References to women of the Old Testament in the demonstrations of Aphrahat the Persian sage

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dc.contributor.advisorBosman, Hendriken_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKruger, Lisel Heleenen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Department of Old and New Testament.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-27T11:34:29Z
dc.date.available2012-08-27T11:34:29Z
dc.date.issued1999-03en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1999.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Aphrahat, the Persian sage, is a fourth century exponent of the theological reflections and teachings that originated in the Persian Church under Sassanian rule. His writings give witness to early eastern Syriac Christian traditions, that have been neglected by theologians through the years in their focus on the Greek and Latin exegetical traditions. Aphrahat' s use and understanding of the Old Testament in his theological reflection forms the focuspoint of this study. The problem addressed is an explanation of Aphrahat' s interpretation of women of the Old Testament as it is found in the references to them in his theological argumentation. The methodological approach utilised in this study is that of socio-rhetorical criticism. This method presupposes that a text can be compared to a tapestry consisting of a thick texture of complex patterns and images. When a text is studied from different angles, a multiplicity of textures can be identified, which enables the reader to develop a greater understanding and perception of the whole. The Demonstrations of Aphrahat are viewed as examples of such multi-textured texts, consisting of an innertexture, intertexture, social and cultural texture, ideological texture and sacred texture. This study analyses four of Aphrahat' s twenty three Demonstrations. In Demonstration III, regarding fasting, the rhetorical unit does not shed much light on Aphrahat' s ideas about women in general. The women characters were not evaluated on ground of their gender, but rather on grounds of certain acts attributed to them in the Biblical narratives - narratives that were interpreted in a midrashic manner within the presuppositions of Aphrahat' s ascetic theology. In Demonstration VI Aphrahat holds singleness above marriage, with the ideal for persons to be so consecrated to Christ. Women stand in the way of this ideal being fully realised in the community of believers. Biblical women are inseparably bound with Eve - the archetype of women. Demonstration VI illustrates that Old Testament history played a big role in the formation of an image of women and their place in this ascetic religious community. In Demonstration XIV emphasis is placed on the prophetic and reconcilitiary positions of certain Old Testament women. They are positive examples that fit the rhetoric of the time, as in Demonstration XXI Aphrahat addresses his audience in the midst of persecutions. Some Old Testament righteous male figures serve as types of Christ, but women feature only implicitly in such a role in Aphrahat' s argumentation. In a community where both sexes suffered are persecuted women do not fulfill the same rhetorical function as men. An ambivalence is recognisable with regard to Aphrahat' s reference to women of the Old Testament, this is to be understood from a presupposition that each rhetorical situation invites its own response - a response further coloured by Aphrahat' s theological agenda and own uncertainty regarding the role of women within a strong ascetic community. A midrash style of argumentation is prevalent which is used to engender attitudes of relevance and relatedness to the world of Scripture. This study concludes that Aphrahat' s theological agenda reflected in a midrashic style of argumentation within the traditions of Syriac Church literature, led to an ambivalence in his reference to women of the Old Testament in his Demonstrations, from which a certain image of women can be deduced.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Afrahaates, die Persiese Wysgeer, is 'n verteenwoordiger van die teologie van die Persiese kerk onder Sassaniede beheer in die vierde eeu. Sy geskrifte getuig van 'n vroee oosterse Siriese Christelike tradisie iets wat min aandag verkry het in kerkhistoriese werke weens 'n groter fokus op die Grieks en Latynse eksegetiese tradisies. Afrahaates se gebruik en verstaan van die Ou Testament form die fokuspunt van hierdie studie. Die probleem wat aangespreek word is 'n verklaring van Afrahaates se interpretasie van vroue van die Ou Testament soos dit gevind word in die verwysings na hulle m sy teologies argumentasie. Die metodologiese benadering wat in hierdie studie gebruik word is die van sosio-historiese kritiek. Die metodologie werk met die voorveronderstelling dat 'n teks vergelyk kan word met die komplekse tekstuur van 'n tapyt. Waneer 'n teks vanuit 'n verskeidenheid hoeke bestudeer word kom 'n menigvuldigheid van perspektiewe na vore, wat 'n beter verstaan van die teks moontlik maak. Die Demonstrasies van Afrahaates word beskou as voorbeelde van sulke tekste met elk so 'n binne teks (teks immanent), interteks (verhouding met ander tekste ), sosiale en kulturele tekstuur, ideologiese tekstuur en sakrale tekstuur. Vier van die drie en twintig Demonstrasies word in hierdie studie geanaliseer. In Demonstrasie III (aangaande vas) word geen duidelike beeld gevorm aangaande Afrahaates se idee/verstaan van vroue in die algemeen nie. Die hoofkarakters is nie geevalueer op grond van hul geslag nie, maar eerder op grond van sekere optredes wat in die Bybelse narratiewe aan hulle toegeskryf is, en op 'n midrasj manier geinterpreteer is, vanuit die voorveronderstellings inherent aan Afrahaates se asketies georienteerde teologie. In Demonstrasie VI word die ongehude staat bo die huwelik gepropageer. Die onderliggende ideaal is om in "een-heid" aan Christus geheilig te wees. Vroue staan in die weg van die verwesenliking van die ideaal in die geloofsgemeenskap. Bybelse vroue is onskeidbaar verbind aan Eva - wat beskou word as die archetipe van die vrou. Die Ou Testament speel sodoende 'n groot rol in die vonning van die beeld van die vrou en haar plek in hierdie gemeenskap. In Demonstrasie XIV val die klem op die profeties en versoenende rolle van sekere Ou­Testamentiese vroue. Die vroue word positief bekend gestel om in te pas by die retoriek van hul tyd. In Demonstrasie XXI addresseer Afrahaates sy gehoor te midde van vervolgings. Ou-Testamentiese mans word voorgehou as tipes van Christus. Sommige vroue in sy retoriek dien implisiet as tipes van Christus, maar in die gemeenskap, alhoewel beide geslagte vervolg is, het vroue nie dieselfde retoriese funksie vervul as die mans nie. 'n Ambivalensie is herkenbaar in die verwysmg van Afrahaates na vroue van die Ou Testament, wat verstaan moet word vanuit 'n voorveronderstelling dat elke retoriese situasie aanleiding gee tot 'n eie respons, wat verder ingekleur word deur Afrahaates se teologiese agenda en sy eie onsekerheid aangaande die rol van vroue binne 'n sterk asketiese gemeenskap. 'n Midrasj styl van argumentasie is gebruik om die Skrif relevant te maak vir sy konteks. Die gevolgtrekking wat bereik word in hierdie studie is dat Afrahaates se teologiese agenda, wat reflekteer word in 'n midrasj sty! van argumentasie, binne die tradisies van die Siriese kerklike literatuur gelei het tot 'n ambivalente verwysing na vroue van die Ou Testament m sy Demonstrasies, waaruit 'n sekere beeld van vroue afgelei kan word.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extent259 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51403
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectAphraates, the Persian sage, fl. 337-345en_ZA
dc.subjectBible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc. -- Historyen_ZA
dc.subjectWomen in the Bibleen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertations -- Theologyen_ZA
dc.titleReferences to women of the Old Testament in the demonstrations of Aphrahat the Persian sageen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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