Good morning!
In 2024, for the first time in the last 20 years, Winter Living Theology (WLT) will be presented by a woman. Dr Jaime Waters is Associate Professor of Old Testament at the Clough School of Theology at the prestigious Jesuit University, Boston College.
The Jesuit Institute, partnering with the Lenten Appeal of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, hosts WLT each year. The aim of the series, which runs in various cities around Southern Africa, is to provide ongoing formation for any clergy, religious and lay people who seek to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
Due to the requests received and the
success of last year’s series, presented by Fr David Neuhaus SJ, this year’s series will again have its main focus on the Scriptures.
Dr Waters will speak on a number of topics under the main theme “The Bible Revisited: Exploring People, Places, and Prayers to Inspire the World Today.” She has published in numerous journals and written a book entitled What Does the Bible Say About Animals? She is
an editorial board member of the Journal of Biblical Literature and associate editor of The Bible Today.
Dr Waters is also Program Director of Courage to Preach. She holds graduate degrees from Yale Divinity School (MA, Religion) and Johns Hopkins University (MA, PhD, Near Eastern Studies). Dr Waters is currently working on a commentary on the book of Jeremiah for the
Wisdom Commentary Series
(Liturgical Press) and a book on methods of biblical interpretation (Baker Academic).
Recently, the director of the Jesuit Institute, Fr Russell Pollitt SJ, spoke to Dr Waters to find out a bit more about what she intends offering in South Africa when she visits in June 2024.
What will you be covering at WLT and what do you hope people will get out of it?
My WLT series is called The Bible Revisited: Exploring People, Places, and Prayers to Inspire the World Today. The lectures will cover a wide range of topics focused on biblical women, ecology and the Bible, and the book of Psalms, studying the richness of Scripture in light of contemporary
conversations about, care for creation, the Scriptures and women and
ways of praying. But, as always happens, various topics open up when we speak about the sacred texts and I am sure many more things will also be discussed!
Who do you think will benefit from WLT?
I think anyone who attends the WLT lectures with an open mind and heart will benefit from them. Hopefully, that's everyone! I love talking about
the Scriptures and their impact on us today. Anyone who loves the Word of God will find some benefit.
Dr Waters will present her lectures in the following formats:
- Three-day lecture series - attend all three days or single days
- Morning lecture
- Evening lecture
Winter Living Theology 2024 will take place in Durban, East London, Johannesburg and Cape Town for the three-day lecture series. There will be an evening lecture in Durban and Cape Town and a morning lecture in Pretoria. Dr Waters will also visit Eswatini for a morning lecture.
Please see details – and specials! – on the Jesuit Institute website www.jesuitinstitute.org.za or email retreats@jesuitinstitute.org.za for more information.
