In: 2016 Stellenbosch, important 04 Feb 2016

Dear friends and conference delegates

We are only a few weeks away from the start of the Societas Homiletica conference and we are looking forward to welcoming you in Stellenbosch!

We would like to share a few final arrangements:

CONFERENCE VENUE:
The conference takes place at Protea Hotel Stellenbosch in Technopark, with magnificent views of the Helderberg mountains and Stellenbosch vineyards. The hotel is approximately 6km from the central town of Stellenbosch.
Address: Techno Avenue, Techno Park, Stellenbosch. Tel: +27 21 880 9500
To learn more about Stellenbosch and its many attractions, click here.

REGISTRATION:
Registration will take place in the foyer of the Protea Hotel Stellenbosch on Friday 11 March 2016 from 14:00 – 17:00. Each registered participant will receive a conference bag with a plastic folder, pen and paper.

PROGRAM AND PAPERS:
The updated conference program, the list of papers and abstracts, and the template for papers and workshops are available. Note: those that will be presenting, please check whether you have been allocated a slot – we have truly been graced with a large number of contributions in this regard! Please note also that some changes had to be made since the last version of the template.

PRESENTATIONS:
A data projector and technical support will be available in all the venues. Please bring your presentation on a memory stick. Unfortunately we will not be able to make any copies of the papers.
The plenary sessions will take place in the auditorium (Omega room) and the parallel sessions in rooms which will be indicated on the final program in your conference pack and on the notice boards.

MEALS:
All meals are included in the registration fees. It is important to notify us of any dietary restrictions/preferences; please send an e-mail to Helette before 28 February 2016.

BOOK LAUNCHES AND SALES:
Three book launches are scheduled as part of the programme on 14 March 2016, and there will be book exhibitions and books will be for sale at special conference discounts.

EXCURSIONS:
For the sake of those that are still considering some excursions before or after the conference, we added some extra possibilities.

GENERAL:
The weather in the Western Cape is pleasant in March with mild temperatures ranging from 22°C – 30°C. However, the evenings can be cool – please be sure to bring some warm clothes for the evening excursions.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS:
The conference venue is 25km from the airport. The shuttle company Citi Hopper is the official shuttle service provider for the Societas Homiletica Conference. They are located in the Arrivals hall in the Central Terminal building of Cape Town International Airport and will meet you with a name board at Arrivals. Please complete the Itinerary form and return to Helette,  before 28 February 2016.

Have a safe journey!

In: 2016 Stellenbosch, important 01 Dec 2015
Since the Protea Hotel guarantees room reservations and special prices for the upcoming conference only until December 15th 2015, it is important to book your rooms as soon as possible. See also the section below on accomodations.
In case you haven’t registered yet for the conference, please do so to help the local committee in Stellenbosch to make the necessary arrangements. They have put together a very interesting (tentative) conference programme.
We are looking forward to welcoming you, very soon virtually in your electronic registrations and in real life in Stellenbosch, March 2016.

Some further information concerning our upcoming conference in Stellenbosch, South Africa, on 11-16 March 2016.
The detailed program will be sent to all members and visitors closer to the date of the conference. We are looking forward to an interesting (and full!) program, with keynote speakers like Father Michael Lapsley, Deborah Mumfoard, Marlene Ringgaard Lorensen, and Allan Boesak. As is our custom, there will be workshops, inter alia on themes like the following: Music and Voice/Music and Preaching; Preaching and Art/Painting; Preaching and Rap/Preaching and Hip Hop; Language and Paradox; a PhD-Café Poster session, etc. Read more…

South Africa is a place of paradox, in fact, many paradoxes. There exists, for instance, the paradox between poor and rich, or rather, between extremely poor and extremely rich – South Africa being identified as the country currently in the world with the biggest gap between those that have, and those that do not have.[1] There is the paradox between luxurious mansions and affluent estates on the one hand, and, on the other, often just a few kilometers from that, struggling townships and dilapidated shacks. There is the paradox – in comparison to many other countries – between the highest figures of unemployment, and the lowest rates of life expectancies; the highest forms of educational inequalities, and the lowest forms of productivity rates; the most sophisticated technological advances in the world (for example the largest disk-shaped telescope, SKA, being constructed in the Karoo[2]), and a seemingly crumbling provider of electricity (Eskom); between being able to host, in the spirit of Ubuntu,[3] one of the most successful Soccer World Cups in history (2010), and experiencing some of the worst bouts of xenophobia ever (in 2008; and again in 2015); between indescribable natural beauty, and inexcusable waste and pollution; between having probably the best political constitution in the world, and some of the worst cases of poor service delivery; between having fabricated Apartheid, but also producing Nelson Mandela, etc. Read more…