Apartheid

Julle Mense

Romans 13 and Submission to Authorities (with Bradley Trout)

Podcasts
Romans 13 with its command to submit to authorities has historically been used to justify all kinds of injustices and oppression, in both South African and globally. In this episode, David and John sit down with Ph.D. student and pastor Bradley Trout to discuss the interpretation of this passage in its original historical context, as well as its history of interpretation. What is the extent of submission to authorities? When…
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Julle Mense

Understanding Racial Trauma (with Helen Malgas)

Podcasts
Racial trauma is the accumulative effects of racism on an individual’s mental and physical health. In this episode, David and John sit down with psychologist Helen Malgas to discuss racial trauma, what it is, and how it affects us. Can even processes of speaking out or reconciliation contribute to continued racial trauma? How has the church in the past contributed to racial trauma and how might churches today be continuing…
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Just Preach the Gospel? Rethinking Great Commission Theology and Social Justice in the South African Context

Seminar, Video
The evangelical church, as a whole, failed the test of apartheid. These failures to stand up against the injustices of the apartheid state were widely acknowledged by evangelicals during the TRC. What was most significant in its absence from these submissions before the TRC was any sustained reflection on the role in which evangelical theology might have played in their failure to engage prophetically with the apartheid regime. In this…
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Not all Viruses are Equal Part 4 – with Danielle Moosajie

Podcasts
Part 4 our series "Not all Viruses are Equal" reflecting on the impact which COVID-19 could have on communities which are already suffering under the impact of long term structural inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid. In this episode David and John are joined by Danielle Moosajie, director of Arise to discuss the effects of lockdown on families in our most vulnerable communities as it relates to emotional health,…
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Not All Viruses are Equal Part 3 – with Peter Makapela

Podcasts
Part 3 our series "Not all Viruses are Equal" reflecting on the impact which COVID-19 could have on communities which are already suffering under the impact of long term structural inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid. As well as reflecting on the role which the church could play, both during the present crisis, as well in the longer term crisis of the prevailing legacy of structural inequality around issues…
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Not all Viruses are Equal – Part 2 – with Dr Vaughan Stannard

Podcasts
Part Two our series "Not all Viruses are Equal" reflecting on the impact which COVID-19 could have on communities which are already suffering under the impact of long term structural inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid. In this episode David and John are joined by Dr Vaughan Stannard from Beautiful Gate to discuss the impact which COVID-19 could have politically, socially and economically on already marginalized communities still dealing…
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Julle Mense

Apartheid as a Crime Against Humanity

Podcasts
In this episode David and John discuss former deputy president FW de Klerk's recent statement (and subsequent apology) that apartheid was not a crime against humanity. We discussd de Klerk's history of similar statements, as well as his testimony before the TRC. We probed what biblical repentance could look like and explored if the church in South Africa was guilty of a cheap repentance. In particular we asked if white…
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Made in the Image of God

Made in the Image of God: Some Contextual Reflections

Blog
Interpretation is, in the words of David Bosch, always a creative tension between text and context. There are no neutral or abstract interpretations of Scripture. How then do we read and interpret Scripture in the context of a county like South Africa, with such a rigidly racialised past and a vastly unequal economic and racial present? In this post we will explore the doctrine of Creation, grounding our theology in…
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Racism and Power: Seeing the Invisible Structures

Talks, Video
Racism has both an individual and a structural element and as such is intricately linked to systems of power and privilege. This talk probes us to examine the intricate link between power and prejudice within both society and the church. And then, building on the work and example of Christ in Philippians 2, invites us to consider what a biblical theology of power and privilege could look like as we…
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