A homiletic reflection on the theological aesthetics involved in picturing God in a fragmented South African society

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title A homiletic reflection on the theological aesthetics involved in picturing God in a fragmented South African society
 
Creator de Klerk, Ben J. de Wet, Friedrich W. Letšosa, Rantoa S.
 
Subject Practical Theology Picturing God; theological aesthetics; homiletic language acts; fragmentation; South African society
Description This article investigates the problematic field of authentic speech in a fragile South African society where the imminence of shattering fragmentation is often addressed either by aggravating hate- speech or pacifying speech that seems to lack the will to come to terms with the full implications of the issues at hand. We attempt to reflect on the possibility of authentic speech in this context by picturing God and his purposeful presence in our fragmented world; speech that reflects and acts out the implications of what is observed in the revealing light of God`s living Word. In addressing the research problem the following aspects are researched: (1) we briefly reflect on the theological aesthetics involved in picturing God through the eyes and acts of faith, (2) explore the painful manifestation of fragmentation in the South African society (with poverty and HIV and AIDS as examples), and (3) attempt to homiletically speak the language of faith by picturing God in our fragmented world through the lens of the parable of the Good Samaritan. We come to the conclusion that authentic homiletic speech can only flow from a heart in which the hardened crust of perpetual attempts at self-righteousness and conservation of the own comfort-zone are shattered by the words and deeds of our Lord. It is through the words and deeds of our Lord that the preacher is enlightened to bear authentic witness to how God fuses a shattered reality and a shattered heart into a prismatic, multifaceted witness to the glory of his all-conquering healing power.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2011-10-14
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Literary analysis
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v67i2.1018
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 67, No 2 (2011); 8 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1018/1927 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1018/1933 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1018/1929 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1018/1867
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2011 Ben J. de Klerk, Friedrich W. de Wet, Rantoa S. Letšosa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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