Hasil untuk "The Bible"

Lon Safko

Juanda Juanda, Sri Binar, Harman Z. Laia

This study examines the exegetical debate concerning the antecedent pronoun ‘τοῦτο’ in Ephesians 2:8–9 and the phrase ‘ἐχαρίσθη … πιστεύειν’ in Philippians 1:29, with the primary objective of determining whether faith is a divine gift or a human response in the process of salvation. Employing a grammatical–historical exegetical approach, this study concludes that faith is best understood as a human response to divine grace rather than a direct gift from God. This conclusion is further supported by an analysis of various biblical texts that consistently indicate that while God provides every individual with the opportunity to believe in Christ, the act of faith itself remains within the domain of human responsibility. Additionally, this study highlights the translation of Soera Ni’amoni’ö concerning these texts, which aligns with its findings. Consequently, the results of this study have significant theological implications for the Nias Christian community, including Catholics, in understanding the role of faith in salvation as a human response originating from individual volition rather than as a directly bestowed gift from God. Contribution: This study contributes to soteriological scholarship by affirming, through a grammatical–historical exegetical analysis, that faith is a human response rather than a direct gift from God. Its findings enrich academic debates on the relationship between grace and faith while providing a contextual perspective through an analysis of the Soera Ni’amoni’ö translation, which aligns with this conclusion.

Zhejia Tang

In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Lin Chaoen, who was also called the ‘Two heresies of Minzhong’ with Li Zhi, was famous for advocating the thought of ‘Three-in-One Doctrine’ and establishing the Religion of Three-in-One. In the past, the study of Lin Chaoen and the Religion of Three-in-One was basically based on religious study, and his identity as a scholar was ignored. Therefore, this article mainly analyses Lin Chaoen’s thought of ‘Three-in-One Doctrine’ from the field of philosophy and reveals the close relationship between his theory of three religions and the formation of the Religion of Three-in-One. Lin Chaoen’s thought originated from Yangming’s mind philosophy; thus, the emergence of the Religion of Three-in-One also means that the traditional Confucianism has the possibility of becoming a folk religion. Contribution: This article examines Lin Chaoen’s thought of ‘Three-in-One Doctrine’ from the perspective of philosophical theory, and reveals that the essence of his thought of ‘Three-in-One Doctrine’ is Yangming’s mind philosophy. Moreover, this article analyses the transformation process from the thought of ‘Three-in-One Doctrine’ to the Religion of Three-in-One, and reveals that the Religion of Three-in-One is a new type of folk religion developed from an academic group.

Diego Galego

Despite the growing violence against LGBTQ people nationwide, the National Congress of Brazil has failed to pass any legislation protecting LGBTQ rights. The executive and judiciary have compensated for this legislative gap by protecting LGBTQ rights through palliative LGBTQ policies. By historically analyzing the anti-homophobia bill PLC 122 and presenting a discourse analysis of ten anti-LGBTQ rights bills, as well as the results of semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in the billing process (2001–2021), this article seeks to unpack why and how the anti-homophobia bill was never approved in Congress. In part, Congress’ delay in approving the anti-homophobia bill is due to conservative opposition, a weak coalition between the executive and legislative branches of government, and the fact that more religious parliamentarians are represented in politics. As a result, LGBTQ bills introduced to Congress have become political weapons used by conservative and fundamentalist religious politicians as part of electoral campaign strategies. The anti-homophobia bill has opened a political window where anti-LGBTQ discourses sustain conservative politics and enforce the alliance between religion and politics. Moreover, the bill has strengthened the religious and conservative discourse, policy manipulation and the emergence of conspiracy theories—framing the bill as “opposing God’s people” and as constraining the freedom of religion and spreading fear of pastors and priests being jailed. The main conclusion is that policy and political discourses oscillate between making decisions according to the Constitution or the Bible, creating constraints and opportunities for the approval of the LGBTQ bill in the Brazilian Congress.

Beatrice Bonanno

Being a literal and relatively precise translation of the Hebrew text, the Septuagint (LXX) of the book of Ruth attests divergences or variants in relation to the Masoretic text (MT) in the details of the text. These variants, if not inconsistent or linked to a different Hebrew Vorlage, could be explained as a translator’s choice to promote clarity, add a particular nuance or introduce innovation at the narrative level of the text. This is, for instance, the case in the legal process that runs through the fourth chapter of the book. Amongst all of the legal aspects illustrated in Ruth 4, this contribution presents a case study, focusing on the interjection in Ruth 4:7 that explains the legal custom. After analysing the equivalence between the Hebrew text and its Greek rendering, this article offers several new insights aimed to produce a more nuanced characterisation of the translation technique of the Greek translator of the LXX-Ruth and a clearer understanding of the nuances, innovations and specificities of the LXX-Ruth. Contribution: This article contributes to the ‘Focus and Scope’ of HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies because it deals with both the textual history of the Bible – more precisely, with its process of translation from Hebrew into Greek – and the exegesis of the LXX. Indeed, it highlights new insights into the translation technique of the Greek translator of the LXX-Ruth and on the nuances, innovations and specificities of the LXX-Ruth.

Sepetla Molapo

This article takes interest in solidarity as sovereign responsibility. Sovereign responsibility is a nonproductive form of care that emerges at the interface of order defined by a privileging of economy and a general economy defined by a return to order of life lost to death. It is this return that unveils the existence and operations of a general economy that order presupposes. The article locates its discussion of sovereign responsibility at two levels of relationality. Firstly, it situates its deliberations concerning sovereign responsibility in the family and among kin. Here it argues that as a form of solidarity, sovereign responsibility positions relations among kin as those of neighbours. Secondly, it shows that the question of the neighbour extends beyond kinship relations and into the realm of extra-kinship relations where others and strangers appear as neighbours. The overall argument of the article is that sovereign responsibility holds potential to facilitate an Afrocentred and counter-hegemonic response to the modern experience of alienation. Contribution: The modern experience of alienation, as well as how it can be challenged, are of interest to this article. The article recognises that numerous attempts have been made to try and address this problematic of alienation in modernity. What it claims has not been done is to engage that problem by taking Africa as an idea, and not just geography, seriously.

Kang Bin

While the oracles against Tyre are often understood in terms of Tyre’s political and economic relationship with Judah and advocate a sovereign God who oversaw the destiny of foreign powers, this article explores the oracles against Tyre, particularly Ezek 28:1–19, from the perspective of honour and shame in an ancient Mediterranean context. It finds that the rhetoric of the contrasting notion of honour and shame plays an important role in understanding the rise and fall of the king of Tyre in Ezek 28:1–19. The fluctuation of honour and shame with regards to the Adamic identity of the king of Tyre in the passage serves to enhance in a forceful and sarcastic way the reality of the king’s mortal human fate. I propose that the purpose of this oracle, in light of the honour/shame rhetoric, is to address the suffering Israelites in exile with comfort and assurance in that crucial moment of history. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2021/v34n3a11

Ahmad Baidowi, Ahmad Salehudin, Abdul Mustaqim et al.

No abstract available.

Auwais Rafudeen

No abstract available.

Fábio Luiz Ribeiro, Dilermando Ramos Vieira

A maioria dos escravos traficados para o Brasil praticava as crenças tradicionais, e criariam artifícios para conservá-las. Na concepção da realidade que tinham, a fé era sentida não como um “aspecto”, e sim como uma realidade norteadora nas suas mais diversas manifestações. Também na América isso se manteve pela transmissão oral, fundamentada na memória milenar, possibilitando a reprodução dos valores ancestrais em outro espaço sócio-religioso. Como, porém, as crenças não eram uniformes, e isso fica evidente pela enumeração das etnias trazidas, no processo de reconstrução, cada uma delas desenvolveria características específicas. Era nesse ponto que a piedade mariana tinha uma importância crucial como atração, dado seu enorme apelo festivo e sentimental. Disso, resultou toda uma gama de manifestações “hibridas” de culto, que sobreviveram aos tempos, estando, ainda hoje, presentes, nas mais variadas formas, em todas as regiões do Brasil.

Christopher Magezi

This article responds to the emerging need for theology to be more engaged in the issue of migration and to develop a thorough biblical-theological foundation for a migration theology that challenges the Church to effectively respond to the challenges faced by migrants. This is accomplished by utilising Matthew’s genealogy in a quest to explore God’s use of migration to accomplish his redemptive purposes and plans for humankind. Although Matthew’s genealogy cites many patriarchs of Israel, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – all of whom are involved in various migrations that God uses to advance his redemptive plans and purposes for humankind – the focus of this article is to underscore that the salvation and inclusion of some women from Gentile ethnic groups, specifically Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, in Matthew’s genealogy emphasises the importance of migration in redemptive history. Through this insight, the article challenges humanity to respond positively to migrants’ challenges, as well as implores theology to engage more in migration issues/debates. On the one hand, God brings migrants to people’s doorsteps for purposes that are unknown to them, i.e. the Bible envisages a situation in which, when God wants non-believers to know him, he migrates them to where his people are. On the other hand, God also advances his kingdom by migrating his people (Christians) to faraway places so that they may be in contact with non-believers. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This is an interdisciplinary article that brings both the Old and New Testaments into conversation with each other regarding the subject of migration in redemptive history. The contribution of the article lies in recovering the importance of migration in redemptive history.

Daniel Estivill

De acuerdo con el criterio de varios estudiosos y creyentes, un edificio bello, funcional, simbólicamente eficaz e idóneo para servir como modelo del edificio de culto cristiano no emerge con claridad en el panorama de la arquitectura sacra contemporánea. El origen de este fenómeno no debería buscarse en el desarrollo progresivo de la arquitectura sino en la doctrina litúrgica que inspira la concepción de las nuevas iglesias. Con esta premisa, el objetivo de la reflexión es llamar la atención sobre las consecuencias que ha provocado uno de los cambios más sobresalientes de la reforma litúrgica post-conciliar: la orientación del altar hacia el pueblo. Con tal propósito se proponen estas consideraciones sobre la ubicación del tabernáculo y la relación entre la iconografía litúrgica y el espacio arquitectónico. El propósito, en consecuencia, es hacer evidente la discontinuidad de algunas disposiciones post-conciliares sobre lo que ha sido dispuesto por el Concilio. Además, se subraya que el modelo deseado podrá sólo surgir como resultado de orientaciones precisas en materia de arquitectura sacra, que tengan como fundamento la interpretación de los textos conciliares según la hermenéutica de la reforma en la continuidad.

Teresa Martinho Toldy

Resumo: as mulheres e as crianças são as principais vítimas dos desequilíbrios ecológicos geradores de formas de pobreza extrema. Não basta constatar a existência destas situações: é preciso reconhecer as interligações existentes entre formas de injustiça, mas também entre formas de libertação. Ã? preciso construir teologias feministas que procurem â??ecologias de saberes e de práticasâ? de emancipação Palavras-chave: Ecofeminismo. Fome. Sede. Ecologia de Saberes. Teologias Feministas.

G. Duwe, M. Hallett, Joshua Hays et al.

Lutz Schrader

Rezension zu Christian Wagner, Die Septuaginta-Hapaxlegomena im Buch Jesus Sirach. Untersuchungen zu Wortwahl und Wortbildung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des textkritischen und übersetzungstechnischen Aspekts (BZAW 282), Berlin/New York 1999.

B.J. van der Walt

Abstract The world-picture of the reformed biologist, Jan Lever (1922-2010) from an evolutionary theory towards an evolutionistic faith? Evolution as a theory is today proclaimed widely, accepted by many as a fact and it is often reflected even in South Africa in the prescribed textbooks for school and universities. The main question to be discussed in this reflection is whether the idea of evolution always remains a mere theory. Does it not often, even unintentionally, eventually develop into an evolutionistic faith or worldview and thus becomes to Christians an unacceptable worldview? Different contemporary secular thinkers openly acknowledge the dependence of their theory of evolution upon an agnostic or an atheistic faith and/or, vice versa, their evolutionary theory leading toward unbelief. Some Christian-reformed natural scientists (1) clearly rejected the hypothesis of evolution, including an evolutionistic worldview. Others (2), again including those from the reformed Christian tradition, are of the opinion that, after God (before time) created everything, reality unfolded or developed under His guidance. In the case of a third group (3) Christian evolutionary scientists it seems as if the compromise or synthesis which they tried to achieve between their Christian convictions and their scientific hypotheses could not be achieved. Finally they had to choose in favour of the one or the other. A first article (cf. Van der Walt, 2016a) already discussed these varying and even clashing viewpoints among Christians. It focussed on the position of an earlier, well-known reformed theologian from the Netherlands (Abraham Kuyper) and a South African Christian philosopher (Hendrik Stoker). A second contribution on the same issue (cf. Van der Walt, 2016b) shifted attention to the viewpoints of three biologists from the reformed Christian circle, viz. Harry Diemer, Duyvené de Wit and Jan Lever. The first two of them may be regarded as representatives of position (2) above, while the third initially belonged to (2) but after about 1970 gradually developed towards (3). The present article follows Lever’s thinking from about the seventies up to 2010. An increasing tension developed between his Christian belief in the Bible, and God as Creator and his zoological research according to an evolutionary paradigm. It gradually becomes evident that he ascribed such weight and even revelationary power to his scholarly results that it eventually clashed and overpowered his Christian worldview, replacing it with an evolutionistic world-picture or even a (semi-)evolutionistic worldview. Opsomming Evolusie as teorie word vandag wyd verkondig, deur baie as ʼn feit aanvaar, en word dus ook gereflekteer in handboeke vir sekondêre en tersiêre instellings. Die hoofprobleem wat in hierdie refleksie bespreek word, is of die evolusieteorie altyd ʼn blote teorie of hipotese bly. Gebeur dit nie dikwels, selfs onbedoeld en geleidelik, dat dit eventueel in ʼn evolusionistiese geloof en lewensvisie ontwikkel en op dié wyse vir Christene ‘n onaanvaarbare wêreldbeskouing word nie? Verskillende huidige sekulêre denkers erken vandag reeds openlik die afhanklikheid van hulle evolusieteorie van ʼn agnostiese of ateïstiese geloof en/of die omgekeerde: dat hulle evolusieteorie tot so ʼn geloof voer. Sommige Christelike natuurwetenskaplikes (1) verwerp duidelik die evolusieteorie en ook ʼn evolusionistiese lewensvisie. Ander (2), wat ook verteenwoordigers uit die Christelik-gereformeerde tradisie insluit, is van mening dat, nadat God (voor tyd daar was) alles geskep het, die werklikheid onder sy voorsienigheid verder ontplooi of evolveer het. In die geval van ʼn derde groep Christelik-evolusionêre bioloë (3) wil dit voorkom asof die kompromie of sintese wat hulle tussen hulle Christelike oortuigings en wetenskaplike hipoteses en teorieë wou bereik, gefaal het. Aan die einde moes hulle vir die een of die ander kies. In ʼn eerste artikel (vgl. Van der Walt, 2016a) is alreeds hierdie verskillende en selfs botsende gesigspunte onder Christenwetenskaplikes bespreek. Dit was toegespits op die standpunte van ʼn vroeëre bekende gereformeerde teoloog (Abraham Kuyper) van Nederland en ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse Christelike filosoof (Hendrik Stoker). In ʼn tweede bydrae oor dieselfde vraagstuk het die aandag geval op die visies van drie gereformeerde bioloë, naamlik Harry Diemer, Duyvené de Wit en Jan Lever (vgl. Van der Walt, 2016b). Die eerste twee kan beskou word as verteenwoordigers van standpunt (2) hierbo, terwyl die derde persoon se siening aanvanklik ook onder dieselfde groep geval het, maar sedert ongeveer 1970 in die rigting van (3) ontwikkel het. Die huidige artikel volg Lever se ontwikkeling vanaf ongeveer 1970 tot 2010. Daarvolgens ontstaan daar ʼn toenemende spanning tussen sy Christelike geloof in die Bybel van God as Skepper en sy dierkundige navorsing volgens ʼn evolusionêre paradigma. Dit word duidelik dat hy geleidelik soveel gewig en selfs openbarende krag aan sy wetenskaplike resultate geheg het dat dit eventueel gebots het met en selfs sy Christelike lewensbeskouing oorrompel het om vervang te word met ʼn evolusionistiese wêreldbeeld of selfs (semi-)evolusionistiese wêreldvisie. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.81.1.2253

William den Hollander

The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70 was an unquestionably traumatic event in the history of the Jewish people. By all accounts it was a social, political, and theological disaster. As such, contemporary Jewish figures wrestled with the meaning of the event. This article analyses the efforts by two figures in this internal Jewish dialogue to provide this meaning, namely, the historian Josephus and Jesus of Nazareth. We will see that in both cases the meaning of the destruction was rooted in the firm conviction of the God of Israel’s existence and his self-revelation in Scripture. The temple was destroyed not apart from God or in spite of God, but in full accordance with his will. This will, moreover, was judged to be accessible through Scripture, both in terms of its prophetic value and its establishment of a metanarrative – redemptive history – that provided a framework for historical events. In addition, the reason for the destruction was judged by both to be the sins of (certain) people. The major difference between them lay rather in the question of which sins exactly were judged to be responsible.

Erwin Ochsenmeier

B. Smalley

H. W. Robinson