To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: African Christian Theology (Contextual Theology).
Journal articles on the topic 'African Christian Theology (Contextual Theology)'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'African Christian Theology (Contextual Theology).'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Yates, Hannelie, and Ignatius Swart. "The Rights of Children: A New Agenda For Practical Theology in South Africa." Religion and Theology 13, no. 3-4 (2006): 314–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157430106779024635.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe aim of this article is to give prominence to the rights of children as a new agenda for Practical Theology in South Africa. Adopting a distinctly contextual approach, the article takes a critical look at the problematic situation of children in present-day South Africa and then focuses attention on the emergence of a children's rights agenda, both internationally and in South African society. A discussion of these aspects leads the authors to address pertinently the issue of Christian theology's complementary role in the children's rights agenda, which, however, is problematised in the light of theology's one-sided and limited involvement thus far in the issue of children. It is argued that a practical theological paradigm – in which a praxis of liberation, change and transformation is of prime importance – should reflect an active involvement in the children's rights agenda. In the light of the special realities of South African society, the importance of meeting distinct contextual and hermeneutical challenges is stated as condition for an effective practical theological involvement in the problematics of the rights of children.
2
Oduor, Peter Lee Ochieng. "Christological Contextualization as a Parameter to Strengthen Theology Formulation and Enhance Christian Evangelization in Africa." East African Journal of Traditions, Culture and Religion 3, no. 2 (September 14, 2021): 58–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.37284/eajtcr.3.2.411.
Full textAbstract:
The quest for a contextual African Christianity is one that theological scholarship in Africa should be keen to formulate and construct if the Christian message is to gain the much-needed impact and transformational agenda that will facilitate the process of evangelization of the continent. This is because our theological discourse must be incarnational in theology and methodology. Our study endeavours to submit a contribution in this solemn expedition through an emphasis on the necessity of a contextualized Christology that is cognizant of the African realities and heritage to make the message of Christ be at home to the indigenous African audience. This calls for a paramount understanding of the history of the African people, the African primal religions and most importantly the African culture. The Understanding of these critical issues that together construct the identity of the African will enable the presenter of the Christological message to present the person of Christ that is relevant and addresses the perennial problems that are faced by African communities. This will in the long run make the African to be persuaded to the need to establish a relationship with Christ who is to him a friend or family, Mediator or Ancestor per excellence, Life giver or Healer, and Leader per excellence. These are the realities that Africans would be quick to identify and associate with. To accomplish this, the study observed the significance of the doctrine of Christology in the theological framework; it explored the means with which Christology was administered in Africa in the past. We were able to tackle the subject of Christological Contextualization by observing matters sources and methodology of African Christology and building on the same towards the models that are favourable to Christology in Africa
3
Vähäkangas, Mika. "Negotiating Religious Traditions — Babu wa Loliondo’s Theology of Healing." Exchange 45, no. 3 (August 17, 2016): 269–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1572543x-12341404.
Full textAbstract:
Retired Lutheran pastor Ambilikile Mwasapila became the most celebrated healer in Eastern Africa for half a year in 2011. His healing consists of an herbal potion, brewed according to the recipe he got from God in dreams. According to Rev. Mwasapila, the potency of the medicine stems from the presence of the Word of God in it. It is efficient only when administered by him. He perceives himself as a prophet called by God to alleviate sufferings of humankind in a world pestered by illnesses sent by Satan. His theology of healing has clear Lutheran sacramental theological elements combined with views from African traditional medicine and Christian charismatic faith healing. His cosmology is deeply rooted in African views of the spirit world interpreted through Pentecostal-charismatic demonology. The ideas underlying his ministry can be seen as an oral charismatic Lutheran contextual theology lived out in practice.
4
Fraley, Austin. "Unheard Voices from the Global South." Review & Expositor 115, no. 2 (May 2018): 270–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0034637317749194.
Full textAbstract:
In an attempt to include voices from the Global South, many Westerners hear only reflections of their own voices, voices that easily fit within the framework of Western theology, such as Liberation theology. Not only does this give the false impression of a “global theology” but it does the very same thing a blatantly colonial practice has done in the past, this time unseen. Many western liberals and conservatives are guilty of equating African conservatism to American conservatism, which results in an unhelpful caricature of African Christians. African contextual theology does not emphasize reconsidering traditional interpretations of scripture, but making theology and scripture relevant to African problems and situations. The voices most relevant to the controversies between South and West are often the voices most overlooked. The debate about homosexuality in Africa frequently features gay Western voices but gay African voices are missing from almost all sources. Many Westerners feel that African churches are simply homophobic, viewing their claim that the issue of homosexuality is irrelevant in Africa as a dishonest motivation for their opposition. Many Africans, however, feel that it is an issue they are being forced to discuss at the expense of more pressing issues in their own context, such as confronting African Traditional Religions. My intention here is not to come down on one side of the debate between the West and the Global South, but rather to highlight the dissonance between what we hear about the Global South and the realities on the ground. If we are going to claim that we need to hear all voices, let it be all voices.
5
Kim, Kirsteen. "Missiology as Global Conversation of (Contextual) Theologies." Mission Studies 21, no. 1 (2004): 39–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573383041154366.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractMissiology and contextual theology are related but not equivalent. Missiology arose from the study of mission activity in the former mission fields of Africa, Asia and Latin America but has come to be understood as the study of the mission of God in the whole world in which the church participates. Global and cross-cultural perspectives are essential to missiology and these challenge all theological parochialism. There is a danger that contextual theology degenerates into relativism, but in mission all theologies are challenged to recognize their own contextuality and at the same time their common Christian confession. Grounded in an understanding of missio Dei that includes a creation theology of the Holy Spirit, missiology can and should affirm contextual theologizing while encouraging and facilitating theologians from different contexts to pursue a global conversation. "Conversation" is preferred over "dialogue" because there are many partners from around the world, various means of conversing, and widely varying access to social power among the participants.
6
Fape, Michael O. "National Anglican Identity Formation: An African Perspective." Journal of Anglican Studies 6, no. 1 (June 2008): 17–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1740355308091383.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACTAfrica played a prominent role in the formation of earliest Christianity not least in the persons of Cyprian of Carthage and Augustine of Hippo. The Anglican heritage is considered through the experience of the Yoruba people in south-west Nigeria through whom christian faith came to the rest of Nigeria. The Anglicanism which came to the Yoruba was evangelical through the Church Missionary Society, though a key role was played by liberated slaves from Sierra Leone. Contexts in which the gospel is proclaimed and the way it is expressed may change, yet the contents of the gospel do not. A contextualized curriculum thus includes key courses such as biblical studies and systematic theology. It also includes contextual subjects such as African traditional religions and Islam and Christianity. The Church of Nigeria has thus undertaken a thorough review of the curriculum to adequately represent this kind of contextualized theology.
7
Haddad, Beverley. "Reflections on the Church and HIV/AIDS." Theology Today 62, no. 1 (April 2005): 29–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004057360506200104.
Full textAbstract:
The church in South Africa faces a new challenge—the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which claims the lives of people in its communities and congregations every day. Until recently, the church remained silent or, worse still, adopted a theology that contributed to the stigma and discrimination faced by those who are HIV-positive. Increasingly, this theology is being questioned, as church leaders take a more positive public stance on education, prevention, care, support, and lobbying for treatment. Yet a mainstream, contextual theology that acknowledges and supports people living with HIV/AIDS, offering them Christian hope and acceptance, still remains to be formulated for South Africa.
8
Flanagan, Brian P. "Communion Ecclesiologies as Contextual Theologies." Horizons 40, no. 1 (June 2013): 53–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/hor.2013.38.
Full textAbstract:
This article argues that the predominance of communion language in ecclesiology in the past fifty years frequently functions as another instance of the universalization of a theological position rooted in a particular, dominant context—the fragmented, post-traditional world of the late twentieth-century West. First, it briefly discusses the concept of a contextual theology. It then traces three of the major contexts in which communion ecclesiology developed: the ecumenical movement and its desire for a new language of Christian unity, the Roman Catholic community's desire for language pointing to the spiritual/theological reality of the Christian church, and the broader cultural context of fragmentation and real or perceived disintegration of community found in late-modern Western societies. Finally, the article looks at some examples of ecclesiological reflection occurring outside of the dominant consensus of communion ecclesiology: the work of José Comblin in Latin America, and that of Elochukwu Uzukwu and other theologians of the church in African contexts.
9
Haspel, Michael. "Christian Sexual Ethics in a Time of HIV/AIDS – A Challenge for Public Theology." Verbum et Ecclesia 25, no. 2 (October 6, 2004): 480–501. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve.v25i2.282.
Full textAbstract:
HIV/AIDS poses an enormous challenge for the Christian church in Africa. Though many congregations engage in practical social programmes addressing the medical and social problems related to HIV/AIDS often there is no adequate theological concept dealing with HIV/AIDS. This article argues that starting from biblical insights and Christian anthropology in the current situation a contextual theology adressing HIV/AIDS and a respective sexual ethics have to be developped which enables hristians to live responsibly in a time of HIV/AIDS without demonising sexuality. This, in turn, could contribute to the ethical discourse in civil society and thus foster the development of a public theology.
10
Kanu, Ikechukwu Anthony. "Igwebuike theology of Ikwa ogwe and the inculturation of the gospel message." OGIRISI: a New Journal of African Studies 16 (October 2, 2020): 15–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/og.v16i1.2.
Full textAbstract:
This piece on Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe has attempted at building a bridge between two conflicting inheritances or worldviews of the African Christian: the western heritage and the heritage of his or her ancestors. The researcher attempted doing this with maturity and creativity, and without destabilizing the wholeness of the African Christian. It defined Igwebuike theology contextually, and the Igwebuike concept of culture as a preparation for the gospel, basing this on Clement of Alexandria’s Stromata. This created a basis for an Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe. It argued that until this bridge is built, the Word of God cannot be effectively communicated- in such a way that the people hearing the Word understand who they are and who others are. It observed that communicating the Gospel without building a bridge would rather take people away from themselves, thus, creating a problem of identity. It discovered that the major task of the gospel message, which is the transformation of worldviews and conceptual systems would not be adequately achieved without Ikwa Ogwe. Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe, therefore, emphasizes identifying with the people and communicating the message through their categories. The purpose of this study is to make a contribution to the ongoing efforts at resolving the cross-cultural conflicts of the missionary era. The theoretical framework employed is the Igwebuike holistic and complementary understanding of evangelization and culture, which focuses on the bigger picture of reality and believes that all parts of reality are interconnected.
Keywords: Igwebuike, Theology, Ikwa Ogwe, Missionary Enterprise, Culture, Conflicts
11
Uwah, Innocent Ebere. "Between Traditional Christian Theology and Moral Parables of African Popular Films: Communicating Gospel Values Contextually." UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities 17, no. 3 (September 29, 2017): 122. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ujah.v17i3.7.
Full text
12
Adeney, Frances S. "Women Doing Mission Theology." Missiology: An International Review 33, no. 3 (July 2005): 277–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009182960503300302.
Full textAbstract:
Traditionally doing theology has been the domain of men. Yet, throughout Christian history, there have always been a few women that have defied this pattern. As Christian women, they took on mission tasks. They developed mission theologies. This paper contrasts the traditional method of doing top down theology in the Imperial Mood to a method that women use to develop theologies — the Contextual Mood. Although this process of experience/action/reflection has been used by women for centuries, post-colonial critiques of Christian mission brings this methodology into prominence as a most suitable method of doing mission theology in the postmodern era. Moving this methodology from the pre-theoretical, intuitive domain into conscious understanding and articulation can turn the contextual method into a strong tool for developing women mission theologies.
13
Tiénou, Tite. "Christian Theology: African Realities and African Hope." International Bulletin of Mission Research 41, no. 4 (August 31, 2017): 294–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2396939317730498.
Full text
14
Schoffeleers, Matthew, and John Parratt. "A Reader in African Christian Theology." Journal of Religion in Africa 20, no. 3 (October 1990): 318. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1580912.
Full text
15
ANDERSON, A. "A Reader in African Christian Theology." African Affairs 98, no. 390 (January 1, 1999): 127–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a007994.
Full text
16
Tienou, Tite. "Book Review: African Christian Theology: An Introduction." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 15, no. 3 (July 1991): 137–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/239693939101500326.
Full text
17
Akinade, Akintunde E. "Book Review: Issues in African Christian Theology." Missiology: An International Review 31, no. 2 (April 2003): 251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009182960303100218.
Full text
18
Waweru, Humphrey Mwangi. "African Theology in the 21st Century: Mapping Out Critical Priorities." European Scientific Journal, ESJ 14, no. 8 (March 31, 2018): 213. http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n8p213.
Full textAbstract:
There is a dialogue taking place in the area of African Theology; “do we call it African Christian theology or African Theology and how it relates to the African culture”? Depending on where one sits, any name will carry the day as long as it fulfills the academic desire intended. What is important is the dialogue that is taking place between the Bible and the African culture. Here, we shall take the name “African Theology” as the norm. It is evident in almost all ways that from a walk which is based on the mapping of African theology or from the wide variety of current understandings of its nature and task, there are several priorities in African Theology. A number of theologians today argue that the priorities of African theology are many. These include providing a clear and comprehensive dialogue between African culture and the Bible in relation to the African faith. They argue that the Bible has also been translated into local languages in order to enable the African cultures to become intelligible in the way they relate to the scriptures. On the other hand, others have prioritized the definition of African Theology so that they can deal with it from their perspective of African Traditional Religions. Also, others want to prioritize African Theology as a reflection of the praxis of Christian faith within a relatively deprived community. Therefore, this article seeks to briefly provide some priorities in African Theology, such as liberation, reconstruction, and poverty reduction theologies. In this study, we will proceed to explore the need for a definition of African Theology, how it relates to African Christian faith, and the challenges posed by African Theology to the Christian faith. We will conclude with the general guidelines on formulating the priorities of African theology.
19
Ngong, David. "Contesting Conversions in African Christian Theology: Engaging the Political Theology of Emmanuel Katongole." Mission Studies 36, no. 3 (October 9, 2019): 367–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15733831-12341675.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This article argues that Emmanuel Katongole’s theology focuses on contesting conversions in African Christianity. To him, conversions that have so far taken place in much of African Christianity, especially those informed by the theology of inculturation, have not adequately emphasized the formation of critical Christian social imagination that would challenge the violent politics of the postcolonial nation-state in Africa. The article engages Katongole’s theology by showing how his understanding of conversion aligns him with a form of African Christianity which he criticizes – the neo-Pentecostal and Charismatic variety of African Christianity. It critiques Katongole’s proposal by suggesting that the social and political transformation he seeks may be enhanced by forms of conversion rooted in the theology of inculturation which he minimizes.
20
Nessan, Craig L. "The Necessity and Limit of a Contextual Theology." Mission Studies 20, no. 1 (2003): 78–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157338303x00160.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractContextual theology is a necessity, but it also has limits. This is the thesis of Craig L. Nessan in this article. It is a necessity because of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and the sacramental nature of Christian life. God is always revealed in particular times and places. Nevertheless, argues Nessan, contextual theology is limited by the consistency of God's character and activity. "While it is vital to pay attention to the particularity of God's revelation within a given context, it is equally necessary to affirm the coherence of God's characteristic way of becoming revealed." Careful reflection on the development of Christian doctrine demonstrates the value of attending both to its contextuality and its consistency. Doctrinal expression of faith provides the particularity of contextual expression (a certain language, culture, period) on the one hand, and provides the parameters of orthodoxy (the church's faith) on the other.
21
Magezi, Vhumani. "Practical Theology in Africa: Situation, Approaches, Framework and Agenda Proposition." International Journal of Practical Theology 23, no. 1 (February 28, 2019): 115–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijpt-2018-0061.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Practical Theology’s situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented except in South Africa, despite a strong theological focus on practical ministry across the continent and considerable discussion of African contextual theologies, including African theology, Black theology, reconstruction theology and women’s theology. The article sketches the context by highlighting the gaps in the discussion of Practical Theology. It discusses embedded Practical Theological practices within contextual theologies and surveys Practical Theology’s focus and aspirations across Africa, highlighting practices in Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa and Lusophone Africa. Finally, it deduces a framework for Practical Theology in Africa and identifies the challenges and tasks that should be put on the agenda of Practical Theology.
22
Sakupapa, Teddy Chalwe. "Theology amidst Wickedness: Is African Theology Equipped to Address Intractable Societal Issues?" Philosophia Reformata 85, no. 2 (November 4, 2020): 212–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/23528230-8502a007.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract In light of scholarly debates on the wicked problems framework, this contribution offers an appraisal of the role of theology in an African context characterized by myriad wicked problems. I argue that within the (South) African context, the decolonization of theology is indispensable for doing theology that is self-consciously contextual and therefore responsive to societal issues. This is crucial not least because of the widely recognized public role of religion in Africa. Drawing on the analytical framework of decoloniality and the theoretical concept of wicked problems, I will argue that although the category of wicked problems emerged within the framework of the intellectual world of the Northern Hemisphere, its analytical capacity is no less significant for contemporary African theological discourse on decoloniality.
23
Cone, James H. "Black Theology in American Religion." Theology Today 43, no. 1 (April 1986): 6–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004057368604300102.
Full textAbstract:
“It was the ‘African’ side of black religion that helped African-Americans to see beyond the white distortions of the Gospel and to discover its true meaning as God's liberation of the oppressed from bondage. It was the ‘Christian’ element in black religion that helped African-Americans to re-orient their African past so that it would become useful in the struggle to survive with dignity in a society that they did not make.”
24
Trompf, Garry W. "Book Review: A Reader in African Christian Theology." Pacifica: Australasian Theological Studies 3, no. 1 (February 1990): 107–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1030570x9000300114.
Full text
25
Forster, Dion A. "African relational ontology, individual identity, and Christian theology." Theology 113, no. 874 (July 2010): 243–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0040571x1011300402.
Full text
26
Browning, W. R. F. "Book Review: A Reader in African Christian Theology." Theology 92, no. 747 (May 1989): 209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0040571x8909200313.
Full text
27
Brand, Gerrit. "Witchcraft and Spirit Beliefs in African Christian Theology." Exchange 31, no. 1 (2002): 36–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157254302x00326.
Full text
28
Mostert, Christiaan. "Catholicity of the Church and the Universality of Theology." Pacifica: Australasian Theological Studies 16, no. 2 (June 2003): 123–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1030570x0301600201.
Full textAbstract:
The issue addressed in this essay is that of the Christian character or identity of Christian theology. Its “arguing partner” is that range of theological endeavours in which the particular context of a theological production is accentuated at the cost of under-valuing its necessary correlate, its Christian or “catholic” character. The essay offers a justification for a concern about “orthodoxy” - though not as an alternative to “orthopraxis” - for it still matters in all theology that God be spoken of rightly, which is to say faithfully. Christian theology should therefore not abandon its connection with Christian doctrine, even though the boundaries of theology may extend further than the boundaries of doctrine. There is, of course, no easy move from the universality of the Gospel to the universal validity of any particular articulation of this Gospel. However, it is argued that a modest claim for universality is both permitted and required by the double premise that all theology is in some sense church theology and that the church confesses itself to be “catholic”. Support for such a position is found in the work of Robert Schreiter, a strong proponent of “local” theologies, who in recent work has also argued for a necessary engagement with the “tradition” and has identified new kinds of universal theology. Appeal is made also to the ancient idea of a regula fidei. None of this conflicts with the contextual nature and responsibility of theology, but “contextual” should never be equated with “narrow”, let alone “isolationist”.
29
Thornton, John K. "Conquest and Theology." Journal of Jesuit Studies 1, no. 2 (March 12, 2014): 245–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22141332-00102006.
Full textAbstract:
The Jesuits played a key role in the evangelization of the Portuguese colony of Angola and its surrounding Kimbundu-speaking neighbors when they came with the colonial mission of Paulo Dias de Novais in 1575. Their experience is an example of evangelization in a colonial setting in Africa, and contrasts with Jesuit approaches to conversion in the neighboring and independent Kingdom of Kongo. They drew heavily on previous experiences in the Kingdom of Kongo, which had itself become Christian a century earlier and pioneered a marriage between African religion and Christian spirituality. When Jesuits came to Kongo in 1548 they found an existing established church and added relatively little to it before they left following political disputes. When Dias de Novais came to found Angola, he initially was militarily dependent on Kongo’s assistance and the Jesuits, too, were dependent on the Kongolese version of Christianity, which is clear in their choice of vocabulary in the Kimbundu catechism that they sponsored and oversaw in 1628. However, the colonial situation in Angola made the Jesuits more willing to accept the idea of conversion by the sword, and they were notably less tolerant of African religious inclusions in Angola than in Kongo. The contrast in the two approaches was particularly evident when the Jesuits reopened a mission in Kongo in 1619.
30
Aguilar, Mario I. "Postcolonial African Theology in Kabasele Lumbala." Theological Studies 63, no. 2 (May 2002): 302–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004056390206300204.
Full textAbstract:
[The author examines various trends and methodological developments in African Christian theology, particularly processes of “ordering” and subsequently “disordering” as a particularly African theological method. His framework suggests that colonialists and theologians shared a common purpose, namely ordering, and as a result, theology and colonialism developed related methodologies of ordering knowledge. In the postcolonial era a process of theological disordering is taking place led, among others, by François Kabasele Lumbala and his conception of the body within African liturgical theology.]
31
Budden, Chris. "Exploring Contextual Theology in Australia in Dialogue with Indigenous People." International Journal of Public Theology 2, no. 3 (2008): 292–312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156973208x316180.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis article considers the difference made to contextual theology (in belief and practice) in Australia, if it takes seriously the claim that the primary relationship shaping such a theology is with the First People of the continent. Hence, it considers how theology takes shape in the context of invasion, dispossession and ongoing oppression. Drawing on the insights gained during a gathering of Indigenous people, which began to explore the outlines of a Christian theology that would provide a foundation for more than simple survival, this article seeks to identify the primary issues shaping contextual theology in Australia. It is an invitation for others to join the conversation, and to take seriously the reality that theology in Australia is done on what has always been and still is Aboriginal land.
32
Holmberg, Anders. "Grundtvig som kontextuell teolog." Grundtvig-Studier 47, no. 1 (January 1, 1996): 165–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.7146/grs.v47i1.16233.
Full textAbstract:
Grundtvig as a Contextual TheologianBy Anders HolmbergA comparison between Swedish and Danish theology and church life makes it clear that Grundtvig has affected Denmark in a way that has no immediate parallel in Sweden. The point of departure for Holmberg’s study is the assumption that this is due to the unique concord between Grundtvig’s theology and the Danish society in the 19th century. This concord is illustrated by the inclusion of the concept of »contextual theology« which has played an importantrole in the Swedish theological scholarship of recent years, owing to the Anglo-Saxon influence on Swedish theology. The concept of contextual theology is explained on the basis of the American theologian Stephen B. Bevans’s discussion of the concept. With this approach Holmberg wants to throw light on Grundtvig’s theological method rather than his final result. Thus, the goal is to be able to answer the question whether Grundtvig’s theology can be described as a contextual theology. For this purpose, one of Grundtvig’s principal works, Den christelige B.rnel.rdom (Elemental Christian Teaching) is used.In his account of contextual theology Bevans distinguishes between five different methods, all of them serving to illuminate the relationship between Christian faith and the surrounding contemporary culture. The terms he uses for these methods are 1) the translation model, 2) the anthropological model, 3) the practise model, 4) the synthesis model, and 5) the transcendental model.Holmberg believes that elements of Grundtvig’s theology can be elucidated on the basis of all five methods, but concludes that especially the anthropological and the transcendental models harmonize with Grundtvig’s theology.The anthropological model assumes that the revelation of God takes place spontaneously in culture. It is not possible to distinguish between the Christian identity and culture since faith finds its true expression in man’s own language and culture. This is reminiscent of Grundtvig’s ideas about Christianity and folk culture, even though, with his emphasis on the Apostolic Creed as the foundation of Christianity, Grundtvig defines the identity of the Christian faith with greater precision than is the case with the anthropological model. Compared with that model, Grundtvig is also more firmly attached to the Christian tradition than to contemporary culture. The fact that Danish culture was completely saturated with Christian faith at the time of Grundtvig finds expression in his ideas about the interaction of Christianity and folk culture. This is in keeping with the anthropological model.The transcendental model operates with an individual believer as its starting- point, since it explains how this individual’s religious experience is expressed authentically through actual cultural conditions. In continuation of Svend Bjerg’s research, Holmberg maintains that Grundtvig’s theology is based precisely on the experiences of his own life, and that consequently his theology has since been able to lead to similar life experiences.On the background of his analyses Holmberg concludes that it is possible to regard Grundtvig as a contextual theologian. Continuing this line of thought, he points out that it is difficult in our time to make direct use of Grundtvig’s theological thinking in an attempt to formulate the Christian faith in a present-day Nordic context. It is, however, quite possible to learn from Grundtvig’s working method.
33
Kuruvilla, Samuel J. "Theologies of Liberation in Latin America and Palestine-Israel in Comparative Perspective: Contextual Differences and Practical Similarities." Holy Land Studies 9, no. 1 (May 2010): 51–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/hls.2010.0003.
Full textAbstract:
This article concerns the development of a theology of Christian liberation and contextual polity from its early origins in Latin America to one of its present manifestations as part of the Palestinian people's struggle for justice and freedom from the state of Israel. This article will be primarily dedicated to a historical and political analysis of the theological context, which includes three different strands. First, there was the development of theologies of liberation, as they are made manifest in Latin America and elsewhere. Next, there was the theology of other Palestinian Christians, and particularly that of the Al-Liqa group that contributed to the development of a contextual Palestinian theology of liberation within the ‘occupied’ context that is Palestine today. And finally there was the case of Palestinian Protestant Christian theologians such as the Rev. Dr Naim Ateek and the Rev. Dr Mitri Raheb who have raised definitional issues regarding liberation theology and Palestinian contextual Christianity.
34
Kur, Malith. "African Christian Inculturation Project: Theological Motifs of Liberation and Decolonization." Journal of the Council for Research on Religion 2, no. 2 (August 1, 2021): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.26443/jcreor.v2i2.47.
Full textAbstract:
This paper discusses the African Christian theology of inculturation. The theology of inculturation – the African indigenization of Christianity – is one of the African theological movements advocating for the liberation and decolonization of African religious, cultural, and political thought. It is a theological motif that emerged from the African experience of suffering and political and cultural denigration under European colonialism. This paper argues that the African theology of inculturation is a theological outlook that addresses African political, spiritual, and social conditions in the post-colonial era. It is modest and transformative because it offers hope to Africans and empowers them to seek positive change and inclusion, while rejecting a narrative of religious and cultural dominance. It demands recognition of Africa and its cultures by the West as an equal stakeholder in Christ’s victory on the cross. The African theology of inculturation expresses a unique African response to the gospel of salvation; in other words, Christian Scriptures are read and interpreted in line with African values, which situate Christian theology in the African cultural and cosmological worldview. The African cosmological worldview takes African indigenous cultures and philosophy as instruments that explain to Africans the relationship between Christianity and the realities of political and religious life in Africa.
35
Kur, Malith. "African Christian Inculturation Project: Theological Motifs of Liberation and Decolonization." Journal of the Council for Research on Religion 2, no. 2 (August 1, 2021): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.26443/jcreor.v2i2.52.
Full textAbstract:
This paper discusses the African Christian theology of inculturation. The theology of inculturation – the African indigenization of Christianity – is one of the African theological movements advocating for the liberation and decolonization of African religious, cultural, and political thought. It is a theological motif that emerged from the African experience of suffering and political and cultural denigration under European colonialism. This paper argues that the African theology of inculturation is a theological outlook that addresses African political, spiritual, and social conditions in the post-colonial era. It is modest and transformative because it offers hope to Africans and empowers them to seek positive change and inclusion, while rejecting a narrative of religious and cultural dominance. It demands recognition of Africa and its cultures by the West as an equal stakeholder in Christ’s victory on the cross. The African theology of inculturation expresses a unique African response to the gospel of salvation; in other words, Christian Scriptures are read and interpreted in line with African values, which situate Christian theology in the African cultural and cosmological worldview. The African cosmological worldview takes African indigenous cultures and philosophy as instruments that explain to Africans the relationship between Christianity and the realities of political and religious life in Africa.
36
Espín, Orlando O. "Theologizing Latinamente: Had Anselm Known Us!" Anglican Theological Review 101, no. 4 (September 2019): 587–602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/000332861910100403.
Full textAbstract:
After a historical and cultural grounding of Prosper of Aquitaine's lex orandi, lex credendi and of Anselm of Canterbury's notion that theology is fides quarens intellectum, this article examines the importance of constructing an Episcopal Latinoa theology that is clearly validated by the academy but whose most important validation comes from the people who are the church. Teología de conjunto (or teología en conjunto ) demands and expects theologians’ grounding location to be within lo cotidiano of our people. To theologize latinamente, therefore, is a movement, a contextual perspective, and a methodological approach to theologizing within Christian theology, distinguished by a cultural, critical, contextual, justice-seeking, and noninnocent interpretation of Scripture, tradition and doctrine, society and church, and history. It is intent on acknowledging and honoring Latinoa cultures, histories, and stories as legitimate and necessary sources of Christian theology.
37
Zemmrich, Eckhard. "Developing Christian Identity." Ecclesial Practices 1, no. 1 (2014): 111–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22144471-00101006.
Full textAbstract:
For the comparatively young Protestant churches in Indonesia, questions of Christian identity are of vital importance within their cultural environments which are shaped by other religions. Drawing on examples of developments in the history of three Indonesian churches in Sulawesi, Java and Bali, different aspects of the struggle to contextualize Christian identity are traced. For this, two Academic concepts of Indonesian contextual theology are employed, those of Theodorus Kobong and Emanuel Gerrit Singgih. Interpreted with the aid of basic categories used in theories of intercultural theology, those developments are read as pointing to the question on which role ecclesial practice plays within the hermeneutic circle between text and context for constituting Christian identity.
38
Dube, Siphiwe Ignatius. "A Foray into (Study of?) Christian African Political Theology." Political Theology 21, no. 7 (August 14, 2020): 650–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1462317x.2020.1807700.
Full text
39
Pears, Angela. "Claiming the Right to Educate: Insider/Outsider in Practical and Contextual Theology." International Journal of Public Theology 1, no. 3 (2007): 408–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156973207x231699.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis article examines some of the issues, challenges and possibilities facing a non-Christian, non-faith based educator teaching Christian practitioners at postgraduate level in practical and contextual theology. From my experience as a person of no religious background, belief or practice, this article will explore and deconstruct the concept of the theologian in an educational perspective; it will scrutinize the place of religious faith in the academic setting as a pre-requisite to engaging in meaningful theological discourse and reflection with the Christian practitioner; and it will contribute towards developing an understanding of the role(s) of the theological educator in applied, and practical and contextual theology in the twenty-first century university.
40
Chia, Edmund. "Receptive Ecumenism through Asia’s triple dialogue theology." Pacifica: Australasian Theological Studies 28, no. 2 (June 2015): 126–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1030570x16648722.
Full textAbstract:
The present article has as its premise that the objectives of Receptive Ecumenism, a method of engagement recently promoted in western churches, is already well captured by the Asian Church’s method of triple dialogue. Both emphasize the Christian community’s willingness to learn from rather than to teach their partners-in-dialogue. The contextual realities which gave rise to the Asian Church’s theology of dialogue with the poor, the religions and the cultures of Asia will be discussed, especially with reference to the teachings and experiences of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
41
van Klinken, Adriaan. "Autobiographical Storytelling and African Narrative Queer Theology." Exchange 47, no. 3 (July 5, 2018): 211–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1572543x-12341487.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This article addresses a methodological question: How to develop African queer theology? That is, a theology that interrogates and counter-balances popular representations of queer sexuality as being “un-African” and “un-Christian”. Answering this question, the article specifically engages with African feminist theological work on storytelling as politically empowering and theologically significant. Where African feminist theologians have used her-stories to develop her-theologies, this article suggests that similarly, queer autobiographical storytelling can be a basis for developing queer theologies. It applies this methodology to the Kenyan queer anthology Stories of Our Lives (2015), which is a collection of autobiographical stories narrated by people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) or otherwise queer in Kenya. The article concludes with an intertextual reading of Stories of Our Lives and Mercy Oduyoye’s autobiographical essay about childlessness, pointing towards an African narrative queer theology of fruitfulness.
42
Ross, Kenneth. "Polycentric Theology, Mission, and Mission Leadership." Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies 38, no. 3 (July 2021): 212–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02653788211026334.
Full textAbstract:
Though it began with an assumption that there was one universal and normative Christian theology, the modern missionary movement has resulted in the emergence of polycentric theology. As each new centre thinks through the meaning of the faith in contextual terms, it offers a distinctive theology – to the extent that it becomes a question whether any universal theological affirmation can be possible. Meanwhile the theory and practice of mission has been no less radically reshaped by a polycentric vision, with the concept of “mission from the margins” capturing the imagination. A profound openness to others and, ultimately, the deep spiritual discernment that is sensitive to the presence and action of the Spirit of God in our world, is the essential equipment needed for leadership in mission today.
43
Bradley, C. Randall. "Congregational Song as Shaper of Theology: A Contemporary Assessment." Review & Expositor 100, no. 3 (August 2003): 351–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003463730310000304.
Full textAbstract:
The faith and identity of Christian communities are formed and defined in large degree by musical forms and patterns. Music shapes and conveys theology, and is a point of engagement with broader culture. This is especially true in Free Church evangelicalism, where musical styles have nearly replaced denominational distinctives as the demarcating lines among various groups. This essay argues that music and worship are “active theology.” Worship and its music should over time express the full range of Christian truth and form worshipers truthfully. The essay explores and catalogues principal influences and concerns pertaining to musical form, style, and content. Church musicians are encouraged to see themselves as shapers of contextual theology in their communities.
44
Brand, Gerrit. "Salvation in African Christian Theology: a Typology of Existing Approaches." Exchange 28, no. 3 (1999): 193–223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157254399x00014.
Full text
45
Klootwijk, Eeuwout. "Christian Approaches to Religious Pluralism: Diverging Models and Patterns." Missiology: An International Review 21, no. 4 (October 1993): 455–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009182969302100408.
Full textAbstract:
After giving a brief overview of different patterns in the Christian attitudes toward other religions, the author focuses upon three main responses to religious plurality: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. Some tentative lines for a trinitarian-oriented theology of religions are developed. This approach opens up the possibility of a pluriform and contextual response without compromising the Christian faith. Such a theology has different points of entry: there is the Christ-centered approach and a pneumatological perspective on religious pluralism. Both are related in a theocentric framework. Though distinct, these three perspectives on religious plurality should not be detached from each other.
46
Parratt, John. "Marxism, Black Theology, and the South African Dilemma." Journal of Modern African Studies 28, no. 3 (September 1990): 527–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022278x00054690.
Full textAbstract:
Alfredo Fierro was probably going too far when he characterised modern political theology as ‘operating under the sign of Marx’. Nevertheless, ever since Gustavo Gutierrez dropped the bombshell of ‘Liberation Theology’ on the playground of western theologians, it is clear that Marxism cannot be ignored in any relevant twentieth-century explication of the Christian faith. Gutierrez focused in particular upon two aspects of Marx's thought: the action of man in human history, and the transformation of the world in the interests of the oppressed. These are perhaps also the most important aspects of Marxism for an understanding of recent developments in South African theology today.
47
Pieterse, Hendrik J. C. "A Theological Theory of Communicative Actions." Religion and Theology 5, no. 2 (1998): 176–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157430198x00048.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractSouth African society is engaged in an intensive process of transformation and change. This transformation is an extremely complex and difficult process in the light of the enormous social and economic problems of the South African population. In this unique context practical theology is practised as an academic theological discipline with a view on the role of religious praxis in the transformation process. The South African approach to practical theology has the following characteristics. It is a critical, contextual theology of a liberational, transformative nature that works with a communicative theory of action based in a critical hermeneutical framework. It takes the concrete practical situation seriously and is therefore empirically oriented.
48
Ngong, David T. "Theology as the Construction of Piety: A Critique of the Theology of Inculturation and the Pentecostalization of African Christianity." Journal of Pentecostal Theology 21, no. 2 (2012): 344–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/17455251-02102010.
Full textAbstract:
This essay argues that an important task of theology is the construction of piety. It draws from a few critical moments in the development of Christianity, such as the development of the doctrine of God and Christology in the early church and the rejection of materialistic Christianity in early modern Europe, to argue that these moments reflect the theological struggle to shape Christian piety. The idea that theology is concerned with the shaping of piety is then used to evaluate African theology of inculturation, which has now flowered in the Pentecostalization of African Christianity. It argues that although the theology of inculturation may be helpful in constructing a viable African theology, uncritically embracing the spiritualized cosmology of African traditional societies in salvific discourses promotes a form of piety that is ill-equipped to overcome the marginalization of the continent in the modern world.
49
Odia, Cyril Aigbadon. "The Role of Scripture in Theology: Is Africa Getting it Right?" International Bulletin of Mission Research 43, no. 2 (May 8, 2018): 134–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2396939318775260.
Full textAbstract:
Teaching Christian religious studies in Nigeria, like in many other Christian African countries, is based on the use of Scripture. Such instruction is a continuation of the basic faith formation young people have received from their parents, church, and local community. Effective religious education cannot be restricted only to the classroom but must also include social acts of kindness and community building. African theology in recent years has grown with the rise of African Independent Churches and biblical studies. Scriptural studies in the Nigerian secondary school curriculum help construct the basic platform for sustaining a Scripture-based African theology.
50
Parratt, John. "The Marxist Trend in Recent South African Black Theology: Is Dialogue Possible?" Mission Studies 6, no. 1 (1989): 77–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157338389x00247.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractIn this paper I wish to examine the shift in direction which is beginning to characterise the writings of younger South African black theologians during the last three or four years. I shall pay particular attention to the influence of Marxism on their theology, and its wider implications for Christian theology on the African continent.