'n Mistieke lesing van Psalms 42-43

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Date
2017-10
Authors
Viljoen, Nicolaas Albertus Lodewyk
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Biblical Spirituality offers a fresh perspective to the study of a biblical text. The specific focus of the research is the God-human relationship in the text. In the Psalms, the God-human relationship is central and therefore offers the ideal source for such research. Being largely written in prayer language and therefore with a dialogical orientation towards God, either in praise, thanksgiving or complaint, the Psalms lend themselves to a more detailed examination with the lens of mysticism. The problem addressed here is that Psalms 42-43 are appropriate texts to investigate using a mystical lens. Apart from Waaijman’s investigation in Mystiek in de Psalmen and his analysis in Spirin, this text has not been studied in detail in this way before. The hypothesis is that important aspects of Psalms 42-43 can only be understood from a mystical perspective. Accordingly, the purpose is thus to show how a consistent, theoretically based mystical reading of Psalms 42-43 will contribute to explore a certain essential tenor in the poem. Important aspects of the text can be understood by a mystical lens. This study aims at contributing to the understanding of mysticism from a biblical perspective through the investigation of Psalms 42-43, as well as to show how it may be an essential addition to, and enrichment of existing biblical receptions. The method entails to give a theoretical, hermeneutical and methodological account directly after the introductory chapter. Biblical Spirituality as the meeting of two disciplines, namely Biblical Sciences and Spirituality Studies is investigated. Waaijman’s spiritual hermeneutics is also examined and a mystical perspective regarding a biblical text is analysed. An exegetical analysis of Psalms 42-43 follows in Chapter 3. Grammatical, text-critical, lexicographic, poetical and historical insights, characteristic of the historical-critical approach, are investigated. A mystical lens is continually applied. Consequently, in a close reading of the text, a mystical process is revealed that unfolds systematically on four levels. The following four chapters are a detailed examination of each of these four levels of the mystical process. The four levels entail, firstly, a liminal situation as place of birth for the mystical process (Chapter 4); secondly, a process of interiorisation as means for dealing with the liminal situation (Chapter 5); thirdly, a mystagogical process emerges (Chapter 6) that carries the interiorisation to the fourth level, namely contemplation (Chapter 7). With contemplation, the mystical process reaches its peak. In the last chapter the summarised findings are provided.
Afrikaans: Bybelse Spiritualiteit bied ʼn vars invalshoek tot die bestudering van ʼn Bybelse teks. Die spesifieke fokus val op die God-mens-verhouding in die teks. Derhalwe is die psalms, waar die God-mens-verhouding sentraal staan, ʼn ideale bron vir sodanige ondersoek. Synde die psalms grotendeels in gebedstaal geskryf is en daar ʼn dialogiese gerigtheid op God is, wat hetsy in lof, dank of klag vorm aanneem, leen dit tot ʼn verdere gedetailleerde ondersoek met die verskerpte lens van mistiek. Die probleem wat hier aangespreek word, is dat Psalms 42-43 ʼn gepaste teks is om met ʼn mistieke lens te ondersoek. Buiten Waaijman se hantering daarvan in Mystiek in de Psalmen en sy analise in Spirin, is hierdie teks nog nie voorheen in detail op hierdie wyse ondersoek nie. Die hipotese is dat belangrike aspekte van die Psalms 42-43 slegs vanuit ʼn mistieke perspektief verstaan kan word. Die doel is dus om aan te toon hoe ʼn konsekwente, teoreties begronde mistieke lees van Psalms 42-43 sal bydra om ʼn sekere noodsaaklike toon van die gedig te ontgin. Hierdie studie beoog om deur die ondersoek van Psalms 42-43 ook ʼn bydrae te lewer tot die verstaan van die mistiek vanuit ʼn Bybelse perspektief en om aan te toon hoe dit ʼn noodsaaklike toevoeging tot en verryking van bestaande resepsies van die Bybel kan wees. Die werkswyse is om direk na die inleidende hoofstuk ʼn teoretiese, hermeneutiese en metodologiese verantwoording te doen. Bybelse Spiritualiteit as die ontmoeting van twee dissiplines, naamlik Bybelwetenskappe en Spiritualiteitkunde word ondersoek. Waaijman se spirituele hermeneutiek word ook hier bestudeer en daar word ʼn ontleding gedoen van wat ʼn mistieke perspektief ten opsigte van ʼn Bybelse teks behels. In hoofstuk drie vind daar ʼn eksegetiese analise van Psalms 42-43 plaas. Grammatikale, tekskritiese, leksikografiese, poëtiese en historiese insigte, kenmerkend van die histories-kritiese benadering, word hier verwerk. Deurentyd word die lens van die mistiek aangewend en bring ʼn noukeurige lees van die teks aan die lig dat daar ʼn mistieke proses in die gedig verskuil lê wat stelselmatig op vier vlakke ontvou. Die daaropvolgende vier hoofstukke is ʼn gedetailleerde ondersoek van elk van hierdie vier vlakke van die mistieke proses. Die vier vlakke behels eerstens ʼn liminale situasie as geboorteplek vir die mistieke proses (hoofstuk 4). Dit word opgevolg deur ʼn verinnerlikingsproses waardeur die liminale situasie verwerk word (hoofstuk 5). Derdens volg mistagogie (hoofstuk 6) wat die proses van verinnerliking tot op die vierde vlak, naamlik dié van aanskouing (hoofstuk 7) neem. Met aanskouing bereik die mistieke proses ʼn hoogtepunt. In die laaste hoofstuk volg die samevattende bevindinge.
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Keywords
Biblical spirituality, Mysticism, Spiritual hermeneutics, Exegesis, Liminality, Interiorisation, Mystagogy, Contemplation, Transformation, Thesis (D.Th. (Old and New Testament Studies))--University of the Free State, 2017
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