Desmond Tutu and the promise and perils of the prophetic role of the Church
The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one hand, his accomplishments are sometimes romanticized and his life and theology are viewed as a panacea of all South Africa’s struggles. On the other hand, he is often severely criticized for advocating...
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| Contributors: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Anglican theological review
Year: 2022, Volume: 104, Issue: 3, Pages: 304-320 |
| Further subjects: | B
Desmond Tutu
B TRC B Reconciliation B Contextual Theology B South Africa B African Theology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one hand, his accomplishments are sometimes romanticized and his life and theology are viewed as a panacea of all South Africa’s struggles. On the other hand, he is often severely criticized for advocating idealistic notions of reconciliation and “rainbowism.” This essay challenges both understandings of Tutu’s legacy. Indeed, this refusal to adopt an either–or perspective on Tutu’s life and work—by either seeing him as representing the perfect solution to South Africa’s struggles, or a naïve and ineffective part of the problem—is itself consistent with how Tutu himself approached the challenges of his time. He is best understood as an African contextual theologian and as a pastor responding to immediate pastoral situations. It is precisely this approach to seeing beyond polarizing dualisms that is the most enduring aspect of Tutu’s legacy. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-6214 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Anglican theological review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/00033286221078797 |