The heart of Pentecostal practice has always been an experience of the Holy Spirit. These experiences are often claimed to have the direct guidance of the Spirit and form the decisions and actions that result in the ongoing of the development of practices and doctrine. It is my contention that the third and fourth so-called waves of the Spirit are not truly waves of the Spirit, neither are they new. They are the rebirth, albeit in a new manner, of three disappointing and tragic movements of past Pentecostal history, namely the (New) Latter Rain, the Shepherding Movement, and the Prosperity Movement. I maintain that these two waves do not follow a solid Pentecostal doctrinal stand of an experience in the Holy Spirit of separability and subsequence, neither do they draw their doctrinal stand from the book of Acts, but rather the Synoptic gospels. Unfortunately, even though Pentecostal scholarship is on the rise, the majority of the prolific writers of these last two waves are extremely eisegetical in regards to their dealing with the Word of God. They claim vision and direction from Heaven, as opposed to an exegesis of the canon of Scripture. I maintain that these two, so called waves of the Spirit are not Heaven sent but man conceived and thus dangerous heresy to the church. `I believe that courage is the most important virtue, the foundation that underlies and gives realty to all other virtues and personal values. Without courage we become conformists. Conformity is not the fibre good and courageous leaders are made of… Do not be frightened by the aloneness that may come with your holding unpopular positions. It is in aloneness that wisdom will visit you and smile upon you'. These are not, as a theologian might be entitled to expect, the words of Elijah or Jeremiah. They are quoted from a speech given in 1999 by Mamphela Ramphele, vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town. Her context was the silence that has so often fallen on African societies once liberation has taken place. It is just such silent acquiescence, she insists, that allow former `heroes of the struggle' to become despots and dictators. Her words are challenging to Pentecostal theologians for at least two reasons. The first and more mundane is that Pentecostalism is most vibrant today in precisely those countries, which can be termed `postcolonial'. The second, and to my mind the most relevant to the movement, is that Pentecostalism was at its beginning a powerful spiritual force because it inherited an ethos of radical difference and because its proponents were unflinching in refusing to be co-opted into any other agenda than the one for which they knew they had been empowered by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. In this sense it was a prophetic religion, a religion similar to that of Elijah and Jeremiah. It is my plea then in this presentation that the so-called `postcolonial' countries will not swallow this new error, which has been called the new Pentecostal rhema from Heaven, which stems, as do so many new theological trends from the Western world. The new emerging Pentecostal Charismatic churches, particularly of the Third World need to have the courage not to be conformists, for such is not the fiber good and courageous leaders have. The hermeneutical pneumatology of the Pentecostal tradition has always been questioned. The early Pentecostals did not even bother to develop a theological hermeneutical position of a subsequent experience of the Spirit; they accepted their experience as from God . When they did begin to develop a Pentecostal theology it was often ridiculed as being primarily experiential, thus in the minds of most, devoid of Biblical theology. Fifty years after the outpouring of the Spirit at Azusa Street many Pentecostal scholars began to re-examine the pneumatology of Luke's writing. In the latter part of the 20th Century many Pentecostal scholars came into their own, examining and challenging many of the previously accepted conclusions of theologians, in regards to the Classical Pentecostal doctrinal position . Their position was that there was a separable and subsequent experience of the Spirit following salvation, which was accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues. The initial evidence was for a few, and still is for some, questionable evidence. Such a position stood in opposition to those who declared that there was no second experience of the Holy Spirit for any person other than salvation. If those who believed in the `conversion-initiation, which included the baptism in the Holy Spirit' were indeed correct, then everything that Luke talks about in relation to pneumatology in his two-volume work is totally in relation to salvation. This was the theological pneumatological position prior to Classical Pentecostalism. It did and has resulted in many theological challenges. Scholars who take this position do so on the premise that Pentecost is more of a historical situation for the church. However scholars convinced of the Classical Pentecostal position are refusing to accept this position and have and are continuing to develop an exegetical position for a secondary work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. This is my personal position made vitally real for me since I did not grow up in a Pentecostal church setting, but rather came into the Pentecostal experience in my early 20's. It is my contention that the theological impact of Christ's ascension prior to the public ascension witnessed in Acts 1 has not been fully examined. Few scholars have dealt with the typological fulfillment firstly, of the work of the High Priest as seen completed in the life of Jesus Christ, or secondly, of His fulfillment of the first four feasts which the Jews were commanded to keep. Both of these aspects very clearly enhance and form a clear indication that the classical Pentecostal theology was and is correct in speaking of a separable and subsequent work of the Spirit following a clear salvation experience. I will seek to elucidate this by an examining the historical background of the first two waves of the Spirit, followed by a preview of the work of the Holy Spirit as seen in the canon of Scripture with emphasis on the New Testament. I will follow this by the development of the idea of regeneration in the New Testament. Finally I will examine Lukan writing in regards to the experience known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These chapters will then serve as a base for comparison with the material, which will follow. In the late 20th and early 21st century the Classical Pentecostal doctrine has been challenged by the last two charismatic waves of the Spirit, both of which have spawned a plethora of writings. It is my contention first; that the traditional Pentecostal understanding of the authority of Scripture has been abandoned in that now experience takes precedence over Scripture. Secondly it is clear that these last two waves do not fall within the same parameters as the first two waves in their understanding of a doctrine of separability and subsequence, since they revert to a pre-Classical Pentecostal theological position of only one experience of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, in a day when Pentecostal scholarship is seeking to become acceptable in their exegesis, the authors of these waves are almost totally eisegetical. The question needs to be asked `Have they subtly taken on a title to glean a following?' It is thus my contention that a survey of these waves shows that they have no common ground with the initial two waves of the Spirit. The indication is that they have deliberately chosen a different Biblical basis and thus disqualify themselves from the Pentecostal Charismatic stream. I will seek to elucidate this by examining the historical background of the last two waves of the Spirit, followed by an examination of the Pentecostal hermeneutic and their lack of hermeneutics, as seen so clearly in their writings. This will be done by pointing out the comparisons to the latter two waves of the Spirit both in theory and in the voluminous writing, which are largely based on eisegesis. The stated desire to `have church without making anyone sick' has broached and taken the movements far into left field. Finally, it is my contention that the third and fourth waves of the Spirit are not new at all. They are simply a rebirth of three disappointing and tragic movements in Pentecostal history. Thus I hope to clearly substantiate that the third and fourth wave of the Spirit are not really waves of the Spirit at all. They are not such in terms of their Biblical theological basis, neither are they such exegetically. They are simply the result of those desirous of the moving of the Holy Spirit who have reached back into the past and reintroduced past aspects of renewal, which unfortunately were man centered and resulted later in much havoc among Christians. I will seek to elucidate these facts by an examination of the history and practice of the (New) Latter Rain, which still haunts Saskatchewan, Canada where tragedies still exist, and the Shepherding movement out of Florida, which after a few years was denounced even by the leaders and finally totally disbanded. Then, finally the Prosperity Movement, which rose and fell as an unacceptable, illegitimate deduction of so called truth of the canon. One hopes and prays that the tragedies in lives will not live to haunt the church if Jesus tarries. We do not want the "heroes of spiritual struggles" to become the despots and dictators of the Pentecostal churches in the Third World. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Church History)

Pentecostalism, which developed its essential character during the classical period of 1901-1916, has many significant contributions to make to modern theology. Often viewed as a type of fundamentalism, it is actually a theological tradition in its own right that deserves consideration along with the other two major streams of protestantism, conservative evangelicalism and more liberal ecumenical-mainline thought. Although it emphasizes the experience of the Holy Spirit, pentecostalism is highly Christocentric as is evidenced by its foundational symbol of faith, the fourfold gospel of Jesus as savior, healer, baptizer, and coming king. This work examines how the pentecostal fourfold gospel, as a functional, from below Spirit Christology, anticipates and intersects with trends in twentieth century ecumenical theological thought. The result of the study is the articulation of a fuller, more holistic understanding of the work of Christ in salvation in the world today. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The content of this dissertation delineates the crucial and incisive role of the Holy Spirit in terms of God's grand and majestic acts of creation, that is the creation of the multiversity of universes, redemption that is the cross, the exemplar of Christ in self­ denial, reconciliation and restoration, and his resurrection, that is self-empowerment, self-renewal and self-fulfillment observed within the context of God, being human and the physical organic environment as it interacts with the human acts of personal and social responsibility observed within the context of a five dimensional approach of self-actualization, self-denial, self-empowerment, self-renewal and self-fulfillment, ingested into ones identity, internalised and witnessed as meaningful daily praxis, seen through the prism of the cross and the resurrection. A didactic method has been followed to engender insights into and conviction regarding the relevance of the subject for our present day and a hortatory method to exhort to an obedient response and to urge an appropriate action. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This study is about the identity of Coloured Pentecostals living in Retreat, Western Cape. It concerns the effects which social change has upon boundary markers and worldview. It uses Robert Schreiter's semiotic approach to culture. Schreiter says that social change along with boundary markers and worldview are the basis for changing identities. This study applies Schreiter's approach to a case study to see if it will work. The study considers the traditional Coloured Pentecostal Culture's identity represented by the older generation of Pentecostals in Retreat. It then considers some responses to those traditional boundary markers and worldview given primarily by the younger generation of Pentecostals. It then suggests some possible solutions to the problems which have been identified as the reasons for the changing cultural and religious identity of the Coloured Pentecostal Culture . / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

The Evangelical movement is a significant Christian movement in the life of the Zambian Nation and it is to this movement that the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement belongs. Undoubtedly this movement has become to be a vital player in enhancing the voice of hope and change that Evangelicals have trumpeted in the past twenty years. Emerging in the shadows of formidable established Christian movements such as the Evangelical fellowship of Zambia and Christian Council of Zambia, the movement is yet to consolidate itself as one of the influencing groups within the Evangelical movement. For this to happen, they has to be realization of the potential there is to become an agent of change in the Nation. In order to attain this, the movement needs introspection in their perception and involvement in socio-economic development and theological response to matters which affect communities they serve. This work endeavors to high light historical factors which have contributed to the development and growth of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement in Zambia. Roles and contributions of the movement towards the Evangelical movement as well us short comings. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis examines the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God and attempts to describe the precise nature of this relationship. Thus, after the introduction, a survey of research and a methodological introduction, the study illuminates the background of the Pauline understanding of the relationship between word and Spirit by examining the same relationship in the Old Testament, in Early Judaism, in the Jesus tradition and in the wider Graeco-Roman world. It emerges that Paul - in analogy to the Old Testament, Early Judaism and the theology of Jesus - saw a close relationship between the Holy Spirit and God's word. Obviously for Paul the Holy Spirit as a divine person of the trinity is more than the word but in his - mainly soteriological - work the Spirit has bound himself to God's word. Paul makes it clear that the Spirit works with the word everything for the spiritual life. Zusammenfassung In vorliegender Arbeit wird die Frage nach dem Zusammenhang von Gottes Geist und dem Wort Gottes bei Paulus aufgegriffen und der Versuch unternommen, eine Antwort zu geben. Dabei wird - nach der Einleitung, dem Forschungsüberblick und einer methodischen Einführung -, als Hintergrund des paulinischen Verständnisses von Wort und Geist, das Alte Testament, Frühjudentum, die Jesusüberlieferung und der Hellenismus auf diesen Zusammenhang hin befragt. Dabei zeigt sich, dass der Apostel Paulus in Analogie zum Alten Testament, Frühjudentum und der Theologie Jesu, einen engen Zusammenhang zwischen Heiligem Geist und Gottes Wort lehrt (,,Wort-Theologie"). Der Geist Gottes ist für Paulus als göttliche Person der Trinität natürlich mehr als das Wort, doch in seinem - vor allem soteriologischen - Wirken, hat er sich an das Wort Gottes gebunden. Paulus macht deutlich, dass der Geist mit dem Wort alles zum geistlichen Leben wirkt: Glaube (Wiedergeburt), Innewohnung des Geistes, ewiges Leben, Führung, Erkenntnis, Kraft, Gaben u.v.a. / New Testament / (M.Th.(New Testament))

Thesis (D. Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research project interprets Calvin’s views on the work of the Spirit in sanctification. It then evaluates Calvin’s views from a Luo perspective. The study of Calvin focuses on the 1559 edition of the Institutes, while the evaluative study of his views is taken from the perspective of the Luo of the Africa Inland Church (A.I.C.) of Kenya. The Africa Inland Church was founded under the influence of Calvin’s legacy, particularly concerning matters regarding Christian sanctification. Therefore an evaluative study of Calvin’s views from a Luo perspective is relevant. The study of Calvin focuses on Calvin’s views on “the Christian life” and specifically “the Christian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude.” It is from these views that the evaluative study of his views is undertaken from a Luo perspective. The chapters in the study are developed in the following manner: Chapter One forms the introduction to the study itself. It defines the “problem statement” of the research project and demonstrates what is being investigated in the study. It outlines the “purpose statement” of the research project and makes clear the contribution being made. The “purpose statement” outlines the perspectives of Calvin’s views that are explored in the study. The statement further points to the fact that a thorough study of the Luo also develops in the process of the research project. This chapter of the study further states the limits of the study of Calvin and that of the evaluation of his views. It states that the study only focuses on the perspectives of Calvin’s views already outlined and the evaluative study of his views from the perspective of the Luo members of the Africa Inland Church of Kenya. Chapter Two centres on a study of how Calvin’s influence found its way into the Christian practices and beliefs of the Luo. The chapter outlines a number of works published on the study of Calvin through which Calvin’s influence is seen; a brief outline of Calvin’s life demonstrating the nature of influences upon his own life through which he acquired skills that subsequently became useful to him in his contribution towards the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit; the cultural background of the Luo people; as well as the nature and characteristics of the Christian beliefs and practices which form the background of the Luo members of the Africa Inland Church. Such Christian beliefs form the basis on which Calvin’s influence on the Church and the Luo people is evaluated. Furthermore, this chapter of the study forms the basis upon which the succeeding chapters in the study are developed. It is necessary to understand the manner in which Calvin’s influence found its way into the Christian beliefs and practices of the Luo before interpreting Calvin’s views and evaluating such views from a Luo perspective. Chapter Three focuses on the study of Calvin’s views. It explores Calvin’s understanding of the work of the Spirit in the sanctification of “the Christian life” and specifically of “the Christian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude.” Concerning “the Christian life,” the study demonstrates that Calvin understood the Spirit as the power that effects sanctification in the Christian life, firstly, by bringing forth faith in an individual, and secondly, by working through the aspects of faith, namely repentance, Christian life (a life of righteousness) and prayer. The aspect of justification, however, which Calvin also discusses under “the Christian life,” though an activity through which renewal into the Image of God takes place by the work of the Spirit, is not a process through which sanctification takes place. The Spirit is only involved in the work of justification in the sense that justification is imputed by God who exists in Three Persons (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) and the Spirit therefore forms part of the Being and function of the Godhead. Furthermore, concerning Calvin’s understanding of “the Christian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude,” the study demonstrates that Calvin understood the Spirit to sanctify believers through the elements of the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the Church. Calvin understood the elements as means through which the grace of God is attained and gratitude is demonstrated to God for His work in creation and salvation. Firstly, God’s gracious “acts” are extended to the people through the elements and, secondly, individuals, as they observe the elements, honour God, hence expressing gratitude to him, since the elements have been instituted by him for this purpose. Chapter Four deals with the evaluation of Calvin’s views from the perspective of the Luo of the Africa Inland Church. It reconsiders Calvin’s views discussed in chapter three and compares those views to those of the Luo. Consequently, a Luo response to Calvin’s views develops. The chapter demonstrates that the Luo of the Africa Inland Church interpret the work of the Spirit in “the Christian life” and “the Christian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude” in a manner more or less similar to that of Calvin. Furthermore, the chapter demonstrates vividly that, in spite of coming from a cultural background where belief in the ancestral spirits is firmly rooted, the Luo make a distinction between the “Holy Spirit” and the “ancestral spirits;” hence they submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in their Christian beliefs and practices in spite of the fact that the concept “Holy Spirit” is translated in the Luo Bible, the Muma Maler, as “Roho Maler” which, in plain “Dholuo” (Luo language), just means “Clean Spirit.” The term “Clean Spirit” does not bear any reference to God the Father and God the Son, compared to Calvin’s interpretation of the identity of the term “Holy Spirit.” Chapter Five provides the Conclusion. It is in this chapter that the views of Calvin and the Luo of the Africa Inland Church are reassessed. The chapter outlines the fact that Calvin’s views have indeed had a remarkable influence on the Luo of the Africa Inland Church as evidenced in the manner in which they respond to Calvin’s views. The Luo understand the work of the Spirit in the sanctification of “the Christian life” and “the Christian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude” in more or less the same way as Calvin did. This implies the enormous influence of Calvin’s views on the people. Furthermore, the chapter also points out that, though the Luo Christians understand who “Roho Maler” (Clean Spirit) is and understand his related work in the sanctification of a believer, when the term “Clean Spirit” is used in a context where the audience consists of non-believers, the non-believers in particular are not able to make a clear distinction between what the “Holy Spirit” and “ancestral spirits” are, since people from a Luo cultural background believe that not all spirits are bad. Some would be seen as good depending on how they relate to the living – whether they return to haunt the living or not. The “good spirits” may therefore be understood as “Clean Spirits” by unbelievers. The chapter therefore concludes by offering two necessary principles for interpreting the Holy Spirit in a Luo Christian cultural dimension. Those principles are, firstly, that of focusing on the study of the Scripture and secondly, understanding the dimension of “Community” in a cultural background where Luo traditional cultural values are the dominant values. Finally, the chapter points out that, though Calvin’s views are useful when interpreting Luo views, the Luo need to focus, more than anything else, on the study of Scripture, in this case, the Muma Maler – as Calvin also based his interpretation on Scripture. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek behels ’n ondersoek na Calvyn se sienings oor die werk van die Gees in heiligmaking waarna dit vanuit ‘n Loa perspektief geëvalueer word. Die studie oor Calvyn fokus op die 1559 uitgawe van die Institute, terwyl die evaluasie van sy sienings gedoen word vanuit die perspektief van die Luo van die Africa Inland Church (A.I.C.) van Kenia. Die stigting van die Africa Inland Church is beïnvloed deur die nalatenskap van Calvyn, veral deur aangeleenthede wat verband hou met heiligmaking. Gevolglik is ’n ondersoek en evaluasie, gedoen vanuit ’n Luo perspektief, van Calvyn se sienings oor hierdie onderwerp hoogs relevant. Die studie met betrekking tot Calvyn fokus op sy verstaan van “die Christelike lewe” en “die Christelike lewe as ‘n lewe van Genade en Dankbaarheid” en dit word dan beoordeel vanuit ’n Luo perspektief. Die hoofstukke in die studie ontwikkel en volg mekaar as volg op: Hoofstuk Een vorm die inleiding tot die studie. Hier word die probleemstelling van die navorsingsprojek gedefinieer asook die voorwerp van die studie. Verder bevat die hoofstuk ’n omskrywing van die doelwit van die navorsingsprojek asook van die bydrae wat die studie maak. Die omskrywing van die doelwit van die studie gee ook in breë trekke die perspektiewe op Calvyn se sienings wat ondersoek sal word weer en wys verder daarop dat ’n deeglike studie van die Luo self ook ontwikkel in die loop van die navorsingsprojek. Ten slotte toon hoofstuk een die grense aan van hierdie studie deurdat dit duidelik gestel word dat hier slegs gefokus word op die genoemde perspektiewe op Calvyn se sienings en slegs vanuit die perspektief van die Luo lede van die Africa Inland Church van Kenia. Hoofstuk Twee sentreer rondom die vraag hoe Calvyn se invloed inslag gevind het in die Christelike praktyke en oortuigings van die Luo. ’n Oorsig word gegee van ’n aantal werke wat gepubliseer in studies oor Calvyn waarin sy invloed gesien kan word; ’n kort oorsig van Calvyn se lewe word gegee ten einde die aard van invloede op hom aan te toon wat aan hom die vaardighede verleen het om mettertyd sy leer oor die Heilige Gees te ontwikkel; daar word verwys na Calvyn se bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die leer van die Heilige Gees; ’n oorsig word gegee van die kulturele agtergrond van die Luo asook van die aard en eienskappe van die Christelike oortuigings en praktyke wat die agtergrond vorm van die Luo lede van die Africa Inland Church. Hierdie Christelike oortuigings vorm die basis waarop Calvyn se invloed op die kerk en die Luo geëvalueer word. Hierdie hoofstuk dien as basis waarop die daaropvolgende hoofstukke van die studie ontwikkel, aangesien dit noodsaaklik is om ’n begrip te vorm van die wyse waarop Calvyn se invloed die Christelike oortuigings en praktyke van die Luo binnegedring het alvorens Calvyn se sienings self geïnterpreteer en vanuit ’n Lou perspektief geëvalueer word. Hoofstuk Drie fokus op Calvyn se sienings, spesifiek waar dit gaan oor die werk van die Heilige Gees in die heiliging van “die Christelike lewe” en van “die Christelike lewe as ’n lewe van Genade en Dankbaarheid.” Wat “die Christelike lewe” aanbetref word daarop gewys dat Calvyn die Gees verstaan het as die krag wat heiligmaking in die Christelike lewe tot gevolg het. Dit geskied eerstens deur die bewerking van die geloof in die individu en tweedens deur middel van spesifieke aspekte van die geloof, naamlik berou, die Christelike lewe (’n lewe van geregtigheid) en gebed. Die aspek van regverdigmaking, hoewel dit ’n gebeurtenis is waardeur hernuwing na die Beeld van God deur die toedoen van die Gees plaasvind en ook deel vorm van Calvyn se bespreking van “die Christelike lewe,” is egter nie ’n proses waardeur heiligmaking plaasvind nie. Die Gees is slegs betrokke by regverdigmaking vir soverre Hy een van die Drie Persone (God die Vader, God die Seun en God die Heilige Gees) binne die Drie-eenheid is en as sulks deel uitmaak van die Wese en werk van die Godheid in die toerekening van die regverdiging. Verder, met verwysing na Calvyn se verstaan van “die Christelike lewe as ’n lewe van Genade en Dankbaarheid,” toon hierdie studie dat die Gees volgens Calvyn gelowiges heilig deur die elemente van die Woord, Doop, Nagmaal en die Kerk. Calvyn het hierdie elemente verstaan as genademiddele en as middele waardeur dankbaarheid aan God betoon word vir Sy skeppings- en verlossingswerk. In die eerste plek word God se “genadedade” deur hierdie elemente oorgedra na mense en, tweedens, vereer individue God deur deel te hê aan hierdie elemente. Hulle betoon ook so hul dankbaarheid aan God aangesien Hy hierdie elemente ingestel het vir hierdie doel. In Hoofstuk Vier word Calvyn se sienings vanuit die perspektief van die Luo van die Africa Inland Church geëvalueer. Calvyn se sienings soos bespreek in hoofstuk drie word dan vergelyk dit met dié van die Luo en ’n Luo respons word ontwikkel op Calvyn se sienings. Hierdie hoofstuk toon dat die Luo van die African Inland Church die werk van die Gees in “die Christelike lewe” en “die Christelike lewe as ’n lewe van Genade en Dankbaarheid” interpreteer op ’n min of meer soortgelyke manier as Calvyn. Verder word duidelik gewys hoedat die Luo, ten spyte van die feit dat hulle kom vanuit ’n kulturele agtergrond waarin die geloof in voorvaderlike geeste diep gewortel is, wel onderskei tussen die “Heilige Gees” en die “voorvaderlike geeste.” Gevolglik onderwerp hulle hulself aan die werk van die Heilige Gees in hul Christelike geloofsoortuigings en praktyke, selfs al word die konsep “Heilige Gees” in die Luo Bybel, die Muma Maler, vertaal as “Roho Maler” wat in “Dholuo” (die Luo spreektaal) bloot “Rein Gees” beteken. Anders as in Calvyn se interpretasie van die identiteit van die “Heilige Gees,” bevat die term “Rein Gees” egter geen verwysing na God die Vader en God die Seun nie. In Hoofstuk Vyf volg die Gevolgtrekking van die studie. Die sienings van beide Calvyn en die Luo van die Africa Inland Church word in heroorweging geneem. Daar word in breë trekke gewys op die feit dat die sienings van Calvyn ’n opmerklike invloed op die Luo van die Africa Inland Church gehad. Die Luo verstaan die werk van die Gees in die heiliging van “die Christelike lewe” en “die Christelike lewe as ’n lewe van Genade en Dankbaarheid” op min of meer dieselfde wyse as Calvyn wat die geweldige invloed van Calvyn se sienings op hulle impliseer. Verder wys hierdie hoofstuk daarop dat, hoewel Luo Christene verstaan wie die “Roho Maler” (Rein Gees) is en wat sy heiligmakende werking met betrekking tot die gelowige behels, die term “Rein Gees” wanneer dit gebruik word in ’n konteks van ‘n niegelowige gehoor, laasgenoemde nie die vermoë het om duidelik te onderskei tussen die “Heilige Gees” en “voorvaderlike geeste” nie. Die rede hiervoor is te vinde in die feit dat vanuit die Luo se kulturele agtergrond nie alle geeste as boos beskou word nie. Afhangend van hul verhouding met die lewendes – of hulle terugkeer om die lewendes te teister of nie – word sommige geeste as goed beskou. “Goeie geeste” mag dus as “Rein Geeste” beskou word deur niegelowiges. In hierdie hoofstuk word daarom twee beginsels vir die interpretasie van die Heilige Gees in ’n Luo kulturele milieu aan die hand gedoen: eerstens ’n sterk fokus op die bestudering van die Skrif en tweedens, begrip vir die dimensie van “Gemeenskap” in ’n kulturele milieu waar tradisionele Luo kulturele waardes domineer. Ten slotte wys die hoofstuk daarop dat, hoewel Calvyn se sienings nuttig aangewend kan word by die interpretasie van Luo sienings, die Lou bo alles moet fokus op die bestudering van die Skrif – in die geval van die Luo, die Muma Maler – aangesien ook Calvyn immers sý interpretasie op die Skrif baseer het.

在基督新教的《聖經》中經常以不同的象徵描述聖靈，鴿子無疑是聖靈最具代表性的象徵。本篇論文嘗試解答兩個問題：為什麼四卷《福音書》的作者均以鴿子象徵聖靈？以鴿子象徵聖靈有什麼特殊的涵義？這是在第一章中所作的介紹。 　　第二章探討象徵的詮釋理論，本文採用塔特（W. Randolph Tate）的詮釋方法為理論依據，以文本後面、文本裡面和面對文本的三個層面詮釋這個象徵。第三章尋找鴿子的蹤跡，遠從美所不達米亞古代蘇美女神伊南娜談起，陸續探尋巴比倫女神伊斯塔、敘利亞和迦南女神阿斯塔特。接著探討克里特島的米諾斯文明發現的鴿子女神和古希臘的性愛女神阿芙羅狄特，這些女神與鴿子密切連結。鴿子也作為預兆鳥，還有為宙斯說出神諭的女祭司被稱為鴿子。 第四章探究《聖經》中的鴿子，研究鴿子在《舊約聖經》和《新約聖經》中的多種形象，另外研究名為「鴿子」的先知約拿。第五章探討聖靈在《聖經》中近似鴿子的特質、《舊約聖經》和《新約聖經》聖靈觀念的區別，以及兩約之間聖靈觀念的演變。 第六章以《聖經》中其他聖靈的象徵物，探討鴿子獨特作為「感情象徵」的特質。並從前面數章的研究，歸納整合鴿子象徵聖靈突顯的宗教形象。第七章依據塔特的詮釋方法，歸納所有的探討作出結論，鴿子象徵聖靈乃是《福音書》的作者獨一無二最佳的選擇，鴿子是傳信者，象徵和表達神的智慧，傳達聖靈帶給這世界的愛。 / The Holy Spirit is frequently referred to in symbols in the Protestant Bible. Among those, a dove is undoubtedly the most representative of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. This thesis tries to answer two questions: Why the authors of the four Gospels used a dove as the symbol for the Holy Spirit? As a symbol for the Holy Spirit, what is the dove's specific significance? This is introduced in Chapter one. According to the theory of hermeneutics of W. Randolph Tate, Chapter two of this thesis interprets this symbol from three dimensions: The World Behind the Text, The World Within the Text and The World in Front of the Text. Chapter three looks for its footstep in the ancient world, beginning from Mesopotamia - the Sumer Goddess Inanna, also called Ishtar in Babylonia. She became the Syrian and Canaanite Goddess Astarte. In Crete there was Dove-Goddess, and ancient Greek people worshipped Aphrodite. These Goddesses and doves are intimately associated. The dove was also the bird of choice for omens. Amazingly, even the priestesses who announced Zeus' oracles were called "doves". Chapter four studies doves' images in the Bible, including Prophet Jonah (His name means "dove"). Chapter five discusses the concept of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and in the time between two Testaments. Chapter six compares the other symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible with dove. The dove was a unique "emblem of affection". From all the discovery and studies in the previous chapters the thesis attempts to portrait a conclusive religious image of doves in the ancient world. Chapter seven concludes the thesis in line with the interpretative theory of three approaches done in the previous chapters. To conclude, in search for symbols for the Holy Spirit, doves are the best choice of the authors of the four Gospels. Doves are messengers, symbolizing and delivering the wisdom of God to the world, at the same time conveying the love from the Holy Spirit.

This written thesis gives an account of the creative production of Two Fingers: Michael's Struggle, a twenty-nine minute documentary video that explores the life of Michael Alan Rasch who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It explains in detail the process of pre-production, production, and post-production of the documentary. It also discuses the integration of theories applied in the documentary. Two Fingers shows that although Michael has lived with the disease almost his entire life, his perspective and attitude are more about living and enjoying life. Through it, the filmmaker intends the viewer to gain a tremendously important lesson about the human spirit.