Alhoewel dit hierdie jaar agtien jaar gelede is, nadat die Apartheidsisteem tot ‘n einde gekom het, kan die voetspore van verdeeldheid op grond van ras en etnisiteit tog nog gesien word in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing. Verskeie akademici erken wel dat die land ver gekom het in terme van versoening en sosiale kohesie, maar dat daar nog ‘n lang pad voorlê. Statistiek Suid-Afrika toon aan dat die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing oorwegend religieus is, daarom is die navorser se vermoede dat die kerk ‘n groter rol kan en moet speel in terme van die bevordering van versoening en sosiale kohesie in Suid-Afrika. Die navorser stel dus ondersoek in na multikulturele liturgieë en of multikulturele eredienste as rolspelers in die bevordering van versoening en sosiale kohesie. Die vraagstelling van die navorsing is dus: Watter ritueel-liturgiese kwaliteite tydens multikulturele aanbidding kan ‘n positiewe en opbouende effek op sosiale kohesie en versoening in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse konteks hê? Die navorser het die navorsingsvraag ondersoek deur middel van ‘n literatuurstudie in die veld van liturgie, antropologie en ook sosiologie. Die vraag is ook verder ondersoek deur middel van empiriese navorsing by drie verskillende multikulturele eredienste in Pretoria. Die volgende aspekte is deur die loop van die jaar nagevors: <ul> <li> Teologiese en sosiologiese interpretasie van die huidige sosiale konteks van Suid-Afrika – in hierdie gedeelte van die navorsing het die navorser gepoog om die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing vir die leser weer te gee. Daar is grotendeels gebruik gemaak van die Sensus 2001 om die demografiese gegewens van Suid-Afrika weer te gee. Verder is die samelewing ook ondersoek deur gebruik te maak van sentrale teoretiese begrippe naamlik vergifnis, versoening, sosiale transformasie, sosiale kohesie en sosiale identiteit.</li> <li> Die aard van multikultulturele eredienste en die waarde van simbole, rituele en seremonies – in hierdie hoofstuk word daar ondersoek ingestel na die teologie van multikulturele liturgieë. Eerstens word daar gekyk na die waarde van simbole, rituele en seremonies binne multikulturele eredienste. Daarna word die ontwikkeling van die liturgie soos beïnvloed deur kultuur in breë trekke beskryf. Die essensie van aanbidding word ook op die tafel geplaas. Laastens word ‘n voorlopige teologie van multikulturele eredienste saamgestel uit die literatuurstudie.</li> <li> Gedetailleerde beskrywing van drie onderskeie eredienste – die drie multikulturele eredienste word in die fynste detail beskryf na aanleiding van wat voor, tydens en na die erediens gebeur. Die struktuur van die kerkgebou asook die liturgiese ruimte word in detail weer gegee.</li> <li> Empiriese navorsingsdata (fokusgroepe) analise – die navorser het onderhoude gevoer met gekose kandidate wat gereeld die onderskeie multikulturele eredienste bywoon om verdere kennis aangaande mense se belewenis van die eredienste in te samel.</li></ul> Die gevolgtrekking van die navorsing vind dan neerslag in die voorlopige teorie van multikulturele eredienste wat versoening en sosiale kohesie bevorder. ENGLISH : Although 2012 marks eighteen years since the demise of Apartheid, traces of division based on race and ethnicity can still be witnessed in the South African society. Several academics acknowledge that the country has made good progress with regards to reconciliation and social cohesion but that there is still a lot of work to be done. Statistics South Africa show that the majority of the South African society are religious. The researcher therefore supposes that the church can play a greater role in the promotion and strengthening of reconciliation and social cohesion. The research question are therefore as follows: Which ritual-liturgical qualities during multicultural worship can have a positive and edifying effect on social cohesion and reconciliation in the current South African context? The researcher has investigated this research question through a literature study in the fields of liturgy, anthropology and sociology. The research question was furthermore investigated through means of empirical research at three different multicultural worship services in Pretoria. The following aspects were studied throughout this year: <ul> <li> Theological and sociological interpretations of the current social context in South Africa – in this part of the research the researcher focused on providing the reader with a reflection on the current context in South Africa. The researcher primarily made use of the South African Census of 2001 to present the demographic information of the country. The society was also investigated by making use of a number of central concepts including forgiveness, reconciliation, social transformation, social cohesion and social identity.</li> <li> The nature of multicultural worship and the value of symbols, rituals and ceremonies – in this chapter multicultural liturgies are investigated. Firstly the researcher looks at the value of symbols, rituals and ceremonies in multicultural worship services. The development of liturgy as it was influenced by culture are discussed in broad terms. The essence of worship is also touched upon. Lastly a preliminary theology of multicultural worship services are developed based on the literature study.</li> <li> A detailed description of the three different worship services – the three multicultural worship services are descibed in as much detail as possible based on what happens before, during and after the worship service. The physical structure of the church building as well as a desciption of the liturgical space is also presented.</li> <li> Analysis of the empirical data (focus groups) – the researcher conducted interviews with selected candidates who attend the different multicultural worship services regularly in order to gain more knowledge about their experiences of the worship services.</li></ul> The conclusion of the research can then be found in the preliminary theory of multicultural worship services that promotes reconcilation and social cohesion. / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Hoofstuk een handel oor die worsteling van die NG Kerk om 'n dalende tendens in erediensbywoning die hoof te bied en die beste benadering te vind ten opsigte van vernuwing in die erediens, sodat ook mense wat nie deel van die kerk is nie, belang sal stel om eredienste by te woon. Die erediens is 'n byeenkoms waar mense op uitnodiging van God bymekaar kom, maar hoe moet sodanige byeenkomste ingerig word sodat mense dit werklik as 'n ontmoeting met God sal ervaar? Hoe belangrik is dit om 'n liturgiese orde in sodanige byeenkomste te volg en watter rol speel die reformatoriese liturgie om 'n ontmoeting tussen God en mens te fasiliteer? Wat moet in die proses van liturgiese vernuwing behou of laat vaar word? In hoofstuk twee word duidelikheid verkry of die reformatoriese liturgie inderdaad interensiek kommunikatief van aard is en of die erediensganger, deur middel van die liturgie, God al luisterende in die erediens kan ervaar. Die reformatoriese liturgie word vervolgens vanuit `n hermeneuties-kommunikatiewe handelingsteoretiese perspektief bespreek ten einde sekerheid te verkry dat God ook deur middel van die reformatoriese liturgie in die erediens aan die werk is. Die basis van die praktiese teologie is `n hermeneuties-kommunikatiewe praxis (Van der Ven 1990:47). Dit beteken dat die homiletiek ook vanuit `n hermeneutieskommunikatiewe perspektief verstaan kan word (Vos 1996:11-12). Hermeneutiek is die refleksie op die proses van die koms van God in sy Woord na die mens in sy situasie, waarin drie momente onderskei kan word: die verstaan (begrip), die verstaanbaar maak (verklaar) en die tot verstaan kom (toe-eien). Die hermeneutiese komponent van die praktiese teologie (Van der Ven 1990:54-55) word hier vir die homiletiek diensbaar gemaak. Hermeneutiek handel oor die verstaan van die Woord, die verstaanbaar maak daarvan binne die eie kultuur en die tot verstaan kom van die mens vir wie die heil bedoel is (Vos 1996:12). Dit moet as uitgangspunt dien wanneer besin word oor die aanbieding van die evangelie aan mense van `n nie-kerklike agtergrond sodat hulle in die erediens-gebeure gelei kan word tot `n ontmoeting met God en verlossing deur Jesus Christus. In hoofstuk drie word die herkoms van die huidige reformatoriese liturgie aan die orde gestel ten einde aan te toon hoe sterk die liturgie in die vroeë kerk gefunksioneer het en hoe dit deur die eeue gegroei het tot dit wat ons huidiglik in die reformatoriese tradisie ken. Dit sluit in besinning oor die betekenis van die begrip “liturgie” en die ontwikkeling daarvan in die byeenkomste van die volk van God. Dit sluit die orde waarin die erediens verloop in, maar is baie meer as net dit. Liturgie is die diens aan God wat telkens weer vorm aanneem in `n bepaalde erediens (Barnard 1981:52; Van der Ven 1990:48; Vos 1996c:150-151). In hoofstuk vier word die gespreksmatigheid van die liturgiese gebeure, insluitend die preek, ondersoek. Die taal van die liturgie word ondersoek op die basis van 'n keuse vir die dialogiese kommunikasieteorie. Dit is juis omdat die verskillende liturgiese elemente kommunikatief in die erediens funksioneer, dat elkeen belangrik is, met groot omsigtigheid aangewend moet word en nie sonder goeie rede weggelaat kan word gedurende 'n erediens nie. In hoofstuk vyf word gefokus op wat met die term “soeker sensitiewe eredienste” bedoel word. Hoe het die begrip deur die geskiedenis ontwikkel en hoe word dit in verskillende denominasies verstaan? Die Willow Creek Gemeente in Chicago, VSA, onder leiding van pastoor Bill Hybels, staan algemeen bekend as die baanbreker op die gebied van ‘seekerservices’ (Long 2001:7). In die konteks van die NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika is dit nodig om hiervan kennis te neem, aangesien die bevindings in Kerkspieël 2005 daarop wys dat erediensbywoning in die NG Kerk steeds aan die afneem is en daar toenemend afgewyk word van die tradisionele liturgiese inkleding van die liturgie. Sal `n soortgelyke benadering as dié van Willow Creek, in Suid-Afrika en spesifiek in die NG Kerk suksesvol wees om mense wat nie meer belangstel in lidmaatskap van `n kerk of die bywoning van eredienste nie, weer terug te bring? Bevat die “tradisionele gereformeerde liturgie” inherente eienskappe wat `n ontmoeting tussen God en mens in die erediens waarborg? In hoofstuk ses word aangetoon wat die belang van `n Bybels-gefundeerde liturgie in die fasilitering van `n ontmoeting tussen God en die soeker in die erediens is. `n Voorbeeld van so `n liturgie en preek word voorsien en terreine vir verdere navorsing op die gebied word vermeld. ENGLISH : Chapter one describes the struggle of the Dutch Reformed Church to curb a decline in church attendance and to find the best approach towards shaping the worship service in order to attract churchmembers as well as the “unchurched.” In the worship service people come together because God has invited them, but how should such a meeting be structured so that people would experience it as a meeting with God? How important is a liturgical order in such meetings and what is the role of reformed liturgy in order to facilitate a meeting between God and man in the worship service? What should be kept and what should be discarded in the process of liturgical reformation? Chapter two seeks to clarify whether reformed liturgy is in fact essentialy communicative and if those attending a worship service can experience God in the liturgy by listening to all that is happening during the service. The reformed liturgy is thus researched from a hermeneuticalcommunicative acting theory perspective in order to determine whether God is indeed at work through reformed liturgy during worship. The basis of practical theology is a hermeneuticalcommunicative praxis (Van der Ven 1990:47). This means that homiletics can be understood from a hermeneutic-communicative perspective (Vos 1996:11-12). Hermeneutics is a reflection on the process of the coming of God in Scripture to man in his situation, in which three processes can be determined: understanding it (comprehension), to make it understandable (explaining) and to come to the conclusion (make it your own). The hermeneutical component of practical theology (Van der Ven 1990:54-55) is applied to homiletics. Hermenetics is all about understanding Scripture, to make it understandable within the own culture and the process of understanding of the person for whom the grace is intended (Vos 1996:12). That must be the starting point when the Gospel is presented to unchurched people so that they can be brought into a relationship with God and salvation through Jesus Christ in a worship service. In chapter three the origin of the current reformed liturgy is presented in order to show how strongly the liturgy functioned in the early church and how it developed to become what we recognise today in the reformed tradition. This includes reflection on the meaning of the term “liturgy” and its development in the congregation of Gods people. It includes the order of liturgical actions in the service, but it is more than just that. Liturgy is the service unto God which takes on a new form in a specific worship service (Barnard 1981:52; Van der Ven 1990:48; Vos 1996c:150-151). In chapter four the aspect of conversational identity of the liturgical actions, including the sermon, is researched. The language of liturgy is researched on the basis of a choice for the dialogical communicative theory. It is indeed because of the communicative identity of the liturgical elements that each and every one of them is important, should be applied with great circumspection and should not be left out during the worship service without good reason. In chapter five it is determined what is meant by the term “seeker services”. How did the term developed through the ages and how is it understood in different denominations? Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, USA, under the leadership of Pastor Bill Hybels, is viewed as the pioneer on the aspect of “seeker services” (Long 2001:7). In the context of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, it is vital to take note of the “seeker services”, as it has become apparant that the number of people attending church is declining and that congregations are more and more deviating from the traditional reformed liturgy. Will the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa benefit by following Willow Creeks’s approach to bring back people that have lost interest in membership of a church as well as attending worship services? Does reformed liturgy contain interinsic caracteristics that guarantees a devine meeting between God and those who attend worship services? In chapter six the significance of a Scripture-based liturgy in facilitating an experience of a devine meeting between God and “seekers” is determined. An example of such a liturgy is provided and subjects for further research are suggested. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted