Dion Forster
Dion Angus Forster is an ordained Minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. He is a theologian and author. He was formerly the Dean of the Seminary of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, John Wesley College. Prof. Forster is the International Chairman of the '' campaign. He teaches Systematic Theology and Ethics, with a focus on Public Theology in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. He serves as the Director of the at Stellenbosch University.
Education
He holds two PHD's. In 2006 he completed a Doctorate in Theology at the University of South Africa. In 2017 he completed a second PHD at Radboud University Nijmegen in New Testament studies with a focus on Social Identity Theory and the politics of forgiveness among Black and White South African Christians. He also holds the degrees of Master of Theology, and Bachelor of Theology with Honours , from Rhodes University, and a post-graduate qualification in management from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.Teaching
He has taught Systematic Theology, New Testament and Ethics at John Wesley College, Ethics and Systematic Theology at the University of South Africa, and New Testament at the University of Pretoria. He is currently on the full-time faculty of Stellenbosch University where he is an associate professor of Systematic Theology, Ethics and Public Theology. He is the Director of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, and the Chair of the Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology.Dion Forster is a member of the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, the Theological Society of South Africa and the South Africa Science and Religion Forum. He has lectured at various institutions across the world
Research foci
- African Theology and the Southern African philosophy of ubuntu, social justice and human rights
- Public Theology and Theological Ethics with a focus on political ethics and economic ethics
- Theology and science, Human consciousness, religious consciousness, and individual identity, Neuroscience and Neurotheology, Artificial Intelligence and technology
- Integral with reference to the work of Ken Wilber
- Ecclesiology with an emphasis on Marketplace ministry and the Emerging church
- Methodism in South Africa, Methodist mission, Methodist spirituality, Wesleyan theology
Publications: Academic Articles and Papers
- - reworked and published as a book in 2007. Please see 'Christ at the centre...' below.
- To bomb or not to bomb? A Christian response to the war on Iraq
- Spiritual Intelligence, the Ultimate Intelligence
- The Same-Sex Debate in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
- Christianity, inclusivity, and homosexuality: An interpretation of responses to the Methodist Church of Southern Africa’s discussion document on same sex relationships.
- Three empty promises: Understanding the role of the Church and Theological Education in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. .
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- War: A case study in theological reflection.
- , Pretoria, Research institute for Religion and Theology..
- . Pretoria: Doctoral Dissertation, University of South Africa / UNISA.
- Forster, DA. 2007. Prepared for the Doctrine, Ethics and Worship Commission of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
- More red than green – a response to global warming and the environment from within the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Forster, DA in The Epworth Review - the Journal of Methodist ecclesiology and mission Vol 35, No 2.
- Prophetic witness and social action as holiness in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa's mission..
- Hugh Price Hughes annual lecture delivered at , London, March 2009.
- Forster, DA in Lausanne World Pulse, April 2010. Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. Wheaton Illinois.
- The Church has AIDS: Towards a positive theology for an HIV+ Church. Forster, DA in The Epworth Review - the Journal of Methodist ecclesiology and mission Vol 1, No 2,.
- Forster, DA in Lausanne World Pulse, June/July 2010. Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. Wheaton Illinois.
- Forster, DA in HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 66, Art. #731, 12 pages.
- African relational ontology, individual identity, and Christian theology: An African theological contribution towards an integrated relational ontological identity. Forster, DA in Theology VOL CXIII No 874 July/August.
- Forster, DA in Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae August 2014, vol 40, Supplement, pp 87–115.
- Forster, DA in Koers – Bulletin for Christian Scholarship November 2014, vol 79, Issue 2, pp 1-9.
Publications: Books and Chapters
- An Introduction to Wesleyan Spirituality. Wesley Society Series, no. 6. Methodist Publishing House, 2001.
- , Pretoria, Research institute for Religion and Theology ..
- Upon the Lord's sermon on the mount - discourse 8 in Shier Jones, A and Reisman, KD 44 Sermons to Serve the Present Age, London: Epworth.
- Forster, DA. 2007. AcadSA Publishers. Kempton Park.
- Forster, DA. 2007. AcadSA Publishers. Kempton Park.
- Forster, DA. 2008. MMA Publishers. Pretoria.
- Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission Forster, DA and Bentley, W. 2008. AcadSA Publishers, Kempton Park.
- What are we thinking? Reflections on Church and Society from Southern African Methodists. Forster, DA and Bentley, W. 2008. Methodist Publishing House, Cape Town.
- A world faith Forster, DA, in Shier Jones, A and Curran, L Methodist Present Potential, London: Epworth Press.
- Reading the same Bible and reaching different ethical conclusions: The Bible and Christian ethics by Forster, DA in What is a good life? An introduction to Christian Ethics in 21st century Africa. Kretzschmar, L; Bentley, W; van Niekerk, A. Kempton Park, AcadSA Publishers
- Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling Power, G and Forster, DA. 2010. Struik Christian Books. Cape Town.
- Forster, DA. in Kingdom Stewardship: Occasional Papers Prepared by the Lausanne Resource Mobilization Working Group for Cape Town 2010 Mohamed, A, Elder, B & Grabil, S. Christian Library Press.
- Empire, economics and apathy: A theological reflection on HIV/AIDS by Forster, DA in Alienation and Connection: Suffering in a Global Age. Withrow, L. Lexington Books.
- Forster, DA in Making Disciples in a Global Parish Wipf & Stock, NY, 2011, pp 39–47.
- Between Capital and Cathedral: Essays on Church-State relationships by Bentley, W and Forster, DA University of South Africa Press. Pretoria.
- Forster, DA in Between Capital and Cathedral: Essays on Church-State relationships Research Institute for Religion & Theology, UNISA, 2012, pp 73–88.
- Forster, DA, Beyers Naudé Centre Series on Public Theology Volume XI. SUN Press, Stellenbosch.