WHAT WENT WRONG WITH OUR SYSTEM OF VALUES? A CONTEXTUAL STUDY IN DIALOGUE WITH SAMPIE TERREBLANCHE

• Wilfred Sebothoma University of South Africa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7833/41-0-1674

Abstract

In this study, Sampie Terreblanche’s article (The Star, 24 February 1991) Rottenness still lurks at SA’s core is reviewed to provide part one of an introduction for a South African contextual discussion. Key concepts around which the discussion in the article revolved are identified, namely religion, politics and the economy. The latter concepts are acknowledge in our study as not only functionally interdependent, but also basic to any society. They are accordingly applied to the second part of our study, namely the Judeo-Christian tradition, under the theme: constitution of theMonarchy in Israel up till the post exile period. The struggle for hegemony among the three institutions of religion, politics and the economy becomes a pilot around which the Heilgeschichte drama unfolds.The third or last part of our study traces the trend of Western Christendom, from the vantage point of the struggle or plot in part two. The discussion theme here is: Western Christendom from the perspective of faith and culture. Relevant concepts like culture, ideology, apartheid, capitalism, communism, etc. are given working definitions or description. The phenomenon of schism which afflicted Western Christendom is employed as a barometer to guage Western Christendom’s intolerance, alternatively the confusion of culture for faith, notwithstanding the necessity for the enculturation of faith in any evangelization process.A) South Africa is a microcosm of the world macrocosm as far as the distribution of wealth and resources are concerned, andB) That through colonization, most of current problems in South Africa are inherited from the West. This means that a new South Africa must decide where to go from here.