The Theological Rhetoric of Well-being: A Primer
Abstract
How do theologians define and interpret the concept of well-being? What are some of the limitations and critique, but also possibilities and potential, for employing the rhetoric of well-being in theological discourses on human flourishing, thriving, and happiness? This paper offers a theological and rhetorical analysis of well-being in the work of theologians – including Jürgen Moltmann, Elizabeth Moltmann-Wendel, David Kelsey, Puleng LenkaBula, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Mercy Oduyoye, and Ellen Charry; together representing diverse contexts, interests, specialities, and priorities – in response to these questions. It is argued that well-being is both critically received (here the close but problematic alliance with notions of health and wealth is a key concern) and constructively engaged (here the notion of being well is closely linked to living well) in the work of contemporary theologians, particularly in response to the World Health Organisation’s definitions of health and well-being.Downloads
Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this Journal.
This is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Authors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors’ publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal webpage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: “This is an electronic version of an article published in Scriptura, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX–XXX”, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University’s’ Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
