Stellenbosch Theological Journal

By another's death?

Nadia Marais — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In South Africa, the rhetoric of reconciliation is complex and contested. Indeed, reconciliation itself is viewed as “a controversial symbol”. In part, this may have to do with the different ways in which theological and social, political understandings drive the conceptualisation of reconciliation in South Africa. Within the theological tradition, salvation has long been portrayed by way of the metaphor of reconciliation, and many theologians have engaged the fruitful but potentially confusing difference in assumptions regarding what reconciliation is and requires of us. For a thicker, more robust theological concept of reconciliation, it may be important to consider what the intended use is of this complex notion when employed as a soteriological concept. This article explores David Kelsey’s portrayal of reconciliation by another’s death with some suggestions for contours of a soteriological grammar of reconciliation that could shape more lifegiving ways of speaking about reconciliation in South Africa today.

God – Justice – Climate change

Jan-Olav Henriksen Henriksen — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The climate catastrophe challenges theology to think about the relationship between our faith in God, the endangered creation, and justice. Although the challenge affects all living beings on the planet – and not only humans – the human responsibility for dealing with the issue cannot be separated from how we practice faith in God. God is the God of all, and the precarious and vulnerable situation of humans who suffer from the consequences of climate change represents a call to prophetic action and to affirm a shared community among all living beings. The resources of the Christian tradition can be employed to support this task.

A God of Justice and Reconciliation?

Jeremia Punt — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Justice and reconciliation are central concepts in the NT, in explicit and implicit ways, and the terms and their usage often betray their Jewish origins and setting. As the ultimate author of justice and reconciliation, God also expects as much from God’s followers, and ultimately from and towards the cosmos. Mindful that their encompassing reach may lead to semantic inflation, justice, and reconciliation in themselves – but particularly as divine attributes – need to be plotted over a broader spectrum that may have been the case in the past, and with much more attention to these notions in their particular first century context.

The God who is Love and the Life of Humans

Jörg Frey — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Gospel of John claims that in this work, in its presentation of the story of Jesus’ ministry and death, there is the ultimate revelation of God’s nature. Jesus’ death “for the life of the world” is seen as an expression of God’s ultimate love. Less clear, however, is how this interpretation affects the human relationships, community ethos, and social action of Jesus’ followers in the world. Does the Johannine worldview lead to sectarian separation from the world, or does it encourage active involvement in social action? What are the images and patterns that shape the practical lives of the children of the loving God? And how can the idea of God’s love inspire human love for others and reconciling activity in the church and in the wider context of the world? The article addresses these questions from an exegetical perspective and finally places them within the horizon of global theology.