Race, Spirituality, and Reconciliation

Abstract

Despite the struggles of defining an Anglican Communion, there is much to celebrate in terms of how dynamic and relevant Anglicanism can be. For example, through Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his theology of ‘Ubuntu’, the Anglican Church provided an important platform from which to demonstrate deeper communal identity. Sages like Tutu demonstrate what it will take, not only for the church but also for nation states, to have a future. Christian identity should no longer lead to culture wars and incommensurate identities. For Anglicans, the future of the church lies in her ability to be catholic—building the capacity to contain diverse worldviews and still flourish. Herein lies the best of Anglican aptitude, namely—spirituality as habitual recollection of the presence of God in the midst of diverse relationships. Through such spirituality, Tutu’s Anglican ecclesiology not only helps the church but also provides the precedent for how nation states will practise reconciliation.