Thesis (Ph.D. (Liturgics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Chapter 1 emphasizes the central position that the worship service occupies in the life of the believer, but then the whole person of the believer. The atmosphere is therefore vital. This is researched in part 2 by an exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 1-14, as well as the rest of Scripture. The variations through history are also studied. The atmosphere in the worship service should be such that the worshipper meets God with the necessary awe and respect. The service must also create an atmosphere of love, warmth, friendliness, and joy. All present must be invited and made welcome by the service. The atmosphere must further encourage and create room for everybody to participate and use their specific gifts. It can therefore change from service to service and within a single service. Important instruments in the atmosphere are the liturgical space, symbols, rituals, physical movement, gestures, music, song and the senses. Part 3 studies the contribution of adjacent sciences, like the theory of communication, cognitive science, symbolism, music, architecture and multimedia. These sciences support the principles of part 2 and give important perspectives for the practical application thereof. The situation in practice is studied by empirical research. The atmosphere is clearly not sufficiently integrated in the worship service. Although some elements are present, they are purely coincidental. A specific aimed strategy is lacking. Part 4 tries to bridge the gap between the base theory (part 2) and the practice (part 3) by suggesting practical guidelines. Because every congregation is in a unique context, a model is given to realize the principles. The image of the 'house of God is used to summarize and explain the principles. The final conclusion is that atmosphere plays a vital role in the worship service. In practice very little is made hereof. If the Atmosphere in the worship service is adjusted to what it should (and can!) be, the worship service will come closer to the purpose for which it is there and will it become even more of a meeting of the total person with the totality of God and with the totality of the fellow believer and the world. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Liturgics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Chapter 1 emphasizes the central position that the worship service occupies in the life of the believer, but then the whole person of the believer. The atmosphere is therefore vital. This is researched in part 2 by an exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 1-14, as well as the rest of Scripture. The variations through history are also studied. The atmosphere in the worship service should be such that the worshipper meets God with the necessary awe and respect. The service must also create an atmosphere of love, warmth, friendliness, and joy. All present must be invited and made welcome by the service. The atmosphere must further encourage and create room for everybody to participate and use their specific gifts. It can therefore change from service to service and within a single service. Important instruments in the atmosphere are the liturgical space, symbols, rituals, physical movement, gestures, music, song and the senses. Part 3 studies the contribution of adjacent sciences, like the theory of communication, cognitive science, symbolism, music, architecture and multimedia. These sciences support the principles of part 2 and give important perspectives for the practical application thereof. The situation in practice is studied by empirical research. The atmosphere is clearly not sufficiently integrated in the worship service. Although some elements are present, they are purely coincidental. A specific aimed strategy is lacking. Part 4 tries to bridge the gap between the base theory (part 2) and the practice (part 3) by suggesting practical guidelines. Because every congregation is in a unique context, a model is given to realize the principles. The image of the 'house of God is used to summarize and explain the principles. The final conclusion is that atmosphere plays a vital role in the worship service. In practice very little is made hereof. If the Atmosphere in the worship service is adjusted to what it should (and can!) be, the worship service will come closer to the purpose for which it is there and will it become even more of a meeting of the total person with the totality of God and with the totality of the fellow believer and the world. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Liturgics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This work embarks on a study of the use and interpretation of the term ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> (self-control) in the principal Pauline letters. But, first of all, a study is made of the use of this term in the literature outside the New Testament. It becomes clear that ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> was a cardinal virtue closely associated with <font face="symbol">syvrosung</font> (temperance), one of the four basic Greek virtues. The emphasis fell particularly on the educated person's ability to control himself through strict self-discipline. However, this idea of self-control is alien to the tradition of the Old Testament. Only through the Hellenised Wisdom literature it became part of the Judaism of Paul's time. Through an exegetical analysis of Paul's use of the modes of the term ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font>; in 1 Corinthians 7:5, 9 and 9:25, as well as in Galatians 5:23; it becomes clear that to him ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> was part of the love with which believers served one another, within the freedom to which Christ has called them. It was the result of divine empowerment and control, because it was part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Although Paul also utilised the term as a virtue, to him it was not primarily characteristic of a person, but rather characterised the restrained and sacrificial managing of rights and privileges in relationships within the faith community. His own style of apostleship was a good example, because he willingly gave up his right to receive recompense for preaching the gospel. He illustrated this behaviour with the metaphor of an athlete's willingness to disregard certain rights with the eye on his goal. Believers should similarly be charitable towards one another. Nevertheless, regarding the control of sexual desires, Paul went a little further in his use of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font>. Although he did not denounce matrimony, it was his opinion that a distinctly demarcated group of believers received the gift to easily control their sexual desires. He advised them to stay celibate in order to devote themselves even more to God's service. Comparing Paul's utilisation of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> with the use of writers outside the New Testament, confirms his creative harnessing of concepts from the cultures in his environment. But it was not the classical or Hellenistic interpretation of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> that influenced him. The Hellenised Judaism of the Septuagint formed Paul's concept of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font>. Nevertheless, his utilisation of the term was innovative original: by angling the Christian view away from the Hellenistic self-centredness, and focusing it on a loving and altruistic managing of rights and liberties, he thoroughly christianised the term. A study of the church's understanding of Paul reveals that his use of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> was mostly misunderstood. Again the term was understood and utilised as depicting the virtue of self-discipline in the classical and Hellenistic sense of the word. This, in turn, led to widespread incidence of asceticism and celibacy in the church. Even some views that lay behind modern day legalism and pietistic tendencies, originated from this understanding by the church of ’<font face="symbol">egkr</font>´<font face="symbol">ateia</font> . / Dissertation (PhD (New Testament Science))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

Pentecostalism has, in recent times, undeniably contributed towards the growth of the church as a whole. Public worship services inherently submit and contribute towards the meeting between man and God as well as fellowship between the people who form part of said service. Public services in honor of God speak to the purposes of God and man’s fundamental desire to meet with our Creator. Consequently, research into this phenomenon proves vital in determining and even extending the role of the Pentecostal ideology in correlation to the longevity of honorary public services. Chapters 2 through 4 shed light on some of the key concepts that clarifies the dynamic nature of these events, throughout the service wherein the radiant power of God touches the human heart in some astounding ways. Exegetic studies have been undertaken into 2 Chronicles 5-7 which examines these instances of divine meeting in the Old Testament while the second chapter of Acts deals with the event from a New Testament perspective. In addition to this, 1 Corinthians 11-14 was utilized to highlight the role of the Holy Ghost as the instigator for divine meeting. Specific issues addressed by the research include service preparation and the role of music and its contribution to ambience preceding a meeting between man and God. Moreover, a keen focus on the sermon and the delivery thereof as well as its progression leading up to the conclusion and summary in closing and prayer, are all dealt with as part of this study. This dynamic, in essence, becomes visible through the statement issued by the life of each disciple as a living testament to this consuming and changing event. Honorary public services fit the bill as an event to promote divine meeting. Chapter 5 delves into some of the auxiliary sciences i.e. sociology, communication science, psychology and the field of antropology. The principles in chapters 2 through 4 are affirmed by these aspects of science and provide perspective on the practical applications thereof. All these factors in relation to practice have also been scrutinized through empirical research. This research clearly places divine meeting as a central to and inseparable from perceiver experience. Chapter 7 provides practical guidelines to alternative approaches in practicum. The study proposes a model whereby certain aspects can be examined from a Pentecostal point of view in order to tailor services as a dais for divine meeting. Most importantly it should be evident in the life of the participant that they have truly encounter God. This meeting is the prime objective and at the heart of public service. It serves and should always serve as a doorway to Christian life. / PhD (Liturgics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Pentecostalism has, in recent times, undeniably contributed towards the growth of the church as a whole. Public worship services inherently submit and contribute towards the meeting between man and God as well as fellowship between the people who form part of said service. Public services in honor of God speak to the purposes of God and man’s fundamental desire to meet with our Creator. Consequently, research into this phenomenon proves vital in determining and even extending the role of the Pentecostal ideology in correlation to the longevity of honorary public services. Chapters 2 through 4 shed light on some of the key concepts that clarifies the dynamic nature of these events, throughout the service wherein the radiant power of God touches the human heart in some astounding ways. Exegetic studies have been undertaken into 2 Chronicles 5-7 which examines these instances of divine meeting in the Old Testament while the second chapter of Acts deals with the event from a New Testament perspective. In addition to this, 1 Corinthians 11-14 was utilized to highlight the role of the Holy Ghost as the instigator for divine meeting. Specific issues addressed by the research include service preparation and the role of music and its contribution to ambience preceding a meeting between man and God. Moreover, a keen focus on the sermon and the delivery thereof as well as its progression leading up to the conclusion and summary in closing and prayer, are all dealt with as part of this study. This dynamic, in essence, becomes visible through the statement issued by the life of each disciple as a living testament to this consuming and changing event. Honorary public services fit the bill as an event to promote divine meeting. Chapter 5 delves into some of the auxiliary sciences i.e. sociology, communication science, psychology and the field of antropology. The principles in chapters 2 through 4 are affirmed by these aspects of science and provide perspective on the practical applications thereof. All these factors in relation to practice have also been scrutinized through empirical research. This research clearly places divine meeting as a central to and inseparable from perceiver experience. Chapter 7 provides practical guidelines to alternative approaches in practicum. The study proposes a model whereby certain aspects can be examined from a Pentecostal point of view in order to tailor services as a dais for divine meeting. Most importantly it should be evident in the life of the participant that they have truly encounter God. This meeting is the prime objective and at the heart of public service. It serves and should always serve as a doorway to Christian life. / PhD (Liturgics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014