Good day, everybody. Welcome here on behalf of the Faculty of Theology.
I am Professor Reginald Nel, I am the dean at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University.
We are excited to have you with us. We have prepared a short slideshow
presentation to give you an idea of who we are as a faculty, and also what we offer
for you as, hopefully, one of our newcomers.
We as a Faculty of Theology
are considered to be one of the smaller faculties at Stellenbosch University.
However, we believe that in what we do as a faculty, we add significance and value to the work of the university.
What we do as a faculty, is aiming to make a difference in our society.
We tap into the spiritual and religious traditions of our nation, but also globally, and through that
we aim to make a difference. As we share this, we want to also welcome you as a student. We want to
invite you to join us; come dream with us, let us grow together on this journey, let us go forward
together as an inclusive community. If you are committed to issues of justice, excellence,
making a difference in your society, then you will feel at home here at the Faculty of Theology.
Allow me to say three things before I give over to Prof Dion Forster,
the chair of one of our discipline groups, Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology,
and Dr Shantelle Weber, the chair of our Programme committee for academic matters
as well as teaching and learning.
Firstly, we have a strong tradition, and we have a long history, but we cannot live in the past.
Therefore, with different church partners, with different partners
in civil society, social justice partners, partners who make a difference in people's lives,
we want to build a future together. Secondly, we take seriously the voices, the gifts, but also
your contributions as students in our classes, also through our Theological Student Committee.
At our different conferences - we invite your voice to add value to what we do as a faculty,
because we want to build a strong, inclusive community. We believe that as you join us,
your years here at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch will be the best years of your life.
Thirdly, we bring together at Stellenbosch the best theologians, social scientists,
even natural scientists, philosophers, together at the faculty, for conferences.
Our conferences are the rock concerts of theologians in the world.
And you will have the opportunity to share in these experiences.
But let me not just talk about it; come and experience this for yourself.
At the Faculty of Theology, we offer three possible streams –
Practical Theology and Missiology Practice,
Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology, and Old and New Testament.
Before Prof Forster and Dr Weber delve deep into the programmes, let me just say this as well:
Perhaps you are concerned about the big names that are on this slide. But do not be worried.
We, through the university, but also as a faculty,
as your mentors, will take you by the hand and we will introduce you to all these different terms.
We provide lots of student orientation, onboarding, and through your journey with us,
through our mentorship, through the guidance. There will also be a lot of student support
and this will enable you to join the conversations; this will enable you to also join
in the community to make a difference in the world. You will be able to understand
issues of the various religious and spiritual traditions better, you will be able to decode
ancient texts that are still relevant, wisdom that is still needed in our time today.
Perhaps you might have some matters that you also want to bring to the faculty that we can address together.
Join us and be on the cutting edge of change or, better, join us and become the change
that you want us to see in the world. So, as a faculty community, as the dean myself,
and now Prof Dion Forster and Dr Shantelle Weber, we want to invite you to come and share the next
phase, the next season of your life with us here. Come and grow. Come, let us explore together.
Come let us make a difference together. Thank you for your time.