Apartheid and the Dutch Reformed Church
Bookmark this page

1. The Dutch Reformed Church has accepted it, and claimed there is divine support for it.
2. The various English speaking Churches have opposed apartheid and become involved in the struggle against it.

Note: The Church has been very much involved in the history of the Afrikaner’s attempts to preserve the independence of their people. There has been a close relationship between the DRC and the aspirations of the Afrikaners:

1. Christian Nationalism: love of nation and love of Christ go together (i.e.: success of Great Trek meant support of God.)
2. DRC has been one of the chief means of preserving the culture of Afrikaners.
3. Afrikaners felt a sense of superiority over non-European races ß supported by the ‘God-willed diversity of peoples’.

Note: the history of the Afrikaners has been a history of struggle to preserve an identity à led to ‘laager mentality’ (need to survive)

Apartheid and the English Speaking Churches:

The ESC have played an increasingly active role in opposition to it.

1. ESC took the position that:

• Discrimination btw men on the basis of race was inconsistent w/ principles of Christianity.
• All should have the right to vote (irrespective of race)
• All should have equal opportunities in education and work.

1. ESC have protested against Gov. regulations in implementing Apartheid (i.e.: Group Areas Act, Mixed Marriage Act, Immorality Act)
2. ESC and DRC (although this statement was rejected by its own hierarchy) made a statement which included:

• That mixed marriages were valid.
• A condemnation of migratory labor laws.
• A demand that all citizens of South Africa receive equal shares in the rewards and privileges of citizenship.

1. Setting up of the Christian Institute (banned in 1977) to establish common ground btw different races and different Churches.
2. Council of South African Churches (1968) formed to fight against racism à criticized the ‘false gospel’ of apartheid.

• Helped organize community dev. projects.
• Provided scholarships for black students.
• Gave help to families of political prisoners.
• Publicly criticized apartheid policies

1. 1978: Black bishop Desmond Tutu as general-secretary of Council of South African Churches (more credibility w/ black pop.)
2. CSAC urged people to refuse to do military service.

Evaluation of the success of the Council in its struggle:

Despite some minor success, no great impact b/c:

1. Blacks tended to adopt a cynical attitude towards the council.
2. Many blacks identified Christianity with imperialism.
3. The Council had very little political influence b/c it had no political party.
4. Overtaken by the actions of the World Council of Churches: WCC provided grants to groups who fought apartheid.

• Promoted non-violence (blacks saw little alternatives to non-violence and took as example the resistance movements in Europe in WWII who were and still are praised despite their violence.

1. Gov. showed little evidence of weakness b/c:

• Possessed most powerful military force in Africa
• Western powers could do little against it (needed gold, diamonds and uranium productions)
• Effective barrier to communism

The Black Renaissance:

1970s: growth in black consciousness, caused by:

1. Success of civil rights movements in the US.
2. Success of guerilla groups in Mozambique, Angola…
3. Detribalisation amongst urban blacks who then identified w/ being black instead of w/ a tribe.

This new pride was a problem to Churches b/c:

1. How to respond w/ the increasing violence w/out alienating itself further from the blacks.
2. How to deal with the rejection of ‘the white man’s church’.
3. How to respond to development of ‘black theology’ (Africanized and politicized faith in order to fit black peoples struggle in South Africa)
*

Other Notes in this Category

1. Apartheid and the Dutch Reformed Church
2. Catholic Church in Latin America
3. Catholic Church in the 1990's
4. Christian Democracy : From Fascism to the CDU
5. Christianity in Politics
6. Islam and the state
7. Islam in Iran
8. Islam in Saudi Arabia
9. Orthodox Church in the USSR
10. Political Christ
11. The Position of Women in Islamic Society
12. Zionism and the State of Israel

Didn't find this useful?

• Visit Coursework.Info for over 14,000 GCSE, A-Level and University Essays