Abstract:
A description of General Church History depends to a large extent on detail studies of local or national Church History - we cannot construe the general image without the local. If the General Church History is to come to a contemporary historical image, the historical image of the contemporary national Church History is an obvious prerequisite. This is where the great gap is experienced as far as South African Church History is concerned: research, description and teaching of contemporary Church History have been neglected. With the exception of a few documents (e.g. historical writings of congregations and autobiographies), this aspect of Church History has not yet attained a permanent and full place in the pursuit of history. It is hoped that the greater interest in contemporary history (e.g. in the History Department of our University) will have a stimulating effect on our Church History Department.
The actuality of present-day events urgently call for their study. Church History must address the modern generation in its peculiar situation: the roots of modern problems must be exposed, more knowledge and comprehension of historical phenomena must be supplied. In addition, it is also essential that the results of investigation, research and study should find expression in publications. The distorted historical image of the Afrikaner and his Church in foreign countries can be disproved to a great extent by the contemporary church history book, and naturally modern text-books will remit a more complete historical view of our own Church.
