Kerk, staat en politieke modelle in ‘Kerk en Samelewing -1990’

1992 ◽  
Vol 48 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Strauss
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
The State ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
South African Government ◽  
African Government ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

Church, state and political models in ‘Church and Society - 1990’ In this article the author looks into motives and trends surrounding the viewpoints of the document ‘Church and Society - 1990’ with regard to the relationship between both the church and the state and the church and practical political models in South Africa. This document of the 1990 General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church - traditionally labelled as a significant pro-apartheid church - is the sequel to a statement by a previous Synod four years earlier. The main finding is that ‘Church and Society - 1990’ tends to give a Scriptural basis to current political tendencies and thinking in South African government circles.

scholarly journals The ministry of Beyers Naude to the victims of oppression 1960�1994: A challenge to Christian mission in post-apartheid South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Masuku ◽  
Nelus Niemandt
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
South African Government ◽  
African Government ◽  
Christian Mission ◽  
Prophetic Voice ◽  
The Church

Dr Beyers Naud�s ministry to the victims of apartheid between 1960�1994 was of missionary significance. His mission challenged the conservative or stereotype mission approaches of the church which were in line with the thinking of Edinburgh 1910. Dr Beyers Naud� in contrast, applied the spirit of Tambaram 1938 supporting what Saayman termed a �comprehensive ministry�. His ministry challenged the mission of the church in post-apartheid South Africa during which the prophetic voice of the church has diminished and Ministers of Religion who were vocal against government injustices during Beyers Naud�s ministry are supporting the current post-apartheid South African government.

scholarly journals The 1619 Dordrecht Synod’s decision on corruptio totalis: A missional challenge for the church in terms of media reporting on corruption in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Baron
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
Contemporary Media ◽  
The Church

The doctrinal controversy, which led to the formal Synod in Dordrecht (1618–1619), had many stakeholders. The different European countries and its governments also had much at stake in terms of how the issue would have been dealt with by the Reformed Church. Although for different reasons than now, the controversy and the ultimate decision taken at the renowned Synod still has significance for the church and society in the 21st century and even beyond. Therefore, a recent study on the reporting of four South African newspapers on corruption (as a form of sin) is telling in terms of the way such cases are presented. Their reporting displays a different way of presenting ‘sin’ mainly as an actual sin and not as a human condition which calls for the church, in response to the missio Dei, to reflect theologically on contemporary media discourse on ‘sin’ if it wants to address the root cause of corruption in South Africa. Although I realise that there is other ways for the church to respond to widespread corruption, this article focuses mainly on a theological contribution in terms of a broader discussion on ‘sin’.

scholarly journals The risk of global financial markets: The case of China in a developing country

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Philemon Nji Kum ◽  
Chux Gervase Iwu ◽  
Samuel Augustine Umezurike
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Financial Markets ◽  
South African ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Liberal Policy

Globalization has forced many countries to rely on one another for products and services which they are unable to source locally. More so, trade is used as the channel to procure those. South Africa and China share very close relations which are boosted by South Africa’s neo-liberal policy, and its membership of the BRICS bloc. Often, this relationship has been subjected to different interpretations leading to the inability to reach a consensus on South Africa’s intention and exact benefits from neo-liberalization and membership of BRICS bloc. On this basis, we affirm that a notable gap exists in scholarly literature which has not provided the full-fledged understanding of the impact of Chinese manufactured goods into South Africa. We draw from the concepts of protectionism and free trade to expatiate the concerns raised by many with respect to the nature and benefits of the relationship. The paper relied extensively on secondary sources of data from which the authors then analyzed, interpreted and drew conclusions to provide a contextual explanation of the phenomenon of Chinese invasion of South African market. This method was useful for two reasons; namely its capacity to generate new insights and secondly, access to comparative studies. While the results show that South African clothing firms are increasingly shutting down because of lower prices from international competitors (especially China), and also due to structural issues of the present South African economy, we are equally aware of the extensive pressure from interest groups for the South African government to protect major local industries such as steel and textile. We argue anyway that the South African government is playing its cards carefully to avoid a backlash, especially considering its position within the BRICS bloc.

scholarly journals Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en die Afrikanervolk kerkordelik verwoord

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-465
Author(s):  
Piet Strauss
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Active Part ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
National Party ◽  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
The Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

The Dutch Reformed Church and the Afrikaner – in its church orderThe Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and the Afrikaner people had close ties in the 1960’s. This was intensified by the apartheid system in South Africa. The policy of apartheid was supported by the DRC, most of the Afrikaners and the National Party in government. In 1962 the DRC determined in its church order that it will protect and build the Christian-Protestant character of the Afrikaner people. This group was singled out by a church that was to be for believers of all nations. It also gave the DRC an active part in the development of this group. The documents Church and Society-1986 and Church and Society-1990 changed all this. The close links between the DRC and Afrikaans cultural institutions ended and the DRC declared that it caters to any believer. The church order article about the Afrikaner was omitted.

scholarly journals Die beroepsbrief in die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika – ’n kontraktuele werksaanbod?

2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Smit
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
Anglican Church ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Contractual Relationship ◽  
Contract Of Employment ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

The letter of calling in the Reformed Churches in South Africa – a contractual labour proposal? In the Schreuder case the court found that the letter of calling should be considered a legally valid letter of service. Therefore the relationship between a congregation and a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church is regulated by a contract of employ- ment. Consequently Labour Law applies to the position of this church’s ministers. In the court’s verdict on the Church of the Province case, the court found that a priest/minister of the Anglican Church does not enter into a legal binding contract of employment with the church. According to the court the rela- tionship between the Anglican Church and a priest/minister cannot be described as a contractual relationship, but rather a spiritual or religious agreement that is regulated by the canons of the church. Therefore the question should be asked: Is the letter of calling to a minister in the RCSA a contractual labour proposal by a local church? In this article it is argued that a letter of calling in the RCSA should not be considered a letter of service. In the light of Scripture, the confession and the church order the aim of the letter of calling is merely to inform a minister of a religious calling by the Lord. It is therefore suggested that the draft form of the letter of calling currently in use, should be adapted to avoid misunderstandings regarding the position and service of a minister in the RCSA.

scholarly journals Five hundred years on: Some traces of the Reformation in the Church Orders of two South African Reformed Churches – Seen as temporary expressions of the Church Order of the Reformed Synod of Dordrecht in 1619

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piet Strauss
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
16Th Century ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
African Churches ◽  
Reformed Churches ◽  
The Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

This article examines the influence of the Reformation of the 16th century on the Church Orders of two South African Reformed Churches, namely the Dutch Reformed Church and the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The five so-called solas, namely sola gratia [by grace alone], sola scriptura [by Scripture alone], sola fidei [by faith alone], solus christus [Christ alone] and soli Deo gloria [glory to God alone], are widely accepted as key expressions of the convictions of the Reformation. Although not necessarily in the same terms, the content of the solas are also found in the thought of Calvin. These matters influenced the Synod of Dordrecht (1618–1619) in its acceptance of the Three Formulas of Unity as reformed confessions of faith and its affirmation of the Dordt Church Order. The said South African churches accept the Three Formulas of Unity as confessions of faith and view their church orders as a modern version of the Dordt Church Order – adapted to the demands of the time. This article mainly examines the consequences of sola scriptura and sola fidei on the church orders of the two churches. In terms of these two solas, both have traces of the Reformation after 500 years.

scholarly journals Preaching and culture

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
T.F.J. Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Topical Issue ◽  
Multicultural Society ◽  
Changing Environment ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

Before the new political dispensation in South Africa (1994), the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika) referred to the church as a “peoples church” (volkskerk). Owing to political changes the qualification “volkskerk” has created a certain degree of disturbance in the ranks of the church. The relationship between “church and culture” became a topical issue. Since 1994 the focus of the homiletical debate shifted to the question of the role of the church within a changing environment and again the answer to the question of “church and culture” was of utmost importance. Nowadays the reality of a multicultural society becomes a new challenge to the church. This article is an attempt to define the relation between culture and preaching from different hermeneutic perspectives, namely the cultural embedding of the biblical kerygma; the interwovenness of language and culture; and the necessity for contextuality in preaching.

The Relationship Between Christian Metanarratives and Authoritative Scriptures in South African Society

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 72-83
Author(s):  
Marius J. Nel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Faith Community ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
African Society ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

Abstract In studying the interaction between the three monotheistic religions in South Africa it is important to note that each of them functions as a metanarrative in that they all attempt to provide a more-or-less coherent perspective on reality. The different, but also overlapping, metanarratives of Islam, Judaism and Christianity furthermore each has a complex relationship with their respective authoritative Scriptures, communities of faith, contemporary societies and each other. It is therefore necessary to investigate the manner in which each religion’s metanarrative functions within the spheres of the academy, faith community and broader society. This contribution describes one of the projects of the envisioned Centre for the Interpretation of Authoritative Scriptures (CIAS) that is in the process of being established at Stellenbosch University. The focus of this project will be on the relationship between the metanarrative contained in the Christian canon, a specific faith community (the Dutch Reformed Church) within South African society in the period 2009–2019.

scholarly journals Justice and the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaco Botha ◽  
Dion A. Forster
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
African Society ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Missional Theology ◽  
Framework Document ◽  
The Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

This article engages with the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) from the perspectives of solidarity with the poor and justice for South African society. The democratic South Africa continues to face significant socio-economic problems and an increasingly dissatisfied population. In the light of this, the article presents an introductory conversation with the Missional Framework Document in order to ask whether it offers an adequate response to South Africa�s current contextual challenges. The lens through which this article will engage the Framework Document is the theological paradigm of justice, specifically the theory of justice presented by Nicholas Wolterstorff as well as some important contributions from contemporary South African scholars who advocate for a theology from the margins of society. It is contended that the DRC remains a predominantly white middle-class church. This social, economic and political location has an impact on the missional theology of the church as expressed in the Framework Document. Hence, we engage with the Missional Theology of the DRC by means of a paradigm that operates from the �underside� or the economic, political and social �margins� of South African society. We argue that any missional theology aimed at furthering God�s Kingdom in South Africa at present must develop in community with the marginalised majority of the nation. The critical engagement with the Framework Document will be done by sketching a theological landscape where current contextual realities are brought into relief against a kairos moment on which the efficacy of this church�s mission, indeed its public work and witness, is being called into question.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This interdisciplinary study in Systematic Theology and Ethics engages the missional theology found in the Missional Framework Document of the Dutch Reformed Church. Methodologically, the research advocates for a contextual engagement with the missional theology proposed by this important document. The outcome of this contextual theological consideration is an invitation for the Church to consider the ethics of justice as an important aspect of their approach to faithful Christian mission in the South African social, economic and political context.

scholarly journals Die herlewing van sekulêre spiritualiteit in Europa en die implikasie daarvan vir die NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Kok
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
The South ◽  
The West ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Religious Landscape ◽  
The Church ◽  
Secular Spirituality ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

The revival of secular spirituality in Europe and its implication for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. This article critically reflected on the insights of David Tacey in which he notes that there is currently a revival in post-secular spirituality in the West, but that its deep religious roots are lacking. What would be the implication of these trends for the South African religious landscape where traditional mainstream churches such as the Dutch Reformed Church are shrinking significantly? People often say yes to God, but no to the church. Some in the church may totally renounce God. What lessons could be learned by the South African mainstream churches and theology if these trends in the West were taken into account? In this article a critical literature review (desk research) was done and the study was structured as follows: In the first place, the implication of superdiversity, supermobility and the reality of a post-COVID-19 consciousness was discussed. Next we engaged in research by scholars in which it was shown that our time, at least in the West, is characterised by existential anxiety and uncertainty. Thirdly, we engaged in the insights of David Tacey in which he also argued the fact that the uncertainty of the time in which we live, often causes people to return to spirituality. Finally, the implication of these trends for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa was reflected on.Contribution: This research makes a contribution to the nature and scope of the journal, in that it finds that the rise in secular spirituality, in the context of anxiety and uncertainty in a post-COVID-19 world, provides an opportunity for the Dutch Reformed Church to find meaning and significance.

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