The sufficiency of Jesus Christ in the African Church is challenged by the widespread spiritual insecurity in African Christians, prompting them to hold on to ATR. The wholistic securing power of ATR challenges the sufficiency Christ's salvation to Africans. Proposing African Christological motifs alone is inadequate to induce confidence upon Christ. The African worldview must further be transformed inline with the implications of the victory of the Cross over Satan. Indeed, Christ has fully liberated African Christians from Satan's authority, placed them in his kingdom, and transformed them into a glorious state. However, because of the Fall, salvation, before the eschaton can never result in the utopian order envisioned in ATR. Suffering does not necessarily indicate satanic harassment. It is a fact of the fallen world. African Christians stand secured in Christ; therefore, they must hold on to their faith. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

Text in German with German and English summaries / In times of global crisis, eschatological questions gain relevance. The Old Testament concept of HàWH:J moWJ has primary bearing on Christian eschatological expectations. This study examines the discourse of the Day of Yahweh of Amos and Isaiah in the context of their message. Concept and origin of this discourse are controversial. A review of research shows that the current understandings do not adequately answer questions about the origin of this discourse. Both the definitions of “Day of Yahweh” passages and the certitude that HàWH:J moWJ is a technical term seem problematic. Analysis of Amos 5:18-20 shows that, contrary to commonly accepted understanding, a nontechnical understanding of the phrase HàWH:J moWJ is sufficient for interpreting the passage. Linguistically similar phrases in Isaiah also merely relate Yahweh’s historical intervention, and do not refer to an established concept. Only later did a tradition complex arise from this prophetic proclamation. / In Zeiten globaler Krisen gewinnen eschatologische Fragestellungen an Aktualität. Zentrale Bedeutung für die christliche Zukunftserwartung hat der Tag des Herrn, dessen alttestamentlicher Wurzelgrund der HàWH:J moWJ ist. Die Studie untersucht die Rede vom Tag Jahwes bei den Schriftpropheten Amos und Jesaja im Kontext ihrer Verkündigung. Konzept und Herkunft dieser Rede sind umstritten. Ein Forschungsüberblick zeigt, dass die gängigen Erklärungsmodelle die Frage nach der Herkunft dieser Rede nicht ausreichend beantworten. Als problematisch erscheinen die Definitionen von Tag Jahwes-Belegen und die Sicherheit, mit der man die Wendung HàWH:J moWJ als Terminus technicus bezeichnet. Die Untersuchung zu Am 5,18-20 erweist, dass, entgegen dem Common sense der Forschung, ein formales Verständnis der Wendung HàWH:J moWJ zur Interpretation der Rede ausreicht. Ähnliche sprachliche Wendungen bei Jesaja paraphrasieren ebenfalls nur das geschichtliche Eingreifen Jahwes und verweisen nicht auf eine Auseinandersetzung mit einem bestehenden Konzept. Ein Traditionskomplex namens Tag Jahwes erwuchs erst später aus dieser prophetischen Verkündigung. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

Atonement theories have great implications for the soteriological paradigms associated with them, but their significance has not always been recognized in the formulation of theological systems, the lack of dogmatic definition by ecumenical council encouraging diversification and isolation from other doctrinal loci. The strongest coherence between an atonement model and soteriology can be seen in the reformed tradition, and its theory of penal substitution has become the standard accepted by many non-reformed protestant groups, including classical pentecostalism. Tensions persist in the theological system of pentecostalism because of its pairing of penal substitution with the soteriological paradigm of its foundational symbol of faith, the full gospel of Jesus as savior, sanctifier, baptizer with the Spirit, healer, and coming king. This vision of salvation is broader than that of protestant orthodoxy, which through its atonement theory deleteriously separates the death of Christ from his work in life and strictly limits the subjects and nature of salvation, specifically to addressal of elect individuals’ sins. It is proposed that this tension within the pentecostal system be relieved not through a reduction of its soteriology but a retrieval of the Christus victor model, the atonement theory of the ancient and Eastern church. As reintroduced to the Western church by G. Aulén, this model interprets the saving work of Christ along two lines: recapitulation, the summing up and saving of humanity via the incarnation, and ransom, the deliverance of humanity from the hostile powers holding it in bondage. In a contemporary, pentecostal appropriation of this model, aid is taken from K. Barth’s concept of nothingness to partially demythologize the cosmic conflict of the Bible, and pentecostalism reinvigorates the Eastern paradigm of salvation as theosis or Christification via the expectation of the replication of Christ’s ministry in the Christian. The study shows Christus victor can give a more stable base for a broader soteriology that is concerned with the holistic renewal of the human person. To demonstrate the developed model’s vigor and applicability beyond pentecostalism, the study closes by bringing it into conversation with the concerns of three contemporary theological movements. / Philosophy & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The sufficiency of Jesus Christ in the African Church is challenged by the widespread spiritual insecurity in African Christians, prompting them to hold on to ATR. The wholistic securing power of ATR challenges the sufficiency Christ's salvation to Africans. Proposing African Christological motifs alone is inadequate to induce confidence upon Christ. The African worldview must further be transformed inline with the implications of the victory of the Cross over Satan. Indeed, Christ has fully liberated African Christians from Satan's authority, placed them in his kingdom, and transformed them into a glorious state. However, because of the Fall, salvation, before the eschaton can never result in the utopian order envisioned in ATR. Suffering does not necessarily indicate satanic harassment. It is a fact of the fallen world. African Christians stand secured in Christ; therefore, they must hold on to their faith. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

Text in German with German and English summaries / In times of global crisis, eschatological questions gain relevance. The Old Testament concept of HàWH:J moWJ has primary bearing on Christian eschatological expectations. This study examines the discourse of the Day of Yahweh of Amos and Isaiah in the context of their message. Concept and origin of this discourse are controversial. A review of research shows that the current understandings do not adequately answer questions about the origin of this discourse. Both the definitions of “Day of Yahweh” passages and the certitude that HàWH:J moWJ is a technical term seem problematic. Analysis of Amos 5:18-20 shows that, contrary to commonly accepted understanding, a nontechnical understanding of the phrase HàWH:J moWJ is sufficient for interpreting the passage. Linguistically similar phrases in Isaiah also merely relate Yahweh’s historical intervention, and do not refer to an established concept. Only later did a tradition complex arise from this prophetic proclamation. / In Zeiten globaler Krisen gewinnen eschatologische Fragestellungen an Aktualität. Zentrale Bedeutung für die christliche Zukunftserwartung hat der Tag des Herrn, dessen alttestamentlicher Wurzelgrund der HàWH:J moWJ ist. Die Studie untersucht die Rede vom Tag Jahwes bei den Schriftpropheten Amos und Jesaja im Kontext ihrer Verkündigung. Konzept und Herkunft dieser Rede sind umstritten. Ein Forschungsüberblick zeigt, dass die gängigen Erklärungsmodelle die Frage nach der Herkunft dieser Rede nicht ausreichend beantworten. Als problematisch erscheinen die Definitionen von Tag Jahwes-Belegen und die Sicherheit, mit der man die Wendung HàWH:J moWJ als Terminus technicus bezeichnet. Die Untersuchung zu Am 5,18-20 erweist, dass, entgegen dem Common sense der Forschung, ein formales Verständnis der Wendung HàWH:J moWJ zur Interpretation der Rede ausreicht. Ähnliche sprachliche Wendungen bei Jesaja paraphrasieren ebenfalls nur das geschichtliche Eingreifen Jahwes und verweisen nicht auf eine Auseinandersetzung mit einem bestehenden Konzept. Ein Traditionskomplex namens Tag Jahwes erwuchs erst später aus dieser prophetischen Verkündigung. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

Atonement theories have great implications for the soteriological paradigms associated with them, but their significance has not always been recognized in the formulation of theological systems, the lack of dogmatic definition by ecumenical council encouraging diversification and isolation from other doctrinal loci. The strongest coherence between an atonement model and soteriology can be seen in the reformed tradition, and its theory of penal substitution has become the standard accepted by many non-reformed protestant groups, including classical pentecostalism. Tensions persist in the theological system of pentecostalism because of its pairing of penal substitution with the soteriological paradigm of its foundational symbol of faith, the full gospel of Jesus as savior, sanctifier, baptizer with the Spirit, healer, and coming king. This vision of salvation is broader than that of protestant orthodoxy, which through its atonement theory deleteriously separates the death of Christ from his work in life and strictly limits the subjects and nature of salvation, specifically to addressal of elect individuals’ sins. It is proposed that this tension within the pentecostal system be relieved not through a reduction of its soteriology but a retrieval of the Christus victor model, the atonement theory of the ancient and Eastern church. As reintroduced to the Western church by G. Aulén, this model interprets the saving work of Christ along two lines: recapitulation, the summing up and saving of humanity via the incarnation, and ransom, the deliverance of humanity from the hostile powers holding it in bondage. In a contemporary, pentecostal appropriation of this model, aid is taken from K. Barth’s concept of nothingness to partially demythologize the cosmic conflict of the Bible, and pentecostalism reinvigorates the Eastern paradigm of salvation as theosis or Christification via the expectation of the replication of Christ’s ministry in the Christian. The study shows Christus victor can give a more stable base for a broader soteriology that is concerned with the holistic renewal of the human person. To demonstrate the developed model’s vigor and applicability beyond pentecostalism, the study closes by bringing it into conversation with the concerns of three contemporary theological movements. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The doctrine of predestination in Western theology had for centuries been burdened by the dualistic conception of Saint Augustine. The bishop of Hippo held that it is God?s intention to reveal His mercy on a small number of those predestined to salvation and His justice on a far larger mass of rightly damned sinners. He came to be convinced that salvation is an utterly undeserved gift and consequently he negated the importance of human freedom. His interpretation would rather give rise to anxiety than the hope Scripture speaks about. Vladimír Boublík dared to oppose Augustine?s authority and presented an entirely different solution based on modern exegesis of the Pauline epistles. He defined predestination as an irreversible divine decision the content of which is the participation of all humanity on divine life in Christ. The present paper shows that Boublík?s theology stems from not just academic, but above all existential search for the answer to the question of human destiny marked with sin, suffering and death. It is already apparent on the pages of the spiritual diary the author kept during his studies. All his writing shows the intention to address his contemporaries and lead them to Christ who stands in the centre of the author?s thinking. This paper attempts to follow up on the work of the Czech exile theologian. It presents his conception of predestination and further develops it in some respects. Besides other things, it throws light on the previously unclarified problem of Christ?s primacy in predestination. Vladimír Boublík?s thesis is confronted with objections that have been raised against it and its content is compared with the content of today?s contribution to the topic.

[pt] Diálogo e anúncio, a partir do Vaticano II é uma dupla atividade que a Igreja tem desenvolvido, de modo inauferível, com a nova aproximação religiosa surgida desde então. Muito embora a Igreja tenha dialogado, ao longo de sua existência,com os diversos povos aos quais levou o anúncio da salvação cristã, a progressiva aproximação inter-religiosa, que surge desde o Concílio Vaticano II, traz elementos novos e geradores de uma considerável tensão: dá-se,indubitavelmente, um entrechoque, na participação concreta do diálogo, entre as propostas de cada tradição religiosa, para a solução daquelas questões que tanto inquietam o ser humano, no mais íntimo de seu ser. Qual a sua origem? Qual o seu fim último? Assim, o interesse deste trabalho se volta para o trato com este duplo aspecto presente hoje na missão da Igreja: a sua participação no diálogo inter-religioso, atendendo às exigências que lhe são peculiares, sem, entretanto, deixar de cumprir o seu dever de anunciar a todos os povos a salvação trazida por Jesus Cristo. / [en] Dialogue and announcement, from the Vatican II are a double activity that the Church has developed, in an inherent way, with the new appeared religious approach since then. Even though the Church has dialogued, throughout its existence, with different kind of people to which it took the announcement of the Christian salvation, the gradual Inter- religious approach, that appears since Vatican Council II, brings new and generating elements of a considerable tension: it is given, doubtless, a shock , in the concrete participation of the dialogue, among the proposals of each religious tradition, for the solution of those questions that disturb the human being, in the closest of its being. Which is the origin? Which is the last end? Thus, the interest of this work is about the treatment with this double present aspect in the mission of the Church today: its participation in the Inter-religious dialogue, taking into consideration the requirements that are peculiar, however, fulfilling its duty to announce to the people the salvation brought by Jesus Christ.

When reading the Bible in an independent way, i.e., not through the lenses of any official Church dogma, one is amazed by the many voices that come through to us. Add to this variety the literaiy finds from Nag Hammadi, as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls, then the question now confronting many spiritual pilgrims is how it came about that these obviously diverse theologies, represented in the socalled Old and New Testaments, were moulded into only one "orthodox" result. In what way and to what degree were the many Christian groups different and distinctive from one another, as well as from other Jewish groups? Furthermore, what was the influence of other religions, Judaism, the Mysteries, Gnostics and Philosophers on the development, variety of groups and ultimately 021 the consolidation of "orthodox" soteriology? / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1979 / VOORWOORD: Miskien moet ons ons voorwoord met ‘n bekentenis begin. Dit is nou ruim 18jaar gelede dat ons ons navorsing oor Andrew Murray se teologie begin het. Gedurende hierdie tyd het ons die werk vir lang tye gestaak omdat ons ingrypende probleme met ons onderwerp gehad het. Dit het hierop neergekom dat ons nie Murray se teologie kon inpas of versoen met die gereformeerde tradisies van die N.G. Kerk nie. Liewer dus as om tot negatiewe resultate te kom, het ons ons versamelde stof en bevindinge altyd weer diep weggebêre. Maar, al het ons dit gedoen, kon ons Andrew Murray nooit heeltemal uit ons gedagtes ban nie. So het met die jare bewustelik en onbewustelik ‘n nuwe en meer ewewigtige benadering tot sy teologie gegroei. Ons het geleer om hom in die raamwerk van sy tyd te plaas wat vanself tot ‘n meer milde oordeel gelei het op die punte waarin ons van hom moes verskil. Dit was tog nie billik gewees nie om hom los te maak van die tye waarin hy geleef het en die teologiese klimaat wat hy geadem het, om hom dan uitsluitlik en streng vanuit calvinisties-gereformeerde oogpunt te beoordeel nie. Uit hierdie nuwe benadering het daar ‘n nuwe waardering vir Andrew Murray en sy geestelike grootheid gegroei en kon ons die studie uiteindelik voortsit en tot voltooing bring. Ons wil vertrou dat hierdie poging om Andrew Murray se vernaamste teologiese motiewe bloot te lê en hom te probeer verstaan, 'n nuwe belangstelling in sy geestel ike nalatenskap sal stimuleer. So pas het die jongste lewensbeskrywing van Andrew Murray deur ’n Amerikaanse skryfster, Leona Choy, ons ter hand gekom: Andrew Murray Apostle of Abiding Love, Fort Washington, 1978. In haar voorwoord sê sy: "The books of this spiritual giant of yesterday have influenced my own Christian life since I was in my teens. I could hardly understand their spiritual heights in my immaturity, but instinctively I knew that this man of God beckoned me to start climbing a mountain that would take a lifetime to scale. Through my years of academic preparation, then ministry for the Lord on the mission field and in varied types of Christian service, I read Murray’s books over and over, understanding new sentences which leaped into my spiritual horizon of need. I wrote dozens of poems sparked by phrases from his writings which spoke intensely to my spirit. I feel that I was nourished and sustained on Murray’s soundly Biblical teachings and draw to launch out into the deep with God.” As sy verder sê: “A contemporary biography of Andrew Murray is long overdue", bring dit ons onder die die indruk van hoe wydgelese Andrew Murray sestig jaar na sy dood nog steeds is. Eintlik het ons hier met iets verstommends te doen dat ‘n predikant van die N.G. Kerk in Suid-Afrika uit ‘n vorige eeu as't ware, nog so kontemporêr in die gedagtes van Amerikaners is. Ten slotte wil ons ons opregte dank betuig aan prof. F.J.M. Potgieter wat as ons promotor opgetree het tot met sy aftrede. My hartlike dank aan prof. W.D. Jonker wat hom in hierdie hoedanigheid opgevolg het en ons gedurende die afgelope jaar van intensiewe studie deur die finale stadiums van die werk met soveel onmisbare raad bedien het. Ongelukkig kan my moeder wat so belanggestel het in my werk oor Andrew Murray, nie hierdie gelukkige dag saam met ons belewe nie. As afgevaardigde na die stigtings-konferensie van die C.S.V. in die moederkerk op Stellenbosch het Andrew Murray ‘n onuitwisbare indruk op haar jong gemoed gelaat. Eindelik, ‘n laaste woord van dank aan my huisgenote wat my deur die jare met hulle geloof en belangstelling bygestaan het. In hierdie verband het vroutjie veral in die afgelope jaar van studie ‘n onmisbare rol gespeel.