HEALING THE SCARS: A THEOLOGICAL-HERMENEUTICAL ANALYSIS OF VIOLENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF BOTH PERPETRATORS AND VICTIMS

Abstract

Violence is a reality within the South African society and it has a devastating effect on the victims, the perpetrators and the society at large. The recent outbreak of xenophobic violence in De Doorns in the Western Cape, and the violence that accompanied the service delivery protests indicates that many people have reached the point where they believe that violence is the only way to deal with the past, as well as with the current situation in South Africa. Perpetrators use violence to get what they want. In return, victims of this violent behaviour employ violence to retaliate, and in so doing the violence takes on a cycle character that soon spins out of control. This article will try to illustrate the importance of a responsible theological pastoral hermeneutic in dealing with violence from the perspectives of both the victim and the perpetrator. It will firstly indicate the importance of using a theological pastoral hermeneutic paradigm in dealing with the issue of violence; secondly it will focus on understanding the context of the violence within our country; and finally, it will indicate some ideas on how we can use this analysis to assist both the victim and the perpetrator on their journey towards healing and wholeness.