John Scheepers

How Did our good evangelical theology allow apartheid

How did our “Good Evangelical Theology” Allow Apartheid?

Blog
The theology of Apartheid may have been perfected by the Dutch Reformed Church but it was born among the English-speaking evangelical missionaries who sought to promote the evangelization of the indigenous people whilst leaving white supremacy untouched. The resolution passed by the 1857 Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church, and proposed by evangelicals, agreed that whilst it was both Scriptural and desirable to integrate indigenous believers into the existing church…
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Restitution and Repentance

Land and Restitution Forum: Restitution and Repentance

Talks
The aim of this Land and Restitution forum was to discuss these important issues biblically and contextually. To reflect on our history, our fears and ideologies and our current socio-economic and political context through the lens of cross-centred, contextual theology. To apply gospel thinking and practice to this crucial issue which is currently further exposing the divided state of the church along racial and economic lines. In this talk John…
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Crown of Thorns: Connecting Kingdom and Cross: Tim Chester

Reviews
There are within evangelicalism today, Tim Chester claims, two apparently competing gospels offering alternative views on not only the nature of the gospel (for individuals or for society?) and the meaning of Jesus death of cross (soteriological or political?) but also the mission and the role of the church today (proclamation or social action). These two gospels, are in fact one gospel. What is required for us though is to…
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5 Ways to Live More Justly in 2018

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Some of us might try to fight it but there is something psychologically compelling about the somewhat arbitrary changing of the calendar year that resonates with our desire for change. Amidst all the new gym memberships, course enrollments, and best intentions here are five relatively simple ways in which you might take some steps towards living more justly in 2018.
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Jubilee Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Jubilee: Interrupting the Cycles of Poverty and Exclusion

Talks
The Old Testament time of Jubilee is a beautiful picture of a different way of living among God’s people where the generational cycles of poverty are broken and interrupted through a series of intentional, deliberately different ways of living economically, socially and spiritually among God’s people. In this first of a two-part talk John Scheepers explores how the institution of Jubilee was designed to break those inter-generational cycles of poverty…
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The New and Never Ending Jubilee

Talks
Jesus death on the cross is the comprehensive Jubilee event. It is through the death of Jesus that victory and liberation is brought to all of creation. The cross is not that which replaced the Jubilee (as if all the socio-political and economic aspects simply drop away leaving only a spiritual significance) it is the fulfillment of the Jubilee including the total redemptive accomplishment and final liberation from all that…
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Theology of Violence

A Theology of Violence

Talks
How do we theologically understand violence? Is there biblical warrant for a broader definition of violence? What does it mean to be peacemakers in a context of both repeated, overt acts of violence and insidious systemic violence? How does the gospel shape our understanding of and reaction to both behavioural and systemic violence? These are questions and concerns addressed in this talk.
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Is Reconciliation even possible

Is Reconciliation Even Possible?

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Is Reconciliation Even the Right Word? There is a somewhat popular line of thought among social justice advocates that we should drop the use of the word reconciliation altogether. There never was, the argument goes, a time in which white and black existed in any kind of united or harmonious relationship in South Africa, and...
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