Browsing by Author "De Kock, Annemarie Susan"

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    Wie van julle is wys en leef verstandig? : 'n multidimensionele lees van die Jakobus-brief, op weg na 'n etos van historiese lees en verantwoordbaarheid van die ekklesia
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) De Kock, Annemarie Susan; Mouton, Elna; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa there are various gender and health issues. These issues influence and challenge South African faith communities in their daily existence. This is further justified and enhanced by unethical Biblical interpretation. This study proposes that faith communities in present-day South Africa, where faith communities‘ social wellbeing is endangered, could be responsible receivers of the Bible. This may happen through a multidimensional reading of the letter of James towards an ethos of historical reading and accountability. A multidimensional reading of the letter of James proposes that the text, social and moral world of the writer and the first historical receivers, the possible rhetorical effect of the letter, the ideological perspectives that can be seen in the letter as well as the context, as well as the history of reception of this letter must be taken into account when the possible rhetorical effect for present-day receivers is investigated. An ethos of historical reading and accountability asks believers to respect the historical embeddedness of the text, to read the text in ways which do justice to the nature of the text and to account for the possible ethical consequences of their reading of a text. A multidimensional reading of the letter of James has the transformational potential to make the above mentioned a reality. A multidimensional reading of the letter of James furthermore suggests with regards to gender and health issues that present-day receivers of the Bible should become communities of character where the Bible is read in life-giving ways to make ethical biblical interpretation a reality. Thus South African faith communities may become agents of hope in present-day South Africa. Chapter one functions as the introduction to this study. In chapter two the letter of James is read with regards to the textual and literary aspects of the letter. In chapter three the social and moral world of the letter of James is investigated. In chapter four the pragmatic aspects (theological and rhetorical aspects) of the letter of James is focused on. Chapter five consists of a conclusion and summary of this study where gender and health issues, ethical biblical interpretation and the letter of James are brought together.