Papers by Francois Tolmie
Congregational Vitality - A Perspective from Galatians, 2024
The aim of this study is to shed light on the development
of “an ecclesiology from below” for our... more The aim of this study is to shed light on the development
of “an ecclesiology from below” for our time from the Letter
to the Galatians. For this purpose, Schoemans’ view of “an
ecclesiology from below” is taken as point of departure,
namely that it is “a theology lived and experienced in the
faith community” (Schoeman 2020:102). To achieve this,
the ecclesiology of the letter is scrutinised for aspects
that might be relevant for communities of faith in our
time. The following aspects are identified and discussed:
God’s calling as the point of departure; the centrality of the
gospel; the importance of “the hearing of faith”; the role of
ritual, and the guidance of the Spirit
Verbum et Ecclesia, 2022
The aim of this contribution is to illustrate the way in which the interpretation of Scripture is... more The aim of this contribution is to illustrate the way in which the interpretation of Scripture is influenced by one’s presuppositions by investigating the different ways in which two well-known Reformers, Luther and Calvin, depicted God, Christ and the Spirit in their commentaries on the Letter to Philemon. It is shown how their own views influenced the way in which they interpreted the letter and appropriated it for their own times. The most striking difference between the two commentaries is that Luther’s interpretation of the letter was dominated by a Christocentric view (he even often read Christ – and sometimes also Satan – in between the lines of the letter where Paul did not explicitly mention him), whereas an opposite tendency may be noted in Calvin’s interpretation of the letter (he tended to bring God – and sometimes even certain dogmatic concepts regarding God – into the picture when Paul did not explicitly refer to God).Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implicat...
HTS Teologiese Studies 77(4), 2021
In this article, a brief survey of some of the ways in which Biblical scholars try to make sense ... more In this article, a brief survey of some of the ways in which Biblical scholars try to make sense of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is offered. The views of the following scholars are discussed: Walter Brueggemann, Ying Zhang, John Goldingay & Kathleen
Scott Goldingay, N.T. Wright, Philemon M. Chamburuka & Ishanesu S. Gusha, and Peter Lampe. This is followed by the reflections of a biblical scholar and a systematic theologian. From the perspective of a biblical scholar, the following issues are raised: the richness of biblical traditions, the influence of social location on the interpretation of the pandemic in the light of the Bible, the importance of the emphasis on lament, the reluctance to interpret the pandemic as a punishment from God, the importance of the interpreter’s view of God and the emphasis on the way in which the ‘new normal’ should be approached. From the perspective of a systematic theologian the following issues are discussed: The nature of doing theology, the role of the symbol of the Divine, performativity of sense-making, the Trinitarian confession, an emerging new self and the importance of an ethic of responsibility.
Neotestamentica, 2020
In this study, the ethics of the Letter to Philemon is investigated by means of an integrated mod... more In this study, the ethics of the Letter to Philemon is investigated by means of an integrated model for interpreting the ethics of the New Testament (called an Organon) that was developed by Ruben Zimmermann. Five issues are addressed, namely (1) how moral significance is created in the letter; (2) which norms appear in the letter; (3) where these norms come from; (4) if a hierarchy of norms can be discerned in the letter; and (5) how the ethics of the letter can be appropriated for our current context(s). It is argued that in this letter moral significance is generated by means of an integrated "web of norms" consisting of norms such as "spiritual kinship" and "divine will," and that this may be appropriated in a meaningful way for our times by means of a compliant reading, balanced by a resistant reading.
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Acta Theologica 40(1):1-5, 2020
On 17 October 2019, Prof. Kees Waaijman delivered a guest lecture at the Faculty of Theology and ... more On 17 October 2019, Prof. Kees Waaijman delivered a guest lecture at the Faculty of Theology and Religion of the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. He was asked to speak about his search for, and research on spirituality. Francois Tolmie interviewed him afterwards.
Acta Theologica Supplementum 27; pp. 101-117, 2019
Although Onesimus is the reason for Paul’s Letter to Philemon, he is only mentioned by name for t... more Although Onesimus is the reason for Paul’s Letter to Philemon, he is only mentioned by name for the first time nearly halfway through the letter (v. 10). He also remains voiceless throughout the letter. This contribution focuses on the history of interpretation of the letter, and, in particular, the way in which the role of Onesimus has been interpreted through the centuries. Several examples of the way in which scholars interpreted the role of Onesimus are discussed, and it is argued that four broad trends may be discerned: Onesimus as a culprit who was saved by Paul; Onesimus as a pawn in the abolitionism debate; Onesimus’ status disputed, and Onesimus as a victim, with the letter being read in a resistant way.
Biblical Ethics and Application. Purview, Validity and Relevance of Biblical Texts in Ethical Discourse. Eds: R. Zimmermann & S. Joubert. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017
An overview of the way in which John Chrysostom interpreted the "implicit ethics" of the Letter t... more An overview of the way in which John Chrysostom interpreted the "implicit ethics" of the Letter to Philemon for the people of his time.
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2018
Since Nils Dahl’s famous article on God as the most neglected factor in the study of the
New Test... more Since Nils Dahl’s famous article on God as the most neglected factor in the study of the
New Testament, many studies on God in the various corpi of the New Testament have
been and are still being published. In this regard, the Pauline Letters have received a
fair amount of attention. In this study an overview of studies on God in the Letter to
the Galatians is provided. Four such studies are discussed: N.T. Wright’s study, “The
Letter to Galatians: Exegesis and theology” (published in 2000), Richard Hays’s “The
God of mercy who rescues us from the present evil age” (published in 2002), Jerome
Neyrey’s chapter on God in Galatians (in his book, Rendering to God. New Testament
understandings of the divine, published in 2004) and Christiane Zimmerman’s book
Gott und seine Söhne. Das Gottesbild des Galaterbriefs (published in 2013). Each of
these contributions is discussed in detail, after which the contributions of the four
studies are compared, and some suggestions are made as to aspects that still need
attention.
An overview of the reception of Philemon 15-16. In particular the following interpreters are disc... more An overview of the reception of Philemon 15-16. In particular the following interpreters are discussed: Jerome, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Thomas Aquinas, Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther
According to the Letters of Paul and the Book of Acts, Paul supported himself by labouring with h... more According to the Letters of Paul and the Book of Acts, Paul supported himself by labouring with his own hands. In this article, the implications of Paul’s example in this regard for the twenty-first century are considered. In the first section a brief overview of scholarly research on the concept skēnopoios is offered. In the next section the question is considered as to whether tentmaking was a missionary strategy that was deliberately chosen by Paul. It is argued that this question should be answered in a nuanced way. In the last section, the appropriation of all of this within our current situation is considered. After a brief discussion of two opposing ways in which this has been done in recent times, some suggestions for the appropriation of Paul’s example are made.
An overview of changes that occured in Pauline Studies in South Africa over the last 50 years, ba... more An overview of changes that occured in Pauline Studies in South Africa over the last 50 years, based primarily on articles published in Neotestamentica.
An analysis of the structure of John 17
A narrative-critical/narratological perspective on the four women depicted by the cross of Jesus ... more A narrative-critical/narratological perspective on the four women depicted by the cross of Jesus in John 19:25.
From: Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel. Narrative Approaches to Seventy Figures in John.
Ed. by Steven A. Hunt, D. Francois Tolmie and Ruben Zimmermann.
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An overview of the most important developments in the research on the Letter to Philemon from 198... more An overview of the most important developments in the research on the Letter to Philemon from 1980 to 2008
The aim of this study is to investigate the reception of Apphia (who is mentioned in Philemon 2 a... more The aim of this study is to investigate the reception of Apphia (who is mentioned in Philemon 2 as one of the recipients of the letter) in the fourth and fifth centuries CE. For this purpose the available sources are investigated in a chronological order: Jerome, John Chrysostom, Pelagius, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Theodoret of Cyrus (Apphia is not mentioned in the commentary of Ambrosiaster). Firstly, it is shown that the difference in the Biblical texts that were used by these five scholars may have had an influence on the way in which they interpreted Apphia's role. Secondly, it is argued that one can identify a slow progression in the way in which the relationship between Philemon, Apphia and Archippus was interpreted. Lastly it is shown that personal views on women and their role had no mean influence on the perception of Apphia.
The way in which Paul exercises his authority in the Letter to Philemon has been studied from var... more The way in which Paul exercises his authority in the Letter to Philemon has been studied from various angles, but as far as could be determined, the reception of this aspect of his letter by its interpreters in the fourth and 5th centuries CE. has not yet received much attention. Accordingly, this aspect is addressed in this study. The views of the following six interpreters are discussed (in chronological order): Ambrosiaster, Jerome, Pelagius, John Chrysostom, Theodore of
Mopsuestia, and Theodoret of Cyrus. It is shown that each of them has his own view in this regard, but that two general trends can nevertheless be identified: Firstly, all of these writers
accept that Paul had authority over Philemon; and secondly, the commendable way in which Paul exercised this authority is a regular theme in their works.
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Papers by Francois Tolmie
of “an ecclesiology from below” for our time from the Letter
to the Galatians. For this purpose, Schoemans’ view of “an
ecclesiology from below” is taken as point of departure,
namely that it is “a theology lived and experienced in the
faith community” (Schoeman 2020:102). To achieve this,
the ecclesiology of the letter is scrutinised for aspects
that might be relevant for communities of faith in our
time. The following aspects are identified and discussed:
God’s calling as the point of departure; the centrality of the
gospel; the importance of “the hearing of faith”; the role of
ritual, and the guidance of the Spirit
Scott Goldingay, N.T. Wright, Philemon M. Chamburuka & Ishanesu S. Gusha, and Peter Lampe. This is followed by the reflections of a biblical scholar and a systematic theologian. From the perspective of a biblical scholar, the following issues are raised: the richness of biblical traditions, the influence of social location on the interpretation of the pandemic in the light of the Bible, the importance of the emphasis on lament, the reluctance to interpret the pandemic as a punishment from God, the importance of the interpreter’s view of God and the emphasis on the way in which the ‘new normal’ should be approached. From the perspective of a systematic theologian the following issues are discussed: The nature of doing theology, the role of the symbol of the Divine, performativity of sense-making, the Trinitarian confession, an emerging new self and the importance of an ethic of responsibility.
Available at: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/761680
Or send me a request through Academia
New Testament, many studies on God in the various corpi of the New Testament have
been and are still being published. In this regard, the Pauline Letters have received a
fair amount of attention. In this study an overview of studies on God in the Letter to
the Galatians is provided. Four such studies are discussed: N.T. Wright’s study, “The
Letter to Galatians: Exegesis and theology” (published in 2000), Richard Hays’s “The
God of mercy who rescues us from the present evil age” (published in 2002), Jerome
Neyrey’s chapter on God in Galatians (in his book, Rendering to God. New Testament
understandings of the divine, published in 2004) and Christiane Zimmerman’s book
Gott und seine Söhne. Das Gottesbild des Galaterbriefs (published in 2013). Each of
these contributions is discussed in detail, after which the contributions of the four
studies are compared, and some suggestions are made as to aspects that still need
attention.
From: Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel. Narrative Approaches to Seventy Figures in John.
Ed. by Steven A. Hunt, D. Francois Tolmie and Ruben Zimmermann.
Download19 More Edit
Mopsuestia, and Theodoret of Cyrus. It is shown that each of them has his own view in this regard, but that two general trends can nevertheless be identified: Firstly, all of these writers
accept that Paul had authority over Philemon; and secondly, the commendable way in which Paul exercised this authority is a regular theme in their works.
of “an ecclesiology from below” for our time from the Letter
to the Galatians. For this purpose, Schoemans’ view of “an
ecclesiology from below” is taken as point of departure,
namely that it is “a theology lived and experienced in the
faith community” (Schoeman 2020:102). To achieve this,
the ecclesiology of the letter is scrutinised for aspects
that might be relevant for communities of faith in our
time. The following aspects are identified and discussed:
God’s calling as the point of departure; the centrality of the
gospel; the importance of “the hearing of faith”; the role of
ritual, and the guidance of the Spirit
Scott Goldingay, N.T. Wright, Philemon M. Chamburuka & Ishanesu S. Gusha, and Peter Lampe. This is followed by the reflections of a biblical scholar and a systematic theologian. From the perspective of a biblical scholar, the following issues are raised: the richness of biblical traditions, the influence of social location on the interpretation of the pandemic in the light of the Bible, the importance of the emphasis on lament, the reluctance to interpret the pandemic as a punishment from God, the importance of the interpreter’s view of God and the emphasis on the way in which the ‘new normal’ should be approached. From the perspective of a systematic theologian the following issues are discussed: The nature of doing theology, the role of the symbol of the Divine, performativity of sense-making, the Trinitarian confession, an emerging new self and the importance of an ethic of responsibility.
Available at: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/761680
Or send me a request through Academia
New Testament, many studies on God in the various corpi of the New Testament have
been and are still being published. In this regard, the Pauline Letters have received a
fair amount of attention. In this study an overview of studies on God in the Letter to
the Galatians is provided. Four such studies are discussed: N.T. Wright’s study, “The
Letter to Galatians: Exegesis and theology” (published in 2000), Richard Hays’s “The
God of mercy who rescues us from the present evil age” (published in 2002), Jerome
Neyrey’s chapter on God in Galatians (in his book, Rendering to God. New Testament
understandings of the divine, published in 2004) and Christiane Zimmerman’s book
Gott und seine Söhne. Das Gottesbild des Galaterbriefs (published in 2013). Each of
these contributions is discussed in detail, after which the contributions of the four
studies are compared, and some suggestions are made as to aspects that still need
attention.
From: Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel. Narrative Approaches to Seventy Figures in John.
Ed. by Steven A. Hunt, D. Francois Tolmie and Ruben Zimmermann.
Download19 More Edit
Mopsuestia, and Theodoret of Cyrus. It is shown that each of them has his own view in this regard, but that two general trends can nevertheless be identified: Firstly, all of these writers
accept that Paul had authority over Philemon; and secondly, the commendable way in which Paul exercised this authority is a regular theme in their works.
The contributions to this volume explore the question of what spiritual transformation means for Early Christianity and beyond, with articles ranging from Old Testament wisdom literature to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Graeco-Roman philosophy, the gospels, epistles, and Johannine literature of the New Testament and other Early Christian literature. The contributions provide reflections on the involvement of the self and agency in spiritual transformation and concern diverse anthropological dimensions of mind, emotions, body, and embodiment related to this phenomenon of metamorphosis. The impact of spiritual transformation may relate to a renewal of the mind, to a therapeutics of emotions, and to material dimensions of bodily posture and physiological metaphors expressing spiritual identity.
This overview is divided into two volumes. In the first volume, research on the letter is divided into five main areas (with subdivisions), with each section covered in a separate chapter. In the second volume, research is classified in terms of the particular pericope/s on which it focuses.
Available at: https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/pointing-out-persuasion-in-philemon-9783161564246?no_cache=1
The following authors/writings are discussed: ● Ambrosiaster ● Jerome ● Chrysostom ● Pelagius ● Theodore of Mopsuestia ●Theodoret of Cyrus ● Cassiodorus ● John of Damascus ● Alcuin of York ● Claudius if Turin ● Hrabanus Maurus ● Haimo of Auxerre ● Florus of Lyon ● Isho‘dad of Mev ● Sedulius Scottus ●Pseudo-Oecumenius ● Atto of Vercelli ● Lanfranc of Bec ● Bruno the Carthusian ●Theophylact of Ohrid ● Euthymius Zigabenus ● Commentarius Canatbrigiensis ● Glossa Ordinaria ● Peter Lombard ● Hervaeus of Bourg-Dieu ● Thomas Aquinas ● Pierre de Tarentaise ● Nicholas of Lyra ● Denys the Carthusian ● Desiderius Erasmus ● Johannes Bugenhagen ● Martin Luther ● Thomas de Vio Cajetan ● Heinrich Bullinger ● Johannes Brenz ● John Calvin ● Theodore Beza ● Georg Major ● Lambert Daneau ● William Attersoll ● Cornelius a Lapide ● Gulielmul Estius ● John Mayer ● Hugo Grotius ● David Dickson ● John Trapp ● Abraham Calovius ● Matthew Henry ● Georg Michael Laurentii ● Johann Albrecht Bengel ● Siegmund Jacob Baumgarten
Articles by:
Jonathan Jansen: CAN THE THEOLOGICAL LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS? ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF UNIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE
Crain Soudien: THE CHALLENGE OF THINKING: THE UNARTICULATED TRANSFORMATIONAL IMPERATIVE?
Lis Lange: KNOWLEDGE, CURRICULUM AND TRANSFORMATION
Rian Venter: THEOLOGY, THE POST-APARTHEID UNIVERSITY AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION: INTIMATING THE SHAPE OF THE CHALLENGE
Conrad Wethmar: THEOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES
Bram van de Beek: THEOLOGY AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
Harold W. Attridge: THEOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN NORTH AMERICA
Allan A. Boesak: THEOLOGICAL FORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Rian Venter: “TO LOVE GOD, THE POOR AND LEARNING”: TOWARDS AN ETHIC OF THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
M. Prozesky: STUDYING RELIGION IN SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES: METHODS AND CHALLENGES
Kobus Schoeman, Martin Laubscher, Joseph Pali, Jan-Albert van den Berg: PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY: THE ROAD TRAVELLED AND THE ROAD AHEAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE
Rian Venter: DOING SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY IN THE POST-APARTHEID CONDITION
Verwerkte ongepubliseerde weergawe van 'n populêr-wetenskaplike voordrag gelewer tydens 'n gesprek met N.G.-predikante, 14 Maart 2016, Fakulteit Teologie, Universiteit van die Vrystaat.
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