Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As backdrop and context for this study, injustices present in South Africa are briefly
discussed, as well as the impact of such injustices on the people of the country. The focus
then turns to the work of Nicholas Wolterstorff in order to see what type of light
Wolterstorff’s perspectives on justice can shed on the quest for justice in contemporary
societies, and what type of role the Christian faith can play within such justice discourses.
An attempt is made to address this question by describing Wolterstorff's central ideas and
perspectives on justice as clearly as possible. This is not an exhaustive critique on his
thought and therefore it focuses mainly on understanding Wolterstorff’s own literature
regarding justice. His approach to justice can be seen as a theological challenge that
incorporates both history and philosophy. Wolterstorff’s central notions will become the
focus throughout the second and third chapters. This includes his thorough theological
account for the conception of justice as inherent rights as oppose to a right order. It also
includes Wolterstorff’s examination of Biblical and theological perspectives on justice to
support and strengthen his own account. Human worth is found to be the crucial grounding
for his account of justice as inherent rights, and thus human dignity is also brought into the
picture. Furthermore, the interrelatedness of love and justice is central to his thinking and
will be explored thoroughly, especially as he addresses other notions in which love and
justice oppose one another. Finally, the focus will turn to how Wolterstorff brings a
component of care into his understanding of love and justice and how every person is
called to care for the other. In the last chapter, chapter 4, the focus will turn to how all this
ultimately then contributes to the questions raised, in other words how the key elements of
Wolterstorff’s work can be understood, as well as the role of Christian faith within
Wolterstorff’s understanding of justice, which includes the importance of justice discourse,
how discourse leads to action, and ultimately loving one’s neighbour with love as care. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As agtergrond vir hierdie studie word daar gekyk na die vorme van ongeregtigheid wat
gevind kan word in Suid Afrika en die impak wat dit het op die mense van die land. Die
fokus val dan op die werk van Nicholas Wolterstorff. Daar word gekyk hoe sy perspektiewe
van geregtigheid lig kan skyn op die optog vir geregtigheid in kontemporêre
gemeenskappe, spesifiek met betrekking tot die rol van Christelike geloof in sulke
diskoerse. Hierdie vrae word aangespreuk deur te om Wolterstorff se sentrale idees en
perspektiewe van geregtigheid so duidelik moontlik te beskryf. Hier word nie ekstensief
kritiek gelewer op Wolterstorff se werk en denke nie en dus word daar gefokus op die
relevansie van sy eie werke met betrekking tot geregtigheid. Sy benadering tot
geregtigheid kan beskryf word as ‘n teologiese uitdaging wat wel ook geskiedenis en
filosofie inkorporeer. Wolterstorff se kern temas word dus die focus van die tweede en
derde hoofstukke. Dit sluit in sy deeglike teologiese verstaan van die konsep van
geregtigheid as inherente regte in plaas van as regs-orde. Dit sluit ook in Wolterstorff se
ondersoek van Bybelse en teologiese perspektiewe van geregtigheid om sy eie verstaan
daarvan te ondersteun en versterk. Menslike waarde word gesien as die noodsaaklike
element waarin sy teorie van geregtigheid gegrond word, en dus word menswaardigheid
ook in die prentjie in gebring. Daar word verder deeglik gekyk na die interaflike verhouding
tussen geregtigheid en liefde wat sentraal is in Wolterstorff se denke, spesifiek deur te kyk
hoe hy idees aanspreek waarin die twee konsepte mekaar teenstaan. Laastens word daar
gefokus op hoe Wolterstorff ‘n omgee-komponent inbring by hierdie verhouding tussen
geregtigheid en liefde, sowel as hoe elke persoon geroep is om vir die ander om te gee op
hierdie manier. In die laaste hoofstuk, hoofstuk vier, word die fokus dan geplaas op hoe
bogenoemde kan bydra tot die vraagstelling van die studie, in ander woorde, hoe die kern
elemente van Wolterstorff se werk duidelik verstaan kan word, asook die rol van Christen geloof binne Wolterstorff se verstaan van geregtigheid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80035 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Myburgh, Daniella |
| Contributors | Koopman, Nico Norman, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 125 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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