The doctrine of providence in South African theologies: Historical formation

Providence can be described as God’s ongoing and enduring relationship to creation, through which God preserves, guides and governs all that exists. Accordingly, it is one of the most personal doctrines through which Christians affirm that God not only remains present and involved in God’s creation but also in our own lives. In this article, I examine the doctrine of providence in the South African theological landscape prior to 1994. To start with (first section), I briefly look at the way in which some of the most influential doctrines of providence have been developed throughout history. Thereafter (second section), I then turn specifically to the South African context and the reception of the doctrine of providence in South African theologies prior to 1994. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The Reformed theology of the Cape colony of the late 1600s and onwards, as well as the later belief of the ‘Volk’ as a category with supernatural meaning through the doctrine of providence that developed in the 1900s, is examined in the third section, as well as different South African responses to these notions. In the conclusion, I turn to the importance and relevance of providence for doing theology in present-day South Africa.