Abstract

FOURIE, Willem. Churches' public role in a pluralistic South Africa. Verbum Eccles. (Online) [online]. 2011, vol.32, n.1, pp.1-6. ISSN 2074-7705.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve.v32i1.503.

South Africa's diversity provides significant challenges to public involvement by churches. In some circles it is even believed that this diversity disqualifies churches from any form of public involvement. This diversity is protected by a liberal constitution and nurturing it is one of the explicit aims of the South African consolidating democracy. The German theologians Michael Welker and Wolfgang Huber typify the diversity of democratic societies as 'pluralism'. In this article, both theologians' conceptualisation of 'pluralism' was considered and used to set conditions for the South African churches' public involvement.

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