scholarly journals Mission as breaking down walls, opening gates and empowering traders: From contextualisation to deep contextualisation

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelius J.P. Niemandt
Keyword(s):  
Trade Flow ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
First Century ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church ◽  
Breaking Work

The research addressed the issue of symbolic walls that divide, segregate, preserve and institutionalise. The way in which institutions and especially the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria facilitated symbolic ‘walls’ was discussed in the overview of the Department of Science of Religion and Missiology in the first century of the Faculty of Theology. The concepts of ‘gatekeepers’ and ‘traders’ were then applied because walls, paradoxically, need gates to facilitate control, movement and, eventually, life. Gatekeepers were described as the guardians of the status quo, and traders as agents who, in one way or another, facilitate movement, trade, flow and life in the midst of the shadows of walls. Missionaries are, by the very nature of the missionary enterprise, more traders than gatekeepers. Here, the work of Bosch – specifically his ground-breaking work on mission as contextualisation – provides an explanation of the art of mission as breaking down walls, opening gates and empowering traders. That is precisely why Missiology is particularly well suited to assist the church and theology in the art of breaking down walls. The theological imperative of contextualisation means that the life of the church, theology, and  thus theological training, cannot do without Missiology. The concept of ‘deep contextualisation’ was discussed as a particularly relevant approach to include a post-anthropomorphic discourse in Missiology. It can assist with the reorientation of the history of mission on the whole of history and, thus, also deep history. The concept also provides a way to address the discourses on colonialisation and includes a reorientation on the future and embracing hope.

scholarly journals Dogmatiek en Christelike Etiek binne die Fakulteit Teologie (Afd A) van die Universiteit van Pretoria

1992 ◽  
Vol 48 (1/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Koekemoer
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

Dogmatics and Christian Ethics within the Faculty of Theology (Sec A) at the University of Pretoria This article explores the history of the Department of Dogmatics and Christian Ethics within the Faculty of Theology. The focus is on two specific lines in this history, namely the period which ended in 1952 and the period from 1952 onwards. Attention is given to the thoughts of P J Muller, J H J A Greyvenstein, S P Engelbrecht, H P Wolmarans and B J Engelbrecht, and their influence on the study of Dogmatics and Ethics in the Department. The article concludes with a vision for the future of the Department at the University of Pretoria and it highlights the importance of theological research for the doctrine and life of the Church.

The Predicament of Europe’s ‘Last Dictator’

2021 ◽  
pp. 223386592110183
Author(s):  
Yuliya Brel-Fournier ◽  
Minion K.C. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Social Contract ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Modern History ◽  
Electoral Fraud ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of

Belarusian citizens elected their first president in 1994. More than 20 years later, in October 2015, the same person triumphantly won the fifth consecutive presidential election. In August 2020, President Lukashenko’s attempt to get re-elected for the sixth time ended in months’ long mass protests against the electoral fraud, unspeakable violence used by the riot police against peaceful protesters and the deepest political crisis in the modern history of Belarus. This article analyzes how and why the first democratically elected Belarusian president attained this long-serving status. It suggests that his political longevity was conditioned by a specific social contract with the society that was sustained for many years. In light of the recent events, it is obvious that the contract is breached with the regime no longer living up to the bargain with the Belarusian people. As a result, the citizens seem unwilling to maintain their obligation for loyalty. We analyze the escalating daily price for maintaining the status quo and conclude considering the possible implications of this broken pact for the future of Belarus.

scholarly journals Die oorgeblewe sendingtaak in Suid-Afrika

1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-205
Author(s):  
J. J. Kritzinger
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
Research Project ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Task ◽  
Contemporary Situation ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

The remaining missionary task in South Africa This article is based on the results of a research project of the Institute for Missiological Research at the University of Pretoria which was recently concluded. The author and a team of co-workers researched practically the whole of South Africa in an endeavour to describe the contemporary situation of its population and the unfinished task of the church. The understanding of the missionary task which formed the basis of this project, and a sample of the kind of results obtained are illustrated in this article by means of 12 representative or typical scenarios which together indicate the dimensions of the future task for the South African church.

scholarly journals Theologia and the Ideologica of Language: The calling of a theology and religion faculty in a time of populism

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann-Albrecht Meylahn
Keyword(s):  
The Past ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
Centennial Anniversary ◽  
The University

This article represents a response to Andries van Aarde’s view on a ‘gateway to the future from a deconstructed past’, a paper presented as part of a conference, ‘Gateway to the Future from a Deconstructed Past’, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria, 05–06 April 2017. The article argues that texts, and theology faculties as texts, are just as any structure or construction haunted by their sacred secret. Haunted by the ghosts in the texts from the past to be inspired for the calling of a theology and religion faculty in a time of populism and the ‘renaissance of (neo)nationalism’, according to Van Aarde. In being given the responsibility not only of responding to his contribution but also co-sharing the responsibility of the history of the faculty, the author says that he has a choice: he could respond to the letter of the text or I could be spooked by the ghosts of these texts, the haunting of the sacred secret, calling through Professor Van Aarde’s deconstruction of these texts. The author decides to seek to allow the ghosts of his text to call him. A call, as most calls, to which one can only respond: Here I am! Here I am in this moment (here) of history at this particular Faculty of Theology and Religion. This is a call to share the responsibility, the responsibility of being here and the responsibility of the being of a theology and religion faculty in a time of populism and (neo)nationalism, both globally and locally.

scholarly journals EDITORS’ NOTE

2013 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Positive Change ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Seventh Edition ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Sense Of Satisfaction ◽  
The University

A sense of satisfaction is felt in presenting the seventh edition of the Pretoria Student Law Review. With each successive edition, the Review comes ever closer to being infused into the heritage and culture of the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria. Thereby, cementing into legacy a dialogical space for the expression of young people — some being future lawyers, advocates and academics — a space that challenges the status quo. As a consequence, the Review, as a true creature of education, may bring about positive change in the world.

scholarly journals The University of Pretoria’s centenary celebration in 2008: A message of congratulation from the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T.F.J. Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
Academic Training ◽  
The Past ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of The University ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church ◽  
Important Stimulus

The Church Reformation of the sixteenth century provided an important stimulus to the academic training of ministers at universities. The origin of some of Europe’s oldest universities is closely associated with faculties of theology. In some instances universities grew from the early beginnings of a theological faculty. The past hundred years of history of the University of Pretoria (UP) also reflects something of this close partnership between theological training and a university. The Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NHKA) has been part of UP ever since the establishment of a faculty of theology at this university in 1917. Opsomming: Die Kerkhervorming van die sestiende eeu was ‘n belangrike stimulus vir akademies- universitêre opleiding van predikante. Die ontstaan van die oudste universiteite in Europa is ten nouste verweef met teologiese fakulteite. In sommige gevalle het universiteite gegroei vanuit ’n aanvanklike teologiese fakulteit. Die honderd jaar se geskiedenis van die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) reflekteer ook iets van die verbondenheid van teologiese opleiding met UP. Van die honderd jaar was die Nederduitch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA), vanaf die vestiging van ‘n teologiese fakulteit in 1917, verbonde aan die Universiteitvan Pretoria.

Leaders for the Liturgical People: Shaping Students for Ministry in the Twenty-First Century

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-252
Author(s):  
Rowena Roppelt
Keyword(s):  
First Century ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
First Year ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Undergraduate Studies ◽  
Christian Art ◽  
The Future ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

In my first year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, I enrolled in a course entitled “The Christian Imagination.” It introduced the students to Christian art across the ages, and it was taught by a very clever and energetic woman with a French accent. It was a mind-bending experience. In the course of the semester, Dr Langan showed us hundreds of slides of sculpture, painting and architecture. Quite apart from the incredible amount of material, it was the challenge to appreciate the great variety of expressions of the Christian experience that took my breath away. At the end of the semester, I vowed never to take another course in the Christianity and Culture program. It was just too stressful. Yet the next semester I found myself signing up for more of the same and after four years graduated with a major in the program. I have reflected upon what it was about this program which caught and held me. I believe that I was fascinated by the challenge to see Christianity from new and varying perspectives, to understand and evaluate the ways in which the Christian faith has been and continues to be lived in differing situations, and to imagine how the church might faithfully and creatively live the faith in the future. It was this fascination that brought me to the study of liturgy and which I dream of passing on to others.

scholarly journals The tradition of Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Casparus J. Wepener ◽  
Yolanda Dreyer ◽  
Johann A. Meylahn
Keyword(s):  
Practical Theology ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Unique Position ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The University ◽  
Global And Local

The focus of this chapter is the tradition of PT at the UP. We consider it as practiced in the Department of PT at the UP at the time of celebrating the centenary of the FT by looking at it from different angles in order to focus on its unique position and especially its future in its particular context. By looking at the history of the subject and the Department as well as the global and local context within which the discipline is practiced in Pretoria, the possible direction is sketched in which this discipline can move at the Department of PT at the UP after 2017 (the year of the centenary of the FT).The chapter challenges the discipline of PT to embrace the continent of Africa where the department is situated, assuming that such an embracing will impact both ontology and epistemology. In this regard, we suggest a pneumapraxis to be part of the future of this discipline in SA. The chapter promotes both an intra and interdisciplinary approach.

scholarly journals Die teologiese gerigtheid van die Departement Kerkgeskiedenis 1957-1992

1992 ◽  
Vol 48 (1/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Steenkamp
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Church History ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church ◽  
Theological Thinking

The theological character of the Department of Church History 1957-1992 The theological character of the Department of Church History at the Theological Faculty (Sec A) of the University of Pretoria is closely connected to the life and work of prof dr A D Pont. He accepted the call to the chair as a commission of the Church. His thought represents an extract of biblical and reformational theology enriched by a wide spectrum of theological thinking from the past and the present by great theologians like Kohlbrugge, Hoedemaker, Barth, Cullmann and Noordmans. The theology of the Reformation, however, is taken as the criterion of comparison for the history of the church before and since. With regard to South African Church History, Pont laid the foundations for a typical theology of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika, emphasising the close relationship between the Church and the Afrikaner.

scholarly journals There is only one Church! Albert Geyser’s ecclesiology in Delayed Action

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim A. Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
Church And State ◽  
Church History ◽  
The Third ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Point Of Entry ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
History Of ◽  
Delayed Action ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

A.S. (Albert) Geyser was professor of New Testament at the University of Pretoria from 1946 to 1961, when he accepted an appointment at the University of the Witwatersrand. He was one of the most active and outspoken critics of apartheid and played a leading role in the establishment of the Christian Institute and the appointment of Beyers Naude as the first director of the Institute. However, Geyser received very little attention either in church history or in the history of South Africa. This contribution, presented as the Third A.S. Geyser Commemorative Lecture at the University of Pretoria, reflects on Geyser’s ecclesiology. It is quite remarkable that Geyser chose ecclesiology as point of entry into the discourse on apartheid. He engaged in fundamental theological criticism of segregation in church and state based on his understanding of the unity of the church in Christ and a humanity unified under the kingship of Christ.

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