Ubuntu in the worship service as heterotopia: A liturgical-ecclesiological exploration

Hilton R Scott,Cas Wepener

doi:10.4102/ids.v54i1.2514

Hilton R Scott, Cas Wepener

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v54i1.2514

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Abstract

Through taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying liturgy, a connection has been made in this article between three theological concepts: koinonia, liturgical inculturation and the utopian ideal of inclusivity in the form of ‘ heterotopias ’. These concepts are all, to some degree, comparable to the African concept of ubuntu , an ideal or utopia in itself. This article aims to draw comparisons between the collection of normative ideals above and a current multicultural church context empirically researched in postcolonial and pluralistic church societies – in postapartheid South Africa. These comparisons are made as a process of critical interference by doing an empirical probe by asking ‘what is happening’, and a normative probe, which asks ‘what should be happening’. This involves investigating the actual liturgical praxis of worshipping communities in order to navigate toward and better understanding of an inclusive society as depicted by the concepts of the Rainbow Nation or Ubuntu . The conclusion shows that which ‘ought to be happening’ in worship that serves our current South African realities is – to an extent – already happening in some worshipping communities. Insights gained from the liturgical praxis of these communities can serve as best practices for other communities.

Highlights

All Christians are members of the body of Christ – or should be – according to the Pauline concept
Such is the flow of the network society that even those in the periphery are considered members of the same body as those participants in the worship service
The ideals of the Rainbow Nation and ubuntu are being realised; they are both visible and tangible. These heterotopias are ‘other spaces’ wherein the other is accepted and there is no fear of difference, as is noticed by the interviewees being willing to participate in group prayer and their openness to experience and partake in worship that was led by difference in the form of a traditional African choir

Summary

Introduction

All Christians are members of the body of Christ – or should be – according to the Pauline concept. The ideals of the Rainbow Nation and ubuntu are being realised; they are both visible and tangible These heterotopias are ‘other spaces’ wherein the other is accepted and there is no fear of difference, as is noticed by the interviewees being willing to participate in group prayer and their openness to experience and partake in worship that was led by difference in the form of a traditional African choir. Within koinonia (or ubuntu) there is a necessity for both inclusivity and exclusivity, the importance of which will be described (cf Scott 2018:173–175) Another of the interview questions, that gave the interviewees the opportunity to list and describe what they would change about the worship service, is helpful in understanding what is going on. The preliminal phase could be Jesus’ ministry and the postliminal phase of the disciples no longer belonging to the world, rather the vine in which they should abide and bear fruit by continuing what they had learnt in solidarity

Conclusion

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