Recent Submissions

  • Pavel Aleksadrovič Florenskij's method of discerning spiritual truth 

    Camilleri, C. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article explores Pavel Florenskij’s dialectical method as the preferred way to discern spiritual truth. It presents the Russian polymath’s method within his socio-political and ecclesiastical contexts and two of his ...
  • Communal discernment in the early church 

    De Villiers, Pieter G. R. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article investigates the often-neglected communal dimension of discernment by focusing on the way in which the early church responded to the controversy about the circumcision for gentiles in Acts 15. It analyses how ...
  • Discernment: the message of the Bhavad-Gita 

    Perumpallikunnel, K. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    The Bhagavad-Gita is an intelligent response to a perennial human predicament which other religions and philosophies also tried to resolve in their own way. Human beings often stood perplexed and mystified as they confronted ...
  • Discerning the mystical wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and John of the Cross 

    Kourie, C. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    The 21st century is characterised by a global spirituality. Presently, and more than ever, access to the great religious traditions has enabled many to tap into the wisdom of other cultures. While the respective epistemological ...
  • Catherine of Siena's wisdom on discernment and het reception of scripture 

    Villegas, Diana L. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    Catherine of Siena’s wisdom on discernment represents a significant development in the history of this essential Christian theme. Her teaching is the fruit of personal wisdom rather than formal study as she was an uneducated ...
  • Discernment in origen of Alexandria 

    Decock, P. B. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    Origen was the first Christian writer to reflect more systematically on the theme of discernment; his views have greatly influenced later spiritual writers. This article aims at situating Origen’s understanding of discernment ...
  • Discerment in 1 Thessalonians 

    Sciberras, P. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article analyses Paul’s use of δοκιμάζειν in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 within the context of verbs for discernment (δοκιμάζειν, πειράζειν, διακρίνειν and their cognates). It discusses Paul’s use of these verbs against the ...
  • Discernment as “not knowing” and “knowing”: a perspective from Matthew 25:31-46 

    van Zyl, H. C. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    The article deals with Christian discernment as taking place at the juncture of God’s Spirit and the human mind at work. To illustrate this, the concept of “not knowing” in Matthew’s Parable of the Sheep and the Goats ...
  • A hermeneutic of justice. Justice as discernment in Matthew 

    Welzen, Huub (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    In some important dictionaries for the study of the New Testament, δικαιοσύνη has two meanings: justice in the sense of distributive justice and righteousness as a relational notion. In Matthew, we discover that the word ...
  • לֵב שׁמֵֹע ( 1 Kgs 3:9): recieving and forming towards a listing heart 

    Cachia, N. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This reflection article studies the request made by King Solomon to God for “a listening heart” (1 Kgs 3:9) at the beginning of his reign. It shows that this request entails a deliberate and conscious openness of the whole ...
  • Discernment - the compass on the high sea of spirituality 

    Waaijman, Kees (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article analyses and evaluates the need and nature of discernment in contemporary spirituality. It first describes the complexity of spirituality as a phenomenon that has, on a cultural, anthropological and mystical ...
  • Discernment in 1 Kings 19:1-18: biblical spirituality in works of art 

    Bos, Anne-Marie (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article examines the story of 1 Kings 19:1-18 as a story of discernment. It is a story about a divine-human relational process of Elijah and his God, but also a story that draws the reader into a divine-human relational ...
  • God's Holy Spirit: a back-story from the Joseph narrative (Genesis 37-50) 

    Green, Barbara (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    The story of Judah within the longer Joseph story (Genesis 37-50) provides an apt place for readers to discern the work of the Holy Spirit and what is recognized in spirituality as the work of discernment. The character ...
  • Preface 

    De Villiers, Pieter G. R. (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
  • Discernment and biblical spirituality: an overview and evaluation of recent research 

    Waaijman, Kees (Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2013)
    This article briefly and very generally explores some of the developments in the field of biblical spirituality over the past six decades by analysing and discussing some seminal publications on the theme of discernment. ...