Belhar Confession

The various contributions in this informative and exciting volume explore the ambivalent and complex history of Reformed faith during the years 1960 to 1990 in apartheid South Africa. In the process light is shed on the role of Reformed churches in the struggle for justice, freedom and dignity. Parameters are simultaneously provided for defining the public role of Reformed faith in contemporary South Africa in the context of Africanisation and globalisation ...ÿ Prof. Nico Koopman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University

"At a strategic time in South Africa's history, the Christian history which is absolutely basic to all developments, is presented in a comprehensive and objective way. Too little attention is given to the influence of religion in socio-political accounts. This is a creative and much-needed contribution to scholarship and general knowledge. . . . An outstanding work."--Dean S. Gilliland, Fuller Theological Seminary

Although we should acknowledge the fragility of memory, we should nevertheless affirm the remarkable ability of memory to reform and transform our identity. Our memories and ways of remembering are, however, often marked by trauma and violence. Memory, therefore, not merely reforms; it too is in need of reformation, redemption and transformation. With this emphasis in mind, Reforming Memory grapples with the question what a responsible engagement with the past entails, also for Christians and churches associated with the Reformed tradition. The history of Reformed churches in South Africa is, one can argue, a deeply divided and ambivalent one. The same figures are heroes to some and villains to others; historic events are deeply ambiguous and conflicting views surround different discourses. Yet the histories, and perhaps futures, of these churches and traditions are inextricably interwoven. Reforming Memory fundamentally combines an interest in the notion of ?memory? with an interest in (South African) Reformed theology and history. Central is the question: how should we remember and represent the past responsibly? The essays collected in this book engage in different ways with this question, attending in the process to some episodes in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church, some influential Reformed theologians, and some important Reformed practices and confessional documents.

The Oxford Handbook of Reformed Theology looks back to past resources that have informed Reformed theology and surveys present conversations among those engaged in Reformed theology today. First, the volume offers accounts of the major historical contexts of reformed theology, the various relationships (ancient and modern) which it maintains and from which it derives. Recent research has shown the intricate ties between the patristic and medieval heritage of the church and the work of the reformed movement in the sixteenth century. The past century has also witnessed an explosion of reformed theology outside the Western world, prompting a need for attention not only to these global voices but also to the unique (and contingent) history of reformed theology in the West (hence reflecting on its relationship to intellectual developments like scholastic method or the critical approaches of modern biblical studies). Second, the volume assesses some of the classic, representative texts of the reformed tradition, observing also their reception history. The reformed movement is not dominated by a single figure, but it does contain a host of paradigmatic texts that demonstrate the range and vitality of reformed thought on politics, piety, biblical commentary, dogmatic reflection, and social engagement. Third, the volume turns to key doctrines and topics that continue to receive attention by reformed theologians today. Contributors who are themselves making cutting edge contributions to constructive theology today reflect on the state of the question and offer their own proposals regarding a host of doctrinal topics and themes.

An illustrated A to Z reference containing over 600 entries providing information on the theology, people, historical events, institutions and movements related to Protestantism.

The compelling story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his resistance to the Nazi regime, and his sweeping postwar influence owe much to his close friendship with his fellow pastor Eberhard Bethge. In this important and engaging work, distinguished theologian John de Gruchy narrates the course and consequences of that friendship, building on interviews and newly available primary sources. Sympathetic yet astute, de Gruchy relates Bethge's own development, his unlikely yet devoted friendship with Bonhoeffer, their fateful involvement in the Confessing Church movement and opposition to Hitler, and Bethge's remarkable postwar journey, nurturing worldwide reception and regard for Bonhoeffer's signal theological insights. Book jacket.

Creeds and confessions throughout Christian history provide a unique vantage point from which to study the Christian faith. To this end, Donald Fairbairn and Ryan Reeves construct a story that captures both the central importance of creeds and confessions over the centuries and their unrealized potential to introduce readers to the overall sweep of church history. The book features texts of classic creeds and confessions as well as informational sidebars.