In South African higher education institutions, the student protests of 2015-2016 called for the decolonisation of higher education spaces and equal access to these spaces. We collected data from students and lecturers over the period of one year in order to better understand the reactions of students and lecturers and the effects the protests had on their experiences. Perspectives of affective theory, decolonisation and social justice were used. It was discovered that the protests had a great affective impact on participants. Strong emotions and beliefs affected the relationships between students and lecturers and African centrality was suggested as a framework for curriculum change. Some settler perspectives emerged and polarisation was evident. It is our hope that lecturers could use this research to assist them in decolonising their spaces of teaching and learning.

The paper investigated religious and social transformations within a specific religious tradition in South Africa. After clarifying the charged concept of �transformation�, the authors showed that transformation is about more than changed systems and structures, for, on a deeper level, it is also about the change in relationships and attitudes between the different cultural groups in South Africa. The argument was supported by making use of data from the SA reconciliation barometer 2010 and the 2009 Transformation audit. In the next part of the paper, the authors took a closer look at the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) as a case in point. The basic question they asked was how do these social transformations affect the religious transformations within the DRC and vice versa? By making use of Mary Douglas�s concept of �the enclave� it was proposed that a new enclave developed in the DRC after 1994, the characteristics of which were investigated in the remainder of the paper.

One of the most basic understandings of leadership relates to the fact that it is seen as the involvement of a person, group or organisation that influences and empowers enough people to follow and to bring about change in that area of life (Yukl 2010). A basic assumption in this understanding of leadership is that this kind of influencing and empowerment takes place in real-life situations and face-to-face contact between leaders and followers. The question that the article probes is, taking into account these basic assumptions about leadership, whether one can speak of ‘virtual leadership’ where there is not necessarily face-to-face contact between the leaders and the followers. I argue that it is indeed possible to speak of some kind of leadership and endeavour to investigate the so-called echurch as a case in point. An interview with the leader of the echurch in South Africa, Stephan Joubert, was published recently in the newspaper Die Kerkbode. It was this article that initiated the interest of the researcher to do some further exploration into this practical-theological phenomenon.

When developing new perspectives and paradigms for practical theology in South Africa, we obviously have to take our South African context seriously. We live in a post-conflict society in which gigantic sociocultural shifts have taken place since 1994. Many institutions and groups endeavour to address the conflict, injustices and pain of the past, including the Institute for the Healing of Memories (IHOM). The Institute makes use of a specific methodology in their workshops. Having participated in these workshops in congregational contexts as well as in the training of theological students, in this article I investigated the methodology of the Institute as a framework for new perspectives on practical theology in South Africa. Making use of Victor Turner’s theoretical construct of ‘social drama’ as one way of looking at the methodology of the IHOM, I reflected critically on the challenges that it poses to practical theology by making use of a ‘rhetorical frame’ and trying to delineate some constructive proposals for further reflections on practical theological paradigms and perspectives.<p><strong>How to cite this article:</strong> Nell, I.A., 2011, ‘Practical theology as “healing of memories”: Critical reflections on a specific methodology’, <em>HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies</em> 67(2), Art. #1001, 8 pages. doi:10.4102/hts.v67i2.1001</p>

Stellenbosch University promotes generic graduate attributes (GAs) as an integral part of its teaching and learning strategy en route to curriculum renewal. The Faculty of Theology targeted the Master of Divinity programme to become the pilot project for implementing GAs as part of a process of programme renewal and held a number of workshops for implementation. The conceptual framework for the research drew on, Cultural Historical Activity Theory. The main research question was: What are the conceptions of lecturers concerning the integration of graduate attributes into a Master of Divinity programme after participation in a process of curriculum renewal? The study entailed semi-structured interviews and the data of the 16 interviews were analysed through qualitative analysis. The curriculum renewal strategy contributed positively to the lecturers' conceptions of the integration of GAs into the Master of Divinity programme. The gendered and diverse cultural-historical context of the participants (and the students) strongly informed the conceptions of the lecturers. These findings are important for curriculum renewal in the light of cultivating critical and responsible citizenship.