This research article is based on the author�s doctoral research into the question of quality criteria for Christian songs. In many Christian congregations today, the question of music is an emotive issue as the service and its music touch the heart of people�s faith life and shapes people�s theology. Of the many issues that were investigated in the dissertation, this article focuses on one question only, the question of the �cognitive� and the �emotive� value of the songs that are sung in a Sunday service. It will be argued that, in �good� songs, there needs to be a good balance between �cognitive� and �emotive� value. The general question is how to identify songs that can nurture faith and sustain people through life. Characteristic of such songs is, amongst many other criteria, a good balance between the cognitive and emotive value of the text and the tune. In the discussion, the author focusses largely on her own Lutheran liturgical and hymnological tradition as well as on the �Praise and Worship� movement which has a dramatic impact on churches all over the world. The author argues that finding songs that balance the emotive and the cognitive component is an effective way to bridge the divides on worship music within a congregation.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Within the discipline of hymnological studies, the article opens a ground-breaking new way to analyse and critique music used in worship with objective tools for analysis. This is, as far as the author knows, new for this discipline, and it also has an effect on other disciplines.
The exploration of the horizons: Searching for a contemporary homiletic hermeneuticsIn this article, the author takes up the Ricoeurian idea of a dual hermeneutic. The article emphasizes the need for critical homiletics, not only to make the invaluable and necessary recourse to a "hermeneutics of suspicion" but also moves beyond it to a "hermeneutics of recollection" that is sympathetic to religion. The concept of a second naiveté is also considered in relation to the dialectic between the two hermeneutical extremes."Beyond the desert of criticism, we wish to be called again." INVALSHOEKIn hierdie artikel word die hermeneutiese insigte van Paul Ricoeur vir die homiletiek ontsluit. Die hipotese is dat Ricoeur se hermeneutiek die homiletiek kan verryk. Die voorwaarde is egter dat Ricoeur se hermeneutiese grondlyne noukeurig gelees en krities geëvalueer moet word. 'N HERMENEUTIESE VERKENNINGHermeneutiek is sowel 'n wetenskap en 'n kunsvorm. Hierdie uitspraak kan op verskeie maniere teruggevoer word na moderne nadenke oor interpretasie -'n proses wat begin het met F Schleiermacher en sy poging om betekenis te vind deur die peil van die gedagtes van die outeur wat die teks geskep het
In 1938 the Faculty of Theology Section B was established at the University of Pretoria, which could be likened to a small fountain. As the fountain flowed through the decades of history, it grew and became a river that made a huge impact on the university, the Church and society. The aim of this article, coinciding with the centenary of the University of Pretoria, is to focus on the positive contribution of the Faculty of Theology towards university, church and society. Like any river it went through different stages. There were times of peace and tranquillity, but also times of raging rapids. At certain stages of growth and development both lecturers and students made a huge impact, playing leading roles in Church and society, clearly voicing the call of the Church. The voice of the Faculty was not always welcome and was at times met by strong reaction, which was possibly one of the reasons for the murder of Prof. J.A. Heyns. In 2000 a new era dawned when the stream that became a river was joined by streams of different denominations. This made the river even stronger, with much more impact. This article tells the story of the origin, growth and struggle of the Dutch Reformed Church at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria from 1938 to 2008.
As a consequence of the bipolar tension between theory and practice, experience (considered in the South African context) influences the church's reflection on Practical Theology. Insight into the economic system of the Mediterranean world helps us to understand the complexities involved in positioning poverty, as well as the role of the New Testament faith community in its interaction with the poor. The social system in the ancient world, within which poverty was encountered, cautions us against taking a simplistic view of the poor. We cannot duplicate social systems and impose them on current situations. The New Testament, which is set against a particular system, speaks of the Kingdom of God as a place where the poor must be cared for. The New Testament (especially the Gospel of John) lets us understand that a church, which has a family orientation as its basis,should provide a home for the poor. ORIENTATIONPractical Theology as a theory of action -an empirically oriented theological theorywill be able to mediate the Christian faith in the praxis of modem society (Heitink 1996:6). Hermeneutical meditation in the field of Practical Theology has led to the realisation that the message should be sought in interaction with the context (cf Van der Ven 1990;Browning 1991;Pieterse 1993;Vos 1996;Heitink 1999). The context prompts the reader or hearer to ask certain questions of the text, which help to determine how it will be interpreted (De Wit 1991). This method of theologising implies the fullDigitised by the University of Pretoria, Library Services God's household and the poor in contextual ecclesiologyrecognition of theology's contextuality and its embeddedness in the various domains of human culture. AN ECCLESIOLOGY FROM OUTSIDEAn ecc1esiology from outside takes account of the effects of the theological nature of the church on the empirical environment. An ecc1esiology, which is serious about taking account of the context and the experience of the poor, must make service and care a priority. The contextual nature of the church obliges the church to investigate and define its relationship with society. This goes hand in hand with "a radical awareness of our social and communal embeddedness" (Van Huyssteen 1999:146). It is the view from outside which leads the church to greater self-understanding. POVERTY IN SOCIETYPoverty can no longer be suppressed or concealed. The oppressive system of apartheid, or a new democracy, can no longer be advanced as an excuse for poverty. Poverty can no longer be regarded as the government's sole responsibility either. Society is aware of the problem and has a responsibility for dealing with it. This applies especially to the churches.Poverty is a complex problem with numerous pitfalls. A uniform model, which is simplistically imposed on a country, would fail to get to grips with the problem. A lifestyle modelled on Western culture runs the risk of interpreting poverty primarily from a Western perspective. To avoid this danger, poverty must be tackled as a complex cultur...
In many ways, the psalms fulfil a bridging function between divergent denominations that previously avoided each other. In the Hebrew text of the Psalter, most of the psalms have specific titles. However, none of these originated with the original psalms. Instead, they offer instruction for the reader concerning the process that led to the compilation of the Psalms in a collection. The psalms are more than liturgy, and liturgy is more than psalms. Therefore, the psalms cannot be clothed in liturgical vestments. Hymns that occur in the Book of Psalms are the focus of this article. It is clear that the praise in the hymns follows different patterns. The article aims to explore the liturgical infl uence of the psalms as hymns in a liturgical context.<p><strong>How to cite this article:</strong> Vos, C.J.A., 2009, ‘The Psalms as hymns in a liturgical context’, <em>HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies</em> 65(1), Art. #105, 6 pages. DOI: 10.4102/hts.v65i1.105</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.