Abstracts Category : Other

Christian ethical implications of the presence of the Kingdom as God's performative action in the light of speech act theory

by Anna Cho

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis engages some Christian ethical implications of the presence of the kingdom as Gods performative action by reconsidering the role of the linguistic character of the biblical text from the perspective of the Speech Act Theory (SAT). In SAT, Christian ethics is not to be viewed simply as relating to the norms of human behaviour or moral principles that are extrapolated from the Biblical text. Rather, the performance of ethics in SAT must be considered from the perspective of Gods performative action and intent (Gods self-involving activity by illocutionary force). In particular, this points to Gods speech act in daily Christian living. In other words, it is not only aimed at reconstructing the content, or meaning of the ethics of the kingdom in Scripture, but also aims at reconstructing the Christian life as the performance of the ethics of the kingdom by Gods performative action. These ethical implications result from Gods illocutionary action which creates the perlocutionary effect or action which is the perlocutionary ethical response (PER) in the believer. Namely, it constitutes what some would consider the norms of Christian living or Christian ethics. The PER is a perlocutionary action in Christian life, which is based upon the intention of Gods illocutionary force in the Bible, creates a specific responsibility for the contemporary Christian. She or he, is to live and act in accordance with the Word of God. By this, it is not only meant the words of scripture, or the communicative content of the Bible, but also the illocutionary effect in the Words and their communicative intent.The living Triune God is still communicating through Scripture. This communication is not only the relaying of past events or narratives. Rather it is communication in the present to fulfil Gods will and Gods kingdom among humanity and all creation. In SAT, the work of the Triune God, in terms of Gods total speech act F(p) in the Bible, can be seen as the ethical identity of the moral agent through Gods locutionary action. The ethical purpose of the rules of behaviour in Jesuss illocutionary action as well as the ethical responsibility from the effect of the Holy Spirits perlocutionary action in communication are also important and need to be considered in Biblical ethics. In other words, in Scripture, the self-involving character of the speech act involves Gods deeper performative action. This produces additional meaning in the text for the contemporary reader/hearer in accordance with the illocutionary point that is constitutive of the person of faith (e.g., specific moral conduct within a social community). Thus, Gods self as a self-communicative act, continuously addresses Gods people through Scripture, and God (the speaker) reveals Gods self through Jesus (the Word) to those are illuminated by the Holy Spirit (reception). In this regard, the Holy Spirit participates in Gods self-involving activity in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit initiates a change in the attitudes andAdvisors/Committee Members: Forster, Dion, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology..