CREDIBILITY AND THE COMMUNICATIVE POWER OF THE CHURCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

As a result of the profound divisions among the South African churches, the credibility and communicative potential of the gospel and the church is in jeopardy. There is concern about the future of Christianity in our country. In a situation of conflict between religion and political radicalism, people are usually estranged from the church. When the church chooses a certain ideological or political stance in a polarised society, groups of Christians are usually disinherited by the church. In times of radical change, young people are testing and weighing the message, values and praxis of the church. If Christianity is to survive in the new South Africa, reconciliation and a more united message and existence of the churches is needed. This can be achieved by an interaction between theological theory for the existence of the congregation, and the concrete praxis of the congregation.