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A life cultivated by righteousness: Calvin’s exposition of the eighth Commandment in teaching children
Full text linkThis article profiles Calvin’s elucidation of the eighth Commandment (‘You shall not steal’) in his catechetical works, thus linked to a setting determined by instruction and tuition of children. The 1537/8, the 1542/5 Catechisms as well as l’Institution puerile de la doctrine Chrestienne (1538-41) and La maniere d’interroguer les enfans (1551) are considered and related to his great pedagogical works the Institutes. In teaching children, Calvin keeps the theological framework, in which he deals with the Law in his Institutes, intact. The trajectories that he follows in his explication of the Commandment in the Institutes, also surface in his catechetical education. The emphasis shifts from the ‘fear and love of God’ (1536) to ‘God’s righteousness’ (injustice-justice) (1539) as a determining theological motive in the interpretation of the Commandment, and can also be traced in his catechetical work. Calvin, therefore, explains to children that our lives in Christ, in the righteousness of Christ, are shaped by what is prohibited and demanded by the Commandment. Because: The more clearly God’s Law reveals his righteousness, the more it unmasks our ingenuity and condemnation. And this is in his Christ. In Christ God’s countenance shines full of grace and kindness even toward poor and unworthy sinners. It is by faith that Christ is embraced and enjoyed only by believers, the children are assured, who receive Him, sent to them, who do not reject Him, given to them, who follow Him, who is calling them.
Opsomming
Hierdie artikel skets die uitleg van die agste gebod in die kategetiese werk van Calvyn, dit wil sê, hoe hy hierdie gebod (‘Jy mag nie steel nie’) binne ‘n konteks waarin kinders onderrig ontvang het, verduidelik het. Vir hierdie doeleindes is die 1537/8, die 1542/5 kategismusse asook l’Institution puerile de la doctrine Chrestienne (1538-41) enLa maniere d’interroguer les enfans (1551) oorweeg en in verband met sy groot pedagogiese werk, die Institusie, gebring. In die onderrig aan kinders hou Calvyn hom by die teologiese raamwerk waarin hy die wet in sy Institusies behandel. Die trajekte wat hy in sy verduideliking van die agste gebod volg, duik ook op in die kategetiese onderwys. Die klemverskuiwing van die ‘vrees en liefde vir God’ (1536) na die ‘geregtigheid van God’ (onreg/reg) (1539) as bepalende teologiese motief by die uitleg van die gebod, kan eweneens in sy kategetiese werk opgespoor word. Calvyn verduidelik dus vir kinders dat ons lewe in Christus, in die geregtigheid van Christus, gestalte kry in wat die gebod verbied en gebied. En die rede? Hoe helderder God se wet sy geregtigheid aan die lig bring, des te helderder ontmasker dit ons ongeregtigheid en verdoemenis. En, dit gebeur insy Christus. In Christus straal God se aangesig vol genade en ontferming uit tot selfs arme en onwaardige sondaars. Deur geloof word Christus omhels en geniet slegs deur gelowiges, verseker Calvyn die kinders, wat Hom, gestuur na hulle, ontvang, wat Hom, gegee vir hulle, nie verwerp nie, wat Hom, terwyl Hy hulle roep, volg.
https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.2.234
Die invloed van sondebesef op persoonlike ontwikkeling
Full text linkAbstractSin has always been associated with the Judeo-Christian religious belief system and represents that which is unholy and which diametrically opposes all that is holy. Although the focus is rather on a positive relationship with God, and notwithstanding the salvation in Christ, sin is a reality for Christians. The particularly strong influence of society on religion and religious practice and on the interpretation of what sin entails, as well as the implication for children who have received a Christian education, are explored. The narrative of a person\u27s experience of religion in her childhood and adolescent years is analysed phenomenologically. It is argued that accepting the permanent state of sin and the realisation by Christians of their automatic tendency to sin may inhibit self-efficacy and confidence, both of which are necessary for the development of the ego strength of self-competence in children. Although not generalisable, the narrative confirms the literature, namely that the respondent\u27s understanding of her innate and lifelong condition of sinfulness and her inability to act without sin have had a decisive influence on her identity and behaviour and have led to confusion regarding her role as a Christian and as a woman. Opsomming Sonde word altyd met die Judeo-Christelike geloofsiening verbind en verteenwoordig dit wat onheilig is en lynreg staan teenoor alles wat heilig is. Alhoewel die fokus eerder op ?n positiewe verhouding met God is en nieteenstaande die redding in Christus, bly sonde ?n werklikheid vir Christene. Die besondere sterk invloed wat die samelewing op godsdiensontwikkeling en -praktyk het en op die interpretasie van wat sonde behels, asook die implikasie wat dit vir kinders wat ?n Christelike opvoeding ontvang het, word ondersoek. Die narratief van een persoon se ervaring van godsdiens in haar kinder- en adolessente jare word fenomenologies ontleed. Daar word geredeneer dat aanvaarding van die permanente toestand van sonde en die besef by Christene dat hulle outomaties tot sonde geneig is, onder meer self-effektiwiteit en selfvertroue wat nodig is vir die ontwikkeling van die egosterkte van bevoegdheid by kinders, kan inhibeer. Alhoewel nie veralgemeenbaar nie, bevestig die narratief die literatuur, naamlik dat die respondent se begrip van haar ingebore en lewenslange toestand van sondigheid en haar onbekwaamheid om enigiets goed vanuit haarself te doen, onder meer, ?n bepalende invloed op haar identiteitsvorming en gedrag gehad het en uiteindelik tot verwarring betreffende haar rol as Christen en as vrou gelei het.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.229
Rethinking the Technology Platform through Equitable Quality Curriculum for Empowering the Marginalised Women in Education
Full text linkThis study was carried out to explore the impact of understanding the technology platform through equitable education. The technology space; through quality education; is a tool which empowers the marginalised women, with employable skills for better representation in higher education curriculum. A mixed method approach was employed in the study. A sample of three universities was drawn from a population of eight registered State universities in Cameroon. The following research instruments were used as a means to collect data; interviews, questionnaire and document analysis. The data collected was presented and analyzed using, percentages, frequencies, the Pearson Moment Correlation and the Chi-Square (X2) statistical test of independence. It became evident from the findings that the operations of women who did not understand the technology platform left much to be desired because they lacked employable skills. Moreover, they did not significantly impact on the growth of Cameroonian economy due to the numerous operational challenges faced by them over the years. Furthermore, it was also observed that a weak positive relationship existed between public policy support and women entrepreneurs in the country. This implies that, government initiatives and other support services have not assisted them surmount the inhibiting operational challenges. In order to help the unskilled women overcome their operational hardships, it is strongly recommended that among others, the following issues should be in place; relationship between understanding the technological space and female employability skills, capacity building initiatives on equitable quality education for all, provision of effective and realistic support services for marginalised women, promoting of gender neutral environment in all policy measures to help empowered women impact significantly on Cameroonian economic growth and stability.
https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.3.2326
 
Kuyperania in 2016
Full text linkThis article looks at new works published in 2016 by, on, or about Abraham Kuyper.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.228
Op die spore van filosofiese onderwys op Potchefstroom honderd jaar gelede
Full text linkAbstract: Tracing philosophical education at Potchefstroom a century agoIt is to be regretted that the history of education in Philosophy at other universities, like the Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (established in 1880) has been documented in several publications, while very little is known about who taught and what was taught in Philosophy during the early days of the later to be known Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (established already in 1869).The introduction indicates that also about the teaching of this subject in general in South Africa not much has been documented. Nevertheless, from the start philosophy was regarded as an important part of the academic curriculum for the training of future ministers and teachers of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. From about the second decade of the twentieth century, two types of Christian Philosophy emerged more clearly. Prof. Ferdinand Postma (1879-1950) taught in the line of the logos-philosophy of his Dutch mentor, Jan Woltjer (1849-1917), but no traces of this tradition was left after Postma. Prof. Sietse Los (1871-1944) followed the Herman Bavinck-line, the influence of which was still discernable in the philosophy of H.G. Stoker (1899-1993). This investigation focuses on the philosophical tradition represented by Los a century ago.This reconnaissance consists of the following four main parts. Firstly, it investigates the historical background of Reformed theology, especially as it was represented by A. Kuyper and H. Bavinck, the mentors of Los. This is secondly, followed by some biographical notes on Los.The third, main section, is devoted to an analysis of Los’s philosophical anthropology from seven of his books published in South Africa and the Netherlands between 1904 and 1944. His view of being human boils down to a Christian-biblicist reinterpretation of preceding Aristotelinising and Platonising ideas about the human being. He supported Aristotle’s and his subsequent followers’ in the Christian tradition in their dichotomist view of soul and body as two separate substances. But he combined their anthropology with Plato’s and his Christian followers’ view that the human soul itself should be divided into three functions (a trichotomy) of intellect, will, and emotion.The fourth section concludes with an evaluation of some weak as well as positive points in Los’s contribution to philosophical education at Potchefstroom during the early days of the previous century.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.228
Transformational Learning Through Teacher Collaboration: a Case Study
Full text linkThis article, which developed from previous studies at the school, reports on a qualitative study aimed at investigating the professional learning experiences of staff members at a South African primary school. Transformational learning and the adult learning theory underpinned the study. Data were collected by means of an open-ended questionnaire administered to teachers of the mathematics department, a focus group interview with these teachers and individual interviews with the principal. Participants indicated that teacher collaboration enhanced their professional learning in the various horizontal and vertical structured teams at the school. They emphasised the importance of effective communication, trust and respect in their interpersonal relationships. Although participants acknowledged differences in their personalities and professional approaches, they regarded them as beneficial and complementary for their learning. The study showed that transformational learning was contextualised and therefore suggested that more research should be carried out to explore the contextual factors that promote sharing of knowledge and skills among teachers at other schools.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.222
Exploring the Risk Behaviour of Learners in a South African Private Christian Secondary School
Full text linkAdolescent learners often express independence with risky health behaviour such as poor eating habits, smoking and consuming alcohol. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether a school with an ethos of strict discipline and religious education has an impact on the prevention of risky health behaviour. A health risk behaviour questionnaire was distributed amongst all learners in a private Christian secondary school in order to measure behaviour and attitudes towards eating habits, alcohol and drug intake, exercise, sexual activity, smoking and attitude towards Christian values. A sample of 117 responses from all grades was obtained.The results indicated that these learners were more conservative than learners in other studies. Most had healthy eating habits; 92.3% consumed dairy products, 64.1% consumed more than two fruits and 81.2% more than two vegetables per day. More than 78% exercised regularly. Only 10.2% consumed alcohol, 3.4% smoked and 5.2% used recreational drugs. Of all learners 93.2% believed that their Christian values have an influence on their lifestyle. As it seems that the strict Christian education of these learners lead to less risky health behaviour, ways in which to promote this school’s strategies to other schools, could be investigated.
https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.226
Neoliberalism and education: A reformational-pedagogical perspective (part 2)
Full text linkAbstractThis is the second part of an article that forms a link in a series of studies and publications from the pens (computers) of reformational educationists regarding the so-called –isms deemed to be threats to the Christian (Biblical) orientation to education (including teaching and learning). In the first part, an overview was given of how reformational educationists have so far attended to the various “-isms” that they perceived as threats or challenges to Christian education. This was followed by an attempt to define the concept “neoliberalism” and to indicate what it means in general and, in particular, for education. The first part of the article has paved the way for what follows here: a critical analysis of neoliberalism as a recognisable “philosophy of education” and of its transcendental preconditions.OpsommingDie neoliberalisme en opvoeding en onderwys: ‘n reformatories-pedagogiese perspektief (deel 2)Hierdie is die tweede deel van ‘n artikel wat ‘n skakel vorm in ‘n reeks artikels en publikasies uit die penne (rekenaars) van reformatoriese opvoedkundiges oor die sogenaamde –ismes wat hulle geag het bedreiginge te wees vir die Christelike (Bybelse) benadering tot opvoeding (insluitend onderrig en leer). In die eerste deel van die artikel is ‘n oorsig gegee van hoe die reformatoriese opvoedkundiges dusver aandag geskenk het aan die “-ismes” wat hulle gemeen het sodanige gevare vir die Chrsitelike opvoeding inhou, of uitdagings daaraan rig. Dit is opgevolg deur ‘n poging om die begrip “neoliberalisme” te omskryf en aan te dui wat dit in die algemeen beteken, dog ook in die besonder vir opvoeding en onderwys. Die eerste deel van die artikel het die weg voorberei vir wat nou hier aangepak word, naamlik om ‘n kritiese ontleding aan te bied van neoliberalisme as ‘n herkenbare “opvoedingsfilosofie” en van die transendentale voorwaardes daarvan.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.230
Unemployment and the gift in the South African context: Towards an economics of recognition and humility
Full text linkUnemployment is a serious problem in South Africa that is probably being exacerbated by the destabilising tension between neo-liberal and Marxist perspectives (and in some cases neo-Marxist perspectives) that is being used to address this situation. This tension is based on reductions that may arise from the embedded ontologies that inform these economic philosophies and limit dialogue because of the binary nature of these ontological reductions. The purpose of this study is to enquire whether deconstruction and specifically Jacques Derrida’s view of the gift can provide an alternative for the destructive tension between neo-liberal and Marxist perspectives. In this regard it will be argued that the impossibility of the gift, according to Derrida, provides the basis for hospitable narcissism - an economics of recognition and humility. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.1.232