Abstract
South Africa is known as one of the most violent countries in the world. Since the seventeenth century, violence has been part of our history. Violence also played a significant role during the years of apartheid and the revolutionary struggle against apartheid. It was widely expected that violence would decrease in a post-apartheid democratic South Africa, but on the contrary, violence has increased in most cases. Even the TRC did not succeed in its goal to achieve reconciliation. In this paper it is argued that theology and the church have a great and significant role to play. Churches and church leaders who supported revolutionary violence against the apartheid system on Biblical “grounds”, should confess their unbiblical hermeneutical approach and reject the option of violence. The church also has a calling in the education of young people, the pastoral care of criminals and victims, in proclaiming the true Gospel to the government and in creating an ethos of human rights.
Highlights
Violence is a world-wide and most complicated phenomenon
The testimony and deeds of the Church of Christ as well as the doctrine of sound Scriptural theology are urgently needed in a time of increasing violence
Van Wyk (1991:89-96) distinguishes among the following forms of violence: psychological violence, structural violence, revolutionary violence, rebellious violence, police violence and military violence. It is the aim of this article to focus on the so-called structural violence and counter-violence related to the political and social revolution which took place in South Africa and led to a democratic new South Africa in 1994
Summary
Violence is a world-wide and most complicated phenomenon. In most cases violence can be regarded as sin. The testimony and deeds of the Church of Christ as well as the doctrine of sound Scriptural theology are urgently needed in a time of increasing violence. Van Wyk (1991:89-96) distinguishes among the following forms of violence: psychological violence, structural violence, revolutionary violence, rebellious violence, police violence and military violence. It is the aim of this article to focus on the so-called structural violence and counter-violence related to the political and social revolution which took place in South Africa ( known as the liberation struggle or the struggle against apartheid) and led to a democratic new South Africa in 1994. Attention will not be given to other forms of violence, such as family violence, various forms of sexual violence, crime, etc. that are not directly related to the political situation, in many cases it is very difficult to make a clear distinction (Van Niekerk, 1985:91, 92)
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