For practical reasons the report has been distributed to several webpages. Please use the outline to get an overall impression of the report - and jump directly to sections of the report you are particularly interested in - or go directly to the first chapter.
1. Why faith community hearings?
2. Faith communities in South Africa
2.1 Problems of definition
2.2 A note on our position
2.3 Faith communities in South Africa: a brief picture2.3.1 General comments on the history of South African religion
2.3.2 African traditional religion
2.3.3 Protestant Christianity2.3.3.1 Ecumenical Churches
2.3.3.2 Evangelical Churches and Groups
2.3.3.3 Dutch Reformed Churches2.3.4 Historically African churches
2.3.5 The Roman Catholic Church
2.3.6 Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity
2.3.7 Islam
2.3.8 Judaism
2.3.9 Hinduism
2.3.10 Buddhism
2.3.11 The Bahai Faith
3. An account of the submissions
3.1 Three caveats
3.2 Reflecting on gross human rights violations of the past3.2.1 Faith communities as agents of oppression
3.2.1.1 Acts of commission and legitimisation
3.2.1.1.1 Direct support of apartheid
3.2.1.1.2 Complicity and participation in state structures
3.2.1.1.3 Active suppression of dissidents within their ranks
3.2.1.1.4 Religious apartheid (church structures)
3.2.1.1.5 Propagating "state theology"
3.2.1.1.6 Bias toward the rich and powerful3.2.1.2 Acts of omission
3.2.1.2.1 Avoiding responsibility
3.2.1.2.2 Lacking courage
3.2.1.2.3 Failure to translate resolutions into action
3.2.1.2.4 Failure to support members who were involved in anti-apartheid activities
3.2.1.2.5 Wrongly understanding their own heritage or faith tradition3.2.2 Faith communities as victims of oppression
3.2.2.1 Direct attacks by the state on members and organisations
3.2.2.2 Closure of buildings, schools and institutions
3.2.2.3 Repression and abuse of religious values and laws
3.2.2.4 Manipulation by state propaganda
3.2.2.5 Victimisation by other faith communities3.2.3 Faith communities as opponents of oppression
3.2.3.1 Official statements and resolutions
3.2.3.2 Petitions, letters and private appeals
3.2.3.3 Withdrawing from state structures
3.2.3.4 Civil disobedience
3.2.3.5 Solidarity with liberation movements
3.2.3.6 Advocacy of Sanctions
3.2.3.7 A voice for the voiceless
3.2.3.8 Other ways of opposing oppression
4.1 A note on the use of the term "reconciliation"
4.2 Faith communities as reconciled communities4.2.1 Internal reconciliation
4.2.2 Reconciliation with other faith communities
4.2.3 Reconciliation to the nation4.3 Faith communities as reconciling communities
4.3.1 Aiding public processes of reconciliation
4.3.2 Sharing or providing resources
4.3.3 Symbolic and liturgical actions
4.3.4 Moral reconstruction
4.3.5 New agendas
5. Reflections on the process and recommendations for the future
5.1 Reflections on the process
5.1.1 Omissions
5.1.2 Christian domination5.2 Reflections on the submissions
5.2.1 Contested identities
5.2.2 Shifting languages
5.2.3 Assessing the submissions
5.2.4 Reservations
5.2.5 A note on gender oppression5.3 Recommendations
6. Conclusion