Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
14 March 2021
|
Story Lacea Loader
![]()
The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) is aware of the call for a national shutdown of universities, as was reported in the national media over the weekend. Although not much information is currently available about the call and how
it will impact university operations, members of management are in contact with the national authorities in this regard.
The Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) has informed the university that there will be a picket outside the main gate of the Bloemfontein Campus tomorrow at 10:00.
All academic and administrative activities on the campuses will, however, continue as normal tomorrow. Protection Services, with the support of private security, are on high alert and the necessary contingency plans are in place.
Staff and students are encouraged to regularly monitor the communication platforms for important/critical information, as updates on the situation on the campuses will be shared as regularly as possible.
It is important to ensure that your cellphone number is updated in order to receive communication via the KovsieApp and SMS:
Faculty of Theology hosts conference on theology and science
2010-03-25
 |
At the conference were, from the left: Prof. Rian Venter, Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS and organiser of the conference; Prof. Isabel Phiri, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Prof. André van Niekerk, Stellenbosch University; Prof. Francois Tolmie, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the UFS; and Prof. Wentzel van Huyssteen, Princeton, USA.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs |
The Faculty of Theology at the University of the Free State (UFS) presented an interdisciplinary conference with the theme faith, religion and the public university this week.
The conference was preceded by a public lecture: Human Uniqueness? In Search of the Image of God by Prof. Wentzel van Huyssteen of Princeton in the United States of America (USA). In his lecture he asks: What makes humans different from animals? He also discusses the statement: Is there something that science can teach theologians and something that theologians can teach science?
In his lecture Prof. van Huyssteen refers to the prehistoric paintings in, among others, Spain, France and also Mossel Bay in South Africa. According to him these rock paintings shed some interesting light on the nature of humankind. “It seems as if there is a possible religious connotation to these paintings. Among others it becomes clear that man has the ability to ask deeper questions about his existence,” said Prof. van Huyssteen.
This find of prehistoric paintings is also an example of an interdisciplinary search for answers to the question: What makes man different from other species?
The rock art also shows that man sees himself as part of nature. “Being the image of God” has also to do with an awareness of nature and man’s special task therein as image bearer of God,” said Prof. van Huyssteen.
These are interesting perspectives given by other sciences on the nature of man. From the theology the perspective of “man created to the image of God” is added. At this occasion speakers from different disciplines such as law, physics, sociology, philosophy and theology participated in the discussion about the position of religion at a public university.
Other main speakers at this occasion were Prof. Isabel Phiri from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Prof. Anton van Niekerk from Stellenbosch University.