Habilitationsschrift--Göttingen. / Bibliography: p. 217-226.

Hierdie verhandeling is geplaas binne die studieveld van Praktiese teologie, spesifiek homiletiek. Die studie geskied deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie om die oorkoepelende vraag te bedink: Is die sinvolle/effektiewe gebruik van humor in prediking moontlik? Die studie is aan die hand van Osmer (2008) se vier vrae beantwoord: Wat is aan die gang? (“What is going on?”) – ʼn Beskrywende empiriese ondersoek. Waarom is dit aan die gang? (“Why is it going on?”) – ʼn Interpretasie van die redes waarom dit plaasvind. Hoe behoort dit te wees? (“What ought to be going on?”) – ʼn Normatiewe teologiese toetsing van die verskynsel. Hoe kan ons reageer? (“How might we respond?”) – Hoe die gemeente kan optree om die probleem aan te spreek? In die homiletiekveld is daar ’n vlaag van handleidings en publikasies oor die kuns van prediking. Daar is egter ’n groot leemte in die oorgrote meerderheid resente handleidings. Selde word die tema van humor aangespreek in homiletiekhandboeke. As die tema aangespreek word, bestaan dit dikwels net uit aanhalings, outeurs se kort menings oor humor of staaltjies. Dit is duidelik dat daar ’n navorsingsgaping is vir die studie van humor in prediking. ’n Kort blik op die fenomeen humor, maak dit duidelik dat die betekenis van humor nie so voor die hand liggende onderwerp is nie. Daar word ’n hoofstuk opgedra aan die vraag: wat is humor? Dit bied ’n oorsig oor die enorme veld van humor met verskeie uitgangspunte. ’n Studie van humor in die Bybel is ook aangepak. Die hoof vraag wat uit hierdie hoofstuk gekom het, is: is daar humor in die Bybel en is dit van toepassing in prediking? Die oorgrote meerderheid teoloë en Bybelkundiges bevestig die voorkoms van humor in beide die Ou en die Nuwe Testament, alhoewel daar ’n uiteenlopende hoeveelheid meningsverskille is oor wat as humor gesien kan word. Uiteindelik word daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die Bybel oor die algemeen nie op sigself humor bevestig nie, maar dit wys ook nie humor af nie. Die woord ‘humor’ kom byvoorbeeld nie in die Bybel voor nie. Humor in die Bybel is duidelik nie in alle gevalle baie voor die hand liggend nie en somtyds is dit ook nie noodwendig baie snaaks nie. Daar is egter verskeie elemente van Bybelse humor wat van groot belang is vir humoristiese prediking. In ’n laaste hoofstuk spesifiek oor humor in homiletiek is daar oorkoepelend ’n paar vrae gevra: Moet/mag ‘n preek snaaks wees? Behoort ’n preek lag aan te moedig? Hierdie vrae word beantwoord deur die voorafgaande hoofstukke se insigte. Dit het duidelik geword dat navorsing oor humor geen grap is nie. Nie alle humor soorte is toepaslik vir die gebruik in prediking nie en daar is talle slaggate waarin ’n prediker kan trap met die poging om humor te gebruik in prediking. Daar is egter verskeie ander ‘veiliger’ humor soorte wat die prediker tot sy of haar beskikking het om te gebruik. / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Practical Theology / MTh / Unrestricted

Although there are a lot of popular books available on the subject of hope I still believe that there is a need for another study on the phenomenon of hope. Especially where proper exegesis and a multidiscipline approach are taken into account. In this study I’ve researched the effect of a society in transition on hope. I suspect that the changes since 1994 have a significant influence on the attitude, thought and behaviour of the Afrikaner especially. To come to such a conclusion the study take theories of change in Sociology into account. Some information were gathered from papers. The reason for that is the influence papers have on the spirit of society, and in this case its influence on people’s hope. Unfortunately one of the conclusions is that a lack of hope can very well be one of the consequences of the changes in society since 1994. The contemporary study is followed by a study on hope in Paul’s letter to the Romans. The background of the author, the congregation and the theology of the letter were taken in consideration. In most of the cases I’ve used the verses in the letter where the word hope was used. Surprisingly there is quite a comparison between the letter of Romans and society today as far as the reasons that causes hopelessness. Therefore Romans can be of great value to give hope in a disorientated society. Until now we know that there is a lack of hope in society, and that Romans give us reason to hope, but what is the person looking like that we want to communicate with? The study on post modernity show us how this “new” paradigm looks like. Post modernity is very different to modernism. The latest paradigm is universal and no one and nothing can escape it. Social sciences, the arts, economy, science itself and the theology were largely influenced by post modernity. With its larger emphasis on spirituality it creates wonderful opportunities for preaching. On the other side though, one should also keep its threats in mind, especially the proneness to relativism and New Age. In the last chapter I use all the information and conclusions of the previous chapters to get to a homiletic strategy for a postmodern context. The most important part of this chapter is to conclude that confession is a suitable hermeneutical and homiletical tool for preaching in post modernity. There is no need to prove confession, it is about something that is believed. The Bible therefore is still as relevant as ever. Communication strategies are included to guide the preacher in the most effective way when preaching in a postmodern context. The chapter ends with certain specific homiletic contents from the Roman letter that can be used today. We can know for certain that hopelessness is part of our society today. However we’ve got the promise of Romans 15:13 that God stays our God of hope. Our tasks are to posision us homiletically, hermeneutically and strategically in such a way that we give our faith the best possible chance. / Dissertation (MTh (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / MTh (Practical Theology) / unrestricted

This study deals with creative preaching through exploring pneumatology and creativity as prime ingredients for creative preaching. The researcher sees the problem of preaching in terms of the limited resources for proclaiming the very old message of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a fast changing world. Preaching in the reformed tradition is based primarily upon the Bible and the tradition of the church. The researcher suspects that, given the limitations of the age of the source, the preacher runs the risk of boring the congregation, who regularly attends sermons, by becoming irrelevant to their living conditions through having to repeat the same basic message. The researcher suspects that the preacher may run out of ideas and ways of bringing a relevant message in a fresh way, week after week, and begin to employ all kinds of tricks and gimmicks in order to stay relevant. Creative preaching is suggested as answer to this dilemma. Creative preaching is studied within the frame of creativity in service of the Holy Spirit. The study strives to explore the field of creativity from a homiletical perspective and bring the results into a pneumatological context by means of a hermeneutical method, with the aim of designing a basic theory for creative preaching. The first part of the study comprises a literature study of the fields of pneumatology and creativity. Pneumatology is explored in terms of the biblical roots of the use and meaning of the terms rûah, pneuma and paracletos, as well as a brief theological exploration. A pneumatology for preaching includes the Spirit as carrier of the Word and inspirer of the preacher and listener, within the context of the congregation as dedicated space for the working of the Spirit. The second part of the literature study deals with creativity as a human capacity that can be learnt and developed. Creativity is a deliberate dynamic activity that produces new, unexpected and meaningful results through creative observation, creative thinking and creative insight. Empirical research was conducted amongst preachers in the Dutch Reformed Church to ascertain their understanding of creative preaching and their experience of the workings of the Holy Spirit and creativity, in the process of producing a sermon. The research found that preachers understood the Holy Spirit as a vital part of the preaching process. Preachers experience the activity of the Spirit in their normal daily routines as ministers. Preachers do not regard themselves as creative people although they apply principles of creativity primarily in producing visual material for sermons as an additive. The Research found a need for the concept of creative preaching. Creative preaching is developed and described as a process in which the preacher, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, employs creative methods like observation, association, imagination and creative thinking in the whole process of sermon creation, from choice of Scripture to the presentation of the sermon. The sermon is structured in such a way as not only to be creative but also stimulating the creativity of the listeners. Creative preaching is stimulating preaching based on scripture, imagination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This thesis expresses a thorough conceptual and theoretical investigation of the liturgical challenges a liturgist (preacher) faces to address worshippers of all MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®) personality types effectively in public sermons. The investigation is focused on the conceptualizing of psychological factors and the effects thereof that need to be taken into account by liturgists in a public worship service. The scientific aim of the thesis is to give liturgists a theoretical grasp on the hermeneutical factors, liturgical demands and homiletical challenges that any preacher should calculate in addressing worshippers with different and often ‘conflicting’ personality types and needs in a public sermon. I have chosen the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® as psychometric instrument which consists out of sixteen unique and different personality types that are described in a four letter combination. This combination describes a person’s preferred orientation to the world (extroversion or introversion), his/her preferred way of gathering information (sensing or intuition), his/her preferred way of decision making (thinking or feeling) and the preferred lifestyle he/she adopts (judging or perceiving). The MBTI® builds on the insights of the well-known Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, the father of analytical psychology as well as the efforts of the formidable mother and daughter combination, Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs. The reason for this choice is because the MBTI® proofs to be the most distinctive and effective instrument for comprehensively addressing spirituality and type. On the one hand the MBTI® is ‘friendly’ and intelligible enough to be taken into account by any congregation and liturgist while on the other hand it is a thorough and comprehensive psychometric instrument with sound subjacent psychological and scientific principles. Jung distinguished two opposite energizing orientations to the world, extraversion and introversion and four mental functions, the two opposite ways of taking in information (sensing and intuition) and the two opposite ways of ordering (organizing) the information that’s been taken in (thinking and feeling). In addition, Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs added two preferred opposite lifestyles, an organized planned lifestyle (judging) and an adaptive spontaneous lifestyle (perceiving). Out of these combined distinctions the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® was born. The investigation is conveyed in two distinct phases namely a theoretical- and a conclusive phase. The thesis consists out of four parts. Part 1 (Chapters 1 and 2) covers the introduction, an explanation of the methodology and the preliminary description of the concepts in the title of the thesis and other relevant concepts for example ‘liturgy’. The title of the thesis is: Personality types in worshippers: A practical-theological investigation of the challenges a preacher faces to address worshippers of all MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®) personality types effectively in sermons. A bilingual list of keywords is included at the beginning of the thesis to enhance continuous research and investigation. Part 2 encompasses the rest of the theoretical phase of the investigation. It consists out of a theoretical exposition of practical-theological principles like hermeneutics and homiletics (Chapter 3), an explanation of three important hermeneutical exponents Gadamer, Habermas and Ricoeur (Chapter 4), other distinctive factors that should be taken into account by the liturgist in the construction and presentation of a worship service (Chapter 5), the discussion of personality and personality types (Chapter 6), the evaluation of several psychological and psychometric instruments that could contribute to the investigation (Chapter 7), the exposition of Jung’s psychological model subjacent to the MBTI® (Chapter 8), an explanation of the theoretical foundation of the MBTI® (Chapter 9) and a comprehensive and extensive exposition of the sixteen distinctive MBTI® personality types (Chapter 10). Part 3 of the thesis consists out of Chapters 11 and 12 and encompasses the conclusive phase of the investigation. The aim of the investigation was to foster appreciation and insight in the dynamics, interaction and co-operation of the MBTI® factors, -combinations and sixteen -personality types in worshippers, so that liturgists and congregations can plan the composition and presentation of worship services accordingly. It will help to lessen the communication hindrances in the presenting and accepting of the Gospel in a worship service. The following practical question is answered in Part 3: What knowledge and insight needs to be fostered within preachers, church councils and congregations in order to accommodate and utilize the needs and strengths of the different personality types so that effective communication of the Gospel can take place in die worship service, where all personality types are potentially included? Preachers and congregations are helped to practically and liturgically address worshippers of all 16 MBTI® personality types. In Chapter 11 general challenges and demands that a liturgist (preacher) faces to address worshippers of all the MBTI® personality types effectively in a public sermon, are addressed. Other determining factors like needs, expectations, theological-anthropological perspectives, spirituality, conflicting timeframes, different generations, stages of psychological- and faith development, selective moments, politics, relationships, social contexts, clothing, moods, language, culture, sexuality, gender roles and defence meganisms are also calculated. The determining and role of personality types (in liturgist and worshippers) and the practical implications and challenges of distinct MBTI® factors and -combinations are addressed. The hermeneutical-, liturgical- and homiletical challenges and demands of the various factors are calculated. The chapter ends by calculating other practical demands and suggestions like different types of worship sermons, alternating worship services, the alternating of liturgical elements in one sermon and the developing of a specific and deliberate style and identity in a worship service. In Chapter 12 the specific demands and challenges that the liturgist faces to effectively address worshippers of all sixteen MBTI® personality types in sermons, are addressed. Hermeneutical-, liturgical- and homiletical challenges and demands with regard to each of the sixteen MBTI® personality types are taken practically into account in a communicative theory of practice. Hermeneutical challenges helps liturgists to spiritually understand each personality type better. With regard to liturgical presentation and construction, the liturgical suggestions enhance the accommodation and involvement of every personality type in the public sermon. Homiletical proposals contribute to the effective preaching, heralding and receiving of the Gospel in the public worship service, so that worshippers of every personality style can be addressed in the public worship service. Other liturgists are invited to freely add their experience and insight in the practical application of the hermeneutical-, liturgical- and homiletical suggestions and proposals. Part 4 concludes the thesis with a short summary and an extensive exposition of literature references in a Bibliography according to an adapted Harvard method. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted