What is “theology” in “public theology” and what is “public” about “public theology”?

This article sets out to argue that institutional Christianity does not have the exclusive rights to “doing theology”. Since Plato theology has assumed systematization of ideas on the transcendent divine. The practice of theology is to be found in both the professional academy and in the public square. Spirituality is not to be reserved for people longing for God within the context of today's mass consumerist populist culture. Spirituality and religion overlap and, therefore, today's postmodern spirituality need not result in the end of religion. However, institutional religion is indeed dying and ”public theology” is not about theologians or pastors “doing theology” in the public square. Public theologicans are the film directors, artists, novelists, poets, and philosophers. The article argues that “public theology” could facilitate a dialogue between the theological discourse of academics and the public theological discourse. The article shows that “public theology” does to an extent overlap with ecclesial and contextual theology. In its core “public theology” is seen as the inarticulate longing of believers who do not want to belong. HTS Theological Studies/Teologiese Studies Vol. 64 (3) 2008: pp. 1213-123

“Op die aarde net soos in die hemel”: Matteus se eskatologie as die koninkryk van die hemel wat reeds begin kom het

“On earth as it is in heaven”: Matthew's eschatology as the kingdom of heaven that has come: In the article time as both “imagined” and “experienced” is explained against the background of the first-century Mediterranean conceptualisation of time. This reading scenario is seen as over against a modern Eurocentric ethnocentric interpretation of the concept “apocalyptic-eschatology”. The aim of the article is to argue that Matthew's narration of the demolition of the temple in Jerusalem concurs with his belief that the first followers of Jesus experienced the vision of the coming of the Son of man and that both these experiences are presented in Matthew as though Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection are incidents of the past. Matthew's eschatology centres on the view that the final consummation of time has already begun. The article explores the ethical appeal which is communicated through such an eschatological reading scenario. This appeal is summarised by Jesus' words “On earth as it is in heaven”. The article consists of a conversation about core issues in mainstream interpretations of what Matthew's eschatology could be within the narrative's plot as it contextualised in formative Christianity and formative Judaism. The view assumed in this article is that the “time” and the experiences of Matthew's church and those of Jesus and his disciples are considered to be integrated within the history of Israel. HTS Theological Studies Vol. 64 (1) 2008: pp. 529-56

’n Nuwe-Testamentiese begronding van die eenheid van die kerk en die eis om kerkeenheid vandag

The foundation of the unity of the church in the New Testament and the quest for unity todayEarly Christendom was not an Unitarian movement, but in the New Testament there is a quest for unity. However, this unity was not juridically meant to be institutional of nature. The concern of this article is to argue that the unity of the church in the New Testament is Theologically, Christologically, Pneumatically and kerygmatically founded. Since the church is the household of God, the relationship similar to that of a family home will hold the church together. Building upon the foundation laid by the apostolic tradition the presbyters-bishops, like fathers taking responsibilty for a home, are to be providing the foundation of the unity of the church grounded on their kerygma that the household of God is pneumatically united with the body of the crucified and risen Christ

A S Geyser, teologiese dosent 1946-1961

A S Geyser, lecturer in theology 1946-1961In this article the academic role of Professor A S Geyser is briefly discussed. He lectured in New Testament Studies and Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria from 1946. He resigned in 1961, after a period of strife. His publications show a consistence in exegetical approach and theological description. His historical-criticai investigation was aimed beyond the New Testament into the pretexts which evidenced the commencement of the universal apostolate at Antioch. Inferred from his exegetical results he propounded the unity of the church as an imperative for today. However,against the background of the South African political history from 1948 to 1961, the political and ecumenical implications of Geyser’s theological convictions werenot acceptable to the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk

’n Redaksionele voonvoord tot die Hervorrade Teologiese Studies se Goue Jubileum

No Abstract

Jesus en die sosiaal-veragtes

Jesus and the social outcastsThe article argues that Jesus, as a first century Jew, must be seen as part of the social outcasts of his days. The group, however, should not anachronistically be treated from modern economical and political perspectives. It is illustrated how the social outcasts are led by Jesus to an existence of trust in the presence of God in spite of depressive circumstances and the apparent elusiveness of God

Die eerste tree op weg na ’n kritiese en historiese Nuwe-Testamentiese wetenskap aan die Universiteit van Pretoria: Die bydrae van J H J A Greyvenstein, hoogleraar 1917-1945

J H J A Greyvenstein, Professor 1917-1945 - paving the way for a critical and historical understanding of the New Testament at the University of PretoriaJ H J A Greyvenstein was the first lecturer in New Testament Studies at the TUC, which later became the University of Pretoria. His understanding of the New Testament witnesses to a critical and historical scientific consciousness. The aim of this article is to argue primarily from Greyvenstein’s lectures, given during the first years of theological training at the TUC, that he paved the way for studying the New Testament from a critical and historical exegetical perspective. This perspective was accompanied by faith that can be described as an absolute dependance on God in pursuance of Jesus’ sonship experience

Die vroeg-Christelike doop as kultureelrituele simbool

Early Christian baptism as a cultural, ritual symbol This article describes baptism as a cultural, ritual symbol. Baptism is seen as a symbol consisting of reason, value and meaning. The reason why baptism functions as a symbol has a historical basis in the death and resurrection of Jesus. For the first Jesus followers the value of being baptized was that they became part of a new value system. This value system gave meaning to the lives of the baptized and others who stood in relationship with them. The initiation into this alternative lifestyle (through baptism) was made possible by an altered state of consciousness

HTS Theological Studies and Verbum et Ecclesia – the journals of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria: Historical overview and strategic planning

This article celebrates the centenary of the University of Pretoria (UP) in 2008. The editors of Verbum et Ecclesia and HTS Theological Studies, the two theological journals associated with the Faculty of Theology at UP, reflect on the journals\' historical roots, editorial focuses, distinctive features, subscription and language statistics and on their\' contribution to support the academic study of theology and related disciplines. The Faculty of Theology was founded in 1917 and celebrated its ninetieth birthday in 2007. The origin of its journals dates back to 1943. This article discusses the challenges that academic journals face in South Africa and undertakes strategic planning for the future. A concluding addendum, consisting of statistical diagrams with regard to the journals\' profile during the last five years, illustrates the argument. HTS Theological Studies Vol. 64 (1) 2008: pp. 9-2

A fruitful missional exegesis for a missional hermeneutic and missiology

Bosch (1991:497) advocated for a ‘third-way’ (Bekele 2011:155; Du Plessis 1990:83) in which a deductive and an inductive approach were unified in a creative tension. A fruitful interdependence is achieved by means of the methodological approach of missional exegesis in which text and context are interrelated in a fruitful biblical way reaping the benefits of both the biblical and missional disciplines for a missional hermeneutic. In this approach the formula, t (text) + c (context) = ms (missional strategy), is suggested by the authors as the starting point for two-directional exegesis from text to context, or context to text, in which neither text nor context is emphasised at the exclusion of expense of the other. It is vital that for a practical interpretation in which the missional context informs the biblical interpretation and vice versa, that a missional hermeneutic and missiology be biblically grounded by the instrument of missional exegesis