Best known if not equally understood for having a madman proclaim the demise of God, Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought has served as a fecund resource for disparate groups advancing diverse agendas. This paper critically examines the phenomenon of invoking Nietzsche as the final word. This paper argues that, far from being a conversation-stopper, Nietzsche can be understood as enhancing dialogue, across disciplines and between groups such as philosophers and theologians more prone to militant rhetoric than fruitful dialogue. In order to validate this claim it will be necessary to examine in detail the two aspects of Nietzsche’s thought most often invoked as conversation stoppers: the madman’s proclamation of the death of God; and Nietzsche’s devastating critique of Christian morality. Ultimately, this thesis will conclude that when properly understood Nietzsche serves as a unique interpreter locating himself between modernity and postmodernity, as well as between philosophy and religious thought.

Le présent travail étudie un moment d’histoire littéraire et culturelle en langue française – à la charnière des XIIe et XIIIe siècles, autour de Jean Renart et Raoul de Houdenc – sous l’angle du plaisir littéraire. Les œuvres en vers de ces deux auteurs actifs au début du XIIIe siècle, qui révèlent une conscience auctoriale aiguë et que sous-tend une réflexion métadiscursive faisant la part belle au principe du delectare, sont révélatrices des jugements divergents que le Moyen Âge porte sur cette notion problématique. En effet, l’expression littéraire du plaisir se situe à la croisée de plusieurs champs discursifs qui en précisent le sens et éclairent ses enjeux sous des jours contrastés. La poésie se fait d’une part l’écho du discours dominant de l’Église et illustre la complexité de l’attitude des théologiens et des moralistes devant le plaisir littéraire, entre condamnation virulente et légitimation conditionnelle. Elle atteste – et accompagne – également l’épanouissement d’une autre idéologie, aristocratique et profane, bien plus favorable au plaisir puisque l’imaginaire courtois accorde au deduit littéraire une valeur à la fois éthique, sociale et politique. Elle reflète enfin la conception médiévale du Beau littéraire formalisée par les arts poétiques médiolatins qui en établissent le canon et dont le plaisir est le signe. Lieux de confrontation de ces discours souvent discordants, les œuvres littéraires du temps de Jean Renart et Raoul de Houdenc témoignent de la revendication nouvelle d’un plaisir présenté comme une valeur et une exigence. C’est une certaine conception de la littérature en langue vulgaire qui voit le jour autour de 1200. / This work focuses on a short period in French-language literary and cultural history—at the turn of 12th and 13th centuries, around the work of Jean Renart and Raoul de Houdenc—from the standpoint of literary enjoyment. The poetic output of these two early 13th-century authors, who display a keen authorial consciousness underpinned by a meta-discursive reflection that gives more than its due to the principle of delectare, testifies to the diversity of judgements that the Middle Ages pass on this controversial notion. The literary expression of enjoyment is indeed located at the crossing of several discursive fields that specify its meaning and shed contrasting lights on its stakes. Poetry both echoes the dominant views of the Church and epitomizes the complexity of attitudes of theologians and moralists towards literary enjoyment, between outright condemnation and conditional legitimiza-tion. It also bears witness to—and accompanies—the flowering of another ideology, aristocratic and secular, far more favourably disposed towards enjoyment, since the courtly imaginative world grants literary deduit a value that is at the same time ethical, social, and political. Lastly, it reflects the medieval conception of literary Beauty, as formalized by the ars poetica of Medieval Latin, which sets the canons and takes enjoyment as a sign. As a battlefield for these often discordant views, the literary works from the era of Jean Renart and Raoul de Houdenc testify to the appearance of a new claim to pleasure, considered both as an ethical standard and an entitlement. A certain conception of literature in the vernacular was thus born around year 1200.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie navorsing meen dat die kerk in die verlede te veel klem gele het op negatiewe seksuele praktyke, en verantwoordelike seks nie aan die qeloofsgemeenskap voorgehou is nie. Sodoende het 'n negatiewe mentaliteit in die geloofsgemeenskap ontstaan, wat verder aangewakker is deur verskeie sosio-politieke en ekonomiese faktore. Dit het tot 'n gebroke familielewe, huwelike, immoraliteit en 'n identiteitskrisis gelei, wat uiteindelik saamgewerk het tot die HIV-dilemma. Daar is nie werklik 'n begrip van die sin van bogenoemde elemente in die geloofsgemeenskap nie, en gevolglik konsentreer hierdie navorsing daarop om, met die evangelie as basis op 'n geinkultureerde wyse, bogenoemde kultuurbeskouinge in die Kgalagadi-gemeente te inkultureer. Hierin moet die plaaslike gemeente se koninklike, profetiese en priesterlike funksies gestalte kry in die daarstelling van sisteme, sodat doelgerig tot die bekamping van, pastorale hulp aan, en bystand aan HIV-slagoffers bygedra kan word. / The Church has focused too much on the negative aspects of sexuality and not enough on how to have sexual relations in a responsible manner. A negative mentality regarding sexuality, family life and morality had been created in the community, which contributed to the HIV-dilemma. There is no understanding of these aspects in the community. Inculturation of the relevant aspects into the Kgalagadi congregation should be done on the basis of the gospel. In this the local congregation should fulfill its kingly, prophetic and priestly functions by creating relevant systems to help prevent, support and counsel HIV-victims. / Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie navorsing meen dat die kerk in die verlede te veel klem gele het op negatiewe seksuele praktyke, en verantwoordelike seks nie aan die qeloofsgemeenskap voorgehou is nie. Sodoende het 'n negatiewe mentaliteit in die geloofsgemeenskap ontstaan, wat verder aangewakker is deur verskeie sosio-politieke en ekonomiese faktore. Dit het tot 'n gebroke familielewe, huwelike, immoraliteit en 'n identiteitskrisis gelei, wat uiteindelik saamgewerk het tot die HIV-dilemma. Daar is nie werklik 'n begrip van die sin van bogenoemde elemente in die geloofsgemeenskap nie, en gevolglik konsentreer hierdie navorsing daarop om, met die evangelie as basis op 'n geinkultureerde wyse, bogenoemde kultuurbeskouinge in die Kgalagadi-gemeente te inkultureer. Hierin moet die plaaslike gemeente se koninklike, profetiese en priesterlike funksies gestalte kry in die daarstelling van sisteme, sodat doelgerig tot die bekamping van, pastorale hulp aan, en bystand aan HIV-slagoffers bygedra kan word. / The Church has focused too much on the negative aspects of sexuality and not enough on how to have sexual relations in a responsible manner. A negative mentality regarding sexuality, family life and morality had been created in the community, which contributed to the HIV-dilemma. There is no understanding of these aspects in the community. Inculturation of the relevant aspects into the Kgalagadi congregation should be done on the basis of the gospel. In this the local congregation should fulfill its kingly, prophetic and priestly functions by creating relevant systems to help prevent, support and counsel HIV-victims. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)