A Reader In African Christian Theology

In this book, the well-known Kenyan theologian, John Mbiti, takes the reader on a pilgrimage of the mind and spirit as he examines the phenomenon of Christianity in Africa. This is a fascinating form of the Christian faith, combining certain characteristics of apostolic Christianity with the realities of African life in the present. It is fresh and fragile, dynamic, and domineering. It echoes the experiences of the early church while at the same time responding forcefully to the situation of today. The author explains how this form of Christianity while leaning heavily on the religious culture and background of the African peoples, seeks and finds its legitimation in the bible. He illustrates that it is both deeply African and committedly ecumenical and universal. A 16-page section of the photographs vividly underlines the theme.

Follownig an introduction that charts the growth and development of African theology, Parratt examines the differing theological assumptions and methodologies throughout the continent. He also shows how Africans are rethinking the central dogmas of the Christian faith - Scripture, God, christology, the church, and eschatology - and evaluates Africa's political theologies, giving special attention to theological approaches to African socialism and to South African black theology.

This book brings together twelve essays on a wide and rich range of topics, discussions and methodologies in African theology today. Even the book's limitations provide an insight into the situation: its variety also indicates the absence of comprehensive and sustained discussion flowing from the economic and institutional limitation of Africa where research in theology is often beyond the means of many theologians. Then there is the difficulty of staying abreast of continually changing contexts and events in Africa itself. For all of these reasons then, a compelling introduction to a dynamic analysis and conversation.

God is eternal, but the questions we ask about him are always rooted in our own culture. Thus our understanding of theology is also rooted in our culture. Dr Samuel Kunhiyop is deeply aware of this, and so has produced African Christian Theology as a companion book to his African Christian Ethics. In this book, Dr Kunhiyop addresses many of the same issues mentioned in Western systematic theologies, but also addresses issues that are not mentioned in those books, including the spirit world, ancestors, and the power of blessings and curses. This book thus constitutes an excellent introduction to systematic theology in relation to the traditional African world view and to the Bible.