Masters Degrees (Old and New Testament)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Old and New Testament) by browse.metadata.advisor "Claassens, L. Juliana M."

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    Embodied desire : Song of Songs and body theology
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Joubert, Odile; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africans are confronted on a daily basis with undeniable power structures shaped by patriarchy, demenial language, gender inequality, cultures, traditions and ideology which not only victimises the oppressed, but also victimising the oppressors themselves. These acts of victimisation and injustice are not simply shaped by history and its abusive Body Theology, but are spurred on by a distorted Body-and-Sexual Theology and the abuse of biblical texts. Social behaviour as found in the small town of Beaufort West, riddled with various challenges, is shaped and even ‘scripted’ by perceptions, internalised language and ideologies, normalised and passed on within the community. The impact of this pre-determined and ‘script’ identity markers, specifically of the Beaufort West community, is clearly seen in the manner in which individuals and groups are categorised, sexual expectations are presented and traditional morality is shaped by personal preference. The normalisation of social hierarchy, patriarchy, gender inequality, demenial language and sexual expectations pre-determines humanly well-being, value and morality as no individual is completely free from ideology and its misrepresentation. The normalisation of such ‘scripted’ behaviour in a community such as Beaufort West, flowing from societal influence, is not a twenty-first century phenomenon, but is deeply rooted in the biblical and historical comprehension of the human body. Contemporary individuals share a great amount with ancient individuals when dealing with social normality, hierarchy, patriarchy, humanly well-being and the intoxicating power of desire in human lives. A great amount of socialisation processes’ is involved in desire which is more than often ‘scripted’ by the media through various onslaughts of movies, advertisements and even cultural messages. It is by understanding the shaping and complexity of human well-being and desire that the unquestionable value of the Song of Songs comes into play, as the study of the Biblical text explores the importance of desire and its force in life. The importance of the Song of Songs for the contemporary world lies in its exploration of desire, Body Theology, gender and sexuality, investigating, probing and emphasising vulnerability. Such an understanding of the Song of Songs leads to a morality that is not legalistic in nature but that is receptive to the contemporary world and its legislations. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the history of Body-and-Sexual Theology, too grasp an understanding of the complexity of sex, sexuality and gender, too wrestle with the Song of Songs and its wasf texts and thus striving to see if such a study is of any significance to an analogously ‘scripted’ twenty-first century community such as Beaufort West. The importance of human well-being is not to be ignored as such well-being is deeply intertwined with human dignity, fighting for a healthy, God-intended life and society. As bodyselves humanity is created to experience cognitive, physical, emotional and spiritual needs, striving for intimate communion with God, the natural world and fellow humans.
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    Geweld en Patriargie in Esegiel 16 en 23 in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks van geweld teen vroue en kinders
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Gertzen, Marius; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an ideological critical analysis of Ezekiel 16 and 23 in the South African context of Intimate Partner Violence. The ideology of patriarchy and the ideology of violence were used as a hermeneutical framework in the interpretation of the occurrences patriarchy and violence in Ezekiel 16 and 23. The ideological critical analysis of Ezekiel 16 and 23 consist of an extrinsic and intrinsic analysis. Accordingly it is assumed that the presumed audience is the ruling class in exile. In the extrinsic analysis the semantic, syntactic, and morphological occurrences of the marriage metaphor, adultery/prostitution, sexuality, violence metaphors, rape, and shame in Ezekiel 16 and 23 was researched. It was found that adultery/prostitution fulfills a central role in these texts. Therefore, the sexuality in the texts operates as a transition to the violence in Ezekiel 16 and 23. The research of the social context of the abovementioned themes made it clear that the covenant making aspect of the marriage is an important theme in Ezekiel 16 and 23, and that adultery is seen in a worse light than prostitution because of the detrimental effect adultery had on the covenant part of the marriage. It was further found that sexuality was socially strictly controlled, and that the ideology of violence occurred among the ruling class as an honorable form of war. In the intrinsic analysis the rhetorical and theological power of the abovementioned themes was researched. It was found that the vehicle of the implicit patriarchy of the marriage has the ability to provide the tenor of the marriage metaphor namely the YHWH-Israel relationship (the covenant), with more rhetorical and theological power. In the proposals for a contextual reading of Ezekiel 16 and 23, the problem of a violent God was considered, arguing that the covenant creates a space for this understanding of God, but also that this divine image can by ethically reinterpreted in connection to the covenant. The idea of a violent God was further discussed in terms of the Theodicy question. An ideological critical analysis is able to acknowledge the anger of God, but also the anger of humans. In connection to Intimate Partner Violence the metaphors in Ezekiel 16 and 23 cannot be seen as innocent and ought to be critically evaluated.
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    Peace talks : towards an intercultural Bible study on 1 Samuel 25
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Dercksen, Elmarie; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study has the goal of constructing an Intercultural Bible Study on the story of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25, with an accompanying workbook, that has its goal the flourishing of communities. The point of departure of this study is the fragmented and culturally isolated communities of South African society, where the church is an important role player. Using a specific congregational context of Blaawbergstrand, the context is described, which forms the background of the study. By recounting the demographic, socio-economic and ecclesiastic circumstances of residents from this community, the contextual integrity of the study is maintained. The description provides insight in this community, which is a sufficient exemplar of a typically South African one. It illustrates the effects of rapid urbanization, the prevailing gap between rich and poor, and the church’s failure to contribute to concrete and lasting reconciliation in a country with a racial and racialist past. The description, in line with the feminist approach applied throughout this study, also underlines the plight of women in a patriarchal society. This study moreover offers an in-depth description of the nature and significance of an Intercultural Bible Study that builds on s the Contextual Bible Study as applied by the Ujamaa Centre for Community Development and Research. In particular the contribution of Intercultural Bible Study hermeneutics is considered, namely the value of intercultural, interpersonal contact between people, and the benefits of transformative reading, of which cultivating compassion is paramount. The Biblical text chosen for the development of an Intercultural Bible Study is the story of Abigail, as told in 1 Samuel 25. The female hero of the text, her prophetic words and proactive deeds of generosity, provides the reader with relevant topics for “peace talks”: she halts a war with provisions and diplomacy; she intercedes on behalf of others, showing genuine compassion; she acts outside of the demarcated borders expected of a woman of her time. The text is read with close attention to both literary criticism and feminist appreciation. The accent on food as instrument of inclusion is confirmed with the reading, and this is also appropriated in the workbook provided.
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    Tamar as victim of levirate marriage? : reading Genesis 38 within a Zulu cultural context of marriage
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Thabede, Slindile; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Zulu society for the most part is deeply patriarchal in nature and rooted in male dominance that is supported by androcentric cultural beliefs and practices that have led to the oppression of women. Because of patriarchy, Zulu marriage for many women implies victimization and objectification. In particular, the inability to bear male children has resulted in the victimization of the wives that subsequently diminishes their worth as human beings and also has implications for their religious life. In this study, the story of Tamar as told in Genesis 38 is read in the context of the ostracism and oppression that many Zulu women continue to experience in marriage. Reading the story of Tamar, who can be described as a victim of levirate marriage gone wrong, by means of an African Feminist and a Postcolonial Feminist exegetical approach, this study proposes that the story of Tamar may offer Zulu women an alternative way of understanding their own situation, not just as victims, but as survivors as well. In Chapter 2 of this study, I explore Zulu culture and identity in relation to gender by venturing into the cultural folktales to discover the hidden oppression over its women. The purpose of this chapter is to show how cultural symbols like folktales reflect the culture of subjugation and domination over women. But, more importantly, I demonstrate how these folktales serve as a way of socialization of girls and the perpetuation of the male idealization of women in marriage. Furthermore, I show in this chapter how the dominant paradigm of Zulu life in relation to marriage to a great extent continues to centres on the necessity of procreation. I moreover show that the reality of infertility and barrenness and the social consequences reveal some of the layers of ambiguities within the Zulu context of marriage that is rooted in a patriarchal culture that oppresses women and is detrimental to their health. In Chapter 3 of this thesis, the story of Tamar will be read by means of an African Feminist approach that will employ the experience of Zulu women’s oppression in the context of marriage in order to expose the different practices that allow men to victimise, objectify and control women in the cultural marital context. And in Chapter 4 of this thesis, the same text will be read through the lens of a Postcolonial Feminist approach in which themes such as hybridity and mimicry will be used to explore the imperial elements in Genesis 38 when it will be shown how the character of Judah comes to represent Israel as the “coloniser” who is subjugating the Canaanite “Other”, Tamar. Reading Tamar’s story through an African Feminist as well as a Postcolonial Feminist lens affirms that subalterns like Tamar as also many Zulu women today do have a voice after all. Through this study, the possibility for the voices of Zulu women regarding their oppression they experience in terms of marriage is opened up. Female survivors of such oppression are called to help liberate the women of our culture by teaching them how one subverts the oppressive structures in order for every woman in the Zulu culture to flourish. This is a society in which Zulu men treat their women with the same dignity and respect that they themselves demand and which Zulu women are able to reach their full potential and not judged in terms of their ability of bringing a male child in the world.
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    Trampling on the poor : poverty as violence in Amos 2:6-8, 5:10-13 and 8:4-6
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-04) Garande, Tatenda; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Poverty is a global phenomenon that is complex and multi-dimensional. Since the early 1990s, Zimbabwe has been going through a serious socio-political and economic crisis that reached its peak during 2008-2009. Current conditions in Zimbabwe indicate that the crisis is not yet over. This socio-political and economic crisis has plunged the majority of Zimbabweans into an abyss of poverty. In their quest to find a solution to their poverty, many Zimbabweans have turned to the Church. In particular, the Prosperity Gospel promoted by two popular preachers, Immanuel Makandiwa of the United Family Interdenominational Church and Walter Magaya of Prophetic, Healing, and Deliverance Ministries, has appealed to many Zimbabweans who are deep in poverty. The Prosperity Gospel proclaimed by these pastors claim that prosperity is a blessing and a sign of faith while poverty is deemed a curse and a sign of lack of faith. Conversely, poverty is also depicted as a demon that has to be exorcised. This understanding of poverty poses a challenge because it turns a blind eye on the historical and economic policies that caused poverty not only in Zimbabwe but also in other parts of Africa. In our quest to understand poverty, the meaning we ascribe to the concept will determine how individuals, nations, organizations or the church will respond to and deal with this phenomenon. This study thus argues that poverty is violence against the poor and it is embedded in societal structures that benefit a few powerful elites at the expense of the weak and innocent poor. In addition, this study proposes that Prosperity Gospel is a form of cultural violence that legitimizes the structural violence associated with poverty. The study further argues that Prosperity Gospel is not peculiar to only Makandiwa and Magaya, but that the prophet Amos dethroned a similar kind of theological construction when he castigated the rich and powerful for violating the dignity and rights of the poor. Employing literary and rhetorical criticisms as exegetical tool, this study identifies hidden forms of violence in Amos 2:6-8, 5:7, 10-13 and 8:4-6 that emphasize the basic assumption of this study which is that poverty ought to be understood as violence against the poor.
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    Viewing ‘Krotoa’ through a Rahab Prism : a postcolonial feminist encounter
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-10) Davis, Sheurl Valene; Claassens, L. Juliana M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis employs a hermeneutic of suspicion to reread the narratives of two underdog women characters, as it analyses the narrative world of Rahab in Joshua 2 and 6 and the story of Krotoa as portrayed in the 2017 film Krotoa side-by-side. This study argues that decolonising and deconstructing hegemonic interpretations of the biblical texts is the only way the Bible still may possess value to the marginalised. Insights from postcolonial feminist biblical interpretation are employed to show how these two very different narrative worlds collide with each another. To reflect on the stories of Rahab and of Krotoa, Musa Dube’s Rahab’s reading prism is used as a reading strategy to reread the narrative of Rahab as well as the portrayed character of Krotoa in the 2017 film Krotoa. Rahab’s character and portrayals are analysed by means of a postcolonial reading optic. Although most previous interpretations have portrayed Rahab as heroine as well as traitor, this study argues that Rahab was also the victim of the coloniser's pen, a literary construction of Israelite ideology. This study further employs postcolonial feminist film theory as an additional methodological approach to critique the imperial strategies employed in the portrayal of Krotoa in the film Krotoa (2017). Postcolonial feminist film theory shows how the portrayal of Krotoa in the film version possesses a specific form of power which could liberate and at the same time perpetuate imperialising interpretations and ideologies. Instead of revolutionising Krotoa in the history of South Africa by offering a life-giving portrayal of Krotoa, this study argues that the film has perpetuated elements of Afrikaner nationalism. Delineating the various portrayals of Krotoa exposed the patriarchal and imperial ideologies still present in the film especially with a practical application of Rahab’s reading prism. The central premise of this thesis is that both Rahab and Krotoa have much in common. This study, therefore, applies a hermeneutic of suspicion that prioritises alternative perspectives in the pursuit of a transformative understanding of these two women in contrast to their reputation and portrayals as traitors. This study argues that the two women have suffered under the rhetoric of God, glory, gold, and gender. The biblical narrative of Rahab and the film Krotoa (2017), as well as the historiographies that depict them, are a perfect example of how the imperial powers impose their control on foreign lands and on the bodies of women, who have been sacrificed on the altar of unity and imperial control. Moreover, this study explores the possibility that these two women were betrayed by their own people and the colonisers have done what they do best—employing the bodies of women who serve as the contact zones for colonisation. By interrogating, deconstructing, and re-interpreting these two characters, this study prioritises life-affirming interpretations and portrayals of both women. The study demonstrates how the chosen reading optic liberates Rahab and Krotoa from the yoke of imperial and patriarchal interpretations and portrayals.