Theology in Africa – A reflection

The book deals with Christian theology in Africa, although the writer cannot claim firsthand knowledge of the Church in all its forms in all African countries. Dickson realistically observes that no serious study of Christian theology in Africa can, with any justification, ignore the independent churches and their life and thought. The writer divides this invaluable text into three parts: Theology in Formation, Theological Uncertainty and Experimentation, and Implications for Theological Education. Theological articulation has been done in the West for a long time, and theological education in the Third World has traditionally assumed the sanctity of theological ideas emanating from the West. In the first part, the writer reiterated several facts. Since every Christian theologizes, Dickson argues that the African also theologizes, a view that is contrary to popular thought. He examined the relevance of Christian theology, as traditionally conceived, to the Church in Africa. He discusses the role of Scripture, experience, tradition, and culture. The writer challenges the view that no one should believe that the concept of God is borrowed from African religious belief.

Dickson offers a detailed historical account of Christianity in Africa before and after the colonial period, analyzing the effect of the policies of the Western powers. There is the fact of the colonial past that remains in some respects a present reality. Is evidence of outside influences everywhere? in schools, colleges and universities; in civil service, military, Church, etc. In the second part, Dickson discusses uncertainty and theological experimentation. Christian evangelism, as carried out by European missionaries in the early days of missions in Africa, and also by those African preachers whom the missionaries had trained as their collaborators, tended to assume the destructiveness of religion and culture. african. Missionary preaching, especially in 19th century Africa, reveals not only a lack of appreciation for African life and thought, but also a presentation of the Christian message that sometimes detracts from the fullness of its meaning and meaning. Expressions such as adaptation, indigenization, translation, Africanization, and naturalization (terms often used interchangeably) have been used to describe the nature of the theological task facing the church in Africa. Perhaps the best known of these terms is indigenization, which holds that Western cultural elements should give way to elements of African culture, thus placing the gospel message on a relevant stage. Dickson cautions against imprecise use of the term African theology and explains how it should be interpreted as Christian theology in Africa. He values ​​the contributions of black and liberation theology.

Commenting on the cultural continuity with the Bible, two inescapable guidelines are realistically presented: it is important to know the biblical story as it is; and, the exegete must go to the Bible armed with questions relevant to his circumstances. No matter what the cultural perspective of the Christian, the issue of Christ’s death and its meaning cannot be left out of focus; Christians everywhere, from every cultural background, must react to this core belief. To accomplish this, it is necessary, Dickson argues, to examine the New Testament material on the subject, and then, given the history of the Church in Africa, raise the question of the relevance of the Church’s theological understanding of the cross. in Africa has inherited. He discussed various ways in which African life and thought could be remembered to great advantage, bearing in mind the New Testament teaching on the subject. Dickson recounts the African belief that death binds relationships in society and compares it to Paul’s language about the cross (I Cor. 10:16-18) which clearly outlines this kind of understanding. Dickson finally shows the relationship between theology in Africa and the seminary, the congregation and the community.

REFLECTION

Theology is done in a more significant way in a particular environment: cultural particularity is indispensable because theology is done in the flesh. The search for authenticity or individuality is only in its beginning stages when it comes to the articulation of Christian thought in Africa. Africa has a place in the universal body of Christ since the various languages ​​complement each other in expressing the Lordship of Christ.

One of the most important assumptions under situational reality is that theology is meaningfully done only in context, or with reference to a situation or set of circumstances. A biblical fact that theology must take into account is that if God really cares about all peoples, then there is a theological continuity between the people of Israel and the others. It is necessary to give culture a significant role in Christian theology in Africa. He notes that the environment has special significance for Africa. Of course, there is animism in African religion, as there is in other religions, but this does not make African religion worthy of the description of animism, any more than Christianity does.

The unenlightened nature of the theological position taken by some missionaries in Africa has had some consequences for the Church; in particular, it has resulted in a lack of cohesion in the thought and vision of the Church. In fact, Africans have been theologizing all along, though not formally. Singing and dancing are a very important feature of life in Africa. Independent churches look for ways to satisfy the spiritual longings of their people. The development of these churches cannot be dismissed as a spurious development. It is a truism that the Church in Africa must respond to Christ in such a way that it recognizes the dignity of Africans as God made them and comes to them in Christ. This is indeed a crucial task for the church.