Detention without trial: The experience of the Reverend Douglas Thompson in the South African state of emergency, 1960

 

 

Anthony Egan

Jesuit Institute South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

 

 

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ABSTRACT

This article is a Lyotardian "little narrative" of the experience of Methodist minister Douglas Thompson's period in detention during the 1960 state of emergency in South Africa. It highlights the way in which Thompson boosted the morale of fellow detainees through his conduct of religious services - acts which reflect Scott's "arts of resistance" of the powerless. It presents a picture of the white left/liberal opposition during this period and illustrates the importance of the churches to act decisively against the apartheid state during the period.

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Works consulted

Published works

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Bundy, Colin 1988. Around which corner? Revolutionary theory and contemporary South Africa. University of Cape Town Centre for African Studies, Africa Seminar, 10 August.         [ Links ]

Chikane, Frank 1990. No life of my own. Johannesburg: Skotaville.         [ Links ]

Clingman, Stephen 1998. Bram Fischer: Afrikaner Revolutionary. Cape Town: David Philip.         [ Links ]

Egan, Anthony 2000. Christian socialist, radical democrat: a political biography of the Reverend        [ Links ]

Douglas Chadwick Thompson, 1905-1985. PhD dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.         [ Links ]

Engelbrecht, Johan 1996. In memory of her: the life and times of Winsome Munro. Religion and Theology 3(2).         [ Links ]

Farisani, Simon 1988. Diary from a South African prison. Philadelphia: Fortress.         [ Links ]

Frankel, Philip 2001. An ordinary atrocity: Sharpeville and its massacre. New Haven: Yale University Press.         [ Links ]

Harmel, Michael 1958. Revolutions are not abnormal. Africa South 3(1) Oct/Dec.         [ Links ]

Hewson, Leslie 1960. The report of the consultation among South African Member Churches of the World Council of Churches. 7-14 December 1960 at Cottesloe, Johannesburg.         [ Links ]

Lewin, Julius 1958. No revolution round the corner. Africa South 3(1), Oct/Dec.         [ Links ]

Lyotard, Jean-Francois 1984. The postmodern condition: a report on knowledge. Manchester: Manchester University Press.         [ Links ]

Mbeki, Govan 1964. South Africa: the peasants' revolt. Harmondsworth: Penguin        [ Links ]

Nolan, Albert 1988. God in South Africa: the challenge of the Gospel. Cape Town: David Philip.         [ Links ]

Raditlhalo, Samuel Ishmael 2003. Who am I? The construction of identity in twentieth century South African autobiographical writings in English. PhD dissertation, Rijksuniversiteit, Groningen.         [ Links ]

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Reeves, Ambrose 1960. Shooting at Sharpeville.London: Victor Gollancz.         [ Links ]

Roux, Edward 1958. Revolution in South Africa. Africa South 3(1), Oct/Dec.         [ Links ]

Scott, James C 1990. Domination and the arts of resistance. New Haven: Yale University Press.         [ Links ]

Sim, Stuart 2005. Little narratives, in Stuart Sim (ed.), The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism, 261-262. 2^nd edition. London & New York: Routledge.         [ Links ]

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Slovo, Joe 1994. Shared values - socialism and religion. African Communist 136, First Quarter, 43-50.         [ Links ]

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Nygren, Anders 1953. Agape and Eros: a study of the Christian idea of love. London: SPCK.         [ Links ]

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Archival

Cullen Library, University of the Witwatersrand

1. A1906 Douglas Thompson Papers

AiA2: Letters

Ai15: Manuscript of Limericks

Da2: Diaries of D C Thompson

2. A1931: Ernest Wentzel Papers

A6: Unpublished Memoirs

3. A1985: Interview with Douglas Thompson

Interviews (conducted by author)

Luli Callinicos, Johannesburg, 24 September 1997.

Ike Horvitch, London, 13 November 1997.

Online

Ron Press, "To Change the World! Is Reason Enough?" Available at : http://anc.org.za.

 

 

1 Co-researcher at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.