Abstract
The meeting of worlds and the principle of sola Scriptura. Rather than function as a catalyst for unity, the Bible can be the cause of conflict among Christian believers. The Bible is also often the reason for strife, specifically in the Reformed tradition, even though Protestants uphold the creedal truism of sola Scriptura and though the authority of the Bible is seen as selfmandatory, transcending the normative power of ecclesiastical or confessional traditions. This article focuses on biblical interpretation as both a cause of disunity and a possible means to achieve greater unity. The point of departure is that biblical interpretation consists of a fusion of horizons; it is primarily about the fusion of two horizons, namely that of the Bible and that of the reader. However, both these horizons represent a great diversity of perspectives. A variety of readers interpret the Bible from diverse contexts. The Bible itself also communicates a diversity of ideas. Even the notion ‘Jesus Christ’ does not function as a unified or unifying concept. The article proposes that the idea of ‘Jesus’ cause’ (Sache Jesu) could provide continuity between the world of the reader and the world of a biblical passage.
Highlights
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The Bible is often the reason for strife, in the Reformed tradition, even though Protestants uphold the creedal truism of sola Scriptura and though the authority of the Bible is seen as selfmandatory, transcending the normative power of ecclesiastical or confessional traditions
This article focuses on biblical interpretation as both a cause of disunity and a possible means to achieve greater unity
Summary
Affiliation: 1Department of Practical Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Tog slaag die beginsel van sola Scriptura nie daarin om die gelowiges wat dit onderskryf in eenheid bymekaar te bring nie. Dit is nie ‘kerkeenheid’ wat die hoofdoel van die geloofsgemeenskap se werk in die wêreld is nie, maar eerder dat die hele wêreld gedien sal word (Naudé 2002:51). Indien sosiopolitieke mag en kultuurverskille nie die enigste oorsaak van die onenigheid en splitsings onder Christen-gelowiges is nie, maar die teologie self daartoe bydra, slaag die Reformatoriese beginsel van sola Scriptura nie daarin om eenheid te bewerkstellig nie, ook al stem almal daarmee saam. Die beste waarop Christen-gelowiges kan hoop, is om iets van sy saak raak te sien soos wat dit uit die Skrif straal. Geloofsgemeenskappe kan hoogstens saam probeer identifiseer wat sentraal is tot die Jesus-saak, en dan probeer om te lewe in die gees van wat Jesus geleer en geleef het
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