Mark 13 is often interpreted through an eschatological expectation or historical crisis, yet its role in shaping the moral character remains underexplored. This article argues that Mark 13 functions as an ethical formation through virtue, cultivating dispositions necessary for communal survival amid violence, and instability. Contribution: Drawing on virtue ethics and habitus, this paper argues that Markan apocalyptic discourse forms enduring virtues of watchfulness, endurance, and discernment. Apocalyptic imagery cultivates resilient, non-violent communities that can faithfully confront ongoing violence, repositioning apocalypticism as a resource for moral formation rather than prediction or prescription.
This Table of Contents reflects the print compilation of peer-reviewed articles published in the journal. Each article listed was originally published online under the journal’s open access model and remains individually accessible and citable. This compilation has been created solely for print distribution, reference, and archival purposes. No new research content is introduced. The publisher affirms that all articles included in this compilation have undergone the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review processes.
Pentecostals seldom attend to economic ethics, functioning instead within their country’s prevailing economic system. The article aims to suggest guidelines for an economic ethic that conforms to the Pentecostal ethos by addressing Western exploitative neoliberal capitalist economics, which thrives on consumerism and results in socio-economic inequalities. Through comparative literature research and grammatical-historical exegesis, it becomes clear that such an economic ethic should be characterised by sharing rather than exclusive consumption, as illustrated by the narrative of 1 Kings 17:8–16, which recounts in Elijah’s stay during a famine with a poor widow and her son, where they shared their sustenance. Neoliberal capitalist economics is based on resource patterns of consumption and the commodification of persons. The article concludes that, in response, responsible Pentecostals should emphasise care and compassion for the marginalised, focusing on the communal, thereby contributing to greater socio-economic equality. These insights contribute to current research by offering direction towards a Pentecostal economic ethics more representative of its unique ethos. Contribution: The article contributes a constructive theological and ethical reorientation of Pentecostal economic thought. Firstly, it provides a historically grounded analysis of the gradual shift from early Pentecostal economic ethics to institutional, middle-class, and prosperity-oriented expressions. Secondly, it offers a theological reading of economic ethics through the lens of 1 Kings 17, highlighting values such as the inclusion of the marginalised in contrast to exclusionary and exploitative neo-capitalist systems. Thirdly, it advances Pentecostal social ethics by challenging prosperity theology and neoliberal assumptions while proposing a Spirit-led ethic rooted in justice, hospitality, sacrificial sharing, and stewardship. Finally, it contributes practically by calling for renewed Pentecostal public witness in addressing poverty and inequality, thereby positioning Pentecostalism as a potential countercultural moral voice within contemporary global economic systems.
Student counselling services (SCSs) for consistency are integral to South African universities. Nevertheless, the comprehensive needs of students, including spiritual assistance, which are frequently neglected, indicate a deficiency in pastoral care within a theological anthropology that considers the entirety of the individual. Pastoral counselling, rooted in spiritual care traditions, offers a useful but underutilised support system to solve this theological deficiency. This study, rooted in practical theology, seeks to present a theological rationale for the inclusion of pastoral counselling within student services. It advocates for a comprehensive treatment that honours students’ spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being via the lens of African Theology and theological anthropology. This research utilised a qualitative methodology, specifically employing Osmer’s practical theological framework to direct thematic analysis. The methodological framework utilised was a practical theological methodology, incorporating thematic analysis of academic literature related to pastoral counselling in higher education. The research performed a thematic literature evaluation based on practical theology, utilising existing material to identify themes pertinent to pastoral counselling. The findings indicate that incorporating pastoral therapy promotes comprehensive student welfare by addressing spiritual, emotional, and psychological issues. It emphasises how African Theology, Ubuntu ethics, and cura animarum principles can transform counselling practices through contextual awareness and theological profundity. The use of pastoral counselling can enhance comprehensive assistance for students by addressing current service deficiencies. Universities ought to adopt a comprehensive strategy to improve their SCSs. Contribution: This study offers guidance to universities to incorporate pastoral counselling into student support programmes, connecting practical theology with the human sciences. It illustrates how theological engagement can promote comprehensive student development and shape an institutional support environment. This facilitates an ongoing study of pastoral counselling in diverse higher education environments, encouraging additional exploration of its impact on student wellbeing.
This article explores the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit between AD325 and AD381 through a hermeneutical lens. After presenting an in-depth reading of Jauss’s Toward an Aesthetic of Reception, the study examines Basil’s On the Holy Spirit (c. 374) as a crucial instance of reception at work, before concluding by interpreting the Constantinopolitan Creed as a moment of creedalised reception – a crystallisation of what the Spirit had already enacted in the community’s life. Contribution: This article demonstrates that doctrinal development is not merely the revision of ideas, but the unfolding of a response to the living God: a pneumatological history of reception in which doctrine remains a living and life-giving witness to the Spirit who continues to lead into truth.
This article explores the rhetoric of natality in the Nicene Creed by drawing on the American Reformed theologian David Kelsey’s theology of birth and the Canadian feminist theologian Grace Jantzen’s theology of natality. It is argued that a retrieval of the incarnation – as a central element in the creed’s soteriological rhetoric – may shape not only our reception of the Nicene Creed in South Africa today, but also our articulation of what it means to be human and what it means to flourish as natals within a context marked by the abuse, exploitation, and death of women and children. As natals – those who are bodies and who have bodies – we live and flourish by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: God ‘incarnate’ and ‘made human’. We live and flourish not only by another’s death, but also by another’s birth. Contribution: Our response to the questions and dilemmas of our time may require that we read the creed beyond the creed, offering a deeper and more imaginative engagement with its symbolic of natality, and ultimately with its potential to shape a theological imaginary of human flourishing.
The Nicene Creed, formulated during the Councils of Nicaea (AD 325) and Constantinople (AD 381), offers a foundational statement of Christian faith, expressing key theological tenets about God, Christ, and the church. Among its most distinctive affirmations is the declaration of the ‘one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church’. These four marks – unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity – are regarded as essential characteristics of the true church in Christian theology. Unity reflects the church’s oneness in faith and communion; holiness its divine foundation and sanctifying mission; catholicity its universality and inclusiveness; and apostolicity its continuity with the teachings of the apostles. Contribution: In the context of ecumenism, these marks play a crucial role in fostering dialogue and reconciliation among divided Christian denominations. Ecumenism seeks the restoration of Christian unity, often grounded in the shared acknowledgement of these core attributes. While differences in doctrine, worship, and governance exist, the marks provide a common theological framework for discussion between Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. By focusing on these shared principles, the Nicene Creed serves as a potential foundation for healing divisions and fostering greater unity among Christian communities globally, encouraging mutual understanding and cooperation in the pursuit of Christ’s mission.
From a classic Reformed theological perspective, two questions arise when reflecting on the metaphor ‘light from light’ in the homoousios formulas of the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitanum of AD 381, especially within the domain of theological ethics. Firstly, what was the main classic interpretation of this metaphor; and secondly, is the metaphor still appropriate today considering the modern trend of ‘low’ Christologies as the key approach to Christian ethics? In these modern ‘low Christologies’, the divinity of Jesus and its relevance for theological ethics are questioned from the perspective of the ethics of immanent liberation rooted in the historical Jesus. In this article, the author reflects on these two questions. The central theoretical argument is that the classical understanding of the metaphor can enrich modern theological social ethics and broaden the concept of liberation into an all-encompassing vision of true humanity. To this end, the Greek and Latin texts of the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitanum are first presented with a modern English translation, followed by a brief explanation of the historical context of the Council of Nicaea. Contribution: The subsequent sections examine, with the Gnostic and Neo-Platonist roots of the metaphor, the biblical perspectives on Christ as the light of the world, and the relation between ‘low Christology’ and liberation ethics. In conclusion, the author ventures to indicate a way toward true humanity and moral agency flowing from the classic interpretation of the metaphor of the Son as ‘light from light’.
The canons of the Council of Nicaea mention baptism three times: solid education into baptism is required, baptism by heretics is refuted, and baptism by schismatics is accepted. This article deals with the background of these decisions in the theology of that time, with special attention to the differences between Rome and the rest of Christianity. The Western tradition culminated in Augustine’s theology on baptism, which dates from the Roman practice of the third century up to the Council of Nicaea.
This article advances the notion that African epistemologies can be applied in the process of decolonising theology. The Setswana cultural entity known as kgotla is examined in juxtaposition with communion ecclesiology. The objective is to demonstrate how kgotla and communion ecclesiology promote and enhance democracy. Drawing on a literature review, both entities are defined, with attention to their roles, procedures, and underlying democratic processes. Kgotla is explored as an institution and as a space of interaction, information, impartation, and inspiration. These five defining features are also applied to communion ecclesiology, leading to a comparative evaluation of kgotla and communion ecclesiology to demonstrate how the two interplay democracy. Democracy is traced within both kgotla and communion ecclesiology, highlighting how each reflects the principles of transparency, dialogue, participation, and communality. Shared values and virtues emerge as common features of both entities. The article concludes that kgotla, as a cultural construct, and communion ecclesiology, as a theological framework, function together in fostering patriotism, solidarity, and communality. Contribution: This article contributes to the application of African epistemologies as powerful resources for the decolonisation of theology. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach, engaging cultural anthropology, history, ecclesiology, and ethics.
One of the sayings frequently used in many African homesteads, particularly among the Tsonga, to illustrate disagreements or conflicts around burial rights, is Xidumbu Xita Hlupheka [the corpse will suffer]. It is typically used when families, particularly the deceased’s spouses, disagree about where, how, or by whom a loved one should be buried. In such situations, the cadaver often becomes the final ‘victim’ of these conflicts, which frequently involve paternal and maternal family members, polygamous relatives, and extended family members. Comrade Xigevenga’s Tsonga funeral song, Xidumbu Xita Hlupheka, which won a 2012 Music Award, poetically expresses this reality. From a theological perspective, the song reflects the African worldview in which ancestry and collective identity keep the dead connected to the living. Burial disputes are therefore not merely legal or cultural matters, but also theological ones, because they determine how the deceased will be remembered and reintegrated into the ancestral community. For Africans, the location of a grave holds profound spiritual and cultural significance. The phrase ‘suffering corpse’ symbolises an abnormality in this transition: a lack of closure that dishonours not only the deceased but also the cosmic order. On a pastoral counselling level, the song functions as a cathartic expression of collective mourning and as an appeal for reconciliation and healing. Contribution: Through a review of the literature, this study encourages pastoral caregivers to engage with families involved in these conflicts by promoting communication, providing spiritual support, and reaffirming the deceased’s dignity. In this context, counselling addresses not only individual care but also societal reconciliation and restoration.
The ordination of women to ecclesiastical office remains a contested issue within the Reformed Churches in South Africa (GKSA). The most recent decision of the GKSA General Synod in 2026 to bar women from ordination as ministers and elders seems to have reached a tipping point and threatens a possible schism if churches that are pro-women’s ordination fail to rescind their practice. Using a reformed missional hermeneutic in decoloniality, this article contends that the exclusion of women from office within this denomination is not merely a doctrinal matter but a hermeneutical problem shaped by literary reading of Pauline and related texts, entrenched patriarchal biases, and colonial and apartheid power matrices that prefer male headship. This article further argues that the GKSA decision misaligns with a missional imperative that calls for ongoing reformation grounded in the missional heart of the missionary God. Grounded in the missio Dei framework, this article proposes that a reformed missional lens in conversation with post-colonial womanist and Bosadi hermeneutics not only unmasks patriarchal hegemony in ecclesial praxis and distortions of Pauline texts but also resists synodical overreach in the Reformed church polity. Contribution: The recentring of God’s redemptive mission and drawing from Christ and Pauline missional praxes can help redefine the GKSA’s position on women in ecclesiastical office.
This article draws our attention to the paradox in understanding the mission of God [missio Dei] as God of both love and justice within the context of war against nations like the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Assyrians, and even the Israelites. The misreading of biblical texts like Genesis 9:25 leads to the varied pretexts or driving forces behind the genocide, land grabs, and related matters. This article attempts to answer the following question: What is the motive behind the curse of Canaan in Genesis 9:25? To uncover the message behind Genesis 9:25, this article discusses the three aspects from missional perspectives: firstly, the formation: understanding the basic concepts of nakedness, holiness, and curse before the fall of human beings into sin; secondly, the deformation: understanding the critical reception of the curse of Canaan within the fall of human beings into sin; and thirdly, the transformation: understanding the ultimate missio Dei-led curse of Canaan as a paradox of God’s nature as the God of love and justice. Contribution: This article adds value by uncovering the missio Dei behind Genesis 9:25, which serves as the basis for critical reflection on, and the reception of, missional guidelines. These guidelines should be received, appreciated, and applied by God’s people, both within and beyond the faith community. The aim is to prevent further misreadings of biblical texts, which continue to serve as pretexts or driving forces behind holy wars, genocide, land dispossession, and related matters.
This article proposes a reconsideration of the contemporary conceptualisation of gender and gender roles prevalent within the church. It argues that a biblical-theological framework, namely the realisation of God’s eternal creation purposes in Christ, provides the proper hermeneutical and conceptual framework for a biblical understanding of gender and the roles of men and women. This thesis is demonstrated in two ways: (1) the hermeneutical framework operative within Scripture is examined to formulate a properly biblical hermeneutic regarding gender questions; and (2) by relating a biblical conceptual framework regarding these matters. Contribution: The article argues that a biblical-theological framework provides the contemporary church with biblically based hermeneutical and conceptual tools for faithfully discerning and applying biblical teaching concerning gender matters.
The motif of weariness is prominent and recurring in the canonical book of Isaiah, appearing 18 times, a concentration unmatched by any other Old Testament book. This article examines the motif’s unusual frequency and explores how it contributes to Isaiah’s theological and literary unity. Using a literary-theological reading of the Masoretic Text, the study traces the theme across seven narrative acts. It argues that weariness in Isaiah functions on two levels: firstly, as a moral critique of empty worship and covenant unfaithfulness; and secondly, as a literary contrast to Yahweh’s paradoxical weariness. Human, national, and idolatrous exhaustion reveal the futility of self-reliance, while Yahweh’s weariness leads to judgement yet ultimately opens the way to restoration and renewed strength for those who trust him. The study concludes that the motif of weariness ties together judgement, exile, and hope throughout the book, underscoring human dependence on God’s sustaining power and serving as a unifying theological thread in Isaiah. Contribution: This article contributes to Isaiah studies by presenting an original, integrated analysis of the motif of weariness, demonstrating its significance for understanding the book’s theological unity. Although previous scholarship has explored themes such as judgement, restoration, and the Servant of Yahweh, the recurring motif of weariness has received little sustained attention. By tracing its development across all seven narrative ‘acts’ of Isaiah, the study offers a fresh theological reading of both divine and human weariness and employs an integrated methodological approach. In doing so, the article deepens the understanding of Isaiah’s canonical coherence and strengthens the ongoing scholarly discussions about the book’s unity, theology, and literary design.
As minister of religion in the Dutch Reformed Church of Harrismith, J.D. Kestell joined men of his congregation on commando during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). From the outset, his aim was to serve the Boer forces as a chaplain in a non-military capacity. Throughout the war, he neither carried a weapon nor accepted a military rank. His purpose was mainly to strengthen the faith of the burghers in the triune God and to motivate them to defend the independence of the Republic of the Orange Free State, which Kestell regarded as a gift of God in his providence. This article focuses on Kestell's non-military role in the Anglo-Boer War as a Reformed minister caring for the spiritual well-being of his own burghers and church members on commando, as well as-if the situation required-English troops in need. Chaplain Kestell's work centred on preaching the Word of God whenever possible, organising religious activities, and caring for the wounded. In this ministry, Kestell revealed a remarkable capacity to be a pastor and shepherd to men-on both sides-at war. As a minister of the Word, he was sensitive to the needs of individual soldiers (English), burghers (Boers), groups of men, and to the spiritual trends emerging in military gatherings concerning the war. Contribution: Kestell demonstrated deep sensitivity towards military leaders, especially among the Boers. He had a strong relationship with President M.T. Steyn and the commander of the Free State forces, General C.R. de Wet. The three men shared a common understanding of the Christian calling - whether as minister, military leader, or statesman. At the request of his government, Kestell recorded the minutes of the peace negotiations held from 15 to 31 May 1902, again showing his particular sensitivity to people and their inner thoughts. Kestell was a compassionate and caring pastor, earning the nickname 'Father' because of his loving concern for others. This nickname aptly captured his pastoral approach to people during the Anglo-Boer War.
This article investigates the unique and purposeful characterisation of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as pi alpha rho omicron upsilon sigma alpha tau omicron upsilon omicron tau omicron nu theta rho pi omicron upsilon [the parousia of the Son of Man] as found exclusively in Matthew 24. This phrase, appearing only three times in the New Testament, all within the same chapter, is exegetically and theologically loaded. Using a grammatical-historical and revelation-historical methodology, this study explores the telos [purpose] of this specific revelation within its eschatological context. The study begins with an exegetical analysis of the phrases upsilon & varsigma; tau omicron nu theta rho pi omicron upsilon [Son of Man] and pi alpha rho omicron upsilon sigma alpha [parousia or coming]. The Son of Man, rooted in Daniel 7, is portrayed as a divine, ruling figure, not merely human. The title emphasises Christ's divinity, kingship, mediatorship, and eternal reign. The term pi alpha rho omicron upsilon sigma alpha, used technically in early Christianity to describe Christ's eschatological return, signifies his visible, bodily, and glorious presence at the end of time as Judge and King. By combining these two theological concepts into one phrase, Matthew 24 creates what is rhetorically a pleonasm, yet theologically an intensification: a deliberate emphasis on the identity and majesty of Christ in his return. The context of Matthew 24 clarifies the goal of this revelation: to warn the disciples against deception, encourage their perseverance, and comfort them with the certainty of Christ's return and deliverance. Contribution: The primary contribution of this study lies in identifying and analysing a theologically dense phrase that has been largely overlooked in scholarly literature. By formulating a comprehensive semantic definition of pi alpha rho omicron upsilon sigma alpha and connecting it to the title the Son of Man, the article offers a new lens for interpreting Matthew 24. This phrase functions not merely as a descriptive term for Christ's return but as a concentrated theological proclamation of who he is, how he will return, and what the glorious outcome of that return will be. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that this phrase serves multiple revelatory purposes [teloi]: polemical (against deception), pastoral (encouraging the faithful), ethical (calling for readiness and stewardship), and evangelistic (a call to repentance). The church is thus called to hopeful endurance in the face of suffering, armed with the assurance that the Son of Man will come visibly, gloriously, and triumphantly.
A recent study has demonstrated that the author of 1 Peter refers to Exodus 19:3-8 through the prepositional phrase kappa alpha tau pi rho gamma nu omega sigma iota nu theta epsilon omicron pi alpha tau rho & varsigma; in 1:2. With this phrase, Peter introduces a theme that he further develops in the letter, namely God's plan of salvation. This article examines the function of the phrase kappa alpha tau pi rho gamma nu omega sigma iota nu theta epsilon omicron pi alpha tau rho & varsigma; as a reference to Exodus 19:3-8 within the argument of 1 Peter. The phrase's role within 1 Peter is examined exegetically, employing the grammatical-historical method as practiced in the Reformed tradition. Attention is firstly given to the circumstances of the readers and the distinctive position of the introduction within the letter. God's plan of salvation as presented in 1 Peter 1:1-2, 10-12, 20, and 2:4-10 is then investigated, followed by an analysis of the divine plan as it appears in Exodus 19:3-8. It becomes evident that Peter brings to the fore various components of God's plan of salvation indicated in Exodus 19:3-8. Both Israel and the readers are portrayed as God's elect and included in his divine salvation plan; for both Israel and the readers, God's decisive victory is emphasised; God's mercy is shown to be the reason for Israel and the readers inclusion in his plan; God's faithful preservation is emphasised for both; and the relationship between God and his elect, whether Israel or the readers, is depicted as a covenant relationship marked by his nearness. According to God's plan of salvation, both Israel and Peter's readers receive glorious assurances from God regarding their future. The remarkable parallels between the divine plan as revealed to Israel in Exodus 19:3-8 and as articulated in 1 Peter show that Peter regards the historical events at Sinai as prophetic in nature. The plan of salvation in Exodus 19:3-8 serves a type, fulfilled in the antitype that Peter outlines in his letter. Alongside the similarities between the plan in Exodus 19:3-8 and that in 1 Peter, there is also an escalation. In 1 Peter, Christ is placed at the centre of God's plan and the significance of what happens to God's elect is heightened. Contribution: This article has shown how Peter, through his use of Exodus 19:3-8, presents God's plan of salvation as an escalating redemptive event with Christ at its centre and believers identified as God's chosen ones. This identity offers profound comfort and steadfast hope for believers in a world of suffering - a message that remains relevant today.
This article examines the Gospel of Matthew in a broad sense through its specific descriptions of people, places, and ideas. Such descriptions take various forms, including nicknames, endearments, monikers, appositives, slang terms, epithets, and insults, and they appear across both Testaments. Like verbs in their succinctness and brevity, specific descriptions sharpen a text’s prose and direct its interpretation. From ‘You are the light of the world’ (Mt 5:14), to ‘you hypocrites!’ (Mt 23:13), to ‘my betrayer’ (Mt 26:45), specific descriptions such as these praise, identify, and specify within the Gospel of Matthew. Employing a literary methodology, this article draws on canonical references in its exploration of specific descriptions as a subset of onomastics, the history and study of names. Metaphors, similes, and phrases introduced by a pronoun such as who assist in identifying specific descriptions. The Gospel writer deftly employs these devices to sharpen characterisation and stress major themes, for example the presentation of Jesus as the King of the Jews (Mt 27:37). This article approaches specific descriptions in a broad sense, encompassing character traits, insults, locations, and self-designations. It includes insights from sociolinguistics, which explores the relationship between society and language. Contribution: This article presents specific descriptions as a new lens not only for enjoying the Bible but also for discerning its subtle and terse nuances. It focuses on the Gospel of Matthew and integrates canonical principles, literary terminology, and selected insights from onomastics and sociolinguistics. It uses literary tools like tone, character, and diction. This article demonstrates that the literary categories of simile (a comparison often introduced by the words like or as) and metaphor (a figure of speech that implicitly compares two unrelated things) broadly apply to specific descriptions like endearments, locations, insults, and nicknames.
