Dr. Caleb O. Oladipo, a professor at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, has been awarded a research grant by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.

Oladipo earned a Theological Scholars Grant of up to $12,000 for his project "Their Brothers' Keepers: The Roles of the African Indigenous Church (AIC) in Reconstructing Post-apartheid South African Society."

While recent studies have dealt with the roles of the church in dismantling apartheid, Oladipo's research will concentrate on the roles of the AIC in identity formation of black Christians and their struggles, and how these struggles have played out in integrating Africanness into Christianity and in rebuilding post-apartheid communities. The end of apartheid resulted not only in the collapse of a political system but also in the breaking down of an all-embracing and all-encompassing system of belief. This study will focus on the numerous Christian communities, most visibly represented by the AIC, as agents of reconstruction and stabilization in the post-apartheid era.

Supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment, the ATS Lilly Theological Research Grants program is in its 11th year. There are three types of grants: Faculty Fellowships (grants of $30,000 during a leave), Theological Scholars Grants (grants up to $12,000 each for research apart from formal research leave) and Research Expense Grants (grants up to $5,000 for those engaged in research projects). Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond is a nationally accredited institution serving more than 300 students from several denominations and various cultural backgrounds.

To learn more about BTSR, visit www.btsr.edu.