Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study entails a constructive contribution towards a contemporary reinterpretation, within the Akan context, of the classic Christian notion of Christ's person and work as Mediator between God and humanity. Specifically, I endeavour to reinterpret aspects of the Christian confession of faith as formulated by the Council of Chalcedon (451) that, Jesus Christ is “truly God” (vere Deus) as well as “truly human”(vere homo). I build on the notion that the relationship between these two claims may also be understood in terms of the one "person" and the two "natures" of Jesus Christ. The work of Christ is reinterpreted from this perspective. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part, which covers the first four chapters, entail reviews of some of the dominant African Christologies - with particular reference to divine conqueror and ancestor Christologies. In these chapters, the adequacy of the mentioned Christologies is assessed with reference to the Nicene/Chalcedonian confessional definition concerning the person of Christ. The conclusion reached is that these Christologies do not adequately express the person of Christ as truly divine as well as truly human as defined by the first four ecumenical councils. As a result, these Christologies also express the work of Christ, particularly his atonement in a less adequate way. / South Africa

In 1 Peter and Philippians Christology motivates the ethical exhortation of their readers. 1 Peter uses Christology as motivation both for Soteriology and ethical exhortation, although Peter implements Christology in his Soteriology only to remind his reader of their new identity as members of the family of God through Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Pet 13-17; 2:1-3). It caused them to suffer from the same society with its social and religious norms in which they previously lived, and which turned hostile towards them after their converson. As believers, though, their life should no longer conform to the society of their pagan neighbours. They have thus unexpectedly encountered verbial abuse and physical suffering from their circumstances. The readers of Peter and Paul suffered from opponents from outside the congregation (1 Pet 2:18-20; 3:13-17; Phil 1:27-30; 2:12-18), from conflicts within the community (Phil 2:1-5), as well as from false teaching directed against Paul’s gospel (Phil 3). To resolve the matters within community and to exhort their readers to stand firm in their faith in Christ Jesus, both Peter and Paul applied Christology to guide their readers on how to conduct their life as believers in their society. Believers are called to follow in the footsteps of Christ, not merely to start the adventure of Christian living, but to persevere up to the end, to the glory of God (cf. Mtt 24:13&Lk 21:19). In 1 Peter, the imperative for ethical exhortative motivation are followed by the indicative of its Christology as motivation: ethical exhortation (vv 13-17) followed by Christology (1:18-21); ethical exhortation (vv 1-3) followed by Christology as example of suffering and exaltation, as well as the foundation of spiritual community of the believers(2:4-8); ethical exhortation of domestic servants (vv 18-21) followed by Christology (vv 22-25); ethical exhortation (vv 13-17) followed by Christology (vv 18-22). In Philippians Christology stands in the center (Phil 2:6-11) as foundation of three ethical exhortations: to stand firm in their faith in Christ Jesus amidst hostile circumstances (1:27-30), to resolve conflicts among themselves (2:1-5), and to work out their salvation by trusting in God (2:12-18). In addition Paul exhorted his readers to imitated Christ, as well as himself, since his eager and absolute goal is to know Christ, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, as stated in Phil 2:6-11, and to rejoice in the Lord. Both Peter and Paul’s Christology have a soteriological perspective, but the Christology of both 1 Peter and Philippians focuses on the ethical motivation of their readers, to confirm their faith in Christ Jesus in their unstable circumstances. / Thesis (PhD (New Testament Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / New Testament Studies / PhD / unrestricted

As the church is moving towards its 21st century of existence, it is confronted by challenges it has never known before. Globalization, the rise of different socio-political orders and a growing tendency towards a post-modern understanding of the world are but some of the issues. This changing world demands self-reflection from the church. It has to consider its place, identity and function, thereby giving rise to the exploration of its mission. In this thesis, the ecclesiology of Karl Barth is explored. By considering Barth’s understanding of the church’s relationship with different parties such as God, other religions, those outside the Christian faith, the State and its own inner dynamics, the church will be reminded of its missionary function in the world. The church’s relationships are important for they direct the way in which it fits into the world. When it considers that it exists purely because of God’s self-revelation, and that its own existence is an act of faith in response to this divine self-disclosure, it becomes aware of defined parameters within which the church can operate under the banner of mission. Mission is therefore much bigger than the notion of evangelism, which is one part of the church’s role. Where evangelism concerns the physical activity of the church’s proclamation, its mission describes its identity and function in bearing testimony to its Lord. Identity and function are not self-generated characteristics and neither is mission. Karl Barth has given a tremendous gift by exploring the Christian faith, the God whom it serves, the church within which it operates, and the world that it exists in. It is the author’s belief that no other work is as comprehensive and descriptive of the church’s place, both in relation to God and the world. This thesis explores this gift and searches for answers concerning the church’s mission that will be helpful and relevant in today’s world. This is necessary if the church seeks to be relevant and effective, speaking to new challenges, and a new World 129. Copyright 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bentley, W 2007, The notion of mission in Karl Barth's ecclesiology, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10162007-151230 / > / Thesis (PhD (Dogmatics and Christian Ethics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

MAAS / Centre for African Studies / The link between Africa and the Bible goes back several centuries before the birth of Christ. As most key African scholars such as Mbiti and Mulago once asserted, Africa is incurably religious. This assertion although sounding a bit generalised, somehow provides one with insightful perspectives about how Africa’s religiosity evolved through time. The narrative of the Last Supper is biblically located and has assumed new character, form and function in various church settings. Interestingly (recently) a number of local African Initiated Church (AICs) have adopted the practice of Holy Communion as part of their worship services. In this case special times and sacred spaces are defined to demonstrate the significance of conducting this special part of the worship. Having interacted with a number of leaders and members of some of these local AICs one gets an impression that both the ‘idea of Christ’ is differently conceived and constructed as compared with other so called established or mainline churches. It was this idea or the constructed image of Christ that created the interest to look at how these local churches look or imagine Christ. Christ in this case becomes the owner of the buffet or feast and he epitomises unity, family, reconciliation, values of botho etc. The research site for this study was the St. John Apostolic Faith Mission of Bapong in the North West Province in South Africa. Grounded theory was used in both providing the theoretical framework and methodological foci of the research study. The study recommended that existing images of Christ should be recorded for the purpose of the church life history. These should be recorded from one generation to the next. Also African Christologies should penetrate every church in the community and be utilized. / NRF

With Dr. Ph Josef Čeněk of Wartenberk, auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Hradec Králové, later of Salzburg, we find ourselves in the Austrian Empire, at the time of Josephinism, in a turbulent era of the first half of the nineteenth century. Josef Čeněk enters actively into the era of national revival, when it is possible for him to publish several volumes of his Sermons in Czech language, in order to shape believers and bring them to deeper knowledge of the Catholic faith. In this work, we follow his concept of Christology and Soteriology, how he understands the person of Jesus Christ and how he presents him to believers. Keywords: Josef Čeněk of Wartenberk; Christology; Soteriology; Jesus Christ; Sermons

Thesis "The Christological, soteriological and relevant spiritual topics in the Dostoevsky Work The Brothers Karamazov" applies to the life and literary heritage of the Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, especially to his master piece The Brothers Karamazov. The novel summarizes the writer's life ideas which have matured throughout life. In this work, the emphasis is primarily put on finding and describing christological and soteriological features contained in the novel demonstrating the author's inner conviction and faith in Jesus Christ. The thesis also points to some spiritual themes, which are crucial in the literary work, such as human suffering and questions of faith and human freedom. Keywords Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, christology, soteriology, spirituality, faith, freedom

In “Marturia and the Gospel of John” the following hypothesis is investigated: Theological investigation of the ìáñôõñéá lexeme in the Gospel of John contributes significantly towards an understanding of an emerging, missional ecclesiology. The study is precipitated by the accelerated pace of change our society is currently experiencing. The technological developments of the past fifty years created a society that is totally dependent on the technology it developed. This dependence led to the developing of a new cultural paradigm in which the church is ill at home. Not only are the ecclesial structures ill-adapted to effectively minister to people who increasingly live in a different cultural milieu, but also the premises upon which itstheology is built, has increasingly come under scrutiny. The question of an emerging, missional ecclesiology is therefore not only a question of developing new ministry praxis. Neither is it a matter of reframing theological theses with new metaphors. A growing realisation exists of the need for theological research from the perspective of this developing new paradigm. Theology needs to turn to Scripture in a quest for such answers and it is proposed that a hermeneutic approach should be taken towards this investigation. This exegetical study is conducted from a New Testament perspective, specifically focusing on the Gospel of John. It is done through a sequential reading of the Gospel with special emphasis on the pericopes that contain the word-group, marturiva. Finally, the insights gathered from this study are systemized into a framework that aims to contribute towards the further development of an emerging, missional ecclesiology. It will be argued that ecclesiology serves as the integration point for reflection and practical missional ministry. As such, the church as object of investigation is the ultimate technological praxis, as the community of believers serves as the show-case of God’s presence in this world, as sacrament of his redemptive mission, and as mediator of the governance in his kingdom. Outline of the study In Chapter One attention is given to the changing cultural paradigm and the implications this holds for ministry as well as for theology. These changes are presented as the study’s research problem. The Gospel of John is also introduced as a case study in the ongoing development of an emerging, missional ecclesiology as foundational cornerstone to a postmodern theological paradigm. In Chapter Two the framework from which the hermeneutical study is undertaken, is established. A bird’s eye view of the Gospel of John is attempted and a preliminary investigation into the marturiva lexeme is also undertaken. Chapter Three investigates the testimony of John the Baptist, as recounted in John’s Gospel from John 1-4. Chapter Four reads the second part of Jesus’ public ministry, starting with John 5 and continuing until John concludes his narrative of this section of Jesus’ mission in John 12. Chapter Five studies John’s account of Jesus’ conversation with his disciples in John 13-17. It also reads John 18-21, which comprises of the Passion narrative and the Epilogue to the Gospel. In Chapter Six the matter at hand will be the development of an emerging, missional ecclesiology as a result of the exegetical study of John’s Gospel. Finally, we conclude the study by exploring some issues that need further investigation. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

Thesis advisor: Boyd Taylor Coolman / This dissertation offers a new systematic interpretation and retrieval of the theology and spirituality of the 12th century master Hugh of St. Victor, an interpretation centered on the Triune LORD’s unifying and reforming work in history in the three days of Jesus Christ’s dying, burial, and rising. Seen from the vantage of Hugh’s treatise On the Three Days, these ‘three days’ of Jesus Christ’s ‘Passover’ are, for Hugh, the plenary revelation of the Trinity in history – and so an eschatological disclosure – and are at once the soteriological and spiritual center of his theology. The work of the dissertation is, in part one, to explore the objective polarity of the LORD’s work in the three days. This entails an in-depth treatment of Hugh’s christology, including the currently contested and historically misconstrued territory of Hugh’s doctrine of the hypostatic union. Moreover, the project brings out the integral connections between Hugh’s doctrine of the hypostatic union and his soteriology of the re-formation of all of history in the three days. This triadic soteriological scheme in turn correlates to three degrees of theological language and of Triune self-revelation in history. The task of part two of the dissertation is to study the subjective polarity of Spirit-enabled human participation in Christ’s dying, burial, and rising. Hugh’s spirituality and practice of theology are explored as means of human re-formation unto wonder, wisdom, and charity – in short, unto mystical and ultimately eschatological union with God – through participation in the paschal mystery. These chapters thus systematize and explore aspects of Hugh’s thought as diverse as the communal formation at the Abbey of St. Victor, humility, study of the liberal arts and memorization of Scripture, theological meditation, allegorical and tropological biblical interpretation, works of charity, and the responsive eros of Hugh’s contemplative mysticism, all as means of sharing, by turns, in Christ’s dying, burial, and rising. The third and final part of the dissertation attempts a contemporary practice of Hugonian theology. It places the Hugonian theology retrieved in parts one and two in the context of the reception of Laudato Si’ in order to offer a christological and mystical companion to Pope Francis’ encyclical. It argues that the ‘ecological conversion’ for which Pope Francis calls, as a subjective participation in Christ, implicitly depends upon a robust enough objective christology to make the summons to particularly ‘ecological’ conversion coherent and compelling. Hence the contemporary eco-christologies of Sallie McFague and Celia Deane-Drummond are studied and adjudicated. Finally, on the basis of the gains accrued in the course of those eco-christological engagements, a renewed Hugonian christology and soteriology is proposed as a framework for and aid to the spiritual and moral implementation of Laudato Si’. Ecological conversion is itself, most properly, a process of human re-formation in the three days of Jesus Christ’s Passover, and hence practical efforts to teach and implement Laudato Si’ benefit from a Hugonian theological and spiritual approach. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

This is a study of religion and popular culture with a focus on the film industry. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to create an increased understandning of how religion can be expressed in film and contribute to an understanding of the way religious themes can be expressed in popular culture. Furthermore, the purpose of this bachelor thesis is to examine which messianic features are found in Dune's main character Paul Atreides. Additionally, how Bene Gesserit as well as fremen both contribute to the messianic concept in the film Dune (2021). Two theoretical concepts have been used in this study: Axelson's theory of the messiah-figure and religious syncretism. The method is a qualitative content analysis and to achieve the purpose of the inquiry this method will be used by examining the film Dune (2021). The messianic features of Paul Atreides will be examined with the use of Axelson's theory of the messiah-figure. The analysis shows several messianic features that emerge, Dune's main character Paul Atreides had doubts, unsure of this identity and visions as messianic features. Furthermore, Bene Gesserit has contributed to the messianic concept as the intermediator by creating the messiah. Additionally, the fremen have the function of a chosen as well as an opressed people and has contributed to the messianic concept in this way. The chosen and opressed people as an idea have been borrowed from judaism. Additionally, the idea of mahdi have been borrowed from shia islam which is a concept about a messiah who will return to earth and create justice. These two concepts from judaism and shia islam shows different features from religion that has been expressed in the film Dune (2021).

[pt] Esta tese de doutorado procura estudar Cristologia da Libertação Latinoamericana na perspectiva de Jon Sobrino, o qual elabora seu pensamento cristológico numa correlação entre Jesus como Servo de Deus, os profetasmártires e os povos-crucificados latino-americanos. Com esta correlação tenta-se uma superação da dicotomia entre as cristologias: descendente e ascendente. A tese está composta de três partes com oito capítulos. Na primeira parte, com dois capítulos: No primeiro capítulo, analisou-se a figura do Servo de Deus no Dêutero-Isaías, pois o escrito revela o Servo de Deus com três dimensões: eleição, missão e destino. No segundo capítulo, refletiu-se Jesus se compreendendo como Servo de Deus e como este título foi aplicado a Jesus pelos apóstolos mantendo estas três dimensões de eleição, missão e destino. Na segunda parte, com três capítulos: No terceiro capítulo, estudou-se realmente o título Jesus-servo de Deus na perspectiva de Jon Sobrino e com esta ótica foram refletidos outros títulos de Jesus na mesma perspectiva tendo como princípio hermenêutico as vítimas latinoamericanas destacando mais a dimensão de eleição de Jesus. O quarto capítulo foi elaborado para mostrar a dimensão da missão de Jesus como o Reino de Deus e quinto capítulo sobre o destino de Jesus demonstrando assim sua morte redentora por solidariedade-substitutiva para chegar à exaltação da glória da ressurreição: o ressuscitado é o crucificado. Na terceira parte, com três capítulos: O sexto capítulo versa sobre a identificação de Jesus-servo com o profeta-mártir Dom Oscar Romero, o sétimo capítulo sobre a soteriologia histórica de Jesus-servo com seus povos-crucificados e o oitavo capítulo com uma proposta de seguimento de Jesus-servo constituindo uma Igreja-serva como um novo povo pascal. / [en] This doctoral thesis’s aims to study Christology of Liberation in Latin American from the perspective of Jon Sobrino, which prepares your Christological thought in a correlation between Jesus as the Servant of God, profhets-martyrs and crucified-peoples Latin Americans. With this correlation is an attempt to overcome the dichotomy between christologies: descending and ascending. The thesis in composed of three parts with eight chapters. In the first part, with two chapters: in the first chapter, it was analyzed the figure of the Servant of God in Deutero-Isaiah, as the writing reveals the Servant of God with three dimensions: election, mission and destiny. In the second chapter, it was reflected Jesus understanding himself as the Servant of God and how this title was applied to Jesus by the apostles, keeping these three dimensions of election, mission and destiny. In the second part with three chapters, the third chapter, it was studied really the title Jesus-servant of God from the perspective of Jon Sobrino and with this perspective were reflected other titles of Jesus in the same hermeneutic perspective based on the principle victims of Latin American further highlighting the dimension of election of Jesus. The fourt chapter was designed to show the dimension of the mission of Jesus as the Kingdom of God and the fifth chapter on the destiny of Jesus demonstrate his redemptive death for solidarityreplacement to get to the exaltation of the glory of the resurrection The rose is the crucified. In the third part, with three chapters: the sixth chapter deals with the identification of Jesus-servant with the profhet-martyr Archbishosp Oscar Romero, the seventh chapter on soteriology historical Jesus-servant with his crucified-peoples and the eighth chapter propose to following Jesus-servant, constituting a serven-church as a new Easter people.