Marthinus L. Daneel

Professor of Mission; Co-director, Center for Global Christianity and Mission

Dr. Daneel has developed contextualized ecumenical ministries in theological education, community development, and earthkeeping for and with the African Independent Churches in Zimbabwe, where he spends half the year. He served for 16 years as senior professor in missiology at the University of South Africa, Pretoria. His widely acclaimed publications focus mainly on African traditional religion and indigenous African Christianity. These include God of the Matopo Hills (1970), Zionism and Faith-healing (1970), Old and New in Southern Shona Independent Churches, Vols. 1–3 (1971, 1976, 1988), Quest for Belonging (1987), Fambidzano-Ecumenical Movement of Zimbabwean Independent Churches (1989), Christian Theology of Africa (1989), the novel Guerrilla Snuff (1995), African Earthkeepers, v.1 (1998) and African Earth-keepers, v.2 (2000), and All Things Hold Together: Holistic Theologies at the African Grassroots (2007). Dr. Daneel was employed as senior research officer at both the Free University of Amsterdam and the African Studies Center, Leiden. He has held research fellowships at the University of Zimbabwe- Harare and the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard. He received his BA with honors at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and his ThD from the Free University, Amsterdam.