JournalTOCs

Verbum et Ecclesia
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.575

Number of Followers: 3

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 1609-9982 - ISSN (Online) 2074-7705
Published by AOSIS Publishing

[32 journals]

2 Samuel 13:1–22 and the psychological effects of rape in Enugu
State, Nigeria
- Authors: Virginus U. Eze, Collins I. Ugwu
  First page: 6
  Abstract: This article examines the Amnon–Tamar narrative in 2 Samuel 13:1–22 in the light of the psychological effects of rape in Enugu State, Nigeria. 2 Samuel 13:1–22 is an exposition on the tragic assault meted out on Tamar by his half-brother Ammon. Sexual violence, especially, rape is one of the social problems that is ravaging the people of Enugu state. The pericope of the Amnon–Tamar narrative in 2 Samuel 13:1–22 has been studied by so many Old Testament researchers; however, none has studied the narrative in the context of rape and its psychological effects in Enugu State. The article employs the synchronic aspect of narrative analysis in the study of 2 Samuel 13:1–22 and phenomenological design in the contextual framework. The data were mainly collected from secondary sources, which were then thematically analysed. Emergent themes from the pericope revealed loneliness, rejection, frustration, helplessness and depression. The findings of this study further showed that rape carries psychological effects such as identification, mistrust, withdrawal, suicidal tendency, the shame of stigmatisation, negative impact fixation, post-traumatic disorder, depression, fear and anger. It is obvious that David’s insensitivity towards Ammon’s sexual urge on Tamar aided his son to take advantage of his father’s parental flaw to rape Tamar, his half-sister.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article is a contribution to theology and ethics. It investigated the psychological effects that Tamar suffered during and after her rape experience and used it to interrogate the psychological effects that rape victims in Enugu State suffer. Therefore, the article provides a lucid response to the problem of rape and its psychological effects.
  PubDate: 2024-07-09
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3066
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
Calling and conscience: Paul as an example
- Authors: Gert J. Malan
  First page: 6
  Abstract: Paul’s calling presents a conundrum to which many have proposed varied solutions. Not trying to solve the conundrum in toto, this study investigates the existential dynamics of Paul’s calling as narrated to the Galatians within the context of their apostasy. The model used is Heidegger’s understanding of conscience as a call towards authenticity and away from inauthenticity. Rhetorical analysis assists in identifying Paul’s new understanding of authenticity, by analysing the propositio, especially its expositio, which contains soteriological peculiar existential first-person singular expressions. Paul’s preaching of his gospel and his letter to the Galatians are in turn also to them, a call to authenticity and away from inauthenticity. His preaching thus resembles the phenomenological idea of conscience. Thus, Paul’s gospel cannot be separated from his calling. Both are about the same understanding of authenticity. It is at the same time a new self-understanding: to have been crucified with Christ and therefore Christ living in him and the faithful (Gl 2:19–20). This is a concise formula of soteriology as symbolised in baptism. Such calling is never completed: it remains a dynamic process, a tension and movement between authenticity and inauthenticity. This is reflected in the Galatian apostasy and Paul’s letter calling them back to authenticity. The study underlines the crucial importance of soteriology for kerygma and baptism, but especially for understanding a person’s call to faith or ministry.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The model is suitable for studying the religious phenomenon of calling in religious texts and in life.
  PubDate: 2024-07-08
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3150
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
‘Young people think with their eyes’: Proverbs 1:8–19 and cultism in
Warri, Delta State
- Authors: Favour C. Uroko
  First page: 6
  Abstract: A theological response to the crisis of cult-related activities in Warri is imminent, considering the increasing number of young people joining the group on a daily basis. Proverbs 1:8–19 presents important aphorisms from a wise father to his son, emphasising the importance of avoiding evil company and rejecting the enticement of those who engage in evil behaviour. A literary analysis of the study text reveals three structures: the call to listen (vv. 8–9), peer pressure (vv. 10–16), and consequences for evil-doers and partakers of evil (vv. 17–19). The findings of this study reveal that this thematic analysis forms the basis for young people to join cults and even dropping out of school to practise cultism. The father in the pericope spoke wisely, urging his son not to follow the wrong path and join a bad gang, but to follow the right path that would lead to a happy life, both now and in the future. This study adopted literary criticism. As a recommendation, it is important to conduct mass sensitisation in schools and churches, where young people can be informed about the long and short-term consequences of joining cult groups.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Notwithstanding the father’s counsel, it depends on the son to be wise or foolish. Parents in Warri would be considered wise if they are able to warn their children against cultism and not use their cultists’ children to harass others. Old Testament and Practical Theology were implicated in the study.
  PubDate: 2024-07-05
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.2810
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
Where elders cry, the young laugh: Proverbs 3:31–35 and the examining of
malpractice in Nigeria
- Authors: Favour C. Uroko
  First page: 7
  Abstract: This article examines Proverbs 3:31–35 in the exam malpractice crisis ravaging secondary schools in Nigeria. Proverbs 3:31–35 has the central thesis of the call to avoid the company of evildoers and the blessings of going on the right path. Scholars have approached the issue of examination malpractice from an economic, social and psychological lens. In this study, the Old Testament was used as the lens for tackling the situation. This is a qualitative study using the rhetorical method. The data were obtained from the Bible, Bible commentaries, gazettes, journal articles and other periodicals. Emerged themes include: (1) warning not to join bad people; (2) consequences of the warning and (3) end point of one’s decision. Exam misconduct reflects deeper societal concerns such as corruption, weak regulatory enforcement and the temptation to succeed at any cost.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Proverbs 3:31–35 has shown that the increasing number of graduates who cannot defend their certificates and corruption is caused by the blatant and obscene nature of exam malpractice in Nigeria. Old Testament and Practical Theology were implicated in the study.
  PubDate: 2024-07-31
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3179
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
‘Amadodana enu abone imibono’: The interpretation of Ntsikana’s
vision against the book of Acts’s vision experiences
- Authors: Thembelani E. Jentile
  First page: 7
  Abstract: The specific aim of this article is to interpret Ntsikana’s kraal vision by considering the vision narratives or experiences found in Acts of the Apostles. In 1987, J.B. Peires interpreted this vision as a mere ‘hallucination’ and further argued that there was nothing Christian about it, stating that Ntsikana had experienced a mystical vision, like any other heathen diviner. This article partly differs from this interpretation, and an argument is pursued that in South African church history vision narratives have led to ‘conversion(s)’ of many church leaders, including Ntsikana, and have subsequently shaped the direction of the church, especially the African indigenous churches. It is noted that the writer of Acts employed visions more frequently than any other author in the New Testament and that at strategic places throughout his work, Luke reported epiphanies in which God, or a divine agent, appeared and guided the course of events. These experiences, as reported by Luke, are not far from what Ntsikana experienced and should therefore be read as constituting the act of God in an African context.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study has significance for Church history, African traditional religion and the New Testament. It is undertaken within (intra-) the African traditional and Christian religions discourse, with an interest in Church History that combines philosophical and theological approaches, especially with reference to South African sociopolitical and ecclesiastical contexts. The research builds on the existing Church history and New Testament discourses.
  PubDate: 2024-07-31
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3163
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
The 19th-century missionary encounters with the Batswana people in South
Africa: An intersectional-decolonial approach
- Authors: Themba Shingange
  First page: 7
  Abstract: Missionary encounters were often characterised by shifting and multilinear intents within the broader global spaces. In Africa, the 19th-century missionary encounter happened concomitantly within the nexus of Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation agendas. Succinctly put, missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society who came to South Africa and had encounters with the Batswana people were equally agents of cultural transfer and imperialism that were linked to Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation processes. Thus, the missionary mandate was entrenched in evangelisation that constructed and portrayed to Africans the imagery of a monotheistic and monopolistic God, and in the deformation and classification of African cultural practices and religions as heathen, barbaric, and uncivilised. Consequently, the dividing line between Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation was blurred. This study used desk research to examine the nexus of missionary encounters among the Batswana in South Africa. The findings were that the understanding of Christianity and the imagery of God depicted by the missionaries still has a grip on contemporary Africa. Therefore, there is a dire need to problematise the narrative because it has continued the colonial aspirations of the past.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study used intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches by engaging the intersectional and decolonial theories together with insights from theology and missiology. This was done to delineate the problem and to argue for the need to decolonise the current narrative. This can, perhaps, transform the status quo and provide opportunities for Africans to define their beings and understanding of God in their terms.
  PubDate: 2024-07-12
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3160
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
Does the Genesis 4 narrative suggest some knowledge of psychopathy'
- Authors: Gert J. Malan
  First page: 7
  Abstract: The depiction of Cain and his descendants in the Genesis 4 narrative aligns with the key characteristics of psychopathy and its hereditary nature. The purpose of this study is to examine whether this narrative reflects our current understanding of psychopathy. Cleckley’s description of the best-known traits of psychopathy includes a lack of conscience, empathy and social controls, which ultimately lead to deviant antisocial and criminal behaviour. These traits can be seen in Cain’s murder of Abel, as well as in his reaction when confronted. They may have also been present in his descendants, such as Lamech and those involved in the implied prostitution of Naäma. In this study, the narrative characters are assessed using Robert Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist: Shortened Version, which is examined within the context of Cleckley’s observations and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-V). The mark of Cain and the Kenites, as well as their nomadic existence at the fringe of the desert, are also explained, as well as how society safeguarded itself by setting strong boundaries.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The PSL-SV is proven to be an effective diagnostic model when applied to narrative characters in a literary text. Its effectiveness becomes apparent when considering the broader context of the DSM-V and Cleckley’s description. Sufficient information about the text and relevant reference works is necessary to utilise this model successfully. This diagnostic approach can be useful for any discipline interpreting narrative texts, for example literary analysis of characters in novels, historical studies of texts about characters in history, and criminal investigation and law, when interpreting narrative accounts of witness statements.
  PubDate: 2024-07-08
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3124
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
A theology rhizome
- Authors: Willem H. Oliver
  First page: 8
  Abstract: This article contains suggestions to the Faculties of Theology in South Africa about an alternative way and direction to educate their students in this metamodern era. Because any learning in a specific profession implies lifelong and lifewide learning, the suggestion also includes the alumni of the faculties. This is all about rhizomatic learning, which involves both the educators and their students in an interactive and student-centred relationship where both parties act on an equal basis when deciding on the content and direction of the learning process for a specific year. It also involves the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large language models such as ChatGPT. This is therefore an appeal to the educators of the Faculties of Theology in South Africa to become highly empowered resourceful online educators (HEROEs), also called recently minded educators (with no age restriction), taking a fresh look at the way in which they are currently teaching their 21st-century students and to maybe reconsider it in light of this article.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Good contemporary theological education would mostly result in good Theology students and good pastors. This article suggests an alternative way to teach our students in the current metamodern era. Rhizomatic learning fits into the technological era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as Education 4.0, Learning 3.0 and the posthuman era.
  PubDate: 2024-07-16
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3170
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
The ethical debate about the use of autonomous weapon systems from a
theological perspective
- Authors: Wolfgang Engelhardt, Volker Kessler
  First page: 9
  Abstract: ‘Pope calls on G7 leaders to ban use of autonomous weapons’ (The Guardian 2024) is the headline from statements which pope Franziskus made during the G7-summit on June 14th, 2024. In general it can be observed that the ethical debate concerning the use of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) is an extremely complex and contentious issue, raising both technical and ethical challenges. Through a comparative analysis of relevant literature the theological perspective is introduced into the debate and highlight potential implications for the use of AWS. The increasing autonomy, where machines can autonomously select and engage targets, raises questions regarding compliance with international humanitarian law, the preservation of human dignity and moral responsibility. The research question addressed in this article is as follows: ‘What are the theological-ethical arguments regarding the use of AWS'’ In conclusion, three key points for a theological-ethical examination consist of the question about the pessimistic human image as a premise of the pro-AWS argumentation and ethical questions based on the highest or preferable good as well as on moral responsibility. It is synthesised, that the pessimistic human image can be represented, that as highest good right to life should be preferred against human dignity and that moral responsibility always should stick on humans and not on AWS.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article positions theological ethics within the emerging field of ethical dilemmas arising from autonomous functions in the realm of technical ethics.
  PubDate: 2024-07-18
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3176
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)
Decolonising intercultural theology and research: What role for cultural
outsiders'
- Authors: Marcus Grohmann
  First page: 10
  Abstract: This article addresses some reasons and requirements for intercultural theologising as boundary-crossing interaction to be decolonised and hold decolonising potential itself. Decolonialism being concerned with both those in ‘marginalised’ and in ‘privileged’ positions, this article focusses on some of the latter’s challenges, responsibilities and opportunities. Grounding the argument in writings of scholars from disciplines like linguistics, cultural anthropology, decolonial studies and various strands of theology both from the Global South and the Global West, epistemological motivators for a decolonising theology will be sketched in the first step. The second step involves a consideration of an appropriate methodology called ‘chosen vulnerability’. Central to it would be the learning and using of vernacular languages in order to move towards cross-cultural understanding from emic perspectives. In step three, an attempt at implementing such will be portrayed that was a core component of a recently completed interdisciplinary PhD project. Based on contextual learning of isiXhosa, several church-related concepts in English and isiXhosa were investigated and compared in a subsidiary study. The findings are used to illustrate how chosen vulnerability can enable humble contributions to decolonising theologies. This is achieved through emic approaches and perspectivism.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article raises awareness for sometimes hidden epistemic inequalities and suggests ways in which those in relative cultural-linguistic power can reduce the imbalance. This is of relevance primarily to intercultural theology. In turn, such insights from intercultural theology can benefit academic research in cross-cultural contexts in general.
  PubDate: 2024-07-22
  DOI: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3149
  Issue No: Vol. 45, No. 1 (2024)

HOME > Browse the 73 Subjects covered by JournalTOCs
Subject	Total Journals