50 Years of Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington
Between 2020 and 2022 Religious Studies celebrated its 50th anniversary at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington with a series of events.
Pádraig Ó Tuama
The celebrations began in March 2020 with Irish poet, theologian, and conflict mediator Pádraig Ó Tuama being appointed the St John's Visiting Scholar. Padraig was initially going to deliver two public lectures and a poetry event but the arrival of Covid-19 and the shutting down of borders sadly put paid to these plans.
Padraig's two public lectures were combined into one very well attended event on the 18th March 2020 where he delivered two public lectures on the theme Stories of Trouble and Peace: Telling the Truth about Power and The Complicated Art of Reconciliation before having to make a hasty return home to Ireland before the New Zealand government closed our borders on March 20th.
Professor Joan Taylor
On the 8th June 2020 New Zealand moved down to Alert Level 1 which allowed the second event to proceed, a talk hosted by the St Andrew’s Trust for the Study of Religion and Society on the 24th July.
Dr. Joan Taylor, Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College London, and Visiting Scholar in Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington gave this talk with the very topical title of Jesus: Visionary for a World in Crisis.
Public Lecture - Religion and Government in Aotearoa New Zealand
The third and final event was a public lecture planned for November 2021 but once again Covid had other plans. New Zealand went into another nationwide lockdown in March 2021 and with Wellington still in alert level 2 in October the difficult decision was made to postpone the event.
The public lecture on Religion and Government in Aotearoa New Zealand was rescheduled for the 27th July 2022 in the Hunter Council Chamber and all alumni, colleagues, students and friends of the Programme were warmly invited to join us in celebrating this notable milestone.
The lecture was delivered by Emeritus Professor Paul Morris, Professor in Religious Studies from 1994 to 2018. Fa’anānā Efeso Collins (Councillor on Auckland Council) and Māmari Stephens (Reader in Law) responded to Paul’s provocations, opening up a broader conversation on a topic urgently in need of a fresh and imaginative reassessment.
This was followed by a celebratory cake and plenty of food and drink for an evening of good conversation and reminiscence.
Scholarship funds
We seek your help in supporting outstanding postgraduate scholarship in Religious Studies through contributing to two scholarships for students in the Programme.
Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship in Religion
The Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship in Religion is in honour of our founding professor, Sir Lloyd Geering ONZ, GNZM, CBE. This scholarship celebrates Sir Lloyd’s contribution to the study of religion, and his legacy of prescient and progressive thinking. This scholarship will support postgraduate studies in Religious Studies. Your contribution will help a new generation of postgraduate students learn to tackle the compelling issues of their times with the fresh thinking and expansive imagination that Sir Lloyd exemplified.
Paul Morris Scholarship in Religious Diversity and Inclusion
The Paul Morris Scholarship in Religion celebrates Paul's outstanding contribution to Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington and to religious and cultural debate in New Zealand. Morris was appointed Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington in 1994 and he served for nearly a quarter of a century in this role. He was made Professor Emeritus in 2019. Beyond the academy Morris contributed extensively to numerous interfaith initiatives as well as his own Jewish community. Your contribution will help postgraduate students working at the cutting edge of scholarship on issues of religious diversity and inclusion in New Zealand and the Pacific.
Find out more about the scholarships and our fundraising project.
Contact:
Corinne Barnard
Development Manager—Humanities and Social Sciences,
+64 4 463 6952
corinne.barnard@vuw.ac.nz
Dr Philip Fountain
Programme Director, Religious Studies
+64 4 463 9477
philip.fountain@vuw.ac.nz