Doctoral Degrees (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology) by Author "Cho, Anna"

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    Christian ethical implications of the presence of the Kingdom as God's performative action in the light of speech act theory
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Cho, Anna; Forster, Dion Angus; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis engages some Christian ethical implications of the presence of the kingdom as God’s performative action by reconsidering the role of the linguistic character of the biblical text from the perspective of the Speech Act Theory (SAT). In SAT, Christian ethics is not to be viewed simply as relating to the norms of human behaviour or moral principles that are extrapolated from the Biblical text. Rather, the performance of ethics in SAT must be considered from the perspective of God’s performative action and intent (God’s self-involving activity by illocutionary force). In particular, this points to God’s speech act in daily Christian living. In other words, it is not only aimed at reconstructing the content, or meaning of the ethics of the kingdom in Scripture, but also aims at reconstructing the Christian life as the performance of the ethics of the kingdom by God’s performative action. These ethical implications result from God’s illocutionary action which creates the perlocutionary effect or action which is the perlocutionary ethical response (PER) in the believer. Namely, it constitutes what some would consider “the norms of Christian living” or “Christian ethics”. The PER is a perlocutionary action in Christian life, which is based upon the intention of God’s illocutionary force in the Bible, creates a specific responsibility for the contemporary Christian. She or he, is to live and act in accordance with the “Word of God”. By this, it is not only meant the words of scripture, or the communicative content of the Bible, but also the illocutionary effect in the Words and their communicative intent. The living Triune God is still communicating through Scripture. This communication is not only the relaying of past events or narratives. Rather it is communication in the present to fulfil God’s will and God’s kingdom among humanity and all creation. In SAT, the work of the Triune God, in terms of God’s total speech act F(p) in the Bible, can be seen as the ethical identity of the moral agent through God’s locutionary action. The ethical purpose of the rules of behaviour in Jesus’s illocutionary action as well as the ethical responsibility from the effect of the Holy Spirit’s perlocutionary action in communication are also important and need to be considered in Biblical ethics. In other words, in Scripture, the self-involving character of the speech act involves God’s deeper performative action. This produces additional meaning in the text for the contemporary reader/hearer in accordance with the illocutionary point that is constitutive of the person of faith (e.g., specific moral conduct within a social community). Thus, God’s self as a self-communicative act, continuously addresses God’s people through Scripture, and God (the speaker) reveals God’s self through Jesus (the Word) to those are illuminated by the Holy Spirit (reception). In this regard, the Holy Spirit participates in God’s self-involving activity in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit initiates a change in the attitudes and minds of believers to God’s will, and empowers them to act in accordance with God’s will in their private and public lives (i.e., individually and socially). Accordingly, God’s speech act F(p) in the Bible represents God’s intention which is communicated through the biblical text for the Christian life as an intended perlocutionary action (ethical response). God’s illocutionary action and its energy (power) are continuously being echoed for the Christian life with illocutionary force by what God is communicating to believers. This communicative activity and intent invites Christians to performative action in response to the Word of God operating in their daily lives – and this should be particularly important when we face moral or ethical issues. The intended perlocutionary effect faced by the Christian through the illocutionary force and power of God’s communicative act requires us to respond properly (ethically) to the Word of God in the private and public domains (e.g., individual ethics and social ethics). Therefore, if we truly face the illocutionary point (intent) in God’s communication, we should perform perlocutionary responses in our lives that respond appropriately to moral and ethical issues, in a manner that is in keeping with the content, intention, and ethics of God’s kingdom.