The search for a common understanding with regard to ecology and justice in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa
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Authors
Plaatjies-van Huffel, Mary-Anne
Issue Date
2013-12
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa , Ecology , Justice , Water crisis , Genetic modification of food , Globalism , Hydraulic fracking
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) has a long-standing commitment to
ecology and justice. Since 1994, the URCSA has increasingly engaged itself on the “Justice,
Peace and the Integrity of Creation” process. The URCSA is concerned about the impact of
climate change, ocean change, lack of access to clean water, and resource extraction on the
impoverished and vulnerable living beings. A close reading of the primary sources, namely
agendas, Acts of the General Synod, booklets, sermons and media statements of the URCSA,
brings various themes on ecology and justice to the fore. This article will take into account that
ecology and justice are concepts that have not been traditionally held together. The goal of this
article is to explore URCSA’s engagement with ecology under the following subthemes: caring
for the earth keeping, URCSA’s response to the water crisis; URCSA’s response to genetic
modification of food; URCSA’s response to the challenge of globalism; URCSA’s response to
hydraulic fracking and, lastly, the connection between ecology and justice. This article argues that
ecology and justice are concepts that should be held together.
Description
Peer reviewed
Citation
Plaatjies-van Huffel, Mary-Anne 2013,'The search for a common understanding with regard to ecology and justice in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa', Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 1-17.
Publisher
Church History Society of Southern Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1017-0499