Thesis (D. Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need of reconciliation in South Africa is still voiced by many. Along with this need,
the absence of church unity between the DRChurch and URChurch, churches which are
still divided along racial lines, remains a sad reality. A division which has its origin
partially in a reconciliation-ritual of commensality which was inculturated in Africa on
wrong unscriptural grounds. Within this South African and Reformed reality the question
of this research was born, namely: “Which rituals can be inculturated in South Africa in
general, and in the liturgy of the DRC and URC in particular, to assist with the processes
of reconciliation and church unity?”.
This question is subsequently approached in a multi-disciplinary fashion with a ritualliturgical
exploration. The methodological starting points in the research process entail
firstly that Post’s liturgical-scientific research methodology of intereference and intuition
is used as an overarching approach, and secondly along with this in the initial phase of
the research the method of ethnography or participatory observation for the collection of
the ritual data. Within this methodology the theoretical starting points centre around the
concepts of ritual, reconciliation and liturgical inculturation. And within the field of
Practical Theology this research process moves with a spiral movement between practice
and theory. The basic theoretical starting point is that within the field of Liturgy a ritual
approach is used, and for this reason partners were found within the domain of Ritual
Studies to examine the phenomenon of reconciliation-rituals. The ritual theory of some
experts on the topic is presented with which the collected data was later evaluated. Along
with this ritual theory, liturgical inculturation is used as a critical reciprocal steering
concept which also involves both the tradition and theology in a criterium for the
evaluation and formation of rituals.
With this methodological and theoretical basis five ritual probes were conducted with
regards to reconciliation, namely a cultural anthropological, a Biblical, a liturgicalhistorical,
an actual descriptive and a South African ethnographic probe. These probes
brought several findings to the fore which can, within an African and Reformed context,be systematised within the context of the process from fast to feast as an overarching
metaphor. Drinking and eating together, or the absence thereof, coupled with
reconciliation, is present throughout all the probes like a leitmotiv and is also the central
finding of this research. More findings concerning reconciliation rituals however came to
the fore in each probe. These findings are summarised at the end of each probe and will
help to stimulate the ritual imagination concerning reconciliation. However, such
imagination must remain within a critical-normative Practical Theological liturgical
scientific framework.
The finding of this research basically attempts to show that a variety of rituals can be
inculturated within the processes of reconciliation and church unity in the DRC, URC and
South Africa. The process from fast to feast gives insight into the ‘what’, ‘when’ and
‘how’ concerning the inculturation of reconciliation rituals within an African and
Christian context. Fast and feast, which amongst other things also entails eating and
drinking together or the absence thereof, runs like a golden thread throughout all the
probes. Rituals showing these qualities of commensality are pre-eminently fit to serve as
reconciliation rituals, although they have sometimes in the past had the power to do
exactly the opposite. Therefor the finding of this research is that this feature of
commensality can be developed within South African and Reformed reconciliation
rituals, but in such a way that it serves reconciliation and church unity. And for this
purpose some ritual-liturgical guidelines are presented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vanuit verskeie oorde word die noodsaak vir versoening in Suid-Afrika steeds bepleit.
Saam hiermee is die uitbly van kerkeenheid tussen die NGKerk en VGKerk, kerke wat
steeds op grond van ras verdeel is, ‘n betreurenswaardige realiteit. ‘n Verdeeldheid wat
deels sy oorsprong het in ‘n versoeningsritueel van saam eet en drink wat op ‘n verkeerde
onskriftuurlike wyse in Afrika geïnkultureer is. Vanuit hierdie Suid-Afrikaanse en
Gereformeerde situasie kom die vraag wat hierdie ondersoek aanspreek na vore, naamlik:
“Watter rituele kan in Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, en in die liturgie van die NGK en
VGK in die besonder, geïnkultureer word om te help in die prosesse van versoening en
kerkvereniging?”.
Hierdie vraagstelling word vervolgens op ‘n multi-dissiplinêre wyse met behulp van ‘n
ritueel-liturgiese ondersoek aangespreek. Die metodologiese uitgangspunte in hierdie
proses van ondersoek behels dat daar van Post se liturgiewetenskaplike ondersoekmetode
van interferensie en intuïsie as oorkoepelende benadering gebruik gemaak word, en saam
daarmee in die inisiële fase van data-kollektering die metode van etnografie of
deelnemende observasie. Binne hierdie metodologie sentreer die teoretiese vertrekpunt
rondom die begrippe ritueel, versoening en liturgiese inkulturasie. En binne die kader van
die Praktiese Teologie word daar met ‘n spiraalbeweging tussen teorie en praktyk
beweeg. Die basiese teoretiese uitgangspunte behels dat vanuit die Liturgiek met ‘n
rituele benadering gewerk is. Binne die veld van die sogenaamde Rituele Studies is
vennote gevind om die fenomeen van versoeningsrituele te bestudeer. Die rituele teorie
van enkele eksperte word gepresenteer waarmee die gekollekteerde data beoordeel is.
Saam met hierdie rituele teorie is die begrip liturgiese inkulturasie gebruik as ‘n krities
wederkerige studerende konsep wat ook die teologie en tradisie betrek in die kriterium vir
die beoordeling en ontwerp van rituele.
Met hierdie metodologiese en teoretiese basis is vyf rituele peilings ten opsigte van
versoening gedoen, te wete ‘n kultureel-antropologiese, ‘n Bybelse, ‘n liturgiehistoriese,
‘n aktueel beskrywende en ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse etnografiese peiling. Hierdie peilings hetverskeie bevindinge na vore gebring wat in ‘n Afrika-Gereformeerde konteks binne die
proses van vas tot fees as oorkoepelende metafoor gesistematiseer kan word. Saam eet en
drink, of die afwesigheid daarvan, gekoppel aan versoening loop as ‘n leitmotiv deur al
die peilings en is die sentrale bevinding van hierdie ondersoek. Daar het egter ook
meerdere bevindinge of roetemerkers ten opsigte van versoeningsrituele uit die peilings
na vore gekom. Hierdie bevindinge wat saamgevat word aan die einde van elke peiling,
help om die rituele verbeelding te stimuleer, maar dít juis binne ‘n krities-normatiewe
Prakties Teologiese liturgiewetenskaplike raamwerk.
Die bevinding van hierdie ondersoek behels basies dat ‘n verskeidenheid rituele in die
prosesse van versoening en kerkvereniging geïnkultureer kan word in die NGK, VGK en
Suid-Afrika, maar dat die proses van vas tot fees insig verleen in die ‘wat’, ‘wanneer’ en
‘hoe’, ten opsigte van die inkulturasie van versoeningsrituele binne ‘n Afrika- en
Christelike-konteks. Vas en fees, wat onder andere saam eet en drink of die afwesigheid
daarvan behels, loop soos ‘n goue draad reg deur al die peilings. Rituele wat hierdie
eienskappe van kommensaliteit vertoon, is by uitstek geskik om te dien as
versoeningsrituele, al het diesulke rituele ook soms in die geskiedenis juis die
teenoorgestelde vermag. Daarom word voorgestel dat hierdie eienskap van
kommensaliteit juis uitgebou word in Suid-Afrikaanse Gereformeerde versoeningsrituele,
maar op só ‘n wyse dat dit versoening en kerkeenheid dien. En hiervoor word enkele
ritueel-liturgiese riglyne aangereik.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16080 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Wepener, C. J. |
| Contributors | Cilliers, J.H., Post, P.G.J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 546 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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