EDITORIAL

SHE Online

It was only last year, in 2014, that Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae celebrated its 40^th year of existence. This year SHE entered a whole new phase of publication. It has gone online. From now on you can submit papers directly on the system. Go to www. upjournals.co.za and scroll down to Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae. Follow the instructions to register as an author and a reviewer, and follow further instructions to upload your paper on the system.

We are thankful to Unisa Press for accepting Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae as one of their publications. We look forward to working with them and gaining from their professionalism and experience. A special word of thanks to Mr Pieter Rall, who is heading the journals department at Unisa Press.

In future SHE will be freely available online. The subvention fees will remain at R300.00 per page. Printed copies will be available at an additional R120.00 and will not be covered by either the subvention fees or membership fees. It can be obtained from the Editor's office, by sending your physical address to landmc@unisa.ac.za.

The first issue of SHE 2015

This, then, is the first online copy of Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae. It contains essays on a wide variety of themes with a historical interest and an emphasis on Africa. The first theme can be broadly described as Pentecostalism, Catholicism, secularism and other historical faces of churches in Africa. Prof James Amanze takes the phenomenon of "speaking in tongues" from its origins to its modern face in a variety of Pentecostal churches in Botswana. Remaining in Botswana, Rosinah Gabaitse analyses the history and future of the Pentecostal churches isolating cross-border migrants from Anti-Retroviral Treatment by convincing them that the church has healed them from HIV and AIDS, with the Botswana government denying these migrants access to ART treatment. Still in Botswana, Johannes Knoetze looks at how the relationship between the (white) Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and the Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana developed into a partnership during the past 10 years.

Prof Lovemore Togarasei, presently a visiting professor at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion at the University of South Africa, takes the theme of Pentecostal churches in Africa further by asking whether their concern with prosperity and "worldly issues" is not a form of secularism. Sifiso Mpofu further analyses the historical nature of the church as "a mystery of grace" juxtaposing it with faces of the church that are political or social. This is done with special reference to churches in Zimbabwe. Daniel Pratt Morris-Chapman consequently asks about the possibility of an "Afro-Catholicist" nature of the Anglican Church in Ghana. Fernando Caldeira da Silva discusses the role of the Christian Council of Mozambique in bringing peace to this area.

A second theme of this issue relates to gender issues vis-à-vis Christianity. Sidney Berman investigates a possible historical link between Christianity and gender-based violence in Botswana. Hannelie Wood investigates a corpus of great historical importance, namely the works of the feminist theologian Mary Daly.

A third theme deals with a variety of South Africa phenomena. Christina Landman looks at the reception of the Freedom Charter of 1955 in a rural community. Eugene Baron analyses the history of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, asking why no remorse was required from the perpetrators. Prof Rothney Tshaka critically looks at the influence of German theology on anti-South African theologies, and Richard Wade makes a contribution from the perspective of archaeology reflecting on the establishment of a church at Gerlachshoop (Malaeskop), which is traditionally considered to be the first church to be established across the Vaal River. Finally, this issue of SHE is concluded with a biography of Francis Ibiam from Nigeria, written by Julius Gathogo.

The annual conference of the CHSSA 2015

This year the annual conference of the Church History Society of Southern Africa is hosted by the North West University in Potchefstroom. The theme is "The history of commemorations, celebrations and anniversaries". The dates are 13 to 15 August 2015. Please contact the secretary, Prof Erna Oliver (olivee@unisa.ac.za) for more information.

As Editor of SHE I hope that you will have a fruitful year in which you will joyfully continue to study the history of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa. Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae welcomes your contributions and thanks you for your ongoing support.

Kind regards
Christina Landman
Editor: SHE