Discerning a theological agenda for spatial justice in South Africa: An imperative for sustained reconciliation

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Discerning a theological agenda for spatial justice in South Africa: An imperative for sustained reconciliation
 
Creator de Beer, Stephan
 
Subject — spatial turn; spatial consciousness; spatial (in)justice; reconciliation; spatial transformation; socio-spatial strategies
Description A spatial turn has occurred in various disciplines over the past decades. This article holds that it has not occurred in a similar decisive manner in theological discourse and not in South Africa in particular. After considering the necessity of a spatial turn and spatial consciousness, the article examines the concept of spatial justice against the backdrop of how injustice was and is spatially expressed in South African cities. Considering the way in which South African cities have evolved since the Native Land Act of 1913 – the segregated and apartheid city and the (post)apartheid city – the article then argues that deep and sustained reconciliation will be impossible should current spatial patterns of segregation, exclusion and injustice continue. It advocates theological and ecclesial participation in a national agenda for spatial transformation, to be fleshed out in relation to four interconnected challenges: land, landlessness, housing and home; the ‘creative destruction’ of neighbourhoods, gentrification and the displacement of the poor; participation in city-making (from below) and transformative spatial interventions; and close collaboration with social movements working for spatial justice. It concludes by asserting that such a trans- and/or postdisciplinary agenda for spatial justice would participate with the Spirit to mend the oikos of God.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2016-11-18
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v72i1.3566
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 72, No 1 (2016); 14 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3566/8848 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3566/8847 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3566/8849 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3566/8753
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2016 Stephan de Beer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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