Book Reviews by Tebogo Sewapa
Article review for New Testament Theology, Postgraduate Diploma in Theology Stellenbosch University
This serves as an academic book review for the purposes of Postgraduate Diploma in Theology at th... more This serves as an academic book review for the purposes of Postgraduate Diploma in Theology at the University of Stellenbosch faculty of theology. The book is titled "Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction of Christian Theology", authored by Daniel Migliore. All rights are reserved to the author of the book Prof Migliore, and the opinions in this review are therefore of the student Tebogo Sewapa, Stellenbosch University 2016.
Old Testament theology. A book review. PGDipl in Theology, Stellenbosch University
Papers by Tebogo Sewapa
“Can a Queer Be Born Again?”: The Experiences of the LGBTIQ+ Pentecostals at Grace Bible Church, Soweto
This study interrogates, the Grace Bible Church Soweto, Johannesburg, as a case study since the c... more This study interrogates, the Grace Bible Church Soweto, Johannesburg, as a case study since the church declared in their Statement of Faith that they will allow church membership to only those who will adhere to the heterosexual principles on human sexuality. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) lifestyles are, in most general cases among Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, being pathologized as being a transgression, spiritual deviance and sinful “unnatural” acts that may result in divine judgement whilst others assert homosexual activities to being demonic. As a result some closeted LGBTIQ members in this church are experiencing heightened homonegativity whenever anti-gay sentiments are uttered.
Book Review: Portraits of Paul: An Archaeology of Ancient Personality
Theological Studies, 1997
PORTRAITS OF PAUL: AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT PERSONALITY. By Bruce J. Malina and Jerome H. Neyrey... more PORTRAITS OF PAUL: AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT PERSONALITY. By Bruce J. Malina and Jerome H. Neyrey. Louisville: Westminster/Knox, 1996. Pp. xv + 271. $23. This informed and informative study is a compendium of data and analysis that sets Paul in the concrete context of the ancient Mediterranean understanding of human beings in order both to correct and complement our current readings and interpretations of New Testament literature, especially the letters of Paul and the image(s) of Paul that existed in earliest Christianity. Malina and Neyrey are wellknown experts in NT studies who are devoted to the careful exposition of biblical texts, especially in relation to primary ancient literature, the methods and insights of contemporary cultural anthropology, and the perspectives of social-scientific research. Paul, the early Christian worker and author of seven to thirteen documents in the canonical NT, serves as a model or test case for the rethinking of the present-day understanding of ancient personality. The authors eschew the task of recreating the historical Paul; rather, they focus on Paul's letters, the Acts of the Apostles, and The Acts of Paul to reexamine, reconstruct, and reinterpret three prominent portraits of Paul from earliest Christian writings. They engage in detailed rereading of selected portions of these writings in relation to and in the light of three prominent, pertinent types of ancient writings (and patterns of reflection) on the ancient person: the encomium, the public forensic defense speech, and physiognomic literature. The encomium was a speech of praise that dealt with the established categories of the subject's origin and birth, nurture and training, accomplishments and deeds, and outstanding qualities in comparison with other well-known figures. M. and N. refer to writings by a host of ancient authors to build their case concerning the ancient view of "personality." In relation to ancient instructions concerning the composition of the encomium, they examine portions of Galatians, Philippians, and 2 Corinthians to show clearly that Paul knew and used this form to present himself as a typical member of society whose life had been touched dramatically by God. Paul reveals himself to be a "grouporiented person typical of collectivist cultures" who labored "for the group's well-being, integrity, solidarity, and health" (62). They argue that Paul's concepts of justice, righteousness, and even faith are to be viewed and understood in this matrix. The public forensic defense speech of antiquity had five parts: exordium, statement of facts, proof, refutation, and peroration. The work examines each portion of such speeches in detail before turning to the speeches of Paul in Acts 22-26. Comparative analysis demonstrates that Paul's apologies and justifications in Acts "indicate a person who
“Can a Queer Be Born Again?”: The Experiences of the LGBTIQ+ Pentecostals at Grace Bible Church, Soweto
Genders, Sexualities, and Spiritualities in African Pentecostalism, 2020
This chapter emanates from a Master's thesis (Stellenbosch University 2019), which interrogated, ... more This chapter emanates from a Master's thesis (Stellenbosch University 2019), which interrogated, the Grace Bible Church Soweto, Johannesburg, as a case study since the church declared in their Statement of Faith that they will allow church membership to only those who will adhere to the heterosexual principles on human sexuality. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) lifestyles are, in most general cases among Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, being pathologized as being a transgression, spiritual deviance and sinful “unnatural” acts that may result in divine judgement whilst others assert homosexual activities to being demonic. As a result some closeted LGBTIQ members in these churches are experiencing heightened homonegativity whenever anti-gay sentiments are uttered.
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Book Reviews by Tebogo Sewapa
Papers by Tebogo Sewapa