New Testament scholar and UP lecturer Dr Annette Potgieter chats about her academic career, the gratification she derives from teaching and research, and bridging the gap between academic theology and the faith community.

Dr Annette Potgieter, a New Testament scholar and senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria (UP), is an expert in Pauline literature, metaphor theory and early Christianity. Her research, which has earned her a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y1 rating, focuses on the intersection of ancient languages and theology.

Reflecting on what drew her to this field, Dr Potgieter says her journey wasn’t straightforward.

“I initially wanted to study art,” she recalls. “I’m shy and introverted – the idea of speaking in front of people did not appeal to the school version of me.”

Despite her initial hesitation, Dr Potgieter found her true passion in theology, particularly in ancient languages.

“The work fit me like a glove, and I enjoyed immersing myself in the first-century CE and marvelling at ancient languages. Theology developed into being the best place for me.”

During her studies at UP, Dr Potgieter excelled in ancient language modules, which played a pivotal role in affirming her academic path. Her work earned her numerous awards, including the Hellenic Community prize for Best Ancient Greek Student in 2008 and the Abe Getz prize for Best Student in Semitic Languages in 2012.

She also excelled in theology, being awarded the Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Medal for excellent undergraduate academic achievement and an Anton Rupert scholarship.

“This played a big role in affirming that I was doing what I should be doing,” she says.

Dr Potgieter’s scholarly accomplishments include a DrTheol (cum laude) from the Humboldt University of Berlin, which she obtained in 2019. Before that, she obtained multiple degrees with distinction, including a BTh, an MDiv, an MA in Ancient Languages and Cultures, and an MTh in New Testament from UP.

In her current role, which she began in September 2023, she continues to make significant contributions to New Testament scholarship, especially through her research on metaphor theory and spatial metaphors in Pauline literature.

Dr Potgieter’s research offers a unique perspective on the letters of Paul, blending historical-critical methods with metaphor theory to gain insight into how spatial metaphors were used to persuade ancient audiences.

“My work on spatial metaphors promotes our understanding of how Paul persuaded ancient audiences,” she explains. This interdisciplinary approach broadens the scope of her research beyond the text, offering “a much-needed view of the text in its environment as the lived religion of the ancients”.

Her work also bridges the gap between academic theology and the faith community, something that she is intentional about. In 2016, she won the Desmond Tutu-Gerrit Brand Prize for the Best Theology Debut Book for Jong teoloë praat saam…oor God, gemeentes en geloof. The project invited top students from South Africa’s reformed theological faculties to rework their MDiv theses into articles that were accessible to the broader faith community.

“It is important to me that the academic work means something to the faith community,” she says.

Teaching is another aspect of her work that Dr Potgieter finds deeply gratifying.

“I enjoy teaching. I like engaging with the students, and it is especially rewarding when they debate and ask questions. That being said, at my core, I’m a researcher and cannot teach without doing research. Research is the best part of my work.”