Question

The role played by religion during apartheid era

Answer 1

In Religion and Politics in South Africa, Abdulkader Tayob and other contributing authors explore the role of religion in fashioning a more democratic society in South Africa, as well as the possible role of religions in fashioning values on a national scale. From the mid-1970s onward, Christian denominations increased awareness of the injustice of apartheid in South Africa through media and scholarship. Religion became a catalyst for reform. More strikingly, opposition leaders referred to their struggle in religious terms. The case of South Africa demonstrated that the processes of democratization and development need not occur through secularization.