About the Department of Old Testament Studies

The Department offers courses in:

•  Old Testament for the university diploma in theology,
• the degrees BA, BTh,
• BA-Honours in Theology,
• MDiv,
• structured MA Theology, and
• guide students in writing a dissertation for MTh in Theology and a thesis for the PhD degree.

Teaching is done in both Afrikaans and English. The contents taught in the different sections of the courses are available on UP’s ClickUp facility. Teaching in class is supplemented by seminars and class discussions. During exams not only questions but also assignments are used.

There are four full time lecturers in the Department, and all four having obtained doctoral degrees. Each staff members also have a field of speciality:

• Prof. Dirk Human:Monotheism, mythology and Psalms;
• Dr Sias Meyer: The Pentateuch and Deuteronomist; 
• Prof. Alphonso Groenewald:  Psalm research, hermeneutics and prophets
• Prof. Pieter Venter: Wisdom literature, apocalyptic literature, Second Temple Era, apocryphal and pseudepigraphic literature, Theology of the Old Testament and Canon formation.

All members of the staff belong to both national Old Testament societies, such as the Old Testament Society of Southern Africa, Bible Society of Southern Africa and international societies like the Society of Biblical Literature, the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament and the Enoch Seminar.

The department presents  two public lectures annually dealing with relevant subjects from the Old Testament. The members of staff are also taking part in several publication projects such as the new Afrikaans translation by the Bible Society of South Africa and publications by Christian Arts. All staff members are ordained ministers in their churches as well and conduct on regular basis sermons and lectures in different congregations.