Revisiting democracy “after” Allan Boesak?

Abstract

Three decades of democracy in South Africa is, among others, a call to critically reflect upon Allan Boesak’s contribution and explore what sort of stimulus his very distinctive prophetic presence within both the South African and global theopolitical landscape can provide to those who are interested in doing (public) theology within both church and society. For a more nuanced engagement with Boesak’s preachy theology, I propose to go “after” him in a threefold manner. First, I provide a particular matrix of Boesak’s vision for our democracy. Secondly, what about those critical voices who view it differently and thus go directly or indirectly after Boesak in a completely different manner? Thirdly, in dealing with the findings of the first two rounds, is it possible to go after Boesak in a way that will also (set us free and) take us beyond him? Ultimately, it will become clear what it means to reimagine preaching and democracy – church and society – in a globalised contemporary South Africa “after” Boesak.