Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap | Journal for Christian Scholarship

A Biblical perspective on the meaning of the word pharmakeia-sorcery and its implications today

2024-01-15T09:02:33+02:00

Die Griekse woord farmakeia in die Bybel word meesal vertaal as waarsêery, medisyne of dwelmiddel en die spesifieke verwysing in Openbaring 18:23 het tot gevolg gehad dat die woord en sy betekenisse direk verbind is aan die farmaseuties maatskappye wat ’n rol gespeel het in die maatreëls van en oplossing vir die Covid-19 pandemie. Die studie het die woord ondersoek asook die konteks waarin dit gebruik word en gebruike daarvan ten einde die relevansie daarvan vas te stel. Alhoewel die woord farmasie en farmaseutiese maatskappy hulle oorsprong van die woord kry kan die woord farmakeia in die Bybel nie direk met moderne farmaseutiese reuse verbind word nie. Dit beteken egter nie dat daar nie hedendaagse implisiete toespassings is van die nadelige praktyke wat geassosieer word met die woord en sy variante. Alhoewel die woord farmakeia verwys na die okkulte en heidense aanbiddingspraktyke in die Bybel en nie uitsluitlik net na farmaseutiese produkte nie, sluit dit wel dwelmmiddels en giftige narkotiese middele in. Verder was die praktyke altyd verbind met towery wat die deelnemer meer ontvanklik maak vir beïnvloeding vanuit die demoniese wêreld. Soortgelyk het die beleidmakers en invloedrykes gedurende die pandemie deur hulle kragtige media-propaganda “toorkuns” die wêreld bevolking spreekwoordelik betower en veroorsaak dat mense dwarsoor die wêreld universeel opgetree het.

Deelnemende en verteenwoordigende burgerskap; Die ontwikkeling van politieke medeseggenskap in die Nederlandse Protestantse denke

2024-01-15T09:18:07+02:00

Dutch constitutional thought of the sixteenth century contributed in major respects to Protestant views on liberty, participatory and representative government and resistance to tyranny. Martin van Gelderen describes the essence and defining characteristic of Renaissance republicanism and adds that, as supreme political values, liberty, the common good of the community and the personal freedom of its members were preserved and furthered best by a political system characterized by a set of sound laws, a refined form of mixed government based on elections (and thus on representation) and virtuous acts of public service by the citizens, and also that it is worthwhile to compare the ideology developed during the Dutch Revolt, which contained a vision of the political order as based on liberty, constitutional charters, representative institutions and popular sovereignty. This article investigates the contribution of three texts in particular to the notions of participatory and representative governance in the protection of civil liberties in sixteenth century political discourse viz. A defence and true declaration (1571), Political education (1582) and the Short exposition (1582). It is concluded that the values of participatory and representative political bodies, are, together with other core-values, an equally important legacy of Marnix van St. Aldegonde and other authors to the development of a strong democratic and constitutionally based theory of people’s resistance to tyranny.

Public theology: seeking principles for a Reformed epistemology

2024-01-15T09:28:21+02:00

Die belangstelling in publieke teologie het merkbaar toegeneem. Ongelukkig is daar opponerende menings oor die prinsipiële besinning en praktiese toepassing van beginsels. Die keuse van ? epistemologie vir publieke teologie is waarskynlik verantwoordelik vir die groot verskil in benadering en toepassing. Die artikel ondersoek twee moontlike epistemologieë, naamlik postmodernisme en ? Reformatoriese teologie. Verskeie komplikasies in die prinsipiële besinning oor die aard en toepassing van publieke teologie word bespreek in ? poging om sekere beginsels vir ? epistemologie te identifiseer. Die artikel bespreek redes vir ? Reformatoriese teologie as epistemologie, maar waarsku ook teen ? ongeregverdigde hantering van dogmas om die diskoerse te vertroebel.

Tussen revolusionisme en pasifisme: Die ontplooiing van Reformatoriese verset in die sestiende eeuse Protestantisme

2024-01-15T09:37:39+02:00

The developments in sixteenth century Protestant resistance theory served as an influential catalyst in the transition from medieval to modern constitutionalist ideas. The first decades of the Protestant Reformation witnessed two important perspectives unfolding in support of the notion of the supremacy of law and resistance to tyranny: The idea of the office of rulers detached from ecclesiastical structures in the fold of Luther and his followers, and the Calvinist notion of governmental power controlled by the people or their representatives. By the time of the Magdeburg Admonition (1550), the fusion of the Lutheran and Calvinist ideas of institutional restraints on monarchical power had established a platform for justifying active resistance to tyranny in the public sphere. It also confirmed the principle based on natural law theory that individuals have the right (and duty) to protect life, limb, property and honour in matters of private law. The fusion of the Lutheran and Calvinist political ideas as facilitated by the increasing emphasis on the idea of the common weal was the most important regulative principle and focal point of the duties of monarchs and rulers. Johann Eisermann’s work on the common weal provided Protestant political thought with a clearer view of the borderline between just political governance and tyranny. Francois Hotman’s Franco Gallia (1573) postulated the mixed constitution in which authority is shared between the king and the community as a standard against which subsequent political and legal changes must be evaluated. Hotman’s discourse on the ancient regime in France highlights the principle that the king is nothing more than a magistrate and is constantly subject to removal by the people for violating the duties of his office. Furthermore, the ancient public council’s power of creating and deposing kings, the control of legislation and supervision of the ordinary conduct of government. Theodor Beza pursued the avenue of the Admonition of the Lutheran town of Magdeburg against the Interim of the German Emperor, Charles V, in 1548: A king who persecutes the true religion is no longer a legitimate authority since he was originally established to defend the Law of God. Regional princes, the magistrates of towns, and other inferior magistrates may resist him because they too have been established to do the will of God. Hubert Languet’s Vindiciae contra tyrannos (1574-1575) is not only a more ample and eloquent restatement of Beza’s major themes and more prominent emphasis on the role of the people’s representative structures, but he makes a special effort to portray the lower magistrates as the people’s guardians. These lower magistrates have an obligation to defend their rights.

Godfather of godvrezend bisschop? De ethiek van Ambrosius in het spanningsveld van Schriftgezag en pragmatisme

2024-01-15T12:23:38+02:00

In the 1990’s Neil McLynn redefined Ambrose of Milan as a manipulative politician who used the new state religion as a vehicle to broker personal power and influence. This view acknowledged the potential tension between the teachings of early Christianity and the prevailing pragmatism of an age where Christianity became a privileged religion. Although McLynn’s view has been regarded persuasive from a modern point of view, it largely built on supposition rather than Ambrose’s work in a textual and contemporary historical context (primary and secondary sources of Late Antiquity). Careful exploration of these sources shows that, like earlier fathers of the Church, Ambrose showed himself a man of principle and self-denial, who operated from the premise of the Scriptures as God’s authoritative voice for past and present. Secondary sources from Late Antiquity confirm that he was also recognized by his contemporaries as such. A philological investigation of Ambrose’s magnum opus on ethics, De Officiis, considers Ambrose’s views on authority and human thought and behaviour. From a moral perspective, Ambrose argues that his office of bishop is principally a teaching office, not to promote personal interest, but to pass on the oracles of God for human life, the teachings of Scripture. While the church father also identifies practical tensions, he sets forth the Divinas Scripturas as guiding principle for Christian ethics and per implication for all of humanity, as he considers all the world under the claim of its Creator and Lord. Christ is entitled to the obedience of all. Historically this is evidenced in Ambrosius’s endeavours to use his influence with Roman emperors to change the imperial laws towards Divine law, i.e., to Christianize society. Building on Bartelink and Davidson, a linguistic analysis of De Officiis shows Scripture authority to be the determining factor for Ambrose’s ethics. Ambrose did not think opportunistically, but subjected to external accountability in determining what was right and wrong. This hypothesis acknowledges Ambrose’s specific personality and gifted political background, but suggests that rather than self-interested Machiavellianism, Scripture was the guiding moral principle for his goals and actions.

Learner discipline in South African schools: The parental dimension

2024-01-15T14:33:16+02:00

Leerderdissipline is ? brandpunt in Suid-Afrikaanse skole. Die saak van leerderdissipline aan skole is veelkantig en gekompliseerd, met ten minste ses dimensies of stelle faktore, te wete leerder-, onderwyser-, skool-, ouer-, samelewing- en onderwysstelselverwante faktore. Hierdie artikel doen verslag van die resultate van navorsing oor een faktor waaroor tot dusver min navorsing gedoen is, naamlik die ouerdimensie of -faktor. ? Steekproef van 402 ouers van leerders in Suid-Afrikaanse skole se menings en belewenisse rakende die stand van dissipline in ouerhuise sowel as by skole, die hantering van dissipline by skole en die rol van ouers in die bekamping van dissiplineprobleme by skole is ondersoek. Die respondente het laat blyk dat hulle die noodsaaklikheid van gesonde dissipline onder hul kinders by die huis sowel as by die skool besef. Hulle verstaan ook die rol van die ouer-skool-vennootskap en ondersteuning in hierdie verband. Die ouers het ? positiewe belewenis en evaluering van die stand van dissipline by hul huise en by die skole wat hul kinders bywoon, asook van hul rol as ouers betreffende ouer-skool-verhoudinge in hierdie verband. Wanneer hierdie bevindinge egter naas die resultate van navorsing oor die belewenis van leerders, hoofde en onderwysers, asook getuienis uit die breë samelewing, geplaas word, blyk die respondente ? vals of ongegronde gevoel van selftevredenheid te hê, wat skadelik is vir die handhawing van gesonde dissipline. Hierdie navorsing vul ? leemte met betrekking tot die vraagstuk van leerderdissipline aan skole, Suid-Afrikaanse skole in die besonder, in soverre dit die totnogtoe in die navorsing versaakte ouer-gesin-tuisomgewing dimensie belig. Die projek het die belangrikheid van opvolgnavorsing ten einde wyses waarop nie net ongegronde ouerselftevredenheid teëgegaan kan word nie, maar ook die gebrek aan dissipline van leerders tuis en op skool, benadruk.

Bioethics in the context of Christian scholarship: Time for a new discussion?

2024-01-15T14:50:57+02:00

Die gesprek oor en die waarde van ? Christelike bioetiek is nie nuut nie. Alhoewel godsdiens ? vermindere invloed op gesondheidsorgbeleid het, is daar ? algemene waardering vir die Christelike bioetiek oor diè etiek se volgehoue bevordering van respek vir en beskerming van lewe. Nuwe tegnologiese en sosiale ontwikkelings in gesondheidsorg roep die vraag op of die Christelike biotetiek nie met hierdie nuwe ontwikkelings in gesprek moet tree nie. Uitdagings wat gedurende die COVID-19 pandemie geïdentifiseer is soos verteenwoordigende kliniese statistiek en die groeiende behoefte aan geestelike sorg in gesondheidsorg, noodsaak dat die Christelike bioetiek weer oor hierdie en ander sake moet nadink. Voorbeelde hiervan is die groeiende moontlikhede van biodrukwerk, kunsmatige intelligensie, besluitneming gebaseer op groot data reekse en die gebruik van robotte in gesondheidsorg. Terselfdertyd is daar ? groter ouerwordende gemeenskap. Hierdie populasiegroep sal meer druk plaas op die gesondheidsorgsisteem wat reeds deur swak dienslewering uitgedaag word.

Die vertrekpunt van hierdie artikel is dat bioetiek uitdagings in gesondheidsorg insluit wat veroorsaak word deur nuwe tegnolgiese ontwikkelings, die pligte en verantwoordelikhede van farmaseutiese maatskappy en die regering, en die professionele verhouding tussen dokters, verpleegsters, en/of terapeute met die pasiënt en sy/haar familie en naasbestaandes. Hierdie artikel identifiseer sekere ontwikkelings wat op die gesondheidsorg impakteer en waarmee die Christelike bioetiek in gesprek behoort te tree. Die bedoeling is nie om hierdie sake te debateer nie, maar eerder die noodsaak vir die Christelike bioetiek om hierop te reflekteer, te benadruk. ? Argument-gebaseerde etiek word in hierdie artikel gebruik.Bioethics,

Die waarde van ? Christelike bioetiek lê in die bydrae wat dit kan lewer tot sake soos die kwaliteit van lewe en gesondheid, die beoordeling van bestaande bioetiese perspektiewe en die gebruik van Bybelse perspektiewe om besluite en nuwe ontwikkelings in gesondheidsorg te beoordeel.

Verdieping van die begrip 'tradisie' in Christelike onderwys vanuit HG Stoker se insigte

2024-01-15T15:01:49+02:00

In the historical-philosophical thematic analysis of the development of tradition as a concept, it has been demonstrated that the loss of traditions reached its peak during Postmodernism. This led to the popularization of creating new traditions. However, these new traditions being formed are superficial, as they only represent symbolism without true depth in the participation of the tradition itself. This has resulted in the symbolism representing the tradition having more meaning than the tradition itself. From a Reformed Christian perspective, primarily presented in this article through the works of H.G. Stoker, tradition is understood as a broader concept. Here, tradition is not limited to a superficial symbolic act without meaning. The broader concept includes insights from Stoker's works, namely: “continuity”, “discontinuity”, and “responsibility”; the relationship between tradition and progression as well as tradition's commitment to God’s covenant faithfulness. Tradition is considered as the responsible transmission of a worldview within the philosophical concepts of continuity and discontinuity, accompanied by the symbolic acceptance of the responsibility of the tradition. Christian schools whose traditions are reduced to superficial commodities or symbolism that aligns, for example, with secular schools, must reflect on whether they can truly be considered as Christian schools. Christian schools marketing themselves as tradition-bound schools should therefore have an integrated Christian worldview in all aspects of their teaching and learning.