Dr Joanne Davis

Joanne Davis is a South African literary theorist who has been involved in missiology and Christianity studies since researching the works of the Reverend Tiyo Soga for her Doctorate of Literature and Philosophy in English at UNISA, South Africa.  Jo’s book Tiyo Soga: A Literary History was published by UNISA Press in 2018 and has won the prestigious Hiddingh-Currie Award given by UNISA Senate Publications Committee for 2019, to be presented on March 6th 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa.

Joanne’s research is focused on the Reverend Tiyo Soga, nineteenth century Xhosa minister ordained in the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1857. She is currently exploring Soga’s theology and philosophy in relation to African theology, liberation theology, and biblical hermeneutics. Her literary doctorate was on Soga's writings in English and she has presented her findings on several other aspects of his history in conference and seminar papers and publications.