Synopses & Reviews
Christianity, the faith of almost three-quarters of the diverse South African population, has long been pushed to the margins of historical writing on South Africa, yet for more than two centuries it has shaped South African society and its diverse subcultures. This tightly constructed and vigorously written bookand#151;a collaboration of thirty specialists working in seven countriesand#151;situates Christianity for the first time in the broad political, social, and economic context of South African history; it also traces a variety of religious movements and their histories both before and during apartheid.
Perhaps nowhere in the African continent is the study of Christianity as fascinating, complex, or contentious as in South Africa. In the twentieth century South Africans have used Christian doctrine both to justify and to oppose doctrines of racial segregation, and Christian leadership provided much of the impetus for the founding of the African National Congress in 1912. But the history of South African Christianity is found for the most part in local, or "micro" narratives, while the highly elaborated "macro" narratives of colonialism, capitalism, and liberationand#151;the backbone of the conventional histories of South Africaand#151;assign Christianity a marginal role, or no role at all. This volume seeks to insert the Christian micro-narratives into the macro-narratives of South African history, providing for the first time an in-depth, cohesive look at Christianity in South Africa.
Synopsis
"At a strategic time in South Africa's history, the Christian history which is absolutely basic to all developments, is presented in a comprehensive and objective way. Too little attention is given to the influence of religion in socio-political accounts. This is a creative and much-needed contribution to scholarship and general knowledge. . . . An outstanding work."and#151;Dean S. Gilliland, Fuller Theological Seminary
About the Author
Richard Elphick is Professor of History at Wesleyan University. Rodney Davenport is Professor Emeritus at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS:
"A Christian Monopoloy: The Reformed Church and Colonial Society under Dutch Rule," by Jonathan N. Gerstner
"Combating Spiritual and Social Bondage: Early Missions in the Cape Colony," by Elizabeth Elbourne and Robert Ross
"Settlement, Conquest and Theological Controversy: The Churches of Nineteenth-century European Immigrants," by Rodney Davenport
"A Battle for Sacred Power: Christian Beginnings Among the Xhosa," by Janet Hodgson
"Kingdoms of This World and the Next: Christian Beginnings among Zulu and Swazi," by Norman Etherington
"Monarchs and Missionaries among the Tswana and Sotho," by Roger B. Beck
"The Spread of Christianity among Whites and Blacks in Transorangia," by Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe
"Modernization and Apartheid: The Afrikaner Churches," by Johann Kinghorn
"Grappling with a Colonial Heritage: The English-speaking Churches under Imperialism and Apartheid," by John W. De Gruchy
"Lutheran Misions and Churches in South Africa," by Georg Scriba with GunnarLislerud
"Moving from the Margins to the Mainstream: The Roman Catholic Church," by Joy Brain
"A Branch Springs Out: African Initiated Churches," by Hennie Pretorius and Lizo Jafta
"The Segregated Spirit: The Pentecostals," by Allan A. Anderson and Gerald J. Pillay
"The Struggle for Sunday: All-male Christianity in the Gold Mine Compounds," by Tshidiso Maloka
"Power in Prayer and Service: Women's Christian Organizations," by Deborah Gaitskell
"Between Christ and Mohammed: Conversion, Slavery, and Gender in the Urban Western Cape," by Robert C. H. Shell
"Ambivalence, Antipathy, and Accommodation: Christianity and the Jews," by Milton Shain
"Community Service and Conversion: Christianity among Indian South Africans," by Gerald J. Pillay
"The Drumbeat of the Cross: Christianity and Literature," by Jeff Opland
"South African Christian Music: A) Christian Music in the Western Tradition," by Barry Smith
"South African Christian Music: B) Christian Music Among Africans," by David Dargie
"South African Christian Architecture," by Dennis Radford
"Millenial Christianity, British Imperialism, and African Nationalism," by Wallace G. Mills
"The Benevolent Empire and the Social Gospel: Missionaries and South African Christians in the Age of Segregation," by Richard Elphick
"Creation and Apartheid: South African Theology since 1948," by Eugene M. Klaaren
"Christianity and the Anti-Apartheid Struggle: the Prophetic Voice within
Divided Churches," by Peter Walshe