This article is divided into two major parts; each is published 
separately. Part I dealt with the conflict between the golah (exile) 
community and the am ha'arets (people of the land) regarding the 
exclusive religious, political and social reforms of Ezra and 
Nehemiah. The author argued that the conception of 'Yahweh's 
people' lay behind the tension between the two above-named 
groups. Consequently, two theological perspectives emerged in 
Ezra and Nehemiah on the concept of 'Yahweh's people' and other 
nations. One is exclusive, the other is inclusive. What follows here 
is Part II. This part demonstrates that the Abrahamic and the 
Mosaic covenants provide a framework through which every other 
person could embrace Yahweh, the God of Israel as his/her God. 
Therefore, Yahweh cannot be confined to a single group of people, 
race or nation as presupposed by the leaders of the early postexilic 
Jewish community in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Theological perspectives on the concept of 'Yahweh's people' in Ezra and Nehemiah during the early post-exilic period (539-350 BC) - part II

Understanding the concept of God's pathos in Hosea : one of the keys for the religious and socio-political transformation of the Sub-Saharan part of Africa since 1960.

The Mixed Marriage Crisis in Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13: A Study of the Sociology of the Postexilic Judean Community

From the investigative premise of a Foucauldian archaeology of knowledge, this article attempts to unearth the layers of ideas which constituted the Hervormd approach to doing theology over the past century. Digging into seemingly disassociated bodies of theological precedents, the article anatomizes four layers of ideas in a series of diverse orientations towards theology, namely the (1) ethical, (2) confessional and (3) dialectical orientations, and stemming from a Kantian orientation in particular, (4) the validity of ‘the philosopher’s voice’ in the often tense relationship between theology and philosophy. Respecting the inexplicit nature of this multifarious kind of theology, the author calls for an ongoing estimation of the diversity of voices within the Hervormd approach, rejecting any attempt to integrate these different layers of thought into a monolithic enterprise of knowledge about God and the world.

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Voices carry: an archaeology of the Hervormd approach

The structure and coherence of Psalms 89-106

Grand narratives, little narratives and canonisation - a perspective on some of the books of the Prophets. The raison d'etre of this study is the problem of normative theological dicta in parts of the Old Testament, which are contradicted in another or even the same book of the Old Testament. In this article canonisation as an ongoing process is investigated from a postmodem perspective which takes contextuality, intertextuality and grand and little narratives into account. The so-called Zion Theology is identified as a grand narrative during the time before and after the Babylonian exile. Books like Jeremiah, Micha, Samuel and Kings, as well as Jonah and Chronicles are referred to in this regard. The research, inter alia, leads to the following result: the normative material of a religious society is interpreted in the light of the prevailing grand narrative. These interpretations are usually added to the normative material. Little narratives, being contradictory to and resisting incorporation into grand narratives, are usually added to the normative material after the grand narrative has been stripped of its hegemony by historic events. This accounts for contradictory theological dicta in the Old Testament. From this follows that the very nature of the canonised material brought together in the Old Testament opposes a Jundamentalistic or orthodox theological approach.

/pdf/meesternarratiewe-kontranarratiewe-en-kanonisering-in-akn4isil84.pdf

Meesternarratiewe, kontranarratiewe en kanonisering - In Perspektief op sommige profetiese geskrifte

Reflecting on the concept church: Some perspectives from Deutero-nomistic history. This article seeks to explain why and how the Old Testament and Deuteronomistic history in particular are essential in our theological reflection on the concept of church. The main trends in the theology of the Deuteronomistic history are discussed, namely that YHWH is a unique, sovereign and almighty God who elected Israel and made a covenant with them. His steadfast love and preparedness to forgive, as well as his judgement on those who disobey him, serve as an appeal to Israel to honor and obey him in absolute loyalty. The article concludes with the notion that the very existence of the religious community is totally de pendatil on the grace and love of God, and that its members are therefore committed to him and to one another with the prophetic word as their hope for the future.

/pdf/nadenke-oor-die-kerkbegrip-enkele-perspektiewe-op-grond-van-59xdigg25v.pdf

Nadenke oor die kerkbegrip: Enkele perspektiewe op grond van die Deuteronomistiese geskiedenis

The use of the Old Testament in motivating the church's responsibility towards the social order - a hermeneutical issue The conviction within the ranks of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika that the church has a responsibility with regard to the social order is strongly based on a reading of the Old Testament which can be traced back to Calvin. The hermeneutics underlying this kind of reading of the Old Testament basically works with a 'deeper' meaning - a meaning which can be brought to light by means of typological exegesis. The author argues that this kind of hermeneutics cannot be maintained in the after-math of historical-critical research. The argument is put forward that the church does not have a responsibility when it comes to the struc­ turing. of society. The theological position of the author is one which links up with qialectical theology. 1. INLEIDING Daar is 'n wydverbreide oortuiging in die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika dat die kerk in die wereld 'n kultuurtaak het (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk 1995: 316). Indien artikels en kommentaar in die amptelike publikasies van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika oor die afgelope drie jaar in ag geneem word, is dit duidelik dat die oortuiging dat die kerk 'n kuItuurtaak het, ook in die geledere wyd voorkom. Vir die doel van hierdie artikel sal ek my hoof­ saaklik tot die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk Afrika en die tradisie waarop hy hom bercep, beperk. Daar is nie onder teoI9C eenstemmigheid oor presies wat kultuur alles behels ilie. Dit bring noodwendig mee dat die opinies ook uiteenloop oor die vraag wat die kuI­ tuurtaak van die kerk is. Daar is trouens 'n hele spektrum van standpunte oor die saak. Aan die een kant van die spektrum is daar diegene wat meen dat die kerk inspraak moet he in die inrigting van eike aspek van die samelewing. Dit betekell dat die kerk sy stem moet laat hoor oor maatskaplike, politieke, ekonomiese en watter ander sake daar

/pdf/die-gebruik-van-die-ou-testament-in-die-beg-ronding-van-die-eey4kdag8i.pdf

Die gebruik van die Ou Testament in die beg ronding van die kerk se kultuurtaak - 'n hermeneutiese probleem

The text of Ezra-Nehemiah relects a severe conlict situaion in post-exilic Judaean society. However, the text is unclear about crucial issues such as the identity of the parties involved, the aims of the different parties, and even the roots of the conlict. A close analysis of the text reveals that what is portrayed as an external conlict clearly has a serious internal dimension too. The heart of the conlict lies not so much in disputes over land and building rights, but rather in the central issue of access to the community of returned exiles.

/pdf/the-nature-of-the-conflict-in-ezra-nehemiah-1-2z17cqe4f1.pdf

The nature of the conflict in Ezra-Nehemiah 1

A Comparison between an excerpt from the Samaritan Liturgy and corresponding texts in the Pentateuch. The text of the Samaritan Liturgy is alrrwst unknown arrwng scholars of the Old Testament. The value of the Samaritan Liturgy lies in its correspondence with the Old Testament. The way in which the Samaritan Liturgy makes use of the Old Testament texts brings to mind the question, 'What is the relationship between the Samaritan Liturgy and the Old Testament?' This article discusses a randomly chosen prayer in the Samaritan Liturgy. The prayer is analysed in terms of its relatedness to corresponding Old Testament texts. This study tries to point out that the text of the Samaritan Liturgy can be helpful when studying Old Testament traditions.

/pdf/n-vergelykende-studie-tussen-n-gedeelte-uit-die-samaritaanse-hmuo6zllh2.pdf

A. P.B. Breytenbach

Papers

Meesternarratiewe, kontranarratiewe en kanonisering - In Perspektief op sommige profetiese geskrifte

Nadenke oor die kerkbegrip: Enkele perspektiewe op grond van die Deuteronomistiese geskiedenis

Die gebruik van die Ou Testament in die beg ronding van die kerk se kultuurtaak - 'n hermeneutiese probleem

The nature of the conflict in Ezra-Nehemiah 1

'n Vergelykende studie tussen 'n gedeelte uit die Samaritaanse Liturgie en verwante gedeeltes in die Pentateug