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Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Introducing the Problem
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How the Research was Conducted
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Empiricial Findings at The Message church
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Subsidiary Study: Process and Findings
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Implications
Keywords
About this book
How do white people handle their own dominance while striving for racial reconciliation in a concrete church context in Cape Town? Persisting effects of colonialism present a challenge to reconciliation efforts in settler-colonial societies. This book draws particular attention to the coloniality of knowledge in multicultural churches and denominations. Despite its ability to connect, English is here regarded as an obstacle to deeper cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
The findings of this ethnographic study reveal how – motivated by a ‘Hope for transformation from within’ – racial integration often took precedence over equity. Eurocentric leanings were found to be both acknowledged and downplayed. With the emphasis on inclusion and upliftment, the equally sought-after cultural diversity was limited by the inadvertent setting up of boundaries, particularly regarding language and theology.
Grohmann concludes that the perceptiblebut not prominent mode of choosing vulnerability, i.e. relating on other people’s terms, constitutes a promising alternative to conventional ways of tackling inequalities. This decolonial approach to reconciliation would have the potential to advance both equity and equality.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Dr. Marcus Grohmann is a post-doctoral researcher at the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology at Stellenbosch University. He explores how the coloniality of knowledge impacts on post-apartheid reconciliation as well as on relationships in the Church.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Seeking Reconciliation in a Context of Coloniality
Book Subtitle: A Study of White People’s Approaches in a Multicultural South African church
Authors: Marcus Grohmann
Series Title: (Re-)konstruktionen - Internationale und Globale Studien
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-41462-7
Publisher: Springer VS Wiesbaden
eBook Packages: Social Science and Law (German Language)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2023
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-658-41461-0Published: 14 May 2023
eBook ISBN: 978-3-658-41462-7Published: 13 May 2023
Series ISSN: 2731-0531
Series E-ISSN: 2731-054X
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIX, 236
Number of Illustrations: 17 b/w illustrations
Topics: African Politics, Ethnography, Comparative Religion, Politics and Religion