A Spiritual Homecoming: How Orthodoxy is Finding Roots in Afrikaner Soil
A Spiritual Homecoming: How Orthodoxy is Finding Roots in Afrikaner Soil
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In this episode, AfroVerdict sits down with an Afrikaner Orthodox priest who has dedicated his life to familiarising his people with Orthodoxy. By translating liturgies into Afrikaans and navigating the intersections of language, history, and faith, he offers a unique perspective on Orthodoxy’s potential to resonate with Afrikaner heritage.
Despite the common misconception, Afrikaans is a language that is shared by diverse communities, not just white South Africans, according to Fr. Zacharias van Wyk, parish priest of the Church of St Mary of Egypt in Robertson, South Africa.
"Afrikaans is the language of many, many people. [...] The first written Afrikaans was in Arabic [script] — a piece of the Qur’an that was translated into Afrikaans," he explains.
For Afrikaners, the language carries the weight of their historical struggle against British domination.
"The Boers didn’t want to become English [...] so they took their wagons and started moving North [during the Great Trek]. It’s unthinkable today," Fr. Zacharias says.
Orthodoxy in Afrikaans: A Cultural Bridge
Fr Zacharias rejects the idea of an exclusive, whites-only church but acknowledges practical challenges, of Orthodox worship not attracting populations used to charismatic churches.
Yet, he shares a powerful counter-narrative: a Zimbabwean student baptized in his parish felt more at home there than in Cape Town’s Greek churches, where he was once turned away for not being "the right kind" of worshipper.
"He often said he felt more at home here with us at an Afrikaans church," Fr Zacharias recalls.
Navigating Identity and Inclusivity
The priest critiques pressures to assimilate into English-dominated Christianity, citing the Catholic Church’s reputation in South Africa as an "English church."
"I know people who became Catholics and stopped speaking Afrikaans entirely... One woman even scolded converts for using Afrikaans in church!"
For Orthodoxy to heal racial tensions, he argues, people must respect cultural differences.
"It can [reconcile racial tensions], as long as everybody is not expected to be the same. If there is respect for different cultures and for different languages, Orthodoxy is going to be able to do it for sure," Fr Zach argues.
Liturgical Translation: A Foundation for the Future
Fr Zacharias humbly downplays comparisons to saints Cyril and Methodius, seeing himself as a "forerunner" like John the Baptist.
"John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christianity, and I see myself as a bit of a forerunner of Orthodoxy [in South Africa]," the priest opines.
Fr Zacharias believes he has "laid the foundation for something to be built on later".
"I'm very grateful that I had the opportunity to have made some sort of an impact. When I say that, I'm in no way comparing myself to John the Baptist or those two great saints that you mentioned," he says.
His translations prioritize liturgical texts, set to Russian melodies that "fit Afrikaans perfectly."
"English hymns sung in Russian [melodies] don't quite sound as authentic as when we sing it in Afrikaans."
While he won’t tackle patristic writings, he dreams of Afrikaners discovering Orthodoxy’s depth.
"With younger people, they're beginning to discover it because there's a huge discovery waiting for people in what is there in orthodoxy," Fr Zacharias says.
Reflecting on his journey, he muses, "It’s been remarkable... so many encounters with interesting people."
Though he jokes about writing a memoir, his real hope is simpler:
"I'm hoping and praying and look forward to the day when Afrikaans people will be able to see the enormous richness and the enormous depth that there is in Orthodoxy and in Orthodox spirituality and in orthodox Christianity," he concludes.
To hear more about Fr Zacharias’s mission and the growing Orthodox presence among Afrikaners, or to hear Orthodox chants in Afrikaans, listen to the full episode of AfroVerdict, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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