Thesis (M.Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: THE MAINTENANCE OF LAND AS THEOLOGICAL-ETHICAL IMPLICATION OF THE SABBATH YEAR IN LEVITICUS 25: 1-7 Chapter one of this thesis discusses the justification of the investigation of the Sabbath year institution along practical, theological, economic and ethical grounds. The hypothesis statement is that the most important theological effects of the Sabbath year, according to the Pentateuchal books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy can be traced back to the maintenance of land within the family. The selected methodology for this thesis entails a literature study of existing research (Chapters one to four) and a ‘close reading’ approach in order to examine the central text in this thesis (Lev 25: 1-7) (Chapter 5). The key terms defined in Chapter five are ‘land’, ‘maintenance of land’ and ‘Sabbath year’. Chapter two provides a theological background of the Sabbath year in the Pentateuch. Three agricultural annual festivals are discussed, namely the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest and the Feast of Tabernacles which form the theological context of Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteronomy 15: 1-18. Chapter three identifies the motivations of the Sabbath year in the Covenant and Deuteronomic Codes and investigates the theological trends in the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Chapter four is firstly an investigation of the theological trends in the Book of Leviticus and secondly of the theological trends in the Holiness Code. This chapter also covers the contents of the important institution to do with family land and other humanitarian matters, the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25: 8-54). Chapter five discusses the theological implications of the Sabbath year in Lev 25: 1-7. Chapter six is the concluding chapter which seeks to verify whether the hypothesis has been proven or not. The results of the research on the theological ethical implications of the Sabbath year for the retention of land within the family were conditionally positive. It was found that the Sabbath year helped land to remain within the family because of the following reasons: 1. the Sabbath year reminded humans to act as good stewards of God’s land; 2. the Sabbath year ensured food supplies for all the people because of God’s blessing on the spontaneous produce of the land in this special year; 3. the Sabbath year allowed the land to lie fallow a whole year thus allowing the land to be more productive in the following season thus helping poorer families to have a new beginning on the road to better life in the land; 4. As a year in which the burden of debt was removed from debtors this year helped poor landowners to recover economically and the cancellation of debts actually helped poor people not to sink deeper and deeper into debt which might end up leading to loss of land and other property. The Sabbath year theological and ethical stipulations were meant to create an environment where land was supposed to remain within families that inherited it from the LORD at the beginning, had Israel been obedient to God. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: DIE BEHOUD VAN GROND AS TEOLOGIES-ETIESE IMPLIKASIE VAN DIE SABBATJAAR IN LEVITIKUS 25: 1-7 Hoofstuk een van hierdie tesis bespreek die motivering vir die ondersoek van die Sabbatjaar as instelling op grond van praktiese, teologiese, ekonomiese en etiese gronde. Die hipotese is dat die mees belangrike teologiese implikasies van die Sabbatjaar, volgens die Pentateugboeke Eksodus, Levitikus en Deuteronomium teruggevoer kan word na die behoud van grond binne die familie. Die gekose metodologie vir hierdie tesis behels `n literatuurstudie van bestaande navorsing (Hoofstukke een tot vier) en `n ‘naby-lees’ benadering in Hoofstuk 5, wat die sentrale teks van hierdie tesis behandel, naamlik Levitikus 25: 1-7. Die belangrikste begrippe wat in hierdie hoofstuk beskryf word, is ‘grond’, ‘Sabbatjaar’ en ‘familie’. Hoofstuk twee bied `n teologiese agtergrond tot die Sabbatjaar in die Pentateug. Drie jaarlikse landboukundige feeste word bespreek., naamlik die Fees van die Ongesuurde Brode, die Oesfees en die Loofhuttefees, wat die teologiese konteks van Eksodus 23: 14-7 en Deuteronomium 15: 1-18 vorm. Hoofstuk drie identifiseer die motiverings vir die Sabbatjaar in die Verbondsboek en die Deuteronomiumkodeks, asook die teologiese tendense in die boeke Eksodus en Deuteronomium. Hoofstuk vier behels `n ondersoek na die teologiese tendense in die boek van Levitikus, asook in die Heiligheidskodeks. Hierdie hoofstuk behandel ook die inhoud van die belangrike instelling van familiegrond en ander humanitêre aangeleenthede in die Jubeljaar (Lev 25: 8-25). Hoofstuk vyf bespreek die teologiese implikasies van die Sabbatjaar in Levitikus 25: 1-7. Hoofstuk ses is die finale hoofstuk en poog om te verifieër of die hipotese van die tesis bewys kan word of nie. Die uitkoms van die navorsing oor die teologiese-etiese implikasies van die Sabbatjaar vir die behoud van grond binne die familie was positief, maar voorwaardelik. Daar is bevind dat die Sabbatjaar gehelp het om grond binne die familie te behou oor die volgende redes: 1. Die Sabbatjaar het mense herinner om as goed na God se grond te kyk; 2. Die Sabbatjaar het verseker dat daar genoeg kos is vir al die mense, juis as gevolg van God se seën op die spontane lewering van produkte deur middel van die grond in hierdie spesiale jaar; 3. Die Sabbatjaar het bepaal dat die grond vir `n jaar braak lê en dit het beteken dat die grond in die volgende seisoen meer produktief sou wees. Dit sou met ander woorde armer families help om `n nuwe begin te maak tot `n beter lewe in die land; 4. As `n jaar waarin die belemmering van skuld afgeskryf is, het hierdie jaar arm grondeienaars gehelp om ekonomies weer op die been te kom. Die kwytskelding het arm mense gehelp om nie verder skuld aan te gaan wat op die ou einde die verlies aan grond en ander eiendom sou beteken nie. Die Sabbatjaar se teologiese en etiese stipulasies was bedoel om `n situasie te skep waar grond binne die families wat dit aanvanblik van God ge-erf het, sou bly as hulle gehoorsaam aan God was.

In this study we will attempt to discover the background of [apostolos] among its pagan ancestors. In addition to this area, we will also be concerned with the Jewish background which exerted a formative influence on the meaning of the word. Finally, an attempt will be made to see the result of this combination of backgrounds as it came to be reflected in the New Testament.

Several years ago the writer became interested in a study of the New Testament concept of the church. Since the major part of the New Testament collection dealing with this concept is made up of the writings of the apostle Paul he felt that the study should begin with these writings. In making a preliminary study it was found that the apostle's concept would be too extensive and too inclusive to incorporate in its entirety within the scope of a thesis written as partial requirement for the Master of Arts Degree. Consequenty this work is limited, being primarily foundational. In order to maintain this foundational character the writer decided to make a study of a representative passage of each variant shade of Paul's concept, and, that only where some form of the term (ecclesia) appears in the text. So that Paul's usage of the term might be more fully understood the first and second chapters are designed to serve as a background. These chapters will show that Paul, when he had become a Christian, had inherited a word that was potent with vital significance for him and for others like him in the new religion. The remainder of the thesis is divided according to the major emphases which Paul makes upon the term 'ecclesia'. This has caused a shift of the Galatian letter from its traditional date of composition which places it shortly after the writing of the Corinthian letters into a closer proximity with the Thessalonian letters. The concept of 'ecclesia' in Galatians is more in accord with that found in the Thessalonian letters than with that in Corinthians and Romans.

Among the twenty-seven books in the New Testament canon, there is an epistle addressed to the church which met at Golossae. This epistle isn't very large; in fact it barely consumes four or five pages in the entire Bible. Yet it is important; for with it there is left to the Christian world a remnant of history, both of the life of the church and of the life of her greatest apostle, which it would not have otherwise possessed. A great number of Christian communications which, if they would have been preserved, would have yielded many times over the information in the Colossian epistle. But because these are lost, there is even more reason to regard this work as one of the precious gems of the faith. It remains as one of the touchstones by which the Christian world of today can be connected with its early heritage.

No description available.

This study is an introduction I to some of the problems found in First Peter. The first chapter will be devoted to the presentation of the traditional view of authorship. Does the epistle come to us with the authority of the chief of the apostles? Tradition says yes. The second chapter questions the traditional view. Some scholars have questioned or rejected the verdict of tradition. In the third chapter the problem of the spirits in prison will be considered. Scholars disagree relative to this interpretation. What is meant by preaching to the spirits in prison? Who are these spirits? What does preaching to the dead mean? The fourth chapter deals with the problems of persecution. Was this a definite persecution or only unfriendliness from their communities? Was the persecution in progress or only imminent? In whose reign did this persecution come; Nero, Domitian, or Trajan?

<p>I was not sure how to list my committee members on this form. Dr. Schuller is my advisor and Drs. Westerholm and Machiela are committee members. I do not have a "co-supervisor." Please correct this form if needed.</p> / <p>Almost every narrative in Pseudo-Philo’s <em>Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum </em>(<em>L.A.B.</em>), a late first or early second century C.E. rewriting of scriptural texts and traditions, deals in some way with issues of reward and punishment, a prominent theme in early Jewish literature. In 1917, M. R. James observed that two “truths” were “foremost” among the “great truths” in <em>L.A.B.</em>: (1) “the indestructibility of Israel” and (2) Israel’s “duty of faithfulness to the one God” (<em>Biblical Antiquities</em>, 34). Most studies of reward and punishment in <em>L.A.B.</em> emphasize one of these two “great truths” to the virtual (or complete) exclusion of the other. This has resulted in sharply contrasting conclusions concerning the concepts of reward and punishment within Pseudo-Philo’s ideology.</p> <p>A promising perspective from which to reconsider the concepts of reward and punishment in <em>L.A.B.</em> is the view of reward and punishment, which, according to E. P. Sanders’s theory of covenantal nomism, was pervasive within Judaism of the first centuries of the Common Era (<em>Paul and Palestinian Judaism</em>, 75, 421‒423, 426). Such an investigation will be the focus of this thesis. Scholars such as Heikki Räisänen (<em>Paul and the Law</em>, 180 n. 92), Frederick J. Murphy (<em>Pseudo-Philo: Rewriting the Bible</em>, 233 n. 18), and Sanders (<em>Judaism: Practice and Belief</em>, 263‒275) have contended that <em>L.A.B.</em> exemplifies covenantal nomism but this premise has never been examined thoroughly. In this study, through a side-by-side analysis of <em>L.A.B.</em> and scriptural texts and traditions, we will identify the changes that Pseudo-Philo made to the scriptural account and then extract Pseudo-Philo’s ideology through a careful analysis of these changes. The recognition that <em>L.A.B.</em> is a late Second Temple period rewriting of scriptural texts and traditions is central to this examination.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (D. Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Jubilee year in Leviticus 25 has received a fair amount of attention towards the end of the previous millennium with the movements such as the Jubilee 2000, which campaigned for the remissions of debt in the so-called Third World. The text thus has a very liberating image and this is where the problem lies, because a critical reading of the text creates a far more oppressive picture. The question then becomes how the biblical critic is to respond, especially when she/he is sympathetic towards the objectives of the Jubilee 2000 movement. In this study it is argued that there is only one way to respond and that is to play the critical role that biblical scholars have always attempted to play. This means that it would be ethically irresponsible for biblical critics to shy away from exposing the oppressive sides of a biblical text. An ideological-critical approach is then proposed which attempts to construct the world-view or ideology that could be glimpsed from the text. This kind of reading is suspicious of what the biblical text claims and it further attempts to identify political and other interests in the text. An ideological critical reading also takes stock of the “ideological holdings” of the interpreter. In this regard the author argues that the history of Apartheid and specifically the way in which the Bible was used to legitimate Apartheid is one of his main ideological holdings that predisposes him to read in a certain manner. Leviticus 25 is then subjected to very close synchronic scrutiny. Firstly the most salient grammatical features of the text are identified and secondly it is asked how these features were used in order to persuade. This second reading is thus a kind of rhetorical reading that specifically focuses on ways in which the relationship between the addressees, the land, YHWH and other groups in the text is portrayed. This enables the author to describe the world-view or ideology of the authors and addressees of Leviticus 25. These same interests are also identified in some of the chapters surrounding chapter 25. Eventually this leads to dating the composition of this text in the Second Temple Period and it specifically identifies the interests of this text with those of the returning Elite. This interpretation presents the text as rather oppressive and instead of preventing poverty it actually reinstated poverty, which means that some dark sides of the text are exposed. The study is then concluded with some theological-ethical observations where it is reiterated that one of the tasks of the biblical critic is to give some voice to people that were voiceless in the biblical text. The study also shows that despite these dark sides to the text, there still is liberating potential in the Jubilee. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Jubeljaar in Levitikus 25 het veral aandag getrek aan die einde van die vorige millennium toe bewegings soos die “Jubilee 2000” beweging hulle beywer het vir die afskrywe van skuld in die sogenaamde Derde Wêreld. Die teks het dus ‘n “bevrydende beeld” en dit is juis waar die probleem lê, want ‘n kritiese lees van die teks skep ‘n baie meer verdrukkende prentjie. Die vraag is nou hoe die bybelwetenskaplike moet reageer, veral indien sy/hy die doelwitte van die Jubilee 2000 beweging ondersteun. Daar word dan in hierdie studie geargumenteer dat daar eintlik maar net een manier is waarop ‘n mens sou kon reageer en dit is deur die kritiese rol te speel wat bybelwetenskaplikes nog altyd nagestreef het. Dit beteken dat dit eties onverantwoordelik sou wees om weg te skram van die verdrukkende kante van ‘n bybelse teks. ‘n Ideologiekritiese benadering word dan voorgestel wat poog om die wêreldbeeld of ideologie te konstrueer wat ‘n mens in die teks sou kon bespeur. Hierdie soort lesing staan redelik agterdogtig teenoor wat die teks beweer en poog dan om politieke en ander belange in die teks te identifiseer. So ‘n ideologie-kritiese lees poog ook om die “ideologiese erfenis” van die interpreteerder te verwoord. In hierdie opsig argumenteer die outeur dat die geskiedenis van Apartheid en veral die manier waarop die Bybel gebruik is om dit te legitimeer een van sy ideologiese erfenisse is wat aanleiding daartoe gee dat hy op ‘n bepaalde manier lees. Levitikus 25 word dan onder ‘n deeglike sinkroniese loep geneem. Eerstens word die mees uitstaande grammatikale kenmerke van die teks geïdentifiseer en tweedens word gevra hoe hierdie kenmerke gebruik sou kon word om te oortuig. Hierdie tweede lesing is ‘n soort retoriese lesing wat spesifiek fokus op hoe die verhouding tussen die aangespreektes, die land, YHWH en ander groepe in die teks uitgebeeld word. Dit stel die outeur in staat om die wêreldbeeld of ideologie van die skrywers en aangespreektes te omskryf. Hierdie selfde belange word dan ook in die omringende teks van hoofstuk 25 geïdentifiseer. Uiteindelik word die komposisie van hierdie teks in die Tweede Tempeltydperk gedateer en word die belange in die teks verbind met die belange van die terugkerende hoërklas. Hierdie interpretasie stel dan die teks as redelik verdrukkend voor en in plaas daarvan dat dit armoed teengewerk het, het dit armoede teweeggebring wat natuurlik beteken dat donker kante van die teks blootgelê word. Die studie sluit dan af met ‘n paar teologieseetiese waarnemings waar dit weereens beklemtoon word dat een van die take van die bybelwetenskaplike juis is om ‘n stem te gee aan die mense wat in die antieke teks stemloos was. Die studie wys ook uit dat daar ten spyte van hierdie moontlike donker kante van die teks daar tog nog bevrydende potensiaal in die Jubeljaar is.

Thesis (D. Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The difficulties attending the reading 2 Cor 10-13 are widely recognized. This dissertation aims to interpret the text by means of socio-rhetorical analysis and to investigate what its real purpose is. Our hypothesis is that this Pauline discourse aims at the Corinthians’ edification by defending his apostolic lifestyle and so giving them a good example of imitatio Christi, imitatio Pauli (Chapter 1). Chapter 2 surveys the recent studies of 2 Cor 10-13 from various approaches, viz. literary historical approach, historical approach, rhetorical approach, and ethical and social-scientific approach. Because of the limited results of each approach used alone, we need a multidimensional and multi-disciplinary method is required. Chapter 3 reconfigures the sociorhetorical approach developed by Robbins into a fourfold dimensional analysis for a more adequate reading of 2 Cor 10-13: a rhetorical analysis; an analysis of intertexture and rhetorolect; an analysis of social, cultural and ideological texture; and an analysis of sacred texture. Chapter 4 analyzes the rhetoric of 2 Cor 10-13. The four realities of the rhetorical situation are the invasion of the outsiders against Paul, the discontent of the insiders with Paul, the conflict concerning Paul’s support, and the plan of Paul’s upcoming visit. The rhetorical arrangement, as a deliberative argumentation but including judicial and epideictic elements, is summarized as follows: exordium and propositio (10:1-11); narratio (10:12-18); argumentatio (11:1-13:4); peroratio (13:5-10). The argumentatio marshals four arguments: what is the true character of the intruders? (11:1-21a); what is the servant of Christ like? (11:21b-12:10); who is whose benefactor? (12:11-19); what sort of man do they expect with Paul’s upcoming visit? (12:20-13:4). Chapter 5 discusses the intertexture and rhetorolect of 2 Cor 10-13. The discourse is thickly intertextured providing the vivid picture and the persuasive rationale for his arguments, and is woven of various rhetorolects. The main rhetorolect is prophetic, which focuses on Paul whom God has chosen to take leadership in the production of righteousness. By blending this rhetorolect with priestly, our text manifests that Paul, in weakness and sufferings, according to God’s call, is following the example of Christ.Chapter 6 explores the social, cultural and ideological textures in 2 Cor 10-13. In social texture, the discourse has a vision of acquiring cognitive abilities for the aim of transforming people so they may build a Christian community in faith until God transforms all. In cultural texture, the discourse utilizes the conventions of dominant culture, but rejects its central values and creates an antithetical set of values based on the crucified Christ. In ideological texture, the discourse presents the social ethos that opposes the dominant social order: it represents rather the interests of the socially weak. The Pauline discourse, however, legitimises his position of primary authority over the Corinthian Christians. Chapter 7 investigates the sacred texture in 2 Cor 10-13. The discourse establishes a theology which is balanced by the crucified and resurrected Christ. Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection is recapitulated in Paul’s apostleship, discipleship and servant-ship in the form of imitatio Christi, and must be reproduced in the Corinthian church in the form of imitatio Pauli. In the final assessment, the main purpose of 2 Cor 10-13 is defined as the edification of the Corinthian church through defending Paul’s apostolic lifestyle, which is characterized by the imitatio Christi. Paul’s lifestyle is derived from Christ who was crucified and resurrected by the power of God, demonstrating God’s power manifested in human weakness. Now it is the Corinthians’ turn to demonstrate the divine power manifested in their imitatio Pauli. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word algemeen aanvaar dat daar probleme is met die lees van 2 Kor. 10-13. Hierdie verhandeling probeer om deur middel van sosiaal-retoriese analise die teks te ontleed en die ware oogmerk daarvan te ondersoek. Die hipotese waarvan uitgegaan word, is dat die Pauliniese diskoers ingestel is op die geestelike opheffing van die Korintiërs deur sy verdediging van die apostoliese lewenstyl en deur vir hulle ’n goeie voorbeeld van imitatio Christi, imitatio Pauli te stel (Hoofstuk 1). Hoofstuk 2 bestudeer onlangse ondersoeke na 2 Kor. 10-13 vanuit verskillende benaderingshoeke, naamlik die literêrhistoriese benadering, die historiese benadering, die retoriese benadering, en etiese en sosiaalwetenskaplike benaderings. Die beperkte resultate wat die afsonderlike gebruik van elke benadering sou oplewer, vereis dat ’n multidimensionele en multidissiplinêre metode gebruik moet word. Hoofstuk 3 rekonfigureer die sosiaal-retoriese benadering wat deur Robbins ontwikkel is, tot ’n viervoudige dimensionele ontleding vir ’n vollediger lees van 2 Kor. 10-13: ’n retoriese analise; ’n analise van intertekstualiteit en reterolek; ’n analise van sosiale, kulturele en ideologiese intertekstualiteit; en ’n analise van gewyde tekstualiteit. Hoofstuk 4 ontleed die retoriek in 2 Kor. 10-13. Die vier realiteite van die retoriese situasie is die inval van die buitestanders teen Paulus, die ontevredenheid van lede van die binnekring jeens Paulus, die konflik met betrekking tot Paulus se ondersteuning, en die plan met betrekking tot Paulus se voorgenome besoek. Die retoriese skikking, as ’n beraadslagende betoog, maar met inbegrip van forensiese en epideiktiese elemente, word soos volg opgesom: exordium en propositio (10:1-11); narratio (10:12-18); argumentatio (11:1-13:4); peroratio (13:5-10). Die argumentatio behels leiding vir vier argumente: wat is die ware karakter van die indringers? (11:1-21a); waaraan ken ’n mens die dienaar van Christus uit? (11:21b-12:10; wie is wie se weldoener? (12:11-19); watter soort man verwag hulle met Paulus se voorgenome besoek? (12:20-13:4). Hoofstuk 5 bied ’n bespreking van die intertekstualiteit en reterolek van 2 Kor. 10-13. Die diskoers is ryklik voorsien van intertekste en verskaf so ’n duidelike prentjie en die grondrede vir sy argumente, wat uit verskeie reterolekte ineengeweef is. Die belangrikste reterolek isprofeties, en fokus op Paulus wat deur God uitgekies is om leierskap te aanvaar vir die voortbrenging van regverdigheid. Deur hierdie reterolek met die priesterlike te vermeng, gee ons teks blyke daarvan dat Paulus, in swakheid en lyding, volgens God se roeping, die voorbeeld van Christus volg. Hoofstuk 6 ondersoek die sosiale, kulturele en ideologiese tekstualiteit in 2 Kor. 10-13. In sosiale tekstualiteit het die diskoers ’n visie van die verkryging van die kognitiewe vermoëns wat nodig is vir die oogmerk van hervorming van mense sodat hulle ’n Christen-gemeenskap in die geloof kan bou totdat God almal nuut sal maak. In kulturele tekstualiteit gebruik die diskoers die konvensies van die dominante kultuur, maar verwerp die sentrale waardes daarvan en skep ’n stel antitetiese waardes gebaseer op die gekruisigde Christus. In ideologiese tekstualiteit bied die diskoers die sosiale ethos wat teen die dominante maatskaplike orde in verset is: dit verteenwoordig eerder die belange van dié wat maatskaplik swak is. Die Pauliniese diskoers legitimeer egter sy posisie as primêre gesag oor die Christene in Korinte. In hoofstuk 7 word die gewyde tekstualiteit van 2 Kor. 10-13 ondersoek. Die diskoers bring ’n teologie tot stand wat in ewewig is met die gekruisigde en opgestane Christus. Christus se kruisiging en opstanding word weergegee in Paulus se apostelskap, dissipelskap en dienaarskap in die vorm van imitatio Christi, en moet ook weergegee word in die kerk in Korinte in die vorm van imitatio Pauli. Ten slotte word die hoofdoel van 2 Kor 10-13 gedefinieer as die geestelike opheffing van die kerk in Korinte deur die verdediging van Paulus se apostoliese lewenstyl wat deur die imitatio Christi gekenmerk word. Paulus se lewenstyl is van Christus oorgeneem, wat gekruisig en weer opgewek is deur die krag van God, wat God se mag wat in menslike swakheid na vore kom, demonstreer. Nou is dit die Korintiërs se beurt om bewys te lewer van die goddelike krag deur hulle imitatio Pauli.

Thesis (D. Phil.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As modern society becomes more complex and diverse, a colonial reading paradigm is increasingly becoming less plausible and has reached a point at which it is no longer possible to play tricks with colonized peoples. It belongs to a period and expresses an outlook with which we can no longer identify. A new epoch in the field of reading has opened. What we see in a postcolonial paradigm is a radical shuffling of the cards into a new pattern. This study argues that a postcolonial assumption of a plurality of contexts of salvation is a liberating paradigm that proceeds along a path that includes the acceptance of the independence and separate character of the various religions and the avoidance of superordination-subordination relationships. It acknowledges and seeks to detect religious intolerance and to encourage an approach that celebrates human cultural diversity—a rainbow religion or religious landscape. In this study a colonial reading paradigm of the bible in general and the letter to the Hebrews in particular, is turned on its head and colonial conception of supersessionism – an absolute claim to superiority – rendered largely obsolete. It is no longer a case of business as usual. As the Christian assumption of absolute claims to superiority over non-Christian religions is increasingly becoming less plausible – in fact, obsolete – and no longer make sense to many people, collective and collaborative efforts are an ideal alternative. There is a need to create space for other religions to work in partnership with the Christian religion in our unprecedented communicational, democratic and pluralistic cultural contexts where we rub shoulders with devotees of non-Christian religions. A pluralistic form of religious environment, where there is no one religion with preferential privileges, is an ideal thing in our contexts. We need a different conceptualization of the role of religion, where non-Christian religions are viewed not as demonic, false or inferior, but as worthy colleagues in the religious quest. They are alternative and valid version of religious faith as well. The idea that the ultimate reality, the cosmic power, has dealt with only one segment of humankind, the Christian people, and that ideally there should be one, and only one, universal religion should be rejected. Moreover, for Christian people to be receptive to non-Christian religions does not entail abandoning or betraying the Christian religion. It simply entails appropriating insights previously unavailable to them. The idea that the Euro-American Christian theoretical line carries automatic evaluative judgements should now be regarded as decidedly outdated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ‘n toenemend diverse en komplekse moderne samelewing is daar nie meer ruimte vir ’n koloniale lees-paradigma nie. Dit is trouens onwaarskynlik dat gekolonialiseerde mense (steeds) ’n rat voor die oë gedraai kan word. Sulke tye behoort tot die verlede en beliggaam ’n wêreldbeskouing waarmee nie langer geïdentifiseer kan word nie. ‘n Nuwe epog wat betref die lees van tekste is op die horison. Binne die post-koloniale paradigma bemerk mens ‘n radikale herposisionering van weë, en selfs nuwe weë. Hierdie studie betoog dat ’n post-koloniale veronderstelling van ’n verskeidenheid-van-kontekstevan- verlossing uiteindelik ’n bevrydende paradigma is, wat sigself beywer om die afsonderlike en onafhanklike karakter van ander godsdienste te aanvaar en enige magsverhoudinge tussen hulle te bestry. Dit wil enige vorm van religieuse onverdraagsaamheid hokslaan en die viering van kulturele diversiteit aanmoedig. In die studie word ’n koloniale lees-paradigma van die Bybel in die algemeen en die Hebreërbrief in besonder op sy kop gekeer, terwyl die idee van absolute koloniale super-heerskappy as uitgediend beskou word. Dit is gewis nie meer ’n geval van klakkelose berusting in die algemene gang van sake nie. Soos ‘n Christelike veronderstelling van absolute aanspraak vanuit ‘n magsposisie en heerskappy teenoor ander godsdienste al minder verantwoordbaar blyk te wees en vir baie eenvoudig nie meer sin maak nie, bied gesamentlike pogings nuwe en verfrissende alternatiewe. Daar is ’n behoefte om ruimte te skep vir ander godsdienste waarbinne hulle juis as vennote saam met Christene in vandag se ongekend kommunikatiewe, demokratiese en pluralisties-kulturele kontekste kan meewerk. ’n Pluralisties-religieuse omgewing – waar geen godsdiens enige spesiale bevoorregting bo ’n ander geniet nie – kan daarom as die ideaal in huidige kontekste beskou word. Hiervoor word egter ‘n ander begrippe-apparaat ten opsigte van die rol van religie benodig, waarmee nie-Christengelowiges nie as demonies, vervloek of minderwaardig beskou sal word nie, maar veel eerder as waardige vennote in die religieuse gesprek. Hul standpunte behoort as alternatiewe en ewe geldige perspektiewe erken en gerespekteer te word. Die idee dat die Almagtige, na wie almal vra, slegs by één bepaalde segment van die mensdom betrokke sou wees, naamlik by Christene, word heeltemal verwerp. Dieselfde geld die beywering en uiteindelike daarstel van één universele geloof. Christene se openheid teenoor andersgelowiges beteken egter allermins ’n verloëning van die Christelike evangelie. Die gedagtegang van hierdie studie impliseer bloot dat Christene voortdurend oop sal wees vir ander se religieuse insigte. Die idee dat ‘n Westerse teoretiese raamwerk outomaties waarde-oordele kan fel, word dus daarmee beslissend as gedateerd verklaar.