Hekima Principal Underscore the Need to Study Theology
Why should you spend a whole year, three years, four years, or ten, studying theology? For some people, they would say it is a waste of time. Rev. Dr. Marcel Uwineza SJ, HUC principal, posed this question in his address to the congregants gathered at Hekima and online for the graduation of the third cohort of the Hekima Hilton Sisters Scholar Program on June 14.
“I’m sure that the sisters here would affirm that they have not wasted their time. The first and most important thing to know in theology is that whatever we think when we hear the word God is not God. However deep, rich, powerful, or long you name it, whatever we have in our minds, God remains bigger!”, Dr. Uwineza declared, as he posed the question of why we take theology seriously.
He explained that theology is a discipline that seeks to understand the revealed truth that what is created has come from God and will go back to God. He pointed out that theology is the sacred discipline accepted by faith on the authority of God who reveals Godself, meaning human beings do not invent God; rather, they come to some knowledge of who God is because God has first come to them.
“Theological discourse includes human reasoning, but it transcends it because it accepts its principles based on reason and faith. I therefore believe that this one year that you have spent in Christology, in the Old and New Testaments, in Mariology, you name it, can be summarized in this.”
He added that theology cannot be done in a vacuum; it has to respond to the people’s context and challenges. Theology must be contextual; therefore, one who deals with the question of poverty, questions of injustice, and questions of reconciliation is actually unveiling who God is!
Dr. Uwineza also felt that theology tends to be comprehensive as no elements and no aspects of the universe escape who God is; therefore, no element of the universe should be exempted from theological discussion.
“We should take theology seriously because of this reason, the human hopes and anxiety in every age raise questions that push us to keep thinking of why we are here and where we are going. Awareness of the paradoxes of life, the contradictions of life, and the fragilities of our answers push us to seek more answers. The self-giving love of God pushes us to understand or to seek to understand who God is.”
He challenged the graduating students to take this task, urging them to adhere to what Saint Peter says in his first letter; to “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason of your hope and do that with respect and gentleness.”
According to Dr. Uwineza, one should, therefore, study Theology in order to give adequate and profound answers to the hopes and challenges as well as the aspirations of something bigger than ourselves. He added that theologians also have to take other sciences; theology is not done without being interdisciplinary. Theologians also have to deal with questions of anthropology, psychology, sociology, etc.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Ms. Angelique, Senior Program Officer at the Conrad Hilton Foundation (which sponsors the sister’s program), said the foundation was formed in 1944 by Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. The Catholic Sisters Initiative is the foundation’s largest initiative.
“As we started to discuss how to build the capacity of women in Africa through theological studies, we contacted Hekima University College because we knew there was a tradition of excellence at this University. Sisters needed an opportunity to get into a certificate program, and today, this is the third graduation with 130 sisters, and we have over 500 sisters who have gone through the program,” Ms. Angelique said, adding that she has been following the previous graduations online, but that being in person is different. She said that the certificate will allow them to build a global sisterhood and help the sisters be better pastors in their ministries.
The Guest of Honor at the graduation ceremony, Sr. Jane Wakahio, the head of the Catholic Sisters Initiative, congratulated the graduating students and thanked them for their resilience and perseverance. She gave HUC a book containing Conrad Hilton’s Will and Testament and several letters he wrote to various sisters.
By Pamela Adinda, HUC Communications Coordinator