"Just Preach the Gospel"? Re-Thinking Great Commission Theology and Social Justice in the South African Context

ABOUT

The evangelical church, as a whole failed the test of apartheid. These failures to stand up against the injustices of the apartheid state were widely acknowledged by evangelicals during the TRC. What was most significant in its absence from these submissions before the TRC was any sustained reflection on the role in which evangelical theology might have played in their failure to engage prophetically with the apartheid regime. In this paper, based on his recently completed Masters research, John Scheepers investigates the role which evangelical theology, and in particular their paradigm of the mission, had played in the evangelical failure to engage prophetically with the injustices of the apartheid regime. If the primary failure of evangelicals during apartheid was not lack of courage or deception by the state propaganda of the day (though no doubt those factors did play a role) but theological; and if that theological failure has not been acknowledged do evangelicals run the risk of continuing to propagate a theology which, at least unintentionally, promotes injustice. The evangelical church’s response to Fees Must Fall significantly displayed many similar themes to their response to apartheid.

Format: This Zoom seminar will take the form of talk followed by a time of Q & A.

Cost: R 50 (suggested donation). There are also free tickets available for those for whom finances are a struggle.

PLEASE NOTE: Upon registration participants will be sent an email with the Zoom meeting invite and password. Including user guidelines for those who have never used the Zoom platform before.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

John Scheepers is the director of the Isiphambano Centre for Biblical Justice. Before starting Isiphambano John was the Director of Mercy and Justice Ministries at Hope City Presbyterian Church. John has also held a number of leadership positions involved in student ministry, theological training and missional church projects. John holds under graduate and Honours degrees from George Whitefield College and a Masters Degree in Missiology from Stellenbosch University. He loves strong coffee, good books, hip-hop and Liverpool Football Club. He is married to Jo-ann and they have two sons.