Abstract

PLAATJIES-VAN HUFFEL, Mary-Anne. A church-historical analysis of the discourse on race relations and reconciliation in the Afrikaans reformed churches (1990-2017). STJ [online]. 2020, vol.6, n.3, pp.223-248. ISSN 2413-9467.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17570/stj.2020.v6n3.a7.

The Afrikaans Reformed Churches, namely the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk of Africa (NHKA) and the Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA) made choices regarding the theological justification of apartheid and/or the denouncement thereof. in the past three decades. This chapter offers a close reading of synodical decisions of the Afrikaans Reformed churches with regard to the theological justification of apartheid and related issues as well as the resolutions of the General Assembly of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1992. The decisions of the said churches led to the re-admission of the NHKA and DRC in national and international ecumenical organisations, but eventually resulted in some schisms in the denominations. The chapter highlights the reluctance of the Afrikaans reformed churches to expedite a response to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches' resolutions connected to the biblical justification of apartheid and to attend to reconciliation. In this chapter, attention will be paid to the following sub-themes: the struggle against the theological justification of apartheid and its legacy; from the theological justification of apartheid to a season of human dignity (DRC); from "volkskerk" to identity determined by God (NHKA); the protection of the identity ofthe "volk" as a God-given call to demographic unity (GKSA); jointly together towards a theology of inclusivity.

Keywords : Gereformeerde kerke in Suid-Afrika; rasseverhoudinge; apartheid; interkulturaliteit; inklusiwiteit; menswaardigheid.

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