Faith and the Fragility of Justice

Responses to Gender-Based Violence in South Africa

By Meredith Whitnah

Rutgers University Press

South Africa has repeatedly made international headlines because of its high rates of gender-based violence. In the midst of a wide range of responses to the problem, an important voice has been largely absent. Why are the religious groups that had famously protested the racial violence of apartheid faltering in their response to gendered violence in the democracy? Faith and the Fragility of Justice answers this question through a deep dive into the public discourse of three Protestant Christian organizations that had been adamant about a theological mandate to challenge apartheid, but have varied in their responses to gender-based violence in the democracy. The central argument of the book is that the organizations’ theological convictions intersect with their posture toward various social groups to shape their actions. In making this argument, Meredith Whitnah demonstrates that religious beliefs are a central dimension of institutional processes that sustain or challenge social inequality and violence.

Whitnah offers a candid look at the role of faith-based organizations in the struggle to eradicate gender-based violence in the South African context. As evident in the title, this pursuit of justice is fragile indeed. However, Whitnah’s monograph shows how these organizations continue reinventing themselves in the pursuit of gender justice. As the battle cry resounds: a luta continua! Juliana Claassens, professor of Old Testament at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Theologies are not equal in their capacity to address injustice. Whitnah's sharply analytical book reveals how theological frameworks that focus on racial justice vary in their convictions on issues of gender and helps us to better discern religion's role in both challenging and reinforcing intersecting systems of oppression, illuminating the contingent and often fragile nature of faith-based pursuits of justice. Gerardo Martí, author of Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church

'While there has been extensive scholarship examining how religious groups opposed apartheid, no scholar has attempted to trace how religious organizations addressed gender inequality and gender-based violence throughout apartheid and into the new democratic dispensation. With clear and engaging prose, Whitnah showcases her precise analytical skills as well as her commitment to amplifying the voices and work of South Africa religious leaders and activists.' Hannah Britton, author of Ending Gender-Based Violence: Justice and Community in South Africa

MEREDITH WHITNAH is associate professor of sociology at Westmont College, California.

Introduction
            Part I The Formation and Reproduction of Theological Cultures
1          Racial Positioning and Theological Cultures in the Fight against Apartheid
2          Continuity of Theological Cultures in an Emerging Democracy
            Part II The Power of Theological Cultures for Gender-Based Violence and Gender Justice
3          Theological Cultures and Gender-Based Violence
4          Theological Cultures and the Fragility of Gender Justice
5          Implications for Actions
Conclusion
Table: Key Features of the Theological Cultures
Appendix: Sources and Standpoint
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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