Bybelkunde as eiesoortige teologiese dissipline binne 'n veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse konteks

Abstract

Biblical Studies as a distinctive theological discipline within a changing South-African context. Biblical Studies balances on the dividing line between different realities: between the religious experiences expressed in the Bible and contemporary theological interpretations thereof, and between the scientific activities of modem universities and reflections on God's saving acts in history in different religious communities. Within these spheres Biblical Studies must carve out its own niche as a functionally independent theological discipline, by making its own theoretical reflections on the Bible relevant within the changing South-African context. This can be achieved through, amongst others, the study of the history and theology of the Old Testament and the New Testament, the intercultural communication of Biblical values, the exposure of students to different religions on phenomenological level, and the activation of students' creative abilities through a study of the impact of the Bible on various art forms.