Welkom by Aletheia
Ons leef in ‘n tyd waar vrae oor geloof nie meer net in teologiese klasse gevra word nie — hulle kom by die braaivleis op, in die kantoor, en aan die aandete-tafel wanneer jou kind van universiteit af terugkom. Hoekom glo jy nog? Hoe weet jy God is werklik? Wat van die wetenskap?
Aletheia is gebore uit ‘n gemeente se eerlike worsteling met hierdie vrae. Nie as ‘n verdedigingsmeganisme nie, maar as ‘n sáám-soeke na waarheid — die soort waarheid wat diep genoeg is om die moeilike vrae te kan dra.
Die naam Aletheia (ἀλήθεια) is die Griekse woord vir waarheid — dieselfde woord wat Jesus gebruik het toe Hy gesê het: “Ek is die Weg en die Waarheid en die Lewe” (Joh. 14:6). Dit is ons vertrekpunt: die oortuiging dat waarheid nie iets is om voor bang te wees nie, want alle waarheid is uiteindelik God se waarheid.
Wat vind jy hier?
Ons materiaal is in studiereekse georganiseer wat jy alleen of saam met ‘n groep kan deurwerk. Elke reeks handel oor ‘n spesifieke tema wat vandag op gelowiges se harte druk:
- Lewensbeskouing — Wat glo ons eintlik, en hoe beïnvloed dit hoe ons na die wêreld kyk?
- Grondslag (Reeks 1) — Wat bedoel ons met “God”? Hoekom is daar iets eerder as niks? Die diep filosofiese fondament van ons geloof.
- Wetenskap & Werklikheid (Reeks 2) — Is geloof en wetenskap vyande? Die werklike geskiedenis en die werklike vrae.
- Belydenisse en Kategismus — Die rykdom van ons Gereformeerde belydenistradisie, stuk vir stuk oopgemaak.
Hierdie is nie liggewig materiaal nie — maar dit is ook nie bedoel vir akademici alleen nie. Dit is geskryf vir gemeentelede wat bereid is om te dink, te vra en te groei. Ons glo dat ‘n dieper verstaan van jou geloof dit nie kouer maak nie, maar warmer.
Hoe om te begin
Begin by die Lewensbeskouing-reeks as jy ‘n breë fondament wil lê. Of spring reguit na ‘n onderwerp wat jou interesseer — elke reeks staan op sy eie voete. Die Woordelys is daar om tegniese terme te verduidelik sonder dat jy eers ‘n filosofie-graad nodig het.
Mag hierdie materiaal jou help om God lief te hê “met jou hele verstand” (Matt. 22:37), en om met sagmoedigheid en eerbied verantwoording te kan doen aan elkeen wat jou rekenskap vra oor die hoop wat in jou leef (1 Pet. 3:15).
Welcome to Aletheia
We live in a time when questions about faith are no longer confined to theology classrooms — they come up at braais, in the office, and at the dinner table when your child comes home from university. Why do you still believe? How do you know God is real? What about science?
Aletheia was born from a congregation’s honest wrestling with these questions. Not as a defence mechanism, but as a shared search for truth — the kind of truth that runs deep enough to bear the weight of the hard questions.
The name Aletheia (ἀλήθεια) is the Greek word for truth — the same word Jesus used when He said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). That is our starting point: the conviction that truth is not something to fear, because all truth is ultimately God’s truth.
What will you find here?
Our material is organised into study series that you can work through on your own or with a group. Each series addresses a specific theme that weighs on believers’ hearts today:
- Worldview — What do we actually believe, and how does it shape the way we look at the world?
- Foundation (Series 1) — What do we mean by “God”? Why is there something rather than nothing? The deep philosophical groundwork of our faith.
- Science & Reality (Series 2) — Are faith and science enemies? The real history and the real questions.
- Confessions and Catechism — The richness of our Reformed confessional tradition, opened up piece by piece.
This is not lightweight material — but neither is it meant for academics alone. It is written for congregation members who are willing to think, to ask, and to grow. We believe that a deeper understanding of your faith does not make it colder, but warmer.
Where to begin
Start with the Worldview series if you want to lay a broad foundation. Or jump straight to a topic that interests you — each series stands on its own. The Glossary is there to explain technical terms without requiring a philosophy degree first.
May this material help you to love God “with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37), and to give an answer with gentleness and respect to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that lives in you (1 Pet. 3:15).