Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator will become the new dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in California. He will begin his new job on August 15.
Dr. Orobater is currently president of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, responsible for leading the inter-provincial mission of the Society of Jesus in the region. His scholarship focuses on ecclesiology — or the study of the church — as well as theological ethics, human rights, and human dignity, especially fuller participation of women in the life of the church.
“I am elated and grateful for this opportunity to join the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University,” said Dr. Orobator, who will become dean of the school 25 years after completing graduate studies there. “JST-SCU is a special place for me, and this is an opportunity to give back and to work alongside faculty, staff, and students to build on the solid and impressive spiritual, intellectual, and institutional foundations of the school in order to envision and shape a more illustrious future. I envisage for JST-SCU an enhanced capacity to deliver a solid and innovative theological education and ministerial formation with a global mindset, and a sustained engagement with diverse cultures and traditions — especially in areas witnessing rapid changes in the fortunes of religious beliefs and practices.”
Fluent in four languages, Dr. Orobater grew up in Benin City, Nigeria. He received a bachelor’s degree in theology from Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Institut de Philosophie Saint Pierre Canisius in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, and a Ph.D. in theology and religious studies from the University of Leeds in England
