Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:18:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mauro Filgueiras Filho.pdf: 1009410 bytes, checksum: a5420318750a87d3599970be54e01aed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-19 / This dissertation is focused to presente the typological hermeneutic method as a tool to understand the reading of the Gospel of Matthew 4.15-16 of the Isaiah s prophecy of 8.23 9.1 [MT]. The text will be noted from the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint, when compared with the Greek text of Matthew. Therefore, the first century Jewish context will be studied to understand more fully the environment in wich the evangelist was possible to write his gospel. The techniques of interpretation considered in parallel with the typology of greatest importance to this work are: three rabbinical techniques, that is, pesher, midrah haggadah and gezerah shavah, and three other techniques eminently Christian interpretation, that is, double-fulfillment, sensus plenior, typology. Finally, the comparative study of first century Judaism and interpretation techniques will result the choice of typological interpretation, but without a radical rupture with the other schools, but on the contrary, conflicting with some notes of the Dead Sea Scrolls and his apocalypticism. The typological interpretation will deal with the similarities between the Old and the New Testament texts, for a more comprehensive understanding of the scenario. Will be considered three common themes of the two texts that establish a relation between them, that is, the geography, the Gentiles and the interpretation of light / Esta dissertação tem por foco apresentar o método hermenêutico tipológico como ferramenta proposta para compreender a leitura realizada pelo evangelho de Mateus 4.15-16 da profecia de Isaías 8.23 9.1 [TM]. O texto receberá atenção a partir do Texto Massorético e da Septuaginta, sempre em comparação com o texto grego de Mateus. Por conseguinte, o contexto judaico do primeiro século será estudado para compreender mais amplamente o ambiente em que o evangelista possivelmente se encontrava para escrever o seu evangelho. As técnicas de interpretação contempladas em paralelo com a tipologia, consideradas de maior importância para este trabalho são: três técnicas rabínicas, isto é, pesher, midrah e gezerah shavah, e outras três técnicas de interpretação eminentemente cristãs, isto é, duplo-cumprimento, o sensus plenior e a tipologia. Por fim, o estudo comparativo do judaísmo do primeiro século e das técnicas de interpretação resultará na escolha da interpretação tipológica, mas sem um radical rompimento com as demais escolas, pelo contrário, conflitando com alguns apontamentos dos Rolos do Mar Morto e seu apocalipticismo. A interpretação tipológica se ocupará com as semelhanças entre o texto veterotestamentário e o neotestamentário, bem como semelhanças que poderiam compor um cenário mais abrangente. Serão considerados três temas comuns dos dois textos que estabelecem um vínculo entre ambos, ou seja, a geografia, os gentios e a interpretação da luz.

The aim of this diploma theses is to find philosophical, religious and ideological motifs in the work of Ladislav Fuks and subsequently interpret their origin, intertextuality and meaning in the text. The emphasis is put on proving the semantic functionality in the story. For our research, we have selected following works: Mr. Theodore Mundstock, The Cremator, and Addressing from the Darkness. We will study philosophical and theological literature, as well as materials from the archives and from the estate of Ladislav Fuks in order to base all the findings on the biographical author, too. The thesis is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter we deal with basic literary characteristics of the selected books and their literary reception. The second chapter discusses Ladislav Fuks' relationship to philosophy, being anchored in both his friends' testimonies and the archival research of his estate. The third chapter is the most important and the most comprehensive one since it deals with the interpretation of philosophical motifs in each of the selected books. In the fourth chapter we compare individual philosophical motifs from different works with each other. We summarize the findings at the end of the theses.

[pt] Durante um longo período o tema da afetividade esteve fora do discurso religioso. Este discurso religioso tendeu mais para a matiz da tradição grega, dando preferência para o discurso da razão na teologia. Contudo, a tradição cristã é formada pelo entrecruzamento de duas grandes Tradições religioso-culturais: a referida Tradição grega, baseada no discurso racional; e a Tradição semita, baseada na antropologia do coração, onde o conhecimento é visto como sabedoria e amor. Isso indica que, por detrás do componente afetivo existe uma real possibilidade de se conhecer, experienciar e, conseqüentemente, amar a Deus. A estrutura afetiva do ser humano torna-se, assim, em virtude de constituir-se basicamente como estrutura de acolhida, a maneira mais legítima de acolher a Deus. A afetividade humana garante, então, que toda a experiência de Deus seja uma experiência amorosa que revela ao ser humano sua verdade mais profunda: o ser humano é um ser em relação com seu Deus Criador e Salvador. A afetividade possibilita, assim, a apropriação da parte do ser humano da graça redentora que Deus lhe comunica numa relação sempre salutar. Jesus Cristo - o dom do Pai à humanidade - realiza em sua pessoa a salvação que Deus quer comunicar ao ser humano. A salvação consiste na participação do ser humano na vida divina mediante a ação do Espírito Santo que co- naturaliza o ser humano com Deus. / [en] During a long time, the theme of affection was outside of religious discourse. This religious discourse tended more to the shade of Greek tradition, giving preference to the discourse of reason in teology. However, the Christian tradition is formed by the intersections of two big cultural religious Traditions: the so called Greek Tradition, based on rational discourse; and the Semitic Tradition, based on antropology of heart, where knowledge is seen by wisdom and love. It signals that, behind the affectionate component, there is a real possibility of knowing oneself, experiencing and, consequentely, loving God. So, the affectionate structure of human being becomes the most legitimate way to welcome God since it was set up basically as a welcome structure. Thus, human affection guarantees that every experience of God is a loveling experience that reveals to human being his deeper truth: human being is a being regarding his Creator Saviour God. The affection enables in that manner the human being appropriation from part of the redeeming grace that God communicates to him in a salutary relation like always. Jesus Christ - the Father's gift to humanity - does in His person the salvation that God wishes to communicate to human being. The salvation consists in joining human being in divine life through the action of Holly Spirit that co-naturalizes human being with God.

A presente tese investigou quais foram, como foram produzidas e quais os motivos para a produção das doutrinas jurídicas utilizadas pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal para decidir os habeas corpi relativos a casos políticos dos estados e distrito federal entre 1906, a partir da tensão surgida durante o governo Afonso Pena entre os correligionários de Pinheiro Machado e a base de sustentação do presidente no Congresso, e 1915, ano do assassinato do senador. Foi empregada a obra de Michael Stolleis como referencial teórico, que busca articular história, história do direito e história da ciência do direito, utilizando o termo “história” não apenas com o significado de mudanças fáticas e normativas, mas também com o de expressão, preparação e compreensão intelecto-linguística dessas mudanças, tratando-se sempre da interação entre a transformação histórica e um pensar que conceitua, podendo o pensamento preceder os acontecimentos ou segui-los, comentando-os e interpretando-os. A presente tese foi dividida em dois capítulos. No primeiro, trata-se do surgimento da primeira república, suas características básicas, instituições relevantes para a presente tese e a cultura jurídica do período, com análise das faculdades, livros, perfil dos juristas etc. Esse capítulo é importante para balizar os limites das discussões político-jurídicas, por exemplo, e para ver que a forma como os juristas decidiram os processos no STF no período investigado não constituiu uma “exceção”. No segundo capítulo, sendo realizada a divisão das seções de acordo com os governos do presidentes no período pesquisado, é analisada a relação do STF com a política no período pesquisado, mediante a análise dos processos de habeas corpus relativos a casos políticos dos estados e distrito federal. O auge da tensão foi durante o governo Hermes da Fonseca, durante a política das salvações e a posterior reação pinheirista, quando vários casos políticos foram judicializados e parte dos ministros do tribunal era identificada com o hermismo, outra parte identificada com o pinheirismo (ambos os grupos normalmente aliados), assim como parte era identificada com a oposição. Foi um claro momento de divisão do STF na primeira república. No contexto de uma formação superior distante da excelência, marcada pelo autodidatismo, muitos dos ministros eram bons juristas de acordo com aqueles padrões, tendo conhecimento das doutrinas e autores, nacionais e estrangeiros, relevantes naquele tempo e espaço, e eram capazes de elaborar doutrinas jurídicas de aparência sofisticada, convincentes, sem contradições lógicas grosseiras, a partir de um amplo e desconexo quadro de referências nacionais e estrangeiras, com o objetivo de defender suas posições. Eram os “jurisconsultos adaptáveis” (Seelaender) em ação. Para identificar a estratégia doutrinária adotada pelos ministros, entendeu-se que a análise isolada de doutrinas do habeas corpus, desconsiderando o contexto político da época e discussões jurídicas paralelas sobre teorias de intervenção federal, estado de sítio, controle de constitucionalidade e separação de poderes, seria muito despistadora. É fundamental compreender a interação entre essas teorias no pensamento jurídico dos atores pesquisados. Foi necessário compreender como essas teorias funcionavam de forma combinada nos votos proferidos pelos juízes em casos políticos para compreender a atuação dos ministros. Por exemplo, por um lado, pode-se ver que o hermista Enéas Galvão concomitantemente costumava atribuir ao habeas corpus um escopo mais amplo de proteção e de decidir que o Poder Judiciário não poderia controlar a constitucionalidade da intervenção federal e do decreto de estado de sítio emitido pelo Presidente da República. Por outro lado, pode-se ver que o perrepista Pedro Lessa concomitantemente atribuía ao habeas corpus um âmbito mais restrito de proteção, funcionando de forma semelhante a uma ação possessória, na forma como formulava o habeas corpus como meio apto para proteger “a liberdade-condição, a liberdade-meio, a fim de que se possa exercer a liberdade-fim”, e decidia que o Poder Judiciário poderia controlar a constitucionalidade da intervenção federal e do estado de sítio emitido pelo Presidente da República, e estabelecer limites, dando aos estados governados por oligarcas em oposição ao governo federal - com quem ele e sua facção estavam intimamente ligados - mais espaço para, ao mesmo tempo, evitar uma intervenção federal e lidar com oposicionistas locais nos estados. Claro, ao lado de juristas mais sofisticados, como Enéas Galvão e Pedro Lessa, havia outros menos sofisticados, que, além de adotar uma visão mais delimitadora do habeas corpus e do controle de constitucionalidade, e uma visão mais amplificadora da intervenção federal e do estado de sítio, tentavam resolver os casos de forma mais simples, com base exclusiva em questões processuais. Esse era o caso, e. g., do pinheirista Pedro Mibielli. / This PhD dissertation investigated which were, how they were produced, and what were the motives for the production of legal doctrines used by the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court to decide the habeas corpora on political cases from the states and the federal district between 1906, from the arising tension during the Afonso Pena government between supporters of Pinheiro Machado and the president's support base in Congress, and 1915, the year of the senator's murder. It was employed as a theoretical framework the work of Michael Stolleis, which seeks to articulate history, legal history, and science of legal history, using the term “history” not only with the meaning of factual and normative changes, but also the meaning of expression, preparation, and intellectual and linguistic understanding of these changes, since it is always the interaction between historical change and conceptual thinking that conceptualizes, being the thought able to precede the events or follow them, commenting on them and interpreting them. This PhD dissertation has been divided into two chapters. In the first one, it is dealt with the emergence of the first republic, its basic characteristics, relevant institutions for this work, and the legal culture of the period, with the analysis of law schools, books, the lawyer’s profile, etc. This chapter is relevant to mark the boundaries of legal-political discussions, for instance, and to see that the way lawyers decided the cases in the Supreme Court in the researched period did not constitute an “exception.” In the second chapter, being held the division of sections according to the governments of presidents in the researched period, it is analyzed the STF's relationship with politics in the researched period by the analysis of habeas corpus procedures relating to political cases of states and district federal. The height of the tension was during Hermes da Fonseca’s government, during the politics of salvation and the subsequent pinheirista reaction when several political cases were judicialized and part of the judges of the court was identified with the hermismo, another part was identified with the pinheirismo (both usually allied groups) and part was identified with the opposition. It was a clear moment of STF’s division in the first republic. In the context of a higher education far from excellence, marked by self-education, many of the judges were good lawyers according to those standards, with knowledge of the doctrines and authors, national and foreigners, relevant at that time and space, and were able to create sophisticated legal doctrines, with a compelling appearance and without gross logical contradictions, from a broad and disjointed framework of national and international references, in order to defend their positions. They were the “adaptive lawyers” (Seelaender) in action. To identify the doctrinal strategy adopted by the judges, it was understood that the isolated analysis of the habeas corpus doctrines, disregarding the political context of the time and parallel legal discussions on theories of federal intervention, state of siege, constitutional review, and separation of powers, would be very misleading. It is essential to understand the interaction between these theories in the legal thinking of the researched actors. It was necessary to understand how these theories worked combined in the opinions cast by the judges in political cases to understand the actions of the judges. For example, on the one hand, one can see that the hermista Eneas Galvão concomitantly used to assign habeas corpus a broader scope of protection and decide that the judiciary could not review the constitutionality of federal intervention and state of siege decree issued by the President. On the other hand, one can see that the perrepista Pedro Lessa concurrently attributed to habeas corpus a narrower scope of protection, operating similarly to a possessory action, in the way he formulated the habeas corpus as a means able to protect “the freedom- condition, the freedom-means, so that it can be exercised the freedom-end,” and decided that the judiciary could review the constitutionality of federal intervention and the state of siege issued by the President, narrowing their scope, giving the states ruled by oligarchs in opposition to the federal government - with whom he and his faction were closely linked - more room to, at the same time, avoid federal intervention and deal with local opposition in the states. Of course, alongside more sophisticated lawyers, such as Eneas Galvão and Pedro Lessa, there were other less sophisticated, which, in addition to adopting a more bounding view of habeas corpus and judicial review, and a further amplifying vision of federal intervention and state of siege, tryed to solve the cases more simply, exclusively based on procedural matters. This was the case, e. g., of the pinheirista Pedro Mibielli.

Dispersée dans la multiplicité d'ouvrages qui se nourrissent directement de sa légende et abritent son image, Jeanne d'Arc a réussi à les dépasser tous : peu importent les recherches menées sur les détails de sa vie et qui visent à ébranler l'aspect héroïque de sa mission, sa légende continue à prendre le dessus et répand l'image de la petite fille guerrière et libératrice de la France dans le monde entier. Rarement une figure aura donné lieu à autant d'interprétations différentes, à autant de débats et de récupérations de partis opposés. Symbole de la résistance à toute invasion étrangère et de l'obéissance aux ordres divins, elle n'a cessé de se prêter à d'innombrables rôles et d'exprimer les aspirations les plus contradictoires. Au XXe siècle, l'œuvre de Charles Péguy consacrée à Jeanne d'Arc est une résurrection du personnage de la Pucelle où les données historiques sont prises comme prétexte pour doubler l'acte héroïque de Jeanne d'une portée mythique qui engage le salut de l'humanité entière. À travers le mythe de Jeanne d'Arc, Péguy s'interroge sur le sort de l'humanité, sur le sens caché de l'Incarnation et sur le mystère de la Rédemption : les images se superposent, les mots doublent de sens et derrière le spectacle de la guerre se devinent, plus horribles encore, les cris sourds des âmes damnées. Avec Péguy, Jeanne dépasse son rôle d'héroïne et de sainte au service de la France et des Français, elle cherche le salut de l'humanité à travers celui de son pays. Dès lors et à travers la conception d'une vie humaine, celle de Jeanne, Péguy nous fait assister à la constitution d'un mythe à la fois personnel et universel. / Despite the numerous books that dealt with the legend story of Joan of Arc, still she managed to overcome all the expectations. Regardless the detailed researches done to reinforce the heroic aspect of her mission, her legend continues to spread all over the world the image Joan of Arc the warrior and liberator of France. In the literature rarely a character had given rise to such so different opinions and discussions as Joan of Arc had done. A symbol of resistance against any foreign invasion and obedience to divine commands, she had continued give herself to a countless roles and to be a source of inspiration in most contradictory manner. In the twentieth century, the work of Charles Peguy is a renovation of character of Joan of Arc “The Maid of Orleans”. In his book, Peguy emphasize the heroic mythic part of Jeanne concerning the salvation of whole humanity. Throughout the legend of Joan of Arc, Peguy rise the question about the fait of humanity through the hidden sense of incarnation and the mystery of redemption : the images serve to metaphor, the wards have double meanings and behind the spectacle of war which becoming more and more horrible we can hear the cries of the cursed souls. With the writings of Peguy, Joan overcome her role as a heroine and saint to serve France and the French people, she is looking forward the salvation of the humanity throughout the salvation of her country. Hence Peguy shows us the creation of a personal and universal myth with the help of simple conception of Joan’s humane life.

Le cycle hebdomadaire syro-antiochien est un cycle liturgique férial, simple et non eucharistique. Le livre de prières dont on sert pendant ces jours fériaux est appelé en syriaque Shehimo, ce que signifie « simple » ou « banal ». La valeur théologique des offices du Shehimo réside dans leur fonction actualisante qui transforme les événements salvifiques du passé en réalité vécue constamment par les fidèles à travers la mémoire. L’étude du livre, de sa structure liturgique, de son contenu et de ses sources révèle la grande richesse du cycle hebdomadaire qui a su assimiler plusieurs textes bibliques, apocryphes, patristiques et historiques afin de les présenter aux fidèles d’une manière simple pour les accompagner dans leur voyage hebdomadaire entre le premier et le huitième jour de la semaine. D’autre part, l’économie du salut réalisée par le Verbe de Dieu constitue la base solide sur laquelle se fondent les textes du Shehimo. Dieu a crée l’homme motivé par son amour et lorsque l’homme est tombé dans le péché, Dieu l’a sauvé par le même amour divin invraisemblable. L’incarnation du Fils, sa vie, son enseignement, ses miracles, sa crucifixion, sa mort et sa résurrection visaient toujours le salut de l’homme. D’une manière poétique, imaginative et mélodique, le chrétien se souvient de toute cette œuvre salvifique et divine que le Christ a réalisée en sa faveur, il affirme son attachement à cette œuvre, il chante la gloire de son Sauveur et il exprime ardemment son désir d’être digne de lui chanter éternellement sa gloire dans son Royaume céleste. / The Syro-Antiochian weekly cycle is an ordinary, simple and non-eucharistic liturgical cycle. The prayer book which we use during the ordinary days, is called Shehimo in Syriac, which means “simple” or “trivial”. The theological value of the services of the Shehimo lies in their actualizing function which transforms the salvational events of the past into a reality that is constantly lived by the faithful through their memory. The study of the book, of its liturgical structure, its content and its sources, reveals the great richness of the weekly cycle which was able to assimilate many biblical, apocryphal, patristic and historical texts in order to present them to the faithful in a simple manner so as to accompany them in their weekly journey from the first to the eighth day of the week. On the other hand, the economy of salvation that was realized by the Word of God constitutes the solid base on which the texts of the Shehimo are founded. When God created man He was motivated by His love; when man fell in sin, God has saved him with the same inconceivable divine love. The incarnation of the Son, His life, His teachings, His miracles, His crucifixion, His death and His resurrection always aimed at the salvation of man. In a poetic, imaginative and melodic way, the Christian believer remembers all this salvational and divine work that Christ has accomplished for his sake, and thus the Christian believer affirms his attachment to this work. He chants the glory of his Savior and expresses passionately his desire to be worthy of eternally chanting to Him His glory in His heavenly kingdom.

Véritable théologoumène, l’imago Dei apparait comme un thème majeur de la théologie qui permet d’élaborer une anthropologie théologique. Aussi l’imago Dei a pu connaitre plusieurs interprétations dans l’histoire. Ainsi est-il est possible d’identifier deux grandes catégories d’anthropologies théologiques dans le christianisme contemporain : une anthropologie dite « substantialiste » et une anthropologie dite« relationnelle ». Selon l’anthropologie théologique que l’on rencontre le plus fréquemment, l’homme est défini par une propriété qui lui est commune avec Dieu comme l’intelligence ou la faculté d’aimer. Le but de cette thèse est de montrer, à travers le prisme de l’anthropologie relationnelle sans concession de Jean Ansaldi qui interroge sans cesse la légitimité même de l’imago Dei comme fondement biblique d’une anthropologie chrétienne, que cette anthropologie qui semble la plus classique n’est en fait qu’une parenthèse dans l’histoire du christianisme qui, de l’écriture de la Bible jusqu’à la théologie contemporaine, perçoit l’être humain avant tout comme vis-à-vis de Dieu, altérité représentant le Tout Autre, être qui est relation comme Dieu est en lui-même relation. / Theologoumenon true, imago Dei appears as a major theme of theology that allows to develop a theologica anthropology. Imago Dei also could know several interpretations in history. Thus it is possible to identify two broad categories of theological anthropology in contemporary Christianity : a so-called "substantialist" anthropology and called "relational" anthropology. According to theological anthropology that the most frequently encountered, man is defined by a property that is common with God as the intelligence or the ability to love. The aim of this thesis is to show, through the prism of relational anthropology uncompromising Jean Ansaldi who constantly questions the legitimacy of imago Dei as a biblical foundation of a Christian anthropology, anthropology seems that the classic is actually a parenthesis in the history of Christianity, writing of the Bible to contemporary theology sees the human being as primarily vis-à-vis God alterity while representing the Other, which is being relationship as God is in himself relationship.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le débat actuel relatif au monothéisme biblique et au pluralisme religieux. Ces dernières décennies, ce débat a été influencé par des auteurs comme Jan Assmann pour lequel le monothéisme vétérotestamentaire constitue une racine importante de l’intolérance dont les trois religions monothéistes se seraient rendues coupables. Le but de notre thèse n’est pas d’entrer dans ce débat mais d’approfondir un sujet négligé par la recherche : qu’en est-il des tendances inclusives du monothéisme vétérotestamentaire ? Cette thèse ne se veut pas une contribution historique mais son but est d’étudier les principes théologiques permettant de concevoir des rapports positifs entre le Dieu d’Israël et des individus ou des peuples étrangers. En particulier, nous cherchons à analyser trois textes, le Livre de Jonas, le Psaume 33 (TM et LXX) et le roman Joseph et Aséneth. Bien qu’il s’agisse de trois textes différents en ce qui concerne le genre littéraire, l’origine et la datation, ils ont en commun d’aborder le problème du rapport entre le Dieu d’Israël et les non-Israélites. Plus concrètement, chacun de ces trois textes présente le Dieu d’Israël comme un créateur universel qui, en tant créateur, a pitié de toutes ses créatures. / The starting point of this study is the current debate on monotheism and religious pluralism. In recent decades, this debate has been strongly influenced by some authors such as Jan Assmann for whom the monotheism originating in the Old Testament is the root of the intolerance and violence of the three monotheistic religions. Rather than participating at this debate, the intention of this study is to answer the following questions: what about inclusive tendencies in Old Testament monotheism? Thus, this thesis is aimed at looking into the theological principles motivating and supporting the possibility of an approach by individuals and peoples to the God of Israel. With this aim, our objective is to analyse three texts where the relationship between YHWH, Israel and the non-Israelites is examined: the book of Jonah, Psalm 33 (MT and LXX), and the novel, Joseph and Aseneth. Although these three texts are different concerning their genre, period and provenance, they have the following ideas in common: the relationship between the God of Israel and non-Israelites as well as the concept of God as an universal creator who has pity of all his creatures.

The Puritan attitude toward death in seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century New England was ambivalent and contained both terror at the possibility of eternal damnation and hope for deliverance. The joyful theme of the migratio ad Dominum resonated with the Saints only at times when they were convinced divine grace was actively working in their lives, but when they saw they were backsliding, the horror of death prevailed. Puritan anxiety about death was caused by tensions inherent in the doctrine of predestination, which implied man's dependence on God's inscrutability, and in the doctrine of assurance, which implied that self-doubt was more desirable than full assurance of salvation. What complicated any verification of the presence of grace was man's endless potential for self-deception. Memento mori gave urgency to the Puritan work ethic and the effective use of time. The anxiety about one's destiny began in early childhood when death and its ensuing horrors for the depraved were used as a means of religious instruction to provoke spiritual precocity and conversion. This early immersion into the discourse about death has been erroneously interpreted as a proof of the non-existence of childhood in Puritan New England. Deathbed scenes depicted in Puritan spiritual biographies were designed as examples...

An underlying theme of creation can be found in the text of Colossians 1:13-20. Certain words and expressions in the passage can be directly linked with the first act of creation. These words and expressions can corporately be described as "creation language". From this it follows that "creation language" is the way in which the work and Person of Jesus Christ is described in relation to the Old Testament (Genesis) creation accounts. In Collossians 1:13-20 we find a focus on the Creator. The message of redemption is cast within the framework of the continuing creation activities of God. It is an actual fact that God (the Father and Creator) takes initiative in the redemptive process. It is He who redeems believers by transferring them from the hostility of the darkness to a new Lordship. The Son - being the image of the invisible God - is the Instrument of redemption. It is the Creator though that is the "acting Person" behind the redemptive process. The power of the Creator is a strong underlying motive in Colossians 1:13-20. His power is shown in the act of the first creation and reiterated in the resurrection of the Son. The focus is on God's - and his alone - power to create life out of death. Something comparable to the creation of "life out of nothing" during the first creation. Being the Image of the invisible (Creator) God, the Son is the perfect Representative of the powerful God. He represents God's presence, but more specifically his power. Christ's Lordship over everthing in the creation is therefore repeatedly mentioned in Colossians 1:13-20. By describing the church as the body of Christ, believers are reminded that they are drawn into the powerful presence of their Creator's power. They are reminded of the impact of their redemption by referring to the process by which they were redeemed and their identity under the headship of Christ. On an ethical level they are urged to live accordingly - to be transformed to the likeness of their Creator. The content of Colossians 1:13-20 represents a confession from antiquity about the nucleus of the ancient believers' faith. Along with this it creates a "stencil of interpretation" for the message of the whole letter. The fact that the passage is written in "creation language" reminds us of the importance of this motive for New Testament studies in general. In conclusion, it can be noted that the writer of Colossians 1:13-20 employs "creation language" as a vehicle to describe the work and Person of Jesus Christ while focusing on the active involvement of the Creator. In a unique and uncomplicated manner it is shown that the redemptive work of Christ is to be understood within the framework of the active creation process of the Creator as it is described in the Old Testament creation reports. / Dissertation (PhD (New Testament Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted