Hennie J.C. Pieterse’s research while affiliated with University of Pretoria and other places

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Publications (25)


Oorsigartikel – F. Gerrit Immink se prakties–teologiese studie van die geloofspraktyk: Liturgiese vernuwing in die Protestantse tradisie
  • Article
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November 2017

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46 Reads

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

Hendrik (Hennie) J.C. Pieterse

This contribution is a review article on the three most important books by F. Gerrit Immink in practical theology. His approach to this discipline is studying faith praxis of the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (Protestant Church in the Netherlands) which is a church in the Reformed tradition. In his first book he explained his approach to practical theology in a discussion with the action theory and hermeneutical-communucative approaches. His choice for the study of faith praxis opens the way for a more theological approach to him in which communication between God and people is an important aspect. His second book forms the central part of this article. He uses the concept performance in the liturgy which is adopted from the theater world. In the performance by means of the execution of the liturgy by the congregation (preacher, organ, music, singing, praying) they all get involved in the message from the Bible of that Sunday, they are touched by it, it has an effect on them, and they get a new perspective on the problems of everyday life. This is possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. The epiclese prayers in the liturgy are prayers for the enlightening and work by the Spirit. He discusses singing, praying, preaching, baptism and Holy Communion in detail. The main idea is that the performance in the liturgy does something to you, it has an effect on you, something happens to you. To my mind there is no need to choose between the ritual approach and the approach he is putting on the table. The approaches can enrich each other.

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Scientific-theoretical research approach to practical theology in South Africa: A contemporary overview

August 2017

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1,749 Reads

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13 Citations

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

In this article, I present a critical literature study of the theoretical approach of practical theologians in South Africa to our discipline, in honour of Yolanda Dreyer on her 60th birthday. Some of my colleagues’ approaches at the universities of Stellenbosch, Free State, Pretoria, Unisa and NWU (Potchefstroom campus) are discussed. All of them work with practical theological hermeneutics. The basic hermeneutic approach of Daniël Louw is widened with an integrated approach by Richard R. Osmer in which practical theology as a hermeneutic discipline also includes the empirical aspect which the action theory approach has contributed to the discussion. After discussing Louw’s basic hermeneutic approach, all the other colleagues who basically accepted Osmer’s approach in their publications are discussed. Important and new ground is being broken by contemporary colleagues, including research in public practical theology, without neglecting the focus on Christian congregations, and new work is being done at the grass roots level of African issues in our country.


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Gesprek met God as die lewende Heer in gebed

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi



Religion in the public sphere and the well-being of the poor: A practical theological perspective

August 2014

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96 Reads

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3 Citations

Verbum et Ecclesia

This article forms part of my research participation at the University of South Africa in the project Religion, health and well-being in Southern Africa: Practical theological perspectives. All the themes we are addressing in this project are public issues. Therefore the basic question in this project pertains to where and how religion, in this case Christian religion, is involved in public discourses and actions regarding problems in public life in South Africa. The specific research question in this article is: what effects do congregational projects by church members, directed to the poor, have on their experience of well-being? Congregational projects by church members directed to the poor are public actions by people with religious motivation addressing a public problem in South Africa. Therefore, these projects and their effects on the experience of well-being by the poor are religious actions in the public sphere. Firstly, I have conceptualised religion as well as the well-being of the poor in South Africa. The relationship between religion and well-being amongst the poor is then addressed. The conceptualisation has directed the formulation of half-structured interview questions in a qualitative empirical research in a sample from a population of pastors and their congregations who are practicing congregational projects directed at the poor in their vicinities. From the analysis of the contents of the interview, data categories have been formulated, which could then be phrased into a conceptual framework of the effects of these projects on the well-being of the poor. This research is an exercise in public practical theological research.


Prophetic preaching in the contemporary context of South Africa

February 2013

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1,472 Reads

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11 Citations

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

In South Africa we have a great legacy of prophetic preaching with preachers such as Desmond Tutu. Since the new dispensation, however, we are confronted today with a new situation of injustice and exclusion: the massive poverty amongst about 50% of the population. This article discusses the conditions for prophetic preaching in the current context of South Africa, which are a clear understanding of the poverty situation and solidarity of the church with the poor, a good understanding of prophetic preaching as a specific type of preaching, as well as the support of the congregation, the churches and the ecumenical church for prophetic preaching. Met predikers soos Desmond Tutu het ons ’n goeie erfenis van profetiese prediking in Suid-Afrika. Sedert die nuwe bedeling word ons egter met ’n nuwe situasie van ongeregtigheid en uitsluiting gekonfronteer: die massiewe armoede van ongeveer 50% van die bevolking. Hierdie artikel bespreek die voorwaardes vir profetiese prediking in die huidige konteks van Suid-Afrika: ’n duidelike begrip van die armoedesituasie en solidariteit van die kerk met die armes, ’n goeie begrip van profetiese prediking as ’n spesifieke soort prediking, asook die ondersteuning van die gemeente, die kerk en die ekumeniese kerk vir profetiese prediking.



FIGURE 1: An emerging theory of preaching on Matthew 25:31-46 in the context of South Africa. 
Theoretical strengthening of the concept of appealing in analysed sermons on Matthew 25: 31-46 in the context of poverty in South Africa

February 2013

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344 Reads

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3 Citations

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

From a qualitative grounded theory analysis in a sample of 26 sermons with Matthew 25:3146 as sermon text, a rhetorical structure of how the preachers try to convince their listeners to care for the poor emerged. The homiletical concept of appealing related to all the categories borne out of the analysis of the inner world of the 26 sermons, and also to the categories showing this rhetorical structure in the sermons. The article discusses what the dimensions are in the concept of appealing borne out of the sermons in which the rhetorical structure was apparent, which rhetorical theory would fit as theoretical base for the concept of appealing in its relationship with the rhetorical structure in the sermons, and what dilemma the preachers face when they try to convince their listeners to participate in the care for the poor. The rhetorical theory of deliberative rhetoric (Aristotle) and the classical theory with the three dimensions logos, ethos and pathosis discussed in this article as theoretical thickening of the concept of appealing to the listeners of the sermons. This article attempts to demonstrate how to go about theorising from a grounded theory analysis of sermons with Matthew 25:31-46 as a sermon text with, as result, a theory that could help preachers in preaching from this text in the context of poverty in South Africa.


FIGUUR 2: Die invloed van 'n reformatoriese benadering op wetenskaplike ondersoek. 
Die noodsaak daarvan om metateoretiese vertrekpunte in 'n prakties-teologiese wetenskapsbeskouing en-beoefening te verreken

November 2012

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87 Reads

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6 Citations

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

Hierdie artikel is die vierde publikasie wat uit die navorsingsprojek Metateoretiese vertrekpunte in die praktiese teologie voortvloei. In die voorafgaande artikels is ’n saak uitgemaak vir die noodsaak daarvan om rekening te hou met die eie metateoretiese vertrekpunte rakende werklikheidsbeskouing en met kriteria waarvolgens die hermeneutiese proses wat in handelinge in die navorsingsveld van die praktiese teologie ter sprake kom, geïnterpreteer word. In hierdie artikel verskuif die fokus na die metateoretiese vertrekpunte wat in die navorser se wetenskapsbeskouing en -beoefening ter sprake kom. Die rol wat metateoretiese faktore speel in die manier waarop die wese en taak van die wetenskap gedefinieer word, kry aandag. ’n Poging word aangewend om ’n model te ontwerp waarin die teenwoordigheid en uitwerking van die navorser se metateoretiese vertrekpunte integraal verreken word in die proses van prakties-teologiese wetenskapsbeoefening. ’n Huidige navorsingsprojek, waarmee een van die medeskrywers van hierdie artikel besig is, word bespreek as voorbeeld van die impak wat metateoretiese vertrekpunte op die ontwerp van ’n studie kan hê. The necessity of taking account of meta-theoretical assumptions in the scientific approach and task envisaged for practical theology. This article is the fourth in the research project Meta-theoretical assumptions in practical theology. In the preceding articles, a case was made for the necessity of expressing the own meta-theoretical assumptions regarding the view on reality and the hermeneutical process involved in understanding the actions of faith in the research field of practical theology. In this article, the focus is on the meta-theoretical assumptions at play in the researchers’ vision for engaging the research field on a scientific level. The role that meta-theoretical factors play in defining the nature and task of scientific activity, is discussed. An attempt is made to develop a model that integrates the presence and effects of meta-theoretical assumptions in the researchers’ specific vision regarding the scientific task of practical theology. An example of an actual research project is given to illustrate the impact that meta-theoretical assumptions can have on the design of a scientific study.


The importance of reckoning with metatheoretical assumptions in preaching and scientific research in Homiletics

November 2012

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11 Reads

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

This article forms part of the second phase of the research project Metatheoretical assumptions in Practical Theology. The research problem has to do with the inability to reckon with shifts in underlying metatheoretical assumptions in the praxis of preaching as well as in embarking on scientific research in the field of homiletics. We focus on the influence of metatheoretical assumptions in the communicative dimension of worldview, hermeneutic notions regarding the communicative field at work in the homiletic process and theoretical notions underlying the researcher's approach in complying with the scientific task of homiletics in a responsible manner. The article culminates in a description of one of the researchers' interpretation of an example of his own recent research in prophetic preaching in a context of poverty when the underlying metatheoretical assumptions were explicitly reckoned with.


Citations (10)


... For this reason, Pieterse (2017) cautioned South African Practical Theologians to optimistically explore South Africa -Africa 3 collaborations because there are limited chances of success. This silence about practical theology in Africa is evident in several publications. ...

Reference:

Quest for African practical theology: lived religion, social transformation and public aspiration as organising centres
Scientific-theoretical research approach to practical theology in South Africa: A contemporary overview

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

... In die tweede artikel oor hierdie onderwerp (Müller & Pieterse 2010) is die reaksie van die kerk op hierdie dryfkragte uitgespel. Met die politieke hantering is 'n gelokaliseerde teologie met 'n kontekstuele inhoud geskep waarin politieke teologie 'n oorheersende rol speel. ...

Die kerklike stimulasie van eietydse transformasieprosesse, en die geleentheid wat dít aan nywerheidsbediening bied

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

... A process of inductive coding was used in order to identify the core themes recurring in these interviews. In this regard, the work of Pieterse (2010;2012;2013a;2013b) in homiletics and Wepener (2013; cf. also Wepener & Pieterse 2016) in liturgical studies guided the process. From the longer list of themes two main themes that emanated from the coding were chosen as the main themes. ...

A grounded theory approach to the analysis of sermons on poverty: Congregational projects as social capital

Verbum et Ecclesia

... Although diverse results have been obtained, these studies tend to indicate that religion is a predictive variable of the population's opinion on these issues; especially in cases where people say they attend an evangelical Protestant church or indicate they have fundamentalist religious positions. Additionally, other studies have suggested that people who affirm to have high religiosity tend to defend the participation of churches and religious groups in the discussion on public issues (Pieterse 2014;Walhof 2013). For example, Freeman and Houston (2018) examined United States public opinion on the role of religion in public policy debate using data from three General Social Surveys. ...

Religion in the public sphere and the well-being of the poor: A practical theological perspective

Verbum et Ecclesia

... .In 'n vorige artikel(De Klerk et al. 2012) in die navorsingsprojek is intensief oor die noodsaak daarvan gehandel om metateoretiese vertrekpunte in die prakties-teologiese wetenskapsbeskouing en -beoefening te verreken. ...

Die noodsaak daarvan om metateoretiese vertrekpunte in 'n prakties-teologiese wetenskapsbeskouing en-beoefening te verreken

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

... This preaching becomes a form of prophetic preaching that does not confine faith to a private, spiritual cause, but which also looks at and hears the context of the hearers and their environment. 48 It is a reminder that care for human dignity in the time of COVID-19 not only asks the preacher to be a pastor, but also a prophet. 49 However, prophetic preaching is more than just preaching to the context. ...

Prophetic preaching in the contemporary context of South Africa

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

... Public theology in Africa has attracted considerable attention and interest across the continent (Forster 2022a(Forster , 2022b. This growing interest stems from the recognition that theology possesses a public dimension capable of addressing the myriad challenges faced by a large segment of the African population (Dreyer 2004;Dreyer and Pieterse 2010;Koopman 2007;Magezi 2019b;Nanthambwe 2020). According to Koopman (2007), this public aspect of theology is crucial as it engages with societal issues and seeks to contribute to the common good. ...

Religion in the public sphere: What can public theology learn from Habermas’s latest work?

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

... Although Dienga (2011) starts off restricting the application of "the least" to the Disciples of Christ, his interest in identifying African migrants at risk of xenophobic violence in South Africa as 'strangers' made him transcend the initial narrow focus in favour of including all poor and needy people. Pieterse (2013), in his research of how Matthew 25:31-46 was being interpreted in the South African context of poverty, finds that all twenty-six ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church he studied, and who were from across the country, read "the least" as everyone caught in a situation of deprivation. Their task in preaching from this text was to mobilise the church on behalf of the marginalised, just as the ordinary readers also wished. ...

Theoretical strengthening of the concept of appealing in analysed sermons on Matthew 25: 31-46 in the context of poverty in South Africa

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

... I will refer here to only one fruitful avenue of exploration that Barnard et al. opened up for us: Worship in the context of poverty (Barnard et al., 2014:263-265). One would be hard-pressed to argue that if the celebration of liturgy, which includes preaching and liturgical research, could contribute to the alleviation of poverty (Pieterse, 2009) and the increased well-being of people, would not be a valid pursuit because the received wisdom is that liturgical rituals 'have no end and serve no purpose; they have no function and are not productive' (Barnard et al., 2014:245). ...

Prediking oor die koninkryk van God: ’n Uitdaging in ’n nuwe konteks van armoede

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies