Editorial 7
Welcome to the July 2020 edition of the Stellenbosch Theological Journal (STJ). This edition was finalized amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and we are especially grateful for the authors, reviewers and editorial team who worked hard, often under difficult circumstances, to make this possible.
The first section focuses on the theme “Household and Gender: Interpretations in Dialogue with New Testament Contexts and Contemporary Cultures.” These articles were first read at a conference on “The Bible and Gender in Africa,” held from 6–10 May 2019 at the Teofilo Kisanji University, Mbeya, Tanzania. This conference followed the celebration of the rich contribution of Professor Halvor Moxnes of the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, Norway, to his research field. In the light of his retirement he was honoured with a publication (edited by Zorodzai Dube, Loreen Maseno-Ouma and Elia Shabani Mligo) titled The Bible and Sociological Contours: Some African Perspectives – Festschrift for Professor Halvor Moxnes (Peter Lang Publishers). For a review of this publication by Tuntufye Mwenisongole, see our book review section.
We include here nine articles from this conference, by Dube, Getui & Richard, Kategile, Maseno, Mbao, Mligo, Molopyane, Moxnes and Savala respectively. These articles show in a multifaceted way how biblical themes are sustained and deployed with regard to gender issues in Africa, as well as the various social configurations that are cultivated in each particular context. These articles engage in a vibrant dialogue with different viewpoints from scholars based in both Africa and Europe, but also point to the conversation between scholars from different African countries.
Another section of this edition of STJ is called “In Search of an Ethics of Responsibility for our Time.” This was the theme of a consultation – jointly hosted by the Centre for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch University and the Dawid de Villiers Memorial Lecture Series (under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University) – held on the 17th of January
2020 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advance Studies (STIAS). It was the German sociologist Max Weber who in 1919 introduced the term “ethics of responsibility” (German: Verantwortungsethik) in his famous speech “Politics as a Vocation”. He used the term to refer to his proposal for a commendable ethical approach in modern politics. The term “ethics of responsibility” has since then found strong resonance in politics, philosophy, and theology.
8 Redaksionele voorwoord
Against this backdrop, the consultation brought together participants from both philosophy and theology for a critical discussion. We are privileged to include here the papers of Etienne de Villiers (emeritus professor in Christian Ethics, University of Pretoria and author of the book Revisiting Max Weber’s Ethic of Responsibility, 2018), Wolfgang Huber (former professor for Social Ethics at the University of Heidelberg and past chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church of Germany), and Anton van Niekerk (distinguished professor in Philosophy and director of the Centre for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch University).
In addition to articles mentioned above we include fourteen more articles, also peer-reviewed, in our July 2020 edition of STJ. These articles cover a wide array of topics from diverse perspectives and contexts and they are indicative of some of the current vibrant discourses in theology and related disciplines.
Editor: STJ
Welkom by die Julie 2020 uitgawe van die Stellenbosch Teologiese Joernaal (STJ) Hierdie uitgawe is gefinaliseer midde-in die Covid-19 pandemie en ons is baie dankbaar vir al die navorsers, keurders en die redaksionele span vir hul harde werk, dikwels onder moeilike omstandighede om dit moontlik te maak.
Die eerste afdeling fokus op die tema “Household and Gender: Interpretations in Dialogue with New Testament Contexts and Contemporary Cultures.” Dié artikels is oorspronklik aangebied by 'n konferensie met die tema “The Bible and Gender in Africa,” gehou vanaf 6–10 Mei 2019 by die Teofilo Kisanji Universiteit, Mbeya, Tanzanië. Hierdie konferensie het gevolg op 'n geleentheid waar die besondere bydrae van Professor Halvor Moxnes (van die Fakulteit Teologie by die Universiteit van Oslo, Noorweë) tot sy navorsingsveld gevier is. In die lig van sy aftrede is hy met 'n bundel gehuldig (onder redaksie van Zorodzai Dube, Loreen Maseno-Ouma en Elia Shabani Mligo) wat onder die titel The Bible and Sociological Contours: Some African Perspectives – Festschrift for Professor Halvor Moxnes (Peter Lang Publishers) verskyn het.
'n Resensie van Tuntufye Mwenisongole van hierdie publikasie word in ons boekresensie-afdeling ingesluit.
Redaksionele voorwoord 9
Wat die akademiese voordragte by die konferensie betref, plaas ons nege artikels, onderskeidelik van Dube, Getui & Richard, Kategile, Maseno, Mbao, Mligo, Molopyane, Moxnes en Savala. Hierdie artikels dui op 'n veelkantige wyse aan hoe Bybelse temas funksioneer ten opsigte van diskoerse wat met gender in Afrika verband hou, asook op die sosiale konfigurasies wat in die onderskeie kontekste gekultiveer word. Dit dui op 'n lewendige dialoog tussen die verskillende gesigspunte van navorsers in Afrika en Europa, asook op die gesprekke tussen navorsers vanuit verskillende Afrika-kontekste.
'n Tweede afdeling van STJ – met as tema “In Search of an Ethics of
Responsibility for our Time” – is die resultaat van 'n konsultasie wat op 17
Januarie 2020 by die Stellenbosse Instituut vir Gevorderde Navorsing (STIAS)
aangebied is, gesamentlik deur die Sentrum vir Toegepaste Etiek, Universiteit
Stellenbosch en die Dawid de Villiers Gedenklesing-reeks (van die Fakulteit
Teologie op Stellenbosch). Dit was die Duitse sosioloog Max Weber wat eerste
die term “etiek van verantwoordelikheid” (Duits: Verantwortungsethik) in sy
bekende toespraak “Politik als Beruf ” gebruik het. Dit het deel gevorm van sy
voorstel vir 'n adekwate etiese benadering ten opsigte van die moderne politiek.
Sedertdien het die term “etiek van verantwoordelikheid” sterk resonansie
gevind in die filosofie, teologie, en politieke studies. Teen hierdie agtergrond
het die konsultasie deelnemers vanuit die filosofie en teologie byeengebring
vir 'n kritiese gesprek oor die tema. Ons is bevoorreg om hier die voordragte
te plaas van Etienne de Villiers (emeritus professor in Christelike etiek aan
die Universiteit van Pretoria, en skrywer van die boek Revisiting Max Weber’s
Ethic of Responsibility, 2018), Wolfgang Huber (voorheen professor van Sosiale
Etiek aan die Universiteit van Heidelberg en voorsitter van die Raad van
Protestantse Kerke in Duitsland) en Anton van Niekerk (uitgelese professor
in filosofie en direkteur van die Sentrum vir Toegepaste Etiek, Universiteit
Stellenbosch).
Naas hierdie bogenoemde artikels, plaas ons veertien verdere artikels, almal ook portuur-geëvalueerde navorsing. Hierdie artikels hanteer 'n wye spektrum van temas vanuit diverse kontekste en dien as aanduiding van sommige van die lewendige gesprekke wat tans in die teologie en verwante dissiplines gevoer word.
Redakteur: STJ)