Religion, legal scholarship and higher education: perspectives for the South African context

Abstract

English: This article investigates the relationship between religion (in both the traditional and the broader sense) and legal scholarship in South Africa, with special emphasis on the nature of Faculties of Law and universities. The contemporary approach of legal scholarship is overwhelmingly limited to the pragmatic and the empirical, and vehemently in opposition to anything religious. This has dire implications for the accommodation of religious views on reality, and particularly disadvantages adherents of religion in the traditional sense. In this context, critical views on the LLB curriculum pertaining to subject content are included. University education, being driven by commitments and perspectives about mankind and about ultimates, including the accommodation of religion (with specific reference to religion in the traditional sense), requires freedom if it is to discover truth. This is especially true for the dissemination of the law, and by implication for the humanities in general.

Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel ondersoek die verhouding tussen godsdiens (in beide die tradisionele en die wye sin) en regsgeleerdheid in Suid-Afrika, met spesifieke klem op die aard van die Fakulteite van Regsgeleerdheid asook die universiteite. Die hedendaagse benadering van regsgeleerdheid word grootliks beperk tot die pragmatiese en die empiriese, in sterk opposisie met enige godsdiens. In hierdie opsig spruit daar kommerwekkende implikasies rakende die akkomodering van godsdienstige werklikheidsperspektiewe en dit is veral die aanhangers van godsdiens in die tradisionele sin wat gevolglik die onderspit delf. Veral wat laasgenoemde betref word aspekte van vakinhoud in die LLB-program gekritiseer. Onderwys, in ’n universiteitskonteks, vereis vryheid om die waarheid te ontdek, gedrewe deur verbintenisse en perspektiewe omtrent die mensdom en wat fundamenteel is, ingeslote die akkomodering van godsdiens, met spesifieke verwysing na godsdiens in die tradisionele sin. Laasgenoemde insig het veral betrekking op onderwys in die reg en by implikasie die geesteswetenskappe in die algemeen.