Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Religion and Theology)

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God se deernis met die weerloses van sy volk. 'n Kritiese ondersoek na 'n spesifieke dimensie van die Godsverkondiging in die Ou Testament
(University of Western Cape, 1991) Goliath, August Christian; Verhoef, P A
Benewens persoonlike belangstelling in die boodskap van die Ou Testament vir die kerk van vandag, is dit veral kontempor�re teologiese debatte en verwikkelinge op die kerklike terrein, plaaslik sowel as op die bre� ekumeniese front, wat tot hierdie studie aanJeiding gegee het. Eerstens: Een van die artikels van die Belharbelydenis' lui onder andere: "Ons glo ... dat God op 'n besondere wyse (Homself geopenbaar het as) die God van die noodlydende, die arme en die verontregte ...(my kursivering); dat Hy aan die verdruktes reg laat geskied en brood aan die hongeriges gee; dat Hy die gevangenes bevry en blindes laat sien; dat Hy di� wat bedruk is ondersteun, die vreemdelinge beskerm en weeskinders en weduwees help en die pad van die goddelose versper." Toe di� spesifieke artikel van die konsepbelydenis gedurende die sinodesitting' onder bespreking gekom het, het somrnige van die afgevaardigdes ernstige besware geopper teen die wyse van formulering dat God op 'n besondere wyse die God van die noodlydende, die arme en die verontregte is. So 'n stelling skep, volgens hulle, die indruk dat God inderdaad kant gekies het vir die noodlydendes en dat Hy dus by implikasie 'n God van die armes, verdruktes en verontregtes is. Die sinodale kommissie wat VIr die formulering van die konsepbelydenis verantwoordelik was, het hierop ontkennend geantwoord en tot gerusstelling van die sinodegangers aangevoer dat die betrokke artikel eenvoudig beskou moet word as die verwoording van die "basiese, oer-Bybelse en oer-Christelike oortuiging, naamlik dat God die hulp van die hulpelose is"(Smit 1984:65). Die konsepbelydenis is aan die Kerk deurgegee met die oog op kritiese besinning gedurende die sinodereses en vir die voorlegging van kommentaar by die daaropvolgende sinode.' Vanselfsprekend sou s� 'n totaal nuwe belydenisskrif sy eie invloed op die kerklike lewe uitoefen. Daar kan verwag word dat verskillende aksente op sekere artikels mettertyd gel� sal word. Oor sommige van die stellings sal gaandeweg nuwe interpretasies na vore kom en 'n verskeidenheid van betekenisnuanses sal met verloop van tyd verwag kan word Belangrikste van alles is dat bepaalde formuleringe deur die loop van die kerk se geskiedenis opnuut aan die hand van die Skrif getoets sal word. Die studie is indertyd ge�nisieer in die hoop om in so 'n Wirkungsgeschichte 'n bydrae te lewer.
Not liberation but justice: An Analysis of Reinhold Niebuhr's understanding of human destiny in the light of the Doctrine of the Atonement.
(University of Western Cape, 1992) de Gruchy, Stephen Mark; Smit, Dirk J
This thesis takes a new approach to the interpretation of Reinhold Niebuhr's thought by arguing that the category of "redemption" is a key hermeneutical concept for understanding his theology. It is argued that his ethics can best be interpreted as flowing out his understanding of human destiny in the light of the Christian doctrine of the Atonement.
Partnership in mission: mismeeting in Jesus' name
(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Knutson, Philip James; Robinson, P.J.; Dept. of Christian Studies (Religion and Theology); Faculty of Religion and Theology - see Faculty of Arts
The focus of this study on partnership came out of experiences of living, working and growing up, in a missionary family, in and "between" South Africa and the United States. In the 1980sI was placeda s a pastor in the newly createdr esettlemenat reao f Onverwacht (Botshabelo),i n the then OrangeF ree StateP rovince.T here I encounteredth ousandso f people who, though indigenous to the region, had been moved or removed through apartheid legislation and dumped onto the open veld with tents and sheets of corrugated iron for shelter. Into this fragile and painfully unequal situation Can1ea steady strean1o f visitors: fan1ily, tourists, university researchersN, GO fieldworkers,f oreign televisionc rews,e cumenicalc hurchp artners from Germany and the USA, white South African Lutherans and Dutch Reformed groups, to name a few. 'residenta lien," (to usea term from Hauerwasa nd Willimon As an "insider" and "outsider" or a 1989:12),I was able to listen to and observem anyo f thesee xchangesw ithin and between local and visiting groups before, during and after the meetings. I experienced that I did not belong to either "side" and yet I was a part of both. The more I heard and saw the fewer photographs I took and the more difficulty I had to describe what was happening and not happening in these myriad encounters day after day over ten eventful years. I had the disturbing sense that my "modem Western" education and vocabulary were not able to carry the freight of the deep paradoxes, let alone solve them. Each year we were both closer and further apart. At first I tried to ameliorate the situation by assisting the congregation, visitors and partners through providing more background infofll1ation and translations. Later I realized that no matter what information was provided it was always interpreted through each individual's "lenses" or perceptuagl rids. What began to intrigue and trouble me as much as what was happening was what was not being said and not being done by the various interlocutors. Gaps and spaces are very much part and parcel of the encounter; something not even the newest camera can record. I became very frustrated and critical of the many "new ,utheran partnership programmes funneling into Southern Africa from Europe and the United States. Coming after more than 150 years of mission relationships the question arose, "Have we really met and will we ever meet as equal partners, as all the partnership contracts and agreements proposed?" Increasingly I have been looking for words, models and language to describe and understand what I feel to be extremely important experiences but which I struggle to describe without doing an injustice to the people or that experience. While studying at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1990 I wrote an essay entitled, Partnership: Through the Eye of the Needle, in which I tried to express the impossibility of partnership between rich and poor. The moral of the parable (Mark 10: 25) is that the camel can only pass through the eye of the needle ifit is broken into minute particles. It is only through the complete dismantling of the system of pride and domination (Jesus' death on the cross) and its reconstruction (Jesus' resurrection) that salvation (shalom) is made possible. (I am indebted to my late father-in-law Willie Cilliers (d.1993) for this interpretation). When I returned to South Africa in 1991 I was placed in an urban congregation in Port Elizabeth in a community which had also been displaced and which apartheid legislation had fonnally classified as "coloured." These are people who have been cut off from their European and African roots; who are literally "betwixt and between." I becamei ntrigued, through contactw ith colleaguesin heology,p hilosophy and sociology, in the "postmodem" writings of Levinas, Derrida, Lyotard, Kristeva, Moore, Appiah, Bauman and others who were writing about the spaces within and between \vords, people and worlds. Derrida speaks of "differance" and Lyotard of the "differend." Bauman writes of the need to rediscover the "arcane art of mismeeting." These new words (neologisms) suggestedw ays of speaking about the paradoxes of partnership and the ambiguity of identity. The title of this study is "Partnership in Mission: Mismeeting in Jesus I Name? II In making use of the term "mismeeting" (which I first encountered in Bauman 1993: 159) I will argue that all meetings are mismeetings. At first I spoke of "meeting" versus "mis-meeting" but now, in this study will argue that there are not "real encounters" as opposed to "inismeetings." The definition of mismeeting in this study does not mean the absence or failure of a meeting but stresses the asymmetry, open-endedness and complex nature of every meeting. Chapter One examines various missiological as well as historical materials which have taken up the question of partnership and the problematics of the encounter with the "other." This chapter looks at some of the powerful perceptual "grids" or paradigms inherited from the past and specifically through what is called the "invention" or "covering" of America and Africa. Others have written about the development of the concept of partnership in the IMC and WCC over the years but the All African Lutheran Conferences are not as well known. Unfortunately even "new" models of partnership stress connection and do not go far enough in acknowledging difference. ChapterT wo examineso r excavatesin anda round( to use Sponheim'st erm 1993:25),the conversation(s)in books,r eportsa nd minutesw hich record the long processo f negotiating and renegotiating relationships between Lutheran partners in the United States, Europe and South Africa. The main focus of this study is on the American Lutheran partners and the Evangelical LutheranC hurch in SouthernA frica (ELCSA). Partnershipsa reg rowing in sucha way that no structure can really coordinate what is no longer a program but a movement! What kind of movement this is, whether it further entrenches old colonial patterns, re-colonizes or liberates, bringing a paradigm shift in the way mission is perceived in and carried out by Lutherans in South Africa, is a central question in this chapter. The first part of chapter two focuses on the period prior to 1975, (the year in which ELCSA was fonned), while the second part looks at relationships, policies and actions since that time. Chapter Three examines ecclesiological and theological models for partnership and includes a short biblical excursus exploring the concept ofmismeeting in the gospel of Mark. The concepts of communion and accompaniment are becoming central to partnership discourse in the Lutheran church around the world over-against the discourse of partnership. ( cf. Buthelezi, page 169 below. While communio/communion has much to commend it as a model for mutual partnership this study argues that lack of attention to difference weakens the concept. In reflecting on the first three chapters, the final chapter proposes that the ambiguity, asymmetry and en-endedness of Christian dialogue and communion with the other, can best be described as mismeeting in Jesus' name, which includes three perspectives: past, present and future. This study questions the frequently stated goal or purpose of partnership as that of overcoming differences. In 1953 Hennan Schlyter wrote in the final chapter of his book, The History of the Co-operating Lutheran Missions in Natal 1912-1951," The future means that the difference will no longer exist between what has once been Swedish, Norwegian, Gennan and American missions. Thus an African Lutheran Church of a universal character and solidity will be able to develop ..." (:88 -my emphasis) By contrast Paul Sponheim writes in his book Faith and the Other: A Relational Theology (1993), "... our very life is constituted by relationship: we live in, with, and before the other." Sponheim speaks of "someone or something meeting us truly from outside -outside our skin, our thinking, our believing, our world" (:v). As Sponheim puts it, "In relationship two come together, but they do not cease to be two (:97). ...We are beings in relationships ...we live on boundaries ...within these relationships connectedness and difference exist ...order and disorder ...in us and between us ...independence and interdependence ...(:97 -my emphasis), In addition to Sponheim's "Relational Theology," chapter four includes reflections on Theo Sundermeier's concept of "konvivenz," Miroslav Volfs concept of "embrace," and David Lochhead's "theology of dialogue" as extremely useful tools in this excavation process in the field of relationships. In order to gather material for this study visits were made to archives, libraries and mission/church offices at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, the ELCA Churchwide offices and archives in Chicago, as well as Berlin, Heffi1annsburg, Wuppertal, Leiden, Johannesburg, Kimberley and Umpumulo (KwazululNatal). Interviews were conducted and correspondence entered into with a number of former and present mission executives, seminary professors, pastors and expatriate missionaries. A major difficulty encountered and which shaped the final outcome of this study was that archival material was spread among so many centres and not always readily accessible or properly organized. While most of the material is written in English, a complete survey of ELCSA's history would require fluency in Zulu, Norwegian, Swedish and Gennan at least. An in-depth survey of all the ELCSA partners and how they affected each other would have to be a matter for further study Fr. Michael Lapsley has stated that "Every South African has three stories o tell: "What was done to me, what I did and what I didn't do." I believe the same is true for mission and partnership. There needs to be a multiple telling and a multiple listening; an ongoing conversation. We (I) did not personally start this long conversation but we meet and join in somewhere along the way. This study focuses on some of the conversations along the way. The Bockelmans began the introduction to their book An Exercise in Compassion: The Lutheran Church in South Africa (1972) with the following intriguing words, A word about this book: you may find the beginning in the middle. ...There's no law that every book must be read from front to back. The traditional way to tell a story is to begin at the beginning and then step by step go through the events in chronological order. But that's not the way you get acquainted with people. You don't first read about the history of someone you meet and then meet him (sic.). You meet him as he is, in the middle of life, and then through a series of encounters you learn about his background and interesting items about his life :7). Some people refuse to read a review of a book or movie before reading or seeing it for the first time. The same can be said about receiving "orientation" before going to visit or live in another country or culture. Orientation at best makes one aware of the existence of different "grids" or perspectives but should not give recipes and short cuts to know and understand others. There is no "easy" entry or exit point, no clear or clean beginning or ending to life or any relationship. There is no neutral,o bjective or universalv antagep oint which can guaranteea correcto runambiguousp erspectiveo f a relationship,h istory or people. But that doesn ot stopu s from telling and listening to each others' stories and attending to differences and connections. This studyp resentsv arious excavationsi n partnershipr elations which illustrate that Christian Mission can be better understood in part as the story of mismeeting in Jesus' Name. As we meet for the first time, in the present; it becomes evident that we have already met and, yet still have to meet
Dade of deugde? Implikasies vir Suid-Afrikaanse kerke van 'n modern-postmoderne debat oor die moraliteit
(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Koopman, Nico Norman; Smit, D.J; Reinders, J.S; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Arts
Untitled
(2000) Leonard, Basil Cedric; Ackermann, Denise M.; Hendriks, Jurgens H.
The researcher has drawn on his personal experiences, both in the church as well as in the business world, as a basis for conducting this study. Situating the study within the field of Practical Theology, Zerfass� model is used to address the theoretical, contextual and practical aspects of the research problem. In determining what each section and each chapter should contain, the following questions are used as a guide: What is it that the reader should know, recognise and acknowledge after reading the particular section or chapter? How does a section or a chapter contribute towards exploring the stated hypothesis and how are the research steps outlined in Zerfass� model used to guide the coherence of the project? The research process was initiated with the placing of the "problem" within the context of the UCCSA. Special attention was given to the definition of certain phrases used in UCCSA. Furthermore, the form of government operating in the church was also considered. A comparison was made with other church models. As the researcher�s interest is the election process, the weaknesses in the current election procedures was discussed. A brief biblical perspective on elections was also stated. The findings of this process was that the UCCSA is 'governed' by its understanding and acceptance of the covenant relationship that exists between God and the people as well as between the members of the church. This relationship, therefore, also informs the election processes in the church
From vision to structure: assessing the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in the light of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church
(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Andrew, Dani�l Nicolaas; Smit, D.J; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Arts
The intention of the AFMSA to revision its policies, processes and structures is the motivation for this study. The relationship between the vision and essential nature of the church and the structure or form given to it is central to all the chapters.The first chapter gives an analysis of the origins of the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA in order to reveal their original vision of the church and the way in which this vision became structured in their history. After a section on the importance of a clear vision and strategic structures for organizations today, the biblical metaphors that served as a foundation for the early Christians’ vision of the church are discussed. Our Christian predecessors’ envisioning and structuring of the church in each period of history are analyzed. This gives an idea of the need for reform and the challenges involved in this process, which are still faced by later generations. The historical survey reveals the development of the marks and the vision of the early Christians to represent the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. In the conclusion, a preliminary dialogue is established between the vision of the early Pentecostals and the leaders of the AFMSA with regard to the structuring of the church and other expressions of the same vision.The next four chapters (2-5) address the significance of the specific marks in the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA. This is followed by a short analysis of the biblical foundation and the historical development of these marks in the history of the Christian church. The chapters are arranged according to the prominence of each mark in the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA. Chapter two therefore starts with the apostolicity that is followed by the holiness in chapter three, unity in chapter four and catholicity in chapter five. It becomes clear from chapter two that the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA want to restore the apostolic faith of the early Christians while the rest of the Christian church confess every Sunday through the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed that they believe they stand in the tradition of the apostles. The mark of holiness that is discussed in chapter three expresses the particular view of holiness held by Pentecostals. Biblical and historical connections are made between it and other Christian expressions revealing that we can all become true followers of Christ in holiness. Chapter four addresses the fact that the church has to accept that we exist as a unity in diversity. In chapter five, the linking of all traditions is established because all have the challenge to share their unique expression of God’s fullness with the universal Body of Christ. In chapter six, all the elements so far discussed: the vision of the church that was based on the Bible, and the history of the Pentecostal Movement, AFMSA and of the Christian Churches are summarized to gain an overall perspective. This is followed by an analysis of the vision of the church today and applied to the AFMSA. The AFMSA is encouraged to revision and restructure itself in the light of the apostolicity, holiness, unity and catholicity that are shared by the witnesses in Scripture and history so that it will be an example of God’s vision for the church and the world.
The Relationship between the Church and the Reign of God in the Reconstruction Theology of JNK Mugambi: A critical analysis
(University of Western Cape, 2005) Fischer, John Hugo; Conradie, Ernst
Reconstruction theology is widely regarded as one of the most influential approaches to contemporary African Christian theology - alongside others such as inculturation theology, liberation theology, African women's theology, evangelical theology and Pentecostal theology. In this thesis I offer a critical assessment of one of the main exponents of such reconstruction theology, namely the Kenyan theologian Jesse Mugambi. I explore the question of how his position on the notion of reconstruction should be understood. One point of entry into understanding Mugambi's views on reconstruction is to explore his position on the relationship between the church and the coming reign of God. In the history of Christianity this relationship has been understood in widely divergent ways. The task of this thesis will therefore be to examine, position, analyse and assess Mugambi's particular view in this regard. This will be done on the basis of a close reading of Mugambi's publications such as African Christian Theology: an Introduction (1989), From Liberation to Reconstruction: African Christian Theology after the Cold War (1995), Christian Theology and Social Reconstruction (2003), and numerous chapters in publications by African theologians.
Die plek van armoedeverligting binne die kerk se sendingtaak: 'n kritiese analise van die Suid-Afikaanse missiologiese diskoers
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Jansen, Cedric Benjamin; Conradie, Ernst M.; Faculty of Arts
It is the aim of this study to determine the location of poverty alleviation within the framework of the church's missionary activity. The following three approaches will be examined, namely a dualistic approach, the approach of liberation theology and a multi-dimensional approach. The author analysed literature of writers within the context of South African missiological discourse.
Re-visioning stigma: a socio-rhetorical reading of Luke 10:25-37 in the context of HIV/AIDS in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2008) Pillay, Miranda N.; Mouton, Elna; Conradie, Ernst M.; Faculty of Religion and Theology - see Faculty of Arts
HIV and AIDS present challenges to the well-being of individuals and to public health proportions unpresedented in modern history, and stigma has been identified as the single most contributor to the spread of the HI-virus. While the challenges presented by the AIDS pandemic are scientific and medical, it also has a psychological, legal, economic, social, ethical and religious impact on those infected and affected. The underlying question in this thesis is not whether the church should respond to this urgent societal challenge, but how it ought to respond. To explore this question, the thesis investigated how a New Testament text (as primary resource), particularly Luke's Gospel, could be a resource for shaping/sharpening the church's response to the pandemic.
God's unique priest (Nyamesofopreko): christology in the Akan context
(University of the Western Cape, 2009) Agyarko, Robert Owusu; Conradie, Ernst M.; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Arts
This study entails a constructive contribution towards a contemporary reinterpretation, within the Akan context, of the classic Christian notion of Christ's person and work as Mediator between God and humanity. Specifically, I endeavour to reinterpret aspects of the Christian confession of faith as formulated by the Council of Chalcedon (451) that, Jesus Christ is �truly God� (vere Deus) as well as �truly human�(vere homo). I build on the notion that the relationship between these two claims may also be understood in terms of the one "person" and the two "natures" of Jesus Christ. The work of Christ is reinterpreted from this perspective. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part, which covers the first four chapters, entail reviews of some of the dominant African Christologies - with particular reference to divine conqueror and ancestor Christologies. In these chapters, the adequacy of the mentioned Christologies is assessed with reference to the Nicene/Chalcedonian confessional definition concerning the person of Christ. The conclusion reached is that these Christologies do not adequately express the person of Christ as truly divine as well as truly human as defined by the first four ecumenical councils. As a result, these Christologies also express the work of Christ, particularly his atonement in a less adequate way.
The sovereignty of the African districts of the African Methodist Episcopal Church :a historical assessment
(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Booyse, Adonis Carolus; Conradie, Ernst M.; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Arts
This research project focuses on the relationship between the American and the African districts of the African Methodist Episcopal Church during the period from 1896 to 2004. It investigates the factors which led to the tensions emerged in the relationship between the American districts and the African districts. It specifically investigates the reasons for the five secession movements that took place in the 15th and 19th Districts of the AME Church in 1899, 1904, 1908, 1980 and 1998. The research problem investigated in this thesis is therefore one of a historical reconstruction, namely to identify, describe and assess the configurations of factors which contributed to such tensions in relationship between the AME Church in America and Africa. The relationships between the American and the African districts of the AME Church have been characterised by various tensions around the sovereignty of the African districts. Such tensions surfaced, for example, in five protest movements, which eventually led to secessions from the AME Church in South Africa. The people of the African continent merged with the American based AME Church with the expectation that they would be assisted in their quest for self-determination. The quest for self-determination in the AME Church in Africa has a long history. The Ethiopian Movement was established by Mangena Maake Mokone in 1892 as a protest movement against white supremacy and domination in the Wesleyan Methodist Church. However, the lack of infrastructure within the Ethiopian Movement and the constant harassment from the Governments of South Africa in the formation of black indigenous churches compelled Mokone to link with a more established and independent Black Church. The AME Church presented such an opportunity to Mokone. The parallels of subordination in the history of the Ethiopian Movement and the AME Church in America gave Mokone to hope that the quest for self-reliance could be attained within the AME Church.
Pentecost, process, and power: A Critical Comparison of Concursus in Operational Pentecostal-Charismatic Theology and Philosophical Process-Relational Theology
(University of Western Cape, 2010) Reichard, Joshua David; Conradie, Ernst M.
This doctoral thesis comprises a critical comparison of the theme of concursus, the way in which God and humanity interact, in the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Process-Relational traditions. The comparison is literature-based; similarities and differences in the theological literature of each tradition are compared in order to determine the extent of compatibilities and incompatibilities. The hypothesis is that similarities in the literature sufficiently leverage differences. The first chapter includes a statement of the problem, namely that the global expansion of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements necessitates interaction with more academically and philosophically oriented theological traditions such as Process- Relational theology. The second chapter comprises an historical survey of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements, including key dogmas and practices. Chapter three comprises an historical survey of Process-Relational theology, including its philosophical, metaphysical, and scientific orientations. Seminal Process- Relational theists such as Whitehead, Hartshorne, and Cobb are surveyed. Chapter four consists of a broad historical survey of the theological theme of concursus, including the notions of causation, free will, and determinism in both philosophy and theology. Further, the fourth chapter includesa broad historical survey of pneumatology, which is framed as the basis for a comparison of concursus. Chapters five and six comprise surveys of concursus in the Pentecostal- Charismatic and Process-Relational traditions respectively. Chapter seven entails an extensive analysis of differences and synthesis of similarities between the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Process-Relational notions of concursus. Four differences and four similarities are identified. Differences and similarities are ranked and compared for compatibility. Ultimately, the research question is answered affirmatively and conditionally: yes, according to the literature of both traditions, similarities sufficiently leverage differences, but socio-linguistic barriers may obstruct meaningful mutual transformation. Chapter eight concludes with a brief exploration of ecclesial and social implications.
Pentecost, process, and power: a critical comparison of Concursus in Operational Pentecostal-Charismatic Theology and Philosophical Process-Relational Theology
(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Reichard, Joshua David; Conradie, Ernst M.; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Religion and Theology - see Faculty of Arts
This doctoral thesis comprises a critical comparison of the theme of concursus, the way in which God and humanity interact, in the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Process-Relational traditions. The comparison is literature-based; similarities and differences in the theological literature of each tradition are compared in order to determine the extent of compatibilities and incompatibilities. The hypothesis is that similarities in the literature sufficiently leverage differences. The first chapter includes a statement of the problem, namely that the global expansion of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements necessitates interaction with more academically and philosophically oriented theological traditions such as Process- Relational theology. The second chapter comprises an historical survey of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements, including key dogmas and practices. Chapter three comprises an historical survey of Process-Relational theology, including its philosophical, metaphysical, and scientific orientations. Seminal Process- Relational theists such as Whitehead, Hartshorne, and Cobb are surveyed. Chapter four consists of a broad historical survey of the theological theme of concursus, including the notions of causation, free will, and determinism in both philosophy and theology. Further, the fourth chapter includes a broad historical survey of pneumatology, which is framed as the basis for a comparison of concursus. Chapters five and six comprise surveys of concursus in the Pentecostal- Charismatic and Process-Relational traditions respectively. Chapter seven entails an extensive analysis of differences and synthesis of similarities between the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Process-Relational notions of concursus. Four differences and four similarities are identified. Differences and similarities are ranked and compared for compatibility. Ultimately, the research question is answered affirmatively and conditionally: yes, according to the literature of both traditions, similarities sufficiently leverage differences, but socio-linguistic barriers may obstruct meaningful mutual transformation. Chapter eight concludes with a brief exploration of ecclesial and social implications.
Die "kritiese stem" teen apartheidsteologie in die Ned Geref Kerk (1905-1974): 'n Analise van die bydraes van Ben Marais en Beyers Naud�
(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Coetzee, Murray Hermanus; Conradie, EM
The problem investigated in this study centres around two theological trends in the Dutch Reformed Church (henceforth DRC) during the period 1905-1974, namely, on the one hand, the theology of apartheid (resulting in Ras, volk en nasie en volkereverhoudinge in die lig van die Skrif(1974)), and on the other, the so-called "critical voice" in the DRC represented in the work of Ben J Marais and CF Beyers Naud�. The emphasis is on this period because it was during this period when the theological train of thought - which was initially dominant in the DRC - was repressed by a theological trend that played a significant role in die development and establishment of the theology of apartheid. In order to identify the different points of difference between the two trends, the emphasis is initially on the development and establishment of a philosophy of apartheid on the one hand and the critical voices against a theology of apartheid as represented by Marais and Naud�. The first part deals with the development in the theology of apartheid. In this first part the emphasis is on the role played by the DRC in the development of the theology of apartheid. The research will show how pragmatic / contextual factors initially played a role in the development of apartheidrelated thinking and how this thinking became theologically and ideologically legitimised in the next phase. The emphasis will fall on the role played by socio-economic and cultural political circumstances at the onset of the development of pragmatic thinking pertaining to apartheid. Subsequently the emphasis is on the next phase in the development of the theology of apartheid when apartheid was justified dogmatically/ ideologically and from the Scriptures. In this part of the thesis the emphasis is on the roles played by particular theological trends played within the DRC resulting in a shift in theological thought. The reception of these theological trends in the 1920s and 1930s within the DRC will also be examined and will show how they were eventually merged into a reformed orthodoxy, which would replace the evangelical reformed trend as the dominant one in the church. The role played by this reformed orthodoxy in the development of a theology of apartheid in the DRC will also be analysed. In the latter part of this chapter the merging ofthe pragmatic and dogmatic thinking within the DRC will be discussed. The result of this merger is set out in the DRC's Ras, volk en nasie en volkereverhoudinge in die lig van die Skrif published in 1974. Since this policy document provides a systematic summation of the theology of apartheid as it developed between 1905 and 1974, this document will form the basis of an investigation into the development and establishment of a theology of apartheid. This part of the study is essential because it provides the specific context in which the critical voice against apartheid could function. This research deals in particular with the major points of difference between apartheid thinking in the DRC on the one hand and the critical voice against it. A complete analysis of the critical voice against the theology of apartheid within the DRC is undertaken and since this research focuses on a specific form of criticism, it is necessary to look at the origin and development of that voice. The researcher will indicate to what extent this critical voice had its origin in the Old and New Testament and how it continued throughout the history of the church and was later identified in several sectors of South African society - namely in the political, economical and church sectors. The critical voice within the ecumenical movements in South Africa, the voices within the DRC family and in particular the critical voice against apartheid within the DRC will form the gist of this investigation. Other researchers have identified critical voices within the ranks of the DRC, but the emphasis in this doctoral thesis is on the criticism already expressed earlier on by Ben Marais and Beyers Naud�. The question that arises from this relates to the differences and similarities in the thinking of the apartheid theologians and the critical voices of Marais and Naud�. What makes this problematic is the fact that the parties have so much in common. During their childhoods they grew up with the same Afrikaner values of religion, culture and politics; they receive their primary and secondary education in Afrikaner schools that affirmed these values. They studied at the same university (the University of Stellenbosch) where their theological thinking was shaped in the same cultural, political and religious climate. In the School of Theology they were exposed to the same teachers and theological trends. This issue will be examined in Chapters 4 and 5 where these mutual influences will be examined respectively in the case of Marais (Chapter 4) and Naud� (Chapter 5). Their years of serving in the DRC will also be analysed. In the final instance Marais' position as professor will also be scrutinised, whereas Naud�'s role in the ecumenical movement will also be looked at. The question that needs to be clarified is: How did these two figures, who represent the critical voice of reason, consciously or unconsciously, comprehend the differences in opinion between them and that of the theology of apartheid within the DRC? In the next chapter the major difference between the critical voice of Marais and Naud� respectively and that of the apartheid theologians will be identified and analysed. The documented analysis regarding the pragmaticI contextual and theological/ideological legitimising of apartheid in the DRC, the critical voice against apartheid, as well as the criticism of Marais and Naud� against apartheid thinking in the DRC will be examined in order to identify and describe such difference. A hermeneutic approach will be used to identify and analyse the differences between the two groups and to be in conjunction with theologians in the DRC. In this part of the investigation the following differences of opinion between the apartheid theologians and the critical voices of Marais and Naud� will be discussed: � The presence or absence of a historical and hermeneutic awareness; � The presence or absence of a hermeneutics of suspicion; � The different ways in which an analysis of the changing social context was made; � The differences in the selection of texts from the Scriptures used to contemplate the Christian message within their specific contexts; � The influence of the different theological traditions and the views of those concerned on the different stances taken; � The role of "interpretation" as the integration of all these variables. To summarise: Firstly, an analysis of the development of pragmatic and dogmatic ideas and practices of racial apartheid (Chapter 2). Secondly, an analysis of the critical voice - its origin, the role played by it within the Christian tradition and in particular that of Ben J Marais and C F Beyers Naud� within the DRC (Chapters 3-5). Thirdly, the results of this analysis are used to identify and describe hermeneutically the differences between the apartheid thinkers and the critical voices of the anti-apartheid thinkers exemplified by the criticism of Marais and Naud�.
A critical analysis of Stanley J Samartha's concept of Christian dialogue with people of other living faiths, and its relevance to the Indonesian context
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) Rajagukguk, Nimrot; Lombard, Christo; Dept. of Religion and Theology; Faculty of Arts
This study will investigate the WCC concept of 'Dialogue between Christianity and other Living Faith', and its contributions in Asia, more specifically its impact on the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia. The study will focus on an Indian theologian, Stanley J Samartha, one of the most influential figures in the promotion of this concept within the WCC. The research will entail an analysis of Samartha's views on Christian dialogue with other faiths, and a critical assessment of his work in the field of 'mission', through his publications and various WCC documents. The contextual relevance of the study is highlighted by several spheres of tensions and conflicts: a) in the global context: the clash of cultures; b) in the ecumenical world: the divide between evangelicals and ecumenical; c) in the Asian context: the tension between dialogue and mission, between gospel and context; and d) in the Indonesian context: the ongoing tension between Muslims and Christians, and the tension between 'local gospel' and the Biblical gospel.
An evangelical discourse on God�s response to suffering: A critical assessment of Gregory Boyd�s open theism
(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Harold, Godfrey; Conradie, Ernst M.
This research project makes a contribution to the discourse on the theodicy problem by examining the position adopted by Gregory Boyd known as open theism. Boyd would argue that an open view of God is in a better position to deal with the problem of evil because the traditional understanding of God�s attributes fails to vindicate God of guilt or responsibility for evil and should, therefore, be abandoned in favour of the attractive openness model. Boyd claims that God cannot be held responsible for evil and suffering because the future cannot be known to God. He articulates this perspective from the process thought position that the future is not a reality therefore, cannot be known. Thus, God took a risk when he/she created human being with free will because any free will future actions and thoughts cannot be known by God. God is therefore surprised by the actions and sufferings of human being and therefore has to change his/her plans to meet with the free will actions of human beings. Boyd in articulating his open theism theodicy does so by reconstructing the classical understanding of the attributes of God namely: God�s omniscience, immutability, and omnipotence to give an answer to the theodicy problem. Evangelicals understand the attributes of God to be part of God nature, therefore any changes in the attributes of God means changes to God him/herself. Because of Boyd�s claim to be an evangelical, this project examines the attributes of God as reflected in the works of the early church father to the reformers and influential evangelical scholars in contrast with the work of Boyd. In presenting an evangelical understanding on God and suffering this study concludes that the position adopted by Boyd is a radical departure from evangelicalism and orthodoxy faith and is more consonant of a deistic presentation of God in his/her relation to the world.
An assessment of the curriculum and implementation of the subject Religious and Moral Education in Namibia: A case study of perceptions of Religious and Moral Education teachers in the Ompundja Circuit of Oshana Region
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Iita, Ananias; Lombard, Christoffel
This research study investigated the perceptions of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers in Namibia with regard to the implementation of the RME syllabus, Grades 5-10 in actual teaching and learning situations. It also examined to what extent pre-service and in-service training prepare these teachers to deal with the demands of the subject in their professional classroom situations. The relevance of the study was that the continuing process of curriculum development would benefit from specific knowledge of the perceptions of teachers and learners, regarding their problems and problem-solving, shortcomings in the system, pre-service and in-service training, and support services. The study took place amidst a global debate on paradigms in the teaching of religion and moral formation. It could therefore also contribute to a growing canon of literature with specific contributions based on empirical research. The study reviewed literature in the field of religious and moral education, the official curricula and syllabi, as well as all other policy and training documents relating to the subject. A carefully sampled case study of teachers in public schools in the Ompundja Circuit of the Oshana Region was carried out. In 1990, under the new constitution, Namibia was declared a secular state, recognising all religions. This was contrary to the colonial period in which Christianity was the only recognised religion and taught under a Christian national ideology in an apartheid political setup. The new dispensation brought new challenges to the subject teachers because, in the past, most of them were only trained to teach Biblical Instruction/Biblical Studies. In the new constitution, the state neither favours nor neglects any of the religious orientations. The context of the study was, thus, the appropriate choice for a particular paradigm in which religion and morality are studied at school level, based upon the principles of a multi-religious and multi-cultural society where both teachers and learners gain knowledge and understanding of other faiths and values; a culture of tolerance is encouraged and fostered; the rights of different religions and their moral values are respected and promoted; and learners are prepared for responsible citizenship
The ministry of music: a case study on the United Church Of Zambia and the New Jerusalem Church
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Kondolo, Kapemwa; Conradie, Ernst M.
This research project is situated in the history of Christianity in Zambia with specific reference to the relationship between the United Church of Zambia and the New Jerusalem Church, one of the so-called African Instituted Churches (AICs). Since the 1950s numerous members of the UCZ have become attracted to the New Jerusalem Church. Why is this case? One may identify several factors in this regard, including the administration of sacraments such as Baptism and Holy Communion also the ministry of faith healing, the ministry of pastoral care the confession of sins and the assurance of pardon. In this research project I have investigated one such factor namely the role of the ministry of music in these two churches. The term ministry of music in this context refers to praise and worship in the liturgy, to the significance of church choirs, the role of music leaders, the appropriation of melodies from various sources, the use of musical instruments and then of course to the actual text of the hymns that are sung. In this research project the focus has been on a description and analysis of the lyrics of selected hymns. This is based on the observation that the hymns that are frequently sung constitute the �theology of laity�. This project has first identified those hymns that are frequently sung in selected congregations of the United Church of Zambia and the New Jerusalem Church. For this study five urban and five rural congregations of both churches were selected. The identification of such hymns was done through interviews with the local pastors and the musical leadership of the selected congregation. On the basis of this process of identification ten of these hymns in each of the four categories mentioned above were subjected to closer analysis. The question that was addressed is this: What similarities and differences may be identified in the text of hymns sung frequently in urban and rural congregations of the United Church of Zambia and the New Jerusalem Church? The point of comparison that was used in this regard is the soteriologies embedded in the text of the selected hymns, that is, the notions of salvation expressed through these hymns. The study therefore sought to identify, describe and analyse the underlying soteriologies in the ministry of music in these two churches. It also assessed the significance of the similarities and differences identified in this way. The assumption was that there may be different images of salvation embedded in such hymns and that these may partially account for attracting people to a particular church.
Eecclesiology and ethics: An analysis of the history of the all Africa conference of churches (1963-2013)
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Sakupapa, Teddy Chalwe; Conradie, Ernst M.
This study entails an historical investigation of how the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) has addressed the ecumenical tension between ecclesiology and ethics in its history between 1963 and 2013. The study is arguably the first comprehensive analysis of the history of the AACC focussing on ecclesiology and ethics and will therefore make an original contribution to ecumenical theology in Africa in this regard. The study argues that the tension between what the church is (read: ecclesiology) and what it does (read: ethics) has undeniably been present in the ecumenical movement in Africa. The study is situated within two concentric contexts. Firstly, it is located within the context of the WCC study project on ecclesiology and ethics that was conducted during the period 1992 to 1996 and will contribute to wider discourse in this regard. The WCC project was an attempt to bridge a deep divide in the ecumenical movement between those who emphasise that the way to unity is through doctrinal agreement and those who believe that "doctrine divides" while a common moral cause (service) may unite. Secondly, this study is aimed at discerning how the AACC has addressed the relationship between the theological quest for unity (read: ecclesiology) and the social responsibility of the church (read: ethics). The study examines how the AACC assisted its member churches to respond to contemporary challenges in three distinct periods in recent African history, namely the periods of decolonisation (1963-1974), development (1975-1992) and neo-liberal globalisation (1993-2013). The hypothesis of this study is that these periods correlate with the AACC's ways of negotiating the tension between ecclesiology and ethics. The study argues that although the AACC has privileged the social agenda of the church in society (read: ethics), the ecumenical quest for ecclesial unity (read: ecclesiology) has not been completely absent. While the study acknowledges that the tension between ecclesiology and ethics is not easily resolved, it affirms that these two ecumenical concerns are inseparable. The study therefore suggests an appropriation of the African notion of ubuntu as a horizon for ecclesiology and ethics. The intuition behind the proposal is that ubuntu resonates with biblical notions of koinonia and diakonia and is thus an apt notion for an articulation of the interconnectedness between ecclesiology and ethics. The study is divided into two parts, comprising eight chapters. The first part covers four chapters in which I offer an historical background to the modern ecumenical movement, an analysis of the ecclesiology and ethics debate in the wider ecumenical context and a brief institutional history of the AACC. The second part of the study comprises three chapters. Therein, I present a critical analysis of the AACC's handling of the tension between ecclesiology and ethics in the period 1963-2013. Each chapter describes and analyses the various ways in which the AACC addressed the tension between the theological quest for the visible unity of the church on the one hand (read: ecclesiology) and the social responsibility of the church (read: ethics) on the other in specific socio-historical contexts. The hypothesis of the study is confirmed on the basis of such analysis. This study contributes to discourse in African theology on authenticity (read: ecclesiology) as expressed in theologies of inculturation and indigenisation and on social relevance (read: ethics) as expressed in theologies of liberation and reconstruction. It further contributes to academic reflection on the history of the ecumenical movement in Africa and the quest for an appropriate ecumenical vision on the African continent amidst the tensions between mainline churches, independent churches (AICs) and a variety of Pentecostal churches and the many social challenges that churches have to address.
The viability of the South African National Development Plan and Amartya Sen's theory of ethical development
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Davids, Rochelle Nicolette; Lombard, Christo
"Development" has emerged as a key word indicating the level of participation in and integration into the global economy of previously "under-developed" or marginalized countries, especially from the so-called "Third World". Even though decolonial theory contests the validity of what is seen as a particular arrogant Western assessment of the norms at work in such classification of nation-states, it is widely accepted that there is a direct equation between growth and equality: The lower the level of inequality in any country, the faster and the more sustainable the growth in the economy is expected to be. South Africa's dilemma is that it portrays the extreme negative aspect of this fundamental socio-economic formula. The country has a high level of inequality and seems to be stuck in low economic growth! In essence, the current high level of inequality in South Africa results in slow and unsustainable growth in the economy. A healthy development path for South Africa would mean that both economic growth and equality should be sustainably sought. Colonial and apartheid periods elicited processes of planning and development which may have been well-managed and controlled but were fundamentally unjust, being based on stark inequalities, and thus strongly and justifiably opposed. The central focus of this study is to ethically assess the rationale and implementation of the South African National Development Plan (NDP), developed on the basis of the country�s model new Constitution in order to ensure good quality of life and dignity for all its citizens. The goal of this study is to determine to which extent the NDP is viable in this sense, and can be supported on the basis of a responsible ethical development paradigm, such as Amartya Sen's comprehensive theory of "development as freedom". The relevance of this thesis is that it aims at contributing towards a trustworthy assessment framework for testing all aspects of the NDP, especially its ethical viability.To test the viability of the NDP the study zoomed in on detailed assessments of the following frameworks: 1) Critical historical studies of South Africa's international political and economic development, 2) Constitutional and human rights studies into the constitutional framework of the NDP and its socio-ethical perspectives, 3) Studies on development Theory to identify gaps or suspect aspects of the NDP, 4) Studies on globalization and a global ethic to specifically understand the positive and negative sides of globalization as relevant factors in development discourse in South Africa, and 5) A particular study of Sen's comprehensive development framework to use a theory acknowledged for its comprehensiveness and ethical sharpness to thoroughly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the NDP. Some preliminary findings drawn from this study suggest that the (utilitarian or consequentialist) goals and objectives of the NDP are generally seen as positive and pointing in the right direction. However, the deeper ethical analysis of the NDP, linked to the emergence of responsibility theory, a global ethic (a deontological social ethic for the world), a particular African virtue ethic (Ubuntu), and specifically to Amartya Sen's ethical analysis of the kind of agency and freedom needed by the actors in the drama of development � together - expose various shortcomings in the NDP, some of its goals, its implementation, sustainability, and the new ethos it embodies. The concluding remarks of this study thus provide a number of critical points, ethically spoken, on crucial details of the NDP. Such aspects of the NDP are, for instance, its "utility" (according to the theory which holds that actions are right if they lead to optimum happiness for the greatest number of people); its "morality" (good outcomes or results produced by right actions, consequences which generally outweigh all other considerations); its "virtue" (which focuses on individual agency, morality and duties), but also in typical African fashion, the quality of its "Ubuntu" (the being together of people defining each member of the clan�s humanity and dignity). Sen's accent on the inner freedom, the agency, of individuals and people, organized in civil society - to support each other, to be open, ready and engaged in their own development - seems to provide some of the missing ingredients for the NDP and its path. Such ingredients cannot be guaranteed or "produced" by human rights, constitutions, rule of law, or even a bill of rights. In the face of state capture, corrupt leadership, personal greed, lack of personal integrity or virtue, disregard for divine commands or human rights, this one factor seems to be the only medicine that works: deep-seated personal agency (of the individual and of civil society), generating strong determination, joint action and a belief of a future commonwealth that does honour the original dream of the Freedom Charter. Hopefully the critical questions emerging from the multi-level ethical assessment of the NDP, may stimulate new debates and set out new research agendas for a just and peaceful future for the "Rainbow Nation".

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