Methodologies suitable for studying the Belhar Confession are primarily interdisciplinary, combining historical, theological, and social-analytical approaches to understand its role as a ‘confession of struggle’ against apartheid and its ongoing relevance in a society ravaged by inequality, gender-based violence (GBV), endemic corruption and moral degeneration. This approach recognises that the Belhar Confession was not formulated in a vacuum but as a status confessionis (a state of confession) in response to the theological degradation.

It is built on desktop qualitative research into church confessions involving the analyses of existing, non-numerical data to understand the social, emotional, and theological dimensions of the confession experience. It is interdisciplinary research, based on pastoral psychology, to utilise existing documents, such as other confessions of faith, for example, the Belgic Confession.

The Belhar Confession breathes a warmly experiential and personal spirit, facilitated by its repeated use of the pronoun ‘We’ (Belhar Confession 1986). In this respect, Van der Borght (2014) portrays the church as part of the credo (‘we believe’) because it is God’s work, God’s creation and as an eschatological event and because it is a community chosen for eternal life. Paragraph one of the Belhar Confession starts with the affirmation that to be a Christian is to be a member of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, because the triune God gathers and protects believers from all nations living on earth through his word and spirit (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A).

This new assembly is the fellowship of all those united to Jesus Christ in baptism and in one faith (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica 2022). Any other community outside these boundaries is not of God, for the church’s authority in its witness to the world follows from Christian unity.¹ This affirmation should be characterised by the quote frequently attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo: ‘Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are’² (Kline 2025).

Courage (the second daughter of Hope) would have us recognise that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems. Moving forward in tackling the enormous problems that confront us, in the ways recommended by St. Augustine, requires courage (Fauxtations 2018). Above all, it calls for us to replace an ethics of blame with an ethics of compassion and mutual responsibility. The ethics of courage emphasises acting with integrity, taking risks, and upholding ethical values despite potential negative consequences such as opposition or persecution. The ethics of courage involves standing up for what is right, just, and true, and acting despite fear, criticism, or hardship to uphold integrity and moral principles.

Paragraph one of the Belhar Confession takes the Heidelberg Catechism’s Question that defines the church as:

This ‘holy catholic church’ is a single, continuous body encompassing all believers from the beginning to the end of the world, united in a shared faith and purpose. It is distinct from any single, local congregation and is founded on the true gospel and the communion of saints, encompassing all believers who are united by the Spirit to Christ for God’s purpose. This community carries the cross and resists any conformity to the world’s empires². In responding to the inquisition by the king of Spain in 1562, De Bres³ declared that they were ready to obey the government in all lawful things, but that they would:

The implications of the personal pronoun ‘we’ in this confession signal ‘costly grace’⁴ as contrasted to ‘cheap grace’ by Bonhoeffer (1937). ‘We’, in this article, refers to the church as the church constituted by a common hearing and receiving of the Word of God. Barth (Church Dogmatics ½ par 20) exhorts us that our first duty is to love and respect the confession as the witness of our fathers (mothers) and brothers (sisters). When we make the affirmation ‘we’, we are witnessing to an encounter we have made with God in Jesus Christ to the extent that we are ‘new creatures’ and have been empowered to pronounce our confession amid worldly contradictions. In our country today, we need God’s community to choose to stand where God stands and not blend in with worldly affairs.

The Belhar Confession, as in other Reformed Confessions, invites us to critically assess its claims on our lives in the light of the gospel. Barth (2009) alludes to this calling in the frame of ‘hearing and receiving’ the word of God within the contemporary world order of empires. The Belhar Confession does not want us to confess a new faith, but to cast ourselves afresh in a committed way to God’s mission to the world (Ernst-Habib 2019). We are, therefore, to hold ourselves accountable to God and his Holy word and subject ourselves to the exhortation in James 1:21: ‘Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls’.

We allow the ‘thorns and the spears’ of confessing the Belhar Confession to go through our hearts so that we can be presented as acceptable to the Lord of the Church, as stated in 2 Timothy 2:15, ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth’. In this spirit, therefore, there is no space for manipulations of the church process for self-interest or to gain power. We resist entering the arena of corruption of power, self-enrichment, self-honour and self-gratification as our future is not for sale (Corruption Watch 2020). We are not called to manipulate church systems to advance self-interests. We are exhorted by Archbishop Justin Welby’s statement, ‘The most important decision any person can ever make is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ’ (Kuhrt 2015:113). ‘We’ is an expression of self-actualisation and self-transcendence in the Belhar Confession.

Psychologists such as Maslow (1943), Dik et al. (2013) and Frankl (1966) help us to grasp the ‘we’ in our confession. The confession enjoins us to authenticity. Varga (Standard Encyclopaedia of Philosophy 2024) asserts that the term ‘authentic’ is used either in the strong sense of being ‘of undisputed origin or authorship’, or in a weaker sense of being ‘faithful to an original’ or a ‘reliable, accurate representation’. To say that something is authentic is to say that it is what it professes to be, or what it is reputed to be, in origin or authorship. ‘We’ in paragraph one of the Belhar Confession speaks about our sincerity in our resolution regarding what we live for. Bernard (2002) captures this when he specifies authenticity as ‘the idea that some things are in some sense really you, or express what you are, and others aren’t’ (quoted in Guignon 2004:viii). This internal affirmation, whether spoken or thought, reinforces positive beliefs, increases self-esteem, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being by shifting focus from negative aspects of life to positive ones as guided by God.

The moment we turn our attention from the pursuit of our self-interests and personal happiness and succeed in crossing the boundaries of egotism and materialistic pleasure to spiritual consciousness and undertake the quest for meaning and altruism (showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others), we start experiencing genuine spirituality (GotQuestions 2022). When we say ‘we believe’ we are authentic and responding to what Paul says in Philippians 2:5–12 to encourage believers to adopt the humility and selfless obedience of Jesus Christ.

Psychologists such as Viktor Frankl (in Wong 2016) help us to understand our position regarding our confession with their theoretical framework of self-transcendence. By self-transcendence, they refer to a fundamental human capacity and a core of authentic spirituality, representing the expansion of consciousness beyond the self towards something higher, such as a divine or spiritual realm (Frankl, in eds. Hicks & Routledge 2013). This universal process of expanding consciousness beyond the personal self to a greater connection with Christ frees us to function free of habitual self-constraining beliefs, leading to a more self-directed and true self where spirituality serves as a driving force towards authentic identity (Du Toit 2012; Wise and Shine 2024).

By transcending self-fulfilment and adopting a broader perspective, we can experience a profound sense of purpose, joy, interconnectedness and generosity. Frankl⁵ (2006) defines generosity as a gateway to self-transcendence by shifting focus from personal concerns to the needs of others, fostering a broader sense of meaning and purpose, and liberating the individual from ego-centred limitations. This process involves transcending personal desires to connect with a larger whole, leading to a deeper realisation of one’s potential and well-being. Embracing the path of self-transcendence and generosity requires commitment to self-emptiness towards real ‘kenosis’.⁶ Kenosis is Christ’s act of taking on a human nature with all its limitations, except for sin. As one Bible scholar wrote:

In pursuing the soul of the Belhar Confession, we should pause and ponder the Theology of Opportunism and Partiality. The latter refers to exploiting religious beliefs, practices and institutions for personal gain, often through deceptive tactics and a disregard for theological principles. It can use the tenets of faith, like unity, reconciliation and justice, in pursuit of cheap reconciliation. It focuses on self-serving benefits, such as distortion of truth, which contrast sharply with the core tenets of true faith, such as honesty, integrity, and love (Garriott 2019). The opportunist will be favourable towards those from whom he or she can derive some sort of benefit. If there’s no prospect of gain from the relationship, the opportunist will show little interest in maintaining the relationship. Opportunism-driven partiality damages the church and derails its witness and discipline (Benton & Tsang 2006).

Opportunism-driven partiality harms the church’s doctrine and unity. In an ideal context, religious tenets are perceived as antithetical to corruption on all fronts. Orogun and Pillay (2021:9) maintains that Africa takes a frontline in religious activities yet is bedevilled by corruption-aided opportunism. Dare we teach others about unity and reconciliation while we are entrenched in self-fulfilling pursuits? We need unity, reconciliation and justice; not the shallow kind, but the kind that is rooted in truth and love, one which is free of self-serving and manipulation. We need religious tenets that are not rooted in religious thought or practice that prioritises personal or group gain by taking advantage of circumstances or exploiting people’s faith and vulnerabilities, rather than upholding principles of genuine love, truth, and justice. We reject deceitful tactics such as false promises (Hoag 2013), pressure for avoiding costly grace, and the distortion of scripture (Garriott 2019), to sway believers.

Paragraph one of the Belhar Confession is the most crucial for understanding the teaching of the Trinity. It starts by casting the faith of a true Church as grounded in the Triune God who reveals Himself as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Snyman 2022). In whatever He does, all three persons of the Trinity are involved. In the act of creation, throughout history and to the end of the world, all three persons of the Trinity are involved. The paragraph points to God who is and does what the results of His works are. God is always on His way out to the world (in the world) to redeem people for Himself. Defoe (2015) portrays God as seeking fellowship with humans from the beginning. He can be said to be the ‘sending’ God. God the Father sends Himself, later He sends His Son. God the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit and, eventually, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit send the church (Van der Rheenen 1996:14). From the very foundation of the world, God has been a great initiator of reconciliation and unity of everything to Himself (Col 1:20). ‘God sending Himself’ refers to the idea that within the Trinity, the Father eternally ‘sends’ the Son (Jesus Christ) into the world as an act of love and redemption, while the Holy Spirit is then sent by both the Father and Son to dwell within believers, thus demonstrating the distinct yet unified nature of the three divine persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as one God (Boaheng 2021).

In Genesis 3:9, we are told that God liked to walk through the garden, sharing His time with the first couple. When they were hiding, He would call, ‘Where are you’? Defoe (2015) attests that the pain of estrangement and abandonment of the first couple is echoed down through the ages to the present. Ever since the fall of humans in the Garden of Eden, God has sent His angels, prophets, kings and people to bring His message of reconciliation. According to the Bible, God frequently sent angels, prophets and sometimes even kings to the Israelites to deliver messages, provide guidance, and warn them against straying from their covenant with him; prophets were the most prominent way through which God communicated with the Israelites, often delivering messages to kings and people about their actions and the consequences of their choices. God is intrinsically involved in human affairs, directing how people should relate to Him and to one another (Van Der Rheenen 1996:14). The church is thus holistic, transformative, contemporary and modelled on Christ’s compassion, solidarity, example and teachings (WCC 2023).

Lastly, God has sent the church to which URCSA is part of. The proper understanding of the Belhar Confession should embrace who God is, His nature, what He is doing to humankind and what the church is. He gathers people, cares for them, and protects them to fulfil His will in the world. He uses various means and individuals to reach His purpose. His work and involvement in human affairs should never be taken lightly. God has an irresistible love for humanity. This means that God’s love for humankind is so powerful and unconditional that it cannot be resisted, meaning it is always present and available to everyone, regardless of their actions or beliefs; it is a love that actively draws people towards Him, even when they may not actively be seeking Him out. In the same manner, He engineers His church to exhibit the same as carrying out His mission of unity, reconciliation and justice. A full grasp of who God is and what He does is a prerequisite to understanding His mission of love to the world. Anyone who misses this paradox may run the risk of missing the point.

The Belhar Confession remains essentially relevant for all of the ages and all situations. Today, South Africa faces yet more hostilities and abnormalities that stand right in the face of the church. Several political commentators, investigative journalists, and public media are inundated with the horrors happening in the country. The investigative journalist Jacques Pauw (2022) labels South Africa as a ‘poisoned land’ because of the level of corruption and unethical behaviours. We can rightly conclude that, like the government that has lost the will to fight the evil in the country, the church also lacks the courage and determination to be a prophetic church.

A disturbing and persistent acute problem facing South Africa is Gender-Based-Violence and Femicide (GBVF). This malice is caused by a combination of intersecting factors, including patriarchal power imbalances, harmful social and cultural norms such as rigid gender stereotypes and religious beliefs, significant economic issues such as poverty and unemployment, a history of structural inequality, and the failure of the legal system to effectively implement laws meant to protect women. These interconnected factors create an environment where violence against women becomes normalised, and individuals are left vulnerable to abuse. Political and cultural differences rage, even among people who should show goodwill. The church is no stranger to extreme polarisation, theological backbiting, and political squabbling. Jesus’s prayer in John 17 – that the church be one as He and the Father are one – seems increasingly unattainable.¹⁰ The promises and hope that the 1994 elections promised have been decimated. Prominent investigative journalists and political figures and commentators, such as Pauw (2022), Madonsela (2017), Pilger (2007), Mathekga (2016), Tabane (2015), Bruce (2014), Boesak (2009), Ramphele (2017) and Malala (2015), as well as many others, present a gloomy situation of South Africa. The reality of the matter is that a significant decline in the church’s role as a fearless critic of injustice and a voice for the marginalised of the apartheid era has occurred in South Africa. While the church was a powerful force in the anti-apartheid struggle, its influence has diminished because of factors such as its integration into government, a perceived loss of prophetic theology, a reluctance to challenge the status quo, a fear of persecution if it told the truth, and the rise of self-serving or exploitative prophetic practices. Political entanglement has weakened church leaders and theologians joining the government, thus leading to a loss of independence and critical capacity (Tagwirei 2024). A Christian non-conformist lifestyle, or a rejection of conformity to the world, is rooted in the Biblical concept of spiritual transformation as described in Romans 12:2, which urges believers to not be ‘conformed to this world’ but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds to discern God’s will.

The transition to democracy in South Africa has, in some ways, fostered a ‘self-interest theology’ and a sense of having ‘arrived’, leading the church to forget its critical role. The prophetic theology has been swallowed by the secular government that it helped to come to power. To regain its voice and integrity, the church needs to be more authentic, fearless, independent and become the voice of the voiceless (Boesak 2009). The ‘loud silence’ or ‘armchair theology’ in present-day South Africa signifies a departure from the church’s prophetic role in addressing ongoing social injustices, poverty, femicide and inequality, contrasting with its active engagement during the apartheid era. Critics argue that some churches have adopted a quiet, detached approach to critical social issues, failing to provide necessary public theological engagement and advocate for the marginalised. This silence raises a concern, especially given the lingering effects of apartheid and the urgent calls for critical theology and social justice in the nation (Urbaniak 2018). Wepener and Pieterse (2018) and Maluleke (2000) reflect on the paternal value of embodied and enacted expressions of anger in the current South African context. They argue that God’s anger is an expression of His love, and that preaching and liturgies in South Africa should be characterised by anger.

The concluding paragraphs of the Belhar Confession allude to the fact that believers are people who always confess their faith. Genuine Christian faith inherently involves both an inward belief and an outward, ongoing declaration of that belief. This is a core aspect of Christian identity and practice. Earthly authorities who feel threatened by the church’s confession may forbid it through worldly laws, punishment and suffering. Therefore, Christians need to exert themselves and carry their cross and follow Jesus (Mt 16:24 and Lk 9:23). Christians are people who confess Christ and people who believe in the witness of faith found in Him. If they cease to confess and believe, then they can no longer legitimately be called Christians, believers, or followers of Christ.

In this article, I argued that the Belhar Confession is a Christian affirmation of faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It functions as a foundational identity, defining believers by their relationship with God rather than worldly status, nationality, or performance. This identity is rooted in Christ’s love for the world, providing a stable foundation that resists cultural pressures and worldly pleasures. It is an ‘otherworldly’ marker, often challenging societal norms by prioritising spiritual truths over temporary circumstances.

Brazilian educational theorist Freire (1970) suggests a pedagogy of the oppressed, a teaching that may help the oppressor and the oppressed achieve freedom. Freire suggests that education is a fundamentally political act that can either serve to domesticate people or liberate them. Including the Belhar Confession in Sunday School lessons, Catechism and sermons is an appropriate way of creating consciousness from dehumanisation to humanisation among members. Internal church pedagogy should be modelled to help the oppressed identify the social and political causes of their reality and recognise their own capacity to transform it. Love, humility, faith and determination to change the society for good should be the end goal of a confessing community (Cronkright 2021).