The Prayer Book of the Church of England reached South Africa as a part of the establishment of the British Administration at the Cape. In its new environment it obviously required some revision. The Book of 1662 reflected the political and social conditions of its time. lt was designed for a Church not immediately concerned with missionary work amongst heathen peoples but directly established under the Crown. The circumstances of a Church in the colonies, particularly when the colonies became self-governing, required some modernisation of language, some omission and adaptation of old prayers and some addition of new ones. Yet the Church appears to have been wary of attempting anything more than this, and it was especially reluctant to make any revision which might imply a doctrinal change. The consecration prayer in the liturgy -'our incomparable liturgy' - was particularly sacrosanct by virtue of long use and the accretion of sentimental associations. Revision of this part of the book would naturally be slow and hesitant and this is the revision with which we are concerned - the most interesting and important part of the history of the South African Prayer Book. Chapter 1, p. 6.

Amen is the Hebrew word best known and most widely used in world religions even today. Its importance as a meaningful expression throughout biblical texts is given thorough study as well as its transmission throughout religious history. It has been transliterated and integrated into the prayers and liturgy of about every Christian church. In this thesis amen is traced down to its usage in Old Testament texts selected according to their liturgical setting. After examining the three sets of texts, progressive development stages have been produced. The first text of Deuteronomy 27 was basically a ceremony of civil nature for a Covenant commitment. All tribes of Israel were present and the amen response was stipulated to confirm their allegiance to Yahweh and to acknowledge the curses threatened. The second stage in the development of amen in Old Testament worship is an expected, not stipulated response to answer a doxology or a prayer. At this stage amen was pronounced by the worshipping congregation in cultic situations in general, particularly in the Psalms. A third and more developed liturgical response can be found in the spontaneous double amen spoken by the returnees from exile gathered for the reading of the Law session at Nehemiah's time. Amen had become a thriving force and a joyful outburst - not demanded, not simply expected, but spontaneous in the believers' response to Yahweh's guidance and love. The New Testament and Christians of all times inherited and adopted the same Hebrew word and sound of amen as confirmation and praise. A proposal is made in this study to set amen as a causal connection with the One who loved mankind first. The proposed derivation of amen from the Hiphil Imperative remits its origin to a causative plea, and persuades people to believe in what they have just heard or said, namely, that Jesus Christ is God's amen for the salvation of all mankind. Christians of all times and places should join in the praise of God through the same faith in His Amen. Thus amen becomes a binding concept for ecumenical understanding. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (Old Testament)

Text in Afrikaans This research paper has been prepared against a background of an apparent lack of symbols and rituals in Reformed services of worship. Chapter 1 deals with the importance of symbols and rituals in light of the demands of changing times. It has furthermore been suggested that the Dutch Reformed Church (“DRC”) has a particular problem with the use of symbols and rituals during the Easter Season. The central hypothesis has been formulated as follows: “In the Reformed liturgy it is necessary that the use of liturgical symbols and rituals be adapted to be presented in a way, meaningful and relevant in the world of churchgoers.” Chapter 2 describes the Practical Theological grounds on which the study is based. It has been demonstrated that Practical Theology is a theological science in its own right. The use of liturgy as a communications medium in the proclamation of the gospel allows liturgical symbols and rituals to claim their rightful place. The formulation of liturgical practice must also be determined by and within the background of the local religious community. The outcome of the study of relevant literature is set out in Chapter 3. The Reformed liturgical tradition, when adapted to the demands of changing times, allows for the use of liturgical symbols and rituals during the Easter Season in a concrete form. Liturgy, including all verbal and non verbal liturgical actions, finds its place as a communicative medium in evangelical services. The communications media of the 21st century serve as strong carriers for the formation of liturgy. The traditional Reformed liturgy is enriched by an amalgamated liturgy that is the result of a unique process based on the similar use of symbols and rituals by the various traditional religious groupings. Ritualism is the term used to describe liturgical acts. Symbols and rituals are used as the communication tools to translate the relevance of liturgy into modern life. The Easter Season, with its inherent Christian content, is an ideal opportunity for the use of ritualism. The liturgical symbols and rituals used during Easter must be based on sound Biblical and theological grounds and must be focused on God and the religious requirements of mankind. The maximum use of modern multimedia is necessary out of respect for the experience of the worshipper. The experiences and the senses of man, however, must be accessed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the church is essentially outwardly directed, the <ib>missio Dei</ib> must play its rightful role in the formation of the liturgy. At the end of Chapter 3, a theological theory is put forward suggesting a new and unique proposal on the possible use of symbols and rituals in the Easter Season. Based on a questionnaire, in which the needs and attitudes of worshippers were tested empirically, Chapter 4 indicates that in general their needs are adequately catered for by the current liturgical practices of the Easter Season. However it has also been established that the people do not have a great need for physical symbolism and neither are they keen to become involved in the preparation for or delivery of worship services. Chapter 5 sets out the insights gained from the study of literature and the empirical investigation. It is indicated that the Reformed liturgy, enriched by other media, still has the ability to bring the message of the relevant Christian events of Easter into the world of the worshipper in a meaningful way. Ekserp Hierdie navorsing is gedoen teen die agtergrond van ‘n oënskynlike armoede aan simbole en rituele wat in die Gereformeerde erediens bestaan. In Hoofstuk 1 is die belangrikheid van simbole en rituele in die lig van die eise van veranderende tye, aangetoon. Daar is ook uitgewys dat daar in die NG Kerk ‘n probleem bestaan wat die gebruik van liturgiese simbole en rituele in die Paassiklus betref. Die sentrale hipotese is soos volg geformuleer: “In die Gereformeerde liturgie is dit noodsaaklik dat die gebruik van liturgiese simbole en rituele gedurende die Paassiklus aangepas word om die toepaslike Christusgebeure singewend te verkonkretiseer in die wêreld van erediensgangers”. In Hoofstuk 2 is die Prakties-teologiese vertrekpunte vir die studie beskryf. Daar is uitgewys dat Praktiese Teologie ‘n teologiese wetenskap is. Die liturgie as kommunikatiewe handeling in diens van die evangelie, bied die ruimte waarbinne liturgiese simbole en rituele tot hul reg kom. Die konteks waarin die plaaslike geloofsgemeenskap haarself bevind speel ‘n medebepalende rol in liturgievorming. Hoofstuk 3 dien as resultaat van die literatuurstudie. Die gebruik van liturgiese simbole en rituele in die Paassiklus kry konkreet gestalte in die Gereformeerde liturgiese tradisie met inagneming van die eise van veranderende tye. Liturgie vind plaas as kommunikatiewe handelinge in diens van die evangelie en sluit alle verbale en nieverbale liturgiese handelinge in. Een-en-twintigste eeuse kommunikasiemiddele dien as struktuurdraers vir liturgievorming. Verder verryk konvergensieliturgie die tradisionele Gereformeerde liturgie. Die term ‘samevoegingsliturgie’ is geskep as ‘n unieke proses waarvolgens liturgieë uit verskillende tradisiestrome ‘n sinergerende gebruik van simbole en rituele teweeg bring. Die term ritualiteit word gebruik as aanduiding van die liturgiese handelinge. Simbole en rituele dien as kommunikasiedraers wat mense in kontak met die werklikhede van die lewe bring. Die Paassiklus, met gepaardgaande Christusinhoude, vorm ‘n geskikte medium waarbinne ritualiteit gestalte kry. Liturgiese simbole en rituele in die Paassiklus moet Bybels teologies verantwoord wees. Dit moet gefokus wees op God en antropologies gerig wees. Omdat die ervaring van erediensgangers ernstig geneem word, moet die moderne multimedia maksimaal en konkreet ontgin word. Onder die leiding van die Heilige Gees moet erns gemaak word met die ervaring en sintuie van die mens. Omdat die kerk in wese ook gerig is na ‘buite’, moet die <bi>missio Dei in liturgievorming ‘n regmatige rol speel. Aan die einde van Hoofstuk 3 word ‘n teologiese teorie vir die gebruik van simbole en rituele in die Paassiklus beskryf en aangebied as ‘n besondere bydrae tot ‘n nuwe verstelde praktykteorie. In Hoofstuk 4 is die behoeftes en houdings van erediensgangers met behulp van ‘n vraelys empiries getoets en is bepaal dat daar oorwegend tevredenheid heers oor die bestaande liturgiese praktyke gedurende die Paassiklus. Daar is egter ook vasgestel dat mense nie groot behoefte het aan liggaamlikheid nie en nie begerig is om mee te werk aan die voorbereiding en aanbieding van eredienste nie. In Hoofstuk 5 is die insigte verkry uit die literatuurstudie en die empiriese ondersoek, beskryf. Verskeie verdere navorsingsmoontlikhede is uitgewys en daar is aangetoon dat die Gereformeerde liturgie, met verryking deur ander media, steeds oor die drakrag beskik om die toepaslike Christusgebeure in die Paassiklus singewend te verkonkretiseer in die wêreld van erdiensgangers. / Thesis (DD (PracticalTheology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Together, the "Landeskirchlichen Gemeinschaften" forms the largest free reform move-ment within the Evangelical Church in Germany. In recent decades a change in worship gatherings has taken place in many of these communities. Independent worship services developed from the complementary gatherings, which at first were meant to be extensions of the Church's Sunday worship services. These services, held in free form and without orders of worship, now have become a substitute for the 'normal' church service. The 'creative freedom' also brings disadvantages, as unreflective processes tend to foster rigid orders of service. Because of a conscious separation from the church services of the mainstream church, important liturgical actions as well as elements of the Church Year could be omitted. This dissertation aims to study from various perspectives the possibilities for enriching worship in the "Landeskirchliche Gemeinschaften". From literature in liturgical studies, in the first place from the sphere of the Evangelical Church in Germany, but also from the free churches in Germany, the fundamental Reformatory insights for worship and the litur-gy are discussed and evaluated. On the basis of these findings, well-founded suggestions for the design of services in Landeskirchlichen communities are made. Possibilities for enrichment through careful planning are identified for those responsible for the respective services. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology

Thesis (M. Div.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In hierdie studie word daar gefokus op sommige moontlikhede wat ‘n post-moderne samelewing aan die inkleding van die liturgiese ruimte binne die gereformeerde erediens kan bied, ten tye van die liturgiese jaar (meer spesifiek Lydenstyd en Paastyd). Sommige gebruike binne die liturgiese ruimte, veral in die Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika word bevraagteken en sommige alternatiewe voorstelle word gebied vir ‘n vernuwende inkleding van ‘n gereformeerde liturgie, juis aangesien die liturgie ‘n lewenswyse is. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In this thesis the focus will be on some of the possibilities that our modern society presents to the presentation of the liturgical space church within the reformed worship services. The specific focus is on the liturgical year, more specifically Lent and Easter. Some of the customs or habits in the liturgical space, within the Dutch Reformed Church are questioned and some alternative suggestions are presented for the renewal of a reformed liturgy, because liturgy can be seen as a way of life.

Tesis (MTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research has started because of a concern that the Korean Presbyterian Church is not utilizing the lectionary. Very few Korean Presbyterian churches follow the lectionary and this situation fosters many problems in their preaching and worship. However, the lectionary can remedy them. Firstly, many Korean Presbyterian preachers do not have a long-term plan for preaching and choose a sermon text week by week. Consequently, they are pressed for the time to preach and this easily leads them to do topical preaching. One of the weaknesses of topical preaching is that a preacher might approach a text with a preconceived topic or theme and use the text as a pretext. This is contrary to the principle of biblical preaching. However, the lectionary assures the biblical mentality because it prevents preachers from imposing their preoccupied ideas onto a text. The lectionary makes them consider and listen to the text first. Secondly, the texts for preaching are confined by the preacher’s preference. The arbitrary choice of the texts narrows the scope of the sermon texts. However, the lectionary expands the range of the texts for preaching because it covers most books of the Bible. Thirdly, worship in the Korean Presbyterian churches lacks coherency among its parts. Due to lack of a long-term plan of preaching, various parts of worship do not harmonize with one another. However, the lectionary offers a long-term plan for preaching, and it enables the parts of worship to be prepared to have the same voice. Fourthly, the Korean Presbyterian ministers have to preach a lot. Therefore, practical helps such as lectionary commentaries or worship guides can be of assistance to them. Fifthly, worship in the Korean Presbyterian churches is highly sermon-biased, that is, preaching has precedence over worship. However, the lectionary preconceives the context of worship and puts preaching within this context. Furthermore, the lectionary restores the balance between the Word and the Eucharist. It is designed for experiencing the paschal mystery that is the core of Sunday worship. Sixthly, the Korean Presbyterian churches are failing to appreciate the church year’s theological and educational value. The church year they observe is fragmentary. However, the lectionary is founded on the traditional church year, which has a Christological focus. It enables us to celebrate the life and works of Jesus through the year, and instills faith and hope in people’s mind. Lastly, the individualism of the Korean churches is another problem. These churches are plagued by an internal division and competition. It appears as if they are not concerned about the unity of the church as the body of Christ. However, the ecumenical feature of the Revised Common Lectionary inspires them to have a community mind. It reminds them of the unity of the church. Of course, the lectionary is not a perfect plan. It has some limitations as well as the strengths. Nevertheless, the lectionary is surely a useful instrument that would improve the worship and preaching in the Korean Presbyterian Church. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het voortgespruit uit ʼn besorgdheid oor die Koreaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerk se aanwending van die Leesrooster. Die feit dat bitter min Koreaanse Presbiteraanse Kerke die Leesrooster volg, gee aanleiding tot verskeie probleme in hulle prediking en aanbidding. Nietemin kan die Leesrooster hierdie probleem regstel. Eerstens beskik baie Koreaanse Presbiteraanse predikers nie oor ʼn langtermyn plan vir prediking nie en word ʼn preek op ʼn weeklikse basis gekies. Gevolglik is hulle tyd om te preek beperk en lei dit maklik tot aktuele prediking. Een van die swakpunte van aktuele prediking is die feit dat ʼn prediker ʼn teks met ʼn vooropgesette onderwerp of tema mag benader en die teks as dekmantel mag gebruik. Dit is strydig met die beginsel met bybelse prediking. Die Leesrooster verseker egter die bybelse mentaliteit omdat dit verhoed dat predikers hulle vooropgesette idees op die teks afdwing. Die Leesrooster noop hulle om die teks in ag te neem en daarna te luister. Tweedens beperk die prediker se voorkeur die tekste wat vir prediking gebruik kan word. Die omvang van tekste word begrens deur die willekeurige keuse daarvan. Die Leesrooster kan egter die bestek van tekste vir prediking uitbrei omdat dit die meeste Bybelboeke insluit. Derdens word aanbidding in die Koreaanse Presbiteraanse Kerk gekenmerk deur ʼn gebrek aan samehang tussen die verskillende elemente daarvan. As gevolg van die afwesigheid van ʼn langtermyn plan vir prediking, ontbreek die harmonie tussen die verskillende dele van aanbidding. Die Leesrooster bied egter ʼn langtermyn plan vir prediking en help dat die elemente van aanbidding so voorberei kan word dat hulle dieselfde gewig dra. Vierdens moet Koreaanse Presbiteraanse predikante baie preek. Dus kan hulle baat vind by praktiese hulpmiddels soos kommentare op die Leesrooster of aanbiddingsriglyne. Ten vyfde is aanbidding in Koreaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerke hoogs predikasie gebasseerd, d.w.s. prediking geniet voorkeur bo aanbidding. Die Leesrooster bepaal egter die konteks van aanbidding vooraf en plaas prediking binne hierdie konteks. Voorts herstel die Leesrooster die balans tussen die Woord en die Nagmaal. Dit is ontwerp vir die ervaring van die paas geheimenis as die kern van die erediens op ʼn Sondag. Ten sesde waardeer die Koreaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerk nie die teologiese en opvoedkundige waarde van die kerkjaar nie. Die kerkjaar wat deur hulle gehandhaaf word is fragmentaries. Die Leesrooster is egter gefundeer op die tradisionele kerkjaar met ʼn christologiese fokus. Dit stel ons instaat om die lewe en handelinge van Jesus die hele jaar deur te vier, en vul mense se gemoed met geloof en hoop. Ten laaste is die individualisme van die Koreaanse Kerke nog ʼn probleem. Hierdie kerke gaan gebuk onder interne verdeeldheid en kompetisie. Dit wil voorkom asof hulle nie besorgd is oor die eenheid van die Kerk as die liggaam van Christus nie. Nietemin inspireer die ekumeniese karakter van die Revised Common Lectionary hulle om ʼn samehorigheidsgevoel te hê. Dit herinner hulle aan die eenheid van die Kerk. Natuurlik is die Leesrooster nie ʼn perfekte plan nie. Dit het sekere beperkinge sowel as sterktepunte. Nogtans is die Leesrooster ongetwyfeld ʼn bruikbare instrument wat aanbidding en prediking in die Koreaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerk kan verbeter.

Thesis (MTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Young people, teenagers and children are members of various communities. These communities include their families, society, their schools and their churches or, more appropriately, their parents’ church. These various communities impact their lives in significant ways: they provide the frameworks which determine who they are and what they are going to become. Through their interaction within these communities, life is given meaning. All of these communities operate according to a “liturgy” i.e. an order or style that allows each individual to discover his or her purpose in life. Parents, as the primary community, should provide a healthy and positive environment in which the young life is shaped. However, this is not the only community in which the young person interacts. The church is another and has an enormous influence and vital responsibility in helping to facilitate this shaping process. If, however, the church does not identify fully with young people and their needs, it will become irrelevant and their young lives will be shaped by other communities of influence that are not necessarily positive. A new liturgy i.e. “New Wine” is required to be effective with today’s postmodern generation. The institutionalized church faces a very real danger of being complacent and apathetic in terms of “doing church” in a way that is relevant and attractive. The purpose of this dissertation is to propose a different form of faith community i.e. a “New Wineskin”, a wineskin that is elastic and flexible. Along with the positive nurturing and influence of the family, the church as a new faith community must become creative and authentic if it is to reach postmodern youth. Central to this new liturgy is relationships: relationship with God, with parents, with family, with friends and others. As the Godhead is made up of three “Beings” in relationship with each other, so we have been created to be in relationship firstly with God and then with each other. Thus in a postmodern society, relationships within the family and the church are essential in order to lead young people into a real, authentic and healthy relationship with God.

Max Horkheimer’s mature works on theology and Schopenhauerian metaphysics have been portrayed by subsequent critical theorists as an illicit regression from his earlier social theory in a two-fold sense. First, his concern to reflect on empirical experience is replaced with speculation regarding intelligible concepts, i.e. concepts that do not arise from observation on the basis of sense-intuition but are rather products of “pure” reason (God) or the imagination (Schopenhauer’s will). Second, his advocacy of the Enlightenment as an emancipatory political project is replaced by its skeptical critique. I argue that this consensus radically misunderstands the concerns animating the late Horkheimer insofar as his reflections on intelligible concepts are both intimately related to a continuing concern with empirical inquiry, as well as an outworking of his commitment to the realization of the Enlightenment. The argument is presented in three related movements. In the first, I interpret Horkheimer’s oeuvre in terms of his pervasive interest in developing a materialist logic. I begin by outlining his early understanding of thought as a form of inquiry for embodied social subjects (chapter 1), before noting how, in his mature theorizing, this account serves as a basis for a presentation of the relationship between various kinds of inquiry and the practice of social critique (chapter 2). In the second, I contend that Horkheimer’s critique of instrumental reason is best understood as congruent with this materialist logic, not as a speculative departure from an earlier concern with empirical inquiry. I begin by examining Horkheimer’s empirical analysis of how historical changes in the basic institutions defining political economy in modern life affect the reasoning habits of subjects (chapter 3). I then turn to his diagnosis of the way such changes affect the selfunderstanding of modern subjects, leading to a pervasive form of alienation (chapter 4). In the final movement, I present Horkheimer’s turn to theological concepts of the intelligible as a therapeutic response to this alienation. First, I examine his understanding of the content of theological concepts as well as how such concepts may be preserved in a form appropriate to modern life (chapter 5), and conclude by illustrating his own attempt at such a retrieval in his late reflections on the Jewish liturgy (chapter 6). In the conclusion, I note that this interpretation offers a constructive challenge to philosophers concerned with the tradition of critical theory. On the one hand, Horkheimer articulates what would be required for the fulfillment of the Enlightenment project in terms critical theorists will recognize as their own, by offering an account of the social practices that are necessary for the self-determination of the subject. Yet his presentation contests a fundamental axiom of such theorists regarding the role intelligible concepts ought to play in seeking this goal. Horkheimer defends an account of the significance of the liturgy for practices of reasoning that is quiet foreign to such theorists. Instead of setting liturgical reasoning over against a militantly “secular” Enlightenment, he demonstrates that such reasoning is integral to its fulfillment.

Together, the "Landeskirchlichen Gemeinschaften" forms the largest free reform move-ment within the Evangelical Church in Germany. In recent decades a change in worship gatherings has taken place in many of these communities. Independent worship services developed from the complementary gatherings, which at first were meant to be extensions of the Church's Sunday worship services. These services, held in free form and without orders of worship, now have become a substitute for the 'normal' church service. The 'creative freedom' also brings disadvantages, as unreflective processes tend to foster rigid orders of service. Because of a conscious separation from the church services of the mainstream church, important liturgical actions as well as elements of the Church Year could be omitted. This dissertation aims to study from various perspectives the possibilities for enriching worship in the "Landeskirchliche Gemeinschaften". From literature in liturgical studies, in the first place from the sphere of the Evangelical Church in Germany, but also from the free churches in Germany, the fundamental Reformatory insights for worship and the litur-gy are discussed and evaluated. On the basis of these findings, well-founded suggestions for the design of services in Landeskirchlichen communities are made. Possibilities for enrichment through careful planning are identified for those responsible for the respective services. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology