Jaap Durand, former professor of Systematic Theology and vice-rector of the University of the Western Cape, celebrated his 75th birthday on 5 June 2009. This volume includes a foreword by Desmond Mpilo Tutu, essays by Jaap Furstenberg, Allan Boesak, Russel Botman, Nico Koopman, Bernard Lategan and Dirkie Smit. In addition, there are 22 shorter reflections from Jaap Durand?s friends, colleagues and former students.
God does not suggest, he commands that we do justice. Social justice is not optional for the Christian. All injustice affects others, so talking about justice that isn't social is like talking about water that isn't wet or a square with no right angles. But the Bible's call to seek justice is not a call to superficial, kneejerk activism. We are not merely commanded to execute justice, but to "truly execute justice." The God who commands us to seek justice is the same God who commands us to "test everything" and "hold fast to what is good." Drawing from a diverse range of theologians, sociologists, artists, and activists, Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, by Thaddeus Williams, makes the case that we must be discerning if we are to "truly execute justice" as Scripture commands. Not everything called "social justice" today is compatible with a biblical vision of a better world. The Bible offers hopeful and distinctive answers to deep questions of worship, community, salvation, and knowledge that ought to mark a uniquely Christian pursuit of justice. Topics addressed include: Racism Sexuality Socialism Culture War Abortion Tribalism Critical Theory Identity Politics Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth also brings in unique voices to talk about their experiences with these various social justice issues, including: Michelle-Lee Barnwall Suresh Budhaprithi Eddie Byun Freddie Cardoza Becket Cook Bella Danusiar Monique Duson Ojo Okeye Edwin Ramirez Samuel Sey Neil Shenvi Walt Sobchak In Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, Thaddeus Williams transcends our religious and political tribalism and challenges readers to discover what the Bible and the example of Jesus have to teach us about justice. He presents a compelling vision of justice for all God's image-bearers that offers hopeful answers to life's biggest questions.
The various contributions in this informative and exciting volume explore the ambivalent and complex history of Reformed faith during the years 1960 to 1990 in apartheid South Africa. In the process light is shed on the role of Reformed churches in the struggle for justice, freedom and dignity. Parameters are simultaneously provided for defining the public role of Reformed faith in contemporary South Africa in the context of Africanisation and globalisation ...ÿ Prof. Nico Koopman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University
?Theology for me has always been about friendship ? whether with students, postgraduate students, colleagues, ministers, ecumenical believers from different traditions, theologians from abroad, or simply books and publications, articles and sources ... This volume is a witness to some of these friends and some of these conversation partners, dead and alive, near and far, like-minded or from totally different backgrounds and persuasions, I have met over several decades and with whom I have been privileged to engage, doing theology.? Dirk J. Smit
This volume assesses contemporary church responses to multicultural diversity and resisted categories of social difference, with a central focus on whether or how racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, and gender differences are validated by churches (and especially black churches) torn between competing inclusive and exclusive tendencies.
South African Perspectives on Notions and Forms of Ecumenicity is the second in a series of publications on the interface between ecumenical theology and social transformation in the (South) African context. It explores the underlying tensions in the ecumenical movement from within the South African context by analysing various notions of what ecumenicity entails. It includes a leading essay by Ernst Conradie and 13 responses to the theme by experts in the field.
COVID-19 has impacted the way we see the world and the way we view spirituality; in times of crisis, people turn or return to religion or spirituality. Most of the South African population identifies as Christian. This brings to the fore what is meant by “spirituality” in a country crippled by the remains of apartheid structure, rampant corruption, poverty, and various systemic problems. Overall, there is a lack of scholarship investigating “spirituality” and “spirituality studies” from the global South. This book aims to bridge the gap. New avenues are investigated of thinking about God in difficult circumstances, as ideologies of hope and prosperity are reshaped. This book links text and context, spirituality and material culture, self and society, the analogue and the digital, contemplation and action, saying and unsaying; in short, the question of experiencing God in both everything and nothingness comes under the scope of this book.
"e;The subject of the Belhar Confession is an academic one which has enjoyed international attention, with congregations in the West having adopted it as one of their confessions for use. The content of this book is aimed chiefly at a scholarly community with ample knowledge of confessional documents and is a contribution on the subject of the Belhar Confession. The current challenges to the church and theology are discussed. Racism is one issue that poses an increasingly huge challenge to South Africa today. The book demonstrates what needs to be done extra to deal with the scourge of racism that seems to have percolated through virtually all aspects of our existence and particularly the church today in South Africa."e; - Prof. Rothney Tshaka (University of South Africa)
