Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-62).

Thesis (PhD(N.T.)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 447-520)

This thesis rereads central texts of Paul’s letters to demonstrate that Paul’s speech about God, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit is intricately intertwined so that talk about any one of the three (God, Jesus, or the Spirit) implies reference to all of them together (God, Jesus, and the Spirit). The first part of the Introduction describes how the current landscape of Pauline scholarship has largely given up this way of articulating the dynamics of Paul’s God-, Christ-, and Spirit-discourse. Eschewing explicitly trinitarian language in favor of other conceptualities, much recent Pauline scholarship has opted for discussing the relationship between God and Jesus in terms of ‘high’ or ‘low’ christology. After summarizing this trend, the second part of the Introduction describes trinitarian theologies as representing a better approach that will serve to open a fresh angle on Paul, despite its conceptual difference from Paul’s own speech. The next four chapters defend that supposition with detailed exegesis. Chapter 1 considers how the identity of God is shaped by Paul’s christology: God’s identity is only what it is in relation to Jesus. Chapters 2 and 3 consider the converse: how the identity of Jesus is shaped by his relation to God. These latter two chapters also rebut the charge that Paul’s alleged ‘subordinationist’ christology renders a trinitarian, relational reading of the divine identity untenable. Drawing on the conclusion found in the history of trinitarian theologies that the oneness or unity between God and Jesus does not come into conflict with the distinction between God and Jesus, Chapters 2 and 3 argue that the mutuality that exists between God and Jesus is asymmetrical but not for that reason graspable with the concept of ‘subordinationism’. Chapter 4 brings the Spirit into the mutual, reciprocal relationship between God and Jesus. The Spirit’s identity is derived from God and Jesus’; yet the Spirit is also involved in the sequence of events whereby God and Jesus are identified. The Spirit’s identity is relationally determined, but also God and Jesus are who they are only by virtue of the Spirit’s agency which is exercised by God in the resurrection of Jesus. In this way, despite its historical distance from Paul and its different idiom, trinitarian theology is shown to illumine a way through interpretive difficulties in Paul’s letters that the more recent concepts of ‘high’ and ‘low’ christology have hitherto been unable to illumine.

This thesis analyses St Basil’s understanding of the Church with a focus on his Trinitarian approach to its life. Although the role of God the Trinity in the life of the Church occupies a considerable place in St Basil’s thought this subject has not been previously addressed by scholars. Based on research of primary texts of St Basil the thesis explores the ideas of the Church that are found in his works, how these ideas shape his ecclesiology, and in what sense there is a Trinitarian approach. The research shows that St Basil perceives the Church in a consistently Trinitarian fashion where all Persons of the Trinity are involved in the life of the community. Moreover, the eschatological perspective from which St Basil sees the divine and human actions reveals the connections between God’s plan at the creation of the world, the existence of the Church and the destiny of humanity, which is Christlikeness and life eternal in the heavenly Ekklesia with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The thesis also brings to light St Basil’s perception of the Church as a two-dimensional mystical reality with a strong bond between both parts (heavenly and earthly). This view has also not received much scholarly attention to date. The analysis of the life of the Church that is grounded in Trinitarian philanthropy provides further insights into St Basil’s understanding of this worldwide fellowship of believers. The thesis shows that the Church is depicted by St Basil as a new social entity where God assembles His children providing for them the proper environment for their growth and development. The study of Basil’s use of metaphors elucidates and enriches the overall picture of the Church that is portrayed in his works as the Mother of believers, the Daughter of the King, the Bride and the Body of Christ. This reveals the relation between the Church and her Trinitarian Creator who is always present with her. Dealing with the mysteries of the Church, its liturgy and penitential discipline, the thesis discloses the inward life of the Church which is closely connected with Trinitarian confession as “saving confession” in Basil’s thought. The same underlying concern for proper Trinitarian teaching is also discussed in relation to the unity of the Church. Special attention is paid to the role of Christian leaders and councils, which should serve as a means of keeping unity and peace inside the local congregations as well as between them. The thesis also explores how St Basil perceives God’s plan for the world and the role of Christians as good servants of the Triune God whose philanthropy they are supposed to reveal through their ministry both to the poor and to the rich. Proceeding with the analysis of the practical achievements, the last chapter demonstrates to what extend St Basil, motivated by his beliefs, was able to apply his ideas about the Church and her relation to God the Trinity in a particular socio-historical context in the life of his monastic communities.

The present dissertation is essentially an attempt towards a constructive proposal on moral formation for local churches in sub-Saharan Africa. Rather than starting from scratch, the study turns to the prolific work of the leading American theologian Stanley Hauerwas — with, however, the following presumption: his proposal, constructed in America, might not be fully appropriate for an African context. The study compares the American cultural context with an African typical pluralist context, proceeds with a theological and ethical assessment of Hauerwasian's proposal and sets forward the significant elements of a constructive proposal for African churches which includes the applicable aspects of Hauerwas's account. In a nutshell, the study establishes that Hauerwas's proposal is designed against the background of a Western, liberal, autonomous and individualist self in a social environment of capitalist and liberal democracy. It manifests as a particularist character formation grounded in an ecclesial ethic including aspects of virtue/character ethics, narrative ethics, community ethics and the neo-Anabaptist model of socio-political involvement. Its positive aspects include merging moral formation with spiritual formation through discipleship and accountability to the church community, stressing the church's role in fostering communal identity through its narratives and traditions, and emphasizing the importance of worship, liturgy and the imitation of the saints and role models as instrumental to the enhancement of a virtuous life. Also, this proposal stresses the significance of the whole of the church's way of life in moral formation. On the negative side, some dualist tendencies emerge from Hauerwas's proposal since it overemphasizes the priority of being (virtue/character) over doing (decision-making). It so strongly affirms the community and narrative dependence of Christian ethics that the result is a communitarianism and particularism that fails to balance the virtues of communality and individuality. With its strong anti-Constantinianism and radical church-world separation, this proposal upholds Christian embodiment as the primary mode of Christian social ethics. In Africa, the influence of political and philosophical liberalism is significant but not as pervasive as in America. Important moral challenges come also from the traditional African communalistic and particularist worldviews, the socio-political legacy of slavery, colonialism and apartheid as well as the dualistic Christianity brought by the missionary enterprise. All this induces a serious moral crisis, nourishes tribal and racial loyalties and fuels violence, social injustice and pseudo-democracy. Consequently, to do justice to the particularity and universality of Christian ethics and the communality and individuality of biblical anthropology and attend to African contextual peculiarities, the study argues for a contextual Christian character and conscience formation. Based on Trinitarian ethics and an integrative Christian worldview, this paradigm constructively tackles the communal, individual and social dimensions of the church moral formation. It views the church as a community of virtues which also fosters personal identity and responsibility. It resorts to a critical engagement with secular sources of moral knowledge and wisdom to enhance the Christians' moral insights, emotions and skills. Through a vision of shalom for all, the scope of social involvement is enlarged to the Christian faithful presence in the wider society. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / PhD / Unrestricted

In this thesis, the author examines how Gregory of Nazianzus distinguishes between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while maintaining their equality and unity. In the first chapter, he examines the way theological discourse shapes Gregory's understanding of how words are predicated of God. In chapter 2, the author explores Gregory's understanding of the divine persons whom he distinguishes only on account of their subsistent relations of origin. In the final chapter, the author indicates problems with the modern scholarly interpretation of Gregory that identifies the unity and equality of the divine persons exclusively with the person of the Father. It is concluded that Gregory relied upon the notion of the homoousios in order to establish and guarantee the divine equality and unity among the persons. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Since Schleiermacher, in nineteenth century, liberal theologians neglected the doctrine of the Trinity. However, on the basis of the Hegelian influence, leading 20th century theologians, Barth, Moltmann, Jüngel and Pannenberg revitalized the doctrine of the Trinity. This revitalization was however based on a re-interpretation of the Nicene theology, in which vital elements of Nicene theology and its reformed affirmation were altered by their approach to the doctrine of the Trinity. Reformed doctrine of the Trinity is based on the Nicene formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity. In order to make a reformed assessment of this revitalization of the doctrine of the Trinity, one first has to attend to its Nicene formulation. Nicene theologians interpret the doctrine of the Trinity on the basis of the Scripture against heresies. Athanasius confirms not only the Son’s ‘homoousia’ with the Father, but also the Spirit’s homoousia with the Father. In this regard, Athanasius protects the deity of the Son and the Spirit. Basil and the two Gregories follow Athanasius. They also apply the term ‘homoousia’ to the Spirit. Especially, the Cappadocian theologians set the following formula of the doctrine of the Trinity: One essence, three hypostaseis. For them, according to the particularity of their attributes, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinguished, however, according to their common essence, there is one God. Their main idea is that the three hypostaseis are equally God. They focus on the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit against Arians and Pneumatomachians. They strongly emphasize the unity of nature or essence of God on the basis of the priority of theologia over economia. <ol> <li> Karl Barth’s starting point is the revelation of God. For him the doctrine of the Trinity is three repetitions of God himself: Revealer, Revelation, and Revealedness. Barth identifies the the immanent Trinity with the economic Trinity. From this, his Christology always refers to the ensarkos Logos. And he uses the term ‘Seinsweise’ instead of the term ‘person’.</li> <li> For Moltmann, the content of the doctrine of the trinity is the crucifixion of Christ itself, and the form of the crucified one is the Trinity. He focuses on the passibility of God. He also identifies the immanent with the economic Trinity. His social understanding of the concept of divine Person is based on panentheism.</li> <li> As with Moltmann Jüngel concentrates on the ‘death of God’. For him, the theology of the death of God is based on Luther’s theology of the cross. The Christian doctrine of the triune God is the epitome of the story of Jesus Christ. With Barth and Moltmann he identifies the immanent Trinity with the economic Trinity.</li> <li> Pannenberg’s doctrine of the Trinity implies the divine self-disclosure in Jesus Christ. His Christology is ‘from below. And Pannenberg’s concept of person is the reciprocal relationship between persons.’ He confirms the identification of the immanent Trinity and economic Trinity.</li> <li> Modern understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity on the basis of Panentheism differs from the Reformed tradition which emphasizes the distinction between the immanent Trinity and economic Trinity, and uses the notion of person as a metaphor of the distinction.</li></ol> The doctrine of the Trinity is closely connected with the Church since it is constituted by the Triune God. Therefore, the implications of the doctrine of the Trinity are important for practical church life. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

This study was conducted from March 3, through June 2, 1951, in order to determine to what extent pathogenic bacteria were entering the Trinity River between East Fort Worth, Texas and South Dallas, Texas, from municipal sewage disposal plants.

A toxicological study was initiated because of concerns about allegations that the Texas Water Commission that effluent from the Dallas Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges into the Trinity River, was affecting downstream water quality. Monthly, flow-weighted composite effluent samples were collected. Grab samples were also collected upstream and downstream from the effluent from April 1989 to August 1991. Toxicity tests were conducted on these samples using Ceriodaphnia dubia as the test organism. Samples were collected four times during this study in which rainfall occurred prior to sampling. In every instance, this "first flush" of the watershed during a rising hydrograph was toxic to C. dubia upstream. Analyzing toxicity by season resulted in a statistically significantly lower neonate production in the effluent than in the river samples during the months of June, July, and August. This impact on neonate production was suspected of being caused by organic pesticides which are used for insect control on lawns. The effluent was never acutely toxic to C. dubia. Primarily, toxic occurrences in either the effluent or the river samples were primarily of a chronic nature. Overall, survival of C. dubia was affected more frequently at the upstream site than in the effluent or the downstream site. Because EPA's Phase I Acute Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIEs) methods were designed for identifying acute toxicity, two alternative strategies were attempted to identify chronic toxicity. The first attempt was the modification of the phase I acute TIE methodologies. This was done by processing more sample through the phase I characterization tests. This approach was inadequate due to toxicity that occurred during the last several days of the seven-day C. dubia reproduction test. The second strategy for identifying chronic toxicity within a TIE involved the use of freeze concentration. During this preliminary investigation ofthe efficiency of freeze concentration, four metals and two organic compounds were freeze concentrated.

This study describes macroinvertebrate community structure and assesses its potential in detecting point and non-point sources of disturbance associated with rural and urban areas in the Upper Trinity River Basin. Geospatial techniques were used to quantify landuse within the watershed in a GIS. At rural sites near the headwaters of the Trinity River, collector-gathering burrowers that are adapted to minimal flow comprised the majority of taxa. Destinies of taxa compositions at downstream sites increased and shifted toward psammophilic and rheophilic invertebrates, including primarily collector-filtering clingers, that are characteristic of shifting sand habitats in large prairie rivers. Benthic community structure generally benefited from point source impacts including wastewater treatment plant effluents that maintained higher flow. Community indices were negatively associated with forest landuse and positively associated with urban landuse. Partial CCA determined that flow and landuse contributed equally to species dispersions. Comparisons with historical biomonitoring studies in upper Trinity River Basin indicate improved watershed health.