Acting Head of the Department of Religion Studies, University of the Free State
The Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of the Free State has four departments: Old Testament and New Testament Studies, Historical and Constructive Theology, Practical and Missional Theology, and Religion Studies. I am writing about the Department of Religion Studies to which I belong. The Department uniquely contributes to the faculty, society, and our students. Briefly about its staff: The Department had two full-time academic staff members, Dr Jacob Mokhutso and Prof Joel Mokhoathi, who unfortunately left the university at the end of March, and the Department’s administrator, Ms Ronel Ellis. We are also delighted and thankful for the continued contribution of our two part-time lecturers, Mr John Victor and Thabiso Khoeli. Again, this year, we received two postdocs, Drs Bernard Humbe and Gift Masengwe.
What is unique about our department is the modules we offer and the themes we explore that go beyond the scope of theology. More so because most of our students are Christians who have not been exposed to other religions. The reality is that social cohesion and a complete understanding of Africa and South Africa’s religious landscape are paramount for clergy and other disciplines such as psychology, social work, education, law, etc. because we do not only interact with people from different faiths, but are constantly faced with religious issues such as tolerance. Therefore, our department aims to train well-rounded students who can significantly contribute to whatever context they find themselves in.
Our uniqueness is reflected by the modules we offer, which range from higher certificates to Bachelor of Divinity, Honnours, master’s structure, and research, as well as PhD qualifications. For example, we offer a module named Religion and Social Milieu, which focuses on spirituality, religion, social interaction, and transformation, and Contemporary Expression of Religiosity in Africa, which focuses on contemporary manifestations of African Religion, Christianity, and Islam in Africa. In this module, attention is given to the engagement of these religions with African cultures, modernity, and social challenges. The last one I would like to share that interests you is the Study of Belief Systems, which focuses on new religious movements and secular quests for ultimacy and transcendence (see our website for more of our modules). Special attention is given to the African context. With this work, we aim to expose our students to the context in which they will serve as clergy, theologians, and South African citizens. Remember, South Africa is a multi-religious society, and somehow, we teach our students to understand their context and have in-depth knowledge and exposure. Students explore themes such as African traditional religion, African Christianity, African Independent Churches, and interreligious dialogue, as well as how the mainline churches are wrestling with such issues as widowhood, the sangoma initiation process, etc. Various topics that explore religion and some interaction between Christianity and other faiths are examined in detail.
As a growing department, we are always looking for people with PhDs passionate about writing and religious issues to apply to our department as research fellows. We hope this has given you an overview of the Department of Religion Studies, our offerings, and how our modules can enhance your knowledge and faith. You are free to forward your CV and necessary documentation to us.
| Provided: Dr Jacob Mokhutso, Acting Head of the Department of Religion Studies, University of the Free State
