Original Research - Special Collection: Ignatius van Wyk Dedication

The apparatus theory: ‘Religion in the city’

Leon Geel, Jaco Beyers
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 74, No 4 | a4927 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i4.4927 | © 2018 Jaco Beyers, Leon Geel | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 05 February 2018 | Published: 26 July 2018

About the author(s)

Leon Geel, Department of Science of Religion and Missiology, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Jaco Beyers, Department of Science of Religion and Missiology, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The apparatus theory is used to challenge the interpretation of religion and also to determine whether religion is a factor to contend with in modern society. Religion could be the element that keeps the city intact or could be the one element that is busy ruining our understanding of reality and the way this interacts with society in the urban environment. Paradigms determine our relationships. In this case, the apparatus theory would be a more precise way of describing not only our relationship towards the city but also the way in which we try to perceive our relationship with religion and the urban conditions we live in. This article gives theoretical background to the interpretation and understanding of the relationship between various entities within the city. The apparatus of the city creates space for religion to function as a binding form. Religion could bind different cultures, diverse backgrounds and create space for growth.

Keywords

religion; city; apparatus; paradigm; relationship; space

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