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Scholars have frequently looked to chapter three at the center of the book of Lamentations to provide a note of hope, faith, and comfort, so that the book as a whole is considered a chiasm with it’s resolution at the center. But this does not give adequate attention to the developing story line running through the book as a whole or the role that chapter three plays in heightening the crisis initiated by the exile and provoking a turning point in the story. The arc of the story told by a variety of characters reaches its climax in chapter three and the forward movement of the story can be seen in the move from dirge to lament and from isolation to community as Israel considers the ways in which their relationship with Yahweh has fundamentally changed. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n3a5

This paper focuses on the results of a questionnaire administered to students who wrote the Test of Academic Literacy for Postgraduate Students (TALPS) between 2008 and 2010. The purpose of the questionnaire was to elicit information and reactions from test takers about the test. The paper begins by contextualising the problem of student success in higher education, outlining, as well, how a test such as TALPS can contribute positively to student success, before focusing specifically on the voices of the test takers in order to determine how accessible TALPS is to them. This contribution from the test takers is an important one, especially because responsible test developers cannot work in isolation, removed from those affected by the use of test scores. Applied linguists should strive to ensure that the tests they design and use are fair, socially acceptable, and have positive effects. This paper will illustrate that these concerns become important when one works within a framework that challenges test developers to consider questions related to every aspect of the test. In employing a framework that incorporates a concern for the empirical analyses of a test, as well as a concern for the social dimensions of language testing, one is compelled to give a voice to those often ignored, but most affected by the use of the test scores: the test takers. The data gathered will give test developers valuable insight into the feelings and opinions of test-takers.

This article illustrates the practical usefulness of transdisciplinary work for practical theology by showing how input from an occupational therapist informed my understanding and interpretation of the story of Hannetjie, who had been sexually abused as a child. This forms part of a narrative practical theological research project into the spirituality of female adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Transdisciplinary work is useful to practical theologians, as it opens possibilities for learning about matters pastors have to face, but may not have knowledge about. A short retelling of Hannetjie’s story is given to provide information about the context of the research. Next, the transdisciplinary process that was followed is mentioned, and the questions that the transdisciplinary team had to respond to are discussed. Following that, I focus more specifically on the occupational therapist’s answers, and the knowledge gained from her contribution, as an example of how a co-researcher from a divergent discipline can inform a theological study. In this case, knowledge was shared about sensory integration and how the brain processes traumatic stimuli, such as sexual abuse. Lastly, the interrelationship between Hannetjie’s body stories, mind stories and spirit stories is discussed to show how the learning received from occupational therapy affected my thinking about Hannetjie’s stories and the relationships between them. Thus, it is concluded that transdisciplinary work has great value for practical theology, especially in the pastor’s daily work with people who are struggling with difficult stories, because we cannot listen to people’s spirit stories in isolation. They are inextricably intertwined with all our stories about ourselves.

Globalization has brought numerous challenges to churches. Homosexuality is one of those challenges facing African churches. There has been a growing evidence of rejection, isolation, discrimination and condemnation as sub-human of homosexuals. Some conservative churches have misused Scripture in order to strengthen their case of condemnation. This article seeks to correct the misinterpretation or misuse of Scriptural passages. For example, Sodom and Gomorrah is often referred to as a passage of Scripture to justify condemnation, while this passage actually deals with judgment. Finally, the article challenges churches to use a pastoral approach which should lead to a healing ministering, especially to all of those who are isolated and rejected.

One of the most pressing issues in the urban ghettos of the Cape Flats is that of gangsterism and the discourse of power and powerlessness that is its lifeblood. Media coverage over the past two years was littered with news on gangsterism as the City of Cape Town struggles to contain what some labelled a pandemic. It is a pandemic that is closely tied to a deprivation trap of poverty, marginalisation, isolation, unemployment and, ultimately, powerlessness. The latter concept of powerlessness and its interplay with these factors constituted the main thrust of this article as it explores the concept of power (and powerlessness) as deeply relational with the economic, psycho-social and spiritual dimensions. It is proposed that Kingdom power challenges the status quo within such contexts and offers the church an alternative framework within which to engage prophetically.

Contributory factors to learner discipline problems: A multivariate approach. Hitherto, researchers in the field of the various causal or contributory factors of learner discipline problems in schools tended to approach each of those factors in isolation. This article reported on research regarding the theoretically justifiable notion of the confluence of the various factors that culminate in learner discipline problems at school. Grade 9 learners as well as their educators completed questionnaires in which they had to indicate on a semantic differential scale the extent to which they thought each of the 36 possible causes played a role in the incidence of learner discipline problems in their school. Routine factor analysis revealed that seven factors contributed to learner misbehaviour in their particular school, namely social problems in society, the influence of parents on the behaviour of their children, the authority of the educator, democratic participation in school governance, the nature of school structures, and also physical and psychological disabilities. http://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koers.v78i3.449

Until recently, lexicography and information science could rightly be considered two disciplines which had developed along parallel lines but with no or very little formal relation between them. Although the two disciplines developed in almost complete isolation from each other, during the last few years it has nevertheless become increasingly clear that they have a lot in common. This trend began within lexicography which started viewing lexicographical works as a special kind of tool designed to be consulted in order to obtain information. Upon this basis, it has been suggested that lexicography should be considered a part of information science and, hence, integrated into it (cf. e.g. Bergenholtz and Bothma 2012, Tarp 2009). It is evident that this integration of two hitherto independent disciplines with long traditions of their own is not something to be solved overnight and neither can it be a unilateral process. This article will explore the concept of relevance in both disciplines in more detail and show, at the hand of examples from lexicographical tools, how the theoretical frameworks of both disciplines can complement one another. This will be done within the framework of the function theory of lexicography, as discussed in the many works of Tarp and Bergenholtz (e.g. Bergenholtz and Tarp 2002) and others, and relevance theory in information science as defined by Saracevic (1975, 1996), Cosijn and Ingwersen (2000) and others. Keywords:Lexicography, Function Theory, Cognitive Situations, Communicative Situations, Operative Situations, Interpretive Situations, Pre-Lexicographical Phase, Intra-Lexicographical Phase, Post-Lexicographical Phase, Information Science, Relevance Theory, Topical Relevance, Cognitive Relevance, Situational Relevance, Socio-Cognitive Relevance, Affective Relevance

This historical review of the role of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force since 1912 is by the author's own admission, not an unbroken saga of continuous events. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the post of Inspector General had been abolished (and created) on several occasions. In view of this it is perhaps understandable that from a diachronical viewpoint, opinions on the role and status of the Inspector General will differ. The aim of this article is to review the aspect of semantics within a historical framework and the author bases his arguments on the premise that the post of the Inspector General is to a large extent influenced by evolutionary change within the organizational framework. It is also claimed that the history of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force should not be viewed in isolation and in this regard note is taken of the role played by the Inspector General in the forces of Britain (origins) and the United States (currently). The move away from the traditional centralized Inspector General towards a decentralized system which makes provision for Inspectors General allocated to the respective arms of service, is seen as a normal development in the evolutionary process which will contribute towards improved efficiency.

The idea might formerly have applied that national defence is a strategic function performed by military specialists whose prerogative alone it was to decide on how and how much resources were to be applied in any circumstances for the country's defence requirements. However, the point is made here that decisions about defence requirements and the application of resources in this field can no longer be made in isolation from the rest of resource applicatrons in the other fields. Economics, the science that deals with decisions about the application of scarce resources, enters the terrain, and strategy, technology and economy become three mutually-dependent elements of the same problems. Interesting comparisons are drawn and instances pointed out where economic techniques make a contribution towards improved decision making and in the allocation and application of resources in the field of defence.

Adolf Hitler considered propaganda as a tactical weapon which should be used in warfare. The Second World War proved that it was no super weapon, and that It could not be used in isolation, but it Is generally agreed that Nazi internal propaganda played a prominent part in upholding solidarity of morale in Germany during the last two years of the war. An indispensable condition for this achievement was the totalitarian political system in Germany which made monopolistic state control of propaganda activities possible, and secured effective canalisation and co-ordination of all such activities. In addition suitable propaganda themes were developed, and were continually adjusted to changing circumstances, and a constant issue of propaganda was meticulously maintained. Goebbels considered public opinion to be open to manipulation, even if through fabricated propaganda tricks, and managed to achieve this. In the last weeks of the war, however, he had to reap the bitter fruits of thoughtless propaganda, unfulfilled promises and blatant Iies. Even he could not escape the painful truth that 'propagandists cannot win battles when the soldiers are obviously losing the war'.

The paper tries to address the armed struggle as one of the pillars of theSouth African revolution, especially its adoption, together with the underground component, after all other avenues had been restricted. The argument emphasises the centrality of the political struggle, particularly the other two pillars of the revolution: mass mobilisation and international isolation of the racist government. The armed struggle and the underground are regarded as extension pillars necessitated by objective conditions, which demanded the ANC to reveal its existence through other means, since it was banned as a legal political force internally. This argument is stressed by looking at the nature of the adoption of thearmed struggle, its heuristic evolution, from armed propaganda until the late 1970s, and particularly the 1980s, when there was more focus on revolutionary people's war, its protracted nature, the role and structure of the people's army, and the armed seizure of political power through insurrection. Thereafter the paper discusses the debate that emerged with the realisation that there were possibilities of a negotiated settlement, the subsequent contest between absolute and relative victories, and thepreparation of the cadres for integration into the new SANDF. The paper concludes with the need to revisit the Integration Process, especially the need to re-orient the uniformed members' political attitudes towards a common cause. "No people can accept slavery for ever. We have reached a stage wherewe have taken a decision to liberate ourselves, and no force on earth canstop us from attaining that objective."

Modernity�s understanding of the primacy of the individual represents a significant challenge to a holistic understanding of the vocation of the church. Furthermore, individualism, that is the understanding of oneself as separate and apart from others, is often the foundation for violence against the other as the interconnectivity, and therefore the dependence and vulnerability inherent within a relationship, is lost. When the church is relegated to serve individuals as private and individualised belief systems, it is banished to a cold, dark cell of isolation. In order to respond to violence, the church needs to create communities that restore and reconcile relationships, thus embodying peace.

As the variety of methods used by biblical scholars multiplies, new sub-disciplines are being born that all too often leave specialists isolated from each other. While at some points the various methods complement each other, at others they remain contradictory or mutually exclusive. Two of the newer such methods, literary criticism and social-science criticism, have until now re mained in isolation. In recent months, however, a dialogue has begun to emerge that seeks to explore the common ground or lack thereof between these two methods. This article is a beginning reflection by a social-science critic on some of the issues involved.

This article is an attempt to outline the difference between Breytenbach's poetic method and that of the Symbolists. Although it touches on aspects of the symbolist poetic method like the rich suggestiveness, the creation o f a meaningful alternative world (and the effort of doing this), it focuses mainly on Breytenbach’s use of metaphor to create an impossible alternative world in a poem, only to relativize and destroy it again in the end. This process is illustrated in an analysis of poem 8.1 from Lotus. This analysis also shows up five well-known cardinal traits of Breytenbach’s poetry, viz. its carnality, the universal analogy between body, cosmos and poetry and the great emphasis on journeys, discoveries and transformations by means of language. It is also claimed that the Zen-Buddhisi Void plays an analogous role in Breytenbach's poetry to the theory of correspondances in the Symbolists: it is a rich source of metaphor. Breytenbach's poetry shows a strong duality between the present world and a meaningful alternative sphere. Being in and of this alternative sphere only aggravates the poet’s isolation (a typically symbolist trait), making him literally and figuratively an exile, as exile poems like "tot siens, kaapstad" (see you again, cape town) and "Walvis in die berg" (Whale on the mountain) and, of course, his prison poetry, clearly show.

Integrated literary ana! ysis departsfrom the poetic text. A ndyet this hy no means implies the isolation of the poem, excluding all external references like time and belief. It is only by means o f a structural approach in which form, content and contextual relevance cohere, that the valencial potential of a text is unfolded. In this article one particular poem ‘Der Rngel. Advent’ by Reinhold Schneider has been utilized to show how the analytic consideration of the aspects of time and beliefs, reveals the total richness, the depth and dimension in the poem.