Abstract:
In the article related terms are deconstructively compared with each other, such as oikodomē
(encouragement), dioikēsis theia (divine administration) and oikoumenē (inhabited world).
The article aims to identify the positive roots of the term oikoumenē beyond the pejorative
referencing in the New Testament as ‘imperial power’. It demonstrates that the notion basileia
tou theou (kingdom of God) provides a key to discover the gift of love as the heart of ecodomy.
The article concludes with a critical discussion of forms of inauthentic love in order to outline
what kind of love is conveyed in Jesus’ kingdom ethics. The article consists of four sections:
(1) ‘When children rule the oikoumenē’, (2) ‘When power rules the oikoumenē’, (3) ‘When love
rules the oikoumenē’, and finally (4) ‘Différance’ – when love is not love.
Description:
This article represents
a theological reflection
on the Faculty Research
Theme (FRT) of the Faculty
of Theology, University of
Pretoria, entitled Ecodomy -
Life in its fullness. The
theme is portrayed from
the perspective of various
theological disciplines. A
conference on this theme
was held on 27–28 October
2014.
