The church and transitional justice : a comparative ethical approach

Abstract

The study uses transitional justice to explore the role of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa during processes of societal change and compares it with the Chilean Catholic Church during processes of societal change in Chile. A descriptive approach to Christian ethics is applied, and transitional justice is used as a theoretical instrument by means of which the comparison with the Chilean Catholic Church is systematised and focussed. Despite not applying the conventional normative approach to Christian ethics it seeks to contribute to the discipline by investigating the structure of Christian communities engagement in processes of political transition. The study is inductive in the sense that it uses transitional justice as an instrument by means of which to identify emerging themes. Transitional justice is a useful instrument as it encompasses both judicial and non-judicial elements. The Chilean Cathollic Church was chosen due to a number of reasons. The first is historical proximity: the Chilean totalitarian regime came to an end shortly before the end of apartheid regime of South Africa. The second is key socio-political correspondences, including importantly that Chile instituted a national truth and reconciliation commission from which South Africa drew much inspiration. Both churches utilized their structures in order to serve a struggling community. The difference came when the Dutch Reformed Church chose for the upliftment of a single ethnic group, namely the Afrikaner, and the Chilean Catholic Church kept the whole Chilean society in view. A second differing and defining factor was the Dutch Reformed Church aligning with a political party and a political ideology. In the context of the Dutch Reformed Church the focus on a single ethnic group lead to the development of an ideology based on the idea that the Afrikaner was predestined by God to bring God s light to Africa. The idea of predestination later developed into a pseudo-gospel where the members of this group believed that racial differentiation was a prerequisite for salvation. The pseudo-gospel, in the Dutch Reformed Church later influenced the church s comments on and suggestions regarding legislation such as mixed marriages, border control, geographical settlement and voting rights. The ecclesial reflection of the Chilean Catholic Church, on the other hand, resulted in a church focused on ministering to the needs of a greater society struggling under a dictatorship. The community suffered ubductions, unfair labour practices, poverty, torture and harsh living conditions. The Chilean Catholic Church ministered to these needs by establishing offices around the country rendering free social, welfare and judicial services. The Chilean Catholic Church further endeavoured to bring opposition parties into talks to end the time of the military dictatorship.