Desmond Tutu

Life

Tutu was born on October 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, in the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa. After working as a teacher, he entered seminary and was ordained a deacon (the order of ministry preceding the priesthood) in 1960 and a priest in 1961. Beginning in 1962 he studied theology at King's College London, and after returning home in 1966 he taught at seminaries and universities.

In 1975 he became Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg, and in 1976 he became Bishop of Lesotho. He then served as general secretary of the South African Council of Churches. In 1985 he became the first Black Bishop of Johannesburg, and in 1986, again as the first Black person to hold the office, he became Archbishop of Cape Town, leading the Anglican Church of Southern Africa until his retirement in 1996. He died in Cape Town on December 26, 2021, at the age of 90.

Ministry and Achievements

Opposition to apartheid. Apartheid was a policy of racial segregation under which the white government separated people by race in where they could live, in education, and in political rights. Tutu publicly criticized the system and called on the international community to impose economic sanctions on South Africa. In 1979, after he urged a boycott of South African coal, the government reportedly confiscated his passport. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In 1995 the South African Parliament passed legislation establishing the commission, and in December of that year it was constituted with Tutu as chairman. The commission investigated human rights violations committed between 1961 and 1990, heard testimony from victims, and considered amnesty applications from perpetrators. His phrase "No future without forgiveness" became the watchword of this work of reconciliation. He was also the one who called post-apartheid South Africa the "Rainbow Nation."

Theology and retirement. Theologically, he is regarded as having sought to bring together Black theology and African theology. From 2007 to 2013 he served as the founding chair of The Elders, a group of senior global leaders, and in 2013 he received the Templeton Prize.

Influence on the Korean Church

Several of his books have been translated into Korean, including No Future Without Forgiveness (Hong Sung Sa, 2009). When he died in 2021, the Korean press gave substantial coverage to his life. The worldwide Anglican Communion to which he belonged also includes the Anglican Church of Korea. Few sources confirm whether he visited Korea or had direct contact with Korean denominations, and further information is needed.

Assessment

Tutu is regarded, along with Nelson Mandela, as one of the two leaders who guided South Africa's democratization. He is also credited with showing a path to social unity grounded in forgiveness and reconciliation. At the same time, during the period when he was calling for economic sanctions, some in the white community denounced him as a traitor, and some Black South Africans reportedly questioned his approach to the struggle. After his retirement he spoke out publicly on issues contested within the church, such as the rights of sexual minorities. Assessments of these positions vary by denomination and theological perspective. He is frequently cited in discussions of the relationship between church and politics.