Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614028479594496 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Hutten, Kara |
| author2 | Claassens, L. Juliana M., d 1972- |
| author_browse | Claassens, L. Juliana M., d 1972- Hutten, Kara |
| author_facet | Claassens, L. Juliana M., d 1972- Hutten, Kara |
| author_sort | Hutten, Kara |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132472 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:31.220Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132472 Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church Hutten, Kara Claassens, L. Juliana M., d 1972- Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament. Emigration and immigration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Church work with immigrants Forced migration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity UCTD Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Hutten, K. 2025. Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a Lens of Trauma and Migration in the Context of the Dutch Reformed Church. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/bbee36e2-a8d9-4984-ab88-3d1e0f1d0edf ENGLISH SUMMARY: Migration is a primary axis of human existence, and people have been moving across the globe throughout history. For many, migrating is a choice, but others are forced to flee their homes due to life-threatening circumstances. Forced migration produces many distressing experiences, leaving refugees and migrants traumatised, but it also impacts the receiving community. Therefore, this study focuses on the forced aspect of migration and the associated trauma through a migration theology lens. The prophetic tradition of the Old Testament offers much insight into migration in the ancient world, showing that the experiences then do not differ much from what people in migration experience today. The book of Ezekiel is such a book and shows the journey of a prophet and a community who have experienced war, destruction, and exile and now have found hope in their time of suffering. The texts of Ezekiel 4 and Ezekiel 37:1-11 show how the prophet Ezekiel navigates his trauma and finds hope in the midst of it. Ezekiel 4 focuses on the experience of destruction, and the victims of trauma often blame themselves, which alters their understanding of identity. Thus, the prophet Ezekiel tries to make sense of the exilic community’s circumstances. Ezekiel 37, on the other hand, offers a scenario of hope amid the exilic community’s suffering, with the dry bones rising out of the ashes. These texts show that the book of Ezekiel is both disaster and survival literature. It depicts the suffering and trauma of war and migration. However, it also depicts a prophet who guides the community toward survival and optimism for the future. Migration differs depending on the context; therefore, this study concentrates on the South African context and how local communities respond to the challenge of refugees. Many people come to South Africa in search of asylum after having experienced extremely traumatising events in their own countries. However, South Africa is currently not responding compassionately but is instead leaning towards xenophobia. The Dutch Reformed Church has an important role to play by responding to the refugee dilemma and speaking up against the injustice refugees experience. This study investigates the role the DRC leadership and individual congregations should play in the lives of refugees. By understanding the challenges refugees and the receiving communities face, this study suggests ways for the Church to position itself in the current situation AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menslike bestaan is oor die jare heen deur migrasie beinvloed en regdeur die geskiedenis reis mense oral oor wêreld. Vir baie mense is migrasie 'n keuse, maar ander word gedwing om hul tuistes te verlaat as gevolg van lewensbedreigende omstandighede. Gedwonge migrasie veroorsaak baie ontstellende ervarings, wat vlugtelinge en migrante getraumatiseerd laat. Dit het ook 'n impak op die gemeenskap wat die vlugtelinge en migrante ontvang. Daarom fokus hierdie studie op die gedwonge aspek van migrasie en die trauma wat daarmee gepaard gaan deur 'n lens van migrasieteologie. Die profetiese tradisie van die Ou Testament bied goeie insig oor migrasie gedurende die antieke tye en toon dat die ervarings van die antieke wereld nie veel verskil van wat mense vandag tydens migrasie beleef nie. Die boek Esegiel verskaf insig oor die reis van 'n profeet en 'n gemeenskap wat oorlog, vernietiging en ballingskap ervaar het. Deur die trauma wat hulle ervaar, vind hulle tog ook hoop. Die tekste van Esegiel 4 en Esegiel 37:1-14 wys hoe die profeet Esegiel sy trauma oorkom en te midde daarvan, hoop vind. Esegiel 4 fokus op die ervaring van vernietiging en trauma tydens ballingskap. Slagoffers van trauma blameer dikwels hulself, wat hul begrip van identiteit verander. Daarom probeer die profeet Esegiel sin maak van die omstandighede van die gemeenskap. Esegiel 37 skets ‘n prentjie van hoop tydens die lyding gedurende hulle ballingskap, en vergelykbaar is met die visioen, van droe bene wat uit die as uit opstaan. Hierdie tekste wys dat die boek van Esegiel beide ramp en oorlewing as temas het. Dit beeld die lyding en trauma van oorlog en migrasie uit, maar wys ook hoe Esegiel die gemeenskap lei na oorlewing en hoop vir die toekoms. Migrasie verskil tussen kontekste en die fokus van hierdie studie is op die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks en wat die plaaslike samelewing se reaksie is op die uitdaging van vlugtelinge. Baie mense kom na Suid-Afrika opsoek na asiel nadat hulle uit hul tuislande moes vlug. Suid-Afrika reageer egter met xenofobie eerder as met liefde en deernis. Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk het 'n belangrike rol om te speel deur op die vlugteling uitdaging te reageer en teen die onreg wat vlugtelinge ervaar, op te staan. Hierdie studie ondersoek daarom die rol wat die NG Kerk se leierskap en individuele gemeentes moet speel in die lewens van vlugtelinge. Hierdie studie stel wyses voor waarop die Kerk haarself kan posisioneer om die huidige uitdaging van vlugtelinge in Suid-Afrika beter te kan hanteer. Masters 2025-06-09T11:51:32Z 2025-06-09T11:51:32Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132472 Stellenbosch University iv, 108 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Emigration and immigration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Church work with immigrants Forced migration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity UCTD Hutten, Kara Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title | Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title_full | Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title_fullStr | Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title_short | Reading Ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the Dutch Reformed Church |
| title_sort | reading ezekiel 4 and 37 through a lens of trauma and migration in the context of the dutch reformed church |
| topic | Emigration and immigration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Church work with immigrants Forced migration -- Religious aspects -- Christianity UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132472 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT huttenkara readingezekiel4and37throughalensoftraumaandmigrationinthecontextofthedutchreformedchurch |