Catholic Theological Society’s Conference Boasts Impressive Lineup

by asiel · September 21, 2017

The “Re-formation, Whose history? Voices from the South” conference is on September 29 – Oct 1 at Koinonia Centre in Johannesburg – so get cracking and register.

On the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, this year’s annual conference by the Catholic Theological Society of Southern Africa will be looking at ecumenism as well as local history.

The conference, which is themed “Re-formation. Whose history? Voices from the South”, will be held from September 29 to October 1 at Koinonia Centre in Johannesburg.

This year’s keynote speaker is Professor Rothney Tshaka, acting director of the School of Humanities of the University of South Africa. A line-up of other speakers will also address the conference, said the society’s president, Itumeleng Daniel Mothoagae.

Plenary Panels

There will also be plenary panels. The first, on “Church and Active citizenship: The signs of the times”, will include the South African Council of Churches, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, and Bishop Victor Phalana, the bishops’ head of ecumenical relations. It will be chaired by Fr Thabang Nkadimeng OMI.

The second plenary panel will be chaired by Dr Ruth Mampane on “Creating a space for the Africanisation of theology and training”. Admission to both panels is free.

Prof Tshaka’s keynote address will be on “The Reception of Karl Barth in South Africa during the Apartheid Struggle”, outlining how some sections of the South African reformed faith tradition, inspired by the Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth, “were able to find hermeneutical grounds for debunking [the] arbitrary usage of the Bible to support apartheid”.

Panel presentations and Papers

Panel presentations will also be chaired by Dr Nontando Radebe on “Inherited ecumenical divisions”, Dr Laurence Anselm Prior OFM on “Post-colonialism and the gender question”, Professor Sue Rakoczy IHM on “The history of oppression in the Global South”, and Dr David Tutty on “Radical and prophetic voices to the Catholic Church in Southern Africa”.

Papers will be delivered by theologians including Mr Mothoagae, Fr Nkadimeng, Dr Stuart Bate OMI, Prof Rakoczy, Bruni Lephoto, Professor Graham Duncan, Dr Kelebogile Resane, Professor Kudzai Biri, Professor Vuyani Vellem and Fr Emmanuel Mosoeu.

Costs and Details

Full conference registration is R1300 per delegate; day registration is R500. These fees cover the cost for accommodation, meals and conference material. For registration forms and payment details go to www.caththeo.co.za For any inquiries on the conference, please contact Fr Anselm Prior OFM at or Itumeleng Daniel Mothoagae at