Is love enough? : towards a Theological ethic of nonviolence in South Africa

Abstract

The great majority of the South African population profess to belong to the Christian faith and, as everybody knows, Christianity has as its basis the teaching of love of God and of one’s neighbour. Yet, it is in this context that we find a community victimised by violent crime, and in response to these acts of violence, is growing in its vigilante sentiment. Indeed, South Africans seem to have a reputation for crime, xenophobia and public protests that often translate into acts of violence. This paper explores the Christian teaching of love and asks whether this can translate into an ethic of nonviolence within the South African context. It does so with reference to the pacifism of Stanley Hauerwas and John H. Yoder.