Theology In The Margins
You’re invited to the online 2026 Laidlaw Lectureship, taking place from January 19 to 23, 2026. This year’s theme is Theology from the Margins, and it features Dr. Stephan de Beer, an urban theologian and housing advocate from South Africa.
It’s a free, fully virtual event where we’ll be exploring what it means to think about theology from the perspective of people and places often left out of the conversation. It’s for anyone who cares about faith, justice, cities, and building community. No degrees required - just curiosity and openness.
What’s Happening
Each day from Monday to Thursday, we’ll release a new video (about an hour long) on YouTube. These are conversations and reflections from Dr. de Beer and his team at the Centre for Faith and Community, a group working in cities across Africa to bring faith and justice together in real, tangible ways.
The four videos will each focus on one of the Centre’s big themes:
Monday: Research – how listening to local communities shapes their work
Tuesday: Transformation – stories of change and healing from the ground up
Wednesday: Theology – doing theology that starts from real-life experience
Thursday: Community Engagement – working with others for the good of the city
Then on Friday, January 23 at 10AM EST, we’ll host a live Zoom conversation with Dr. de Beer and Rev. Dr. Ernest van Eck, the Principal of Knox College. We’ll talk about the week’s themes, hear more about the work in South Africa, and have time for Q&A.
Why You Should Come
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to do theology that’s grounded in the lives of those facing poverty, housing struggles, or systemic injustice you should participate. It’s a rare chance to hear from someone who’s not just talking about these things but living them out every day. It’s also a chance to get inspired by the kind of work churches, seminaries, and communities could be doing right now, wherever you are.
How to Join
Click Here to Register for Free.
Once you’re signed up, we’ll send you everything you need, including the daily video links, Zoom access for the live Friday session, and the recording so you can catch up or revisit the content later.
About Stephan de Beer
Stephan de Beer is an urbanist theologian, directing the Centre for Faith and Community at the University of Pretoria. He is professor of Practical Theology, and his research interests include theology in the African city; liberative urban pedagogies; and homelessness, housing and spatial justice. Fusing research, teaching, activism and action, his work seeks to contribute to urban transformation from below, with a special concern for the city's most excluded or marginalized populations. Apart from his academic work, he is involved in social housing and housing advocacy in the inner city of Pretoria.
About the Centre for Faith and Community
The Centre for Faith and Community is based in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria. Its work is envisioning healthy communities through the formation of community- and faith-based leaders. It does so, through practicing evidence-based theology, that is change-making and life-affirming, in and with local communities. Its research focuses on faith in the African city, pathways out of homelessness, social justice and reconciliation, spirituality and health care, and doing theology with children. It works with partners in 14 African cities. In addition, it offers 30 continued education programmes involving 600-700 students per year, ranging from transformational urban leadership and pastoral care, to youth ministry, trauma counselling and community development. It works with almost 200 non-profit and faith-based partners, supporting and documenting good practices, informing policy, and supporting advocacy on a range of issues.
Learn More about the Centre for Faith and Community
About the Laidlaw Lectureship
Walter C. Laidlaw and Robert Laidlaw, the two sons of Robert Laidlaw, established The Robert Laidlaw Memorial Lecture in 1953 by to honour their father by bringing distinguished scholars to Knox College. Income from the endowed funds has hosted more than 30 distinguished theologians from all over the world.