scholarly journals Nadenke oor die kerkbegrip: Enkele perspektiewe op grond van die Deuteronomistiese geskiedenis

Author(s):  
A. P.B Breytenbach

Reflecting on the concept church: Some perspectives from Deutero-nomistic history. This article seeks to explain why and how the Old Testament and Deuteronomistic history in particular are essential in our theological reflection on the concept of church. The main trends in the theology of the Deuteronomistic history are discussed, namely that YHWH is a unique, sovereign and almighty God who elected Israel and made a covenant with them. His steadfast love and preparedness to forgive, as well as his judgement on those who disobey him, serve as an appeal to Israel to honor and obey him in absolute loyalty. The article concludes with the notion that the very existence of the religious community is totally de pendatil on the grace and love of God, and that its members are therefore committed to him and to one another with the prophetic word as their hope for the future.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-71
Author(s):  
Sri Wahyuni Kusradi

ABSTRAK _______________________________________________________________ Pada masa pandemic Covid-19 ini banyak orang menjadi kuatir akan masalah penghidupannya, masa depan keluarga, masyarakat, ekonomi, politik, pendidikan, kebudayaan yang berubah mengikuti dampak covid-19 ini.  Hal tersebut juga dihadapi oleh orang Kristen, mereka dapat saja mempertanyakan di mana Tuhan pada masa pandemic ini. Tetapi ada satu pegangan yang teguh yang dapat menjadi penghiburan dan kekuatan bagi orang percaya, yaitu Kasih setia Allah yang akan memberikan jaminan kehidupan orang percaya pada masa pandemic ini. Di mana dalam Perjanjian Lama kasih setia Tuhan telah dinyatakan kepada bangsa Israel dari sejak jaman Adam telah diikatkan dari keturunan ke keturunan yang diikat melalui sebuah perjanjian yang tidak setara antara Allah dengan umat pilihan, didasarkan pada kemurahan hati Allah yang masih berlaku hingga sampai kini. Untuk itu penulis akan menggunakan metode Untuk memaparkan tujuan penulisan ini maka penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif teologis  yang akan mencermati teks-teks  Alkitab mengenai kasih setia, memperhatikannya berdasarkan konteks sejarah untuk menemukan bagaimana prinsip-prinsip kasih setia Tuhan itu dinyatakan kepada generasi ke generasi  Israel. Dari penelitian itu akan diperoleh makna teologis tentang penyataan-penyataan kasih setia Tuhan di sepanjang sejarah Israel dalam Perjanjian Lama. Dalam penemuan makna-makna theologis maka topic ini dapat dikorelasikan dengan keadaan pada masa pandemic sekarang ini. Bagaimana bentuk penyataan kasih setia Tuhan dan bagaimana orang percaya pada masa kini harus menyikapinya. Saat orang percaya memahami dan terus memegang perjanjian kasih setia Tuhan maka iman kepada Allah akan terus semakin teguh sekalipun di saat penderitaan pada masa covid-19 ini melanda. Kata Kunci: Kasih Setia Tuhan, Perjanjian Lama, Covid-19     ABSTRACT _______________________________________________________________ The second abstract is written in English. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many people became worried about their livelihood problems, the future of their families and how to manage their lives. This happens because the economic crisis is threatening, family incomes are declining or unstable, health is not guaranteed, the ease with which social problems occur makes life uneasy. The same thing can be faced by Christians. If they do not have a strong faith, Christians will also experience shocks of faith. But there is one firm hold that can be a comfort and strength to believers, which is God's character. God's loyal love will provide assurance for the life of believers in this pandemic. Where in the Old Testament the love of God has been shown to the Israelites from the time of Adam has been tied from generation to generation. God's loyal love bound through an unequal covenant between God and the elect, which is based on God's generosity. God's lovingkindness that was expressed in various forms during the Old Testament times and also which is still in effect today. For this reason, the author will use the method. To explain the purpose of this writing, the author uses a theological descriptive method that will examine the biblical texts regarding of The Kindness og God as stated in the Old Testament, paying attention to it based on the historical context to find how the principles of The Kindness of God are expressed. in various forms from generation to generation of Israelis. From this research, theological meaning will be obtained about the revelations of The kindness of God throughout the history of Israel in the Old Testament. In the discovery of theological meanings, this topic can be correlated with the situation in the current pandemic. What is the present form of expression of The kindness of God and how today's believers should react to it. When believers today understand and continue to hold onto God's covenant of loyal love, faith in God will continue to be stronger even when suffering during the Covid-19 era hits. Keywords: Kindness of God, Old Testament, Covid-19


Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 476
Author(s):  
Janina M. Hiebel

The question of hope in dark times, though topical, is not new. The Babylonian Exile (597/587–539 BCE) is commonly recognised as perhaps the most profound, yet also most fruitful crisis in biblical (Old Testament) times. It involved the total breakdown of all religious and political structures and institutions that previously had provided meaning and protection, yet it led to significant theological progress, laying the foundations for both Judaism and Christianity. Today the metaphor of exile is sometimes used with reference to the present; however, the connection is usually not further explored. This article examines a biblical exilic voice, the book of Ezekiel, which offers an initial prophetic response to the theological, political and identity crisis of the early Babylonian Exile. While resisting both optimism and despair, Ezekiel arrives at an original, if peculiar, imagination of hope, founded solely on theological conviction. The article outlines this process by discussing select texts of the book as examples, and opens it up to conversation with the present. The logic of Ezekiel’s theocentric hope is bound to ultimately remain foreign to modern thinking. However, while it cannot be directly transferred into our times, the article aims to demonstrate that theological reflection on Ezekiel still yields valuable and transferable impulses for thought.


2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-63
Author(s):  
Roshan Danesh

When Mírzá Husayn ‘Ali (1817-92)—the founder of the Bahá’í Faith who was known as Bahá’u’lláh (the “Glory of God”)—died, there was a clear and unambiguous answer about who had the authority to lead his small, but growing, religious community. In his will, Bahá’u’lláh identified his eldest son, ‘Abbás Effendi, known as ‘Abdu'l-Bahá (“Servant of Bahá”) (1844-1921) as his successor and head of the community, as well as the authoritative interpreter of Bahá’u’lláh's writings. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assumed the reins of community leadership upon Bahá’u’lláh's death, his claim to authority went largely unchallenged, and he remained in that role until his own death.While this seeming affirmation of a principle of primogeniture would appear to establish a clear pattern for the future organization and structure of the Bahá’í community, it was only one part of the leadership of the community envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh. Equally unambiguous was Bahá’u’lláh's vision of “houses of justice” existing throughout the world, elected bodies that would serve governance functions. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the “Most Holy Book”), written by Bahá’u’lláh in 1873, he states that “[t]he Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice shall be established,” whose members are to “take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God.…” In that same book, Bahá’u’lláh contemplated an international house of justice, in addition to the local houses of justice.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-189
Author(s):  
Robert Stallman

AbstractTerence Fretheim's God and World in the Old Testament is a significant contribution to an emerging conversation about the role of creation in biblical theology. This review essay summarizes the nature and scope of Fretheim's work on this topic within the Old Testament. It then offers a positive assessment of Fretheim's care to relate creational and redemptive strands of theological reflection as well as his sensitivity to exegetical and literary features of the texts he has chosen to consider. The essay concludes with three issues I regard as essential for continuing reflection and exploration.


Horizons ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 328-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Moltmann

AbstractHenri de Lubac and Hans Urs von Balthasar have criticized my “Theology of Hope” as being written “messianically” in the spirit of Joachim de Fiore and grounded from an Old Testament-Jewish perspective, whereas they claim true Christian hope is “present” in character and oriented vertically: not the future but the heavenly eternity is its fulfillment. Because both of them call upon Thomas Aquinas I have undertaken in this article a dialogue with Joachim de Fiore and Thomas Aquinas in order to elucidate my own position in conversation with them: the biblically grounded Christian hope is directed toward the parousia of Christ and sees in it future for Israel and future for the world. Chiliasm and eschatology designate the immanent and the transcendent sides of this future of Christ. Christian hope is messianic hope in the horizon of eschatological expectation.


AJS Review ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cass Fisher

In recent years Jewish philosophers and theologians from across the religious spectrum have claimed that the philosophy of the Austrian-born British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is a crucial resource for understanding Jewish belief and practice. The majority of these thinkers are drawn to Wittgenstein's work on account of the diminished role that he ascribes to religious belief—a position that affirms the widespread view that theology has played a minimal role in Judaism. Another line of thought sees in Wittgenstein's philosophy resources that can illuminate the forms and functions of Jewish theological language and bolster the place of theological reflection within Jewish religious life. This article undertakes a critical analysis of the reception of Wittgenstein's philosophy among contemporary Jewish thinkers with the goal of delineating these alternative responses to his work. The paper concludes by arguing that the way in which Jewish thinkers appropriate Wittgenstein's philosophy will have profound consequences for the future of Jewish theology.


2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan A Du Rand

The recent process of structural transformation on all levels of society in South Africa urges theological reflection to participate. In this instance the crucial issue of capital punishment is at stake. After a brief survey of viewpoints and arguments concerning the issue, prominent and mostly debated Biblical texts are analysed. Genesis 9:6 and Exodus 21:24, for example are read within their cultural frameworks and theological contexts. The same is done with Matthew 5:21-22; 15:4; 26:52; John 7:53-8:11 and Romans 13:1-7. The conclusion is that Old Testament references to capital punishment are to be understood contextually. A final theological decision rests on the meaning of  the incarnation of Jesus Christ which put man in a new relationship with God but also to each other . That does not mean that punishment has to be is abolished as such, but any punishment has to be executed through the new God given ethos of love, demonstrated in the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Serfontein ◽  
Wilhelm J. Wessels

The reality of exile was the backdrop of Ezekiel�s prophecies (communication). He respondedto this reality with a word that he claimed he received from YHWH. This word he crafted intoa powerful piece of communication that appealed, with the help of metaphors and images, tothe imaginations of his audience. These imaginations of the future in the end seed the newpossibilities that became their new reality. The question would be if Ezekiel�s communicationprocess could be helpful to leaders who find themselves in a new modern-day reality wherethey are struggling to lead.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Prophetic criticism usually staysclear of practical issues like leadership, communication and change. This article attempts toconstruct a communication model from the prophet Ezekiel�s communication that can helpmodern-day leaders to communicate amidst their reality. It aids in bridging the divide thatexists between Practical Theology and Old Testament Biblical Studies.


Author(s):  
David M. Chapman

This chapter examines the nature of the church in Methodist experience and practice from the origins of Methodism as a network of religious societies in the eighteenth century to its present day self-understanding as a global communion of churches. The article discusses: (1) the Wesleyan foundations of Methodist ecclesiology; (2) methods, sources, and norms in Methodist theological reflection on the church; (3) how Methodists interpret the credal marks of the church; (4) the ordained ministry; and (5) the means of grace and authority. A concluding section considers the future agenda for ecclesiology as a branch of practical theology in Methodism. Confident in its providential mission to spread scriptural holiness and ecumenical in outlook, Methodism remains in essence a holiness movement in search of its true ecclesial location in the Holy Catholic Church.


Theology ◽  
1947 ◽  
Vol 50 (322) ◽  
pp. 156-157
Author(s):  
H. H. Rowley
Keyword(s):  

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