Lilly Nortje-Meyer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Lilly Nortje-Meyer
Neotestamentica, 2009
By relating male and female characters in John, new dimensions are added to gender as an importan... more By relating male and female characters in John, new dimensions are added to gender as an important aspect of characterization. Gender is a social construct, and as related to a literary character it is established by the roles attributed to a character within the narrative and by the context from which it is drawn. Besides that, gender is constructed by the relation of a character to other characters, male and female of the same text and of other texts. My intention with this article is to use the Johannine dualistic principle to pair "the mother of Jesus" and the "father of Jesus" and to indicate the consequences for other character pairings in John.
Acta patristica et byzantina, 2010
ABSTRACT Heteronormativity is the process of socially constructing a privileged heterosexuality a... more ABSTRACT Heteronormativity is the process of socially constructing a privileged heterosexuality and its related binary understandings of gender, over unconventional presentations of gender and gender-related issues. The early Christian household constructs a heteronormative image of the family only. This implies that heterosexual marriage and relationships were the only access to sanctioned sexuality and respectability in the community. Therefore, binary opposites enforced the heterosexual structure and function of family as “given” and “natural”. Meanwhile, male dominance in heterosexual and heteropatriarchal structures persists. This paper questions the inevitability and naturalness of heterosexuality and heteropatriarchy and its normative status for constructing the ancient/Christian family. It aims to problematise gender as the dominant, unassailable expression and organising concept of family functioning which—in turn—determines social constructs.
Neotestamentica, 2015
Feminist biblical scholarship in South Africa that focuses on the New Testament cannot be separat... more Feminist biblical scholarship in South Africa that focuses on the New Testament cannot be separated from the larger context of feminist scholarship in South Africa or even Africa. Its emergence and development was tied to the emerging consciousness of women and men who began to question the roles of women in family, society, politics and religion, especially Christianity. This happened during the 1980s, thus lagging behind the North-American and European feminist movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rather later than never! New Testament scholarship in South Africa has contributed to feminist knowledge production. The objective of this article is to provide an understanding of the contributions by feminist and female scholarship in the New Testament Society of Southern Africa by focusing on completed doctoral theses at South African universities and theological seminaries, and feminist research produced by females and males published in Neotestamentica, the official journal of the New Testament Society of Southern Africa. The purpose is to determine the New Testament feminist themes and knowledge that have been produced; to identify obstacles that might have influenced or might influence feminist New Testament scholarship; to determine possible research areas; and to discuss the future of feminist scholarship in the New Testament Society of Southern Africa.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jun 12, 2013
Gender studies also relate to a homosexual interpretation of biblical texts. A homosexual reading... more Gender studies also relate to a homosexual interpretation of biblical texts. A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and re-examination of those passages that condemn homosexuals. It is the questioning of the traditional interpretation of these passages and the identification of the heterosexism and homophobia of biblical scholars. This paper discusses the main principles involved in a homosexual reading of biblical texts.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jun 12, 2013
Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter ... more Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter to the Ephesians "correctly." From a reader-response criticism point of view, the notion of a "correct" interpretation is dubious. Metaphors point to realities beyond themselves. We use them to speak about the invisible, to understand and explain human affairs and the world of God. But metaphors are also rooted in the context of the culture and politics that created them. In this paper it is argued that the metaphor of the "perfect male body" is derived from a culture and politics that are gender biased and therefore the metaphor cannot serve as a "true," "correct" or descriptive image of the church in relationship with the transcendental.
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Oct 15, 2003
The hierarchical functioning of God, men and women in the Letter to the Ephesians Since the fourt... more The hierarchical functioning of God, men and women in the Letter to the Ephesians Since the fourth century before the Christian era has the household been considered as the most basic unit of society. Furthermore, this micro cosmos is reflecting the pyramidal structure of the whole society (meso cosmos) and even the universe (macro cosmos). In this article I point out how the author of the letter to the Ephesians uses this idea to portray the hierarchical functioning of God the Father of fathers in the universe. The Christian community is portrayed as a reflection of this hierarchy and therefore the household should also reflect this order. The best way of maintaining the power in society, namely the Christian community, is to make sure that the head of the household, namely the man/father/boss holds to his rightful place as head of his wife and household. The author advices women to submit to their husbands and therefore they should meet the cultural requirements of the public order rather than to live up to the Christian principles of faith.
Religion and Theology, 2002
A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and reexamining of those passages t... more A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and reexamining of those passages that condemn homosexuals. It is the questioning of traditional interpretation of these passages and the identification of heterosexism and homophobia of biblical scholars. Homosexual persons are searching for positive links between the Bible and homosexuality. In this article, two models, namely the purity and family systems set as examples of a theology of inclusion and resistance, are illustrated by the story of the Canaanite woman. She places herself outside the patriarchal structures by being unclean, silent and passive. Although, this woman is framed by culture and doctrine, she is resisting exclusivity from the community of believers.
Journal of Early Christian History, Sep 2, 2018
The concepts of woman and sage seem to constitute an oxymoron. In classical antiquity women acted... more The concepts of woman and sage seem to constitute an oxymoron. In classical antiquity women acted as prophetesses, oracles, seers, mediums, rulers etc., but wisdom or being wise was not readily associated with the mortal female. This mainly has to do with the way wisdom is perceived and the location of women in ancient society. There are very few examples of wise women in biblical literature. What is meant by "the wise," or, to put it another way, who might qualify as a wise woman? There are passing references to the wise in the Old Testament, but little description is given of the wise and their actions or lives. Wisdom is not an exclusively religious function, of course, but religious figures are often referred to as wise. The wise in some form or another appear among all people at all times. Their function might differ from society to society and from culture to culture. But the question is: How are the wise defined? How do they differ from "ordinary" people? Is it intelligence, experience, intuition; training, education; their social role; or meanings and values associated with them; or something else; or a combination of many things? Do the wise belong to a certain group of people or are they individuals? The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of the wise in biblical literature and to formulate some criteria to identify and describe women as sages in the New Testament and early Christianity.
Journal of Early Christian History, Sep 2, 2017
It seems that the author of the Letter of Jude's honour and authority was challenged by certain m... more It seems that the author of the Letter of Jude's honour and authority was challenged by certain men in the Christian faith community, and therefore the letter should be read as a retort to an honour challenge. In his defence, Jude claims a certain honour because of his blood ties to "James" and by being a "servant" of Jesus Christ. He also uses both the authoritative faith tradition entrusted to the apostles and the authoritative written tradition to position himself. Central to his claim of honour and authority is the exercise of power and dominance; these concepts are central to the notion of hegemonic masculinity, which guarantees the dominant position of particular men, and the subordination of women and other men. This identity of Jude derives from his participation in the faith community and from interactions with other men, based on competition. His opponents, as the other men, are forced into a position of subordination by offensive or derogatory language used to describe men whose behaviour, appearance, or speech is considered typical of that which is traditionally associated with women. Effeminate men represent the most fundamental failure of true or idealised masculinity. Yet Jude encourages the community to display behaviour of a conspicuously moral quality, which will give them a different identity. In this way, the text of Jude continuously constructs, deconstructs and reconstructs the masculine characteristics of the first-century Mediterranean world. The aim of this study is to investigate the rhetorical construction of multiple patterns of performative masculinities in the text of Jude.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jan 31, 2014
The relationship between the content of 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude is widely discussed amon... more The relationship between the content of 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude is widely discussed among scholars, although a particular dependency has not been proven conclusively. In a recent article it was demonstrated that Jude used female sexual depravity as vilification to effeminate his opponents in order to maintain authority over the Christians in his community. The aim of this article is to compare the depiction of the opponents in 2 Peter 2 with the vilification technique used by Jude to ridicule his opponents, thus influencing the author's audience to dissociate themselves from these adversaries. The question is whether the writer of 2 Peter 2 maintained the same austerity towards his opponents as Jude did. Moreover, this article seeks to address the question of whether the vilification technique applied in 2 Peter 2 could be an indication of the way the author and his community viewed women and, by extension, their sexuality. A logical outcome of the article is to provide commentary on the relatedness between 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude, as well as discussing the moral traditions underlying 2 Peter 2.
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2015
Biblical scholars have given diverse explanations for the Lamb of God metaphor in John 1:29 and 1... more Biblical scholars have given diverse explanations for the Lamb of God metaphor in John 1:29 and 1:36. Most scholars are of the opinion that ‘amnos’ refers to the Passover lamb. This explanation is not obvious from the context of the Fourth Gospel. To understand the metaphor ‘lamb’ or ‘amnos’ of God, one should understand the transferable meaning of the figure or image. In this comparison, only the vehicle, namely the lamb, is given. What and who the lamb is stays open. It can be anything within the limits of the other story elements that have the same qualities as a lamb. To uncover the communicative dynamics of the metaphor, the exegete must have insight into the meaning and function of the original metaphor. Rhetoric provides a clue for the interpretation of the metaphor, namely that it is a Lamb of God. Within the pericope other rhetorical clues like antithesis and varietas are also provided. These clues are important but do not explain the image of the lamb. In this study, these...
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jan 19, 2015
The aim of this article is to discuss effeminacy as a vilification technique in the Letter of Jud... more The aim of this article is to discuss effeminacy as a vilification technique in the Letter of Jude. It aims to question the power relations embedded in an institutionalised patriarchal mind-set central to sexual ethics and the female body in the Letter of Jude. This power display is demonstrated by the author's presentation, to the reader, of himself as the embodiment of the authoritative traditions, and the way his opponents are feminised, in terms of female depravity, as a kind of cliché used in religious discourse (cf. Jer 3:1-10). This research explores a privileged heteropatriarchy and its binary understandings of gender and sexual ethics. It seems that binary opposites enforced and sanctioned sexual ethics in the Jude community, although gender-specific issues are absent from the Letter. Questioning the inevitability of heteropatriarchy, and its normative status for constructing 'authority' and 'truth' in Jude, will be a logic outcome of the study.
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2020
This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament s... more This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament scholarship while suggesting a new epistemology for understanding resurrection appearances. In this paper I critique the traditional/confessional and historical-critical methodologies to expose inherent flaws within them. I then propose that the only type of epistemology that considers the fundamental cultural differences between the western 21st century and ancient Mediterranean where the resurrection visions are concerned is the social-scientific historiography. Notwithstanding the value of social-scientific methodology in general, I contend that there are at least two orientations within the social-scientific epistemologies, one of which is crucial to the understanding of resurrection visions reported by the early church and discourses that they claimed to have had with the resurrected Jesus. My conclusion is that the social-scientific version, which utilizes fieldwork in general and p...
Verbum et Ecclesia, 2011
Gretha Wiid and Angus Buchan have established themselves as the moral gurus of the Afrikaner Chri... more Gretha Wiid and Angus Buchan have established themselves as the moral gurus of the Afrikaner Christian community with their �Worthy Women� and �Mighty Men� mass conferences. Wiid is also often invited by the broadcast media to participate in TV and radio talks to discuss her views on relationships and sex � she is even invited by popular Afrikaans singers to share the stage with them. Recently, Gretha Wiid was again on the front pages of popular magazines to promote her and her husband�s views on sex and sexuality based �on the Bible�. She suggests that women hand over their sexuality, their bodies and their sexual decisions completely into the hands of men. Her view is that the husband is the king, prophet and priest in the family and should be honoured accordingly. The aim of this article was to use Wiid�s public appearances and publications as a case study to analyse her statements, hermeneutic principles and procedures and to demonstrate how her interpretation of sex and sexuali...
Scriptura : Journal for Contextual Hermeneutics in Southern Africa, 2005
Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter ... more Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter to the Ephesians "correctly." From a reader-response criticism point of view, the notion of a "correct" interpretation is dubious. Metaphors point to realities beyond themselves. We use them to speak about the invisible, to understand and explain human affairs and the world of God. But metaphors are also rooted in the context of the culture and politics that created them. In this paper it is argued that the metaphor of the "perfect male body" is derived from a culture and politics that are gender biased and therefore the metaphor cannot serve as a "true," "correct" or descriptive image of the church in relationship with the transcendental.
Shoko N & Nortje-Meyer SJ, 2020
This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament s... more This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament scholarship while suggesting a new epistemology for understanding resurrection appearances. In this paper I critique the traditional/confessional and historical-critical methodologies to expose inherent flaws within them. I then propose that the only type of epistemology that considers the fundamental cultural differences between the western 21 st century and ancient Mediterranean where the resurrection visions are concerned is the social-scientific historiography. Notwithstanding the value of social-scientific methodology in general, I contend that there are at least two orientations within the social-scientific epistemologies, one of which is crucial to the understanding of resurrection visions reported by the early church and discourses that they claimed to have had with the resurrected Jesus. My conclusion is that the social-scientific version, which utilizes fieldwork in general and participant observation in particular as envisioned by John Pilch, is the most useful tool in understanding post-resurrection visions. Otherwise, with the current socio-scientific method, resurrection visions and discourses of the post-mortem Jesus remain an alien other, even where ethnocentrism is actively guarded against.
Neotestamentica, 2009
By relating male and female characters in John, new dimensions are added to gender as an importan... more By relating male and female characters in John, new dimensions are added to gender as an important aspect of characterization. Gender is a social construct, and as related to a literary character it is established by the roles attributed to a character within the narrative and by the context from which it is drawn. Besides that, gender is constructed by the relation of a character to other characters, male and female of the same text and of other texts. My intention with this article is to use the Johannine dualistic principle to pair "the mother of Jesus" and the "father of Jesus" and to indicate the consequences for other character pairings in John.
Acta patristica et byzantina, 2010
ABSTRACT Heteronormativity is the process of socially constructing a privileged heterosexuality a... more ABSTRACT Heteronormativity is the process of socially constructing a privileged heterosexuality and its related binary understandings of gender, over unconventional presentations of gender and gender-related issues. The early Christian household constructs a heteronormative image of the family only. This implies that heterosexual marriage and relationships were the only access to sanctioned sexuality and respectability in the community. Therefore, binary opposites enforced the heterosexual structure and function of family as “given” and “natural”. Meanwhile, male dominance in heterosexual and heteropatriarchal structures persists. This paper questions the inevitability and naturalness of heterosexuality and heteropatriarchy and its normative status for constructing the ancient/Christian family. It aims to problematise gender as the dominant, unassailable expression and organising concept of family functioning which—in turn—determines social constructs.
Neotestamentica, 2015
Feminist biblical scholarship in South Africa that focuses on the New Testament cannot be separat... more Feminist biblical scholarship in South Africa that focuses on the New Testament cannot be separated from the larger context of feminist scholarship in South Africa or even Africa. Its emergence and development was tied to the emerging consciousness of women and men who began to question the roles of women in family, society, politics and religion, especially Christianity. This happened during the 1980s, thus lagging behind the North-American and European feminist movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rather later than never! New Testament scholarship in South Africa has contributed to feminist knowledge production. The objective of this article is to provide an understanding of the contributions by feminist and female scholarship in the New Testament Society of Southern Africa by focusing on completed doctoral theses at South African universities and theological seminaries, and feminist research produced by females and males published in Neotestamentica, the official journal of the New Testament Society of Southern Africa. The purpose is to determine the New Testament feminist themes and knowledge that have been produced; to identify obstacles that might have influenced or might influence feminist New Testament scholarship; to determine possible research areas; and to discuss the future of feminist scholarship in the New Testament Society of Southern Africa.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jun 12, 2013
Gender studies also relate to a homosexual interpretation of biblical texts. A homosexual reading... more Gender studies also relate to a homosexual interpretation of biblical texts. A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and re-examination of those passages that condemn homosexuals. It is the questioning of the traditional interpretation of these passages and the identification of the heterosexism and homophobia of biblical scholars. This paper discusses the main principles involved in a homosexual reading of biblical texts.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jun 12, 2013
Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter ... more Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter to the Ephesians "correctly." From a reader-response criticism point of view, the notion of a "correct" interpretation is dubious. Metaphors point to realities beyond themselves. We use them to speak about the invisible, to understand and explain human affairs and the world of God. But metaphors are also rooted in the context of the culture and politics that created them. In this paper it is argued that the metaphor of the "perfect male body" is derived from a culture and politics that are gender biased and therefore the metaphor cannot serve as a "true," "correct" or descriptive image of the church in relationship with the transcendental.
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Oct 15, 2003
The hierarchical functioning of God, men and women in the Letter to the Ephesians Since the fourt... more The hierarchical functioning of God, men and women in the Letter to the Ephesians Since the fourth century before the Christian era has the household been considered as the most basic unit of society. Furthermore, this micro cosmos is reflecting the pyramidal structure of the whole society (meso cosmos) and even the universe (macro cosmos). In this article I point out how the author of the letter to the Ephesians uses this idea to portray the hierarchical functioning of God the Father of fathers in the universe. The Christian community is portrayed as a reflection of this hierarchy and therefore the household should also reflect this order. The best way of maintaining the power in society, namely the Christian community, is to make sure that the head of the household, namely the man/father/boss holds to his rightful place as head of his wife and household. The author advices women to submit to their husbands and therefore they should meet the cultural requirements of the public order rather than to live up to the Christian principles of faith.
Religion and Theology, 2002
A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and reexamining of those passages t... more A homosexual reading of biblical texts involves the rereading and reexamining of those passages that condemn homosexuals. It is the questioning of traditional interpretation of these passages and the identification of heterosexism and homophobia of biblical scholars. Homosexual persons are searching for positive links between the Bible and homosexuality. In this article, two models, namely the purity and family systems set as examples of a theology of inclusion and resistance, are illustrated by the story of the Canaanite woman. She places herself outside the patriarchal structures by being unclean, silent and passive. Although, this woman is framed by culture and doctrine, she is resisting exclusivity from the community of believers.
Journal of Early Christian History, Sep 2, 2018
The concepts of woman and sage seem to constitute an oxymoron. In classical antiquity women acted... more The concepts of woman and sage seem to constitute an oxymoron. In classical antiquity women acted as prophetesses, oracles, seers, mediums, rulers etc., but wisdom or being wise was not readily associated with the mortal female. This mainly has to do with the way wisdom is perceived and the location of women in ancient society. There are very few examples of wise women in biblical literature. What is meant by "the wise," or, to put it another way, who might qualify as a wise woman? There are passing references to the wise in the Old Testament, but little description is given of the wise and their actions or lives. Wisdom is not an exclusively religious function, of course, but religious figures are often referred to as wise. The wise in some form or another appear among all people at all times. Their function might differ from society to society and from culture to culture. But the question is: How are the wise defined? How do they differ from "ordinary" people? Is it intelligence, experience, intuition; training, education; their social role; or meanings and values associated with them; or something else; or a combination of many things? Do the wise belong to a certain group of people or are they individuals? The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of the wise in biblical literature and to formulate some criteria to identify and describe women as sages in the New Testament and early Christianity.
Journal of Early Christian History, Sep 2, 2017
It seems that the author of the Letter of Jude's honour and authority was challenged by certain m... more It seems that the author of the Letter of Jude's honour and authority was challenged by certain men in the Christian faith community, and therefore the letter should be read as a retort to an honour challenge. In his defence, Jude claims a certain honour because of his blood ties to "James" and by being a "servant" of Jesus Christ. He also uses both the authoritative faith tradition entrusted to the apostles and the authoritative written tradition to position himself. Central to his claim of honour and authority is the exercise of power and dominance; these concepts are central to the notion of hegemonic masculinity, which guarantees the dominant position of particular men, and the subordination of women and other men. This identity of Jude derives from his participation in the faith community and from interactions with other men, based on competition. His opponents, as the other men, are forced into a position of subordination by offensive or derogatory language used to describe men whose behaviour, appearance, or speech is considered typical of that which is traditionally associated with women. Effeminate men represent the most fundamental failure of true or idealised masculinity. Yet Jude encourages the community to display behaviour of a conspicuously moral quality, which will give them a different identity. In this way, the text of Jude continuously constructs, deconstructs and reconstructs the masculine characteristics of the first-century Mediterranean world. The aim of this study is to investigate the rhetorical construction of multiple patterns of performative masculinities in the text of Jude.
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jan 31, 2014
The relationship between the content of 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude is widely discussed amon... more The relationship between the content of 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude is widely discussed among scholars, although a particular dependency has not been proven conclusively. In a recent article it was demonstrated that Jude used female sexual depravity as vilification to effeminate his opponents in order to maintain authority over the Christians in his community. The aim of this article is to compare the depiction of the opponents in 2 Peter 2 with the vilification technique used by Jude to ridicule his opponents, thus influencing the author's audience to dissociate themselves from these adversaries. The question is whether the writer of 2 Peter 2 maintained the same austerity towards his opponents as Jude did. Moreover, this article seeks to address the question of whether the vilification technique applied in 2 Peter 2 could be an indication of the way the author and his community viewed women and, by extension, their sexuality. A logical outcome of the article is to provide commentary on the relatedness between 2 Peter 2 and the Letter of Jude, as well as discussing the moral traditions underlying 2 Peter 2.
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2015
Biblical scholars have given diverse explanations for the Lamb of God metaphor in John 1:29 and 1... more Biblical scholars have given diverse explanations for the Lamb of God metaphor in John 1:29 and 1:36. Most scholars are of the opinion that ‘amnos’ refers to the Passover lamb. This explanation is not obvious from the context of the Fourth Gospel. To understand the metaphor ‘lamb’ or ‘amnos’ of God, one should understand the transferable meaning of the figure or image. In this comparison, only the vehicle, namely the lamb, is given. What and who the lamb is stays open. It can be anything within the limits of the other story elements that have the same qualities as a lamb. To uncover the communicative dynamics of the metaphor, the exegete must have insight into the meaning and function of the original metaphor. Rhetoric provides a clue for the interpretation of the metaphor, namely that it is a Lamb of God. Within the pericope other rhetorical clues like antithesis and varietas are also provided. These clues are important but do not explain the image of the lamb. In this study, these...
Scriptura : international journal of bible, religion and theology in southern Africa, Jan 19, 2015
The aim of this article is to discuss effeminacy as a vilification technique in the Letter of Jud... more The aim of this article is to discuss effeminacy as a vilification technique in the Letter of Jude. It aims to question the power relations embedded in an institutionalised patriarchal mind-set central to sexual ethics and the female body in the Letter of Jude. This power display is demonstrated by the author's presentation, to the reader, of himself as the embodiment of the authoritative traditions, and the way his opponents are feminised, in terms of female depravity, as a kind of cliché used in religious discourse (cf. Jer 3:1-10). This research explores a privileged heteropatriarchy and its binary understandings of gender and sexual ethics. It seems that binary opposites enforced and sanctioned sexual ethics in the Jude community, although gender-specific issues are absent from the Letter. Questioning the inevitability of heteropatriarchy, and its normative status for constructing 'authority' and 'truth' in Jude, will be a logic outcome of the study.
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2020
This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament s... more This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament scholarship while suggesting a new epistemology for understanding resurrection appearances. In this paper I critique the traditional/confessional and historical-critical methodologies to expose inherent flaws within them. I then propose that the only type of epistemology that considers the fundamental cultural differences between the western 21st century and ancient Mediterranean where the resurrection visions are concerned is the social-scientific historiography. Notwithstanding the value of social-scientific methodology in general, I contend that there are at least two orientations within the social-scientific epistemologies, one of which is crucial to the understanding of resurrection visions reported by the early church and discourses that they claimed to have had with the resurrected Jesus. My conclusion is that the social-scientific version, which utilizes fieldwork in general and p...
Verbum et Ecclesia, 2011
Gretha Wiid and Angus Buchan have established themselves as the moral gurus of the Afrikaner Chri... more Gretha Wiid and Angus Buchan have established themselves as the moral gurus of the Afrikaner Christian community with their �Worthy Women� and �Mighty Men� mass conferences. Wiid is also often invited by the broadcast media to participate in TV and radio talks to discuss her views on relationships and sex � she is even invited by popular Afrikaans singers to share the stage with them. Recently, Gretha Wiid was again on the front pages of popular magazines to promote her and her husband�s views on sex and sexuality based �on the Bible�. She suggests that women hand over their sexuality, their bodies and their sexual decisions completely into the hands of men. Her view is that the husband is the king, prophet and priest in the family and should be honoured accordingly. The aim of this article was to use Wiid�s public appearances and publications as a case study to analyse her statements, hermeneutic principles and procedures and to demonstrate how her interpretation of sex and sexuali...
Scriptura : Journal for Contextual Hermeneutics in Southern Africa, 2005
Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter ... more Many scholars are at great pains to interpret and explain the metaphor of the body in the letter to the Ephesians "correctly." From a reader-response criticism point of view, the notion of a "correct" interpretation is dubious. Metaphors point to realities beyond themselves. We use them to speak about the invisible, to understand and explain human affairs and the world of God. But metaphors are also rooted in the context of the culture and politics that created them. In this paper it is argued that the metaphor of the "perfect male body" is derived from a culture and politics that are gender biased and therefore the metaphor cannot serve as a "true," "correct" or descriptive image of the church in relationship with the transcendental.
Shoko N & Nortje-Meyer SJ, 2020
This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament s... more This article appraises current resurrection research methodology in South African New Testament scholarship while suggesting a new epistemology for understanding resurrection appearances. In this paper I critique the traditional/confessional and historical-critical methodologies to expose inherent flaws within them. I then propose that the only type of epistemology that considers the fundamental cultural differences between the western 21 st century and ancient Mediterranean where the resurrection visions are concerned is the social-scientific historiography. Notwithstanding the value of social-scientific methodology in general, I contend that there are at least two orientations within the social-scientific epistemologies, one of which is crucial to the understanding of resurrection visions reported by the early church and discourses that they claimed to have had with the resurrected Jesus. My conclusion is that the social-scientific version, which utilizes fieldwork in general and participant observation in particular as envisioned by John Pilch, is the most useful tool in understanding post-resurrection visions. Otherwise, with the current socio-scientific method, resurrection visions and discourses of the post-mortem Jesus remain an alien other, even where ethnocentrism is actively guarded against.