Browsing by Author "Wanamaker, CA"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Factors influencing the International Church of Christ's decision not to require formal theological training for its Ministers from 1979-2002
    (2014) Lappeman, James R; Wanamaker, CA
    This thesis seeks to investigate why the International Church of Christ (ICoC) schism adopted a very different ministerial training approach to the one long supported by its parent church, the mainline Church of Christ (CoC). I explore how the ICoC (Formerly called the 'Boston Movement') became an independent Christian movement and identify specific reasons for the ICoC's departure from the CoC's expectation that church ministers receive an academic qualification in theology. The conclusions for this research were drawn from four sources. First, I analysed the socio-historical influences on the ICoC's philosophy of training ministers. Second, I drew from Max Weber's theory of ?charisma and routinization? to provide a theoretical understanding of how the ICoC's philosophy of education was partially an issue of authority. Third, I examined the literature directly relevant to the ICoC's training choices. Finally, I conducted a series of interviews with prominent members of the ICoC who gave their personal retelling of the early Boston Movement and why, from their perspective, the Movement adopted its methods of training. I argue that although a simple rationale was given at the time, at least eight sociohistorical factors influenced the ICoC's pendulum swing towards an almost exclusively practical approach to ministerial formation. These influences were interlinked with a high degree of corroboration between them. The influences were: - The Boston Movement's schismatic conflict with the CoC. - Kip McKean's personal experience of formal theological training. - The CoC colleges' perceived loss of training credibility. - Kip McKean's authority within the Boston Movement - The Boston Movement's narrow definition of a 'trained church minister'. - The Boston Movement's model of church replication and multiplication. - The Boston Movement's allocation of resources towards missions. - A foundation of ministers who already had a formal theological education. The thesis closes with a reflection on the findings and the ICoC's transition into its second generation of leadership.
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    Jesus' resurrection : a history of its interpretation from Reimarus to the present
    (2006) Aggett, Michael; Wanamaker, CA; Shain, Milton
    Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-112).
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    Narrative strategies in the gospel according to Luke : a Bakhtinian exploration
    (2004) Fischer, Bettina Irene; Whitaker, Richard; Wanamaker, CA
    Using the theory of the twentieth century Russian literary scholar and linguist, Mikhail Bakhtin, this thesis has set out to explore narrative strategy in the Gospel of Luke, the aim being to consider how this would affect a generic reading, and what implications this would have in assessing the discourse of this text. Bakhtin classifies early Christian writings as part of the Menippea, a collective name for a body of parodying-travestying literature ofthe Graeco-Roman period. In contrast to the classical genres of the mainstream, epic, love-poetry and tragedy, Bakhtin rates Menippean texts as being essentially dialogic, engaged in exploring ideas of life and death from the perspective of a carnivalistic view ofthe world. He uses the genre of the Greek Romance, seen by him as a forerunner of the European novel, to demonstrate some of his theory. Having selected the Romance, Chaereas and Callirhoe, by Chariton, as a comparative text to the Gospel of Luke, both texts are explored in terms of the Bakhtinian concepts of chronotope, carnival, and intertextuality.
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    The New Apostolic Reformation : an analysis and critique
    (2005) Ross, Christopher; Wanamaker, CA
    Writing in 1999 the eminent Fuller Theological Seminary missiologist, Peter Wagner, claimed that the shape of Protestant Christianity was being changed by the emergence of a new movement that he called the New Apostolic Reformation (hereafter referred to as the NAR). The NAR is a movement that has developed among traditional Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in an attempt to break free from the pressure of denominational structures and influences. One of the key premises of the NAR Movement is that the church must return to the early church's pattern of a five fold ministry as presented in Ephesians 4: 11 because we are living at the end of the current age. The movement calls for the renewal of apostles and prophets to go with the evangelists, pastors and teachers who already exist in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. In view of the NAR advocates, this ideal of returning to patterns of New Testament Christianity can only be accomplished by the restoration of the offices of the prophets and the apostles. Proponents of the movement claim that the other three offices, namely, those of the pastor, teacher and evangelist have already been recognised by the church. In the last several years the NAR Movement has emerged in South Africa and has begun recruiting members from traditional Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. Little has been written about this movement in South Africa or its connection to a world widespread of the NAR Movement.
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    Outrageous women: a comparison of five passages within the canonical passion and empty tomb narratives emphasizing the role of women
    (2004) Taylor, Birgit; Wanamaker, CA
    This dissertation seeks to further develop the existing appreciation of the role of women around Jesus, by analysing selected texts within the canonical passion and empty tomb narratives. One of the issues that will be explored concerns the historicity and significance of the canonical empty tomb tradition, in which women are portrayed as the primary witnesses to the empty tomb and the resurrection. By tracing the history and the development of five selected texts within the canonical passion and empty tomb narratives, this dissertation will explore the role and function of women around Jesus. In addition, I will endeavour to motivate the inclusion and portrayal of women in these canonical texts based on a comparison of the treatment of these women by the canonical gospel writers. In order to re-evaluate the significance of the illustrated behaviour of women in the canonical passion and empty tomb narratives, five texts will be examined, beginning with the tradition of the woman anointing Jesus. The actions described in these texts will be situated within the socio-cultural context of first-century Palestine and compared to the funerary customs prevalent in Ancient Judaism. Furthermore the historicity and transmission history of these texts will be examined by applying both redaction criticism and tradition history to the texts. This dissertation will demonstrate that the tradition of the woman anointing Jesus and the tradition at the empty tomb depict behaviour, which is contrary to the culturally expected conduct of women regarding funerary customs within Ancient Judaism. However. the texts containing women's activities before. during and immediately after the passion narratives illustrate conduct. that corresponds to the customary mourning practices. Redactional analyses of the texts further indicate the awkwardness of portraying women as credible witnesses within the androcentric character of the patriarchal culture in first-century Palestine. This dissertation argues that. in terms of the criterion of cultural dissimilarity. the anointing tradition and the empty tomb tradition are most likely based on early forms of the traditions emerging during the oral period. This suggests strongly that women were the first witnesses to the empty tomb.
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    Paul's Rhetorical use of Complex Metaphors in 1 Corinthians 3-4
    (2007) Komaravalli, Suraj Kumar; Wanamaker, CA
    After Paul had established the Corinthian church, in his absence he expected that the Corinthian congregation would enrich themselves spiritually. However, he received information that dissension and factions had erupted in the church (1:11). These factions questioned and opposed Paul's authority in the Corinthian church as the socially prominent Corinthian Christians followed and supported various other leaders whom they attributed with a greater degree of sophistic wisdom than Paul. Paul is thus faced with the challenge to address the problems of authority and factionalism in the Corinthian church. Paul addresses these issues succinctly by the use of complex metaphors. The purpose of this thesis consists of examining and discussing the manner in which Paul addresses the problems of authority and factionalism in 1 Corinthians 3-4 by the use of complex metaphors. Three major points of the thesis reflect the method of study: 1. The use of blending theory to interpret Paul's use of complex household and building metaphors as seen through the following submetaphors: i. Mother-infants relationship in antiquity (1 Cor. 3:1-4). ii. Master-servants; Planter-field; and one who waters-field relationships in antiquity (1 Cor. 3:5-9b). iii. Master builder-builders; temple-community relationship in antiquity (1 Cor. 3:9c-17). iv. Master-servants and stewards relationship in antiquity (1 Cor. 4:1-13). v. Father-children relationship in antiquity (1 Cor. 4:14-21). 2. The use of socio-rhetorical criticism to understand the social and cultural textures of the submetaphors so as to identify the features of the source domains and to 9 apply the blending theory to blend features of source domains onto target domains for interpretation of complex metaphors. 3. The use of Thompson's modes of operation of ideology to see how Paul ideologically re-establishes and sustains his dominance in the Corinthian church.
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    The 'poor and the rich' in Luke-Acts : a socio-cultural and ideological analysis of Luke's social vision for the new Christian community
    (1998) Nomdo, Gideon John; Wanamaker, CA
    This study examines the biblical texts of Luke-Acts in an attempt to reconstruct the general first century eastern Mediterranean context in which Luke wrote. Specific features of urban Greco-Roman society will be analysed. These include the social, cultural, political, economic and religious dimensions, all of which will be used to construct a particular understanding of Luke’s attitude to the issues of wealth and poverty in his own setting. I argue that the specific features of urban Greco-Roman society gave rise to a particular type of Lucan ideology which aimed to secure and legitimate the role and place of the poor in the Christian community. Within this process I will trace the traditional understanding of wealth and possessions within the Greco- Roman world and link it to the manner in which Luke wished it to be used within the Christian community. I specifically make use of techniques and models developed by the social sciences in the construction of my argument. The purity and honour codes, as well as the model of patronage, form a significant part of my analysis. Finally, I use my construction of Luke’s understanding of wealth and poverty and its religious significance, and extract from this, via the process of hermeneutics, a message which is relevant for Christians in South Africa today. I argue that Christians in South Africa need to become involved in the process of reconstruction and development by adopting a 'critical solidarity' stance towards society. Christians are reminded of what true Christian fellowship entails and that spirituality is embedded in a 'concrete' reality. The role which Christians can play in the 'healing' process of our country, especially in their adoption of appropriate biblical attitudes to the use of wealth in their homes, churches and communities, is a prime concern.
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    Reading Ruth : towards a postmodernist, literary and womanist analysis
    (2000) Nadar, Sarojini; Wanamaker, CA
    This dissertation examines the book of Ruth from a postmodemist, literary and womanist perspective. The main methodology is postmodemist literary criticism, but it employs intertextual and autobiographical approaches as well. Chapter 1 is an exploration of the plot of Ruth and reveals that in order for the end goal of the plot to be achieved "emptiness has to return to fullness." It is shown that Ruth's action (her decision to return with Naomi) is the catalyst that begins the process that ultimately leads to the denouement of the plot. The fact that it is the two women, Ruth and Naomi, who drive the plot forward, indicates that the Book of Ruth is a woman's story. Chapter 2 demonstrates that the significance of narrative time for any literary analysis lies in the fact that the amount of time allowed for the retelling of the events rarely corresponds to the time it took for the events to happen. Since Ruth is a short story, the choice of what to tell, what to omit as well as how long to dwell on details are indeed significant. In other words it is shown that literary time is only spent on those aspects which are crucial for the advancement of the narrative. Since the reader's main goal is to see how the conflicts are resolved, the literary time spent on the resolution of the conflicts is an indication of where the weight of the story needs to lie. In this case, it is certainly with Ruth and Naomi judging from the amount of time spent on dialogues between the two women. They are therefore the ones that contribute to the resolution of the conflicts of the plot. Chapter 3 reveals that in the book of Ruth the narrative voice or the perspective of attitudes, conceptions and worldview are those of a woman. The fact that the book of Ruth is named after a woman; the fact that at the very outset all the males in the story die and it is the women that take over the narrative; the fact that in the end the women of Bethlehem declare that Ruth is better to Naomi than seven sons are just some of the reasons that substantiate the argument that the narrative voice in the book of Ruth was that of a woman. It is also shown that this narrative voice (whether overt or covert) subverts gender and ethnic expectations. Chapter 4 outlines the way in which biblical characters are portrayed. The subsections of chapter 4 deal with the characterisation of each major character: Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth. Chapter 4 is the longest chapter since it is difficult to evaluate characterisation without engaging the other facets of literary criticism as well, such as plot and dialogue.