[pt] O propósito das parábolas de Jesus, um estudo exegético de Mc 4,10-12. Esta pesquisa abordou o propósito do uso de parábolas nos ensinamento de Jesus, isto é, qual ou quais os motivos que levaram Jesus a usar parábolas em seus ensinamentos. Para alcançar os objetivos traçados, esta pesquisa combinou a metodologia da análise narrativa e análise retórica, considerando também os elementos históricos do texto. Com isto a exegese chegou a um resultado, apresentando outra possibilidade de interpretação da teoria sobre o ensino por parábolas expressa em Mc 4, 10-12. A pesquisa concluiu que na atual configuração há possibilidades de admitir que a perícope referida não afirma que Jesus ensinou por meio de parábolas para endurecer o coração de Seus ouvintes, e dificultar-lhes o acesso as coisas do Reino de Deus. Ao contrário disto a exegese concluiu que Jesus usou parábolas em Seus ensinamentos com o propósito de facilitar o processo de entendimento de todos que O ouviam, trazendo à compreensão as coisas do Reino de Deus através de uma linguagem que era familiar e natural aos Seus ouvintes. / [en] The purpose of Jesus parables, an exegetical study of Mk 4,10-12. This research survey the purpose of the use of parables in Jesus teachings, namely, what is or which are the reasons that led Jesus to use parables in his teachings. To achieve the goals outlined, this research combined narrative analysis and rhetorical analysis methodology, considering of historical elements of the text. Thereby the exegesis reached a result, bring up another interpretation possibility of theory about Jesus teaching by parables as it apear in Mk 4, 10-12. The research conclud that in current setting there is the possibility to acknowledge that the refered section of text does not state that Jesus taught by parables with the purpose of hardering hearts of his listeners, and to rise difficulties upon him in acessing of the things of the kingdom of God. Instead this exegesis conclude that Jesus used parables in his teachings with purpose to make easy the understanding process of all his listeners, bring up to the understanding the things of the kingdom of God through a language that was familiar and natural to his listeners.

Diploma thesis named "Biblical parables and its artistic interpretation" consists of two parts theoretical part and practical part. The goal of the theoretical part is to compare biblical story from the Old Testament with a New Testament parable, describe and explain all fundamental symbols found in these narratives. The first part of the diploma thesis describes the origin of Bible and Bible in general. The story of Sacrificing of Isaac is chosen from the Old Testament and parable of Prodigal son is chosen from the New Testament. The theoretical part deals with description of both narratives and the symbols involved in them and also artists who were inspired by the Book of books in their work. In the practical part findings form theoretical part will be applied to create free graphical papers using linocut and woodcut techniques with the Prodigal son comeback theme.

The main aim of this dissertation is to understand the function of the text The Parables of Enoch (PE) in its ancient context. Despite the complicated and composite nature of this text, I have tried to explain the internal logic of this text, especially with an emphasis on understanding the different timelines with which the author of the text works. A critical evaluation of the limits of working with the preserved Ethiopian translations, as well as with the composite nature of the extant form of the text is the essential prerequisite for the interpretation of PE. In the exegetical part, I seek to demonstrate the main thesis that the purpose of PE is to offer a complex symbolic universe through ancient authoritative visions of the ancestor Enoch that serves to legitimize the shared social reality, which is in danger due to the difficult situation of persecution and oppression. I take the theoretical framework for this research over from the sociological constructivism. While the shared social reality is often in crisis, the symbolic universe as a complex level of legitimation intends to explain this discrepancy between the assumed social reality and the reality of the everyday experience. In the case of PE, it is a discrepancy between the experience of oppression and persecution of the addressees...

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to understand how theories of organizational culture canenrich our understanding of Matthew’s group, his parable speech and the parables of thekingdom of heaven. I argue that Matthew edited and constructed the parable speech to fit hisintentions so that he could call for righteous behavior from the members of his group. I thenargue that the parable speech can be viewed as a regulatory document that addresses externalproblems of adaption and internal problems of integration that Matthew’s group had to face.I also argue that the parables of the kingdom of heaven are related to externaland internal problems and that the parables can be understood as artifacts that express thepreferred behavior applied by the leaders of Matthew’s group.My conclusion is that the theories of organizational culture give us a betterunderstanding of the complex situation of Matthew’s group and that the parable speech isrelated to these issues and addresses the group. It can therefore be considered a regulatorydocument. The parables of the kingdom of heaven can be understood as stories that call forrighteous behavior and persuade the Jewish people to join Matthew’s group through followingthe law according to view held by Matthew’s group.

No description available.

The purpose of this master's thesis is to explore how priests interpret the parables in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark using a hermeneutic qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews. The aim is to shed light on a selected group of priests in their roles within the context of the Church of Sweden, where interpretation is a part of their work, primarily focusing on the parables in the fourth chapter of Mark's Gospel and how this is done in interpretation, both in encounters with individuals and in preaching. An inductive approach has influenced the study, which also permeates the qualitative method with a focus on creating understanding to gain knowledge about the nature of these various phenomena among four priests. Generalization is not possible due to the small number of informants for making overall generalizations. Nor is it what has been sought. The aim of qualitative research is to gain a deeper understanding of a phenomenon and to illuminate how individuals experience it in their context. The study aims to understand how a specifically selected group of individuals, namely priests who have worked for an extended period within the Swedish Church, interpret the parables in Gospel of Mark.

The relationship between the Bible and literature is long-standing and has received increasing attention in recent years. This project investigates the interface between the Bible and literature by focusing on the genre of “parable”. The influence of the Bible on Western literature is considerable, and yet in the case of George MacDonald’s writing it is often overlooked. The “parabolic” is a helpful way to focus our discussion as it is an important genre both in Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God and more subtly in MacDonald’s fantasy and fairytale writing. It is remarkable that approximately a third of Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God comes in the form of parabolic speech. Rather than serving as a nice illustrative story to a theological point made elsewhere, the actual form of parabolic speech is crucial for the message it seeks to convey. Form and content work together in Jesus’ parables in a unique way to break open the reality depicted in parable. This thesis attempts to investigate a specifically biblical view of “parable” for understanding certain aspects of MacDonald’s fantasy literature. MacDonald developed a decidedly theological understanding of story as having the capacity to refresh the revelatory nature of Scripture. It is by the imagination that a poet is able to find new forms to recast and recover old and forgotten truths. By designating the poet as a finder rather than a maker, MacDonald resists Coleridge’s idealist inclinations to elevate the poet to a creator. His employment of story and more particularly the “parabolic” is then not only an aesthetic but also a theological choice. MacDonald’s last fantasy romance, Lilith, will serve as our test case to demonstrate this. Considering the “parabolic” in Lilith sheds significant light on the meaning of Lilith and offers up a decisive answer to the important question of whether MacDonald moves in his fantasy and fairytales from a decidedly Christian perspective to a more polyvalent view of reality. This argument shall be further substantiated by bringing to the light the important influence of Novalis on Lilith.

Text in Afrikaans / Die (NG) kerk in Suid-Afrika bevind haar aan die begin van 'n nuwe millennium in 'n oorgangstydperk. Die NG Kerk se aandeel aan die sonde van apartheid hou verband met haar legitimering van die apartheidsideologie. Ten opsigte van laasgenoemde het sy 'n apartheidsteologie verkondig, ten spyte van die ernstige vermanings wat ook vanuit eie geledere gemaak is. Die lot van noodlydendes in die land hou grootliks verband met die gevolge van apartheid. Hierdie studie wys op die noodsaaklikheid dat die kerk in die konteks van noodlydendes weer haar diakonale rol moet nastreef. Die studie ondersoek die transformasiekrag van die metafoor as integrerende deel van die denk- en taalsisteem van die mens. Die bewuswees van teenstellings tussen die toegepaste en nie-toegepaste onderskeidinge binne die betekenis van die gebruikte woord is verantwoordelik vir die spanning wat daar in die metaforiese woordgebruik bestaan. Laasgenoemde bied die metafoor 'n dinamiese krag. Die prediker kan as kreatiewe metafoorskepper die metafoor in prediking aanwend. Sodoende kan gelowiges geaktiveer word om voetewassers te word en kan die diakonale kerk profetieses die bevryding van nood verkondig. Die (NG) kerk in Suid-Afrika bevind haar aan die begin van 'n nuwe millennium in 'n oorgangstydperk. Die NG Kerk se aandeel aan die sonde van apartheid hou verband met haar legitimering van die apartheidsideologie. Ten opsigte van laasgenoemde het sy 'n apartheidsteologie verkondig, ten spyte van die ernstige vermanings wat ook vanuit eie geledere gemaak is. Die lot van noodlydendes in die land hou grootliks verband met die gevolge van apartheid. Hierdie studie wys op die noodsaaklikheid dat die kerk in die konteks van noodlydendes weer haar diakonale rol moet nastreef. Die studie ondersoek die transformasiekrag van die metafoor as integrerende deel van die denk- en taalsisteem van die mens. Die bewuswees van teenstellings tussen die toegepaste en nie-toegepaste onderskeidinge binne die betekenis van die gebruikte woord is verantwoordelik vir die spanning wat daar in die metaforiese woordgebruik bestaan. Laasgenoemde bied die metafoor 'n dinamiese krag. Die prediker kan as kreatiewe metafoorskepper die metafoor in prediking aanwend. Sodoende kan gelowiges geaktiveer word om voetewassers te word en kan die diakonale kerk profetieses die bevryding van nood verkondig. / At the beginning of the new millennium, the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa finds itself in a transitional period. The part the Dutch Reformed Church played in the sin of apartheid, can be directly ascribed to the legitimizing of the apartheid ideology. With reference to the above, the church preached an apartheid theology, in spite of serious warnings from within its own ranks. The misery of the 'suffering humanity' in our country is a direct result of apartheid. This study highlights the immense importance resting upon the Dutch Reformed Church to once again fulfil its diaconal role with reference to those who suffer. This study investigates the transformation power of the metaphor as integral part of the cognitive- and language systems of the human being. The awareness of the implied contradictions between the applied and non-applied parts in the meaning of the word creates a tension in metaphorical speech. The latter endows the metaphor with a dynamic power. The preacher may then apply creative metaphors in the sermon. He is therefore a creator of the metaphor. The effective use of the metaphor in preaching will enable him to empower his audience to be servants like Jesus. The effective use of metaphors in preaching will help to activate believers and will assist the diaconal church in relaying its prophetic message of salvation to those who suffer. Through the active conduct and unity of the church, those who suffer experience the salvation of the living Christ. This study implies that the preacher should approach the text from his own experience, combined with an existentional knowledge of the needs of the people in need, to the text. The study highlights the creative role of the preacher as creator of the metaphor, and the activation of believers in the context of those who suffer, so that the church may fulfill its diaconal role. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Practical theology)

A lot has been written on the development of the Shona novel and the influence of orature on it. This research while acknowledging the importance of such an observation makes yet another one. This other view is that there is also another element that has had a significant impact on the development and growth of the Shona novel. This research has endeavoured to highlight that the Shona novel is a product of the society where it is found which is influenced by The Bible. The novelists Chakaipa, Chidzero, Makari, Musengezi, Tsodzo, Zvarevashe and Ngugi wa Thiong'o's A Grain of Wheat which has been translated into Shona as Tsanga Yembeu have used The Bible as the backbone of their novels. Although these novelists have all used The Bible they have not used it in the same way and for the same purpose. They have used The Bible to justify the themes embedded in their works. This research at the end shows that it is difficult to label a literary product as either a success or a failure. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

Text in German with summaries in German, English and Afrikaans / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-144) / In dieser Masterarbeit wird die Korrelation zwischen der Narrativität des Reich Gottes und missiologischen Ansätzen untersucht. Am Beispiel von N.T. Wright wird ermittelt, welche Bedeutung Narrative des Reich Gottes in der Theologie haben und wie diese für einen narrativ-missiologischen-Ansatz nutzbar gemacht werden können. Die Untersuchung wird von der Forschungsfrage geleitet: Welche Bedeutung haben Reich Gottes Narrative von N.T. Wright für die Missiologie? Im ersten Kapitel werden die Rahmenbedingungen dieser Thesis dargelegt. Im zweiten Kapitel wird das Werk und die Person von N.T.Wright untersucht. Das dritte Kapitel widmet sich der inhaltlichen Untersuchung und der Herausarbeitung eines Metanarratives des Reich Gottes bei Wright. Im vierten und letzten Kapitel werden die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung zusammengetragen. Diese münden in einen Entwurf eines narrativ- missiologischen- Ansatzes. Des Weiteren werden einige Aspekte von Wrights Ansatz kritisch reflektiert. Die Ergebnisse werden in den deutschen Kontext eingeordnet und darauf aufbauend erfolgt dann noch ein Ausblick auf weitere Forschungsmöglichkeiten. / Hierdie meesterstesis bestudeer die verband tussen die teorie van die verhaal van die hemelse koninkryk en die missiologiese aanpassings daarvan. Op grond van die werke van N.T. Wright, is die doel van hierdie werk om te bepaal watter tipe belang die teorie van die verhaal van die hemelse koninkryk vir die teologie kan hê en hoe dit in missiologie toegepas kan word. Hierdie ontleding handel oor die hoofvraag: Watter belang moet in missiologie aan die verhale oor die hemelse koninkryk geheg word? Die eerste hoofstuk handel gevolglik oor die basiese raamwerk van hierdie werk. Hoofstuk twee fokus dan op die studie van die basiese inhoud van Wright se werk en hoe hy 'n metaverhaal kan skep op grond van die benadering van die hemelse koninkryk. Die derde hoofstuk is gewy aan die substantiewe ondersoek en verwerking van Wright se metaverhaal oor die koninkryk van God. Die vierde en laaste hoofstuk van hierdie werk bevat die hoofresultate van hierdie tesis voor dit na 'n konsep van 'n benadering tot verhalende missiologie lei. Verder word verskeie aspekte van Wright se benadering krities bespreek. Die resultate is dan in 'n Duitse konteks vasgelê wat tot 'n vooruitsig van toekomstige navorsingsgeleenthede kan lei. / This master thesis examines the correlation between the narrative of the kingdom of heaven theory and its missiological adaptations. Based on examples from the works of N.T. Wright, the purpose of this paper is to ascertain what kind of relevance narratives of the kingdom of heaven theory might have for theology and how they could be applied in missiology. This analysis revolves around the main question: What importance should be awarded to the kingdom of heaven narratives in missiology? Consequently, the first chapter deals with the basic framework of this paper. Chapter two then focuses on examining the basic contents of Wright’s work and how he is able to create a meta-narrative based on the kingdom of heaven approach. The third chapter is devoted to the substantive investigation and elaboration of a metanarrative of the kingdom of God defined by Wright. The fourth and last chapter of this paper is presenting the main results of this thesis before leading up to a draft of a narrative-missiological approach. In addition, various aspects of Wright’s approach are critically discussed. The results then are embedded in a German context which leads to a prospect of future research opportunities. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)