Degrees Held
- PhD, UKZN 2009
- Th. (cum laude), UKZN 2002
- Th. Honours (cum laude), UKZN 1999
- Th. (summa cum laude), UKZN 1998
Research Interests
- Mother Tongue Exegesis
- Bible Translation Theory and Practice
- African Biblical Hermeneutics
Teaching Interests
- Gospels
- New Testament Exegesis
- Bible Translation
- Biblical Theology
Selected
Publications
Books
Journal Articles
Chapters in Books
Books
- M S Tshehla (2023), A life balanced between action and contemplation: Essays in honour of Jonathan Draper, Cluster Publications: Pietermaritzburg.
Journal Articles
- M S Tshehla (2019), ‘Gendered African (Biblical) Scholarship: an Ode to Talitha’. HTS Teologiese Studies, 75(4). Pages 1-9. DOI: https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5294
- M S Tshehla (2018), ‘Transcending Anecdotes: African Christian Scholarship as Vocation’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 21(2). Pages 53-56.
- M S Tshehla (2017), ‘There were other boats too: a note on Mark 4:36’s contribution to Jesus’ identity in Mark’s Gospel’. Scriptura, Pages 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7833/116-1-1338
- M S Tshehla (2016), ‘Koma, Thuto and 19th century Basotho’s refusal to choose between the two: lessons for modern intercultural relations’. Theologia Viatorum, 40(2). Pages 1-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/tv.v40i2.7
- M S Tshehla (2015), ‘Justin Ukpong’s Jesus: Emmanuel for our Times’. Missionalia, 43(3). Pages 292- DOI: https://journals.co.za/doi/10.7832/43-3-119
- M S Tshehla (2015), ‘On the Production of My Fair Lion and His Pride: A Reflexive Exercise in Oral History’. Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, 41(3). Pages 198-208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2412-4265/2015/860
- M S Tshehla (2014), ‘Your sister in Babylon sends her love: Towards prophetic solidarity in post-apartheid South Africa’. HTS Teologiese Studies, 70(3). Pages 1-6. DOI: https://org/10.4102/hts.v70i3.2789
- M S Tshehla (2014), ‘Africa, Where Art Thou? Pondering Post- Apartheid South African New Testament Scholarship’. Neotestamentica, 48(2). Pages 259-281. DOI: https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC167290
- M S Tshehla (2009), ‘On the Ideals of African Christian Biblical Scholarship: A Reflection Inspired by Doctoral Study’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 12(2). Pages 23-28.
- M S Tshehla (2009), ‘When is mere belief inadequate? A Reflection on John 8 and Primal Biblical Appropriation’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 12(1). Pages 22-31.
- M S Tshehla & L E Thaba (2006), ‘An Appraisal of Eunuchism in the Sesotho Bible’. Theologia Viatorum, 30(1). Pages 133-155.
- M S Tshehla (2006), ‘Spelling the Faith or Coping with Bible Literacy? Introducing 19th Century Basotho Christians’. Theologia Viatorum, 30(1). Pages 113-132.
- M S Tshehla (2006), ‘A Sesotho Instance of the ‘Perennial Challenge’ of considering IKS from a Christian perspective’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 9(1). Pages 13-26.
- M S Tshehla (2006), ‘Wisdom amidst monkey-talk? Discipline and Gender in Masculinist Discourses’. Journal of Constructive Theology, 12(1). Pages 7-25.
- M S Tshehla (2005), ‘Thuto and Christian Worship among Nineteenth-Century Basotho: An initial exploration of selected early witnesses’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 8(2). Pages 35-
- M S Tshehla (2005), ‘The Prophetic Vocation of the African Scholar: a celebration of wholeness’. Alternation, Pages 178-198.
- M S Tshehla (2005), ‘Who is my neighbour? Envisioning African Christianity’s Role in World Christianity’. Theologia Viatorum, 28(1). Pages 142-
- M S Tshehla (2004), ‘A Plea for Indigenous Written Sources in South African Theological Discourse: Basotho as Test Case’. Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, 120. Pages 19-33.
- M S Tshehla (2003), ‘Philippians 3:7-11 and African Biblical Exegesis: A Reflection’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 6(1). Pages 24-30.
- M S Tshehla (2002), ‘Can anything good come out of Africa? Reflections of a Mosotho Reader of the Bible’. Journal of African Christian Thought, 5(1). Pages 15-24.
- M S Tshehla (2002), ‘Lentswe (the Word) among the Basotho: A Cultural Commentary’. Grace and Truth, 19(2). Pages 25-33.
Chapters in Books
- M S Tshehla (2020), The Struggle for the African Soul as Articulated by one Native Reading of the Interface between Thuto (Christian missions) and Koma (Basotho traditions). Joy Bostic, Itumeleng Mothoagae & Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs (eds.), Black Religious Landscaping in Africa and the United States, Bern: Peter Lang.
- M S Tshehla (2014), To the Akan first, and also to the Sotho: Kwame Bediako and the Measure of Christianity. Gillian Bediako, Benhardt Y. Quarshie & Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu (eds.), Seeing New Facets of the Diamond: Christianity as a Universal Faith—Essays in Honour of Kwame Bediako, Oxford: Regnum.
- M S Tshehla (2013), Emergence and culture: implications for Africa, Cornel W. du Toit (ed.), Chance, Causality, Emergence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Unisa: URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10500/11943
- M S Tshehla (2012), Uncelebrated Readers of the Bible: The Illustrative Case of Early Basotho Christians, Musa W. Dube, Andrew Mbuvi & Dora R. Mbuwayesango (eds.), African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue: In Quest of a Shared Meaning, The Society of Biblical Literature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.11589034
- M S Tshehla (2008), Isaac A. Motaung: Conversion and Biblical Appropriation in Sesotho. Hans de Wit and Gerald O. West (eds.), African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue: In Quest of a Shared Meaning, Leiden & Boston: Brill. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004166561.i-434
- M S Tshehla (2006), Selected 19th Century Basotho Readings of the Bible: David Moiloa and the days of Basotho’s Ignorance. NovTSupp 124. Cilliers Breytenbach, Johan Thom & Jeremy Punt (eds.), The New Testament Interpreted: Essays in Honour of Bernard C. Lategan, Leiden & Boston: Brill. ISBN: 978-90-47-41059-1
- M S Tshehla (2003), Translation and the Vernacular Bible in the debate between my ‘traditional’ and academic worldviews. Jonathan Draper (ed.), Orality, Literacy and Colonialism in Southern Africa (Semeia Studies), Atlanta: SBL.
- M S Tshehla (2003), Colenso, John 1:1-18 and the Politics of Insider- and Outsider-Translating. Jonathan Draper (ed.), The Eye of the Storm: Bishop John William Colenso and the Crisis of Biblical Inspiration, London: T&T Clark.
Community Involvement
- Ongoing since 2017. Sepedi Bible Review. Revision and updating of the popular Northern Sotho Bible under auspices of the Bible Society of Southern Africa
Teaching Expertise
- Lecturing since 1999.
Student
Supervision
Honours
Masters
PhD
Honours
- Siphesihle Msweli (2026) A decolonial analysis of the translation of “Shachah” (Worship) from Hebrew to isiZulu
- Ayande Mdima (2026) A Postcolonial Tri-polar reading of Luke 16:1-13 and Stewardship of South Africa’s law enforcement crisis as a case in point
- Jeremiah Buthelezi (2024) Inherited Ancestral Land in 1 Kings 21 and Ingonyama Trust in Kwazulu-Natal: A Critical Comparative Analysis
- Nkosinathi E Kheswa (2023) The place of Biblical Archaeology in African Biblical Hermeneutics: An Exploration
- Sboniso Ngcobo (2023) ἀγνώστός θεός ((to/for) the unknown God): A history of interpretation of Act 17:23
- José Tovela (2005) The Tsonga Bible Used by Maxakeni Presbyterian Parish: A Contextual Reading of Genesis 37:1-11
- Mandlenkosi C Ndawonde (2004) Understanding ‘The Word Become Flesh’ among the Zulu-Speaking Christians of Eshowe and Empangeni: A Contextual Bible Study on John 1:14
- Motsomaesi MJ (2002)
- Thaba (2002) Reading 1 Timothy 2:8-15 in Sesotho alongside the congregation of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Mokhotlong, Lesotho.
Masters
- Nokuphiwa Myeni (2026/) Ukuhlonipha: A postcolonial study of ‘submission’ in the New Testament and in Zulu Culture
- Nkosinathi E Kheswa (2025/2026) A Case for the Africanisation of Biblical Archaeology
- Mandlenkosi C Ndawonde (2025/?) Reading the narrative of Maqhamsela Khanyile in Incwadi yejubilee alongside the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60 using an African post-colonial framework
- Sboniso Ngcobo (2024/2026) A Comparative analysis of Paradise and Koyise Mkhulu: A Tri-polar Reading of Luke 23:43
- Mosala Balatseng (2021/2022) The Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Apostolic Fathers: A Socio-Rhetorical Reading
- Joseph B Epombo-Mwenge (2010/2012) Biblical interpretation as social discourse: a study of reconstructive religious discourse in post-colonial Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Martin Ngodji (2004/2005) The Story of the Bible among the Ovakwanyama: The Agency of Indigenous Translators
PhD
- Khanyisani Mthethwa (2026/) The changing significance of mountains in Isaiah 1-55 and its implications for how Africa’s three major religious traditions are responding to climate change
- Koech Magdaline Chepkirui (2024/2026) Towards an Authentic African Ecotheology? Testing Scholarly Readings of Genesis 1:26-31 through Contextual Bible Studies among Kipsigis Women of the Chepalungu Forest, Kenya
- James Lungu (/2026) Re-Reading John 5:1–15 and John 9:1–41 in a Zambian Context: Towards an Equal Dignity for Persons with Disabilities
- Maqebo Moshoeshoe (2021/2026) Wings of a Fowl: A Media Critical Reading of Thomas Arbousset’s Earliest Sesotho Bible in Seyo and Ngatana
- Q L Gumede (2023/2026?) Healing through the paradigm of dreams and visions in the African Christian cultural context – a Jungian dialogue with the Shepherd of Hermas, Visions I-IV
- Mantima Hadiyo Thekiso (2022/2026?) Greening John: Fertility, life and water in the Fourth Gospel – a (South) African Contextual perspective
- Sdu L Blose (2022/2026?) Towards Contrapuntal Harmony within African Contextual Hermeneutics: Enoch Mgijima’s Hermeneutics as Illustration of the Ongoing Struggle between Ordinary and Academic Approaches to the Biblical Text
- Frank Akuwayo (2021/DNC) Traditional Ghanaian and Biblical Theologies of Stewardship and their Implications for Governance in modern-day Ghana