A Theological interpretation of violence (חָמָס ) in relation to Joshua, Son of Nun : a paradigm for a Christian conflict prevention in Northern Nigeria
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cezula, Ntozakhe Simon | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Audu, Bulus Makama | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-11-05T10:03:40Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-01-31T19:37:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-11-05T10:03:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-01-31T19:37:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-11 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a response to ethnic/religious violence that plagues Northern Nigeria. Of even great concern is that this violence is sometimes perpetrated under the banner of faith and God. The study speculates that some of the perpetrators deliberately distort Scriptures to gratify their selfish interests and in the process manipulate unsuspecting believers to assist them in their selfish and cruel interests. However, some may be engaging in these grave acts in the belief that they are being obedient to Scripture and God. This may happen in at least two ways. They may be reading the Scripture literarily without the necessary skills to interpret the Word of God. They may also be the victims of the scrupulous leaders who use the Word of God to attain their selfish and cruel goals. These are the circumstances that motivate this study. In its response, the study proposes a paradigmatic reading of the Scripture. The study acknowledges that the Bible contains different theological approaches to violence. Some texts present violence as a divine instruction and thus portray God as sanctioning violence as a means to enforce obedience to Him. The Book of Joshua is an example of a book that contains such texts. Other texts however, present God as sponsoring rest and peace for both His own people and foreign nations. The Book of Chronicles is an example of such a book. In a situation where the Bible contains both violence orientated texts and peace orientated texts, readers of the Bible find themselves in a situation where they can endorse violence as divine obedience when it suits them and peace as divine obedience when it suits them. This study argues that these texts themselves, in their own contexts, are not in collaboration but in contestation. In its proposal for a paradigmatic reading of the Bible in the context of ethnic/religious context in Northern Nigeria, the study takes note of a few factors. The first one is that ethnicity is a contributory factor in the violence witnessed in Northern Nigeria. The second one is that religious diversity is also a contributory factor when not handled cautiously. In the light of these observation, it becomes imperative to distinguish between an exclusive ethnic/religious theology and an inclusive ethnic/religious theology. For this reason, the study engages in the reading of Joshua 6:1-27 and 1 Chronicles 7:20-29 as two texts representing two different theological perspectives on violence. With the help of two analytical tools, namely, de-ideologisation and Canonization, the study does exegesis of these texts. Specifically, the study investigates a character named Joshua in the two narratives. It examines his role in the occupation of Canaan and interprets that as also evincing an ideological perspective on violence. The study is of the opinion that the canonical presentation of Joshua carries elements serving as model for the people of YHWH to judge and act in their own circumstances. The study continues to evaluate the ideologies discernible in the two presentations of Joshua to confirm whether they are violence orientated or peace orientated. At this point the study examines the Northern Nigerian situation concerning ethnic/religious violence. The study then compares the theologies from Joshua and Chronicles to investigate which is proper to be a biblical paradigm for violent conflict prevention in Northern Nigeria. A peace orientated ideology is a proper paradigm for violent conflict prevention in Northern Nigeria, the study concludes. A paradigmatic approach does not only provide moral/ethical guidance but, additionally, also provides a theological framework to engage with Scripture. Such a framework collaborates with similar biblical theological perspectives and contests with contrasting biblical theological perspectives. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is ‘n reaksie op die etniese /religieuse geweld wat noordelike Nigerië teister. ʼn Groter mate van bekommernis is die geweld wat aangevuur word onder die vaandel van ‚geloof‘ en ‚God‘. Die studie spekuleer dat die oortreders opsetlik Bybeltekste verdraai vir eie selfsugtige belange, en in die proses word naiewe gelowiges gemanipuleer om hierdie oortreders te help met hulle selfsugtige en wrede intensies. Sommige mag selfs by die misdrywe betrokke wees met die wan persepsie dat hulle sodoende gehoorsaam is aan die Bybelteks en God. Dit gebeur in hoofsaaklik twee maniere. Hulle kan die Bybelteks letterlik lees sonder om die nodige vaardighede te hê om dit te kan doen. Hulle kan natuurlik ook slagoffers wees van sogenaamde ‚deurdagte‘ leiers wie ten doel het om die Woord van God te gebruik vir hulle eie selfsugtige en wrede doelwitte. Hierdie is die omstandighede wat die motivering is vir hierdie studie. In reaksie hierop, wil die studie ʼn pragmatiese lees van die Bybelteks. Die studie gee toe dat die Bybel verskillende teologiese benaderings to geweld bevat. Sommige tekste verteenwoordig geweld as ʼn goddelike instruksie en dus word God voor gehou as die een wat geweld as ʼn manier van hoe Hy gehoorsaamheid afdwing goedkeur. Die boek Joshua is ʼn voorbeeld van so ʼn tipe teks. In teenstelling is daar ook ander tekste wat God voorhou as die een wat rus en vrede bewerkstellig vir Sy eie mense, maar ook die van ‚andere‘volke en nasies. Die boek Kronieke is weer ʼn voorbeeld hiervan. Daar bestaan dus ʼn situasie waarin die bybelleser geweld en, of vrede kan regverdig, soos dit die leser pas. Hierdie studie argumenteer dat die tekste in hulle eie kontekste mekaar kontrasteer en nie noodwendig ooreenstem nie. Met die dat die studie ʼn pragmatiese lees van de Bybelteks vir ʼn noordelike Nigeriese etniese en religieuse konteks wil voorstel, wil die studie kennis neem van ʼn paar faktore. Die eerste is dat etnisiteit ʼn faktor is wat bydrae tot die geweld in die noorde van Nigerië. Tweedens, religieuse diversiteit is ook n bydraende faktor indien dit nie met deursigtigheid hanteer word nie. In die lig van hierdie observasies is dit uiters noodsaaklik om ʼn onderskeid te tref tussen ʼn eksklusiewe etniese/religieuse teologie aan en ʼn inklusiewe etniese/religieuse teologie. Vir hierdie rede beoog die studie om Joshua 6:1-27 en 1 Kronieke 7:20-29 in diepte te lees as twee tekse wat beide perspektiewe verteenwoordig. Die studie sal die tekse eksegetiseer deur van ideologisering en kanonisering as analitiese gereedskap gebruik te maak. Die studie sal in besonder fokus op Joshua as karakter in beide die verhale. Dit wil sy rol in die inwoning van Kanaän ondersoek en tot hoe ʼn mate dit op ideologiese perspektiewe van geweld gebou is. Die studie is van mening dat die kanonitiese voorstelling van Joshua elemente bevat wat as model dien vir die mense van YHWH om te handel en self oor hulle omstandighede te oordeel. Die studie is ʼn voortsetting van die evaluering van ideologieë wat in die voorstellings van Joshua onderskei kan word om te bevestig of dit wel geweld of vrede gerorienteerd is. Op hierdie punt sal die studie die situasie in die noordelike deel van Nigerië ondersoek. Die studie sal dan die teologieë van Joshua en Kronieke ondersoek om vas te stel watter van die twee is ʼn gteskikte paradigma om geweldadige konflik in die noorde van Nigerië te verhoed. As ʼn konklussie wil die studie voorhou dat ʼn vredes georienteerde ideologie ʼn geskikte paradigma is om geweldadige konflik in die noorde van Nigerië te voorkom. ʼn Paradigmatiese benadering sal nie net morele/etiese rigting bied nie, maar sal ook ʼn teologiese raamwerk voorstel hoe om Bybeltekste te benader. So ʼn raamwerk stem ooreen met soortgelyke bybelse teologiese perspektiewe en staan in kontras teenoor bybelse teologiese perspektiewe. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | en_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | xvi, 227 pages | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109160 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Bible -- Hermeneutics | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Conflict management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Ethnic conflict | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Bible. Joshua -- Criticism, interpretation, etc. | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theology, Doctrinal | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.title | A Theological interpretation of violence (חָמָס ) in relation to Joshua, Son of Nun : a paradigm for a Christian conflict prevention in Northern Nigeria | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |