Christianity and social transformation in post-apartheid South Africa: From prophetic quietism to signs of prophetic recovery

Abstract

The history of prophetic witness against the system of apartheid is well recorded. Church leaders such as, among others, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rev.  Dr Beyers Naude, Dr Allan Boesak, Rev. Frank Chikane and Dr Brigilia Bam are well-known names in this context. Post-1994, the situation, as far as the  prophetic involvement of the church in society is concerned, has changed dramatically, with the church withdrawing from the public arena. The article  traces some of the reasons why this retreat of the church into the periphery has occurred in a post-1994 situation where inequality, unemployment and  poverty still prevail. The article also examines attempts at reclaiming the prophetic voice in the public arena from different sections of the Christian faith.  The conversation on both factors informing the retreat into the periphery and attempts at returning to the public arena is located in the quest for  transformation.