Haunted by Reconciliation
The Persistence of Theologies of Reconciliation in Contemporary South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3932913 |
|---|---|
| Authors | George J Van Wyngaard, Cobus van Wyngaard (0000-0003-1607-4736, University of South Africa), Rachel C Schneider (0000-0002-3541-1294, Director of Religion and Public Life Program, Boniuk Institute, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Religion, Rice University Houston, TX USA) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 483-510 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Religion in Africa (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4200 • E-ISSN: 1570-0666 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15700666-12340282 |
| OpenAlex | W4387848769 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 16 |
Conversations about race in South Africa continue to be shaped by a religious-redemptive narrative of reconciliation that emerged in the democratic transition. However, there is a history of critical Black and liberation theological voices questioning whether the religious/ethical ideal of reconciliation adequately addresses the injustices of systemic racism. These questions gained new resonance in recent years with social movements like #feesmustfall. This article asks whether the seemingly intractable hope that a theological concept of reconciliation will be efficacious in facilitating racial justice is warranted. We begin by reviewing and interrogating how reconciliation is being used in contemporary theological discourses, arguing that given rising discontent, it is striking that reconciliation continues to be a prominent theme and topic within South African Christian theological discourses. We then propose several alternatives that may help address the problem of white racism and benefit from the sustained energy that South African theology has been putting into the language of reconciliation
Democracy · Economic Justice · History of religions · Ideal (ethics) · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Racism · Sociology · Theme (computing) · Theology · African cultural and philosophical studies · Christian Theology and Mission · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy
The Politics of Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa
Other Side of Whiteness
Absurdity of Reconciliation
White responses to Black Theology
Re-examining a theology of reconciliation
Forgiveness and Reconciliation in the Life and Work of Desmond Tutu
On Re‐Membering Reconciliation and the Black Theological Impulse Embedded in the Kairos Document
Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa
Justice in post-apartheid South Africa
The theological anthropology of Simon Maimela
Public Theology and the Present Debate on Whiteness in the Democratic South Africa
Religion and conflict resolution
The Local Roots of the Global Politics of Reconciliation
Imagined communities
Becoming Human
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |