Cosmological accents in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans in the light of ecological concerns : antecedents and later developments

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dc.contributor.advisorPunt, Jeremyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorAdebayo, Oluwarotimi Paulen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Facultuy of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testamenten_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-14T09:23:05Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-08T15:49:01Z
dc.date.available2023-11-14T09:23:05Z
dc.date.available2024-01-08T15:49:01Z
dc.date.issued2023-11-14
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study, in conversation with the current ecological discourse, sets out to identify the cosmological accents present in the letter of Paul to the Romans and explores two of the prominent cosmological texts in the epistle – Romans 1:18-22 and 8:19-22. Their possible antecedence in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and their later development in the patristic literature of Late Antiquity are considered. This study deploys a dual methodology of exegetical analysis of cosmological texts in the epistle to the Romans supported with secondary readings on the use of cosmological terms (for Chapters 3 and 4) and a comparative analysis of such cosmological accents of the epistle to the Romans in Late Antiquity (for chapter 5). Due to the nature of this study, its coverage is restricted to peculiar aspects of cosmological studies which relate to the epistle to the Romans, in the OT, NT and patristic writings in Late Antiquity. The study establishes that though these three categories of literature elevated and dignified the place of humanity in the cosmos, this alone does not account for the comprehensive perception of these literature of the world, as within them nature also was accorded an important and dignified position simultaneously. Therefore, as a result of this dignified perception of creation, the Judeo-Christian religion should not be held as the root cause of the present ecological crisis as claimed today (in the instance of Lynn White Jr). Rather, the patristic literature experimented with and prescribed a worthy approach to relate to nature, namely natural contemplation. This work explores natural contemplation as one of the gains from a densely Gnostic-influenced Greek Eastern church of Late Antiquity, and resulted in employing natural contemplation in considering the significance of the Pauline materials for the current ecological malaise ravaging the world. This study advocates that this approach should be adjusted, adapted and adopted by the contemporary age in its efforts to relate with fellow occupants of the shared planet and used in addressing the excesses that have led to the present ecological crisis.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die kosmologiese aspekte in Paulus se brief aan die Romeine te identifiseer, deur die fokus op twee van die prominente kosmologiese tekste te plaas: Romeine 1:18-22 en 8:19-22. Tekste van die Hebreeuse Bybel/Ou Testament waaruit hierdie gedagtes voortkom en hulle later ontwikkeling in die Patristiese literatuur van die Laat Oudheid word bespreek. Hierdie studie gebruik 'n tweeledige metodologie van eksegetiese analise van kosmologiese tekste in die brief aan die Romeine in samehang met sekondêre lesings oor die gebruik van kosmologiese terme (vir hoofstukke 3 en 4), en 'n vergelykende analise van sulke kosmologiese aksente van die brief aan die Romeine in Laat Oudheid (vir hoofstuk 5). Die studie bevestig dat, hoewel die status van die mensdom in die kosmos hoog is en waardig geag word, hierdie feit alleen nie die volle omvang van die wêreld wat hierdie literatuur beskryf, bied nie. In hierdie tekste word ook die natuur ‘n hoë en waardige posisie toegeken. Daarom, as gevolg van die toegeskrewe waardige posisie van die natuur, behoort die Joodse-Christene geloof nie as die grootste oorsaak van ons ekologiese krisis gesien te word nie, soos byvoorbeeld, Lynn White Jr aandring nie. Eerder, die Patristiese literatuur bied ‘n waardevolle begrip om met die natuur te assosieer – natuurlike nadenke. Hierdie studie bespreek daarom ook die belang van natuurlike nadenke as een van die belangrike idees van die Griekse Oostelike kerk van Laat Oudheid wat deur Gnostisisme beïnvloed is. Die lei daartoe om natuurlike nadenke te oorweeg ten opsigte van die belang van die Pauliniese materiaal vir die aanpak van die teenwoordige ekologiese krisis. Volgens hierdie studie, behoort hierdie gedagte vandag aangepas en aangeneem te word, in die strewe om saam met ander op ons planeet te woon en om die vergrype wat ons ekologiese krisis veroorsaak het, aan te spreek. af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxvi, 245 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128919
dc.language.isoen en_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEcology -- Religious aspects -- Christianityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCosmology, Ancienten_ZA
dc.subject.lcshBible. Romans -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshUCTDen_ZA
dc.titleCosmological accents in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans in the light of ecological concerns : antecedents and later developmentsen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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