Suchergebnisse

In honour of Mary-Anne Elizabeth Plaatjies-Van Huffel, this article is dedicated to her last endeavour, "to reflect on the road travelled" of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). Plaatjies-Van Huffel became outspoken against the lack of internal unity in URCSA, especially after the retraction of her nomination as Actuarius at the URCSA Cape Synod elections in 2018. In this regard, the article focuses particularly on reconciliation in URCSA with a focus on the role of the church media as a medium for reconciliation. The paper will focus on the media reporting of the DRMC church newspaper, Die Ligdraer, between 1990 and 1994 on church unification between the DRCA and the DRMC as a case study to reflect on what role church media can play in the internal unification processes in URCSA. The author conducts a rhetorical analysis of the DRMC's newspaper, Die Ligdraer, and its role in the facilitation of unification between two churches (DRMC and DRCA), with different ethnic and cultural traditions that became reconciled and united in the context of political transition within the broader South African context.

This contribution is part of a festschrift in honour of emeritus professor, Nico Adam Botha, who laboured tirelessly for the concretization of justice to all citizens in the boundaries of South Africa and beyond. His academic treatise offers volumes to matters of justice/injustice, in most cases particularly related to those with economic power, abusing the resources that cripple the economy and result in the most vulnerable (the poorest of the poor!) suffering. This contribution also reflects critically on the unequal representation of media reports on government corruption, as opposed to corruption in corporate South Africa. Moreover, it transposes beyond such media reporting. The author argues in this contribution that the academic corpus of Nico Botha provides a theoretical framework that can be used as a diagnostic analysis and probe, but also to re-imagine the causes and eradication of corruption in South Africa.

"Religious Radicalism scrutinizes the religious motives and mechanisms of radicalism. The contributors observe a growing lack of understanding of religion in secular policy-bodies, as well as in the academic world in Europea and beyond. They put forward an approach 'from within' and aim to provide policy-makers with workable tools and a user-friendly method for constructively tackling religious radicalism. The underlying issue is the question of the role of the rule of law in relation to human rights in relation to religious minorities. This edited volume brings forward an interdisciplinary approach to religious radicalism blending religious studies, theology, and cultural criticism.

Above all Religious Radicalism is an invitation for dialogue and a plea for understanding. In the current polarized cultural climate it is delicate to ask for prejudices to be avoided. We can tend to think that the 'other' has to trust us, and that change applies to those who think and feel differently than we do. Increasing illiteracy is both a cause and effect of religious radicalism. Those who do not feel understood and recognized and whose identity is systematically discredited turn against the institutional powers that leave the offence untouched. In short, radicalism is threatening. But for those who are completely alien to customs and backgrounds, symbols and behavior, the unprecedented and unfamiliar are just as much of a threat. This form of radicalism, which is rapidly rising on wings of ignorance, also calls for self-criticism."