scholarly journals Kweekskool teenoor teologiese fakulteit: Die ervaring van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk

Author(s):  
E. Brown

Seminary versus theological faculty: The experience of the Dutch Reformed Church This article poses the question of why the Theological Seminary initiated and established by the Dutch Reformed Church, became - after 104 years - the Faculty of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch. In a real sense it was a contextual and logical development. Right from the beginning, the church put a high value on a theological education connected to a university. However, considering the problems of faith and reason, church and culture, the Synod insisted on official guidance of the theological instruction of ministers in training. By agreement, the University adopted the Seminary as its faculty, allowing it to retain its name and identity. In this way the church obtained the required degree course for its students.

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
André G. Ungerer

In 2017 the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) celebrates its centenary of theological education at the University of Pretoria (UP). In this article the focus is on the build-up to setting up the first 50 years 1917– 1967 at UP. From as early as 1909 there was a yearning for our own theological seminary; however, some of the church leaders expressed their desire for theological education at a university. At the dawn of 1916 everything was in place for the NHKA and the Presbyterian Church of South Africa, as the first two partners, to start a faculty of theology at the Transvaal University College (TUC). On 01 April 1917 the Faculty of Theology commenced its work with prof. J.H.J.A. Greyvenstein of the NHKA and prof. E. MacMillan from the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian link with the faculty was broken in 1933. From 1938 the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) joined the NHKA and two independent sections were established: Section A for the NHKA and Section B for the NGK. There was a steady growth in the number of students and professors and on 13 June 1967 the NHKA filled its sixth professorship in the person of prof. I.J. de Wet. This era was also characterised by a lot of political tension in the heyday of the policy of apartheid. The NHKA was known for Article III in its constitution that propagates that church membership was for whites only. The NHKA support of the policy of apartheid was the cause of a dispute between the Church and prof. A.S. Geyser. In the end the matter was settled in favour of Geyser. There was also a dispute between professors A.G. Geyser and A.D. Pont that ended up in court in 1967. Pont was accused of defamation against Geyser. The court ruled against Pont and Geyser was granted the largest amount of compensation up till then.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Kruger ◽  
Johan M. Van der Merwe

The Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk) is in transition because of the influences of the more recent South African epochs of democratisation, Africanisation and globalisation. The histories of these epochs extend over more than 20 years and have had a significant influence on the church. The Dutch Reformed (DR) Church changed institutionally because its place and influence within society changed considerably as a result of political and social transformation since 1994. The ongoing process of Africanisation that accompanies these transformations brings certain reactions to the bosom of the church via the experiences of its members. Most are Afrikaners being more inclined to westernised social frames of reference. Ironically, these people are more susceptible to the effects of globalisation, especially secularisation, which transposes the religious set-up of the DR Church into an open and individuated system. These developments pose major challenges to the DR Church in the sense that it has to reconsider how it approaches society, what it can contribute to the ecumenical church, why it is necessary to reflect on its denominational identity and what its academic, theological endeavours in these regards entail.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article has an interdisciplinary scope because the multiplicity of the present-day calls for interdisciplinary academic reflection. For the purpose of this article, Church Historiography helps to systemise recent ecclesiastical developments within the DR Church. To clarify the influences of these developments on the DR Church, sociological premises are incorporated to describe them within a broader social context. References to the conducted empirical study serve to explain respondents’ (members of the DR Church) social and religious constructs regarding these ecclesiastical and sociological phenomena.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-465
Author(s):  
Piet Strauss

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.


Author(s):  
Leon van den Broeke

Abstract This article tries to find an answer to the central question whether the Dutch Reformed pastor and professor Petrus Hofstede de Groot (1802-1886) was a dominocrat. Hofstede de Groot was pastor in Ulrum and professor at the university in Groningen. My contribution is an elaboration of the oral book review I held in 2017 at the presentation of Jasper Vree’s book Kerk, huis, school en staat: Leven, werk en vriendenkring van P. Hofstede de Groot (1844-1886). In my article I explain the meaning of ‘dominocrat’ and also ‘Dominocrat’ and explore the synodical acts of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk) between 1830 (Hofstede de Groot’s first appearance in the general synod as professor) and 1886 (his death), and Hofstede de Groot’s role in synodical meetings. He was indeed a dominocrat. He favored the leadership of the pastors. At the same time, he was a Dominocrat. In his life and in his work, he was focussed on the Dominus, Jesus Christ, for the church (kerk), at home (huis), school and state (staat).


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piet J. Strauss

The church order of the Dutch Reformed Church of 2013: Channel or stumbling block for church discipline? There is a widely accepted stand in reformed churches not to accept detailed prescriptions in its church order for church discipline. Church assemblies tasked with church discipline need space to undertake this according to God’s Word, with a pastoral approach, the well-being of the church and its members in mind, and a good deal of common sense. Despite this, the Dutch Reformed Church accepted detailed rules and regulations for discipline as a binding addendum to its church order in 1974. This addendum was scrapped in 1998. However, a new addendum was again accepted in 2011. This article asks the question whether the binding articles and regulations of this church is a proper channel or a stumpling block for discipline in its midst.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article is based on a philosophical-sociological distinction between the discipline of the church as a society of faith and discipline in other institutions of society. The discipline of the church implies that the church is as an institution of faith, in this case, must also act according to the natural rules of justice and justice in terms of its own calling as an institution of the Christian faith. These rules and the church order as an instrument for procedure in the church, are the grounds on which a civil court, when asked to, can rehearse a decision of an assembly of the church. This is not about the merit of the church content of the decisions, but the procedure. The article also makes extensive use of ecclesiological matter or a dogmatic church concept that must be maintained in criminal matters. The challenge: the church remains theoretically and in practice church.


2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelis T. Kleynhans

Pastoral guidance of ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church during ecclesiastical discipline. The process of ecclesiastical discipline evokes feelings of guilt and shame. Whilst literary study suggested this to be the case, the empirical research confirmed it. It is clear that the three-fold process was a traumatic and shocking experience for ministers. Most upsetting was the way that the process was handled. It was done in a non-professional way and without brotherly or sisterly love. The process triggered guilt and shame emotions in a number of ways, not least by the lack of support and guidance. Respondents indicated that they had positive and negative experiences of guilt and shame during the discipline process. Most respondents took action to amend their mistakes, and thereby used the guilt feeling functionally, whilst the use of defence mechanisms showed that they did not manage and process the feelings of shame. It is unsettling to realise that the Dutch Reformed Church fails her ministers in time of need. Only a few parishioners and ministers from other denominations provided some sort of comfort during the discipline process. The church gave no support and guidance in the processing of the feelings of guilt and shame. The church lacked in every aspect, even to show a basic understanding of the trauma, and none of the church councils offered any basic or interventive help. To remedy the situation, it is proposed that the church should take its task as caregiver during the ecclesiastical discipline of ministers very serious and give guidance in an official and professional way.


2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Strauss

The ecclesiastical authority of the assemblies in church as in the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church The point in discussion in this article is Article 20.1 of the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). In accept- ing the first version of this church order, the first general synod of the DRC in 1962 used the church order of 1959 of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN) as an example. The exact wording of Article 20.1 happened to be part of the latter.   Article 20.1 gives an indication of the authority of assemblies because this is nowhere else attended to in the church order of the DRC. It explains that the authority of church governing bodies like assemblies comes from Christ. He as the actual Head of the church lends authority to these assemblies, without abdicating his position as the Head of his church. He remains the Source and Owner of ecclesiastical authority.  This means that ecclesiastical authority is founded and based on the Word of God by which it sumultaneously is limited. In exercising it’s authority, an assembly is also bound to do it in accordance with the character of the church. To speak of authority in the church is not in conflict with the character of the church as a community of believers connected by love.


2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Pieter Strauss

The Dutch Reformed Church, church order and education. From the first church order of the General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1962, it has formulated stipulations for the church and education. In this regard the Dutch Reformed Church is unique among reformed churches. The wording of this article has changed over the years, but the main content has remained the same. The Dutch Reformed Church supports Christian education as a church, but also recognizes the competence of education authorities to finalise education standards and programmes. In 1962 the order of the Dutch Reformed Church on education also stated that the church would work on the Protestant character of the Afrikaner people. From 1990 onwards these words were omitted. The church nevertheless feels that education will allways be imbricated in a certain culture. In synodical resolutions in recent times the Dutch Reformed Church has recognized the calling of the South African state to subsidize all education enterprises that meet certain purely educational standards. Vanaf sy eerste kerkorde in 1962 koester die Algemene Sinode van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk die ideaal van nie-kerklike Christelike onderwys. Met sy kerkordelike bepalings oor die kerk en onderwys, is die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk uniek onder gereformeerde kerke. Die bewoording van hierdie artikels het deur die jare verander, maar die hoofsaak het dieselfde gebly. Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk steun Christelike onderwys vanuit sy kerklike hoek, maar erken die interne bevoegdheid van onderwysinstellings om onderwysinhoude en standaarde te finaliseer. In 1962 het sy kerkorde bepaal dat die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk hom beywer vir die Protestants-Christelike karakter van “ons volk”, die Afrikanervolk. Die uitsondering van “ons volk” is sedert 1990 egter weggelaat ten gunste die erkenning van alle kulture in die onderwys. In sinodebesluite van die afgelope tyd ondersteun die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk die standpunt dat die Suid-Afrikaanse staatsowerheid onderwys alle lewensbeskoulik gerigte instansies subsidieer.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippus R. Du Toit

The focus of this article is on the fundamental and practical reasons that led to the establishment of theological training by the Dutch Reformed Church in the northern part of South Africa. The Faculty of Theology (Division B) was eventually established in 1938 at the University of Pretoria - nearly 80 years since the opening of the Theological Seminary in Stellenbosch. Attention is given both to the major role players in Church and Faculty as well as to the developments that inf uenced both Church and Faculty: the Dutch Reformed Church of Transvaal eventually dissolved into four synods; the Faculty of Theology on the other hand united the two Divisions to become one multi-denominational faculty in 2000. Cognisance is taken of the major tensions between faculty and Church during the course of time. Special attention is given to certain accusations regarding theological heresy during the last decade.�


2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flip Du Toit

The ongoing appointment of ministers between the Dutch Reformed Church and the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa: 1862–1917. This article highlights the situation prior to the establishment of the theological training of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NDRCA). The training of ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) started in 1859 with the establishment of the Theological Seminary at Stellenbosch. Since 1862 three churches operated in the then Transvaal (South African Republic). Many ministers of the DRC were called to serve in the NDRCA. The most notable were the Rev D.P. Ackerman and the Rev H.S. Bosman. They were called before the origin of the united church (of the NDRCA and the DRC) that existed between 1885 and 1892. After the split in 1892, they (as well as many others) continued as ministers in the DRC. The first lecturer of the NDRCA was called in 1917 − also a minister that was previously from the DRC. The calling of his successor sparked a major row. The NDRCA congregation of Pretoria called another minister from the DRC – the Rev H.D. van Broekhuizen. This eventually led to a special meeting of the General Assembly of the NDRCA in 1917 where his calling was eventually approved.


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