Question: Discuss why
African Theology should be given a serious attention in the 21st
century.
Introduction
African theology is a
vast discipline that will take many hours and days to explore. In this write-up
I will only be focusing on the need for African Christians to have their own
theology and why there is the need to give it a serious attention in the 21st
century. I will briefly look at some definitions, contextualization as a
process of theologization, the history of Christianity in Africa. We will proceed to explore the need for an
African theology, the problems confronting African Christians today and
conclusion.
What
is Africa?
Africa as a continent
is made up of fifty-five countries, thousands of ethnic groups and dialects,
and arbitrary boundaries inherited from the period of colonization. Despite
many years of independence, Africa is still a pure product of European
colonization.
What
is African theology?
African theology is the
study that seeks to reflect upon and express the Christian faith in African
thought-forms and idiom as it is experienced in African Christian communities,
and always in dialogue with the rest of Christendom ("The Meaning of
African Theology," Journal of Theology for Southern Africa,l1:36).
ii. The AACC: "By
African Theology we mean a theology which is based on the Biblical faith and
speaks to the African 'soul' (or is relevant to Africa). It is expressed in
categories of thought which arise out of the philosophy of the African
people." (AACC, Engagement: Abidjan 1969, p. 114).
iii. John Mbiti:
"I will use the term 'African Theology' without apology or embarrassment, to
mean theological reflection and expression by African Christians" (Mbiti,
"The Biblical Basis for Present Trends in African Theology", in African
Theology En Route , p. 83).
iv. Muzorewa, after
looking at these definitions, concludes: "All these definitions attempt to
respond to a mandate to construct a biblically-based and relevant theology that
speaks to the spiritual needs of the African people. The implication is
obvious. Imported theologies did not touch the hearts of the African believers because
they were couched in a religious language foreign to them. Hence the quest for
a relevant African theology. Furthermore, the cultural factor means that it is
best that only African theologians undertake the task." (Muzorewa,
Origins, pp. 96-7)
African Theology refers
to particular school of African theologians who have attempted to articulate Christian
theology from the perspective of the African cultural context. Although there
are very old Christian traditions on the continent, in the last centuries
Christianity in Africa has been determined to a large extent by western forms
of Christianity, brought by colonization and mission. This also means that the
theology in Africa was strongly influenced by Western theology.
This changed mid-20th
century when African Theology as a theological discipline came into being. This
movement began to protest against negative colonial and missionary
interpretations of the religion and culture in Africa. Realizing that theology
is a contextual phenomenon, African Christians begun to read the Scriptures using
their own cultural lens, which of course resulted in some interpretations that
did not always agree with how Western theology interpreted things. African
theology is engaged to shape Christianity in an African way by adapting and
using African concepts and ideas. Representatives are scholars such as Idowu
and Mbiti, who
gave an analysis and
interpretation of the African traditional religion and point to its relation to
the Christian faith.
In African Christian
theology, attempts are made to reconceptualise the Christian faith adequately
in response to the demands of specifically African contexts and experiences. In
order to arrive at such a contextual conceptualization, African theology has
had to develop its own specifically African criteria for theological constructs.
Such criteria emerge (often implicitly) from the ways in which African
theologians argue for the inadequacy of traditional Western theology, and from
the innovative proposals which they themselves put forward as alternatives.
The African Christians
try to "own" their theological reflection rather than to borrow it
from others. This means taking seriously their African heritage. It examines
the theological quest in the broader context of political, educational,
literary, and religious factors.
According to Mbiti, the
chief yardstick for determining the validity of any Christian theology
purporting to be African was its 'Biblical basis'. For him, "nothing can
substitute for the Bible" As with ATRs and other aspects of African culture,
the Bible has enjoyed a respected status and place in African theology.
"Any viable theology must and should have a biblical basis", declared
Mbiti, more than a decade ago. Similarly, Fashole-Luke declared that "the
Bible is the basic and primary source for the development of African Christian Theology".
To underscore the significance of the Bible in the construction of African
theology, Mbiti also says:
Nothing can substitute
for the Bible. However much African cultural-religious background may be close
to the biblical world, we have to guard against references like "the
hitherto unwritten African Old Testament" or sentiments that see final
revelation of God in the African religious heritage.
African
Theology has to do with Contextualization
This is a process of
interpreting Christian truth in terms of and applying it to the real life
issues arising from the socio-cultural context within which the interpreters
live. It involves taking seriously both every day human life and God's desire
to be involved in it. It is important to understand the people and bring the
message of salvation to their realities of their being. All theologies are
contextually conditioned. Did the OT and NT people contextualize God's messages
to the people? God's involvement in the life of the Jews in OT demonstrates His
commitment to contextualization. Paul and others contextualized God's messages
for the people to whom they wrote. This explains the differences in their
letters. However, they all meant one message - salvation of mankind through the
Lord Jesus Christ.
WHY AFRICAN CHRISTIAN
THEOLOGY?
According to Reverend
Joseph Nwibo, in a paper delivered at Cursus Godsdienst Onderwijs (CGO-HBO) on 22"d Sept.2010,
there are about twenty (20) reasons for African theology which are listed
below;
1. Fears and reactions
of African Christians in times of existential crisis
2. The usual resort of
the average African Christian in crisis situations is a reversion to traditional
African religious practices.
3. The lack of total
commitment of the average African Christian to Christ is partly due to lack of
"fit" between Christian theology and African life, which is due to
the failure of Western theology to take African world views into consideration
in their theological formulations.
4. These show there are
gaps in the theology the West brought to Africans.
5. If Christian theology
is to be relevant for the African, his world view and self understanding must
be taken into account.
6. Since both
theological perception and formulation are significantly culturally conditioned,
there is a need for a theology that will take into consideration the realities
of the receivers and make God's Word relevant to the hearers.
7. All contextualization
has one message: God's Word to His people
8. The West can learn
from Africans, gain new insights both into the Bible and into themselves
9. All theology is
contextual, so realize your own 'glasses' by seeing ours
10. Majority of
Christianity is non-western now (Jenkins)
11. Together we
experience more of the fullness of Christ
12. Africa is also part
of Christ's domain
13. There are many
nominal Christians in Africa
14. There are many
false miracle workers in Africa today than before (Mat.7:21-23)
i5. There are many religious
hypocrites or modern-day Pharisees in Africa today
(Mat.23:27 -28)
16. False teaching and
wrong ideas in the church (1 Tim.4:1) eg salvation by works rather than by
faith
17. Emphasis on signs
and wonders instead of on holiness (Tít.2:ll-L4, Eph.2:10)
18. Wrong ways of
handling demonic activities and the name Jesus Christ
19. The problem of
prosperity theology
20. The need for love
and unity in the Church
Christianity
in Africa
Christians form the
largest religious group in Sub-Saharan Africa. The presence of Christianity in
Africa began in the middle of the 1st century in Egypt, and by the
end of the 2nd century in the region around Carthage. Important
Africans who influenced the early development of Christianity includes Tertullian,
Clement of Alexandria, Origen of Alexandria, Cyprian, Athanasius and Augustine
of Hippo.
Christianity is
embraced by the majority of the population in most Southern, Central and
Eastern African nations and in some 'West African nations. In North Africa,
Coptic Christians make a significant minority in Egypt. According to the Encyclopedia
Britannica, Christianity is currently Africa's most widespread religion, with a
following close to half the population. Overall, in a relatively short time
Africa has gone from having a majority of followers of African traditional
religions, to being predominantly a continent of Christians.
How
do we Engage Africans with African Christian Theology?
When Paul was in
Athens, he endeavoured to lead the Athenians from worshipping the God they did
not know, to knowing the God they worshipped (Acts l7:22-31). An African
theology of Christian education must describe how the God Africans worship
through all sorts of intermediaries may be made known through the one Intermediary,
Jesus Christ. Such a theology would affirm that the almighty God known to the
Africans is the One who revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
commanded Moses to teach the descendants of Abraham his laws. He is the One who
was incarnated as the Son of God, and died for the salvation of mankind.
The early church lived
in a community that resembled the communal system common in African traditional
societies. It was in such communities that "They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:42), where "All the believers were one in
heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but
they shared everything they had" (Acts 4:32). As "All the believers
were together and had everything in common" (Acts 2:44), the result was
that "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being
saved" (Acts2:47). (African Journal for Transformational Scholarship.
Vol.2 No.l).
African communalism,
respect for elders and concern for the plight of others are nearer biblical value
systems than western existentialist individualism. This does not mean that
Christian educators must go back to advocating African Traditional Religion
with non-Christian practices, but western approaches that agree with biblical
concepts and practices should be integrated with African concepts and practices
that do not contradict the Bible" (Ango 2006,7).
It is in connection with this that Fuller
(2005, 119) says, Contextualization of theology can only be done by new
believers. They go to the Bible with their own concepts and dig out God's
answers. They organize the material in their own way. They modify their own culture
by what they find there. This is absolutely necessary if the believers in the
new cultures are going to be able to have churches that are not foreign to the
culture but can grow and develop in direct relationship to God and pass on the
faith to others.
Problems
confronting the African church today
i. The Christian faith
has remained largely alien to African believers in spite of the increasing
number of Christians in Africa. A relevant African-theology is needed to
establish continuity between African traditional life and the new faith.
ii. Having been
colonized for several decades, many African people have lost their sense of
identity and human dignity. The task of African theology is to help fulfill their
African sense of humanity. This has not been accomplished.
iii. The church in
Africa constantly finds itself in changing sociopolitical situations. A
theology of the church's responses and involvements is needed.
iv. The African church
needs to establish its own theology of mission. But first it has to be weaned
from the missionary-sending churches of Europe and America.
Conclusion
The gap between
Christian profession and Christian life in Africa can only be bridged by an
effective Christian teaching ministry. The formulation of an authentic African
theology and teaching the same will ensure that Christian teaching in Africa is
done in line with biblical content and biblical examples of teaching.
According to Reverend
Joseph Nwibo, “A contextualized theology in Africa, communicated through contextualized
teaching in African societies is the essence of an authentic African theology
of Christian education”.
The time has come for
African theologians to rise and make their input into Christianity. Many people
agree with the fact that the centre of gravity of Christianity is now in Africa
and it would be very important attention is seriously given to African theology
in this 21st century.
References:
1. David J. Bosch,
Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Mission Theology (Mary knoll: Orbis
Books, 1991)
2. Kararnaga, Problems and Promises of Africa;
JosJ Chipenda, "The Church of the Future in Africa," in African Church
in the 21St Century: Challenges and Promises, ed. Douglas Waruta (Nairobi:
AACC, 1995)
3. Kwesi A. Dickson, Theology in Africa
(Maryknoll; London: Orbis Books; Darton, Longman and Todd, 1984)
4. Tinyiko Sam
Maluleke, "Black and African Theologies in the New World Order: A Time to
Drink From Our Own Wells," Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, no. 96
(November 1996): 3- 19; "Recent Developments in the Christian Theologies
of Africa: Towards the 21st Century," Journal of Constructive Theology 2,
no.2 (December 1996): 33-60.
5. John S. Mbiti,
"The Biblical Basis for Present Trends in African Theology," in African
Theology en Route: Papers from the Pan-African Conference of Third World
Theologians, Accra, December 77-23, 7977, ed. Kofi Appiah-Kubi and Sergio
Torres (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1977).
6. Byang Kato,
Theological Pítfalls in Africa (Kisimu: Kenya Evangelical Publishing House,
1975); Mbiti, The Bible in African Christianity, 48f; Bediako, Theology and
Identity, 386f.
7. Maluleke,
"Black and African Theologies in the New World Order," 3-19; Tinyiko
Sam Maluleke, "Recent Developments in the Christian Theologies of Africa:
Towards the 21st Century," Journal of Constructive
Theology 2, no.2
(December 1996): 33-60.
8. Ango, Samuel P.
2006. Towards an African philosophy of Christian education. Religious Forum
Academia: National Journal of Contemporary Issues in Religions, Arts and Social
Studies 5 (1):1-13.
9. Fuller, Lois K.
2005. A biblical theology of missions: God's great project for the blessing of
all nations. Bukuru: African Christian Textbooks.
10. J Punt –Religion and theology, 1998 -
www.booksandjurnals.brilonline.com
11. Rev. Joseph Nwibo; The need for
African Theology. www.cgo.nu>cms>fck.
