Racial integration in the church of apartheid / Marthe Hesselmans.

• Superior document: Studies in Reformed theology ; Volume 36
• Author: Hesselmans, Marthe.
• Place / Publishing House: Boston, MA : : Brill,, 2018.
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in Reformed Theology 36.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xvi, 270 pages).

In Racial Integration in the Church of Apartheid Marthe Hesselmans uncovers the post-apartheid transformation of South Africa’s Dutch Reformed Church. This church once constituted the religious pillar of the Afrikaner apartheid regime (1948-1994). Today, it seeks to unite the communities it long segregated into one multiracial institution. Few believe this will succeed. A close look inside congregations reveals unexpected stories of reconciliation though. Where South Africans realize they need each other to survive, faith offers common ground – albeit a feeble one. They show the potential, but also the limits of faith communities untangling entrenched national and racial affiliations. Linking South Africa’s post-apartheid transition to religious-nationalist movements worldwide, Hesselmans offers a unique perspective on religion as source of division and healing.

Table of Contents

Introduction: When Religion Unites or Divides -- Divine Divisions -- The South African Context: A Torn (Hi)story -- Once We Were One: Church (Dis)unity from 1948 until Today -- United in Christ Alone -- Talking Unity, Living Apart -- Joining in Prayer, but Not in the Pews -- Conclusion: Change or Perish.