Abstract
Contemporary social and political developments on a global scale prompted a renewed interest in the study of the social facets of the New Testament d u r in g the past decade or so. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the progress made in this line of questioning . More specifically, the article has as its aim to propose a set of categories in terms of which the two main approaches within this branch of New Testament studies can be clearly and consistently distinguished - a matter on which there is currently much confusion. These two approaches are (i) a description of social aspects of the New Testament based on historical-critical methodology, and (ii) an interpretation of the social data thus collected, based on modern social-scientific methodology (specifically Sociology and Anthropology ) . It is argued that there is ample room as well as a need for the practice of both these approaches, despite the disagreements between the proponents of the two schools. An important aspect of my argumentation is to give relatively elaborate illustrations of each approach.
Highlights
C ontem porary social and political developm ents on a global scale prompted a renewed interest in the stu d y of the social facets of the New Testam ent d u rin g the p a st decade o r so
Thepu rp o s e of t h is artic le is to g iv e an o v e rv ie w of the progress made in t h is line of q u e s tio n in g
M ore sp e c ific a lly, the article has as its aim to p ro p o se a set of c a te go rie s in term s of w h ich the two main approaches within this branch of New Testam ent studies can be clearly and co n siste n tly d istin gu ish e d - a matter on w hich there is cu rre n tly much con fusion
Summary
B e la n g ste llin g in die sosiale aspekte van die vroeë C h riste n d o m is nie heeltemal nu ut nie. G e d u re n d e die eerste dekades van die tw intigste eeu, met die hoogbloei van die sogenaam de social gospel in die V S A , is daar d e u r ve rsk ille n d e w etenskaplikes sosiale vrae aan die Nuwe Testament ge vra. Waar die Nuw e-Testam entiese w etenskap v ir baie jare gedom ineer is d e u r teologiese en historiese probleme, het die duidelik gew ord dat hierdie ben aderings nie antwoorde bied op ander d rin gen d e vrae van ons tyd nie. D it is e e rd ernpog in g om teen n and er u ite rste te w aak, naam lik om die C h riste n d o m te re d u se e r tot die inn erlik-ge estelike of tot n objektief-kognitiew e sisteem
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