Some big changes coming! Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

There are some big changes coming! Please see the short video below for more details. We would appreciate your prayers.

The Indecency of the World Cup in Qatar—Making a F-ing Difference?

I love Berlin! It is an amazing city. I have been here many times in the last decade. As I write this, I am sitting in my office in the Theology Faculty at the Humboldt University Berlin, looking out over the Spree river towards the Berliner Dom (Lutheran Cathedral) and Museum Island. I am here on an extended stay as part of a research sabbatical. But, of course, there is another side to contemporary Berlin. It is a city whose residents challenge convention and push the boundaries. Graffiti is a common sight as are some rather interesting fashion choices.

On my commute from home to the university, I cycled through a tunnel under the S-Bahn (elevated train) near Hackescher Markt, home to all the “cool” stores. Just as the Berliner Dom came into view, I was confronted by a mural by the “Football blackout for human rights” campaign that was pasted over the regular graffiti on the tunnel walls. It read:

“On Dec 10, I’ll marathon-kiss my queer partner in public instead of watching football.”

I think the text is deliberately intended to shock the reader. It is somewhat reminiscent of the famous Berlin mural by Dmitri Vrubel, often referred to as the Fraternal Kiss. It was painted along the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery with the inscription, Mein Gott, hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben [My God, Help Me to Survive this Deadly Love]. The famous mural depicts Leonid Brezhnev (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, 1960–1964 and 1977–1982) and Erich Honecker (head of East Germany under Soviet rule, 1971–1989) engaging in a fraternal kiss. The mural is based on a photograph by Régis Bossu, depicting the two communist leaders engaging in such a kiss in East Berlin on 7 October 1979. There is nothing strange about two men kissing. It is common in many cultures. But the mural elicited quite a stir. Some found it indecent and shocking, and it generated a great deal of public debate.

I am guessing that the artists behind the mural I passed are hoping to create similar discussion. Well, I sat down to write this piece, so it is working to some extent at least!  Among the other slogans used by the “Football blackout for human rights” campaign are:

“Today I’d rather drunk-text my ex than watch football”

and “Today I’d rather masturbate all day than watching football.”

For me, the juxtaposition of what society deems “decent” (the Berliner Dom and the grand Museums) against the seemingly indecent slogans of the “Football blackout” campaign raised important questions about how we make sense of the world and construct our values. Let me explain why.

I started my sabbatical research in July 2022 by delivering one of the more important lectures of my career to date, my inaugural lecture as Professor of Public Theology and Ethics at Stellenbosch University (see, Counterpoint). In the lecture, I wrestled with “living more decently in an indecent world.” Since then, I have been speaking, teaching, and researching at some of the more “decent” Universities in Germany and the UK (Cambridge, Heidelberg, Bamberg, and Berlin). A lot of my conversations with students and colleagues have centered around the tension between the need for both decency and indecency in contemporary theology.

In my lecture, I was not advocating for a kind of “decent theology,” or “decency ethics.” I realize that what is presented as “decency” in some settings can be used to oppress sexual minorities, to stifle racial and ethnic diversity, or to “other” persons from non-dominant cultures.

Rather, I tried to imagine how a person might live a moral life, a good life, a life of greater justice that is directed towards the common good in the midst of many contemporary indecencies (such as poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and war). Moreover, I wanted to discern what we should do when these indecencies are held in place or strengthened by indecent systems and institutions, to the extent that—by means of economic, political, and religious systems—their actions and values, even in so-called “decent” societies have become indecent.

Consider the different treatment given to Syrian and Ukrainian refugees in Europe, or the religion that is used to oppress sexual minorities, or sport that is used to “purpose-wash” human rights abuses. We need a measure of decency to counter structural and systemic indecencies that humiliate and dehumanize people. The Israeli philosopher Avishai Margalit asserts that a “decent society is one whose institutions do not humiliate people.”

Though my focus then was on decency, I realize that we also need a measure of indecency to call into question some of what we have come to uncritically and unquestioningly present as “proper,” “acceptable,” and “justifiable” in contemporary politics, economics, and religion. I would characterize “oppressive decency” as a form of arbitrary, parochial narrow- mindedness.

To combat that, advocating for some measure of indecency in contemporary life is not without peril. Some groups may claim that their acts of racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and homophobia further their version of what is good. In such instances we need to defer to greater decency—such as upholding our common humanity, fostering deep solidarity, and working courageously and tirelessly for universal justice. In short, we need to maintain a critical tension between both indecency and decency in our pursuit of the common good, and the lasting good.

So, my question is, what is the decent thing to do when encountering structural and systemic indecency in society? The decent thing to do may just be indecent by some contemporary standards.

The late Argentinian theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid suggested that in situations where systemic and structural oppression has been normalized, we need to develop an Indecent Theology that “troubles” some of these ossified and uncritically accepted “decent” beliefs and practices that lead to injustice and oppression. When her book was first published, it caused a major stir in “decent” theological circles. The South African queer theologians Hanzline Davids and Ashwin Thyssen argue that this “stir” is good as it “disrupts, transgresses, and erases stable binaries” such as heteropatriarchy, white supremacy, western supremacism, and the economic, political, and social systems that give these binaries the power to dominate and subjugate.

As I cycled away from the protest art in the S-Bahn tunnel, I was left wondering, for example, why I, and likely many other persons, have no moral problem watching the 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar, where there are indecent abuses of the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons, women, migrant workers, and many others. Yet, I feel morally challenged by an artwork advocating a “marathon queer-kissing session in public.”

The protest art helped me to realize that what I consider decent may in fact be indecent and that I needed a certain measure of indecency to help me to re-evaluate—literally to reconsider what I value or more pointedly re-evaluate what my values are based upon. Lisa Isherwood, the famous “body theologian” who uses our lived, embodied human experiences to think about God and relationship to God, wrote an appreciative (and critical) response to Althaus-Reid. Isherwood’s response is titled, Indecent Theology: What F-ing Difference Does It Make? She contends that indecent theology could help us to move towards a more honest, truth-telling theology.

So, I would like to invite you to dwell with those things that make you feel uncomfortable, that unsettle your sensibilities, that destabilize your social and historical values. What is it about them that makes you uncomfortable? What unquestioned values do they challenge? A bit of indecent theology might just be what is necessary to make a “f-ing difference” for the sake of a more decent world.

[I wrote this article for Counterpoint Knowledge. It was first published on 7 December 2022]

Professorial Inaugural Lecture: On living more decently in an indecent world - The virtues and vices of a Public Theologian

On the 16th of August 2022 I was exceptionally grateful to deliver my Inaugural Lecture as a Full Professor at Stellenbosch University.

The tradition of the Professorial Inaugural Lecture is that once one is promoted to Full Professor you have to make a 'profession'. It is generally assumed that some years or decades of research and scholarship will mean that you have something of meaning and value to say.

I took that very seriously. Wrestled for some months with what to 'profess'. Of course there was the pressure that the lecture's text had to be finalised in order to be prepared for publication! This was actually quite good - it meant that I had to read, listen, discern, and write! In the end I tried to discern what might be appropriate, fitting, and just for me to profess as a white, male, professor of Public Theology and Ethics in Stellenbosch South Africa in 2022? As it happened, the date that the University set for the lecture coincided with the 10th Anniverary of the Marikana massacre (about which I had done research and written previously). The mine workers who were shot in that terrible event had built their campaign around decency - what they were advocating for was a 'decent wage' (not just a 'living wage'). They wanted to earn enough to be able to undo the evils of colonialism and apartheid for them and their families. They were asking to earn enough to be able to undo the dehumanization of migrant labour, of inadequate education, of a lack of health care, and of ongoing poverty. They expected, that in a decent society they should be able to earn a decent wage. Sadly, 47 persons died indecently during that week's protests.

So in the end, the title of my lecture was:

Living more decently in an indecent world? The virtues and vices of a public theologian.

You can download PDF copy of the published lecture here.

The event was attended by family, friends, my wonderful colleagues, and members of the Rectorate of Stellenbosch University. It was such a special evening! I am so grateful.

You can watch the lecture itself here (or see the embedded youtube video below which will start playing at the start of the lecture itself, skip back to the beginning to watch the whole evening with inputs from special colleagues and friends).

Forum Lecture - American Evangelicalism and African Christianities: A cautionary tale of Theo-political exceptionalism

I was very grateful to deliver the 'Stellenbosch Unviersity Forum Lecture' on the 26th of March 2022.

This is the second time that I have been asked to deliver this prestigious lecture. I was very grateful to do so.

The topic of my lecture was 'A critical consideration of the relationship between African Christianities and American Evangelicalism: A cautionary tale of theo-political exceptionalism?' It is based on an article that I had published in the South African Baptist Journal of Theology that you can read here. 

Thanks for your interest. While I feel, that by an large Christianity has made a positive contribution towards the care of persons in fields such as education, health care, political advocacy, and human rights, I do also think that it is important for us to name the ways in which religion in any form is harmful or dangerous.

I would love to hear your feedback or ideas on this topic!

The need for a Critical Biblical Hermeneutics

Thanks to Charlene Van Der Walt for this very important, and clear, article on the Bible, the Christian faith, and the need for a critical hermeneutics. The article helped me to understand why it is necessary to ask some questions about who it is that opposes critical reflection. The privileged and the powerful don’t like to be called to account for their power and privilege. We center ourselves as normative in history, in identity, and even in relation to what we think constitutes truth and morality. I realize how important it is to remain accountable for my scholarship, my beliefs, and my moral orientation. This piece hit home powerfully (some of my friends may need to use Google Translate for this bit):

“As jy Sondag na Sondag op die kansel of in die klaskamer vir mense sê hoe hulle moet dink en wat hulle moet dink en wat die regte metode is om oor dinge te dink, dan gaan jy seker aan die huil raak as almal nou nie meer wil dink soos jy dan nou gesê het nie. Of jy gaan vuil speel en die ander verneder, want jy kan.”

Of course some people are claiming that there is no need for free and honest conversation, that we don’t need to account for our hermeneutic positions (and listen to the positions of others, whose perspectives may differ from our own) when we read and interpret the Bible, that there is no need for empathetic, compassionate, and respectful consideration of the lived realities of others. Of course if the world, and your god, are already created in your image, why would you want to listen to me, or anyone else?

I love what Juliana Claassens wrote about the nature and responsibility of public theology. She said, “public theology is thus concerned with facing the world with all its crookedness, helping to name the wounds below the surface… that is the first step in changing the reality”. (IJPT vol 13, 2019:193).

Thanks for helping us Charlene, thanks for helping us Julie. I want to listen, and I want to reflect, I want to learn, I want to read the Bible with integrity, and I want to become more like Christ. You can read Charlene's article here, "Queering drink aan op ongemak".

Remembering Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu - Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology and the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University

SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 19, 1984: Bishop Desmond Tutu and Beyers Naude, with Manas Buthelezi in the backround. (Photo by Gallo Images / Avusa / Margo Williams).It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 - 26 December 2021). 

He was a remarkable human being, a person whose life was shaped by his faith in Jesus Christ, and the ethical responsibilities that arose from a lived spirituality. He was a great colleague and friend to Rev Dr Beyers Naudé, and because of that showed great friendship and commitment to the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, and the Faculty of Theology, at the University of Stellenbosch. Of course he had a much closer relationship to the University of the Western Cape, where he served as Chancellor for almost 25 years. His willingness to build strong and meaningful relationships with the University of Stellenbosch, in spite of the role that this institution played in South Africa's apartheid history, is itself a testimony to his tendency to work for reconciliation and justice. You can find the official statement from the University of Stellenbosch here.

SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 8, 2014: Bishop Desmond Tutu and Dion Forster (TRC re-enactment Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University).I had a few conversations with colleagues in the Faculty of Theology today about Archbishop Tutu's involvement over the years. He was best known by the late Professor Russel Botman (former lecturer at UWC, and later Lecturer and Rector at Stellenbosch University), but also by Prof Nico Koopman (my predecessor as Lecturer in Public Theology and Director of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, now Vice Rector at Stellenbosch University), Prof Christo Thesnaar, and Dr Sipho Mahokoto (among others). Here are a few important moments that we could remember:

• 2002 Archbishop Tutu participated in the launch of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology.
• 2008 (23 Sept) he spoke at the event in memory of Beyers Naudé, reflecting on their shared work within the Ecumenical Church movement to strengthen the Church's witness against the evils of apartheid.
• 2009 (11 Feb) he was a speaker at an event that was linked to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University.
• 2013 (20 March) he spoke to our students (I think this was the ‘pre-cursor’ our current courses at 4th year level that focus on ‘modern theologians and modern theologies', which we innitiated in 2014). See the small summary from Sarah Rowland (who worked with the Archbishop, Prof Nico Koopman and our colleague, Dr Sipho Mahokoto. Dr Rowland was a researcher in the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology). Please see the scan below of some thoughts that Archbishop Tutu prepared for the students (edited by Dr Sarah Rowland).
• 2014 (8 and 9 October) he hosted the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission (TRC) re-enactment hosted by Prof Christo Thesnaar on behalf of the Faculty of Theology, the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, and a variety of other Faith Based Organisations, Church Bodies, Denominations and Civil Society groupings.

He is remembered as a faithful and courageous servant of Jesus, and a champion for the values of God’s just, loving, and inclusive Kingdom. His ministry as an Anglican Priest and Bishop shaped so much of the Church's work and witness during some of the most difficult times in South Africa's history (both before the end of political apartheid, and in the years after the dawn of participatory democracy). He was a great theologian with a deep commitment to Black and African Christian theologies of Liberation. Under his leadership many of us were inspired to take a stand on important issues such a anti-racism, economic justice, gender rights, the rights of LGBTI+ persons, and the plight of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation (to name just a few).

We pray for his family, friends, the Church, and all those who mourn his passing. 

May he Rest In Peace and rise in Power.

Open Access Lecture series - Equipping Public Theologians for the Common Good

Dear friends,

The Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, the Berlin Institute for Public Theology, and the Lutheran World Federation has launched a 21 part Open Access Lecture series entitled, Equipping Public Theologians for the Common Good. I am grateful to have worked alongside my friends Prof. dr. Torsten Meireis (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin), and Rev. dr. Sivin Kit (Lutheran World Federation).

There are 21 videos recorded with some of the most notable theologians working in the field of Public Theology around the world. You can access all of the videos from here.

Here is a lovely article on this project from the Lutheran World Federation Website.

LWF joins Berlin Institute and Beyers Naudé Center to help member churches strengthen engagement in public space

(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has “joined hands” with the Berlin Institute for Public Theology in Germany and the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology in South Africa to produce a series of resources to help member churches strengthen their engagement in the public space.

At the official launch of the open-access public theology lecture series on 15 October, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge said that such resources are urgently needed at a time when "prevalent trends of individualization are leading to a disengagement from the public space.” As humanity loses a sense of the common good, he stressed, “the common ground among people and communities shrinks,” with the result that “eventually common sense goes astray.”

The LWF leader noted that churches are not exempt from such trends towards “splendid isolation,” but they are “excellently well equipped to counter these trends” by mobilizing their spiritual and theological resources. By its nature, he insisted, “faith is always personal” but “never private,” because “faith both forms community and drives towards community.”

Access to fresh and substantive theology is much needed in the global church today because it expands our theological imagination, sharpens our theological discernment and strengthens our theological commitment.— Prof. Dr Simone Sinn, Academic Dean of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey

The series of public theology lectures is freely available on the websites of the three organizations in both video and audio format, with accompanying slides, study texts and suggested supplementary reading. Recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lectures are presented by leading public theologians from around the globe. They include discussion on what public theology means in different contexts, including from an Islamic perspective and within the framework of a digital world.  

A second section focuses on the practical application of public theology in areas such as politics and economics, peacemaking and human rights, gender and sexuality, or creation and sustainable development. During the online launch, Rev. Philip Peacock, Acting General Secretary for Programs of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, said: “The question is not why there is suffering in the world, but rather, what can we do about it and this is, of course, a very public question.”

Also welcoming the new resources was the Academic Dean of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Prof. Dr Simone Sinn. Access to such “fresh and substantive theology” is much needed in the global church today, she said, because “it expands our theological imagination, sharpens our theological discernment and strengthens our theological commitment.”

Private and public spheres

Three of the contributors to the lecture series also shared insights into the importance of public theology in their different contexts. Prof. Dr Rothney Tshaka, director of the School of Humanities at the University of South Africa underlined the fact that in his country “black theology of liberation has always been public theology,” even when “it was not fashionable to speak publicly about your faith.”

Rev. Dr Seferosa Carroll, the World Council of Churches Program Executive for Mission and Mission from the Margins, explained that she grew up in the Pacific in a context where faith was largely limited to the private sphere and Sunday worship. She said she was keen to be part of the lecture series because “for me, it just became very important to actually unpack the connections between private and the public sphere.”

Another contributor, Prof. Dr Frederike van Oorschot, director of the department of Religion, Law and Culture at Germany’s Heidelberg University, highlighted the importance of discussing “how digital spaces shape our understanding of the public [sphere] and our interaction between Christians.”  

The director of the Berlin Institute for Public Theology, Prof Dr Torsten Meireis, noted that the current series of lectures “is only a start,” adding that there are “many other voices that should be heard.” His words were echoed by Prof. Dr Dion Forster, director of the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology at Stellenbosch University, who encouraged others “to join the conversation” in the future.  

LWF’s Program Executive for Public Theology and Interreligious Relations, Rev. Dr Sivin Kit, who moderated the discussion, stressed that “providing access to voices from different parts of the world, is not about “limiting ourselves to argue over definitions and concepts.” Rather, he concluded, it is about “mobilizing individuals and communities for a stronger engagement in the public space.”

ACCESS THE RESOURCES PAGE

What is Public Theology? An introduction to Public Theology

I was recently asked to record an overview of my chapter ‘The nature of public theology’ from our new book, ‘African Public Theology’ (Agang, S; Hendriks, HJH; Forster, DA; Langham, 2020).

So, I decided to rework the video slightly and upload it here for anyone who has been looking for an introduction to public theology. This is intended to be an accessible presentation for newcomers, students, and persons who have some interest in the intersection between faith and public life.

You can find a copy of the book, ‘African Public Theology’ here: https://amzn.to/39nFgM5 Thanks for watching! As always, I would love to hear your comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback and questions!

Public theologies and 'non-religious' beliefs - examples nationhood and economic systems

The South African academic system requires that when you reach a certain stage in your formal academic career, that you apply for a National Research Foundation (NRF) rating. This system of peer review is attached to research funding mechanisms, promotion within South African Universities, and can ensure tenure (academic employment security).

It is quite a taxing process, and the outcomes can be quite uncertain. Once you have been rated, you need to repeat the application for review every 5 years or so.

Other than the formal opportunities that an NRF rating affords (such as funding, tenure etc. as mentioned above), there is another aspect that I have found particularly helpful. In your application you have to write a 'personal academic narrative' to trace what you have been doing for the last five years, where your work has found purchase and a readership, and what you hope or plan to achieve in the next phase of your academic career.

I am about to start preparing for my second cycle of review (I am up for review again in 2021). As I have been reflecting on my own academic work, I have realised (as you will see on this website, and from my publication list) that I have been focussed on issues related to public theology and political theology for almost 2 decades now. My first PhD (awarded in 2006) focussed on issues related to intersubjective identity formation (basically, how we are formed within social systems). I was particularly interested in the formation of political identities based on concepts such as 'tacit beliefs'. 

By 'tacit beliefs' I am referring to what Graham Ward would call the 'Cultural Imagination', and Charles Taylor would call 'Modern Social Imaginaries'. Yuval Harari also picked up on these notions in his books 'Sapiens' and 'Homo Deus'. In summary, such 'beliefs' are the imaginative worlds that we inhabit that are constructions of our collective histories and experiences. For example, I often ask my undergraduate students why women in Western societies have long hair, or wear dresses, and shave their legs? When men wear trousers and don't generally shave their legs. What makes one thing acceptable and another not acceptable? And why is it that what is acceptable in one culture, or region, is unacceptable in another culture or region? In large measure it is the set of unquestioned 'beliefs' that we hold about what is good, what is right, and what is desirable (this is the cultural imagination), and how the go on to form the ways in which we believe our society should function for the common good (these are the boundaries of of social imaginaries, or social imagination).

We adopt these largely unquestioned values in our homes, in our communities, and sometimes even see them take on powerful forms in laws, and even structures.

Another example that I have often used in my classes is the concept of the 'nation'. What is a nation? Of course one could offer a legal, a cultural, a geographic, or a historical (among other!) explanation of nationhood. But, the absurdity of nationhood is easily illustrated by 'border walls' (like the American cultural construction, which is becoming a physical construction). When an American says 'God bless America' (a clearly theological claim), who is the 'God' to whom they are appealing in this statement? Surely, it is not the God of the Christian religion, who would surely not favor Mexicans over Americans, or the other way around! Does God really care more about persons on one side of a line on a map, than persons on the other side?

As Harari points out, we inhabit these systems (like nations) as if they are ontological systems (that exist in eternity). Of course they do not. They are historical, political, and social constructions. Borders change, powers within (and around) nations shift. History shows that they do not last. 

Stanley Hauerwas, the Duke University ethicist and theologian, once remarked that to be willing to go to war, and die, for one's nation, is a little bit like going to war for one's postal service! When you think about it in that way, it seems quite ridiculous.

The other example that I often use is in my classes relates to how we view economic systems (such as currencies, global money flows etc.) I often will take a 1US$ note, or something from our South African currency (a R20 note), and ask the students how much it is worth? Of course there are two ways to quantify the worth. One is the actual physical value of the object based on its production cost and the materials used to construct it. Given the economies of scale, neither a US$1 or R20 note are worth what they are valued at (after all, they are just paper, ink, and some other synthetic elements). So what accounts for their 'greater' worth? Well, that is the aspect of 'belief' that relates to the value. Because of generalised agreements developed through economic, political, and social theories, there are sets of rules, policies, and behaviours that determine what each currency is worth. For example, we have 'ratings agencies' that 'value' currencies, and often do so in relation to aspects such a confidence in a nation's ability to 'add value' to their own economy and the global economy. If there is general agreement that a nation can produce value (producing products, or delivering services) that have some value that others are willing to pay, or trade, for, and there is confidence that they can continue to 'grow' this value, their currency will be rated more highly than that of a nation which is producing less perceived value, or in which there is not great confidence in the leadership, policies, and technologies, work force, resources, to produce ongoing or increased value.

The days in which one could take your US$1 note to 'Fort Knox' (or the treasury) and request a US$1 worth of gold are long gone! There is, among some, still a generalised belief that a currency, and its signifiers (bank notes, bank balances etc.) are directly related to actual things that hold value. Of course, gold itself, finds it value in the 'belief' that it is a precious metal (this is also a historical, cultural and social construct).

So, why all of this? Well, in recent years I have increasingly found myself working at the intersections of what we may call religious beliefs (i.e., those beliefs that are associated with historical religions, their sacred texts, doctrines, practices, values and communities), and what I am identifying as 'non-religious' beliefs. These non-religious beliefs are things such as nations, economic systems, gender identities, ethnic identities, cultural identities and a variety of other social and politically systems that shape our lives so powerfully.

Harari suggests that homo-sapiens are the only 'species' that has come to place higher value in what does not actually exist (e.g., myths, beliefs, theories, concepts and other such social contracts and agreements), than in things that actually do exist. For example, we will allow political convictions to displace people, to change the natural flow of rivers, and alter global and regional climates!

To my mind, engaging, understanding, and dealing with such complex problems is not something that can be adequately done by sociologists, anthropologists, politics scientists, or even philosophers. It does require a dialogue with persons who have developed critical theological skills. This, most surely, is the role of the 'public theologian', in the sense in which some public theologians draw upon Jürgen Habermas and David Tracy's respective notions of understanding notions of the 'public sphere' and 'publicness' (as a space in which reasonable engagement from different perspectives, disciplines, and fields can engage one another).

So, this is some of what I have been doing in my recent work, much of which you will find documented here on my website, and of course also on my research profile (see the publication list on my 'about' section). I would love to hear what you think about the notion of 'non-religious' theological belief? Is it reasonable, in the way in which I have framed it here? What are your thoughts in notions such as cultural imaginations, social imaginaries and the constructions of identities, and of course social (and even physical) structures?

The Social Dilemma - Social media and the (mal)formation of identity

Last night our family sat down to watch the new Netflix documentary, 'The Social Dilemma'. It is well worth watching, and even more important to do so as a family!

One of the points that struck me was the claim that only 2 contemporary industries refer to their clients as users - drug dealers, and social media platforms! I'm sure there are more, but the point is well taken.

As many of you know, I focussed on cognitive neuroscience and identity formation in my first PhD. I have always been fascinated by the ways in which social interactions (intersubjectivity is a basic human need) shapes our identity through desire, fear, and aspiration.

Last year I wrote chapter on this topic entitled:

Forster, D.A. 2019. Social identity, social media, and society: A call for public theological engagement. in Theologische Medienethik im digitalen Zeitalter [Theological Media Ethics in a Digital Age] G. Ulshöfer (ed.). Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer G. Ulshöfer (ed.). 85–106.

You can download my chapter here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6bywl220exq2qp/13.%20Forster_Theologische%20Medienethik_2019.pdf?dl=0

In fact I recommend the whole book, which you can get here: https://amzn.to/2RcU3

A 'virtual' launch for my 3 new books - African Public Theology; Freedom of Religion at Stake; Reconciliation, Forgiveness and Violence in Africa

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the way in which all of us live and work.

As an academic, particularly as a researcher, I have had to rethink some aspects of my work. I feel it is important to be accountable for my research - normally after completing a book (as an author and editor) we would have a chance to launch it in person.

Sadly that is not possible at present. We will be doing ‘virtual’ book launches in due course. In the meantime, this video introduces 3 books (actually 4!) for which I was both an editor and an author.

The links to purchase the books are below.

Thanks for watching!

Freedom of Religion at Stake

• Wipf & Stock https://wipfandstock.com/freedom-of-r...
• Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Religi...

Reconciliation Forgiveness and Violence in Africa

• Takealot (South Africa) https://www.takealot.com/reconciliati... (R200)
• Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Reconciliation...

African Public Theology

• CLF (South Africa) https://clf.co.za/product/african-pub... (R350)
• Amazon https://www.amazon.com/African-Public...
• Langham Publishers https://langhamliterature.org/african...

Impossibility of forgiveness

• Takealot https://www.takealot.com/the-im-possi... (R365)
• Wipf & Stock https://wipfandstock.com/the-im-possi...
• Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1532697430/...

Thanks for watching!

As always, I would love to hear your comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback and questions!

New book published - 'African Public Theology' this is a BIG one!

African Public Theology launch announcement April 2020

UPDATE! I am pleased to let you know that as of today the book is available for sale all around the world! It is amazing value for an incredible book - 430 pages, 30 chapters, and at less than US$15 (R350 in South Africa).

You can purchase your copy here:

South Africa - CLF 

International - Amazon 

From the publisher - Langham Publishing 

Original post below:

Yesterday we received the wonderful news that our new book ‘African Public Theology’ was published by Langham Partnership: Hippo Books! 

This is one of the most important projects that I have participated in to date. Professors Sunday Agang, Jurgens Hendriks, and I are the editors of the volume (448 pages). It is the first comprehensive ‘African Public Theology’ with contributions from Academics and Expert Practitioners throughout Africa (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, to name a few).

I am so grateful to each of the authors, and to our fellow editors, and particularly to the wonderful team at Langham (in particular Isobel Stevenson). Here is a list of chapters and contributors, and the details for the book that will soon be for sale on Amazon, Google Books, Apple Books, and of course the publisher website (in both print and Digital formats). The cost of the book is extremely affordable for a 450 page book! So, if you buy just one book for yourself, or as a gift for a loved one, this may be a great choice!

https://langhamliterature.org 

African Public Theology 

Editors: Sunday Bobai Agang, Dion A. Forster, and H. Jurgens Hendriks 

ISBN: 9781783687664 Imprint: HippoBooks Format: Paperback Page Count: 448pp 

Available: April 2020 

Table of Contents 

Foreword – Samuel Waje Kunhiyop (Nigeria) Preface – Sunday Bobai Agang (Nigeria) 

PART 1: Introduction to Public Theology 

•  1  The Need for Public Theology in Africa – Sunday Bobai Agang (Nigeria)
•  2  The Nature of Public Theology – Dion A. Forster (South Africa)
•  3  The Bible and Public Theology – Hassan Musa (Nigeria)
•  4  The Trinity and Public Theology – Tersur Aben (Nigeria)
•  5  Public Theology and Identity – H. Jurgens Hendriks (South Africa)

PART 2: Public Theology and Public Life 

•  6  Democracy, Citizenship and Civil Society – Jane Adhiambo Chiroma (Kenya)
•  7  Work – Sunday Bobai Agang (Nigeria)
• 8  Economics – Piet Naude (South Africa)
• 9  Poverty – Collium Banda (Zimbabwe)
• 10  Rural Community Development – Olo Ndukwe (Nigeria)
• 11  Education – Samuel Peni Ango (Nigeria) and Ester Rutoro (Zimbabwe)
• 12  The Environment – Ernst Conradie (South Africa)
• 13  Science – Danie Veldsman (South Africa)
• 14  Health – Daniel Rikichi Kajang (Nigeria)
• 15  Human Rights – Kajit J. Bagu (John Paul) (Nigeria)
• 16  Gender – Esther Mombo (Kenya)
• 17  Migration and Human Trafficking – Babatunde Adedibu (Nigeria)
• 18  Refugees and Stateless People – Benaya Niyukuri (Burundi)
• 19  Interfaith Relations – Johnson A. Mbillah (Ghana)
• 20  The State – Theodros Assefa Teklu (Ethiopia)
• 21  Police and Armed Forces – Sipho Mahokoto (South Africa)
• 22  Land Issues – Dwight S. M. Mutonono (Zimbabwe)
• 23  The Media – Bimbo Fafowora (Nigeria) and Rahab N. Nyaga (Kenya)
• 24  The Arts – Ofonime and Idaresit Inyang (Nigeria)
• 25  Leadership – Maggie Madimbo (Malawi)
• 26  Intergenerational Issues – Nathan Hussaini Chiroma (Nigeria)

PART 3: Public Theology and the Church 

• 27  Christianity and the Church in Africa – Matthew Michael (Nigeria)
• 28  Mobilizing the Church in Africa – Alfred Sebahene (Tanzania)

Endorsements 

Though there are thirty authors from different backgrounds and disciplines, there is unity of purpose, clarity and continuity in this highly readable book. African Public Theology is one of the most important theological books to come out of Africa in 2020 and should be a pacesetter for future African theologies. 

SAMUEL WAJE KUNHIYOP, PhD 

Former General Secretary, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Author, African Christian Ethics and African Christian Theology 

The writers seek to discover how the church can truly be light and salt, heralding transformation and change. This is essential reading for all theological colleges and concerned Christians. 

 THE MOST REV BENJAMIN A. KWASHI, DMin 

 Bishop of Jos, Nigeria General Secretary, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) 

You can download some more information about this book here.