Van vas tot fees : 'n ritueel-liturgiese ondersoek na versoening binne Suid-Afrikaanse kultuurkontekste

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need of reconciliation in South Africa is still voiced by many. Along with this need,the absence of church unity between the DRChurch and URChurch, churches which arestill divided along racial lines, remains a sad reality. A division which has its originpartially in a reconciliation-ritual of commensality which was inculturated in Africa onwrong unscriptural grounds. Within this South African and Reformed reality the questionof this research was born, namely: 'Which rituals can be inculturated in South Africa ingeneral, and in the liturgy of the DRC and URC in particular, to assist with the processesof reconciliation and church unity?.This question is subsequently approached in a multi-disciplinary fashion with a ritualliturgicalexploration. The methodological starting points in the research process entailfirstly that Post's liturgical-scientific research methodology of intereference and intuitionis used as an overarching approach, and secondly along with this in the initial phase ofthe research the method of ethnography or participatory observation for the collection ofthe ritual data. Within this methodology the theoretical starting points centre around theconcepts of ritual, reconciliation and liturgical inculturation. And within the field ofPractical Theology this research process moves with a spiral movement between practiceand theory. The basic theoretical starting point is that within the field of Liturgy a ritualapproach is used, and for this reason partners were found within the domain of RitualStudies to examine the phenomenon of reconciliation-rituals. The ritual theory of someexperts on the topic is presented with which the collected data was later evaluated. Alongwith this ritual theory, liturgical inculturation is used as a critical reciprocal steeringconcept which also involves both the tradition and theology in a criterium for theevaluation and formation of rituals.With this methodological and theoretical basis five ritual probes were conducted withregards to reconciliation, namely a cultural anthropological, a Biblical, a liturgicalhistorical,an actual descriptive and a South African ethnographic probe. These probesbrought several findings to the fore which can, within an African and Reformed context,be systematised within the context of the process from fast to feast as an overarchingmetaphor. Drinking and eating together, or the absence thereof, coupled withreconciliation, is present throughout all the probes like a leitmotiv and is also the centralfinding of this research. More findings concerning reconciliation rituals however came tothe fore in each probe. These findings are summarised at the end of each probe and willhelp to stimulate the ritual imagination concerning reconciliation. However, suchimagination must remain within a critical-normative Practical Theological liturgicalscientific framework.The finding of this research basically attempts to show that a variety of rituals can beinculturated within the processes of reconciliation and church unity in the DRC, URC andSouth Africa. The process from fast to feast gives insight into the 'what', 'when' and'how' concerning the inculturation of reconciliation rituals within an African andChristian context. Fast and feast, which amongst other things also entails eating anddrinking together or the absence thereof, runs like a golden thread throughout all theprobes. Rituals showing these qualities of commensality are pre-eminently fit to serve asreconciliation rituals, although they have sometimes in the past had the power to doexactly the opposite. Therefor the finding of this research is that this feature ofcommensality can be developed within South African and Reformed reconciliationrituals, but in such a way that it serves reconciliation and church unity. And for thispurpose some ritual-liturgical guidelines are presented.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University