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Religious Studies & Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

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The epistle of James has been neglected in NT studies, caught between its relationship with Paul and the claim that it has no theology. Even as it experiences a resurgence of study, surprisingly no full-length survey exists on James as the epistle of “faith and works.” Approaches to James have neglected its soteriology and, in consequence, its theological themes have been separated or studied only in connection with Paul. As “moral character,” however, “faith” and “works” fit within a coherent theology of God’s mercy and judgment. This study provides a sustained reading of James as a Jewish-Christian document. Because James presents the “faith” and “works” discussion in context of “can such faith save?” (2:14), the issue becomes one of soteriology and final judgment. Both the “law of freedom” and the “word of truth” demand faithful obedience—the “works.” Moreover, God’s character and deeds in election form the basis for human “works” of mercy and humble obedience, while future judgment is in accordance with virtuous character. It has been established that James shares methodology and concerns with prior wisdom literature. This thesis therefore examines key ideas developing across the Jewish literature and Jesus’ teaching as presented by Matthew, and highlights developing views of God saving and judging his people. Within the first two chapters, James gives a high view of God’s work in calling and redeeming, providing wisdom to his people, and instilling the long-anticipated new covenant that they might live in obedience, humility and purity in accordance with his character and will. Because of God’s saving work, he justly judges those who fail to live mercifully, while his mercy triumphs for those who obey. God begins the work and sustains those who ask; but only those who submit to the “perfect law of freedom,” whose faith works, receive mercy when God enacts his final justice.

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.

Chan Chi Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-184). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Notes to the Readers --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / Chinese Abstract --- p.iv / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter One --- Imperial Cults as a Context of the Lukan Writings: Historical Preliminaries --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1 --- Imperial Cults or Emperor Cults as a Religion in the Roman Empire --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2 --- "The Lukan Perspective: Between the Author, the Literary Text, the Reader, and Their Historical Context" --- p.23 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Authorship and Intended Readership of the Lukan Writings --- p.24 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Time of Composition --- p.30 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Further Notes on Luke-Acts' Historical Situation --- p.37 / Chapter 1.3 --- The Lukan Perspective on the Roman Empire Rethought --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter Two --- A Contra-cultural Reformed Judaism Surpassing the Imperial Cult? Assessing Allen Brent's Interpretation of the Lukan Writings --- p.49 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2 --- "An Overview of Brent's Interpretation of Luke's ""Political Theology""" --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Contra-cultural Strategy and Social Reintegration into the Host Culture --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Augustan Saeculum Aureum and Luke's Delayed Parousia --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Latent Conflicts Remain --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- "A ""Political Theology"" Doomed to Fail: Domitian and the Fiscus Iudaicus" --- p.57 / Chapter 2.3 --- "An Evaluation of Brent's Interpretation of Luke's ""Political Theology""" --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Lukan vs. Imperial Eschatologies --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- """Jewish"" or Pagan Backcloth?" --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Roman State Religion or Greek Imperial Cults? --- p.59 / Chapter 2.4 --- Conclusion --- p.61 / Chapter Chapter Three --- King Agrippa I Smitten by an Angel of the Lord: Acts 12:20-23 and the Lukan Attitude towards Emperor Worship --- p.63 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2 --- Acts 12:20-23 and the Theme of Apotheosis: Reviewing Some Recent Interpretations of the Lukan Account of Agrippa I's Death --- p.67 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- "An Assessment of Martin Meiser's ""Historical Objections""" --- p.69 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Typical Death of a Tyrant as Persecutor of the Church? --- p.75 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- "Some Alleged Allusions to ""Ruler Cult Rituals""" --- p.81 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- "The ""Royal Clothing""" --- p.83 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- "The ""Appointed Day"" and Imperial Festival" --- p.85 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- The Divine Voice: A Neronian Allusion? --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- "A Critique of the Ruler Cult with Its Rituals of ""Divine Filiation"" and Its ""Wrong"" Expression of Power?" --- p.96 / Chapter 3.3 --- A False and Falsely Apotheosized Royal Benefactor: Acts 12:20-23 and Emperor Worship --- p.102 / Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter Four --- An Imperial Neokoros Mocked: Acts 19:23-41 as a Domitianic or Post-Domitianic Retelling of an Ephesian Riot --- p.108 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.108 / Chapter 4.2 --- Artemis Ephesia and the Imperial Context of the Riot: Reviewing Kreitzer's Study --- p.113 / Chapter 4.3 --- "Ephesus, a ""Double"" Neokoros City: Imperial Cult as Context of the Riot Episode" --- p.129 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- The Opening Appeal of the City Secretary --- p.129 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- """Neokoros"" as a Sacred Office" --- p.134 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- """Neokoros"" as a City Title" --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- """Neokoros"" and the Flavian Provincial Cult of Asia" --- p.140 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Ephesus as the Neokoros of Artemis and of the ΔioπεTηζ --- p.144 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- "Ephesian Silversmiths, the Motif of Moneymaking Religion, and the Imperial Cults" --- p.154 / Chapter 4.4 --- Conclusion --- p.158 / Conclusion --- p.160 / Works Cited --- p.165

The study aims, in the first part, at a coherent formulation of a theory of text production, one located against the backdrop of an Hegelian conception of reality which sees text and society as constituting a dynamic and mutually formative relationship. This theoretical appropriation is situated more broadly in the Tri-Polar exegetical framework as set out by my supervisor, Prof. Jonathan Draper, and in this regard also entails a dialogue with his approach. This then constitutes the first pole of the framework, distantiation. At the second pole, contextualisation, the methodological tool by which contemporary society is critiqued, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment, is used to explicate the mythological degeneration of the modern scientific paradigm in its partnership with the culture industry, where the system’s totalising logic is seen as delimiting the realm of legitimate knowledge generation such that forms of knowledge that might be counterpoised in opposition to this paradigm are from the outset proscribed. The section of contextualisation therefore points to the need for alternative forms of knowledge generation, ones which are not complicit with the internal logic of the system and which thereby seek to avoid either co-option or obsoletisation. In the final stage of appropriation two case studies are offered to suggest how this has been, or could further be, achieved with reference, in the first instance, to the Genesis 3 narrative and the field of anthropological studies and, in the second, to John 20 and the sphere of contemporary ecclesial praxis. The case studies draw on the work of biblical scholars from the relevant fields and seek to represent this work in a kind of re-appropriation interpreting it in light of the theory set out at the stage of distantiation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

This essay consists of six chapters with an introduction and conclusion. INTRODUCTION: The introduction sets out the scope of the essay and states the methodology that is followed. CHAPTER I: THE PEOPLE OF GOD. This and the next two chapters deal with the Pauline conception of the Church. This chapter deals in particular with Paul's understanding of the continuity of the Church with Israel. The Old 'Testament terms and types that Paul uses are examined and their new application to the Church noted. The Church is examined as the "people of God", the "ekklesia" the "saints", the "elect" and the "temple of the Holy Spirit". CHAPTER II: THE WHOLE CHRIST. This chapter deals with the understanding of the Church as being "in Christ", as being "with Christ" in his redemptive acts. Here the close union between Christ and the Christian is examined,especially as it is conveyed by the "local" understanding of "in Christ" and the Christians' participation "with Christ" in baptism. The term fellowship (Koinonia) is also examined. The chapter concludes that Paul regards Christians as being "solid" with Christ. CHAPTER III: THE BODY OF CHRIST. Here the corporate understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ is examined. After a brief survey of various theories of origin it is suggested that the formula and concept itself was an original Pauline formulation. The "body of Christ" is closely identified with the actual redemptive acts, but it is exceeding the figures usage to regard the Church under this figure as the Iiteral physical body of Christ. While the term is used metaphorically, it is yet more than a metaphor. It expresses the corporate nature of the Christian Church, in its union with Christ. CHAPTER IV: LUKE, JESUS AND THE COMMUNITY. This chapter looks at Luke's treatment of Jesus' purpose. It seeks to answer the question as to whether Jesus intended to found a community. The question of eschatology and its relationship to the Lukan concept of the Church is examined. It is shown that Luke did have an interest in eschatology and that this did not prevent him conceiving of Jesus' founding a community. CHAPTER V: THE RESTORATION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD (ISRAEL). We see in this chapter that Luke has an unique ecclesiology. For he does conceive of a Church, but one that is essentially Jewish, in fact the restored Israel. Luke only envisages one Israel, from which unbelieving Jews are cut off. This Israel, as part of its restoration, comprehends within itself both the Samaritans (who are viewed by Luke more as Jews than non-Jews) and the Gentiles. CHAPTER VI: THE APOSTLES, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE COMMUNITY. The Apostles are regarded by Luke as the regents of the restored Israel, not really as the guarantors of a Jesus tradition or as the first ecclesiastical officials. As such they are instrumental in showing the Church's continuity with Israel and the events of Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension. They are vital for the Lukan conception of the restoration of Israel. When this is done by the inclusion of believing Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles, they disappear from Luke's account. The Holy Spirit is viewed as Jesus' gift to the Church, which guides it into an understanding of its universal nature. The Holy Spirit is seen as essential in Christian initiation. Participation in the Holy Spirit, together with the Church's common origin, give the Church its unity and life. CONCLUSION. The conclusion sums up the Lukan and the Pauline concepts of the Church, noting both their similarities and the points wherein they differ. Reasons are advanced for these differences.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie word veral gewerk met twee begrippe naamlik Teologie en Ideologie. Ideologie word gedefinieer as ’n potensieel gevaarlike stel samehangende idees van hoe ’n bepaalde samelewing onder alle omstandighede en tye gestruktureer behoort te word en wat nie teenstand duld nie. Teologie word gedefinieer as nadenke oor God, sy persoon, verhouding en optrede teenoor mense. Teologie is egter nie immuun teen ideologiese invloede nie. Hierdie punt word geïllustreer uit die geskiedenis van die Judeërs aan die einde van die monargale tydperk aan die hand van twee teksgedeeltes naamlik 2 Samuel 7:1-16 en Jeremia 7:1-15. Teenoor die vaste geloof in die Dawids- en Sionstradisies, wat in besonder verwoord word in 2 Samuel 7:1-16, wat die volk onder alle omstandighede en te alle tye teen vyande sal beskerm, word die stem van die Jeremia gehoor. Jeremia pleit vir ’n terugkeer na die basiese waarhede van die Jahwistiese geloof naamlik omgee, liefde en regverdigheid en geregtigheid teenoor alle mense. Die verwerping van Jeremia se boodskap en die vasklou aan die twee ideologies gekleurde tradisies, lei direk tot die Babiloniese ballingskap wat byna die einde van die Judeërs beteken het. Ook vir die Christelike kerk is die versmelting van ideologie en teologie altyd ’n wesentlike gevaar. This study focused on two important concepts namely Theology and Ideology. Ideology is defined as a potentially dangerous set of integrated ideas according to which a certain society is supposed to be structured at all times and situations and no opposition is tolerated. Theology is defined as thoughts about God, his person, relations and acts towards people. Theology can very easily and unknowingly display certain aspects of Ideology. This point is illustrated from the history of the Judean people at the end of the Monarchical period from two texts namely 2 Samuel 7:1-16 and Jeremiah 7:1-15. Against the firm belief in the David- and Ziontraditions, which is expressed in 2 Samuel 7:1-16, which protected the Judeans against any threat and any enemy, we hear the voice of the prophet Jeremiah. Particularly in Jeremiah 7:1-15 the prophet Jeremiah is pleading for a return to the basic principals of the Yahwistic religion namely, care, love and justice to all people. The rejection of the message of Jeremiah and the choice for the two ideologically coloured traditions has led to the Babylonian exile that almost caused the end of the Judeans. This blending of ideology and theology is also potentially a big threat to the Christian church. / This study focused on two important concepts namely Theology and Ideology. Ideology is defined as a potentially dangerous set of integrated ideas according to which a certain society is supposed to be structured at all times and situations and no opposition is tolerated. Theology is defined as thoughts about God, his person, relations and acts towards people. Theology can very easily and unknowingly display certain aspects of Ideology. This point is illustrated from the history of the Judean people at the end of the Monarchical period from two texts namely 2 Samuel 7:1-16 and Jeremiah 7:1-15. Against the firm belief in the David- and Ziontraditions, which is expressed in 2 Samuel 7:1-16, which protected the Judeans against any threat and any enemy, we hear the voice of the prophet Jeremiah. Particularly in Jeremiah 7:1-15 the prophet Jeremiah is pleading for a return to the basic principals of the Yahwistic religion namely, care, love and justice to all people. The rejection of the message of Jeremiah and the choice for the two ideologically coloured traditions has led to the Babylonian exile that almost caused the end of the Judeans. This blending of ideology and theology is also potentially a big threat to the Christian church. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / D.Th. (Old Testament)

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