What happens when a religious faith that calls for a break with the past meets a cultural practice deeply rooted in identity?
For University of the Free State postgraduate student Liso Rulashe, the question lies at the heart of his research into how Pentecostal Christians negotiate their faith, Xhosa cultural identity, and masculinity. His exploration of this complex intersection has now earned him the
Monica Wilson Prize, making him the first University of the Free State student to receive the prestigious postgraduate anthropology award. The Monica Wilson Prize was introduced in 2009 to commemorate Monica Wilson's contributions to Anthropology. The prize is awarded to the best student essay submitted by a postgraduate student as a paper at the annual Anthropology Southern Africa conference.
Rulashe was selected as one of four finalists at the annual Anthropology Southern Africa conference, where he presented his research on members of a Pentecostal church in Qonce, Eastern Cape. His essay was subsequently selected for the prize.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies,
Professor Vasu Reddy, congratulated Liso on the achievement, saying: “His award brings great honour and recognition to the discipline of Anthropology and to the University. His accolade reminds us that world-class research often begins with small but courageous questions rooted in lived experience. Impactful scholarship does not shy away from complexity. It embraces it.
Liso’s research demonstrates how rigorous inquiry can deepen our understanding of identity, belonging, culture, and faith in a changing and often painful world. It also reflects the strength of his training as an anthropologist at the UFS and confirms that our students are being taught by outstanding lecturers and scholars who create spaces where difficult conversations can develop into meaningful scholarship.”
Prof Christian Williams notes that the recognition is significant given the award's competitiveness. This year, thirteen students from seven universities across Southern Africa submitted essays for consideration. “Every year, MA and PhD students at universities across Southern Africa submit their work for consideration for the Monica Wilson Prize. So, the prize is quite competitive,” Prof Williams explains.
Where faith and culture meet
Rulashe’s award-winning essay is drawn from Chapter 2 of his master’s dissertation, Transformed by Christ: An Ethnographic Investigation of how Pentecostal Christians in the Assemblies of God – Back to God Narrate the Transformative Power of Christianity in their Lives.
At its centre is ulwaluko, the sacred Xhosa male initiation rite of circumcision, and the ways in which Pentecostal Christians understand and negotiate the practice within their religious lives. The research examines a tension between Pentecostal Christianity’s emphasis on radical discontinuity, described as ‘a complete break with the past’, and the cultural significance of ulwaluko.
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, Rulashe argues that his participants do not simply choose between Christianity and Xhosa identity. Instead, they creatively re-ritualise ulwaluko, constructing a form of Christian-Xhosa masculinity that enables them to maintain their religious identity while seeking recognition and belonging within the wider Xhosa community.
It is this complexity that Prof Williams says impressed the judging panel.
“The judges were impressed by the subtlety in how Rulashe addressed a topic which is both politically sensitive and also close to his own experience,” he observes.
Prof Williams points out that the research challenges an essentialised understanding of Xhosa masculinity by focusing on people who understand themselves as committed Christians while also seeking recognition as Xhosa men. “He does so by attending to the experience of research participants who see themselves, and wish to be seen, as committed to their Christian faith and as legitimate Xhosa men,” he adds.
The responsibility of researching from within
For Rulashe, the research demanded more than intellectual engagement with a complex subject. His personal connection to the topic meant he had to remain constantly aware of his position as both a researcher and an insider.
He describes the challenge as one of maintaining critical distance without losing sight of the lived experiences that brought the research into focus. “I constantly had to guard against two risks: over-identifying with participants on the one hand and imposing my own spiritual lens on the other. Maintaining critical distance while drawing on personal experience required continuous reflexivity,” Rulashe explains.
The sensitivity of ulwaluko added another layer of responsibility.
“Discussing its details, even in academic form, carried the risk of appearing to expose or dilute something that many traditionalists regard as inviolable,” he notes.
The experience ultimately reshaped his understanding of what it means to conduct research as an insider. “The process taught me that insider status is both a privilege and a responsibility. It granted me access and trust that an outsider would struggle to obtain, yet it also demanded greater accountability to those I represent,” he says.
From a local case to a wider conversation
The judging panel also valued the way in which Rulashe connected the specificity of his research participants’ experiences to broader anthropological debates.
Prof Christian Williams says the judges appreciated his ability to remain attentive to the details of the case study while demonstrating how the research questions extend beyond it.
“They appreciated his ability to hold on to the specific details of his case study while showing what is universal about the phenomenon that he studied, by comparing his case with scholarship on circumcision practices within other religious traditions,” he explains.
The judges also recognised the honesty with which Rulashe represented his participants’ experiences.
Prof Williams maintains that Rulashe did not attempt to force the research into predetermined expectations but instead allowed the experiences of those he studied to shape the account.
These qualities, he says, reflect some of the strongest principles of anthropological scholarship.
A milestone for postgraduate research
The award also points to the growing visibility of postgraduate research within the Department of Anthropology at the University of the Free State.
Prof Williams recalls that when he joined the institution 12 years ago, the department had relatively few postgraduate students and was still developing its postgraduate programme. “Now we have some excellent postgraduate students whose work has been or will soon be recognised in regional anthropology circles,” he says.
For Prof Williams, Rulashe’s achievement therefore represents more than an individual accolade. It reflects the contribution of a broader academic environment that encourages and supports postgraduate researchers.
“Rulashe’s receipt of this award reflects not only his good work, but also the good work of members of this department and of other University of the Free State staff members who prioritise making this university into a conducive environment for student research,” he emphasises.
The visibility began before the prize itself was announced. By presenting his research at a regional conference and responding to questions from an academic audience, Rulashe was already contributing to the wider scholarly conversation through his postgraduate research at the University of the Free State.
Recognition opens the next chapter
For Rulashe, the Monica Wilson Prize is both an acknowledgement of work completed and an encouragement to pursue the questions further. “Receiving the Monica Wilson Prize is, for me, an experience of grace. It is a profound honour to have my name listed among distinguished anthropologists and academics from leading universities across Southern Africa who have received this award since it was introduced in 2009,” he says.
He views becoming the first University of the Free State student to receive this award as recognition of the academic environment that supported his research. “Being the first student from the University of the Free State to receive the Monica Wilson Prize is not merely a personal triumph, but also a reflection of the culture of academic excellence that the University of the Free State continues to foster, and which keeps gaining recognition beyond the institution,” he adds.
The recognition has also strengthened his confidence to further develop the research through publication or, potentially, doctoral study. “The recognition affirms that careful ethnographic work rooted in lived experience, particularly work that engages the complexities of Christianity, culture, and masculinity in post-colonial South Africa, has a place in the broader anthropological conversation,” Rulashe maintains.
For fellow postgraduate researchers, his advice is grounded in the realities of academic work.
“You are in the right company. Even in your darkest moments of research and writing, maintain your academic posture. Keep the faith. Remember the goal. Eventually, the pendulum does swing,” he says.