Some Contours for Public Theology in South Africa

Abstract

Christian faith has enjoyed high levels of presence in public life in South Africa. In the context of post-apartheid South Africa with its constitution that is neutral with regard to religious and secular worldviews, Christian faith and other faiths are also welcomed in public life. To ensure a redemptive and constructive, humanizing and dignifying presence of Christian faith in public life, the practice of critical public theology is required. The notion of public theology has gained prominence in contemporary discourses on the role of Christian faith both inside and outside South Africa.

Doing urban public theology in South Africa: Introducing a new agenda

“…Nico Koopman (2010b), for instance, describes the 'agenda' of public theology in theological terms as reflecting on:…”

“…He admits that there may be resemblances between public theology and these theologies, in the sense that they all 'strive to make a transformative and redemptive impact on society' (Koopman 2003:7). For Koopman, (2003) however, whilst all these theologies may be considered as public theologies in one way or another, the agenda and scope of public theology proper includes but 'also transcends the agenda of each one of these theologies'. He further explains:…”

“…Different approaches, distinctions and meanings are applied and adhered to by different people in different institutional settings (see De Villiers 2011b:17-22;Koopman 2003Koopman , 2007aKoopman , 2007bKoopman , 2010bSmit 2007), where claims are laid to intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary modes of scholarly practice (Koopman 2010b:126-131); to an engagement with different topical foci, such as the economy, health, racism, xenophobia, sexism, crime, ecology, culture, faith and social identity, human dignity and human rights, just peace-building, globalisation and justice, and moral formation and public life (Koopman 2007a(Koopman :189-196, 2007b; to an engagement with and operation from within different locations or 'publics' of public theological practice -the academy, the church and society at large (Koopman 2003(Koopman , 2007a(Koopman :196-204, 2007b; to an identification of different forms of public theology, from a Christological perspective, namely prophetic public theology, priestly public theology and royal servant public theology (Koopman 2008(Koopman :251-253, 2009(Koopman :120, 2012a; to an execution of different tasks of public theology in the areas or spheres of politics, economics, civil society and public opinion (Koopman 2003:9-19); and to a practising of different modes of public theological speaking, namely envisioning of the 'good life' or 'good society', prophetic criticism, story-telling, technical analysis, and policymaking (Koopman 2009(Koopman , 2010a.…”

The role of prophetic action in public theology – the implications for addressing corruption in a context of sustainable development

“…Life is not dichotomised into 'private' (in the sense that private space serves as a retreat for individualising and spiritualising tendencies) and 'public' (in the sense that public space is seen as having only temporal or neutral value) compartments, but rather organic unity and transformative power are employed in the basic stance (Koopman 2010b The agenda of public theology, according to Koopman (2010b:137), is to reflect on the contents, rationality and implications of God's love for the whole world, especially for those whose dignity is violated and who suffer exclusion, exploitation and expendability. It should also consider a creation that is killed by greed and consumerism.…”

A Decade of Democracy in South Africa and the Vocation of the South African and Nigerian Theologian at the Beginning of a New Millennium

“…Humanity is not defined by the modernistic formula: I think, therefore I am. But in terms of the formula: "I belong therefore I am" ubuntu entails "a life of reciprocity, communion, care, responsibility and hospitality" (Koopman 2003a(Koopman :18 cf. 2003b.…”