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A Case for a Transforming Christology in South Africa
In: Journal of Reformed TheologyAbstract
In the South African discourse on the political relevance of Jesus Christ, a vast array of conceptions of Jesus emerged over the years of the struggle, the liberation, the quest for spirituality and the theology of reconstruction. This discourse has taken place within the framework of the two broad historical movements of a “high” and a “low” Christology. In a recent thought provoking and informative article Mouton & Smit investigated four of the dominant discourses on Jesus in contemporary South Africa. They surveyed the discussions of Jesus in the popular news and newspaper debates, academic circles and scholarship, the worship and spirituality of congregations and believers, and public opinion about social and political life. After reviewing a huge corpus of South African literature on concepts of Jesus they ask the question whether Jesus was lost in translation in the South Africa of recent times. This article is an attempt to take the argument further. First of all, the investigation will provide another outline of the Christologies in the recent South African discourse within the broad framework of a “high” and a “low” Christology. The concepts under consideration are the spiritual Jesus, the political Jesus and the historical Jesus. Then a case will be made for the transforming Jesus of the Kingdom of God as a corrective on the Christologies of Apartheid, the liberation struggle and the modern-day post-modern projections of the historical Jesus.
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1
E. Mouton & D. Smit, “Jesus in South Africa—lost in translations”, Journal of Reformed Theology 2009, 3(3):247.
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2
A. Van de Beek, “Theologen van de twintigste eeuw en de christologie”, Acta Theologica, 2002, (22):165.
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6
Mouton & Smit, “Jesus in South Africa—lost in translations”, 247.
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8
Mouton & Smit, “Jesus in South Africa—lost in translations”, 249.
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14
Mouton & Smit, “Jesus in South Africa—lost in translations”, 263.
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15
H. Marcuse, De eendimensionele mens: Studies over de ideologie van de hoog industriële samenleving (Bussum: Paul Brand, 1971).
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16
R. Shaull, Uitdaging aan kerk en maatscappij (Baarn: Bosch en Keuning, 1969); J.H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation (Philadelphia: Lippencott, 1970); A. Fierro, The Militant Gospel. An analysis of Contemporary Political Theologies (London: SCM Press, 1977); L. Boff, Jesus Christ Liberator. A critical Christology of our time (London: SPCK, 1980); G. Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation (New York: SCM Press, 1985).
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17
Institute for Contextual Theology, The Kairos Liturgies (Braamfontein: ICT, 1985) 5.
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20
See G.D.J. Dingemans, “Jezus, de unieke drager van Gods Geest” Acta Theologica, 2002, 23(2):58-71.
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22
J.H. van Wyk, “Die nuwe hervorming—verwagting of verydeling?” In die Skriflig, 2003, 37(3):345-373.
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23
J.W. van Huysteen, “Ethics and Christology”, Verbum et Ecclesia, 29(2):492-506.
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27
P.F. Theron, “Form, Word and Spirit: The centrality of the cross in Noordmans’s critical narrative”, Scriptura, 98(2000):193.
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28
P.F. Theron, “Teologie en troos. Enkele opmerkings na aanleiding van die “Pastorale dogmatiek van Oepke Noordmans”, Nederduits Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 45(3 & 4):712.
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31
W.D. Jonker, Christus die Middelaar, (Pretoria: NG Kerkboekhandel, 1977), 205.
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33
T. van der Walt, Die koninkryk van God—naby! (Kampen: Kok, 1962).
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34
H. Ridderbos, The coming of the Kingdom, (Philadelphia: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1969).
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35
T. van der Walt, Die Messias het gekom! (Potchefstroom: Potchefstroom Theological Publications, 2006), 37.
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36
D. Guthrie, New Testament Theology (Leicester: Inter-Varity Press, 1981), 419.
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37
H. Küng, 1992. (The Church, Kent: Burns and Oates 1992), 56. See also B. Oberdorfer, “Human dignity and the image of God”, Scriptura 2010(104):233.
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38
H. Conzelman, An Outline of the Theology of the Old Testament, (London: Simon & Schuster, 1976), 114.
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40
J.J. Müller, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and to Philemon, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 81.
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41
R.P. Martin, A Hymn of Christ (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1999), 171.
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45
L. Floor & F.P. Viljoen, “Die Christus-himne in Fillipense: Soteriologies of eties?” In die Skriflig 36(1):99.
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46
Müller, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and to Philemon, 83.
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47
K.D. Fedler, Exploring Christian Ethics. Biblical Foundations for Morality (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 178.
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49
H. Ridderbos, Paulus. Ontwerp van zijn theologie (Kampen: Kok, 1971), 280.
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50
J.A. Heyns, The Church (Pretoria: NG Kerkboekhandel, 1977), 23.
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52
M.L. Stackhouse, Christian Social Ethics in a Global Era. Reforming Protestant views (Nashville: Abington, 1995), 26.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 137 | 23 | 2 |
| Full Text Views | 85 | 8 | 2 |
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A Case for a Transforming Christology in South Africa
In: Journal of Reformed TheologyAbstract
In the South African discourse on the political relevance of Jesus Christ, a vast array of conceptions of Jesus emerged over the years of the struggle, the liberation, the quest for spirituality and the theology of reconstruction. This discourse has taken place within the framework of the two broad historical movements of a “high” and a “low” Christology. In a recent thought provoking and informative article Mouton & Smit investigated four of the dominant discourses on Jesus in contemporary South Africa. They surveyed the discussions of Jesus in the popular news and newspaper debates, academic circles and scholarship, the worship and spirituality of congregations and believers, and public opinion about social and political life. After reviewing a huge corpus of South African literature on concepts of Jesus they ask the question whether Jesus was lost in translation in the South Africa of recent times. This article is an attempt to take the argument further. First of all, the investigation will provide another outline of the Christologies in the recent South African discourse within the broad framework of a “high” and a “low” Christology. The concepts under consideration are the spiritual Jesus, the political Jesus and the historical Jesus. Then a case will be made for the transforming Jesus of the Kingdom of God as a corrective on the Christologies of Apartheid, the liberation struggle and the modern-day post-modern projections of the historical Jesus.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 137 | 23 | 2 |
| Full Text Views | 85 | 8 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 25 | 13 | 5 |