People may have forgotten that apartheid in South Africa and the trans-Atlantic enslavement of peoples were justified and authorised not only politically, but theologically as well. The theologians who did this work were not on the fringes, but 'pillars' of the establishment - a number of their works are still required reading in seminaries. While some have examined and repented of the roots and fruit of these and other dangerous theologies, others have uncritically continued to hold to theologies and practices that at best passively, and at worst actively, support ongoing unjust and ungodly configurations of Church and society.

What does the prophetic witness of the Church look like in this season of protests against police brutality and apparent disregard for black and brown lives across many societies? What does the voice of God through the Scriptures say to us, and is our theology robust enough to sustain us as we navigate these waters?

In this clip, Dambudzo and Ayanda look at how deficiencies in our theology can leave us being merely reactive and unprepared in times such as these, and how we need deeper readings of Scripture combined with Spirit-led truth-telling and lament for us to live up to our vocation as the multicultural and global people of God.

Find us:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/walking_on_water_mzansi/

Email - [email protected]

Links to resources:

N.T. Wright on 'Undermining racism' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwohWaJHOp0

Article by Mmusi Maimane on the church and its prophetic voice - https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2020-06-09-as-the-voice-of-the-oppressed-the-church-should-be-preaching-black-lives-matter-the-loudest/#gsc.tab=0

Book by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah - "Unsettling Truths: The ongoing, dehumanizing legacy of the doctrine of discovery" 

Book by Jemar Tisby - "The color of compromise - The truth about the American Church's complicity in racism"

Book by John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa Vicencio - "Apartheid is a heresy"

Music:

Stevener - Black Excellence 600