The influence of Calvinism on the South African Council of Churches

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Meiring, Piet (Pieter Gerhard Jacobus), 1941-

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Bureau for Scholarly Journals

Abstract

The impact of Calvinist theology and of reformed leadership on the South African Council of Churches (SACC) is vast. After a brief history of the SACC, the author notes the contribution that a number of reformed and presbyterian clergy and theologians have made - as presidents, general secretaries or as theologians who helped develop the SACC's message. At least five principles that Calvin held dear, are reflected in the SACC's agenda during the past decades: the quest for unity, the concern for mission, covenanting for justice, providing a prophetic witness in the community, and when the need arose, the willingness to confront the government of the day. The article concludes with a brief look at the future of the SACC and of the continued input that reformed theologians may be able to make.
Die invloed van die Calvinistiese teologie en van kerkleiers vanuit die gereformeerde tradisie op die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad van kerke (SARK) is groot. Na 'n kort oorsig oor die geskiedenis van die SARK bespreek die outeur die bydraes van 'n aantal gereformeerde en presbiteriaanse kerkleiers en teoloë - presidente, algemene sekretarisse en teologiese raadgewers, in hierdie verband. Ten minste vyf beginsels wat vir Calvyn belangrik was, word in die agenda van die SARK gedurende die afgelope dekades, gereflekteer: die soeke na eenheid, die belangrikheid van sending, die noodsaaklikheid van geregtigheid, die profetiese taak van die kerk in die samelewing, en indien die situasie dit vereis, die noodsaaklikheid om die owerheid oor hierdie sake te konfronteer. Die artikel word met 'n kort vooruitskouing afgesluit waarin die rol bespreek word wat die SARK en die gereformeede teoloë in sy midde in die toekoms sou kon speel.

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Reformed theology, Gereformeerde teologie, Suid-Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Meiring, PGJ 2010, 'The influence of Calvinism on the South African Council of Churches', In die Skriflig, vol. 44, suppl. 3, 44, pp. 313-328. [http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_skrif.html]