INTR 532 Bibliographies: African Theologies

Biblio Format	Annotation
Abe, G. O. "Theological Concepts of Jewish and African Names of God." Asia Journal of Theology 4:2 (1990): 424-429.	Names are significant in both African and Hebrew contexts. This paper looks at names of God in Hebrew and various African contexts and compares them.
Abijole, Bayo. "St. Paul's Concept of Principalities and Powers in African Context." Africa Theological Journal 17:2 (1988): 118-29.	Concept of world powers very much part of Paul's thinking and theology; this is explored and the relevance to the contemporary African context is discussed.
Abogunrin, S. O. "The Total Adequacy of Christ in the African Context." Ogbomoso Journal of Theology 1 (January 1986): 9-16.	The church in Africa today is concerned about indigenization and contextualization It needs to be equally concerned about the dangerous heresies of syncretism, of the direct and indirect denial of the uniqueness, power and adequacy of Christ, and of the denial of the completeness of our salvation in him and through him. The question of the uniqueness and total adequacy of Jesus Christ is given emphasis in every New Testament book. For reasons of space and relevance, however, we shall limit this discussion to two passages in Colossians (1:13-23; 2:8-3:5). The aim of this article is to examine the Colossian heresy and see how it relates to Christianity in Africa, with particular reference to the uniqueness of Christ, his conquest of principalities and powers and the fulness of the salvation provided for man once and for all by God through Christ's atoning death and resurrection.
Ackermann, Denise. "Engaging Freedom: A Contextual Feminist Theology of Praxis." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 94 (March 1996): 32-49.	My purpose in this paper is to explore the contribution of a feminist theology of praxis in which the notion of 'liberating praxis' is a central concern to the present South African context. The actual histories of living women and other marginalized and oppressed people struggling against race, gender and class oppressions are an important source for my reflections.
Adeyemo, Tokunboh. "African Contribution to Christendom." Scriptura 39(1991): 89-93.	There is a myth out there that asserts that since the church in Africa is financially poor, there isn't anything it can offer to the rest of the church worldwide. This is untrue. I shall delineate some of the African religious wealth the church in Africa can contribute to Christendom. In this article Christianity in Africa is deemed to be making six contributions to world Christianity. Although the church in Africa is poor, it has much to offer by way of its holistic world view, people-centredness, community orientation, expressive worship, adaptability in mission, and the will to cooperate. The latter is seen particularly in the flourishing of the ecumenical association of evangelicals in Africa,
Adeyemo, Tokunboh. "An African Leader Looks at the Churches' Crises." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:3 (July 1978): 151-60.	In his article, the new head of the Association of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar describes both external and internal crises facing the churches of Africa. He examines various current ideas from many sources, especially ''New African Theology. " At the same time, he outlines reasons for being hopeful about the future of evangelicals.
Adeyemo, Tokunboh. "Ideas of Salvation." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 16:1 (1997): 67-75.	Outlines various approaches to salvation found in world religions, including ATRs and the Christian faith.
Adeyemo, Tokunboh. "The African Church and Selfhood." Evangelical Review of Theology 5:2 (October 1981): 212-223.	From Acts 15, should the Gentiles be circumcised in order to become Christians? or should the Jews be Hellenized so as to be Christians? This is the question that churchmen in Africa are asking today. Before we can worship Jesus Christ the Lord, do we have to be European Christians? Does God understand our Yoruba or Swahili language if we address Him in that language? These are some of the questions that selfhood raises and that are addressed in this article. Sections include the crisis of selfhood, the language of selfhood, the dynamics of selfhood, the expressions of selfhood, the implications of selfhood, and the values of selfhood.
Adeyemo, Tokunboh. "Towards an Evangelical African Theology," Evangelical Review of Theology 7:1 (April 1983): 147-54.	In this essay our attention is focused not so much on the questions of, how, where, what and who should do theology for the Church in Africa as on the discipline itself. Because of this, we have given more space to part two of the paper than to its first part. Nevertheless part one is necessary since it serves as compass in the task before us.
Akinade, Akintunde E. "'Who Do You Say that I Am?' An Assessment of Some Christological Constructs in Africa." Asia Journal of Theology 9:1 (1995): 181-200.	Christological reflection with what Jesus can do and what Jesus is doing within the African context, built on the presupposition of the necessity of examining both liberative and oppressive dimensions of Nigeria's Christian past.
Amoah, Elizabeth and Oduyoye, Mercy Amba. "The Christ for African Women." In With Passion and Compassion: Third World Women Doing Theology: Reflections from the Women's Commission of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, ed. Virginia Fabella and Mercy Amba Oduyoye, 35-46. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1988.	"Christology" is a familiar word among Christian theologians and one that is quite able to stand by itself and be explicated as a theological issue and concept. The curiosity that arises-if any-will be in relation to the word "women" and the conjunction "and." The import of the conjunction is to my mind that of a question, which could be stated in various ways: What have women to do with the concept of Christology? What do women say about Christology? Is there such a thing as a women's Christology? Do the traditional statements of Christology take into account women's experience of life? What we shall do here is to share some thoughts on the Christ from the perspective of African women. To do this, however, it is undoubtedly of use and interest to begin with what African men say about Christ, since they have dominated the field of written theology. This will necessitate taking a look at scriptures and church history, alongside African Christianity and traditional religions, before coming to what the women of Africa wish to say about Christ.
Balia, Daryl M. "Ethiopianism in South Africa: Roots of Black Theology." Missionalia 25:4 (December 1997): 585-97.	The Ethiopian secessionist movements of the 19th century were the forerunners of the Black Theology movement of the late 1960s in South Africa. Nehemiah Tile was a key figure in this regard, since his Amatile movement was the first of many to secede from mission-founded churches. Ethiopianism, based on the slogan 'Africa for the Africans', gained ground in the late 19th century, as Mangena Mokone and James Dwane also joined. These 'first fruits' of Black Theology should be distinguished from progressive elites like Tiyo Soga and P. J. Mzimba, who were ambivalent regarding the struggle for black emancipation.
Bediako, Kwame. "Biblical Christologies in the Context of African Traditional Religions." In Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World: Evangelical Christologies from the Contexts of Poverty, Powerlessness, and Religious Pluralism, ed. Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, 81-122. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.	A survey of the issues raised for Christian mission and dialogue with African traditional religions, for developing our understanding and presentation of Jesus, especially examining the understanding of Jesus in relation to the Ancestors and the African concept of Kingship. The writer appeals for a fresh approach to proclaiming Christ amidst African religions, since previous proclamation suffered from disregard of African religion and an inadequate apprehension of the Good News by the missionaries.
Bediako, Kwame. "How is Jesus Christ Lord? Aspects of an Evangelical Christian Apologetics in the Context of African Religious Pluralism." Exchange 25:1 (January 1996): 27-42.	Explores the evangelicals as they sojourn with the serious grappling with ATRs.
Bediako, Kwame. "Jesus in African Culture: A Ghanaian Perspective." In Emerging Voices in Global Christian Theology, ed. William A. Dyrness, 93-121. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.	Bediako's article takes its starting point from the theological meaning of his Akan cultural practices. In the light of this setting he turns his attention to the theological tradition of Christianity, especially the meaning of Christ's incarnation. He begins with an innocuous question: What does it mean to call Jesus the universal savior? But then he goes on to put an important twist on this confession: what now does it mean to call this universal savior, the savior of the African world? The question becomes more pressing in the light of the fact that the teaching of this Jesus in Africa has all too often not touched the African reality. These considerations bring us near the heart of the problem that he maintains confronts us now: how to understand Christ authentically in the African world.
Bediako, Kwame. "Jesus in African Culture." Evangelical Review of Theology 17:1 (January 1993): 54-64.	The author, a Ghanian of the Akan clan, struggles with his identity as an African and as a Christian and how he relates the gospel to the traditional beliefs and values of his people. He explores two areas: Jesus 'our Savior' who reigns over the spiritual realm and secondly, the relation of Jesus Christ to God (Onyame), creator and sustainer of the universe and to the ancestors. He argues that the rapid spread of Christianity among societies with primal religious systems occurs because Africans find in Jesus Christ the reality and spiritual experience that meets the needs and fears of their traditional religious beliefs and practices. He is careful to show that the gospel judges those elements of primal faith that are contrary to biblical revelation, replaces others and points to the 'new story' of the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He shows the importance of the Epistle to the Hebrews as a bridge to the knowledge of salvation in Christ.
Bediako, Kwame. "The Doctrine of Christ and the Significance of Vernacular Terminology." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 22:3 (July 1998): 110-11.	Anyone familiar with the writings of contemporary African theologians will be aware of the preference for referring to Jesus Christ in terms derived from African tradition, terms such as Ancestor, Healer, Chief, and Master of Initiation. In response, some theologians (mainly non-Africans) have expressed concern about this prevalence of "African" images that appear to relegate to the background biblical terms for Christ. It has even been suggested, following surveys done at the grass roots, that African Christians in fact prefer biblical titles for Jesus, such as "Savior" and "Messiah" to those derived from African tradition. The question may therefore be asked whether there is a contradiction here, or whether other factors need to be considered in order to arrive at a more accurate understanding of the dynamics of the perception of Jesus Christ in the African context.
Bediako, Kwame. "The Roots of African Theology." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 13:2 (April 1989): 58-65.	When seventy years after the Edinburgh Conference the expression "Christian Africa" becomes current in a major publication of a leading African theologian (see John Mbiti, 1986), it may be worthwhile to investigate whether it is the view at Edinburgh, Westermann's judgment, or Cragg's intuition that has prevailed. What, insofar as it can be discerned, underlies the African apprehension of Christianity at the specific level of religious experience? What are the theological roots of Christianity in Africa as a historical reality in African life, as African Christians themselves, and particularly African theological writers, perceive them?
Bediako, Kwame. "The Significance of Modern African Christianity--A Manifesto." Studies in World Christianity 1:1 (1995): 51-67.	A 5-thesis manifesto proposing the way to move forward in studying Christianity in the African context.
Birkett, Margaret. "The Inculturation of the Gospel Message from the Context of African Women Theologians." Feminist Theology 5 (1994): 92-105.	In this paper I attempt a review of inculturation from the perspective of African women theologians. In doing this I first look at the theological context from which these women come to the question of inculturation. They have emerged from a group of 'Third World' theologians and are a sign of what can happen when the people from the Third World unite in order to empower one another. The second part of this paper looks briefly at the content of the African women's view of the inculturation of the Christian message. It is not possible here to deal with the whole of their theology, I therefore confine my examination to a study of their Christology: how does the African woman view the person of Christ? African women are an important resource in the process of inculturation as they bring with them their own cultures from the perspective of educated women. This involves them in a critical approach which includes an evaluation of their culture and challenges Christians everywhere to take. the women's view seriously in order to 'bring about a new creation'. In the third part of the paper I examine more closely the sources of the theology expressed by African women theologians as 'third-way theology' in order to understand their methodology. I shall compare their method(s) with the hermeneutical cycle described by C. Rene Padilla,' and Schreiter's Contextual Model.' In my conclusions I evaluate the contribution of these women within my own context as a European woman ministering with Nigerian women.
Bosch, David J. "God in Africa: Implications for the Kerygma." Missionalia 1:1 (April 1973): 3-20.	This paper is prompted by the conviction that in the past far too genuinely little theological reflection has been devoted to the implications of the traditional African concepts of God for the proclamation of the Christian Gospel. Many similarities were often pointed out and many analogies constructed, but this was usually done on a rather superficial level, without going into the existentials underlying the traditional African and Scriptural concepts respectively. A serious reexamination of our message from this angle is an urgent priority, but in order to be able to do this, we need a thorough theological and socio-cultural evaluation of the traditional African concepts of God--something which has so far largely been lacking. We shall now attempt to understand at least something of this traditional attitude, looking at it not so much from an ethnological as from a theological angle. Some possible implications for our Christian kerygma will be hazarded in the concluding part of this paper.
Bosch, David J. "Missionary Theology in Africa." Indian Missiological Review 6:2 (April 1984): 105-139.	Surveys written theology (essentially what Bosch refers to as missionary theology) south of the Sahara by Africans as seen in published monographs.
Boshoff, Carel. "Christ in Black Theology." Missionalia 9:3 (November 1981): 107-25.	To concentrate on the Christology of Black Theology we need a clear vision of the situation in which Black Theology functions, the character of theology from a Black Theological viewpoint and finally the position of Christ in that structure. At the end we should make an effort to identify the hermeneutics of Black Theology and evaluate it in the light of Scripture.
Bowers, Paul. "Evangelical Theology in Africa: Byang Kato's Legacy." Evangelical Review of Theology 5:1 (April 1981): 35-39.	Review and apologetic for Byang Kato's book Theological Pitfalls in Africa, and concludes: Pitfalls represents a new direction in the theological debate, and, whatever the flaws, stands as a pioneering attempt in a critically necessary task for all true African Christian thinking. Pitfalls remains Kato's spirited challenge to African Christianity to move from theological complacency to theological responsibility and alertness, in the quest for a Christianity that is "truly African and truly biblical".
Bryant, Robert H. "Towards a Contextualist Theology in Southern Africa." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 11 (June 1975): 11-19.	In what follows I shall be presenting a brief and somewhat tentative indication of how one would attempt to formulate or, better, to do Christian theology contextually within Southern Africa today. Black theologies represent one important effort to interpret the Bible and the Christian message contextually in Southern Africa. Will theologies of this type succeed better than some of the theologies formulated by whites in Southern Africa and elsewhere in resolving the dilemma of being able to communicate the "good news" about the one God revealed in Jesus Christ in terms concretely related to the pains and joys of the groups they feel called to serve, while at the same time not permitting their words to become twisted to become propaganda unable to see beyond the interests of those groups? It is too early to know the answer.
Burleson, Blake Wiley. "John Mbiti's Theology as a Reflection of the Archaic Notion of Corporate Personality." Africa Theological Journal 21:2 (1992): 164-87.	Explores Mbiti's criticism of the individualism missionaries exported to Africa and the implications of a corporate approach to ethics, ecclesiology, Christology, and eschatology.
Buti, Sam. "Black Theology--What Is It? In Facing the New Challenges: The Message of PACLA, December 9-19, 1976, Nairobi, ed. Michael Cassidy and Luc Verlinden, 227-31. Kisumu, Kenya: Evangel Publishing House, 1978.	Black theology, by offering a new way of theologizing, desires to be helpful in discovering the truths about Black and White people, about their past and present, and about God's will for them in their commonwealth. Black theology sincerely believes that it is possible to recapture what was sacred in the African community long before white men came--its solidarity, respect for life, humanity and community. It must be possible not only to recapture it, but to enhance it and bring it to full fruition in contemporary genuine community. Life beyond much struggle and despair, beyond reconciliation will not come without some conflict. it will come through faith and courage. For Blacks this is the courage to be Black. Yet this need not be another worldly dream. It is as real as Africa itself. One is only human because of others. With others, for others, is Black theology. It is authentic. It is worthwhile. It is in the more profound sense of the word, Gospel truth.
Chikane, Frank. "The Incarnation in the Life of the People of South Africa." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 51 (June 1985): 37-50.	In trying to develop a better understanding of the meaning and implications of the incarnation in the life of the people in southern Africa we are going to first review critically the prevailing Christological models from which we can extract the various conceptions or misconceptions about this Logos that became flesh. We shall include here the models advanced by African Theology, theology of the African Indigenous Churches and the Black Theology of Liberation. The second part of this paper, which will naturally be the most difficult, will engage in a struggle for a reconstruction of this concept of incarnation and the development of a new understanding of it. Our goal is to come up with a "new incarnation" which will then produce in us a new life which we shall "live in the flesh by faith in the son of God". (Gal. 2:20)
Cochrane, James R.; Henderson, Ian W.; and West, Gerald O. Bibliography in Contextual Theology in Africa. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: Cluster Publications, 1993.
Daidanso, ma Djongwe. "An African Critique of African Theology," Evangelical Review of Theology 7:1 (April 1983): 63-72.	Explores African theology, introducing the background and sources and three main tendencies: 1) ethnotheologians who consider ATRs as valid as Christianity; 2) syncretistic theologians who are torn between the politico-socio-religious analysis and the quest for African identity and 3) evangelical theologians who work in context of an infallible Word of God and appropriately critical attitudes towards their context. Concludes with critical remarks in four categories: 1) terminology and definitions; 2) the foundation; 3) the contents; and 4) areas of application.
Daneel, M. L. "African Christian Theology and the Challenge of Earthkeeping." In The Relevance of Theology for the 1990s, ed. J. Mouton and Bernard C. Lategan, 435-76. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council, 1994.	Daneel examines the religiously based ecological conservationist activities of the AZSM (Association of Zimbabwean spirit mediums)--a traditionalist organization consisting mainly of spirit mediums, chiefs and ex-combatants, currently operating in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. In this movement the inspiration derived from the ancestral world and traditional high-god cult during the liberation war (chimurenga) is extended into the field of ecology, manifesting in the successful mobilization of rural communities in tree-planting campaigns. AZSM activities undoubtedly pose a challenge to Christian churches in Africa. A description is given of new patterns of dialogue between African traditionalists and Christians emerging in the context of tree-planting ceremonies. An attempt is also made to trace the challenge of earthkeeping to an African Christian theology in terms of ecologically contextualized sacraments (which include the ritual reinterpretation of conversion and sin), a new approach to the inspiration of ancestors in church life, and an ecological interpretation of the triune God.
Daneel, Marthinus L. "African Independent Church Pneumatology and the Salvation of All Creation." Theologia Evangelica 25:1 (1992): 35-55.	Attempts to show that the richness of the Spirit's involvement in these AICs was never obscured by prophetic preoccupation with historically and contextually determined issues as a given period in history. Prophetic involvement in the political liberation struggle and the concomitant image of the Holy Spirit as liberator of the oppressed, for instance, quenched neither the missionary spirit and zeal for individual conversions, nor the propagation of eternal salvation in the present yet still coming Kingdom of God.
Daneel, Marthinus L. "The Encounter between Christianity and Traditional Culture: Accommodation or Transformation?" Theologia Evangelica 22:3 (1989): 36-51.	The main focus of this paper is on the influence of four theological traditions (Catholic, Reformed, African theologians, and AICs) on emerging concepts of God in African Christianity. An attempt is made to assess the extent to which these traditions contribute towards an understanding and experience of God within the orbit of daily living.
Daneel, Marthinus L. "Towards a Theologia Africana? The Contribution of Independent Churches to African Theology." Missionalia 12:2 (August 1984): 64-89.	It would be impossible to qualify in full the nature of the positive contribution of the Independent Churches to universal theology in the course of a single conference paper. The focal point of this paper is to highlight their significance for a theologia africana in terms of their approach to the African traditional world view and religion. For in their own way they are evolving a relevant theology of religions, not in written form but preached out and enacted in symbolic ritual. Their religious life in itself represents a rudimentary and unsophisticated, yet in many respects original and genuine process of contextualisation. They create the kind of context in which dialogue and confrontation between the Christian message and traditional religion takes place consistently. I shall first of all attempt to qualify the process of dialogue and then reflect on a few of the implications for a contextualised concept of God and particularly for a relevant Christology, which, after all, represents the heartbeat of all Christian theology.
de Carvalho, Emilio J. M. "What Do the Africans Say That Jesus Christ Is?" Africa Theological Journal 10:2 (1981): 17-25.	The great variety of African, expressions of Christian faith allows us to answer this question dogmatically. The experience of the Africans that "offered their hands, i.e., themselves, to Christianity" by means of the missionaries, varies from people to people. But there is a common basis. It is from this encounter between the African religion and Christianity and also vice versa, that "an African experience" of the Jesus Christ of the Bible came about. There arose what James H. Cone calls "a different African option," an, indigenous theological thought, an answer of the black African People to the revelation, of God in Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh also in the African situation and dwelled among us!
de Carvalho, Emilio J. M. "Who is Jesus Christ for Africa Today?" Africa Theological Journal 10:1 (1981): 27-36.	This paper is just a small essay; an effort to gather some of the experiences around this Jesus, who is at the same time God's revelation of the African religion and Christianity. It is an attempt to draw an outline of the complex and many-sided African testimony of this Jesus Christ taught by the Church, and to appreciate the consequences of this "encounter of Africa with God in Jesus Christ."
De Gruchy, John W. "Confessing Theology." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 162-72. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.	Confessing theology is concerned with the faith and obedience which he behind the historic creeds and confessions, and which are expressed in particular situations. Of course, we are not suggesting that doing Confessing theology is the same as engaging in the act of confessing Jesus as Lord, for like all theology, Confessing theology is a second-stage operation, a reflection on the witness of the church, in this instance on confessing Jesus as Lord within particular contexts. At the same time Confessing theology also prepares the way for the church to confess its faith in new situations, both by reminding it of its obligation to do so and by helping it to understand what such a confession may mean within new historical moments. Confessing theology today recognizes the legitimacy of a plurality of theological approaches, and of the need to be in critical correlation with them. It also recognizes the dangers of rhetoric against heresy. At the same time, Confessing theology insists that there are parameters and boundaries to what Christians believe and confess, and that time and again it is necessary to recognize the arrival of a status confessionis or kairos and therefore of heresy. Hence Confessing theology continues to insist that it is always necessary that the church stand for the truth of the gospel in a way which is dear and uncompromising, and that at some moments this requires a recognition of heresy and a corresponding confession of Jesus as Lord.
De Gruchy, John W. "South African Theology Comes of Age." Religious Studies Review 17 (1991): 217-223.	A seminary professor in the United States is reported to have told one of our American graduate students at the University of Cape Town that he should study with us because South Africa has become one of the significant places to do theology today. The comment reflects a remarkable change of perspective from not so long ago when it was assumed, not least by South Africans, that the place to study theology was Europe or North America. Without minimizing the importance of the many institutions of theological reflection in South Africa, the developments in them and the role which a variety of administrators and teachers have played in them, it nevertheless remains true that South African theology has reached maturity largely because of the context within which it is being done, because of the contribution which at least some theology has made to the struggle against apartheid, and because the insight, experience, and challenge that all of this generates is of wider ecumenical and academic significance.
De Gruchy, John W. "Theologies in Conflict: The South African Debate." In Resistance and Hope: South African Essays in Honour of Beyers Naude, ed. Charles Villa-Vicencio and John W. De Gruchy, 85-97. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.	It is only now at the end of the colonial period, under the impact of the dynamics of a changing social, political and ecclesiastical environment, that we have begun to perceive how much of our theology is wedded to particular interests that are contrary to the gospel. While European theology might accuse African theology of syncretism, or black theology of ideological captivity, much European theology is guilty of both. If the present theological conflict has done nothing else it has forced upon us the need to face these issues and the need to question the usefulness and validity of imported, undigested and regurgitated theologies, and to work more consciously towards a genuine contextual theology for South Africa. In such an endeavor the theological heritage of Europe, liberated from a colonial mentality, racism, and its captivity to a secularized Western world view, and the theological heritage of Africa will no longer simply confront each other, but interact in the service of the gospel of the reign of God in Jesus Christ, in our context.
Demerest, Bruce. "The Quest for God in African Ways." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 18:2 (April 1982): 99-101.	Reacting against Western foreign policies, many African leaders have abandoned Western theology in favor of new forms of African theology. That is not the urgent need, but rather a biblical theology clothed in African dress for the African soul.
Dickson, Kwesi A. and Kalilombe, P. A. (Moderators) "Development of African Theologies." Mission Studies 2:1 (1985): 93-96.	A diversity of approaches to and opportunities for African theologies was highlighted in this workshop discussion. The wide-ranging exploration addressed such questions as: What is theology? What does it mean to "do theology" in Africa? What is the theologian's starting point'.) What is the situation to be addressed? What trends have emerged as African theologians have addressed situations in Africa? What is the relation between academic and popular ways of talking about God? What is the role of the Bible in the theological task? Accepted definitions of theology emphasized three components: an experience of encounter with God in. Jesus Christ; reflection on this experience in terms of the human situation; and expression of that reflection in the people's language, this conceived broadly to include mother tongue, patterns of preaching, art, music, dance and other expressions. It was pointed out that when theology becomes explicit, that is simply the articulation of the experiences and perceptions of God already implicit in the Christian praxis of the People of God and, more generally, the human family.
Dickson, Kwesi A. (Moderator) "Development of African Theologies." Mission Studies 1:2 (1984): 53-61.	Notes on discussion from a workshop on the development of African theologies. The need to make the Christian faith more relevant, given the inadequacies of indigenization as popularly conceived, gave rise to much discussion which yielded the expression African Theology. The term African Theology has been the center of some controversy, especially as it has been seen by some to represent simply an attempt to disguise African religion, labeling it as Christianity. The expression is indeed likely to be misunderstood if it is not properly explicated, for quite legitimately, it could be used to describe the articulation of African traditional religious thought. However, as it is used by those who question the relevance of Christian life and thought as propagated by emissaries from the West, it is meant to represent a radical rethinking of faith in Christ, having in mind the African's religio-cultural, socioeconomic and political circumstances. Indeed, with the formation of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians in Tanzania in 1976, the thinking of African theologians was situated within what may be loosely described as Liberation Theology.
Draper, J. A. "‘For the Kingdom Is Inside of You and it Is Outside of You": Contextual Exegesis in South Africa [Lk 13:6-9]." In Text and Interpretation, ed. P. H. Hartin and J. H. Petzer, 235-257. 1991	In attempting to formulate a contextual hermeneutic for South Africa, I accept the reading of the Bible by ordinary people as the presupposition and goal of the whole enterprise (Mesters 1983:125-130; cf. Schottroff & Steggemann 1986:vi; Boff 1987:150). I have attempted to avoid an entirely subjective reading of the text, although the crucial question of `truth' may remain elusive or even insoluble. I concur with Ricoeur in his determination to `resist the temptation to separate truth, characteristic of understanding, from the method put into operation by disciplines which have sprung from exegesis' (Ricoeur 1981:19; cf. Bauckham 1989:16-17) 9 This paper is an attempt to respond methodologically to the challenge of the Kairos Document in the production of a contextual exegesis that can empower an appropriation of meaning from the New Testament text by those engaged in the struggle for democracy in South Africa today.
Dwane, Sigqibo. "In Search of an African Contribution to a Contemporary Confession of Christian Faith." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 38 (March 1982): 19-25.	Concludes: I would plead for two things. The first is that any definition or expression of the faith should not so stress the discontinuity between Christianity and culture, or more specifically, primal religion, as to suggest that what God does in creation is radically different from what he does in the unique historical dispensation in the Judaeo-Christian revelation. Secondly, I want to plead that the recognition of the legitimacy of different theological slants arising out of the awareness that there are different perceptions of the one divine reality, and different experiences of his grace, be extended to the developing of theology in non-Western idiom. I want to plead that this should be seen not as a regrettable phenomenon to be tolerated for the sake of peace, but as the inevitable and desirable manifestation of the blossoming of the Christian faith in Africa.
Dzobo, Noah K. "African Ancestor Cult: a Theological Appraisal." Reformed World 38:6 (1985): 333-340.	The African devotion to his ancestors has been taken as the singular characteristic of African religions awareness. This devotion and its object, however, have been misinterpreted and misrepresented both by many foreign and African students of the indigenous African culture. The main purpose of this paper is to present a careful analysis and exposition of this very important African cultural material and to examine it for any theological and philosophical significance which it may have for the development of the Christian faith on the African continent.
Eitel, Keith E. "Contextualization: Contrasting African Voices." Criswell Theological Review 2 (1988): 323-334.	The innovative focus of Christian theology is shifting to the developing countries of the world. Regions where western missionaries have labored for centuries are now producing theologians who are critiquing the past and forging the future form of the Church around the world. Admittedly, cross-cultural application of the gospel message has been problematic at times. Many well-meaning, but culturally insensitive, missionaries have made the mistake of transplanting an ethnocentric form of Christianity. Contextualization of Christian theology attempts to solve the resulting dilemma. It is both the most necessary and the most dangerous task facing theologians from the developing world. Contextualization is necessary for Christianity to be relevant to Africa, for example, and to lessen the foreignness associated with the church. It, is dangerous because the end product can easily be neither Christian nor African if the method used to contextualize increases the likelihood of syncretism. A context dominant methodology, as opposed to a scripture dominant one, enhances the potential for distorting, biblical truth. This article illustrates these two contextualization methods by evaluating the contrasting thought of two African theologians, John S. Mbiti and Byang H. Kato. The materials for analysis are Mbiti's theological constructs for African theology and Kato's critique of those constructs.
Ekeya, Bette. "The Christ Experience of African Women Doing Theology." In Third World Women Doing Theology: Papers from the Intercontinental Women's Conference, Oaxtepec, Mexico, December 1-6, 1986. ed. Virginia Fabella and Dolorita Martinez, 178-83. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, 1987.	A Christological methodology of "doing theology" may be understood to mean the ways in which knowledge of God and the Divine will for humankind and the universe are revealed in the person and mission of Jesus Christ; and how, since this revelation was given to Africa, the African women in particular have accepted and continue to accept and proclaim the message of salvation which Jesus Christ is and should be in their lives and in the lives of those persons with whom they interact daily. It is essential first of all to speak of how Jesus Christ is known to the African woman. Who is Jesus Christ to the multi-cultured variety of cultural experiences and dimensions: from the very traditional to the ultra-modern. Perhaps it is better to speak first of the religious milieu in which the African woman was before Christ was introduced and preached to her.
Etuk, Udo. "The Theology of Contextualization in Africa: A Cover for Traditional Cultural Revival." Concordia Journal 11 (1985): 214-222.	The article shows that recent calls for the Africanization of Christianity (or contextualization) are an inversion of the perennial Christian task of evangelizing not only Africa but the whole world. To accomplish this, a number of practices from African traditional cultures are highlighted, and it is argued that these practices are inconsistent with the centrality, uniqueness, and soteriological role of Jesus Christ. Contextualization theology, the article argues, is fueled by several factors including political-cultural awakening. There can and needs be renewals in forms of worship which are culture-bound without compromising the essential gospel message. Also in Catalyst 16:3 (1986): 201-20.
Fashole-Luke, E. W. "Footpaths and Signposts to African Christian Theologies." Bulletin of African Theology 3:5 (Jan.-June 1981): 19-40.	As per the title; explores the boundaries and issues of African Christian theological development.
Fashole-Luke, E. W. "The Quest for African Christian Theologies." In Mission Trends No 3: Third World Theologies, ed. Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky, 135-50. New York: Paulist Press, 1976.	There has been more progress in the last fifteen years toward developing African Christian theology than in the previous century. Dr. E. W. Fashole-Luke at the University of Sierre Leone, West Africa-in reviewing what has been achieved thus far says that "the nature of the quest for African Christian theologies is to translate the one Faith of Jesus Christ to suit the tongue, style, genius, character and culture of African peoples." While an important beginning has been made, the future agenda, he says, "is gargantuan." Among the tasks to be tackled are: "the interpretation of the Bible in the African context"--but there are few African biblical scholars; the relation of Christian faith to African traditional religion--"conversion to Christianity must be coupled with cultural continuity"; and Christology--"there are no signs that Christological ideas are being wrestled with by African theologians." Who should participate in the quest for African Christian theologies? Fashole-Luke says it "should be looked upon as a medium by which Africans and non-Africans can think together about the fundamental articles of the Christian faith in Africa. The quest must be ecumenical and all inclusive." This is a shortened version of a paper presented at the consultation on African and Black Theology, Accra, December 1974, and is reprinted from The Ecumenical Review for July 1975.
France, Dick. "Questions Concerning the Future of African Christianity." Evangelical Review of Theology 3:1 (April 1979): 27-36.	Works through issues of relevance to the future of the African church: the growth of African theology, relating appropriately to African culture, facing social and political issues. Proposes that the greatest single need is the development of theology that is both uncompromisingly biblical and authentically African.
Gaiya, Musa A. B. "Contextualization Revisited." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 13:2 (1994): 117-26.	We do not intend to go into the debate on contextualization of the Gospel message in Africa or African theologies but we attempt to accentuate a rather neglected aspect of contextualization of the Gospel in Africa, the role played by European missionaries. Our methodology is therefore historical rather than theological.
Gehman, Richard J. "Doing African Christian Theology : A Response and a Revelation." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 15:2 (1996): 85-113.	A recent issue of MET (14.1 1995) contained an article by Augustine Musopole in which he critiqued the book, Doing African Christian Theology: An Evangelical Perspective by Richard J. Gehman. Musopole observes that "most" of what is written in the book is not new. The one new contribution, according to Musopole, is a suggested method of doing theology. The second part of this article is a revelation of what is actually taking place in the doing of theology, using the method described in the book.
Gehman, Richard J. "Will the African Ancestors Be Saved?" Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 14:2 (1995): 85-97.	Focus on a difficult question which needs more extensive treatment by evangelicals in Africa who will explore carefully the whole question of salvation of those who have never heard the Gospel. A burning question that will not go away is this: "Will any of the forefathers in Africa, who never heard the Gospel, be saved?" This question arises repeatedly. "What will happen to our fathers who lived before the Gospel was brought to Africa? Will they spend eternity in hell?" This difficult question that brings much pain and concern and is the focus of the article.
Giblin, Marie J. "Taking African History Seriously: The Challenge of Liberation Theology." In The Future of Liberation Theology: Essays in Honor of Gustavo Gutierrez, ed. Marc H. Ellis and Otto Maduro, 129-138. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1989.	Two insights of Gutierrez impacted the author in her work in Tanzania. These two insights, 1) the centrality of commitment to struggle against injustice and 2) the unity of salvific history, are shared by African liberation theologians as well. Jean-Marc Ela, a Cameroonian priest, highlights the injustice of the cultural omination imposed on Africa as well as the politico-economic domination. The two issues cannot be separated. The church in Africa needs a more integrated notion of salvation that considers the church's role in the past and responds to people's situations today. These insights of liberation theology present fundamental challenges to the way missionary groups envision their role in Africa. In this article I would like to explore these insights and their implications for mission in Africa.
Gitari, David. "The Claims of Jesus in the African Context." International Review of Mission 71:281 (January 1982): 12-19.	If the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to have a deep impact on the African people, so that "they may have life and have it abundantly", then we must allow the Gospel to speak in the cultural situation of the Africans. Issues discussed include feeding the hungry, the meaning of "man" (person) and implications (e.g., refugees and politics).
Goba, Bonganjalo. "Doing Theology in South Africa: A Black Christian Perspective, An Invitation for the Church to be Relevant." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 31 (June 1980): 23-35.	What I propose to do in is paper is to participate in a theological pilgrimage that has already begun in South Africa to provide a prolegomenon which hopefully will become a full blown, mature theology of liberation. Such a theology must be born within the context of the black Christian community as it participates in the struggle. In other words, what I am hoping to achieve here is to provide an outline for a black communal Christian praxis, one that is dynamic in its orientation and passionate in its commitment to God's liberation activity in history in Jesus Christ.
Goba, Bonganjalo. "Emerging Theological Perspectives in South Africa." In Irruption of the Third World: Challenge to Theology, ed. Virginia Fabella and Sergio Torres, 19-29. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1983.	What I have tried to do in this report is to give a bird's-eye view of the developing trends in theological reflection in the South African situation, without attempting a full critique of everything that is coming out of South Africa. What must be clear is that there are many challenges and risks ahead. These challenges are an invitation to the whole South African Christian community to be involved concretely in the praxis of liberation before it is too late. I believe that critical theological reflection in solidarity with other theological groups in the Third World will make an important contribution to the liberation of all humankind. One thing is beyond dispute: as long as there is oppression and dehumanization in the Third World, the challenge of doing theology and of siding with the oppressed will continue. It will continue until the kingdom of God breaks through in our respective situations.
Goba, Bonganjalo. "Towards a 'Black' Ecclesiology: Insights from the Sociology of Knowledge." Missionalia 9:2 (August 1981): 47-58.	There is no doubt that one burning issue in contemporary theology is the problem of developing a relevant theological hermeneutic. Today when we talk about contextualization we are actually wrestling with the problem of hermeneutics--one which takes our historical context very seriously. There are many types of contextual theologies, which are all attempts to formulate a relevant theological hermeneutic. This highlights the fact that theology does not fall from heaven but is colored by our experience. This is true also of our understanding of the Church. It is not my intention to spell out the role of theological hermeneutics since there are many studies which do that. My hope is to share insights from what is known as the Sociology of Knowledge. I propose to describe it briefly and then show how it influences my own attempt to develop a Black ecclesiology.
Gqubule, Simon. "What is Black Theology?" Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 8(September 1974): 16-23.	Explains Black Theology in the southern African context. Concludes: Black Theology is an attempt to present the Christian gospel to the Black man relevantly with all its liberating power in the broadest sense of the word. It seeks to present Christian truth in an African dress, in the African idiom, with African insights, through the experiences of the Black man. It seeks to understand the Incarnation as the rooting of Christ in the hurly-burly of the Black man's life. It sees the crucifixion of Christ as representing the crucifixion of the Black man in shanty towns outside the towns and cities of this land where every slum becomes a Calvary. However, the Black Theology movement can only have meaning when the ebony sons and daughters of Africa themselves write and sing the glories of Him who called them "out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Hastings , Adrian. "On African Theology ." Scottish Journal of Theology 37:3 (1984): 359-374.	Just as in the classical theological era of the fourth and fifth century, the churches of Antioch, Alexandria and the Latin west had their own distinct and recognizable theologies so today it should be anything but surprising that the churches of Africa develop their own 'African Theology'. The term, certainly, is now much used. How much does it signify? Is it a reality or rather an aspiration? Is there in fact a recognizable 'African Theology' in existence? Again, is it something for Africans consciously to pursue? If the term is in one way undoubtedly helpful, may it not also--at least if overemphasized--mislead both practitioner and observers? 'African Theology' is obviously a proper denotative term for referring to theology as written or expressed by Africans or in Africa. Two basic questions which may be asked are, first how much more weight than that it can rightly bear at present as indicative of a recognizable school or tendency of theology and, secondly, whether it is something deliberately to be cultivated. How far can it be consciously, even self-consciously, pursued?
Hearne, Brian. "Christology is Basic to Inculturation." In 32 Articles Evaluating Inculturation of Christianity in Africa, ed. Teresa Okure, Paul van Thiel, et al. 89-96. Kenya: AMECEA Gaba Publications, 1990.	Any talk (or action!) about "inculturating" the Christian faith, must be seen in the fight of the mystery of Jesus Christ, and not just as efforts to make a system or an institution more "meaningful' to people of different cultures. Christology is at the very heart of any theology of inculturation It may, therefore, be useful to offer some tentative reflections on this point in a study devoted to the topic of "inculturation". A good starting-point may be to contrast two famous papal sayings about the Church in Africa. In 1969, in Kampala, Paul VI told the African Bishops: "You may, and you must have an African Christianity!". In 1980, in Nairobi, Pope John Paul 11 told the Kenyan Bishops: "Not only is Christianity relevant to Africa, but Christ, in his members, is himself African!" It is no accident that Pope John Paul II's deep sense of the mystery of the person of Christ (expressed so well in his first encyclical, "Redemptor Hominis", for example) should lead him to a more personal--in the sense of centered on the person of Christ--expression of what Pope Paul VI had said. His statement, in particular, has the most far-reaching consequences for a theology and practice of inculturation, and most of this short article Will simply be an attempt at elucidating the Christology, that seems to lie behind this dramatic statement.
Hearne, Brian. "Liberation Theology and the Renewal of Theology." AFER 26 (1984): 357-368.	Introduces liberation theology to an African audience. Discusses Marxist insights as they apply in liberation theology, ten contributions of liberation theology to theology as a whole, and four areas for dialogue [1) God's action in history seems to be over-simplified and even mythologized; 2) the ambiguity of human existence is obscured by some elements of liberation theology; 3) the impression is sometimes given that a stress on the resurrection of Christ leads necessarily to political and ecclesial 'triumphalism'; and 4) the eschatological dimension of Christian faith, especially the fact that all humans must die, seems not to be taken seriously enough by liberation theology].
Heijke, J. P. "Africa: Between Cultural Rootedness and Liberation." In Missiology: An Ecumenical Introduction: Texts and Contexts of Global Christianity, ed. A. Camps, L. A. Hoedemaker, M. R. Spindler, and F.J. Verstraelen, 265-80. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.	It is risky to offer prognoses as though, after all, we did possess universal insight. But we may perhaps stress one point in conclusion: A consensus exists with regard to the distinction between the African and the North Atlantic understandings of personhood. In the African view the human person is not a point of origin, one who has to validate himself or herself by new ideas, original behavior, or fresh contributions to culture, not an individual who has to fight for himself or herself and somehow make it on his or her own as an orphan. In the African view a person is a point of convergence where many lines from the past come together. It is of a person's essence, first of all, to receive. Apart from the social fabric of which he or she is a part, a human being is nothing. The sense of being supported on every side by the past is much stronger than the invitation to add something new. Language, interpretations, skills, insights, and security all await the African at birth. That which the African has received is infinitely more important than what he or she can bring about. This rootedness in kinship, this priority of gratitude over any drive to achieve, constitutes a sounding board for the gospel and for theological and pastoral reflection, one to which we of the North Atlantic world are not accustomed. The fruitfulness of an authentic African way of doing theology will, hopefully, be brought into an ecumenical, intercultural dialogue and contribute to the healing of our one-sidedness. When this happens, the cultural and economic spheres will presumably intersect.
Hinga, Terese M. "Jesus Christ and the Liberation of Women in Africa." In The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition, and the Church in Africa, ed. Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Musimbi R. A. Kanyoro, 183-94. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1992.	Hinga, a Kenyan, analyzes how feminist theologians have sought a form of liberation in Jesus Christ. According to Hinga, the majority of African Christian women confess and accept Jesus Christ as the liberator and perceive Jesus as savior, personal friend, healer, and liberator.
Hinga, Teresia. "Inculturation and the Otherness of African: Some Reflections." In Inculturation: Abide by the Otherness of Africa and the Africans: Papers from a Congress (October 21-22, 1993, Heerlen, the Netherlands) at the Occasion of 100 Years SMA Presence in the Netherlands, ed. Peter Turkson and Frans Jozef Servaas Wijsen, 10-18. Kampden, the Netherlands: J.H. Kok, 1994.	Christian incarnation in Africa is not synonymous with a great adaptation of Christian faith in traditional faith it needs. Thus, the question of inculturation is more than a question of cultural idiosyncrasies and how these can be accommodated within the framework of Christianity. The question of inculturation is an essential aspect of the need to apply the gospel as a liberative principle in all aspects of the social historical contexts in Africa. Thus, inculturation, instead of dignifying the need to abide with the otherness of Africans, should point to the need to abide by the dignity of the Africans and the need for self definition. It means a preparedness to allow the African to say 'this I am', and to refrain at all times from saying to him/her 'you are that'. It means, a preparedness to accept his rejection of extraneous definitions that are the culmination of the process of 'othering' which has been the bane of the Africans in history.
Hollenweger, Walter J. "The Theological Challenge of Indigenous Churches." SEDOS Bulletin (1990): 244-246.	This article does not discuss the amazing numerical growth, vitality, and diversity of non-white indigenous churches or new religious movements--It looks rather at the challenge of these churches for our own theological thinking. In general the growth of the indigenous churches is part and parcel in the shift of the center of gravity of Christianity from the West to the South. These indigenous churches present us with three challenges. These are: 1) to recognize a return of Christianity to its roots; 2) to search for a new ecumenical and intercultural theology; and 3) to search for the practicalities of such an intercultural theology. Three topics are proposed as particularly important: dreams and visions; healing of the sick; and propositional and oral communication.
Hovland, Thor Halvor. "The New Paradigm of African Theology." Africa Theological Journal 22:2 (1993): 91-106.	African theology has a paradigm which fits neither Western nor liberation theologies. Characteristics of the new paradigm are explored and concluding reflections on Christology are given.
Ikenga-Metuh, Emefie. "Contextualization: A Missiological Imperative for the Church in Africa in the Third Millennium." Mission Studies 6:2 (1989): 3-17.	This essay will argue that in the third millennium, the emphasis of evangelization in Africa will shift from "primary evangelization" or "extensive evangelization" to "pastoral evangelization" or intensive evangelization i.e. deepening and nourishing the faith of those who have accepted Christ. In that situation the role of contextual theology becomes indispensable. The paper will outline the signs of the times in Africa in the third millennium, and the areas of cooperation between missiology and contextual theology to meet its challenges.
Ikenga-Metuh, Emefie. "Contextualization: A Missiological Imperative for the Church in Africa in the Third Millennium." SEDOS Bulletin (1990): 144-151.	This essay will argue that in the third millennium, the emphasis of evangelization in Africa will shift from "primary evangelization" or "extensive evangelization" to "pastoral evangelization" or "intensive evangelization" i.e. deepening and nourishing the faith of those who have accepted Christ. In that situation the role of contextual theology becomes indispensable. This paper will outline the signs of the times in Africa in the third millennium, and the areas of cooperation between missiology and contextual theology to meet its challenges. Concludes: Contextual theology is a type of theology which takes the evangelistic aspect of theology seriously. Like every theology it seeks for the clarification of the received faith. But the clarification it seeks is one that will benefit those to whom it is addressed. It may want to be philosophical but it uses the language and concepts of the people it addresses. It is a theology which addresses issues and tries to find answers to the problems of people who live in that particular context. The gospel has now been preached in many parts of Africa for about a hundred years. The Church in Africa has come of age and has to answer the question: "Who is the Christ."? Africa must answer the question for itself, with its own resources and in its own context, if the answer is to be meaningful. It has already begun to make tentative answers in the emerging African theologies--Inculturation Theology, Black Theology and Liberation Theology.
Ikenga-Metuh, Emefie. "Towards an African Theology of Man." Africa Theological Journal 11:2 (1982): 143-50.	Concerned with both an African Christian biblical theology and a theology of ATR in relation to human beings.
Imasogie, Osadolor. "African Theology: The Development of Theological Thought in Nigeria." Baptist Quarterly 34 (1992): 390-397.	The task before this writer, therefore, is to reflect on a viable and productive process for developing theological thought that is informed by the recaptured theological insight which has been sketched above. In his attempt to execute the task, the author intends to treat the matter under two headings: (1) a brief description of various scholarly approaches, and (2) points to be considered in developing African Christian theology.
Imasogie, Osadolor. "The Church and Theological Ferment in Africa." Review and Expositor 82:4 (1985): 225-236.	Because the mission of the church in Africa is redemptive witness to the saving presence of God in Christ, it must take African world view, traditional religions, and the concomitant self-understanding more seriously than heretofore. This need has been heightened by the new politico-religious, intellectual, and cultural ferment. This calls for new mission strategies involving both the missionary societies and the nationals in authentic partnership in planning and executing missionary activities. Additionally, theological education curricula should be contextualized to ensure effective ministry to parishoners' perceived needs, enabling them to become co-proclaimers of Christ in lifestyle--the ultimate goal of missions.
Kalilombe, Patrick. "Black Theology." In The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology in the Twentieth Century, ed. David F. Ford, 193-216. Oxford: Blackwell, 1989.	Kalilombe describes black theology in North America, black Africa, and South Africa, with the representative figures being James Cone, John Pobee, and Allan Boesak. He traces the momentous and rapid developments, the differences, the growing cooperation and the outstanding issues and problems.
Kato, Byang H. "Black Theology and African Theology." Perception 6 (October 1976): 1-8.	It is my sincere prayer that the exploited Africans under any regime on our continent will soon find justice and liberation. But my greatest concern is for the three hundred million Africans who have not yet had the experience of Jesus Christ. It is therefore the responsibility of the sixty million African Christians to share Christ with this vast majority so that they might find true eternal liberation. The main purpose of this lecture is to reemphasize the Christian message and its relevance to contemporary Africa, as opposed to the confusing voices we hear today. Let me first point out that Black Theology is different from African Theology, though the two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Black Theology which became evident among the blacks of the United States of America in the 1960s seeks to emphasize black consciousness and thereby discover the dignity of the black man. African theology lays emphasis on the dignity of the African by playing up African culture and African traditional religions. It is my intention to shows that "African Theology" is distinct from "Christian Theology" as it may be expressed by African theologians using African thought forms.
Kato, Byang H. "Christianity as an African Religion." Evangelical Review of Theology 4:1 (April 1980): 31-39.	Discusses the relevance of Christianity to Africa today. He notes that despite claims to the contrary, Christianity is a religion truly an African religion and of enduring contemporary relevance. The greatest need of the church is to live up to the claims we make as Christians and promote the Christian message to all areas of life and everywhere possible as true ambassadors of Christ. Concludes with 7 recommendations: 1) know the truth and defend it, 2) discern the voices, 3) reject moratorium but promote self-reliance, 4) evangelize or perish 5) contextualize without compromise, 6) pray for and be prepared for revival; and 7) become more missionary minded.
Kato, Byang H. "Eschatology in Africa: Problems of Hermeneutics." In Readings in Dynamic Indigeneity, ed. Charles H. Kraft and Tom N. Wisley, 465-92. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1979.	Kato critiques Mbiti's discussion on eschatology in Africa, positing that Mbiti gives too much. Kato is an African with a more conservative (dispensationalist) western theological training than Mbiti's. He, thus, sees Mbiti as a contributor to theological syncretism and universalism in Africa. Two chapters have been lifted from Kato's book to grasp the significance of the struggle in theologizing with cultural distinctives in mind. The focus here is eschatology. Both Kato and Mbiti are involved in a fundamental theological debate. Their controversy revolves around the extent to which culture influences the ultimate exposition and interpretation of Scripture. Kato charges Mbiti with universalism at almost each turn of a sentence. He concludes with a ten point proposal designed to safeguard Biblical Christianity in Africa from syncretistic theologies like those of Mbiti. Kato may have failed to grapple with the cultural issues as thoroughly as Mbiti but the questions he raises are fundamental to the process in which both he and Mbiti are engaged. Perhaps Kato's approach is too western. But perhaps Mbiti is also too western and the answers Africa seeks remain for a future generation of less indoctrinated Africans to discover.
Kato, Byang H. "Theological Issues in Africa." Bibliotheca Sacra 133:530 (April-June 1976): 143-152.	Introduction to theological issues in the African context from a conservative evangelical perspective.
Kavale, Festus. "A Biblical Study of Witchcraft." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 12:2 (1993): 114-31.	Witchcraft remains an issue for the Church in Africa yet many second and third generation Christians are confused about what to think of witchcraft and how to handle those who are caught up in its power. When people seek to use the power of witchcraft there is always a high price to be paid in terms of spiritual decline and physical damage. The biblical position on witchcraft is outlined showing that God condemns the practice not only for violating the first commandment but also for damaging the person. The author concludes that instead of condemning those caught up in witchcraft the modem pastor should show concern, "affirm the biblical teaching of the reality of witchcraft and give God's reasons for prohibiting it."
King, Fergus J. "Angels and Ancestors: A Basis for Christology?" Mission Studies 9:1 (1994): 10-26.	In his book Christian Origins, Christopher Rowland describes, as a feature of Inter-Testamental Judaism, the concept of the "angelic mediator," that is, of the righteous man ascended into heaven who intercedes for his people. In much African Traditional Religion, a similar role seems to be given the ancestors, whose continued existence in a metaphysical state which takes them "nearer to God" allows them to help their descendants on earth. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the concepts of "angelic mediators" and "ancestors" and to see whether or not these different beliefs share common features which could be applied to the development of local theologies.
Kinghorn, Johann. "Reflections on the Task of Theology in Africa." Scriptura 39(1991): 94-103.	This article reflects on the task of theology as an intellectual enterprise in the mode of Western analytical thought, in view of the challenges posed by 'Africa'. It addresses primarily the question in European circles of theology within Africa, what their particular task should be. Five areas of interest are pointed out: the need to develop a sophisticated theology capable of dealing with 'structural' social issues, the inter-religious debate; adequate ethical foundations, reexamination of 'eccesiology,' and the need for theological social theory.
Kinney, John W. "The Theology of John Mbiti: His Sources, Norms, and Method." Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research 3:2 (April 1979): 65-67.	Clearly theology develops in a context, but it cannot develop with blinders on. An authentic theological contribution must be aware of and come to grips with the relevant observations and questions that develop in relation to it. The questions and observations presented here address the sources, norm, and method in the theology of John Mbiti.
Kiwovele, Judah. "An African Perspective on the Priesthood of All Believers." In Theology and the Black Experience: The Lutheran Heritage Interpreted by African and African-American Theologians, ed. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, 56-75. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.	Permit me to sketch some suggestions about what the priesthood of believers in Africa could look like. No matter what the circumstances, we must keep a self-critical perspective, particularly in connection with the relationships we attribute to the living-dead and the living members of a family and kinship circle. Prayer to the living-dead, even to apostles, for protection and help is a denial of our faith in which we say that it is only through Jesus that we come to the Father. Sacrifices offered to the livingdead likewise are denials of our stated faith that Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin. For us to pray and offer sacrifices to our ancestors is to make them into gods. For us to ask the living-dead to intercede on our behalf before God denies that in Christ we have direct access to the loving God who gives us grace and peace.
Klem, Herbert V. "Yoruba Theology and Christian Evangelism." Missiology 3:1 (January 1975): 45-63.	Explores Yoruba ATR as a key to the structure of appropriate theology and resulting evangelism among the Yoruba.
Kritzinger, J. N. J. "Black Eschatology and Christian Mission." Missionalia 15:1 (April 1987): 14-27.	The scope of this paper is more limited than that announced in the original conference programme. It does not deal with 'The eschatology of Black and Liberation Theology' but only with the eschatology of Black Theology, and specifically with South African Black Theology. I have done this in order to adopt a consciously contextual approach to the theme under discussion. Since Black Theology is a liberation theology, many 'liberational' elements will appear throughout the paper, but 'liberation theology' will not be treated as a general phenomenon; the focus will be on this specific liberation theology and its view of the future.
Kurewa, J. W. Zvomunondita. "The Meaning of African Theology." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 11 (June 1975): 32-42.	The plea of African Theologians today is that African Theology needs all the encouragement of those who have a vision of the reign of Christ and a relevant theology of the faith on this great continent. If Christianity has come to Africa to stay, African Theology is inevitable. In future, all those who will come from beyond the borders of this great continent may have an opportunity, not always to teach, but also to learn a theology of a people of God in Africa. Concludes: African Theology is a theology which comes out of the experience of a people of Africa; it is a theology based on biblical faith--a theology which seeks to speak to African communities relevantly and distinctly. It is a Christian theology which recognizes the reality of the African experience of God around Christ Jesus in the midst of African experiences and culture.
Kurewa, J. W. Zvomunondita. "Who Do You Say that I Am?" International Review of Mission 69:274 (April 1980): 182-88.	The question, "But who do you say that I am?" is now posed by the risen Christ to the African Church. The question demands a christological response with African authenticity. We have to say who Christ Jesus is from the African perspective--to express who he is and what he is doing, in our midst. We cannot answer this question adequately without knowledge of our culture and our composite religious experiences as African people. As a United Methodist of Zimbabwe, brought up in the Shona culture, Kurewa seeks to demonstrate how indigenous cultural insights enable us theologically to say with confidence who Christ Jesus is. In Zimbabwe Christians say that Jesus is our brother; our sacrifice, our liberator, and our Mhondoro or Mudzimu, which forms the outline for this article.
Lagerwerf, Leny. "African Theological Journals in 1995." Exchange 25:3 (September 1996): 285-304.	Goal is to point out the important developments in Africa as seen through the journals.
Lagerwerf, Leny. "African Women Doing Theology--A Survey." Exchange 19:1 (April 1990): 1-69.	Survey of the scene of theologizing among African women; deals with meetings, methodology, socio-cultural issues, women in the Bible, women and men in the church, Christology, and mariology.
Londi, Boka di Mpasi. "A Theology for African Churches." In Trends in Mission: Toward the Third Millennium: Essays in Celebration of Twenty-five Years of SEDOS, ed. William Jenkinson and Helene O'Sullivan, 53-62. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991.	If, when we speak of theology, we mean a body of ready-made formulae or abstract concepts, then we can say that Africa has no theology, and there is no reason to believe that Africa needs one. In Africa, theology appears as life, as intellectual vitality emerging from a faith that is lived by all the People of God. It has three elements: 1) Expression. To be alive and viable, to live and to survive, faith needs to be expressed. 2) Personality or identity. In Africa there is no such thing as an isolated individual. The person is an open world, a related center, a "being with," a miniature community. 3) Culture. Culture simply means the specific vital expression of the human personality. In Africa today it is difficult to separate the work of theological thought from these three constant factors: expression, personality, culture. There is one word that contains all three: inculturation.
Loubser, J. A. "Apartheid Theology: A "Contextual" Theology Gone Wrong?" Journal of Church and State 38 (1996): 321-337.	How should one evaluate the remarkable methodological parallels between apartheid and contextual theologies? No serious comparison has been made to date. In the following study, such a comparison will be made as a contribution to the ongoing quest to develop an adequate contextual hermeneutic. In this regard some poignant lessons call be taken from apartheid theology, albeit sub contrario aspectu. For the purpose of this essay, apartheid is defined as a utopian, totalitarian system intending the unilateral separation of the black and white races in South Africa. Apartheid theology is therefore the theological system developed to support this system, with its roots going back to the early stages of South African colonialism.
Lugira, Aloysius Muzzanganda. "African Christian Theology." Africa Theological Journal 8:1 (1979): 50-61.	African Christian Theology is a new thinking out of African religious affairs within the context of African Christianity as related to Humanity in general and African peoples in particular. It is a discipline which has recently appeared on the African scene. For the sake of clarity the paper will proceed by considering African Religion the means by which Africans have from time immemorial had beliefs and practices concerning God as the Supreme Being. The Presence of Christianity as a base of theologising will be outlined. And African Christian Theology in Contemporary Africa will be discussed.
Machema, Alina Maente. "Jumping Culture's Fences." In Talitha, Qumi!: Proceedings of the Convocation of African Women Theologians, Trinity College, Legon-Accra, September 24-October 2, 1989, ed. by Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Rachel Angogo Kanyoro, 131-35. Ibadan: Daystar Press, 1990.	Today, Christianity has changed a lot of beliefs which customs and culture developed and the African woman, like her male counterpart, has the right not only to worship and take part in Christian activities but also to take part in national development. There are now women in Africa who are magistrates, policewomen, women theologians and in other fields which hitherto had been the sole domain of men. I therefore, encourage women theologians and all women of different ranks everywhere to jump out of this fence of customs and culture and work as hard as possible in order to spread the word of God to the best of their ability. Let us rejoice in God's mercy, for through his son Jesus, our liberator, we are all one as he regards us as sons and daughters.
Magesa, Laurenti. "Authentic African Christianity." In 32 Articles Evaluating Inculturation of Christianity in Africa, ed. Teresa Okure, Paul van Thiel, et al. 112-20. Kenya: AMECEA Gaba Publications, 1990.	The mistaken tendency of putting emphatic equation marks between the integrity of faith in Christ and the Western cultural, ideological, and practical embodiments in which it has historically come to Africa is, very happily, gradually disappearing from the way of thinking of the Church in this continent. Slowly but surely, we are realizing that Jesus Christ, the only transcultural reality, is the sole basis and criterion for making a theological judgment on any culture. We now know that it would be against the thinking of Vatican Council II, and even contrary to the mind of Christ himself, for the Church in Africa to insist on, or to allow itself to be in any way coerced into importing wholesale the theological conclusions of a particular culture and of applying them indiscriminately to its cultural situation and peoples. Some of those conclusions, no doubt, may be of practical value to us--the Church's catholicity implies an essential need for theological cross-fertilization far and wide. However, the necessity of reflecting upon, and incarnating them cannot be dispensed with. More and more we are coming to see that God's self-revelation in a given culture must be taken as the root of our theological reflection in order to impart the truth of the Christ-event effectively. A strong and meaningful theology, of necessity, should be deeply rooted in culture. Paradoxically, it must preserve its universal traits whilst inculcating its particular qualities. It must make sure that the Church in Africa is Catholic, and yet truly African.
Magesa, Laurenti. "Christology, African Women and Ministry." The African Ecclesial Review (AFER) 38:1 (February 1996): 66-88.	Advocates that we move from sexist and racist Christologies as well as Christologies of power and domination to a Christology of love, justice and mercy founded on the meaning of the mission and ministry of Jesus which reflects the empirical experience of African women as feminist theologians everywhere, and in Africa, are saying and should lead to a critical appraisal of structures of ministry towards true unity and communion in the Church.
Magesa, Laurenti. "The Present and Future of Inculturation in Eastern Africa." In Inculturation: Abide by the Otherness of Africa and the Africans: Papers from a Congress (October 21-22, 1993, Heerlen, the Netherlands) at the Occasion of 100 Years SMA Presence in the Netherlands, ed. Peter Turkson and Frans Jozef Servaas Wijsen, 57-71. Kampden, the Netherlands: J.H. Kok, 1994.	Inculturation in Eastern Africa has taken on two major orientations. We may refer to one as the official level of inculturation and to the other as the popular level. The official approach has almost exclusively been noetic or cognitive. I mean by this that above all it has relied on an intellectual analysis of principles and directives of Church teaching. From here it has attempted to relate the results of its analysis to African cultural realities through catechesis and liturgy. What I have referred to as the popular process of inculturation has taken an entirely different route. Rather than concern itself directly and immediately with cognitive notions in Christianity and culture, their analysis, differentiation, explication and synthesis, this process of inculturation has been basically intuitive and spontaneous, arising from within the African heart and soul. My experience both as university lecturer and parish priest in rural Tanzania indicates that the dialectic of inculturation in Eastern Africa has shifted. It is no longer primarily between missionary Christianity and African religion; it is fundamentally between official attempts at inculturation and popular Christian praxis. The official level of inculturation in the region has up to now been mainly deductive and intellectualist. Its impact on the spirituality of the people has been minimal, and even here it has tended to create an atmosphere of confusion among the religious orientation of those concerned. My argument is that, even though official pronouncements, catechesis and other pastoral strategies have definitely impinged on the popular praxis of the Christian faith, inculturation on this level has been deeper and spiritually more meaningful.
Magoti, Evaristi, W. F. "An African Theology of Death: The Plenitude of Human Life." Africa Theological Journal 20:3 (1991): 176-88.	A complete theology of death would require and exploration of four major questions: life, dying, death itself, and life after death. This essay confines itself to the first issue by dealing with the plenitude of life as a foundation to understanding the African concept of death.
Maimela, S. S. "Images of Liberation in Black and Feminist Theologies of Liberation." Theologia Evangelica 24:2 (1991): 40-47.	Despite differences of detail, both black and feminist theologies share the conviction that traditional theology has not adequately expressed all of human experience of God. Both theologies reject the traditional theology's portrayal of an authoritarian God, who, as the Supreme Ruler of the universe, establishes racial, class or sexist domination in every society. Instead both theologies try to construct a picture of a humane God who heard the cries of the little ones, and is willing to assume the role of being an advocate for the oppressed and defenseless sections of society.
Maimela, Simon S. "Black Theology and the Quest for a God of Liberation." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 82 (March 1993): 54-66.	Black theology, as part of the world-wide theological movement known as liberation theology, is directed against major social evils of our time and claims to offer a new way of doing theology that contributes to the overcoming of human oppression. It differs from other theologies by its conscious decision to take a stand for black humanity against white domination and oppression. Concludes: . . . in the struggle for liberation, the one and only truth which matters will be the one which proves itself effective, namely, liberating the black people from oppression, thus leading them to realize their fuller humanity--whether or not that truth is allegedly also found "revealed" in the Bible. By insisting that the divine truth consists in nothing other than an effective action which transforms our unjust world and untruthful human relationships (sin in the traditional language), black theology will consciously opt for pragmatic or moral criteria for evaluating truth-claims of all theologies, thus making it clear that the only God they are prepared and can afford to worship is the God who will truly further black liberation and the creation of a just and more humane world.
Maimela, Simon S. "Justification by Faith and Its Continuing Relevance for South Africa." In Theology and the Black Experience: The Lutheran Heritage Interpreted by African and African-American Theologians, ed. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, 35-41. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.	To be credible witnesses to God's unconditional acceptance of sinners, we Christians must first believe it, experience the joy of its liberating reality, and then put it into practice among ourselves and with others. Should we do this out of grateful obedience to God for granting us such grace in Christ, then Luther's doctrine of justification by faith alone may be relevant both to our present situation in South Africa and be the key to problems in human relationships elsewhere. That was God's will when he disclosed its liberating message to Martin Luther.
Maimela, Simon S. "The Twofold Kingdom--An African Perspective." In Theology and the Black Experience: The Lutheran Heritage Interpreted by African and African-American Theologians, ed. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, 97-109. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.	In the conflict with the state, the church has and must project its power, the power of truth set forth in the Word of God. It is that truth and Christ's promise to be with his church which gives the church the courage and authority to confront the state, rebuke it for political abuses, and relativize its attempts to deify itself. In carrying out its God-given task, the church is forced to expose the state's tendency toward presumptuousness. The church plays a critical role in delineating and distinguishing between temporal and ultimate authority, political truth and eternal truth, secular expediency and everlasting justice. The teaching of the twofold governance and its statement by the church will make clear that God is active in both realms, so that we may avoid confusing God's work in political activity and God's activity in salvation. Armed with God's Word and truth, the church has, I believe, all the power it needs to teach, guide, and help humanity shape God's world into one in which justice is at last the possession of all human beings.
Maimele, Simon S. "Black Theology and the Quest for a God of Liberation." In Theology at the End of Modernity: Essays in Honor of Gordon Kaufman, ed. Sheila Greeve Davaney, Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991.	Black theology, as part of the worldwide theological movement known as liberation theology, is directed against major social evils of our time and claims to offer a new way of doing theology that contributes to the overcoming of human oppression. It differs from other theologies by its conscious decision to take a stand for black humanity over against white domination and oppression. This consciously accepted partisanship means that black theology attempts in particular to be a critical reflection on the historical praxis in which powerful white Christians dominate and oppress powerless black Christians. Black theology further represents an articulated form of black resistance to white power structures in general. It hopes thereby to inspire and arm oppressed blacks in their struggle for the liberating transformation of unjust racist social structures in which they live.
Maluleke, Tinyiko Sam. "Black and African Theologies in the New World Order: A Time to Drink from Our Own Wells." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 96 (November 1996): 3-19.	In this article I probe the unfolding possibilities of Black and African theologies against the foreground of the post cold war era by drawing heavily on the thoughts of African theologians. To my mind, enough has been done already to lay a firm foundation upon which African theologies can build well into the twenty first century. The twenty-first century challenges us to push the boundaries of Black and African theologies by isolating the crucial issues, mapping out the challenges and identifying past and current traps. First I shall sample the proposals of two of the most innovative African theological thinkers of our times, Lamin Sanneh and Kwame Bediako. Secondly I will critically evaluate the thoughts of Sanneh, Bediako and other African theologians whose thinking is close to theirs, all theologians whose views--like those of Sanneh and Bediako, cannot be ignored in the construction of post cold war African theologies. Finally I will make a few concluding proposals and projections.
Maluleke, Tinyiko Sam. "Half a Century of African Christian Theologies: Elements of the Emerging Agenda for the Twenty-First Century." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 99 (November 1997): 4-23.	The topic of this essay is an ambitious one; I cannot and do not mean to satisfy it. Proceeding topically rather than chronologically, I wish to highlight certain themes and sub-themes with which African theology has been occupied in the twentieth century. From these, I hope to sketch an outline of the emerging face of African Christian theologies in the next century.
Maluleke, Tinyiko Sam. "In Search of 'The True Character of African Christian Identity': A Review Article of the Theology of Kwame Bediako. Missionalia 25:2 (August 1997): 210-19.	To the extent that African theology's attempt at rehabilitating Africa's rich cultural heritage and religious consciousness has been made as a self-consciously Christian theological effort, it can be said to have been an endeavor to demonstrate the true character of African Christian identity (Bediako 1992a:3). Three books plus numerous articles are gradually establishing Kwame Bediako as one of the most important voices in contemporary African Christian theology. Because of his high level of scholarship on African Christian theology as well as his bold projections regarding future challenges, those interested in African Christian Theology cannot afford to ignore Bediako's voice. Although Bediako has become a prolific writer, the basic ideas in the majority of his minor works are either anticipated or expressed in his major works (cf. 1990 and especially 1992a & 1995a). For this reason, this review article draws heavily on his two latest volumes (1992a, 1995a), without much fear of leaving out important threads in Bediako's thought.
Masothoane, Ephraim. "Toward a Theology for South Africa." Missionalia 9:3 (November 1981): 98-106.	Argues that Black (liberation) Theology is a necessary starting point for theology in South Africa, but if it becomes the only vision present then theology can degenerate into ideology. Concludes: We as Church have a frighteningly crucial role to play in choosing life or death for South Africa. I suggest that choice of life as opposed to death means that theologically we as Church ought to start from what we are in this society. Ecclesiology, especially koinonia, I suggest, is the starting point for a theology for today's South Africa which will also be a theology for tomorrow's South Africa.
Mbiti, John. "A Change of the African Concept of Man through Christian Influence." In For the Sake of the Gospel, ed. Gnana Robinson, 54-63. Madurai, India: T. T. S. Publications, 1980.	The African concept of man is complex. It has many dimensions to it, depending on what one is looking for. We shall consider some of these aspects from, first, the traditional African world view (from African Traditional Religions) and, then, from the perspective of Christian teaching.
Mbiti, John. "'Cattle are Born With Ears, Their Horns Grow Later' Towards an Appreciation of African Oral Theology." Africa Theological Journal 8:1 (1979): 15-25.	There is an unnecessary fuss being made in Church and academic circles, both in Africa and outside, about African theology. The blind, the advisors, the cynics and the skeptics are saying: "What is African theology? We cannot find books about it in our libraries. It does not seem to exist! You (we) Africans must produce (y)our own theology." To these and many people I would simply say that they are looking for horns on a young calf. They should look for ears, and they will find them; they should wait and the horns will grow later.
Mbiti, John. "On the Article of John W. Kinney: A Comment." Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research 3:2 (April 1979): 68.	Response to Kinney's article dealing with Mbiti's theologizing. Mbiti adds two sources for theology in Africa to those Kinney noted (African culture and history), and clarifies two issues (general and special revelation and in what sense Jesus is the norm and not the limit in discourse).
Mbiti, John S. "African Theology." Worldview 16 (1973): 33-39.	There is clearly a wide spectrum of popular expectations about African theology. But a lot of them seem to be very shallow, and founded on wrong or naive assumptions. That, for example, someone wants to hear all about African theology in a matter of three minutes is ludicrous. That some editors want to get African theology covered in a single article is also pathetic. Similarly, those who imagine that African theology will bring paradise to earth are very unrealistic, and those who get nervous over the use of the term should calm down and spare their energies for a more noble cause. I will examine critically some of the expectations that both foreign missionaries and Africans have expressed concerning African theology. Having exposed these, I will venture a few repairs in the way of possible perceptions that may come with African theology as it takes shape.
Mbiti, John. "The Biblical Basis for Present Trends in African Theology." Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research 4:3 (July 1980): 119-24.	Examines a number of areas in which the Bible is the basis for written theological reflection in Africa. Concludes is plays a crucial role, as African Christianity has the Bible at its forefront, and the Bible is shaping much of its development both explicitly and implicitly. Same as ATJ (7:1 (1978): 72-85) and BAT (1:1 (Jan.-June 1979): 9-22) versions of the article.
Mbiti, John. "The Biblical Basis in Present Trends of African Theology." Africa Theological Journal 7:1 (1978): 72-85.	Examines a number of areas in which the Bible is the basis for written theological reflection in Africa. Concludes is plays a crucial role, as African Christianity has the Bible at its forefront, and the Bible is shaping much of its development both explicitly and implicitly. Same as OBMR (4:3 (1980): 119-24) and BAT (1:1 (Jan.-June 1979): 9-22) versions of the article.
Mbiti, John. "The Gospel in the African Cultural Context." In Toward Theology in an Australian Context, ed. Victor C. Hayes, 18-26. Bedford Park, S. Australia: Australian Association for the Study of Religions, 1979.	In its own way, culture can be "all powerful" over the individual and his community. The Gospel is also "all powerful", at least ultimately. For many Christians in the world it is easy to say that they are first and foremost "African", "European", "Japanese", or whatever else their culture and society have made them. But the New Testament order is: First Christian, and then African. We have no choice other than to be first Christian, and then whatever else our culture and society make us, cost what it may. The trouble comes when we reverse this Gospel order of priorities. However great and sublime our various cultures might be, they have their limitations. Culture cannot take us to the promised land of Faith in Christ. There are other values and heights beyond those of culture. The Christian is a cultural pilgrim and not a permanent settler, moving with his cultural baggage towards that eschatological goal of the Gospel. At best culture brings us to the Gospel; then the Gospel takes over and carries us to the eschaton promised to all mankind and all creation in Christ Jesus our Lord.
McCarthy, Caritas. "Christology from a Contemporary African Perspective." In Pluralism and Oppression: Theology in World Perspective. ed. Paul F. Knitter, 29-48. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1991.	This essay will survey the writings of African Christian theologians of the last two decades who have focused on the central mystery of Jesus Christ; it will trace their search for Christological resonances in traditional African themes, their proposals of models for expressing the mystery of Christ which arise out of African life and culture. Like all theological models used throughout Christian tradition, they only approximate the reality they are expressing, but they do so in a way that approximates African reality as it is lived, and they open up new images to the world church. This paper relies heavily not only on specialized studies, but also on recent surveys of African Christology, especially that of Raymond Moloney and of the volume Chemins de la christologie africaine. The contribution I bring to this study is my use of and reflection on current Christological studies during a recent experience in Nigeria of teaching Christology to African seminarians and young African sisters, and of sharing community life with the latter. These experiences, as well as the directing of retreats and workshops in which the mystery of Christ was central, enable me to affirm personally the richness of African traditional religious values which contemporary Africans bring to their experience of the mystery of Christ. These experiences also enable me to affirm the validity of models proposed by the authors used for this study.
Mgojo, Elliot K. M. "Prolegomenon to the Study of Black Theology." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 21 (December 1977): 25-32.	Discusses theology, systematic theology, and the importance of historical perspective; notes that black theology has its locus in the ideal of freedom. Then explores black theology in the South African context: reasons for it, sources, and methodology. Calls for the revelation of God as the ultimate test of truth, in contrast to Cone who calls for black experience of oppression to serve in that role.
Mkhatshwa, Smangaliso. "Inculturation: Abide by the Otherness of Africa and Africans." In Inculturation: Abide by the Otherness of Africa and the Africans: Papers from a Congress (October 21-22, 1993, Heerlen, the Netherlands) at the Occasion of 100 Years SMA Presence in the Netherlands, ed. Peter Turkson and Frans Jozef Servaas Wijsen, 19-29. Kampden, the Netherlands: J.H. Kok, 1994.	Reflections on inculturation in Africa, discussing the meaning and extent of inculturation as well as issues of liberation in relation to inculturation.
Mkhatshwa, Smangaliso. "The Role of Contextual Theology in a Changing South Africa." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 72 (September 1990): 3-8.	Inaugural Address of the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Institutions given on March 14, 1990 at St. Joseph's, Cedara. The Cluster comprises the Department of Theological Studies at the University of Natal, Federal Theological Seminary, and St. Joseph's Scholasticate. Opening: "For Contextual Theology to be a meaningful exercise, we need to be sensitively aware of what goes on in our society. There are many developments presently shaping or crippling the future of South Africa. I shall confine myself to a few significant developments, selected at random and because of their impact on our lives."
Mogoba, Mmutlanyane Stanley. "Christianity in a Southern African Context." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 52 (September 1985): 5-16.	Explores issues in developing contextualized theology, from the vocabulary used (indigenization, adaptation, etc.) to the agendas African culture brings to theology (joy and celebration, community life, relationships, memorializing the ancestors, liminality) and the shortcomings of African theology.
Molyneux, Gordon. "The Contribution to African Theology of the Faculte de Theologie Catholique in Kinshasa, Zaire." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 11:2 (1992): 58-89.	Though best known for their role in the post-independence debates over African theology in the 1960's, the Faculte de Theologie Catholique de Kinshasa (FTCK) has enjoyed an unbroken influence on the shaping of Christian theological discussion in Africa. Largely through its outstanding faculty its theological journals, its conferences and publishing projects, the FTCK continues to be a center of critical and creative thinking about Christianity in the African context.
Moore, Basil. "Black Theology Revisited." Voices (1996): 7-45.	My research methodology was basically to sit down with people involved in the Black Theology Movement, either as active proponents in it or as critical friends, and to record an unstructured interview. In these interviews I usually pursued four major themes: 1. How do people in South Africa currently understand what Black Theology is? 2. What is the current situation with Black Theology as a movement? 3. What happened to move Black Theology from where it was in 1972 to where it is in 1992? 4. Does Black Theology have a future? If so, what must its agenda be? I have used these four basic questions to structure this study. I did not pursue questions about the current issues being addressed by Black Theologians, as these were already available to me through published materials. I wanted to use this research opportunity to find out what was not available to me in the literature.
Morny, Mabel S. "Christ Restores Life." In Talitha, Qumi!: Proceedings of the Convocation of African Women Theologians, Trinity College, Legon-Accra, September 24-October 2, 1989, ed. by Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Rachel Angogo Kanyoro, 149-54. Ibadan: Daystar Press, 1990.	This paper attempts to develop an understanding of Christ as the liberator of all people, the light of the African woman within the African situation and finally, the cultural, social, religious, economic and political importance of Christ's liberation work in Africa.
Mosha, Raymond S. "The Trinity in the African Context." Africa Theological Journal 9:1 (1980): 40-47.	Fortunately therefore, and rightly so, it is not the purpose of this article to draw up a new theology of the Trinity in the African context, but rather to attempt to find out some ways and means for deepening our faith in God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - in a way that is relevant to our Africanness and our religious background. Prior to this kind of contextualization, it strikes me as fitting to give a short history and background of the formulation of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
Mosothoane, Ephraim. "John William Colenso: Pioneer in the Quest for an Authentic African Christianity." Scottish Journal of Theology 44:2 (1991): 215-236.	There are, for purposes of this paper, two remarkable facts about Christianity on the African Continent. The first is its antiquity, and the the second, particularly when viewed in the light of its antiquity, is its non-Africanness. This is, of course, a specific manifestation of the wider phenomenon of Christianity's reluctance, in some instances refusal or inability, to incarnate itself into new cultural forms. This was seen especially in Africa in the assumption by most of the missionaries that the African church could not be anything but Western in form and character. Now, to the assumption that Christianity in Africa can and may only be Western in form and character, the nineteenth century missionary movement produced one notable exception. That notable exception, who is the subject of this paper, was John William Colenso, the first Anglican missionary Bishop in Natal.
Moyo, Ambrose M. "A Time for an African Lutheran Theology." In Theology and the Black Experience: The Lutheran Heritage Interpreted by African and African-American Theologians, ed. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, 76-96. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.	The preaching of Christ in Africa is certainly producing converts, but many, of these live in two worlds, namely, the traditional world whose spirituality continues to be meaningful and attractive, particularly during the critical moments in life, and the Christian world in its alliance with modernization and Westernization, which thus offers opportunities for material prosperity. At the same time, we are losing many Christians because of our failure to respond concretely to issues relating to marriage, ancestor veneration, liberation, sickness, and the like. The dialog with our African American brothers and sisters is bound to be of mutual benefit, since as black people we have basic, common experiences even if our contexts are different.
Moyo, Ambrose, Mavingire. "The Quest for African Christian Theology and the Problem of the Relationship between Faith and Culture--The Hermeneutical Perspective." Africa Theological Journal 12:2 (1983): 95-108.	An attempt to reopen the debate on African Theology with the hope of expelling some of the fears expressed towards African theology.
Mpumlwana, M. Malusi. "The Road to Democracy: The Role of Contextual Theology." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 85 (December 1993): 5-18.	Address given at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Institute of Contextual Theology (ICT). Job in paper is to set the tone for a reflection on the theory, method and the theology of doing theology in the present South African context. Concludes: We may summarize the role of contextual theology in the emerging context in three points: 1) To help the South African society to a consciousness of the vulnerability and the cost of democracy; 2) To develop the critical questions, and, through its praxis, challenge South Africans to a paradigm shift where democratic responsibilities engage our energies in relation to the state; 3) To become ever more vigilant on behalf of the marginalized of society, and to be ready to challenge the organs of state and business, as well as the church, to secure justice for all.
Muli, Alfred. "The Modern Quest for an African Theology Revised in Light of Romans 1:18-25." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 16:1(1997): 31-50; 137-47.	The modern quest for African Theology among non-evangelicals demonstrates a major theological pitfall. The issue is that there is a defective view of the moral condition of fallen mankind. . . . The main focus of this article is to deal with this theological pitfall. This article proposes that proper understanding of the biblical teaching of the moral condition of fallen mankind is a fundamental presupposition for the formation of a Christian theology relevant to the African situation. This article will undertake to examine Paul's teaching on the moral condition of fallen mankind by an exegesis of Romans 1:18-25. Part 2 (pp. 137-47) draws implications for the modern quest for an African Theology. A proposal of a methodology toward an African Theology is included at the end.
Musasiwa, Roy B. "The Finality of Jesus in Africa." Evangelical Review of Theology 17:1 (January 1993): 65-69.	Concludes that the existence of widespread syncretism in Africa reflects more poorly on how the gospel has been or is being ministered than on the people who are practicing syncretism. Jesus is indeed final. But we must minister in a way that makes our converts understand, appreciate and embrace his finality for their lives.
Mushete, Alphonse Ngindu. "The Figure of Jesus in African Theology." In Christian Identity, ed. Christian Duquoc, Casiano Floristán Samanes, and James Aitken Gardiner, 73-79. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1988.	Theology means questioning and thereby theology is universal. When questioning becomes question theology must turn contextual. Then it adopts a world view, the result of a group's encounters with its environment, which ordains common modes of reaction and action, of thinking and speaking, and of feeling and being. The contemporary term for all this is 'anthropology'. In this article I shall try to show that in Africa a Christology responsive to African history and culture is not only coming into being but developing. Four main topics are covered: 1. The vitality of African cultures and religions; 2. continuing domination; 3. the anthropological bases of African Christology; 4. Christological language.
Mushete, Alphonse Ngindu. "The Notion of Truth in African Theology." In Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, ed. Johann-Baptist Metz and Edward Schillebeeckx, 53-63. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1987.	African theology has been marked by three characteristics since 1970. It firmly maintains the link between religion and culture; it is very sensitive to the problems of the world and development; it is ecumenical and open to relations with different religions in the world.
Musopole, Augustine C. "Evangelicalism and African Christian Theology." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 14:1 (1995): 14-24.	Article length review of Gehman's book Doing African Christian Theology: An Evangelical Perspective.
Muthengi, Julius K. "Polygamy and the Church in Africa: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Perspectives." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 14:2 (1995): 55-78.	The issue of polygamy has staged heated debates as it is evidenced by the number of articles and books written on the subject. While polygamy has been practiced by many societies in the world, it has strongly affected sub-Sahara Africa. The issue in question has ethical, theological, pastoral, sociological and missiological ramifications. The aim of this paper is to analyze the issue in the light of the above mentioned perspectives and to offer some practical suggestions.
Muthengi, Julius. "The Art of Divination." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 12:2 (1993): 90-104.	The art of divination has its roots in the Ancient near East. Because this area of the world was also the world in which the Bible was written, much is said in the Scriptures about divination witchcraft. Prohibitions against such practices are found throughout the Old Testament. The author asserts that "The Church cannot ignore the issue because it is as alive today as it was in ancient times."
Muzorewa, Gwinyai. "A Definition of a Future African Theology." Africa Theological Journal 19:2 (1990): 168-79.	Three elements which should constitute African theology: 1) a new definition of African theology; 2) an African hermeneutical principle of the Gospel and 3) an authentic African Christian expression and contextualization of the faith with a consequent commitment.
Muzorewa, Gwinyai. "'Christ as Our Ancestor: Christology from an African Perspective' by Charles Nyamiti: A Review Essay." Africa Theological Journal 17:3 (1988): 255-64.	Because of, the importance of the subject of Christology for the Church in Africa today, where Christian Church membership is growing like wildlife, it deserves one more review in order to bring the subject into theological and dialogical focus, to which I now invite the reader. Let us devote our time to a discussion on Charles Nyamiti's quest for a Christology.
Nasimiyu-Wasike, Anne. "Polygamy: A Feminist Critique." In The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition, and the Church in Africa, ed. Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Musimbi R. A. Kanyoro, 101-18. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1992.	Nasimiyu describe sthe practice of polygamy in Africa and argues that men perpetuate polygamy for their own sexual, patriarchal, and material needs. Claims that polygamy is a form of oppression against women and that the church should stand in solidarity with women to reject this form of oppression.
Naude, Piet. "Theology with a New Voice? The Case for an Oral Theology in the South African Context." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 94 (March 1996): 18-31.	The aim of this exploratory paper is to highlight the possibilities of studies in orality for (systematic) theology. The paper is developed in two broad sections: Section one gives a brief outline of the development of the so-called Oral Theory on the basis of which the case for an "oral theology" is defended. Section two is an attempt to explain why the development of oral theologies in South Africa with literally thousands of oral Christian communities has been delayed up to now.
Nelson, F. Burton. "New Frontiers in African Theology." Evangelical Review of Theology 14:3 (July 1990): 209-224.	This commentary constitutes a 'map' of sorts, delineating theological developments in Africa in recent years. The first section relates to South Africa, the second to the rest of the continent. By its very nature, this paper cannot be comprehensive. It can, however, offer descriptive glimpses of the theological ferment now prevalent throughout Africa. The third section cites a number of challenges and implications for Western Christians.
Ngewa, Samuel. "The Validity of Meaning and African Christian Theology." East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 6:1 (1987): 17-23.	Explores the concept of "meaning" and its location (speaker, reader, or the text) and the relevance of the question for the African context. This presents a difficult challenge of gaps (e.g., the authors lives thousands of years ago, their culture and languages were different from ours, etc.) The existence of these gaps calls for study of history of Bible times, the cultures of the Bible people, the original languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic), and the general thinking of not only the Bible people but also their surrounding neighbors. Viewed from the African perspective, such a realization is an overwhelming challenge both to the individual student of the Bible and the African Christian church, yet it must be done if Africa's authentic theology will remain true to the meaning of the Biblical text.
Njoya, Timothy M. "Conversion, Incarnation, and Creation: The New Context in African Theology." In Revolution of Spirit: Ecumenical Theology in Global Context: Essays in Honor of Richard Shaull, ed. Nantawan Boonprasat-Lewis, 171-86. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1998.	We began by saying that our God is an accountable God who pays the penalty, suffers, and dies for the sins for the things God has created. To be like God is to be accountable for one's being, deeds, and possessions. Loss of pain is to leprosy what loss of accountability is to sin. Conversion restores our ability to feel accountable. Conversion responds to God's accountability. The holy God suffers and dies with the inhuman and the dehumanized so that they can recover their likeness with God. Christ is God's incarnate power which transforms the inhuman to human, dehumanized to dignity, imperfection into perfection, impunity to accountability. The entry of Christ in evil transactions transforms them into their opposite, makes them creative. This new theological understanding is crucial for the continuity of generative creation in the third and subsequent millennia. It differs from existing mechanistic theologies because they excuse God, and by extension, the Church, from accountability to the consequences of exploitation and injustice.
Nkwoka, A. O. "Jesus as Eldest Brother, (Okpara): An Igbo Paradigm for Christology in African Context." Asia Journal of Theology 5:1 (1991): 87-103.	This study is centered on the place of Okpara (God in the Igbo Bible) in Igbo life and culture and the Christological significance of the term to Igbo Christians.
Nolan, Albert. "Doing Theology in the South African Context." In Trends in Mission: Toward the Third Millennium: Essays in Celebration of Twenty-five Years of SEDOS, ed. William Jenkinson and Helene O'Sullivan, 235-238. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991.	Describes the work of the Institute of Contextual Theology in Johannesburg. The ICT was founded in 1980 to develop a truly South African theology, a theology not imported either from Europe or the USA or Latin America, a theology which starts from our situation of oppression and conflict. The Institute is independent of any particular church tradition, yet it is Christian. This gives us the freedom to explore whatever we want and in whatever direction we want. It is this freedom which made The Kairos Document possible. The ICT was created to allow people to say what they really believe. The ICT is not a teaching institute. It is an office with an office staff. Its members go out to people and groups of all kinds-theologians, priests and ministers, youth, women, trade unionists, development workers, and others, helping them to do their own theology. We do not come forward with a theology based on a set of doctrines which we then teach with a precise methodology. The kind of theology that emerges is of various kinds: black theology, feminist theology, youth theology, a workers' theology made by the workers themselves, a theology of ministering in crisis situations, a prophetic theology, the kairos theology.
Nolan, Albert. "Kairos Theology." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 212-18. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.	Kairos theology is the name we give to the type of theology which was first committed to writing in a well-known document signed by more than 150 church persons and published in South Africa on 25 September 1985. It was entitled The Kairos Document: Challenge to the Churches. A Theological Comment on the Political Crisis in South Africa. Very seldom, if ever, in the history of South Africa had a theological statement made such an impact upon the country--its churches, its politicians and its people. Never before had so many people in South Africa been caught up in a theological controversy, for the document was thought of as indeed very controversial. Nor was the impact of the Kairos Document limited to South Africa. It was read and discussed in many parts of the world and gave rise to Kairos groups in several countries, as well as other Kairos documents (for example, in Central America) and a seven-nation document known as The Road to Damascus: Kairos and Conversion. Our study of Kairos theology in this chapter will be based almost exclusively upon the original South African document of September 1985.
Nthamburi, Zablon. "Making the Gospel Relevant within the African Context and Culture." The African Ecclesial Review (AFER) 25:3 (June 1983): 162-71.	In an attempt to liberate the gospel (good news) from a certain cultural and historical impotence, the stress in relation to mission and evangelism has shifted from indigenization to contextualization. Contextualization is a new concept which has been introduced in missionary circles to refer to all that was meant by indigenization. It is an all-embracing term which is non-discriminatory. It includes all aspects of mission and of the evangelization process, with a dynamism which is open to change and which is future-oriented. Before we consider the efforts of the African Church towards contextualization of the gospel, we need first to establish the goals and objectives of such endeavours.
Nyamiti, Charles. "Contemporary Liberation Theologies in the Light of the African Traditional Conception of Evil." Studia Missionalia 45 (1996): 237-265.	Liberation theology is one of the most discussed theological trends today. In spite of some positive contributions that this type of theology has made, various criticisms are frequently made in its regard. Some of the most important of these criticisms include its borrowing of Marxist concepts in an insufficiently critical manner, its inherent tendency to reduce the Christian faith to politics, its one-sided focus on the societal aspect of the Gospel message and the virtual exclusion or neglect of its individual dimension. The aim of this essay is to provide some suggestions that might be useful for ameliorating this form of theology--not in all the areas in which it is said to be defective, but chiefly in its narrowness of scope and way of approach, which leads to the impoverishment of the Christian message and to the neglect of some of the burning contemporary issues, particularly in the Third World. For this purpose, the subject of African understanding of evil has been chosen as a point of departure; namely: I am going first to expose the African conception of evil, and attempt afterwards to illustrate how this conception could be utilised to broaden the scope of liberation theology especially in the African continent.
Obaje, Yusufu Ameh. "Theocentric Christology as a Basis for a More Relevant Doctrine of Christ for the African Christian." Ogbomoso Journal of Theology 5 (December 1990: 1-7.	There is an ongoing search for more meaningful and more redemptive ways of confessing Christ in Africa today. This essay is an attempt to contribute to the ongoing quest for more relevant African Christian Christologies. It will be developed in the following order: First, there is a review of the present Christological situation of the African convert. This review will put the paper In a better position to outline, in its second area, the need for more relevant African Christian Christologies. The third section of the presentation is devoted to the development of the nature of theocentric Christology. This is followed, in the fourth place, by an attempt to point out some of the implications of. theocentric Christology for the African convert.
Obijole, Olubayo. "South African Liberation Theologies of Boesak and Tutu: A Critical Evaluation." Africa Theological Journal 16 (1987): 201-215.	Among the most formidable antagonists of the South African apartheid system are Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Reverend Allan Boesak. Both of them are men of God as well as theologians. They have widely published their views. They have in a very great way helped to bring before the attention of the world the evils of that system and have given their struggle against it a theological slant. In this paper, I shall examine and assess their liberation theologies and show how far they are adequate with respect to the achievement of their objectives, namely a South Africa that will be free of racism, oppression and exploitation. I shall go about this by looking at their foundations or ideological substructures since these chiefly determine in an a priori manner, their struggle, adequacy and success.
Oduyoye, Mercy Amba. "Christian Feminism and African Culture: The 'Hearth' of the Matter." In The Future of Liberation Theology: Essays in Honor of Gustavo Gutierrez, ed. Marc H. Ellis and Otto Maduro, 441-49. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1989.	There is a "Nairobi 85" poster that reads "appropriate technology: if it is not appropriate for women, it is not appropriate." My contention is that any element in African culture that is not liberating for women will not liberate all the energy required for Africa's well-being. Whatever is deemed appropriate for Africa must first pass the test of being appropriate for the daughters of Africa. In a theological circle, the complexities of the issue of "Christ and culture" is evident, so this essay presents another perspective on a difficult problem. For an African woman who names herself a Christian and a student of the Christian religion, Christ and culture comprises more than an academic study. It is a crucial issue of life if life is to be lived with any degree of integrity, wholeness, and wholesomeness.
Oduyoye, Mercy Amba. "Doing Theology from Beyond the Sahara." In Confronting Life: Theology Out of the Context, ed. Martin P. Joseph, 159-172. Delhi: ISPCK, 1995.
Oguogho, J. M. "South African Liberation Theologies Versus Racism and the Apartheid System." AFER 31 (1989): 168-182.	In the struggle against racism and apartheid in South Africa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Rev. Allan Boesak have become the leading prophetic proponents. They deserve credit and support for their efforts. Their mission is based upon certain perspectives of liberation theology. In this paper I shall examine and assess their liberation theologies, with a view to determining how appropriate their leadership is in the struggle for eliminating racism and apartheid, as well as for establishing a just society in South Africa. The first part of this paper will deal with the biblical model of liberation theology, adopted by Tutu and Boesak. The second part will concern itself with Boesak's liberation theology against apartheid in South Africa. But, first, let us briefly review the historical roots of racism and apartheid in South Africa.
Okolo, Ch. B. "Christ, 'Emmanuel': An African Inquiry." Bulletin of African Theology 2:3 (Jan.-July 1980): 15-22.	What are the possible directions the incarnation of Christianity in Africa might take? This article is an attempt to think about what could and should be done about understanding and applying the meaning of Christianity and Christ in African cultures in order to stimulate further thought on the subject.
Okolo, Chuwudum B. "Liberation Theology and African Church." Bulletin of African Theology 4:7 (Jan.-July 1982): 173-187.	Main burden of the paper is to show that in the task of the battle against colonial Christianity and its underlying immature mentality and against sinful social structures, the church needs the insights and fruitful deliberations of Latin American liberation theologians.
Okoye, James C. "Inculturation and Theology in Africa." Mission Studies 14:1/2 (1997): 64-83.	Defines inculturation from the Catholic perspective, surveys in historical outline the development on inculturation and development of African theology, describes general approaches to theology in the African setting, and explores two major themes in African theology: salvation and Christology,
Okure, Teresa. "Women in the Bible: African Women's Perspective." In Third World Women Doing Theology: Papers from the Intercontinental Women's Conference, Oaxtepec, Mexico, December 1-6, 1986. ed. Virginia Fabella and Dolorita Martinez, 149-59. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, 1987.	The reflection by African women theologians on women in the Bible took place in three different stages: first at the Nigerian National Consultation held in Ibadan (July 26-29, 1985), then at the Continental consultations held in Yaounde, Cameroun (August 4-10) and Port Harcourt, Nigeria (August 18-24) for the French- and English-speaking countries, respectively. This present paper offers a synthesis of these three presentations and the discussions which they inspired; it also embodies 'additional insights by the panelist. In all the discussions, efforts were made to re-read the biblical stories concerning women from African women's perspective. We organize our presentation under the following headings: the constitutive significance of Eve for a study of women in the Bible, the liberative and oppressive elements in the Bible with respect to women, new hermeneutical principles for reading the Bible as a patriarchal book and their pastoral implications.
Omulokoli, Watson. "The Quest for Authentic African Christianity." East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 5:2 (1986): 22-35.	Paralleling the struggles for political freedom, the church in Africa is crying out for self-determination. What approaches have been used, what should be used? This calls for thorough analysis, keeping in mind the broad historical span, ensuring that the theology is comprehensively African, and centered in Jesus Christ.
Orobator, Emmanuel. "Perspectives and Trends in Contemporary African Ecclesiology." Studia Missionalia 45 (1996): 267-82.	My sole aim in this essay into effect a brief survey of some literature in which African ecclesiologists attempt to delineate the content and extent of an African ecclesiology. The title of this essay could very well be "What are they saying about African ecclesiology?" Precisely, it purposes to consider briefly those salient features which are discernible in the various proposals relating to the African conception of the church.
Parratt, John. "African Theology and African Socialism." Africa Theological Journal 17:3 (1988): 247-54.	Explores conceptualizations of "African socialism" in East and West Africa (Kaunda, Nyerere, Banana).
Pato, Luke Lungile. "African Theologies." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 152-61. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.	We examine the development of African theologies and their concerns, with special reference to the South African context. We discuss also the significance of theological reflection and activity, and the use of the Bible, in African theologies developed on the African continent in general and in South Africa in particular. The discussion not only represents a review of theological positions and concerns but also highlights certain serious misconceptions and prospects of African theologies.
Pato, Luke Lungile. "Indigenisation and Liberation: A Challenge to Theology in the Southern African Context." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 99 (November 1997): 40-46.	The contending major theological directions in African theology remain indigenization, which stresses Africa's religious and cultural realities, and liberation, with its emphasis on the political, social, and economic realities of the continent. The recent writings of some liberation-oriented theologians in Africa, notably Jean-Marc Ela and Engelbert Mveng, suggests that the tension between the two has not been resolved. Theology in Africa has yet to develop a meaningful marriage of indigenization and liberation: African theological reality cannot be viewed exclusively in African religious and cultural existence or indeed in political, social, or economic terms. This tension calls for further investigation not only with a view to resolving it but also because "Christianity in (southern) Africa is of global significance, and the directions it takes are of importance to Christians everywhere." This paper provides a brief historical background to the original debate with a view to highlighting the perspective that is emerging. Then it raises some challenges pertaining to the relevance of this debate for theology in the southern African context.
Pertorius, Hennie. "'White' South African Ecclesiology." Missionalia 9:1 (April 1981): 18-32.	It is against the backdrop of the South African White churches being part of the West and its ecclesiastical tradition the theme White ecclesiology can be profitably explored. This must be done in light of the tension between the church as a human social institution and the church as having its origin in God's work through people. In all instances an examination of ecclesiology should never set out to grind any axes. It should rather endeavor to explain a situation and to remind those who belong to the church what this ecclesia is all about, what it should be and continually challenge it to obedience and commitment to its Lord. Thus solidarity with the church is presupposed--a type of solidarity or tempered agitation and holy grief and indignation which the prophets of Israel often exhibited.
Phiri, Isabel Apawo. "Doing Theology in Community: The Case of African Women Theologians in the 1990s." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 99 (November 1997): 68-76.	Although African theology emphasizes the contextualisation of the Christian gospel within African culture, it has neglected African women's issues. Women's experiences of God are assumed to be the same as those of men. This is not the case. As Oduyoye has argued, it is now the responsibility of African women to make it clear that although we live on the same continent, the experiences of women in religion and culture are different from those of men. It is therefore no longer acceptable to claim that when African men are writing African theology, they are speaking on behalf of all Africans. This article introduces and explores issues in African women's theological development, focusing on women who belong to the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (inaugurated in Accra, Ghana in 1989).
Pityana, Barney. "Black Theology." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 173-83. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.	The language of Black Power in South Africa was much more muted than Cone's in the US, given the more oppressive conditions prevailing then. What Black theology in South Africa sought to do was to reflect on and interpret the faith in the light of the black condition. The major concerns and methods of South African Black theology included analysis of the political situation, the denunciation of racism, especially racism in the structures of the church, and a reinterpretation of aspects of Christian doctrine, especially the role of culture, concepts of God and Christology. Black theology saw itself as a movement for the mobilization of black people within and outside the churches. Many blacks were steeped in the conservative and authoritarian traditions of the church; many were too afraid to challenge the teachings of the church in fear of being excluded from the mainstream of the church; others could not risk the consequences of political action through Black theology. The task of Black theology, therefore, continued to be directed at building a mass movement, and yet without alienating the mass of the opinion-formers in the black church and by finding allies among the white radical Christians.
Pobee, John S. "African Theology and Proclamation of the Gospel in Africa Today." In All Africa Lutheran Consultation on Christian Theology and Strategy for Mission, ed. Alison Bares, 165-171. Geneva: Lutheran World Federation Department of Church Cooperation, 1980.
Pobee, John S. "Political Theology in the African Context." Africa Theological Journal 11:2 (1982): 168-75.	Political theology is used to bring theological insights to bear on world problems, here in the African context.
Pobee, John S. "Relationships to Ideologies and Non-Christian Religions." In Theology and the Black Experience: The Lutheran Heritage Interpreted by African and African-American Theologians, ed. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, 133-40. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.	Let us pull together the threads vis-a-vis relationships to ideologies and non-Christian religions. As these ideologies and religions live willy-nilly in one world which God created, Christians have no choice but to be in this one world with them. Such a coexistence is impossible if the church adopts a superior attitude-humility on the part of the church is a must. Second, dialog becomes the style of the church: openness to others and openness about the outcome of such dialog and tolerance, which demands full measure of realism about the particularity of existing religions and critical thinking. This means serious and candid interfaith dialog which takes seriously the people as adherents of their religion and ideology and is willing to be vulnerable. That is the only way forward.
Ross, Kenneth R. "Current Christological Trends in Northern Malawi." Journal of Religion in Africa 27:2 (1997): 160-76.	There is a strong need to have a clearer picture of 'grassroots' Christology, i.e. of how ordinary people understand the identity and meaning of Jesus Christ. The life and worship of the people of God is always an important formative factor in theological reconstruction. It is a necessary source for the theological task required in Africa today. The aim of the project outlined below is to make that source more readily accessible within the Malawian context. We may venture the confidence that, as Charles Nyamiti has written, 'Serious scientific research of (Christology) in African Christian communities would reveal authentically African Christologies from which all could profit in many ways." In order to make a small contribution to such I serious scientific research the present study has focused on popular Christology in northern Malawi. The contemporary experience of the Christian community appears to have attracted little in the way of systematic study. The present Christological inquiry may be regarded as an early foray into a field which, hopefully, will soon be occupied by a formidable regiment of well equipped scholars.
Ross, Kenneth R. "Doing Theology with a New Historiography." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 99 (November 1997): 94-98.	"Two Africas" have recently emerged: the Africa in which the Christian faith has grown explosively, and the Africa of political and economic disasters. These "two Africas" rarely meet. The two stories are told with little attempt at integration. However, whatever approach other critics may take, to the Christian theologian it is intolerable to understand reality in terms of two histories. Taking account of the empirical reality of Christian faith in Africa must be a "One history" enterprise if it is to have theological integrity. It will have to refuse to be confined to the "economy of affection" where Christianity is readily acknowledged to have a place. It will insist on considering the experience of Christian faith only in the total historical context of believers. It will squarely face the scandal that the continent of most spectacular Christian advance in the twentieth century has been the site of the most marked political disintegration and the most dismal economic collapse. It is time for theology in Africa to be earthed in history.
Ross, Kenneth R. "You Did not Dance: Reflections on a Theology of Recreation in the African Context." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 82 (March 1993): 45-53.	The fact that Africans have found the western brand of Christianity to be wanting at the point of embracing all of life and filling the whole day raises far-reaching theological questions. Is it, in fact, theologically correct to conceive of the Christian life in terms of narrowly conceived religious activities and the observation of certain taboos? Is the African instinct not quite sound when it looks to the Gospel for a much broader renewal of human life? Does God's purpose that humanity should reflect the divine image and have dominion over all the earth not call for an expression of faith that extends to every dimension of human experience? Daneel mentions daily work and physical needs. Others have considered illness and healing, communal life, solidarity with the ancestors, problems of witchcraft. Here we are concerned to give some theological attention to the whole of the lighter side of life which we may generally classify as recreation. In seeking to construct the outlines of a theology of recreation we will consider creation, redemption, and the final consummation.
Sales, Richard and Liphoko, Jacob. "Emerging Grassroots Theology in Botswana." International Review of Mission 71:282 (April 1982): 161-71.	Describes the development of the Botswana Theological Training Programme (BTTP), an extension education program, including an unexpected result of God's work among the people of a grassroots African theology. "Certainly what we were and are finding is that when the Gospel meets a person and that person is encouraged to engage the whole of himself or herself with it, something dynamic and new develops. Some insights are crude; others enormously comprehensive; and like a person's faith they grow and change before our eyes. At first we thought we ought to write down what we had found, but the sheer volume of material overwhelmed us. Because Botswana is in a state of rapid social change, and because our students themselves change and develop new insights we realized that to try and draw a line and say, "This is what People's Theology in Botswana is", would be wrong by the time we had written it."
Sankey: Paul J. "The Church as Clan: Critical Reflections on African Ecclesiology." International Review of Mission 83:330 (July 1994): 437-49.	There is a general consensus among African theologians on the need for a genuine incarnation of the gospel on their continent. The gospel must impregnate every aspect of African culture, both at its more visible level institutions such as the family, law and customs--and the deeper levels of values, philosophy and world view. Much has been written on the need for such an African Christian theology, less on its content. It would seem, however, that two of the potentially fruitful areas of encounter between the gospel and African culture are a Christology of Jesus as "Proto-Ancestor," the mediator of divine life to his descendants, and the church viewed as clan, a people drawing life from its common ancestor. This article will treat the second area, considering the positive contribution that the church-as-clan can make to ecclesiology as well as some of its limitations.
Sarpong, Peter K. "Asante Christology." Studia Missionalia 45 (1996): 189-206.	Asante Christology combines in Jesus, in a superlative way, all the qualities of all the good ancestors and, for that matter, human beings, but he is all that in a way that we can simply not imagine. The name Jesus indicates a person with whom human beings may enter into covenant or communion in any place and at any time, one who is supreme, superlatively great, unsurpassable in majesty, excellent in attributes, stable, unchanging, constant, reliable, one who is truthful, all-knowing, one whose goodness is inexhaustible, one who has no enemies--the greatest possible ancestor imaginable.
Sawyerr, Harry. "What is African Theology?" Africa Theological Journal 4 (1971): 6-24.	We would say that, certainly within the last thirty years, with the development of nationalism and the collateral dissemination of the unclear term 'African personality' and its French counterpart negritude, the Church in Africa is faced with a claimant demand for an interpretation of the Christian faith in a sanguine hope that such an interpretation when produced would provide a means of bringing home to Africans, the truths of the Christian Gospel in an idiom related to the African situation. The article probes the issues involved.
Schoffeleers, Matthew. "Black and African Theology in Southern Africa: A Controversy Re-Examined." Journal of Religion in Africa 18:2 (1988): 99-124.	In this paper, we shall be concerned with two theological traditions, African Theology and Black Theology, which are both representative of black interests, but which appear to stand to each other in a kind of uneasy and ambiguous, if not hostile, relationship. We will examine the possible causes of that ambiguity and the way it is interpreted by the theologians concerned. It is hoped that this will give us a better grasp not only of the aims and objectives of these two theologies, but also of their social and historical setting. Since not everyone will know what is meant by African Theology and Black Theology, we will first describe in the briefest possible way what each of them stands for.
Schoffeleers, Matthew. "Folk Christology in Africa: The Dialectics of the Nganga Paradigm." Journal of Religion in Africa 19:2 (1989): 157-83.	The article discusses the question why and how Christ is conceived of as a nganga: what parallels and contrasts do people perceive between one and the other, and in what sense are Christ and the nganga considered to be transformations of each other? To answer that question we shall begin by briefly describing what the nganga role consists of and how it has been interpreted in anthropological literature. Following this, evidence will be provided from different parts of Africa to the effect that not only Christ but also the Christian pastor is frequently regarded as an alternative nganga. To complete our overview we shall also pay explicit attention to the reverse side of this process and show how the nganga role is being Christianized and occasionally even christified. It is hoped that by so doing we shall be able to identify some of the contrasting notions which, together, account for the dialectical character of African folk Christology.
Schoonhoven, E. Jansen. "The Bible in Africa." Exchange 9 (April 1980): 1-48.	Per the title; also explores African realities in light of the Bible (dreams, witchcraft, funerals, ancestors, ATRs, proverbs, freedom and liberation, men and women). Has a final section on evangelicals in Africa.
Setiloane, Gabriel M. "Theological Trends in Africa." Missionalia 8:2 (August 1980): 47-53.	For us in South Africa I see a development in the immediate future which is going to be an analysis of ourselves as to why we feel and react as we do on the issues of evil and the powers of evil in community life. But there will be another ingredient to it all. That I dare to suggest will be our African Personality, our Negritude which we shall call Black Consciousness, which will be adding the dynamism and daring and drive to it all. So I see us moving more and more towards doing African Theology in the next two decades and applying it to our situation. I suspect and pray and hope that as we move in that direction, we might be also used by God to make a contribution which I feel we are the most suitably placed Black people on the continent and in the world to make, viz.: in the area of Christian social ethics from the perspective of African theological understanding and presuppositions.
Setiloane, Gabriel M. "Where Are We in African Theology?" Africa Theological Journal 8:1 (1979): 7-14.	Setiloane has provided a brief historical survey of the birth of African Theology, and how that theology got an international recognition. He sees the legitimacy of African Theology as coming from its unique historical, social, cultural, spiritual, and geographical backgrounds.
Setiloane, Gabriel M. "Where Are We in African Theology?" In All Africa Lutheran Consultation on Christian Theology in the African Context, Gabarone, Botswana, October 5-14, 1978, comp. and ed. Alison Bares, 15-23. Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1979.	Content-wise I believe we have now established the legitimacy of the African claim to a unique and different theological point of view within the Ecumenical Christian Community because of their cultural, geographical, spiritual, social and temperamental background. We have not contributed a little to the modern acceptance in World theological circles to the view that Theology can only be, and is done only, in context. Because Theology is a verbalization of experience of the Divinity at work, difference in environment means different experiences of this One and all-pervasive Divinity at work, and therefore different verbalizations of these experiences. It has now become accepted even by the WCC-Faith and Order that it scandalously blasphemous to attempt to house all the experiences of Divinity at work in the world under one Theological umbrella. Areas African Theology has already made contributions include 1) African myths of the origin of things; 2) human community; and 3) African concept of divinity. The next area needing attention is African Christology.
Spindler, Marc R. "Theological Developments in Madagascar." Exchange 12 (September 1983): 1-43.	Explores and evaluates theological trends in Malagasy theology from an ecumenical perspective.
Sundkler, Bengt. "Towards a Christian Theology in Africa." In Readings in Dynamic Indigeneity, ed. Charles H. Kraft and Tom N. Wisley, 493-515. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1979.	Sundkler suggests specific areas for theological consideration in Africa. He intimates that Africa has a theological contribution to make precisely because of her "Africanness." In fact, it is that "Africanness" that will bring out some of the richness imbedded in Hebrew theological perspectives but lost in the process of translation. Sundkler suggests that theologians in Africa must start with the fundamental facts of the African interpretation of existence and the universe. He admits there is a high risk of heresy and spiritual stagnation. But the opportunities for Africa and the Church at large are tremendous. For this reason he sees the need for a greater emphasis on training and leadership development in the African Church. Perhaps if we apply these ideas carefully a proper mix can be achieved that will point the way toward greater theological indigeneity wherever the gospel of Christ is preached.
Swanepoel, F. A. "Popularising Theology." In The Relevance of Theology for the 1990s, ed. J. Mouton and Bernard C. Lategan, 223-236. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council, 1994.	Swanepoel explores the need for and ways to popularize theology in the South African context. Up till now, this important challenge has not been addressed adequately despite attempts by universities, churches and bible schools. There are a number of problems: distrust between theologians and ministers, churches and universities, problems regarding standards, contents, presentation, marketing and the diversity of possible target groups. A scientifically sound scenario must be set, goals formulated and action plans drawn up. Thorough research regarding the target, groups and their needs; ways of popularizing theology and methods and modes of conveying popularized theology must be undertaken. In order to be successful, popularizing theology must be a team effort based on sound, interdisciplinary research, preferably coordinated by a scientific society. The intention of this paper is not to give a blueprint of these aspects but to put the basic questions on the table which can lead to further investigation, the setting of basic guidelines and finding a departure point for popularizing theology in a cooperative and coordinated way, satisfying both the public demand and theologians' desire.
Tappa, Louise. "The Christ Event from the Perspective of African Women." In Third World Women Doing Theology: Papers from the Intercontinental Women's Conference, Oaxtepec, Mexico, December 1-6, 1986. ed. Virginia Fabella and Dolorita Martinez, 173-77. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, 1987.	What is Christology? The task. of Christology is to work out the full meaning of the reality of the Christ-event for humankind. We have many methods at our disposal for working this out. But it can be said here that the prevailing method within the churches is always the doctrinal approach. We are supposed to adhere to the "articles of faith revealed by God" if we are Catholics, and to take the whole Bible as "Word of God" if we are Protestants. Unfortunately, this often means that Christ is reduced to a sublime abstraction. I would propose another procedure, one that is much simpler, but not less Christological. It simply amounts to contemplating and thinking of Christ in relation to our situation and our praxis. To do that I am going to put more emphasis on the praxis of Jesus himself, even though I will occasionally also refer to his teaching. It seems to me that the fundamental question we must answer is the following: in the socio-political, socio-economic, socio-cultural, and socio-religious context of Third World countries in general and of Africa in particular, what does confessing Christ mean for the African woman? As I emphasize below, it is, a matter of the Christ of history and not the Christ of dogma.
Thomas, Norman E. "Images of Church and Mission in African Independent Churches." Missiology 23:1 (January 1995): 17-29.	African independent/indigenous churches (AICs) are integral to the mainstream of Christianity, rather than an aberration. This article is an analysis of the images of church and mission of AICs of the Pentecostal/prophet-healing type--many of which provide a renewed emphasis on apostolic church images. Six images of the church are described with illustrative cases: the church as Mt. Zion, the church as the place where the Spirit dwells, the church as diverse gifts but one Spirit, the church as a place of power to protect and heal, the church as a disciplined community, and the church as the deliverer from poverty. Four images of mission follow: experiencing the Spirit's power, commissioning all believers for mission, healing, and restoring God's creation.
Tiénou, Tite. "Indigenous African Christian Theologies: The Uphill Road." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 14:2 (April 1990): 73-77.	I propose to examine here the problems and the prospects of developing indigenous African Christian theologies. First, I place African theology in historical perspective by looking at the context of its birth. Second, I focus on the contours of African theology--its nature and contents. Third, I look at the challenge for the future. The question of African theology cannot be separated from the issue of. theological education. No serious discussion of African theology can therefore afford to ignore the contextualization of theological education I consequently deal with the challenge for the future in light of issues related to the contextualization of theological education.
Tiénou, Tite. "Recapturing the Initiative in Theology in Africa." Evangelical Review of Theology 11:1 (January 1987): 152-156.	The primary objective of this paper is to help evangelicals understand the current status of theology in Africa and its implications to fulfilling the Great Commission, and to suggest correctives which are needed. It focuses on the question: How shall we, African evangelicals, recapture the initiative? The title of the present essay suggests that the matter is not yet settled. Consequently, it shall be our purpose to answer the following three questions: How was the initiative lost? What have been the effects? and How can evangelicals recapture it? The exhortation 'the church must become the center of theological instruction and discussion' will find spontaneous echo in any third world situation.
Tiénou, Tite. "The Church and Its Theology." Perception 20 (April 1982): 1-4.	The Church's theological task in Africa today is to develop a functional theology which is faithful to God's revealed Word. Without such theology the Church becomes anemic and may be paralyzed. My purpose in this brief paper is not to pontificate a theology for us but rather to explore some of the obstacles which need to be overcome before we can develop a truly functional Evangelical theology (no! Evangelical theologies) in Africa. Central to the entire theological endeavor is the matter of hermeneutics which will be treated in the second part.
Tiénou, Tite. "The Church in African Theology: Description and Analysis of Hermeneutical Presuppositions." In Biblical Interpretation and the Church: The Problem of Contextualization, ed. D. A. Carson, 151-165. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984.	Since the expression 'African theology' can be all-inclusive and meaningless, it may be of value to begin this study by defining the boundaries of the present investigation. The scope of this paper is limited to theological statements concerning the church in sub-Saharan Africa but not including South Africa. Our scope is further limited by the fact that we are examining here only published documents on the topic of our investigation. In the case of Africa, this is rather unfortunate because much of our theological creativity is in oral form--in songs, sermons, and rituals. This presentation would have been strengthened with studies of some of these non-written theologies. Alas, I did not have the possibility of conducting field research while preparing this paper. Nevertheless, I will be satisfied if this study contributes, in any way, to the understanding of the issues raised.
Tiénou, Tite. "The Theological Task of the Church in Africa: Where Are We Now and Where Should We Be Going?" East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 6:1 (1987): 3-11.	In the Byang Kato Memorial Lectures which I was invited to deliver in 1978 at ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria, I spoke on "The Theological Task of the Church in Africa" (subsequently published under that title by Africa Christian Press in 1982, as the first number in its "Theological Perspectives in Africa" series). I attempted to map out an evangelical theological strategy in Africa. I asked then, "How shall we African evangelicals fulfill our theological responsibilities in Africa?" The title of this present paper implies that the matter is not yet settled. I will first survey the current status of evangelical theological activity in Africa, then review what we have achieved since my earlier lectures, and finally suggest some appropriate directions for the future.
Tienou, Tite. "Themes in African Theology of Mission." In The Good News of the Kingdom: Mission Theology for the Third Millennium, ed. Charles van Engen, Dean S. Gilliland, and Paul Pierson, 239-43. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1993.	The themes of mission theology will rise out of the following four movements. First, African Christians must craft a theology that deals adequately with the need to consolidate and secure the gains of Christian mission. Second, African Christians must be liberated from the complexes associated with African identity so that they can participate fully in the mission of the crucified and risen Lord. Third, in an age of religious crisis and confusion in the continent, African mission theologians must articulate reasons for continued focus on expanding the Christian faith. Fourth, African Christians will need to establish solid theological bases for dealing with the staggering socio-economic and political crises of the continent. The foregoing four movements provide the basis and context of the present reflections on African theology of mission. The themes sketched here are only illustrative of the kind of missiological reflection needed in Africa as we move into the third millennium. It should also be noted that they are not intended to present a coherent African theology of mission. Rather they offer one person's viewpoint on reflection on the good news of the Kingdom in an African setting.
Tiénou, Tite. "Threats and Dangers in the Theological Task in Africa." Evangelical Review of Theology 5:1 (April 1981): 40-47.	It would appear, as Dr. Kato repeatedly warned, that the major problem of Christianity in Africa is a theological one. A Church without a theology, or with a weak understanding of God and His Word, stands on quicksand. And yet African evangelicals, while they perceive the danger, seem so reluctant to engage in real theological work. But there are other dangers and threats to an evangelical theological task. In this article four are discussed: 1) mistrust of theology, 2) sacerdotalism, 3) an ahistorical faith and 4) denominational individualism.
Tiénou, Tite. "Which Way for African Christianity: Westernisation or Indigenous Authenticity?" Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 10:2 (1991): 3-12.	African Christianity is doomed in the long term if it allows itself to be imprisoned either in westernisation or in indigenous cultures and religions. Both of these roads lead to irrelevance. The way forward for African Christianity lies in its ability to provide a thoroughgoing critique both of westernisation and of cultural authenticity, while developing creative solutions to the continent's staggering and multi-faceted problems. We examine the question before us first by looking at the lingering effects of a missiological tradition which equated Europe and the West with Christianity and civilization, and which 'missionised' peoples (especially Africans) with the lack of both. This will then lead us to an evaluation of the claim that in Africa the "ancestral is authentic. Same as EMQ 28:3 (July 1992): 256-63 article.
Tlhagale, Buti. "Towards a Black Theology of Labour." In Resistance and Hope: South African Essays in Honour of Beyers Naude, ed. Charles Villa-Vicencio and John W. De Gruchy, 126-34. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.	Black theology is a direct, aggressive response to a situation where blacks experience alienation at political, economic and cultural levels. The symbolic value of the word 'black' is that it captures the broken existence of black people, summons them collectively to burst the chains of oppression and engage themselves creatively in the construction of a new society. Black theology is aimed at the liberation of the black people and hopefully that of whites as well. Whereas the term 'contextual theology' remains an evasive expression in so far as it accommodates the self-justification of the oppressing group, 'black' in black theology underlines the unique experience of the underdog. Black theology is a radical, purposeful deviation from Western theology. It is suspicious of a Christian tradition that accepts uncritically the economic and political institutions of the day. It resists the 'ossification' of Christian values couched in the idiom of the dominant group. If black theology is to talk meaningfully about Christian symbols, and how they affect the socio-economic conditions of the black people, it will have to grapple with the fundamental contradictions within present society. The starting-point of this paper is the laboring black people.
Tutu, Desmond. "Church and Nation in the Perspective of Black Theology." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 15 (June 1976): 5-11.	Address given explaining the roles of church and nation from the orientation of Black Theology.
Ukpong, Justin S. "The Emergence of African Theologies." Theological Studies 45 (1984): 501-536.	Three major theological currents have emerged in Africa in the last two decades: 1) The oldest of these is African inculturation theology, simply referred to as African theology. Briefly stated, this theology is an attempt to give African expression to the Christian faith within a theological framework.; 2) South African black theology. This takes after the American black theology and aims at relating the gospel message to the social situation of segregation and oppression in which the blacks in South Africa find themselves, and 3) African liberation theology, which, though a late starter, having appeared only about a decade ago, is becoming very popular in most parts of Africa, with three subcurrents: a) one based on the indigenous socioeconomic system, b) one that takes after the Latin American model, and c) a third that involves a combination of elements from both approaches. Though young, these theologies unquestionably excel in terms of output. But in the mass of literature available, one must search long and hard to be able to find a single publication that provides a comprehensive picture of what the African theological grapevine looks like. This essay is an attempt to zero in on the main outlines of these theologies and analyze and evaluate them.
van den Toren, Benno. "Kwame Bediako's Christology in its African Evangelical Context." Exchange 26:3 (September 1997): 218-232.	Describes and appreciates Bediako's appreciation of ATRs and ability to maintain a solid Christocentric stance. Seeks to ask whether this combination is possible.
van Spijker, Gerard. "Man's Relationship with Nature--African Reflection on Creation." Exchange 23:2 (September 1994): 89-148.	Explores what African theology has contributed to the question of humanity's relation to nature, with conclusions drawn as to what kind of theology of creation may be expected (especially from the African context) and what areas are open to further research.
Verstraelen-Gilhuis, G. M. "Church Conflict and Black Theology in South Africa." In Missiology: An Ecumenical Introduction: Texts and Contexts of Global Christianity, ed. A. Camps, L. A. Hoedemaker, M. R. Spindler, and F.J. Verstraelen, 281-305. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.	Following a few historical notes on the development of political and ecclesiastical relationships, this chapter will address "the struggle for a confessing and prophetic church" and the rise and significance of black theology in this context.
Villa-Vicencio, Charles. "Liberation Theology." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 184-96. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.	Survey of Latin American liberation theology from the African context and perspective. Discusses the origin, a description of it as a new way of doing theology, the critical reflection on praxis, and key themes in liberation theology (liberation as integral to salvation, Jesus and liberation, the church and its mission, a spirituality for liberation, and black and feminist critiques).
Wambutda, D. N. "Savannah Theology: A Biblical Reconsideration of the Concept of Salvation in the African Context." Bulletin of African Theology 3:6 (July-Dec. 1981): 137-153.	What does "salvation" mean in the African context?
Wambutda, Daniel N. "Hermeneutics and the Search for Theologia Africana." Africa Theological Journal 9:1 (April 1980): 29-39.	This article attempts to give the minimal procedural exegetical unit within the hermeneutical circle which represents the total ground the exegete of the revealed word must traverse at one stretch; starting from the pericope to the point at which it becomes appropriated or prophetic and so directly relevant to a given sitz im leben: the life situation. The article does this only after it has clarified certain terms and developments and concludes that there is a great need for all those searching for Theologia Africana to take serious cognizance, of this biblical exegetical model herein propounded, and which must serve as a bridle, a curb, a limiting reference point without which we may in fact end up with a version of an African theology or theologies but not necessarily African Christian theology or theologies.
Wendland, Ernst. "'Who Do People Say that I Am?' Contextualizing Christology in Africa." Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 10:2 (1991): 13-32.	All contextualizing procedures are intended to make Christ more 'meaningful' to the present day, especially in matters pertaining to protection, healing, and deliverance from oppression. These latter concerns form the basis for the following survey of various instances of 'over-contextualized' Christology in contemporary African religious thought We will focus upon some particularly important examples of this tendency, namely, a triad of setting-specific, anthropological analogies which portray Christ as 'Ancestor', as 'Witchdoctor', and as 'Liberator' (or 'Freedom Fighter'). The three fall along a gradient ranging from the most traditional and spiritualized (the first) to the most modem and secularized (the third).
White, Paul. "A Positive Theology for Africa." In Facing the New Challenges: The Message of PACLA, December 9-19, 1976, Nairobi, ed. Michael Cassidy and Luc Verlinden, 233-34. Kisumu, Kenya: Evangel Publishing House, 1978.	The African church, while growing rapidly, is in dire need to theological depth. The author advocates the development of a positive theology having 8 characteristics: 1) It will have the conviction that God has revealed himself to all men of whatever nationality or race; 2) It will issue from the solid conviction that God has something to say to Africans; 3) It will recognize that Africans are as capable of grasping revelation as any other people on earth; 4) It will recognize the nature of the body of Christ and will not fall in the trap of false categories of race and nationality; 5) It will not be isolated from the real problems daily life. It will be transmitted in its practical aspects so that the whole church will benefit; 6) It will resist the temptation to be a reactionary theology and will devote itself to the proclamation of the Word of God in the context of Africa today; 7) It will be interested in the spiritual life of the students watching lest they make shipwreck of their faith because of an atmosphere which is too academic; 8) Its mission will be to propagate itself over the whole continent so that the African people will have the possibility of knowing their Creator and Redeemer in a profound way.
Whitelaw, David P. "A Theology of Anguish." Theologia Evangelica 15 (1982): 38-48.	Traditional and liberation theologies confront one another in South Africa, as in other parts of the world. The inability of either to exercise a healthy self-criticism may disqualify it from being a theology of the cross, that is, a theology of anguish, as Lincoln's has been described.
Wijsen, Frans. "'The Gold and the Spirits are Close' Popular Religion and Social Transformation in Sukumaland, Northwest Tanzania." Exchange 24:1 (February 1995): 45-60.	Assumes that the generative capacity of generative thought is one of the driving factors in the changes that have taken place in Tanzania since the change to a free market economy and multiparty political system. This is especially seen in the symbols of popular religions, and a semiotic analysis of such will help in understanding the transformations in society as a whole.
Yakubu, Victor Chendekemen. "Contextual Theology: A Basic Need within the Church in Africa Today." The African Ecclesial Review (AFER) 38:3 (June 1996): 130-47.	Following Freire, the author proposes that the model of mission in Africa was that of invaders imposing their world view on the invaded and the latter following the initiative of the former but thinking that they were acting on their own. He calls for a more vibrant contextual theology that will answer questions relevant to Africans today: What kind of theology would save Africans from the socio-political problems of poverty, sexism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, injustice, coup d'etats, political dictatorship, imprisonment without trial, drought, hunger, incurable diseases, etc., in short, from everything that tends to hinder people's growth into full humanity within the African Cosmology? To do this requires biblical research to discover those scriptural passages that offer hope and liberation to Africans as well as people of every culture. Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:13) is supposed to be responded to by every culture in the world if Christianity is to become meaningful to them. The same question has to be answered when constructing a contextual theology for those cultures that have accepted Christianity. Human societies have different experiences and the Christian message must speak to every culture.

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