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Thesis Hum 2007 Aaboe J.Pdf The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University The Other and the Construction of Cultural and Christian identity: The Case of the Dutch Reformed Church in Transition Town By Julie Aaboe Cape Thesis submittedof for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Humanities University of UniversityCape Town July 2007 Supervisor: John W de Gruchy D\Gn~SEJ\ .c 7 \-4t\\ J'U1j The research in this thesis, unless indicated, is all my own work. No research utilised has been used without proper reference. Julie Aaboe MD et MA 15 August 2007 Cape Town Town Cape of University )l6stract The Other and the Construction of Cultural and Christian identity: The Case of the Dutch Reformed Church in Transition by Julie ,Aa6oe The aim of this thesis is to explore the interaction between cultural and religious identity, and more especially, Christian identity; how they develop in relation to each other, and how they differ. Town This thesis takes as its, starting point the convictionCape that the understanding of, and the relationship to, the other, is what both developsof and distinguishes Christian identity from cultural identity. In order to come to a better understanding of this complex set of relationships, the case of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa has been examined. The role of the Dutch Reformed Church in the cultural construction of Afrikaner identity has been examined both in the formative stages of Afrikanerdom until the demise of Apartheid,University and then in its more recent role in the deconstruction and reconstruction of Afrikaner identity since the transition to democracy in 1994, tracing both continuities and discontinuities between the earlier and later periods under review. Several others have been considered critical for the construction of Afrikaner identity. Finally, having considered the global upsurge of ethnic and religious fundamentalist identities and the effects of this on Afrikaner identity, the message for the future both locally in South Africa and globally is one of Christian humanism, in conjunction with a general need for global ethics, protecting and celebrating our full humanity, irrespective of race, gender, culture and religious conviction. This thesis is interdisciplinary, exammmg the issues both from a socio-historical viewpoint and from a theological perspective drawing, in particular, on the work of Mary Douglas and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Town Cape of University A number of people need to be given thanks for their support and help during the course of writing the thesis. Amongst my South African friends and colleagues I would like to give thanks to my supervisor Professor Emeritus John de Gruchy for believing in me when I first came to South Africa, and for his support and patience. As friends and colleagues I also wish to thank Dr. Robert Vosloo, Jan Nieder-Heitman, and Laurie Gaum for patiently helping me understand the dynamics within the DRC. Also thank you to myTown two German friends and colleagues Katrin Kusmierz and Dr. Robert Steiner for supportive dialog during the last phases of this thesis. Cape I am furthermore very grateful for the supportof and inspiration from my former supervisor from The Theological Faculty of Copenhagen, Denmark, today leader of The Centre for African Studies, University of Copenhagen, Niels Kastfelt, who has always made time to listen to my experiences and achievement in South Africa. Also the staff at The Postgraduate CentreUniversity at UCT, and in particular Zerina Davis have been very helpful over the years. Yet without the support from numerous friends the completion of this thesis would have been much more difficult. Amongst those I wish especially to thank Elma Black for support and friendship during difficult times. I also thank Leonard and Cassandra Ricketts for community over the years and for financial support, and Jane and Bernard Turkstra and the people at Volmoed for friendship. A great thank you to Patrick Sedyn and Hilton Schilder for making me smile and bringing music into my life, reminding me life is also about laughing. Although I have spent almost seven years in South Africa, the support and friendship from many Danish friends have not gone unnoticed and have been greatly appreciated. Amongst those I especially wish to give thanks to Tina Mundeling, Josefine Posch, Rikke Lange, and my sister Hanne Aaboe. My mother, Marianne Aaboe, has made many sacrifices to help me through this thesis, and has never failed to support me during this time, whether I needed, emotional, intellectual or financialTown support. I am immensely grateful that she is my mother. I wish to give thanks to Det Teologiske FakultetsCape Forsknings Udvalg, Knud Hgjgaards Fond, The Harry Oppenheimer Instituteof for African Studies, The UeT award for International Students, my father Preben Lauritsen and my mother Marianne Aaboe for financial support. Finally, I have comeUniversity to understand how indebted I am to the generation of women before me, who have fought for equal rights, equal education and the acknowledgement of emotional, intellectual and academic intelligence amongst women. I would not be where I am as an academic today had it not been for the legacy of these women that over the centuries have had to pay dearly for making this possible. Especially I am grateful to the strong women in my own family who for generations have been part of the academic world and never let me doubt that I was equal to anybody. It is my hope that I have been able to pass this on to my special girl Cassandra, so that she will never doubt herself as a woman, and that I will able to pass this on to future daughters. Town Cape of University A 66reviations Afrikaner Broederbond: AB Afrikaansche Christlijke Vrouwen Vereeniging: ACVV African National Congress: ANC Church and Society: CS Dutch Reformed Church: DRC Dutch East India Company: Town VOC Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners: GRA Human Relations and the South African Scene - In the light of Scripture: H&R Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference: Cape SACBC The Christian Institute: of CI The London Missionary Society: LMS The Truth and Reconciliation Commission: TRC Nasionale Pers: NASPERS National Party: University NP Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk: NHK Uniting Reformed Church in South Africa: URCSA World Council of Churches: WCC World Alliance of Reformed Churches: WARC Zuid Afrikaansche Boeren Beschermings Vereeniging: BBV q'a6fe of Content Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 Hypothesis ...................................................................................................... 2 Methodology ................................................................................................... 4 Personal Perspective ..........................................................................................5 Case study and cultural theory .............................................................................8 Case study and Christian theory ......................................................................... 12 Terminology ................................................................................................... 16 Chronology................................................................................................... Town 17 Part One: The Construction of Cultural and CapeChristian identity - The DRC pre -1994 of Chapter One: The construction of Afrikaner identity ....................................... 18 "People of colour" as the cultural other .................................................................. 19 The British as the cultural other .......................................................................22 Afrikaner women as theUniversity cultural other ............................................................... 31 Roman Catholicism as the religious other ........................................................... .43 Chapter Two: Cultural identity and the construction of the cultural other ........... .49 Culture ......................................................................................................50 Individual "cultural" identity and the other .........................................................52 Collective cultural identity and the other ............................................................. 54 Mary Douglas' Enclave Theory ........................................................................ 62 An Organic/inside perspective of the formation of the Afrikaner identity .................. 63 A Constructivist/outside perspective of the Afrikaner identity ............................... 64 A Post-Modern analysis of the role of women in the construction of Afrikaner identity ................................................................................................ 65 Evaluation of the relationship between the development of cultural identity and the other .................................................................................... 68 An Excurses of Afrikaner Civil Religion and National Consciousness ........................ 70 Chapter Three: The DRC and the construction of Afrikaner identity ................
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