Christian Creed Analysis in a South African Context: Understanding Biblical Belief Systems

In the greatly diverse spiritual landscape of South Africa, the quest to understand the foundations of faith and belief systems is both urgent and profound. How do we truly grasp the essence of what shapes and constitutes true biblical belief systems? What deeper insights lie beneath the surface of mere Sunday sacraments, Easter tradition, and Christmas custom? It is within this complex tapestry that creed analysis emerges as an indispensable tool, offering clarity and illumination to those who seek to navigate the intricate pathways of biblical truth and spiritual wisdom. Let us embark on this journey together, delving deeply into the heart of belief systems as they manifest in the South African context.

Understanding Belief Systems in South Africa

South Africa is a nation marked by a rich mosaic of cultures, languages, and religious expressions. From conventional Protestant conservatism to progressive Pentecostalism and the enduring presence of traditional tribal African spirituality, the religious landscape is as varied and contradictory as it is dynamic. But what exactly constitutes a belief system? At its core, a belief system is a structured set of principles and doctrines that guide an individual's or community's understanding of, inter alia, God, His word, His creation, the spiritual world, human origin and destiny, morality, and eternity.

Faith, though a private pursuit, powerfully intersects with the socio-political forces, seeking relevance, identity, and hope. In South Africa, these systems are too often oppressive, exploitive, and plainly abusive.

But how do we dissect these dynamic and complex layers? How do we move beyond surface-level observations, criticisms, and prejudices to uncover the theological and philosophical underpinnings that shape these beliefs? Here, the rigorous discipline of creed analysis becomes indispensable.

South Africa’s Religious Landscape: Kaleidoscopic and Cacophonic

To understand Christian creed in South Africa, we must first appreciate the unique religious ecosystem that has developed here:

Historical Conservative Christianity landed in the Cape Colony with the Dutch Reformed settlers. The Calvinist French Huguenots followed soon afterwards; British Anglicans, German and Scandinavian Lutherans trailed behind. Christianity in South Africa carries the imprint of its colonial origins. This legacy is complex—while missionaries contributed to indigenous education and literacy, they identified with their separate political and cultural systems.

From these European ecclesiastical orthodoxies, sprang various African expressions of presumed “Christianity”, blending biblical beliefs with African cultural and ancestral practices, creating unique and dynamic theological formulations. Churches like Engenas Lekgayane’s Zion Christian Church (ZCC)—with origins in the Lutheran and Presbyterian traditions—represent millions of believers who worship in ways that resonate with African spirituality while maintaining a semblance of Christianity.

As in the USA the rapidly growing Pentecostal and Charismatic expressions emphasize personal encounter with the “holy ghost”, miraculous spiritual [demonic] gifts, and the ill-reputed prosperity [for whom?] gospel, with little to no accountability of the leadership in many cases. From cacophonous veld-pitched tent gatherings and mid-town storefront congregations to sophisticated multimillion Rand megachurches with [to adapt a World War II British expression] “overpaid, overfed, overweight, over sexed, and over here” overseers, this movement has reshaped South Africa’s Churchianity. [Church devotees, not Christ’s!]

This kaleidoscopic array of preachers, priests, prelates, and prophets stands in stark contrast to the traditional mainline denominations like the Anglicans, Methodists, Catholics, and Reformed churches which continue to maintain a significant presence and influence.

Each of these streams interprets historic core creeds through different lenses, creating a rich, albeit sometimes confusing and vulgar, tapestry of belief and praxis. [Spraying congregants with a highly toxic insecticide to expel demons …? (Citizen, 2018)]

Core Creeds and Their South African Interpretation

The Apostles' Creed: This ancient statement of faith—"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth..."—forms the foundation for most South African denominations. Yet its interpretation varies according to culture.

·         In African Independent Churches, the emphasis on "Maker of heaven and earth" connects with traditional African cosmology that recognizes spiritual elements other than Yehovah in creation.

·         In Reformed traditions, the sovereignty implied in "Almighty" takes central place, affecting doctrines like Calvin’s predestination [TULIP] theory.

·         The Nicene Creed: The Nicene Creed's emphasis on Christ being "of one substance with the Father" addresses Christological controversies. In the South African milieu:

• This doctrine counters syncretistic tendencies that might reduce Christ to merely one among many spiritual mediators.

• It affirms the full divinity of Christ, essential for denominational salvific theology.

• Yet some AIC traditions struggle with the philosophical language, preferring more experiential depictions of what is assumed to be Christ's nature and work.

The Heidelberg Catechism: Particularly influential among Dutch Reformed communities, this Reformed confession shapes much of Afrikaans Christianity. Its question-and-answer catechistic format addresses:

• Human frailty, sinfulness, and inability to live a victorious Christ-like life.

• God's grace in Christ ALONE is all-encompassing and fully sufficient for salvation.

• The believer’s gratitudinal response is sufficient, sans obedience to the Law of God.

These historical, theological creeds, synchronised with European cultural-political and syncretic Platonic philosophical schemata, sullied with superstitions and suspicious synaxarium in Caucasian cathedrals, and subsequently tarnished biblical beliefs with primitive forefather worship in African veld-and-bush orientations. These traditional-cultural-biblical syncretism’s require careful re-examination to assess their biblical veracity.

How did Christianity devolve into mere churchianity? How and why did it become entangled with European political ideologies and African tribal customs? These questions exemplify why creed analysis matters—it prevents uncritical acceptance of historically protesting theology, scripturally problematic interpretations, and questionably inculcated primitive traditions.

The Challenge: When Creeds Become Cultural Rather Than Canonical

Here lies a critical paradox: Across South Africa's diverse Churchian landscape, creeds often function more as cultural markers than canonical certainties.

Consider the problem of multiple, conflicting creeds: From the Apostles' Creed to the Athanasian Creed, from the Augsburg Confession to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Christianity has produced numerous dignified and dogmatic declarations. But are these august affirmations authoritative, scripturally? If any of these Creeds contained the full truth of God, why were others created? Or was Christ’s cryptology too mysterious to decipher and therefore open to non-inspired human interpretation, producing copious contradictory creeds?  [See Matthew13.]

Within these contradictory credal growths, there flourish a further abundance of variegated applications—variously interpreted and vigorously applied. From the dense, overcrowded, international racial conglomerate of Hillbrow's concrete heights, to the thinly scattered Koi-San in the far-flung, dung-splattered Kalahari dunes, to the leafy-canopied wealthy of Constantia, and the robust tribal dancers in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, the gospel has been wrung, wrested, and raped to suit persons, peoples, and pastors. All Christian communities construe, employ, and integrate creeds according to national customs, tribal traditions, and personal preferences—South Africa’s not less so.

What does biblical faith look like in Soweto versus Stellenbosch? How does the bible address sangoma practices, ancestor veneration, and ubuntu philosophy? What is God’s view, expressed in Scripture, about adulterating pastors and multiple marriages in the clergy? Has His view remained constant on homosexuality, same sex marriages, and priestly paedophilia since Sodom? What about abortion, child-trafficking, and slave trade prophesied in Revelation 18:13? On most of these condemned lifestyle practices, various Creeds and faith declarations have already capitulated to the norms of modern, morally moribund society.

Acts 17:11 Study the scriptures daily

While Scriptural truth is unchanging, aspects applicable to its universal post-Second Temple period find both literal [i.e., the seventh-day Sabbath] and spiritual embodiment in Christ.   

It is important to distinguish between humanly devised theological constructions and divine revelation. These conflicting creeds, however venerable, are constructs of human minds—conjured by fallible hearts and imaginative intellects superimposing human intellect and personal passions over divine Creed. The human, Churchian Creeds, by their very separate existence, are contradictory. Where contradiction exists, error exists. Therefore, we must conclude that the only creed serving as the essential foundation of incontrovertible truth is the Bible itself.

This is not to dismiss historic creeds entirely—they have value as teaching tools and summaries of dogma declarations. But dogma and creed must always remain subordinate to Scripture. It must be judged by objective biblical truth rather than subjective scriptural interpretation. The Roman Catholic claim to supremacy over Scripture—as with many of the various classical Creeds--is thus rejected!

Biblical Analysis: The True Foundation

Biblical analysis—not merely ecclesiastical creed analysis—is no mere academic exercise but a vital means of establishing truth to nurture authentic, biblically-based faith. This is a rigorous discipline that demands, inter alia:

1.      Direct engagement with Scripture rather than filtering the Bible through centuries of tradition. We must acquire the habit of scripture reading, meditating upon it, and engage in concentrated studying of the text within its context; surveying as much as possible the historical, cultural, and linguistic background of each book to gain an authentic understanding.

2.      Commitment to Sola Scriptura. This Reformation principle that Scripture alone is the final authority must be recovered. This is particularly crucial in the South African context, where historical tradition, cultural practice, denominational prophets [sometimes imported from overseas], and personal experience [“God spoke to me…”], often carry equal or greater weight than biblical teaching.

3.      Discerning and testing the teachings and spirits:

a.       The Apostle Paul explains: “But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age [spiritually mature], even those who by reason of use have their [spiritual] senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” [Hebrews 5:14]. He also admonishes us to "test everything…" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

b.      The last surviving Apostle, John, urges: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” [1John 4:1]. (John, experiencing the onslaught of demonic forces in the first century church, notes that false prophets or deceitful teachers are inspired by evil spirits. He warns us to be aware that we are not dealing with mere humans with misapprehensions about scripture, but with shrewd, subtle, swanky, and ingenious deceiving demons propagating false biblical teachings!)

Every creed, every tradition, every teaching must be tested under the scrutiny of God's Word.

What are the practical implications for South African believers? And what does the future hold?

These and other crucial matters will be addressed in the next Blog:

Practical Implications for South African Believers.

References

Citizen, T. (2018). Retrieved from www.citizen.co.za: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/local-news/doom-pastor-found-guilty-on-five-charges/

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