Die invloed van die Christelike geloof op die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing

摘要

The influence of Christianity on the South African society It was not the intention of the first Christians to change the world, but their behaviour soon influenced society. The Euro- pean settlers who came to South Africa brought calvinist Christianity to the region. For the next 340 years, Christianity was a very influential force in the South African society, usually taken for granted by Christians and not allowed to be ques- tioned, challenged or opposed by non-Christians. Today the society bears both the scars and medals of the Christian era in South African history although South Africa was never officially a Christian country. After 1994, South Africa became a neutral state, with religious freedom, and the privileged position of Christianity began to fade rapidly. More than ten years later, however, the influence that Christianity had on the country and its people is still visible. This article is an introductory investi- gation into the influence of Christianity on the South African society from an historical perspective.