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[Truncated abstract] In this thesis I examine the poetics of Thomas Traherne’s often over-looked Christology through a reading of The Kingdom of God. This work, probably written in the early 1670s, was not discovered until 1997, and not published until 2005. To date, no extended studies of the work have been published. It is my argument that Traherne develops an expansive and energetic poetic expressive of the theme of the ‘Cosmic Christ’ in which Christ is understood to be the source, the sustaining life, cohesive bond, and redemptive goal, of the universe, and his body to encompass all things. While the term ‘Cosmic Christ’ is largely of 20th century origin, its application to Traherne is defended on the grounds that it describes not so much a modern theology, as an ancient theology rediscovered in the context of an expanding cosmology. Cosmic Christology lies, according to Joseph Sittler,“tightly enfolded in the Church’s innermost heart and memory,” and its unfolding in Traherne’s Kingdom of God is accomplished through the knitting together of an essentially Patristic and Pauline Christology with the discoveries and speculations of seventeenth century science: from the infinity of the universe to the workings of atoms. … The thesis concludes with a distillation of Traherne’s Christic poetic The Word Incarnate. The terms put forward by Cosmic Christology are used to explicate Traherne’s intrepid poetic. In his most remarkable passages, Traherne employs language not only as a rhetorical tool at the service of theological reasoning, but to directly body forth his sense of Christ at the centre of world and self. He promises to “rend the Vail” and to reveal “the secrets of the most holy place.” Scorning more “Timorous Spirits,” he undertakes to communicate and “consider it all.”

Scholarship has tended to depict John Owen as a “Reformed catholic” attempting a synthesis of Reformed principles with a largely Thomist doctrine of God. In this thesis, I argue that this depiction risks losing sight of those aspects of Owen's doctrine of God that are intended to support a distinctly Protestant account of the economy of grace. By an examination of the principles of divine government, I argue that Owen employs the theme of God's “dominion” in order to establish the freedom and gratuity of God's grace, and to resist theologies that might otherwise use the doctrine of creation to structure and norm God's government of creatures. In chapter one, I argue against prevailing readings of Owen's thought that his theology of the divine will is, in fact, “voluntarist” in nature, prioritizing God's will over his intellect in the determination of the divine decree. I show that Owen regards God's absolute dominion as an entailment of his ontological priority over creatures. Chapters two and three examine the character of God's dominion over creatures in virtue of their “two-fold dependence” upon him as both Creator and Lawgiver. Chapter four takes up Owen's theology of God's remunerative justice in the context of his covenant theology. I show here that his doctrine of divine dominion underwrites his critique of merit-theology and attempts to establish the gratuity of that supernatural end to which humans are destined. Finally, in chapter five, I examine the principles of God's mercy, expressed in the work of redemption, where I demonstrate how Owen's conception of divine dominion underwrites the freedom of God in election and his account of particular redemption.

This study examines the eschatology of issues related to African folk religion. It argues about the eschatological understanding of time with regard to the afterlife, ancestors and the afterlife, Christ the eschaton and the incarnation of Christ as redeeming of the ancestors. Such a model of local theology can result from a comprehensive reflection based on the Scriptures. As such, this study suggests some principles and praxis that appropriately address mission in the African context. This study also intends to challenge the church in Africa in particular, and cross-cultural workers in general, to redefine their missions and themselves in the face of theological issues, as well as social problems, which occur at all levels of African society. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Thesis (D. Th. (Missiology))

Text in Afrikaans / In this study certain dt3ficiencies in connection with administrating church membership are being identified by using statistical information from "Kerkspieel Ill". The cause for these deficiencies can not simply be found in only one or even two factors. It constitutes in several factors some of which are easier to evaluate than others. The fact that it is not easy to measure a cause, does not mean that it should be avoided. Therefore, the practice concerning church membership is being examined in an exploring manner as it is an indispensable organisational matter. It is being approached from two dimensions: first the ecclesiology of the church is studied from a systematic-theological and practical-theological viewpoint with the purpose to determine whether that which the Dutch Reformed Church confesses as church clogma is indeed theologically acceptable. Then, with the ecclesiology as background, the structural phenomenon af church membership is investigated to see in what way the current practice in connection with church membership is conducive or perhaps destructive to the practice of the ecclesiology of the church. After identifying certain descrepancies between the church law and regulations and the E!Cclesiological confession on the one hand, and the church law and regulations and the current practice of membership on the other hand, a new practice for membership is designed. The aim of this new practice is to unite the church's ecclesiological confession and its practice on membership in a closer relationship to each other with the goal to lead members of the church to a fuller understanding of the meaning of their membership. This better understanding will serve as motivation for a more dedicated service to God in honor of his Name. The expectation is that other. renewing projects such as liturgical renewal, will be more effective if it is condu·cted in an atmosphere where members have a better understanding of their membership. / In hierdie studie word vanuit statistiese gegewens soos veral in Kerkspieel Ill opgeteken, sekere lee1mtes wat verband hou met lidmaatskap in die kerk ge'identifiseer. Die oorsake vir die leemtes is sekerlik nie simplisties in slegs een of selfs twee faktore te vind nie. Dit hou verband met 'n verskeidenheid van faktore waarvan sommige makliker meetbaar is as ander. Die feit dat 'n saak nie maklik meetbaar is nie, beteken nie dat dit vermy moet word nie. Daarom word hier verkennend gekyk na die hantering van kerklike lidmaatskap as onontbeerlike organisatoriese aangeleentheid. Dit word van twee kante benader: eerstens word gekyk na die kerk se ekklesiologie vanuit 'n sistematies- en prakties-teologiese perspektief met die doel om vas te stel of dit wat in die Ned Geref Kerk oor die kerk geleer word teologies versoenbaar is. Teen hierdie ekklesiologiese agtergrond word die strukturele verskynsel van lidmaatskap bekyk om uiteindelik na te gaan in watter mate die huidige praxis in VE!rband met lidmaatskap bevorderlik of dalk afbrekend inwerl< op die praxis van die ekklesiologie. Nadat bepaalde diskrepansies tussen die kerkordelike bepalinge en die ekklesiologiese belydenis aan die een kant asook tussen die kerkordelike bepalinge en die huidige praxis van lidmaatskap aan die anderkant aangetoon is, word 'n nuwe praxis vir kerklike lidmaatskap aan die hand gedoen. Die bedoeling is om die kerk se ekklesiologiese belydenis en die betekenis van kerklike lidmaatskap nader aan mekaar te bring sodat die lidmate van die kerk daartoe gelei kan wor:d om al beter te verstaan waarom dit in lidmaatskap eintlik gaan en deur hierdie beter begrip daartoe gemotiveer te word om met groter toewyding die Here tot sy eer te dien. Die verwagting is dat ander kerkvernuwende projekte soos oa die vernuwing van die erediens meer effektief sal wees indien dit geskied waar lidmate ' / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

Thesis (MTh)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central problem with which this research is working is: has there been a shift in the members of the Dutch Reformed Congregation Murray (De Doorns) concept of the church, and, if so, how did it affect the role expectation of the ministers? The purpose of the study is to determine the church concept and role expectation of the members of the congregation and to help the congregation to discover their missional identity. It is important that the congregation will learn spiritual discernment. For the purpose of the study the work was done within the field of practical theology on the basis of the cross methology as found in Studying Congregations in Africa ( Hendriks 2004). This practical theology methology works with a constant correlation-hermeneutic between the Word of God and the world, between context and identity. This correlation is called spiritual discernment and when this happens it will lead to a certain strategy, a way of life in which the members of the congregation do not think institutionally (regarding the role of the minister), but where the members themselves stand before God and are open for his guidance to be light and salt for the world. The theological foundation of missional theology on the basis of the doctrine of the Trinity and the practical implications for the church are discussed in Chapter 2. This is normative for missional theology. Chapter 3 is a discussion of the context of the congregation with regard to the current situation in the world, the wider community and the congregation. It is common knowledge that the world is currently in a time of major, fast and unpredictable change. It is important that the congregation will use the change in the way identity is formed in a positive manner by creating an alternative identity in Christ Jesus. The role expectations of the ministers are central to the research problem. In Chapter 4 the researcher gives what he believes to be the normative role of the minister should a congregation want to learn to live with spiritual discernment. For this to happen the ministers need to establish certain faith-forming habits. Without these faith-forming habits it will be impossible for the minister to lead the congregation to live with spiritual discernment. The Dutch Reformed congregation of Murray (De Doorns) which was the focus of the study, was researched by using a qualitative questionnaire and ethnographic research. The results were discussed by triangulation and it thus became clear that there are clear differences with regard to the church model of choice and the role expectations for the ministers. The research shows that there has been a definite shift in the church concept of the members of the congregation. This shift, however has not had a major effect on the role expectations for the ministers. There is thus some degree of conflict between the church concept of the members of the congregation and their role expectations for the ministers. If this conflict is not addressed and the role expectations of the ministers cleared anew, the congregation will not learn to live with spiritual discernment and will not be able to join the missio Dei. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sentrale probleem waarmee daar in hierdie navorsing gewerk word, is die volgende: Het daar 'n skuif in die kerkbegrip van lidmate in die NG gemeente Murray (De Doorns) gekom en hoe beïnvloed dit hulle rolverwagting van hulle leraars? Die doel van die studie is om die kerkbegrip en rolverwagtinge van die lidmate van die gemeente vas te stel en om die gemeente te help om sy missionale identiteit te ontdek. Die gemeente moet dus geleer word om in die geloof te kan onderskei. Vir die doel van die navorsing word daar binne die veld van Praktiese Teologie aan die hand van die kruis metodiek van Hendriks se Studying Congregations in Africa (2004) gewerk. Die prakties-teologiese metodologie wat gebruik word, sê dat daar die hele tyd ʼn hermeneuties sensitiewe korrelasie tussen Woord en wêreld moet wees; met ander woorde tussen konteks en identiteit. Hierdie korrelasie word geloofsonderskeiding genoem en as dit gebeur, loop dit uit op ʼn bepaalde strategie, 'n manier van lewe waar lidmate se dink nie institutêr is nie (betreffende die rol van die dominee), maar waar hulle self voor die Here staan en oop is vir sy leiding om in hulle konteks lig en sout te wees. Dit is die ideaal waarna gewerk word. In hoofstuk 2 word die teologiese fondasie van die missionale teologie aan die hand van die leer van die Triniteit gelê en word die praktiese implikasies daarvan vir die kerk bespreek. Hierdie is die normatiewe van die missionale teologie. In die derde hoofstuk word die konteks van die gemeente bespreek aan die hand van die huidige situasie in die wêreld, die veranderinge binne die breë gemeenskap en die huidige situasie in die gemeente. Daar word op gewys dat die wêreld tans groot, vinnige en onvoorspelbare veranderinge beleef. Die gemeente sal die impak van hierdie veranderinge op 'n positiewe wyse moet benut deur 'n alternatiewe identiteit in Jesus Christus te skep. Die rolverwagtinge van die leraars staan sentraal in die navorsingsprobleem en om dié rede word daar in hoofstuk vier gefokus op wat die navorser beskou as die normatiewe rol van leraars, indien hulle die gemeente wil leer om geloofsonderskeidend te leef. Leraars behoort bepaalde geloofsvormende gewoontes as prioriteit in hulle bediening te beskou. Sonder die geloofsgewoontes sal die leraar nie die gemeente kan lei om geloofsonderskeidend te leef nie. Die NG Gemeente Murray (De Doorns), wat die fokus van die navorsing was, is by wyse van 'n kwalitatiewe vraelys en deur etnografiese studie nagevors. Die resultate is deur middel van triangulasie bespreek en daaruit het dit duidelik geword dat daar duidelike verskille is wat betref die kerkmodel van voorkeur en die rolverwagting van die leraars. Dis egter duidelik dat daar wel 'n skuif gekom het in die kerkbegrip van die lidmate. Hierdie skuif in kerkbegrip het egter nog nie so 'n groot effek op die rolverwagting wat lidmate van die leraars het nie. Daar is dus 'n mate van konflik tussen kerkbegrip van lidmate en hulle verwagting van die leraars. Indien dit nie aangespreek word en die rolle van die leraars nuut uitgeklaar word nie, sal die gemeente nie leer om geloofsonderskeidend te leef nie en kan die gemeente nie aansluit by die missio Dei nie.