Tristán Kapp

University of Pretoria | UP · Department of Religion Studies

MDiv. thesis - Since the 11th century the Christian church has enjoyed a monopoly over sexuality, resulting in the propagation of a repressed narrative, forcing sexuality under an umbrella of taboos and thus not contributing to a contemporary society in dire need of sexual and spiritual guidance. This study thus proposes spirituality as anthropocen...

In the 21st century West, as an ever evolving (changing) society, we are continuously experiencing a growth in secularity (Beyers 2014:1), which surmounts to a gradual decline in public belief and religious practices (Yazid, et al. 2014:394). This phenomenon known as ‘secularisation’ brings to mind the infamous lamentation made by Nietzsche (1882),...

For centuries, the dominant Christian moral narrative has labelled Satan ‘the personification of all evil’ and subsequently those who thought differently and who’s ideas perhaps threatened the social reality of the church along with it; from the heretics of the 12th century, to the witches in the 16th century (Kroesenberg-Kamps 2020). In this study...

From the 14th century onwards (cf. Kapp 2020:6), spirituality and sexuality were considered both sensitive discourses (see Tukker 2013:1-7) as they involve parts of ourselves that are deeply personal and private, and due to continuous polarisation as well as the religious and dogmatic monopolisations about the nature, practice and origins thereof (...

Ecclesiastes or 'Qohelet' is perhaps one of the most remarkable texts from the Wisdom tradition in the Hebrew Bible, and the 4:1-3 pericope presents a small yet emphatic glimpse into the effects of suffering and injustice from individuals at the hands of those in powerful positions. In this study, I propose to use Qohelet as a liberal theological p...

Near the end of Apartheid in South Africa, specifically the decade between the1980's to the mid 1990's, white citizens were gripped by a collective moral panic. It emerged from a perceived evil threat allegedly posed by Satanism and the Occult and taking the form of wealthy, blood thirsty and well-organised global hierarchies and/or cults, whose ma...

From Slipknot to 'Devilsdorp', South Africa has continually shown a rather difficult relationship with religious superstition pertaining to perceived evil, feeding their fear of 'the other' (see Kroesbergen 2014:155-159). Especially seeing as though, according to Scroope (2019) approximately 84.2% of the South African population, which is 60.14 mil...

Since the emergence of Albert Bandura's (1971) social/observational learning theory, it comes as no surprise that film plays an important role in helping condition our societal perceptions; influencing our narratives about not only our lived religion, but also that of broader society. Film thus allows us to subconsciously learn new information thro...

Since the emergence of Albert Bandura's (1971) social/observational learning theory, it comes as no surprise that film plays an important role in helping condition our societal perceptions; influencing our narratives about not only our lived religion, but also that of broader society. Film thus allows us to subconsciously learn new information thro...

Throughout the ages, religious belief systems originated with-and then moved from-a worship of natural phenomena (animism), to a belief in a pantheon of gods (polytheism) who control various aspects of nature to a single, anthropomorphic god (monotheism) considered omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, which after the Aufklärung or Enlightenment-...

I remember going to church as a young boy, attending Sunday school just like every other kid my age, growing up in a reformed Christian home. Every Sunday, I would attend Sunday school and colour in pictures of Abraham, Moses, Joshua and other famous Biblical characters. And in doing such, going to church religiously as a child, these characters in...

The book of Revelations ascribes some unique eschatological symbols and elements to Jesus, much different and much more verbose than the Gospels or Paul, and perhaps therefore it has been so neglected. Because many people perceive it as taboo to interpret (Kim 2003:132). In this paper, I will discuss the Christology of Jesus as found in Revelations...

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) marked a major shift in South African politics, after the many human rights abuses that occurred during Apartheid. The TRC was proposed to be a vehicle for restorative justice, and many have acclaimed its success and its failures. In this paper, I aim to explore the TRC and the lessons that the church c...

(BDiv) Bachelor of Divinity, Independent Research paper: Deconstructing the Biblical ethics concerning premarital sex and the relevance of these ethics for contemporary society.