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Verbum et Ecclesia

To make sense of suffering was always part and parcel of being human. Although the inadequacy of theodicies to provide meaningful theoretical frameworks resulted in a focus on practical responses, in this article a case has been made for the necessity to create theoretical meaning frameworks to make sense of suffering. Brain research pointed to the brain�s fundamental need for creating and maintaining meaning frameworks in the development of purposeful responses to suffering.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Brain research and the contextualisation thereof in psychology is challenging the notion that the only adequate response to suffering is a practical response. The brain�s fundamental need for meaningful frameworks is challenging systematic and practical theology to develop theoretical frameworks to guide, motivate and evaluate the adequacy of a practical response.

2011

The moderate growth in the number of whites using Afrikaans as their mother tongue conceals a worrying trend of language shift. Among coloured adults the percentage of Afrikaans speakers decreased markedly due to language shift. Yet previous studies indicated that the coloured Afrikaans-speaking demographic has enjoyed steady growth, especially outside the Cape Peninsula. This could indicate the emergence of regional polarisation, resulting in localised language shift toward English in the Cape Town metropolitan area. Surveys also indicate the proliferation of English as an additional language. Whereas in 2003 only 30,1 percent of white Afrikaans households used English, its usage increased to 50,4 percent in 2008. The corresponding figures for coloured households indicate that English was an additional language in 36,9 percent of households in 2003, which grew to 45,4 percent in 2008. Coloured Afrikaans speakers have traditionally mixed their mother tongue with English, but (as the above figures demonstrate) in five years mixed language use among Afrikaans-speaking whites surpassed that of coloureds. The extent of language mixture varies: from a sporadic English word, up to whole sentences could be inserted. Schlemmer posits that Afrikaans speakers are returning to a situation similar to that of a century ago, when many Afrikaners utilised Dutch or English for the purposes of formal or technical communication (sometimes even in love letters). He suggests that this should serve as a warning sign regarding the Afrikaans language. This article describes the factors and trends leading to the loss of status and function of the Afrikaans language; factors which promote language shift; and the weakening of forces that oppose language shift.

Verbum et Ecclesia, 2000

�What will this child become?� Childhood in the world of Jesus (Part 2) This is the second part of an historical investigation into the conditions and experiences of childhood in first century Palestine. Aspects of early childhood, socialisation and education are discussed. The issue, �Jesus and the children� is explored briefly.

2005

In hierdie artikel word die konsep politieke transformasie, soos wat dit sedert 1994 plaasgevind het, geanaliseer en daarna empiries op die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks toegepas. Politieke transformasie as reaksie teen 'n onaanvaarbare verlede word uiteengesit as reaktiewe, progressiewe, beplande, fundamentele en snelle verandering. Die fenomeen politieke transformasie word as 'n uiters dinamiese samelewingsproses verduidelik teen die agtergrond van die hegemonie van die ANC; die herstrukturering van die opposisiepolitiek; politieke en ekonomiese kapasiteite; politieke konflik en patrone van geweld; en die uitwerking van die Suid-Afrikaanse transformasiepogings op die Suider-Afrikaanse gemeenskap. Die uitwerking van die vorige (apartheids-) regering se ewolusionêre veranderings op die ANC se rewolusionêre strategie word in perspektief geplaas, sowel as die implikasies hiervan vir die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing en politiek. Political transformation: a conceptual orientation and South African application In this article the concept of political transformation, as it has occurred since 1994, is analysed and then empirically applied in the South African context. Political transformation in reaction to an unacceptable political past is presented as a reactive, progressive, planned, fundamental and rapid change. The phenomenon of political transformation-as an extremely dynamic societal process-is explained against the background of the political hegemony of the ANC; the restructuring of opposition politics; political and economic capacity; political conflict and patterns of violence, as well as the impact of South Africa's transformation initiatives on the Southern African community. The article places in perspective the influence of the previous (apartheid) government's evolutionary change on the ANC's revolutionary strategy, as well as the implications for South African society and politics.

Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 2017

2009

This dissertation is a report on a study about autobiography as genre, focusing on the voice of the white, Afrikaans-speaking woman. The point of departure for this study was a survey of the number of autobiographies written in Afrikaans by these women. With the focus on the limited number of such autobiographies three autobiographies were studied, namely, Met die Boere in die veld (Sarah Raal), My beskeie deel (M.E.R.) and 'n Wonderlike geweld (Elsa Joubert). Within the framework of the complexity systems theory the role of the observer (author/reader) was studied to determine the possibility of demonstrating that when reading/writing an autobiography, some epistemological changes may occur, manifesting as conceptual changes in the mind of the observer. It could be demonstrated that because of women's sensitivity to interpersonal relationships they are capable of acting as unique registers of the complexity of individual existence, while remaining aware of the constant influence, effect and needs of the other.

LitNet Akademies

Die belangrike vraag in hierdie ondersoek is of die regstaat (ook genoem konstitusionele demokrasie) in Suid-Afrika 28 jaar na die totstandkoming van die nuwe bedeling besig is om te misluk. Die hipotetiese vertrekpunt van hierdie navorsing is dat die regstaat suksesvol kan wees slegs indien die samehangende groter staat- en owerheidstrukture effektief en funksioneel is, die omgewing veilig en stabiel gemaak kan word vir die burgery, en die ekonomiese en sosiale toestande binne die samelewing hierdie owerheidsvorm, oftewel die regstaat, ondersteun. Die ondersoek bevind dat omstandighede binne die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek, ekonomie en samelewing nie bevorderlik is vir die bestendiging van demokratiese waardes nie, en dat ’n moeilike scenario in hierdie verband voor die deur staan. Trouens, getuienis wat gebied word dui daarop dat die regstaat en konstitusionalisme voor ernstige uitdagings te staan gekom het, wat risiko’s vir die voortbestaan daarvan inhou.

Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 2020

Tale en Literatuur in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks aan die Noordwes-Universiteit en afgetrede professor in Afrikaanse en Nederlandse letterkunde. Sy navorsing het gefokus op Suid-Afrikaanse letterkunde ná 1980 en op Afrikaanse poësie. Saam met Chris van der Merwe het hy Alkant olifant (1988) geskryf, 'n inleiding tot die literêre teorie. Hulle het ook as mederedakteurs opgetree van twee versamelings essays oor identiteit, die mag van stories en liminaliteit, naamlik Storyscapes (2004) en Beyond the threshold (2007). 'n Derde bundel essays, Crossing borders, dissolving boundaries, het in 2013 verskyn. Viljoen se navorsing fokus tans veral op landskap, kreolisering en hibriditeit in die Afrikaanse letterkunde. Hy het ook twee digbundels, Waterkristal (1982) en Holtrom en groot kabaal (2007), en 'n postmoderne epiese gedig, Brisant (2019), gepubliseer.

2004

'n taal is. Hierdie studie is nie bemoei met sulke taalkundige vraagstukke nie, so eenvoudigheidshalwe word Renfrew (1989: 68) gevolg en Vlaams word as taal genoem. 2. Wát presies Afrikaans se verhouding tot Nederlands is, is blykbaar 'n kontroversiële vraag. Van der Merwe et al. (1972: 16) skryf: Oor die ontstaan van Afrikaans bestaan daar veral drie gedagterigtings, nl. een dat Afrikaans spontaan uit 17de eeuse Nederlands ontwikkel het, en die ander dat 'n talebotsing tussen Nederlands en 'n vreemde nie-Germaanse taal plaasgevind en Nederlands tot Afrikaans laat verander het, terwyl die derde groep 'n middeweg soek. Aangesien die vraag oor die presiese verhouding tussen hierdie tale nie binne die spektrum van hierdie studie val nie, kan daar net op die volgende gelet word: 1) sonder Nederlands sou daar geen Afrikaans wees nie; en 2) die Afrikaner is fisies en kultureel oorwegend Europees.

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 1994

The filioque The current debate within the ecumenical movement about the filioque has its origin in the Greek Orthodox church’s demand that the Nicenco- Constantinopolitanum be accepted in its original form. Only if a universally acceptable symbol is found, can there be any hope of progress in the movement to unity. The choice put by the ecumenical movement is between unity and filioque. It is the contention in this article that this choice is a false one. From an overview of the most important historical aspects of the problem, the reader is confronted by the problem. This is followed by a discussion of the points of view of the orthodox church, the ecumenical movement and Protestant theology. This discussion shows the impasse which the choice between fdioque and unity creates. A discussion of the concept of models, as instrument within theological language, has as goal to show that this impasse can be solved. I f theological language uses models in its discussions, any talk about ...