Boundless Grace

The message of the New Testament is that Jesus took the punishment of sin meant for men upon Himself to redeem those who believe in Him. This belief in the transference of suffering from men to Jesus creates a myriad of questions for many people. Was Jesus’s brutal death truly necessary? Why do God require a sacrifice instead of just forgiving unconditionally? Is God the Father restricted in His willingness to forgive? The idea of heaven and hell stirs up doubt and fear in many – fear for the eternal damnation of hell and doubt if they will ever be able to make it to heaven. How could a loving God, the God of love who is preached by the Christian faith, allow for people to go to hell? The author gives no pretence that he has the definitive answers to all these difficult questions, or that he could fully uncover the extensive meaning of what the life, death and resurrection of Jesus truly entails. But he sincerely hopes the new thoughts that these writings might evoke, will cast some light on these darker questions for those who struggle with them.

As a lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch, Chris N van der Merwe has taught classes in almost every facet of language and literature, including courses in Afrikaans drama and prose, as well as literary theory. He has written numerous articles in Afrikaans, English and Dutch and is the author, co-author, or editor of seventeen books. His research over the years has focused on sociopolitical issues and the expression of morality and truth in literature. Since the 1990s, his research has come to focus on typical issues in post-apartheid South Africa, exploring themes such as identity, trauma, guilt, fear, and forgiveness in a transitioning society. With his retirement as professor of Afrikaans and Dutch at the end of 2009, theUniversity of Cape Town awarded him the status of Emeritus. Chris is also the author of the popular books, Die gebreekte net and The Broken Snare.