Thesis advisor: Richard Clifford / Thesis advisor: Angela Kim Harkins / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue of the identification of the audience/s of the final chapter (chapter 9) in the book of Amos is currently moot. That is, there currently are as many opinions as there are scholars who have in some form or the other made some inference as to the identification of the audience. The same is true for the preceding chapters in the book. The reasons for the divergence in opinions as to the identification of the audience varies from the methods chosen for engaging the text to reasons that are not always easy to identify. Yet the opinions are often freel y shared in the monographs, commentaries, dissertations and scholarly journal articles. This dissertation aims to follow an approach that is more interpretatively accountable and responsible in dealing with the identification of the audience/s of Amos and in particular chapter 9. This goal is best achieved by interacting with the scholars as they have recorded their findings in the various scholarly publications while engaging the text with a suitable method. The method chosen by this study for achieving the intended purpose is the multidimensional approach of Vernon Robbins, termed socio-rhetorical criticism. This approach aids in the study of the text by uncovering the various "textures" of the text. These textures are identified by Robbins as innertexture, intertexture, social and cultural texture, ideological texture and sacred texture. As socio-rhetorical criticism does not overtly take into account the influence of the reader in the production of the meaning of the text and how this influences interpretative results, it would be necessary to investigate how to incorporate the influence of reader-response methodology to make the results more responsible and accountable. The majority of scholarly opinion sees at least three possible audiences identifiable within the book of Amos. These audiences are identified as eighth, seventh and sixth century in setting. Yet the reasons for such identification is often not clear and greatly debated. Differences in opinion have often resulted in religious questions being raised regarding the authority and intention of the text should these various audience identifications be accurate. This study seeks to understand and identify the main influences that determines the conclusions on various audience identification and present an approach that would be more suitable to answer the question more clearly. The particular influence that this study demonstrates is the reinvention of texts by identifying the layers of reinterpretation contained in the text by identifying its implied audience/so It is this identification that allows the text to be applied to current readers as they identify with the process of reinvention and ethically accountable interpretation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan op die oomblik geen finale beslissing aangaande die identiteit van die toehoorders van die finale hoofstuk van die boek van Amos nie Met ander woorde, daar is op die oomblik so veel opinies as wat daar kenners is wie op een of ander manier gevolgtrekkings aangaande die identiteit van die toehoorders van die boek gemaak het. Redes aangaande die verskillende opinies om die identiteit van toehoorders vas te stel wissel van die metodes gekies om die teks te bestudeer tot redes wat rue al te maklik is om te identifiseer nie. Maar gevolgtrekkings word openbaarlik in monografiee, kommentare, proefskrifte en akademiese artikels aangaande die boek gepubliseer. Hierdie proefskrif stel as doel om 'n metode van studie te volg wat meer verantwoordelik en verantwoordbaar is ten opsigte van die identifikasie van die lesers van die boek Amos en in besonder aangaande hoofstuk 9. Hierdie doel sal ten beste bereik word deur saam met die kenners te debateer soos hulle opinies vasgele is in publikasies en terwyl die teks bestudeer word. Die metode wat hierdie studie gaan gebruik, is die multidimensionele benadering van Vernon Robbins, sosio-retoriese kritiek. Hierdie metode benader die teks deur die verskillende teksture van die teks te ontbloot. Hierdie teksture is deur Robbins verduidelik as intertekstuur, intratekstuur, sosiale en kulturele tekstuur, ideologiese tekstuur en teologiese tekstuur. Omdat sosiale-retoriese kritiek nie duidelik die invloed van die leser in ag neem wanneer dit die produksie van die bedoeling van die teks betrek, sal dit vir hierdie studie nodig wees om hierdie invloed deur leser-respons kritiek te benader. Die doel hiermee sal wees om die resultate van die studie meer eties verantwoordbaar en verantwoordelik te maak. Die meeste kenners bevestig ten minste drie toehoorders in die boek van Amos. Hierdie toehoorders word geidentifiseer in agtergrond as agste, sewende en sesde eeu. Maar soos alreeds gestel, die redes vir hierdie identifikasie is altyd nie duidelik nie. Verskille in opinies het soms daartoe gely dat teologiese vrae aangaande die outoriteit en doel van die teks gevra is sou die identifikasie van verskillende toehoorders waar wees. Hierdie studie stel ten doel om die verskillende aspekte wat die gevolgtrekkinge beinvloed aangaande die identifikasie van toehoorders te identifiseer en 'n benadering te volg wat meer geskik is om die vraag beter te kan beantwoord. Hierdie studie demonstreer dus dat die interpretasie van die teks deur die verskillende lesers bepaal kan word deur die teks te bestudeer vanuit die oogpunt van die verskillende interpretasie binne die teks. Dit is hierdie identifikasie wat die toepassing van die teks moontlik maak vir huidige lesers soos hulle identifiseer met die proses van die herinterpretasie en etiese verantwoordelike interpretasie van die teks.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Politics, in modern society, has become intimately associated with poor governance, fraud and corruption, social decay, abuse of power, indifference to the plight of the poor, squandering of critical resources and self-enrichment. This situation has been further aggravated by the debate that religion and politics should be kept separate at all costs. The demand for social justice in marginalised communities has increased dramatically over the last few decades. The escalation of human conflict, poverty, social inequality and corrupt practices across the globe over recent years, demands a radical reassessment of how the human race engages politically, socially and economically with each other. Hebrew classical prophets such as Hosea, Amos, Isaiah and Micah have through their messages of condemnation, indictment, punishment and hope confronted the serious political and social challenges that prevailed during and subsequent to their time. They demonstrated immense bravery against the established order of the day as they proclaimed Yahweh’s gross displeasure and divine judgement for the manner in which those in power had treated the poor. Amos, in particular, has captivated scholars over many decades as they dissected every emotion, historical context, social structure, biblical tradition and literary convention in order to understand his message. This study is an attempt to re-evaluate the critical balance between politics and religion as demonstrated in the divine mandate provided to kings, centuries ago in the ancient Near East, to rule in a just and righteous manner. An examination of the role and function of the prophets, their relationship with the political and religious structures of the day as well as an exegetical study of selected Amos texts has been undertaken to determine how this social imbalance was addressed by the prophets. A general hypothesis is advanced to restore this intricate balance between modern politics and religion. The study further enables a theological re-evaluation of how this balance could possibly be pursued as a potential catalyst for its overall social restoration. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die politiek, in die hedendaagse samelewing, word nou geassosieer met swak regering, bedrog en korrupsie, sosiale verrotting, misbruik van mag, onverskilligheid teenoor die ellende van die armes, verkwisting van kritiese hulpbronne en selfverryking. Hierdie situasie word verder vererger as gevolg van ‘n debat wat daarop aandring dat die politiek en die godsdiens ten alle koste apart gehou moet word. Die aandrang vir sosiale geregtigheid in verarmde gemeenskappe het dramaties toegeneem oor die laaste dekades. Die progressiewe toename in menslike konflik, armoede, sosiale ongelykheid en omkopery wêreldwyd, die onlangse jare, vereis ‘n radikale herevaluering oor hoe die mensdom met mekaar oor die weg kom polities, sosiaal en ekonomies. Die Bybels-Hebreeuse profete soos Hosea, Amos, Jesaja en Miga het met hulle boodskappe van aanklag, straf en hoop die ernstige politieke en sosiale uitdagings wat gedurende hulle tyd geheers het gekonfronteer. Hulle het ongekende dapperheid gedemonstreer teen die destydse owerhede en so Jahwe se intense ontevredenheid en goddelike oordeel verwoord teenoor die swak behandeling van die armes. Amos, in die besonder, het geleerdes oor die dekades bekoor en elke emosie, historiese agtergrond, sosiale struktuur, tradisie en literêre konvensie is benut in ‘n poging om sy boodskap te verstaan. Hierdie studie is ‘n poging om die sensitiewe balans tussen die politiek en die godsdiens te her-evalueer in die lig van die beginsel van regverdige regering as goddelike mandaat wat reeds eeue gelede aan konings van die ou Nabye Ooste opgedra is. ‘n Ondersoek na die rol en funksie van die profete, hul verhouding met die politieke en godsdienstige strukture van hulle tyd, sowel as ‘n eksegetiese studie van geselekteerde Amos tekste word onderneem om te bepaal hoe hierdie sosiale onewewigtigheid hanteer is. ‘n Algemene hipotese word aan die hand gedoen om die ingewikkelde balans tussen die moderne politiek en godsdiens te herstel. Die studie kan verder van waarde wees deurdat dit ‘n teologiese herbesinning bied wat kan dien as ‘n moontlike katalisator vir algehele sosiale restorasie.