Versoening en navorsing oor versoening in Suid-Afrika is geen nuutjie nie. Die vraag ontstaan
dus of dit na 25 jaar van demokrasie in Suid-Afrika nie tyd geword het om na ander
navorsingstemas aan te beweeg nie. Die beeld van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing wat geskets
word deur die vele mediaberigte oor rassespanning en -konflik die afgelope aantal jare blyk
egter kommerwekkend te wees. Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NG Kerk) vertoon
voorts ook wat eenheid, geregtigheid en versoening betref ’n komplekse pluriforme landskap.
Na 25 jaar van demokrasie is dit nou júis die regte tyd om ’n kritiese bestekopname van die
versoenings- en transformasieproses in Suid-Afrika te maak, om daadwerklik te besin oor die
toekoms van Suid-Afrika en wat nodig is om ’n samelewing te skep waar eenheid, versoening
en geregtigheid seëvier.
Daar is drie voorveronderstellings waarop hierdie artikel geskoei word. Eerstens is daar ’n
bewussyn van die steeds getraumatiseerde konteks waarbinne Suid-Afrikaners ’n bestaan moet
maak en wat steeds deur rassespanning en -konflik gekenmerk word. Tweedens bestaan daar
die vaardigheid van selfrefleksie oor die verlede, spesifiek oor die nalatenskap van die
apartheidsera en oor Suid-Afrikaners se konkrete betrokkenheid by die hede en toekoms.
Derdens is daar 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.
Die doel van hierdie artikel is om vanuit kwalitatiewe empiriese navorsing ’n praxisteorie te ontwikkel met betrekking tot die vestiging van ’n liturgiese teologie van versoening en
geregtigheid in die NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika. Met hierdie doelwit in gedagte is daar deur middel
van kwalitatiewe empiriese navorsing met die gebruik van semigestruktureerde onderhoude
indringend gesprek gevoer met kenners op hierdie terrein as medenavorsers. Die oorhoofse
navorsingsvraag was: Hoe kan die liturgie soos binne die NG Kerk gevier, formatief meewerk om versoening by gelowiges te bevorder sodat dit sal impakteer op die huidige en toekomstige
Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing?
Die artikel begin met ’n blik op die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing soos dit deur die
media geskets is, waarin die versoeningsnood duidelik vorendag kom. Daarna volg ’n
dinamiese metodologiese beskrywing van die empiriese navorsingsproses soos dit plaasgevind
het, gevolg deur ’n visuele voorstelling van die ontleding van die gegenereerde data. Die
verband tussen die liturgie in die NG Kerk en die bediening van versoening geniet daarna
aandag. Die gevolgtrekking van die artikel word voorgestel deur tien polariteite van versoening
in Suid-Afrika soos dit na vore gekom het deur die kwalitatiewe empiriese data. Die soeke na
ekwilibrium tussen hierdie klaarblyklike polariteite dien as ’n voorlopige praxisteorie met
betrekking tot die vestiging van ’n liturgiese teologie van versoening en geregtigheid in die
NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika.
Research on reconciliation in South Africa is not new. The question is whether further research
on this topic is needed and whether it is not time to move on after 25 years of democracy in
South Africa. This article argues that a critical survey of the reconciliation and transformation
process in South Africa is needed: The image of South African society regarding racial tension
and conflict created through the media is utterly distressing. The Dutch Reformed Church
(DRC) also represents a complex pluralistic landscape with regard to unity, reconciliation and
justice. It is also necessary to reflect on the future of South Africa and what is required to create
a society where the values of unity, reconciliation and justice will prevail.
This article assumes the following three presuppositions: First, an awareness of the still
traumatised context, characterised by racial tension and conflict, within which South Africans
have to live. Secondly, the skill of self-reflection on the legacy of the past, that is, the ongoing
effect of the apartheid era, as well as the concrete involvement of South Africans in the present
and also the future of this country. Thirdly, the formative role of the worship service and
liturgy, in which the liturgy of the worship service and the liturgy of life are explicitly linked.
Based on the above-mentioned remarks about the formative nature of the liturgy, the central
research question is formulated as follows: How can the liturgy as it is celebrated within the
Dutch Reformed Church formatively promote reconciliation in the hearts of believers to impact
on the current and future South African society?
The central research question was investigated utilising an interdisciplinary literature study. This article aims to develop a praxis theory based on qualitative empirical research to establish
a liturgical theology on reconciliation and justice in the DRC in South Africa. With this aim in
mind, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with fellow researchers who are
specialists in this field of study. The value and contribution of this article are to be found in the
empirical data as the outcomes of the research process. The lived realities and experiences emerging from the empirical research data were analysed within contextual and theological
discourses on liturgy and reconciliation especially within a DRC context.
The article begins with a description of the current South African society and the DRC
community as presented through the lens of the media. It then provides arguments that confirm
the need for research on reconciliation and justice in terms of well-known and other lesser
known incidents in the last few years. A description of the qualitative, empirical research
process follows. Thereafter, a visual representation of the data that was generated through the
empirical research process is presented. This comprises, firstly, an analysis of reconciliation in
South Africa, secondly a list of obstacles to promoting reconciliation in South Africa, thirdly a
theological interpretation of reconciliation according to fellow researchers, fourthly an analysis
of being human in South Africa, fifthly a presentation of personal involvement in promoting
reconciliation in South Africa, and finally an analysis of a liturgical theology.
In conclusion, the article investigates ten polarities of reconciliation in South Africa that confirm
the complexities of the liturgy as celebrated in the DRC in the reconciliation process in South
Africa. The quest for equilibrium between these polarities serves as a provisional praxis theory
to establish a liturgical theology of reconciliation and justice in the DRC in South Africa.
