scholarly journals Some Barthian perspectives on the present science-religion debate: What is the place of “natural theology” today?

2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornel W. Du Toit

As an example of the context-relatedness of Barth’s work, this article compares his crisis theology with Heidegger’s philosophy of Being. Further examples are Barth’s reaction to the modernism of his time, with its accent on rationalism (see his critique of Kant), and the influence of subjective theology. In spite of his condemnation of natural theology, Barth could make a unique contribution to the current science-theology debate. His reading of the creation story and the way he views (transcends) the literal text in order to experience the Word of God as an event through that text, is a case in point. This approach, too, is comparable with certain aspects of Heidegger’s work. Barth’s reaction to the natural theology of his day was equally tied to that context. His particular target was the theology of that era which he interpreted as “natural theology”. To Barth, natural theology is metaphor for self-assertive, autonomous human beings who, via reason, manipulate the church, the Word and tradition.

Author(s):  
Graham Ward

Revelation cannot be approached directly. It is mediated all the way down. That is not just because of ‘sin’. Though sin is the manifestation of our alienation from God—an alienation overcome by God’s reconciling operations in salvation—a diastema between Creator and creation still pertains. There is no immediate encounter with the Word of God available to us as such. It is always mediated to us through human words and human acts, stories (biblical and autobiographical) and material practices, the Church and its liturgies, and the cultures we inhabit that shape us. The voice of the Lord comes to us in and through the darknesses and ambivalences of our various unredeemed and yet to be redeemed states. We are addressed, continually addressed, by God’s transformative grace, by his love and mercy, in and through our condition as created. The voice is accommodated to that condition, and can be accommodated because the Word of God is written into creation, coming finally, and intensively, in Jesus Christ. So the voice can be heard: makes itself available to be heard. But the eternal presence of God pro nobis (where the ‘we’ is not just humankind but all God’s creatures, pace Barth), the eternal presence of God-with-us that is the touchstone and content of revelation, bubbles up intrinsically through the obscurities of created and creative experience.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dani�l J. Maritz ◽  
Henk G. Stoker

This article investigates the biblical motivation that is given for the secular idea of the so-called spiritual law of attraction to become part of Christian doctrine. In 2010 Pastor At Boshoff of the Christian Revival Church (CRC) preached two sermons on the law of attraction in which he claimed it as a powerful principle in the Word of God. According to him this biblical �law� provides human beings with physical manifestations of their thoughts and words. The idea to create one�s own favourable future through the law of attraction flows from a New Age worldview and is similar to the positive confession doctrine taught by popular Word of Faith teachers. Boshoff�s claim regarding the law of attraction cannot be deduced from the key Scripture passages he uses, which reflects an unfounded use of Scripture to promote this idea.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article challenges the secular infiltration of the Law of Attraction in the church. This is important since the so-called Law of Attraction was preached by Pastor A. Boshoff of the CRC. Many of his listeners embrace his teaching although it reflects a poor exposition and application of Scripture.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Faccini Paro ◽  
André Luiz Massaro

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo principal estudar os fundamentosteológicos e pastorais da Celebração da Palavra de Deus, resgatada peloConcílio Vaticano II. Os objetivos específicos desse trabalho são: apresentar aimportância da Celebração da Palavra de Deus no trabalho de evangelização daIgreja, apontando a inconsistência das resistências e incompreensões a respeitodo assunto. A Celebração da Palavra de Deus em sua estrutura é um valor herdadodos judeus, desde as grandes assembleias do primeiro Testamento (Cf. Ex19,24 e Ne 8,1-12) para a escuta da Palavra, até a estrutura da celebração noculto sinagogal (Lc 4,14-21), foi celebrada pelos primeiros cristãos, perdeu-sesua prática na história e foi restaurada pelo Vaticano II. Ela tem sua característicaespecífica e não é simplesmente um substitutivo da Celebração Eucarística. Ametodologia dessa pesquisa faz referência bibliográfica aos principais títulossobre o assunto na atualidade. Esse é o caminho percorrido dessa pesquisa:Faz-se análise da realidade, reflexão dos conceitos e desdobramentos práticos epastorais. Verifica-se, portanto, que, constatada a sacramentalidade da Palavrae da assembleia reunida, a Celebração da Palavra de Deus é autêntica açãolitúrgica e celebração do mistério pascal de Cristo. As famílias, como igrejas domésticas, podem ser bem mais evangelizados quando descobrirem a dimensãoorante da Palavra celebrada.Palavras-chave: Palavra de Deus. Assembleia. Ação Litúrgica. Mistério Pascal. Vaticano II.Abstract: This research has as main objective to study the theological andpastoral foundations of the Celebration of the Word of God, rescued by theSecond Vatican Council. The specific objectives of this work are: to present theimportance of the Celebration of the Word of God in the work of evangelizationof the Church; Pointing out the inconsistency of the resistances and misunderstandingsabout the subject. The Celebration of the Word of God in its structure isa value inherited from the Jews: from the great assemblies of the first covenant(cf. Ex 19,24 and Ne 8,1-12) to the listening of the Word, to the structure ofthe celebration in the The synagogue worship (Lc 4,14-21) was celebrated bythe early Christians, their practice in history was lost and restored by VaticanII. It has its specific character and is not simply a substitute for the EucharisticCelebration. The methodology of this research makes reference bibliographicalto the main titles on the subject nowadays. The way forward of this research:analysis of reality, reflection of concepts and practical and pastoral developments.It is verified, therefore, that the sacramentality of the Word and the assembledassembly have been verified, the celebration of the Word of God is authenticliturgical action and celebration of the paschal mystery of Christ. Families, likehouse churches, can be much more evangelized when they discover the prayingdimension of the Word celebrated.Keywords: Word of God. Assembly. Liturgical Action. Pascal Mystery. Vatican II.


1970 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 214-227
Author(s):  
Marta Wiraszka

Antoni Messing (ca. 1821-1867) the owner of the stone workshop located in Warsaw on 6 Powązkowska Street (mtge. 27C) is currently most famous for one monument- the Statue of the Virgin Mary of Immaculate Conception which was placed in front of the Church of St Antony of Padua on Senatorska Street (1851). What made this monument different from other independently standing monuments was the use of lanterns which at evening time illuminated the statue of the Virgin (1853). The innovative idea spread not only around Warsaw, but also outside the city boundaries.             References to the monument elevated by Messing were not limited to the way and form of illuminating the statue. The inventory research conducted on Warsaw cemeteries enable the extraction of a group of tombstones imitating the shape and the decor of the plinth of the statue of the Virgin. The number of examples of this collection of tombstones numbers 19. Their execution dates back to the period 1853-1874 - with one exception only, all of them were elevated during the period of Antoni Messing’s ownership of the stone workshop. All of them represent the same commemoration in the form of a crucifix located on a plinth. Examples can be separated into two groups. One, comprising 8 tombstones, the closest to the original, the other, comprising 11 examples preserves the architectural structure without the sculptural decor. The origin of the formal concept is to be traced in the project of Henryk Marconi’s garden vase designed for Wilanowski Park (ca. 1845-1851) as well as the finishing elements of the Stanisław and Antoni Potocki’s tombstones. Consequently, the contribution of Messing consists in the creation of the series of tombstones modelled on the statue of the Virgin Mary rather than the originality of the project.  


2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Smit

Should the teaching and practice of theology be dictated by the church? In this article it is argued that the practice of theology as a science, based on the presupposition that the Bible is the word of God, is inherently part of the calling and responsibility of the church. Therefore, practising theology as a science rooted in faith should also be ecclesiastically subservient to theology in general, and should indicate the way for the training of ministers of the Word. In this article it is argued that practising theology as a science rooted in faith is not to be regarded as an old-fashioned approach as this way of practising theology can be related to one of the positive trends in post-modernism: the increasing need for expressed presuppositions. This view stands in opposition to the rationalistic approach of theology in which the Bible is seen as a collection of texts of historical origin. According to the rationalistic view point, the Bible represents a collection of texts which reflect narratives of people’s experiences and should be studied historically-critically. Thus the Bible becomes an object of rational analysis. Should the focus of theology (in contemporary postmodern times) move to the phenomenon of religions emphasizing rational analysis, churches will have to take the sole responsibility for the training of future ministers – even if the consequence implies that the involvement of universities in theological training be excluded.


Author(s):  
Annelie Botha ◽  
Yolanda Dreyer

Demystification of the methaphor “the church as bride” Because of the important role language, imagery and metaphors plays in the lives of human beings, it is necessary to explore the origins and implications of metaphors that could be potentially harmful to the quality of women’s lives. The metaphor that is the focus of this article, is that of “the church as bride”. This metaphor is an example of how metaphors and language have an impact on women’s self-understanding and subject quality of their lives. It is an example of how patriarchal structures, culture and language affect the lives of women. In a follow-up article the way in which this metaphor is used in the marriage formulary of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa is investigated. This formulary is specifically based on Ephesians 5:21-33 in which the metaphor of “the church as bride” is found.


Author(s):  
Adelajda Sielepin

Terminology and metaphors of space in liturgy The goal of the following study is to present the vocabulary denoting space and their meaning in the Mystery of Christ and the Church as applied in liturgy. The investiga-tion is based on the liturgical texts, mainly the euchologies of the Missal of Paul VI and the Marian Missal. First several basic terms indicating God’s dwelling were an-alysed, which evince the fact of God’s intention and actual coming to individuals and making them His home and temple. Another point was to establish and specify certain factors contributing to creating the holy space of God’s and human encounter. Two kinds of such were distinguished: pneumatological and initiational. Both prove, that becoming God’s dwelling is a process of assuming an adequate attitude of heart and requiring the intervention of the Holy Spirit. The last section of the article was dedicated to some selected, most popular theological and existentional equivalents of liturgical space, such as: faith, liturgy, Word of God, silence, which are of great importance in establishing and maintaining the Mystery of God and man happening in temporality. It is worth noticing that all analysed words and phrases confirm the fact that, this is God, who is inclined to dwell in human beings and that through the Mystery of Incarnation He has inhabited human nature, and sustains His presence through Christ in the Holy Spirit in liturgy, mainly in the Eucharist. The unique at-tribute of Christianity lies in this incarnational aspect of God’s location, sacramental spatiality. Mary, Mother of God was the first, who experienced this grace, and re-mains the impeccable model for every single being called for being God’s dwelling. Therefore the majority of the studied material was taken from the Marian euchologies. Terminology of space in liturgy is entirely metaphorical, and eventually refers to God and to a human being, as announced by the Johannine idioms of communion in the Fourth Gospel.


Author(s):  
I Gusti Made Widya Sena

<p>The truth in daily life is certainly a wholeness in implementing the tattwa, ethics and acara of Hinduism as tri basic framework of Hinduism in Bali. This is because until now the implementation of the teaching trilogy is still running and standing alone in an incomplete and comprehensive manner. Sometimes it is found in the field of implementation of acaras and ethics are not equipped with tattwa philosophy in it. So that the knowledge of the people will be more rooted and rely on the basic concept indeed. This of course will increasingly corner the minds of the people about the doctrine that is not fundamental.</p><p>One of the truths of tattwa written in the Vedic Scriptures is the concept of cosmology or the creation of the universe. Cosmology is one of the important knowledge in Hinduism, because cosmology not only provides knowledge about the creation of the universe, furthermore cosmology can explain the true nature of human beings, which so far is still very difficult to obtain. In Bali, this cosmological teaching is implied in local theology. Local theology that lived and developed in Bali until now is imbued with the teachings of the Vedic scriptures. Especially Siwaistic texts that always put forward the teachings of knowledge about the reality of God, the way to reach Him and the creation of the universe, both great bhuana agung and bhuana alit.</p>


2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
André J. Groenewald

Karl Barth saw in natural theology a threat to the church of Christ. He was convinced that the so-called “German Christians” under the influence of the National Socialist Party practised natural theology. He advocated the need for the church of Christ to be church according to the Word of God. The church can be true church of Christ when it listens to and obeys the true calling of God. Barth’s critique of an exclusive “Volkskirche” can serve as a corrective for the definition of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk as a “volkskerk”.


1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (112) ◽  
pp. 352-358
Author(s):  
Alan Ford

There is a marked difference between the history of the Church of Ireland in the sixteenth century and in the early seventeenth century. The historian of the early Reformation in Ireland has to deal with shifting religious divides and, in the Church of Ireland, with a complex and ambiguous religious entity, established but not necessarily Protestant, culturally unsure, politically weak, and theologically unselfconscious. By contrast, the first part of the seventeenth century is marked by the creation of a distinct Protestant church, clearly distinguished in structural, racial, theological and political terms from its Roman Catholic counterpart. The history of the Church of Ireland in the first four decades of the seventeenth century is therefore primarily about the creation of this church and the way in which its new structures and exclusive identity were shaped.


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