PhD Theses
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2796
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Item The Human Conscience: Divine Design or the Nature of Our Neurons?(South African Theological Seminary, 2015) St. Onge, Charles; Pretorius, MarkChristians through the centuries have long turned to Romans 2:14-16 to show that the human conscience is a sign of the restraints God has placed on sin within all fallen human beings. The universal presence of the human conscience is put forward by many apologists as evidence for the existence of a creator God. In recent decades, however, some scientists have proposed naturalistic causes for the existence of a common human morality. This has been put forward as evidence against the existence of a supreme deity or deities. There is no reason to suppose that the human inclination to do good and avoid evil is anything other than a survival mechanism, the result of millions of years of evolutionary processes. To suggest that the source of the 'law within our hearts' is a supreme law giver is repugnant to new atheists such as Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. Are these neurological explanations sufficient to explain the existence of the human moral compass apart from a moral law-giver who exists outside of creation? Is this evidence open to other possible interpretations? Might the interpretation of the data or even the data itself be flawed? How might Christians, with their centuries-long Scriptural understanding of human conscience, respond apologetically to the claim that human conscience can be explained neurologically as a result of the brain's Neodarwinian evolutionary development? This is the main problem to be addressed in the following work. The main research problem can be subdivided into the following research questions which, taken together, should answer the main problem. Each of these sub-problems will be addressed using a chronological framework. Consideration will be given to how these sub-problems were answered in the past, the current state of thinking, and the paths which future research seems likely to take. The first set of sub-problems has to do with the Christian theological understanding of conscience and natural law. First, consideration will be given to the Romans 2:14-16 passage, a key portion of Scripture dealing with the question of the human conscience, where it comes from and how it functions. Second, how has Christian thought through the centuries regarded the origin and operation of the human conscience? The answer to this question will be limited in scope, but will touch on the major themes on the subject of natural law and conscience in historical Christian tradition and in the major confessional systems of thought present today. This would include, especially, natural law and conscience in the early church writers, as well as in the Thomistic, Lutheran and Calvinist traditions. The roots of Christian’s ideas of conscience in earlier Greek and Roman thought will also be considered. The second set of questions has to do with the current neurological explanations for the human conscience. First, what are the basic assumptions of the Darwinian and now Neo-Darwinian evolutionary hypothesis, especially as those assumptions relate to the development and function of the human mind? As in the examination of the development of Christian thought on the question of conscience, the scope of work on this question will be limited to the general themes necessary for this mini-thesis. Second, what specific explanations have been proposed, and are currently being proposed, for the human conscience based on these Neo-Darwinian assumptions? The last set of questions has to do with analysing and synthesizing the data gathered in answer to the previous questions in order to address the main thesis problem. First, what are the foremost apologetic concerns to be addressed when considering the Christian theological view on the origin of conscience in light of the Neo-Darwinian proposals for the emergence of the human moral compass? Each perspective will be evaluated and critiqued. Second, are there areas where both the Christian and Neo-Darwinian ideas show convergence and others where they show divergence? Third, considering the questions of foremost apologetic concern, and any convergence or divergence of ideas, what might be the most appropriate Christian apologetic response?Item THE FORMATION OF THE DISCIPLES AS AGENTS OF DIVINE POWER AND REVELATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GOSPELS ACCORDING TO MARK AND JOHN(South African Theological Seminary, 2010-04) Asumang, AnnangWith the overall task of explaining Christian origins in mind, this dissertation describes, analyzes and compares how the formation of the disciples of Jesus is depicted by the Gospels of Mark and John. It assumes the Gospel genre to be biographical and defines ―formation as the dialectical processes of interactions between Jesus and the disciples as His agents. A model that is based on the depictions of the divine-human interactions in the OT and literature of Second Temple Judaism is first developed for the analyses. This model is then piloted and fine-tuned in the first chapters of Mark and John in order to set the parameters for the study. With the aid of a narrative-theological method, the discipleship characters in both Gospels are identified, and the purposes of their formation, as well as the processes and events involved in their interactions with Jesus are separately analyzed and then compared to establish a number of hypotheses. These hypotheses are then validated by examining how both Evangelists narrate the feeding of the five thousand and the anointing of Jesus. The dissertation identifies that both Gospels characterize the foundational group of disciples as much wider than those explicitly labelled as ―disciple. This foundational group was multiform, and made up of people of different socio-cultural and religious backgrounds, ethnicities, gender and social classes. In both Gospels, the purpose of their formation was to make them into agents of divine power and revelation. Mark emphasizes their formation as agents of divine power, whereas John complements this by emphasizing their formation as agents of divine revelation. Though the key formational activities, events and processes highlighted by either Evangelist differ; they nevertheless complement each other, and thus a global portrait of the formation of the disciples is attained. In both Gospels, hospitality features as a central formational phenomenon, both literally and metaphorically. While Mark emphasizes hospitality as a discipleship ethic, John underlines it as a Christological phenomenon. Several peculiar emphases in John also complement the Markan feature of the frequent failures of the disciples. The Passion and resurrection of Jesus is established as key to the formation of the disciples, but in a proleptic fashion.Item The contribution of the theme of divine judgment to the argument of the book of Ecclesiastes(South African Theological Seminary, 2017) Huovila, Kimmo; Lioy, Dan T.There has been no general agreement among scholars about the argument of the book of Ecclesiastes. There are several interpretive paradigms for handling tension in the book. Many scholars think the book does not affirm afterlife or a divine judgment in it. This dissertation studies what the book teaches about divine judgment and how it contributes to the argument of the book. The argument of the book is evaluated by studying key lexemes and their usage. Key passages discussing divine judgment are exegeted to determine what the book teaches about divine judgment and how that relates to the argument of the book. The teaching on divine judgment is placed in the context of the canon. Finally, homiletic implications of the study are discussed.This study concludes that the book of Ecclesiastes argues that no permanent profit is possible in thislife. This makes all work futile with respect to the goal of securing permanent profit. This futility is discussed using the key word הבל'futility', which is used as an antonym of יתרון'profit' and with a singular meaning whenever used in reference to the summary “all is futile”. This futility is used to argue for valuing joy instead of living an achievement-centered life. The book of Ecclesiastes teaches a personal divine judgment of all deeds in the afterlife in the epilogue and probably in the body of the work. In the area of divine judgment, tensions in the book are to be solved by reading the book harmonistically. There is a possible allusion to the Egyptian view of afterlife in Ecclesiastes 3:21. The theme of divine judgment is used to address lack of justice in this life, as a basis for revering God, and to guide the pursuit of joy. The teaching on divine judgment is in agreement with the rest of the canon.The use of the key word הבל'futility' argues for a unified meaning, but such a meaning has been elusive. I present a novel solution to the lexical dilemma. While the idea that הבלmeans 'futility' is not novel, this study shows that the futility is specifically in relationship to an attempt to secure permanent profit. The minority view that Qohelet consistently affirmed a conscious afterlife and a divine judgment in it has significant ramifications for understanding the book and for Old testament biblical theology. The view that this is a plausible interpretation of the book is supported by new arguments.Item A Theological and Biblical Examination on the Synthesis of Penal Substitution and Christus Victor Motifs: Implications for African Metaphysics(South African Theological Seminary, 2013) Falconer, Robert D.; Jabini, Franklin; Kunhiyop, Samuel W.The present disposition of atonement theology has been turbulent in light of recent disputes and criticisms. This dissertation seeks to acknowledge two seemingly distinct atonement theories, the penal substitution and Christus Victormotifs, and then explore how they harmoniously complement one another as a synthesis. This atonement synthesis is then applied to African metaphysics to demonstrate its efficacy in a verydifferent cultural context fromthat of the West.The research begins with a study of the interplay between atonement theology and socio-historical contexts and the influences that helped develop the theological concepts of atonement. Here the notable presence of atonement synthesis is highlighted throughout Church history. Atonement synthesis in biblical narrative is then examined. It is argued that a theology of penal substitution without Christus Victor, or vice versa,is inadequate, as both the Church‘s theology and biblical narrative present them as harmonious and complementary. The implications of atonement synthesis are then explored in light of African metaphysics, in which the atonement best finds its expression among Africans. An overview of African philosophy and spirituality and a study of African atonement prepare the way for exploring the implications of atonement synthesis in African socio-cosmology, socio-disharmony, socio-ontology as well associo-renewal and cosmic harmony. These implications demonstrate that Christ‘s atonement is more than capable in dealing with African metaphysic realities. This dissertation suggests that atonement synthesis ultimately offersthe African liberty and hope. It fulfils a profound need in African philosophy and spirituality which,without Christ‘s penal substitution and Christ as Victor,there would beno hope of redemption. viii| P a g e“It means”, said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards”.C.S. Lewis