SUMMARY
In an attempt to understand the questions implicit in the topic Smit discusses three methodological questions and a moral one. Firstly, he deals with the distinction between ethics and ethos and shows that ethos is the more comprehensive and socially influential factor. Secondly, he considers the question as to how the Bible influences the ethos or moral world of a particular society like ’a new South Africa’ and argues that it affects the public moral language and imagination. Thirdly, he asks what is meant by ‘the Bible’ and argues that the influence of the ‘Bible’ on public moral language and imagination is therefore also determined by the power struggles between these groups and by their respective roles within a particular society. He concludes with the moral question why and for whom this is an important question at this point in time.