The history of black theology in South Africa

Abstract

The history and evolution of black theology in South Africa (BTSA) may be roughly divided into five phases. These phases include the following: (1) the establishment of the Black Theology Project; (2) the broadening of the debate on the subject of black theology, including the participation of black university students, black church and other organizations, and some white academics, among others; (3) the renewal of black theological activity, by the second generation of black theologians; (4) the revival of the hitherto defunct Black Theology Project; (5) a final, still undetermined phase that is the result of general confusion regarding the new direction that theological activity should take in the country following the demise of apartheid and the relative success of the black liberation struggle. This chapter begins with a close examination of these five phases of BTSA, followed by a look at the relationships it had with some of the theologies closest to it in its earlier days. THE FIVE PHASES OF BLACK THEOLOGY (SA) Phase one The Black Theology Project (BTP) operated and campaigned through the organization of seminars in various parts of the country. Among the venues at which the earliest seminars were held is the Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre, originally a Lutheran mission, located in Roodepoort near Johannesburg. The first seminars were organized under the aegis of the University Christian Movement (UCM) directorate of Theological Concerns, headed by Dr. Basil Moore, an ordained Methodist minister.