The Department of Religious Studies and Arabic teaches three disciplines, namely Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, and Arabic.
Auwais Rafudeen, Chair of Department
Welcome to the Department of Religious Studies and Arabic! We are a small department, but we deal with topics that have always been of great significance to humanity and that continue to shape our world in important ways.
So, what are the topics and areas we explore in this department? As its name indicates, we are a department that studies the religions of the world. We explore the well-known world religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. But we also study religions that, in South Africa at least, may be not as well-known such as Zoroastrianism and Taoism. Very importantly, we also focus on the indigenous religions of South Africa and Africa, which are often termed African Traditional Religions. And there are new religious movements that we study as well, such as paganism, which although very ancient, is enjoying a revival in the modern world.
So, as you can see, you will gain a broad introduction to the world’s many religions. And, trust me, this is a very exciting exploration. I speak as someone who, many years ago, got drawn into Religious Studies, by this sense of excitement as it afforded me an opportunity to explore different worldviews and cultures.
But Religious Studies is not only about studying religions, but also the concept and nature of religion itself. What, in other words, does religion mean to our modern world and to the modern human being? This question has profound psychological, spiritual social and political dimensions and, as you proceed through your studies, you will explore these dimensions as well.
Our department has also two other sister sections, namely, Islamic Studies and Arabic and many of you will be doing one or both of these streams. As you start out in Islamic Studies, you explore the major beliefs and practices of Islam as well as its spiritual aspects, among other matters. And, as you proceed, you study various historical. legal, philosophical and social aspects of Islam, particularly in an African context. In Arabic, you start out at the very beginning, learning the letters of the language. And, as you proceed, you gain a greater exposure to its grammar and vocabulary. By your third year, and with hard work, you will even be translating Arabic texts and poetry into English!
But whatever you are doing, whether its Religious Studies, Islamic Studies or Arabic, we are confident that you will benefit from our offerings. We have an experienced group of colleagues, with specializations in all sorts of disciplines, from specialists in Asian Religions like Buddhism to those who specialize in African Religions and heritage, from those who are experts in Arabic and Islamic Studies to those who have very extensively studied the place of religion in the modern world. So, we hope you will find your fit!
And please remember, we are here to serve our students. So please do not hesitate to contact us, whether it’s me, your lecturers, or our administrative staff with your questions and enquiries.
We wish you an exciting study journey!
Auwais Rafudeen
Chair of Department
Department of Religious Studies and Arabic
