Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda: W.A. (Wim) Dreyer and the reformation of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa

Prof. W.A. Dreyer played an important role in the continuous reformation of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA). This contribution to his Festschrift is not about him. He would not want that. It is about the church and how his understanding of reformed ecclesiology became the basis on which the transformation from ‘Volkskerk’ to missional church took place. According to himself, that was his calling and his life’s work. The importance of his contribution cannot be understood without the historical background in which it played out. Neither is it possible to envisage what really happened without acknowledging the theologians who played an important part in his life. This article therefore starts with a short overview of the history of the NHKA. It then proceeds with an overview of how important theologians in the NHKA influenced his ecclesiology. It concludes with three specific contributions that Prof. W.A. Dreyer made which makes him a key role player which led the NHKA on the way of Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda. Contribution: Prof. W.A. Dreyer became an important church leader in the Netherdutch Reformed Church. His leadership resulted in important changes in the church and especially in the ecclesiology of the church. This article, which is part of his Festschrift, gives an overview of his theological contribution through the lens of semper reformanda. By doing so, it indicates how important is the role of church leaders. All the research is based on his scholarly work

Ecodomy - Life in its fullness

This book provides a coherent and conceptual portrayal of aspects of the theological research theme, entitled Ecodomy (literally meaning to ‘build a house’). In its figurative meaning the term Ecodomy addresses the theme, ‘life in its fullness’. This fullness of life entails a polarity which is inherently part of life, namely its brokenness and its wholeness. From various theological disciplines, namely Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Systematic Theology, Church History and Practical Theology, both the brokenness and wholeness are addressed theologically. Every chapter focuses on a specific theological discipline, while the combination of theological disciplines, addresses the brokenness and wholeness of life as coherent concept. One pole does not exclude the other. Brokenness is visible in current or recent very relevant societal challenges, such as racism and xenophobia, apartheid, foreignness and exclusivism, leadership crises and violence. In contrast, wholeness is embedded in themes such as the African concept of ubuntu, a life of faith and wisdom, reconciling leadership, or transforming space and community. Ultimately, a Greek term ἀναίδεια (persistence) is connected to the meaning of Ecodomy and ‘life in its fullness’. Several methodologies have been used in the different contributions of the book. Every theological discipline applies a different methodology for the purpose of exposing a specific topic or research theme. In general, the contributions in this book follow a combination of a literature study with the further application of diachronic and synchronic exegetical methods. In addition, single contributions follow an own hermeneutical approach. Not one single contribution, but a combination of different theological disciplines, which form the concepts of brokenness and wholeness (life in its fullness), which expose the polarity of life, are included in this book. In its exposed interdisciplinary interwovenness, the book provides a tapestry of how different theological disciplines are combined into a single theme and how they contribute together by means of theological analyses and attempted building blocks to build the broken ‘houses’ of societal structures or human life. The book contributes to selected aspects of broken life in society and the healing experiences of human life. Several themes touch on recent and relevant challenges which have contributed to the brokenness of life. Not only in South Africa, but globally these are currently relevant themes. They include realities of racism and xenophobia, apartheid, foreignness and exclusivism, leadership crises and violence. With the focus on wholeness, specific attention is given to the African concept of ubuntu, a life of faith and wisdom, reconciling leadership, and transforming space and society. A Greek term ἀναίδεια (insolence as ‘in keeping on asking’ – Lk 11:8) illuminates the theme of Ecodomy from the perspective of a parable. The target audience of the book is academic scholars and theologians, who specialise in the different fields of Theology, the Humanities and other Social Sciences. Furthermore, the book is also accessible to scholars of other academic disciplines outside these disciplines. The book contains original research and contributions have not been plagiarised from publications elsewhere

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

Die rol van die NGK-leierskap in die aanloop tot die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika: 1990-1994

Piet Strauss played an important part in the leadership of the Dutch Reformed Church from 1994 to 2011. This article focuses on important events and the role of the leadership of the Dutch Reformed Church which prepared the way for Strauss and his generation of leaders. It takes the acceptance of the important policy document Church and Society by the General Synod of 1986 and the Rustenburg Consultation of 1990 as points of departure. It then describes how the leadership of the church engaged with different political leaders between 1990 and 1994. By doing so, the leadership of the church, which became known for the Biblical foundation of the notorious policy of apartheid, played an important role while South Africa was on the brink of civil war. Their efforts contributed to a peaceful first democratic election in 1994

Versoening en die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: Die <i>Algemene Sinode van 1994</i> as baken vir �n lewe van volheid

The Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria chose oikodome as a Faculty Research Theme (FRT) in 2014. This term refers to life in its fullness. The Dutch Reformed Church, as one of the partners of the Faculty, contributed to life in its fullness through the important role it played in the reconciliation in South Africa since 1986. One of the beacons on this road of reconciliation was the General Synod of 1994. It became known as the �Synod of reconciliation� as a result of the visits of Mr Nelson Mandela, Prof. B.J. Marais and Dr Beyers Naud�, and the important decisions that the meeting took. It was however, not only the visits of these important roleplayers in history which made the meeting a beacon on the road to reconciliation. This chapter shows that it was imbedded in a much larger context of reconciliation in South Africa in which the Dutch Reformed Church played an important role. By participating in the process of reconcilation in the country, the Dutch Reformed Church contributed to oikodome � life in its fullness for all

The Dutch Reformed Church from "Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture" to "Church and Society": the struggle goes on

In the recent history of the Dutch Reformed Church two documents played an important role. The documents were Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture of 1974 and Church and Society of 1986. The first document stated the policy of the church on apartheid and defended the policy on biblical grounds. The second document constituted the first step the church took away from the policy of apartheid. The aim of this article is to follow the journey which the Dutch Reformed Church undertook from Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture to Church and Society. It starts with the origins of Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture, describing how the document’s roots go all the way back to the Cottesloe consultation of 1960. It also focuses on the reception of Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture before describing four important impulses that played a major part in forcing the Dutch Reformed Church to rethink its policy on apartheid. These impulses were the Reformed day Witness of 1980, the Open Letter of 1982, the meeting of the World Alliance of Churches in Ottawa, Canada 1982 and the status confessionis of the Dutch Reformed Missions Church in October 1982 which resulted in the Confession of Belhar. These impulses led to the decision during the 1982 General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church to revise Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture. The outcome of this decision was the acceptance of a new document called Church and Society in 1986. The article highlights the important decisions in this new document which constituted a break with the former biblical founding of apartheid in Human Relations and the South African Scene in the Light of Scripture. Open church doors, open membership, no biblical prohibition of mixed marriages and critical voice against apartheid, are examples of a new policy which showed that the Dutch Reformed Church was on a different road. The reception of this new document confirmed this by bringing the church in turmoil which led to a schism in the church and the founding of the Afrikaanse Protetsantse Kerk in 1987. The struggle of the Dutch Reformed Church did however not stop with the acceptance of Church and Society and the reaction of 1987. In 1990 the General Synod of the church confirmed the policy of the church as stated in Church and Society of 1986 but also made certain revisions which stated the church’s critique on apartheid much clearer. The 1990 document stated that “the church made the error of allowing forced separation and division of peoples in its own circle, to be considered a biblical narrative”. The unjust system of apartheid was clearly condemned by the synod and although it also declared that not everything could be branded as wrong and inhuman. The article concludes by accepting that Church and Society was not the perfect document and certainly not the perfect answer the world demanded from the Dutch Reformed Church. It was however a small step in the right direction of a new journey, away form the biblical founding of apartheid towards justice and reconciliation, a journey which led to the Rustenburg Church conference in 1990, the so called General Synod of reconciliation in 1994 and onwards, a journey on which the struggle continues.Research Institute for Theology and Religio

The Dutch Reformed Church as a prominent established South African church: In transition towards the 21st century

The Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk) is in transition because of the influences of the more recent South African epochs of democratisation, Africanisation and globalisation. The histories of these epochs extend over more than 20 years and have had a significant influence on the church. The Dutch Reformed (DR) Church changed institutionally because its place and influence within society changed considerably as a result of political and social transformation since 1994. The ongoing process of Africanisation that accompanies these transformations brings certain reactions to the bosom of the church via the experiences of its members. Most are Afrikaners being more inclined to westernised social frames of reference. Ironically, these people are more susceptible to the effects of globalisation, especially secularisation, which transposes the religious set-up of the DR Church into an open and individuated system. These developments pose major challenges to the DR Church in the sense that it has to reconsider how it approaches society, what it can contribute to the ecumenical church, why it is necessary to reflect on its denominational identity and what its academic, theological endeavours in these regards entail.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article has an interdisciplinary scope because the multiplicity of the present-day calls for interdisciplinary academic reflection. For the purpose of this article, Church Historiography helps to systemise recent ecclesiastical developments within the DR Church. To clarify the influences of these developments on the DR Church, sociological premises are incorporated to describe them within a broader social context. References to the conducted empirical study serve to explain respondents� (members of the DR Church) social and religious constructs regarding these ecclesiastical and sociological phenomena.</p

The history of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria: A Dutch Reformed perspective 1938�2008

In 1938 the Faculty of Theology Section B was established at the University of Pretoria, which could be likened to a small fountain. As the fountain flowed through the decades of history, it grew and became a river that made a huge impact on the university, the Church and society. The aim of this article, coinciding with the centenary of the University of Pretoria, is to focus on the positive contribution of the Faculty of Theology towards university, church and society. Like any river it went through different stages. There were times of peace and tranquillity, but also times of raging rapids. At certain stages of growth and development both lecturers and students made a huge impact, playing leading roles in Church and society, clearly voicing the call of the Church. The voice of the Faculty was not always welcome and was at times met by strong reaction, which was possibly one of the reasons for the murder of Prof. J.A. Heyns. In 2000 a new era dawned when the stream that became a river was joined by streams of different denominations. This made the river even stronger, with much more impact. This article tells the story of the origin, growth and struggle of the Dutch Reformed Church at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria from 1938 to 2008