AH Verhoef | North-West University (original) (raw)

Papers by AH Verhoef

Open Philosophy, 2024

The role and value of happiness in the work of Paul Ricoeur remains an understudied theme. It is ... more The role and value of happiness in the work of Paul Ricoeur remains an understudied theme. It is especially Ricoeur's unique dialectical understanding of happiness, unhappiness, and chance which brings a crucial and much-needed insight and correction with regard to the understanding of happiness in our contemporary culture. For Ricoeur, happiness is always in relation to unhappiness, and it appreciates chance within the striving-receiving tension that remains characteristic of happiness. This understanding of happiness provides an alternative to the destructive notions of happiness that leave us trapped in the hedonistic treadmill, the endless unsatiable desires of our existence, the narcistic satisfaction of our needs, and the infinite unhappy pursuit of happiness.

In this article, we indicate some examples of the possible contemporary return of the mind-body d... more In this article, we indicate some examples of the possible contemporary return of the mind-body dualism. Aspects of contemporary culture, like the influence of brain-computer interface (BCI) or brain-machine interface (BMI), neuroscience projects, and the popularity of sci-fi series and movies that visualise the separation of consciousness from our bodies, are discussed. Only a few of these examples are indicated as introductory to emphasise the need to think again about the importance of some of the strongest philosophical arguments against this dualism. It is in this regard that we will focus on the philosophies of Gabriel Marcel and Paul Ricoeur. Of specific concern for us in this article is Marcel's influence on Ricoeur in his fundamental rejection of the mind-body dualism. This article's unique contribution lies, then, in the fact that it analyses and reveals this influence of Marcel on Ricoeur, especially with regards to their shared understanding of embodied being, or incarnate existence, as opposed to a body-mind dualism. This investigation of how Marcel influenced Ricoeur provides a better understanding of: i) Ricoeur's account of embodied being; ii) Marcel's philosophy and concept of incarnate existence as being; and finally, iii) the importance of rejecting a mind-body dualism for our contemporary thought and living.

Acta Theologica, 2022

This article is an exposition of Rian Venter's Trinitarian theology from the perspective of an ap... more This article is an exposition of Rian Venter's Trinitarian theology from the perspective of an appreciation of his intellectual and theological accomplishments, with specific focus on his discussion of space and time concerning the Trinity. In the first part of this article, I give a brief overview of the main themes of Venter's theology to highlight the main Trinitarian questions with which he engages. In the second part, I focus on Venter's specific work on "space and the Trinity", which he creatively specifically explored in his 2006 article, "Space, Trinity and city: A theological exploration". In the final part of the article, I engage more critically with Venter's work on the theme "time, space and the Trinity", where I juxtapose his work with that of Robert Jenson. I conclude that Venter's Trinitarian theology contributed immensely to enriching theological thinking on aspects such as space and ethics. Still, the focus on the relation between the Trinity and time could be explored in more detail, while his emphasis on the transcendent nature of the Trinity created some unresolved metaphysical challenges.

Phronimon, 2022

International Journal for Educational Integrity, 2022

This article was motivated by the need to academically frame and share the response of the NorthW... more This article was motivated by the need to academically frame and share the response of the NorthWest University (NWU) to the perceived increase of academic dishonesty during Covid-19. Within the ambit of the online (hybrid) teaching and learning approach that became dominant during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NWU established a Community of Practice for Academic Integrity (CoPAI) to enhance Academic Integrity (AI) in a holistic manner. By critically discussing the NWU's response through their CoPAI, the lessons learned, and strategies developed in the process, the NWU can hopefully assist other Higher Education institutes to progressively enhance AI in the future. This is important, because many contextual shifts in teaching and learning approaches, pedagogy, assessment, and the application of technology, that were enforced in an online mode of delivery during the pandemic, will prevail in future. In writing this article, we focused on contextualising the NWU CoPAI within current literature on community of practice (CoP) and Academic integrity (AI) and emphasising the unique strategy and holistic nature of this CoPAI. The establishment of the CoPAI is discussed within the appreciative inquiry as methodological framework. This methodology is commonly used by CoPs, but it is particularly relevant to the CoPAI since CoPAI sought answers to all the AI questions that presented itself due to disruptions in the higher education landscape. The appreciative inquiry method allowed for the opportunity to find some answers in a holistic manner. Some of these answers or insights gained through the activities of CoPAI is further discussed in the latter part of the article. In conclusion, some of the outcomes and shortcomings of CoPAI at the NWU are highlighted. The main finding of this article concluded that the establishment of a CoPAI can enhance AI at HE institutions in a holistic manner. The applicability, relevance, and success of this CoPAI was realised through its holistic approach which included the valorisation of institutional aspects, the engagement and empowerment of lecturers, and the engagement and empowerment of students. This novel and unique approach to promote AI in HE could fill the existing knowledge gap in the South African context, where the establishment of a CoPAI, the application of appreciative inquiry as methodology, and the inclusion of a holistic approach are still absent. It might however also be an example for other HE institutions to follow globally.

Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 2022

Transcendence, chance and happiness The question posed in this article is how happiness in life r... more Transcendence, chance and happiness The question posed in this article is how happiness in life relates to transcendence and chance. This question is linked to questions about the core of our being as negation (something negative) and/or affirmation (something positive). Negation refers to the idea that the core of our being is meaningless, empty and defective. In this view, happiness becomes a futile effort to overcome unhappiness. Negation is a central theme in philosophical and theological traditions and is supported by the ideas of transcendence and/or immanence (chance). Affirmation suggests that something meaningful and happy lies at the core of our being. Then happiness is simply accepting affirmation and dismissing unhappiness. However, choosing between affirmation and denial of unhappiness means that the concept of happiness is attenuated and overlooks the creative and productive potential of negation.

Transformation in Higher Education

Transformation in Higher Education, 2021

Background: This article examines the phenomenon of academic integrity during the coronavirus dis... more Background: This article examines the phenomenon of academic integrity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with particular reference to emergency online assessments in 2020.
Aim: It explores academic dishonesty, cheating and plagiarism of university students during emergency remote online assessment, from the perspective of South African students.
Setting and Methodology: The authors explore the approaches of different universities worldwide, as well as the extant literature on the topic. An examination of the current literature related explicitly to the COVID-19 online assessments reveals a dearth of engagement by
researchers in the South African context. In order to address this lacuna, the authors rely on data generated from an institutional forum on academic dishonesty at a University in South Africa. It focuses specifically on the voices of students presented during the forum, which
explained both why students are dishonest and ways to curb dishonesty.
Results and Conclusion: The data generated show whilst some students were dishonest due to pandemic-related issues (like lack of monitoring), there are also other reasons, such as lack of time management, feeling overwhelmed and stressed and struggling with technology that
contributes to student dishonesty. Students suggest that assessments be approached differently online to curb academic dishonesty. The paper concludes by providing some fundamental changes needed to address academic dishonesty.

Acta Theologica, 2020

The multifaceted nature of COVID-19 permeates all dimensions of human life. In this article, we a... more The multifaceted nature of COVID-19 permeates all dimensions of human life. In this article, we argue that the COVID-19 crisis might teach us something about dealing with ruptures of this kind and scope in the future. The pandemic challenges our Being-in-the-world and it has the potential to help us realise the authentic possibilities of our own being-a freedom we have in our being-towards-death. We contemplate the extent to which this pandemic has caused existential angst and resultant reflection. To this end, we analyse, with reference to the work of Martin Heidegger, the existential and technological challenges that accompany the pandemic. We postulate that the pandemic has forced us to think about our existence more authentically, away from the "fallenness" of the ontological structure of Dasein in its everydayness. It proffers the opportunity to reconsider what authentic existence, technology, and embodiment entail amidst COVID-19 and for the future.

HTS Theological Studies, 2021

This article brings into perspective the need to decolonise the concept of the Trinity (as the sp... more This article brings into perspective the need to decolonise the concept of the Trinity (as the specific doctrine and Christian name of God) as a crucial step in decolonising the religious education curriculum. It discusses the concept of decolonisation and its applicability to religious education, specifically Christianity, within higher education (e.g. in Teacher Education Programmes) in the South African context. God as the Trinity has throughout the history of Atlantic slavery and
colonialism been employed to legitimise colonial rule and it, therefore, needs to be decolonised. To decolonise the concept of the Trinity is, however, highly problematic, as the historic relation between Christianity and African traditional religions (ATRs) indicates. Decolonising the concept of the Trinity can quickly develop into a tension between a position of either continuity or discontinuity (of ATR with Christianity).
Contribution: This article argues for an alternative approach for the decolonisation of the concept of the Trinity, namely to allow for the deconstruction of the concept of the Trinity, and by implication of other concepts – like decolonisation and religion – as well. This approach is proposed to develop more openness and playfulness with regard to religious beliefs in general. I argue that this may provide a hopeful, open and just vision of life which should be part of the decolonised
religious education curriculum.

Alternation, 2020

The purpose of higher education curriculum transformation has often been justified amidst calls f... more The purpose of higher education curriculum transformation has often been justified amidst calls for decolonisation, the redressing of social injustices, preparing students for the world of work, and so on. Noble as this might sound, these justifications lead to an instrumentalist view of higher education curriculum transformation that reinforces a reductionist approach to transformation that is fundamentally transcendentally motivated. A transcendental motivation tends to overlook education as meaningful in and of itself. The problem with such transcendental accounts, goals, or justifications of education is that they deny the immanent meaningfulness that education already has. Gilles Deleuze, with his philosophical concept of the plane of immanence, represents one of the most radical positions on this notion. We examine the implications of Deleuze's radical immanence on discourses of higher education curriculum transformation. We argue that this transformation needs to be complemented by other, more open notions of immanence to open up avenues for a new kind of ethics. First, we offer an analysis of Deleuze's radical immanence. After this, our focus shifts to what higher education curriculum transformation in relation to this plane of immanence entails. Then, we argue that transformation discourses, based on or within such a radical immanence have some significant benefits that should be considered seriously. However, there are also aspects that are not philosophically and educationally Anné Verhoef & Petro du Preez 144 tenable. This does not mean that Deleuze's radical immanence should be rejected, but, rather, that the pedagogical value of it should be exploited in combination with other philosophies of immanence, like those of Jean-Luc Nancy and Slavoj Žižek.

Transformation in Higher Education, 2018

Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assess... more Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assessment of the use of technology in higher education. The term 'technology', as used throughout this article, refers specifically to digital technology which is encountered in its various forms-Internet, smartphones, computers, etc.-and which is used as such in the higher education context. 'Higher education' refers to 'all learning programmes leading to qualifications higher than the proposed Further Education and Training Certificate or the current Standard ten certificate' (South Africa, Department of Education 1997:11). Our focus will mainly be on the 26 public universities in South Africa, functioning within a highly technologised global context. The first part of the article ends with a critique of technology in higher education. In response to this critique, we argue that a more embodied understanding of technology is needed than the predominantly instrumentalist view of technology. In the second part of the article, we elucidate this embodied understanding of technology through an appropriation of the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty's embodied phenomenology in the context of digital technology. The working concept of the Embodied Screen is introduced to highlight what this alternative understanding of technology could entail: a foundational recognition of the student's embodiment as means of engaging with technology in higher education. In the last part of the article, we envisage and discuss the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for the transformation of higher education. Technology can play a major role in the transformation of higher education in general, but if transformation is understood in concrete social and bodily terms-as is the case in South Africa-a more holistic and embodied understanding of technology is needed. This point is explicated in the conclusion by highlighting the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for transformation in higher education. Background: The use of digital technology in higher education is overwhelmingly positively assessed in most recent research literature. While some literature indicates certain challenges in this regard, in general, the emphasis is on an encouragement and promotion of digital technology in higher education. While we recognised the positive potential of the use of digital technology in higher education, we were cautious of an instrumentalist and disembodied understanding of (digital) technology and its potential impact on higher education-as a sector of education and as a body of students.

Stellenbosch Theological Journal , 2018

Philosophy and theology have diverse and often opposite understandings of happiness. Both offer u... more Philosophy and theology have diverse and often opposite understandings of happiness. Both offer unique and valuable insights into happiness, but the concept of happiness of both can be criticised on crucial points. Ricoeur’s work on happiness at first was as a philosopher, but he changed his discourse to a more religious register, one that appreciates the optative mood of language. It is within this optative mood that Ricoeur manages to bring philosophy’s and theology’s concepts of happiness into a fertile dialectic. The optative and religious images and metaphors provide for him a more holistic and unified way of thinking about happiness in relation to unhappiness and luck. An attempt to translate this optative understanding back to the indicative or imperative by theology and philosophy is futile, because happiness will then be again fragmented and reduced to descriptions and prescriptions.

South African Journal of Philosophy, 2020

The nature of freedom has been discussed extensively by Paul Ricoeur in his book Freedom and Natu... more The nature of freedom has been discussed extensively by Paul Ricoeur in his book Freedom and Nature. This article critically engages with this notion of freedom in the context of survivors of sex trafficking and their lack of experience of freedom. We indicate to what extent Ricoeur’s notion of freedom, as the reciprocal relationship between the voluntary and the involuntary, offers a relational and dynamic understanding of freedom which is highly relevant in the context of survivors of sex trafficking. A mere bodily freedom, an escape from captivity, as often found in reductionist definitions of freedom, does not warrant freedom as volition for survivors of sex trafficking. The development of the full possibilities of freedom remains lacking in this context. This compels one to reconsider freedom as “voluntary-involuntary” freedom and to develop a much more complex, holistic and relational notion of freedom. Aspects like imagination, the affective, fear, desires and human dignity,
should all be incorporated in the concept of freedom, which remains bodily, but does not exclude volition in the abstract or even idealistic sense. Such a comprehensive understanding of freedom is paramount for survivors of sex trafficking, but also for further philosophical considerations of freedom.

South African Journal of Philosophy, 2019

In our multicultural, globalised and increasingly postmodern world, people live within competing ... more In our multicultural, globalised and increasingly postmodern world, people live within competing and contradicting philosophies, and the question of ethics becomes extremely pertinent. It is within this context that this article sheds light on ethics by comparing ubuntu, as part of the African philosophical tradition, and transimmanence, as part of the Western deconstructionist philosophical tradition. As divergent as these
traditions may be, ethics are a key feature in both and a crucial point of overlap. Notions of identity, personhood, the community and sense (meaning), for example, play a pivotal role in ubuntu and transimmanence. A reading of these two contrasting philosophical traditions (ubuntu and transimmanence), each through the lens of the
other, helps one to develop a better understanding of each of these traditions with regard to their respective ethics and eventually to develop a better understanding of ethics per se.

Indilinga - African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2019

In the first part of the article we explore what decolonisation might entail and why it is needed... more In the first part of the article we explore what decolonisation might entail and why it is needed. The focus here is specifically on decolonisation within higher education and, more specifically, on the academic discipline of Operational Research (OR) and its curriculum. We explicate the specific challenge of decolonising operational research as part of the 'pure' sciences like mathematics. By investigating research in the decolonisation of 'pure' science in an attempt to find some guidance for decolonisation of OR, we found ourselves in uncharted waters. In the last section we contribute to the scholarship of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) by analysing the war strategies of King Shaka Zulu. We worked out some possibilities for decolonisation of OR by linking the war strategies of King Shaka Zulu to classical OR applications. This layed the foundation for decentring Western knowledge and for a more inclusive historical understanding of OR.

Modernity’s belief that we live in a narratable world (a world with a story) and its confidence i... more Modernity’s belief that we live in a narratable world (a world with a story) and its confidence in progress (a world with a promise), are terminated by postmodernism’s insights. This is how the American Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson understands the impact of postmodernism. If this is true, it poses great challenges for the Christian faith to be communicated and accepted within this context. This article assesses how Jenson’s theology attempts to address postmodernism’s need for a new story and promise. It concludes that Jenson’s theology, as a Trinitarian theology, forms a coherent answer to these challenges because it is a narrative and eschatological theology. This article indicates, amongst other things the importance of Jenson’s understanding in his theology of the relation between God and time. The significance of Jenson’s approach is that it, firstly, understands the church as a narratable world, with a visible promise, and that it, secondly, follows a characteristically p...

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies , 2019

From a post-structuralist position, it is problematic and seemingly impossible to refer to God as... more From a post-structuralist position, it is problematic and seemingly impossible to refer to God as the Trinity. This article describes possibilities for thinking about the Trinity (religion and God) within a post-structuralist context. As an example of such thinking, the 2015 culturecritique film, The Brand New Testament, will be analysed. It is a creative retelling of the Christian story and of the Trinity in a secular and post-metaphysical vein. This ‘Brand New Testament’ reveals God as ‘one’ – as the encompassing love, hope and life which we may experience in this life. The life-giving characteristics of this ‘god’ are surprisingly close to the biblical understanding of the Trinity. In the ‘Brand New Testament’, however, the Trinity is portrayed radically differently than in the Christian tradition. The personae of father, son and spirit are deconstructed in the film, in that a daughter and a mother also form part of the godhead. This deconstruction of the Trinity, which should not be confused with blasphemy, opens up a possible post-structuralist imagining of God. It playfully reveals a powerless god who shares some fundamental characteristics with the Trinity – such as love, joy and life. It allows for the ‘oneness of god’ to include more, and less, than the ‘Holy Trinity’.

Systems, 2019

Classical operational research (OR) is mainly concerned with the use of mathematical techniques a... more Classical operational research (OR) is mainly concerned with the use of mathematical techniques and models used in decision-making situations. The basic assumptions of OR presuppose that the structure of the world is one of order and predictability. Although this positivistic approach produces significant results when levels of certainty and initial conditions are stable, it is limited when faced with an acknowledgement of the complex nature of the real world. This paper aims to highlight that by drawing on a general understanding of complexity theory, classical OR approaches can be enriched and broadened by adopting an epistemology based on the assumption that the underlying mechanisms governing the world are complex. It is argued that complexity theory (as interpreted by the philosopher Paul Cilliers) acknowledges the complex nature of the real world and helps to identify the characteristics of complex phenomena. By aligning OR epistemologies with the acknowledgment of complexity, new modelling methods could be developed. In addition, the implications for knowledge generating processes through boundary setting, as well as the provisional nature of such knowledge and what (ethical) responsibilities accompany the study of complex phenomena, will be discussed. Examples are presented to highlight the epistemological implications of complexity thinking for OR.

Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assess... more Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assessment of the use of technology in higher education. The term 'technology', as used throughout this article, refers specifically to digital technology which is encountered in its various forms – Internet, smartphones, computers, etc. – and which is used as such in the higher education context. 'Higher education' refers to 'all learning programmes leading to qualifications higher than the proposed Further Education and Training Certificate or the current Standard ten certificate' (South Africa, Department of Education 1997:11). Our focus will mainly be on the 26 public universities in South Africa, functioning within a highly technologised global context. The first part of the article ends with a critique of technology in higher education. In response to this critique, we argue that a more embodied understanding of technology is needed than the predominantly instrumentalist view of technology. In the second part of the article, we elucidate this embodied understanding of technology through an appropriation of the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty's embodied phenomenology in the context of digital technology. The working concept of the Embodied Screen is introduced to highlight what this alternative understanding of technology could entail: a foundational recognition of the student's embodiment as means of engaging with technology in higher education. In the last part of the article, we envisage and discuss the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for the transformation of higher education. Technology can play a major role in the transformation of higher education in general, but if transformation is understood in concrete social and bodily terms – as is the case in South Africa – a more holistic and embodied understanding of technology is needed. This point is explicated in the conclusion by highlighting the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for transformation in higher education. Background: The use of digital technology in higher education is overwhelmingly positively assessed in most recent research literature. While some literature indicates certain challenges in this regard, in general, the emphasis is on an encouragement and promotion of digital technology in higher education. While we recognised the positive potential of the use of digital technology in higher education, we were cautious of an instrumentalist and disembodied understanding of (digital) technology and its potential impact on higher education – as a sector of education and as a body of students.

Open Philosophy, 2024

Acta Theologica, 2022

Phronimon, 2022

International Journal for Educational Integrity, 2022

Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 2022

Transformation in Higher Education

Transformation in Higher Education, 2021

Acta Theologica, 2020

HTS Theological Studies, 2021

Alternation, 2020

Transformation in Higher Education, 2018

Stellenbosch Theological Journal , 2018

South African Journal of Philosophy, 2020

South African Journal of Philosophy, 2019

Indilinga - African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2019

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies , 2019

Systems, 2019

Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assess... more Introduction In the first part of the article, we present a brief overview of the positive assessment of the use of technology in higher education. The term 'technology', as used throughout this article, refers specifically to digital technology which is encountered in its various forms – Internet, smartphones, computers, etc. – and which is used as such in the higher education context. 'Higher education' refers to 'all learning programmes leading to qualifications higher than the proposed Further Education and Training Certificate or the current Standard ten certificate' (South Africa, Department of Education 1997:11). Our focus will mainly be on the 26 public universities in South Africa, functioning within a highly technologised global context. The first part of the article ends with a critique of technology in higher education. In response to this critique, we argue that a more embodied understanding of technology is needed than the predominantly instrumentalist view of technology. In the second part of the article, we elucidate this embodied understanding of technology through an appropriation of the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty's embodied phenomenology in the context of digital technology. The working concept of the Embodied Screen is introduced to highlight what this alternative understanding of technology could entail: a foundational recognition of the student's embodiment as means of engaging with technology in higher education. In the last part of the article, we envisage and discuss the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for the transformation of higher education. Technology can play a major role in the transformation of higher education in general, but if transformation is understood in concrete social and bodily terms – as is the case in South Africa – a more holistic and embodied understanding of technology is needed. This point is explicated in the conclusion by highlighting the implications of an embodied understanding of technology for transformation in higher education. Background: The use of digital technology in higher education is overwhelmingly positively assessed in most recent research literature. While some literature indicates certain challenges in this regard, in general, the emphasis is on an encouragement and promotion of digital technology in higher education. While we recognised the positive potential of the use of digital technology in higher education, we were cautious of an instrumentalist and disembodied understanding of (digital) technology and its potential impact on higher education – as a sector of education and as a body of students.

Philosophical Perspectives on Land Reform in Southern Africa, 2021

A critical ethic of land in the Southern African context will be proposed in this chapter. On the... more A critical ethic of land in the Southern African context will be proposed in this chapter. On the one hand, the novel, The Heart of Redness (2000), of Zakes Mda will be philosophically analysed as a possible reference – from a cultural perspective – for such a critical ethic of land. On the other hand, John Locke’s views of private ownership of land and property will be another reference point for the development of a critical ethic of land. In both cases (from the reference points of Mda and Locke) we will argue that there is a strong reciprocal link between culture and land as a determinative aspect of the eventual critical ethic of land.

Debating Otherness with Richard Kearney: Perspectives from South Africa, 2018

This chapter sets out to analyse Richard Kearney’s concept of anatheism in terms of transcendence... more This chapter sets out to analyse Richard Kearney’s concept of anatheism in terms of transcendence. The main question is what type of transcendence is described, implied or motivated by Kearney’s anatheism. In the first part, the importance of this question will be highlighted by first giving an overview of the current post-metaphysical philosophical debate with regard to transcendence. In the second part, the focus will be on the concept of anatheism and its link to transcendence. The question here will be why Kearney opts for this type of transcendence of anatheism. Some possible critiques of this position will also be raised. In the last section of the chapter, Kearney’s ‘anatheistic transcendence’ will be brought into conversation with the work of other contemporary philosophers who have explored this theme. The aim is to provide further elucidation of Kearney’s anatheism and its transcendence.

In: Conradie, E.M. (Ed.). 2012. Creation and Salvation. Volume 2: A Companion on Recent Theologic... more In: Conradie, E.M. (Ed.). 2012. Creation and Salvation. Volume 2: A Companion on Recent Theological Movements. Zurich: LIT. 106-111.

Modern Theology, 2023

The book’s focus is not on Europe per se, but rather on Europe as the symbol for a world or space... more The book’s focus is not on Europe per se, but rather on Europe as the symbol for a world or space where the religious way of life is in decline; a post-belief society (as can thus be found anywhere—in
Africa, the USA, Australia, etc.) where a secular mind-set
is found within the remains, the remnants, or residue, of Christianity. What can Caputo’s radical theology offer for a world or space such as Europe?

Published in: South African Journal of Philosophy 2017 Review of: Between Faith and Belief by Joe... more Published in: South African Journal of Philosophy 2017
Review of: Between Faith and Belief by Joeri Schrijvers

VERHOEF, A.H., 2012, ‘Die herhaalde verskyning van transendensie in verskeie kulturele fenomene’,... more VERHOEF, A.H., 2012, ‘Die herhaalde verskyning van transendensie in verskeie kulturele fenomene’, Koers – Bulletin for Christian Scholarship 77(2), Art. #437, 1 page. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koers.v77i2.436

VERHOEF, A.H., 2012, ‘ŉ Heuristiese model van vier tipes transendensie’, Koers – Bulletin for Chr... more VERHOEF, A.H., 2012, ‘ŉ Heuristiese model van vier tipes transendensie’, Koers – Bulletin for Christian Scholarship 77(2), Art. #437, 2 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koers.v77i2.437

Transforming Encounters: Understanding/Exploring the Postmodern Self in a South African and Globa... more Transforming Encounters: Understanding/Exploring the Postmodern Self in a South African and Global Context (Encounters, for short) is a research group that explores the critiques raised by Continental philosophy concerning how one becomes an authentic or 'true' self. It does so through a South African perspective of the global world in which this country's people participate. In this vein, Encounters seeks to provide a collective for researchers within South Africa, and Southern Africa in general, to contribute to these ongoing discussions. The goal of this research group is not mere critique of (post)modernity or of Western thought writ large. Rather, its aim is to explore how the flattening and expanding (but also fragmenting) global context affects the life-world of South Africans and how their voices and concerns might contribute to the ongoing discussions about this world (or worlds). Brief Status Quaestionis of the Research Group: The issue of becoming a self in a world with other selves has been a through-line for academic thought since the Enlightenment and the emergence of Humanism. One can find this question on the minds of many of the great modern thinkers such as René Descartes, GFW Hegel, and Immanuel Kant. One can see this concept of selfhood as well as in the thought of their contemporary critics such as Søren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche, both of whom sought to critique how modernity inadequately fashioned a concept of selfhood and the self's being with others. This form of critique continued in late-modern and postmodern thought by paying particular attention to how the self encounters the other, how the self builds its own life-world (Lebenswelt), and how the metaphysics that founds this life-world reveals particularly human, all too human, flaws within the self.

Book Review: Reasoning From Faith: Fundamental Theology in Merold Westphal’s Philosophy of Religion

This is Prof. Anne' Verhoef's review of my book, Reasoning from Faith: Fundamental Theology in Me... more This is Prof. Anne' Verhoef's review of my book, Reasoning from Faith: Fundamental Theology in Merold Westphal's Philosophy of Religion