Thesis (M.A.)-- Brigham Young University. Dept. of Church History and Doctrine.

Thesis (PhD(N.T.)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 392-206).

This study searches for the origin and history of the concept of individual accountability and the reason for its absence in the African Traditional Religion framework. This search begins in the Axial Age (800-200 BCE), and discusses ancient Israel's Axial Age and its Axial Hebrew prophets' response models. The study tracks the introduction of Axial ideals to South Africa, via Christianity since 1826, and examines the Xhosa prophets' response models to their Axial context. The Social Christians attempts to impart Axial ideals during the period of segregation and the Tuskegeean response model are also examined. The similarities between ancient Israel and South Africa as revealed by Biblical archaeology, underlie this study's call for the utilisation of the power of religions such as Christianity, and of South Africa's religious elite, to rapidly alter current maladaptive beliefs within the African Traditional religious framework that impedes Africans' ability to adopt individual accountability. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. A. (Biblical Archaeolgy)

This study examines the theological purpose of the oracles against the nations in the book of Ezekiel (Ezek. 25-32). Through detailed exegesis, this thesis contends that the recognition formula, 'they shall know that I am Yahweh', is the vehicle for this theological purpose since it is fundamentally a statement of the vindication of Yahweh. Having specified in chapter 1 that the primary thesis is supported by two further theses, 'the recognition formula illuminates Yahweh's wrath and his mercy', and 'the recognition formula invites a human response', the work begins with a review of recent Ezekiel research in general that includes a background sketch delineating the context and authorship of the book. Possible original settings of oracles against nations are discussed, as well as a survey of topical scholarly output. A review of work undertaken on the recognition formula continues the preliminary discussion. In chapter 2, the basic form of the saying is defined and this allows the phrases that have expansions or are related by close resemblance to be categorised. The study proceeds with a consideration of the formula found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Chapter 3 examines the formula as it appears in Ezekiel outside the oracles against the nations, paying particular attention to the formula's expansions. In chapter 4, detailed exegesis begins with the oracles against Israel's Palestinian neighbours. It is suggested that Ezekiel uses language for its potential to remind the people of their own culpability and the possibility is mooted that Ezekiel is projecting the guilt and punishment of Israel onto the nations. Chapter 5 contends that Ezekiel's illustrations are aimed at alleviating the exiles' concern about the future by helping them appreciate a bifurcated reality of the unseen present, and that the purpose of the oracles against the nations may be perceived when the relationship between divine wrath and divine mercy is understood to be elucidated by the above theses concerning the recognition formula.

O objetivo desta pesquisa é tentar contribuir para a definição do melhor método de solução dos difíceis problemas críticos-textuais que o livro de Oseias apresenta testando uma das estratégias mais recentes, a teoria da existência de um dialeto específico, o hebraico israeliano, supostamente presente no livro. Indiretamente, busca-se também fazer avançar o conhecimento do hebraico do século VIII a.C., ao se estudar tanto a existência quanto a contribuição específica do dialeto mencionado à ciência da crítica textual / The goal of this research is to contribute with de discovery of the best method of solving difficult critic textual problems in the book of Hosea through a test of one of the latest strategies, the theory of the existence of a specific dialect, the Israelian Hebrew, supposedly present in the book. Indirectly, it also seeks to advance our knowledge of the Hebrew language of the eighth century BC, when studying both existence and specific contribution of the dialect referred to the science of textual criticism

[pt] Uma questão muito discutida atualmente na exegese bíblica diz respeito ao status do rolo dos assim chamados Doze Profetas Menores. Os estudiosos se dividem entre aqueles que entendem que os Doze devem ser considerados como uma obra literária unificada e aqueles que entendem que os escritos que integram esse rolo devem ser vistos como independentes em relação aos demais. Esta tese, visando oferecer uma contribuição para a discussão da problemática dos Doze, parte de uma apresentação do status quaestionis da pesquisa dos Doze, e, passando por um estudo do texto do Livro de Malaquias e sua organização, desemboca na análise da última perícope desse escrito, Ml 3.13-21, procurando verificar suas relações com os demais textos do conjunto dos Doze, em geral, e do Livro de Malaquias, em particular. Atenção especial é dada à comparação entre o texto de Ml 3.13-21 e o Livro de Joel, sobretudo com respeito à utilização feita em ambos os textos do motivo do dia de YHWH. O trabalho chega à conclusão de que a perícope estudada revela pontos de contato mais fortes com o restante do Livro de Malaquias do que com os demais textos do conjunto dos Doze, o que fala a favor da consideração do último integrante dos Doze como um escrito independente. / [en] An issue that causes much discussion nowadays in biblical exegesis is the status of the scroll of the so-called Twelve Minor Prophets. Scholars are divided among those who understand that the Twelve should be considered as a unified literary work and those who understand that the writings that are part of that scroll should be seen as independent in relation to the others. This thesis, looking at offering a contribution to the discussion of the matter of the Twelve, has its starting point in a presentation of the status quaestionis of the research of the Twelve, and, going through a study of the text of the Book of Malachi and its organization, leads to the analysis of the last pericope of that writing, Ml 3.13-21, seeking for verifying its relations to the other texts of the whole of the Twelve, in general, and of the Book of Malachi, in particular. Special attention is given to the comparison between the text of Ml 3.13-21 and the Book of Joel, specially concerning the use that both texts make of the motif of the day of YHWH. This work comes to the conclusion that the pericope studied reveals stronger contacts with the rest of the Book of Malachi than with other texts of the whole of the Twelve, something that speaks in favour of the consideration of the last component of the Twelve as an independent writing.

Although a textual relationship between Arabic Muslim texts and their rendition through Swahili epic poems (tendi) is acknowledged in Swahili poetry studies, “translation” is not a straightforward explanation of this relationship. Furthermore, Swahili narrative poems on the prophets (manabii), mostly created at the end of the 19th century, have seldom been considered in textual relation to the Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyā’ literature or to the Qur’ān. Thus, important questions have not been asked: How did the Arabic stories of the prophets arrive on the Swahili coast? How did poets appropriate these stories and forge them into a new narrative discourse? In this paper, I focus on tafsiri as a form of appropriation and adaptation, applying Gérard Genette’s concept of “palimpsest” to analyse the textual relationship between Arabic Muslim and Swahili literary texts. This will allow me, through a close reading of these texts and consideration of both language and genre, to identify the palimpsestuous presence or rather copresence of Arabic source texts within Swahili works. Ultimately, this method offers a model for future philologies of world literature.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine how effectively seminary teachers teach the concept of "living prophets" to students in non-credit released time and early morning seminary classes.The study was composed of a sample of 475 seminary students in non-credit released time and early morning seminary classes, and twenty seminary teachers. Each participant answered a questionnaire to test his concept of "living prophets." The responses were tabulated and presented in written and illustrative form.The findings showed that the teachers themselves had a clear concept of the role of "living prophets" in the church, but the concept in its fullest sense was not being implanted too effectively in the lives of the students.The students recognized a "living prophet " at the head of the church, but had difficulty in accepting the counsel pertaining directly to their personal lives. They showed a strong desire to study in seminary what the modern day prophets were saying about vital issues of the day.

My thesis offers a comparison of the Minor Prophets commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria, isolating the role each assigns (1) the Twelve Prophets in their ministry to Old Testament Israel and (2) the texts of the Twelve as Christian scripture. While the two produce radically different commentaries in terms of quantity and detail of christological interpretation, the source of their divergence cannot be reduced to Cyril's admitting messianic prophecy whereas Theodore does not. Rather, I argue that Theodore does acknowledge christological prophecies, as distinct from both retrospective accommodation and typology. Further, a careful reading of Cyril's Commentary on the Twelve limits the prospective christological revelation he ascribes to the prophets and reveals the positive role he grants the Mosaic law prior to Christ's advent. My thesis secondly explores the Christian significance both Theodore and Cyril assign to Israel's exile and restoration, the pivotal event to which the Twelve bear witness. I here argue that Theodore's reading of the Twelve Prophets, while not attempting to be christocentric, is nevertheless self-consciously Christian. Cyril, unsurprisingly, offers a robust Christian reading of the Twelve, yet this too must be expanded by his focus on the church and concern to equip the church through the ethical paideusis provided by the plain sense of the prophetic text. Revised descriptions of each interpreter lead to the claim that the label “christocentric” obscures more than it clarifies and polarizes no less than earlier accounts of Antiochene/Alexandrian exegesis. I advocate rather for an approach that takes seriously Theodore's positive account of the unity and telos of the divine economy and the full range of Cyril's interpretation, in order to move beyond a zero-sum assessment and offer instead a positive account that appreciates the strengths of each Christian reading of the Twelve.