Christian Institute of Southern Africa
Encyclopedia
The Christian Institute of Southern Africa was an ecumenical progressive organisation founded by English and Afrikaans clergy in December 1963 to unite South African Christians against apartheid. The CI became deeply involved with black activists like Steve Biko
, and was banned by the state in 1977.
The first national director of the Christian Institute (CI) was Dr C F Beyers Naudé
. John de Gruchy
, a Congregationalist minister and later an academic at the University of Cape Town
, was a founder member. CI's constitution was drawn up by J C Kriegler, presently a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa http://concourt.law.wits.ac.za/judges/jdkrigle.html. Pro Veritate, a newsletter produced by Naudé, was adopted as the mouthpiece of the CI.
Brian Brown
was CI's Administrative Director, Cedric Mayson edited Pro Veritate, while Theo Kotze (1920-July 4, 2003 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E1DD163CF930A25754C0A9659C8B63) directed the work of the CI in Cape Town. (De Gruchy 2005:104,109) http://www.sacc.org.za/about/celebrate8.html. Peter Randall
led the 'Study Project on Christianity in an Apartheid Society' that was jointly sponsored by the CI and the South African Council of Churches. http://disa.nu.ac.za/journals/jourpvexpand.htm
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
, and was banned by the state in 1977.
History
The Christian Institute of Southern Africa was founded in 1963 by 280 Christians (Hexham 1980) that included Ben Marais and John de Gruchy. Factors that contributed to the founding was the need to continue dialogue after the disastrous conclusion of the 1960 Cottesloe consultation, the last time that all South African churches met until 1990. Reformed members of the CI could also critique official Dutch Reformed policies, which included support for apartheid. The 1963 South Transvaal Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church had forbidden unofficial comments that were not submitted through official channels (Maritz 2003:56).The first national director of the Christian Institute (CI) was Dr C F Beyers Naudé
Beyers Naudé
Christiaan Frederick Beyers Naudé was a South African cleric, theologian and the leading Afrikaner anti-apartheid activist...
. John de Gruchy
John De Gruchy
John De Gruchy is a Canadian motorcycle racer. De Gruchy was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2005.-References:...
, a Congregationalist minister and later an academic at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, was a founder member. CI's constitution was drawn up by J C Kriegler, presently a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa http://concourt.law.wits.ac.za/judges/jdkrigle.html. Pro Veritate, a newsletter produced by Naudé, was adopted as the mouthpiece of the CI.
Brian Brown
Brian Brown
Brian Brown or Bryan Brown may refer to:* Brian E. Brown, deceased Los Angeles, California, USA police officer* Bryan Brown, Australian actor* Bryan D. Brown, US general* Brian Brown , Australian rules footballer...
was CI's Administrative Director, Cedric Mayson edited Pro Veritate, while Theo Kotze (1920-July 4, 2003 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E1DD163CF930A25754C0A9659C8B63) directed the work of the CI in Cape Town. (De Gruchy 2005:104,109) http://www.sacc.org.za/about/celebrate8.html. Peter Randall
Peter Ralph Randall
Peter Ralph Randall was an anti-apartheid publisher in South Africa, and was banned by the former South African government between 1977 and 1981. He later became a professor in charge of teacher education at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg....
led the 'Study Project on Christianity in an Apartheid Society' that was jointly sponsored by the CI and the South African Council of Churches. http://disa.nu.ac.za/journals/jourpvexpand.htm
External links
- "Detention and Detente." CI pamphlet, May 1976 http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/kairos/2_5_5detente.pdf.
- Hexham,Irving. 1980. The Christian Institute of Southern African and Spro_Cas. In Christianity and Apartheid: An Introductory Bibliography.
- Maritz, Petrus Jacobus. 2003. Ben Marais (1909–1999): The influences on and heritage of a South African Prophet during two periods of transformation'.' Doctoral dissertation, Dept. of Church History and Church Policy, University of Pretoria. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06032004-100426/
- Pro Veritate, 1962-1977.http://disa.nu.ac.za/journals/jourpvexpand.htm
- "Torture in South Africa." CI pamphlet, April 1977. http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/kairos/2_2_6cisa.pdf