Saint John's Cathedral

The second of two Everding Lectures presented by Dr. Tinyiko Maluleke, Professor of Theology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. There is overwhelming evidence that when Desmond Tutu accepted the role of chairperson of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it was for him much more than the acceptance of a presidential appointment. He saw it as an opportunity to ritualize, exemplify and advocate the power of forgiveness and reconciliation in the building of nation and community. Above all, he probably saw it as a culmination of a lifetime of preaching and modeling of forgiveness. Racial forgiveness and harmony occupy a particularly special place in Tutu's thinking. This lecture will explore the sources and main tenets of Desmond Tutu's theology of forgiveness. Of particular interest will be the implications of Tutu's theology for race and gender relations in South Africa and the USA today.