Versoening en navorsing oor versoening in Suid-Afrika is geen nuutjie nie. Die vraag ontstaan dus of dit na vyf-en-twintig jaar na demokrasie in Suid-Afrika nie tyd geword het om aan te beweeg nie? Ek, as navorser, voer aan dat dit júis nou die tyd is, ke nako, om na ‘n kwarteeu van demokrasie ‘n kritiese bestekopname van die versoenings- en transformasieproses in Suid-Afrika te maak. Die navorsing speel hoofsaaklik in twee sfere af wat geensins van mekaar geskei kan word nie, naamlik die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks en die kerklike konteks, met spesifieke verwysing na die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NG Kerk). In hierdie studie, het ek ‘n verkennende tog onderneem om sodoende die tipiese merkers waarmee die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks van kerk en samelewing oor die laaste vyf-en-twintig jaar uitgebeeld is, te verwoord.
Daar is drie voorveronderstellings waarop hierdie studie gegrond is. Eerstens, ‘n diepe bewussyn van die steeds getraumatiseerde konteks waarbinne Suid-Afrikaners vir hulleself ‘n lewe moet maak, ‘n konteks wat steeds gekenmerk word deur rassespanning- en konflik. Tweedens, die vaardigheid van self-refleksie oor die nalentskap van die verlede, bedoelende die Apartheidsera, en Suid-Afrikaners se konkrete betrokkenheid in die hede en toekoms. Derdens, die formatiewe rol van die erediens en liturgie, waartydens die liturgie van die erediens en die liturgie van die lewe daadwerklik aan mekaar verbind word.
Op grond van die bogenoemde voorveronderstellings rakende die formatiewe aard van die liturgie, word die sentrale navorsingsvraag van hierdie studie as volg geformuleer: Hoe kan die liturgie soos gevier binne die NG Kerk formatief meewerk om versoening in die harte van gelowiges te bevorder sodat dit sal impakteer op die huidige en toekomstige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing?
Die sentrale navorsingsvraag is ondersoek deur middel van ‘n interdissiplinêre literatuurstudie wat onderneem is. Vervolgens is die vraag ook verder ondersoek deur middel van empiriese navorsing, waartydens ek deur semigestruktureerde indiepteonderhoude gesprekke gevoer het met medenavorsers oor die betrokke tema. Die volgende aspekte is deur die loop van die studie onder die loep geneem:
• Teoretiese en metodologiese begronding van die studie – in hierdie deel van die navorsing word daar op ‘n kontekstuele beskrywing en toepassing van die teorieë gefokus, modelle en metodes wat die teoretiese en metodologiese begronding vorm ten opsigte van ‘n ondersoek van liturgie en versoening in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: ‘n Liturgies-rituele benadering.
• Suid-Afrika: Verlede, hede, toekoms – hier het ek ‘n verkenningstog van die Suid-Afrikaanse landskap onderneem, deur die lens van die South African Reconciliation Barometer, asook ‘n kerklike en teologiese lens om sodoende vas te stel presies hoe die landskap van versoening in Suid-Afrika in vyf-en-twintig jaar se tyd verander het en tog ook dieselfde gebly het.
• Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: Viering van die erediens - ‘n kritiese bespreking van James K.A. Smith (2016, 2013, 2009) se Homo Liturgicus dien as ‘n moontlike vertrekpunt vir ‘n teologie en praktyk van die erediens soos dit gevier word in die NG Kerk, met die spesifieke fokus tot die bevordering van versoening binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks.
• Empiriese navorsing – wat ‘n gedetailleerde bespreking van die navorsingsmetodologie insluit, asook die analise en interpretasie van die gegenereerde data.
Die gevolgtrekking van die navorsing vind dan neerslag in ‘n praxisteorie wat dien as ‘n vertrekpunt vir ‘n liturgiese teologie in wording van versoening in die NG Kerk waardeur versoening in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing bevorder word.
English: Reconciliation and research regarding reconciliation in South Africa is not new. However, the question, regarding the necessity of continuing research on this topic, arises. After twenty-five years of democracy in South Africa, is it not time to move on? In this research, I hope to emphasize that the timing is nów just perfect, as it is necessary for a critical survey regarding the reconciliation and transformation process in South Africa. The research took place in two main spheres which cannot be separated from one another, namely the South African context and the church context, with specific reference to the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). In this study, I undertook an exploratory quest to articulate the typical markers with which the South African context of church and society over the last twenty-five years, is portrayed.
This study is grounded in the following three preconceptions. Firstly, consciousness of the still traumatised context within which South Africans must carve out a life for themselves, a context that is still characterised by racial tension and conflict. Secondly, the skill of self-reflection on the legacy of the past, meaning the era of Apartheid, and the concrete involvement of South Africans in the present and future. Thirdly, the formative role of the worship service and liturgy, during which the liturgy of the worship service and the liturgy of life are consciously connected to each other.
Based on the above-mentioned preconceptions regarding the formative nature of the liturgy, the central research question of this study can be formulated as follows:
How can the liturgy as it is celebrated within the DR Church formatively contribute to promote reconciliation in the hearts of believers so that it can impact on the current and future South African society?
The central research question was investigated utulising an interdisciplinary literature study. Subsequently, the research question is also further investigated through means of empirical research during which I conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with fellow researchers on the theme. The following aspects were scrutinised in the study:
• Theoretical and methodological foundation of the study – in this part of the research, focus was placed on a contextual description and application of the theories, models and methods which form the theoretical and methodological foundation with regards to an investigation of liturgy and reconciliation in the Dutch Reformed Church: a Liturgical-ritual approach.
• South Africa: past, present and future – in this section I undertook an exploration of the South African landscape through the lens of the South African Reconciliation Barometer, as well as a church and theological lens in order to determine exactly how the landscape of reconciliation in South Africa over the past twenty-five years has changed but also remained the same.
• The Dutch Reformed Church: Celebration of the worship service – a critical discussion of the Homo Liturgicus of James K.A. Smith (2016, 2013, 2009) served as a possible departure point for a theology and praxis for the worship service as it is celebrated in the DR Church, with specific focus on the promotion of reconciliation within the South African context.
• Empirical research – which included a detailed discussion of the research methodology, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the generated data.
The conclusion of the research is then grounded in a praxis theory as stepping stone for a liturgical theology in the DR Church that promotes reconciliation in the South African society.
