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Where
is the Man on the Borrowed Donkey?
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| New South African Outlook, Vol. 1 no. 2 (April 1999) | |
| NSAO:
Denise, you used this fascinating phrase—"Where
is the man on the borrowed donkey?"—when
reflecting on our society and the church. What does it
mean to you? DA: This phrase came to me last year when attending the Lambeth conference. Amongst all the pomp and the ceremony, the discussions about whether homosexual people are fully human or not, and other such obscenities, I wondered what the relevance of all this was to the founder of the Christian faith. It was my way of describing a feeling close to despair about the irrelevancies that the church is occupied with. NSAO: Are your concerns about the role of the church in South Africa related to this? DA: Generally Christian churches do not have a great history of fighting for justice and freedom in this country. On the other hand remarkable members of these churches have been in the forefront of this struggle. And hundreds and hundreds of ordinary men and women have faithfully and dedicatedly hoped and trusted and prayed and done their bit. I do not think there was a huge amount of doubt in the minds of the majority of Christians in this country about what was expected of them and of what constituted justice. And then democracy arrived. Now there seems to be confusion about where to go, especially amongst church leaders. Only a few speak out clearly on crucial issues. At the second level people are not galvanised into assuming responsibilities for making our societies better, more hopeful places. Some of this might be burn out, some of it selfishness. People are heavily burdened with just having to make ends meet. The demands on people are huge. NSAO: What about the so-called culture of entitlement? How does that fit into this context?
NSAO: Let's turn to recent developments in theological education. What are your concerns there? DA: In South Africa we have a long tradition of academic theology. It has been taught on an ecumenical basis and I believe it has fostered critical thinking in many different faith communities. In the new Higher Education Act there is not even a specific category for the teaching of Religion and Theology. I work in a faculty where six members of staff were retrenched last year. Our ability to offer a rounded, critical theological academic programme has been curtailed. This certainly reflects the secularisation of Tertiary Education. I am not opposed to that, but I still believe it is possible to teach Theology as an academic subject, in a way that raises people's consciousness of their own faith perspectives and which militates against fundamentalism. If we sideline that, we relegate all religious education to seminaries or similar institutions where students are only taught to think in the parameters of their own faith communities. NSAO: What impact does theological education have beyond the church on society as a whole? DA: Proper academic theological education which maintains proper academic standards, which is ecumenical, which is critical, which is in dialogue with other disciplines, is as integral to the total education of a person as any other proper discipline. It is vital. I am deeply disturbed by its downgrading. Just as I am deeply disturbed by the downgrading of Philosophy. Education to me is important in terms of the productivity of the country. But it is more important in terms of the moral and intellectual fibre of the society we are going to create. And for that we do not only need business people and scientists. We also need the thinkers and creative writers; we need logicians and people who can argue; we need social scientists, historians and those who study our origins. There needs to be a balance. I see a contradiction between the secularisation of society on the one hand and on the other hand repeated appeals from political leaders for religious institutions to play their part in fostering a moral and ethical framework for people to live in. I wonder what kind of society are we creating in this way? Is it a society in which the man on the borrowed donkey would feel at home? I do not think so. From my perspective that is a great pity. NSAO: Could you translate this image of the man on the borrowed donkey into practical terms? What are you looking for in a church and a society where he could feel at home? DA: The man on the borrowed donkey alludes to Jesus entering into Jerusalem at the beginning of the passion week. For me it is an image of one who is not in a BMW, who is modest, and courageous, and who cares for those in need while at the same time teaching simple and profound truths that make for a better life. And that is what I am looking for: a church that is modest, courageous, and caring. That is the contribution we should be making as church towards making this country a better place for all. Denise
Ackermann is Professor of Practical Theology |
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DA: I am shocked by the
developments where, for instance, some students are
making a career, a paid career, of being members of the
SRC. I am appalled when one has to pay agents in order to
get appointments with politicians. I am appalled when
fees are demanded for virtually any small task that is
done. I have a belief that all citizens owe voluntary
service to the community in which they live. I do not
think human rights should become an industry. It is
important to hold onto these values of voluntary service,
of taking responsibility for your community, of caring
for the widows, the aliens and the orphans. Christian
people should always have a calling to the visible and
practical living out of care for the poor, of justice for
all, of hospitality.