The flat narratives presented in Children’s Bibles typify the assumption that children are incapable of engaging theologically and critically with the Biblical texts. The manner in which Biblical stories are told to children during their formative years can have negative repercussions as children perceive the Scriptures as static and irrelevant. By denying children the chance to explore the dynamic text, they will never discover the depth and potential of the life-giving message of the Bible and can become despondent with Christianity, perceiving it as immaterial as the Biblical narratives show no resemblance to reality. Developing a habit of blindly accepting Christian teachings can also develop a faith which allows unhealthy indoctrination and oppressive beliefs into the Christian’s life. This thesis explores what is necessary to enable and encourage children to critically and theologically engage with the Bible. Using the story of the Widow’s Offering in Mark 12 as an example, the traditional readings present in Children’s Bibles were compared to a critical reading of the text. A Contextual Bible Study was then conducted with two case studies from grade 1 and 4 at Scottsville Primary in order to determine whether children are able to critically and theologically engage with the concepts of Christian Humanism and textual criticism. The findings reveal that this is an important area of research that requires urgent further investigation. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This dissertation ascertains the meaning of the Unjust Steward parable (Luke 16:1-13) by examining its language, historical background, and literary context. Chapter 1 introduces the parable's interpretive problems, acknowledges that it is perhaps the most difficult of Jesus' parables to understand, and offers a method for deciphering the meaning. Chapter 2 offers a detailed history-of-interpretation with special attention given to the work of Dennis J. Ireland ( Stewardship and the Kingdom , 1992) and the interpreters who have come after him, especially those who depart from the traditional interpretation. Chapter 3 first examines the text-critical concerns for the parable and then analyzes the language of 16:1-13 at the lexical, grammatical, and syntactical levels. Chapter 4 examines four historical background matters that some scholars have offered as interpretative keys for understanding the parable and determines that most of these background features have been overemphasized and are of limited help. Chapter 5 examines the literary concerns of the parable. This chapter first examines the nature of the "parable" genre, Luke's use of parables, and the history of parable interpretation in general. The chapter then examines the literary context of the parable, giving special attention to the relationship between the Unjust Steward and all of the major units in Luke 15 and 16. Finally, the chapter examines a few literary conventions that some scholars have proposed as interpretive keys. The conclusion is that some are of more value than others. Chapter 6 synthesizes the information and conclusions from Chapters 3, 4, and 5 to answer the nine most pressing questions that the parable presents to the reader. The dissertation concludes that the traditional interpretation, which perceives the parable to be about a dishonest transaction that serves as an exhortation about both the proper use of monetary possession and preparing for the kingdom of God, is still the most plausible. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

This dissertation represents a prolegomena to a new approach to the study of the Greek New Testament, with ½ó¼o[varsigma] in Romans as a test case. Chapter 1 introduces the seemingly intractable interpretive debates concerning the Mosaic Law. Chapter 2 outlines an integrative model of understanding language--systemic-functional linguistics (SFL)--that forms the foundation of this study and the central pillar for the application of that theory--corpus linguistics using the annotation database of Opentext.org project. Chapter 3 develops a number of tools on the basis of SFL and corpus linguistics as supporting pillars for text analysis. Specifically, it provides a map on what to study in a text and how to do it. Chapter 4 illustrates the methods developed in chapter 3 and introduces the reader to the discourse of Romans through the Opening (Rom 1:1-7) and Thanksgiving (Rom 1:8-17) sections. Ultimately, a more comprehensive study building upon this initial attempt at a bottom-up analysis will be needed for a full discourse commentary on Romans. Chapter 5 explores the portrait of ½ó¼o[varsigma] from the angle of patterns of lexical repetition. Different passages on ½ó¼o[varsigma] are shown to be mutually interpretive. Chapters 6 and 7 examines the functional patterns of ½ó¼o[varsigma] as the head term of a word group (without a genitive qualifier) and as a modifier respectively. The common meaning component and reference patterns for ½ó¼o[varsigma] are uncovered in the process. Chapter 8 investigates the patterns of ½ó¼o[varsigma] as modified by a genitive. It was discovered that ½ó¼o[varsigma] has different reference patterns when modified. Chapter 9 is the overall summary. This work contends that while ½ó¼o[varsigma] most often refers to the Mosaic Law, the more general reference usage of the word as an entity that prescribes standards and as a controlling principle (in Romans 7-8) shed light on the meaning and function of the Mosaic Law and on the theme of control in Romans. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Apocalypse is one of the major motifs of Jewish-Christian civilization. The Book of Daniel represents a vital status in understanding the Jewish apocalypse. After summarizing the scholarship on The Book of Daniel and Jewish Apocalypse, I adopt a "intertextual hypothesis" approach to connect the Book of Daniel, Jewish Apocalypse and modern films in order to expand the horizons of discussion and interpretation. / In the thesis I will introduce the current biblical scholarship on Bible and Film, and by using "intertextual hypothesis", I will interpret from different aspects the apocalyptic thoughts in the film entitled &lt;the Second Renaissance>. I will arrive at several points of new understanding of both the theme of "dualism" in Dan.7 and the much discussed area of the origin of Jewish Apocalypse. / This thesis aims at discussing the effect modern films has on our understanding of Daniel 7 and Jewish apocalypse. The main argument of this thesis is that the ancient Jewish apocalyptic thoughts (especially those in Dan. 7) can obtain a richer interpretation by the participation of modern film arts. / 叶洛夫. / Adviser: Archie C. C. Lee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-03, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-112). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Ye Luofu.

This thesis reinterprets the letter to Philemon as a letter exhorting a new loving relationship for a slave by applying Vernon Robbins’ socio-rhetorical interpretation framework in light of the new institutional economics. Based on the runaway hypothesis, the letter has long been read as written by Paul to beg Philemon’s forgiveness for Onesimus. This thesis argues that the runaway hypothesis is based on a biased view of the slave trade, as well as incomplete consideration of the first century slave-master relationship and Pauline theological and ethical thought; therefore, it is not sufficiently justified. In turn, we argue that, instead of approaching the text based on an a priori hypothesis or the occasion of the letter, the framework of socio-rhetorical analysis provides a step-by-step method for producing mutual dialogue between different disciplines to analyze the letter. / Beginning with an analysis of the inner texture, we can see—through the word analysis, epistolary analysis, and rhetorical analysis—that a relational problem is the major concern of the letter. The analysis also demonstrates that there is a need to incorporate other textures to help them understand what problem is more likely for Paul to address and what ground he bases this on in the letter. Then, in chapter 3, we investigate the theological and ethical thought of Paul as an intertextual texture. With Paul’s theological thought in mind, reconstructed from his other undisputed letters, we can start to re-read Phlm through the structure of love. The intertextual texture helps us to see how Paul would see the problem and how to read the letter in light of Paul’s understanding of love. At the end of the chapter, we also see the need for a contextual analysis of Roman slavery to provide us with a more specific explanation of the slave-master relationship in light of the apparently contradictory practice and the complicated institutions that upheld Roman slavery. / In chapter 4, we first argue the relevance and applicability of NIE to help us to analyze Roman slavery. Then, we introduce the framework of new institutional economics (NIE), arguing that it can give a more comprehensive explanation of how ideology, law and institutions related to Roman slavery together served the economic interests of slave owners. These insights from NIE will be brought into the interpretation process in a socio-rhetorical framework. Based on the three textures— inner texture, intertexture, and economic texture—chapter 5 will show that the body of the letter exhorts a transformation of the relationship from economics to one of loving brotherhood, from master and slave to the household of the church. More specifically, we will demonstrate how Paul argues rhetorically both for a loving relationship and against the slave-master economic relationship. / 本論文是利用弗農羅賓斯(Vernon Robbins)社會修辭批判學(Socio-rhetorical interpretation)的框架，配合新制度經濟理論對羅馬奴隸制度分析的貢獻，對腓利門書提出一個新的解釋。本文的主旨是，腓利門書一方面不是一封為一個逃走奴隸而寫的求情信，相反是保羅根據他一貫的神學及倫理思維而向腓利門提出的一封勸告信，希望腓利門能根據過往保羅對愛的教導，修正他與阿雷西母的關係，由原來由經濟主導的奴僕關係，轉化成由愛主導的弟兄關係。 / 本文由文本研究層(inner texture)開始，透過字詞、書信格式及修辭分析，初步總結出，保羅在這信中的重心是要處理由阿雷西母回到腓利門的家所引申的關係衝突問題。但同時在這章亦指出，單從文本分析是不足的，要提出一個新的解釋，我們必須依賴另外兩個研究層來幫助分析文本所沒有提供的資料及保羅的立場。本文的第三章是文本互參研究層(intertextual texture)，這研究層主要是透過保羅其他另外六卷沒有爭議的書信來重構保羅在有關方面的神學與倫理思想，再利用這結構來幫助理解保羅如何理解信中隱含的問題，及解釋信中保羅提出的理據。在這章的結論我們亦會提出，我們需要另一個研究向度來幫助我們更深入地理解在第一世紀時的奴僕關係。 / 第四章是本論文其中一個主要的貢獻，就是利用經濟研究層(economic texture)，來幫助處理錯綜複雜的奴僕關係。本研究層主要是利用新制度經濟理論來分析在羅馬不同層次的制度中，如何互相配合地來幫助奴隸主人及整個社會，利用奴隸不同方面的經濟功用，來達致其最大經濟效益。本章首先論述利用新制度經濟理論來研究第一世紀奴隸制度的合法性，繼而利用該理論分析有關奴隸制度的正式與非正式的制度(formal and informal institutions)，當中包括當時的宏觀經濟狀況、哲學、法律制度及用來管理奴隸的主要合約條件。最後，我們會利用這章的分析來總結出當時由經濟考慮而主導的奴隸關係的主要特徵。 / 第五章是綜合二、三及四章的研究所得，對腓利門書的主要勸導部分進行重讀。本章首先會利用各章的結論重構保羅在這信要處理的問題，最後，會總結出這信是一方面透過勸導腓利門有關愛的關係的重要，另一方面針對當時根深柢固由經濟主導的奴僕關係，來勸導腓利門選擇改變他與阿雷西母的關係。 / Ip, Hon Ho. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 06, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

Chapter 1 introduces the particular problem to be addressed and also the thesis of the dissertation as a potential answer to this problem. The three test case passages are briefly introduced as well as the rationale for their selection. Attention is then given to surveying the history of modern research by examining those scholars who maintain that Paul's use of the OT is either a generally non-contextually rooted approach or a contextually rooted approach, respectively. The closing section sets out the methodology of examination. Each of the next three chapters is given to the three hard cases of Paul's use of the OT. Paul's use of Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9 in Romans 11:26-27 is discussed in chapter 2 and demonstrated to be a contextually rooted use of the OT by arguing that Paul employs these passages with the same burden as their OT context, namely that one day all Israel will be saved. However, in Paul's modified form it also serves to reinforce the mystery concerning how that salvation will take place. Chapter 3 is a focused interaction with Paul's use of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8. After discussing the inadequacies of the various approaches which seek to locate Paul's form of the text as employing an existing interpretive tradition, it is argued that Paul modified the wording of the quotation, not to disregard the OT context, but rather to summarize succinctly the entire psalm and use it to draw together several important themes in his letter. The quotation of Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 is the subject of chapter 4. While Paul does again modify these texts, he builds upon their original contexts as a way of showing how Christ's resurrection has conquered death. The judgment prophesied in the OT context has been poured out on Christ, thereby clearing a path for resurrection life for his people. Chapter 5 concludes with a synthesis of Paul's hermeneutical method in these passages. Paul's use of the OT is contextually rooted, but also comes through the interpretive lens of the apostle in light of his place in redemptive history.

No description available.

This thesis presents the first critical edition of the Tratado de la lepra by Enrique de Villena, and proposes to determine its relationship with the biblical exegesis of the Middle Ages. The study connects the treatise firmly with the exegetical tradition represented by Nicholas of Lyra. Enrique de Villena (1384? -1434) is a controversial figure of the late Castilian Middle Ages. Of noble birth, his quest for knowledge set him apart from his social class who traditionally pursued military careers at a time when Spain was still engaged in the Reconquista with the Moors. Villena's neglect of his role, together with the antagonism between his grandfather and the Castilian Court, deprived Don Enrique of the wealth and property that was rightfully his and forced him to lead a life not befitting a man of his social status. Villena was a self-educated 'humanist'. His pursuit of knowledge took him to the most varied disciplines, as is amply shown in the themes of his many writings. They range from lessons on how to become a 'royal carver' to rules for writing poetry, from superstitions to mythological and biblical exegesis. He supports his points of view with great agility, quoting renowned authorities of the Middle Ages and the Antiquity. Because of his vast knowledge and his attraction to unusual and obscure matters, Villena developed an unjustified and enduring reputation as a sorcerer. This reputation was specially reinforced after his death, when most of his books were sent to destruction by a royal edict. The Tratado de la lepra is a treatise on the interpretation of several passages of the biblical book of Leviticus, related to the occurrence of leprosy in walls, furniture, and garments. Villena tries to demonstrate 'scientifically' the feasibility of such an event, conferring absolute authority on the Bible. This work has been relatively overlooked by modern scholars, partly because the biblical passages it refers to are not ambiguous enough to justify the need for interpretation.

In the development of Islam in India in the nineteenth century, the impact of the interaction between modernist Muslims and Christian administrators and missionaries can be seen in the writings of three Evangelical Christians on the role of the H&dotbelow;adith and the responses of Indian Muslims. The writings of Sir William Muir, an administrator in the Indian Civil Service, were characterized by European Orientalist methods of textual criticism coupled with the Evangelicals' rejection of Muh&dotbelow;ammad. In his response, Sir Sayyid Ah&dotbelow;mad Khan, an influential Muslim modernist, supported the traditional perception of the H&dotbelow;adith but also initiated a new critical approach. The writings of Thomas P. Hughes and Edward Sell, missionaries with the Church Missionary Society, tended to portray Islam as bound by this body of traditions, with the rejoinders of Sayyid Amir 'Ali and Chiragh 'Ali presenting an increasing rejection of the religious authority of the H&dotbelow;adith and an impassioned defense of Islam.

The Fourth Gospel uses space to arrange its narrative and uses its narrative to represent Johannine space and experience. The spaces alluded to in John are full of contestation and serve as identity markers. By Nathanael asking if anything good can come from Nazareth, he represents Nazareth and its inhabitants as insignificant. Yet, by Jesus seeing in Nathanael, not a Galilean but an Israelite, Jesus subverts the regional stereotypes operative in Nathanael and John’s narrative world but maybe reflective of John’s concrete experience. By denying the sacred places of Jerusalem and Samaria, and proposing worship in spirit and truth, the Johannine Jesus is theologically and socially located on the margins of sacred place but at the centre of sacred presence. When the Johannine Jesus sees the arrival of the Greeks as the ‘hour of glory’ he subverts diaspora existence and marginalises the centre, Palestine. If the ultimate place to access God in John is utopia, then this is, no place. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.