Ecumenical Encounters with Desmond Mpilo Tutu

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ix

Foreword: A Textured Tapestry of Hope and Learning Worldwide
Piyushi Kotecha xi

Introduction: A Moral Constitution for Justice, Dignity and Peace
Sarojini Nadar xiii

List of Contributors xxxi

PART I: JUSTICE
1.1 Racism and Resistance against Apartheid

1. Allan Aubrey Boesak – “I Turn My Face to the Rising Sun”: Hope, Hopelessness and the Inspiration for Struggle 3
2. Nele Trautwein and Ursula Trautwein – “My Goodness, I Am Happy that I Am Not Your Enemy”: The Frankfurt Women against Apartheid 11
3. Michael Battle – I Am Anglican when I Put “Tu” and “Tu” Together: Reflections on Race and Religion 14
4. Gottfried Kraatz – Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Symbol of the Church Involved in the Freedom Struggle against Apartheid 19
5. Sebastian Justke – Desmond Tutu’s Fame and His Ecumenical Networks: A Part of the Global History of Apartheid and Anti-Apartheid 25
6. Baldwin Sjollema – “Pastor of the Nation” – A Tribute to Desmond Tutu 31
7. Christian Balslev-Olesen – Desmond Tutu: An Icon of Justice and Reconciliation – and a Beacon for DanChurchAid (DCA) and Denmark 33
8. Heinz Joachim Held – As I Experienced It: Desmond Tutu at the Boipatong Massacre Funeral, 1992 37
9. Martin Kruse – Hope Within Us – Giving Evidence to the Eloff Commission 41
10. Hildegard Thevs – When Desmond Tutu Did Not Make a Speech 44

1.2. Liberation Theology and Theological Education

11. Kuzipa Nalwamba – Visions on a Tightrope: Tutu’s Sojourn as Africa Associate Director of the Theological Education Fund (1972–1975) 47
12. Dietrich Werner – Contextualisation and Spiritual Transformation in Theological Education in Africa – Visions Inspired by Desmond Tutu 52
13. Eliza Getman – Faith with Feet: Reflections on Contextual and Embodied Theologies 58
14. Theo Sundermeier – Encounters with Desmond Tutu: Liberation Theology in Contexts of Surveillance 67
15. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm – At the Crossroads of Public Theology and Liberation Theology: In Honour of Desmond Tutu 69
16. Petra Bosse-Huber – Doing Theology in the Struggle for Justice in the Here and Now – the Key Role of Desmond Mpilo Tutu 73
17. Christo Lombard – “Arch Anecdotes”: Reflections on the Establishment of the Desmond Tutu Chair and Centre at the University of the Western Cape 75
1.3. Gender Justice and Sexual Diversity
18. Mpho Tutu van Furth – “A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words”: Making Ma Leah Tutu Visible
19. Traci C. West – Gratitude for Black Christian Transnational LGBTQIA Equality Advocacy 84
20. Wilma Jakobsen – Stretched Towards Inclusion: Tutu, Gender and Sexuality 88
21. Vicentia Kgabe – Tutu’s Visionary Inclusive Leadership with Regard to Women’s Ordination to the Priesthood 93
22. Adriaan van Klinken and Ezra Chitando – Race and Sexuality in Desmond Tutu’s Theology of Ubuntu 99
23. Megan Robertson – Tutu the Ally: Lessons from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Queer Advocacy 109
24. Rhine Phillip Tsobotsi Koloti – Rebuke, Repair, Reconcile: Stretching Tutu’s Restorative Justice for Contexts of Sexual Violence 114
25. Nyambura J. Njoroge – The Man in the “Red Dress”: Transformative Tutu 121
26. Miranda N. Pillay – “Do You See This Woman?”: A Sermon Inspired by Desmond Tutu 123

PART II: DIGNITY
2.1. Humour and Humanity

27. Tinyiko Maluleke – The Liberating Humour of Desmond Tutu 129
28. Fulata L. Moyo – Desmond Tutu, Humour and Social Justice 139
29. Trond Bakkevig – Defeating Apartheid with Faith and Humour 144
30. Fernando Enns – Charismatic, Pious and Humorous for a Just Peace: Inspiring Encounters with Desmond Tutu 148
31. Angela Mai – Humour in Times of Danger: A Short Reflection on Tutu and Defused Tensions 152
32. Paul Oestreicher – “That Cheeky Boy” – Personal Reflections on the Arch, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation 154
33. Roger Williamson – “Opposing Apartheid and Working for Reconciliation” (A Letter to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu) 157

2.2. Ubuntu, African Theology and Leadership

34. Nontombi Tutu – Ubuntu and Imago Dei 162
35. Baloyi G. Tlharihani – Human Dignity and Well-being as Cornerstones of Desmond Tutu’s Theology and Life 165
36. Dan Vaughan – Perspectives on Tutu’s Leadership: A Journey of Struggle and Hope 169
37. J. Gertrud Tönsing – A Musical Tribute to the Inspirational Leadership of Archbishop Desmond Tutu 176
38. Michael Lapsley – Tutu and Me: Reflections on Brokenness and Wholeness 178
39. Rachele Vernon O’Brien (Poem) – A Statement from the Mother of Simon of Cyrene: Reflections on Ubuntu Across Millennia 181
40. Hans S.A. Engdahl – Reflections on Desmond Tutu and His Exercise of Leadership in Africa 183
41. Ingrid le Roux – Desmond Tutu: An Icon of Ubuntu Hospitality 185
42. Edwin Arrison (Prayer) – An UbunTutu Eucharistic Prayer 187
43. Betty Govinden – “Called to Serve” and “Captive for Freedom”: Two Birthday Poems 189
2.3. Transnational Solidarities
44. Brian Brown – Prophet of Consistency Connecting Struggles for Justice in Palestine and South Africa 192
45. Volker Faigle – “Africa’s Most Refreshing Son”: Inspiring Solidarity between the German and African Churches 197
46. Ulrich Duchrow – Mogopa and the Covenant Project with Communities Threatened by Forced Resettlement – a Lesson for Today 201
47. Klaus Nürnberger – The “Arch” in 1993 – A Letter of Appraisal from South Africa to Berlin 207
48. David Haslam – Divestment, Boycott and Tax – The Crucial Role of Economic Justice in the Kingdom of God 210
49. Gerhard Küsel – “One Night in Nairobi”: Reflections on Refuge and Suffering 214
50. Musimbi Kanyoro – “Prisoner of Hope”: Solidarity and Social Justice 216
51. Werner von Hoerschelmann – Desmond Tutu’s Role in Establishing Ecumenical Relationships of the Evangelical Church in Germany with Churches in Southern Africa 221

PART III: PEACE
3.1. Prayer and Politics

52. Thabo Makgoba – The Centrality of Prayer 229
53. Konrad Raiser – Protest and Prayer 231
54. Peter Lodberg – When Prayer Meets Politics: Reflections on Desmond Tutu in Denmark 235
55. Rolf Koppe – Opening the Hearts of Thousands for the Spirit of God – Together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu addressing the Expo 2000 in Hanover 239
56. Raymond van Diemel – New Hope for South Africa – Desmond Tutu’s Road to the Nobel Peace Prize 242
57. Liz Carmichael – The Humility of a Peacemaker: Negotiating the National Peace Accord, 1991 246
58. René August – Growing Up to Be a Child: Reflections on Tutu’s Spiritual Framing 252
59. Gerhard Rein – Let Us Pray 255

3.2. Reconciliation and Resistance

60. Demaine Solomons – What about Sisyphus and the Arch? On Reconciling Meaninglessness and the Labours of Love 256
61. Nico Koopman – Embodying Restitutive Forgiveness: The Lasting Legacy of Desmond Mpilo Tutu 260
62. Heike Spiegelberg – The Funeral at Boipatong – Between Anger and Reconciliation 266
63. Anne Jaborg – Embrace: A Short Story of Embodying Reconciliation 269
64. John Allen – “Where Did the Rainbow Go?”: Narratives of Pursuing an Ideal of Racial Reconciliation 270
65. Rudolf Hinz – South Africa, 27 April 1994: Recollections of Tension and Joy 274

3.3. Religious Diversity and Plural Spirituality

66. Charles Villa-Vicencio – Drinking from Our Own Wells of Religious and Theological Plurality 277
67. Lee-Shae Salma Scharnick-Udemans – Religious Privilege and Intolerance: Unveiling the Rainbow Nation 283
68. John W. de Gruchy – Nothing is “Untransfigurable”: Tutu and the Transfiguration of Politics 291
69. Atle Sommerfeldt – “Without the eucharist, I could not survive”: On Sacraments and Social Action Inspired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu 295
70. Christine Lienemann-Perrin – “What We Will Be Has Not Yet Been Revealed”: Exploring the Value of Theological Plurality for Christian Unity 301
71. Sa’diyya Shaikh – Spiritual Fragrances, Social Horizons: A Muslim Tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu 306

This inspiring collection of 72 critical and creative contributions honouring the life and work of Desmond Mpilo Tutu comprises a rich and diverse array of reflections on the ecumenical global struggle against Apartheid, and Archbishop Tutu’s role therein, as a political priest, prophet and intellectual. The encounters with ‘the Arch’ and his work has shaped ongoing faith- ased, activist and academic pursuits for justice, peace and dignity. Anyone familiar with his outstanding contributions to the promotion of justice, dignity and peace, will know that a hallmark of Desmond Tutu’s celebrated style is his use of narrative and real-life stories. In honour of his unique and remarkable example, the contributions in this book combine oral history and written history paradigms, as well as sociological, philosophical and theological approaches. While the book is meant to be a memorial recollection of encounters with the Arch, the hope is that these recollections will continue to inspire collective struggles and hopes for justice, peace and dignity.

This book is a treasure trove of some of the most stunning memories of personal encounters with one of the greatest ecumenists in the world. To have worked with Desmond Tutu has been a great privilege. He is a force of nature. In the pages of this book, readers will encounter Tutu the champion of the ordination of women, the practitioner of Ubuntu, the humorous public speaker, the prophetic preacher, the bridge-builder, the defender of the downtrodden, the loving husband, the doting father, and the humble servant of God.
Dr Brigalia Hlophe Bam, former General Secretary of the SACC & former Chairperson of the IEC

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as one sees in the book, has lived to witness the appreciation of the world of his multifaceted roles reflected in many words: icon of justice and reconciliation, a pastor to the nation, a moral voice against apartheid, and more. For the AACC he remains the most remarkable of its Presidents. The reach of his inspiration is reflected in the global composition of authors most of whom have personal experience with him. I gladly commend this book which will undoubtedly inspire every reader to rekindle our calling to work for responsible spirituality, justice and reconciliation, with daring divine boldness.
Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki, General Secretary, All Africa Conference of Churches

This book is a ‘must-read’ for anyone interested in issues of justice, liberation, transformation, dignity, hope, joy, resilience, peace, prayer and reconciliation. Using a variety of genres and with intergenerational contributors, it paints a multifaceted picture of an extraordinary ecumenist, priest, husband, father, intellectual and politician, Desmond Mpilo Tutu. The editors and contributors are to be commended for sharing their rich, inspiring and enlightening personal reflections of one of the most revered and important Africans of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This publication is a befitting celebration of a colourful life.
Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, Deputy General Secretary, World Council of Churches, honourary professor of African Theology at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa