Masters Degrees (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology) by browse.metadata.advisor "Robert, Vosloo"

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    A church for others? Queering the ecclesiology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-04) Ashwin, Thyssen; Robert, Vosloo; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematical Theology and Ecclesiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a study of the ecclesiology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906‒1945). It employs the insights of queer theology and queer theory as a hermeneutical lens. Presently, Bonhoeffer’s theology is interpreted in light of contemporary issues; however, not much research has been produced linking his thought with queer theology. This thesis, then, contributes to this discourse focus; that is, it asserts to present queer theology as helpful hermeneutic within the theological mainstream in a transgressive manner. As such, this study queers the theology of Bonhoeffer; unearthing themes that may be dismissed by the present discourse. Queering the ecclesiology of Bonhoeffer, this thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter one presents the logic of the study. It discusses the background; it articulates the problem statement; it presents the research questions and the hypothesis. The methodology the study employs is literary, interpretive and constructive. Therefore, it offers a close reading of primary texts by utilising queer theory and queer theology as a hermeneutical lens. The chapter does so by noting the importance of ‘reading from the underside.’ Chapter two provides an overview of both queer theory and queer theology as academic disciplines. Queer theory is argued to be discursive opposition to pervasive heteronormative epistemologies. By highlighting the critical contributions of Michel Foucault, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Judith Butler, the chapter presents queer theory as discursively helpful. Following this, attention is afforded to queer theology; understood to be religious reflection on the experiences of those who are LGBTI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and sexual minorities). Moreover, queer theology is conceptualised as radical love; which destabilises traditional forms of theologising. The insights of Marcella Althaus-Reid, Gerard Loughlin and Elizabeth Stuart are quite helpful by articulating the need for considering queer theology as a valuable hermeneutic. In chapter three Bonhoeffer’s Sanctorum Communio and Life Together are discussed as primary texts informed by a queer theological reading. Using a queer theological hermeneutic, the chapter explores questions that are present in these works that may be worth considering for our contemporary ecclesiological conceptions, as they concern those who are LGBTI+. Chapter four explores the reception of Bonhoeffer’s theology by South Africa’s theological community. The influence of Bonhoeffer is discussed in two sections: first, his ecumenically diverse and intergenerational reception from the 1960s until the present; second, the realisation of his othered ecclesiology in South African social and religious life, paying attention to the developments in the Dutch Reformed Church’s sexuality discussions. In chapter five a proposal for ecclesial queering is presented for the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa; by focusing on the discursive possibilities in its discussion of human sexuality. The chapter also reviews the research questions presented; it also offers recommendations for future research regarding Bonhoeffer studies and queer theology.