ANC’s step-aside rule through the eye of the missio politica as mandated by Missio Dei

Abstract

The broader practice of politics in the world, while detached from the religion, cannot be excluded from the mission of the Missio Dei. In fact, the question of mission and politics has prompted Professor Johannes Reimer to propose missio politica as a missiological framework that puts the mandate of mission and politics in one basket. Following this solid foundation, this paper will propose the use of missio politica as an important missiological framework to analyse the instrumentally useful politics in line with the ultimate goal of Missio Dei. In accordance with the tenets of both missio politica in the name of missio Dei, this paper will then consider the South African ANC's step-aside rule from a biblical perspective, arguing that the accounts of Samuel's leadership in 1 Samuel 8 and the story of Ananias with his wife in Acts 5:1-11 represent a somewhat biblical understanding of the step-aside rule. The ANC's step-aside rule only serves to relativize the need for a missio politica. This paper promises a better understanding of the relationship between mission and politics, such an understanding is a key to uncovering new ways to ensure a meaningful participation of all other sectors of society in achieving the goal of Missio Dei. Missio politica represent what has been missing in the missiological discourse. Therefore, this framework needs to be further explored in order to emphasize the mandate of politics in accordance with the Missio Dei.

Missio politica in missio Dei: Integrating politics into God’s eternal mission

“…Once fully consolidated, this framework will result in a wealth of methods and techniques that will help theological scholarship, in particular missiologists to investigate the mandate of politics in relation to the economy of missio Dei. In the words of Thinane (2022), missio politica is 'an important missiological framework to analyse the instrumentally useful politics in line with efforts towards total salvation as the ultimate goal of missio Dei' (Thinane 2022:1). Originally this framework was framed as missio politica oecumenica and was developed amid ecumenical engagements by the International Missionary Council (IMC) and the Commission of the Churches on Internal Affairs (CCIA) through the IMC's merger with the World Council of Churches (WCCs) in 1961 and renamed as the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) (Reimer 2017:1.4;Thinane 2022:7).…”