Uitnodiging na konferensie oor ‘Geweld in die Demokratiese Suid-Afrika: ‘n Uitdaging vir die teologie en die kerke.’ – Etienne de Villiers | TEO website of the Faculty of Theology University of Pretoria / TEO Webwerf van die Fakulteit Teologie, U.P.
Uitnodiging na konferensie oor ‘Geweld in die Demokratiese Suid-Afrika: ‘n Uitdaging vir die teologie en die kerke.’ – Etienne de Villiers
Die hoë voorkoms van geweld in die huidige demokratiese Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing stel nie net aan die regering nie, maar ook aan die teologie en die kerke ‘n besondere uitdaging. Wat ons nou nodig het is heldere teologiese denke oor dié geweld en sinvolle leiding deur die kerke oor hoe dit hanteer moet word.
Om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die hantering van hierdie uitdaging reël die Sentrum vir Publieke Teologie van die Fakulteit Teologie van die Universiteit van Pretoria ‘n nasionale konferensie van Dinsdag 10 tot Donderdag 12 Augustus. Die hoofspeker is prof. Wolfgang Huber, pas-afgetrede voorsitter van die Raad van die Evangeliese Kerk in Duitsland (EKD). Hy is ‘n internasionaal bekende teoloog wat onder andere ‘n baanbrekende boek oor geweld geskryf het. Hy sal Dinsdagaand 10 Augustus om 19:00 ‘n openbare lesing hou oor die onderwerp Religion and violence in a globalised world en op Woensdagaand 11 Augustus weer om 19:00 een oor die onderwerp Overcoming violence – A basic task of Christian churches. Beide die openbare lesings is in die Sanlam Ouditorium in die konferensiesentrum van die Universiteit van Pretoria (hoofkampus), is gratis en is oop vir die publiek, met ander woorde ook vir persone wat nie vir die konferensie inskryf nie.
Afgesien van prof Huber neem ‘n hele aantal oorsese teoloë en ook Suid-Afrikaanse deskundiges oor die geweld in ons samelewing aan die konferensie deel. Veral vanweë die deelname van die oorsese sprekers sal die voertaal by die konferensie Engels wees.
Hier is ‘n oorsig van die sub-temas, sprekers en die onderwerpe van die referate:
The nature and causes of the violence:
Jan Hofmeyr (Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, UCT): The social context of violence in SA: A public opinion perspective
Johan Burger (Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria): SA’s violent crime profile: Trends and tendencies
David Bruce (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, Wits): The nature and causes of violent crime in SA
Engaging violence theologically:
Răsvan Tatu (pastor, Johannesburg): Some reflections on religion and violence
Johann Albrecht Meylahn (UP): Seeking the good (peace) of the republic: The violence against and of difference in defining the public space: Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war
Erna Oliver (Unisa): The church is part of the problem
Rothney Tshaka (Unisa): The role of theology in engaging violence in present day South Africa
Eddy van der Borght (Free University, Amsterdam): Coming to terms with ethnic violence theologically: An analysis of a century of ecumenical dealing with identity politics
Nyamburi Njoroge (World Council of Churches, Geneva): Addressing violent legacies: The role of theological institutions in Africa
Nelus Niemandt (UP): “Mission and power” – The relevance of the Edinburgh 2010 discussion in the theological engagement with violence
Willem Saayman (professor emeritus, Unisa): I am because you are: Humanization as public agenda for Christian mission
Edward P Wimberly (Interdenominational Theological Seminary, Atlanta): Unnoticed and unloved. The indigenous story-teller and public policy in a post-colonial age
Anthony Egan (Jesuit Institute, Johannesburg): Utopian realism and the search for a desanctified theology of violence
Sias Meyer (UP): The role of the Old Testament in violent South Africa: Villian or saviour?
Reggie Nel (Unisa): A qualitative inquiry into the perceptions of young people, in Riverlea community, as a basis for developing a missional ecclesiology
Cobus van Wyngaard (UP): Critical reflections on congregational reactions in the DRC to violence
The churches’ contribution in combating violence:
Facilitating reconciliation between groups
Piet Meiring (professor emeritus, UP): “You will be called repairer of broken walls”. The role of the South African faith communities in combating violence in South Africa”
Wessel Bentley (pastor Pretoria): The reconciliary role of Holy Communion in the Methodist tradition
Advocacy for and accommodation of victims of xenophobia
Elina Hankena (PhD student, University of Helsinski): “It just intrigues me that people who we look down on so much are so intelligent.” A socio-ethical analysis of overcoming xenophobia
Emmanual Tshilenga (pastor, French speaking congregation Pretoria): The church as advocate for refugees experiencing xenophobic violence in South Africa
Contribution to the healing of victims of violence
Johannes Froneman (NWU) and Christo Lombard (Unisa): ’n Karaktisering van religieuse verwysings in berigte om misdaad en ongelukke in Beeld en Rapport
Christo Thesnaar (US): The churches’ contribution to the healing of victims of violence
Roelf Opperman (pastor, Pretoria): A story of how a congregation on the outskirts of Pretoria started the healing process of their crime stricken community
Gerhard Bothma (pastor, Polokwane): Educating members for peace: A practical theological reading of 2 Corinthians 5 as a metatheoretical framework for engaging violence theologically
Cori Wielenga (Co-director, NGO Shalom, Rwanda): Compassionate communication as a response to conflict
Christoph Baumann (Centre for Christian Spirituality, Cape Town): Guiding men to deal peacefully with conflict and violence in everyday life
Maake Masango (UP): Spiral of violence and gender sensitivity
Modeling peaceful existence
Terence Cooke (pastor, Potchefstroom): The pastor as model for peaceful existence
Andrew Suderman (director, Anabaptist Network in Southern Africa): Overcoming modernity’s individualism: Being a community that witnesses to the Kingdom of God in the face of violence
Albert Mutavhatsindi ( pastor, Soweto): The role of the Reformed Churches in South Africa (GKSA) in addressing the problem of violence in South Africa
Christina Landman (Unisa): The church’s public role in the service delivery uprisings
Alle Christene vir wie dit van belang is dat die teologie en die kerke op die gepaste wyse op die geweld in ons samelewing respondeer, word uitgenooi om in te skryf vir die konferensie. Die volgende inligting is van belang vir diegene wat wil inskryf:
Plek: Sanlam Ouditorium, konferensiesentrum, hoofkampus, Universiteit van Pretoria
Duur: Dinsdag 10 Augustus 10:30 tot Donderdag 12 Augustus 13:00. Daar moet in ag geneem word dat daar ook die twee aandsessies (Dinsdag- en Woensdagaand) is waar prof. Huber sy openbare lesings sal lewer
Inskrywingsgeld: R 250 vir die hele konferensie. Dit sluit ook twee aandetes en vyf bedieninge van tee/koffie in. Om die inskrywingsgeld laag te hou, word middagetes nie ingesluit nie. Daar is egter genoeg plekke op die kampus waar kos gekoop kan word. Die inskrywingsgeld vir slegs een dag is R 125.
Inskrywingsprosedure en betaling van inskrywingsgeld: U kan vir die konferensie inskryf deur die gepaste bedrag in die volgende bankrekening in te betaal: Universiteit of Pretoria, Absa Bank, takkode: 632 005, rekeningnommer: 214 000 00 54, verwysing: A2209 (NB om die verwysingsnommer te meld) én deur u naam en kontakgegewens, asook bewys van betaling aangeheg, te e-pos na die e-posadres: centre.publictheology@up.ac.za nie later nie as die 4e Augustus.
Kontakpersone: As u enige navrae het, kan u met mev. Daleen Kotzé (tel. nr. 012-420 2348, e-posadres: daleen.kotze@up.ac.za (tot 30 Julie) of Cobus van Wyngaard (e-posadres: cobusvw@gmail.com) skakel.