Uitverkiesing en evangelikaalse spiritualiteit : die "Bekommerd"-debat
Date
2016-10-24
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
LitNet
Abstract
In die dertigerjare van die vorige eeu was daar in Suid-Afrika ’n sterk oplewing van
Kuyperiaanse neocalvinisme. Die neocalviniste het hulle begin organiseer in ’n beweging met
die doel om die neocalvinistiese ideologie van Abraham Kuyper op alle terreine van die SuidAfrikaanse
samelewing te versprei. Hierdie beweging was veral sterk in die Gereformeerde
Kerk en die Potchefstroomse Universiteitskollege, maar het ook ’n groeiende aanhang in die
NG Kerk gehad. Die neocalviniste het ook die tradisionele evangelikaalse spiritualiteit in die
NG Kerk afgewys as “metodisties”. Ds. A.A. Weich het toe onder die skuilnaam
“Bekommerd” die evangelikaalse spiritualiteit teenoor die neocalviniste verdedig. Dit het
aanleiding gegee tot ’n lewendige debat in Die Kerkbode. Die meeste teoloë in die NG Kerk
het hulleself beskou as goed Gereformeerd en het daarom die calvinistiese uitverkiesingsleer
onderskryf sonder om hulle druk te maak oor die logiese spanning tussen hierdie leer en hulle
evangelikaalse spiritualiteit. In die “Bekommerd”-debat het hierdie spanning egter duidelik
aan die lig gekom. In hierdie artikel word hierdie “Bekommerd”-debat bespreek.
In the 1930s there was a strong rise of the neo-Calvinism of Abraham Kuyper in South Africa. The neo-Calvinists started to organise themselves into a movement aimed at spreading the neo-Calvinist ideology in South Africa. This movement was especially strong in the Gereformeerde Kerk (Reformed Church) and the Potchefstroom University College, but there was also growing support for neo-Calvinism within the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk). From their Kuyperian perspective the neo-Calvinists in South Africa opposed the evangelical spirituality in the Dutch Reformed Church, which according them was “Methodist” and therefore contrary to Calvinism. In 1935 the Rev. A.A. Weich, under the pseudonym “Bekommerd” (Concerned), wrote a series of letters in Die Kerkbode in which he defended the evangelical spirituality of the Dutch Reformed Church against the rising neo-Calvinism in South Africa. These letters evoked a flood of reactions from supporters and opponents of “Bekommerd” in the correspondence column of Die Kerkbode.
In the 1930s there was a strong rise of the neo-Calvinism of Abraham Kuyper in South Africa. The neo-Calvinists started to organise themselves into a movement aimed at spreading the neo-Calvinist ideology in South Africa. This movement was especially strong in the Gereformeerde Kerk (Reformed Church) and the Potchefstroom University College, but there was also growing support for neo-Calvinism within the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk). From their Kuyperian perspective the neo-Calvinists in South Africa opposed the evangelical spirituality in the Dutch Reformed Church, which according them was “Methodist” and therefore contrary to Calvinism. In 1935 the Rev. A.A. Weich, under the pseudonym “Bekommerd” (Concerned), wrote a series of letters in Die Kerkbode in which he defended the evangelical spirituality of the Dutch Reformed Church against the rising neo-Calvinism in South Africa. These letters evoked a flood of reactions from supporters and opponents of “Bekommerd” in the correspondence column of Die Kerkbode.
Description
CITATION: Brummer, V. 2016. Uitverkiesing en evangelikaalse spiritualiteit : die "Bekommerd"-debat. LitNet Akademies, 13(3):495-509.
The original publication is available at http://www.litnet.co.za
The original publication is available at http://www.litnet.co.za
Keywords
Predestination, Election (Theology), Calvinism, Kuyper, Abraham, 1837-1920
Citation
Brummer, V. 2016. Uitverkiesing en evangelikaalse spiritualiteit : die "Bekommerd"-debat. LitNet Akademies, 13(3):495-509.