Van der Merwe, Barend Jacobus
English: The human faith in God is an influential practice which also influences the material and political choices of humans. Religion provides large numbers of people with a basic justification for their lives and can also have a determining influence on the way in which communities put themselves in order as a whole. Believers, and for the purpose of this study specifically Christians, want to experience that their faith practically influence the world in which they live and that it brings hope to mankind. For this reason differences in political views bring along divergent interpretations of the will of God for mankind. The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC, i.e. the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, NGK) of South Africa is a very old and influential church. Although the DRC historically has a special tie with the white Afrikaans-speaking people of South Africa, it was especially during the 20th century that the DRC developed into a national church which provided a theological justification for the apartheid policy of the National Party (NP) and which also maintained the process of apartheid by the development of separate churches for separate races. Especially during the 1980s the DRC experienced enormous pressure from overseas, as well as nationally, to reform. Activism against the apartheid policy took on various forms. Criticism against the theology of the DRC was an important way in which to force the DRC, as well as the government to review the apartheid policy. Although the process took a long time, the 1980s was characterised by the extensive transformation of the apartheid policy in the political arena which caused division among white Afrikaners and the schism of the NP with the establishment of the Conservative Party (CP). In 1986 the DRC, by accepting the policy document Church and Society, decided that the apartheid policy did not rest with any worthy theological appeal. The Church however refused to declare the apartheid policy to be a sin, and therefore contrary to the will of God. Large numbers of Christians across the world did however view the apartheid policy in that light. The refusal of the DRC to take similar steps caused it to still be regarded by numerous observers as a reactionary force in the South African society. The decision of the DRC to abolish the theological justification of the apartheid policy was directly responsible for the establishment of the Afrikaans Protestant Church (APC, i.e. the Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk, APK) in 1987. The division in the DRC regarding the resolutions of 1986 however continued as these resolutions paved the way for white and black South Africans to associate with each other in a radical way which for many years had not been possible in South Africa. Consequently the social and political sovereignty of the white Afrikaners, as well as the power balance in South Africa, were threatened. This caused important leaders in the DRC to challenge the 1986 resolutions of the Church. Although die DRC gradually adapted to the changes in the country, several theologians and enlightened leaders within the DRC took the lead in the debate. On synodal level influential decisions were taken by the DRC during the 1980s, but the fact that the DRC church family in general and the DRC in particular could not succeed in becoming one church as had been the case historically, reflects negatively on the Church and restrains the Church in becoming a real force for reconciliation and integration in South Africa. A study of the above-mentioned not only provides insights into the transition from a minority government in South Africa to a democracy, but also into the complex interaction between the DRC and the former NP government.
Afrikaans: Die menslike geloof in God is ‘n invloedryke praktyk wat ook die materiële en politieke keuses van mense beïnvloed. Godsdiens bied aan groot getalle mense ‘n basiese regverdiging vir hulle lewens en kan ook ‘n bepalende invloed uitoefen op hoe gemeenskappe hulself in die geheel orden. Gelowiges, en vir die doel van hierdie studie spesifiek Christene, wil sien dat hulle geloof in God die wêreld waarin hulle verkeer prakties beïnvloed en hoop aan die mensdom bring. Daarom bring verskille in politieke sieninge uiteenlopende interpretasies van die wil van God vir die mensdom mee. Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk van Suid-Afrika (NGK) is ‘n baie ou en invloed- ryke Kerk. Hoewel die NGK histories ‘n besondere band met die blanke Afrikaans- sprekende mense van Suid-Afrika getoon het, was dit veral gedurende die 20ste eeu wat die NGK ontwikkel het tot ‘n volkskerk wat die apartheidsbeleid van die Nasionale Party (NP) met ‘n teologiese regverdiging bedien het, asook die proses van apartheid in stand gehou het deur die ontwikkeling van afsonderlike kerke vir afsonderlike rasse. Die NGK het veral teen die 1980’s onder geweldige druk verkeer vanuit die buiteland, asook nasionaal, om te hervorm. Aktivisme teen die apartheidsbeleid het vele vorme aangeneem. Kritiek teen die NGK se teologie was ‘n belangrike manier om die NGK sowel as die regering te dwing om die apartheidsbeleid te hersien. Hoewel die proses lank geneem het, is die 1980’s gekenmerk aan die grootskaalse hervorming van die apartheidsbeleid op politieke terrein wat blanke Afrikaners verdeeld gelaat het en die NP met die totstandkoming van die Konserwatiewe Party (KP) laat skeur het. Die NGK het in 1986 deur die aanvaarding van die beleidsdokument Kerk en Samelewing besluit dat die apartheidsbeleid op geen waardige teologiese oproep berus nie. Die Kerk het egter geweier om die apartheidsbeleid tot ‘n ‘sonde’, en dus strydig met die wil van God, te verklaar. Groot getalle Christene wêreldwyd het die apartheidsbeleid egter in daardie lig beskou. Die NGK se weiering om dieselfde stap neem, het veroorsaak dat dit steeds deur talle waarnemers as ‘n reaksionêre krag in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing beskou word. Die NGK se besluit om die teologiese regverdiging van die apartheidsbeleid te laat vaar, was direk verantwoordelik vir die totstandkoming van die Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk (APK) in 1987. Die verdeeldheid in die NGK aangaande die besluite van 1986 het egter voortgeduur, omdat dié besluite die weg gebaan het vir wit en swart Suid-Afrikaners om op ingrypende wyse met mekaar om te gaan wat vir baie jare nie in Suid-Afrika moontlik was nie. Gevolglik is die sosiale en politieke soewereiniteit van die blanke Afrikaners, sowel as die magsbalans, in Suid-Afrika bedreig. Dit het meegebring dat belangrike leiersfigure in die NGK die Kerk se besluite van 1986 uitgedaag het. Alhoewel die NGK langsamerhand by die veranderinge in die land aangepas het, het verskeie teoloë en verligte leiers binne die NGK leiding in die debat gegee. Op sinodale vlak is invloedryke besluite gedurende die 1980’s deur die NGK geneem, maar die feit dat die NG-kerkfamilie in die algemeen en die NGK in besonder nie daarin kon slaag nie om weer een kerk te word, soos wat histories die geval was, reflekteer negatief op die Kerk en weerhou die Kerk daarvan om ‘n ware krag van versoening en integrasie in Suid-Afrika te wees. ‘n Studie van bogenoemde bied nie slegs insigte in die oorgang van ‘n minderheidsregering in Suid-Afrika na ‘n demokrasie nie, maar ook in die komplekse wisselwerking tussen die NGK en die voormalige NP-regering.
Historiese perspektiewe op die verhouding tussen die nederduitse gereformeerde kerk van Said-Afrika en apartheid, 1980 - 1990 ﻿
Van der Merwe, Barend Jacobus (University of the Free State, 2010)
English:The human faith in God is an influential practice which also influences the material and political choices of humans. Religion provides large numbers of people with a basic justification for their lives and can ...