Scriptura: Journal for Biblical, Theological and Contextual Hermeneutics

Reimagining Tithing in the Selected New Prophetic Churches in South Africa: a Social Scientific Approach

Mookgo Solomon Kgatle — 2025-04-22

The new prophetic churches in South Africa and elsewhere in the continent practice giving. There are many aspects to the concept of giving, such as tithing, seeding, offerings, and so forth. Members of the new prophetic churches are expected to give a tenth of their income as an obligation of their membership. In current practice, the clergy are the main beneficiaries of tithes in the selected new prophetic churches. This article reimagines the practice of tithing in these churches through social-scientific theory. The article argues that the proceeds of tithes should not only benefit the pastors but also the rest of the congregants, particularly those who are living in poverty and the marginalised. This is achieved by introducing the practice of tithing from a biblical and historical point of view. The article also outlines the practices of tithing in Pentecostalism and applies the same in new prophetic churches in South Africa. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that tithing has the potential to benefit society and deal with social ills such as poverty.

How do Religious Icons Read-and-Write?

Christo Lombaard — 2025-05-14

This contribution starts off with a broad understanding of icons and their communication, and the implications this has for religious discourse today. The focus then moves to icons within the Christian Orthodox traditions to indicate aspects of the interaction of text, image and presence. The final part returns to the implication of “seeing” icons for reading texts and hence for the possibility of again in our age encountering God in texts. Analysing the communicative dynamics of icons from the Reformed strand of Protestant Christianity, a tradition which exhibits a stronger inclination to biblical hermeneutics than to icons as operative faith impulses, combines these two interpretative traditions as a service to the unfolding post-secular intellectual and societal climate unfolding internationally.

Trauma Theory and Theological Engagement: An Appraisal on Trends in Trauma Hermeneutics

Hassan Musa — 2025-05-20

Studies on trauma theory and its significance to biblical hermeneutics are largely unknown in Africa, especially in the West African context. But due to recent sad events of conflicts and violence, trauma is now being explored for possible engagement in biblical and practical theological scholarship. This essay is an appraisal on the crucial problem of trauma studies in an African context, from theological and pastoral perspectives. Certain issues have been highlighted as the background that leads to trauma studies in the history of the modern world and even in modern African contexts. The contribution that this essay provides is mainly in terms of introducing its readers to the possible meaning(s) of trauma, the various trends and types of trauma, as well as some of the useful materials and theological perspectives on engaging trauma theory. Thus if this study further generates more concern and interest in engaging the African human condition of trauma from more rigorous/critical theological, psychological and pastoral perspectives, with the possible aim of overcoming it, toward a state of good healing and the restoration of human dignity, then the aim of this essay will have been achieved.