Thesis advisor: Andrew Davis / Thesis advisor: Richard J. Clifford / The theme of exile in the second part of the book of the prophet Isaiah has prompted me to reflect on the refugee crisis in Cameroon. Refugees in the north of Cameroon hail from Nigeria where Boko Haram, an Islamic militant movement, has destroyed their towns and villages. The new exodus is about the triumphant and glorious return of the exiles from Babylon to the promised land. At this triumphant return, the main actor is God. I perceive parallels between this experience and the refugee experience in the north of Cameroon. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

It is the purpose of this study to examine the semantic variations adhering to the word tsedeq in Isaiah 40-55 (Deutero Isaiah). It is our thesis that the word tsedeg does not contain an essential meaning which can be ascertained apart from its contextual referents. The word tsedeq is not invested by the author of chs. 40-55 with a semantic distinctiveness that is primarily oriented to an explicit theological reality. We do not believe, for example, that tsedeq attains “the status of the key to the understanding of the whole diving work of salvation.” The bestowal of such a “status” seems to us an attempt to inject the word with the values of post-biblical theology.

Many may have noticed that Paul employs large number of passages from the book of Isaiah in his various Epistles. Some of those Isaianic texts are used as explicit citations whilst others are used in a more nuanced manner such as allusions and intertextual echoes. Yet, in spite of the importance of Isaiah in Paul’s letters and the centrality of Paul’s vocation as an apostle to the Gentiles in Paul’s life, no specialized study of the relationship between these two significant aspects has appeared to date. More specifically, amongst those who notice the significance of Isaiah in Paul’s Epistles, it has been widely held that Paul identifies himself with the Isaianic Servant in the way that he sees himself as the fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. The present study seeks to explore how Paul reads Isaiah as reflected in Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, four of his undisputed authentic letters, where explicit citations and clear allusions are detected. It is not so much a study of the mechanics of citation or allusion per se as of seeing Paul as a reader and interpreter of the scriptural text. Special attention is paid to the interplay of Paul’s reading of the Isaianic texts, the role of the servant figure portrayed in Isaiah 40-66, and his understanding of Jesus as well as his own Gentile mission in the light of Isaiah. Based on a slightly modified model set out by Richard Hays, the study proceeds by looking at some of the major instances of Paul’s using of Isaianic texts within the larger literary contexts, both in Isaiah and in the flow of Paul’s argument. The goal of the study is fourfold: First, to see whether Paul’s use of these ancient texts is ‘atomistic’, taken the text out of context and applied it to his argument to serve his own purpose or given consideration of the wider context of the original text. Second, to explore how Paul reads Isaiah in the light of his special called ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, and how the reading of the scriptural text provides him insights to God’s ongoing salvific work in the history of Israel and the person of Jesus. Third, to clarify Paul’s sense of identification with the Isaianic servant figure in relation to the ministry of Jesus and his own mission; and finally, how Paul views the Gentile mission in which he is involved in relation to the final salvation of Israel and humanity. Particular attention has been paid to Paul’s identification of the Isaianic Servant. It has been argued that he sees Jesus as the eschatological fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. Jesus’ death and resurrection established the foundation of hope and provided a paradigm for his apostolic existence. He sees himself as the Isaianic servant in the sense that he lives a life in total identification with that of Christ, who, though experiences suffering and death, will be vindicated eventually by God.

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In Luke-Acts, Luke intentionally describes the early Jewish-Christian community in accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy for an ethical restoration of social justice in Israel. This thesis accomplishes this argument in three chapters. First, it explores Isaiah’s program of restoration and argues that it includes social justice through the Davidic Messiah and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, an argument is made that Luke’s presentation of Jesus accords with the Isaianic picture of a socially just Davidic king empowered by the Spirit, who works to bring social justice through his reign. Lastly, the events of Pentecost and Acts 2:42–47 with insight gathered from Acts 4:32–37, are considered. Here the argument is presented that Luke draws Isaianic themes together from his gospel to demonstrate that, in Acts, Jesus’ exaltation and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit result in Isaiah’s vision of a Jewish community restored to fruitfulness as a socially just society.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An allusion in the source text poses a serious problem for a translator. A relevance-theoretic approach would define an “allusion” as the re-use of language from a prior text such that, by calling the prior text to mind, an implied reader is aided in his/her attempt to plausibly reconstruct the alluding author’s meaning. For this to happen, the reader’s “context” in the relevance-theoretic sense must include the source of the borrowed language. To explicate the connection for the reader, however, can thwart the pragmatic effects of an allusion, since these often require maintaining some “openness” in the text; hence the translator’s dilemma. Isaiah 40-55 (Deutero-Isaiah or DtI), a richly allusive text, furnishes an ideal test case for a descriptive translation study (DTS) focused on this source-text feature. This investigation of eleven Portuguese versions will attempt to determine whether and how the translators’ decisions with regard to DtI’s allusions might be accounted for. Source-oriented approaches to translating often tend toward lexical concordance; therefore, these approaches—in theory—should tend to preserve instances of vocabulary that is shared between an alluding- and an alluded-to text. Target-oriented approaches (e.g. “functional equivalence”) are more interested in contextual clarity than lexical concordance; these could then be expected to produce target texts that are less allusive. Increased sophistication in translation theory should result in more sophisticated approaches to allusion in translating. Collaborative and coordinated translation projects should produce more allusive target texts than those whose procedures are more piecemeal. The investigation reveals less correlation than expected between general source-orientedness and allusiveness in the target text. Target-oriented approaches—e.g., classical functional equivalence—do tend to produce less allusive target texts. In addition, there is a correlation between a translation project’s organization and the perspicuity of allusion in the target text, but it is mostly negative. That is, projects that do their work piecemeal produce unallusive versions, but more collaborative and coordinated projects still leave many inter-textual resonances inaudible. It appears that translations will preserve this source-text feature in a way that tends toward randomness unless the perspicuity of inter-textual allusions is articulated as a conscious value in translating. Above all, “allusion-friendly” translating will require target cultures that want more allusive Bibles. Translators, as “model readers” themselves, will need to recognize the presence and function of allusions in the source text and make the attempt to represent these in translation a priority. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sinspeling in ’n bronteks kan aansienlike probleem skep vir vertaler. Relevansie-teoretiese benadering definieer “sinspeling” as die hergebruik van taal uit vroeëre teks tot so mate dat veronderstelde leser, deur die vroeëre teks voor die gees te roep, in sy/haar poging om die sinspelende outeur se bedoeling te rekonstrueer, gesteun word. Om dit te bewerkstellig, moet die leser se “konteks,” in die relevansie-teoretiese sin van die woord, die bron van die ontleende taaluiting insluit. Om die verband aan die leser te verklaar kan egter die pragmatiese effekte van sinspeling teenwerk, aangesien sinspeling as sulks dikwels die handhawing van mate van “openheid” in die teks vereis; vandaar die vertaler se dilemma. Jesaja 40-55 (Deutero-Jesaja of DtJ), teks met baie gevalle van sinspeling, bied die ideale geleentheid vir beskrywende vertalingstudie (BVS) wat op hierdie brontekskenmerk fokus. Hierdie ondersoek van elf Portugese vertalings sal poog om te bepaal of en hoe die vertalers se vertaalkeuses met betrekking tot DtJ se sinspelings verklaar kan word. Bron-georiënteerde benaderings tot vertaling neig dikwels tot leksikale konkordansie; daarom behoort hierdie benaderings – in teorie – te neig om die gevalle van woordeskat wat tussen sinspelende en opgesinspeelde teks gedeel word, weer te gee. Teiken-georiënteerde benaderings (bv. “funksioneel-ekwivalente benaderings”) stel meer in die verstaanbaarheid van uitdrukkings in die konteks waarin dit gebruik word as in leksikale konkordansie belang; van hierdie vertalings sou dan verwag kon word om teikentekste op te lewer wat minder sinspelend is. Toenemende sofistikasie in vertalingsteorie behoort tot meer gesofistikeerde benaderings tot sinspeling in vertaling te lei. Gesamentlike en gekoördineerde vertalingsprojekte behoort meer sinspelende teikentekste voort te bring as die waarvan dit nie die geval is nie. Die ondersoek openbaar minder korrelasie as wat verwag is tussen algemene brongeoriënteerdheid en sinspeling in die teikenteks. Teiken-georiënteerde benaderings neig wel om minder sinspelende teikentekste te produseer. Daar is boonop korrelasie tussen vertalingsprojek se organisasie en die duidelikheid van sinspeling in die teikenteks, maar die korrelasie is meestal negatief. Dit wil sê, projekte wat hul werk stuksgewys doen, produseer niesinspelende weergawes, maar meer gesamentlike en gekoördineerde projekte laat steeds baie intertekstuele resonansies nie tot hulle reg kom nie. Dit blyk dat hierdie brontekskenmerk slegs op ‘n lukrake wyse in ’n vertaling tot sy reg sal laat kom, tensy die duidelikheid van intertekstuele sinspelings as bewuste waarde in die vertaling uitgespel word. Bowendien, “sinspelingsvriendelike” vertaling sal teikenkulture vereis wat meer sinspelende Bybels wil hê. Vertalers, as “modellesers” hulself, sal die teenwoordigheid en funksie van sinspelings in die bronteks moet herken en die poging om hierdie in vertaling te verteenwoordig prioriteit maak.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a practical theological endeavor that evaluates church preaching as a means of promoting interdependent and harmonious relationship between God, human being and the natural environment. The study critically examines the causes of injustice to show the magnitude of its impact in Middle Belt region of Nigeria. The impact is evident in the high rate of communal and religious violence, poverty, and corruption. The data used in this study was collected from secondary sources. These include books, journals, articles, commentaries, Newspapers, the Bible and other documents relevant to the research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n praktiese teologiese poging wat kerklike prediking as 'n middel tot die bevordering van interafhanklike en harmonieuse verhoudings tussen God, mens en die natuurlike omgewing evalueer. Die studie stel ‗n kritiese ondersoek in na die oorsake van onreg, deur na die grootte van die impak daarvan in die Middel-Belt streek van Nigerië te wys. Die impak is duidelik in die hoë voorkoms van kommunale en godsdienstige geweld, armoede en korrupsie. Die empiriese data in hierdie studie is ingesamel deur die gebruik van sekondêre bronne. Ander literatuur sluit in boeke, tydskrifte, artikels, kommentare, koerante, die Bybel en ander dokumente wat relevant tot die navorsing is.

This project explores John’s portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of John and argues that John presents Jesus as the Servant of the Lord from Isaiah primarily through his allusions to the Servant passages. The Servant is not the predominant Christological title in John, but it is an important aspect of Johannine Christology. Chapter 1 surveys various works on John’s use of the Old Testament in general, and John’s use of Isaiah specifically. While Isaiah is a major emphasis in John, there have only been two other monographs on John’s use of Isaiah. Furthermore, other works have noted a few allusions to the Isaianic Servant, but no other works have systematically studied the Isaianic Servant in the Gospel of John. Chapter 2 proposes several criteria necessary to identitying allusions to the Isaianic Servant, with allusions classified as clear, probable, and possible. Chapter 3 contains an exegetical discussion of the relevant Servant passages in Isaiah, along with a discussion of the literary context of each Servant song. There is an excursus on the Second Temple Literature, which indicates there is no evidence of a Suffering Messiah in that period. Chapter 4 analyzes two quotations to Isaiah and other clear allusions to the Servant songs in Isaiah. This chapter, along with subsequent chapters, explores the meaning and significance of each allusion for the literary context of John. Chapter 5 identifies probable allusions to the Servant, including the Greeks coming to see Jesus, light and darkness, and Jesus obeying the will of God. Chapter 6 analyzes possible allusions, which have some overlap with the Servant songs, but lack the criterion of uniqueness that would assist an interpreter in connecting John to Isaiah. Chapter 7 discusses the theme of the Isaianic New Exodus and the Servant’s role in initiating this new exodus. John’s description of Jesus utilizes the same characteristics of the Servant to portray Jesus as the Servant in Isaiah. Chapter 8 summarizes the previous chapters and analyzes the implications of the study along with areas for further research.

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Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the role of nature and cultures/traditions in the ethical and theological interpretation of the Bible. To be specific, it is concerned with the legitimacy of the knowledge of the existence and attributes of God arrived at using only the natural faculties of sense and reason and whether moral norms or evaluative principles can be derived from or grounded in nature. When the issue of moral norms and principles appears, it leads to reflection on the issue of so-called natural law, an ethical principle which claims that moral duty can be learned through nature. The research argues that the invitation of the cosmic elements and the parable of the ox and donkey in Isaiah‟s prophetic indictment (Isaiah 1: 2-3) provide evidence of the traces of natural law in the book and the entire Bible. It also argues that natural law and natural theology correspond to elements of African cultures/traditional religions. As such, incorporating natural law in the theological-ethical interpretation of the Old Testament will be relevant for interpretive communities in Africa, like the Tangale in the northern Nigeria. The research also envisages that the natural law tradition and the elements of African cultures/traditional religions can have a favourable impact on the theological ethical understanding of human dignity if appropriately incorporated into the theological-ethical interpretation of the Bible. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die rol van die natuur en kultuur/tradisie in die etiese en teologiese interpretasie van die Bybel. Meer spesifiek gaan dit oor die geldigheid van die kennis van God se bestaan en eienskappe, soos wat dit met behulp van slegs die natuurlike persepsie van sintuie en rede veronderstel kan word; en oor die vraag of morele norme en evaluerende beginsels vanuit die natuur afgelei kan word of gegrond kan wees. Waar die kwessie van morele norme en beginsels verskyn, gee dit aanleiding tot nadenke oor die vraagstuk van die sogenaamde “natuurlike wet”, ʼn etiese beginsel wat beweer dat morele plig aangeleer kan word deur die natuur. Die navorsing argumenteer dat die uitnodiging van die kosmiese elemente en die gelykenis van die os en die donkie in Jesaja se profetiese aanklag (Jes 1: 2 – 3) bewyse lewer van die spore van die natuurlike wet in die boek en die Bybel in geheel. Dit voer ook aan dat die natuurlike wet en natuurlike teologie met sekere elemente van Afrika-kulture/tradisionele godsdienste ooreenstem. As sulks is dit relevant vir interpretatiewe gemeenskappe in Afrika soos die Tangale in noord-Nigerië, om die natuurlike wet by die teologies-etiese interpretasie van die Ou Testament te inkorporeer. Die studie veronderstel ook dat die tradisie van die natuurlike wet en die elemente van Afrika-kulture/tradisionele godsdienste ʼn gunstige uitwerking op die teologiese, etiese begrip van menswaardigheid kan hê, indien dit op gepaste wyse in die teologies-etiese interpretasie van die Bybel geïnkorporeer word.