Part of the vision of the Faculty of Theology and Religion is to undertake quality, collaborative, inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research, to promote justice, peace and the integrity of creation in its research, to reconcile diversity, and also to focus on the flourishing of all life. With this vision, the Faculty has aligned itself with the vision of the university to be recognised as a leading research-intensive university in Africa, recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact.

Currently, the Faculty is embodying this vison in many ways. Excellent universities all over the world highlight research as one of their most distinguished and competitive strengths. This is also the case for the Faculty, especially when one looks at the research achievements of the Faculty in the recent past.

Since 2017, the QS World University Rankings Index ranks faculties or seminaries that have a focus theology and/or religious studies under a new category of ‘Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies’. In 2017, the Faculty was ranked in this category in a position between 50-100 in the world, #28 in the world with respect to citations per paper, and #14 in the world with respect to H-Index citations. In 2018 the Faculty remained in the 50-100 category, as was ranked #30 with regards to citations per paper and #4 with regards to H-Index citations. The 2019 index puts us again in the 50-100 bracket, and ranks the Faculty #18 with respect to citations per paper and #12 with respect to H-Index citations. This not only put the Faculty first in Africa, but also higher in the rankings than many renowned institutions, theological faculties and seminaries in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It is evident that we have achieved a status as the leading research‐intensive university in Africa, recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, an achievement of which we are very proud.

A further indication of the Faculty’s strong research tradition is the fact that almost all the academic staff of the Faculty have been awarded a South African National Research Foundation (NRF) rating. The Faculty thus has specialists in all of the six traditional theological disciplines, academic staff that are able to supervise post-graduate studies on almost any topic. The Faculty offers honours, Master’s and PhD-programmes, and have postgraduate students from all over the world. If you consider the possibility to pursue your postgraduate studies at the Faculty, it will give you the opportunity to acquire specialised knowledge in your chosen field of study.

We are looking forward to have you as a postgraduate student!

Ernest van Eck

Deputy Dean: Faculty of Theology and Religion