AbstractThis article provides a fresh examination and exegesis of Jesus’ sevenfold programmatic declaration at Nazareth, in Galilee, in the light of the various challenges faced by the Church in Africa and elsewhere at the present time. It is a call on the Church to be holistic in its approach and proclamation of the gospel, relating the message to the socio-economic, political and spiritual problems facing the continent, and taking practical steps towards the realization of life in its fullness in Africa.

AbstractAfter considering the meaning of "savior," the article discusses how Luke presents Jesus as the universal savior and as God's answer to the needs of people in the birth narrative and in the accounts about Jesus' activities and teachings (especially in Lk 4:18-19). It concludes with reflections on the urgency of the liberating gospel in Africa.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA45-2001-3-1725

AbstractThe twenty-first century heralded a new phase in global migration trends which have led to the hyper diversities of cultures, ethnicities, social and religious idiosyncrasies in these contexts. The various economic, political, social and religious crises in the Middle East, North Africa and Africa that have taken place in the last sixty years (1960-2016) have contributed significantly to mass migration from these continents to Europe and America. However, it is pertinent to state that migration is not only to the West but multi-directional as many migrate within nations and continents in search of economic opportunities, safety and religious freedom. This development has generated diverse responses from various governments, organisations and individuals as well as non-governmental agencies on how to handle the migration crisis in these contexts. Despite the declining fortunes of Christianity in the West particularly England, the Church of England, Methodist, Catholic Churches and a host of others have lent their voices to giving the migration crisis a human face by the European governments. Nevertheless, the burgeoning stream of the Christian tradition in Britain which is the African Pentecostalism seems indifferent to Europe's migration crisis. Ironically, the African Pentecostal churches' proliferation is one direct gain of migration to Britain as the churches welcome their kith and kin from Africa and Africans that travel through North Africa to Europe. This paper aims to utilise the interpretative framework of Luke 10: 29 to explore the non-response of African Pentecostal churches in London to Europe's migration crisis. Likewise, this paper examines the biblical motif of who is thy neighbour and its implications in the intercultural engagement of these churches about the membership of these churches who are predominantly Africans.

AbstractThere are three noticeable conflicts in the parable of the Prodigal Son in Lk 15:11-32: the younger son's request for his inheritance (v. 12), the younger son's squandering of his estate (v.13), and the older son's refusal to join the feast (vv. 25-28a). The way in which the two serious interpersonal conflicts are handled by the father in the parable provides a paradigm that the church can offer the world as a recipe for conflict resolution.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA51-2007-2-1028

AbstractLuke used the Jerusalem motif to make the christological point that Jesus was the promised messiah. After surveying Luke's redactional utilization of the Jerusalem motif, the article deals with the role of Jerusalem in Israel's history and religion, and then focuses on Luke's view of Jesus as redeemer of Jerusalem and universal Messiah.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA31-1987-3-1105

AbstractLuke 1:10 has been variously interpreted. In this note we argue that the verbal group must be considered periphrastic, while the construction at the same time has an existential-presenta tive character. The latter allows us to explain the 'odd' position of the genitive του̂ λαου̂, which functions as an 'elaborating' descriptive element, in close connection with the preverbal subject. We close the article with a brief discussion of Luke's use of. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractThis article investigates the reception of Luke 19:8b in the works of Chrysostom. The ambiguous nature of Luke 19:8b in its Lukan context provides a glimpse into Chrysostom’s thoughts on this passage. In asking the question of how Chrysostom viewed Zacchaeus’s salvation to be effected (cf. the direct speech of Jesus in Luke 19:9−10), the article demonstrates that Chrysostom’s consistent concern, wherever reference to Luke 19:8b is made, is with adequate compensation to people who have been wronged. The article also points out how Chrysostom did not shy away from making slight changes to the biblical narrative to convey this message.

AbstractIn this paper some elements of the reading process of Luke 12:35-48 are analysed according to the theory of Wolfgang Iser. Two problems are stated in the introduction, namely the impossibility of accounting for the reading process exhaustively in one all-encompassing theory, and the difficulty of "applying" Iser's theory, which is proposed as a theory of the reading process and not a method for analysing the reading process of an actual text. After a short exposition of the philosophical background and the main elements of the theory, a description of some elements of the reading process of this particular text is given. The paper concludes with a short reflection on the viability of this theory for a practical reception analysis.

AbstractWhile numerous articles and commentaries on Luke 3:1-6 draw readers' attention to Luke's prophetic portrait of John, these treatments of Luke's prophetic presentation of John are often cursory in nature and do not consider the subtle prophetic allusions, motifs, and echoes that Luke employs throughout these six verses. The purpose of this article is to explore the tapestry of Luke's prophetic portrait of John as the eschatological Elijah-like prophet. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractBible translation generally is prepared for people to read individually, rather than to hear. However, in much of Africa, most people receive the text aurally. This requires specific attention to features of orality and performance if the text is to be heard easily and remembered well. Orality and performance studies (with examples from the Jesus film, which qualifies as a performance translation of Luke) can provide useful cues for the translator who is preparing biblical text for aural reception. In this study, Kirundi and French speakers listened to text prepared specially for aural reception and compared this to listening to the reading aloud of printed biblical text. These Kirundi and French speakers also prepared a performance translation of the same text. The latter was found to be most acceptable for most listeners, followed by the aurally-prepared version. Translators and communicators of biblical text can thus benefit from utilising principles of orality and performance in order to facilitate intelligibility and memorability for a listening audience.

AbstractIn the ancient world, the average life expectancy was far lower than that in the western world today. There are some biblical characters, however, even in the New Testament, who lived into their 80s and beyond. In this article, modern theories of gerontology are examined to indicate questions to ask, and insights to gain, in seeking to understand four such persons of mature years who are briefly mentioned in Luke’s Gospel but who play critical roles in the biblical story. The wisdom available to them on coping with the latter years (as seen in the “aging poem” in Ecclesiastes 12:1–7) is reviewed to assess whether those values are apparent in these four characters, and to compare it with modern ideas.

AbstractLuke's Jesus tells funny stories. Humour has been found throughout Luke's Gospel, and particularly in his parables. It is the contention of this article that the stories of the "lost" in uke 15 are best understood as Jesus's engaging in observational comedy, commenting upon the ridiculous behaviour of humankind. Working men, housewives, fathers, sons and brothers all show exaggerated attitudes and foolish actions. Everyone is invited to identify with them and laugh at them, but then to understand that, when it comes to sinners, God is just as foolish as us. © 2016 New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractLuke’s Gospel contains a number of passages involving children. Already its first scene (1:5–25) narrates the well-known story of a childless priestly couple, whom God endows with offspring, as shown by a mention of Elizabeth’s pregnancy that concludes the narrative. The child, John the Baptist, whose birth the evangelist describes in 1:57–66, thus emerges as God’s gift to Elizabeth and Zechariah. Luke’s narrative then includes several pericopes that are similarly concerned with parents deprived of children. This defective status results not only from the loss of an only child, as in the case of both Nain’s widow (7:11–17) and Jairus (8:41–42, 49–56), but also from a death-threat against a child in the form of unceasing demonic seizures, as in the case of an anonymous father (9:37–43). The scenes in question then unmistakably portray Jesus as the one to bestow children on the parents. This article focuses on the above-referenced texts, drawing attention to those features that support the claim that the evangelist envisions the children in question as a gift from Jesus. This focus explains the similarity with 1:5–25, where the child appears as a gift from God. The article points out that child-giving represents a motif that assimilates Jesus to God. As such, the article offers a modest contribution not only to the study of children in biblical narratives, but also to the interpretation of Luke’s Christology. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractPart of a larger project that explores narrative strategy in the Gospel of Luke using Bakhtinian thought, this article explores this text in the light of a possible carnivalesque involvement. A description of Bakhtin's understanding of carnival and its impact on literature is given, the focus being on the Graeco-Roman era in which the Gospel first appeared. The Socratic Dialogue and the Menippea, two genres of that period, feature prominently in Bakhtin's description of his theory. He places early Christian writing within this orbit. On applying this theory to the Gospel of Luke it was found that the latter is thoroughly carnivalized, making use of the dialogising tool of both syncrisis and anacrisis in the presentation of various scenes as well as in Jesus' teaching. Furthermore, the plot of the narrative embodies the movement of birth, life, death and rebirth, which is the movement of carnival. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are shown to be carnivalistic doubles of the world: utopian and parodic alternatives. Jesus, as the Menippean hero, embodies the concept of the coming kingdom of God, his integrity, which withstands all assaults on his person, spelling out a victory for that concept. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractPart of a larger study of narrative strategy in the Gospel of Luke, this article makes use of Bakhtin's criteria of locus, form, and degree as an investigative tool to explore the intertextual presence of texts from the Hebrew Bible in Luke 1 and 2. To begin with, the presence of these texts is identified by name, quotation, and near-quotation in the gospel text. Having once established that, parallels in the use of form and sayings are identified between the older texts and the new host text. After that, the question of association in the collective memory of a verbal community is touched upon. In questioning as to what function the Hebrew texts perform in the gospel, their locus, form and degree of presence are identified. Having established how the similarities root the gospel text into the Hebrew canon, the older texts lending weight and legitimacy to the host text, the focus is then directed at the differences. This reveals how the gospel narrative, having anchored itself in canonical scripture is then set to diverge from it, ushering in unprecedented events and a new era in the relationship between God and his people.

AbstractUsing Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism as an investigative tool, this article begins with a brief account of the latter's understanding of the utterance. It goes on to show how the Lucan narrative appropriates and engages with (amongst others) the HB Book of Zechariah to advance its own discourse. Another orientation imprinted on it, Luke's primary discourse contains (at least) two semantic positions: its own and that of Zechariah. The article selects five instances of this intertextual relationship to see how the Zecharian discourse is used to reinforce the validity of the Lucan narrative, rooting it in the older discourse concerning the restoration of God's people to himself. Appropriated into the Menippean idiom, the Zecharian text serves to authenticate the key character Jesus as the representative and embodiment of the coming Kingdom of God. The article also seeks to show how Luke, in using Zechariah's depiction of the oracles and of God's imminent intervention in theophanic and apocalyptic terms, invokes a new concept of the community of God's people. Morally grounded in the laws of traditional Judaism, this community is challenged to think beyond the constricting reality of earth-bound kingdoms in order to fix its eyes firmly on the coming Kingdom of God, a universal plane that is open to all people. © 2003, New testament society of South Africa. All rights reserved.

AbstractDemocracy is not just about governing by the majority, but also respect and protection of the right of the weak and the minority. The tendency in any government is that the rights of the weak and the minority are denied them and their members are marginalised. In such a situation, what is the role expected of the church which perceives itself to be the mouth-piece of God to checkmate the abuse and promote the positive use of governance for the good of all? In this article, ‘John the Baptist’s ministry’ is used as the springboard for this paper. Grammatical exegesis is adopted to study Matthew 3:1–2 and Luke 3:8–14. The paper integrates the message of John the Baptist in the context of the contemporary democratic experience in such a way that the prophetic voice of the church is heard afresh.

AbstractDrawing on Jungian psychological type theory, the SIFT method of biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching suggests that the reading and proclaiming of scripture reflects the psychological type preferences of the reader and preacher. This thesis is examined amongst two samples of curates and training incumbents (N = 23, 27), serving in one Diocese of the Church of England, who completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Firstly, the narrative of the shepherds from Luke was discussed by groups organised according to scores on the perceiving process. In accordance with the theory, sensing types focused on details in the passage, but could reach no consensus on the larger picture, and intuitive types quickly identified an imaginative, integrative theme, but showed little interest in the details. Secondly, the narrative of the massacre of the infants from Matthew was discussed by groups organised according to scores on the judging process. In accordance with theory, the thinking types identified and analysed the big themes raised by the passage (political power, theodicy, obedience), whilst the feeling types placed much more emphasis on the impact that the passage may have on members of the congregation mourning the death of their child or grandchild.

AbstractLuke in the preface of his Gospel says that he is going to write ‘in an orderly account’ (Lk 1:3). However, scholars have no consensus about the kind of order Luke is seeking. Many believe that Luke writes as a historian. Because Greco-Roman historians seem to have a practice to indicate in their prefaces the writing methodologies of their writings, this article aims to ascertain Luke’s writing order through a comparison of Luke’s two prefaces with those in the writings of the Greco-Roman historians. This article proposes that Luke most likely adopts the common writing methodologies of the Greco-Roman historians and writes in chronological order.

AbstractSince 1995, homosexuality has been part and parcel of public discourses in Zimbabwe. The Bible is a dominant resource, so that the Sodom narrative (Gen. 19) has become synonymous with homosexual condemnation. Interestingly, Jesus has been absent in the debate; justif.ied by the claim that Jesus had not spoken on the subject. However, contrary to this claim, a socio-literary analysis of Luke 10: 1-12 demonstrates that Jesus may have fundamentally difffered with this popular interpretation of Genesis 19. A textual analysis of Luke 10: 1-12 shows Jesus undermining dominant masculinities by de-masculinizing his followers in ways that belittle the gulf between masculinity and femininity. This article argues that to use the categories of masculinity and femininity to condemn same-sex relationships is no longer sustainable. Rather, this text can be a basis for the construction of 'redemptive masculinities' in Christian communities, which may provide a new platform for understanding and accepting homosexuality. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden.

AbstractInterpretation has to take into consideration three poles: author, text and interpreter. In the field of literary studies deconstruction has provoked much interest and concern. The scope of this paper is to illustrate this activity of deconstruction unfolding by means of a reading of the parable of the Supervising Servant. This illustration from the Scriptures shows what happens to every text which is read again. It is reinterpreted anew according to new contexts. It is an example of the dissemination of the Word, whereby the Word becomes flesh.

AbstractScholarly expositions of the sermon in Luke 12:1-13:9 tend to divide the discourse into two thematically distinct sections: Luke 12:1-34 is exposited in terms of wealth ethics, while the eschatological comments of 12:35-13:9 are said to be spiritual in their focus. The present article argues that the two halves of the sermon cannot be separated in this manner, and shows that the eschatological paraenesis of 12:35-13:9 is especially concerned to stimulate the proper use of wealth. To substantiate this reading, the essay proceeds sequentially through the constituent pericopae of 12:35-13:9. Supplementing conventional historico-linguistic exegesis with narrative criticism and occasional attention to patristic interpretation, the article shows how Luke 12:35-13:9 contributes to the wealth-ethical comments which feature so prominently in 12:1-34, and thus underscores how tightly eschatology and ethics are interwoven in Lukan soteriology. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractAfter considering the context and meaning of the story of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37) and the elements of universality and love that emerge in its image of the neighbor, the article retells the story with a suffering and heavily indebted Africa in the role of the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and reflects on its implications.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA45-2001-3-1746

AbstractThe author of Lk-Acts was a Gentile (not a Jew) who possessed a high intellectual capability, moral integrity, and spiritual perception. Third World theologians can be greatly encouraged by the Gentile Luke's high intellectual attainment and spiritual insight.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA32-1988-2-641

AbstractThe author of Luke-Acts presents a ―messianic kingdom theology‖ – a synthesis of Christology and ecclesiology woven with the chord of soteriology. This theology has often been reduced in many a study by isolating Christology or some other aspect of Luke‘s theology as his focus. Reading Luke-Acts from a language-in-life-situation hermeneutic reveals that Luke weaves the ideas of a people of God in unfavourable condition with those of a community messiah concerned with the wellbeing of his people in presenting the Jesus story. He projects two prongs of this theology: Prompted by his royal theology, Jesus Messiah challenged the dehumanisation and oppression of the vulnerable of his society through campaigns to create a new society built on respect for human dignity and the rights of the people (Luke). His commissioners after him continued his liberation and human rights advocacies and completed the formation of his messianic countercultural community (the ἐκκληζία), in spite of fierce opposition from a coalition of Jewish parties and Roman imperial officials (Acts). This article suggests and traces this synthetic theology of the messianic kingdom in Luke-Acts based on Luke‘s motivation and goal in writing.

AbstractThis article offers insights into the narrative of the Gerasene Demoniac (Luke 8:26-39) from grassroots interpreters in Owamboland, Namibia. The participants' perspectives on the 'Living Landscape' - contextualised against a background of Owambo ethnographic data - disrupt understandings of landscapes and spirits found in Western-centric professional biblical scholarship. This illustrates the potential of Contextual Bible Study (or variants thereof) both to bring forth original interpretive insights and to capitalise on particular cultural contexts as sites of expertise. © 2017 SAGE Publications.

AbstractIn this article, I will draw on intersectional feminist theory and interdisciplinary neighbour studies. My point of departure is the rich and complex reception of the Hebrew Bible phrase, "love your neighbour as yourself" (Lev 19:18). What is love and who is a neighbour? And what about the stranger? I will suggest an alternative reading of the so-called parable of the lost coin in the Gospel of Luke (15:8-10) and propose a re-naming of the story to the parable of the found neighbours. By highlighting not only the woman or the lost coin, but the female neighbours she invites to celebrate when she finds it, a broader social and cultural context for the parable will be presented. My aim is to use this apparently "un-colourful" one-verse story as a starting point for "asking the other question" and for creative reimagination of female neighbours among Christ-following groups. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractThis article argues that the Emmaus narrative in Luke 24:13-40 illustrates a messianic paradigmatic missiological approach to costly discipleship making. The central motif in this approach is critical emancipatory conversation, which is not merely the means to data gathering but an end in itself. Using Luke's story as a paradigmatic approach to missiological research, I demonstrate how Together towards Life as a research tool could creatively and innovatively engage with African theological education. Copyright © (2017) World Council of Churches

Abstract[Due to the popularity of the name Marcus, C. Clifton Black has argued that there is no necessary identity between the John Mark of the book of Acts (12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39) with the Mark(s) found in the Pauline corpus (Col 4:10; Phlm 24; 2 Tim 4:11), the first epistle of Peter (1 Pet 5:13) or the writings of Papias of Hierapolis (cf. Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 3.39.15). On the contrary, this paper will propose that the author of Luke-Acts was not only aware of Mark's connection with Paul and Barnabas, but also critically interacted with the developing traditions about the evangelist Mark. The positive and negative aspects of the literary characterization of John Mark may be a clue to the ambivalent reception of Mark's gospel in Luke-Acts.]

AbstractThis study is a venture in empirical research. Starting with some theoretical considerations on reader-oriented studies, this paper reports on the findings of the reading of Luke 12:35-48 by first-year students in Biblical studies. The purpose was to obtain a better understanding of the reading process itself and in this way to contribute to an evaluation and possible revision of existing theoretical frameworks of reception. The findings of this study suggest that there is a correlation between the potential (Wirkung) of the text and its actualisation (Rezeption) by concrete readers. This is a facet of the autonomy of texts which should be explored in further empirical studies.

AbstractThis journal article undertakes a comparison and analysis of Luke 18:18-30 and 19:1-10. One reason for doing so is the paucity of scholarship exploring the interrelationship between these two texts. A second motivation is that both passages showcase two contrasting responses to the Saviour, one characterized by unbelief and the other by belief. A third incentive for this endeavour is that the importance of believing in the Saviour receives elucidation. As this essay demonstrates, each narrative advances a key theme of the third Synoptic Gospel, namely, that Jesus, the divine-human Son, came to earth to unshackle those enslaved to sin and restore them in their relationship with God.

AbstractThis article presents a model for "intercultural exegesis" and applies this model to Luke 22:69 and Acts 7:56. In this process, the term "Son of Man" is approached from two perspectives: that of a biblical culture in the first century Graeco-Roman world, and that of a current Christian culture in Africa. The study concludes that the "Son of Man" concept in the selected texts not only includes a reference to the eschatological saviour, judge and defender, but also creates a sense of Jesus' solidarity with his fellow human beings. Such an understanding would certainly have led to Jesus' exaltation by his followers, who lived under conditions of social turmoil in the Graeco-Roman world of the first century, and would lead to such an exaltation by those who experience similar circumstances in Africa today.

AbstractIn documents that are as well crafted as the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and where the economy of space is of the utmost importance, it is indeed strange for modern readers to encounter extensive genealogies in the opening chapters. One can only assume that such genealogies were of exceptional relevance to the first audiences of the gospel. This paper will apply to the gospel texts some of the suggestions regarding genealogies and lists in general by the classical scholar Lambros Couloubaritsis of the Free University of Brussels in his Histoire de la philosophie anciennne et médiévale (1998). According to him, genealogies are the most primitive narratives and serve, among other things, to regulate honour and shame (social status) and meaning. They serve as master narratives and evoke not only the ancestor spirits, but also the whole narrative world of the community. The special contribution of this paper is to apply these suggestions to the texts of Matthew and Luke, but also to relate this to the social and conceptual realities of the first century C.E. with its peculiar form of oral-manuscript culture. This proves to be a highly productive way of approaching the genealogies. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractThe ideological perspective of the implied author in Lk-Acts may be summarized as follows: (1) God's offer of salvation and real peace to the world required the evangelization of the Roman empire. (2) In this endeavor the role of the house churches was of critical strategic importance. (3) This placed a special burden on Christian members of the Roman elite to open their households to the church and to care for the poor. From the perspective of these three points it is clear that Luke recontextualized the gospel within the framework of the Roman empire.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA39-1995-3-1484

AbstractIn Luke 9 : 51-56 Jesus rebukes his disciples for wishing revenge on the Samaritans for their lack of hospitality. The paper investigates the rich residual orality in the text and the probable transformations that occurred when this narrative was recorded and translated. A review of the available communications technology at the time of text production is followed by an examination of explicit and implicit data on orality and literacy. Some exciting communicative and social aspects of the text are explored. The paper concludes with a brief reflection on the relation between transmediation and the ethics of interpretation.

AbstractNo one doubts, as the contemporary social political handwriting on the African walls indicates, that Africa is in the throes of moral crises. Unethical acts and indiscipline are quite common place in virtually all the countries of the African continent. Heinous crimes, in fact, do interpenetrate border after border everyday unchecked. The African society is generally and fast yielding to unspeakable and pernicious sadism. The article adopts the socio-critical method as represented in the studies of recent African biblical scholars (Abe 1986; Manus 1986, Onah 1991, Olubunmo 1991, Young III, 1993). It seeks to interpret the gospel of Jesus as recorded in Lk. 9, 46ff and parallels from the perspectives of contemporary African social-political contexts.

AbstractIn Lk 23:6-12 Luke was referring to the imperfections of the religions of the two authorities (Pilate and Herod Antipas) who assisted at the proceedings leading to Jesus' death. The Lukan vision of reconciliation in Christ with regard to the major cultural religions of the Greco-Roman city-states provides a foundation for viewing the religious heritage of Africa as reflecting rays of the truth that enlightens all peoples (see Jn 1:9).--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA33-1989-3-1194

AbstractThis article provides a social-scientific interpretation of the role of fasting in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9–14. Specifically, the article considers such social realia as honour and shame, collectivism, and purity in the interpretation of the text. The textual and social contexts of the text are considered. It is contended that in the parable Jesus presents a caricature of both the Pharisee and the tax collector to make a larger point, in which fasting is not a major consideration. The article also evaluates Friedrichson’s interpretation of this text, which depicts the Pharisee as fasting vicariously, resulting in the justification of the tax collector. Finally, the significance of this text in a holistic theology of fasting in the New Testament is considered.

AbstractIntroduced by Julia Kristeva in 1966, the concept of intertextuality can be a productive way to frame biblical interpretation. Unfortunately, the term is often misused in New Testament scholarship, usually featuring as a clichéd truism or self-evident methodological axiom. A more rigorous exploration of poststructural intertextuality may engender a helpful linking- hermeneutic for interpreting Scripture, here demonstrated through an intertextual reading of Luke shaped by John Howard Yoder's The Politics of Jesus, which draws Luke 1:51-52 and 3:8-9 into close proximity. This textual concatenation echoes with the Septuagintal allegory in Ezekiel 17 and adds colour to the Lukan reading-an ancient textual interplay enriching Yoder's text. Those who adhere to Yoder's theo-rhetorical agenda are given further warrant for their suspicion of political power. In particular we are enjoined to guard against alliances with contemporary versions of the astute King of Babylon and the mighty Pharaoh. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractThis article is part of a larger research project that wrestles with the following question: ‘What influence do dijferent contexts of social transformation have on the use of the Bible when Reformed Christian Churches respond to social issues? ’ The hypothesis is that diflerent contexts of social transformation lead to difl'erent modes of Biblical interpretation. These modes range on a spectrum from legitimization to resistance (with accommodation and apology somewhere in between). In order to test this hypothesis four case studies are done from difierent contexts of social transformation. One of the case studies focuses on the Confession of Belhar (from now on just 'Belhar). The issue tackled in this article is how this Confession interpreted the Gospel of Luke in its particular context. The article intends to be mostly descriptive. https://scriptura.journals.ac.za/public/site/images/emuller/Meyer.png

AbstractThe article considers the interaction of the rich and the poor and the custom of reciprocity during the time of Jesus with reference to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Lk 16:19-31. It discusses the setting of the parable, the characters, the role of Moses and the prophets, and the parable in our context.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA52-2008-2-1018

AbstractDionysius of Halicarnassus' critique of Thucydides' prose 'arrangement' provides the closest parallel in thought and rationale to Luke's opening assertions regarding the 'clear certainty' of the significance of all the events that he will configure in the sequence of his narrative. Undergirding both texts is a Hellenistic poetics of a trialectic synergy of (i) rhetorical 'management' of the emplotment of the narrative by the composer to (2) effect within discrete audiences realized cognitive and empathic understandings (3) of the author's intended messages and emphases. This commonly shared diegetic epistemology illuminates the composition of the church's Gospels as persuasive narrative performances. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractPolitical exile is an integral part of post-1994 liberation struggle narrative in South Africa. Lauretta Ngcobo’s autobiographical short story, “The Prodigal Daughter”, is the title story of Prodigal Daughters (2012), an anthology of South African women’s stories of political exile during the anti-apartheid struggle. I enter the analysis through Ngcobo’s intertextual reference to the gendered figure of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The parable creates a clichéd schema of exile which lends itself to a feminist critique through the figure of the female “prodi-gal” (Carter 1985). Drawing on a black feminist conception of placelessness, I examine racial and gendered hierarchies of citizenship in relation to political exile and consider Ngcobo’s female “prodi-gal” as speaking back to the constructed radical subalternity of black South African women. Reading exile as a narrative form I argue that both the anthology and Ngcobo’s personal account are informed by a gendered insider/outsider perspective of the liberation movement: insider or “in place” as an activist but outsider “out of place” as a woman. I firstly analyse the notion of “statelessness” in relation to the racialised hierarchy of citizenship under apartheid as external exile. I then analyse “place-lessness” with reference to the marginalisation of women within patriarchal liberation movements while in political exile–this I read as internal exile. Over and above the historicising of women’s political exile, Ngcobo’s narrative recasts the exiled “women’s place” as a space of political agency through its erasure of the separation between the political and personal. By contrasting the gendered division of labour and resistance with the “domestication” of women’s activism in exile, Ngcobo challenges the perceived gender-neutrality of political exile. The male figure of the prodigal is thus re-cast as a female “prodi-gal”, creating a feminist schema for women’s political exile. © 2017 Unisa Press.

AbstractIn Luke-Acts, Jesus and his Apostles are characterized by language that is reminiscent of the Old Testament prophets, particularly Moses and Elijah. This article atttempts to understand the meaning of such characterization in the narrative world of Luke-Acts. This world includes the frameworks of Judaism of the first century as a hierocratic symbolic empire, the perception of the prophet par excellence like Moses in Judaism, and the plot and geographical movement of Luke-Acts. This article argues that the earthly Jesus (Lk. 4:16-30) and the Twelve Apostles after the Pentecost (Acts 2) are characterized in Luke-Acts as prophets par excellence who confront the current hierocratic symbolic empire, participating in the making and renewal of the Covenant, which underlies the identity of God's people.

AbstractThe case for regarding Luke as having perverted the original gospel and replaced it with an institutional "early catholicism" seems to be a very weak one. The basis in Luke's treatment of eschatology seems erroneous, he insists on the importance of the Word and he fails to emphasize and in most cases even to notice characteristics in "catholicism". What Luke is doing is not wrestling with the problem of the delayed parousia and coming up with early catholicism as his novel solution. He is putting on record an accurate account so that Theophilus (and others with him) may know the certainty of the tradition in which he has been instructed. Luke does not stop at the end of the life of Jesus as do the other evangelists, but goes on to a further stage in the unfolding of God's plan, the preaching of the gospel by the apostles and others with the growth of the church under the leadership of the Spirit. To characterize Luke as "catholic", even if we prefix the adjective "early", is to miss what he is about. [excerpt].

AbstractThe 1840 gospel of Luke as translated by Moffat presents us with the cultural and imperial surveillance performed by a patriarchal system through the institutionalisation of motherhood and womanhood (bosadi). Motherhood or womanhood (bosadi) as a patriarchal institution has been a space in which patriarchal discursive practices have been realised through an act of politicising motherhood or womanhood. At the centre of this act of politicisation of motherhood or womanhood (bosadi) is the ability to carry and bear children (pelegi). The institution of motherhood or womanhood has facilitated a binary between motherhood (bosadi) and bareness (moopa). The womb/popelo as a symbol of fertility becomes the space of mothering women, of labelling, categorising and naming women that the system locates as moopa or barren. The article seeks to reread the narrative on childbearing in the 1840 gospel of Luke from a decolonial framework. I will argue that childbearing, as a patriarchal institution, has been a space in which the gaze of patriarchy has been produced to subjugate women through cultural and imperial masculinist gaze. I will also argue that there is a need to decolonise and liberate such a space (womb) as not a determinant of motherhood.

AbstractIn her article on ‘translating ngaka’ (diviner-healer), Musa Dube argues that in the writings of Robert Moffat and subsequently in his translation of the Bible into Setswana, the person of the ngaka, rather than being portrayed as occupying a central and positive role in Setswana culture, is relegated to a marginal position and is even depicted as evil and an imposter. The article seeks to argue that firstly, there is a fundamental connection between ngaka and bogwera in Setswana tradition. This is because ngaka performed the rite of initiation and was a central figure in the circumcision (rupa) of those undergoing the rite of imitation. Secondly, in his 1857 English–Setswana Bible Moffat alters the word bogwera in Luke 2:21. In representing and translating bogwera as circumcision in Luke 2:21 Moffat rewrites and reorders the political, economic and religious beliefs of Batswana. It is in the transmogrification of bogwera in Luke 2:21 that an act of hybridisation and creolisation takes place through the ordering of the Batswana cosmology and culture. I would further argue that not only did this marginalisation colour the perceptions of the Batswana regarding bogwera, but also that the translated text was used as a tool to disrupt, marginalise, replace, subvert and colonise the spiritual spaces of the Batswana. Furthermore, the article attempts to critically engage with the translated text from an ideological criticism within postcolonial theory, engaging with the fundamental question: why did Moffat translate and alter bogwera as circumcision rather than using the proper word which is rupa (circumcision)? Selected letters published in the newspaper Mahoko a Becwana (Words of Batswana) are quoted and discussed, as it is in these letters that we are confronted with an act of hybridisation and creolisation. The letters also point to the effects of such a translation and transmogrification as a discursive tool to reorder and to pervert the Batswana cosmology and culture. In translating and altering circumcision as bogwera Moffat performs an act of mutation of meaning. It is in this morphing of bogwera into something that is charged with negativity in order to reorder and rewrite through an exercise of transmutation that Moffat attempts to subvert and to indoctrinate, resulting in the subversion of the spiritual spaces of Batswana.

AbstractAfter noting the social and political events responsible for the historical separation of Jews and Samaritans, the article examines the three Lukan pericopes that feature Samaritans (Lk 9:51-56; 10:29-37; 17:11-19) to see how Luke addresses Jewish-Samaritan ethnic conflict and to highlight his appeal for common humanity. It concludes that Luke was in complete agreement with Jesus' disapproval of the exclusion of the Samaritans from the heritage of Israel.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA47-2003-1-220

AbstractThis article argues that Luke’s characterisation of Zechariah and the other ordinary priests in Acts 6:7 represents the most striking characterisation of the priesthood in the Gospels. This positive depiction, seen against the generally stereotypical image of chief priests in the Gospels, makes Zechariah’s image that of a model priest. Such characterisation demonstrates that despite Jewish hostility towards early Christianity, not all Jewish priests were against early Christianity. Through this, the article presents a fascinating and obscure dimension of the Jewish priesthood and, therefore, helps uncover the hidden voices in the gospels’ representation of Jewish priesthood.

AbstractThis article relates Luke 10:30–35 to the situation of Africa in her drive from a state of underdevelopment to a state of development. From the perspective of African Biblical Interpretation, the model of risk-bearing or risk-taking is used to illustrate and interpret Africa’s present state of misery. The article suggests that two important requirements are needed for Africa to relocate herself on her initial trajectory and thus complete her journey: the need for a “risk-taking Samaritan” (or simply, a “risk-taking” or “good Sama”) and the need to ask the right questions. The article concludes that African success greatly depends on the question “To whom am I a neighbour?” © New Testament Society of Southern Africa

AbstractThe practice of ministry is an intricate issue which involves the combination of individual efforts from diverse backgrounds. This diversity has been a breeding ground for conflict between the clergy and all the stakeholders involved in parish administration. This article attempted to highlight some of these conflicts, using the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon as a case study. The approach employed is an African hermeneutic reading of Luke 9:18–22 in which the clergy’s leadership has been likened to that of Jesus. The presence of many distracting agents did not perturb Jesus’ ministry instead, he remained focused. Conclusively, it is observed that the clergy often face conflict within the ministry because they ignore the fact that (1) they are expected to know their mission better than anyone else; (2) the diverse backgrounds of their followers are potential causes of conflict; and (3) there are several distracting agents within the ministry. In short, Jesus’ model of conflict management is recommended to the clergy for an effective pastoral ministry.

AbstractThe Jewish peasantry as a character group in the Gospel of Luke has, thus far, not really attracted much attention in Lukan scholarship. In cases where it has been studied, scholars have often treated ὄχλος [crowd] and λαὸς [people] as synonymous characters. But the question of Jesus’ identity, as depicted in the New Testament, was crucial to the early church and it is this exact question that animates the relationship between Jesus and the various ‘systems’ functioning as part of Luke’s Gospel. From an etic viewpoint, the context of Luke’s Gospel indicates that Jesus’ leadership was characterised by conflict, opposition and rejection. Therefore, this article attempted, through an emic reading of Luke, to differentiate between (and describe) the role played by each of these character groups in Luke’s narrative, focusing on the relationship between Jesus and the Jewish peasantry – with special reference to the ambivalent attitude of the latter. It was argued that each Lukan character group has to be read and understood in terms of their attitude, as well as in the broader context of Luke’s intention with their inclusion and specific description. Therefore the various terminologies used when referring to the Jewish peasantry were also discussed; for any analysis of a biblical character group should begin with a reading of the Greek text, because working only with translations can lead to a misappropriation of the text. In order to attain the goals as set out above, this study used a character group which seemed ambivalent and hypocritical in their attitude to analyse Jesus’ leadership approach.

AbstractCopious citations of the Old Testament (OT) by the New Testament (NT) writers confirm the continuity of the divine revelation in both parts of the sacred scripture and at the same time underscore the newness of the NT. This is evident in the theological development of the reality of the ‘spirit of the Lord’ from the OT to the NT. In this article the writer traces the development of this biblical concept from its occurrence in the context of Isaiah 61:1–2 to the use of this text in a programmatic passage of Luke 4:18–19. The aim of the research is to shed light on the concept and nature of the spirit of the Lord in its context in Isaiah and the use of this by a NT writer. Both texts are carefully compared, using a literary approach, with the intention to discover how the NT writer used this concept in his presentation of the person and mission of Jesus as a charismatic figure and the anointed of the Lord.

AbstractThis essay conducts a biblical exegetical study of Luke 22:35-38 to clarify Jesus' directive to the disciples: "And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one!" The sword saying is interpreted with the background of Jesus' teachings and actions in other related sections of the New Testament. The purpose of the study is (i) to evaluate the sword saying and situate it correctly within the New Testament setting, and with special emphasis (ii) that the use of sword in the defence of Jesus at his arrest (Lk.:22:49f par) and Jesus' reaction demonstrate clearly Jesus' absolute rejection of violence of any kind; (iii) that the sword-saying is a didactics in metaphor; (iv) that Christians who insist on any form of legitimate violence must themselves consider how they fit in their belief with the verdict of Jesus on violence and arm resistance. Discourse analysis and word study are the main exegetical tools applied. The result of the search may be less desired especially in an environment of Christian persecution, but Christians ought to appreciate the sword metaphor and stimulate thought of other meaningful ways to survive, and mission in an unfriendly environment.

AbstractIn her recent work The Assumed Authorial Unity of Luke and Acts: A Reassessment of the Evidence, Patricia Walters analyzes the seams and summaries of Luke and Acts in light of ancient prose composition conventions and attempts to challenge the authorial unity of the two books with her results. This paper critiques Walters' work from various angles. First, we deal with two preliminary but important matters regarding textual variants and segmentation. Next, we focus on Walters' selection of data and stylistic criteria (focusing primarily but not exclusively on the issue of hiatus). Finally, we conclude with some thoughts about the implications of Walters' study, including questions regarding the unity of Luke and Acts. On these points, Walters' challenge to the authorial unity of Luke and Acts remains unconvincing. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractThe flowers' activity in the saying of Jesus about anxiety indicates an interest in cloth production across the socio-economic spectrum. I demonstrate that wool-working is a central feature of the multiform tradition of this saying and that spinning in particular was associated with women. I further note that the activity of gazing at flowers was an activity that was connected with the iconography of the goddess Spes, the Roman personification of Hope. These two cues render the entire saying an exhortation toward the feminine. © 2016 New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractWritten in the context of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, the article explores how a woman deemed "invisible" by the natural order of things transcends oppressive attitudes and practices by claiming freedom and equality in public assembly. This rereading of Lk 7:36-50 is an invitation to rediscover the transformative potential of a NT text in the light of past (and present) discrimination and androcentric readings of biblical texts that contribute to and sustain the marginalization of women in the church and society.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA50-2006-3-1704

AbstractHuman dignity can be studied from two perspectives: a fundamental approach and also that of existential experience of human dignity and indignity. This study addresses both aspects. Taking into account that the first audience of Luke was mixed, but probably included a significant number of 'haves', a social analysis is done to discern criteria of worthiness in the Early-Mediterranean world that is addressed by the Lucan narrative. Then follows a literary and semantic analysis of relevant passages from Luke, and finally some conclusions are drawn about Lucan perspectives on human dignity. These are: Jesus as the vantage point for bestowing dignity; dignity is assigned through association; one of the main Lucan viewpoints is that dignity involves powerlessness and vulnerability; and finally that dignity does not exclude suffering.

AbstractThis paper stresses the importance of reading any text within its imntediate and larger context. Tlte significance of the repetition and recurrence of certain themes within Luke 12:35-48, as well as within the wider context of the syntactic unit of Luke 11:14-13:9 and, even beyond, within the travel narrative (Lk 9:51-19:28/44) and in the remainder of Luke's Gospel and Acts, is investigated and illustrated. The repetition of specific themes is shown to have added to their significance. The technique enriches the story, strengthens the unity of the narrative and persuades the reader through its forcefulness.

AbstractSabinet African Journals - reliable research that offers more than 500 African journals, including the African Journal Archive. It is the most comprehensive, searchable collection of full-text African electronic journals available on one platform.

AbstractThe concept of implicature as defined by Leech is explained and then employed to interpret the motives for Peter's question and the intent of Jesus' answer. It is concluded that Peter is experiencing the possible extension of the rewards and the responsibilities mentioned in Luke 12:35-40 as a threat to the disciples' privileged position. His question indicates that he has no comprehension of the true foundation of their privileged position, which is the serving κύριος. The only threat to their privilege is their lack of concern for others.

AbstractAfter introductory comments on new generation science fiction films and cultural studies (reversed hermeneutical flows), the article explores the intertextual links between the 1982 film Blade Runner and the parable of the Prodigal Son in Lk 15:11-32 within the context of the existential issues with which the movie deals. It focuses in particular on an interesting analogy at the level of the relationships between maker/father and sons, and how animosity seeps through these relationships and is addressed and negotiated.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA52-2008-1-259

AbstractMany scholars have regarded the parable of the shrewd manager (Lk 16:1–8) as the most puzzling of all parables as Jesus seems to use the unrighteous actions of a dishonest (worldly) manager as a model for emulation by others. The unease associated with this understanding was managed in part by focusing almost exclusively on the ‘shrewdness’ of the dishonest manager. In this interpretation, it is not his unjust behaviour that is to be imitated but his wise and intelligent actions. This interpretation has led to a divergence of applications regarding the ‘property’ that was entrusted to him. The author, however, argues that, in the context of the historical Jesus, the entrusted property in the parable references first and foremost the Torah entrusted to God’s people and that the manager mirrors the life of Jesus, who was ‘accused’ by the religious leaders of being unjust. Despite being threatened, he continued unabatedly to scatter God’s mercy, epitomised by the reduction of debt and symbolising the dawning of God’s Kingdom. The manager is therefore not a negative figure but a positive (diaphorical) example of what it means to be a faithful manager of God in the light of adversary and opposition.

AbstractA syntactical reading of a text aims at providing the parameters for the interpretation of the text. The aim of this paper is to do just that: to provide these parameters for the interpretation of Luke 12:35-48, to evaluate possible syntactic readings of Luke 12:35-48, and to suggest a syntactically viable reading.

AbstractAlternative body politics place the body in the world and the world in the body in decisively different ways. Luke 1-2 uses a priestly offering of incense in the Jerusalem Temple to begin a body politics that establishes prophetic wisdom in family households. Sirach 44-50, in contrast, uses worship led by the high priest Simon to establish a priestly body politics that brings Woman Wisdom into the Jerusalem Temple. When ritual actions and pronouncements of blessing occur not only in the Jerusalem Temple but also in "family households of God" in Luke, distinctly different "bodies" bring priestly blessing in "holy locations" and distinctly different guidelines determine "inclusion" and "exclusion." Reversing the body politics of Sirach, Luke 1-2 configures the Jerusalem Temple as a house of God that empowers a new group of "famous men and women" for God's mighty work in the world.

AbstractEben Scheffler wrote much on poverty and social injustice, and this article focusses on his understanding of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts in order to comprehend the different dimensions of suffering and the healing ministry of the Lukan Jesus. Scheffler stressed that Jesus’ life, from birth to cross, was immersed in suffering thus becoming part of the human condition of sorrow and misery, but Scheffler ultimately stressed the compassion of Jesus’ ministry which continued in the early church and which must be reflected by his followers to all people.

AbstractThis paper contains a theoretical reflection on psychological exegesis in which its relationship with other approaches of exegesis (especially sociological exegesis and historical criticism) is investigated. It is emphasised that psychological exegesis cannot be limited to one single approach. Attention is paid to a selection of models (psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, behaviourism and cognitive psychology) and an attempt is also made to read Luke 12:35-48 in terms of these models.

AbstractTaking the lead from Wisdom of Solomon 7:20, which clearly indicates that ancient authors did engage in the specialised ‘scientific’ (although contemporary) study of mental processes (διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων), it is argued that the author of Luke’s Gospel paid special attention to the alleviation of human psychological suffering. Employing an approach recently being labelled as ‘positive psychology’, attention will be paid to general affliction (e.g. Lk 4:18; 6:21, 25), old age (Lk 1:5−80; 2:25−38), grief (e.g. Lk 7:11−17) and the emphasis on mental processes in Luke’s portrayal of Jesus’ exorcisms (e.g. Lk 4:35; 6:18−19; 9:38), as well as the psychological dimension involved in other types of suffering (e.g. poverty, sickness, enmity and social ostracism). The ‘mental process’, ‘feelings’ or ‘empathy’ that motivate the alleviation of suffering (in the behaviour of Jesus and his followers) will also come into focus in the discussion of the Lucan use of the terms οἰκτίρμων (Lk 6:36), ἔλεος and σπλαγχνίζομαι (e.g. Lk 10:33, 37).

AbstractAfter a brief sketch of the diversity of perspectives on poverty in literary corpuses of the Bible, attention is paid to the Roman economic context as backdrop for Luke's view on poverty. This is followed by focusing on Luke's view on poverty within this context, scrutinising the term 'ptochos' (poor), his attitude towards the rich (or relatively) wealthy and his view on renunciation of possessions and charity. After a brief look at some receptions or appropriations of Luke's view throughout history (e.g. individual charity, monastic life, Marxism and liberation theology) some (preliminary) hermeneutical conclusions regarding the need for present-day poverty eradication are drawn.

AbstractThe tradition-historical method emerged at the turn of the century. It is used to understand biblical texts not only as products of the final author or redactor, but as documents which evolved over a period of time within a particular society. Consequently it grapples with the problems of how such texts refers to historical events, how one relates individual and collective religious experience and what authority these texts have in the lives of Christians today. Luke 12:35-48 is used to investigate the application of these ideas to practical exegesis.

AbstractThe different "readings and readers" are evaluated, with a view to responsible hermeneutics, on three levels. First, the question is asked as to whether the different readings took place in a responsible way in terms of their own presuppositions and goals. Some general remarks are made on the possible comparison and integration of these readings are made. Second, the question is asked whether some of these readings are more appropriate, responsible or legitimate readings of literature than others. The point is argued that such an evaluation cannot be timeless and abstract, but will depend on the purpose of the reader. Third, the question is asked how the specific pencope, namely a text from the Christian New Testament, can be responsibly read by New Testament scholars.

AbstractThis article argues that failure of Jerusalem to accept or recognise its fortune (Lk 19:41–44) may be ascribed to a difference in expectations between the Temple rulers and the lowly, who interacted with Jesus at their level. At the outset, the kairos was anticipated and welcomed by the lowly, and throughout the two-part narrative the respective attitudes of the lowly and Temple rulers towards Jesus are contrasted, whilst conflict between Jesus and the latter culminated in the crucifixion. The problem as suggested by the narrative is that a highly political messianic programme may have been expected, whereas Jesus offered an individual and community empowerment as the content of God’s kairos. The article concludes that the content of a kairos is determined by the potential beneficiaries; its delivery vehicle and timing (kairos) are God’s prerogative, whereas the ability to recognise and accept it is predicated on a consensus among beneficiaries about the content. South Africa should learn from this if its National Development Plan is to become a reality. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article employs insights from the narrative approach and Greek mythology to question the sterile approach to the kairos discourse. It introduces a new hermeneutical and epistemological paradigm that opens up possibilities for a developmental approach and sheds light on the behaviours of Jerusalem and the early Church. In the process, views from Biblical Studies, Hermeneutics and Church History are engaged. © 2016. The Authors.

AbstractThe paper argues that Luke 19:41-44 has, since the publication of the Kairos Document in South Africa in 1985, been understood in eschatological terms by biblical scholars and missiologists. However, when read as an episode in a long narrative of Luke-Acts which is about the fortune (tyche) of Israel and against the backdrop of the mission of Kairos in Greek mythology, the picture suddenly changes. The episode becomes a watershed point between the rejected ministry of Jesus and the future mission of the church (the Way) which provides countless opportunities to individuals and groups who fail to recognise and snatch the first opportunity presented to them. The conclusion of the paper is that unlike Kairos, son of Zeus who offered a lifetime opportunity to individuals, Jesus, the representative of God offers countless opportunities to all who turn to the Way that leads to him. A foundation for the latter is laid in the gospel while it continues in the Acts of the Apostles.

AbstractA sociological analysis of a text should take care lest the text is lost from sight. In this paper concepts from the sociology of knowledge are used to analyse the indicated text for its yield on sociological information that could facilitate the understanding of the text. The paper has two main parts: firstly, it gives an exposition of the theoretical issues within both the discipline of sociology and the subfield of the sociology of knowledge; secondly, these concepts are applied to the text, and the data that result from this application interpreted. Some possible inferences are tentatively drawn from the result.

AbstractThis article challenges popular interpretations of the parable of the talents, which underlie economic views blaming poverty on laziness. It carefully compares the versions in Matthew and Luke and argues that the more original version is the one in Luke. This is based on a historical incident, linked to Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great, and makes sense as a story told in the context of Herod-ruled Galilee after the execution of John the Baptist. It argues for the parable as a story of open resistance with a dual message: a “public” and a “hidden” transcript. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractIn dealing with dangerous hegemonic masculinities, there is need to rethink the position of Christianity since the religion itself is sometimes used in the construction of such dangerous masculinities. This is true of the case discussed in this article. The article shows how culture, traditional religion, colonial attitudes and Christianity help in the construction of dangerous masculinities in Botswana. Having done that, it then argues for a specific use of certain biblical traditions, in this case the tradition of the Jesus of Luke's Gospel. The article shows how Jesus' attitude to women as presented in this gospel was revolutionary and called for a new way of defining a man. It then concludes by showing that, in communities that still value the life and teaching of Jesus, the masculinity expressed by Jesus can serve as a model to address dangerous hegemonic masculinities.

AbstractBetween the intense religiosity and social reality in the African-Ibibio society is a gap that seems to produce a paucity of authentic spirituality. Hence, the social conscience of the Ibibio people appears to remain untouched, despite the availability of massive spiritual infrastructure. This article probes the African Ibibio people's spirituality to ascertain how and to what degree their religious and cultural consciousness mediates the concern for social justice. It explores this issue in light of the manner in which Luke relates spirituality with social issues. Adopting the social-scientific critical approach and participant observation, this article demonstrates that of the four New Testament gospels, Luke stands out with a heightened concern for the poor and underprivileged in society. And, as the twin issue of spirituality and social justice is predicated on the recognition of massive human suffering, this sense of social conscience in the Gospel, therefore, provides a paradigm for the religious adherents and practitioners who fill the socio-religious landscape of the African-Ibibio to address the persistent prevalence of social injustices in the society. © Common Ground Research Networks, Effiong Joseph Udo.

AbstractThe Gospel of Luke is well known for showing interest in the “down- and-outers” of society. In first-century Palestine, these “down and outers” were mostly a marginalised group of people robbed of their honour in society. With this Lukan feature in mind, the current article examines Luke 4:16–19, which is popularly called “a Jesus manifesto,” and relates it to the problem of ethnic minorities in Nigeria. The article adopts social-scientific criticism as a methodology, using sociological conflict theory to explain not only the prevalent nature of oppression in Palestine during the time of Jesus, but also the roots of the agitations of ethnic minorities in Nigeria today. This study contends that Luke 4:16–19 is “liberational” and that it shows Jesus’s quest, through the empowerment of the Spirit of God, to restore honour to the marginalised people of his society living in an oppressive environment. These marginalised people included the poor, the blind, prisoners/captives, debtors, slaves, and so on. This understanding of Luke 4:16–19, therefore, has hermeneutical implications for the problem of ethnic minorities in Nigeria. It calls on those with political power in Nigeria to address the concerns and aspirations of ethnic minorities by giving them more representation, so that they may be politically and economically empowered. For Christians in Nigeria, the text calls for both intensified socio-political activism in defence of equity, equality and justice for the minority ethnic groups in the country, and an acknowledgement of the reality of the struggles of Nigerian minorities. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractEvery text, including a narrative discourse, reflects the social context from which it originates, although in truncated form, presented from a particular ideological perspective. This article describes the temporal order of the incidents in Luke 12:35-48, the imagined social context, and the narrator's ideological perspective that knowledge entails responsibility. It suggests the reason for a "second" story in Luke 12:35-48, similar to that in Luke-Acts as a narrative whole.

AbstractSyncrisis as literary motif in the story about the grown-up child Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:41–52 and the Thomas tradition): The article explores hermeneutical solutions for the negative response from the child Jesus towards his biological parents in the Lukan temple story (Lk 2:41–52). The ‘wisdom’ of the child who acts in an ‘adult-like’ way is interpreted as a syncrisis. This literary motif is explained by an analysis of the contrasting positive and negative acts of the child Jesus towards teachers of the Torah in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

AbstractResistance against power: The pilgrim’s journey in three Sondergut parables in Luke 15 and 16. The aim of this essay is to explain the philosophical viewpoints of Michel Foucault concerning the power of knowledge and its consequences when individuals are subjectified into ‘docile bodies’. According to this perspective, resistance against power commences when the little stories of individuals are told in opposition to the master narratives of ideologies of power. The essay refers to Steve Biko and Martin Luther King whose stories of resistance against racism as an ideology of power serve as examples. Their examples of resistance are hermeneutically and heuristically applied to the interpretation of the parables in Luke 15 and 16. These parables are peculiar to Luke’s theology. The essay exposes the subjectifying of the identities of the ‘lost son’ and ‘father’, the ‘master’ and ‘steward’, and the ‘rich man’ and the ‘poor man’, as these heteronormative categories occur in parabolic stories in Luke 15 and 16. The essay concludes with a vision for Christians today on how to recognise power relationships and how to respond in a non-violent way to the dominant ideologies promoting power.

AbstractThis article traces the meaning of κατάλυμά and πανδοχεῖον in available Roman-Egypt papyri, the LXX, early-Jewish literature, and Greek writings to determine the meaning of πανδοχεῖον [inn] used in Luke 10:34. It is argued that a lexical study of κατάλυμά and πανδοχεῖον and available information on travel in the ancient world indicate that there is no evidence for the so-called non-commercial inns in the ancient world and that commercial inns and innkeepers, in principle, were all ‘bad’. In conclusion, the implications of this understanding of πανδοχεῖον and πανδοκεύς (Lk 10:34, 35) for the possible intended meaning of the parable are discussed, a conclusion that begs further research regarding the identity of the protagonist in the parable.

AbstractThis article attempted to read the parable of the minas in a 30 CE context, employing a social scientific reading. The integrity of the parable was delimited to Luke 19:12b–24 and 27. It was argued that this version of the parable (that stems from Q) goes back to the earliest layer of the historical Jesus tradition and is a realistic version of the historical background, political background and socioeconomic background of 30 CE Palestine. In this reading of the parable, attention was given to an aspect much neglected in previous scholarship regarding the interpretation of the parable, namely that the third slave in the parable is not condemned. It was argued that this neglected aspect is important for the strategy of the parable. The reading concluded that the parable has two foci; it shows how, in the time of Jesus, the elite exploited the nonelite and how to protest in a situation where the peasantry (the exploited) had no legitimate way of protesting against the exploitative practices of the elite.

AbstractThis article presents a social-scientific and realistic interpretation of the parable of the lost sheep (Lk 15:4–6). Attention is given to the history of the interpretation of the parable, its integrity and authenticity, and verisimilitude. It is argued that the Lukan-version (Q 15:4–6) of the parable represents the earliest layer of the historical Jesus-tradition. Specific attention is given to the social and economic registers presupposed in the parable, as well as certain cultural norms and values of the first-century Mediterranean world in which Jesus told the parable. The conclusion reached is that the parable exemplifies several aspects of the kingdom of God, aspects that are also present in several other parables that Jesus told about the kingdom.

AbstractIn modern Western culture, gossip is seen as a malicious activity that should be avoided. In ancient oral-cultures, gossip as a cultural form did not have this negative connotation. Gossip was a necessary social game that enabled the flow of information. This information was used in the gossip network of communities to clarify, maintain and enforce group values, facilitate group formation and boundary maintenance and assess the morality of individuals. Gossip was a natural and spontaneous recurring form of social organisation. This understanding of gossip is used to interpret the two invitations and three excuses in the parable of the Feast (Lk 14:16a–23). The conclusion reached is that gossip, when understood as a social game, can be a useful tool to curb anachronistic and ethnocentristic readings of texts produced by cultures different from that of modern interpreters analysing these texts.

AbstractThis article presents a social-scientific interpretation of the parable of the friend at midnight. As starting point, attention is given to the history of the interpretation of the parable, as well as to its integrity and authenticity. A social-scientific reading of the parable is then presented. The parable is read against the socio-economic and political backdrop of firstcentury Palestine village life in which friendship, hospitality, limited good and reciprocity played an important role. The interpretation of the parable hinges on the understanding of [foreign font omitted] [shamelessness] Luke 11:8. Therefore, special attention is given to honour as a pivotal value in first-century Palestine. The parable tells the story of an alternative world, a world wherein neighbours are kin and practice general reciprocity. The gist of the parable is that when neighbours do not act as neighbours, then nothing of God’s kingdom becomes visible.

AbstractThis article presents a social-scientific and realistic interpretation of the parable of the Feast. The characteristics of a pre-industrial city are used to determine the realism of the parable. The social-scientific interpretation of the parable considers meals as ceremonies. The cultural values embedded in meals, namely honour and shame, patronage, reciprocity and purity, receive attention. The social dynamics of invitations in the 1st-century Mediterranean world is used as a lens to understand the invitations as an honour challenge, and the social game of gossip is used to obtain an understanding of the excuses in the parable. The conclusion reached is that the parable turns the world in which it is told upside down. As such, the parable has something to say about the injustices that are a part of the society we live in.

AbstractThe first print of the book of Sandra Schneiders, The Revelatory Text, appeared more than 25 years ago. With the help of the hermeneutic theories of Gadamer and Ricoeur, she proposes a kind of exegesis that integrates scholarly methods and spiritual reading. In this article we investigate how the model of Sandra Schneiders is congruent with the old intuition of the lectio divina. We compare the model of Schneiders with the systematisation of the lectio divina by Guigo II, the Carthusian. As a result, we see in the text of Guigo the pre-understanding of the Carthusian spiritual life at work. And as a result we also recognise Schneiders’ transformative understanding of the subject matter of the text in the phase of the oratio and the comtemplatio. In the model of Guigo, there is also room for critical analysis in the phase of the meditation. We investigate also if the Bible itself gives indications for the kind of exegesis Schneiders proposes. What Schneiders says about pre-understanding is present in the prologue of the Gospel of Luke. Luke considers the story he tells as a history guided by God. What Luke tells about the genesis of his text belongs to the world behind the text. The world of the text is present as a well-ordered world. Luke speaks also about the transformation of the reader. In this, we recognise what Schneiders says about the world before the text and the transformative understanding of the subject matter of the text. We conclude that the model of Schneiders is innovative in relation of common academic exegesis. It is rooted in the tradition of Christian spiritual reading, and it is present in those biblical texts which indicate how to read.

AbstractPeace and judgement in the gospel according to Luke. Quite rightly Luke is called an evangelist of peace and non-violence. It is recognised in several studies that peace, nonviolence and love for the enemy are integral parts of the message of the Lucan Jesus. Yet this statement cannot be made without criticism. In the gospel of Luke there are many texts in which violence is present, which is incongruent with the message of peace and non-violence. Sometimes there is even violence that is excessive. In many of these texts violence has to do with vengeance in the judgement. In some recent studies the relation of the peace-message of Jesus and the retribution in the judgement is discussed. In this article we first examine the problem of violence in Luke’s gospel with the help of Luke 19:9–27. In the vision of Luke the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE is a consequence of the refusal to accept the message of Jesus. To understand this it is necessary to place the fall of Jerusalem in the eschatological timetable of Luke. We see here a certain equivalence between the situation of the contemporaries of Jesus within the gospel and the situation of the intended readers in the last quarter of the first century CE. Moreover we propose to reverse the way the question is put. We do not have to enlighten how it is possible that after the peace-message of Jesus there will be vengeance in the judgement. First there is the announcement of the judgement. After that a delay is announced for the contemporaries of Jesus as well as for the intended readers of Luke’s gospel: a year of the Lord’s favour. This delay gives room for repentance.(Full text article to follow)

AbstractThe article explores some of the ways in which the Chichewa (spoken in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and beyond) NT version, starting with Luke, will differ from those available in English in terms of the very different linguistic, literary, educational, religious, and cultural setting that characterizes its potential readership. After surveying the general nature and goals of a study Bible, it treats the diverse types of explanatory-descriptive comments to be incorporated; the need for notes that involve the greatest degree of contextualization--those pertaining to language and culture; and illustrations of the need for contextualization from Luke (1:7, 9, 19, 27, 41, 59, 80; 2:8, 22; etc.). It concludes with a preview of what lies ahead for this important study Bible project.--C.R.M. Abstract Number: NTA49-2005-1-76

AbstractWith reference to Lk 16:19-31, the article discusses an imaginative radio adaptation of the parable in the Nyanja language, and shows how it may serve as a model for similar efforts at contextualizing the message of Scripture for contemporary African audiences and at developing "practical" theologies to meet pastoral exigencies. It concludes with several proposals about using radio drama to promote biblical studies and Christian communication in Africa and abroad.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA49-2005-3-1556

AbstractIn recent times, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of wealth and poverty. The article describes the Lukan theology of wealth and poverty in the Gospel of Luke and Acts in terms of Brewer's analysis and indicates its implications for today's Church and the individual Christian. In terms of Brewer's analysis, the Gospel of Luke focuses largely on the condition of the poor, the way that God views poverty, the attitudes, actions and teachings of Jesus relating to the poor, and his warnings regarding their abuse and neglect. Brewer's analysis of the Book of Acts reveals that Luke seeks to exemplify the theological principles found in his gospel in the circumstances and responses of the Early Church. When one applies the Lukan theological concepts to the present day, it can be concluded that the church has a particular obligation to acknowledge and address the problem of poverty effectively.

AbstractThe study of the wider context of the rhetorical structure (as distinct from discrete rhetorical features) is proposed to apply to two areas: (1) the story and discourse, or signified and signifier, which concerns all matters in, and of, the text; and (2) the materiality of reading which concerns all matters presumably outside the text The polarity between text and textuality is explored at length in the five most important relations in which rhetorical features figure importantly.