Religion and racism in South Africa: Conflict between faith and culture

Christianity opposes racism for theological reasons. However, as the center of cultural traditions, Christianity has sometimes been used in ethnocentrism or racism. This can be seen in the historical development of a racist “ideology” in South Africa, including the role of the South African version of Calvinism. Ideology is not only explicitly stated beliefs. It is a stated symbolic set of meanings that organize a culture. A sociological analysis of religion, in addition to a theological analysis, is needed to understand this development. These analyses can help those within the church and the social work profession become more aware of subtle dynamics of cultural racism.