Research Articles (Practical Theology and Missiology)

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Browsing Research Articles (Practical Theology and Missiology) by Subject "Aesthetics"

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    Dum spiro – spero (terwyl ek asemhaal, hoop ek). Op reis met Elsa Joubert oor die "naakte waarheid" van die "menslike siel"
    (LitNet, 2020) Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944-
    Die tergende vraag in ’n spirituele en religieuse benadering tot die betekenis van menswees is nie bloot die vraag na identiteit (wie is ek?) nie, maar die vraag na die wesenskern van die mens. Wat word met siel bedoel? Hierdie vraag word veral deur die feit van menslike broosheid, lyding, verganklikheid en ’n wete van die dood onderstreep. Dit is dan ook die vraag waarmee die skrywer Elsa Joubert nie net in haar reisverhale nie, maar veral in haar laaste boek Spertyd geworstel het. Die vraag na ’n mens se siel is ten diepste die vraag na die gehalte en sin van die lewe. In die lig van die stelling dat ’n mens nie ’n siel hét nie, maar jou siel ís, word die verband tussen liggaamlikheid en die wesenskern van die mens, die hóé van menswees (so-syn) ondersoek. Wat word bedoel met die “naakte waarheid” van ’n be-sielde lewe? Die naakte waarheid van siel doem vir Joubert op toe sy die beplooide agterstewe van ’n bejaarde pasiënt sien oopwaai onder ’n hospitaaljurk en die weerloosheid van ’n verskrompelde lyf aanskou. Die waarheid van siel is gekoppel aan die werklikheid van houding en hoe ons mekaar aanraak en in verhoudinge beleef. Maar dan moet ons wegbeweeg van ’n etiese hermeneutiek van suspisie (hoe groot is ons sonde en ellende en die dualisme tussen siel en stof) na ’n estetiese hermeneutiek van verrykte doksa (sinvolle roepingsbestemming binne die integrale faktor van omgee, sorg, medelye en integriteit).
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    Die estetika van 'n skreeu-lelike, "weerlose God". Skilderkuns as medium in prosesse van teologiesparadigmatiese transformasie – ver-beeld-ende stank (skúbalon) vir skandalige on-dank (skandalon)
    (LitNet, 2020) Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944-
    Die Christelike tradisie het dikwels in die Godsvraagstuk op die vraag gekonsentreer: Wie is God? Die Godskonsep, veral die al-mag van God, is in verskillende tradisies omskryf in statiese “omni”- of “almag”-kategorieë wat met ’n oorsaak-gevolg-denkskema werk. Die lydingsvraagstuk, asook huidige prosesse van sosiaal-politieke transformasie, het my genoop om na ’n ander invalshoek te soek. Daar word na die paradigma van estetika gekyk om weg te skuif van omni-kategorieë (God as pantokrator; Almagtige) na omgee-kategorieë (passio Dei). In dié verband word twee skilderye uit die Cross-Roads-reeks wat God se solidariteitsdeernis in ’n plakkerskamp uitbeeld, teologies aan die orde gestel. ’n Prakties-teologiese hermeneutiek van kyk (estetiese optiek) word voorgestel met behulp van begrippe vanuit ’n Pauliniese perspektief soos stank (skúbalon) en vloek – skandalige on-dank en verwerping (skandalon). ’n Dergelike hermeneutiek beweeg weg van die “wie” van God na die “hoe” van God. Die implikasie en argument is dat skilderkuns ’n medium is om God se wese nie te probeer definieer nie, maar slegs esteties te “infinieer” – die sosyn van God in terme van solidariteitsmedelye. Vandaar die teologiese perspektief van ’n skreeu-lelike God: “My God, my God, waarom het u my verlaat?”
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    Die ikoniese waarde van kuns : estetika en die poetiese faktor van spiritualiteit in ver-beeld-ende kunste en ver-beeld-ingryke teologisering
    (Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, 2014-03) Louw, D. J. (Daniel Johannes), 1944-
    Die hipotese dat kuns meer behels as ’n soort kunsvlyt of meganiese handvaardigheid, (maakmoontlikheid), en dat estetika ten diepste ’n spirituele kategorie is wat verwys na die mens se soeke na transendente raamwerke (en aldus ’n ikoniese dimensie besit), word met behulp van die metodologie van ’n poëtiese hermeneutiek ondersoek. In die lig van Sokrates se stelling dat kuns ’n spirituele, siel-saak is (Gombrich 2006:85), en die tese dat die mens wesenlik homo aestheticus is, word gekyk na die spirituele dimensie in veral die visuele en beeldende kunste. As kernfaktor word die wisselwerkende verband tussen verbeelding, inspirasie, verwondering, ekstase, entoesiasme, sin-duiding en kwalitatiewe waardering ondersoek binne die breë verband van die vraagstuk van estetika in kuns. Vanweë die skynbare verband tussen materie en ’n “utopiese bewussyn”, word die spirituele dimensie in estetika gebruik om opnuut die betekenis van Godsbeelde teologies te ontsluit. Binne ’n soort religieuse estetika word die Pauliniese uitspraak oor die astheneia, of weerloosheid, swakheid van God, teologies gekombineer met die skreeu-snaakse (bespotlike), maar dwase, kruis-kreet: My God, my God waarom het u my verlaat (derelictio, verlatenheid en verworpenheid).
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    Images preaching : the significance of aesthetic experiences with artworks for the art of preaching
    (Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2019) Grab, Wilhelm
    Art confronts us with seeing our seeing as well as with the ambiguity of the meaning of what we see. This is the double transcendence of art whereby it acquires its theologically productive function. In this article I want to show that images of art can preach and how they do so, using as illustrations stained-glass windows by Johannes Schreiter in the Jakobi-Kirche in Göttingen, and a work of art that was shown at dOCUMENTA 13 (2012) in Kassel. Works of art can irritate our eyes. There is also the beauty of humour and folly that works of art can bring to preaching. If you have a sense of humour, you can see many things – especially those that are obviously distressing and oppressive – quite differently, and even give the negative a positive interpretation. Artworks can express such humour or motivate us to perceive it. I demonstrate at the end of this article how a contemporary painting conveying a disturbing picture of the crucified Christ can inspire preaching.
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    Inter Alia : Johan Cilliers and the homiletical imagination
    (Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2019) Campbell, Charles L.
    This essay will explore the homiletical imagination through one of Johan Cilliers’ favourite phrases: inter alia (“among other things”). The phrase captures the unsettled restlessness not only of Cilliers himself, but of homiletics. Homiletics really has no centre; it can never close in on itself because there is literally no there there. Homiletics is an “among-other-things” discipline. It exists only among many other disciplines; it depends on the connections it makes with biblical studies and theology and history and rhetoric and performance. But that is just the beginning. For the homiletical imagination comes alive only as it makes these same connections with virtually everything: the Karoo or a garden or a joke; a photograph or a painting or graffiti; jesters, clowns, iimbongi. The homiletical imagination lives inter alia. It ceaselessly plays among other things, restlessly exploring multiple connections as it seeks inspirationand understanding. Through his extraordinary work, Johan Cilliers models this kind of imagination and invites all homileticians to a richer understanding of what we do.
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    Lament in the aesthetic
    (Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2019) Mahokoto, Marlene S.
    The aim of this essay is to look at the function of lament in the aesthetic. The concept of lament cannot be looked at in isolation because what we experience emotionally influences our life in all its facets. Our understanding of the language of hope and lament is quite crucial when we look at lament in the aesthetic. This essay will also go into conversation with some of the work of Johan Cilliers to show how he has argued that the layered and complex beauty of God can be seen, even within lament in the aesthetic. Attention will also be given to the language of hope and lament and how it could function in the aesthetics. Furthermore, I will also argue that an aesthetical practical theology could provide us with an important tool to approach the layered and complex beauty of God. In this essay illustrations will be used to depict the complexity and layers of God’s beauty.
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    Die optiek van homiletiek : prediking as om-raming van perspektief
    (Stellenbosch University, Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology, 2013-02) Cilliers, Johan
    This article explores the notion of preaching as a form of perception, in particular as pertaining to viewing life through the lenses of Scriptures. The aesthetical concept of “reframing” is utilised to argue that preaching as perception intends behavioral change of a second order (as opposed to first order, i.e. superficial change). Three aesthetical examples are introduced to illustrate this art of reframing, namely works by Duchamp, Zapiro, and Grünewald. The conclusion is that reframing offers a unique option to preach the foolishness of the gospel, in contrast to the wisdom of the world.
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    Power, space, and knowledge : theological-aesthetical perspectives on Michel Foucault's contribution to post-colonial theory
    (Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Theology, 2013) Cilliers, Johan
    Although the somewhat enigmatic French philosopher Michel Foucault can be described as one of the most influential and debated French philosophers of the last four decades, and although the corpus of literature on his contributions is still growing, it can also be said that the literature that endeavours to interpret him through theological lenses, is still sporadic. 3 He himself seldom commented on actual religious phenomena. 4 However, several dimensions of Foucault’s oeuvre hold potential for theological re-appropriation, for instance his understandings of power, aesthetics (space), and epistemology.5 In this article, I briefly investigate Foucault’s innovative notions of power, space, and knowledge, before offering some theological-aesthetical perspectives on Foucault’s contribution to post-colonial theory.
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    The unveiling of life : liturgy and the lure of kitsch
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2010-11) Cilliers, Johan
    This article probes the classic definition of religious aesthetics as related to the notions of beauty, goodness and truth. The phenomenon of kitsch, understood as simulation (or inversion) of beauty, goodness and truth, is taken cognisance of, especially in the light of contributions by Milan Kundera, Umberto Eco and Jean Baudrillard. The article briefly reflects on the liturgical consequences when kitsch manifests itself as simulated ‘beauty’, ‘goodness’ and ‘truth’ and concludes with some considerations regarding the characteristics of kitsch.