Conference on the struggle for justice

The conference provided the opportunity to revisit a very dramatic period in South African church and theological history, with a special focus on the role played by the various Reformed Churches.

A number of staff members from UP’s Department of Church History presented papers at the conference. Prof Piet Meiring, retired professor from UP’s Faculty of Theology, presented a paper on “The reformed Churches and Cottesloe”, while Johan van der Merwe focused on “The Dutch Reformed Church: From ‘Ras, Volk en Nasie’ to ‘Kerk en Samelewing’”.

Dr Wim Dreyer addressed the subject of “The Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) and its journey from isolation” and Prof Graham Duncan shared insight into “Passive-aggressive résistance against apartheid at the Federal Theological Seminary in Southern Africa”.

The goal of the conference was to engage with some important figures, events, texts, practices and theological currents during this period. The conference aimed to address the need to revisit the role churches and theology played in the church struggle by way of responsible church and theological historiography.