Message from Dean JST

Hello Friends! I am delighted to introduce you to the Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima University College. Founded in 1984 and situated in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, Hekima originated as a response to a burning desire to establish a Jesuit institution of higher learning where men and women can be holistically formed to diagnose needs regarding faith, society, and values and prescribe context-driven responses that are compatible with or complementary to global concerns. The Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima rides on the four Cs agenda of Jesuit education – Competence, Conscience, Compassion, and Commitment – holding faithfully to the over 480 years of Jesuit’s finest humanistic tradition and pedagogical heritage.

Anchored on this Jesuit education agenda, the Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima retraces the trajectory of theological and faith formation in a world suffocated by a myriad of tragedies. Competency-based education has become the most attractive deity in town, with little emphasis on conscience-based formation. Conflicts and wars are lucrative projects at the expense of our shared humanity. Technological innovations have defiled the notion of space, yet the head–heart quality presence seems almost impossible. Human worth is on a gradual downward spiral due to the relativisation of truth and the inability to discern what is good and right. The world now harbours a Gen Z generation which, like the proverbial fool, often says in their hearts, “There is no God” or “God is dead”. These tragic realities provoke and inspire every concerned individual and all persons of goodwill to desire the shift from this chaos to the true cosmos, which God intended in the beginning.

Consequently, studying theology offers us an opportunity to reclaim and restore humanity and our broken world. Beyond its intellectually satisfactory gains, theology answers fundamental questions about God, life, creation, suffering, justice, freedom, values, and the afterlife. Theology forms the conscience through a deeper engagement with faith, which shapes religious, socio-cultural, historical, scientific, legal and ethical consciousness. In today’s Africa, theology offers leadership tools that ensure the establishment of a genuine culture of life. Attaining this culture implies charting a path through a curriculum that integrates contextual and liberating consciousness in forming hearts and minds. Doing theology in Africa today must be contextual and political, ensuring the realisation of the Lord’s prayer – thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Friends, in a world subtly menaced by atheism and postmodernism in the Global North and troubled by religious extremism and intolerance in the Global South, the Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima University College stands out as the theological school par excellence in Africa. We commit to delivering the much-needed global theological leadership and faith formation. Our Bachelor’s and master’s programs in Theology provide holistic and rigorous theological formation, where contextual wisdom shapes global cultures. Besides offering civil degrees, our School of Theology also grants ecclesiastical degrees (Baccalaureate and Licentiate) following the regulations in Veritatis Gaudium. At the Jesuit School of Theology of Hekima University College, we do not just teach theology; we create theological traditions.

Our well-stocked and state-of-the-art Library elicits and facilitates a passion for quiet study as well as in-depth research. With hundreds of thousands of physical and digital resources in various disciplines, which are accessible from anywhere in the world, our Library is committed to meeting the intellectual needs of its users. The Library of the Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima is a second-to-none theological Library in the region. Our indexed international peer-reviewed journal, Hekima Review, further demonstrates our commitment to responding to matters of theology, governance, and peace studies in Africa and beyond through publication.

Moreover, in addition to the traditional classroom paper-pen educational approach, the Jesuit School of Theology has made technology a critical pedagogical tool and has transcended spatial constraints. We believe that spaces like virtual classrooms, chapels, pastoral fields, student commons, hostels, excursions, cultural exhibitions, gyms, and sports grounds are indeed didactic milieux.

With students and faculty from over 27 countries and 5 continents, our international community demonstrates a harmonious diversity and gives a global experience. Moreover, our competent, experienced, and internationally trained faculty impart quality education using the latest and most effective teaching methods. Our exchange and collaborative programs with several leading universities within and outside Africa offer our students and faculty the opportunity to expand their horizons and networks.

Finally, as a Jesuit institution, our modus operandi transcends mere academic achievements and focuses on holistic formation with special emphasis on character, competence, commitment, and conscience formation. This integrated pedagogical model is inspired by the Ignatian spirituality of finding God and goodness in all things.

So, if you desire a better you, humanity, Africa, and world, join the Jesuit School of Theology at Hekima University College as a student, friend, collaborator, or benefactor. If you are convinced that the knowledge, experience, or interaction with God, humanity, and the universe is not gender-based nor exclusively clerical, then join our theology programs. Together, let us champion human and societal transformation for the greater glory of God. See you soon!