Van waar, Gehasi? ’n Kerkhistoriese perspektief op die "Nuwe Hervorming" in/en die NG Kerk

Abstract

Recently a movement within the ranks of the Dutch Reformed Church introduced itself as the “New Reformation”. It challenged not only the structures and confessional standards of the Church, but in fact the very essence and contents of the Christian faith. At the heart of the matter lies the New Reformation’s conviction that Holy Scriptures must be understand as ancient human words and experiences about God. These have to be re-interpreted in a way that addresses the post-modern context. Presumptuous pretensions – for example the persuasion that the New Reformation initiated a worldwide debate that was last argued during the 15th and 16th centuries – asked for scrutinising and church historical evaluation. The article shows that the arguments of the New Reformation were already raised in the second century, and profoundly discussed during the last two hundred years in Western Christianity. During the 19th century (the liberal controversy) and early part of the 20th century (the so-called Du Plessis court case) the Dutch Reformed Church had to contend with these issues. In both cases it was addressed contextually, and theologically assimilated in terms of a via media. This is characteristic of a “volkskerk” (national church). Therefore this church was again surprised by the outspoken “New Reformation”.