It is with considerable regret that we wish to convey news of the recent death of Dr . Stuart Sime, who passed away in hospital on Monday 11th June 2012 in his native Edinburgh. For almost a year Stuart had been receiving intensive treatment for Lymphoma. Though the prognosis was positive at the start, subsequent complications led to his rapid deterioration in the last two weeks of his life. His death came as a shock to all who knew him.

He was for many years deeply involved and committed to Greenwich School of Theology, serving since 1987, first as Secretary to the Board of Governors and subsequently, to the Board of Directors, a role which he sustained to the very end. GST colleagues wish to pay tribute to Stuart, a long-term and dedicated servant of the School, fondly remembered by all who knew him as a colleague and a friend.

To ALL GST-students who have received degrees after the previous convocation in 2010, and who intend to submit before/on 31 May 2012

EARLY NOTIFICATION OF 2012 CONVOCATION

 GST has every second year their convocation in London, and we wish herewith to invite you to attend this occasion. During this ceremony degrees are presented to those students whose degrees have already been conferred by the NWU in South Africa.

The next NWU/GST biennial Convocation is to be held at South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London on the afternoon of Thursday, 4 October 2012 Guest speaker will be the former-President of South Africa Dr FW de Klerk.

 This is ceremonial, attended by all the academics from NWU and GST and the certificate in a leather cover is presented on this occasion.

 If you intend to be present for this convocation ceremony, we thought you would appreciate receiving this early notification as most of our students have to arrange for leave, flights, accommodation etc. Will you please send an e-mail to Tienie.Buys@nwu.ac.za or evansgst@btconnect.com indicating whether you consider to attend this exciting event in 2012!

GOOD NEWS AT GERAS

Transformative Discourse and Theological Anthropology in Mark’s Gospel

Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien, 2011. VIII, 349 pp.
ISBN 978-3-0343-0294-4 pb.
sFr. 78.00 / EUR* 53.50 / EUR** 55.00 / EUR 50.00 / £ 45.00 / US-$ 77.95
* includes VAT – only valid for Germany  /  ** includes VAT – only valid for Austria  /  EUR does not include VAT

This book investigates Mark’s Gospel as an example of a ‘transformative discourse’ that uses many interwoven rhetorical elements to move its audience toward change. A detailed exegesis of the Gerasene demoniac story (Mark 5:1-20) in its literary setting highlights its significant contribution to this transformative discourse. What happens to the demoniac – release from bondage to evil, and entrance into a new perceptual world – typifies the dynamics of the Gospel’s theological anthropology and can be regarded as somewhat paradigmatic of human transformation in the context of Christian discipleship.
The heart of the book is its overview of Mark’s vision of humanity. The language and narrative rhetoric of Mark’s Gospel express ideas about human nature and human destiny that are strongly predicated on the new eschatological perspective of Jesus. Despite the fundamental distortion of humankind, the possibility of radical transformation is clear. The book highlights the transformative potential of the Gospel, demonstrating the rhetorical means by which Mark promotes the transformation of his audience and showing how this rhetoric is linked to a dynamic eschatological anthropology.

Contents:
Mark’s Gospel as a locus for theological anthropology – Mark’s Gospel as transformative discourse – The transformation of the demoniac in Mark 5:1-20 – The contribution of Mark 5:1-20 to Mark’s transformative discourse – The theological anthropology of Mark’s Gospel – The transformative potential of Mark 5:1-20.

Stuart T. Rochester worked in Australia as a biochemist and primary school teacher before commencing theological studies at Regent College, Vancouver, Canada. He completed his PhD in theology at Durham University, UK, in 2009. In the UK he has been a tutor in New Testament with the Open Theological College and with Greenwich School of Theology, and currently teaches New Testament at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa.