Rule of Love and Rule of Faith in Augustine’s Hermeneutics: A Complex Dialectic of the Twofold Rules

Since the sixteenth-century Reformation, literal interpretation of the Bible has been deemed the best hermeneutical method to unearth the biblical writers’ original meaning. For the Reformers, allegorical interpretation was denigrated for reading an extraneous, or spiritual, meaning into any text. Although Augustine was among the first who champions a literal interpretation of the Scripture—as he outlined in his De doctrina christiana—until recent decades, Augustine is still being perceived as inconsistent in following his hermeneutical method as it is attested in his interpretation of the Good Samaritan. In his interpretation, Augustine seems to have allegorized the parable, thus his method was accused of being inconsistent. Is it really the case? This article attempts to contest such an accusation by showing that Augustine’s method of interpretation cannot simply be categorized as either entirely literal or allegorical. Augustine never professes as a literalist, an exegete who only applies what is now known as a historical-critical method. On the other hand, he did not recklessly legitimate the application of allegorical reading to any text. Taken as a whole, Augustine’s hermeneutics revolves around a complex dialectic of regula dilectionis (the rule of love) and regula fidei (the rule of faith) that allows both interpretations to be considered to be true.

The praxis of Adversus Praxeam: Tertullian’s views on the Trinity

Tertullian was an African, living in Carthage during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. He grew up a pagan, then became a Catholic Christian, after which he moved on to the sect of Montanus, referred to as the New Prophecy in this article, where he became the leader in Carthage. While he was still a pagan, he studied and became an advocate and when he was converted to Christianity, he became a prolific writer of Christian treatises, mostly apologies in Latin. There was a heretic movement in Carthage with Praxeas as the leader, and Tertullian opposed this heresy, especially on the level of the Trinity, as most of the Christians in Carthage – the so-called simplices – were impressed by that heresy. Being ante-Nicene, Tertullian’s arguments should be understood within his time and in light of the Catholic Rule of Faith, as he was very orthodox. The question may well be asked whether something new can still be said about Tertullian or about his Adversus Praxeam? This article is a critical appreciation of Adversus Praxeam with the aim to gain more insight into Trinitarian’s point of view, specifically with reference to the Trinity. Hopefully, in this way something ‘new’ can be said about a well-known Church Father and his well-known treatise.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Adversus Praxeam was a heretical treatise (modalist), mostly in line with the Catholic Rule of Law of the time, aimed at the Monarchianist heresy. Church History, Systematic Theology and a little Practical Theology are employed to discuss this early-3rd-century treatise within its time, specifically centred around the Trinity.

De diepte van Pniël. Het existentiële karakter van gelovig omgaan met de Bijbel

In this essay the author of the book Lezen en laten lezen (Reading and being read) responds to the other essays in this issue, maintaining his thesis that receptivity and the change of subject (God becoming the subject) are crucial for living with the Bible. The author affirms Eep Talstra’s call for exegetical methods as legitimate approaches of Scripture, but denies that a doctrine of inerrancy is needed (against Marco de Wilde). His discussion with Wim van Vlastuin emphasizes the comprehensive character of existence without reducing existence to a relation. He affirms Hans Burger’s call for spiritual formation, but warns against neo-calvinist optimism. Finally, over against Henk van den Belt’s “rules of faith,” the author’s holds that a single rule of faith to read Scripture would refocus ecclesial, exegetical, and above all theological interpretation of Scripture.

Kitab Suci, Gereja, dan Otoritas: Harmonisasi Doktrin Kecukupan Alkitab dengan Sejarah Gereja

Alkitab sebagai Firman Allah merupakan sebuah kredo yang tak terbantahkan di dalam kekristenan. Salah satu implikasi dari keyakinan tersebut adalah munculnya doktrin kecukupan Alkitab. Alkitab dinyatakan cukup untuk mengajarkan manusia menuju kepada keselamatan dan ketaatan yang penuh kepada Allah. Namun bagaimanakah kecukupan Alkitab ini didefinisikan dan diberikan batasan, sebab nampaknya tidak mungkin berteologi tanpa alat bantu apapun. Salah satu alat bantu berteologi yang menarik perhatian penulis adalah tradisi gereja sebab seringkali dipertentangkan antara tradisi dan doktrin kecukupan Alkitab. Akan tetapi benarkah keduanya harus dipertentangkan? Tulisan ini menjawab pertanyaan harmonisasi doktrin kecukupan Alkitab dengan tradisi gereja. Penulis berargumentasi bahwa doktrin kecukupan Alkitab tidak pernah meniadakan tradisi gereja. Tradisi gereja yang mutlak harus dipakai di dalam berteologi secara Kristen adalah Rule of Faith, sebagai rangkuman dari iman kristiani yang sudah ada sejak gereja mula-mula. Tradisi gereja lainnya perlu dievaluasi terlebih dahulu penggunaannya di dalam berteologi. Kata kunci: kecukupan Alkitab, sola scriptura, tradisi, Rule of Faith, harmonisasi English: Scripture as the Word of God is an undeniable creed in christianity. One of many implication from this believe is the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture. Scripture deemed sufficient enough to teach man toward salvation and full obedience unto God. Nevertheless how sufficiency of scripture is defined and confined, because it seems impossible to theologize without any supplements. One of those supplements that interest me is church tradition because people tend to contrast church tradition and doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture. However, shall two of them be contrasted? This writings will answer harmonization between doctrine of sufficiency of scripture and church tradition. I argue that doctrine of sufficiency of scripture never nulify church tradition. The absolute church tradition that use in theologizing as a christian is Rule of Faith, as a summary of christian faith since early church. Another church traditions need to be evaluated whenever they are used in theologizing. Keywords: sufficiency of scripture, sola scriptura, tradition, Rule of Faith, harmonization

Belhar, Liturgy and Life

Celebrating 25 years of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) inevitably calls for further exploration of how to live and love the Belhar Confession. I shall argue that, within the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), we have discussed the acceptance of the Belhar Confession at great lengths, with hardly any suggestions of prayer and worship within the Confession itself. Much has been written in academic literature on the relationship between the Belhar Confession, the rule of faith (doctrine), and the rule of life (ethics). Yet, it is surprising that there is hardly any literature on its relation to the rule of prayer (worship). Writing from a very specific social location, I argue and suggest that our deepest challenge and opportunity, at present, is to explore how to receive, embody and celebrate the Belhar Confession by exploring its rich and varied liturgical potential and use for Christian worship throughout the entire liturgical ordo. Bathing the liturgy in the joyous words of the Belhar Confession might help us find new impetus in discovering and receiving each other anew.