Text in Afrikaans / Aquinas's five point argument for God's existence views creation as a holistic entity in which synthesis and creative influences are initiated through the interaction between minimal and maximal acts of being. These acts are represented by the per accidens and the per se respectively. Both these acts are fundamental acts which are crucial to the outcome of the argument for the existence of God. The creature who, because of his per accidens dependency, possesses minimal status, is elevated to a place of honour by participation in creation. Both the essence and esse of creatures have their origin in the pure esse of the maximal act of being (God). Maximal being, the efficient cause, grounds the similarity between itself and minimal acts of being. Both the per accidens and the per se have crucial roles to play in the verification of tbe argument. Should any one of these two elements be lacking, the argument would be invalid. / Aquinas se Quinque Via as 'n Holistiese Beredenering is 'n vyfpunt-argument vir die bestaan van God wat die skepping as 'n eenheid beskou waarin sintese en skeppende invloede bewerkstellig word deur interaksie tussen minimale en maksimale bestaansaktes. Die bestaansaktes word deur die per accidens en die per se (wat die fundamentele boustene in die argument vorm) verteenwoordig. Die skepsel wat vanwee sy per accidens- afhanklikheid beperkte status beklee, word deur bemiddeling van die per se of maksimale bestaansakte (God) tot deelgenoot verhef en beklee ·n ereplek in die skepping. Beide die esse en essensie van menslike wesens het hul oorsprong in die suiwer esse van die maksimale bestaansakte. Maksimale bestaan, die effektiewe oorsaak, begrond die ooreenkoms tussen sigself en die minimale bestaansaktes. Die per accidens sowel as die per se vervul 'n onontbeerlike rol in die bewysvoering van die argument. Sou een van die twee fundamentele elemente ontbreek, sou die argument in geheel ongeldig wees. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.A. (Wysbegeerte)

The French Benedictine monk Henri Le Saux (Abhishiktananda) sought to establish an Indian Christian monasticism, emphasizing Hindu advaitic experience. He understood advaita as both nondual and non-monistic. Using phenomenology and comparative philosophy, this thesis explores his understanding and experience of advaita, comparing it to both traditional Hinduism and neo-Vedanta, as well as to Christianity and Zen Buddhism. Abhishiktananda's description of his experience is examined in relation to perception, thinking, action, ontology and theology. Special attention is given to comparing the views of the Hindu sages Ramana Maharshi and Gnanananda, both of whom influenced Abhishiktananda. Abhishiktananda believed that advaita must be directly experienced; this experience is beyond all words and concepts. He compares Christian apophatic mysticism and Hindu sannyasa. This thesis examines his distinction between experience and thought in relation to recent philosophical discussions. Abhishiktananda radically reinterprets Christianity. His affirmation of both nonduality and non-monism was influenced by Christian Trinitarianism, interpreted as an emanation of the Many from the One. Jesus' experience of Sonship with the Father is an advaitic experience that is equally available to everyone. Abhishiktananda believes that the early Upanishads report a similar experience. A monistic interpretation of advaita only developed later with the "dialectics" of Shankara's disciples. In non-monistic advaita, the world is not an illusion. Using ideas derived from tantra and Kashmir Saivism, Abhishiktananda interprets maya as the sakti or power of Shiva. He compares sakti to the Holy Spirit. Abhishiktananda distinguishes between a pure consciousness experience (nirvikalpa or kevala samadhi) and a return to the world of diversity in sahaja samadhi. Ramai:ia and Gnanananda make a similar distinction. Sahaja samadhi is the state of the jivanmukti, the one who is liberated while still in the body; it is an experience that is referred to in tantra and in Kashmir Saivism. Abhishikta:nanda never experienced nirvikalpa samadhi, but he did experience sahaja samiidhi. The appendix provides one possible synthesis of Abhishiktananda's understanding of advaita using the ideas of C.G. Jung. / Religious Studies and Arabic / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

Text in Afrikaans / Weens kerke se eskatologiese verskille is daar twee hoofstrome van millennialisme: chiliasme en antichiliasme, wat tradisioneel as alternatiewe teenoor mekaar gestel word. Hierdie verhandeling behels egter 'n holistiese vergelyking van verskillende eskatologiee en hulle gepaardgaande millennialismes, ten einde die drie hoofstrome van millennialisme: pre-, post- en amillennialisme, met Konig se millennialisme te vergelyk. 'n Literatuurstudie toon dat Konig eskatologie definieer as die realisering van God se doel (die verbond) met die skepping deur die persoon van Jesus Christus. Die realisering van hierdie doel het met Christus se eerste koms in die Nuwe-Testamentiese bedeling begin. Derhalwe handhaaf Konig 'n Christosentriese eskatologie i.p.v. die tradisionele 'verdinglikte' eskatologie wat die eskatologie definieer as die allerlaaste dinge wat moet gebeur voor die einde van die wereld. Waarteoloe dus in die algemeen slegs 'n gedeelte van die N.T. as eskatologiese veld beskou (soos bv. Barth wat die eskatologie by Christus se opstanding begin, en Moltmann wat dit by Christus se kruisiging begin), sien Konig die hele N.T. as eskatologie in 'n Christologiese sin. Teenoor sommige teoloe wat weer die O.T. as eskatologie klassifiseer, betoog Konig dat hoewel die O.T. toekomsgerig is, dit nie ware eskatologie kan wees nie, want toe was God se doel/verbond/koninkryk nog nie in die mens Jesus Christus verwesenlik nie. In 'n toekomsgerigte sin kan die O.T., volgens Konig, wel 'eskatologie' genoem word, maar dan sal dit 'mislukte eskatologie' wees. Maar die werklike realisering van God se doel met die skepping deur Christus, het eers in die N.T. met die eerste koms van Jesus Christus begin. Die resultaat van ons evaluering van Konig toon duidelike teologiese verskille wat Konig met die chiliaste en met die antichiliaste het. Konig kan bv. nie saamstem met die chiliaste se idee van 'n millennium wat vir 'n bepaalde tydperk sal bestaan nie. Ook gaan hy nie akkoord met die antichiliaste se sg. millennium wat vir 'n onbepaalde tydperk sal duur nie. Dog ten spyte van verskille tussen Konig en die antichiliaste, is daar wel betekenisvolle ooreenkomste. Hier dink ons bv. aan die felt dat Konig saam met die antichiliaste betoog teen die chiliaste se siening van 'n letterlike vrederyk op die ou aarde wat presies eenduisend jaar sal duur. In ons konklusie is dit duidelik dat die verskille tussen Konig en ander millennialiste te wyte is aan veel meer as net hulle onderskeie hermeneutiese interpretasies van die eskatologie en die sg. millennium. Teenoor die tradisionele eskatologie se verengde teleskopiese tonnelvisie wat die eskatologiese veld beperk net tot 'n allerlaaste eindtydelike bedeling, staan Konig se bree makroskopiese voelvlugvisie wat die eskatologiese lyn vanaf Christus se krip tot by sy troon op die nuwe aarde laat strek. Maar aangesien dit in die lig van Konig se ekumeniese teologie tog moontlik is om eerder die punte van ooreenkoms as die van verskil tussen die millennialistiese benaderings te beklemtoon, word 'n ekumeniese toekomsblik vir die millenniumdebat voorgestel. / Because of eschatological differences amongst churches, there are two main streams of millennialism: chiliasm and antichiliasm, which is traditionally set as alternatives against each other. This dissertation, however, contains a holistic comparison of different eschatologies and their accompanying millennialisms, in order to compare the three main streams of millennialism: pre-, post- and amillennialism, with Konig's millennialism. A literary study shows that Konig defines eschatology as the realization of God's purpose i.e. the covenant) with the creation through the person of Jesus Christ. The realization of this purpose had started at the first coming of Christ in the dispensation of the N.T. Therefore Konig maintains a Christocentric eschatology in stead of the traditional 'thing-ifying' eschatology that defines eschatology as the very last things to happen before the end of the world. Whereas theologians in general would envisage only part of the N.T. as the field of eschatology (as for instance Barth who starts his eschatology at the resurrection of Christ, and Moltmann who starts it at the crucifixion of Christ), Konig would deem the whole N.T. as eschatology in a Christological sense. Over against some theologians that would also classify the O.T. as eschatology, Konig would argue that although the O.T. is oriented towards the future, it could not be true eschatology, since God's purpose/covenant/kingdom was not yet realized through the man Christ Jesus in the O.T. Because of the futurological force of the O.T., it could well be called 'eschatology' according to Konig, but then it would only be an 'unsuccessful eschatology'. But the true realization of God's purpose with the creation through Christ, had only started in the N.T. at the first coming of Jesus Christ. The result of our evaluation of Konig shows distinct theological differences that Konig has with both the chiliasts and the antichiliasts. Konig could for instance not agree with the chiliasts' idea of a millennium that will exist for a definite period of time. Neither could he agree with the antichiliasts' notion that the socalled millennium will continue for an indefinite period of time. Though despite the differences between Konig and the antichiliasts, there are also meaningful similarities. Take for instance the fact that Konig joins the antichiliasts in their argument against the chiliasts' idea of a literal kingdom of peace on the old earth, which will presumably last exactly for one thousand years. In our conclusion it is quite clear that the differences between Konig and the other millennialists are the result of much more than their respective hermeneutical interpretations of eschatology and the socalled millennium. In contrast to the narrow telescopic tunnel vision of the traditional eschatology that limits the eschatological field to an ultimate endtime dispensation, stands Konig's broad macroscopic birdflight vision that stretches the eschatological line from Chrtist's crib to his throne on the new earth. But since it is possible in the light of Konig's ecumenical theology to rather stress the points of agreement than that of disagreement amongst the various millennialistic approaches, an ecumenical vision for the future of the millennium debate is proposed / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. M. (Sistematiese Teologie)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Die tema van hierdie studie toon die kerkbegrip van Cyprianus aan as 'n spanning tussen die kerk as instituut en die kerk van die Gees. Hoofstuk een skets die invloed van Tertullianus as leermeester op Cyprianus. Tertullianus se kerkbegrip getuig self van spanning wat die produk is van 'n verandering van lidmaatskap vanaf die Katolieke kerk na die Montaniste. Tertullianus se kerkbegrip word vanuit twee perspektiewe belig. Eerstens vanuit 'n Katolieke, met 'n fokus op die fundering van die ware kerk en die mag van die kerk om sondes te kan vergewe. Tweedens vanuit 'n Montanistiese, wat die def iniering van die ware kerk en die mag van die kerk om sondes te kan vergewe eksklusief geestelik begrond. Hoofstuk twee skets die milieu waarbinne Cyprianus gearbei het. Dit sluit in 'n biografie van Cyprianus en die Afrika-religie en bevolking. Tweedens word die Europese invloed op Cyprianus se kerkbegrip aangedui. Die invloed van die Romeinse staatkundige model kan duidelik waargeneem word. Die grootste invloed was egter die Roomse kerklike model, weens die dinamika van die Roomse kerk. Hoofstuk drie skets die ekklesiologie van Cyprianus. Die spanning tussen die kerk as 'n instituut en die kerk van die Gees word aangedui deur 'n bespreking van die episkopaat; die betekenis van die biskop; Cyprianus se gesagsbegrip en sy perspektief op die primaat. Cyprianus se Bybelse verbintenis, sowel as die twee historiese lyne, naamlik die Pauliniese lyn en die Petruslyn, plaas sy uitspraak salus extra ecclesiam non est in perspektief. Cyprianus se kerkbegrip is primer 'n ekklesiologie van die Gees. In sy strewe na die eenheid van die kerk vind hy die kerk as instituut egter onontbeerlik. Spanning onstaan in sy poging om 'n sintese tussen die twee te vorm. / The theme of this study reveals the tension to be found between the church as institution and the church of the Spirit, in the ecclesiology of Cyprian. Chapter one shows the influence which Tertullian, as tutor, exerted on Cyprian. The ecclesiology of Tertullian also reveals the tension which is produced by the change of membership from Catholicism to Montanism. Tertullian's ecclesiology is highlighted from two different perspectives. Firstly from a Catholic view, with the focus on the fundamentals of the true church, and the authority and power of the church to forgive sins. Secondly, a Montanist view is proposed, which defines the true church, and the power it yields in forgiving sins, as being exclusively spiritual in nature. Chapter two describes the environment in which Cyprian worked. This includes a biography of Cyprian, as well as the African religion and people. Secondly the European influence is shown on Cyprian's ecclesiology. The influence exerted by the Roman state model is also clearly seen. The major influence though, was exercised by the Roman church model, on account of the dynamics of the Roman church. Chapter three describes Cyprian's ecclesiology. The tension between the church as institute and the church of the Spirit is revealed in a discussion on the episcopacy; the significance of the bishop; Cyprian's view on authority and his perspective on the primacy. Cyprian's biblical connection, as well as the two historical lines, namely the Pauline and Petrine lines, put his salus extra ecclesiam non est pronouncement in perspective. ecclesiology the unity of Cyprian's view is primarily that of a of the Spirit. In his striving towards the church though, he finds the church as institute to be indispensable. Tension develops in his endeavor to form a synthesis between the two. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th.

Title in German and English, text in German, abstract and keywords in English / This thesis deals primarily with the questions: Is Israel constantly chosen by God or have the devine promises gone over to the chuch? Are jews to be saved without the sacrifice of Christ? Should jews be missionised as gentiles alike? To give responses, the followings steps are worked out: At first an overview on the israelological models that have been opined during church- history is presented. Secondly church-documents are analyzed in spite of their missiological content. Thirdly an exegesis of Romans 9-11 is offered. Following this, those of the church-documents, whose israelology is closest to the witness of scripture, are presented. Finally a conclusion is offered, which states, that jews are constantly chosen, but not to be saved in another manner as gentiles. Therefore the church is continually obliged to bear the Gospel also to Israel. Jews and gentiles alike are to be saved by nothing but the blood of Jesus. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis reassesses the evidence surrounding Edward Irving’s controversial teaching about the doctrine of the incarnation. Irving was a controversial figure in his own day and his legacy has been contested ever since he was dismissed from the ministry of the Church of Scotland for teaching that Christ had a ‘fallen’ human nature. This thesis re-examines the emergence and significance of Irving’s teaching. It evaluates the scholarly consensus that his distinctive Christology was a stable feature of his thought and argues the case that his thinking in this area did change significantly. Methodologically, this thesis draws on some aspects of Quentin Skinner’s work in the importance of context (Chapter Two) to understand Irving as he really was, rather than in terms of his later significance. In the light of this, Irving’s biography is examined in Chapter Three, before moving into a discussion of the influential part played by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Irving’s intellectual development (Chapter Four). The second half of the thesis then moves on to consider the development of Irving’s Christology and the questions surrounding its provenance and development (Chapters Five and Six). Finally, in Chapter Seven, possible sources of explanation for Irving’s distinctive ideas about the Incarnation are exhibited and assessed. The argument of this thesis is that Edward Irving developed an account of the Incarnation that was essentially novel, in response to the Romantic ideas that he had derived from Coleridge. In accordance with Coleridge’s assessment, it is argued that this derivation was rendered more complex by Irving’s incomplete apprehension of Coleridge’s underlying philosophy. Nonetheless, it is argued that Edward Irving’s teaching presented a Romantic version of Christ, and that this distinctive conception owes more to the times in which Irving lived than to the theological tradition to which he claimed adherence.

This thesis provides an examination into the primary features in the theology of one of the turn of the century's leading evangelical theologians, Stanley J. Grenz. It begins by establishing the controversial nature of Grenz's project within evangelical theology, and how his aims were misread by a number of evangelical scholars. It then argues that the primary feature in his writings was the doctrine of the Trinity, giving shape to his methodology, theology, and ethical engagement. Accordingly, this thesis identifies the most significant features he adopted and adapted from Wolfhart Pannenberg, whose influence on Grenz is readily seen. These features include not only how Grenz derived particular methodological aspects from Pannenberg (chap. 2), but also those related to the shape of his trinitarian theology itself (chap. 3). Next, while realizing that Grenz's new-found emphasis on a trinitarian project was not placed on a tabula rasa, a wider account of his trinitarian background is considered (chap. 4), as is the particular developmental shape of his doctrine of the Trinity itself (chap. 5). Following this, an examination is made into how Grenz accessed this doctrine of the Trinity, through the imago Dei concept, informed by a theological hermeneutic, theological exegesis, and weaved through the traditional systematic loci (chap. 6). Finally, the shape of his trinitarian ethical work is considered in light of the overall coherence of his body of writings, both in its early form as a Christian ethic as well as in the test-cases that were part of his engagement (chap. 7). This is followed by a summary of the reception of Grenz's project, which is deemed consistent with his aims of being both a distinctly evangelical and trinitarian theologian.

'Direct experience of God' is a term frequently used by theologians without adequate clarification regarding its meaning. The understanding thereof has become increasingly complicated by the process of secularization. In the 1960's, it was repeatedly asserted that modern people could not have direct experiences of God, albeit that one could still live by faith and by commitment to the way of Jesus in a world in which, it was asserted, "God is dead". This claim, although long predominant, has been challenged by the upsurge of interest in mysticism, both Eastern and Western, and the burgeoning of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement, in which circles direct experience of God was frequently claimed. If direct experience of God is something natural to humanity, interpretation of it will vary in exactly the same way as interpretation of all other human experiences. This could be a possible reason for it being so very poorly integrated into everyday life, resulting in the loss of meaning and value.

The poetic effectiveness of Milton's God is a fundamental critical issue in Paradise Lost, and the thesis addresses this concern by first surveying the various representations of God contained in the Hebrew scriptures. To speak of the biblical God, one must first understand the tremendous diversity o f his portrayals: he meets with some people in human form, and with others as a voice, a light, or an awesome presence. Milton's God shares less with the God o f Genesis than he does with the God of the prophets; yet Milton's representation demonstrates that though Eden will be lost, God will continue to manifest himself to those who seek his face. The cosmology of the epic reveals both the immensity o f creation and the intimacy o f its Creator, since the entire world is filled with the glory o f God, and yet the garden where Adam and Eve live is an archetypal sanctuary and their bower a type of Inner Temple. Milton's justification o f God's ways rests upon the timelessness of God; events that appear anachronistic at first are used to establish a context that looks beyond the strict limits of human time. On the one hand, the Incarnation, Resurrection, and Apocalypse are separate events that have not yet come to pass; but on the other hand, Milton shows how these events are simultaneously present and completed in God's presence. From God's throne, we participate in a cosmic perspective where the categories of past, present, and future are compressed into one time: we are before and beyond time. Such a transcendent perspective engenders a powerful truth: before Adam and Eve have been tempted, God's grace and mercy have found them out and they have been restored. Though Eden must be lost, the paradise of God's presence will remain. Adam and Eve will fall and the legacy of their rash act will be paradoxically for all time, but not forever. God will restore his people and wipe away their tears, and, in the context of Milton's depiction of God, that time of redemption is now. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

This dissertation answers the following: "Why did Paul describe Jesus as hilasterion?" Throughout it, I have examined the questions of the "what" versus the "why": "What is the meaning of hilasterion (hilasterion)" versus "why has the death of Christ been metaphorised as hilasterion." Notwithstanding the uniformity among theologians that the meaning (the "what") of the text should occupy centre space, the enquiries of both Bible translators and Pauline scholars have yielded different meanings as far as iA.cronpwv is concerned. The question "why" shifts the project's focus from the meaning of the text to the performativity, which entails asking different questions. As a result, I have problematised "propitiation," "expiation" and "mercy-seat" as interpretational models for hilasterion, because these theological models neglect the rhetorical situation which leads to a misunderstanding of hilasterion. Consequently, applying the three-pronged rhetorical approaches to my text has enabled me to move the discussion away from a purely textual, away from the harmonization of "ideas," away from a traditional theological paradigm thinking only in terms of soteriology and the salvific to a paradigm where the rhetorical, to where the social-cultural and the religiopolitical contexts has been taken into consideration. Dispositio has acted as the foreground for impartiality that facilitated the accommodation of the non-Jews in the Abrahamic family which is hilasterion's performativity. I have argued that apostrophe in service of stasis theory had numerous Jewish fundamentals redefined, without which the notion of hilasterion would not have made sense. I have demonstrated how patron versus client relationship emerged in the depiction of hilasterion as a gift from God, evidence of his righteousness, and how riposte operated in dislodging the non-Jews from their social position and relocating them within the nation of God. The metaphorisation of Jesus' death and his portrayal as hilasterion had a number of tasks. It normalised a situation, it brought about an alternative situation into existence, it endorsed social solidarity, it brought about a different genealogy into effect, it sanctioned the construction of a "new and superior race," and ulitmatley it produced inclusivity of the non-Jews into the Jewish family since Jesus tremendously had high values then extreme value was assigned to the non-Jews. Thus, I have problematised decontextualised theologising, easy theologising (as "propitiation," "expiation," and " mercy-seat"), in order to demonstrate that a socio-rhetorical appraisal of hilasterion requires theologians to rethink the categories they operate with. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)