Abstracts numero 1999/3

Articles varia

  • - Un regard sur la « justice » dans l’Ancien Testament
  • In the present rwandese context, it is extremely difficult to speak about « justice ». A detour through a consideration of the meaning of the word sèdèq ou sedâqâh (justice) in the Old Testament, in particular in relation to the action of God, opens a new perspective. This justice indeed, without denying the reality of the offence, exceeds infinitely the level of retribution : it aims at a reintegration of the rejected and the recovering of the dignity of both the victim and the guilty. Inspired by this dynamism, could not the rwandese churches contribute to break the circle of violence ?

  • - Jésus aux prises avec la violence dans l’Évangile de Matthieu
  • This article attempts to interpret Jesus’ words concerning violence (Mt 11/12) within the narrative context of the first Gospel. E. Cuvillier shows first of all that the historical destiny of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is preceded and accompanied by violence. Jesus responds to the violence of humanity by appealing to the God of violent retribution. However, the death of Jesus, interpreted by Matthew in apocalyptic categories, presents itself as a possible way out of this logic of violence. Consequently, it changes our vision of God. Situated by Matthew at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Sermon on the Mount anounces this new understanding of God.

  • - Heinrich Bullinger, l’Apocalypse et les anglais
  • The sixteenth-century English Protestant tradition has a stronger interest in the Apocalypse than Swiss Protestantism had. The arrival of English Protestant exiles in Zurich in 1554 was probably a significant factor in Bullinger’s decision in that year to prepare a major course of sermons on the Apocalypse, which he preached in 1555-1556, and published in 1557. The popularity and influence of this work among the English is evidenced not only by the English translation of it and by comments of prominent English churchmen, but also by the fact that the annotations on  the Apocalypse in the Geneva Bible of 1560 were largely drawn from Bullinger’s commentary. This is demonstrated by comparing the annotations of three sample chapters of the Apocalypse with Bullinger’s comments.

  • - Évangile, transmission et signifiant
  • The christian affirmation of the incarnation leads us to envision a God who radically binds himself to the human condition and, thus, to the structure of language. J.-D. Causse considers the inscription of the Word in human language on the basis of the « signifiant ». He demonstrates that the proclamation of the Easter event is based on this same logic incarnation and must take it into account for the transmission of the Gospel.

  • - La formation pastorale à l’écoute et à la communication, ou petite « histoire de vie » du Clinical Pastoral Training
  • Since 1925, Pastoral Care and Counselling has been influenced by the movement of Clinical Pastoral Training. C. H. Vallotton presents some topics in the history of this movement and compare it with the development of a person. It is characterized by learning to read the living human documents (Anton Boisen). From this experience, several American theologians describe Pastoral Care and Counselling as a process of healing, sustaining, guiding, reconciling and nurturing.

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