<strong>Biblical testimony on homosexuality – seen from another per-spective</strong><p>The aim of this article is to (re)open the discussion of biblical testimony on homosexuality. The discussion focuses on the results of existing exegetical re-search. The article places the exegesis of the relevant Bible passages within the framework of the types of literature within which the references to same sex behaviour are found. Four categories of texts are usually cited by those who argue against homosexuality, namely: legal texts; narrative passages; lists or catalogues; creation reports. The case for a more careful translation and reading of the relevant texts, is advocated. A hermeneutics of suspicion and an engaged hermeneutics are needed to approach biblical testimony on homosexuality from a perspective of Jesus’ caring for those who have been wounded.</p>
Prof Dr FJ van Zyl’s view on Scripture In this article an endeavour is made to depict a representive picture of Professor Van Zyl’s many articles about his view on Scripture. As a theologian of the Reformed tradition he was one of a very selected few who articulated a theological reflection about Scripture. Moving from Karl Barth’s viewpoint, he developed his own ideas while also paving the way for historical criticism and other modern methods of research into the understanding of the Bible as such.
The issue of history and historicity is reviewed in this article. The efforts of New Historicism is brought to bear on this question in an effort to find a way out of the impasse created by the modernist demand for objectivity and the postmodern resignation to radical relativism. The possibility of historiography is explored in conjunction with the pragmatic approach and leads to the conclusion that a kind of historical knowledge is attainable which can be described as useful even if not perfect. The author concurs with Crossan and his working definition of history as the past reconstructed interactively by the present through argued evidence in public discourse. The intersubjective nature of any historical enterprise leads the author to the conclusion that the search for the historical Jesus can only be done in the dialectical approach of a both ... and: both the historical Jesus and the kerygmatic Christ
New Testament witings as canon: The quest for an extended database for historical Jesus research. The aim of this article is to re-establish the disparate traditions concerning the origins and growth of documents that developed into the New Testament canon. The article reflects the insights of Lee McDonald's book The formation of the Christian Biblical canon. Some of the accepted notions concerning the canon come under scrutiny, for instance that the New Tesament canon was completed before the end of the second century. The aricle concludes with the question whether the New Testament canon should be revised in the light of recent histoical Jesus studies. History and tradition plead against an incisive revision. The only option seems to be a scholar's edition of a revised list for ecclesiastical use.
The Jesus of history: Hermeneutic premises in the research of JP Meier. The aim of this article is to reflect on the hermeneutical premises in the historical Jesus research of JP Meier. Of the intended three volumes two of Meier's books on Jesus have been published: A marginal Jew: Rethinking the historical Jesus, Volt: The roots of the problem and the person (1991); Vo12: Mentor, message, and miracles (1994). The article is structured along the following lines: first, Meier's points of departure are discussed according to certain hermeneutical criteria; second, Meier's views on the importance of historical Jesus research, the sources that he utilizes, and the criteria for historical discernment are discussed. A critical assesment of Meier's Jesus profile will be discussed in another article.
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.