“I hope to co-create an environment that’s characterised by room to develop and flourish,” says the new Head of UP’s Department of Systematic and Historical Theology.

The Department of Systematic and Historical Theology in the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Theology and Religion is well positioned for an exciting and hopeful future, now that Professor Tanya van Wyk has been confirmed as its new Head of Department.

Only the second woman to be appointed to this position in the faculty, Prof Van Wyk is also the youngest person to take up this role since theology and religion was established as an academic discipline at the University in 1917. 

A long-standing member of the UP community, Prof Van Wyk has obtained several qualifications – a BTh, an MDiv and MTh, a PhD and an MPhil in Business Management, with a focus on responsible leadership. She has also reached numerous milestones during her tenure on campus, not least of which includes taking the helm of the Women Leadership Programme in January 2024 and her recognition as an associate professor two years prior.

“I welcome the opportunity to make an impact in my faculty and the wider University as a female leader and theologian,” Prof Van Wyk says. “Research indicates that gender role incongruency with regard to leadership is still a lingering issue in many management spaces. This implies that many women still have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to become ‘visible’ in higher education. I am cognisant of this, and I really hope that my work contributes to breaking down some of those barriers. Our female students need strong women as role models, and mentors that assist them to navigate the type of spaces they want to have an impact in. A role model in this regard is not a ‘she-ro’, but a real person who navigates both her strengths and vulnerabilities. I hope to co-create an environment that is not characterised by competition, but one that is characterised by room to develop and flourish.”

Her department focuses on both the theological disciplines of systematic and historical theology, which give attention to “the grammar of faith and confession, inclusive of their historical origins”, Prof Van Wyk explains.

“This will include a focus on what the public role of the Church is today, on the moral (ethical) conduct of society, and the relationship between power and the construction of theological knowledge. Important topics like the debate between science and religion, what it means to be human before God in our African context, and living as Christians in our communities are addressed.”   

The faculty wishes Prof Van Wyk much favour and many blessings as she shepherds this grand vision and guides the department, pioneering the exploration of new territory for the year ahead.