Historiography and Cross-cultural Research into African Indigenous Christianity (AIC): A Challenge to Human Dignity

Abstract

Contemporary South Africa remains a divided country. Interracial tension still characterises much of the public discourse. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's vision of a harmonious Rainbow Nation has not yet been realised. One question emerging out of this context concerns the ways in which white South Africans could or could not relate with integrity to black concerns. African Indigenous Christianity remains one aspect of the black social context which is largely unfamiliar to whites. In the interest of nation building there is a strong incentive for increased awareness regarding the lives of others across the various dividing barriers. However, due to the unequal nature of past intercultural interactions, bridging this gap is not easy. This article argues that cross-cultural research could be done to the promotion of human dignity if the research process forms part of a process of hybridisation or transformation of the researcher towards an appreciation of human dignity as shared humanity.