Abstract
The Afrikaans woman in church and society: evolution of the viewpoint of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk)
The stereotyped view in anti-Afrikaans and feminist circles holds that narrow-minded Calvinism has been a decisive factor in the alleged subservience of Afrikaans women. This article investigates one facet of Afrikaans social life as a starting point fo r a comparison between the social status of Afrikaans women and that of women in other South African and international communities. The article focuses, against the background of international developments in Christian churches, on the evolution of the official position in the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) - sometimes referred to as the Dutch Reformed Church - the largest Afrikaans church, regarding the status of women. Emphasis is placed on the process of admission of women to the special offices of deacon, elder and minister in the NGK. The debate within the NGK on this issue reveals the evolution of thought and values in mainstream Afrikanerdom. The conclusion is reached that a definite shift away from traditionalist fundamentalism towards a more open and less dogmatic approach has taken place in the NGK and that the current situation does not reflect such a pietistic submissiveness among Afrikaans women as suggested by feminist studies. However, although theoretically women enjoy equal access to the special offices in the NGK, in practice equality does not exist. In governing bodies of the church women are still hopelessly underrepresented. A steep road has to be climbed before women will attain equality in the church hierarchy.
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