Dr Donald Cragg facilitated the discussion, Dr Itumeleng Mosala preached and church heads con-celebrated in the Chapel near the old Faculty of Divinity. Dr Sizwe Mabizela enabled the catering and organising of the facilities for us. Monica Gaybba helped in co-ordinating logistics with the Vice-Chancellor’s office and the press.
Dr Cragg introduced the discussion under the topic; ‘Ecumenical Theological Education: its practice and effect’. In all three events we tried to answer the following: What have we lost? How do we regain what we’ve lost? How do we shift the impasse to future co-operation?
The following reflect some thoughts expressed in this event:.
- Churches to blame. They contributed the same to the Faculty for the years 1950-1980. There was little or no teaching or mentoring in terms of ecumenism.
- There was a need to integrate theology. pastoral studies and spirituality.
- Building of non-racial relationships.
4.The costs relating to married students became prohibitive.
What would shift us? Economics? A deeper analysis of what closed the faculty, including questions around the viability of continuing the faculty needed further scrutiny. An important factor raised was the strongly identified antagonism of the then Vice-Chancellor and his considerable power base.
We were reminded of Desmond Tutu’s statement that a university without a Faculty of Theology could not be regarded as a true University. Working in silos is not sustainable. Do we consider cross-subsidisation? What is the status of Theological education in a secular state?
There is no compatibility between capitalism and Christianity. Our divisions constitute heresy.
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