Interpretation & Communication Units
| Interpreting the Bible (Hermeneutics) |
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These are common questions for anyone who reads God’s Word. This unit not only helps to answer these questions but also gives a foundation for all biblical study. It equips students to analyse and interpret the Bible responsibly and creatively by bridging the gap between the world of the Bible and our modern world. In this unit we look at different approaches to Scripture, the background of scripture, how we as interpreters are involved in the process of constructing meaning, and how we can effectively apply the message of an ancient book to our world and lives today. This unit lies at the heart of all Biblical and systematic theological studies. As such it thus integrates with all New Testament, Old Testament and systematic theological subjects. |
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| Christian Communication | |
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The Gospel is an exciting, life giving, life changing message and we who believe are privileged to be those who can communicate this to others. Students taking Christian Communication will be involved in the development of a meta theory for communication and be taught different theories of communication. The student will learn about the key components of a speech, as well as develop skills for speech making and delivery. The course shall also be an introduction to preaching. Preaching is the task of conveying the message of the heart of God in such a way that people today hear God’s message as if it was meant for them. Preaching still remains the most central act of communicating the gospel within the church. In a time when the post-modern world has shifted to a more visually based communication style, preaching is faced with a critical challenge to engage its hearers by offering the Gospel in a way that is relevant to them. The process of preaching – moving from exegesis to interpreting the text, to contemplating the delivery and communication context, serves to promote spiritual growth in the life of the servant of the gospel. All church ministries involve communicating God’s word into one context or another. The skill to communicate God’s word effectively is essential to anyone entering any form of Christian ministry. |
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| Evangelism | |
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The church exists to evangelise the world. This statement can be either liberating – creating a sense of purpose and direction for the church, or a new burden that binds her to guilt and duty. When the church understands the gospel in all its fullness, evangelism happens spontaneously as an act of worship. We cannot define the gospel without, first of all, reflecting on the doctrines of divine election and eternal predestination. These doctrines are for many people a great problem to their faith. Has God really chosen some people before creation to belong to Him? And what about those who have not been 'chosen' in this way? Are they damned forever? And what about those who have never heard the gospel? By analysing some key texts in the Bible we are brought to a place of worship and awe of the God who chose for the world. Following this we will be looking at some evangelism strategies and do practical outreach work in the community. |
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