CALVINISM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AFRIKANER NATIONALIST IDEOLOGY

• Authors: Dobošová Jela
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Calvinism was a part of the mythic history of Afrikaners; however, it was only a specific interpretation of history that made it a part of the ideology of the Afrikaner nationalists. Calvinism came to South Africa with the first Dutch settlers. There is no historical evidence that indicates that the first settlers were deeply religious, but they were worshippers in the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church), which the only church was permitted in the region until 1778. After almost 200 years, Afrikaner nationalism developed and connected itself with Calvinism. This happened due to the theoretical and ideological approach of S. J. du Toit and a man referred to as its 'creator', Paul Kruger. The ideology was highly influenced by historical developments in the Netherlands in the late 19th century and by the spread of neo-Calvinism and Christian nationalism there. It is no accident, then, that it was during the 19th century when the mythic history of South Africa itself developed and that Calvinism would play such a prominent role in it. It became the first religion of the Afrikaners, a distinguishing factor in the multicultural and multiethnic society that existed there at the time. It legitimised early thoughts of a segregationist policy and was misused for political intentions.

Keywords

EN

AFRIKANER; AFRIKANER NATIONALISM; CALVINISM; CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM; KRUGER PAUL; NEO-CALVINISM; NETHERLANDS; SEGREGATION; SOUTH AFRICA

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of Oriental Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Asian and African Studies
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 305-323
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Dobošová Jela

• Institute of Oriental Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

• Jela Dobosova, Ustav orientalistiky SAV, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

10SKAAAA086620