Thesis (Ph.D. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus in cooperation with Greenwich School of Theology, U.K., 2007.

<p>Unusually for the Hebrew Bible, the book of Jeremiah contains a high number of references to writers, writing, and the written word. Written during the exilic period, the book demonstrates a key moment in the ongoing integration of writing and the written word into ancient Israelite society. Yet the book does not describe writing in the abstract. Instead, it provides an account of its own textualization, thereby blurring the line between the narrative and the audience that receives it and connecting the text of Jeremiah to the words of the prophet and of YHWH. </p><p> To authenticate the book of Jeremiah as the word of YHWH, its tradents present a theological account of the chain of transmission from the divine to the prophet, and then to the scribe and the written page. Indeed, the book of Jeremiah extends the chain of transmission beyond the written word itself to include the book of Jeremiah and, finally, a receiving audience. To make the case for this chain of transmission, this study attends in each of three exegetical chapters to writers (including YHWH, prophets, and scribes), the written word, and the receiving audience. The first exegetical chapter describes the standard chain of transmission from the divine to the prophet to the scribe, demonstrating that all three agents in this chain are imagined as writers and that writing was a suitable conduit for the divine word. The narrative account of Jeremiah's textualization is set forth, with special attention to the way in which the narrative points beyond itself to the text of Jeremiah itself. The second exegetical chapter builds upon this argument by attending to the written word in Jeremiah, pointing especially to Jeremiah's self-references (e.g. "in this book," "all these words") as a pivotal element in the extension of the chain of transmission beyond the words in the text to the words of the text. Finally, the third exegetical chapter considers the construction of the audience in the book of Jeremiah, concluding that the written word, as Jeremiah imagines it, is to be received by a worshipping audience through a public reading.</p> / Dissertation

This thesis considers the anonymously published Epistola de terrae motu and the question of its authorship. The authorship of this treatise was attributed to G. J. Rheticus by Reijer Hooykaas in a publication released in 1984; however, that attribution is not decisive. The first chapter introduces De terrae motu and is followed by a second chapter that contains a review of the relevant historiography relating to scholarship on Rheticus. The third chapter presents Rheticus’ biography. The fourth chapter considers the inconclusive reasoning for the attribution of authorship to Rheticus. The fifth and sixth chapters consider the environment of scriptural hermeneutics in the early modern period, both theoretically and with recourse to specific texts, respectively. The seventh chapter concludes this thesis with a synthesis of the arguments herein which ultimately indicate that it is conceivable that Rheticus wrote De terrae motu but an early seventeenth-century Catholic author is more likely.

According to biblical record, diseases and illness have troubled individuals almost since the beginning of creation (Wilkinson, 1998: 7). To understand and make sense of sickness, mankind turned to religion. In the Old Testament health is seen as a gift of God, but illness is perceived as a punishment for sin (Leon-Dufour, 1962: 543). The preaching of Job argues against this view. The problem of evil still causes difficulties for the Christian today. God permits such challenges and, in responding to them, mankind is spiritually transformed: spiritual growth. God has given mankind a soul, and this soul is not part of an evolutionary process towards perfection: only Christ waslis perfect! However, through the crucifixion, God recognizes our suffering and we can recognize His suffering elsewhere (Fiddes, 1988: 11). The central question of this research is: How may one demonstrate the legitimacy and validity of miraculous healing through the charism of the Holy Spirit within the Catholic tradition? As healing miracles have an important place in Scripture, an examination is needed of the words used to describe miracles, tracing the English translation back to the original Greek or Hebrew words. Miracle stories are also attested to in secular sources such as the Antiquities of the Jews and the Babylonian Talmud. Scripture contains accounts of healing miracles, particularly in relation to the ministry of Jesus whose healing miracles are in accordance with His teaching. Such miracles were not simply stories spread by the disciples; they were signs, evidence of who Jesus is and that He had come in fulfilment of prophecy. These signs contained the quintessence of the Gospel itself, promoting faith, and that faith is a personal response to an act of witness. Healing is not dependent upon sinlessness, but is a gift of God to His creature: it can be mental, spiritual, emotional, involving relationships and the reconciliation of a person with God and his community through the receipt of the sacraments. Scriptural accounts of healing miracles contained a message that the Kingdom of God had arrived. They were a demonstration of God's truth to believers and non-believers alike and they continued to play an important part in the first Christians' experiences and mission. The church's healing ministry has its roots and authority in Scripture and the continuation of that ministry is through the action of the Holy Spirit. Both in the Early Church and the Church of today, restoration to health is implemented through the Mass and in the practice of a ministry that includes physical care through the establishment of hospitals managed by religious orders and latterly, through care homes staffed by lay volunteers. Consideration is given to Pasteur's (1822-1895) research into microorganisms and the consequent shift in focus to the avoidance of infection and to the development of effective cures. Understandably, the medical profession has concerns about the healing ministry: why are some healed and others not and why cannot healings be tested scientifically in the laboratory? In the Roman Catholic Church tradition shrines have always played an important role as places of pilgrimage and healing and, in spite of the existence of medical committees made up of scientists, doctors and priests to test all claims of healing before the Church acknowledges these as genuine, scepticism remains (Theillier, 2000: 3). Historically inseparable, a gap has developed between science and religion; this thesis attempts to demonstrate the reasons for this and to show that, since both are concerned with aspects of human suffering and death, the wall of separation between medicine and religion can be demolished (Larson and Matthews, 1997 (2): 3-6). As well as modern medical, technological advancements, which have provided exciting developments in the treatment of diseases like cancer, universities such as Edinburgh and Lancaster have established programmes that focus on how a person's faith may influence the progress of illness in a beneficial way. By considering the apparently opposing views of Hume and Lewis (1953: 51), questions arise concerning the extent to which the Laws of Nature are indeed fixed and unchanging; and concerning the contention that when God acts He does not suspend the Laws of Nature, but works with and through them. The researcher's views are either partially or fully endorsed by Boswell (1992), Brown (1984) and Wilkinson (1998); however, it is necessary to research the understanding of those whose scientific expertise prevents them from conceiving of the possibility of miraculous healing (Dawkins, 1997; Hume 1980; Williams, 1992; et al). The thesis addresses contemporary issues: the extent of modern research into the healing ministry and the fact that this is not reflected comprehensively in the training programmes of the Catholic Church for those preparing for the priesthood or as monks and nuns (Hocken, 2001: 54); and the current debate on euthanasia, which demonstrates clearly that the Bible continues to influence not only medical ethics but also, our society as it debates and determines its evaluation of human life. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus in cooperation with Greenwich School of Theology, U.K., 2007

This thesis aims to uncover music’s important role in shaping and defining the selfidentity of ancient Israel. Functional music was integrated into Israel’s daily life, accompanying activities as diverse as manual labor and royal processionals. At key junctures and in core institutions, musical tones were used to formulate and deliver messages, convey and heighten emotions, assert and strengthen communal bonds, and establish and intensify human-divine contact. The intricate and multi-faceted nature of this music will be demonstrated through a detailed look into four main episodes and genres: the Song of the Sea (Exod. 15), King Saul and David’s harp (1 Sam. 16), the use of music in prophecy, and the Book of Psalms. Specifically, it will be argued that Israel’s birth as a free nation was marked by the Song of the Sea, its monarchic system was defined by the archetypical musician-king David, it depended on God’s word delivered through the often musical messages of prophecy, and its appointed institution for mediating worship was designed and officiated by a class of priestly musicians. Moreover, three of these four areas involve the main leadership categories of Old Testament society—king, prophet and priest—giving added support to the view that music held a prominent place and played a defining role within that civilization. The conception of music as a central element of biblical society will be developed using an interdisciplinary approach, wherein pertinent information from an array of specializations and sources is put into conversation and Old Testament passages are analyzed through a modern-scientific lens. Rather than relying on a single methodology, this study is rooted in the premise that by applying a variety of contemporary theoretical tools to selected Old Testament passages, essential functions of music in biblical life can be illuminated. Such an endeavour requires tools from a number of fields, including but not limited to theology, sociology, anthropology, musicology, cognitive science and music therapy, as well as the classification of musical references into four primary functions: cohesive, therapeutic, emotive/spiritual and didactic. The result is a thesis that identifies reasons for—and not just the existence of—music in biblical life, and, most centrally, shows significant ways music informed Israel’s understanding of itself. / Thesis (PhD (Old Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

This thesis aims to uncover music’s important role in shaping and defining the selfidentity of ancient Israel. Functional music was integrated into Israel’s daily life, accompanying activities as diverse as manual labor and royal processionals. At key junctures and in core institutions, musical tones were used to formulate and deliver messages, convey and heighten emotions, assert and strengthen communal bonds, and establish and intensify human-divine contact. The intricate and multi-faceted nature of this music will be demonstrated through a detailed look into four main episodes and genres: the Song of the Sea (Exod. 15), King Saul and David’s harp (1 Sam. 16), the use of music in prophecy, and the Book of Psalms. Specifically, it will be argued that Israel’s birth as a free nation was marked by the Song of the Sea, its monarchic system was defined by the archetypical musician-king David, it depended on God’s word delivered through the often musical messages of prophecy, and its appointed institution for mediating worship was designed and officiated by a class of priestly musicians. Moreover, three of these four areas involve the main leadership categories of Old Testament society—king, prophet and priest—giving added support to the view that music held a prominent place and played a defining role within that civilization. The conception of music as a central element of biblical society will be developed using an interdisciplinary approach, wherein pertinent information from an array of specializations and sources is put into conversation and Old Testament passages are analyzed through a modern-scientific lens. Rather than relying on a single methodology, this study is rooted in the premise that by applying a variety of contemporary theoretical tools to selected Old Testament passages, essential functions of music in biblical life can be illuminated. Such an endeavour requires tools from a number of fields, including but not limited to theology, sociology, anthropology, musicology, cognitive science and music therapy, as well as the classification of musical references into four primary functions: cohesive, therapeutic, emotive/spiritual and didactic. The result is a thesis that identifies reasons for—and not just the existence of—music in biblical life, and, most centrally, shows significant ways music informed Israel’s understanding of itself. / Thesis (PhD (Old Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

This study examines the validity and reconcilability of the Scriptural view of Sakkie Spangenberg with regard to Reformed Dogmatics. Spangenberg questions the fundamental truths of Christianity, including the descent of Jesus to hell, his resurrection, ascension, the doctrine on the Trinity and the fall of man. The focus of this study will answer the question: "How does the Scriptural view of Spangenberg compare to the traditional Reformed point of view"? The research will start with a comprehensive literature study, aided by computer assisted database searches, archives of newspapers and journals, as well as earlier publications of Spangenberg. Various factors that gave rise to the Scriptural view of Spangenberg, as well as the fundamental principles thereof, will be examined. The consequences of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg regarding the traditional doctrines are also determined. As a second leg of the study, the validity of the Reformed Scriptural view in a postmodern era is also examined. A conclusion is formed that the authority of the Reformed doctrines are set in the authority of the Word of God and is therefore also valid in a postmodern society. Research also indicated that there are various similarities between the Scriptural view of Spangenberg and the Scriptural view of the postmodernists. Before an evaluation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg can be performed, an attempt is also made to provide a pure definition and formulation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg. The paramount differences between the Reformed view of Scripture and that of Spangenberg are also indicated. A conclusion is formed that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg is not reconcilable with the Reformed view. It is also indicated that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg questions both the authority of the Word of God, as well as the salvation that Christ brought to the world. / Thesis (M.A. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:43:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1656967 bytes, checksum: 093323773fa9352b751581340b96d323 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The studies concerning orality have been re-dimensioned in the linguistic arena debate, departing from the traditional incipient structuralism vision, seeking new routes to categorize voices in its totality. This thesis, in accordance to ethno linguistic and applied linguisticperspective, is oriented towards such principle, bringing into discussion a reflection towards the oral and the written upon Portuguese writer José Saramago &#769;s literary work, re-thinking concepts such as memory, identity and scripture based on theorists Paul Zumthor, Walter Ong, Deleuze and Derrida, as much as placing speaking as a major component for individuals in the context of a nation and social relations. / Os estudos sobre oralidades e seus aspectos performativos não são desconhecidos. Desde Walter Ong, essa temática provoca discussões na Linguística. Nesta Tese, pesquisa-se a oralidade como recorrência matriz da escritura em José Saramago, reivindicando uma reflexão acerca do oral e do escrito com base na discursividade da obra do escritor, repensando conceitos como memória, identidade e escritura a partir de teóricos como Paul Zumthor, Bhabha, Deleuze e Derrida, ao posicionar a voz como princípio norteador das práticas linguísticas e sociais. O primeiro capítulo evidencia como as vozes trabalhadas por Saramago tecem uma identidade lusófona com base nas relações subjetivas. O segundo capítulo centra-se na arqueologia das vozes em algumas obras do autor, delineando elementos retóricos e proverbiais inerentes ao processo de escritura. O terceiro capítulo problematiza a performanceem manifestação de um texto dramático, ao analisar os desdobramentos do corpo e suas relações sintagmáticas com a voz. O quarto capítulo discute o potencial da escritura e suas relações com a oralidade, bem como os efeitos de especularização na relação voz-escrito.

“What shows itself is a proposed world, a world I may inhabit, and wherein I can project my ownmost possibilities” (Paul Ricoeur). This research investigates devised biblical drama as an alternative hermeneutic for orally focused churches, whose practical problems in engaging with Scripture leave them at the unintended margins of the global churches’ world of assumed literacy. The work builds on a Ricoeurian perception of Scripture as a dynamic of time, telling and tradition that offers a drawing invitation to Christians to enter and inhabit its proposed worlds of anticipative and participative remembering, beckoning towards life in the now-and-not-yet of the kingdom of God. A telling case is offered by the orally focused Anglican Churches in Gambella (Ethiopia), through the reflective voices of their church leaders, and through the illustration of their dramas: seen within the innovation of fresh interpretation, and also through the sedimentation of their tradition of drama. Firstly, the nature and interpretative process of devising biblical drama is investigated, demonstrating that this holistic, creative, and communal, contextualized approach to Scripture entwines aspects of criticality and orality through its conversational questioning and imagining of Scripture that is enhanced through practical embodiment. The research proposes that the embodied, enacted, mimetic form of drama offers a liminality that enables participative inhabitation of the proposed worlds of Scripture. Secondly, the developing tradition of Anglican biblical dramas in Gambella is investigated. These dramas inherit, form, participate in, and hand on the tradition of Christian cultural memory on which these churches are founded, through a proclamation of Scripture that is made manifest within present event. This research argues that both forms of drama offer participative possibilities for faithful and formative, hopeful inhabitation of the proposed worlds of Scripture, and so could offer potential gifts to the wider church.

The theme of this thesis is the significance of Holy Scripture for the life of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; the main emphasis is on the influence of the Old Testament. This work thus deals with the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the classical Ethiopic and peculiarities of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church canon compared with other canons of the Church. In this case the emphasis is on the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees and the impact of these books on the life of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It also deals with the tradition of commenting on Holy Scripture in the Ethiopian ambience and the particular elements of the life of the Ethiopian Church, which can be linked with the Old Testament and Jewish tradition.