Conspectus

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Aims, Scopes, and Values

Conspectus is the journal of the South African Theological Seminary. Like the Seminary, the values of the journal are encapsulated in the phrase, “Bible-based, Christ-centred, and Spirit- led.” Launching from an appreciation of interdisciplinary discourse, the journal publishes from across the broad spectrum of theological studies (Biblical Studies, Practical Theology, Systematic Theology, Studies in Church and Society), while establishing links with extra- theological disciplines where appropriate. Like the Seminary, Conspectus invites contributions from the broad spectrum of denominations while showcasing academic research from a broadly evangelical perspective. The journal seeks contributions from authors who subscribe to a high view of Scripture, as is consistent with evangelical tenets.1 Publishing articles that employ reader-centered methodologies for exegesis does not lie in Conspectus’s purview.2 Additionally, as SATS is based on the African continent, the journal foregrounds contributions from the Majority World. To be published in Conspectus an article must go beyond a summary of secondary sources and present the results of sound theological research valuable to the church, including scholars, pastors, students, missionaries, and/or other Christian practitioners. Conspectus is an open-source journal, catalogued under ATLA (American Theological Library Association), Logos Bible Software, Galaxy Software, Sabinet, the Directory of Open Access Journals, African Journals Online (AJOL), and the SATS website.3

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    Conspectus Volume 37
    (South African Theological Seminary, 2024-05-01) Wendland, Ernst R.; Boaheng, Isaac; Ngobeni, Dumisani Member; Miti, Bambo; Resane, Kelebogile Thomas; Adegbile, Wole; Polzin, Lewis R.; Mati, Ali; Henry, Desmond; Adams, Scott; Banda, Collium; Banda, Irene; Coetsee, Albert; Connoway, Izaak J. L.; Coon, George; Darko, Daniel K.; Du Toit, Philip; Gitau, Wanjiru; Henry, Desmond; Kabongo, Luc; Kasera, Basilius M.; Lioy, Dan T.; Manomi, Dougara Ishaya; Manyika, Batanayi I.; Mouton, Elna; Ndereba, Kevin Muriithi; Ntseno, Caswell; Sarma, Bitrus; Sindo, Vuyani; Strange, Daniel; Urga, Abeneazer G.; Long-Westfall, Cynthia; Wilson, Alistair; van Deventer, Cornelia; Ntseno, Caswell; Connoway, Izaak J. L.
    In his article, “The Use of Translational English in Theological Compositions for More Effective Communication: Some Basic Considerations,” Ernst R. Wendland highlights the communicative difficulties that arise when theological literature is presented to non-first-language readers. The author offers translational English, an original or re-composed text more readily rendered in a non-Western language, as a strategic tool to address some of these difficulties. The topic of orality is explored further by the article, “Oral Theology in the African Church: An Examination of the Divine Attributes in the Song Yehowa by Suzzy and Matt” by Isaac Boaheng. The author stresses the value of oral material in the theological shaping of churches in Africa by analyzing a significant song by the Ghanaian duo Suzzy and Matt. While acknowledging the beauty and utility of oral theologies, Boaheng argues that these should always be weighed against the Scriptures in order to faithfully serve their various contexts. In his article, “The Rationale for Augustine’s Development of the Doctrine of Predestination,” Dumisani Member Ngobeni surveys the translated works of Saint Augustine to assess his influence on the theological development of the doctrine of predestination. Ngobeni especially considers Augustine’s exegetical approach to Romans and the influence of the Pelagian controversy, arguing that these two factors significantly shaped his theological thought. Next is the article, “Reconciliation in South Africa: Recent Contributions and the Part African Pentecostalism Can Play,” written by Bambo Miti. The author stresses the need for the religious sector to play a leading role in the socio-political rebuilding of South Africa. Miti suggests that African Pentecostalism has much potential as a transformative agent in post-Apartheid South Africa. In his article, “Maintaining an Evangelical Faith in the Face of a Decadent Culture of Democracy,” Kelebogile Thomas Resane identifies the pressures of constitutionalism and the influence of secularism as significant driving forces in the creation of a decadent culture in which God has been unsettled from public spaces. In light of the challenges faced by evangelicals in this context, primarily in the areas of church governance and family, Resane proffers a re-emphasis on three key doctrines, namely, the doctrine of the Trinity, human depravity, and a high view of the Bible. In the last article, “Which Way to Shalom? A Theological Exploration of the Yoruba and Western Foundations for Ethics and Development,” Wole Adgebile employs a comparative technique to compare Yoruba and Western views on ethics and well-being. By using the biblical idea of shalom as a measure, Adegbile argues that the Yoruba idea of àlàáfíà (peace) aligns more closely with this concept than Western views of well-being. Finally, the volume concludes with three book reviews. Lewis R. Polzin reviews Robert Falconer’s book, Embodied Afterlife: The Hope of an Immediate Resurrection, Ali Mati reviews The Holy Spirit in African Christianity, edited by David K. Ngaruiya and Rodney L. Reed, and Desmond Henry reviews Matthew Burden’s Who We Were Meant to Be: Rediscovering Our Identity as God’s Royal Priesthood.
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    Conspectus Volume 29
    (South African Theological Seminary, 2020-03) Bernard, Gerard; Lioy, Dan T.; Kvidahl, Clifford B.; Venter, Marieke; Semmelink, Willem; Adjei-Brown, Clement; Asumang, Annang; Amevenku, Frederick Mawusi; Boaheng, Isaac; Manyika, Batanayi I.; van Deventer, Cornelia; Jabini, Franklin; Atterbury, Vincent E.; Brodie, Robert; Domeris, William R.; Erdey, Zoltan L.; Jabini, Frank; Kunhiyop, Samuel W.; Lessing, Pelham; Lioy, Dan T.; Mahlangu, Elijah; Malherbe, Johannes S.; Maré, Leonard; Peppler, Christopher; Pretorius, Mark; Smith, Kevin G.; Song, Arthur; Woodbridge, Noel B.; Du Toit, Philip; Erdey, Zoltan L.
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    Conspectus Volume 32
    (South African Theological Seminary, 2021-10) Anderson, Paul N.; McGrew, Lydia; Mburu, Elizabeth; Zogbo, Lynell; Costa, Tony; Aryeh, Daniel Nii Aboagye; Lioy, Dan T.; van Deventer, Cornelia; Domeris, William R.; Porter, Christopher A.; Boaheng, Isaac; Ndereba, Kevin Muriithi; Luka, Reuben Turbi; Burlet, Dustin; Vongjen, Moses; Urga, Abeneazer G.; van Deventer, Cornelia; Long-Westfall, Cynthia; Wilson, Alistair; van Deventer, Cornelia
    The issue launches into Paul N. Anderson’s article, “Jesus in Johannine Perspective: Inviting A Fourth Quest for Jesus.” Here, Anderson critiques the parsimonious quests for the historical Jesus, lamenting the neglect of the Gospel of John. He advocates for a Fourth Quest for Jesus—one inclusive and appreciative of John’s unique and historical contribution. In another article about John’s historicity, “Is Jesus John’s Mouthpiece? Reconsidering Johannine Idiom,” Lydia McGrew aptly challenges the view that Johannine idiom is indicative of elaborations of Jesus’s discourses on the part of the evangelist. Rather, by referring to explanatory “asides” and unexplained allusions, she argues that John was scrupulous in his recordings and retellings of Jesus’s teachings. Moving on to hermeneutics, in her article, “Jesus, our Liberator: An Intercultural Dialogue,” Mburu, Elizabeth underscores and demonstrates the importance of contextual African hermeneutics, illustrating how such a reading reveals Jesus as liberator in John 8:31–47 and what the significance is for African contexts. Next is an article entitled, “On Understanding and Translating ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν in John’s Gospel against the Backdrop of English and a Selection of African Languages,” by Lynell Zogbo. Zogbo maps out and analyzes the use of John’s unique double “amen” formula, offering insightful suggestions to Bible translators in Africa and beyond. In his article, “The Use of πιστεύω in the Gospel of John: Some Considerations on Meaning and Issues of Consistency and Ambiguity,” Tony Costa analyzes the Fourth Gospel’s use of πιστεύω by assessing how John uses this word and its other word associations and descriptors in various contexts to distinguish true believers from those embodying a counterfeit faith. Daniel Nii Aboagye Aryeh enters the world of socio-rhetorical analysis in his article, “The Purpose of σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα in the Gospel of John: A Socio-Rhetorical Reading of John 4:46–54,” by engaging the inner texture of socio-rhetorical reading to re-interpret John 4:46–54. He considers the pairing of σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα and the mode of healing as critical factors for understanding the narrative and its rhetorical aims of inducing faith and promoting Jesus above others. In his article, “Denial Versus Betrayal: A Case Study Analysis of Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot in the Fourth Gospel,” Lioy, Dan T. undertakes a case study analysis of Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot in the Fourth Gospel with the intent of exploring the reason for the two radically different outcomes of both disciples’ lives. Next, Drs. Van Deventer, Cornelia and Domeris, William R., in an article entitled, “Spiritual Birth, Living Water, and New Creation: Mapping Life-Giving Metaphors in the Fourth Gospel,” launch from Cognitive Metaphor Theory to illustrate how images of birth, water, and new life work together to create a metanarrative of reproductive language that includes the gospel’s female hearers in a significant way. In his article, “Of Sheep, Shepherds, and Temples: A Social Identity Reading of the Good Shepherd Paroemia on the Way to a Destroyed Temple,” Christopher Porter analyzes the Good Shepherd discourse in John 10 in light of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, foregrounding an exilic context strengthened by the intertextual use of Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 10– 11. In another article on the Good Shepherd discourse, Rev. Isaac Boaheng ushers us into the realm of Practical Theology with his essay entitled, “Exegetical and Theological Reflections on John 10:1–18: Implications for Contemporary African Christian Leadership.” Boaheng responds to the challenge of ineffective leadership in the contemporary African society by exploring how leadership principles embedded in John 10:1–18 might inform the behaviors, styles, and leadership philosophies of African leaders. Another Practical theological offering includes Kevin Muriithi Ndereba’s article, “Engaging Youth Worldviews in Africa: A Practical Theology in Light of John 4.” Ndereba problematizes worldview engagement in Africa from a Kenyan context, arguing that robust youth engagement must straddle the traditional/animistic, modern, atheistic, and postmodern worldviews. Launching from Osmer’s approach, he analyzes John 4, exploring the ramifications of John’s Christology for youth ministry practice and higher education. In his article, “The Prologue of John: A Conceptual Framework for African Public Theological Discourse,” Reuben Turbi Luka explores whether the incarnational theology of the Johannine prologue could be instrumental in the formulation of a normative methodology for doing public theology, particularly in Africa. Turbi concludes by arguing that God’s invasion of human history in the incarnation serves as an enduring hermeneutical springboard, a defining model for carrying out the goal of public theology in a normative fashion. Last, but not least, the issue concludes with two book reviews: Dustin Burlet reviews Origins: The Ancient Impact and Modern Implications of Genesis 1–11 by Paul Copan and Douglas Jacoby, and Moses Vongjen reviews Majority World Perspectives on Christian Mission, edited by Nico A. Botha and Eugene Baron.
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    Conspectus Volume 34
    (South African Theological Seminary, 2022-10) Boaheng, Isaac; Otiso, Richard; Kame, Greg; Belay, Yimenu Adimass; Feyessa, Youdi Tariku; Blythe, Michael; Henry, Desmond; Lockard, Anna-Marie; Urga, Abeneazer G.; van Deventer, Cornelia; Long-Westfall, Cynthia; Wilson, Alistair; van Deventer, Cornelia
    In the first article, “The Pneumatological Phenomenon in Acts 2:1–6: Implications for Christian Mission in Africa,” Isaac Boaheng explores the value and use of the mother tongue, or vernacular, in both missions and Christian life. Boaheng opines that for the Church to fulfill its mandate, it must be called back to its Pentecostal and missionary roots, and to the absolute necessity of the Spirit’s empowerment for effective participation in the mission of God. This is followed by the article, “The Contemporary Missio Dei Paradigm and its Expression in the Global South” by Rev. Richard Otiso, who contends that the Missio Dei paradigm has undergone a significant shift in the Global South, transforming the region from being receivers to being active participants in the mission of God. Otiso end by exploring the opportunities for participation in God’s mission in post-pandemic Africa. Next, is the article entitled, “African Theology for the African Church: The Need for an Evangelical Approach,” by Greg Kame who puts forth a case for an evangelical approach to doing theology in Africa by exploring the origin of African evangelical theology. He proposes a good starting point for African scholars to consider developing a robust African evangelical theology for the African Church. Kame proposes soteriology as a key to an African theology that avoids the pitfalls of syncretism or liberalism. Subsequently, Yimenu Belay, in his article, “Scripture and Context in Conversation: The Ethiopian Andəmtaa Interpretative Tradition” contends that the Ethiopian Andəmta interpretive tradition is a homegrown, contextualized hermeneutic practice that demonstrates a productive dialogue between text and context. Belay engages the rich history of the Ethiopian interpretive tradition and further points to the transformative dimension of the biblical text. Finally, the article, “In Search of Cura Vitae: A Theology of Healing and Hope for Ethiopia” by Ms. Youdit Tariku Feyessa concludes the papers. The context of this article is the current conflict-riddled nation of Ethiopia. The author challenges the Ethiopian church to respond amid turmoil involving the convergence of history, conflict, Scripture, and theology of action. She argues that a lamenting and metanoic church should be able to find healing, hope, and transformation amid hopelessness and despair. The issue concludes with three book reviews: first, Michael Blythe reviews African Public Theology (2020, edited by Agang), published by Langham. Second, Desmond Henry reviews Gitau’s Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered: Millennials and Social Change in African Perspective (2017), published by InterVarsity Press. Finally, Anna- Marie Lockard reviews Lee’s The Ministry of Women in the New Testament: Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership (2021), published by Baker. I wish to thank the authors and book reviewers for their meaningful contributions and for choosing to partner with Conspectus. My appreciation goes to the Editor, Van Deventer, Cornelia, the Editorial Team, the Review Board, the Editorial Board, and the Seminary for the successful publication of this volume. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Ps 90:17 NIV)