EDITORIAL

Editorial

In this 2021 edition of the Stellenbosch Theological Journal (STJ) we are proud to present 52 academic articles and one review article (the latter by Ernst Conradie on David Tracy's recent two volumes of collected essays). All these articles undergone a rigorous peer review process. In addition, six book reviews and one interview are included.

Readers will also notice some important changes to STJ over the last year or two. We have updated our website (see www.stj.ac.za) and have also moved over to a rolling press system, which resulted in the fact that articles are no longer published in the usual separate July and December editions but continuously throughout the year.

Another important change this year is that a partnership between STJ and the Society of Practical Theology in South Africa (SPTSA) was formalised and operationalised. This means that articles from this society is published as STJ Volume 7 (2) (Practical Theology Section). Prof. Anita Cloete is the managing editor for this section, and we also welcome in this regard Dr. Khamadi Joseph Pali to the editorial board and professors Pamela Couture, Yolanda Dreyer, Marcel Barnard, Simangaliso Kumalo and Marilyn Naidoo to the editorial advisory board. Nine articles are published in the first STJ volume of the practical theology section. Included is one of the keynote addresses from their annual conference (that had as its conference theme "Discerning the Times? Doing Practical Theology in a Post-Pandemic World"). This article by Joerg Rieger from Vanderbilt University, focuses on the role of work, more specifically essential work as an aspect of ultimate concern.

Other practical theological themes addressed in this section include ritual, worship, pastoral care and divorce, the mission of the church, and youth ministry and ecology. You can also read book review of the Stellenbosch practical theologian Ian Nell's Together in God's Theatre: Practical Theology in an African Context (by Shaun Joynt) in this section.

STJ Volume 7 (1) (the general section) contains 44 peer reviewed articles, of which 11 were presented at the annual conference of the Theological Society of South Africa (TSSA), held online at the end of June 2021. The theme of the conference was "The Decolonial Turn and Reconstructing the History of Systematic Theology in South Africa" and the various articles published here (by Balcomb, Conradie, Delport, Havenga, Ibeanacho, Kure, Masvotore, Ullrich, Van der Riet & Van Wyngaard, and Wessels) provide in-depth engagements with the theme.

The rest of the articles in the general section cover a wide array of theological disciplines and topics. Many of these articles engage African sources and concerns, with the aim of speaking to African contexts. We can also highlight the article "On Politics of Friendship" by Dirkie Smit, a paper that was first presented at an event honouring the South African Reformed and public theologian Nico Koopman on the occasion of his 60^th birthday.

Next to 5 book reviews, the general section also features - under the section "Discourse" - an interview with the influential South African Lutheran theologian Klaus Nürnberger. A special word of thanks to Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange (a theological student from Stellenbosch) for initiating, conducting, and editing this insightful interview.

We also welcome from the beginning of 2021 Dr Marnus Havenga as the managing editor of the general section of STJ, an appointment that enables me to act as general editor of the journal. It is also fitting that we thank in particular all the reviewers for their time and commitment, assuring in the process the publication of high-quality research outputs.

Prof Robert Vosloo

General Editor: Stellenbosch Theological Journal

Redaksionele Voorwoord

Dit is ons voorreg om in die 2021-uitgawe van die Stellenbosch Teologiese Joernaal (STJ) 52 artikels en een resensie-artikel aan te bied (laasgenoemde deur Ernst Conradie oor David Tracy se onlangse versamelde opstelle wat in twee volumes verskyn het). Al hierdie artikels is aan streng portuur-evaluering onderwerp. Naas hierdie artikels, is ook 6 boekresensies en een onderhoud in hierdie uitgawe te vind.

Lesers sal ook 'n aantal belangrike veranderings die laaste paar jaar by STJ kan oplet. Ons het byvoorbeeld ons webwerf aangepas (kyk gerus na www. stj.ac.za). n Fundamentele verandering is dat ons wegbeweeg het van twee uitgawes per jaar (in Julie en Desember onderskeidelik) na 'n stelsel waar artikels gedurende die jaar deurlopend gepubliseer word.

Nog 'n belangrike verwikkeling hierdie jaar is dat die vennootskap tussen STJ en die Society of Practical Theology in South Africa (SPTSA) geformaliseer en in werking gestel is. Dit beteken dat artikels van dié vereniging as STJ, Volume 7, Nommer 2 (Practical Theology Section) verskyn. Prof Anita Cloete is die besturende redakteur van hierdie afdeling en ons verwelkom ook in hierdie verband vir Dr Khamadi Joseph Pali as deel van die redaksie en vir professore Pamela Couture, Yolanda Dreyer, Marcel Barnard, Simangaliso Kumalo en Marilyn Naidoo as deel van die advieskomitee. Ons eerste STJ uitgawe van die Praktiese Teologie-afdeling, Volume 7 (2) bevat 9 artikels, waaronder een van die hoofreferate van hul jaarlikse kongres (met as konferensietema "Discerning the Times? Doing Practical Theology in a Post-Pandemic World). Hierdie artikel deur Joerg Rieger van die Vanderbilt Universiteit, fokus op die rol van werk en meer spesifiek wesentlike werk as 'n aspek van ons diepste belang en besorgdheid ("ultimate concern"). Ander prakties-teologiese temas soos rituele, aanbidding, pastorale sorg en egskeiding, asook jeugbediening en die omgewing word in die ander artikels aan die orde gestel. 'n Boekresensie van die Stellenbosse praktiese teoloog Ian Nell se Together in God's Theatre: Practical Theology in an African Context (deur Shaun Joynt) vorm deel van hierdie afdeling.

STJ Volume 7 (1) (die algemene afdeling) bevat 44 portuur-geëvalueerde artikels, waarvan 11 artikels by die jaarlikse kongres van die Theological Society of South Africa (TSSA) gelewer is, 'n konferensie wat einde Julie 2021 aanlyn plaasgevind het. Die tema van die konferensie was "The Decolonial Turn and Reconstructing the History of Systematic Theology in South Africa" en die artikels wat hier ingesluit is (deur Balcomb, Conradie, Delport, Havenga, Ibeanacho, Kure, Masvotore, Ullrich, Van der Riet & Van Wyngaard, en Wessels), is tekenend van 'n diepgaande bemoeienis met hierdie tema.

Die res van die artikels in die algemene afdeling dek 'n wye verskeidenheid van teologiese dissiplines en onderwerpe. Heelwat van hierdie artikels tree in gesprek met bronne en belange wat met die kontekste van Afrika geassosieer kan word en poog om tot hierdie kontekste te spreek. Ons sou ook in hierdie afdeling die artikel "On Politics of Friendship" deur Dirkie Smit kon belig, 'n voordrag wat die eerste keer aangebied is by 'n geleentheid wat die Suid-Afrikaanse gereformeerde en publieke teoloog Nico Koopman op sy 60ste verjaarsdag gehuldig het.

Naas nog 5 resensies bevat die algemene afdeling - onder die hofie "Diskoers" - 'n onderhoud met die invloedryke Suid-Afrikaanse Lutheraanse teoloog Klaus Nürnberger. 'n Spesiale woord van dank aan Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange ('n teologie-student van Stellenbosch) wat dié insiggewende onderhoud geïnisieer, gevoer en geredigeer het.

Ons verwelkom vanjaar vir Dr Marnus Havenga wat sedert die begin van 2021 as besturende redakteur van die algemene afdeling van STJ werksaam is. Dit beteken dat ek dan nou die rol van hoofredakteur vervul. Dit is verder gepas dat ons in besonder vir die keurders van hierdie uitgawe se artikels bedank vir hul tyd en onbaatsugtige toewyding. Hiersonder sou navorsingsuitsette van 'n hoë akademiese kwaliteit nie kon verskyn nie.

Robert Vosloo

Hoofredakteur: STJ