Albert Nolan, one of the foremost SA theologians in the resistance to apartheid and its attempts at theological justification for racial discrimination, has died.
Nolan died in his sleep on Sunday night in Boksburg on the East Rand. He was 88.
He was part of the SA theologians who crafted the watershed Kairos document, the Christian church’s collective response to the then deepening political crisis in SA in 1985. The document challenged the church to respond to the state of emergency giving the apartheid government even more draconian powers than it already had.
Martin Badenhorst, who belonged to the same Dominican priestly order as Nolan, said: “Albert’s great gift was to encourage, inform and support the process of drafting the Kairos document and vanishing from its content. Albert was at his best as one who heard the cry of black experience and encouraged the articulation of that cry so that it would be heard and respected everywhere.”
Nolan’s long-time friend and fellow Catholic priest, Larry Kaufmann, said: “I think a description I once heard Archbishop Desmond Tutu give about Albert stands out: “theological stalwart of the Struggle against apartheid”.
“Albert harnessed all his theological acumen in the service of the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed. A founding member of the Institute for Contextual Theology, where I joined him for some years, he brought his exceptional writing skills to bear on the Kairos document, the Road to Damascus document, the oft forgotten little pamphlet, The Release of Nelson Mandela and many other papers and articles.
“Albert could not emphasise enough the need for these theological reflections to be accessible to ordinary people, not just high-flying academics. His prophetic message lives on, not only in his writing, but in the poor who still clamour for justice,” said Kauffmann.
Anti-apartheid activist Rev Frank Chikane said Nolan was a humble servant of the people who demolished the apartheid part of theology.
“There was a status quo church which supported apartheid while the English church, which was liberal, condemned apartheid but did not do anything. Nolan introduced the Catholic language which described the apartheid system as a tyranny to the people. He demolished the apartheid part of government,” he said.
He said Nolan used his PhD to teach young people in townships about the anti-apartheid theology.
“Albert Nolan was a gift of God to us. He enriched our engagement and development of our theology in a conflict situation because that's what we were dealing with.”
He further described him as a grassroots person who lived in an ordinary and unassuming house in Johannesburg. “When he was asked how much he wanted to earn, Nolan said he doesn't need a salary. He said he just needed R120 to contribute to the Dominican House he shared with other priests. I was earning R750, which was a good salary at that point,” said Chikane.
Anglican Church Bishop Jo Seoka, who had known Nolan for about 40 years, described him as a rare breed of priests who supported the downtrodden.
“He didn't just preach the gospel but acted on the teachings. He wanted to improve the quality of life of where he was working. He was not using the gospel as an opium but wanted people to change and live better. He fed the hungry and healed the sick,” he said.
Jesuit Institute director Russell Pollitt described Nolan as “one of South Africa’s most accomplished theologians”.
“His book Jesus before Christianity reached a global audience. His understanding of contextual theology and his work for justice, especially in South Africa, is the legacy he leaves.
“He was a gentle and kind man, not afraid to challenge his own faith community. Fr Nolan believed in and witnessed to a God who liberates from any form of oppression. He had a vision greater, perhaps, than any of his contemporaries. We have lost a theological giant and inspiration to many.”
Nolan’s requiem will be in Springs tomorrow with a viewing. A funeral mass will be held on Friday in Springs at noon, followed by the internment of his ashes in Boksburg.
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