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Constructing separatism in South Africa's racially charged religiosity: 20th century Afrikaner discourses on African Initiated Christianity
Author(s) -
Müller Retief
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
religion compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.113
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1749-8171
DOI - 10.1111/rec3.12231
Subject(s) - appropriation , religiosity , christianity , context (archaeology) , ideology , white (mutation) , political science , government (linguistics) , independence (probability theory) , state (computer science) , history , gender studies , religious studies , theology , sociology , law , philosophy , politics , linguistics , biochemistry , chemistry , statistics , mathematics , archaeology , algorithm , gene , computer science
African Initiated Churches (AICs) in South Africa developed and grew during the 20th century to eventually become representative of the majority of Christians in the country. Much of this growth occurred during Apartheid. The fact that AICs emphasized their independence from White control is significant for various reasons. However, this article mainly concentrates on the irony of the fact that AICs were for the most part regarded as heretical sects by White Apartheid ideologues, despite the fact that the “Separatists,” as AICs were often described, would seem in retrospect ideally placed for potential appropriation within the context of Apartheid. Indeed, in the mid‐1980s, a serious attempt at appropriation from the side of government did occur. The Afrikaner, primarily Dutch Reformed Church discourse, is considered focusing on the 1930s, the late 1960s to early 80s, and then the article gives close attention to the year 1985 when the State President P. W. Botha visited Zion City Moria, headquarters of the Zion Christian Church.