The religious identity of the church and its social and political mission in South Africa 1948-1984 : a historical and theological analysis
This study is concerned with the identity of the Church and its social and political mission in South Africa. Here the argument is that the religious identity of the Church is fulfilled in the realization of the Kingdom of God through the historical event of incarnation which liberates human identity from oppression and alienation. This doctrine in turn, it is contended, depends for its relevance upon the significance of the concepts of prolepsis and commitment for the mission of the Church, Prolepsis signifies that the Church exists to bear witness to that which has come and is coming in Jesus Christ, In this way the thesis attempts to situate the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in relation to a particular problem of oppression and exploitation in South Africa, Hence commitment should be understood as the fulfilment of Black identity and thus as a liberation which brings about the transformation of the South African identity as a whole. In this thesis the hermeneutic circle as a theory of interpretation is applied in the theological and historical analysis of the South African social formation. Part One of the thesis lays the theoretical foundations of the study by developing the hypothesis and discussing
Baai, Gladstone Sandi
Church in South Africa
The religious identity of the church and its social and political mission in South Africa 1948-1984 : a historical and theological analysis. This study is concerned with the identity of the Church and its social and political mission in South Africa. Here the argument is that the religious identity of the Church is fulfilled in the realization of the Kingdom of God through the historical event of incarnation which liberates human identity from oppression and alienation. This doctrine in turn, it is contended, depends for its relevance upon the significance of the concepts of prolepsis and commitment for the mission of the Church, Prolepsis signifies that the Church exists to bear witness to that which has come and is coming in Jesus Christ, In this way the thesis attempts to situate the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in relation to a particular problem of oppression and exploitation in South Africa, Hence commitment should be understood as the fulfilment of Black identity and thus as a liberation which brings about the transformation of the South African identity as a whole. In this thesis the hermeneutic circle as a theory of interpretation is applied in the theological and historical analysis of the South African social formation. Part One of the thesis lays the theoretical foundations of the study by developing the hypothesis and discussing
religious identity church social_political mission south_africa historical_theological analysis study_concern identity church social_political mission south_africa argument religious identity church fulfil realization kingdom_god historical_event incarnation liberate human identity oppression alienation doctrine turn contend depend relevance upon significance concept commitment mission_church signify church exist bear_witness come come jesus_christ way attempt situate proclamation kingdom_god relation particular problem oppression exploitation south_africa hence commitment understood fulfilment black identity thus liberation bring transformation south_african identity whole hermeneutic circle theory interpretation apply theological historical_analysis south_african social_formation part_one lay theoretical_foundation study develop hypothesis discussing