spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It feels like this work has been written multiple times in the past five years. I’m not referring
here to the numerous revisions of the chapters of this study, but to my various attempts to
establish a link between Spirit and healing in Africa from a Reformed perspective. Exploring this
link was like wandering through a huge and impressive building with beautiful chambers, their
doors wide open to anyone curious to see what is happening inside. Often, I was attracted by the
crowd of people already present in the room and deeply involved in debates on the Holy Spirit. I
thoroughly enjoyed being a witness of the deliberations of wise women and men, who seek the
ways of the Spirit. Often, I was also encouraged by the accompaniment of others, suggesting to
come along and visit also the next room. Sadly, there were also times that I had to walk past an
invitingly open door, just because I had to stay on track. This study is the result of my wandering
through the building of Spirit and healing. I realize that this account can be revised and rewritten
another five times, but I have come to learn that doing theology is meant to be like that. It is an
open-ended adventure, because the Holy Spirit always opens closed doors and creates new vistas
for us.
When I stood on the threshold of the building of Spirit and healing, Prof. Rian Venter was the
one who provided a map to those rooms I could not have found on my own. His vast knowledge
of theological and non-theological disciplines prevented me from getting lost. His genuine
loyalty to students allowed me to wander on my own, and this is how I discovered the fun of
doing research. Furthermore, he is a very generous person, who always has the best interests of
others in mind. I have experienced this first-hand, and I truly appreciate Prof. Venter’s
generosity and guidance.
After I had already spent some time exploring the building of Spirit and healing, Prof. Cees van
der Kooi (Free University in Amsterdam) joined this research venture, and also became my
supervisor. His expertise on pneumatology and Western systematic theology had a major impact
on the second part of this study. I thank Prof. Van der Kooi for his willingness to guide me
through the Reformed tradition and to reveal the promise of a pneumatological orientation.
From 2005-2010, I worked as a lecturer at Justo Mwale Theological University College in
Lusaka (Zambia) on behalf of KerkinActie, the mission organization of the Protestant Church in
the Netherlands. When I embarked on this research project in 2007, my direct supervisors at
KerkinActie were very supportive and never failed to emphasize the significance of doing
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