Doctoral Degrees (Old and New Testament)

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The City in Isaiah 24-27 : a theological interpretation in terms of judgment and salvation
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-12) Kim, Jin-Hak; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
As the title indicates, our study is focused on a theological interpretation of the city in Isaiah 24-27 from the point of view of God’s judgment and salvation. The main reason for the study is that in Isaiah 24-27, the city plays a very significant role. The research therefore employs the socio-rhetorical approach which is a method that explores a multi-dimensional way of dealing with the text. Applying Robbins’ (1966a & b) textural analysis to the text of Isaiah 24-27, the inner and inter textures are examined in order to demonstrate the narrator’s rhetorical strategy. Through the prophetic genre of judgement and salvation, the narrator challenges the audience/reader to change their minds and attitudes, especially about the city. The challenge is that the fortified city alone would never provide safety and peace but rather bring God’s judgment. In contrast, God alone provides salvation and protection through God’s reign on Mount Zion/Jerusalem. It is shown that this rhetorical strategy is deeply embedded in the social and cultural context. The expectation was that the historical and political chaos which was triggered by international pressures and Israel’s unfaithfulness and injustice might cause Israel to reflect on what happened and what would happen to the city in God’s eschatological time. The rhetorical strategy also highlights the eschatological-apocalyptic character of the text and the author of Isaiah 24-27 uses it to focus on the ideological and theological textures by means of which he warned that “Zion theology” could become “Zion ideology” if it became located beyond prophetic voice and criticism. Furthermore, it is shown that the theological texture highlights God’s theological viewpoint that is symbolized by subjects such as universalism and the restoration of Zion/Jerusalem through judgment and salvation both of which are dialectically reflected in the destiny of the city of Zion/Jerusalem. At a deeper level, this theological engagement is based on God’s steadfast covenant love and justice, through which, God as husband and king, makes a demand on the city Jerusalem/Zion, the wife and the faith community. We have attempted to show from Isaiah 24-27 that God’s kingship is expressed in an apocalyptic manner which is beyond human power and intervention in order to emphasize God’s absolute sovereignty in controlling human destiny, especially the city. In line with the odd literary genre of the text, there still exist traditional prophetic thoughts which demand human responsibility on issues such as repentance, execution of social justice and righteousness in life.
Covenant in relation to justice and righteousness in Isaiah 42:1-9
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Muutuki, Joseph Mwasi; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on covenant in relation to justice and righteousness in Isaiah 42:1-9. The main purpose of the study is to grapple with the idea of whether the Old Testament scholarly research on covenant is relevant for the theological-ethical understanding of covenant amongst African believing communities in general and in particular the Kamba community of Kenya. The research employs the socio-rhetorical approach, a method used to explore textures in a multi-dimensional way. In applying Robbins‘ (1996a, 1996b) textual analysis to the text of Isaiah 42:1-9, both the intra and intertextures are examined in order to gain the narrator‘s rhetorical strategy. It is possible to demonstrate that the mission of the Servant of the Lord was to establish justice and righteousness on earth. We show these terms are relational and ethical in nature. Justice restores damaged relationships in order for a community to have peace with itself. Righteousness on the other hand governs moral relationships and demands each member of the community acts right. These demands are required in order to regulate a cohesive social and cultural community that takes each other‘s social needs into account. Moreover, we show through intertexture in chapter three that texts reconfigure themselves either explicitly or implicitly. It is shown that three concepts, justice, righteousness and covenant exhibit moral characteristics when used together. Within covenant framework they have to do with taking care of the needs of the oppressed. Furthermore, in chapter four through social and cultural texture we show how the Israelites and Judah later are unable to fulfill their obligations to the poor because of the moral decay, which affected all spheres of their life. The Servant of YHWH is promised to usher in a new era of social justice. Additionally, in chapter five it is shown that the ideological texture highlights God‘s theological viewpoint characterized by the tension between the two covenants. We have attempted to show from Isaiah 42:1-9 that the theological-ethical understanding of covenant accommodates the Akamba covenant.
Genesis 12-25 in die lig van grafgebruike en grafvertellinge gedurende die Ystertydperk in Palestina
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-12) Oosthuizen, Rudolph De W.; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old & New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Apart from the literature of Ancient Israel itself, and contemporary literature from the ancient Near East, archaeological data continue to be an important source for the historian seeking to elucidate a history of ancient Israel or certain aspects of that history. Notwithstanding certain developments in the field of Biblical scholarship as well as archaeology, the discipline of Biblical archaeology continues to survive as the framework in which these two disciplines join forces, and, quite possibly, may enter into the historical discourse in meaningful dialogue with each other. The historical discourse of course, is multidimensional, that is to say, the insights deriving from a diversity of methodological approaches are being integrated and related to each other in order to gain an improved understanding of the Old Testament (or certain aspects thereof), and the cultural-historical context from which the Old Testament came to be. Of decisive importance for Biblical archaeology is the foundation on which this dialogue takes place, after all, the basis on which the dialogue takes place has a determining influence on the collection and interpretation of archaeological data; and the use of them, similarly, on the understanding and interpretation of the Bible. The title of this dissertation suffices to indicate that the focus is on burial stories and burial customs in Palestine during the Iron Age. The dissertation then proceeds to show how a certain aspect of Old Testament views of death and dying, that is the coherence between posterity (the living) and the ancestors (those who have died) - which, among other things surface in the genealogical presentation of burial stories - can be understood from the burial customs in Syro-Palestine. In that respect the archaeological data contributes to an understanding of the death notices (presenting themselves as genealogical material in family burial stories) within the culturalhistorical milieu in which they appear. The coherence between religious documents and their cultural embeddedness contributes to a bettter understanding of the theological significance of the relevant texts. In addition to the fact that archaeology expands the database of historical discourse, important aspects of the Old Testament world of experience and historical context come to the fore that have so far been ignored in this discipline. An important aspect of burial customs, in terms of both the archaeological record (family graves) and the literary legacy of Ancient Israel (death notices and genealogies in the Old Testament) is the continuing relationship between the preceeding generations (the ancestors that have passed on) and the posterity (the community of those still living). The connection established in family burial stories between genealogical material (death notices) and the family burial customs highlights an important perspective, that is, the relation between the preceeding generations and the community still living as an element of the expectation of the future, or the future-directedness of Ancient Israel. The expectation of the future, with specific reference to the grave, is defined in terms of continuity in the generational community of familial relations.
God en hoop in Jesaja 5:1-7 aan die hand van parallelismes in die boek Jesaja
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Daniels, Andries; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an attempt to address the problem of the relationship between Yahweh and Hope in Isaiah 5:1-7 in the light of parallelism in the book Isaiah. It is an attempt to prove that our hypothesis, that hope in the book Isaiah can be explained theologically in a special manner by means of parallelism (synonymous, antithetical and synthetical); that hope can also not only theologically be understood in concordance (synonymous and synthetical), but also in contradiction (antithetical); that Isaiah 5:1-7 can be used as a good example of antithetical parallelism and that the social, cultural and ideological texture give cause to the different accents of the theological understanding of hope in Isaiah. For this study we used the socio-rhetorical approach of Vernon Robbins. In Chapter 1 we look more closely at the socio-rhetorical approach, we look for possible flaws and make some suggestions. For the clarification of the concepts "hope" and "parallelism" we focus on the meaning of these concepts as included in the hypothesis of this dissertation. An overview of the research of Isaiah 5:1-7 is given and how the history of interpretation has been characterised by three approaches, namely the historical-critical, literary and theological approaches. By the use of the socio-rhetorical approach we attempt to study more fully "God and Hope in Isaiah 5:1-7 in the light of parallelism in the book Isaiah". In Chapter 2 we are focusing on the inner texture of Isaiah 5:1-7. We are looking to the following: - The repetitive texture and pattern; we are looking for the occurrence of words and phrases more than once in a unit. - The progressive texture and pattern; there is a progressive building up from verse 1 to verse 7 in words and phrases. - The narrational texture and pattern; Isaiah 5:1-7 has been characterised by two structural forms, namely a love song and a juridical case. - The opening-middle-closing texture and pattern; the exposition looks as follows: - opening: vv. 1-2d; - middle: vv. 2e-4; - closing: vv. 5-7. - The argumentative texture and pattern; Yahweh is building up an argument. He is using the example of a vineyard and court terms to explain and build up His case. - The sensory-aesthetic texture and pattern; the relationship between Yahweh and his people become sour and we are talking of contradicting emotions and acts, namely excitement and disappointment, pressing (of the grapes) and judgement. In Chapter 3 we are focussing on the intertexture of Isaiah 5:1-7 and its connection with hope. We are looking to the dating of Isaiah 5:1-7. The possible intertextual connections between Isaiah 5:1-7 and the other texts in Isaiah are "recitation", "recontextualization" and "thematic elaboration". Considering that "parallelism" is part of the theme of this dissertation, we are taking antithetical parallelism as point of departure to concentrate on four focus texts, namely Isaiah 5:1-7 (main focus texts), Isaiah 27:2-6, Isaiah 40:27-31 and Isaiah 59:1-21. In terms of parallelism and dating we typify the four texts as follows: - Isaiah 5:1-7: antithetical parallelism; late post-exilic. - Isaiah 27:2-6: late pre-exilic. - Isaiah 40:27-31: antithetical parallelism; exilic. - Isaiah 59:1-21: antithetical parallelism; post-exilic. that play a role in how hope is understood are: "viticulture", "dwellers in Jerusalem", "men of Judah", "house of Israel", "Jacob/Israel" and "Zion". In Chapter 5 we are focussing on the ideological and sacred texture of Isaiah 5:1-7 and its connection with hope. The following issues cast light on how hope must be understood in terms of the ideological texture, namely "the conflict between communities", "the ideological conflict concerning Zion theology", "the people circumstances in the exile" and "class conflict". In terms of the theme, "God and Hope in Isaiah 5:1-7 in the light of parallelism in the book Isaiah", the role of Yahweh is crucial in in the way hope must be understood. In the sacred texture of Isaiah 5:1-7 Yahweh plays the following roles: "Gardener-Viticulturist", "Creator", "King", "Judge", "Warrior" and "Husband". In Chapter 6 we summarise our study and also give a conclusion to the study, the contribution of the dissertation to the field of study in comparison with existing research and suggestions with reference to further research. Therefore, the answer on the question, "How can hope been theologically understood in the book Isaiah in consideration of the literary and historical textures of Isaiah 5:1-7?" is as follows: Hope with parallelisms as point of departure in the book of Isaiah can be theologically understand on how Isaiah 5:1-7 is socio-rhetorically been investigated.
Hospitality and its ironic inversion in Genesis 18 & 19 : a theological-ethical study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Kassa, Friday Sule; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is a study of hospitality and its ironic inversion in Genesis 18 and 19 towards a theological-ethical understanding of the concept in the Old Testament. Hospitality is one of the patterns of behaviour prescribed by the Old Testament towards the ‘other’ (i.e. strangers or foreigners or an alien). The Tangale people of Nigeria and many African tribes attach great importance to the care of strangers. However, in the last three decades, the traditional Tangale practice of hospitality has come under pressure due to factors such as ethnic and religious diversity, politics, economics, globalisation, as well as injustice of various forms and degrees. The concern of this dissertation is the investigation of the Old Testament stories of hospitality, guided by the Christian faith communities’ tradition to help in resisting the inhuman treatment of the ‘other’, especially within the Tangale contexts. Due to similarities in contexts, this study can also be extrapolated to some other cultures in Africa. This research focuses on the theological-ethical understanding of hospitality in the Old Testament and how it is expressed in the narrative of Genesis 18–19. It investigates the Old Testament concept, its significance and theological-ethical implications. It is proposed that a nuanced understanding of the Old Testament concept and practice of hospitality might reveal its transformative power to the readers. The proposal also anticipated that certain theological-ethical ideals might be gleaned from the Old Testament concept. This may serve as a theological underpinning to incorporate the fundamentals of the concept in contemporary ethical reflections without necessarily generalising meaning and drawing superficial parallels between ancient and contemporary contexts. The dissertation employs socio-rhetorical criticism of the two chapters of Genesis 18 and 19. Socio-rhetoric is a multidimensional approach to biblical text that allows for the multifaceted witnesses from the Old Testament traditions to be heard. This approach corresponds to the nature of the selected text because the rhetorical issues portrayed in hospitality and kinship are not only ideological, they are also ethical because they relate to issues of social justice as well. The approach identified irony as a rhetorical technique to understanding the selected passage. Socio-rhetoric reveals that Genesis 18 and 19 is a masterpiece of a literary art that exhibits an intricate network of texts. Different textures of the text show that the text must have been formulated during the postexilic period by a sage theologian who combined P and non-P scribal traditions, making them into a coherent whole. The multidimensional approach identifies seemingly incongruences in the double strand of stories. The incongruences were read as an ironic ploy to critic certain traditions thereof. The topic, Hospitality and its Ironic Inversion in Genesis 18 and 19: A Theological-Ethical Study, indicated the initial intention of the study. However, the ironic reading leads to a surprising realisation that hospitality is intricately linked to kinship in ancient Israel. Kinship provided the vocabulary for understanding the cultural practice of hospitality. It shows that hospitality entails individual and corporate responsibility and accountability towards Israel’s Yahweh’s covenant obligation of righteousness and social justice towards Yahweh.
An inner-biblical interpretation and intertextual reading of Ezekiel's recognition formulae with the book of Exodus
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Evans, John Frederick; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the most striking literary phenomena in the entire Old Testament, Ezekiel's recognition formula is repeated over seventy times. According to S. R. Driver that refrain, "You shall know that I am Yahweh," strikes the keynote of the prophecy. Though one might expect to find many monographs and journal articles treating at length the formula's literary and theological function in Ezekiel, the only substantial work on the subject comes from Walther Zimmerli and is nearly fifty years old. More recent scholarly discussion has tended to be oblique, occasional, or subordinate to other interests. Brevard Childs has suggested that Ezekiel shows a "preoccupation with Scripture." Applying this insight, the dissertation at hand argues the thesis that the seventy-odd recognition formulae in Ezekiel mark a theological nexus and intertextual relationship between the prophecy and the book of Exodus (in some recensional form), and that those formulae are best interpreted alongside the numerous recognition formulae in Exodus. Interpreted intertextually, Ezekiel's formula points readers of the oracles to know Yahweh as the God of the Exodus, who still acts, in covenant, to judge and to deliver. Here the term intertextuality is used in a broader sense to include both a more diachronic "intertextuality of production" (Ellen van Wolde), in which a text can only be written in relationship to other texts, and a more synchronic "intertextuality of reception," in which a text can be read only in relationship to other texts. With regard to methodology, the approach of innerbiblical interpretation is employed to explore the text-production angle and the questions which emerge concerning the re-use and re-presentation of Scriptural "traditions." Also appropriate is a synchronic intertextual approach which inquires how Exodus and Ezekiel texts-in particular the recognition formulae-may be read together from a text-reception angle. Both approaches used together reveal a large number of parallels between Exodus and Ezekiel and indicate how well the recognition formulae may be read together. This study contributes to scholarship by offering an extensive review of past scholarship on the formula; a fresh exegetical research of the formula's use in Ezekiel and in other Bible books, with comparisons drawn; a study of the socio-historical and religious context addressed by Ezekiel's oracles and the formula; and a theological interpretation of the recognition formulae in Ezekiel alongside those in Exodus. There are many strong conjunctions (or continuities) between the formulae in Ezekiel and Exodus: a covenant stress; no positive use of the formula when spoken to the nations; an unbreakable link to announcements of Yahweh's mighty acts in history; etc. Yet there is also a jarring disjunction (or discontinuity) between the formulae in Ezekiel and Exodus: the prophecy repeatedly declares that Israel "shall know that I am Yahweh" in judgment. This is "a radical inversion of its former usage" (Carley); elsewhere in Scripture the formula always sounds a positive note when spoken to Israel.
Interaction between scholarly and non-scholarly reading of Genesis 11:1-9 in the South African context
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-03) Rathbone, Mark; Bosman, Hendrik; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The interaction between scholarly and non-scholarly readings of Genesis 11:1-9 in the South African context refers to the transformation in biblical hermeneutics from the world of the text to the world of the reader and the post-colonial critique of Western essentialist scholarly modes of reading the Bible. This study explored three essentialist modes of scholarly reading from the South African context that perpetuated imperialism and colonialism: Anglocentric -, Afrikaner - and Anti-colonial modes of reading. Non-scholarly readings of Bible Study Groups, African mythology and artworks of Azaria Mbatha view the text as subject. Non-scholarly readings, from the margin of the South African context, informed by a holistic and interconnected cultural discourse, deconstruct essentialism and constructs responsible readings of the Bible. These readings deconstruct centralistic essentialist discourses and construct a liminal space for new creative and responsible readings of the Bible in the South African context that stimulates healing. The ubuntu reading of Genesis 11:1-9 by Desmond Tutu reflects this. His reading incorporates the African connected reading praxis of non-scholarly readings, from the margin of the 'South' African context, and makes use of scholarly discourse. Tutu's mode of reading leans on Western humanism and ecclesiology that does not follow a critical-holistic cultural discourse. The African Independent Church developed as a reaction to Western ecclesial structures. In the African Independent Church the concept, Moya or Spirit functions as a reading matrix that deconstructs the discriminatory and exclusive forces of essentialist disconnection. The study proposes that a Moya reading is an open-critical and inclusive theological-ethical concept. The interpretative thrust is decolonial, deconstructing essentialism and creating a liminal space, for new responsible readings of Genesis 11:1-9. A Moya reading is holistic and connects people to the land, a perspective that is foreign to essentialist scholarly readings of Genesis 11:1-9. This study contributes to the hermeneutical debate in South Africa, Africa and the global context by emphasising the importance of a continued interaction between scholarly and non-scholarly readings of the Bible from the margin.
Interpreting the Passover in the Exodus tradition amongst the TIV as a narrative concerning origin and migration
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-12) Weor, Jonathan Tyosar; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study has focused on interpreting the Passover in the Exodus tradition as a narrative of origin and migration among the Tiv of Nigeria. The main aim of the study is to go beyond a theology of liberation from slavery and colonialism which has been the crux of the interpretation of Exodus to a theology of identity that commemorates the beginning of the migration from Egypt through the ritual festival of the Passover. The study has argued that one’s identity could be used as an indigenous interpretive resource to interpret the Passover in the Exodus tradition among the Tiv of Nigeria who are mostly from an oral context. By employing a literary and socio-rhetorical approach (cf. Robbins 1996a:1), the research has analyzed the inner-texture, inter-texture, socio-cultural and ideological/theological intertexture of the Passover text of Exodus 12:1-28. It is argued that the Passover tradition had to survive the onslaught of royal and priestly ideology evident in its changing character from being a family oriented feast (Ex. 12:1-28) to a centralized feast held in the temple in Jerusalem. Despite the onslaught, the Passover prevailed as a family feast in the end and theology triumphed over ideology – in a manner of speaking. The different stages of development and celebration of the Passover in biblical times from family/non-priestly to priestly and centralized feast in the temple is also regarded as a clue to its survival of the onslaught of royal and priestly ideology. The socio-rhetorical approach is deemed appropriate for the interpretation of the Passover in the Exodus tradition to an orality-based audience such as the Tiv of Nigeria especially in terms of the oral-scribal intertexture. The approach is relevant to the oral community because it integrates the text with history and the readers to enable readers of any given text to interact with it using their context full of different life experiences to come up with new and informed interpretations that are meaningful and appropriate to them. Thus, the study has argued that oral discourse should work hand-in-hand with the written as far as the interpretation of the Exodus and Passover (Ex. 12:1-28) among oral cultures such as the Tiv are concerned. Readers and interpreters of the Passover tradition are enjoined to keep their eyes open to detect oral elements in the literary text and carry out interpretations of portions of the written text that cannot be explained through literary devices by taking into account orality. The study has also registered the need to pay more attention to a theological approach that appreciates readers from an oral culture and their interpretation of and interaction with the written text when placed side by side with the reader’s oral text that is full of stories of origin and migration, identity, life experiences. Furthermore, the multidimensional approach by Robbins (1996a & 1996b) has been employed to analyze the texture of Exodus 12:1-28 and its parallel texts in the Pentateuch, Prophets (Former and Latter) and the Writings. Eleven pericopes on the Passover were identified that stretch from the Pentateuch to the Latter Prophets and they cut across the three biblical legal codes namely the Covenant Code (Ex. 23:14-19), the Holiness Code (Lev. 23:5-8) and the Deuteronomic Code (Deut. 16:1-8). The pericopes also span non-priestly texts (Ex. 12:1-28) and priestly texts (Ex. 34:18-26; Num. 9:1-14; 28:16-25). In another sense, the Passover texts could be said to cover the Deuteronomistic text (Jos. 5:10-12; 2 Kg. 23:21-23), Chronist text (2 Chron. 35:1-18) and the Latter Prophets (Ezek. 45:21-24). By analyzing the Passover text of Exodus 12:1-28 against the backdrop of parallel texts in the Old Testament, the study has also identified eight variables in the texts on the Passover namely different terminologies, place, date, sacrifice, preparation, officials and different links between the Passover and unleavened bread as well as different links between the Passover and the Exodus tradition. The eight variables demonstrate that the Passover has a dynamic and ongoing character; as such, it should be interpreted as a ritual festival that commemorates the beginning of the migration of a chosen people out of slavery in Egypt. However, it should also be seen as a festival commemorating the identity of celebrants with different ideologies, cultures, religious ideas, and life circumstances over time and in different contexts. The different modes of celebrating or interpreting the Passover in different periods and contexts to different audiences with different needs have shown that the narratives of origin and migration of the Tiv could be used as an indigenous interpretive resource for the interpretation of the Passover in the Exodus tradition among people from an oral culture. In addition, the Passover should be interpreted as an ongoing ritual commemoration of the beginning of the migration from Egypt to mark the identity of celebrants in different contexts and cultures. In this way, as the Tiv people celebrate their New Yam festival at the family level or the annual Tiv Day at a centralized place to commemorate their origin as a people that migrated from Congo via Swem in the Cameroon plains to their present home in Benue-Nigeria, fresh memories would be evoked of the Passover festival commemorating the liberation from Egypt to create hope of future survival in present celebrants.
Ironic depiction of being wise in search of Wisdom : a socio-rhetorical study of the Elihu speeches in Job 32-37
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Musa, Hassan; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an investigation of the socio-rhetorical function of the Elihu speeches in the book of Job. We have also discussed how many scholars in the historical interpretation of the book of Job identified crucial areas of serious concern that still relate to the authorial, literary and theological problems of the book of Job. These areas include the poem on wisdom (Job 28), the speeches of Elihu (32-37) and the speeches of Yahweh (38-42:6). But our focus has been on the Elihu speeches which help us to see the irony of the depiction of being wise in search of wisdom within the interactions of Elihu and Job primarily. We have indicated in our statement of the problem that there has not been much interest in the study of the book of Job especially in African contexts and by African scholars, thus we thought it wise to pick up the challenge of attempting to contribute to filling that vacuum. Our hypotheses point to the expectations on the role of irony as a new cutting edge to the understanding of the meanings of wisdom, suffering and justice. That irony plays a vital role in our understanding of the role of God in human suffering and the question of justice in the book of Job. In order to provide an adequate study that would be satisfactory to our investigation of the Elihu speeches, we found Robbins’ (1996) guide to socio-rhetorical interpretation useful in leading us into the multidimensional aspects of the Elihu speeches. Thus we used it as a guide (not a strict manual to be slavish about) in our study as evident within our various chapters. Chapter 1 provides the background to the study in relation to the writer’s home (traditional) background which in a sense mirror’s the patriarchal context which highly values social and religious orders. It further provides information as to the problem, methodology, hypotheses and conceptualizations for the study. Chapter 2 provides a survey of the book of Job in relation to its history of interpretation. Chapter 3 is an intertexture of Job 32-37 towards the literary study of the inner texture and patterns of the Elihu speeches. Chapter 4 is the intertexture of Job 32-37 which shows how the Elihu speeches interacted within other texts in the world that form their contextual rhetoric. Chapter 5 is the sociocultural texture of Job 32-37 which provides information about the social and cultural texture of the Elihu speeches and represents the formative (composition/ compilation) context of the Elihu speeches. Chapter 6 is the ideological-theological texture of Job 32-37 which presents the function of the Elihu speeches toward an interpretation in service to power as well as its sense of spirituality (consciousness of the divine and the sacred). Chapter 7 provides the summary/conclusion and recommendations for further studies. The contributions that this dissertation has made to Old Testament scholarship especially in African contexts in regards to Job scholarship is on the fact that we have demonstrated how socio-rhetoric can be utilized as a useful method in Old Testament biblical and theological studies. Furthermore, we show the dual function of the Elihu speeches in the book of Job both as a response and as a preparation. We have also demonstrated the role of irony in the depiction of being wise in search of wisdom especially about Elihu as a main case in point in his conversation with Job and other friends about Job’s experience of suffering and his quest for justice and dignity. It is a cohesive attempt that bridged the gap between the sections of the book of Job and its essential characters. It also represents how traditions (in Postexilic contexts) emerged at a critical point in a given context and opened especially the reader to further understanding of the progressive nature of traditions in the Old Testament.
The Jubilee in Leviticus 25 : a theological ethical interpretation from a South African perspective
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2004-04) Meyer, Esias Engelbertus; Bosman, Hendrik; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Jubilee year in Leviticus 25 has received a fair amount of attention towards the end of the previous millennium with the movements such as the Jubilee 2000, which campaigned for the remissions of debt in the so-called Third World. The text thus has a very liberating image and this is where the problem lies, because a critical reading of the text creates a far more oppressive picture. The question then becomes how the biblical critic is to respond, especially when she/he is sympathetic towards the objectives of the Jubilee 2000 movement. In this study it is argued that there is only one way to respond and that is to play the critical role that biblical scholars have always attempted to play. This means that it would be ethically irresponsible for biblical critics to shy away from exposing the oppressive sides of a biblical text. An ideological-critical approach is then proposed which attempts to construct the world-view or ideology that could be glimpsed from the text. This kind of reading is suspicious of what the biblical text claims and it further attempts to identify political and other interests in the text. An ideological critical reading also takes stock of the “ideological holdings” of the interpreter. In this regard the author argues that the history of Apartheid and specifically the way in which the Bible was used to legitimate Apartheid is one of his main ideological holdings that predisposes him to read in a certain manner. Leviticus 25 is then subjected to very close synchronic scrutiny. Firstly the most salient grammatical features of the text are identified and secondly it is asked how these features were used in order to persuade. This second reading is thus a kind of rhetorical reading that specifically focuses on ways in which the relationship between the addressees, the land, YHWH and other groups in the text is portrayed. This enables the author to describe the world-view or ideology of the authors and addressees of Leviticus 25. These same interests are also identified in some of the chapters surrounding chapter 25. Eventually this leads to dating the composition of this text in the Second Temple Period and it specifically identifies the interests of this text with those of the returning Elite. This interpretation presents the text as rather oppressive and instead of preventing poverty it actually reinstated poverty, which means that some dark sides of the text are exposed. The study is then concluded with some theological-ethical observations where it is reiterated that one of the tasks of the biblical critic is to give some voice to people that were voiceless in the biblical text. The study also shows that despite these dark sides to the text, there still is liberating potential in the Jubilee.
Judgement and salvation : socio-rhetorical interpretation of Jeremiah 1
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-12) Yi, Dongkwan; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old & New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an attempt to address the problem of the relationship between the Jeremianic judgement and salvation oracles, to prove our hypothesis that Jeremiah 1 functions as a theological introduction to the whole book of Jeremiah, and that references to judgement and salvation form a theological whole. Vernon Robbins's socio-rhetorical approach has been utilized. In Chapter 1, we present a general survey of Jeremianic study, and show the scholarly tendency towards a diachronic or synchronic approach. By doing so, we justify our application of the holistic socio-scientific method to study the book more comprehensively. Our hypothesis about the relationship between judgment and salvation in the book of Jeremiah is then presented and the methodology described. In Chapter 2, we offer a rhetorical analysis. According to our analysis, the centre of the prophetic call in the book of Jeremiah is the commission (Jer. 1:10) where the thematic phrase of judgement and salvation is highlighted. We identified passages containing this thematic catchphrase (Jer. 12:14-17; 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:28; 31:38-40; 42:10; 45:4; etc.) and Chapter 3 discusses each one. The reoccurrence of that catchphrase in different circumstances was the reconfirmation and recontextualisation of the Leitmotif of Jer. 1:10. In Chapters 4-6, a social scientific approach has been utilised to explore a considerably rich text which contains many diverse aspects of the social, cultural, political and theological environment. We identify diverse interest groups to whom Jeremiah addressed his message of judgement and salvation. They are "reformist", "conversionist", "revolutionist" and "thaumaturgical" from the social perspective, and "pro-Babylon", "pro-Egypt" and "autonomistic" from the political perspective. We next examine the intense controversy between Jeremiah and these groups, from social, cultural, ideological and theological perspectives. In the conclusion (Chapter 7), we summarise what we have studied and present the prospect for a wider use of the socio-rhetorical method.
A Karanga perspective on fertility and barrenness as blessing and curse in 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Moyo, Chiropafadzo; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation seeks to develop further the theological interpretation of the books of Samuel, by examining I Samuel I: 1-2:10 in the context of fertility and barrenness as blessing and curse. This reading was related to the Karanga understanding of fertility and barrenness. The contribution shows how the Biblical narrative can become a resource for ethical reflection in African communities such as the Karanga women. The hypotheses that guided this study, were that: a-Fertility and barrenness in the Old Testament should be understood in close conjunction with blessing and cursing as theological concepts in ancient Israel. b-Fertility and barrenness could also be examined in a relevant and contextual manner by relating it to the culture and understanding of the Karanga people. In order to achieve this, two major tasks were attempted. One: An exegesis of I Samuel I: 12: 10 in which Vernon Robbins' method of Socio- Rhetorical criticism was used. The method helped to identify that the text is a narrative, and that the author might have been the Deuteronomistic historian, who wrote in the period of the decline of the Judean monarchy and when the Jews were in exile. The narrative is used to tell about the despair of the Jews, and to inform the Jews that there was hope for restoration if they obeyed God. This ideology is woven in the story of a barren woman Hannah who suffered the despair of barrenness and was later blessed with a child because of her prayer and obedience to God. In the narrative God is described as one who cares for the marginalised, and one who changes the lives of his people, from curse to blessing. The method also helped to realise tbe culture and context of Hannah, and made it possible to relate this culture and context to other cultures that are similar. Secondly an empirical survey was conducted amongst one hundred Karanga women. The findings were that Karanga consider fertility as blessing and barrenness as curse. The curse is experienced in the suffering of the barren women. Barrenness is used to inflict pain, to marginalise women, and has become a major cause of divorce and death through the spread of HIV and Aids. A reading of the story of Hannah helped the Karanga women to identify their barren problems with Hannah, and to find a new way of understanding their own problem in terms of hope. This study was able to prove its hypothesis both through the exegesis and the discussions of the research findings. It was found that the narrative form of the text appealed effectively to the understanding of Karanga women. This was possible because narrative is one of the methods of communication that is used effectively by the Karanga in their language. Through using Hannah as a paradigm of curse and blessing in relation to barrenness and fertility, Karanga women were challenged to view their barren situations in a different way that is open to accept change from curse to blessing. The study has also contributed to see how an old text of the time of Hannah could in the present day contextually influence Karanga women's barren experiences through holding the same culture and also by having similar experiences barren of women.
Memories of enslavement as identity formation in the legal collections of the Pentateuch
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-03-01) Cobongs, Bitrus Bulus; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is a study of memories of enslavement as identity formation embedded in the slave instructions of the legal collections of the Pentateuch. The personal experiences of the writer in his native country of Nigeria and the last twenty years in the USA, became the impetus for the scrutiny of these slave instructions. The constant tribal and religious conflicts in Northern Nigeria are usually accompanied by the mention of past experiences of slavery and colonialism. Similarly, the black community in the USA seems weighed down by the memories of slavery and segregation as it wrestles with the matters of dignity, poverty and lack of education that affect it disproportionately. These concerns caused the author to reflect on the biblical material in the Pentateuch that relates to memories of slavery as the communities seek an identity of their own. Hence, this dissertation, with the title “Memories of Enslavement as Identity Formation in the Legal Collection of the Pentateuch”, seeks to investigate how those passages addressed ancient Israel regarding the ethical treatment of the poor and downtrodden. The author approached the passages from the point of view of a historical-grammatical study, where attention is paid to the grammar and syntax of the text, and similarities and dissimilarities in the synoptic texts where they address the subject of slave instructions in the Covenant Code (CC) in Exodus 21:1-11; the Holiness Code (HC) in Leviticus 25:39-55; and the Deuteronomic Code (DC) in Deuteronomy 15:12-18. An observation of the contexts surrounding these instructions shed light on their individual contexts and the guiding interests of the authors. The references to Egypt as a house of slavery in these instructions is considered a literary device to jolt the memory and direct behaviour in the right direction for the treatment of workers, especially fellow Israelites. It appears that, in each instruction, the setting of the pre-exilic and post-exilic world events of the ANE had influenced the behaviour of the audience so that the appeal to consider kinship relationships was prominent in the Deuteronomic and Holiness codes, where the term “brother” is employed as the true identity of the Hebrew slave. First, the CC and DC limit the service of Hebrew slaves to six years. The HC, which appears to be the latest instruction, removes the term “slave” entirely and draws attention to the claims of Yahweh, that Israel was redeemed to be “servants” of God and not anyone else’s. Second, in the effort to guarantee the freedom of Israelite slaves at the Jubilee, the HC further removes “female slaves” as a possibility for Israelites. In the narrative sections of the Pentateuch, descriptive narrations of slavery require the attention of further research, because this dissertation focused narrowly on the slave instructions. Any further research into those narratives will yield helpful information on how oral cultures tell and retell stories as a collective, identity-forming mechanism. The dissertation seeks to bring to light analogies from the above Pentateuchal passages to the Nigerian experiences of tribal and religious relationships, as discussed in Chapter 2. The topic, “Memories of Enslavement as Identity Formation in the Legal Collections of the Pentateuch”, indicates the initial intention of the study. However, the historical-grammatical study revealed that memories are tied to kinship in ancient Israel – illustrated by the metaphors related to family. The exilic community found a strong tie in kinship through the recollection of a common past. The common identity, in turn, was at the heart of the theological and ethical call to acknowledge the authority of Yahweh as the true Lord of all Israel. The slave instructions provide a sense of theological and ethical direction for the audience of each instruction. Likewise, the instructions appear relevant for theological and ethical direction for the modern world. The theological-ethical motivations of the slave instructions are relevant for Nigeria and other countries struggling to devise an identity from the memories of slavery and colonialism.
An Ngoni assessment of the role of ancestors within ancient Israelite world views and religion in Genesis 11:28-50:26
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1998-12) Zulu, Edwin; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Department of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The dissertation attempts to make an assessment of the role of ancestors within Israelite world views and religion from a Ngoni perspective. This is done by interpreting the patriarchal narratives (Gen. 11 :28-50:26) in light of these world views. When these narratives are interpreted using the socio-rhetorical analysis of Vernon Robbins, it becomes clear that ancestors play a more significant role than Old Testament scholarship often suggests. These roles are multidimensional as seen in the narratives themselves. Chapter one introduces the topic, the problem (what is the role of ancestors in ancient Israel world views), hypothesis (the function and role of ancestors in religion and society formed part of the whole complex of world views operating among the ancient Israelites) and method (comparative study and socio-rhetorical analysis) employed in this research. Some important working concepts are explained and a short review of works related to ancestors is made. The second chapter surveys the African world views, the view of death, a view of ancestors and their multidimensional role. The issue of kinship and religion is also discussed. This discussion is done with a specific reference to the Ngoni of Zambia. The third chapter examines the Israelite world views and religion to see to what extent world view influenced their everyday life, more especially concerning their understanding of ancestors. The issue of Israelite conceptions of death is discussed, as well as kinship and religion. In these communities ancestors is part of their complex world views. The fourth chapter, drawing on the conclusions of chapter 1-3, analyses texts from the patriarchal narratives. The texts are discussed as examples of varied world views on the role of ancestors in the patriarchal narratives of the Old Testament The final chapter sums up the conclusions reached in these findings. These conclusions are threefold. First, ancestors in the patriarchal narratives of the Old Testament were understood in a much more intricate way than is often highlighted by the Old Testament scholarship. Ancestors formed part of concurrent complex Israelite world views. This implies that there is no single world view on ancestors in the patriarchal narratives of Old Testament. This provides us with a perspective from which to undertake a theological assessment of ancestors in these narratives. Second, the roles of ancestors are multidimensional. These roles define kinship relationships and structures and bind them together in an intricate way. Therefore, the ancestors define boundaries in which every individual has to be identified in the patriarchal narratives of the Old Testament and the Ngoni. Third, it redefines the understanding of ancestors in an African (Ngoni) context by providing an Old Testament theological perspective in which we view and interpret the roles of ancestors in a specific context. Ancestors are more significant in African religious communities than suggested by the Western scholars. Indeed, ancestors are pillars of these African communities that are mostly based on kinship relationships that the ancestors represent and shape. Finally, this approach has shown that a world view of particular people could be applied in the interpretation of the role of ancestors in the patriarchal narratives of the Old Testament.
On defining a prophet : atheological-ethical study of the Balaam narratives of Numbers 22-24
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2009-03) Ward, Herbert D., Jr.; Bosman, Hendrik; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
The Balaam narratives of Numbers 22-24 have long proven to be a source of fascination for readers of the Old Testament. The narratives present Balaam as a faithful ‘word-of-Yahweh’ prophet. However, the Tale of the Donkey (22:22-35) portrays him as an ‘unseeing’ prophet intent on personal gain. How does one explain the conflicting views of Balaam within the narratives of Numbers 22-24? Socio-rhetorical criticism was employed as a methodology to examine the development of these conflicting views of Balaam. An analysis of the Inner Texture revealed that the repeated themes 'seeing’, ‘blessing’, and ‘cursing’ are central to the narratives, and serve to connect Balaam with the paradigmatic prophet Moses of Exodus 3 and Deuteronomy 18. The study of the narratives’ Intertexture revealed numerous inner-biblical allusions, and considered the possible relevance of the Deir ‘Alla texts to the narratives. The Social-cultural and Ideological textures of the narratives suggest that a process of prophetic redefinition took place during either the late pre-exilic or exilic periods, which resulted in the exclusion of divination from Israel’s prophetic tradition. Prophets entered into an alliance with the priests in order to centralise religious authority and place the focus of ‘prophecy’ on the exposition and application of Torah. A consideration of the theological texture of the narratives suggested that this process of prophetic redefinition continued into the early post-exilic period, and ultimately led to a re-evaluation of Balaam. Wide-spread xenophobia within early Yehud contributed to Balaam’s final demise, as later reception history within the Old Testament portrays Balaam as responsible for inciting Israel’s apostasy in Numbers 25. The Tale of the Donkey is integrated into the narratives of Numbers 22-24 by priestly writers in order to distance Balaam from Israel’s prophetic tradition. The result is a dynamic theological synthesis that recalls both an earlier period in which divination was accepted as part of Israel’s prophetic tradition, and a new perspective focused on the exposition and application of Torah. The Balaam narratives of Numbers 22-24 serve as the theological ‘hinge’ or ‘fulcrum’ of the book of Numbers, recalling both the old generation of rebellion, and the new generation of hope that will re-enter the land of promise. The Balaam narratives of Numbers 22-24 serve to powerfully proclaim that Yahweh’s purpose to bless his people will not be thwarted by the intrigues of Israel’s enemies, or Israel’s past disobedience.
Primogeniture in the Old Testament : towards a theological-ethical understanding of patriarchy in Ancient Israel
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007-12) Fachhai, Laiu; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the title suggests, this research is a study of primogeniture in the Old Testament towards a theological-ethical understanding of patriarchy in ancient Israel. Using the Ancient Near East as a wider context of the Old Testament, the research first analysed the Ancient Near East texts relating to primogeniture, i.e., texts relating to inheritance and succession. In so doing the research reveals that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom of most of the Ancient Near East societies, serving as a cornerstone for their patriarchal culture. The research also demonstrates that there were exceptions to the rule. For example, the Elamites practiced matrilineal and matrilocal customs. Within the general practice of primogeniture among most of the Ancient Near East societies, firstborns were often displaced in favour of younger sons. In some cases, daughters and wives could also inherit and own properties, although succession to the throne by daughters was rare. The central focus of the research is a socio-rhetorical criticism of the primogeniture text of Deuteronomy 21:15-17. Like in the Ancient Near East, this study also discovers that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom as well as a cornerstone of ancient Israel’s patriarchy. However, exceptions to this rule in ancient Israel seemed to be even more notorious than in those of other ancient Near East societies. The custom was often not followed. Daughters could also inherit. Firstborns were displaced by their younger brothers for prime heirship of the family as well as succession to the throne. This violation of primogeniture custom was theologically and ethically qualified and politically and ideologically appropriated. The research thus concludes that these theological-ethical qualifications as well as political-ideological appropriation of the violation of primogeniture based on socio-economic and religious-political changes of society indicate that patriarchy according to the Old Testament is not a static divine blueprint for all societies of all generations. Rather, patriarchy in ancient Israel was a dynamic socio-historical and theologicalethical process which was subjected to change, modification, reinterpretation, and re-appropriation according to socio-economic and religious-political developments of a given society. In the name of patriarchy, women had been denied their rights, robbed of their dignity and worth, and regarded as a second class image of God in many societies, then and now. Committed to correcting these wrongs, this research – arguing that patriarchy in the Old Testament is not so much a privilege as it is to a responsibility – challenges the contemporary hierarchical patriarchal ideologies, and contends for gender equality in all walks of life, remembering that we are all created equally in the image of God.
Prophetic critique and land dispossession : the significance of spatial awareness for the interpretation of I Kings 21
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-12) Booys, Petrus Johannes; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The dissertation is an answer to the question: How should the story of Naboth's land (I Kings 21) be theologically understood by a Khoi who is dispossessed of his/her land and kept on the periphery? The ftrst chapter consists of the hypothesis, the theological assumption of the research, a summary of existing research on the story of Naboth's land and the point of view from which a Khoi looks and listens to the story. The place, from which the story would be looked and listened to, the methodology, is followed by a list of concepts used in the research. The second chapter is an exposition of the hermeneutical position of the Khoi in the theological debate regarding land as a living space for humankind. Opinions from outside (European) and opinions from inside (Khoi) the living space of the Khoi are placed in contrast with one another to illustrate the divide between landed and landless people on the land. Against the European negation of their knowledge of God, the Khoi put their knowledge of God as their Supreme Being, Father and Ruler who has his abode in the clouds but who is always and everywhere powerfully present for the sake of humankind. Against the negation of their human dignity, the Khoi put the dignity of human beings as the creations of God. Against the violent invasion of their land, the Khoi put their viewpoint that human beings should live in peaceful coexistence with neighbours in their physical living space. Against those who violate their spatial identity, the Khoi affirms their identity as Khoi on the periphery of their land under foreign occupation. Against those who deny them a cultural living space, the Khoi establish their right on a cultural living space and their right to think and be heard in their mother tongue. The third chapter is a contribution to the theological debate regarding the story of the land of Naboth from the perspective of a dispossessed Khoi. The personal identities of individuals and of groups are discussed according to their relationships with fellow human beings with whom they had to share their living space. The identity of the city of lezreel as a physical and cultural living space is discussed in accordance with the attachments of Naboth and Ahab to it. Upon this discussion follows an exposition of land as communal possession (Naboth's living space) and land as private property (Ahab's living space). The purchase and the dispossession of ancestral land by Ahab to demote Naboth's family to the status of dependent subjects are identified as acts of violence. The dispossession of ancestral land caused Naboth and Elijah to protest against the violation of the spatial order because of God. The fourth chapter contains an exegesis of the story of the dispossession of the land of Naboth from the perspective of a dispossessed Khoi. The moral of the Khoi stories of the ancestral figure Heitsi Eibib determines the understanding of the story of the dispossession ofNaboth's land by Ahab. Chapter five is an exposition of the significance of the Khoi perspective for the theological understanding of the story of Naboth's land. Chapter six is a summary of the dissertation and shows other possibilities to further develop the theological debate regarding the dispossession ofNaboth's land.
Prophetic rhetoric : a multidimensional interpretation of Amos 9
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-04) Rinquest, Linzay; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue of the identification of the audience/s of the final chapter (chapter 9) in the book of Amos is currently moot. That is, there currently are as many opinions as there are scholars who have in some form or the other made some inference as to the identification of the audience. The same is true for the preceding chapters in the book. The reasons for the divergence in opinions as to the identification of the audience varies from the methods chosen for engaging the text to reasons that are not always easy to identify. Yet the opinions are often freel y shared in the monographs, commentaries, dissertations and scholarly journal articles. This dissertation aims to follow an approach that is more interpretatively accountable and responsible in dealing with the identification of the audience/s of Amos and in particular chapter 9. This goal is best achieved by interacting with the scholars as they have recorded their findings in the various scholarly publications while engaging the text with a suitable method. The method chosen by this study for achieving the intended purpose is the multidimensional approach of Vernon Robbins, termed socio-rhetorical criticism. This approach aids in the study of the text by uncovering the various "textures" of the text. These textures are identified by Robbins as innertexture, intertexture, social and cultural texture, ideological texture and sacred texture. As socio-rhetorical criticism does not overtly take into account the influence of the reader in the production of the meaning of the text and how this influences interpretative results, it would be necessary to investigate how to incorporate the influence of reader-response methodology to make the results more responsible and accountable. The majority of scholarly opinion sees at least three possible audiences identifiable within the book of Amos. These audiences are identified as eighth, seventh and sixth century in setting. Yet the reasons for such identification is often not clear and greatly debated. Differences in opinion have often resulted in religious questions being raised regarding the authority and intention of the text should these various audience identifications be accurate. This study seeks to understand and identify the main influences that determines the conclusions on various audience identification and present an approach that would be more suitable to answer the question more clearly. The particular influence that this study demonstrates is the reinvention of texts by identifying the layers of reinterpretation contained in the text by identifying its implied audience/so It is this identification that allows the text to be applied to current readers as they identify with the process of reinvention and ethically accountable interpretation.
Re-defining stewardship : a Nigerian perspective on accountable and responsible land ownership according to the Old Testament
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007-12) Ahiamadu, Amadi; Bosman, Hendrik; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
This dissertation has explored the Biblical basis for a redefinition of stewardship, and has done so in the light of land ownership customs and ethos in some parts of Africa. It has employed a postcolonial hermeneutics in interpreting Genesis 1:26-28 using also a functional equivalence approach in its translation and exegesis. In chapter one the conceptual scheme is outlined, while providing a highlight of the problem, the hypothesis, the methodology and various definitional terms which feature in the discussion. In chapter two various scholarly views are examined in order to critically assess the criteria for either a humans-above-nature or humans-in-partnership-withnature mindset. The implications of such divergent views have been critically examined. In the third chapter views of African scholars were brought to bear on gerontocracy which has transcended pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial economic and political influences and has sustained an ongoing cultural practice of a “giraffe principle” of stewardship, land ownership and use. In the fourth and fifth chapter, the use of a postcolonial critical hermeneutics in interpretation is rationalised. A functional equivalence approach in translating our pericope into Ogba is used, and then re-read using a postcolonial critical hermeneutics. The imago Dei and the cultural mandate which goes with it has been re-interpreted in line with a hermeneutics that is humane and sensitive to a post-colonial context. In the sixth chapter a redefinition of stewardship has been attempted, using the fruits of our close reading, functional translation, and the cultural perceptions derived from our empirical research. In the final chapter, a conclusion has been drawn to show how this study contributes to a new appreciation of the concept of stewardship when applied to land ownership and use especially when humans are properly located in a relationship with God and with nature that is ongoing.
References to women of the Old Testament in the demonstrations of Aphrahat the Persian sage
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-03) Kruger, Lisel Heleen; Bosman, Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Department of Old and New Testament.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Aphrahat, the Persian sage, is a fourth century exponent of the theological reflections and teachings that originated in the Persian Church under Sassanian rule. His writings give witness to early eastern Syriac Christian traditions, that have been neglected by theologians through the years in their focus on the Greek and Latin exegetical traditions. Aphrahat' s use and understanding of the Old Testament in his theological reflection forms the focuspoint of this study. The problem addressed is an explanation of Aphrahat' s interpretation of women of the Old Testament as it is found in the references to them in his theological argumentation. The methodological approach utilised in this study is that of socio-rhetorical criticism. This method presupposes that a text can be compared to a tapestry consisting of a thick texture of complex patterns and images. When a text is studied from different angles, a multiplicity of textures can be identified, which enables the reader to develop a greater understanding and perception of the whole. The Demonstrations of Aphrahat are viewed as examples of such multi-textured texts, consisting of an innertexture, intertexture, social and cultural texture, ideological texture and sacred texture. This study analyses four of Aphrahat' s twenty three Demonstrations. In Demonstration III, regarding fasting, the rhetorical unit does not shed much light on Aphrahat' s ideas about women in general. The women characters were not evaluated on ground of their gender, but rather on grounds of certain acts attributed to them in the Biblical narratives - narratives that were interpreted in a midrashic manner within the presuppositions of Aphrahat' s ascetic theology. In Demonstration VI Aphrahat holds singleness above marriage, with the ideal for persons to be so consecrated to Christ. Women stand in the way of this ideal being fully realised in the community of believers. Biblical women are inseparably bound with Eve - the archetype of women. Demonstration VI illustrates that Old Testament history played a big role in the formation of an image of women and their place in this ascetic religious community. In Demonstration XIV emphasis is placed on the prophetic and reconcilitiary positions of certain Old Testament women. They are positive examples that fit the rhetoric of the time, as in Demonstration XXI Aphrahat addresses his audience in the midst of persecutions. Some Old Testament righteous male figures serve as types of Christ, but women feature only implicitly in such a role in Aphrahat' s argumentation. In a community where both sexes suffered are persecuted women do not fulfill the same rhetorical function as men. An ambivalence is recognisable with regard to Aphrahat' s reference to women of the Old Testament, this is to be understood from a presupposition that each rhetorical situation invites its own response - a response further coloured by Aphrahat' s theological agenda and own uncertainty regarding the role of women within a strong ascetic community. A midrash style of argumentation is prevalent which is used to engender attitudes of relevance and relatedness to the world of Scripture. This study concludes that Aphrahat' s theological agenda reflected in a midrashic style of argumentation within the traditions of Syriac Church literature, led to an ambivalence in his reference to women of the Old Testament in his Demonstrations, from which a certain image of women can be deduced.

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Old and New Testament) by browse.metadata.advisor "Bosman, Hendrik"

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