Sekularisasie het as samelewingsverskynsel ’n onafskeidbare deel van die hedendaagse
lewensfilosofie geword. Kenmerkend hiervan is dat religieuse diskoerse en –instellings se
invloed binne die moderne samelewing merkbaar verminder het. In Suid-Afrika, soos elders,
hou die liberale demokrasie die openbare terrein leeg van godsdiens deurdat
samelewingsinstellings van religieuse instellings se invloed geskei word. So word die
reikwydte van geïnstitusionaliseerde godsdiens in Suid-Afrika ingeperk. Hierdie strukturele
sekularisasie verander ook die NG Kerk se plek binne die sosiale opset van Suid-Afrika.
Samelopend met strukturele sekularisasie vind die sekularisering van die sosiale kultuur ook
plaas. Die omvang hiervan hang af van die sosiale betekenissisteme wat die persepsies van
mense beïnvloed. Westerse Individualisme wat in die populêre humanistiese mensbeskouing
gewortel is, bied as betekenissisteem die ideale teelaarde vir sekularisasie. Hierdie
betekenissisteem se prioriteite van persoonlike vryheid, privaatheid, selfstandigheid, vryheid
van keuse en die strewe na persoonlike welvaart is ook merkbaar in die NG Kerk-lidmate se
lewe. Dit is in die verwesenliking van hierdie prioriteite dat die moderne mens menslike
sekuriteit vind wat die ‘noodsaaklikheid’ van godsdiens in gedrang bring. Die siening dat die
moderne mens vry is van kerklike dogmas as reël vir lewe en denke word deur hierdie
betekenissisteem aangehelp. Sodoende verval religie in die samelewing en word die deur vir
sosiale pluralisme waarin diverse kulturele- en lewensbeskouings erken en gelykgestel word,
geopen. Dit veroorsaak dat die NG Kerk se invloed ten opsigte van die vestiging van
godsdienstige waardes in die huidige pluralistiese samelewing van Suid-Afrika verminder en
daarom het die kerk se godsdienstige beginsels min effek op openbare opinies. Daar is ook ’n
toenemende ongeërgdheid teenoor die offisiële kerk omdat die moderne mens skynbaar al
minder daarin ’n bron van persoonlike identiteit vind. So lei sekularisasie tot ’n
geloofwaardigheidskrisis omtrent bekende religieuse betekenissisteme.
Sekularisasie laat egter nie religie as verskynsel geheel en al verdwyn nie, maar omvorm wel
die bekende en tradisionele vorme van godsdienstigheid. As gevolg van sekularisasie word
godsdiens toenemend verskuif na die private sfere van die samelewing, soos die gesin of die
moderne individu as sulks. Die betekenis van godsdiens word beperk tot die private sfeer en
persoonlike psige. Die sin van godsdiens in die private ruimte hang af van die individu se
soeke na vervulling en persoonlike sekuriteit. Godsdiens in hierdie sfere word ook al hoe
minder geaffekteer deur die disintegrasie van die verhouding tussen religieuse instellings en
ander sosiale instellings. Hoewel die offisiële NG Kerk steeds van belang geag word, staan lidmate se persoonlike
religie egter al meer los van die kollektiewe geloofspraktyk. Die fokus op die partikuliere
eerder as die kommunale verhoog die voorkoms van godsdienstige pluralisme wat ook die NG
Kerk as godsdienstige instelling omvorm. Dit lei daartoe dat die verbreiding van ’n veelvoud
van geloofsoortuigings en –praktyke ook in die NG Kerk merkbaar word. Die NG Kerk se
gereformeerde identiteit kom as gevolg van hierdie omvorming onder druk. Die
sekulariserende krag van godsdienstige privatisering en gevolglike individualisering omvorm
die bekende religieuse konstrukte en praktyke van die NG Kerk.
English: The phenomenon, secularisation, has become an inseparable part of the modern life philosophy. It is characterised by the diminishing influence of religious discourses and – institutions on modern society. In South Africa, as elsewhere, liberal democracy keeps the public domain clear of religion by separating civil institutions from the influence of religious institutions. In this way the influence of institutionalised religion in South Africa is repressed. This structural secularisation has changed the previously dominant position of the Dutch Reformed Church within the social setup of South Africa. Conjunctive to structural secularisation modern day social culture is also being secularised. The extend to which social secularisation influences people’s lives depends on the type of social meaning system that has been internalised in the individual through the process of socialisation. Western Individualism, rooted in popular humanism, has not only become a dominant social meaning system in South Africa, but is also best linked to the process of social secularisation. The priorities of this meaning system are well known and play a significant role in the lives of the DR Church’s congregants as well: personal freedom, privacy, emancipation of the self, freedom of choice and to strive for personal affluence. In the actualisation of these priorities the modern individual finds existential security that compromises the ‘necessity’ for religion as such. The view that the modern individual is liberated from ecclesiastical doctrine as regulatory for personal life and reason typifies Western Individualism. As a result religion declines in society. Consequently social pluralism, characterised by the toleration and equalisation of diverse cultural and philosophical ideations, emerges in society. Therefore, the DR Church’s influence on public opinion and its ability to establish religious values in broader society, have declined considerably within the present day pluralistic society of South Africa. Indifference to the official church is growing for the apparent reason that modern day people find lesser personal identity therein. This working of social secularisation leads to a legitimacy crisis concerning established religious meaning systems. Ironically religion as phenomenon doesn’t disappear altogether because of the secularisation of society. Secularisation actually transposes well-known, traditional forms of collective religion. Religion is sidelined to the private spheres of society, such as the nucleus family or the modern individual itself. The meaning of religion is relevant only to that sphere and the personal psyche. The relevance of religion in these private spheres depends on its ability to fulfil the individual’s need for personal wellbeing and security. Religion in the private sphere is less affected by the disintegration of the relationship between religious institutions and other social institutions. Although members still consider the official DR Church as important, their personal religiosities are becoming more detached from the church’s collective doctrine and practices. The focus of congregants on particular rather than communal religious experiences increases religious pluralism within the DR Church that transforms it institutionally. Within the church different personal beliefs and practices of religious nature proliferate. This situation challenges the reformed identity of the DR Church. The secularising effect of religious privatisation and individuation transposes the familiar religious constructs and practices of the DR Church.
