Honorary doctorate for AASR president, Prof. Elias Bongmba!

Warm congratulations to Professor Elias Kifon Bongmba, our AASR president, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Lund University! As part of the events, Professor Bongmba attended a graduate seminar and delivered an inaugural lecture entitled: “Eschatology in Africa: Between the Dialectics of Theological Prediction and Social Practice.”

Here is the write-up from the Commencement program, held at Lund Cathedral on May 25, 2018:

“Elias Kifon Bongmba is a theology, religious studies, and African Studies scholar who works at Rice University in Houston Texas.

His research and teaching covers broad areas and combines theology, religious studies, philosophy and ethnology. His books include philosophical, theological, and social analysis of African witchcraft, and discussions of public theology as well as the HIV-AIDS pandemic in Africa. He is currently working on an extensive introduction to the three major groups of religious traditions in Africa: traditional African religions, Islam, and Christianity.

Professor Bongmba has previously visited Lund as a keynote speaker. He also participates in various research and publication projects together with several researchers at the Lund Faculty of Theology.

Elias Kifon Bongmba was born in Cameroon where he initially studied to become a teacher and Baptist Pastor, before embarking on an academic career in the United States. He is the holder of the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Chair in Christian theology, and a professorship in religious studies.

Lund University has a special focus on Africa and global challenges. By making Elias Kifon Bongmba honorary Doctor of Theology in connection with the University’s 350th anniversary, the Faculty of Theology wants to show its appreciation for his way of addressing important societal issues in a boundary-crossing manner, thereby building bridges between theology and other disciplines.”