstructed in verse 3 with the help of the Septuagint); Amos 8:4-7; Ezekiel 20; Jeremiah 17:19-27; Isaiah 56:1-8) reflect a vivid struggle over the centuries as to how the Sabbath should be understood and practised. Jesus' position towards the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28) pursues the prophetic intention: the goal is decisive. The last part states that Sabbath and Sunday contribute to a sustainable development, because they counterbalance greed and short-sightedness by self constrain and openness to God's time rhythm.
Gebruik van twee tale in die Danielboek
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Nel, Marius Johannes
The Book of Daniel is characterized by a change of language, from Hebrew to Aramaic to Hebrew (in Dan 2:4b to Aramaic and in Dan 8:1 to Hebrew). What caused the change from the 'sacred' to a 'heathen' language and back? Does the change of language implicate something about the date of origin of the tales (Dan 1-6) and visions (Dan 7-12)? The rabbinical answer to the question and the results of modern research into the book are being investigated. The words "in Aramaic" (in Dan 2:4a) was probably a mistake made by a later scribe when he incorporated a note from the margin into the Biblical text that was used to warn the reader that the language changes at this point. The result is that the text now reads as if the wise men answer the king, who speaks Hebrew, in Aramaic. This leaves the necessary room to speculate that the use of the two languages may have something to do with the process in which the tradition was handed down to the second century writer or redactor of the book.
Healing the nations
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 2004) Dortzbach, Karl Gray
This article gives the motivations, methodology and some results of a study done in Christian healing interventions in African contexts of stress and violence. Healing in community has been viewed through the prism of "shalom". Shalom occurs when people who are in a right relationship with God and each other enjoy and share together the resources of the earth in ways that show Christ is Lord of all creation. Charts are given showing the various kinds of community needs, ways to intervene, and some indications of ways to evaluate the interventions.

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