UKZN alumnus in Theology, Reverend Armstrong Pitakaji was elected to the Executive Council of the World Council of Churches (WCC) at its recent Congress. A Solomon Island national, Pitakaji joined UKZN in 2017 to study for his master’s degree after being sponsored by the Council for World Mission to reflect on climate change and theology.

Humanities Academic is Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University
Professor David Spurrett, academic within the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics (SRPC), recently spent a month as a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. During his visit, he attended and presented a paper at the renowned Philosophy of Biology at Dolphin Beach (PBDB) conference, travelled to Wollongong to give an

PhD Research Uses Biblical Character to Enable Conversations About Masculinity Construction
Dr Nozipho Dlodlo was thrilled to receive her PhD in Biblical Studies in which she engaged the character of David in the Old Testament as a possible reflective surface to enable conversations about masculinity construction and coming of age in the contemporary faith context. Her work is also embedded within the landscape of Gender-Based Violence

UKZN Alumnus publishes book on Biological Naturalism and the Mind-Body Problem
Dr Jane Anderson, School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics alumnus, recently published a book: Biological Naturalism and the Mind-Body Problem, that stemmed from her PhD studies. The book offers a new theoretical framework within which to understand the ‘mind-body problem’. ‘The crux of this problem is phenomenal experience, which Thomas Nagel famously described as “what

Humanities Students Part of Exchange Programme to Amsterdam
Two postgraduate students, Ms Pretty Abraham and Mr Siwakhile Ngcobo from the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics are set to embark on an international exchange programme to the Free University in Amsterdam as part of Bridging Gaps, an initiative of the Centre for Contextual Biblical Interpretation. The two will embark on the programme in September.

UKZN Academic Part of Metaethics and Artificial Intelligence Workshop in Netherlands
Professor David Spurrett of the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics was recently an invited participant at a workshop on Metaethics and Artificial Intelligence at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. The workshop focused on problems relating possibilities of building artificially intelligent agents that behave ethically, and how to verify whether attempts to

Cum Laude Research Explores the Glass Ceiling Phenomenon in the Workplace
Mr Calvin Thomas, Operations Manager for the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics recently graduated with his Honours in Ethics cum laude. His research centred around an ethical assessment of the implications of the Glass Ceiling phenomenon on South African women at the workplace. With a career rooted in Human Resources and Operations Management, Thomas

Academic Publishes Book on Genocide Against the Tutsi, and the Rwandan Churches
UKZN Theology academic Professor Philippe Denis launched his new book: The Genocide Against the Tutsi, and the Rwandan Churches: Between Grief and Denial (James Currey/Boydell & Brewer) at the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre. The book, all about the response or lack of it to the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, focuses on the

Humanities Academics Recognised for Outstanding Performance
Two academics in UKZN’s College of Humanities have been recognised for their outstanding performance. Dean and Head of the School of Education Professor Thabo Msibi has been awarded the prestigious UKZN Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award, while Dean and Head of the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics (SRPC) Professor David Spurrett has been awarded a UKZN

Theological Studies Primarily a Man’s Territory in Catholic Church – Research Suggests
A study by Ms Petronella Bweupe of the Sisters of Mercy for a master’s degree in Theology delves into the different approaches by the Catholic and Anglican churches towards women being ordained into the ministry. The research explores in detail how women’s ordination is an issue of divergence between the two churches. ‘Theological thinkers have