Text in German / This dissertation is a contribution in the field of Homiletics, a sub-discipline in the area of Practical Theology. It also touches the subjects of Counseling, Cy-bernetics and Religious Pedagogy. Furthermore, it also is concerned with the other theological disciplines: Theology of the OT and NT, Missiology and Sys-tematic Theology. This work also refers intra-disciplinarily to findings in Ethol-ogy, Management Theory, Neurobiology, Neuropsychotherapy and Socio-logy. The basic thesis is, "The goal of the biblical message is the mission oriented church to the glory of God, to the salvation and well-being of man." This will be demonstrated from the Holy Scriptures and made applicable to preaching and to church growth and development. The observation of the church's message results in a new thesis: "The aban-donment of the soteriological message of the church is the main reason for the dwindling of her spiritual power and therewith also of her eschatological and po-litical significance." The abandonment of the mission goes back to a christo-logical crisis. This is grounded on the preaching of less than Biblical messages with negative consequences for the church and for the people whose need for the Gospel remains unfulfilled. It will be shown that in the OT and NT various missions of the Trinity are ob-servable which are to be understood soteriologically, with the exception of the Creation. The Bible is the written expression of these missions that are evidenced within it. The distinct dynamic of the mission of Jesus is based on His obedience, His struggle against the powers of evil and the dedication of His life for the Salva-tion of the world. The ministry that preaches reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18) represents the one who reconciled the world to Himself. The dynamic of His mission corresponds to the dynamic role of the ministry of preaching. It is incumbent on the ministry to evangelize and equip the church members for their service in the congregation. The purpose of equipping the church and calling together is to practice missions. The implementation of missions will bring about a basic positive change in the attitude of the church and her pastoral activities. Because of this, we see that our usual understanding of the sermon is based on the ecclesiological misunder-standing to adress the sermon to individuals (the listener) instead to a faithful body of Christ. The church must be obedient in a new way regard to the question of mission. This is a question of life or death. The message that is preached by the church will lead it either to destruction or to the goal-centered, missions-oriented interaction of her charisms - to the glory of God and the salvation of humankind. Deutsche Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit liefert einen Beitrag zur Homiletik, einer Teildisziplin der Praktischen Theologie. Dabei berührt sie weitere ihrer Fachrichtungen wie Seelsorge, Kybernetik, Religionspädagogik. Zudem greift sie auf andere theologische Disziplinen zurück: Theologie des AT und NT, Missiologie, Systematische Theologie. Ebenso bezieht sich die Arbeit intradisziplinär auf Ergebnisse der Ethologie, Managementtheorie, Neurobiologie, Neuropsychotherapie, Soziologie. Die Grundthese lautet: ,,Das Ziel biblischer Verkündigung ist die sendungs-orientierte Gemeinde - Gott zum Lob, dem Menschen zur ewigen Rettung und zeitlichem Wohl." Das wird aus der Schrift nachgewiesen und für die Verkündigung und Gemeindeentwicklung fruchtbar gemacht. Aus Wahrnehmungen des hiesigen Predigtgeschehen ergibt sich eine Erkenntnis: ,,Die Preisgabe ihrer soteriologisch zu verstehenden Sendung ist die Hauptursache dafür, dass die spirituelle Kraft der Kirche schwindet und damit ihre eschatologische und politische Bedeutung." Die Preisgabe der Sendung geht auf eine Krise des Christusglaubens der Gemeinde zurück. Diese hat ihre Ursache in der an sie ergehenden Predigt mit schlimmen Folgen für die Gemeinde und die Menschen, denen sie das Evangelium schuldig bleibt. Es wird gezeigt, dass im AT und NT verschiedene Sendungen des Dreieinigen bezeugt sind, die sich, abgesehen von der Schöpfung, soteriologisch verstehen. Die Bibel ist der schriftliche Niederschlag, der in ihr bezeugten Sendungen. Die besondere Dynamik der Sendung Jesu ergibt sich aus seinem Gehorsam, seinem Kampf gegen die Mächte, seiner Lebenshingabe zum Heil der Welt. Der Dienst, der Versöhnung predigt (2. Kor 5,18), repräsentiert den, der die Welt mit sich versöhnte. Der Dynamik seiner Sendung entspricht das dynamische Predigtamt. Ihm obliegt die Zurüstung und Sammlung der Gemeinde mit dem Ziel ihrer Sendung. Die ,,Sammlung zur Sendung" führt zu grundlegenden, positiven Veränderungen der Gemeinden und ihrer pfarramtlichen Praxis. Es zeigt sich, dass unsere gewöhnliche Predigtauffassung auf einem ekklesiologischen Missverständnis beruht: Statt verbindliche, zielgerichtete Sendungsrede zu sein, ist Predigt individualisierende ,,Seelenbedienung". Adressat ist der einzelne Hörer, nicht die sendungsorientierte Gemeinde als Leib Christi. - Die Kirche steht im Blick auf ihre Sendung vor der Frage des Gehorsams als einer Frage von Leben oder Tod. Ihre Predigt führt die Gemeinden entweder ins Verderben oder zum sendungsorientierten Zusammenspiel ihrer Charismen und Dienste - zur Ehre Gottes und der Rettung und dem Wohl der Menschen. / Practical Theology / D.Th.

Geoffrey Hill’s The Orchards of Syon (2002) occupies a contradictory position in twenty-first century poetry in being a major religious work in a post-religious age. Contemporary secular and atheistic insistence on the fundamentally crafted and flawed nature of religious faith has led Hill not to the abandoning of religious vision, but to a theologically disciplined approach to syntax, grammar and etymology. This dissertation examines Hill’s claim to a poetics of agnostic faith that mediate his alienation from a cynical and debased Anglophone contemporaneity. The oxymoronic nature of a faith co-existent with existential loss is the primary focus. The semantic distinction between paradox and poetic oxymoron is examined, and the agonistic and aporetic dimensions of the oxymoron are considered as affording theological significance. Poetic oxymoron as site of both foolish babbling and Pentecostal exuberance is made explicit, as is Hill’s relation to the oxymoronic nature of beatitudinous expression and the Kenotic Hymn. Hill’s reading of and relation to other theologically engaged poets is outlined. Thomas Hardy’s tragic-comic vision, Gerard Manley Hopkins’ restrained rapture in ‘The Windhover’, and T. S. Eliot’s expression of kenotic dissolution in ‘Marina’ are read as precursors to Hill’s revisionary God-language. William Empson’s significant difficulties with aspects of Hopkins’ and Eliot’s poetics is appraised as evidence of an oxymoronic and theological dimension within poetic ambiguity. Hill’s imperative to embody and enact theological vision and responsibility is tested in a reading of The Orchards of Syon. Paul Ricoeur’s perception of the religious significance of atheism is provocation for my own creative practice, as is the performative theology implicit in both Graham Shaw’s hermeneutic approach, and Hill’s visionary philology. Creative process draws on Simone Weil’s notion of decreation, the kenotic paradigm as exemplified in the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the continuing secular vitality of the apostrophic lyric mode.

Thesis (MDiv (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The statement of the thesis focus on the relationship decrease of the authority of the leader, the expectation of the leadership and the theological training offered in student preparation. The researcher will attempt to answer the problems posed by the thesis statement through discourse with the 20th century theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I used Bonhoeffer as an example for the problems he encountered in Germany strokes with the problem in my problem statement. This is a problem regarding the authority of the leader, the expectations of the leader and the relationship that exist between the spirituality of the leader and his/her own leadership. The manner in which Bonhoeffer incorporated the spirituality in the theological training at the seminary at Finkenwalde, posits new ideas regarding the incorporation of spirituality into today’s theological training. The figure of Bonhoeffer is chosen because of his authoritarian position and also because he exemplified the ideology of the leader’s authority. The thesis will discuss four aspects regarding Bonhoeffer’s life and work. These aspects are discussed from a historical theological perspective. This will highlight the contribution made by Bonhoeffer with regards to the relationship that exists between leadership, spirituality and theological training. The thesis includes an article by Bonhoeffer regarding the leadership principle and the authority of the leader. The purpose is to acknowledge the need for leadership and influence that the social-political circumstances have on the leadership expectation. Secondly I will discuss the responsibilities that the leader has to his community as well as the limitations of the office. Lastly I will discuss the authority of the leader with regards to the authority of God Secondly I will discuss the political and congregational circumstances in Germany between 1933 and 1935 that led to the establishment of the seminary at Finkenwalde. I will also focus on the numerous challenges posed by the establishment of the seminary as a result of the limitations imposed by the German state and church. The purpose here will be to give an historical overview of the circumstances in 1930’s Germany. I will also focus on the manner in which Bonhoeffer lived out his leadership in the public debate and at the seminary at times when tremendous pressure was exerted by the state and German Evangelical Church. Thirdly I will focus on the theological manner in witch Bonhoeffer ordered his day at the Finkenwalde seminary. The purpose is to highlight the interaction that should occur between Christians within the Christian community. Here Bonhoeffer focus on what Christian community is about, and how the day together should be spent. Thereafter Bonhoeffer discuss how a day alone should be spent. Further on he discusses the service within Christian relationships and the role that repentance and communion played within a Christian community. The purpose is to communicate the manner in which Bonhoeffer understood spirituality and its function within the community. Thereafter it also shows how Bonhoeffer was involved in the presentation of spiritual activities at the seminary. Bonhoeffer suggested that spirituality should be the foundation on which theological training is based. Lastly I will focus on the manner in which Bonhoeffer was received by the Christian community as a theological educator. The purpose thereof is to focus on the impressions and perceptions regarding Bonhoeffer himself and the successes of his training, friendship and be-ing. This should not be regarded as critical in nature but rather as an ode to the man himself.

Zugl.: Bonn, Univ., Diss., 2006

The thesis "Mirroring of Motives of F. Nietzsche's Critique of Christianity in D. Bonhoeffer's Prison Theology" contemplates Bonhoeffer's thoughts on non-religious interpretation, that Bonhoeffer expands upon in his letters from prison, in the light of critique of Christianity that was expressed by Friedrich Nietzsche. Chapter I looks into the history of interpretation of Bonhoeffer's research and provides a brief overview of past and contemporary efforts to explain Bonhoeffer's approach to philosophy. Chapter II introduces basic principles and key topics of the critique of Christianity first in Nietzsche's work The Antichrist, followed by Bonhoeffer's Letters and Papers from Prison. Chapter III compares the most obvious motives in the thinking of Nietzsche and Bonhoeffer within the aforementioned scope. Selected themes in works of these two German thinkers overlap particularly in their philosophy of life, understanding of a man come of age, and their critiques of Christianity that is deflecting from this world towards the transcendent sphere of the world beyond (in German, it is expressed as a difference in the meaning of "Diesseits" and "Jenseits"). Bonhoeffer's thoughts on the preaching of Gospel to the man come of age who is free of false, religious misbeliefs, and who feels strong, capable,...

Text in German / This dissertation is a contribution in the field of Homiletics, a sub-discipline in the area of Practical Theology. It also touches the subjects of Counseling, Cy-bernetics and Religious Pedagogy. Furthermore, it also is concerned with the other theological disciplines: Theology of the OT and NT, Missiology and Sys-tematic Theology. This work also refers intra-disciplinarily to findings in Ethol-ogy, Management Theory, Neurobiology, Neuropsychotherapy and Socio-logy. The basic thesis is, "The goal of the biblical message is the mission oriented church to the glory of God, to the salvation and well-being of man." This will be demonstrated from the Holy Scriptures and made applicable to preaching and to church growth and development. The observation of the church's message results in a new thesis: "The aban-donment of the soteriological message of the church is the main reason for the dwindling of her spiritual power and therewith also of her eschatological and po-litical significance." The abandonment of the mission goes back to a christo-logical crisis. This is grounded on the preaching of less than Biblical messages with negative consequences for the church and for the people whose need for the Gospel remains unfulfilled. It will be shown that in the OT and NT various missions of the Trinity are ob-servable which are to be understood soteriologically, with the exception of the Creation. The Bible is the written expression of these missions that are evidenced within it. The distinct dynamic of the mission of Jesus is based on His obedience, His struggle against the powers of evil and the dedication of His life for the Salva-tion of the world. The ministry that preaches reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18) represents the one who reconciled the world to Himself. The dynamic of His mission corresponds to the dynamic role of the ministry of preaching. It is incumbent on the ministry to evangelize and equip the church members for their service in the congregation. The purpose of equipping the church and calling together is to practice missions. The implementation of missions will bring about a basic positive change in the attitude of the church and her pastoral activities. Because of this, we see that our usual understanding of the sermon is based on the ecclesiological misunder-standing to adress the sermon to individuals (the listener) instead to a faithful body of Christ. The church must be obedient in a new way regard to the question of mission. This is a question of life or death. The message that is preached by the church will lead it either to destruction or to the goal-centered, missions-oriented interaction of her charisms - to the glory of God and the salvation of humankind. Deutsche Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit liefert einen Beitrag zur Homiletik, einer Teildisziplin der Praktischen Theologie. Dabei berührt sie weitere ihrer Fachrichtungen wie Seelsorge, Kybernetik, Religionspädagogik. Zudem greift sie auf andere theologische Disziplinen zurück: Theologie des AT und NT, Missiologie, Systematische Theologie. Ebenso bezieht sich die Arbeit intradisziplinär auf Ergebnisse der Ethologie, Managementtheorie, Neurobiologie, Neuropsychotherapie, Soziologie. Die Grundthese lautet: ,,Das Ziel biblischer Verkündigung ist die sendungs-orientierte Gemeinde - Gott zum Lob, dem Menschen zur ewigen Rettung und zeitlichem Wohl." Das wird aus der Schrift nachgewiesen und für die Verkündigung und Gemeindeentwicklung fruchtbar gemacht. Aus Wahrnehmungen des hiesigen Predigtgeschehen ergibt sich eine Erkenntnis: ,,Die Preisgabe ihrer soteriologisch zu verstehenden Sendung ist die Hauptursache dafür, dass die spirituelle Kraft der Kirche schwindet und damit ihre eschatologische und politische Bedeutung." Die Preisgabe der Sendung geht auf eine Krise des Christusglaubens der Gemeinde zurück. Diese hat ihre Ursache in der an sie ergehenden Predigt mit schlimmen Folgen für die Gemeinde und die Menschen, denen sie das Evangelium schuldig bleibt. Es wird gezeigt, dass im AT und NT verschiedene Sendungen des Dreieinigen bezeugt sind, die sich, abgesehen von der Schöpfung, soteriologisch verstehen. Die Bibel ist der schriftliche Niederschlag, der in ihr bezeugten Sendungen. Die besondere Dynamik der Sendung Jesu ergibt sich aus seinem Gehorsam, seinem Kampf gegen die Mächte, seiner Lebenshingabe zum Heil der Welt. Der Dienst, der Versöhnung predigt (2. Kor 5,18), repräsentiert den, der die Welt mit sich versöhnte. Der Dynamik seiner Sendung entspricht das dynamische Predigtamt. Ihm obliegt die Zurüstung und Sammlung der Gemeinde mit dem Ziel ihrer Sendung. Die ,,Sammlung zur Sendung" führt zu grundlegenden, positiven Veränderungen der Gemeinden und ihrer pfarramtlichen Praxis. Es zeigt sich, dass unsere gewöhnliche Predigtauffassung auf einem ekklesiologischen Missverständnis beruht: Statt verbindliche, zielgerichtete Sendungsrede zu sein, ist Predigt individualisierende ,,Seelenbedienung". Adressat ist der einzelne Hörer, nicht die sendungsorientierte Gemeinde als Leib Christi. - Die Kirche steht im Blick auf ihre Sendung vor der Frage des Gehorsams als einer Frage von Leben oder Tod. Ihre Predigt führt die Gemeinden entweder ins Verderben oder zum sendungsorientierten Zusammenspiel ihrer Charismen und Dienste - zur Ehre Gottes und der Rettung und dem Wohl der Menschen. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th.

The Meaning and Impact of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Concept of "an adult person"and "a non-religious interpretation" on Czech Post-War Christian Theology, Ecclesiology and a Christian Preaching. In this diploma thesis I deal with a debate held in religious studies in the Czech region on a meaning and impact of Dietrich Bomhoeffer's concepts of "an adult person" and "a non-religious interpetation". For a deeper understanding of concepts itself the thesis presents context of Bonhoeffer's life and work. This part discusses what he intended to say by using his concepts although he wasn't able to finishe them. The aim of my thesis is to answer two religious studies questions related to Dietrich Bonhoeffer'concepts with respect to Czech region only. The first query is: Became a human being in a religious field mature (Is he grown up of religion)? A situation of Czech society provides unique conditions of secularisation for a verification of Bonhoeffer's theses. To prove them I will examine only Czech sociologists, religious scientists and psychologists of religion. I will examine the second research problem (What does Bonhoeffer's claim for non-religious interpretations mean for Czech Christian religious tradition?) within the writings of Chech non-catholic theologians. Their own contributions to...

The objectives of this study is to investigate how the church has changed over time, with focus on how modernity has influenced the church’s construction of its identity through martyrs’ texts, and to contribute to theory development through analysis. The study takes its theoretical starting point in Rowan Williams perspective on history as stories we tell to understand who we are. My main question is: how are changes in the church’s identity reflected in texts of martyrs from two historical periods? This question is answered through comparative analysis of texts written by martyrs from both the early church and the twentieth century, focusing on how the martyrs interpret and describe their coming martyrdom and suffering. Ignatius of Antiochs letters together with the prison narrative from The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas is compared to texts by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and by four trappist monks from Algeria: the brothers Luc, Paul, Christophe and Christian.  Six motifs are identified as common in the martyrs’ texts regarding their interpretation of martyrdom and its suffering:  1.    Suffering as freedom and liberation, 2.    the transformative suffering, 3.    suffering and martyrdom as argumentation, 4.    suffering as communion with God, 5.    the martyr’s suffering as the special path, 6.    and martyrdom as combat. Changes within these motifs are identified between the historical periods. Central differences between the texts involve a recurring shift from a transcendental to immanent interpretive framework, a movement from power to powerlessness and an increased focus on humanity and mankind in the modern era. The image of God has changed: from identification with the risen powerful Christ, the martyr rather identifies with the incarnated, suffering, serving, powerless and dying human Jesus in the modern era. The self-image of the martyrs has changed: the modern martyrs see themselves not becoming anything other than human, and instead becoming more human through her suffering and martyrdom. The political potential and hope have also changed: powerlessness is premiered, the martyr’s own guilt as human beings replaces the demonization of the other, and the change the martyrs hope for is in the immanent realm of humanity for the common well of all mankind in modern times. These changes can only to some extent, but not fully, be explained and understood by Charles Taylors theory on modernity and suffering presented in his A Secular Age (2007) and Byung-Chul Hans theory on modernity and suffering as discussed in his Palliativsamhället (2021). The immanent frame, the process of disenchantment and the anthropocentric shift helps to understand some of the differences between the eras.  But both Taylor’s and Han’s basic thesis is that suffering is impossible to handle and by default meaningless and negative in the modern west, and that suffering in modernity has lost all its political and societal dimensions that previously could result in the fight for political change, and that there is no possibility to maintain a Christian belief in God whilst suffering. This is by this study proven to be incorrect. The modern martyrs, and the church in the modern era reflected through the texts of the martyrs, is influenced by but not synonymous with the modernity pictured by Taylor and Han. They are not non-modern, but neither do they repeat the same interpretations and theology as their precursors in the early church. Instead, we see in them the expression of a renewed Christian identity. The modern martyrs in this study have, through theological creativity, recontextualized and reinterpreted their faith informed by the experience of modernity as pictured by Taylor and Han. The church has changed over time and it shows through the martyrs accounts and interpretations of their suffering and martyrdom. The renewed identity, both anthropocentric and theocentric, formed through creative theological recontextualization, has made it possible to maintain a Christian belief in God, a hope for a better world and a sense of meaning midst suffering, in the modern era. Taylor’s and Han’s theories about the secularization of the church’s identity and the modern west have not happened in practice.

In the thesis a methodology of understanding and explicating Christian faith consistent with the mystery of the simultaneous close connection and radical difference of God, human beings and the physical-organic cosmos environment is been mapped out. The theanthropocosmic principle as an expression of the mystery functions as the heuristic key in opening up the notion of kenosis (and incarnation) of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit within the scope of the enduring interaction of . The Spirit in the kenotic sense of the word connects and differentiates the overall processes of being and becoming, here and there, now and then of the mystery of the `presences' of God, human beings and the natural cosmic world in being there (Dasein), being thus and thus (Sosein) and being dynamically actual (Aktsein). God acts in terms of the Spirit's operational kenotic presence within the margins of the creatureliness of people and the natural cosmic world as the kenotic clothing of God. A dynamic interpretation of the integral and differential character of being and becoming suggests that making sense of the dynamics of the formation of identities and identification is an ever ongoing endeavour. It implies a continuous process of negotiation whilst experiencing various continuums, remaining open-ended in an ever-increasing sense of wonder and mystery of "exitus a Deo-reditus in Deum". / Systematic Theology and theological Ethics / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Within the field of theological aesthetics, this project assesses the divide between theological accounts of art and the re-emergence of religious imagery in modern and contemporary art. More specifically, American Protestant theologians and their accounts of visual art will be taken up as a representative set of contemporary theological inquiry in the arts. Under this category, evaluation will be made of three diverse traditions in American Protestant thought: Paul Tillich and Liberal Protestantism, Francis Schaeffer and the Neo-Calvinists, and the open evangelical accounts of Nicholas Wolterstorff and William Dyrness. With respect to modern and contemporary visual art, this evaluation judges the degree to which theologians have understood the primary concepts and dominant narratives of various modernisms and postmodernisms of art since the end of the nineteenth century, recognised the watershed moments in the lineage of the twentieth century avant-garde, and acknowledged the influence of critical theory not only upon the contemporary discourse in aesthetics and art production but also in the social reception of art. In tracing the re-emergence of religious imagery in modern and contemporary art, this project takes up three diverse traditions: the Crucifixions of Francis Bacon and the memento mori art of Damien Hirst, the ‘re-enchantment’ of art in the work of Joseph Beuys, and the art of ‘False Blasphemy’ associated with lapsed Catholics like Rober Gober and Andres Serrano. By assessing what theologians have written concerning visual art and the surprising return of certain religious imagery in modern and contemporary art, this study will intimate a new way forward in a mutually beneficial dialogue for art and religious belief.