The Road to Unity

The Lutheran Churches of Southern Africa Confronting a Divided Past
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-33200-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 264 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm

This volume traces the historical development of Lutheran churches in southern Africa from colonial establishment through apartheid to contemporary unity efforts. The study examines mission-to-church transitions, responses to apartheid, and multiple attempts at achieving unity including the formation of FELCSA, LUCSA, and includes:

- Comprehensive historical analysis of Lutheran churches in southern Africa from colonial establishment to contemporary unity efforts

- Examination of mission-to-church transitions and responses to apartheid within Lutheran denominations

- Critical assessment of unity initiatives including FELCSA, LUCSA, and joint theological education at LTI

- Analysis of the 1964 UELCSA and 1975 ELCSA formations and their impact on racial divisions within Lutheran churches

- Documentation of failed unity attempts and the 2008 collapse of unity talks with lessons for future efforts

This title has been co-published with UKZN Press. T&F does not sell or distribute the print versions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Zielgruppe

Academic

Autoren/Hrsg.

Denis, Philippe

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Afrikanische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christentum/Christliche Theologie Allgemein
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christliche Kirchen, Konfessionen, Denominationen Protestantismus, evangelische und protestantische Kirchen Lutherische Kirchen

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Introduction

- The Colonial Legacy

- From Mission to Church

- A Mixed Response to Apartheid

- The Shock of Budapest

- In the Fire of Apartheid

- The Unity Committee and Its Aftermath

- Non-Racial Theological Education

Conclusion

Epilogue

Chronological Timeline of Lutheran Churches in Southern Africa

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Philippe Denis is Professor Emeritus in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His research focuses on church history, oral history, and the history of Christianity in southern Africa. He has published extensively on mission history, religious responses to apartheid, and the role of churches in social transformation. Denis has supervised numerous postgraduate students and contributed significantly to the documentation of religious history in the region. His scholarly work combines historical analysis with theological reflection, addressing questions of ecclesial unity, denominational development, and the intersection of faith and politics in southern African contexts.