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Trailblazing win: UFS wins its first-ever Andrew Murray Prize

31 January 2024 | Story EDZANI NEPHALELA | Photo ANJA AUCAMP

In a historic triumph that reverberates over four decades since its inception, the UFS has clinched the coveted Andrew Murray Prize – now renamed the Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize – for the first time. Standing shoulder to shoulder with institutions such as the University of Pretoria (UP) and Stellenbosch University (SU), this achievement marks a significant milestone in the UFS’ journey.

At the heart of this accomplishment lies the profound contribution of Dr Martin Laubscher, distinguished Senior Lecturer specialising in Practical and Missional Theology in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. Dr Laubscher’s dedication and scholarly prowess culminated in the groundbreaking work titled Publieke teologie as profetiese teologie? (Public theology as prophetic theology), a revised edition of his doctoral thesis, which was originally crafted at Stellenbosch University in 2020, with a focus on the eminent Karl Barth.

Dr Laubscher received the Andrew Murray Prize for Theological Books in Afrikaans for his research and insightful analysis. The journey started when he realised, under the guidance of his study leader, Prof Dion Forster, that his script had the potential to be published in Afrikaans. Sun Media’s interest in publishing this work in Afrikaans, led to it being the first-ever published thesis in Afrikaans. Dr Laubscher recalls, “I was grateful and excited about Sun Media’s interest. The book emerged within a year, and during a celebratory launch Prof Forster suggested I submit it for the Andrew Murray Prize.”

Earlier this year, Dr Laubscher was excited to learn that he was being shortlisted for the prestigious award. Reflecting on the significant moment, he shares, “The elation I felt upon receiving the news was unparalleled. I was not only celebrating a personal triumph, but also etching my name as the first laureate from our faculty to secure this prestigious accolade.”

News Archive

Silence, secrets and the unsaid

2014-05-14

Since the 1960s, survivors and perpetrators of violence and mass atrocities have been urged to talk about their experiences. Increasingly, any reluctance to recall and give testimony of what happened is framed as pathological – a symptom of trauma.

Exploring the theme of ‘Silence after Violence’, the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice will host a colloquium on our Bloemfontein Campus. Local and international academics will examine the role of silence, secrets and the unsaid in the aftermath of mass atrocities.

The details of this two-day colloquium:

Date: 22 – 23 May
Time: Thursday: 08:00 – 17:30 and Friday: 08:00 – 15:00
Place: Centenary Complex

Students, staff and the public is welcome to attend any of the sessions. For more details about the line-up, open the programme here, or contact the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice directly at +27(0)51 401 9808.

This colloquium is the next event hosted by the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice in a year-long celebration of our country’s 20 years of democracy. The event is organised in collaboration with the University of Vermont, Carolyn & Leonard Miller Center for Holocaust Studies.

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