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Karlowicz, Tobias Amadeus. "Reclaiming Pusey for theology : allegory, communion, and sacrifice." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/4122.
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Edward Bouverie Pusey once towered over nineteenth-century British theology, but he has now fallen into almost entire insignificance. However, analysis of this decline (Chapter 1) leads to a reassessment. His development—especially his complicated relationship with pre-Tractarian High Church Anglicanism—shows a deep criticism of post-Enlightenment intellectual trends, from his early years through his association with the Oxford Movement and the Tracts for the Times, to the end of his life (Chapter 2). This criticism led him to the patristic use of allegory, both as a biblical hermeneutic and as a creative, complex, image-based approach to theology (Chapter 3). His development of High Church theology (seen especially through comparison with Waterland) and his use of allegory can be traced throughout his theology. His understanding of union with Christ and theosis reveals both: the sacraments have a strong symbolic dimension, while his positions on baptismal regeneration and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist show a development rather than a rejection of earlier High Church theology (Chapters 4 and 5). His understanding of the atonement blends High Church reliance on sacrificial types with his unitive theology to reconfigure traditional satisfaction theory as restoration of love for God, rather than redemption from punishment—a position which marks Pusey as an important transitional figure in 19th c. theology (Chapter 6). The flexibility of Pusey's allegorical approach also allows him to blend a High Church tradition of spiritual sacrifice with sacramental participation in Christ's self-offering, so that sacrifice becomes an aspect of union with Christ (Chapter 7). Pusey's use of allegory shows similarities to postmodern theology, while his development of High Church theology shows his originality (Chapter 8).
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Folkerth, Wes 1964. "Nathaniel Hawthorne's subversive use of allegorical conventions." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=56665.
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The literary and socio-political environments of early nineteenth-century America demanded from Hawthorne a new formulation of the allegorical mode, which in turn afforded him means to critique that same historical situation. His metonymic and realistic uses of allegorical techniques invert the emphasis of traditional allegory, permitting him subversively to critique the idealist principles of contemporary historiography and the Transcendentalist movement. Hawthorne's discontent with antebellum historiography's conflation of the Puritan colonists and the Revolutionary fathers, and with Transcendentalism's disregard for the darker side of human nature, led him to critique these idealisms in his fictions. His appropriation of allegorical conventions allowed him to enact this critique subversively, without alienating the increasingly nationalistic American reading public. This subversive program exerts a global influence on Hawthorne's work. The first chapter of this thesis defines my use of the term "allegory." The second situates Hawthorne within the allegorical tradition, the third within the American ideological context. The last two chapters identify and discuss Hawthorne's appropriations of the allegorical conventions of personification and procession as they are found in each of the three forms in which he most commonly wrote: the sketch, the tale, and the historical romance.
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Elliott, Mark 1948. "Archaeology, Bible and interpretation: 1900-1930." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/288877.
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This is a study of the interpretation of archaeological data by Anglo-American Bible scholars, though the emphasis is primarily American, in scholarly and popular publications from 1900-1930. The major archaeological research interest for many Anglo-American biblical scholars was its direct reflection on the biblical record. Many were devout and reared on a literal reading of Scripture. Traditional scholars insisted that the function of archaeology was to provide evidence to validate the Bible and to disprove higher criticism. They were clearly motivated by theological concerns and created an archaeology of faith that authenticated the word of the Lord and protected Christian doctrines. Liberal or mainstream scholars rejected conservative methods that simply collated archaeological data to attack the documentary hypothesis and its supporters. Several eminent Bible scholars developed important studies on the interpretation of archaeological results from Palestine. They participated eagerly in analyzing archaeological material and refused to concede the field of biblical archaeology to theologically-motivated conservative scholars and theologians. They were determined to conduct important investigations of the archaeological evidence free from theological bias. Palestinian excavations lacked the spectacular architectural and inscriptural remains unearthed in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The popular press did occasionally report on the progress of several excavations from Palestine, but, for the most part, Palestinian excavations concentrated on tells and pottery and the results were disappointing. However, by the 1920s the New York Times was a major source of information concerning archaeological news and frequently carried stories that indicated that archaeology was confirming the biblical record and many of the Bible's revered figures. The Times played a vital role in popularizing biblical archaeology and contributed many illustrations of amazing archaeological discoveries that "proved" the historicity of the biblical text. W. F. Albright's scholarly conclusions in the 1920s were moderate. Albright's scholarship was not motivated by theological concerns as many have assumed. Though his religious convictions were assuredly conservative, his scholarship had little in common with the tendentious archaeological assumptions created by conservative Bible scholars and theologians. Albright's interpretations were based on the archaeological data and not on theological dogma.
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Jefferson, Wayne Hugh. "The educational purpose of art : a study of the life and works of G.F. Watts." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.327608.
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Wagers, William D. (William Delbert). "An Interpretation of Archaic Medical Treatises." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1993. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500572/.
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Ancient peoples did not distinguish between philosophy, religion, and science. Scientific truth did not exist apart from divine truth. Any new idea, finding, or theory was assimilated into a monolithic mythological structure. This is one of the causes of the underestimation of ancient science: it is always packaged in a myth - the method of preserving information in an oral culture. The mythological medium allowed the preservation and dissemination of hard-won, empirical, scientific knowledge through generations of preliterate peoples. The context for mythological memorization, or simply tradition, needed to be easily and naturally acquired. The ideal context was the anthropomorphic context, the ontogenic context. This is the Grand Allegory - the anthropomorphization of information. Biomyths are essentially biological texts allegorized in esoteric language.
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Gibbs, Carl B. "Principles of Bible interpretation an independent-study text /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1990. http://www.tren.com.
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Stafford, Barbara Ann. "Bernard Lonergan and New Testament interpretation." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11165/.
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Recent explorations in New Testament hermeneutics registers the need for a more wholistic approach to the text that also takes into consideration the role of the interpreter. This thesis investigates the potential of the theological method of jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan (d. 1984) in the task of interpretation. His methodology is promising as a hermeneutical tool as his theological framework takes into consideration both theological operations and the theologian as subject. While this study finds that there are distinct advantages in his approach, it also finds that there is need for development in the affective realm. In this regard, the work of Robert Doran is drawn on as a complement to Lonergan's methodology. Doran's contribution is significant, yet it is also restrictive. To broaden the perspective, the thesis draws on Jungian psychological material and it is suggested that both Lonergan's and Doran's findings can be more fully exploited as a hermeneutical tool, if the understanding of the role and function of the symbol is expanded.
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Honig, Matthew. "The oral nature of the Bible." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 2003. http://www.tren.com.
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Pak, Luke Kyungwhan. "Teaching the Inductive Bible Study Method of Bible Interpretation to Adults: a Comparison of Three Instructional Approaches." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277581/.
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This study compared three groups of adult learners in a church education environment in order to determine the effectiveness of using lecture/demonstration plus cooperative learning elements with or without group processing (LCL) as compared to the use of lecture/demonstration plus individualistic learning elements (LIL) with the Inductive Bible Study Method (IBSM) as the common subject for all groups. While group A experienced highly structured cooperative learning without having group processing, group B experienced highly structured cooperative learning with an emphasis on group processing. Group C served as a control group. This study took place with a total of five class hours. For measuring student cognitive achievement, the subjects were administered a written pretest and posttest in the form of a "use-of-IBSM measure." For measuring students' attitude toward Bible interpretation (as promoted by IBSM), the students responded to an "attitude-toward-Bible-interpretation measure" at pretest and posttest. For measuring students' affective reactions, the students responded to a posttest-only "students'-satisfaction-with-the-learning-experience measure". Students' attitude toward the philosophy behind IBSM was measured by using an "attitude-toward-IBSM" instrument at posttest. In addition, teachers and students were interviewed orally at posttest to ascertain their affective reactions to the instructional approach they experienced. Connections between demographic data and students' use and/or attitude toward ISBM, as well as their satisfaction with the learning experience and attitude toward cooperative versus individualistic instructional methodology were also explored. The data from the use-of IBSM as well as attutide-toward-Bible-interpretation measures were analyzed by analysis of covariance. Other posttest-only tests were analyzed by a priori comparisons. Three major findings of this study were: (1) LCL did not produce any significant impact on learners' use of IBSM, attitude toward IBSM, or satisfaction with the learning experiences compared to LIL; (2) Group processing did not enhance the achievement effects of the experimental group B when compared to other contrast groups; and (3) LCL promoted students' affective outcomes in the areas of consensus building and intragroup dynamics.
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Evans, John MacLaren. "Elihu and the interpretation of the book of Job." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1990. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1933/.
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Detailed analysis of a number of passages in 32-37 establishes: (1) that Elihu does not present a solution to the problem of the suffering of the innocent: his view of suffering as punishment for actual sin and intended to communicate to man the necessity of repentance, is not an enunciation of a distinctive conception of divine pedagogy or discipline, but represents essentially the same position as that of the three friends; (2) that neither his name nor his more extensive genealogy is significative of a spectral mediatorial role; it is probable that they merely fulfil the interpolator's purpose in symbolising the exalted spiritual status of Elihu and thereby legitimising the belated appearance of a hitherto unacknowledged participant in the debate; (3) that there is no basis for the conception of Elihu as a mediator between God and man; on the contrary, it is evident that he intervenes on behalf of God and against Job; his speeches are principally a polemic against the Divine speeches, to be understood, not as providing a transition to the theophany, but as rendering the appearance of God altogether unnecessary. In conclusion, it is suggested that a diachronic approach has continuing value in application not only to the book of Job, but to the Old Testament as a whole. A synchronic approach is in danger of assuming an intrinsic unity which in actuality does not exist. In its final form, Job is an amalgam that, far from possessing a theological or a literary, even a dramatic, unity, contains a multiplicity of voices and traditions, of which Elihu is one. To see the book otherwise is to neutralise the dynamic quality or message which has made it so enduring.
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McCord, Walter White. "The contribution of agricultural imagery to the interpretation of Amos." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1996. http://www.tren.com.
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Sherman, Hazel. "Reading Zechariah: an attempt to assess the allegorical tradition of biblical interpretation through the commentary of Didymus the blind." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.492695.
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Shute, Dan. "Peter Martyr and the Rabbinic Bible in the interpretation of Lamentations." Thesis, McGill University, 1995. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=39872.
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This thesis is a contribution to the study of the biblical interpretation of the Italian Reformer Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562). Specifically researched is Martyr's use of the Jewish resources of the 1525 Bomberg Bible in his interpretation of Lamentations, Martyr's earliest surviving commentary. The form of this investigation is as follows: first, an introduction to the use of Jewish resources by Christian students of scripture; secondly, an annotated translation of Martyr's Lamentations commentary; thirdly, conclusions concerning Martyr's use of Jewish commentary. After a select bibliography, there are appendices which include a synopsis of sixteenth century Latin translations of Lamentations and an annotated translation of the Jewish commentators on Lamentations in the 1525 Bomberg Bible. An argument will be made that Martyr drew much useful philology from the Jewish commentators but also unwittingly absorbed considerable non-philological exegesis in order to embellish his commentary and on occasion to evade the results of philological exegesis.
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George, Johnson. "A critical analysis and evaluation of the New age Bible interpretation." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1994. http://www.tren.com.
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Morse, Benjamin L. "The Bible and its modern methods interpretation between art and text /." Thesis, Thesis restricted. Connect to e-thesis to view abstract, 2008. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/498/.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008.Ph.D. submitted to the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Calvert, Nancy Lynn. "Abraham traditions in Middle Jewish literature : implications for the interpretation of Galatians and Romans." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1993. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1862/.
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In the first three sections of the thesis it is shown how the figure of Abraham functioned in different types of Middle Jewish works. In several different contexts, Abraham functioned as the ideal Jew. The most popular traditions were that Abraham was the first monotheist and anti-idolater, he was obedient to the Mosaic law, and he was hospitable. In Galatians Paul employed the first two Jewish traditions of Abraham in the context of early Christianity to define those who are now members of the people of God. Paul argued forcefully that obedience to law was inferior to being "in Christ" (Gal 3:10- 12, 17, 19, 23-26) because his Jewish Christian opponents were employing the figure of Abraham who was obedient to the Mosaic law to persuade Gentile Christian converts to adhere to the law. The figure of Abraham as the first anti-idolater and monotheist further informed the interpretation of Galatians. Obedience to the law was tantamount to idolatry (Gal 4:1-11). All those who were true children of Abraham should shun the law, just as Abraham was known to have shunned idolatry. In Romans, Paul played upon the tradition which connected Abraham with the Mosaic law (Rom 4:3). He redefined the faith of Abraham as the faith in the one God who gave life to the dead and who called into being the things that do not exist (Rom 4:17). He explained that the faith of Abraham in the God who gave life to the dead is the same as faith in the God who resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead for the forgiveness of sin (Rom 4:23-25). Paul reshaped the tradition of the monotheistic belief of Abraham into faith in the God of Christ. Through this analysis the thesis attempts to demonstrate the fruitfulness of setting Paul's discussion of Abraham in the context of Middle Jewish traditions about Abraham which have first been viewed in their own right and not simply subsumed under the categories of Paul's own gospel.
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Selvén, Sebastian Yosef. "Worship as interpretation : the liturgical reception of Isaiah 6." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2017. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/270004.
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This dissertation is an investigation into how the Hebrew Bible is used in (Rabbinic) Jewish and Christian liturgical settings, and how this impacts biblical scholars. I argue against the neglect of liturgy and ritual in reception studies and make the case that liturgy is one of the major influential forms of biblical reception. I do this by taking Isa. 6:3 as my example. My liturgical material is the qedushah liturgies in Ashkenazi Judaism and the Sanctus in three church traditions; (pre-1969) Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism (the Church of England) and Lutheranism (Martin Luther, and the Church of Sweden). As my focus is lived liturgy I investigate not just worship manuals and prayerbooks but also architecture, music and choreography. With an eye to modern-day uses, I trace the historical developments of liturgical traditions. To do this, I have used methodological frameworks from performance and theatre studies, as well as Clifford Geertz’s concept of “thick description”, from the realm of anthropology. I then analyse the impact this can have on biblical researchers, who often come from religious backgrounds. First I raise the issue of the identity of the seraphim in Isaiah 6, and their transformation in both the qedushot and the Sanctus into angels. I show how some of the tendencies in Jewish and Christian liturgy, and Christian iconography, recur in scholarship, for example the association with cherubim. The idea of an ongoing angelic liturgy, stressed especially in Jewish worship, also finds its way into scholarship. A second theme is the presumed liturgical nature of Isa. 6:3 itself. This common idea may, however, owe more to Jewish and Christian liturgical uses of it than to the text itself. In this context I discuss Christian liturgical uses which stress Trinitarian and Christological understandings of the text. I also bring up a nineteenth-century Swedish liturgical use which deviates from the Sanctus tradition. I use this to probe some of the modern ideas of holiness, and how Protestant liturgy has played a part in shaping the sentiments among scholars. Lastly I discuss the theme of Divine presence. Both the qedushot and the Sanctus are concerned with the presence of God. Jewish liturgy has shown a strong tendency to complicate the notion while in Christian liturgy it is instead concretised, either affirmatively or negatively. Some of these issues translate into scholarly debates, where scholarship often bears clear marks of especially Reformed theology. One shared tendency in both Jewish and Christian worship is to “spiritualise” Isaiah 6, and transpose it to a heavenly court. I argue that these ideas still make themselves felt in research on Isaiah 6.
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Anum, Eric Bortey. "The reconstruction of forms of African theology : towards effective biblical interpretation." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1999. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3466/.
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This thesis sets out to investigate current reconstruction of forms of African theology that is taking place in parts of Africa. The specific interest is to identify emerging biblical interpretative modes from these theologies and seek to suggest ways of making them effective for the benefit of African communities of readers and the biblical academia as a whole. After a brief consideration of the contribution of historical critical interpretation, this thesis then focused specifically on the development of African scholarly readings. The specific interest in these African readings is ·to provide the necessary criteria which will ensure that critical scholarly readings can both be differentiated and derived from popular readings. My interest in popular readings is because of the major role they play in the provision of contextual components or the missing links that can only be obtained from ordinary readers, that the scholarly reader needs in his/her reconstruction of· African self-understanding. I have therefore looked at the attempts to structure the relationship between ordinary readers and scholarly readers and out of that has come the contribution to the theologies of reconstruction in Africa. In summary, to respond to the quest for acceptable critical models of reading the Bible using African cultural texts and world view, it has become necessary to provide recommendations for African hermeneuts which would enhance their readings in order to make their contributions to scholarly biblical interpretation to the global community more effective. This is exactly what this thesis aims at achieving.
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Goertzen, Leroy W. "A theological interpretation of Ezekiel's temple vision." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1985. http://www.tren.com.
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Oktober, Pedro Aden. "Dissipelskap: 'n uitdaging vir die Kerk van die een-en-twintigste eeu na aanleiding van die Markus-evangelie." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2081.
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Thesis (MPhil (Old and New Testament. Bible Interpretation))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.This study deals with discipleship as a challenge to the church in the twenty first century, with the Gospel of Mark as a starting-point. Discipleship is after all the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It embraces the whole of the church’s existence; identity and integrity. Evans (2001:30) exclaims: “To be a true disciple, one must accept the fate of the Master; and the Master’s fate is inextricably bound up with his identity, purpose, and mission. True Discipleship cannot emerge in isolation from true Christology.”
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Latham, Roger Allonby. "Talking with strangers : towards a Christian, postmodern, academic model for biblical interpretation." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2006. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14077/.
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Postmodernism in Biblical Studies is characterised by proliferation of methodological and ideological interpretive perspectives, emphasis upon the ethics of interpretation and awareness of the role of interpretive communities. Following Stephen E. Fowl, the underlying motives of interpreters can be understood when approaches are analysed in terms of interpretive interests. The work of David J. A. Clines, J. Cheryl Exum and Stephen D. Moore reveals a strong de-confessional motive and a desire to exclude confessional concerns from academic interpretation. This position is ideologically driven and, in terms of liberal academic values, self-contradictory. The difficulties posed for Christian interpretation by the postmodern context are evident in the narrative criticism of Mark Allan Powell and R. Alan Culpepper, where unresolved conflict of theological, methodological and political interests threatens the coherence of the approach. Recent work by Powell addresses postmodern concerns, but fails adequately to engage theoretical and theological issues. A postmodern understanding of the Bible as Christian scripture which affirms both the validity and legitimacy of multiple interpretive perspectives and a pneumatological understanding of the Bible as the Word of God can be framed using the work of Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Stephen E. Fowl, Roman Jakobson and Daniel Patte. Socio-pragmatic objections to the legitimacy and validity of Christian interpretation beyond the faith community can be resisted by asserting a dialogical relationship between the Bible, the church and the wider academic community, and by following Francis Watson’s argument that the church’s discourse is derived from that of the wider society in which it exists. Christian interpretation will seek to engage constructively with other interpretive approaches. A Christian ethics of interpretation characterised by openness, humility, repentance and forgiveness offers a positive contribution to the culture of postmodern academic interpretation. Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 offers a paradigm for such interpretive practice.
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Briggs, Richard. "Speech act theory and biblical interpretation : toward a hermeneutic of self-involvement." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1999. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10958/.
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This thesis presents an interdisciplinary study in certain aspects of biblical hermeneutics from the point of view of speech act theory. After an introduction indicating the possible scope of such a study in relation to well established hermeneutical issues within theological and biblical studies, the thesis falls into two parts. In part one, the philosophical claims of speech act theory are examined. A particular focus is the question of criteria for demarcating speech acts and for appropriating the theory for the case of written texts. A distinction between 'strong' and 'weak' speech acts is proposed, and it is argued that the notion of construal so central to speech act theory is also best viewed across a spectrum of strengths. These criteria suggest responses to certain prominent objections to the hermeneutical relevance of speech act theory. They also point away from any form of 'speech act criticism' and towards an eclectic approach to relevant biblical texts. Consideration is therefore given to determining which texts merit such a study. Part two of the thesis begins by reviewing major attempts to utilise speech act theory in this way, focusing in particular on the work of Donald Evans, and modifying his approach in order to articulate some central elements of a 'hermeneutic of self-involvement'. The burden of part two is then to explore this hermeneutic with reference to three particular speech acts which occur in the New Testament, those of confession, of forgiveness, and of teaching. These chapters attempt to demonstrate in practice what it means to appropriate speech act theory for the task of biblical interpretation, showing in the process that the perspective involved is a multi-disciplinary one. Some of the implications of the development of such a hermeneutic are sketched out by way of conclusion.
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Whiteley, Iwan. "A search for cohesion in the Book of Revelation with specific reference to Chapter One." Thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.683215.
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Culp, A. J. "Characterization and the ethical interpretation of complex characters a case study in Judges 7:15-8:33 /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2007. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p090-0337.
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Smith, Mark D. J. "Testimony to revelation : Karl Barth's strategy of Bible interpretation in Die Kirchliche Dogmatik." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1997. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3443/.
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This thesis examines the strategy of Bible interpretation employed by Karl Barth in Die Kirchliche Dogmatik. The guiding principle of this strategy is Barth's conviction that the Bible ought to be treated as testimony to God's self-revelation in history. "Testimony' is understood to be capable of providing a reliable source of historical knowledge. As such, it enabled Barth to interpret the Bible in a way sensitive to the requirement that Bible interpretation be rational and historical and also capable of responding to modem insights into the nature of the Bible. Part I shows that Barth sought a strategy of interpretation that would be true to history. For him, the Christian understanding of history is dependent on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Chapter 1). This leads to the conclusion that interpretation which is true to history is interpretation in the light of Jesus' resurrection (Chapter 2). Making use of Alisdair MacIntyre's discussion of the nature of rationality, it is shown that Barth stands in a tradition of historical enquiry that is different from, but no less rational than, that of modem secular theorists. Considering further the matter of rationality, Part II asks whether Barth's strategy provides good reasons on which to base assertions. Chapter 3 describes his treatment of the Bible as testimony and shows that he saw testimony as providing a means to knowledge. Chapter 4 defends this approach in the light of modem epistemological discussion. Chapter 5 describes in detail how an appreciation of testimony applies to Barth' s Bible interpretation. Part III considers examples of Barth's Bible interpretation and, in the light of them, asks whether his strategy is capable of taking account of modem insights into the nature of the Bible. Chapter 6 discusses the tremendous variety found in the Bible and Chapter 7 asks what happens if variety becomes outright contradiction. Finally, Chapter 8 looks at issues surrounding the recognition that the Bible is literature.
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Wax, Kevin P. "Political ideology : perspectives from the Bible." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53004.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Modern society is plagued by an intense conflict of political ideologies. These conflicts in many instances reflect very serious religious overtones. Each person or group claims the right to react to socio-political issues on the basis of their own worldviews that are shaped by their cultural backgrounds, religious belief systems and political ideals. Human diversity serve to complicate matters even more and has in many instances found expression in political and religious intolerance, a fact testified to by the large-scale abuse of human rights that took place with increased intensity in the 20th century. Many Christians have failed to challenge the injustices that have resulted from these political ideologies and have instead opted to become 'apolitical' or simply hiding behind the argument that politics and religion does not mix. The author through a careful study of biblical political structures in the ancient Near East attempts to demonstrate the extent to which political ideologies of communities were influenced by the cultural milieu within which they existed. The feelings of ambivalence we experience in our faith are a direct result of these influences. An understanding of political ideology from a biblical perspective is essential to understand current world conflicts especially those that relate to the Middle East region. The author also argues for a reconciliation of politics and religion in the collective psyche of Christians. This would enhance a sense of sociopolitical responsibility in terms of the biblical mandate. The responsibility of government structures in terms of this mandate is also important and needs to be emphasised. The primary responsibility of any government is the welfare of its citizens and the management of public resources in an orderly, moral and efficient manner. A large percentage of government officials find it extremely difficult to face up to the challenge. The perspectives presented not only gives one insight into the historical development of biblical political worldviews. but presents us with challenges to pursue opportunities for peace and justice that would recognise and advance human dignity, human equality and human responsibility.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die moderne samelewing is oorweldig deur konflikte van politieke ideologies. Hierdie konflikte is in baie gevalle 'n weerspieëling van baie ernstige godsdienstige motiewe. Elke persoon of groep behou hom die reg voor om te reageer op socio-politiese aangeleenthede op grond van 'n eie wêreldsiening wat geskep word deur kulturele agtergronde, godsdienstige geloofsstelsels en politieke ideale. Menslike verskeidenheid maak hierdie aangeleenthede meer ingewikkeld en het in baie gevalle gelei na politieke en godsdienstige onverdraagsaamheid. Dit het verder aanleiding gegee tot die grootskaalse menseregte skendings wat plaasgevind het met groter intensiteit gedurende die 20ste eeu. Vele Christene het nie daarin geslaag om die uitdagings van ongeregtighede, wat voortspruit uit hierdie politieke ideologieë, die hoof te bied nie en het verkies om of hulself as 'apolities' te verklaar of om te argumenteer dat politiek en die godsdiens nie bymekaar hoort nie. Die skrywer, deur 'n indringende studie van bybelse politieke strukture van die ou Nabye Ooste te onderneem, poog om te demonstreer dat politiek ideologies gekleur was deur die kulturele samestelling van die gemeenskap. Gevoelens van ambivalensie wat ons ervaar in ons geloof is regstreeks as gevolg van hierdie omstandighede. Politieke ideologie vanuit 'n bybelse perspektief gee vir ons die geleentheid om huidige wêreldkonflikte beter te verstaan veral dit wat betrekking het op die Midde Ooste streek. Die skrywer stel ook voor die versoening van politiek en die godsdiens in die kollektiewe psige van Christene. As gevolg hiervan word die socio-politiese verantwoordelikheid van die Christen verhef in lyn met die bybelse mandaat. Die verantwoordelikheid van regerings strukture in terme van hierdie mandaat is ook belangrik en behoort beklemtoon word. Die primêre doel van enige regering is die welvaart van sy burgers sowel as die bestuur van sy openbare hulpbronne op 'n ordelike, sedelike en doeltreffende manier. 'n Groot aantal regeringsbeamptes vind dit moeilik om hierdie uitdaging die hoof te bied. Hierdie perspektiewe, wat hier aangebied word, gee nie net vir ons insig tot die historiese ontwikkeling van bybelse politieke wêreldsieninge nie, maar daag ons uit om geleenthede vir vrede en geregtigheid wat menslike waardigheid, menslike gelykheid en menslike verantwoordelikheid erken, na te jag.
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Warhurst, Amber. "Merging and diverging : the Chronicler's integration of material from Kings, Isaiah, and Jeremiah in the narratives of Hezekiah and the Fall of Judah." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1916.
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The phenomenon of inner-biblical interpretation and inter-textual replication of scriptural material within the Old Testament is receiving significant attention in current scholarship. Two narratives which are repeated three times in the Hebrew Bible provide a particularly fruitful case study for this type of research: the Hezekiah narrative (2 Kgs 18-20; Isa 36-39; 2 Chr 29-32) and the account of the fall of Judah (2 Kgs 24-25; Jer 52; 2 Chr 36). This study extends the contributions of redaction-critical, literary-critical, and text-critical studies examining the narratives of 2 Kings 18-20//Isaiah 36-39 and 2 Kings 24:18-25:30//Jeremiah 52 and emphasizes their subsequent reception in Chronicles. In addition, this investigation advances the discussion of the Chronicler's reliance upon and method of incorporating material from the Latter Prophets. It is the conclusion of this thesis that the Chronicler was familiar with the versions of the Hezekiah narrative and the account of the fall of Judah in both 2 Kings and the Latter Prophets. His method of handling these alternative accounts reflects both direct quotation (particularly in the case of 2 Kings) and indirect allusion to themes and idioms (with regard to the Latter Prophets). The result is a re-telling of Judah's history which is infused with hope for restoration as articulated by the Latter Prophets. By portraying an idealized account of Israel's past history which corresponds to prophetic descriptions of the nation's restoration, Chronicles illustrates the accessible, utopic potential held out to every generation of faithful Israel.
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Murayama-Cain, Yumi. "The Bible in imperial Japan, 1850-1950." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1717.
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This thesis undertakes to apply some of the insights from postcolonial criticism to understand the history of Christianity in Japan, focusing on key Christian thinkers in the period since Japan’s national isolation ended in the mid 19th century. It studies these theologians' interaction with the the Bible as a “canonical”text in the Western civilisation, arguing for a two-way connection between Japan’s reception of Christianity and reaction to the West. In particular, it considers the process through which Christianity was employed to support or criticise Japan’s colonial discourse against neighbouring Asian countries. In this process, I argue that interpretation of the Bible was a political act, informed not simply by the text itself, but also by the interpreter’s positionality in the society. The thesis starts by reviewing the history of Christianity in Japan. The core of the thesis consists of three chapters, each of which considers the thought of two contemporaries. Ebina Danjo (1866-1937) and Uchimura Kanzo (1861-1930) were two first-generation Christians who converted to Christianity through missionaries from the United States, and responded to Japan’s westernisation and military expansion from opposite perspectives. Kagawa Toyohiko (1888-1960) and Yanaihara Tadao (1893-1961) spoke about the country’s situation in the years preceding the Asia-Pacific War (1941-1945), and again reached two different conclusions. Nagai Takashi (1908-1951) and Kitamori Kazo (1916-1998) were Christian voices immediately after the war, and both dealt with the issue of suffering. Each chapter explores how the formation of their thoughts was driven by their particular historical, economic, and social backgrounds. The concluding chapter outlines Christian thought in Japan today and deals with the major issue facing Japanese theology: cultural essentialism.
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Meyer, Esias Engelbertus. "The Jubilee in Leviticus 25 : a theological ethical interpretation from a South African perspective." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16064.
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Thesis (D. Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Jubilee year in Leviticus 25 has received a fair amount of attention towards the end of the previous millennium with the movements such as the Jubilee 2000, which campaigned for the remissions of debt in the so-called Third World. The text thus has a very liberating image and this is where the problem lies, because a critical reading of the text creates a far more oppressive picture. The question then becomes how the biblical critic is to respond, especially when she/he is sympathetic towards the objectives of the Jubilee 2000 movement. In this study it is argued that there is only one way to respond and that is to play the critical role that biblical scholars have always attempted to play. This means that it would be ethically irresponsible for biblical critics to shy away from exposing the oppressive sides of a biblical text. An ideological-critical approach is then proposed which attempts to construct the world-view or ideology that could be glimpsed from the text. This kind of reading is suspicious of what the biblical text claims and it further attempts to identify political and other interests in the text. An ideological critical reading also takes stock of the “ideological holdings” of the interpreter. In this regard the author argues that the history of Apartheid and specifically the way in which the Bible was used to legitimate Apartheid is one of his main ideological holdings that predisposes him to read in a certain manner. Leviticus 25 is then subjected to very close synchronic scrutiny. Firstly the most salient grammatical features of the text are identified and secondly it is asked how these features were used in order to persuade. This second reading is thus a kind of rhetorical reading that specifically focuses on ways in which the relationship between the addressees, the land, YHWH and other groups in the text is portrayed. This enables the author to describe the world-view or ideology of the authors and addressees of Leviticus 25. These same interests are also identified in some of the chapters surrounding chapter 25. Eventually this leads to dating the composition of this text in the Second Temple Period and it specifically identifies the interests of this text with those of the returning Elite. This interpretation presents the text as rather oppressive and instead of preventing poverty it actually reinstated poverty, which means that some dark sides of the text are exposed. The study is then concluded with some theological-ethical observations where it is reiterated that one of the tasks of the biblical critic is to give some voice to people that were voiceless in the biblical text. The study also shows that despite these dark sides to the text, there still is liberating potential in the Jubilee.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Jubeljaar in Levitikus 25 het veral aandag getrek aan die einde van die vorige millennium toe bewegings soos die “Jubilee 2000” beweging hulle beywer het vir die afskrywe van skuld in die sogenaamde Derde Wêreld. Die teks het dus ‘n “bevrydende beeld” en dit is juis waar die probleem lê, want ‘n kritiese lees van die teks skep ‘n baie meer verdrukkende prentjie. Die vraag is nou hoe die bybelwetenskaplike moet reageer, veral indien sy/hy die doelwitte van die Jubilee 2000 beweging ondersteun. Daar word dan in hierdie studie geargumenteer dat daar eintlik maar net een manier is waarop ‘n mens sou kon reageer en dit is deur die kritiese rol te speel wat bybelwetenskaplikes nog altyd nagestreef het. Dit beteken dat dit eties onverantwoordelik sou wees om weg te skram van die verdrukkende kante van ‘n bybelse teks. ‘n Ideologiekritiese benadering word dan voorgestel wat poog om die wêreldbeeld of ideologie te konstrueer wat ‘n mens in die teks sou kon bespeur. Hierdie soort lesing staan redelik agterdogtig teenoor wat die teks beweer en poog dan om politieke en ander belange in die teks te identifiseer. So ‘n ideologie-kritiese lees poog ook om die “ideologiese erfenis” van die interpreteerder te verwoord. In hierdie opsig argumenteer die outeur dat die geskiedenis van Apartheid en veral die manier waarop die Bybel gebruik is om dit te legitimeer een van sy ideologiese erfenisse is wat aanleiding daartoe gee dat hy op ‘n bepaalde manier lees. Levitikus 25 word dan onder ‘n deeglike sinkroniese loep geneem. Eerstens word die mees uitstaande grammatikale kenmerke van die teks geïdentifiseer en tweedens word gevra hoe hierdie kenmerke gebruik sou kon word om te oortuig. Hierdie tweede lesing is ‘n soort retoriese lesing wat spesifiek fokus op hoe die verhouding tussen die aangespreektes, die land, YHWH en ander groepe in die teks uitgebeeld word. Dit stel die outeur in staat om die wêreldbeeld of ideologie van die skrywers en aangespreektes te omskryf. Hierdie selfde belange word dan ook in die omringende teks van hoofstuk 25 geïdentifiseer. Uiteindelik word die komposisie van hierdie teks in die Tweede Tempeltydperk gedateer en word die belange in die teks verbind met die belange van die terugkerende hoërklas. Hierdie interpretasie stel dan die teks as redelik verdrukkend voor en in plaas daarvan dat dit armoed teengewerk het, het dit armoede teweeggebring wat natuurlik beteken dat donker kante van die teks blootgelê word. Die studie sluit dan af met ‘n paar teologieseetiese waarnemings waar dit weereens beklemtoon word dat een van die take van die bybelwetenskaplike juis is om ‘n stem te gee aan die mense wat in die antieke teks stemloos was. Die studie wys ook uit dat daar ten spyte van hierdie moontlike donker kante van die teks daar tog nog bevrydende potensiaal in die Jubeljaar is.
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Germiquet, Edouard Ariste. "Paul and Barnabas in Lystra (Acts 14:8-20): the contextualization of the Gospel in a Graeco-Roman city." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018213.
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This thesis will investigate the extensive Graeco-Roman characteristics of the Lystra speech and in so doing convey some clarity in the otherwise widely differing opinions held about it. This will be achieved by showing that Lystra was a Hellenistic city of some importance with a varied population. It will be argued that the initial reaction of the Lystrians to the miraculous healing of the cripple is to be understood as representing typical Graeco-Roman notions. This will include Luke's use of a legend which not only adds local colouring to the narrative but also introduces Graeco-Roman themes such as the blurring of the distinction between humans and gods and the custom of sacrifice. This contextualization immediately portrays the Graeco-Roman nature of the Lystrians' behaviour and attitudes. In addition to these themes it will be argued that the Lystrians are shown to being reliant on secondary notions of God, which when exposed to the proclamation of the apostles will prove to be inadequate. It will also be argued that the speech of the apostles is structured in a typically Graeco-Roman rhetorical form, where the errors are first exposed before the truth is presented. In conjunction with this structure it will be argued that the philosophical concept of which Dibelius has shown to be clearly presupposed in the Areopagus speech, is not only present in the Lystra speech but forms the philosophical basis on which it is structured. This concept explains the insistence by the apostles that they are human and that God has no need of such worthless things as sacrifices. It also explains the presentation of God's activity in creation and providence as an antithesis to a god who is in need. The Graeco-Roman aspects are brought to a close with the discussion of idea that an awareness of God does not depend on secondary notions acquired from legends or customs but that the truth is grasped through a process of reflection on creation and providence. This is an important notion in the speech for it exposes the Lystrians as being in need of a reorientation of their beliefs in God, away from those which are secondary to those which are primary and compatible with the truth.
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Weller, Daniel S. "Of One Divided Mind: Fundamental Causes of the Nineteenth-Century Brethren Schism, 1850-1880." DigitalCommons@USU, 2019. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7448.
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Historical research involving the schism within the German Baptist Brethren Church in the 1880s has only been found within broad, general histories of the church. The explanations given by historians relating to the cause of the split have previously centered on individuals and the church publications between 1850 and 1883, and on contemporaries who argued among themselves about whether to adopt practices common among surrounding American religions and society. No known project has focused directly on the content within the publications as it relates to the way these brethren used the Bible and other religious and spiritual rhetoric to substantiate their arguments on either side.
My research focussed on the Brethren periodicals during the decades between roughly 1850 and 1880. I selected four of the most prominent papers of the period: the Gospel Visitor, the Christian Family Companion, the Vindicator, and the Progressive Christian. Each of these periodicals contained arguments for or against adopting practices not previously accepted within the church. Within their pages I found that every argument, for or against a particular practice, was based on scriptural interpretation, or other religious commentary used to persuade readers.
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Latham, Jonathan Cyril. "Text and context : an examination of the way in which John's prologue has been interpreted by selected writers : Origen, Luther and Bultmann." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004612.
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In chapter one of this work, as a preliminary to the formulation of the question that this thesis will attempt to answer, the changing understanding of the part played by the interpreter in the process of interpretation is discussed. This outline begins with the understanding of the role of the interpreter in liberal theology - where he is thought of as one who applies critical methods to the text in a detached and scientific way. After this the hermeneutic spiral is discussed - the formation of this model acknowledges to a greater degree the individual and human part played by the interpreter. This is followed by a brief examination of the most recent theories of interpretation in which meaning is regarded as residing not in the text but in the interpreter himself. The task of this thesis is to determine whether, as these recent theorists suggest, the reader creates meaning instead of reading out what somehow lies in the text itself. The task of this thesis is to ascertain, by studying the interpretationsof John's Prologue by Origen, Luther and Bultmann, whether the text does in fact operate as a series of sign-posts that pOint the interpreter to a destination within his own semantic universe. This may be determined by noting whether or not the contexts, i n the broadest sense, of these interpreters have played a formative part in their interpretations. contextual influences are regarded as existing wherever there is a procedure or meaning in the interpreter's commentary which one expe cts to find there as a result of one's knowledge of the interpreter's life and previous writings. Our research reveals that Orige n, Luther and Bultmann have produced three very different commentaries in which the common denominator is the formative influence of the interpreter's context. Each of these writers has produced an interpretation that is consistent, in both approach and theology, with their previous exegetical and theological thought. This indicates that contextual factors have played a significant part in determining their interpr etations of John 1 :1-18. It would appear that these interpreters have been led to find the meaning of John's Prologue not with reference to any new, unprecedented set of symbols, but with reference to their own, well-worn semantic universes. In the conclusion it is noted that this research appears to support what many modern theorists have said as to the locus of meaning in interpretation. In the conclusion it is also noted that many of the fears raised by these findings - that readers and writers, or speakers and hearers, may become so isolated and trapped in their own thought worlds that any real contact with the outside is impossible - may be groundless. These findings also point to a certain consistency between the interpreters and their communities. This refutes the fears as to the isolation and solitary development of the individual in that it points to a certain community or corporate aspect which plays a part in the development of the indivi dual's semantic universe .KMBT_363
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Jardine, Graham Walter. "Authority and interpretation in the book of Jonah." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51630.
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Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2000ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue addressed in this study and its hypothesis are outlined in chapter one, and concern the general problem of variety in theological interpretation of the Bible. Specifically, the research problem is identified with the existence of different readings of Jonah as Scripture, and the need for these readings to be authoritative. A secondary issue has to do with the role of author's intention in theological interpretation. The hypothesis of this study states that the existence of various models of Scriptural authority can account in part for the different ways that interpreters produce meaning in the text of Jonah, by appealing to the one aspect of the text which is thought to be authoritative. In chapter two the concept of scriptural authority is defined. The writings of theologians who have expressed authority in terms of models is compared and contrasted. A synthesis is attempted which aims at providing a definition of each model of authority with which to analyse the theological interpretations of select authors. In this chapter, the main focus is on the different ways that the Bible is regarded as authoritative in the church. Chapter three provides an analysis of three Jonah commentaries each written from the perspective of one of the models of authority. The specific way in which each author understands the meaning of Jonah is identified through a consideration of the exegetical arguments. The single aspect of the text which is taken to be decisive in the articulation of the understanding of the theological message is traced in the author's argument. The interpretation is then compared with the definition of the particular model assumed to be underlying the exegesis. The final chapter consists of an evaluation of the validity of the central hypothesis; some concluding remarks concerning the role of author's intention in authoritative interpretation; and an identification of areas for further research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OUTORITEIT EN INTERPRETASIE IN DIE BOEK JONA Die probleemstelling en hipotese van hierdie studie kry in hoofstuk een aandag. Die probleem het te doen met die verskeidenheid teologiese interpretasies van die Bybel. Die spesifieke navorsingsprobleem word met die bestaan van verskillende verklarings in die boek Jona wat gelees is as die Heilige Skrif, geidentifiseer. 'n Sekondere saak het met die rol van die outeur se bedoeling in 'n teologiese interpretasie te doen. Die hipotese wat die studie rig, se dat die verskillende maniere hoe vertolkers die bedoeling uit die boek Jona kry, teruggevoer kan word na die bestaan van verskeie modelle van skriftuurlike outoriteit. Dit gebeur omdat 'n enkele aspek van die teks as outoriter behandel word. Die bepaling van skriftuurlike outoriteit word in hoofstuk twee behandel. Die resultate van teoloe wat outoriteit as modelle beskrywe het word vergelyk en teenoorgestel. Die modelle is saamgestel tot 'n definisie van elke model van outoriteit om die teologiese interpretasies van sekere outeurs te ontleed. Die hoofbrandpunt van hierdie hoofstuk is die verskillende maniere waarop die Bybel as outoriter in die Kerk verskyn. Hoofstuk drie bestaan uit 'n ontleding van drie kommentare van die boek Jona wat vanuit die perspektief van 'n spesifieke model beskou kan word. Die manier waarop elke outeur Jona verstaan word geidentifiseer deur 'n oorweging van die eksegetiese argumente. Die enkele aspek van die teks wat bepaal hoe die teologiese boodskap verstaan is, word vervolg in die argument van die outeur. Die definisie van die spesifieke model wat die outeur blykbaar aanvaar, word daarna vergelyk met die interpretasie. In die slothoofstuk word 'n evaluering van die geldigheid van die sentrale hipotese opgeneem; verskeie slotopmerkings betreffende die rol van die outeur se voornemens in gesaghebbende verklaring; en die identifisering van velde vir verdere ondersoek.
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Kennedy, Kevin. "An eschatological interpretation of the Feast of Tabernacles." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1996. http://www.tren.com.
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Ingram, Douglas Nairn. "The ambiguity of Qohelet : a study of the ambiguous nature of the language, syntax and structure of the Masoretic text of Qohelet." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2589.
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The premise upon which this thesis is founded is that the book of Qohelet is fundamentally ambiguous. Ambiguity is attached to all its major themes, and can be discerned in its language, syntax and structure. This has not been given due attention in previous works on Qohelet. The introduction considers the concepts of 'ambiguity' and 'meaning': it is crucial for the reader to understand what is meant in this thesis by these terms. 'Ambiguity' is understood as those aspects of the text whose indeterminacy requires the reader to fill in 'meaning' in order for a coherent reading to be produced: thus the reader's role is crucial, but is nonetheless restricted by the determinate schemata in the text. Part 1 explores the determinate schemata in Qohelet in an attempt to provide objective criteria against which the ambiguities may be set. Detailed attention is paid to the text in order to discern trends and patterns in the book. These are employed in an attempt to discover how the book as a whole and the sections within it are structured. Part 1 ends by asserting that it is ultimately futile to seek an overall structure or pattern to the book: this is an aspect of its ambiguity. Part 2 systematically examines linguistic and syntactical ambiguities in Qohelet, exploring the possibilities for interpretation according to the ways in which the reader fills in the gaps left by these ambiguities. The conclusion argues that the ambiguity of Qohelet is the primary reason for the hugely diverse interpretations of the book throughout its history, and for the many varied proposals for its structure. In this way it is a realistic reflection of an ambiguous world and the relationship between the people of this world and the God who made the world with all its ambiguities.
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Nisan, Yael Haviva. "Medieval Ashkenazi Bible interpretation : a textual analysis of Rabbi Joseph Bekhor Shor's Torah commentary." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ44099.pdf.
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Howey, Matthew S. "Karl Barth's unnatural exegesis : an inquiry into Barth's biblical interpretation with special reference to Christ and Adam." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2004. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13789/.
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This thesis is an enquiry into the problem of Barth’s unnatural exegesis. Previous attempts to account for the distinctiveness or strangeness of Barth’s exegesis have emphasised its theological character or its context in Church dogmatic tradition. This thesis judges this approach inadequate; in place of theological or dogmatic principles, this thesis searches for a basic hermeneutical principle which will render Barth’s exegesis intelligible and constructive. It is argued that this basic hermeneutical principle is that human subjectivity is predetermined by trans-individual structures of sin, self-deception and self-interest. This means that apparently impartial or spontaneous perceptions or judgements are predetermined by deep structures of sin concealed from our awareness. Barth’s theology is intended to expound what it means to speak of salvation through Christ in view of this trans-individual, trans-subjective nature of sin. Barth’s basic hermeneutical principle is constructively compared with R.Niebuhr’s concept of corporate self-deception, and with the thought of H.-G.Gadamer, who recognised that human subjectivity is predetermined by structures which transcend immediate awareness. In consequence, Barth held that apparently impartial or critical interpretations of Scripture serve to reinforce hidden structures of culturally ingrained forms of sinful self-interest. This is illustrated by means of a case study of Christ and Adam which represents Barth’s mature interpretation of Romans 5. It is demonstrated that Barth’s concern was with how interpretations of Romans 5 were covertly determined by the corporate self-deception of the West in the context of the Cold War and western anti-communism. Finally, it is argued that Barth’s theology and scriptural interpretation were closely grounded in his early political involvement and in his reaction to the outbreak of the First World War.
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Perkins, Miriam Yvonne. "The silent move a reading and interpretation of Mark 5:21-43 /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1997. http://www.tren.com.
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Park, Sung-In. "Living water for Korean women: a model for inclusive interpretation of scripture /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2009. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p075-0082.
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Stewart, Matthew D. "Metropolitan Community Church : a perfectly queer reading of the Bible." [Tampa, Fla] : University of South Florida, 2008. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0002460.
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Tracy, Elizabeth B. "See me! Hear me! : divine/human relational dialogue in Genesis." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3819.
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Brodt, Bryna. "The serpent's identity in Genesis 3 : a history of Jewish interpretation from the Bible through the thirteenth century." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=79749.
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The garden of Eden's serpent appears only in Genesis 3 of the Hebrew Bible but its identity, role, or symbolism, have since been a matter of debate. Literal, allegorical, and mythical interpretations are evident in Jewish sources from the Bible until the end of the thirteenth century, but are not uniformly represented. Literal interpretations---those that rely on an actual serpent capable of communicating with Eve---account for the majority of Jewish interpretations, often to the complete exclusion of other possibilities. Allegorical and mythical interpretations of the serpent are found in the works of Philo and the Pseudepigrapha, disappear in the classical rabbinic texts, but then reappear in Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezer and medieval Jewish philosophical and mystical sources. The patterns of literal and non-literal interpretation may be connected with the history of the concept of the devil within Judaism and with changing attitudes toward esoteric interpretations and midrash.
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Hamborg, Graham. "Interpretation of the reasons for judgment in Amos 2.6-16 in the redactional compositions underlying the Amos-text." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2009. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10859/.
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This redaction-critical study interprets the reasons for judgment in Amos 2.6-16 in the literary context of each of the redactional compositions which, I argue, underlie the Amos-text. It is proposed that the Amos-text is both a theological work and a tractate of social criticism. In the earlier redactional compositions the dominant reasons for judgment concern mistreatment of the weak. In the later redactional compositions these are overshadowed, in terms of length of text, by more theological reasons for judgment; however, these strengthen, rather than weaken, the force of the older reasons for judgment. After an introductory first chapter, Chapter 2 describes and defends the methodology employed, and establishes the terminology of “composition” and “redactional composition”. Chapter 3 makes proposals concerning the compositional history of the Amos-text, attributing each unit to one of four redactional compositions. This chapter builds on the significant works of Hans W Wolff and Jörg Jeremias, following one or both of them at many points. Chapter 4 then describes the structural, linguistic and thematic coherence of each redactional composition in order to confirm the likelihood of its existence, and to note perspectives or significant themes relevant to the interpretation of the whole composition, including 2.6-16. Chapter 5 addresses two issues pertinent to the interpretation of Amos 2.6-16. Firstly, the relationship of Amos 2.8 to verses in the so-called Book of the Covenant is explored in the light of current scholarly views concerning its dating; its relationship to verses in Deuteronomy 24 is also considered. Secondly, the question of whether 2.10-12 exhibits Deuteronomistic influence is examined. Chapter 6 then conducts an exegesis of Amos 2.6-16 in each of the redactional compositions underlying the Amos-text, with particular attention paid to the reasons for judgment. The final chapter summarises the argument, draws conclusions, and notes possible areas of future study.
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Brown, Linda Foote. "Contextualized methodology and the interpretation of Scripture : a case study in Nehemiah 5 /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2007. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p090-0362.
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Wax, Kevin Patrick. "The intricate relationship between politics and religion in the Hebrew bible : the prophet Amos as a case study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85694.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Politics, in modern society, has become intimately associated with poor governance, fraud and corruption, social decay, abuse of power, indifference to the plight of the poor, squandering of critical resources and self-enrichment. This situation has been further aggravated by the debate that religion and politics should be kept separate at all costs. The demand for social justice in marginalised communities has increased dramatically over the last few decades. The escalation of human conflict, poverty, social inequality and corrupt practices across the globe over recent years, demands a radical reassessment of how the human race engages politically, socially and economically with each other. Hebrew classical prophets such as Hosea, Amos, Isaiah and Micah have through their messages of condemnation, indictment, punishment and hope confronted the serious political and social challenges that prevailed during and subsequent to their time. They demonstrated immense bravery against the established order of the day as they proclaimed Yahweh’s gross displeasure and divine judgement for the manner in which those in power had treated the poor. Amos, in particular, has captivated scholars over many decades as they dissected every emotion, historical context, social structure, biblical tradition and literary convention in order to understand his message. This study is an attempt to re-evaluate the critical balance between politics and religion as demonstrated in the divine mandate provided to kings, centuries ago in the ancient Near East, to rule in a just and righteous manner. An examination of the role and function of the prophets, their relationship with the political and religious structures of the day as well as an exegetical study of selected Amos texts has been undertaken to determine how this social imbalance was addressed by the prophets. A general hypothesis is advanced to restore this intricate balance between modern politics and religion. The study further enables a theological re-evaluation of how this balance could possibly be pursued as a potential catalyst for its overall social restoration.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die politiek, in die hedendaagse samelewing, word nou geassosieer met swak regering, bedrog en korrupsie, sosiale verrotting, misbruik van mag, onverskilligheid teenoor die ellende van die armes, verkwisting van kritiese hulpbronne en selfverryking. Hierdie situasie word verder vererger as gevolg van ‘n debat wat daarop aandring dat die politiek en die godsdiens ten alle koste apart gehou moet word. Die aandrang vir sosiale geregtigheid in verarmde gemeenskappe het dramaties toegeneem oor die laaste dekades. Die progressiewe toename in menslike konflik, armoede, sosiale ongelykheid en omkopery wêreldwyd, die onlangse jare, vereis ‘n radikale herevaluering oor hoe die mensdom met mekaar oor die weg kom polities, sosiaal en ekonomies. Die Bybels-Hebreeuse profete soos Hosea, Amos, Jesaja en Miga het met hulle boodskappe van aanklag, straf en hoop die ernstige politieke en sosiale uitdagings wat gedurende hulle tyd geheers het gekonfronteer. Hulle het ongekende dapperheid gedemonstreer teen die destydse owerhede en so Jahwe se intense ontevredenheid en goddelike oordeel verwoord teenoor die swak behandeling van die armes. Amos, in die besonder, het geleerdes oor die dekades bekoor en elke emosie, historiese agtergrond, sosiale struktuur, tradisie en literêre konvensie is benut in ‘n poging om sy boodskap te verstaan. Hierdie studie is ‘n poging om die sensitiewe balans tussen die politiek en die godsdiens te her-evalueer in die lig van die beginsel van regverdige regering as goddelike mandaat wat reeds eeue gelede aan konings van die ou Nabye Ooste opgedra is. ‘n Ondersoek na die rol en funksie van die profete, hul verhouding met die politieke en godsdienstige strukture van hulle tyd, sowel as ‘n eksegetiese studie van geselekteerde Amos tekste word onderneem om te bepaal hoe hierdie sosiale onewewigtigheid hanteer is. ‘n Algemene hipotese word aan die hand gedoen om die ingewikkelde balans tussen die moderne politiek en godsdiens te herstel. Die studie kan verder van waarde wees deurdat dit ‘n teologiese herbesinning bied wat kan dien as ‘n moontlike katalisator vir algehele sosiale restorasie.
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Kamell, Mariam J. "The soteriology of James in light of earlier Jewish Wisdom literature and the Gospel of Matthew." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/977.
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The epistle of James has been neglected in NT studies, caught between its relationship with Paul and the claim that it has no theology. Even as it experiences a resurgence of study, surprisingly no full-length survey exists on James as the epistle of “faith and works.” Approaches to James have neglected its soteriology and, in consequence, its theological themes have been separated or studied only in connection with Paul. As “moral character,” however, “faith” and “works” fit within a coherent theology of God’s mercy and judgment. This study provides a sustained reading of James as a Jewish-Christian document. Because James presents the “faith” and “works” discussion in context of “can such faith save?” (2:14), the issue becomes one of soteriology and final judgment. Both the “law of freedom” and the “word of truth” demand faithful obedience—the “works.” Moreover, God’s character and deeds in election form the basis for human “works” of mercy and humble obedience, while future judgment is in accordance with virtuous character. It has been established that James shares methodology and concerns with prior wisdom literature. This thesis therefore examines key ideas developing across the Jewish literature and Jesus’ teaching as presented by Matthew, and highlights developing views of God saving and judging his people. Within the first two chapters, James gives a high view of God’s work in calling and redeeming, providing wisdom to his people, and instilling the long-anticipated new covenant that they might live in obedience, humility and purity in accordance with his character and will. Because of God’s saving work, he justly judges those who fail to live mercifully, while his mercy triumphs for those who obey. God begins the work and sustains those who ask; but only those who submit to the “perfect law of freedom,” whose faith works, receive mercy when God enacts his final justice.
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Erasmus, Shirley. "Challenging Biblical boundaries: Jeanette Winterson’s postmodern feminist subversion of Biblical discourse in Oranges are not the only fruit (1985) and Boating for beginners (1985)." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59121.
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This thesis investigates the subversion of Biblical discourse in Jeanette Winterson’s first two novels, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit and Boating for Beginners. By rewriting Biblical stories Winterson challenges traditional Western religious discourses and their rules for heteronormative social and sexual behaviours and desires. Winterson’s texts respond to the patriarchal nature of socially pervasive texts, such as the Bible, by encouraging her readers to regard these texts with suspicion, thus highlighting what can be seen as a ‘postmodern concern’ with the notion of ‘truth’. Chapter One of this thesis comprises a discussion of Biblical boundaries. These boundaries, I argue, are a process of historical oppression which serves to subjugate and control women, a practice inherent in the Bible and modern society. The Biblical boundaries within which women are expected to live, are carefully portrayed in Oranges and then comically and blasphemously mocked in Boating. Chapter One also argues that Winterson’s sexuality plays an important role in the understanding of her texts, despite her desire for her sexuality to remain ‘outside’ her writing. Chapter Two of this thesis, examines the mix of fact and fiction in Oranges, in order to create a new genre: fictional memoir. The chapter introduces the concept of the ‘autobiographical pact’ and the textual agreement which Winterson creates with her readers. In this chapter, I examine Winterson’s powerful subversion of Biblical discourse, through her narration of Jeanette’s ‘coming out’ within a Biblical framework. Chapter Three of this thesis examines Winterson’s second book, Boating, and the serious elements of this comic book. This chapter studies the various postmodern narrative techniques used in Boating in order to subvert Biblical and historical discourse. Chapter Three highlights Winterson’s postmodern concern with the construction of history as ‘truth’. Finally, Chapter Four compares Oranges and Boating, showing the texts as differing, yet equally relevant textual counterparts. This chapter examines the anti-feminine characters in both texts and Winterson’s ability to align her reader with a feminist or lesbian viewpoint. This thesis argues that Winterson’s first two texts deliberately challenge Biblical discourse in favour of a postmodern feminist viewpoint.
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Clark, Bruce. "Completing Christ's afflictions: : Colossians 1.24 in context." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.607992.
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Higgleton, Elaine Patricia. "Latin Gospel exegesis and the Gospel glosses in the thirteenth-century Old French translation of the Bible." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/14126.
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This thesis investigates an aspect of the first complete translation of the Bible into French. It shows how the study of the Gospels glosses, hitherto considered of secondary importance by scholars, increases our understanding of the date and context of this translation. This thesis takes two complementary approaches to the gloss material: (a) a study of the likely Latin sources for these glosses, and (b) an investigation into their recurring themes and rhetorical construction, as a way of showing how far they fit into the tradition of Latin exegesis. Chapter one surveys existing scholarship and presents the methodology of the thesis. Chapter two is a handlist of Latin commentaries consulted. In chapters three to six, the main body of the thesis, a comparison is made between Latin gloss material from these commentaries and corresponding glosses in the French Gospels, Chapter seven presents the broad patterns which have emerged from this study, discussing the use of material and rhetorical techniques, as well as identifying remaining problems, namely, those of other types of source-text, and the question of multiple translators. Chapter eight contains a summary of the conclusions reached, and discusses the implications of these for our knowledge of this Bible translation. The glossator is revealed as someone with access to exegesis from several different traditions, not just commentaries, and as a person trained in Latin commentary technique, which he adapted for writing in the vernacular. The glossator is shown not to have copied literally from commentaries or other texts, but to have used material thoughtfully, and reworked it for his own purposes. That the glossator was learned, and that his glosses fit into the Latin exegetical tradition, are the major findings of this thesis, challenging previously-held views as to the fundamental worthlessness of these glosses.
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Gerber, Edward. "The scriptural tale in the Fourth Gospel : with particular reference to the prologue and a syncretic (oral and written) poetics." Thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.683084.
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