Ministry to political prisoners on Robben Island (1960 - 1990) : a Church History approach

Abstract

I have read many articles and seen many stories about Robben Island. What I find lacking in these articles and stories is the role played by the church in relation to ministry to political prisoners. Given my own experience as a political prisoner on Robben Island, I am of the view that this subject should be explored and told. As implied in the title, this study will focus on the period covering three decades (1960- 1970, 1971-1980 and 1981-1990). These periods will be considered separately and collectively. Background A brief background information about Robben Island as a maximum security prison will be provided here. Furthermore, the categories and affiliations of political prisoners are explained. Lastly, detail relating to existence of different religions is discussed. Problem Statement The role played by the church in ministry to political prisoners on Robben Island between 1960 and 1990. Methodology This study makes use of oral history by way of interviews and other sources such as questionnaires, records, etc. to generate data from, among, others: 1. Political prisoners incarcerated during the period stated above. 2. Chaplain(s) who served during this period. 3. Prison Official(s) who served during this period Archived material relating to ministry to political prisoners covering this period will be inspected. Findings In the introduction of his book The Changing Shape of Church History, Justo L. González (2002:1) starts by asking the question: "where is the cutting edge of church history?" My expectation is that the findings of this study, as they are stated here, would illustrate the cutting edge of the church history on Robben Island.