Systematic Theology

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Browsing Systematic Theology by Author "Strauss, P. J."

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    Die debat rondom die Belhar-belydenis: 'n studie van argumente
    (University of the Free State, 2013-10) Cornellissen, Erich; Strauss, P. J.
    English: For the past 25 years the DRC has been battling with accepting the Belhar Confession as a forth confession. Although the General Synod had already admitted in 1990 that the contents of the BC was not in any way contrary to the Three Forms of Unity, it was unwilling to accept it as a forth confession. Pressure from within and from outside however forced the DRC in 2004 to reconsider its initial decision. In an effort to appease dissatisfied individuals and factions a more lenient stance was adopted whereby ministers, congregations and individual members would in future be allowed to decide for themselves whether they want to accept or reject the Belhar Confession. Because there was no total or final acceptance or rejection of the BC by the DRC, the two opposing inside the DRC continues there struggle for domination. Both parties feel they have strong cases, but who is in the right. This script is an effort to find the eluding answer by way of a critical dialogue between the two opposing parties. Seated around a table representatives of both parties argue their case for the acceptance or rejection of the BC as a forth confession. In order for the discussion not to be sidetracked an agenda stipulating key issues will be adhered to. The main objective of the dialogue will be to ascertain whether the BC is truly a confession, and even more so, whether it is a reformed confession. The upset caused by the BC in the DRC rages on. Hopefully opposing parties will soon be able to reach a compromise. As long as there is Apartheid in the Church there can be no peace.
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    Die rol van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Sonop Christelike Tehuis 1916-2016: 'n historiese oorsig vanuit kerklike perspektief
    (University of the Free State, 2017-06) Viljoen, Antonie Phillippus (Tonie); Strauss, P. J.
    English: The research of the history of Sonop Christian Residence, that commemorated its hundredth anniversary on 2 September 2016, can be approached from two angles: The first and most common approach would be to research the student life of the inhabitants over the past years in the most general sense of the word, and record it either chronologically or thematically. Matters that would come to light from this approach are as follows:  The number of inhabitants per year from 1917 to the centenary, with a subsection on how many in a group per year from first year to final year students.  Election, composition and functioning of the house committees over all the years, with further reference to the different portfolios, in order to manage the full extent of the residents’ comings and goings.  Traditional house meetings with not only the laughter and true student humour, but also the serious issues that are sometimes debated at length and philosophically.  The relationship of the house committees with members of the former Sonop Commissions of the church councils of the Dutch Reformed Church, Pretoria and Pretoria East congregations, the members of the former Sonop Council of Synod and nowadays the Sonop Company, as well as the former and current house fathers.  The role of the “nonnie” (kitchen matron) cannot be left out of any Sonop story. To the contrary, it could well be a study of its own!  The unique distribution of housing in specific regions, such as the North, East, West, Central, Far West, Senate, Blue Train, and first-year accommodation in the Parsonage and the “Stalle” (Stables), with specific reference to the origin of the names and the specific culture to be found in each region.  Characteristic to university residences, Sonop also has mascots. Apart from the fact that Sonop has its own mascot, Garribaldi (named after the well-known Italian General Garibaldi), it is also the caretaker and protector of Tuks’s mascot, Uncle Gert. These two mascots form an integral part of the history of Sonop.  Sonop’s achievements in the areas of academics, culture, sport and Rag. Although Sonop is relatively small in its number of inhabitants, it has lived out the determination and valour of General Garibaldi and – to the surprise of others – leaves its mark on the above-mentioned activities on a regular basis. The second approach – and this is the approach taken in this study within the field of Ecclesiology – is particularly not to focus on student life, but rather on the role of the Dutch Reformed Church at Sonop from 1916 to 2016. The proposal for a residence for male students at the former Transvaal University College was made during a Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church of Transvaal in 1916. The proposal was approved and referred to the Dutch Reformed Church congregation of Pretoria for execution. From the founding date of September 2, 1916, to the celebration of Sonop’s centenary celebrations in 2016, the role of the Dutch Reformed Church has been intertwined with Sonop like a golden thread throughout its history. From day one Congregations and Church Council Committees, as well as Synods and Synodal Commissions have established and expanded Sonop with unprecedented zeal by means of specifically nominated persons, whose names are recorded in the research paper. Difficult economic times, conflicting personalities and requests to transfer Sonop to the University of Pretoria could not stop the execution of the Divine command. The story of the role of the Dutch Reformed Church at Sonop from 1916 to 2016 is a story with the same message as Zechariah 4:10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth (King James Version). God’s way of doing often starts small, but the result is great. Of course, Sonop is undoubtedly proof thereof!
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    Skrif en kerkorde: enkele konstantes vanuit 'n veelkantige beeld
    (University of the Free State, 2003-09) Celliers, Albertus; Strauss, P. J.; Tolmie, D. F.
    English: The viewpoint for this dissertation is that God still speaks through His Word and Spirit to His church about the latter's fundamental nature and order. From this it can be concluded that the church is continuously being called to listen to the Word so that. under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. it can remain church in and for it's time, as God intended it to be. In the first section of the dissertation it is clear that the Word shows a unique, complex multifaceted image of the church. At times, it even shows contradictory views. and in many instances demonstrates a reflection of the demands of circumstances. It also reflects something about the dynamic way in which the Lord enables His church to be church in its particular circumstances. In the second section of the dissertation. the constants which appear the most in the corpusses. are taken collectively to form the outlines of the nature and order of the church. It goes without saying that these issues are restricted to what is important for the functioning of the church. It became clear that the church originates from God. in that His Spirit. within the framework of the covenant. ties individuals to Him in faith, on the grounds of the atonement work of Jesus Christ, thus including them in His church. These . individuals are tied together in Christ and cannot function without one another. The church is thus by nature a corporate unit. whether universally as the new Israel. or in its more visible state as a local congregation. Furthermore. because of its origin. the church exists as a seperate group of people in the world with the responsibility to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. and thus to be equipped to be God's witnesses in the world. As far as the organizational aspects are concerned. it is clear that the church is both in her universal and local state, an integrated entity. In this regard. it is important to realize that Jesus Christ himselfis the structure of the church. and see at the same time to it that it is being served in an orderly fashion. Within the scope of this structure. every member has a Godgiven clerical responsibility. At the same time. existing ministeries form. together with the Spirit. the skeleton that makes the congregation a dynamic. motivated body on the move. These specific ministeries are charismatic in origin. function non-hierarchial in . the congregation and have the responsibility to instruct the congregation in especially the teaching of the gospel. The reason for this is to enable, the congregation to adhere to its calling for obedience, love. and witness, and that the church's particular existence can be maintained. In all of this there is a definite openness for change depending on the demands of circumstances. In the third section specific implications for church order were highligted from the constants, which should be addressed in one way or another in all church order to avoid pragmatism and arbitrariness on the one hand. and to create space on the other hand for diversity of the demands oflocal circumstances. In the course of the dissertation, reference is made to both the traditional Reformed church order as it manifests itself in the Dutch Reformed Church. and some newer models which have come to the fore in the place of the traditional order. It became clear in the discussion that both sides show partiality. Although the demands of circumstances contributed to this. it is especially the new models that are standing on wavering Scriptual truths.
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    Teen die hele wereld vry: J.D. Vorster as 'n neo-calvinis in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk 1935-1980
    (University of the Free State, 2004-05) Langner, Daniël Johannes; Strauss, P. J.
    English: The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) was in the twentieth century a key player in South Africa. Not only on ecclesiastical grounds, but in the South African society the DRC has exercised great influence. During this time J.D. Vorster was as a neo-calvinist and Boere-nasionalist, a prominent church leader in the DRC. He was for 26 years a member of the moderamen of the Cape synod. From it he was 22 years Actuarius and 4 years Moderator. He served 16 years on the moderamen of the General assembly from the DRC. In 1962 and 1966 he was elected as Actuarius, in 1970 as moderator and in 1974 as deputy chairman of the General assembly. J.D. Vorster played a key role in the writing of a new church order for the DRC in 1962. The same church order is being used today. From today’s perspective, yesterday is in many ways a diffrent and unknown land. To understand the new paradigmshift in the DRC and South African society in full one must study the old paradigm. The ministry of J.D. Vorster as an angle of incidence give a new perspective on already known history. The hypothesis in this study is that J.D. Vorster has been playing an important role to establish a distinctive neo-calvinism as an extensive school of thought in the DRC and Afrikaner community. The interaction of calvinism, neo-calvinism an Afrikanernationalism with the threatening of black nationalism and Britsh imperialism for the Afrikaner identity, language, economical well being, safety and freedom has lead to a distictive neo-calvinism in the DRC, which can be characterise as Boere-calvinism. J.D. Vorster called it Boere-nationalism, distictive calvinsm, South African calvinism. According to J.D. Vorster the biggest characteristic of Boere-calvinism is that God has planted the Boer nation as Christians in South Africa with an own unique identity. On the surface calvinism, neo-calvinism and Boere-calvinism are the same. The big diffrence between neo-calvism an Boere-calvinism is the role of Afrikanernationalism in the futher development of the kuyperian antithesis between right and wrong, Christian and non-Christian in the society. As exponents of the the kuyperian neo-calvinism, the members of the Afrikaans reformed churches intpreted Kuyper’s antithesis on such a way that all the (good) Afrikaners stood on the same side of the antithesis. Church leaders as J.S. Gericke, A.P Treurnicht, J.D. Vorster and F.J.M. Potgieter have take the lead after the Cottesloe-churchcouncil to defend and justify apartheid in an abstract dogmatical language as a Biblical principle. The defenders of apartheid were blind for the social injustice and immorality of the system. In time apartheid has embraced the whole Afrikaner community with social, geographical and also religious apartheid. Warning voices were ignored and discredited as liberal and disloyal Afrikaners. The consequence was that the Boere-calvinism developed in time in an ideological school of thought.