Die moderne belydenisbeweging in Suid-Afrika - en Calvyn

Abstract

Starting with the Barmen Declaration of 1934, a new desire to confess the Christian faith in situations of political tension erupted worldwide, resulting in the formulation of new confessional statements. In South Africa a number of declarations and testimonies emanated from the struggle against apartheid. Not all these confessional statements had the same character and impact. The author of this article concentrates on the three most important documents which may have been influenced by Barmen: The Message to the People of South Africa (1968), the Belhar Confession (1982) and the Kairos Document (1985/6. He also refers to several other statements, including the document Geloof en protes (1987), which subscribes to apartheid as a matter of faith. The author concludes with a few critical remarks from a Calvinist point of view.