Goals of SORAT

The overall goal of our School is to become the premier residential University programme in Religion and Theology on the African continent. With this overall goal, there are a number of sub-goals, which delimit staff and student research, are grounded in research activities, and combine and are synergized with teaching and outreach activities.

1. Religion and Civil Society

To research and develop the principle moral and ethical imperatives which should inform the different religious and cultural formations and traditions' responsibilities to civil society.
To research the particular denominational mix of religious formations in S.A. and determine the challenges to which each have to be responsive with regard to the developing and building of a just, democratic and equal opportunity civil society.
To research the differences between the religious formations and how they can be accommodated in civil society in the interests of tolerance and respect, thereby preventing fundamentalist or exploitative hegemonic moral systems.
To research the ways in which the religions and cultures of S.A. can transformatively impact on the development of a stable and coherent civil society on all its levels, spanning the areas of scientific, bio-medical, social, economic and individual ethics.

2. Religion and Counseling (in collaboration with Social Work and Psychology)

To research and identify knowledge and skills that could be used by faith-based community counsellors in working with individuals, families and communities.
To develop said knowledge and skills into a coherent training programme that is feasible for use by counsellors.
To implement, evaluate and refine the training programme.
To offer training to interested counsellors via the University's academic programmes and outreach programmes.

The general goal of this focus is to develop models and cultivate graduates who are knowledgeable about and skilled in general Human Sciences expertise with regard to counselling of individuals / families / communities of all religious persuasions and denominations.

3. Religion, Globalisation and Poverty

To comprehensively describe the realities and effects of economic and cultural globalisation.
To research possibilities for the economic and cultural development of local cultures given the effects of globalising tendencies and challenges.
To assist religious formations to constructively contribute towards the economic and cultural enhancement of people.
To research the obstacles to the economic and cultural advancement of people in local communities and to facilitate ways and means to transcend them for the benefit of the people.

4. Religion, Culture and Social Transformation

To research the role Religion, culture and religious formations have played and could play in social transformation.
To research and promote multi-religious and -cultural understanding and co-operation.
To research the relationship between gender and Religion in the African context.
To research the role of Religion in HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination, as well as in the development of resilience and coping mechanisms.
To foster informed opinion and knowledge concerning the multiple religious and cultural heritages in civil society.
To educate and train graduates who may transformatively impact on society in the area of cross-religious and -cultural understanding in a pluralist society and foster cross-religious tolerance, respect and dignity.