Practical theological considerations for a transformative theological education agenda in an African context

ABSTRACT

In light of the perceived slow pace of transformation of theological higher education since the fall of Apartheid in South Africa, this article approaches the issue from a practical theological paradigm with the aim of proposing an agenda for growth towards sustainable transformative practical theological education. At least three agenda points are identified in order to achieve this aim. It firstly accentuates the African identity of the South African context, then interrogates the notion of transformative education with a view on a workable definition for transformative theological education and thirdly attempts to contextualise the proposed definition within the framework of public practical theology. It concludes by recognising that theory and action regarding transformative theological education represents unchartered territory, which calls for the dedicated and ongoing attention of the practical theological community if the urgent challenges of theological higher education in the radically changed South African context are to be met.

KEYWORDS:

• South Africa
• transformation
• theological higher education
• transformative education
• public practical theology
• African context

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author. 

Notes on contributor

Alfred Brunsdon is associate professor in the School of Christian Ministry and Leadership of the Faculty of Theology of the North-West University, South Africa. He works in a mainly African context on the Mahikeng Campus. His research interest includes the contextualization of practical theology and pastoral care in the African context.

Notes

1 African Indigenous Knowledge refers to the formal study of traditional African knowledge systems. A Practical Theology mostly focused on one particular epistemology may run the risk of being viewed as a reductionism.

2 Practical Theology positions at academic institutions in South Africa are currently still mainly occupied by white academics. According to the 2019 Yearbook of the Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa (53–58), which supplies the staff information of some of the mainstream Theological Faculties, indicate that the University of the Free State has six positions of which one is occupied by an African, the University of Pretoria has two positions, both occupied by white staff members and the University of Stellenbosch, seven positions of which four are occupied by staff from a non-European origin. At the Faculty of Theology of the North-West University, to which the author is affiliated, only one of the six full-time positions is occupied by an African academic. Numbers of other institutions not mentioned here, may vary.