“Nuwe Sionsgesange”: Past and Present

Abstract

The “Sionsgesange” has been the Afrikaans hymnal of the Coloured Dutch Reformed Mission Church during most of the 20th century.  In 1994, this church united with the Black Dutch Reformed Church in Africa to form the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). However, the “Nuwe Sionsgesange” remains in use in the Coloured congregations of this united church. This article consists of two main parts. Firstly, the history of the  “(Nuwe) Sionsgesange” will be described briefly. Secondly, a short analysis of the contents of the “Nuwe Sionsgesange” will be made in terms of three categories: the images of God/Christ/Holy Spirit portrayed, the otherworldliness displayed, and the pietistic scheme of sin-soul-salvation confessed. Brief reference will also be made to the language divisions in the URCSA, and the question will be asked whether the different hymnals used in the congregations deepen these divisions. This will be contextualised in the URCSA Karlienpark-Rustenburg congregation, which is situated in what was called the Coloured township of Rustenburg before 1994.