Thesis (D. Min.)--Erskine Theological Seminary, 1998. / Abstract. This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #064-0034. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-139).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2001. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-152).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-191).

Thesis (MTh (Practical Theology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis is to encourage the renewal of Korean preacher‘s piety and spirituality within the Reformed tradition. Although a large number of studies have been carried out on Christian prayer, little is known about the connection between prayer and preaching in Reformed theology. In the Korean context, most preachers have been trained in the Pentecostal tradition. Therefore, the Reformed churches Korea have requested that instructions on prayer from notable theologians in history be introduced to preachers to help restore spiritual balance to the biblical preaching of Korean Reformed ministers. Reformed preachers should not follow the secular mind and worldly academic style; therefore, the study is concerned with recovering the biblical spirituality of the preacher and the congregation in Korean Christianity. It is argued that the Korean church needs to strive to rediscover and recover the Reformed church‘s long tradition of communication and prayer. The revival in the Korean church was not a Reformed theological revival because it was characterized by the Pentecostal movement and for a long time the Korean church has had a concept of traditional religious spirituality. For true revival to take place in the Reformed Church in Korea, the church needs to forge a new agenda that is rooted in and that emphasizes biblical prayer. To accomplish the aforementioned goal, it is suggested that the prayers of Jesus and an exposition of the Lord‘s Prayer in the Reformed theological traditions be given greater attention. Jesus emphasized the importance of the Lord's Prayer to his disciples and it stands as the capstone of Jesus' prayer life, which he shared with us. Accordingly, a preacher must pray enthusiastically and communicate with God continually. The spirituality of both the preacher and the congregation is crucial in modern churches. Therefore, our spiritual foundation must be organized on biblical, historical, theological research in a way that would encourage not only the preachers but also the congregation members to be enthusiastic in prayer before God. Today‘s theological discourse should be able to engage with classical (Reformed theological) literature or instructions on prayer, and the present investigation is an attempt to look back to those classical instructions as a most meaningful starting point to overcome the spiritual difficulties in Korean churches. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om hernuwing van Koreaanse predikers se godsdienstigheid en spiritualiteit binne die Gereformeerde tradisie aan te moedig. Hoewel vele studies reeds onderneem is oor Christelike gebed, bly kennis oor die konneksie tussen gebed en prediking binne die Gereformeerde teologie, gebrekkig. In die Koreaanse konteks is die meeste predikers opgelei in die Pinkster-tradisie. Daarom het die Gereformeerde kerke in Korea 'n pleidooi gelewer dat opleiding in gebed deur gerekende teoloë, toegevoeg word in hul opleiding, om predikers te help om 'n geestelike balans te handhaaf in hul bybelse prediking. Gereformeerde predikers behoort nie die sekulêre gedagtegang en wêreldse akademiese styl aan te hang nie; hierdie studie is gemoeid met die herwinning van bybelse spiritualiteit van die prediker en die gemeente in die Koreaanse Christendom. Daar word geargumenteer dat die Koreaanse kerk moet streef om die Gereformeerde kerk se lang tradisie van kommunikasie en gebed te herontdek en herwin. Die oplewing in die Koreaanse kerk was nie 'n Gereformeerde teologiese oplewing nie maar is gekenmerk deur die Pinkster-beweging, wat vir 'n lang tyd die Koreaanse kerk se opvatting omtrent tradisionele religieuse spiritualiteit onderlê het. Die kerk benodig 'n nuwe agenda, gewortel in bybelse gebed vir ware herlewing om plaas te vind in die Gereformeerde kerk in Korea. Om hierdie doel te bereik, word dit voorgestel dat die gebede van Jesus en 'n uiteensetting van die Ons Vader-gebed in die Gereformeerde teologiese tradisies dieper bestudeer word. Jesus het die belang van die Ons Vader-gebed beklemtoon teenoor sy dissipels, en dit verteenwoordig 'n hoeksteen van sy gebedslewe, wat ook ons nalatenskap is. Vervolgens moet 'n prediker geesdriftig kan bid en voortdurend in kommunie kan tree met God. Die spiritualiteit van beide die prediker en die gemeente staan sentraal binne moderne kerke. Daarom moet ons spirituele fondasie onderleg word deur bybelse, historiese, teologiese navorsing op 'n manier wat beide predikers en gemeentes sal lei tot geesdriftige gebed teenoor God. Hedendaagse teologiese diskoerse moet in gesprek tree met klassieke (Gereformeerde teologiese) literatuur of gebedsopleiding, en die huidige studie bied 'n poging om terugskouend te besin oor die klassieke opleiding, as die mees beduidende vertrekpunt om spirituele vraagstukke in Koreaanse kerke op te los.

Thesis (MTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Korean Protestant Church has witnessed some conflicting views regarding theological issues as well as important socio-political events between conservatism and liberalism from the early mission era up to recent times. This discord has obviously been reflected in their preaching. Specifically, their application in preaching has shown a tendency of practicing eisegesis on the text under the influence of social and political ideologies, and traditional religions. In its method of application, the Korean Protestant Church has made use of the imperative, indicative, and instructive styles. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest the use of various relevant applications, which take into account the biblical literary form to overcome eisegesis. This task would be accomplished by a balanced exegesis process through the historical-critical perspective. Chapter 1 of this thesis comprises the introduction, which deals with the research background, motivation, problems in research, hypothesis, delimitations of the research, and proposed outline of the study. Chapter 2 describes the characteristics and phenomena of preaching in each period through the historical overview of the Korean preaching. The history of Korean preaching can be divided into four different periods: firstly, the era of the early missionaries; secondly, the form of the sermon of the Korean Church under Japan’s rule; thirdly, the Korean sermon after the liberation and fourthly the sermon in the midst of a military dictatorship and the rapid growth of the Korean economy. Chapter 3 analyzes the causes of the characteristics and phenomena of the Korean preaching mentioned in Chapter 2. In brief, before the liberation, Korean preaching was strongly influenced by the fundamentalist theology of the early missionaries, the church leaders’ view on the Bible, and political circumstances under colonial rule (the problem of the Shinto shrine worship). After liberation, preaching in the Korean church has been influenced by the prevailing socio-political ideology (the perspective of a separation of the church and state), kibok sinang (belief in prayers for blessings) which was rooted in the traditional religions, and the rise of the Minjung theology which promoted the indigenization of theology. This chapter also examines how these causes influenced the application of preaching in the midst of a conflict between conservative and liberal churches. Chapter 4 deals with the purpose, necessity, principle, and method of application in preaching. Chapter 5 examines the sermonic approach considering the biblical literary form that was suggested by Thomas Long and how it plays a role in application of preaching as a solution to the problems of application that both the conservative and liberal church have. To illustrate this I have highlighted two examples, namely the method of application through imagination in poetry as a genre and the identification of characters in the narrative genre. In conclusion, chapter 6 summarizes the features of Korean preaching and suggests the benefit of application taking into account the literary form in the circumstances of Korean preaching. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Protestantse Kerk in Korea het, sedert die begin van sendingwerk tot mees onlangs, uiteenlopende gesigspunte sowel as belangrike sosio-politiese gebeure tussen konservatisme en liberalisme aanskou. Die onenigheid is begryplikerwyse in hul prediking gereflekteer. Veral hul aanwending in die prediking het 'n neiging tot eisegese van die teks onder die invloed van sosiale en politiese ideologieë en tradisionele godsdienste getoon. In sy wyse van aanwending het die Koreaanse Protestantse Kerk van die imperatiewe, indikatiewe en instruktiewe metodes gebruik gemaak. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die gebruik van verskeie relevante aanwendings, wat die literêre vorm van die Bybel in ag neem ten einde eisegese te oorkom, voor te stel. Hierdie taak kan verrig word deur 'n gebalanseerde eksegese proses vanuit die histories-kritiese perspektief. Hoofstuk 1 van hierdie tesis bevat die inleiding wat fokus op die agtergrond van die navorsing, die motivering, navorsingsprobleme, hipotese, afbakening van die navorsing en die voorgestelde profiel van die studie. Hoofstuk 2 beskryf, deur middel van die historiese oorsig van Koreaanse prediking, die karaktertrekke en verskynsels van prediking gedurende elke periode. Die geskiedenis van Koreaanse prediking kan in vier verskillende periodes verdeel word: Eerstens, die era van die vroeë sendelinge; tweedens, die vorm van die preek in die Koreaanse Kerk tydens Japanese beheer; derdens, die preek in Korea na bevryding en vierdens, die preek te midde van militêre diktatorskap en die snelle groei van die Koreaanse ekonomie. Hoofstuk 3 analiseer die oorsake van die kenmerke en verskynsels van Koreaanse prediking soos vermeld in Hoofstuk 2. In kort, voor bevryding was Koreaanse prediking sterk beïnvloed deur die fundamentalistiese teologie van die vroeë sendelinge, die kerkleiers se beskouinge omtrent die Bybel en die politieke omstandighede gedurende die koloniale tydperk (die probleem van die Shinto heiligdom aanbidding). Na bevryding is prediking in die Koreaanse kerk beïnvloed deur die heersende sosio-politiese ideologie (die perspektief van 'n skeiding tussen kerk en staat), kibok sinang (geloof in gebede vir seëninge) wat gewortel was in die tradisionele godsdienste en die opkoms van die Minjung teologie wat die verinheemsing van teologie bevorder het. Hierdie hoofstuk ondersoek ook die invloed van dié oorsake op die aanwending van prediking te midde van 'n konflik tussen konserwatiewe en liberale kerke. Hoofstuk 4 fokus op die doel, noodsaaklikheid, beginsel en metode van aanwending in prediking. Hoofstuk 5 ondersoek die predikingsbenadering met inagneming van die literêre vorm van Bybel soos voorgestel deur Thomas Long en die rol wat dit vervul in die aanwending van prediking as 'n oplossing vir die probleme van aanwending wat deur beide die konserwatiewe en liberale kerk ondervind word. Ten einde hierdie aspek te illustreer het ek twee voorbeelde, naamlik die metode van aanwending deur verbeelding in poësie as genre en die identifikasie van karaktertrekke in die narratiewe genre uitgelig. Ter afsluiting, hoofstuk 6 vat die hoofeienskappe van Koreaanse prediking saam en stel die voordele van aanwending met inagneming van die literêre vorm in die omstandighede van prediking in Korea voor.

This dissertation examines the writings of

In today’s global religious landscape, many beliefs and practices have been dislocated and thrust into unfamiliar cultural environments and have been forced to adapt to these new settings. There has been a significant amount of research on this phenomenon as it appears in various contexts, much of it centred on the concepts of globalisation/localisation and appropriation. In this dissertation, the same process is explored in relation to the traditions of contemplative prayer from within Eastern Orthodox Christianity known as the Jesus Prayer and hesychasm. These prayer practices have traveled from a primarily monastic Orthodox Christian setting, into general Orthodox Christian usage, and finally into wider contemporary Western culture. As a result of this geographic shift from a local to a global setting, due mainly to immigration and dissemination of relevant texts, there has been a parallel shift of interpretation. This shift of interpretation involves the way the practices are understood in relation to general conceptions of authority and tradition. The present work attempts to explain the divergence of interpretations of these practices by reference to the major themes of authority and tradition, and to several secondary themes such as appropriation, cultural transmission, “glocalisation,” memory, and Orientalism. By looking at accounts of the Jesus Prayer and hesychasm from a variety of sources and perspectives, the contentious issues between accounts will be put into a wider perspective that considers fundamental differences in worldviews.

There are many challenges that are facing the world today. One of those challenges is HIV and AIDS. Thousands of people are infected as well as affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the world. In spite of many efforts that have been done to combat the disease, HIV and AIDS is still claiming lives and leave many without their loved ones. The study of the role and place of prayer for HIV and Aids sick patients in the Vaal Triangle churches is a very important research topic, since the results will not only benefit people in the Vaal Triangle only but all people who are affected as well as infected by the disease in other areas. Churches have been given a command from the Bible to pray for the sick. However there are many misconceptions about praying for the sick especially the HIV and AIDS patients. Some of these misconceptions arise because HIV and AIDS is medically declared as an incurable disease. The effectiveness of prayer on HIV and AIDS to others is therefore questionable. Unfortunately these questions and doubts make many some people doubt the power of prayer and its effectiveness for HIV and AIDS patients. People who pray for HIV and AIDS sick persons are faced with many questions. Some of them sometimes wonder if God will answer their prayers or whether the person being prayed for will be healed or not. Others think that HIV and AIDS disease is a punishment from God and praying for the infected will be a waste of time. Some even question God’s ability to cure this disease. It is because of such questions that many avoid praying for HIV and AIDS patients. Others simply avoid praying for HIV and AIDS patients because it might reflect on them by others as lack of faith. Jesus prayed for the sick and also told the church to pray and to ask of the Father. He prayed for the sick regardless of their kind of sicknesses and as well as the causes of those sickness. He accepted those who were outcasts of society and prayed for those whose sicknesses were considered a shame in public. The church has to pray for HIV and AIDS infected people. They are not to be controlled to pray by the results of prayer or the kind and the cause of the sickness. And, issues such as whether HIV and AIDS is a punishment from God or not. Just like Jesus, the church should pray for HIV and AIDS sick people without ceasing. / MA, Biblical Studies, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

This thesis aims to bring to wider attention the work of the Parisian theologian and philosopher Jean-Yves Lacoste (part of the so-called ‘theological turn’ in French phenomenology). Lacoste (whose most recent work, Etre en Danger (2011), articulates what he describes as a ‘phenomenology of the spiritual life’), has previously published monographs in the phenomenology of liturgy (Expérience et l’absolu: Questions disputées sur l'humanité de l'homme, 1994; ET: Experience and the Absolute: Disputed Questions on the Humanity of Man, 2004); hope and eschatology (Note sur le temps: essai sur les raisons de la mémoire et de l'espérance, 1990); philosophy and aesthetics (Le monde et l'absence d'oeuvre, 2000); and phenomenology and theology (Présence et parousie, 2006; Phénoménalité de Dieu, 2008). As a phenomenologist Lacoste is concerned with investigating the human aptitude for experience; as theologian Lacoste is interested in humanity’s potential for a relationship with the divine, what he terms the ‘liturgical relationship’ (where ‘liturgical’ implies more than simply worship writ large but refers instead to a specific anthropology, that of an existence lived and conducted ‘before God’, coram Deo). Beginning from the proposition that prayer is a theme that occurs throughout Lacoste’s writing, the dissertation employs that as a heuristic through which to view, interpret and critique his thought by offering a thematic study of prayer as it appears in his published works. It will look at issues that impact upon the ‘spiritual life’ such as boredom and fatigue, and include the following topics: ambiguity, rumour and the absurd; utopia and fantasy; body, flesh and spirit; silence; time, anarchy and flux. The dissertation is, in part, also an answer to the question as to what kind of theology might be written in response to and in dialogue with Lacoste, by examining some previously overlooked themes in and influences upon his work.

My study centres on Karl Barth’s pneumatology with special attention to its inseparable relationship with his vision of the Christian life. Many critics say that Barth’s emphasis upon the gracious God revealed in Christ improperly undermined both the role of the Spirit and the importance of human agency. In contrast, my research will demonstrate that it is possible to read Barth as offering a robust Spirit theology, which resulted in rich reflection upon the Christian life. More specifically, my thesis will first examine Barth’s pneumatology within the context of his incomplete doctrine of redemption. I will show that his unique understanding of redemption was largely shaped by his exegesis of Paul’s Spirit theology, in which he developed central pneumatological motifs, including the Spirit’s incorporation of humanity into the intra-divine fellowship, mediation in the form of pneumatic prayer, and the shaping of moral agency. I will, then, examine these redemptive works of the Spirit within a more comprehensive context of his theology, coordinating synchronic and diachronic approaches. In particular, I will read ‘through’ and ‘across’ Barth, tracing underpinning pneumatological themes, with special focus on the three modes of the Spirit’s work in the opera ad extra – the mediation of divine and human logic in revelation, the drawing of creation into God’s self-glorification movement through beauty, and the calling of individuals through community into God’s drama of salvation. In short, unlike criticisms that Barth reduced pneumatology to the subjective possibility of revelation, my study will show that his pneumatology is mainly about our prayerful participation in God, the constitution of human agency and a new vision of the Christian life under the direction of the Spirit.