Rev. Prof. Emeritus Canon J.S. Pobee holds the following qualifications:
B.D. (London), M.A. Cantab, M. Litt. (Cantab), D. Litt. (Honoris Causa, Legon), FGA Academic, Theologian, Ecumenist, Missiologist and Churchman.
Born; Friday 9th July 1937 of Fanti Educationist family; Parents J.M.S.Pobee and Margaret Ama Atta Pobee nee’ Aggrey Fynn. Through mother, descendant of King Aggrey I of the Fetu (Fanti) Kingdom and Rev. Phillip Quaque, first non-Caucasian African ever to be ordained in the Church of England (Anglican) and Rev. Samuel R. Attoh-Ahumah of Aborigines Rights Protection Society fame. Married to Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee nee’ Nkrumah 26 July 1994, Career Diplomat/Ag High Commissioner, Pretoria.
Educated ; Cape Coast Government Boys’ School (1942-1949), Adisadel College, Cape Coast (1950-1956), University of Ghana 1957-1961, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (1961-1966); Westcott House Cambridge for priestly formation (1963-1964), Goethe Institute, , Passau, Bavaria, Germany 1964.
Work Experience as Academic
Teaching Assistant, New Testament, Selwyn and Magdalene Colleges, University of Cambridge (1964 – 1966); Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Full Professor (1966 ff); Dean of Arts (1979 – 1983).
Olaus Petri Professor of Missiology University of Uppsala Sweden;
Academic Dean, Institute Oecumenique, Chateau de Bossey, Celigny, Switzerland; Director – Coordinator, Programme on Theological Education, Geneva, Switzerland; External Examiner and visiting Professor in many tertiary institutions in Africa ( East, West, Central, Southern), India, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Pacific, Latin America, West Indies, USA, United Kingdom, Netherlands where he was Concept rooster Gastdocent in six universities.
Publications
(i) Monographs: 26 including Towards African Theology, Abingdon (1979), translated into German 1989, Persecution and Martyrdom of Paul Sheffield: Society of New Testament Studies 1985, Kwame Nkrumah and the Church in Ghana 1949 – 1966. Asempa 1987; The Worship of the Free Market and the Death of the Poor, Uppsala; Life and Peace Institute 1993.
(ii) Edited: 24 books including Religion in a Pluralistic Society Festschrift in Honour Prof C.G. Baeta, E.J. Brill 1976 and the 1998 pages Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement Geneva : WCC 1996, 1998 (revised) with 4 other editions.
(iii) Chapters in Books 125
(iv) Articles in journals 119
Awards, Honours and Prizes
S.P.C.K. Prize for Theology (1961); Honorary Prize for Theology, Selwyn College, Cambridge 1963; Goethe Institute Prize for German (1964); Appleton Prize, Cambridge, Bethune-Baker Scholar, Cambridge 1965-1966; Professor Emeritus, Legon University 2000; First non-Caucasian Vice President of the International Association of Mission Studies (1988 – 1992). Life Member of I.ARS, D.Litt. (Honoris Causa), Legon , (2013).
Churchman
Ordained 23rd October 1988; Canon of Anglican Dioceses of Accra, Cape Coast, Sunyani -Tamale, Vicar General (Deputy Bishop) Diocese of Accra (2005-2012) Consultant to three Lambeth Conferences of Bishops 1978, 1988, 1998.
Member of Inter-Anglican Doctrinal & Theological Commission 1981 – 1986 and member of Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (1983 – 1994).
He was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy in March 2013.