M.A. / The script focuses on the theology of the Synoptics, the meaning of the kingdom as it is dealt with by the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, and the demand for faith in the kingdom within the Synoptics. It gives the theology of the Synoptics. The existence of God and his work of creation are accepted without question just as it is in the Old Testament. God is seen as the provider of the whole universe, and He is its Monarch. He is the God who reveals himself to his creation, especially man (anthropos). He seeks to have an intimate relationship with man which is possible through his Son Jesus Christ. Man is invited to this relationship with the purpose of becoming God's child. Those who refuse this relationship do so at their own will with the understanding of the consequences thereafter. The Synoptics teach about the kingdom of God which he has brought to mankind through his Son Jesus. It is a kingdom of righteousness which is entered in by those who choose to meet the conditions laid by the King of the kingdom, namely God. These conditions are as follows: repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, humility, eager desire for righteousness, and peace making. The salvation that God gives is available to all. It introduces the kingdom of God to the individual who accepts it. Salvation is the reign of God to those who put their faith in Jesus. In the teaching of the Synoptics, it is not possible, from outside appearance of human beings, to see who is God's child and that of Satan. Judgement is left in the hands of God, the Supreme Judge. The existence of Satan and demons is accepted without question. Though Satan and demons are in the world, man is free to make his own decision independently, and is accountable to God. The kingdom of God is the reign of God both in the present age and in the age to come. The kingdom of God was promised in the Old Testament to Israel, was fulfilled in the New Testament by the coming of Jesus Christ on earth, and will be consummated at the end of this age. The kingdom of God is revealed to people through the ministry of Jesus which includes; healing, demon exorcism, raising the dead, forgiveness of sins, and the righteous lives of those who have been saved from their sins. The kingdom of God is a moral and ethical kingdom. For the kingdom of God to be experienced, one has to have faith in Jesus and the good news he brought. Faith is also necessary for one to continue in the kingdom. Faith result in a humble life and dependency of the one who brought the kingdom.

No description available.

M.A. / This work is aimed at dealing with the demand for the new ethos as proclaimed by the New Testament synoptic in view of the African context or perspective. The synoptic give a code of values by which the Christian church should live. The synoptic ethos is Jesus' ethos. Every nation and community is characterised by certain values of conduct. As a church we are also confronted by moments of decision making. This script is therefore attempting to answer or question the level of credibility taken at some point in life. Ethics which is a science of moral behaviour and principles of conduct , tells us that there is an expected way of behaviour from every individual in society. The question is when , when do we say that this is right , and when do we say this is wrong ? However, this script is not aimed at necessarily dealing with ethics in general. I have narrowed my subject to focus on the Kingdom ethos reflected in the synoptic. The only issue that one need to take into consideration is that all ethics have sources. The problem that existed in proclaiming Kingdom ethics has been religion. This script shows that religion and ethics are so interwoven that one cannot separate them. It is impossible for one to speak about one's moral behaviour and not include his religion. Religion tells people what to say and what not, what to eat and what not , where to go and what people to associate with and not. Religion and ethics are integrated in such w way that one cannot do without the other. One cannot speak about ethics outside religion. The ethos of the Jews came from their monotheistic religion, with the Law of Moses. Jesus' ethics came from His focus on the Kingdom which was both present and future. This shows again the problem of religion in Africa. African ethics have been drawn mostly from their own cultures , customs and religion. Jesus' Kingdom ethics, which is God centred, helps to show that all other sources are not relevant sources. Many church leaders in Africa are calling for an African religion and criticising the missionaries for having brought Western religion. The Kingdom ethics show how that it is not Western or African religion that matters much , all we need is the Christian religion and Jesus' ethos of the Kingdom. Finally the church is expected to play its role of reconciling this divided world. The purpose of the church is man, his human dignity and his right to develop himself in freedom. Jesus commanded the church to love, hence it is the duty of the church to be the prophetic voice of God in this confused generation. The ethics demanded by Jesus are practical and possible. We need God's mercy and grace to be real ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. As a church we have a responsibility. We need to move away from syncretism and serve God alone.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the history of Israel the concept of "purity" had developed as a way in which God's people could honour his holiness and draw nearer to him, as a sanctified nation. By the time of Jesus, in Second Temple Judaism, the purity system had become restrictive. This had been influenced by political and social developments, including an increased desire to withdraw from Hellenistic and other factors which were seen as contaminating the integrity of Judaism. There were diverse perceptions regarding the achievement of the purity of Israel, including militaristic confrontation and expulsion of alien occupation forces, stricter adherence to the Law and, in some cases, total withdrawal from general society (such as at Qumran). It was, however, particularly the Pharisaic imposition of the supplementary oral tradition, supposed to clarify the written Law, which imposed hardship on those who, through illiteracy or inferior social status, were unable to meet all the minute provisions which would ensure ritual purity. The expansion of the Law of Moses by the commentary of the rabbis, which over time became the entrenched oral "tradition of the fathers", was originally intended to promote access to God by clarifying obscure points of the Law, in the pursuit of purity. However, this oral tradition had, in fact, become an instrument of alienation and separation of the ordinary people not only from the Pharisees, who considered themselves as the religious elite, but also from God. The common people, that is, a large section of the population, felt rejected and on the outside of both religious and social acceptance. On the material level they also suffered under a heavy tax burden, from both Temple and State, which aggravated their poverty. It was this situation which Jesus confronted in his mission to change the ideological climate and to reveal the Kingdom of God as being accessible to all who accepted the true Fatherhood of God, in penitence and humility. He denounced the hypocrisy which professed piety but which ignored the plight of those who were suffering. Hark 7 : 1-23 symbolizes the difference between the teaching and practice of Jesus and that of the Pharisees, and provides metaphorically a pattern of Christian engagement which is relevant in the South African situation today. The Christian challenge is to remove those barriers, both ideological and economic, which impede spiritual and material well-being within society. By active engagement, rather than by retreating to the purely ritualistic and individualistic practice of religion, the realization of the Kingdom of Heaven, as inaugurated by Jesus, will be advanced. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die geskiedenis van Israel het die konsep van reinheid ontwikkel as 'n wyse waarin die die volk van God Sy heiligheid kan eer en tot Hom kan nader, as 'n geheiligde volk. Teen die tyd van Jesus, tydens Tweede Tempel Judaïsme, het die reinheid sisteem beperkend geword. Dit is beïnvloed deur politieke en sosiale ontwikkelinge, insluitende 'n toenemende drang om te onttrek van Hellenistiese en ander faktore, wat beskou is as 'n besoedeling van die integriteit van Judaïsme. Daar was diverse persepsies aangaande die uitvoering van die reinheid van Israel, insluitende militaristiese konfrontasie en die uitwerping van vreemde besettingsmagte, strenger onderhouding van die Wet en in sekere gevalle, totale onttreking van die algemene samelewing (soos by Qumran). Tog was dit in besonder die Fariseërs se oplegging van bykomende mondelinge tradisie, veronderstelom die geskrewe Wet te verhelder, wat ontbering veroorsaak het vir die wat as gevolg van ongeletterdheid of minderwaardige sosiale status nie in staat was om aan elke haarfyn bepaling, wat rituele reinheid sou verseker, te voldoen nie. Die uitbreiding van die wet van Moses deur die kommentaar van die rabbies, wat met verloop van tyd die ingegrawe mondelinge "tradisie van die vaders" geword het, was oorsproklik bedoel om toegang tot God te verseker, deur die verheldering van onduidelike aspekte van die wet, in die nastreef van reinheid. Hierdie mondelinge tradisie het egter 'n instrument van vervreemding geword en skeiding gebring tussen gewone mense en die Fariseers, sowel as die wat hulleself beskou het as die religieuse elite. Dit het egter ook skeiding gebring tussen mense en God. Die gewone mense, dit is die meerderheid van die bevolking, het verwerp gevoel en aan die buitekring van beide religieuse en sosiale aanvaarding. Op materiële vlak het hulle ook gelyonder die juk van swaar belasting, van beide die Tempel en die Staat, wat hulle toestand van armoede vererger het. Dit was hierdie situasie wat Jesus gekonfronteer het in sy strewe om die ideologiese klimaat te verander en om die Koninkryk van God te openbaar as toeganklik vir almal wat die ware Vaderskap van God aanvaar, in berou en in nederigheid. Hy het die skynheiligheid verwerp wat aanspraak maak op vroomheid, maar die toestand van die lydendes ignoreer. Markus 7:1-23 simboliseer die verskil tussen die onderrig en die praktyk van Jesus en dié van die Fariseërs en voorsien metafories 'n patroon van Christelike verbintenis, wat relevant is binne die eietydse Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die uitdaging aan die Christendom is om die skeidslyne te verwyder, beide ideologies en ekonomies, wat geestelike en materieële welsyn binne die gemeenskap belemmer. Deur aktiewe betrokkenheid, eerder as om bloot te onttrek tot die suiwer ritualistiese en individualistiese beoefening van religie, sal die realisering van die Koninkryk van die Hemel soos ingehuldig deur Jesus, bevorder word.

Text in German with summaries in German, English and Afrikaans / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-144) / In dieser Masterarbeit wird die Korrelation zwischen der Narrativität des Reich Gottes und missiologischen Ansätzen untersucht. Am Beispiel von N.T. Wright wird ermittelt, welche Bedeutung Narrative des Reich Gottes in der Theologie haben und wie diese für einen narrativ-missiologischen-Ansatz nutzbar gemacht werden können. Die Untersuchung wird von der Forschungsfrage geleitet: Welche Bedeutung haben Reich Gottes Narrative von N.T. Wright für die Missiologie? Im ersten Kapitel werden die Rahmenbedingungen dieser Thesis dargelegt. Im zweiten Kapitel wird das Werk und die Person von N.T.Wright untersucht. Das dritte Kapitel widmet sich der inhaltlichen Untersuchung und der Herausarbeitung eines Metanarratives des Reich Gottes bei Wright. Im vierten und letzten Kapitel werden die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung zusammengetragen. Diese münden in einen Entwurf eines narrativ- missiologischen- Ansatzes. Des Weiteren werden einige Aspekte von Wrights Ansatz kritisch reflektiert. Die Ergebnisse werden in den deutschen Kontext eingeordnet und darauf aufbauend erfolgt dann noch ein Ausblick auf weitere Forschungsmöglichkeiten. / Hierdie meesterstesis bestudeer die verband tussen die teorie van die verhaal van die hemelse koninkryk en die missiologiese aanpassings daarvan. Op grond van die werke van N.T. Wright, is die doel van hierdie werk om te bepaal watter tipe belang die teorie van die verhaal van die hemelse koninkryk vir die teologie kan hê en hoe dit in missiologie toegepas kan word. Hierdie ontleding handel oor die hoofvraag: Watter belang moet in missiologie aan die verhale oor die hemelse koninkryk geheg word? Die eerste hoofstuk handel gevolglik oor die basiese raamwerk van hierdie werk. Hoofstuk twee fokus dan op die studie van die basiese inhoud van Wright se werk en hoe hy 'n metaverhaal kan skep op grond van die benadering van die hemelse koninkryk. Die derde hoofstuk is gewy aan die substantiewe ondersoek en verwerking van Wright se metaverhaal oor die koninkryk van God. Die vierde en laaste hoofstuk van hierdie werk bevat die hoofresultate van hierdie tesis voor dit na 'n konsep van 'n benadering tot verhalende missiologie lei. Verder word verskeie aspekte van Wright se benadering krities bespreek. Die resultate is dan in 'n Duitse konteks vasgelê wat tot 'n vooruitsig van toekomstige navorsingsgeleenthede kan lei. / This master thesis examines the correlation between the narrative of the kingdom of heaven theory and its missiological adaptations. Based on examples from the works of N.T. Wright, the purpose of this paper is to ascertain what kind of relevance narratives of the kingdom of heaven theory might have for theology and how they could be applied in missiology. This analysis revolves around the main question: What importance should be awarded to the kingdom of heaven narratives in missiology? Consequently, the first chapter deals with the basic framework of this paper. Chapter two then focuses on examining the basic contents of Wright’s work and how he is able to create a meta-narrative based on the kingdom of heaven approach. The third chapter is devoted to the substantive investigation and elaboration of a metanarrative of the kingdom of God defined by Wright. The fourth and last chapter of this paper is presenting the main results of this thesis before leading up to a draft of a narrative-missiological approach. In addition, various aspects of Wright’s approach are critically discussed. The results then are embedded in a German context which leads to a prospect of future research opportunities. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Text in German, English and German summaries / Die Masterthesis zeigt auf, wie das Reich-Gottes-Verständnis die Theologie und die missionarische Praxis im hallischen Pietismus bei August Hermann Francke beeinflusst hat. Mittels einer Literaturarbeit wird in missionstheologischer Perspektive das hallische Gottesreich-Verständnis erforscht sowie aus missionsgeschichtlicher Sicht die Praxis der hallischen Pietisten dargestellt. Beide Blickwinkel werden miteinander in Verbindung gesetzt, so dass die Zusammenhänge zwischen Reich Gottes und Gemeindepraxis herausgearbeitet werden. Es zeigt sich, dass die Reich-Gottes-Rede die Rahmenbedingungen, den Bezugspunkt, die menschliche Partizipation, die Ganzheitlichkeit sowie die Reichweite des missionarischen Handelns in Halle maßgeblich beeinflusst hat. Auf Basis der Forschungsergebnisse werden Schlüsse und Praxisimplikationen für die heutige Diskussion um den Reich Gottes Begriff und die missionarische Praxis gegeben. / This study shows how the concept of the Kingdom of God has influenced the theology and missionary church practice of August Hermann Francke. By means of a literature study, the concept of the Kingdom of God in Halle Pietism is researched from a perspective of mission theology. In addition to that the church practice of Francke will be presented from a perspective of mission history. Both points of view are linked to each other so that the relations between the Kingdom of God and church practice are worked out. It is obvious that the view of the Kingdom of God has decisively influenced the framework, the point of reference, human participation, the holistic approach, as well as the range of missionary activity in Halle. On the basis of the research results, conclusions and practical implications for today’s discussion about the concept of the Kingdom of God and missionary practice are given. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)