The Fire, The River and the Scorched Earth Between - International Event

Sat Jun 26, 16:00 - Thu Dec 9, 18:00

Event is online

ABOUT

The series of eight lectures titled "The fire, the river, and the scorched earth in-between" will take place between 26 June and 3 December 2021. The lectures will take place at the St. Georges Cathedral, also called the 'Peoples Cathedral. It is the oldest cathedral in Southern Africa and the mother church of the Anglican diocese in Cape Town. It is a place where 'difficult dialogues' continue to take place. Historically and symbolically it is located on what we could call a 'sankofa-cusp': forging a way forward while extrapolating valuable aspects of the past.


The focus of the lectures will be: "50 Years of Black Liberation Theology through the lens of Prof Allan A Boesak." One of Africa's most respected theologians, Tinyiko Maluleke, has called Allan Boesak "our Martin Luther King and James Cone rolled into one." As preacher, prophet, pastor, theologian, ecumenist, author, political and human rights activist for a period spanning more than fifty years, Allan Aubrey Boesak represents the fullest picture of a truly organic theologian. The series of eight lectures will trace the rise, development, and resilience of Black Liberation Theology in South Africa, viewed through the lens of Professor Boesak's own theology. It seeks to answer questions about why, despite Eurocentric academic disdain and marginalisation, Black Theology has remained powerfully relevant and in recent years has rekindled the passion of a new generation.


The historicity of the lecture series is captured in the project name: A Camissa Project. 'Camissa' means 'place of sweet waters' also identified as the name used by the indigenous Khoi people for 'Cape Town'. In recent years this name has been revived by history, heritage and memory activists. It situates the project where it belongs: within the realm of the first nation people, in the context of land grabs, displacement and occupation, while yet remaining historically inclusive. 


The project seeks to reveal the confluence of the many tributaries that have worked against suffering and struggled for freedom in South Africa. At the same time, it aims to deepen the quest for sustainable justice grounded in a reflective praxis which draws strongly from the wells of the WORD both ancient and immediate, through the lived experiential lens of Professor Boesak.


Each of these webinars will take place from 16h00 - 18h00 South African time on Saturdays. 


The dates for these lectures are as follows:




  • Lecture 1 - 26 June 
  • Lecture 2 – 24 July
  • Lecture 3 – 14 August
  • Lecture 4 -11 September
  • Lecture 5 – 9 October
  • Lecture 6-30 October
  • Lecture 7 -13 November
  • Lecture 8 – 27 November
  • Roundtable - 3 December


   Each Lecture will follow a similar format:




  • Lecture by Dr Boesak
  • Responses by panelists (to be announced)
  • Online interaction with participants
  • In-person interaction from audience present

FOUNDING INSTITUTIONS

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The Camissa Project
The Academy for Theological & Historical Research (ATHR), a recently founded organisation working on memory within the South African Black Dutch Reformed tradition,   and the St Georges Cathedral (SGC) of the Anglican Church in Cape Town, itself having a diverse history, who, under the tutelage of  Archbishop Desmond Tutu became a platform for the liberation struggles in South Africa, are the founding organisations to the Project.

WORKING COMMITTEE

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Project Team
The working committee of the Project’ are Dean Michael Weeder & Ds Derrick Marco (co-founders of the project), Rev Courtney Sampson (chairperson), Dr Bonita Bennett (editor), Pastor Olivia Nagan (administrator), Ms Florence Devries (co-editor). The financial organisation is Afri-Peak. Designer of the Logo and layout artist is, Graeme Arendse.
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