Future(s) for the church on the corner: A proposed praxis of spatial justice for South African congregations

Abstract

South Africa, is a racially, economically and spatially divided nation, a legacy of our colonial and apartheid histories. Thirty years into democracy, discourse across all spheres of society around land, spatial and housing justice continues to provoke questions about the political and societal will for making access to land ownership and space for dignified, humane living an accessible reality for all who live in South Africa. All denominations are not and should not be separated from this discourse as they are an integral part of the colonial and apartheid land, spatial history and current reality of contestation. A study focusing on suburban churches in previous whites-only southern suburbs of the City of Cape Town was conducted in the few months before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns of 2020. An emancipatory approach explored the praxis of these churches in relationship to South Africa’s ongoing concern with land reform within the context of urban land (in)justice and put this into conversation with the questions of church-owned land and property usage. This article revisits the key findings of the study incorporating two key elements of a praxis-based approach: theological reflection and action towards transformation. The article connects the findings to the authors’ autoethnographic reflections and research on the unfolding praxis of (sub)urban churches during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. To conclude, South African churches are invited into an ongoing emancipatory approach to address the issues of urban land injustice, and embrace a praxis of spatial justice, which includes concrete steps towards creating faith-based ‘Just Housing’.

Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article presents a conversation on church and spatial histories, and current realities alongside emerging theologies that ’foster inclusive and just social imaginaries‘ and ’make room for utopic possibilities to play out‘.