Postmoderne kerk-wees in die lig van publieke teologie – eenheid en verskeidenheid

Being postmodern church in light of public theology – unity and diversityFoundationalism criticizes the “relativism” of postmodernity which deconstructs absolute and objective totalitarian truth claims. Although most postmodern scholars deny advocating relativism, they do acknowledge that plurality features significantly in postmodern thinking. Plurality and diversity are important to the theological discourse tool, because the church claims to be catholic and ecumenical. In a postmodern context people who do not necessarily affiliate with the institutional church may nevertheless regard themselves as Christians. The article supports a public theological discourse and aims to provide a framework for reflection on unity and diversity in postmodern faith communities. Public practical theology includes the public as one of its audiences. After a brief overview of the phenomenon of postmodernity, the article explores the role of plurality in ecclesiology. It reflects on the challenge of facilitating a dialogue between members of churches and those who regard themselves as spiritual in the secularized context of a “churchless Christianity”. The purpose of the article is to contribute to the ecumenism and the catholicity of the church

Karl Barth’s male-female order: A kingpin of dogmatic disparity

Karl Barth’s gender perspective is often analysed with reference to his so-called “theoethics” or “creational theology”. This perspective perpetuates an asymmetry in gender relations that was prevalent in Biblical times, throughout Christianity and to some extent still is visible today. He based his view on the subordination of women on an exegesis of Genesis 1:27 as “intertext” of Ephesians 5:22-23. Barth’s asymmetrical gender perspective is a product of his embedment in Western Christian tradition which in turn, is rooted in early Christian patriarchal theology. The aim of this article is to focus on Barth’s ontological reframing of the traditional understanding of the Biblical notion of human beings as created in the “image of God”. The article consists of four sections: (a) Luther’s and Calvin’s gender perspectives; (b) the Enlightenment failure to achieve emancipation; (c) gender disparity in Reformed theology; and (d) a feminist alternative

Hegemony and the internalisation of homophobia caused by heteronormativity

The aim of the article is to focus on hegemony as it relates to the issue of sexuality and the trauma imposed on sexual minorities. A point of departure is that social identity theories can shed light on homophobia. The article argues that an empathic approach to those traumatised by internalised homophobia calls for a gay-friendly psychotherapy/analysis. The article reflects particularly on how heteronormativity maintains homophobia. It also illustrates the relationship between homophobia and social scientific insights regarding personality types and gender. The concepts homophobia and the internalisation of homophobia are discussed by focusing on aspects such as personality types and violence. The article finds that blind submission to heteronormativity, an outdated social construct, traumatises those who do not conform to the hetero norm, in two ways: hegemony is one consequence, and internalised homophobia is another

Karl Barth’s male-female order as asymmetrical theoethics

This article is to argues that Karl Barth’s revelation-based theology represents male bias entrapped within patriarchal Christian tradition. The rigid way of using the revelation-based model in exegesis and theology goes against the grain of Barth’s otherwise flexible epistemology. It is particularly evident in the connection between Barth’s theoetics and his view on the subordination of women. In two articles written from a gender critical perspective the focus of the first article is on Barth’s asymmetrical theoethics and that of the second on the disparity in his dogmatics. The aim of the first article is to trace the influence of the Christian tradition (including early Christianity) on his theology. The aim of the second article is to explain Barth’s dogmatic disparity as the product of his neoorthodox understanding of Reformed tradition

Child-headed households because of the trauma surrounding HIV/AIDS

By the year 2002 14 million children had been orphaned globally because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A great number of these have become the heads of households, are forced to look after themselves and siblings, drop out of school, are vulnerable to many forms of abuse and have found work to take care of themselves and their siblings. Misinformation, ignorance and prejudice concerning HIV/AIDS limit the willingness of a community to provide for the orphans who have been affected by the disease. This article aims to address the question why this is also the case in South Africa and why the African philosophy of “ubuntu” (humaneness), does not seem to make a difference. This study build upon fieldwork undertaken in the Bophelong area among HIV/AIDS orphans who function as heads of households and children who have been orphaned due to circumstances other than HIV/AIDS. The article concludes that religious communities can fill the gap left by the lack of “ubuntu” and can play a major role in nurturing HIV/AIDS orphans who function as heads of households. Churches can build a supportive environment where HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children can feel accepted

’n Feministiese narratief-pastorale perspektief op die huwelikbevestigingsformuliere van die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk

A feminist narrative pastoral perspective on the marriage formularies of the Nederduitsch Hervormde ChurchThis article is the second which focuses on the metaphor “the church as bride”. Its aim is to demystify this metaphor’s use in the marriage formulary of the Nederduitsch  Hervormde Church of Africa from the perspective of an ideological-critical analysis of the formulary. This formulary is specifically based on Ephesians 5:21-33 and Hosea 1 and 2 as “intertext”. In light of a narrative pastoral model within the context of feminist hermeneutics the article argues that the patriarchal ideology behind the metaphor constitutes the wording of the formulary and that this ideology contributes to negative experiences of women in marriage relationships

Die huwelik as identiteitsmerker in die Ou Testament

Marriage as identity marker in the Old Testament The formularies used for  consecrating marriages in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church reflect this church’s view on matrimony. As the biblical bases of the formularies are deficient, new ways of exploring biblical information on this subject should be followed. This article proposes that data on marriage in the Bible always be used in conjunction with other concepts to form theological constructs to outline who God is and who his people are. It is always intended to be an identity marker to the members of the church. In the three Genesis cycles of Genesis 11:10-25:11; 25:12-35:29 and 36:1-50:26 heirship, marriage and land are used in an integrated construct to indicate the  identity of the post-exilic community in Yehud. In the penitential prayers of Ezra 9:6-15 and Nehemia 9:5b-37 the concepts law, land and marriage are jointly used to depict the identity of the “real” Israel. The conclusion drawn from this investigation is that the Bible does not present models for marriage, but rather theological constructs to understand the relationship with the Lord in metaphorical terms and to reflect on the meaning of everyday life of that relationship including matrimony under ever changing social circumstances

Domestic abuse in the household of God

The article compares the victimization that takes place in a dysfunctional abusive household and that which takes place in the household of God (Eph 2:9) where the bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2) is abused at the hands of individuals that constitute what we know as the church system. This is often directed at the poor, individuals belonging to minority groups or those who for various reasons are unable to stand up against a system such as the Christian Church. The “analogical-familial theology” of Stephen Post is used as starting point. This “theology” involves four sequential, but nonlinear, stages: covenant, grace, empowering, and intimacy. The article broadens the spectrum of the theory beyond the family unit and to apply it to the broader family that belongs to God, the church. The aim of the article is to use these components from the analogical familial theology as framework and also as the criteria by which the experiences of those who see themselves as victims of abuse in the church are investigated

Worship as transformational object : aesthetic experience and the “unthought known”

Meaning is formed where an evocative object and the unconscious meet. Such an object can be a thing, a person, a place, art, word, sound or atmosphere. This way of forming meaning does not depend on thinking. Psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas calls it the unthought known. It is a form of knowing that is perceived through imagination – that capacity that mediates between thinking and sensing. The aim of the article is to explore worship as transformational object in discussion with Johan Cilliers’ A space for grace: Towards an aesthetics of preaching. In a worship event a rich variety of elements can contribute to aesthetic experience: from space and architecture to art, colour form and symbols, to sound, music and singing, bodily participation, and the spoken word. The article explores how these can function as evocative objects that have the capacity to affect the psyche and transform the self.http://ojs.reformedjournals.co.za/index.php/stjam2020Practical Theolog

Monastic retreat and pastoral care in the Dutch Reformed tradition

Of late, there has been a growing interest in retreat among clergy and members of congregations in the Dutch Reformed tradition in South Africa. The article investigates the relevance of the monastic traditions for this growing interest in Reformed circles. It focuses on aspects of retreat such as the role of holy places in the monastic traditions (e.g., monasteries, cathedrals, retreat centers) and the experience of silence, solitude, regeneration, divine presence and spiritual formation. Proceeding from an epistemological reflection on the subject as described in a previous article, the aim of this article is to explore the “action of retreat” as a narrative research journey and pilgrimage in order to investigate the relevance of the Benedictine, Franciscan and Taizé monastic-mystic traditions (seen as an associative/mystic spirituality) for retreat in the Dutch Reformed tradition (which is seen as a disassociative/rational/ dogmatic spirituality)