Thesis (DTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Through the ages, the gospel of Jesus Christ calls on believers to witness to their faith and hope and to be obedient in word and deed to the love commandment of the Holy Trinity. This implies, among others, that the implications of the gospel should be effected in politics, economics and civil life. The shaping of a public meaning on corporate values and general well-being is a necessary result and is generally known as public theology. One of the communication channels through which the formation of public opinion can be shaped is the mass media. The Kerkbode (Afrikaans for the messenger of the Church) is the official newspaper of the Dutch Reformed Church and in that capacity it is an important public theological instrument of communication. During the years of change following the first democratic election of 1994 in South Africa, members of the Dutch Reformed Church felt a particular need of leadership and guidance. The Church leadership had a focused need of effective communication to members and non-members. Due to the loss of “governing members”, the church had to rely on public witness on concept legislation and other matters of public interest. Under the circumstances the importance of the newspaper of the church as a mouthpiece stands to reason. Because the shaping of opinions is one of the primary functions of a newspaper, the question with the researcher is as follows: whether the theories of opinion-shaping have been used in writing the leading articles of the Kerkbode during the years of change (1994 – 2003). The focus is on the leading article because it is the most important opinion- shaping column in any newspaper. The research of the leading articles was limited to articles concerned with the “Role of the Church” during the years 1994 – 2003. On completion of an inter-disciplinary study of theories of opinion-shaping from the subjects of Theology, Sociology, Social Psychology and Communication Studies, theories suitable for use in written mass media and in compliance with theological ethical principles were identified. Main principles of these theories were identified and the main articles were then studied in light of these principles. The conclusion was reached that it might be possible that the principles of identified theories were kept in mind when the articles were written. In view of the importance of effective opinion-shaping communication in, inter alia, the mass communication of the Church, recommendations were done on the use of main principles of opinion-shaping theories. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die evangelie van Jesus Christus roep gelowiges deur al die eeue op om te getuig van hulle geloof en hoop en om met woord en daad gehoorsaam te wees aan die liefdesgebod van die Drie-enige God. Dit behels onder meer dat die implikasies van die evangelie tot uitdrukking moet kom in die politieke lewe, die ekonomiese werklikhede en die burgerlike lewe waarin Christene deel. Die vorming van 'n openbare mening oor gemeenskaplike waardes en die algemene welsyn is 'n noodsaaklike gevolg daarvan en staan in die omgang as publieke teologie bekend. Een van die kommunikasiekanale waardeur die vorming van 'n openbare mening gedoen kan word, is die massamedia. Die Kerkbode is die amptelike koerant van die Ned. Geref. Kerk en is as sodanig onder meer 'n belangrike publieke teologiese kommunikasie-instrument. Gedurende die oorgangsjare ná die demokratisering van Suid-Afrika in 1994 het die lidmate van die Ned. Geref. Kerk 'n besondere behoefte aan leiding gehad. Die kerkleiding het ook 'n toegespitste behoefte aan effektiewe kommunikasie na binne en na buite die kerk gehad. As gevolg van die verlies aan “regerende lidmate”, was die kerk ook aangewese op openbare getuienis oor konsepwetgewing en ander sake van openbare belang. Die belang van die kerk se koerant as spreekbuis, spreek onder dié omstandig-hede vanself. Omdat die vorming van menings een van die primêre funksies van 'n kerkkoerant is, het die vraag by die navorser ontstaan of daar by die skryf van die hoofartikels van Die Kerkbode in die oorgangsjare (1994 – 2003) van meningsvormingsteorieë gebruik gemaak is. Daar is op die hoofartikels gefokus omdat dit by uitstek die opinievormende kolom van koerante is. Die bestudering van die hoofartikels is beperk tot artikels wat gerig was op die “Rol van die Kerk” gedurende die jare 1994 – 2003. Nadat 'n interdissiplinêre studie van meningsvormingsteorieë binne die vakgebiede van die Teologie, Sosiologie, Sosiale Sielkunde en Kommunikasiekunde gedoen is, is teorieë geskik vir gebruik in geskrewe massamedia en in ooreenstemming met teologies-etiese eise geïdentifiseer. Kernbeginsels van dié teorieë is daarna geïdentifiseer en die hoofartikels is aan die hand van die geïdentifiseerde kernbeginsels ontleed. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat kern-beginsels van die geprioritiseerde meningsvormingsteorieë moontlik by die skryf van die artikels in ag geneem is. In die lig van die belang van werklik effektiewe meningsvormende kommunikasie in onder meer die massakommunikasie van die kerk, is aanbevelings gedoen oor die benutting van kernbeginsels van meningsvormingsteorieë.