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The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.

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Main Author: Pienaar, Jacques
Other Authors: Muller, Retief
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2020
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access_status_str Open Access
author Pienaar, Jacques
author2 Muller, Retief
author_browse Muller, Retief
Pienaar, Jacques
author_facet Muller, Retief
Pienaar, Jacques
author_sort Pienaar, Jacques
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
format Thesis
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institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:35.384Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2020
publishDateRange 2020
publishDateSort 2020
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109110 The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950 Pienaar, Jacques Muller, Retief Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematical Theology and Ecclesiology. Gerdener, G. B. A. (Gustav Bernhard August), 1881-1967 Afrikaners -- South Africa -- Ethnic identity UCTD Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When considering the Afrikaner nation’s struggle for national existence, social legitimacy and eventual political domination in South Africa, under the guise of the apartheid system, names such as D.F. Malan and H.F. Verwoerd often dominate the discourse. However, during the 1920s and 1930s, the period in which the idea of an exclusive Afrikaner identity began to crystalize, the Dutch Reformed Church minister, G.B.A. Gerdener, played such a significant formative role in the developing racial ideology of the Afrikaner leaders that in 1958 an American journalist dubbed him the principal author of the apartheid policy. From the opening decades of the 20th Century, Gerdener contributed to the rising culturally exclusive Afrikaner identity as a historian, missiologist and ecclesiastical leader. Through his position in the Dutch Reformed Church’s Federal Mission Council and his editorship of the mission journal, Op Die Horison, he exerted his greatest influence on public opinion regarding racial policy. This public prestige as a leading missiological and racial strategist grew dramatically and reached a climax in 1950 with Gerdener’s organising and leading of a vast congress on the delicate racial situation in South Africa. A congress which had as its agenda the blueprint for a future South African society, which would consist of separate, autonomous and ethnically designated states. This biographical study intends to track this influence which Gerdener had on the developing Afrikaner identity as well as the racial ideology of the Afrikaner people. Methodologically, a critical literary analysis of primary archival sources will be used in specifically investigating Gerdener’s work on the Federal Mission Council and his instrumental role in the formulation of the Dutch Reformed Church’s mission policy, which served as a basis for the eventual secular apartheid policy which was officially accepted by the National Party in 1945. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer die Afrikaner nasie se stryd vir volks bestaan, sosiale geldigheid en uiteindelike politieke oorheersing in Suid Afrika, onder die vaandel van die apartheid sisteem, ondersoek word, domineer name soos D.F. Malan en H.F. Verwoerd dikwels die gesprek. Nietemin, gedurende die 1920s en 1930s, die tydperk waarin die idee van `n eksklusiewe Afrikaner identiteit tasbaar begin word het, was die rol van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) predikant, G.B.A. Gerdener, in die ontwikkeling van `n rasse ideologie vir die Afrikaner leiers, van so `n groot omvang dat hy in 1958 deur ‘n Amerikaanse joernalis as die kritiese outeur van die apartheid beleid genoem is. Vanaf die openings dekades van die 20ste eeu het Gerdener bygedra tot die groeiende eksklusiewe Afrikaner identiteit as gevolg van sy werk as `n geskiedkundige, missioloog en kerklike leier. Deur sy rol in die NGK se Federale Sending Raad en in sy hoedanigheid as redakteur van die sending joernaal, Op Die Horison, het hy sy grootste invloed uitgeoefen op publieke opinie aangaande rasse beleid. Hierdie publieke roem, as `n voorste missioloog en rasse strateeg, het dramaties gegroei en ‘n klimaks bereik in 1950 met Gerdener se organisering en leiding van `n massiewe kongres aangaande die delikate rasse situasie in Suid Afrika. Hierdie biografiese studie beoog om Gerdener se invloed op die ontwikkelende Afrikaner identiteit, sowel as die rasse ideologie van die Afrikaner volk, voor te lê en na te volg. Met betrekking tot die metodologie van hierdie studie is dit hoofsaaklik gebou op `n kritiese literêre analise van primêre argief bronne. Hierdie analise dien dan as die vertrekpunt van waar Gerdener se werk op die Federale Sendings Raad, sowel as sy rol in die formulering van die NGK se sendings beleid, ondersoek word, met die gevolgtrekking dat sy bydrae `n fundamentele rol gespeel het in die amptelike aanvaarding van `n sekulêre apartheid beleid deur die Nasionale Party in 1945. Masters 2020-10-14T13:24:37Z 2021-01-31T19:35:45Z 2020-10-14T13:24:37Z 2021-01-31T19:35:45Z 2020-10 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109110 en Stellenbosch University v, 150 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Gerdener, G. B. A. (Gustav Bernhard August), 1881-1967
Afrikaners -- South Africa -- Ethnic identity
UCTD
Pienaar, Jacques
The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title_full The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title_fullStr The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title_full_unstemmed The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title_short The life and work of G.B.A. Gerdener with special reference to his contributions to Afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in South Africa from 1925 to 1950
title_sort life and work of g b a gerdener with special reference to his contributions to afrikaner identity formation and the racial discourse in south africa from 1925 to 1950
topic Gerdener, G. B. A. (Gustav Bernhard August), 1881-1967
Afrikaners -- South Africa -- Ethnic identity
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109110
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AT pienaarjacques lifeandworkofgbagerdenerwithspecialreferencetohiscontributionstoafrikaneridentityformationandtheracialdiscourseinsouthafricafrom1925to1950