Black Church’s Struggle for Legitimacy
The history of Christianity in South African began with the arrival of the Dutch in 1652. It took more than 200 years before any visible and coordinated attempt was made to take the gospel to the indigenous people. Christian expression for centuries was the virtual monopoly of the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK). To the Africans being a settler or being White was synonymous with being a Christian. Unfortunately this was true for most Whites, they perceived themselves to be Christians by birth, and the term “heathen” referred to the Africans and never to Whites even though they may not have been Christians.
The theology of exclusion was propagated at a very early stage in the social history of South Africa. As we all know this matured into one of the most oppressive systems called apartheid. One of the great pillars of this terrible system was theology, the Bible. D F Malan, a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, is reported to have said that Afrikanerdom is not the work of man but a creation of God.
It has been observed that many Blacks especially those in Universities and townships are very skeptical if not dismissive of Christianity and rightly so. Christianity is regarded as a foreign religion of dominion and oppression furthering the motives of capitalism. An unenviable situation exists for the Black church as it seeks to profess and proclaim Christian principles and ethics in South Africa. It has been noted by De Gruchy that the Black church is to a great degree struggling for legitimacy in the Black community. Is Christianity the opiate to dull the senses of the Blacks? Is it hope for the future?
How do we respond to these charges which are informed by our own history? Christianity, in spite of all these negative historical realities, still commands great respect not only in South African but throughout the continent. More than 80% of all South Africans belong to some form or variant of Christianity. How do we account for this? One of the notable achievements of Christianity has not only been the conversion of many Africans to Christianity but how Africans used Christian values and principles to fight oppression and inequality. The next few series will look at how the Bible has been used as a liberating tool both for Africans and Whites.
The rise of African nationalism can be attributed to the Christian influence. Most of the leaders in the African nationalist movements were leading Christians in their churches. The founding members of ANC (African National Congress) were not just followers of Christianity but were among the leadership in Christian churches. Most of these leaders were educated in Christian schools which were run by missionaries. Indeed it was Christianity that imported ideas of freedom, equality, and human rights.Black Theology, which was an attempt by Black people to voice their frustrations at those who call themselves Christians while advocating and supporting the evil system of apartheid, was based on the Bible. The Black Consciousness Movement was birthed in a Christian environment. Missionaries established schools, clinics and did many other things. South Africa’s national anthem is a Christian document and reminds us of our rich Christian history.