African Theology and Mission

tc Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Jurkowski, M. (2006). Interview: From Bydgoszcz to Highland Creek. Spiritan Magazine, 30 (2). Retrieved from This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Spiritan Collection at Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Spiritan Magazine by an authorized editor of Duquesne Scholarship Collection.

Prosperity Gospel Redefined
The Impact of Charismatisation of the Mainline Churches in Tanzania
Series:
Global Religion — Religion global, Volume: 5
Author: Leita Ngoy
This book provides an in-depth discussion of the cultural and missional implications of the explosion of charismatic Christianity on mainline denominations in Africa. The book proposes that the charismatization of mainline churches is a contextual, missional, and transcultural phenomenon that enriches and invigorates African Christian communities. Focused on the experience of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and using Prosperity Gospel as an example, the book explores how some mainline churches are being enriched by adopting practices of charismatic Christianity. It proposes a holistic and contextual understanding of the Prosperity Gospel, understood as the mafanikio gospel in Tanzania, as a relevant theological resource for Lutherans in Dar-es-Salaam. In doing so, it intends to contribute to the needed paradigm shift in theological discourses around Prosperity Gospel to challenge stereotypical criticisms that label it false and misleading.

Environmental destruction in Ghana appeared to be the hottest of the political issues
in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections. The study sought to unravel the possible
factors militating against Ghana’s efforts in the fight against environmental
destruction. It also postulates certain intentional and coordinated activities that the
religious bodies in Ghana can undertake in contributing to salvaging the ecological
crisis. Using the qualitative method, and a purposive sampling technique, some
players in the environmental economy such as individuals, traditional leaders,
religious leaders, and government officials were interviewed. In addition, for firsthand information, efforts were made to visit some Akan communities to observe
how the people behave toward their environment. This paper argues that the
ecological narrative in Akan communities has changed chiefly because of social
conflicts, engineered by factors such as the basic needs of humans, politicization,
desacralization, materialism, economics, “development,” culture, chieftaincy,
international relations, tenancy, religion, civil action and many more. However,
Akan religious people to whom this paper has pointed fingers as part of the problem,
have what it takes to contribute to salvaging the environmental crisis in Ghana. The
paper recommends that religious bodies engage in the intensification of ecological
conversation and building ecological congregations by employing eco-pedagogy
and making investments in environmental protection ventures in Ghana.

This article offers an introduction to the special section about the theme of 'African Ecologies: Literature, Culture and Religion'. It explores the current interdisciplinary field of scholarship on ecology, environment, and climate change in Africa, mapping contributions from across the Humanities and the Social and Environmental Sciences. The article positions this special section in this ever-expanding body of literature, specifically deploying the notion of 'African ecologies' as a heuristic lens to examine how the relationship and interaction between living organisms, including humans, and the natural environment is conceived. It argues that social, cultural, literary, and religious ecology provide vital perspectives to enrich and expand the understanding of African ecologies, thereby expanding inventories of possibilities as climate change response pathways. (This article is published in the thematic collection 'African ecologies: literary, cultural and religious perspectives', edited by Adriaan van Klinken, Simon Manda, Damaris Parsitau and Abel Ugba.

C'est de la cosmogonie que découlent aujourd'hui la plupart des croyances qui régissent les sociétés africaines en général, et particulièrement en centrafrique. Les mythes cosmogoniques et les grands récits sur la Création qui se sont succédés à travers les époques offrent une explication satisfaisante aux sociétés qui les ont fondé, mais ils en reflètent également la culture et les croyances 2. Car si chaque société élabore sa compréhension de l'univers, elle le fait en fonction de ses spécificités et des interrogations propres sur le vécu de son peuple. Ainsi, la cosmogonie centrafricaine c'est l'univers d'où circule en chacun des flux vitaux et la façon dont on met en réseau ces flux, non seulement entre les humains, mais entre les humains et les objets, les objets et les plantes, les plantes et les animaux, les animaux et les rivières. Et donc c'est cette espèce de symbiose qui, au fond, permet à la vie de perdurer et de résister aux forces du mal 3. En effet, dans la cosmogonie centrafricaine, c'est en fin de compte l'homme qui dit Dieu et le sacré selon son bon vouloir. Aussi il s'agit d'en finir avec ces certitudes "absolues", sources de tant de fanatismes, d'exclusivismes, qui font tant de mal à l'homme. En outre, face à son angoisse existentielle, son étonnement et toutes les difficultés à maîtriser son environnement immédiat et lointain, le centrafricain, même étant chrétien, se pose certaines questions auxquelles cette cosmogonie truffée de diverses entités spirituelles tente d'apporter des réponses. C'est dans cette optique que notre analyse va nous permettre de réaliser que, dans la cosmogonie centrafricaine, tout est mythe et sens pour le centrafricain. Le sort

Barron, Joshua Robert, and David Tarus.  “ACTEA Announces a New African Theology Journal.”  WEA Theological News 53, no. 1 (January–March 2024): 2.
issue PDF link:  https://theology.worldea.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TN-53-1_web.pdf

ACTEA launches a new trilingual (French, English, Portguese) journal, AFRICAN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

This case study is shaped around the following question: how has employment improved the quality of life of beneficiaries and their families. All the beneficiaries interviewed still live with Practical ways to serve African communities of poverty motivated this case study. It explores how the church could be missional as an agent of prosperity in communities of poverty. It reflects on partnership between a missional team, InnerCHANGE, with businesses in order to provide jobs for ordinary people, especially the youth who are a marginalised section of our society in terms of employment. This article uses a biblical interpretive framework from Jeremiah 29:7 to reflect on the role of the church in society. The author interviewed 15 employment beneficiaries and 18 parents or guardians in order to learn how employment has improved the quality of life of individuals, households and their community of residence. The findings led to a reflection which captures successes as well as growth areas to be considered by InnerCHANGE in its efforts to become an example of the church as a prosperity agent in society.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of the CoG-K teachings to people’s participation in poverty alleviation in Emuhaya District, Western KenyaMethodology: This study was a cross-sectional research that sought to give an examining and descriptive scrutiny of the CoG-K’s activities in Emuhaya District of Western Kenya. This study sampled a total of 312 respondents (1 Bishop, 1 General Secretary, 1 General Assembly Trustee, 1 General Assembly Treasurer, 16 Directors, 282 Pastors, and 10 Elders) through purposive sampling method. Oral interviews, questionnaire methods and focus group discussion were used to collect data from the respondents. Observation method was used to validate the information obtained through oral interviews and questionnaires. Secondary data was sourced from published and unpublished literature. Data was analyzed using the theological method of induction (TMI).Results: The findings of the study showed that the teachings of the CoG-K ...

Although two Continental Coordinators of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter the Circle) are Malawians, the Malawi Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians had a slow start and has had limited growth. The Malawi Circle was started in 1990, a year after the official launch of the Africa-wide Circle in 1989. This article describes the contributions of the two Malawian Circle Continental Coordinators to the genesis and growth of the Malawi Circle and the contributions of the current Malawi Circle Coordinator. Since its inception, the Malawi Circle has been influenced either negatively or positively by various factors. This article indicates and evaluates some factors in terms of whether they have had a positive or negative impact on the development of the Circle. While the picture of the Malawi Circle shows a relatively dark past, there are opportunities through which the Malawi Circle can attain a brighter future.

Although two Continental Coordinators of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter the Circle) are Malawians, the Malawi Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians had a slow start and has had limited growth. The Malawi Circle was started in 1990, a year after the official launch of the Africa-wide Circle in 1989. This article describes the contributions of the two Malawian Circle Continental Coordinators to the genesis and growth of the Malawi Circle and the contributions of the current Malawi Circle Coordinator. Since its inception, the Malawi Circle has been influenced either negatively or positively by various factors. This article indicates and evaluates some factors in terms of whether they have had a positive or negative impact on the development of the Circle. While the picture of the Malawi Circle shows a relatively dark past, there are opportunities through which the Malawi Circle can attain a brighter future.

This brief contribution offers personal reflections on the future of Reformed theology given the author’s experience in ecumenical collaboration on various volumes in the field of Christian ecotheology. It offers seven generalising theses on the future of Reformed theology. These theses raise the question what it is that is being reformed. It is suggested that this cannot be reduced to the church or the Reformed tradition, always reforming itself. Instead, at best Reformed churches seek to transform their immediate, local environment by responding to the challenges of the day, perhaps by selecting and employing some of the typically Reformed categories and convictions. This requires a dialectic between reforming place and placing reform. This is illustrated with reference to the premises of the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University.

The main proponents of African Narrative Theology are Joseph Healey and Donald Syberts.  They are Catholic missionaries from America who lived and ministered in Africa for many years. Their main area of ministry is in Tanzania. They introduced African narrative theology through their book entitled Toward an African Narrative Theology. They used African proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, plays, myths, and songs to study African theological perspectives. Through studying proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, plays, myths, and songs they draw theological themes such as Christology, African communion Ecclesiology, Theology of Hospitality, Theology of death and resurrection, Theology of Healing, and Missiology. For each theological theme, they studied the reflection of African oral traditions and their connection with the Bible teaching.
This paper uses Joseph Healey and Donald Sybert's book as a primary source of information about African narrative theology. The main topic of the paper is one of African Narrative Theology which is African Narrative Christology. It focuses on how African narratives reflect the theme of Christology. Many of the examples presented in this paper are an examination of what is presented in Joseph Healey and Donald Sybert's book. The has two main sections. Section one of the paper presents an introduction to African narrative theology, the method and source of African narrative theology, and the presentation of Christ by African theologians.

Evangelical Review of Theology 47, no. 4 (2023)"  321–338

We know that some versions of the Prosperity Gospel are off the rails, as this article colourfully documents. But the article goes on to commend the positive impact of some African variants that often go unnoticed.

link to entire issue:
https://theology.worldea.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ERT-47-4_web.pdf

[An earlier version of this paper was published in Conspectus: Journal of the South African Theological Seminary 33, no. 1 (April 2022): 88–103.]

Reinventing Theology in Post-Genocide Rwanda critically examines the Church’s responsibility in Rwanda’s tragic history and opens the dialogue to construct a new theology. Contributors to this volume offer moving personal testimonies of their journeys to reconciling the evil that has marred the Church’s image: bystanders’ indifference to the suffering, despite their claim as members of the Church.

The first volume of its kind, Reinventing Theology in Post-Genocide Rwanda is a necessary step toward the Rwandan Catholic Church and humanity’s restoration of fundamental peace and lasting reconciliation. Catholic clergy, lay people, and human rights advocates will benefit from this examination of ecclesial moral failure and subsequent reconciliatory efforts.

The article sets out to show that women are critical players in peace building in Kenya, especially in times of political turmoil. Certainly, several African countries have experienced bouts of violence that are always caused by divergent political ideologies amongst its leadership. In most African countries where there is violence, male politicians are always seen as its key promoters; even though it remains an irony that it is women and children who bear the brunt. UNSCR 1325 affirms that peace and security efforts are sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict and the forging of lasting peace. To control political violence reasonably, it is advisable to encourage the society to put more women political leaderships. In this, the article argues, it will promote good governance and good stewardship of our resources. Curiously, women have not been able to occupy key political positions in Kenya, and face a lot of male-engineered frustrations that are meant to discourage them from electoral politics. To this end, this article will examine the factors that hinder women from securing key positions in the governance of the country such as those of the president, the deputy president, the prime minister, speaker of the national assembly and of the senate, and so on. The article will also discuss how women can overcome the factors that hinder them from taking over political leaderships, and how they can use their skills to usher in peace and prosperity. The methodology will include critical analysis of the state of the nation, and attempt to deconstruct the status quo.

This article describes how 19th-century evangelical missionaries to Africa erected barriers that hindered the spread of the gospel due to their lack of cross-cultural training and experience. It also discusses positive examples and draws applications to the contemporary church setting.

The pursuit of a fulfilling existence is a common goal among all human beings. As a result, promoting and sustaining quality humanhood or personhood (quality life) is the ultimate goal that international institutions, continental and regional bodies, and nations strive for. From a religious standpoint, theology and Christian religion need to contribute to helping people achieve the quality of life that humanhood aspires to. Consequently, pastoral care as a frontline ministry is positioned to play a leading role in fulfilling this function within church settings. Due to the public nature of this responsibility, the pastoral ministry should acquire a public pastoral care dimension in which community development is enhanced. Therefore, this article argues for public pastoral care as a solution to meeting the challenges faced by communities in Africa.

Increasingly, Africa is not only receiving missionaries but also sending missionaries of her own. Churches and mission agencies around the world are well-poised to support this effort, but there is often uncertainty concerning how African missionaries are best funded, especially considering existing financial disparities. This paper explores the biblical and theological foundations that should guide financial support of the mission movement in Africa and concludes by pointing out some implications and suggestions

The subject of partnership is one that is receiving attention in different spheres of life today. Businesses are seeking to expand by bringing together different specialisations to complement each other. All these grew out of a desire to have better output. The Christian missions’ enterprise should not be an exception in the quest for better performance; hence, the need to explore the opportunity of partnership for the expansion of God’s kingdom. This article researched how foreign and local mission agencies could develop an effective partnership in Christian missions. The article considered the concept of partnership, the biblical basis for partnership, the historical development of the partnership, the importance of partnership in the 21st century, the prospect of partnership in the 21st century, challenges of partnership in the 21st century and finally, how both local and foreign mission agencies could build an effective, efficient and dynamics partnership mission project before ...

This book argues that a primary purpose of theological discourses is to construct piety or spirituality. If this is the case, theologians need to constantly inquire into the kind of piety or spirituality which their work may construct. Drawing from some important moments in the development of Christian theology, such as the development of the Christian doctrine of God in the early church, the role of material things in the Christianity of medieval Europe, some elements of contemporary postliberal theology, and the theology of inculturation in Africa, the book argues that theological discourses that appear to be orthodox and innocuous may actually construct forms of piety that may diminish human flourishing. The book therefore calls for an ethics of theology intended to ensure that the theologies we construct help in developing a piety that is conducive to human flourishing in the modern world, especially for Africans, who have suffered and continue to suffer unspeakable dehumanization. The book proposes that a theology that may contribute to the flourishing of Africans in the modern world is one that constructs an interdisciplinary spirituality that takes both the spiritual and the scientific seriously.

The Akan people of West Africa have the general belief that the world is powered and interpenetrated by an invisible force or 'energy' called sunsum. Many scholars who study the concept of sunsum consider it the basis of Akan pneumatology. One of the foremost scholars who studied the concept in the early twentieth century was Robert Sutherland Rattray, a Scottish who worked in Ghana (then Gold Coast) as a colonial official and anthropologist. Rattray remains one of the most detailed researchers of Akan religion and culture. This article reviews Rattray's ethnographical definition of sunsum while it pays keen attention to how he characterized it. In the end, the purpose is to present the best possible perspective of his characterization of the sunsum and how such characterization has contributed to Akan literature and ideas.

The subject of development has been approached from different academic disciplines mainly from sociological, economic, political and anthropological perspectives. Not much has been written about the subject of development within theological scholarship. The reason is that the church and for that matter, traditional theological scholarship has focused on personal piety and discipleship instead of social responsibility and development. Subsequently many have come to think that the Bible has less to say about development. The main aim of this article is to offer a biblically informed systematic approach to the subject of development. It argues that the Bible provides a useful guide on what it means to develop. Using the method of Burkan Pentadic Criticism to analyse the biblical teaching on the essentials of development, this paper maintains that the Bible and for that matter, the biblical teaching on development, should shape the human understanding, worldview and attitudes about development.

encodes for a subunit of the switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex, a chromatin remodeling complex, and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancer types. In this review, we discuss how ARID1A is linked to endometrial cancer and what molecular pathways are affected by mutation or inhibition of ARID1A. We also discuss the potential use of ARID1A not only as a prognostic biomarker, but also as a target for therapeutic interventions. The dynamic modification of chromatin structure in a temporal-and spatial-specific manner determines cell fate by regulating expression levels of specific genes. The complexity of this process is further highlighted when considering all the endogenous and exogenous signals received by each cell during development and throughout its life. Numerous molecules (proteins and RNA) and macromolecular complexes are responsible for the organization of nucleosomes (Figure ), epigenetic modifications, the dynamic change between the 'relaxed' or 'tight' conformation of chromatin (euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively) and the accessibility of gene promoters determining cellular activities such as gene transcription, DNA repair and cell differentiation. Thus, disruption of normal chromatin remodeling impairs cellular development and homeostasis, and it has been associated extensively with tumorigenesis [reviewed in (1)]. The switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex is a nucleosome-remodeling factor found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. It is involved in gene expression through transcriptional regulation and plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis (2). This complex changes the DNA conformation in nucleosomes, allowing recruitment of transcription factors or other complexes responsible for DNA repair, replication and proliferation. Thus, when the SWI/SNF complex is disrupted, aberrant cell cycling is observed, as well as a loss of control of proliferation (3). SWI/SNF is a multi-subunit complex and many of its subunits, such AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A), ARID1B, SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily A, member 2 (SMARCA2) and SMARCA4 (Figure ), have been incriminated as driving mutations in various cancer types due to the high mutation frequencies observed (4). In particular, when considering human primary cancer cases with mutations in the SWI/SNF complex, most of the mutations seen are encountered in the gene encoding ARID1A (5-7). ARID1A and ARID1B genes encode DNA-targeting subunits, while SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 encode ATPase enzymes. The mutation frequency of these subunits in different cancer types seems to be tumor type-specific indicating that there is probably differential participation of the complex in gene regulation in different tissues (4). Loss of ARID1A has been shown in numerous human malignancies, such as uterine endometrioid carcinoma (8-10), ovarian endometrioid carcinoma (11), gastric cancer (12, 13), esophageal adenocarcinoma (14), pancreatic cancer (15) and colorectal cancer (16).

AT-rich interaction domain 1A gene (ARID1A) encodes for a subunit of the switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex, a chromatin remodeling complex, and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancer types. In this review, we discuss how ARID1A is linked to endometrial cancer and what molecular pathways are affected by mutation or inhibition of ARID1A. We also discuss the potential use of ARID1A not only as a prognostic biomarker, but also as a target for therapeutic interventions. The dynamic modification of chromatin structure in a temporal-and spatial-specific manner determines cell fate by regulating expression levels of specific genes. The complexity of this process is further highlighted when considering all the endogenous and exogenous signals received by each cell during development and throughout its life. Numerous molecules (proteins and RNA) and macromolecular complexes are responsible for the organization of nucleosomes (Figure 1), epigenetic modifications, the dynamic change between the 'relaxed' or 'tight' conformation of chromatin (euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively) and the accessibility of gene promoters determining cellular activities such as gene transcription, DNA repair and cell differentiation. Thus, disruption of normal chromatin remodeling impairs cellular development and homeostasis, and it has been associated extensively with tumorigenesis [reviewed in (1)]. The switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex is a nucleosome-remodeling factor found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. It is involved in gene expression through transcriptional regulation and plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis (2). This complex changes the DNA conformation in nucleosomes, allowing recruitment of transcription factors or other complexes responsible for DNA repair, replication and proliferation. Thus, when the SWI/SNF complex is disrupted, aberrant cell cycling is observed, as well as a loss of control of proliferation (3). SWI/SNF is a multi-subunit complex and many of its subunits, such AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A), ARID1B, SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily A, member 2 (SMARCA2) and SMARCA4 (Figure 2), have been incriminated as driving mutations in various cancer types due to the high mutation frequencies observed (4). In particular, when considering human primary cancer cases with mutations in the SWI/SNF complex, most of the mutations seen are encountered in the gene encoding ARID1A (5-7). ARID1A and ARID1B genes encode DNA-targeting subunits, while SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 encode ATPase enzymes. The mutation frequency of these subunits in different cancer types seems to be tumor type-specific indicating that there is probably differential participation of the complex in gene regulation in different tissues (4). Loss of ARID1A has been shown in numerous human malignancies, such as uterine endometrioid carcinoma (8-10), ovarian endometrioid carcinoma (11), gastric cancer (12, 13), esophageal adenocarcinoma (14), pancreatic cancer (15) and colorectal cancer (16).

[published in:  Conspectus:  The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, vol. 33, no. 1 (2022):  88–103.]

ABSTRACT:
The teaching of the Prosperity Gospel is widespread throughout African Christianity—especially within African Initiated/Independent Churches (AICs) and Pentecostal churches. For many, it is only a natural expression of biblical teachings on abundant life from the viewpoint of Africa’s holistic worldviews. For others, it arises as an extension of the deliverance theology of Pentecostals. Why should God not deliver us not only from sin and sickness, but from poverty as well? Others look at what seem to be the clear abuses of certain well-known (and financially well-off) prosperity teachers and cry, heresy! But are African expressions of the Prosperity Gospel heretical? Or are they orthodox, or perhaps heterodox? Both Scripture and historical Christian tradition reflect an ambivalence toward material wealth, at times seeing it as a blessing and at times as a danger. Reflecting on Scripture in the context of years of pastoral experience in Africa and recent discussions with scholars, missionaries, and local church leaders, this essay is built upon a hybrid methodology of integrative literature review and narrative literature review. After reviewing biblical teachings on wealth and possessions, it reviews the literature on the Prosperity Gospel in Africa and discovers that in some African contexts an adaptation of prosperity teachings, the Productivity Gospel, has arisen to address the same set of questions. Borrowing emphases from Prosperity theology on abundant life and Pentecostal theologies of empowerment, with the accountability of a Weberian work ethic in the context of a holistic African worldview, the Productivity Gospel provides a message of hope and an opportunity for a redemptive (and economic) uplift while avoiding problematic praxis.

African culture is rooted in oral culture and tradition. On this basis, the adoption of storytelling in all its forms in the defense of the Christian faith in Africa will definitely yield a positive result. Storytelling can be a viable means  for defending the faith in Africa, because it engages the mind, it helps in prompting imaginations, and it also engages the emotion through dramatic narratives.

The earth/land is an important asset that God gave/entrusted to humankind to care for. It is "alive" and responsive to [G]od, humanity and other creatures. The objective of this study was to discover the relationship between Old Testament idea of the concept of land and that of Africa and then the implications of these ideas to the contemporary Christian. The methodologies adopted for the study are the historical method and ecological hermeneutics. The study emphasizes that God gave humankind the earth to explore and not exploit. Humans are thus to maintain harmony in the ecosystem and sustainability of natural resources.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the correlation between the nineteenth century missionary enterprise and colonial occupation of Africa. European missionaries entered Africa simultaneously at the very beginning of colonial conquest and domination of Africa. What was the relationship between missionaries, traders and administrators in the colonial era? What can we identify as the predetermined objective of colonialism vis-a-vis missions in Africa? These are some of the questions that the present study will attempt to answer from the perspective of the historiography of European expansion in Africa.

The identity of Ethiopians is a reflection of the cultural and traditional experiences of the country. Ethiopian’s traditional and cultural background is the other face of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Also, the Ethiopian cultural, religious, and traditional experiences go back to the story of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. The Modern Ethiopian cultural and traditional experience is the other face of the Orthodox Church’s traditional expertise.

The research work defined the missionary expansion enterprise as all efforts made by the Christian Missionaries to consciously spread the gospel and Christian civilization. The research work examined the impact of the gospel values in inculcating spirituality, morality and intellectualism in the lives of the converts. The research work is relevant to the contemporary Africans especially now that there are rampart corruption, spiritual barrenness, moral decadence and education without character. The core objective of this study is therefore to examine the platforms of missionary expansion enterprise in Africa and the zeal to rout the crescent by unfurling the banner of the cross, which was one of the most inspiring emotions supporting the historical missionary enterprise. Findings showed that the missionaries aroused national consciousness from negative and positive perspectives through missionary support for colonialism in Africa, missionary support of colonial aggression, the gospe...

British colonial enterprise in Nigeria has often been discussed in the light of British commercial companies that began to operate along the coasts of West Africa from the 1840s. These commercial firms often obtained charters to administer different territories on behalf of the British government. These territories were further organized into Colonies and Protectorates and there was a resultant increase in British colonial interest in the regions. These Protectorates were eventually amalgamated in 1914 to form a single administrative unit and consequently, there was an effective establishment of British colonial rule in what later became modern Nigeria. However, much as this historical analysis might be empirical, there is an aspect of the history that appears not to have engaged enough scholarly attention in the recent past. The missionary strands in the British colonial enterprise in Nigeria are factors that seem to be neglected, yet without it; the history of British penetration into Nigeria in particular and effective colonial rule in general may not be complete. The British missionaries were in Nigeria for the spiritual and moral regeneration of the people, yet they cooperated with the British government in establishing British colonial administration in the area. Their invitation to the British colonial office for a military conquest of the "heathens" in the regions which they considered a basic prerequisite for effective establishment of Christianity, and their continued efforts to pacify the conquered people, predisposed them as the spiritual arm of British imperialism in Nigeria. Since the missionaries believed that European rule, rather than the existing African administration, facilitated their missionary enterprise, it was obvious that the establishment of British political authority would be looked upon as a welcome change. This is the missing link in the British colonial enterprise in Nigeria that the various sub-themes of this study have addressed.

Neither African Religion nor African Christianity owe their origins to the interventions of Europeans. Certainly not African Religion which predates the existence of Christianity by several centuries.  Both are products of African theological and spiritual ingenuity. In this essay we redefine postcolonial theology in Africa in ways that incorporate and factor in the pre-eminence of African theological thought before, during and after the arrival of European Christianity.

In recent studies, honor and shame has gained quite amount of attention from scholars: anthropologists and psychologists. However, theologians have on the other hand overlooked this pervasive yet critical human phenomenon. There seems to be a paucity of theological resources whereby to engage honor and shame related issues in community and collective based societies. While this is a trendy subject in other disciplines, it deserves a great deal of attention in black reflections on Christian studies. Moreover, it is critical that whenever Biblical studies are in engagement with social-political that honor and shame is surfaced. This is because, honor and shame, being pivotal cultural values of the Ancient Mediterranean world where the Bible was written are also present in most African societies today. Unfortunately, current theological discourse doesn't engage honor-shame as a cultural and theological component to Biblical studies. Therefore, this paper will firstly demonstrate how the theme of honor and shame is pervasive throughout the Bible. Secondly, the paper will argue that while honor and shame are replete in the Scripture, seem to be missing in Biblical studies as well as in African Christianity. Thirdly, the paper will argue how cultural values of honor and shame have played a significant role in shaping morality and behavior in collective and shame-based societies. Lastly, while different shades of honor/shame can be negative, the paper will suggest ways in which a biblical

The African Church has shown a lot of potential in sustaining herself financially but at the same time she has kept tagging herself to her mother churches in Europe and America, and to some extent she has been unable to get off her dependency trend. Just like the African nations strove for independency in the mid-1900s, the African Church has also struggled since then to fight her tendency to being a big baby, that is, still depending on her mother churches even after she has grown to maturity. The poverty in Africa does not help this church get to the level of self-sustainability because many of her churches can not raise the same resources locally.  This paper seeks to understand these dynamics and struggles in the African church.

Christian churches control substantial areas of land in Africa. While intensifying struggles over their holdings are partly due to the increased pressure on land in general, they also reflect transformations in the relations through which churches’ claims to land are legitimized, the increased association of churches with business, and churches’ unique positioning as both institutions and communities. This article presents the trajectory of relations between church, state and community in Uganda from the missionary acquisition of land in the colonial era to the unravelling of church landholding under Museveni. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, the authors argue that claims to church land in contemporary Uganda draw on: 1) notions of belonging to the land; 2) views about the nature of churches as communities;3) discontent regarding whether customary land owners gave churches user rights or ownership; and 4) assessment of the churches’ success in ensuring that the land works for the common good. The article develops a novel approach to analysing the changing meaning of the landholdings of religious institutions, thus extending ongoing discussions about land, politics,development and religion in Africa.

The missionaries of the Orthodox Church from Europe encountered conflicts against their missionary activities in the African communities due to several factors bothered on the political interest of the Church. Wright Mills Conflict Theory was used to determine the sources of the conflict. Result showed that the cause of the conflict was political as it centered on the Behavioral approach of the White Missionaries and their Instrumental Motives. They took advantage of the influence of the colonial administration of Europe in Africa. In the actual sense, the Christian Missionaries from Europe never saw any positive outcome in African welfare neither did they take the indigenes of African communities to be of any morally nor intellectually well. As a result of their behavioral approach there was disagreement on several traditional practices of the Indigenes and the African quest to indoctrinate their cultural practices into the Christian tradition; conflict ensued on both parties. In conclusion, suggestion is given to help new missionaries of the other Christian missions in this modern Era to succeed in their Christian ministry and as well prevent frictions and tension of conflict against their spiritual venture in African Communities.

This paper will look at the missionary Don Richardson, who is author of a numerous books including Peace Child, Eternity in their Hearts, and Lords of the Earth, among others, and who is a widely respected missionary practitioner. We will begin with a brief biographical sketch and an outline of his accomplishments as a missionary, and, following this, we will look critically at his contributions to world missions.