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Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches
Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613458858508288 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Janse van Rensburg, Antionette |
| author_browse | Janse van Rensburg, Antionette |
| author_facet | Janse van Rensburg, Antionette |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107387 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:28.597Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107387 Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches Janse van Rensburg, Antionette crefloshaai@gmail.com Shaai, Creflo Lawrence Anselm of Canterbury Martin Luther Soteriology Satisfaction Theory of Atonement Sola Fide Contextual Theology African Theology South African Churches Ubuntu African Independent Churches (AICs) Theological Dialogue Comparative Theology Western Theological Influence Communal Restoration Recostruction Theology Literature Gap in African context Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2025. This study critically examined the applicability and reception of the Western soteriological doctrines of Anselm of Canterbury (Satisfaction Theory) and Martin Luther (Justification by faith alone) within South African rural and urban churches. Situated at the intersection of Historical, Systematic, Practical, and Contextual Theology, the research addresses a significant gap in scholarship. While Anselm's Cur Deus Homo and Luther's theses have been extensively studied within Western traditions, their reception, adaptation, and impact in the heterogeneous socioeconomic and cultural landscapes of South African congregations remain severely underexplored. The research was motivated by the identified tension between these historically influential models—which emphasise legal atonement and forensic justification—and African theological frameworks that conceptualise salvation in holistic, communal, and tangible terms. Employing a qualitative literature-based methodology, this study conducted a comparative analysis of primary texts by Anselm and Luther, as well as secondary sources from prominent African theologians like John Mbiti, Kwame Bediako, and Tinyiko Maluleke. The findings reveal a significant theological disconnect, rooted in divergent conceptions of the human problem (individual guilt vs. communal brokenness) and the solution (forensic imputation vs. participatory restoration). However, the study also concludes that the core principles of sola gratia (grace alone) and Christ's final satisfaction provide indispensable theological safeguards. This dissertation argues that the relevance of Western Soteriology in South Africa is conditional upon its critical contextualisation. It ultimately contributes to modern ecclesiology by proposing that a constructive dialogue between these frameworks and African perspectives is essential for developing a Soteriology that is both theologically robust and meaningfully addresses the spiritual and existential realities of African Christians, thereby bridging the gap between formal doctrine and lived experience. Biblical and Religious Studies MTh (Church History and Church Policy) Unrestricted Faculty of Theology and Religion SDG-04: Quality education 2026-01-16T13:49:28Z 2026-01-16T13:49:28Z 2026 2025 Dissertation * A2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107387 Disclaimer Letter en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Anselm of Canterbury Martin Luther Soteriology Satisfaction Theory of Atonement Sola Fide Contextual Theology African Theology South African Churches Ubuntu African Independent Churches (AICs) Theological Dialogue Comparative Theology Western Theological Influence Communal Restoration Recostruction Theology Literature Gap in African context Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title | Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title_full | Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title_fullStr | Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title_short | Revisiting Martin Luther and Anselm of Canterbury’s Soteriology: its impact on South African rural and urban churches |
| title_sort | revisiting martin luther and anselm of canterbury s soteriology its impact on south african rural and urban churches |
| topic | Anselm of Canterbury Martin Luther Soteriology Satisfaction Theory of Atonement Sola Fide Contextual Theology African Theology South African Churches Ubuntu African Independent Churches (AICs) Theological Dialogue Comparative Theology Western Theological Influence Communal Restoration Recostruction Theology Literature Gap in African context |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107387 |