Papers by Mathew Musyoki
The Journal of Social Encounters, Mar 19, 2023
Drafts by Mathew Musyoki
As religious leaders we continue to be a voice of reason, committed as advocates of truth, justic... more As religious leaders we continue to be a voice of reason, committed as advocates of truth, justice, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, dialogue and in all other aspects contributing to the holistic being of each individual and society. we also embrace formation of truly Independent institutions free from manipulation from the forces that are and that will be and promotion of harmonious living and free movement across the country.
The colonial rule is a recent development of another “Christianity” of its kind which we cannot a... more The colonial rule is a recent development of another “Christianity” of its kind which we cannot ascribe to our faith; it is rather a mixture of evil and good where we cannot explain clearly the intentions of each missionary who stepped in Africa. Actually it would be valid to state that the church in the west got its Christianity in and from Africa.
Conference Presentations by Mathew Musyoki
Countering Violence Extremism in Mombasa, 2019
Identifying what areas we need to address regarding countering violence extremism among Universit... more Identifying what areas we need to address regarding countering violence extremism among University Students in Kenya.
In the context of the post-colonial era, Africa has had to ask herself three questions: Who am I ... more In the context of the post-colonial era, Africa has had to ask herself three questions: Who am I in the eyes of the community? What do we believe in? What is our place and contribution in the religious, socio-economic and political space? Identity refers to self-definition, self-worth. Thus used in the context of the community may include aspects of the society’s cultural values. What constitutes the group’s sense of worth or identity is their beliefs, attitudes, abilities, history, behavior and roles in nation building. Therefore, identity is best captured within the cultural discourse of communities. Leading Kenyan theologians who pioneered identity and reconstruction theology in Africa are John S. Mbiti, and Jesse Mugambi respectively. While their contribution is still highly respected by the Church, their successors have ‘failed’ to continue with this theme. Current theological discourse seems to have been unable to pick up the theme of honor and avoidance of human shaming that is nuanced throughout their theology for Africa.
That failure may have contributed to the Church’s impotence in dealing with social ills that continue to ravage African countries. For Kenya, it is that of tribalism. The sin of tribalism is rooted in misplaced shame, and quest for identity or honor. Unfortunately, theological thinking as is of today, has been unable to address the power of shame, desire for honor and quest for identity. For example, the evangelical church has turned a blind eye on tribalism with the hope that the mission of the Church will continue without being too much compromised. However, the underlying worldview issues and values of honor and shame have been left unaddressed. In the event of a national exercise such as an election, raw emotions are stirred, ethnic tensions rise, which immediately polarize people according to their ethnicities. Sadly, the church has previously been tagged along, if not fueled the tension.
Firstly, this workshop paper seeks to trace the explicit ‘from shame to honor’ themes that were implicit in the pioneers’ identity theology. Secondly, the paper will identify various ways that misplaced identity has contributed to negative ethnicity in Kenya. Lastly, through a case study the paper will attempt to mainstream a biblical missiology that addresses the values of honor and shame as foundational for the gospel to confront and address tribalism in Kenya.
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Papers by Mathew Musyoki
Drafts by Mathew Musyoki
Conference Presentations by Mathew Musyoki
That failure may have contributed to the Church’s impotence in dealing with social ills that continue to ravage African countries. For Kenya, it is that of tribalism. The sin of tribalism is rooted in misplaced shame, and quest for identity or honor. Unfortunately, theological thinking as is of today, has been unable to address the power of shame, desire for honor and quest for identity. For example, the evangelical church has turned a blind eye on tribalism with the hope that the mission of the Church will continue without being too much compromised. However, the underlying worldview issues and values of honor and shame have been left unaddressed. In the event of a national exercise such as an election, raw emotions are stirred, ethnic tensions rise, which immediately polarize people according to their ethnicities. Sadly, the church has previously been tagged along, if not fueled the tension.
Firstly, this workshop paper seeks to trace the explicit ‘from shame to honor’ themes that were implicit in the pioneers’ identity theology. Secondly, the paper will identify various ways that misplaced identity has contributed to negative ethnicity in Kenya. Lastly, through a case study the paper will attempt to mainstream a biblical missiology that addresses the values of honor and shame as foundational for the gospel to confront and address tribalism in Kenya.
That failure may have contributed to the Church’s impotence in dealing with social ills that continue to ravage African countries. For Kenya, it is that of tribalism. The sin of tribalism is rooted in misplaced shame, and quest for identity or honor. Unfortunately, theological thinking as is of today, has been unable to address the power of shame, desire for honor and quest for identity. For example, the evangelical church has turned a blind eye on tribalism with the hope that the mission of the Church will continue without being too much compromised. However, the underlying worldview issues and values of honor and shame have been left unaddressed. In the event of a national exercise such as an election, raw emotions are stirred, ethnic tensions rise, which immediately polarize people according to their ethnicities. Sadly, the church has previously been tagged along, if not fueled the tension.
Firstly, this workshop paper seeks to trace the explicit ‘from shame to honor’ themes that were implicit in the pioneers’ identity theology. Secondly, the paper will identify various ways that misplaced identity has contributed to negative ethnicity in Kenya. Lastly, through a case study the paper will attempt to mainstream a biblical missiology that addresses the values of honor and shame as foundational for the gospel to confront and address tribalism in Kenya.