Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s ecclesiology and its relevance to South Africa

Bambo Miti

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i3.6109

Abstract

The South African context has been characterised by the prevalence of various social realities and problems in the form of xenophobia, racism, poverty and social injustice, aspects that adversely affect the ecumenical dream of equality, unity, love and tolerance. This article delves into these issues critically by examining how Veli-Matti Karkkainen’s concepts, ideas and symbols as expressed in his Pentecostal ecumenical ecclesiology can effectively inform the South African context. This article also brings into perspective the credible foundational precepts within the Pentecostal tradition that are intricately intertwined within Karkkainen’s ecclesiology and determines how these invaluable traits or precepts can be applied effectively within the South African context. Although these Pentecostal foundational precepts have for a long time been overlooked by traditional theologies, they are also embedded within ecumenical values such as cultural diversity, interracial communion, promotion of peace, gender equality and religious pluralism. Contribution: This article is pushing the boundaries of how Pentecostal theology in general is understood by presenting its role and function in a wider ecumenical and geographical context. In this regard, this study makes a contribution by exploring ideas from Karkkainen’s ecclesiology which can effectively inform the current South African context which has been plagued by elements of inequality and injustice.

Highlights

In this article, I explore how Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s ecclesiological concepts and ideas can contribute to the contemporary South African context
The relevance of these themes is clear because the South African context, whose background is characterised by religious polarisation, racial segregation, violence and tribal division, will require radical levels of reconciliation, tolerance and the recognition and acceptance of different particularities that characterise the nation
The fact that South Africa is still suffering from the old wounds of the apartheid regime, coupled with new ills such as religious polarisation, politics of the stomach and discontentment, despite the end of the Apartheid era, is echoed by Andrew Ihsaan Gasnolar (2018) in the article published by Daily Maverick, in which he states that South Africa lacks ‘a sense of common nationhood and a shared destiny’

Summary

Introduction

I explore how Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s ecclesiological concepts and ideas can contribute to the contemporary South African context. The fact that much of the violence experienced in South Africa is attributed to the great need to fix the problems the society is facing (inequality, poor service delivery and lack of basic necessities) after all diplomatic methods have failed to achieve the desired results, it means that the government must react promptly by addressing the inequalities that prevail in South African society through restitution (compensating victims of former apartheid policies) by allowing equal access to resources for all races and dealing with institutional racism by practically implementing legislation against racism Kärkkäinen aligns his non-violent theology with that of Martin Luther, as indicated in his report ‘on the Finnish school of Lutheran studies’, when he states that ‘God’s alien work means putting down, killing, taking away hope, leading to desperation’ whilst his ‘proper work means the opposite: forgiving, giving mercy, taking up, saving’ and encouraging (Southgate 2019:279–290). This does not in any way insinuate the removal of differences in order to achieve a false unity but rather the celebration of these differences and complexities, promoting unity-in-diversity

Conclusion

Findings

Data availability statement