Research Articles (Religion & Theology)

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The absurdity of reconciliation. What we (should) learn from Rustenburg and the implications for South Africa
(Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2020) Solomons, Demaine
The quest for reconciliation in South Africa is an exercise in the absurd. To say it is an exercise for the absurd might also have some merit. Like Sisyphus, the figure in Greek mythology, those engaged in the quest for reconciliation are condemned to repeat forever the same, in some cases, meaningless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain only to see it roll down again. This is amid the human propensity to forever search for meaning irrespective of the incongruity of the ideal and the absurdity that defines our existence. The illogicality of apartheid and the subsequent pain and alienation continues to be a defining feature of a country trying to come to terms not what it ought to be, but what it is � chaotic, irrational and sometimes meaningless. In this context, Rustenburg is a symbol of the audacity to dream of something beyond the absurd. Moreover, invoking a theology of reconciliation to achieve something extraordinary amid an uncertain future.
African Pentecostal churches and racialized xenophobia: International migrants as agents of transformational development?
(SAGE, 2022) Hankela, Elina; Swart, Ignatius; Nishimwe, Clementine
Scholarship on Pentecostal potential and practice forms a significant part of the debate on religion and development, not least when the focus is on sub-Saharan Africa. Yet in this debate African Pentecostal migrant communities have scarcely been represented. The article focuses on two such communities in South Africa, arguing that they may be regarded as developmental agents in the context of racialized xenophobia, even if they do not portray themselves as such. The argument is based on ethnographic fieldwork and shaped through employing the concept of transformational development that centers on restoring relationships. The article concludes that the two communities � living in a context affected by racialized xenophobia � contribute meaningfully towards restoring relationships between people and God, one�s relationship with oneself, relationships within the church community as well as relationships between the church community and the neighborhood.
African studies keywords: Queer
(Cambridge University Press, 2023) Otu, Kwame E.; van Klinken, Adriaan
�Queer� is a relatively recent and somewhat controversial term in African studies. Yet it is proving to be productive, not only for understanding African subjectivities of sexuality and gender, but also for situating Africa�s position in the larger economy of knowledge. Otu and van Klinken explore the productive tensions between �queer� and �Africa,� and aim to read Africa as queer and to read queer from Africa. Thus, rather than imagining Africa and queer as polar opposites, the authors seek to harness the critical, productive, and creative affinities between these two terms that are vital for the project of decolonizing and queering queer Africa.
All theology is natural theology: The hermeneutic necessity of natural theology?
(Stellenbosch University, 2011) Conradie, Ernst
This article first offers a brief overview of the history of what is understood under "natural theology". The contrast between the Barthian critique against natural theology and the dangers of repudiating natural theology as stressed within the context of contemporary discourse on science and theology is highlighted. In response, the author offers a constructive proposal in which the hermeneutic necessity of natural theology is affirmed. This follows from a notion of that which is "natural" which includes human constructs (also ideas). In this sense all theology is by definition natural theology. However, the Barthian critique against natural theology may still be appropriate as a selection of those signs that can express the inexpressible with relative adequacy
The ambiguity of Johan Heyns: Sitting at Bavinck's left or right hand?
(SUN, 2013) Conradie, Ernst
Following some biographic introductory comments, the argument of this contribution proceeds in two steps. First, the distinction between Herman Bavinck's left and right hand is clarified, amongst others with reference to the distinction between fides qua and fides quae, and illustrated with examples from the subsequent reformed tradition. Second, an analysis of Heyns' own related theological choices is offered on this basis.
The Anglican Church and Feminism: Challenging the patriarchy of our faith
(2013) Pillay, Miranda N.
Gender-based violence is a problem in most Southern African countries and yet it has generally received little attention from governments and civil society�including Christian churches. In recent years, some churches have been responding by making public pronouncements when, for example, gender-based violence resulted in acts of brutal murder. This was the case in February 2013, when the seventeen-year-old Anene Booysen was gang-raped and left for dead. For example, the Anglican Church issued public statements and called on its members to act against gender-based violence. Arguments made in this essay are underpinned by the view that gender-based violence has its roots in patriarchy and, that patriarchal privilege (embedded in male headship) gives men power over women. The essay describes how prominent leaders of the Anglican Church make public statements when and where it matters. The call �to repent of the historic patriarchy of our faith� was one such statement made by the then archbishop during the church�s synod in 2005. Other Anglican archbishops have also made public that feminist insights have raised awareness about the injustices of sexism maintained by culture and the church. Thus, based on the observation that Christianity and feminism share certain concerns for just relationships, the argument made here is that the (Anglican) church could be more intentional about employing feminist insights in challenging �the historic patriarchy of our faith.� The essay identifies the reasons usually given for dismissing feminist insights and suggests that such reasons could serve as entry-points in the church�s response to gender power-relations in general and gender-based violence in particular.
Beyond a �Political Priest�: Exploring Desmond Tutu as a �Freedom-Fighter Mystic�
(Black Theology An International Journal, 2021) Nadar, Sarojini
The purpose of this essay is to critically review the remarkably unique account of Desmond Tutu�s life presented by Michael Battle in his book �Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa�s Confessor.� The central contention of this essay is that Michael Battle shifts the paradigm of biographical research about Desmond Tutu beyond the popular trope of �political priest� to that of �freedom fighter-mystic.� Through a careful filtering of Tutu�s life via the three stages of mysticism � purgation, illumination and union, Battle makes a convincing case that Tutu�s political actions for justice were not in spite of his deep spirituality, but because of it. This ethnographic spiritual biography troubles the binaries between the sacred and the secular, between spiritual contemplation and social action, and between God�s justice and social justice, thereby inviting readers to the warm embrace of a more authentic spirituality.
Beyond a �political priest�: exploring Desmond Tutu as a �freedom-fighter mystic�
(Black Theology, 2021) Nadar, Sarojini
The purpose of this essay is to critically review the remarkably unique account of Desmond Tutu�s life presented by Michael Battle in his book �Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa�s Confessor.� The central contention of this essay is that Michael Battle shifts the paradigm of biographical research about Desmond Tutu beyond the popular trope of �political priest� to that of �freedom fighter-mystic.� Through a careful filtering of Tutu�s life via the three stages of mysticism � purgation, illumination and union, Battle makes a convincing case that Tutu�s political actions for justice were not in spite of his deep spirituality, but because of it. This ethnographic spiritual biography troubles the binaries between the sacred and the secular, between spiritual contemplation and social action, and between God�s justice and social justice, thereby inviting readers to the warm embrace of a more authentic spirituality
Beyond nostalgia in the search for identity: Black liberation theology and the politics of reconciliation
(AOSIS, 2021) Solomons, Demaine J.
Practitioners of Black liberation theology often reflect on the emergence of this theological expression by means of a nostalgic launch into the past, seeking ways to address some of today�s most pressing concerns. In this sense, much of what is known about Black liberation theology, including its identity, is premised on how we engage with nostalgia. However, the problem with the rendering of history through a nostalgic lens is our propensity to populate this reality with half-truths; in the process, we present an idealised version of events, sometimes ignoring the objective facts at our disposal. This is most evident in the tendency to look back at the �best� of the past whilst comparing it with the �worst� of the present. The purpose of this contribution is not to focus narrowly on what Black liberation theology (or its practitioners) has done well because this has limited value. Instead, a more productive undertaking necessarily includes what the late Vuyani Vellem refers to when he asks the question: �What lessons has Black theology not learned?� Often regarded in binary terms, liberation and reconciliation as root metaphors in Black theological thought provide a framework through which practitioners are challenged anew to reflect on some of South Africa�s most pressing concerns.
The Black Atlantic as reversal: a reappraisal of African and black theology
(AOSIS, 2017) Engdahl, Hans
In this article, I will try to do three things. Firstly, pay attention to the notion of Black Atlantic as coined by Paul Gilroy, which in effect could signify a reversal of colonialism and slavery. Secondly, revisit the 1970s and the debate about the relevance of Black theology vis-�-vis African theology, using John Mbiti�s article �An African Views American Black Theology� as entry point. Here, I will discuss contributions also made by Desmond Tutu and James Cone. Thirdly, starting with the premise that both theologies are relevant and soul mates today, which would (probably) be confirmed by all the above mentioned at this point in time, an assessment of current voices will be made, that is, Tinyiko Maluleke and Vuyani Vellem on black and African ecclesiologies from a South African perspective, and Lawrence Burnley on the fate of the Black Church in the United States.
Black health, ethics, and global ecology
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022) Conradie, Ernst M.
The reflections offered here come from someone the South African government classified as white or as European under apartheid, who continues to be classified in that manner under affirmative action, and who has worked at a historically black university, the University of the Western Cape, since 1993. I teach systematic theology and ethics in a religion and theology department, and I focus on Christian ecotheology. I welcome theologian J�rgen Moltmann�s reversal of interlocutors in calling for Latin American liberation theology for the First World, black theology for white people, and feminist theology for men.
Black theologies of liberation: how should black lives matter theologically?
(The Ecumenical Review, 2022) Nadar, Sarojini; Solomons, Demaine
This article introduces this thematic issue of The Ecumenical Review, which originates from a colloquium hosted at the University of the Western Cape on Black theologies. Our aim is to propose a set of theological frames through which to consider the 11 articles presented here, as well as the study of Black theology in general. We propose that Black theologies of liberation can be understood within three theological frameworks: a theology of resistance that encompasses both the social and epistemic, a theology of existence that focuses on Black consciousness and identity, and a theology of solidarity that fully embraces African feminist and queer theological perspectives. What the contributors to this issue on Black theology succeed in doing is ushering in new ways of thinking about the subject. Not only do they open new frontiers for theorizing and conceptualizing the gospel in light of Black experiences, but they also challenge the exclusionary nature of the old frontiers, calling to attention how even liberation discourses can sometimes reinscribe hegemony.
Christian anthropology and the National Development Plan: The role of personhood
(AOSIS, 2017) Klaasen, John S.
This article is an attempt to analyse and assess the use of personal responsibility in the National Development Plan (NDP). Some signposts that Christian anthropology can make to the enhancement of the plan will then be suggested. An overview of the development debate will include the development debate after the two world wars, the church and state attempts for social transformation and the contributions of Korten and Sen who represent the peoplecentred and capability approaches. It will be followed by a Christian anthropology that is characterised by personhood and personal responsibility. The fact that constructive and sustainable development is embedded in personal integrity and responsibility will be argued. The NDP acknowledged the shortcomings of the previous attempts by both state and church, and the global development debate. Instead of exclusive economic development, human capital and human capabilities are integral to development. Christian anthropology embeds responsibility within personhood and the two form part of an integral whole.
The Christian faith and evolution: An evolving, unresolved debate
(AOSIS, 2018) Conradie, Ernst
This article sketches how the debate on Christian faith and evolution has evolved. Seven challenges are identified and described in the debate, namely, regarding a recognition of deep (geological) time (challenging the historicity of the biblical creation narratives), understanding the role of chance in natural selection (posing questions about the nature of divine action, e.g., providence), human descent (challenging presumed human distinctiveness), a recognition of natural suffering (challenging the benevolence of the Creator), identifying the evolutionary roots of evil (challenging Christian views on the fall of humanity), a recognition of natural disselection (challenging notions of divine election) and, finally, evolutionary explanations of the emergence of morality and of religion (reiterating the challenge of atheism). It is argued that with each of these challenges, some of the underlying problems were provisionally resolved, only to reappear later in an even more challenging form. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS: The contribution describes shifts in Christian discourse on evolution and challenges the tacit assumption that any one aspect of the debate has been fully resolved by articulating some of the questions that have been resolved and others that remain unresolved.
The church, gender and AIDS: What's wrong with patriarchy?
(SUN, 2015) Pillay, Miranda N.
Many women and children suffer in silence in cultures where patriarchy is condoned and defended as the natural order of things. The inferior status ascribed women and children where patriarchy is imbued as hypernormative, render them vulnerable to contracting the HI-virus - as the case study cited here reveals. While government and civil society, including the church, sometimes react when violence against women and/or children end in the victim of violence being killed, the argument made here is that a pro-active response may go a long way - such as addressing the patriarchy of our (Christian) faith.
Church, narrative, community and identity in times of migration
(AOSIS, 2020) Klaasen, John S.
Migration is perceived by many communities as a threat to national unity, social cohesion, nationality or common identity. This article is an attempt to address the following question: How does or should the church as a narrative community respond to migrants? Within the South African context, xenophobic attacks and protests directed to migrant workers are two of the visible phenomena which seem to suggest that migrants are an important social phenomenon for peaceful co-existence. I will investigate the church as a narrative community and its role towards migrants. The identity of the church is situated within a narrative and the care towards migrants is influenced by this narrated community.
Church�s response to migrants� quest for identity formation
(AOSIS, 2021) Klaasen, John S.
Migration has received diverse responses from the dominant powers in the political, social and religious spheres. Assimilation, domination and cohesion are some of the responses to the integration of people who cross regional and national borders and reside within their new locations for a considerable period of time. These responses include both positives, which are largely short-term solutions, with a lot of losses and trauma for the migrants. The reasons for these kinds of responses lie in the factors that cause and influence migration. Political and religious conflict, economics, societal factors such as language and culture, health issues such HIV or AIDS and other pandemics and environmental factors are some of the causes of migration.
(Con)texturing ideologies of modesty, authority, and childbearing in 1 Timothy 2:8�15
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022) Jodamus, Johnathan
Feminist and gender critical biblical scholarship hasshown how texts ideologically function as products of their ancient social and cultural norms. In my dissertation work on Pauline texts, through isolating the ideological component of socio-rhetorical-interpretation, I demonstrated how these texts are �ideologically textured�within their ancient social context. In this article, I bring a combination of approaches from ideological criticism and theoretical insights from feminist criticism to bear on both the biblical text of 1 Timothy 2:8�15 and contemporary interpretations of this text. The latter is exemplified by the conservative Christian blogger, �The Transformed Wife.�Beginning with an examination of how both Paul and the blogger establish authority amongst believing communities, I then interrogate three areas of focus within their ideological purview: modesty, authority,and childbearing.
Confessing guilt in the context of climate change: Some South African perspectives
(Stellenbosch University, 2010) Conradie, Ernst
This contribution explores the significance but also the immense complexities of Christian discourse on confessing guilt within the context of climate change. It draws especially on South African discourse on confessing guilt in the context of apartheid. The argument of the essay is twofold: Christians with an enduring large carbon footprint may wish to confess their guilt in this regard, but typically find it difficult to live from God�s liberating forgiveness and are therefore prone to rather desperate efforts to save the world themselves. By contrast, Christians with a small carbon footprint may opt for alternative understanding of salvation, namely in terms of redemption from the looming threat of climate change.
Disability and digital ecclesiology: Towards an accessible online church
(AOSIS, 2024) Amanyendzi, Seyram Brigitte
Even though the digital church has been in existence for some time, it was mainly a transmission of onsite church services and programmes in the online space. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its demands for a global shutdown to mitigate and contain the disease moved almost all social activities including church services to the online space. It is evident that persons with disability experience extreme exclusion from the church’s theology, praxes, and ethos. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is replicated in the virtual space. Research proves that persons with disability were not considered in the migration of churches to the virtual space; hence, digital accessibility is minimal or non-existent during and after the COVID-19 era.

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