Revision:Apartheid and the Dutch Reformed Church - The Student Room
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Revision:Apartheid and the Dutch Reformed Church

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Apartheid and the Dutch Reformed Church


  • The Dutch Reformed Church has accepted it, and claimed there is divine support for it.
  • The various English speaking Churches have opposed apartheid and become involved in the struggle against it.

Note: The Church has been very much involved in the history of the Afrikaner's attempts to preserve the independence of their people. There has been a close relationship between the DRC and the aspirations of the Afrikaners:

  • Christian Nationalism - love of nation and love of Christ go together (i.e.: success of Great Trek meant support of God.)
  • DRC has been one of the chief means of preserving the culture of Afrikaners.
  • Afrikaners felt a sense of superiority over non-European races - supported by the God-willed diversity of peoples.

Note: the history of the Afrikaners has been a history of struggle to preserve an identity - led to "laager mentality" (need to survive).


Apartheid and the English Speaking Churches

The ESC have played an increasingly active role in opposition to it.

ESC took the position that:

  • Discrimination btw men on the basis of race was inconsistent w/ principles of Christianity.
  • All should have the right to vote (irrespective of race)
  • All should have equal opportunities in education and work.


  • ESC have protested against Gov. regulations in implementing Apartheid (i.e.: Group Areas Act, Mixed Marriage Act, Immorality Act)
  • ESC and DRC (although this statement was rejected by its own hierarchy) made a statement which included:
    • That mixed marriages were valid.
    • A condemnation of migratory labor laws.
    • A demand that all citizens of South Africa receive equal shares in the rewards and privileges of citizenship.
  • Setting up of the Christian Institute (banned in 1977) to establish common ground btw different races and different Churches.
  • Council of South African Churches (1968) formed to fight against racism - criticized the "false gospel" of apartheid.


  • Helped organize community dev. projects.
  • Provided scholarships for black students.
  • Gave help to families of political prisoners.
  • Publicly criticized apartheid policies


  • 1978: Black bishop Desmond Tutu as general-secretary of Council of South African Churches (more credibility w/ black pop.)
  • CSAC urged people to refuse to do military service.


Evaluation of the success of the Council in its struggle

Despite some minor success, no great impact b/c:

  • Blacks tended to adopt a cynical attitude towards the council.
  • Many blacks identified Christianity with imperialism.
  • The Council had very little political influence b/c it had no political party.
  • Overtaken by the actions of the World Council of Churches: WCC provided grants to groups who fought apartheid.


Promoted non-violence (blacks saw little alternatives to non-violence and took as example the resistance movements in Europe in WWII who were and still are praised despite their violence.


Gov. showed little evidence of weakness b/c:

  • Possessed most powerful military force in Africa
  • Western powers could do little against it (needed gold, diamonds and uranium productions)
  • Effective barrier to communism
  • The Black Renaissance, 1970s - growth in black consciousness, caused by:
    • Success of civil rights movements in the US.
    • Success of guerrilla groups in Mozambique, Angola
    • Detribalisation amongst urban blacks who then identified w/ being black instead of w/ a tribe.
  • This new pride was a problem to Churches b/c:
    • How to respond w/ the increasing violence w/out alienating itself further from the blacks.
    • How to deal with the rejection of "the white man's church".
    • How to respond to development of "black theology" (Africanized and politicized faith in order to fit black peoples struggle in South Africa)


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