Reconciliation

Julle Mense

Recovering the Gift of Lament

Podcasts
Our theology and our church culture have not given us the permission, the language or the means to adequately sit with the despair, the anger and the shame of racial injustice, ongoing trauma, and a deeply scarring history. We need to recover the lost gift of lament. Without first learning how to lament we can never truly experience reconciliation. In this episode David and John explore biblical lament. Why is…
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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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#SkaapGate, Race and Land in South Africa

Blog
Makhanda Nxele. Remember that name Questions linger whether the inciting incident where people were forcibly removed from Clifton beach last month was an instance of racism masquerading as concern about crime or simply a misunderstood but legitimate response to crime. There are also questions whether the subsequent cleansing ceremony itself was properly done according to African customs, or whether it is an instance of the weaponization of African culture for…
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5 Ways to Live More Justly in 2018

Blog
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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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?

Blog
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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The Role of the Church in Reconciliation

Talks
The history of the church in South Africa is both complex and inconsistent. On the one hand silent acquiescence or worse entrenching and legitimizing racial division and economic inequality, and on the other hand providing the seeds of liberation and equality. Division and exclusion has not just been “out there” in society but has permeated...
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