The postmodern context in which the church currently performs its duties, necessitates a reconsidering of its pastoral practice. This venture is undertaken by introducing the social constructionist paradigm as a thought form for therapeutic and pastoral approaches. The social constructionist perspective proposes a non-referential, non-descriptive and communicational view of language. Language does not mirror the world, but we create the world we know and inhabit through joint communicative action. This constructionist view of language has radical implications for the way we practice therapy and pastoral care. It invites a move away from expert knowledge, professional diagnosis, essentialist thinking and therapeutic master narratives. It encourages a not-knowing position, multiple descriptions of the reality experienced as the problem, a narrative understanding of identity and the development of local meaning in the therapeutic conversation. If the above mentioned implications of social constructionist thought for pastoral practice are taken seriously, the following question emerges: What is the role of the Bible in a pastoral approach which aligns itself with social constructionist commitments? Does this sacred text allow the pastor to hold a not-knowing position and the development of local meaning in conversation? The question is addressed by explicating the Protestant Orthodox view of Scripture as authorative, perspicuous, sufficient and dependable. This view of Scripture is critiqued by reviewing the complex and challenging developments in modern literary criticism, which give rise to generating alternative descriptions of the status and identity of the text we Christians call ‘The Bible’. These alternative descriptions result in a postfoundationalist view of the Bible. In conclusion a set of values for pastoral therapy, as informed by social constructionism, is formulated. A focus group joins the venture by reflecting on the values. The final chapter is a rumination on therapeutic narratives and context. / Thesis (DD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study examines the validity and reconcilability of the Scriptural view of Sakkie Spangenberg with regard to Reformed Dogmatics. Spangenberg questions the fundamental truths of Christianity, including the descent of Jesus to hell, his resurrection, ascension, the doctrine on the Trinity and the fall of man. The focus of this study will answer the question: "How does the Scriptural view of Spangenberg compare to the traditional Reformed point of view"? The research will start with a comprehensive literature study, aided by computer assisted database searches, archives of newspapers and journals, as well as earlier publications of Spangenberg. Various factors that gave rise to the Scriptural view of Spangenberg, as well as the fundamental principles thereof, will be examined. The consequences of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg regarding the traditional doctrines are also determined. As a second leg of the study, the validity of the Reformed Scriptural view in a postmodern era is also examined. A conclusion is formed that the authority of the Reformed doctrines are set in the authority of the Word of God and is therefore also valid in a postmodern society. Research also indicated that there are various similarities between the Scriptural view of Spangenberg and the Scriptural view of the postmodernists. Before an evaluation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg can be performed, an attempt is also made to provide a pure definition and formulation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg. The paramount differences between the Reformed view of Scripture and that of Spangenberg are also indicated. A conclusion is formed that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg is not reconcilable with the Reformed view. It is also indicated that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg questions both the authority of the Word of God, as well as the salvation that Christ brought to the world. / Thesis (M.A. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

This study examines the validity and reconcilability of the Scriptural view of Sakkie Spangenberg with regard to Reformed Dogmatics. Spangenberg questions the fundamental truths of Christianity, including the descent of Jesus to hell, his resurrection, ascension, the doctrine on the Trinity and the fall of man. The focus of this study will answer the question: "How does the Scriptural view of Spangenberg compare to the traditional Reformed point of view"? The research will start with a comprehensive literature study, aided by computer assisted database searches, archives of newspapers and journals, as well as earlier publications of Spangenberg. Various factors that gave rise to the Scriptural view of Spangenberg, as well as the fundamental principles thereof, will be examined. The consequences of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg regarding the traditional doctrines are also determined. As a second leg of the study, the validity of the Reformed Scriptural view in a postmodern era is also examined. A conclusion is formed that the authority of the Reformed doctrines are set in the authority of the Word of God and is therefore also valid in a postmodern society. Research also indicated that there are various similarities between the Scriptural view of Spangenberg and the Scriptural view of the postmodernists. Before an evaluation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg can be performed, an attempt is also made to provide a pure definition and formulation of the Scriptural view of Spangenberg. The paramount differences between the Reformed view of Scripture and that of Spangenberg are also indicated. A conclusion is formed that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg is not reconcilable with the Reformed view. It is also indicated that the view of Scripture of Spangenberg questions both the authority of the Word of God, as well as the salvation that Christ brought to the world. / Thesis (M.A. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

In the history of the Reformed Churches of South Africa (RCSA) great emphisis was placed on the notion to make decisions on the basis, and in accordance to the Scriptures. In spite of this notion, the church community of the RCSA stand in the midst of great tension regarding some decisions. In the fifty year period from the centenary festival in 1959 to the 150 year festival in 2009, assemblies of the church community were confronted with many objections to decisions regarding racial relations, the acceptance of the 1983-translation of the Bible in Afrikaans, the acceptance of the 2001-Psalter, the use of small cups in the Holy Communion and the role of women in the offices of deacon, elder and minister. The question that’s being addressed in this study is, if a shift in the RCSA’s view of Scripture took place. Chapter 2 gives an historical overview of the decisions that gave way to to the differences mentioned above. From the historical overview the aspects regarding the view of Scripture can be formulated. In chapter 3 the relation between the differences and the view of Scripture are examined. At first a short definition of the reformed view of Scripture are formulated. Hermeneutical and view of Scripture aspects of the raports of deputies and decisions of assemblies are tested according to the formulated definition of a reformed view of Scripture. Chapter 4 examines the influence that paradigm shifts had on the differences in the RCSA. Focus is placed on the influence of postmodernism on the one hand and fundamentalism on the other. Attention is also given to the stance of the RCSA on these two paradigms of thought with relation to the view of Scripture. In light of the reformed view of Scripture the postmodern approach to hermeneutics is discarded as well as the the fundamentalist view of Scripture. In spite of the reality of paradigmshifts, the raports of deputies and the decisions of assemblies does not reflect this reality. Chapter 5 tries to point a way out to handle the differences in the ligt of the Reformed view of Scripture. Focus is placed on the place the sociohistorical context holds in the revelationhistorical exegetical process. The chapter further investigates the relation between desicions on Scriptural grounds and the right to protest according to artical 31 of the Reformed Chrurchorder. Attention in given to so called ordinary cases ans essential cases. The notion that differences can be solved when dessicions is based on Scripture alone is put forward in this chapter. / Thesis (M.Th. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

In the history of the Reformed Churches of South Africa (RCSA) great emphisis was placed on the notion to make decisions on the basis, and in accordance to the Scriptures. In spite of this notion, the church community of the RCSA stand in the midst of great tension regarding some decisions. In the fifty year period from the centenary festival in 1959 to the 150 year festival in 2009, assemblies of the church community were confronted with many objections to decisions regarding racial relations, the acceptance of the 1983-translation of the Bible in Afrikaans, the acceptance of the 2001-Psalter, the use of small cups in the Holy Communion and the role of women in the offices of deacon, elder and minister. The question that’s being addressed in this study is, if a shift in the RCSA’s view of Scripture took place. Chapter 2 gives an historical overview of the decisions that gave way to to the differences mentioned above. From the historical overview the aspects regarding the view of Scripture can be formulated. In chapter 3 the relation between the differences and the view of Scripture are examined. At first a short definition of the reformed view of Scripture are formulated. Hermeneutical and view of Scripture aspects of the raports of deputies and decisions of assemblies are tested according to the formulated definition of a reformed view of Scripture. Chapter 4 examines the influence that paradigm shifts had on the differences in the RCSA. Focus is placed on the influence of postmodernism on the one hand and fundamentalism on the other. Attention is also given to the stance of the RCSA on these two paradigms of thought with relation to the view of Scripture. In light of the reformed view of Scripture the postmodern approach to hermeneutics is discarded as well as the the fundamentalist view of Scripture. In spite of the reality of paradigmshifts, the raports of deputies and the decisions of assemblies does not reflect this reality. Chapter 5 tries to point a way out to handle the differences in the ligt of the Reformed view of Scripture. Focus is placed on the place the sociohistorical context holds in the revelationhistorical exegetical process. The chapter further investigates the relation between desicions on Scriptural grounds and the right to protest according to artical 31 of the Reformed Chrurchorder. Attention in given to so called ordinary cases ans essential cases. The notion that differences can be solved when dessicions is based on Scripture alone is put forward in this chapter. / Thesis (M.Th. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

In hierdie navorsing word die toelating van vrouepredikante in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk vanuit ’n kerkhistoriese en prakties-teologiese hoek bestudeer. Die navorsingswaardes wat in die sosiaal-konstruksionisme geld, naamlik dat sodanige navorsing ’n deelnemende en verhalende proses is, dat die invloed van diskoerse bestudeer word en dat die belangrikheid van taal in ag geneem word, is in die navorsing verreken. Vanuit ’n post-fundamentele teologiese posisionering is van ’n paar van die bewegings in ’n postfundamentele prakties-teologiese metodologie gebruik gemaak om na die belewing van agt vroueproponente en -predikante deur die loop van die proses van toelating, én daarna, te luister en saam met hulle te interpreteer. Daar is van die volgende bewegings gebruik gemaak: Die beskrywing van die verskillende kontekste waarteen die roepingsverhale en loopbane van vrouepredikante afgespeel het; die aanhoor en beskrywing van die kontekstuele ervarings van die betrokke vroue; die interpretasie van en betekenisgewing aan die verhale in samewerking met die vroue wat as medenavorsers geag word en die beskrywing van en refleksie oor die ervaring van God se teenwoordigheid in hulle roepingsverhale en bedieninge as proponente en predikante. Hierdie postfundamentele prakties-teologiese metodologie is inherent narratief van aard en sluit ook nou aan by die denklyne wat in die sosiaal-konstruksionisme geld. Deur hierdie metodologie is daar probeer om ’n bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling en uitbou van mondelinge geskiedenis. Die beskrywing van vroue se verhale is terselfdertyd ook vrouegeskiedenis wat poog om vroue meer hoor- en sigbaar in algemene geskiedenis, maar spesifiek ook kerkgeskiedenis te maak. Die metodologie pas ook binne ’n meer postmoderne benadering tot geskiedenis in. Aan die hand hiervan is die breër landkaart en historiese konteks waarteen die roepingsverhale van vrouepredikante en kerklike vergaderings oor ’n tydperk van bykans 107 jaar afgespeel is, in breë trekke en deur middel van tydlyne beskryf. Die ontwikkeling en uitbouing van die volksmoederdiskoers oor die dieselfde tydperk is van nader beskou. Daar is verder gekyk na die invloed wat die breër konteks en die volksmoederdiskoers op vroue gedurende die twintigste eeu gehad het, hoe vroue oor die algemeen hulleself in bepaalde vroueruimtes soos vroue-organisasies uitgeleef het en of Afrikanervroue se stemme in die openbaar gehoor is al dan nie. Teen hierdie agtergrond is die verloop van die kerklike debat oor die toelating van vroue tot die besondere ampte, naamlik diakens, ouderlinge en vrouepredikante, beskryf. Hierdie debat kan in drie tydperke opgedeel word. Die eerste tydperk wat van 1966-1978 strek kan as ’n tyd van nadenke beskryf word. Vanaf 1982 tot 1990 is die debat deur ’n sterk verskil in Skrifbeskouing gekenmerk. Die laaste tydperk wat vanaf 1991 tot 2007 strek, beskryf hoe die praktyk stadig pos gevat het en hoe die gesprek uiteindelik na gendersake uitgebrei het. Die vroueproponente en -predikante se roepingsverhale, hulle belewenis van God in die pad wat hulle moes loop en eerste treë in die bediening is weer deurgaans teen die agtergrond van die breër landkaart, volksmoederdiskoers en die NG Kerk se verskillende sinodes aangehoor, beskryf en in samewerking met hulle geïnterpreteer. Bykomend tot die groep persoonlike verhale is twee verhale van vroue wat reeds voor 1950 teologie studeer het en nie meer vandag leef nie, opgeteken. In al die gesprekke het die belangrikheid van vrouepredikante se roepingsverhale, hulle positiewe en negatiewe belewenisse in die kerk, die impak van oorwegend manlike kerktaal op vroue, die gemis en impak van rolmodelle, die frustrasies rondom proponentskap en hulle belewing van God onder andere na vore gekom. Dit is ook opmerklik dat vrouepredikante oor die algemeen nie aktief aan die debat deelgeneem nie en dat die meeste van die medenavorsers in hierdie studie ’n bepaalde stuk ongemak met gendersake en feminisme beleef. Hulle laat net soos in die volksmoederdiskoers die praatwerk aan ander oor. / Thesis (DD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted