NOMSA HANI
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Address (Permanent) : 34 Kaya-Mandi Location, Stellenbosch
7600, Western Cape Province, ZA
Postal Address : University of Cape Town, RICSA, Department
of Religious Studies, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South
Africa
E-mail Address : hani@socsci.uct.ac.za
Nationality : South African
Sex : Female
Date of Birth : 06 October 1966
Languages : Xhosa (Mother tongue), English (fluent),
Afrikaans (fluent), Dutch (basic), Sotho (basic)
EDUCATION
* University of Cape Town (1998-)
PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies.
* University of Durham, England (1997-1998)
- M.A in Theological Research
Dissertation Title: Jesus as Wisdom: A Liberative, Hermeneutic Rediscovery of Sophia/Wisdom Symbol.
The argument pursued in this dissertation concerns the image of Jesus rediscovered through the symbols of Sophia/Wisdom and brother-ancestor in the presentations of feminist (Fiorenza & Johnson) and African (Nyamiti) christological discourses respectively. It is to investigate the contributions and the limitations of symbolising Jesus as Sophia and brother-ancestor. The critical questions here are: should Jesus be symbolised as Sophia just because of the metaphor's feminine linguistic character (Elizabeth Johnson)? Should the biblical tradition be degraded to a secondary norm for feminist interpretation only because it is overwhelmed by ambivalence and ambiguity towards the issues of women's dignity (Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza)? If Jesus is symbolised as brother-ancestor, does this symbol include the needs and aspirations of African Christian women, who, in the African culture, can never become ancestors, even if they have died in good harmony with God (Charles Nyamiti)? If the comparison made by Nyamiti is to prove the superiority of Jesus as brother-ancestor par excellence, where does this leave the integrity and importance allocated to the African ancestors by Africans themselves, who some of them might not even be Christians?
* University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1995-1996)
- Theologie Doctoraal studies (equivalent to Masters in
Theology: as an exchange student)
I contributed an article entitled African Women: Searching for Wholeness and Transformation of Culture and the Church for the departmental edited publication that was presented to the World Council of Churches as a contribution towards the ecumenical discussions about the problem of relation between Gospel and Culture. Leaning heavily on Mercy Amba Oduyoye's literature, this paper was an attempt to expose that the African traditional religious rituals such as birth, marriage, death and mourning have been used against women's ability in contributing to religion in general and to theology in particular. Since religion plays such a key role in enforcing societal norms and ethics, each stage (i.e. birth, marriage, etc.) has a social significance and reflects the status of African women in the society and the relationships that exist between women and men. Thus, through the promotion of this notion the preservation of our culture, the African woman cannot help but feel exploited.
* University of Fort Hare, South Africa (1989-1994)
- Bachelor of Pedagogics, Second Major in Biblical Studies
High School Matriculation Exemption
* Main focus during university studies: The Church and Politics; The New Testament and The Social Sciences; Christian Formation, Faith Development and Critical Education; Gospel and Culture; Ecumenical Studies; Contextual Theology
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
* Researcher, University of Cape Town (1998-present) I am a researcher at the Research Institute on Christianity in South Africa (RICSA) in the area project of Christianity and Africanisation. One of my main focus in this project is on Christian Sexual Ethics, Africanisation and (South) African women.
* Graduate Assistant, University of Fort Hare, Alice, ZA (1993-1994) -duties: tutoring at undergraduate level, assisting with the departmental administration (marking Exam papers and invigilating at Exam time)
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION EXPERIENCE
* General Secretary of Theology Society (University of
Fort Hare)
-Responsible for organising academic conferences, trips to
other Seminaries, giving student- support services in time of
death or illness (1990-1992)
* Executive member of ACTS (Association of Catholic
Tertiary Students) (UFH)
-Responsible for recruitment and orientation in the regional
organisation of ACTS University and school programmes,
voluntary teaching to high school students during school
breaks (1989-1991)
* Executive member of GTF (Gender Task Force) (UFH)
-Responsible for co-ordinating conferences and seminars on
gender relations at tertiary institutions, organising
protest-marches against sexual harassment and rape on the
university campuses (1990-1994)
SCHOLARSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
* Ruth First Scholarship awarded for Masters studies at the University of Durham, 1997-1998
* Student-Exchange Programme agreement between the University of Fort Hare and the University of Amsterdam for studying at the University of Amsterdam, 1995-1996
* A Trip to Mozambique as part of Society of Theology from the University of Fort Hare, (1994). Presented a paper on Women in the Southern African Church: Towards Empowerment