Research News

The Global Network for Public Theology exists to publicize the work of its participating research institutions. Here is the latest research news from the GNPT, with links for more information.

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New from the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Christian in Public: Aims, methodologies and issues in Public Theology

Len Hansen (Ed.)

SUN PReSS, 2008, ISBN 978-1-920109-35-6

AP: “Where does the role of a minister of God, of Christ, begin to take on a justifiable political connotation?”
BN: “At that point where the minister is confronted with the question whether the issue concerned is purely a party political one or whether, in fact, it touches a very deep moral truth. Where a basic Christian truth is threatened by any political action or any political policy a priest must stand up and speak out – not to criticise and condemn a specific party, but to state clearly what Christian truth, justice and love demands of everyone. And that includes the Christian members of that party. He [sic] must state clearly what needs to be done. If he doesn't do so, he does a great disservice, not only to the church but also to government.”
--Beyers Naudé, in an interview with Alan Paton, The Star, 13 December 1984.

Book Cover - Christian in Public“The Church of Jesus Christ ... to be sure, is not of this world, but is church in the world and for the world, called to confront every person and every system with the gospel of Jesus Christ ... The Christian who shrinks from this, in this regard fails in his [sic] calling.”
--Beyers Naudé, quoted in Die Transvaler, 11 August 1966 [trans. ed.]

Buy now from SUN-e-SHOP

This title is available from:
AFRICAN SUN MeDIA
www.africansunmedia.co.za
www.sun-e-shop.co.za
africansunmedia@sun.ac.za
phone: +27 21 808 2401
+27 21 808 2626

Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, University of Stellenbosch,
South Africa

Anlené Taljaard

http://academic.sun.ac.za/theology/centres.html#bnc

The BNC organized and participated in various exciting events during 2007. These events reflect the endeavour of the BNC to engage various aspects of broader public life, and to do this from a Christian theological perspective that is enriched by other disciplines.

1. Public lectures

2. Public lectures organized with Stellenbosch University campus community:
To celebrate Human Rights Day: Jody Kollapen, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of South Africa; To celebrate Freedom Day: Gertrude Fester

3. Conferences and consultations in collaboration with organizations of civil society:
With the Ethical Leadership Project: Ethical leadership in and through political life/labour/business (3 consultations)

With the Evangelisch Reformierte Kirche Deutschland and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa: The impact of globalization on the so-called north and south.

With the Uniting Reformed Church: 21st anniversary of the Confession of Belhar 1986: Allan Boesak, Dirkie Smit, Simon Konzapi, Elize Julius and Sipho Mahokoto

With Mkar Centre for Public Theology and development, and the International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI), Free University, Amsterdam on religion and the common good

With various partners in northern and southern countries: The international legal trade in conventional arms, Nairobi

With German Academies Arnoldshain and Bad Boll: Social Corporate Responsibility and Gender Justice

Media, religion and public opinion formation

Participation in the Pan African Congress of the Circle of Concerned Women

4. Annual Beyers Naudé Public Lecture in collaboration with the Kagiso Trust
Theme: Is quality education for the privileged only? Main Speaker: Franklin Sonn

5. Symposium on new book
Author: Jaap Durand. Title of book: The many faces of God (2007). Stellenbosch: Sun Press. Reviewers: Christo Lombard, Sipho Mahokoto, Len Hansen and Nico Koopman

6. Publications
2007. Conradie, E (ed) Collected Essays in Public Theology - Dirk Smit. Stellenbosch: Sun Press; 2007. Essays on human dignity with colleagues of Kampen Theological University, The Netherlands, in forthcoming Scriptura; 2007. Third book publication in the Beyers Naude Series on Public Theology; Also: various publications on Public Theology by BNC members

7. New staff members
Allan Boesak has joined the BNC as professorial researcher for three years. He leads the programme on globalization, in partnership with the Reformed Church in Germany and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa; Jan Nieder-Heitmann has joined the BNC as researcher. He leads the programme on religion and the common good in partnership with Mkar Centre for Public Theology and Development and the International Reformed Theological Institute at the Free University in Amsterdam.

The Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

David Tombs

www.tcd.ie/ise/

News/Forthcoming Activities:

During November the School will be co-hosting a major conference with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission entitled 'Rights and Righteousness: Human Rights and Religious Pluralism'. The conference will explore both the tensions and the complementarities between 'faith-based' and 'human rights-based' approaches to equality and social justice, and hopes to encourage better understanding of both amongst both scholars and activists. More details are available at http://www.tcd.ie/ise/news/events.php. David will be speaking on 'Dealing with the Past: Righteousness and Rights'.

Inspired by the excellent 'web2' workshop at the consultation in Princeton in May we have also been working on our Public Theology Initiative web-site. It is still in process and is now live at http://www.ecumenics.ie This includes a list of events in Public Theology from last year and also details of some of what is to come in 2007-08.'

Jakarta Theological Seminary, Indonesia

Robert Borrong

Teologi@bit.net.id

News/Forthcoming Activities:

I just ended my responsibility as the President of Jakarta Theological Seminary. The new President for 2007-2011 is Dr. Jan S. Aritonang. I am, however, still servings as the Director of the Center for the Study of Ethics. In October 29-31 there will be a national consultation on Ethics as guidance for the nation. In this consultation will be discussed issues like: the role of ethics in the social life of Indonesia. The specific discussion will be focusing on the role of Christian ethics in the recent Indonesian situation. We are aware as nation of our moral challenges as we are proclaimed as a nation with high levels of corruption by Transparancy International. We would like to challenge ourselves how to educate our people to become a respectful people among nations. Participants in this consultation will come from theological Institutions and representatives of Christian Universities across the country.

We just celebrated our 73th anniversary as the oldest seminary in Indonesia. In this respect we try to give our best to our society. The second program is to perform certification for Christian Education Instructors in Public Schools all over Indonesia. There are about 4000 Christian Teachers in Public Schools (State Schools) in Indonesia, and our Seminary is tasked by our government to provide certification for them. This project will be one of our extra programs as seminary, and is one of our contributions to our society.

Public and Contextual Theology Strategic Research Centre,
Charles Sturt University, Australia

James Haire

www.csu.edu.au/faculty/arts/theology/pact/

From the 1st of July this year the GNPT will be hosted by the Centre of Public and Contextual Theology (PACT) at Charles Sturt University in Canberra and Sydney. The incoming chairperson of the GNPT and his colleagues, James Haire, Katie Chambers and dr Julia Pitman can be seen on these photos that were taken during this week of 14 April at the new offices of the GNPT. Heather Kaemingk and Nico Koopman will be sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton to visit PACT in Canberra and Sydney in late May, and to do an official hand-over of the administration and management of the GNPT to PACT.

The GNPT office

The door of the GNPT Office, with the name, in the Charles Sturt University Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture and PACT Headquarters, Canberra

James Haire with the GNPT Officer, Ms. Katie Chambers, who is working for PACT temporarily, having recently submitted her PhD thesis to the University of Cambridge, U.K.

Dr. Julia Pitman and Katie

Dr. Julia Pitman (PhD Adelaide), the Manager of PACT-CSU, and Katie, in the GNPT Office

Julia and Katie

Julia and Katie in the GNPT Office

News/Forthcoming Activities:
ANZATS Conference

A very successful international conference, entitled "Global Neighbours and Faithful Citizens: Theology in the Public Domain", was held in Canberra from 8 - 12 July 2007. The conference was a co-operative venture between PACT-CSU, the CSU School of Theology (St Mark's National Theological Centre and United Theological College (UTC)), the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C), and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools / the Australia and New Zealand Association for Theological Studies (ANZATS / ANZSTS). Rev Professor James Haire, Director of PACT, was Convenor for the conference, and Professor Ian Goulter, Vice-Chancellor of CSU, opened the conference. International guest speakers included Rev Dr Will Storrar, Director, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, USA; Professor Nico Koopman, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; and Professor Elaine Graham, University of Manchester, UK. In addition, twenty-seven other papers, from various parts of the world, were presented.

Auckland Lectures

On 1 August 2007, Rev Professor James Haire, Director of PACT, delivered the University of Auckland Annual Lecture in Public Theology at Old Government House, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. The lecture was entitled: "Public Theology - A Latin Captivity of the Church?: Violence and Public Theology in the Praxis often Church in Asia."

On 3 August, Prof Haire delivered the Ferguson Lecture 2007, entitled: Should we do it in Public?: Public Theology in the Asia–Pacific Region" at St David's Presbyterian Church, Auckland, New Zealand.

These lectures were arranged through Professor Elaine Wainwright and the Rev Doug Lendrum.

PACT-CSU to Host GNPT Secretariat

PACT-CSU is very pleased to begin preparing to be the hosts for the GNPT Global Network for Public Theology (GNPT), for the next triennium 2008–2010. The transfer of the Secretariat from Princeton USA to PACT-CSU is planned for 1 July 2008. Sydney (UTC) and Canberra (ACC&C and St Mark's) are pleased to host the next triennial meeting of the Global Network to be held in 2010.

Citizenship, Discipleship, Belonging

On 7 September 2007, PACT held a Research Seminar entitled "Citizenship, Discipleship, Belonging" at the United Theological College (UTC), North Parramatta, chaired by the Rev Dr Jione Havea of UTC..

Public but Not Official

From 20 - 21 September 2007, PACT held a conference: "Public but Not Official: Anglican Contributions to Australian Life", chaired by the Rev Associate Professor Tom Frame (Associate Director of PACT and Director of St Mark's), held at St Mark's National Theological Centre, Canberra. The Rev Professor Robin Gill, of the University of Kent at Canterbury, gave the Keynote Addresses.

PACT RESEARCH CENTRE FELLOWS

In 2007, PACT-CSU appointed two Research Centre Fellows in PACT.

The Rev Associate Professor Scott Cowdell was commissioned on the 5th of August 2007 as Research Centre Fellow of PACT-CSU, based at St Mark's, Canberra. He is also Canon Theologian for the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.

The Rev Dr Stephen Burns, formerly of the University of Durham, UK, arrived in Australia in September 2007 to become the second PACT Research Centre Fellow, based at the UTC, Sydney. He is to be commissioned on 26 October 2007.

PACT RESEARCH PROFESSOR

Professor Wayne Hudson was appointed by CSU on 4 April 2007 as a Strategic Research Professor of Humanities at CSU for 40% of his time (the other 60% is at the University of Tasmania). He has been assigned by the Centre for Research and Graduate Training of CSU (CRGT-CSU) to work in the area of PACT. He chaired one of the sessions at the ANZATS Conference in July 2007.

PACT PHD RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

The Rev Jeanette Mathews, formerly Minister of Canberra Baptist Church, has been awarded a PACT PhD Research Scholarship and has commenced research under the supervision of the Rev Dr Matthew Anstey.

PACT BOOK SERIES

The second volume in the CSU-PACT Monograph Series: Graeme Garrett, ed., ‘Into the World You Love': Encountering God in Everyday Life, Adelaide: ATF Press, 2007, was launched on 5 August 2007.

The third volume in the Series, entitled: James Haire, Christine Ledger and Stephen Pickard (eds), From Resurrection to Return: Perspectives from Theology and Science on Christian Eschatology, will be launched by the eminent geologist Professor David Green FRS on 23 November 2007.

The fourth volume in the Series entitled: William Emilsen and John Squires (eds), Validating Violence: Violating Faith, will be published at the beginning of 2008.

All are published by ATF Press Ltd.

PACT WEBSITE

The PACT website can be found at: http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/arts/theology/pact/

Sia'atoutai Theological College, Tonga

Tevita Tonga Mohenoa Puloka

www.siaatoutai.to/

Current Vacant Posts to be filled by 4 February 2008. Send resume with references from most recent employer and your local church pastor
Contact: Principal, Rev. Dr. Tevita Tonga Mohenoa Puloka mohenoa@siaatoutai.to or mohenoa@kalianet.to
(676) 22-577 Office or 24-859

  1. Lecturer in Biblical Studies, preferably in Old Testament with Biblical Hebrew.
  2. Lecturer in Biblical Studies, preferably in New Testament with Biblical Greek.
  3. Academic Program Level: 3-year Diploma, and 4-year Bachelor of Divinity
  4. Language of Instruction: English, and with competency in appropriate biblical languages.
  5. 1 paid roundtrip airfare to and from Tonga is provided by the College.
  6. On campus housing with accomodation, office space, and with internet access.
  7. A College teaching allowance and living stipend are provided.
  8. All faculty opening sessions: 28-30 January 2008.
  9. Teaching duties begin on 4 February thru 13 June 2008 for a semester.
  10. Teaching duties for a year begin on 4 February thru 14 November 2008.

STC is a Methodist Church in Tonga seminary with particular objectives of providing theological and ministerial training and preparation of men and women for ordained ministry, as well as training of lay workers of the Church and other sectors of the society.

The School of Theology, University of Auckland, Aotorea New Zealand

Elaine Wainwright

www.theology.auckland.ac.nz/

News/Forthcoming Activities:

1. Five staff members from the School of Theology participated in the ANZATS/ANZSTS Conference: Global Neighbors and Faithful Citizens: Theology in the Public Domain, held in Canberra, Australia 8 - 12 July at which Elaine Graham, Will Storrar and Nico Koopman were keynote speakers. Four delivered papers.

2. Professor James Haire delivered the School of Theology Public Lecture [an annual lecture focused on Public Theology] at the University of Auckland on 1 August, entitled "Public Theology - a Latin captivity of the Church?: Violence and Public Theology in the praxis of the Church in Asia". This can be accessed on the School's website at http://www.theology.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/theology/news-and-events/pub_lect_archive.cfm

Professor Haire also delivered the Ferguson Lecture at St. David's Presbyterian Church, Khyber Pass Road, Auckland on Friday 3 August, facilitated by Rev Doug Lendrum. This lecture was entitled: "Should we do it in public: Public Theology in the Asia-Pacific Region". It can be accessed on the St. David's website at http://www.saintdavids.org.nz/FergusonLecture.htm.

These lectures are sponsored co-jointly by the School of Theology and St. David's Church - a very promising collaboration in relation to our developing Public Theology in the Auckland region.

3. Professor Elaine Wainwright participated in the FOCal Conference in Dunedin on 14-15 September. FOCal [Forum for the Christian Left] is an active organization seeking to engage Christianity and Politics in the New Zealand context. Details of the conference can be found on their website: http://www.focal.org.nz/home.php. Elaine delivered a keynote paper entitled "Woman's Work is Never Done: Continuing the Negotiation of Gender Politics in Church and Society" which will provide a basis for an article to be contributed to IJPT next year. The panel discussion between participants, politicians and theologians was very stimulating. The conference as a whole indicated one possible direction for the doing of public theology in this region.

4. The School of Theology was very pleased to have secured funding from the University's Distinguished Visitors Award to bring Professor Elaine Graham to the School for 5 weeks in Semester 2, 2008. She will deliver the 2008 School of Theology Lecture and participate with Dr. Mary Caygill in the initial offering of a new course: Issues in Public Theology. In conjunction with Elaine's visit, we are also hoping to further a dream to arrange some seminar activity around the School's Public Lecture.

5. Many of the faculty members of the School are engaged in the final stages of a research project: Spirit Possession and the Journey toward WellBeing. This was requested by a Trust Fund which is providing funding. It is envisaged that this project will expand in 2008 to include international contributors.

Manchester Centre for Public Theology, University of Manchester, UK

Elaine Graham

www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/mcpt/

News/Forthcoming Activities:
MCPT Urban Seminar series - continuing till November 2007.
http://www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/mcpt/events/SeminarSeries/

Religion, Happiness and Well-Being grant
http://www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/mcpt/projects/index.htm but where it says 323,492 that should be pounds sterling 23,492!

Doctor of Practical Theology:
We have just successfully enrolled our second cohort onto the professional doctorate in practical theology - candidates include a professional Gospel musician, a local minister working in social enterprise, a prison chaplain and a translator for the deaf. The latter candidate is funded by two major research councils on what's called a 'collaborative doctoral studentship' to carry out action-research into the impact of a project to translate the Bible into British Sign Language on members of the Deaf community and Deaf congregations.

New Zealand Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago,
Dunedin, Aotorea New Zealand

Murray Rae

www.otago.ac.nz/theology/index.html

News/Forthcoming Activities:
The position of the Professorial Director of the New Zealand Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Otago was advertised in July, and interviews for the position will be held shortly. The University of Otago has also announced the establishment of a Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (again led by a Professorial Director), and there will be strong synergies between the NZ CTPI and this new Centre. In addition, a joint funding proposal (with Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) has been submitted to the New Zealand Government for a Centre for the Study of Islam and Muslim Cultures. We hope that this will be successful, and again will lead to strong synergies with the New Zealand Centre for Theology and Public Issues.

Department of Religion and Theology,
University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Christo Lombard

http://www.uwc.ac.za/

News/Forthcoming Activities:
In September we (at the University of the Western Cape) had a wonderful evening with Archbishop Desmond Tutu: The occasion was the annual Desmond Tutu lecture, this year presented by the well-known American theologian Michael Battle, who published extensively on Bishop Tutu's work on reconciliation and Ubuntu theology, and Prof Ciraaj Rassool, a UWC historian, who emphasised Tutu's very unusual biography, not guarded or idealised by any form of "official branding", but still ongoing in its prophetic courage and critical impact. At the same occasion, where his twentieth year as Chancellor of the University was also celebrated, the Chairperson of the Department of Religion and Theology, Prof Ernst Conradie, announced the launch of the initiative, supported by big names in the ecumenical world, of establishing a Desmond Tutu Chair in Ecumenical Theology and Social Transformation at the University of the Western Cape. This Chair will enhance the agendas of public theology in South Africa and especially post-graduate studies on issues of "social transformation" in a big way.

At UWC (University of the Western Cape), our Department of Religion and Theology, a full partner in our Global Network for Public Theology, had quite a busy year as far as "public theology" is concerned:

  1. In August we had our annual public theology conference, this year on the theme "Law without Morality?", in which a number of top Law and Theology Professors (also from the USA), and high-ranking Judges of the South African Bench and Constitutional Court presented papers and engaded in serious debate. The major contributions will be published early in 2008. More than two hundred people attended for the whole day, and especially towards the end, when time was allocated for discussion, the need for a culture of deeply embedded, shared, moral values (such as *Ubuntu*), to undergird the law and its implementation and enforcement, was underlined in many different ways. It was a heartening experience to see how engaged South Africans are in the struggle after the struggle: for a truly free, just and democratic society where everyone's dignity and security are safe-guarded.
  2. Another public theology occasion was in August in Stellenbosch, at the Beyers Naude Centre for Public Theology, when a new book by Prof Jaap Durand, retired Vice Rector of the University of Western Cape and one of the initiators of the Belhar Confession against Apartheid, was launched: "The many faces of God". Prof Durand explained how he found his way through 17 centuries of church history and dogma to understand the "orthodox" picture of God shining through the multiple manifestations of God in different contexts. Prof Christo Lombard, who did his doctorate on one of the leading public theologians from the Netherlands, Prof A.A. van Ruler (whose centenary will be celebrated in 2008), under Prof Durand at the University of the Western Cape, delivered an introduction to the book at the launch that was very well attended.

Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Eddy Van der Borght

www.vu.nl/

News/Forthcoming Activities:

In December the Journal of Reformed Theology will publish a theme issue on Public Theology. The issue is prepared by the current public-theologian-in-residence at CTI, Nico Koopman, as guest editor.

It will contain the following articles on the theme:

  1. Nico Koopman, 'Introduction'
  2. Nico Koopman, 'Reformed Theology in South Africa: Black? Liberating? Public?'
  3. Frits de Lange, 'Becoming One Self: A Critical Retrieval of 'Choice Biography''
  4. Martin Laubscher, 'A Search for Karl Barth's 'Public Theology': Looking into Some Defining Areas of his Work in the post-World War II Years'
  5. Douglas J. Schuurman, 'Vocation, Christendom, and Public Life: A Reformed Assessment of Yoder's Anabaptist Critique of Christendom'
  6. Gotlind Ulshöfer, 'Economic Justice as Social Justice in a Globalized World: A Theological Analysis'
  7. Nico Vorster, 'A Theological Evaluation of the South African Constitutional Value of Human Dignity'
  8. Clive Pearson, 'How Shy Can a Reformed Theology Be?

In August 07, the first consultation on Religions and the Nation State took place in Nigeria as a first leg in a four year research program 'Religions in search of the common good in pluralistic societies'. The International Reformed Theological Institute, Free University, Amsterdam in collaboration with Beyers Naude Centre for Public Theology, Stellenbosch University and the Institute for Public Theology and Development Studies, Mkar organized a two day Consultation Forum (27-28 August 2007) and Capacity Building Research Workshop (29-31 August 2007) hosted by the General Studies Unit of the University of Mkar, Mkar, Benue State-NIGERIA. The total number of participants for the two days was 526.

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