| Eighth Winter School at Theology | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=6603 | | Eighth Winter School at Theology | Helette van der Westhuizen | <p style="margin:0mm 0mm 0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">The Winter School of the Faculty of Theology,
Stellenbosch University, was recently presented for the eighth time. The Winter
School is an initiative of the faculty, Communitas, Ekklesia and the Beyers
Naudé Centre for Public Theology, which aims to create a dialogue on
contemporary issues affecting communities and congregations. It also provides
an opportunity for additional theological training of spiritual leaders, and
empowering members of the congregation.</font></p><p style="margin:0mm 0mm 0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">Prof Anita Cloete, coordinator of the Winter
School, says: “This year we reflected on 25 years of democracy in conversation
with religion. The keynote speakers highlighted the theme from different
perspectives and emphasized the public role that the church plays. On the first
day, Prof Nadine Bowers-du Toit focused on identity politics and how, on the
one hand, it promotes polarization and, on the other hand, is often intertwined
with religion. Former Statistics General Dr Pali Lehohla outlined the story of
democracy on day two using statistics about South Africa. Prof Allan Boesak
concluded the Winter School with an emphasis on the important contribution of
religion in the fight against apartheid, also outlining the role for religion
in South Africa’s future democracy. " Follow the link for a copy of his address. <a href="/english/PublishingImages/Lists/dualnews/My%20Items%20View/Prof%20Allan%20Boesak.pdf"><img class="ms-asset-icon ms-rtePosition-4" src="/_layouts/15/images/icpdf.png" alt="" />Prof Allan Boesak.pdf</a></font></p><p style="margin:0mm 0mm 0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">“The parallel sessions that took place in the
morning and afternoon followed the main themes of the day. The Winter School
was very well attended with more than 200 participants. One of the highlights
of the Winter School is that it brings people together from different
denominations, cultures and generations. This diversity also adds depth to our
shared sense of community and conversations because it allows us to learn more
about each other, crossing boundaries. Each day began with participants joining
together in a moment of stillness to read the Word. In the feedback after the
course, many participants described it as one of the most valuable moments of
the Winter School. "</font></p><p style="margin:0mm 0mm 0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">“We hope this initiative will continue as a way of
communicating hope to congregations and communities. "</font></p><p style="margin:0mm 0mm 0pt;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">The dates of the 2020 Winter School will be announced soon.</font></p><p><br> </p> |
| Public lecture by Lord Rowan Williams | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4389 | | Public lecture by Lord Rowan Williams | Marita Snyman | <p>Lord Williams was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 – 2012 and currently holds the position of<span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Masters_of_Magdalene_College%2c_Cambridge"><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0">Master</span></a><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0"> of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_College%2c_Cambridge"><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0">Magdalene College</span></a><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0"> at </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambridge"><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0">Cambridge University</span></a><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-2-0">. </span>He is acknowledged internationally as an outstanding theological writer, scholar and teacher. He has been involved in many theological, ecumenical and educational commissions. His visit forms part of the Global Network for Public Theology's Consultation on Democracy and Social Justice in Glocal contexts, presented by the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology and the Faculty of Theology. Please note that there is limited seating – please book your seat with Marita Snyman (<a href="mailto:maritasnyman@sun.ac.za">maritasnyman@sun.ac.za</a> or 021 808 2538) as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.</p> |
| Responses to the Naming of Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Violence, a colloquium led by Professor David Tombs | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=6511 | | Responses to the Naming of Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Violence, a colloquium led by Professor David Tombs | Marita Snyman | <p><strong style="text-align:center;">COLLOQUIUM: </strong><strong style="text-align:center;">Responses to the Naming of Jesus as a </strong><strong style="text-align:center;">Victim of Sexual Violence</strong></p><p><strong style="text-align:center;"></strong><span style="text-align:center;">P</span><span style="text-align:center;">rofessor Tombs' paper was followed by responses from </span><strong style="text-align:center;">Shantelle Weber</strong><span style="text-align:center;">, Senior lecturer: Practical Theology and Missiology, </span><strong style="text-align:center;">Ashwin Thyssen</strong><span style="text-align:center;">, senior student leader and activist and </span><strong style="text-align:center;">Jeremy Punt</strong><span style="text-align:center;">, Professor: Old and New Testament, </span><span style="text-align:center;">all Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong></strong><strong>Professor David Tombs is the Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, at the University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand. He has a longstanding interest in contextual and liberation theologies and is author of </strong><strong><em>Latin American Liberation Theology </em></strong><strong>(Brill, 2002). His research is on religion and violence, and his current writing focusses on crucifixion. </strong></p><p>Pictured are Dion Forster, Shantelle Weber, David Tombs, Ashwin Thyssen and Jeremy Punt<br></p> |
| Gift exchange between the Beyers Naudé Centre and the Institute of Ethics of the Faculdades EST, Brazil | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4462 | | Gift exchange between the Beyers Naudé Centre and the Institute of Ethics of the Faculdades EST, Brazil | Marita Snyman | <p>Exchanges of significant gifts are signs of friendship, partnership and koinonia between brothers and sisters in Christ. As such a sign, the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology gave to its partner Institute, the Institute of Ethics of the Faculdades EST at São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, an artwork by Professor emeritus Daniël Johannes Louw of Stellenbosch University. The artwork under the name of "Derelictio: Christ the cursed and wounded healer" was brought to Brazil and handed over in a worship service during the third International Congress of Faculdades EST in September by Dr Donald Katts and put in place in the Institute (photo). Made with broken glass, it shows how Christ assumed our human vulnerability and suffered for our sake. In the rising sun behind the cross we can see the light of the resurrection.</p><p><img src="/english/PublishingImages/Lists/dualnews/My%20Items%20View/Faculdades%20EST.jpg" alt="Faculdades EST.jpg" style="margin:5px;" /><br></p><p>This light is also visible in the Easter candle that was brought in return to the Beyers Naudé Centre in October, following the fourth Meeting of the Global Network of Public Theology held at STIAS in Stellenbosch. Prof Rudolf von Sinner, Director of the Ethics Institute, handed over the handmade candle to Dr Dion Forster, Acting Director of the BNS (photo). Whenever we shall look at these tokens, we shall be reminded of our partnership and collaboration in the work of God's reign, justice and love in our respective contexts. Both countries are among those with the highest economic and social inequalities in the world and well know the positive, ambiguous and questionable contributions of churches towards the common good in society.</p> |
| The Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology and Faculdades EST, Brazil strengthen partnership | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4276 | | The Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology and Faculdades EST, Brazil strengthen partnership | Dion Forster | <p>The Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University has been engaged in a rich and fruitful partnership with colleagues from Faculdades EST since 2007. Faculdades EST is a Brazilian institution of research and academic training in the fields of human sciences and applied social sciences, linguistics, languages, arts and health. The partnership has focussed predominantly on issues of Public Theologies in the respective contexts. Prof Dr Rudolf von Sinner from Faculdades EST and Dr Dion Forster from the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology serve as the coordinators of an ongoing research project on the nature and content of Public Theologies from Brazil and South Africa. This has been a very fruitful collaboration over the years with the exchange of staff and students, participation in conferences in Sao Leopoldo and Stellenbosch, and shared publications. <br> <br>On the 14th of September 2016 the Faculty of Theology (Stellenbosch University) and the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology presented Prof Dr Rudolf von Sinner with an artwork for the Centre for Ethics at Faculdades EST. The artwork, which was created by Prof Daniel Louw (Emeritus Professor - and former Dean - of the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch) is entitled '<em>The Cursed and Wounded Healer</em>'. It symbolises the frailty and brokenness of human persons and society as a result of sin. Yet, it points towards the hope of healing and restoration that the cross of Christ brings, expressed in Pauline terminology, as wholeness (<em>parrhesia</em>).</p><p>We look forward to many fruitful years of South by South collaboration between these two Southern hemisphere institutions. In this picture Dr Donald Katts, Stellenbosch (left) is presenting the artwork to Prof Dr Rudolf von Sinner (right) at a special service at Faculdades EST.</p> |
| International Bonhoeffer Congress January 2020 | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=7255 | | International Bonhoeffer Congress January 2020 | Marita Snyman | <h2>The XIII International Bonhoeffer Congress was held from 19-23 January 2020 at the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch. <br></h2><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>International Graduate students' colloquium</strong></p><p>A graduate students' colloquium was held (prior to the XIII International Bonhoeffer Congress) at Volmoed Conference and Retreat Centre near Hermanus from Friday 17<sup>th</sup> of January till Sunday 19<sup>th</sup> of February 2020. </p><p>Masters' students, doctoral students and post-doc researchers working on Bonhoeffer shared during the colloquium their research and experience with the group and this led to lively discussions. We are grateful for the presence at the colloquium of leading Bonhoeffer scholars such as Clifford Green, Reggie Williams, Barry Harvey, John de Gruchy, Michael DeJonge, Jennifer McBride, Jens Zimmermann, and Keith Clemens who not only responded to the students' presentations but also shared insights and stories from their own involvement in Bonhoeffer studies over the years. The colloquium was attended by about 40 people.</p><p> <br></p><p><strong>The XIII International Bonhoeffer Congress, Stellenbosch 19-23 January 2020</strong></p><p>The 13<sup>th</sup> International Bonhoeffer Congress took place from 19-23 January 2020 and was hosted by the Faculty of Theology and the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology at Stellenbosch University, in partnership with the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The theme of our conference was “How the coming generation is to go on living?" – a theme drawn from Bonhoeffer's remarkable text “After Ten Years," in which we read: “The ultimate responsible question is not how I extricate myself heroically from a situation but [how] a coming generation is to go on living? Only from such a historically responsible question will fruitful solutions arise." </p><p style="text-align:justify;">It was the hope of the conference that participants would grapple with the way in which this remark of Bonhoeffer shows a concern to take responsibility not only for our own personal and communal life in all its complexity and richness but also for the kind of values and society that future generations will inherit from us. We believe that the pertinence of Bonhoeffer's question is felt anew in our day as we experience threats on a global level to socio-political, economic and inter-religious stability and solidarity. Also within the South African context there have been major sea changes since the first truly democratic elections were held in 1994. And the reality of climate change and ecological devastation implies that the question of how future generations are going to go on living is linked to the fact that we live on a planet in jeopardy.</p><p>It is against this background that the congress convened. The congress started with a church service at the Stellenbosch United Church, with Archbishop Thabo Makgoba as preacher. A special word of thanks to the Ecumenical Board of the Faculty of Theology, and in particular the local congregations for their role in the planning of the service and for sponsoring the refreshments afterwards.</p><p>Keynote speakers at the congress included Wolfgang Huber, Nadia Marais, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Teddy Sakupapa, and Reggie Williams. In the final session John de Gruchy moderated a panel of mostly younger scholars addressing the conference theme. </p><p>Two of the keynote sessions (on the Wednesday of the congress) took place at the University of the Western Cape, followed by an excursion to Cape Town and included visits to the St George's Cathedral and the District Six Museum and Homecoming Centre (where we also had our conference dinner). </p><p>There were 170 registered participants at the congress, of which 70 presented seminar papers. About 100 of the conference participants were from abroad.</p><p>On the Monday night a book launch was held of three Bonhoeffer publications with strong South African links, namely John de Gruchy's <em>Bonhoeffer's Questions: A Life-changing Conversation</em> (Lexington Books, 2019); Nico Koopman and Robert Vosloo, <em>Reading Bonhoeffer in South Africa after the Transition to Democracy</em> (Peter Lang Verlag, 2020) and Andreas Pangritz, <em>The Polyphony of Life: Bonhoeffer's theology of music</em> (edited by John de Gruchy and John Morris, and translated by Robert Steiner (Cascade Books, 2019).</p><p>We are also grateful for a spirited performance by the Stellenbosch Libertas Choir on the Monday evening of the conference. <br></p><p><br></p> |
| Beyers Naudé Centre welcomes Rev Rineke van Ginkel, new coworker from the Netherlands | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4636 | | Beyers Naudé Centre welcomes Rev Rineke van Ginkel, new coworker from the Netherlands | Marita Snyman | <p>Welcome Rineke! FLTR: Prof Dirkie Smit, outgoing Chair: BNC Board; Dr Dion Forster, incoming BNC Director; Mr Patrick Mengers, Rev Van Ginkel's husband; Rev Rineke Van Ginkel; Ms Marita Snyman, BNC Programme Coordinator; Rev Stephen Pedro, SKLAS Committee member; Dr Ntozakhe Cezula, Chair: SKLAS Committee</p> |
| Beyers Naudé: The Thug life of an Afrikaner dominee | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4091 | | Beyers Naudé: The Thug life of an Afrikaner dominee | Marita Snyman | <p>The Beyers Naudé Archive houses many good protest artworks especially in the Pro Veritate collection and the Belydende Kring (literally: "Confessing Circle") which offered theological commentary on relevant social matters. Botha included some of these artworks in his powerpoint presentation to point out that many of the causes Beyers Naudé pursued are stil relevant in the South Africa of today where they keep society divided.</p><p>Among the topics discussed were reconciliation, migrant labour, economic injustice and racial segregation - issues that are still prominent in society today, especially in Stellenbosch. The aim of the talk was for the audience to think critically about the society they live in and help maintain. Beyers Naudé's message was firstly that there should be an awareness of the prevailing injustice. Secondly that each person initially as an individual then as a community should together take responsibility for a future non-racial, more equal and free democracy where everyone's dignity is acknowledged, not only constitutionally but also by the people and institutions in the country.</p><p>Botha told the audience that it was both an honour and challenge for him to allow Beyers Naudé's words to challenge him as a Christian in the NG Church.</p> |
| Memorial service for Prof Plaatjies-Van Huffel on 29 May | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=7388 | | Memorial service for Prof Plaatjies-Van Huffel on 29 May | Marita Snyman | <p><a href="/english/PublishingImages/Lists/dualnews/My%20Items%20View/Memorial%20service%20MAP.jpg"><img class="ms-asset-icon ms-rtePosition-4" src="/_layouts/15/images/icjpg.gif" alt="" />Memorial service MAP.jpg</a><br></p> |
| Russel Botman Memorial Lecture | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=4342 | | Russel Botman Memorial Lecture | Helette van der Westhuizen | <p style="text-align:left;">The <span style="text-align:center;">Russel Botman Memorial Lecture, </span><span style="text-align:center;">commemorating the life of Prof Hayman Russel Botman, is </span><span style="text-align:center;">hosted annually by the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University </span><span style="text-align:center;">in conjunction with the curatoria of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa and the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology.</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>"Are we still of any use?"</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Situating Russel Botman's thinking on poverty, empowerment and education </strong><strong>in our contemporary times.</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Date</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Tuesday, 18 October 2016 at 18:15</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Venue</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Attie van Wijk Auditorium, Faculty of Theology, 171 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Speaker</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Prof Crain Soudien, Human Sciences Research Council</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Response</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Prof Yusef Waghid, Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Vote of thanks</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Mr Randall van den Heever, Russel Botman bursar, <br>Stellenbosch University</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>RSVP by 10 October 2016</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Helette, 021 808 9560 or hvdwest@sun.ac.za</p><p></p> |
