PhD Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2796

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    AN EVANGELICAL PROTESTANT THEOLOGICAL AESTHETIC: A RESPONSE TO HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S CRITIQUE
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, 2023) Currie, Ryan 1986–; Falconer, Robert D.; Coon, George
    In the development of his theological aesthetic project, the Swiss theologian and Roman Catholic priest, Hans Urs von Balthasar, critiqued Protestantism for lacking a theological account of beauty. Balthasar claimed that Protestants explore the relationship of theology and worldly beauty in its various forms, but do not deal with beauty itself as a theological category and have eliminated beauty from theology completely. This thesis responds to this critique from an evangelical Protestant perspective. The purpose of this work is to develop a theological aesthetic for evangelical Protestants that builds on the insights of historical theology and is consistent with the biblical witness. The methodology employed is Falconer’s Architectonic Theology, which applies architectural design principles for the construction of a systematic theology. Following this methodology, this work examines the concepts of theological aesthetics in current evangelical Protestantism, the development of theological aesthetic concepts in the history of theology, Balthasar’s articulation of theological aesthetics, and the Johannine corpus. I argue that even though evangelical Protestants have neglected a theological account of beauty, they have a tacit theological aesthetic that needs further articulation and development. However, evangelical Protestants have much to offer in the field of theological aesthetics. In this thesis, I seek to develop a theological aesthetic that is based on a theology of the cross. I claim that beauty is inherently related to the concept of glory. Glory emphasizes the objective aspects of God’s fullness and perfection, while beauty emphasizes perception and drawing power. The perception of God’s beauty is made possible through the spiritual sense, given at regeneration. The spiritual sense also transforms the physical senses so that all created beauty becomes a communicative event where the beauty of God is displayed. This is significant because it provides a solution to the felt tension between spiritual and created beauty. Further, the beauty of God is transformative. Theological aesthetics has profound implications for life as the believer perceives God through faith and generates a beautiful life in the theo-drama.
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    A Critical Analysis of Christology in N.T. Wright and Wolfhart Pannenberg: Implications for a Christo-Centric Homiletic
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, 2023) Duffield, Devon 1988; Bartholomaeus, Michael; Falconer, Robert D.
    The Christo-centric homiletic is considered one of the leading contemporary approaches within the evangelical hermeneutic and homiletic society. However, its popularity has not made this approach immune to criticism. This thesis seeks to point out that the Christo-centric homiletic is embedded in a Christology from above, which contributes to its strengths and weaknesses. It explores the implications of the from below Christologies of N.T. Wright and Wolfhart Pannenberg on the Christo-centric approach. A unique research methodology is employed that consists of five literary tasks to address the research problem. The research project begins with examining the from below Christologies of Wright and Pannenberg, which encompasses the overarching tenets of their Christologies and the influences of other scholars upon their presuppositions and Christological developments. Then, the strengths and weaknesses of their Christologies are identified, described, and evaluated through critical analysis. Subsequently, the Christo-centric homiletic is examined, and its underlying Christology and shortcomings are specified and assessed. It is argued that the Christo-centric homiletic is embedded in a from above approach to Christology and that the presuppositions of a Christology from above contribute to the homiletical approach's shortcomings. The implications of the strengths of Wright and Pannenberg's Christologies on the Christo-centric homiletic are then explored. These implications demonstrate that these two from below Christologies enrich and challenge the Christo-centric method in various meaningful ways. This thesis suggests that if the Christo-centric method takes the from below Christologies of Wright and Pannenberg seriously, it can address specific weaknesses and find resources to enhance some of its strengths without negating its central conviction of preaching Christ in every sermon. This thesis fulfils the profound need to place the current homiletical debate on Christo-centric preaching in dialogue with Christology. It defends the unique proposal that the Christo-centric method can address its criticisms without becoming more Theo-centric.
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    Using The Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4–5 As a Heuristic Lens to Understand Paul’s Christology in Romans
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Peltier, Robert V.; Lioy, Dan T.
    The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the Shema (Deut 6:4–5) may serve as a heuristic lens to clarify and deepen our understanding of Paul’s Christology in Romans. The study commences with a two-part literature review. First, the scholarly literature is examined to determine the epistemology of intertextuality as a literary-critical theory. Orthodox intertextuality is assessed as an unacceptable hermeneutical tool as it abandons the essential historical, literary principle of authorial intent and replaces textual meaning with a nebulous construct of countless reader-determined meanings. Further, authorial intent is abrogated, meaning no standard or referent exists for determining absolute truth. These characteristics of orthodox intertextuality make its use in biblical studies problematic. Second, the literature is surveyed to identify scholars who have normalized intertextuality into a biblically sound hermeneutical tool. The literature review shows that biblical intertextuality studies offer the opportunity for revealing new interpretive meaning from a text while studiously avoiding the undesirable portions of orthodox intertextuality. There are no universally accepted guidelines, definitions, or methodology for identifying intertextual allusion and echoes of the OT in the NT. Thus, a proposed heuristic is developed to evaluate biblical intertexts, including a taxonomy of biblical intertext types and definitions to guide this study, particularly for the identification of intertextual citations, allusions, and echoes. This study presents a proposed methodology for identifying and evaluating candidate allusions and echoes in inter-, intra-, and extra-biblical texts. Chapter 3reviews the presence of the Shema in Deuteronomy, the remainder of the OT, and the Second Temple literature. The review begins with an exegesis of Deuteronomy 6:4–5 conducted based on the MT, LXX, and NA28 versions of the passage. Based on an analysis of the available OT and NT texts, the Nash Papyrus, and recent archaeological finds, the proper interpretation of Deut 6:4 is determined to be “Hear Israel! The Lord our God is One Lord.” The Shema is the definitive statement of Jewish monotheism expressed by Moses and the Oneness of God by Paul. The remainder of chapter 3 presents an exploration of the context of the Shema found in Second Temple literature. Chapter 4 shifts the focus of the study to an examination of the Sitz im Leben of the Roman church. Paul writes to the church to address the social/religious friction between Gentile and Jewish believers during the reintegration of returning Jewish Christians following their eviction from Rome. Paul writes of his concern for the church’s unity and his desire to reshape their understanding of the faith experience, particularly concerning the Mosaic Law’s role in salvation. Paul’s understanding of the Oneness of God is a significant theme developed in conjunction with his midrashic interpretive hermeneutic. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Paul’s understanding of the Oneness of God in light of Jewish monotheism. Chapter 5 integrates the prior work to characterize the intertextual appearance of the Shema as found in many Christological passages in Romans using the methodology developed in chapter 2. A final list of ten intertexts (eight allusions and two echoes) are identified where Paul either alludes to or echoes the Shema when expressing an important feature of his Christology. A further 13 passages marginally failed the analysis methodology are documented for future researchers. Finally, in chapter 6, the exegetical value of the ten qualified intertexts is examined, particularly how these passages are all strategically located within discourse units in which Paul is addressing a specific Christological teaching. The passages identified as allusions to the Shema are Romans 1:7b; 2:13–15a; 3:29–31; 7:12, 22; 9:4; and 10:6–8, 17. The passages identified as echoes of the Shema are Romans 5:5 and 6:16–18. Paul often uses allusions or echoes to amplify and sharpen his arguments when he presents or explains a particular aspect of his Christology. Paul’s arguments are often multi-layered, adding substance and depth to his instructions to the Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul’s allusions and echoes of the Shema may be likened to an added layer of context or emphasis. The presence of the intertexts strengthen Paul’s argument rather than carrying the entire weight of his argument, particularly when addressing Christological topics such as the Oneness of God, justification, and righteousness. The identified allusions and echoes are more appropriately considered as a “force multiplier” in his arguments rather than the “tip of the spear.” In sum, Paul has reinterpreted the Shema in a midrashic sense to declare that the One God of the Jews is also the One God for all people. Paul has extended the interpreted meaning of the Shema beyond the exclusive province of the Jews to a more universal understanding of the Shema within Paul’s Christology in Romans so that all people may declare that “The Lord our God is One Lord.”
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