Transformation in love in Paul's letter to the Galatians

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is known as a bitter defence of his “true” gospel of faith against opponents who wish to impose their “false” gospel of works on the faith community. This focus on the faith-works controversy has not been conducive to attempts to read it in terms of the notion of love. This article seeks to reconsider this position and to spell out the special role of love in the letter and its transformative nature. In a first section, the approach to the theme is explained. After a discussion of the polemical nature of the letter, the article analyses Paul’s presentation of divine love in the letter as the origin of God’s salvific and transformative action and of love as a divine characteristic, and how divine love marks the identity of the believing community. The significance of love in the ethos and ethics of the faith community is spelled out

Entering the corridors of power: state and church in the reception history of Revelation

This article discusses how Revelation with its vehement critique of its powerful first-century opponents was appropriated in a time when these opponents became its members, supporters and partners. It analyses how Revelation with its bitter attack on political and religious groups in the first century and with its potential for instigating millenarian groups to revolt against the State, was reinterpreted in times when the church enjoyed a special relationship with the State and had entered the corridors of power. In this regard, it focuses as example on the rereading of Revelation by Oecumenius, the Greek commentator of the sixth century C.E. This will be illustrated in terms of two examples. First, the article will discuss how Oecumenius rereads Revelation to appease the Roman Empire of his time and to resist an apocalyptic fervour that could threaten the well-being of the State. Second, it will show how Oecumenius, using the language of the Byzantine Empire, rereads the position of the Jews in the original text in order to present the church as the stable, trustworthy partner of the Empire

Preface

From text: This volume contains papers which were read at an international conference on the theme of discernment that took place in Malta from 24 to 27 May 2012. The conference, the result of an international co-operation, was attended by scholars from the Netherlands, the United States, Malta, South Africa and India

Communal discernment in the early church

This article investigates the often-neglected communal dimension of discernment by focusing on the way in which the early church responded to the controversy about the circumcision for gentiles in Acts 15. It analyses how discernment takes place mostly in times of ambiguity and crisis in which a faith community is challenged to seek the divine will. The article then investigates the way in which discernment takes place: it is first and foremost a communal matter which brings together all parties in order to participate in intense debate and weighing of possibilities. Before examining the awareness that discernment is about a contemplative gaze, the article analyses the way in which wisdom of community leaders and wisdom of the past play a role in discerning the right way

The resurrection as Christ's entry into his glory (Lk. 24:26)

This essay discusses some apocalyptic perspectives on Luke’s portrayal of the resurrection as Christ’s entry into his glory (Lk. 24:26) in order to point out its mystical nature. After a discussion of some recent developments in research on Luke’s Christology and apocalyptic literature, the importance of glory in Early Jewish and Christian apocalypses is discussed. This is followed by an explanation of the glory motif in Luke 24:26, its place in Luke’s resurrection account in general and in the story of the disciples of Emmaus in particular. The essay then compares the mystical use of the glory motif in Luke 24:26 with Luke’s use of glory elsewhere in his writings. It concludes with general remarks about the mystical nature of the resurrection in Luke’s writings

The spirit that moves. A new society and its first publication

From text: As will become evident in this journal (cf. contributions of Kees Waaijman and Celia Kourie), the academic study of spirituality at institutions of advanced learning, is a major new development in the field of theology and religion, although writings about and the practice of spirituality are part of the oldest traditions in the history of Christianity. In addition, it is something that is found across boundaries of faith and denominations. In fact, it is studied and practised in secular, non-religious contexts

Prologue

From text: The contributions in this volume were originally presented as papers at a symposium on the Bible and Spirituality, held at Glenfall House, Cheltenham from 4-6 May 2010 and hosted by the University of Gloucestershire. Initiative for the symposium was taken by Pieter G.R. de Villiers of the University of the Free State and Lloyd Pietersen of the University of Gloucestershire. The meeting was the result of personal contact between the two of them over a number of years to discuss their common interest in Biblical Spirituality and to promote the discipline at their academic institutions. They wish to express their appreciation to Bible Society and to Dr Shelley Saguaro, Head of the Department of Humanities at the University of Gloucestershire, for their support which enabled the symposium to take place