Browsing by Subject "African"

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African And Christian Perspective On Widowhood Rite
(Tangaza University College, 2005) Acquaye, Emmanuel
One of the earliest Christian movements to arrive in Ghana was the Catholic Church, which made its debut in around 1899. The missionary zeal couple with the dedication of the local catechist and clergy enabled the church to make significant inroads into extensive stretches of the country, such that as at now, "Ghanaian Catholic population is 12.18% of the total population which is about 20 million. "1 Against the relative success, in the absence of any deliberate moves to integrate the strong local traditions, the church's teachings remained a largely foreign concept to many. Early missionaries, it would appear, had failed to grasp the significance or import of the local, albeit enriching cultural practices, which they dismissed outright as devilish or as fetish. Rituals pertaining to widowhood are particularly poignant here. A new convert would find it conflicting and difficult to reconcile what one believes compelling in the traditional values and the new Christian teaching. The situation becomes even worse for the hapless widow who faces severe challenges related to the loss of a loved one, material and emotional deprivation and then the conflicts between cultural and spiritual welfare. It therefore remains the onerous duty of the pastors and theologians and religious scholars to revisit the issue, study the matter, and come up with some solution to this burning problem. This research study aims at taking a critical look into the subject, seeking out the meaningful components of the traditional practices and reconciling them with the church's teachings and liturgy. It is anticipated that the findings will contribute in some way to the other efforts that are being made to formulate an acceptable procedure in the rites aimed at giving the widow some solace following the traumatizing loss. The research focuses on the Akan community, made up of several groups that are widely spread throughout Ghana. The afflictions and the indignity that befall the widows among these distinctive groups are similar in many aspects. Some references will, however, be made to relevant issues on the subject emanating from other ethnic groups, in order to elucidate certain points. The study begins with the background of the Akans and their culture, in particular as it pertains to rites for bereaved widows. It goes on to sift through the cultural practices to find out possible applications and integration into the church's liturgy. Finally, a look is made into what the support groups within the civil society, government agencies and the church itself can contribute to ameliorate the plight of the widow.
The African Concept Of Marriage And The Inculturation Process
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Muichavali, Benedict
Culture is a set of meanings and values that organize human life and a world view In the life of each individual and especial!) the faithful. there are particular significant and decisive moments for discerning Gods call and embracing the mission entrusted M Him. Inculturation enables the local church to li e the best of the tradition oi her people in a w a\ that full integrates them within the life and message of Jesus Christ.
African Traditional Healing: A Challenge To Pastoral Care of the Sick in Ghana
(2011) Adu Yaw, Samuel
The Akan community of the Southern Ghana is very traditional in nature. For several years, the lifestyle, thinking pattern, worldview, and cultural practices of the people has not changed much in spite of formal education and western influence. Although a lot has changed over the years as viewed from the periphery, the typical Akan knows that people still maintain their traditions and observe their customs. This research is something we have longed to do over the years. In the culture in which we grew up it was common that some Christians consulted one traditional healer, witch doctor, diviner, etc. during difficult times such as sickness, calamities, etc. It is also out of observation during my pastoral year experience in Ghana in 2008,2009. In our pastoral work, we visited the sick people at their homes, gave them Holy Communion and shared the word of God with them. My observation during that period was that some would visit one traditional healer or the other from time to time. As an African Christian, we would like to research in this area so as to understand this phenomenon to equip me in my future ministiy as a priest.
African Trinitology A Response to Ethnocentrism in Kenya.
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) ODIGWE UCHENNA, FRANCIS
This essay sets out to achieve dual objectives. It serves the purpose of making the doctrine of the most Holy Trinity intelligible to Africans. This intelligibility lies in the essay's focus on the communitarian model of the Trinity, which evokes familiar communitarian sentiments among the Africans. The sentiment is deepened with the use of African communitarian categories like the ancestors and their descendants. Besides the objective of intelligibility, the other objective is relevance. The essay seeks also to make the communitarian Trinity respond to a specific African problem, ethnocentrism. The relevance of the communitarian Trinity to the question of ethnocentrism makes the essay not just theoretical but also practical and thus dispels the abstract connotation that goes with the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. Therefore, the goal of the essay is to demonstrate the intelligibility and relevance of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to an African mindset. The essay is presented in the methodology of liberation theology designated as pastoral cycle. The methodology begins with an observation and an analysis of the social situation, followed by an evaluation from the gospel point of view of the social situation, and ends with some plans of action(s) towards ameliorating the situation. Chapter one of this essay tries to analyze the dynamism of ethnocentrism in Kenya. This analysis is presented in a socio-political frame such that it traces the evolution of ethnocentrism in the political history of Kenya. In this section of the essay my sources are both library and some fieldwork. I used some books, journals, and reports of researches especially from the Kenya Human Rights Commission resource center, Nairobi. I also tried to check out some bits of information I got from the library materials by actually visiting some ethnic clash sites like Mob, Nakuru, and Likoni. At these places, with the help of the Sectariate of Catholic Justice and Peace of Kenya, I was able to interview some of the victims of these clashes. The facts in this chapter represents the fruit of these researches both in the library and in the field. The second step in pastoral cycle methodology is the evaluation of the social situation in the light of the gospel. This second step is used in chapters two. While chapter one ends with the observation that the reflection on the implications of our belief in the doctrine of the Trinity could respond to ethnocentrism, chapter two exposes a nascent model of the Trinity ascribed as the communitarian model. In this chapter this model is presented and ethnocentrism evaluated from its perspectives. The final step of the pastoral cycle is planning, the mapping out of courses of actions to combat the social malady. Chapter three of the essay is dedicated to this planning. The chapter advocates for a re-definition of the African concept of community using the trinitarian community as a model and goes further to suggest concrete ways of executing this plan through the declaration of Christ as the Ancestor of the Kenyan citizens, based on the trinitarian ancestral concept of the Trinity. On the trinitarian ancestral interaction is based the christological ancestral relationship to us which forms the point of the unification of the ethnic groups in Kenya. It is in this manner that an African trinitology will respond to ethnocentrism in Kenya. However, before delving into the essay proper, we will present a brief sketch of Kenya. Kenya lies across the equator in east central Africa on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is a moderate sized country with an area of 582, 650 square kilometers in which only 25 percent is inhabitable and the vast remaining 75 percent is either arid or semi-arid. I Kenya has a population of 28.7milion with an average annual increase rate of 3.4 percent. This population is a conglomeration of 64 ethnic groups ranging from small to large groups. The 1999 population census2 puts the percentages of some of the groups as follows: Kikuyu 22 percent, Luhya 14 percent, Luo 13 percent, Kalenjin 12 percent, Kamba 11 percent, Kisii 6 percent, Meru 6 percent, Asian, European and Arab 1 percent and others 15 percent. In view of the diversity of ethnic communities in Kenya, Kenyans speak English language as the official language and Swahili as the national language. There is also a diversity of religions in Kenya. The religious distribution is: Protestants 46 percent, Roman Catholics 30 percent, Traditional religionists 6 percent, Moslems 16 percent and others 2 percent.3 Historically, paleontologists' researches show that human beings inhabited Kenya about 2 million years ago. The Arab seafarers established settlements along the coast and the Portuguese took control of the area in the early 1500. The largest group of the Kenyan ethnic groups, the Kikuyu, migrated to this region at about the 18th century. This whole area became a British protectorate in 1890; a crown colony in 1920 when it was ascribed as British East Africa. In this area, nationalist stirrings erupted in the 1940s and in 1952, when the famous Mau Mau movement rebelled against the colonial government. Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963 under the leadership of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. From 1964 to 1992, the Kenyan African National Union (KANU), first under Jomo Kenyatta and then under Daniel Arap Moi, ruled the country of Kenya as one-party state. It took demonstrations, riots and international pressure to get the government of Moi to repeal the one party state and accept multi-party elections in 1992. In the Republic of Kenya, there is a one-house National Assembly constituted by 188 members elected for five years by the universal suffrage, 12 nominated members by the president and 2 ex-officio members, to make a sum total of 202 members of Kenyan Parliament. Among the many problems that besiege economic and political growth in Kenya, is ethnocentrism. Several authors and publications depict this reality. "Intricately connected to most of the economic and political challenges and problems that Kenya faces today is the question of the place of ethnic groups"' Atieno Odhiambo puts it that, "Ethnicity forms the strongest cleavages in the Kenyan society"5 Kiraitu Murungi writing on Multi-Partism in Kenya warns; "We cannot pretend that ethnicity is not an important factor in Kenyan politics. It is part of our historical and social reality."6 He then concludes that "the time for lies on this issue is over and an honest and open national discussion on ethnicity should take place."7 These statements bring us to the end of the introductory pages of this essay. We shall now delve into the essay proper.
Catholic Church Facing the Challenge of the African Traditional Religion and the Question of Salvation
(Tangaza University College, 2006-11) Nir Anselme Somda, Beter
We see that many people in our home village and many other places in Africa are very exited to become Catholic Christians. We even sometimes miss teachers to instruct them. For the first year of catechumenate their numbers can reach almost 800 people for the whole parish. After following the required instruction, they receive the sacraments of initiation and become members of the Catholic Church. They confess that Jesus is the Saviour and recite the creed: I believe in the holy, Catholic Church... But we noticed that the same Christians coming to the Church every Sunday, are the very ones going to see diviners, witchdoctors and make sacrifices in order to succeed in their work, or to help their children to pass exams, or to get good health... Facing these facts we ask ourselves for which reason do they go back to their traditional practices though on the day of their baptism they confessed that Jesus is their Saviour and he saved them. This situation led me to start thinking that maybe it is because they do not experience the savific presence of Jesus by belonging to the Church or the Church does not accommodate them, meaning that they do not see the Church as the instrument established by Jesus for the salvation of the world. It looks like people see the Church as a social association or the provider for the poor. If they were totally convinced that the Church is the instrument of salvation, during the time of crises they would have remained in the Church while praying more intensely instead of going back to their former practices. So at the end of my theological studies, I tried to reflect on the main factors which push those converted Christians to go back to their former practices. I • • discovered that though the Church is the instrument of salvation it does not respond filly to the aspirations of the newly convened Christians: for example the element of diviners who can read the future of people, the element of offering sacrifice to obtain favour or the sacredness of the religion. People were trained to believe in what they do not understand. When the traditional doctors speak in words they do not understand they see the mystery and are easily drawn to believe in them. As a first step towards this study I did first a general reading of many books around the topic. I also discussed with some people about the topic. The fruit of that research, study and reflection are expressed in three chapters in this essay. The first Chapter will be the presentation of the notion of salvation and its relationship with the Catholic Church. We shall also talk about the ways through which God offers salvation to people. The second Chapter will look at salvation and the mediation of salvation in the African Traditional Religion. Wc shall also look at the position of the Catholic Church towards the African Traditional Religion. The third Chapter will look at the reason why people do go back to the African Traditional religion, the elements the Church can get from the African Traditional Religion in order to help the newly converted Christians (which aspects of Jesus and of the Church to develop more) and finally I shall give my personal point of view about African Traditional Religion and the Catholic Church. I foresee some limitations for this work. Since I am not an expert in African Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. I am using the books in general on African Traditional Religion. The notion of Salvation is not understood totally in the metaphysical sense meaning we are not going to be discussing on sins and the mystical interventions. This work is intended to create an awareness of what is happening. When I will be writing a doctorate dissertation in the future, it will be more expanded and will be more scientifically done.
Christianity and life skills Training of youth
(Tangaza University College/Makumira Publications Eighteen, 2008) Sahaya, Selvam
An Encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion
(Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Mrosso, Bartholomew
On 1996, my superiors appointed me to Ghana for two years of pastoral training. From 1996 to 1998 I was doing my pastoral formation among the Sisaala people of the Upper West region of Ghana. The Sisaala people are mainly traditionalists. By this I mean the majority of them if not all are followers of African Traditional Religion. Any one who approaches any village easily notices the predominance of the African Religion among the Sisaala. As you enter in any village the first thing to see is a shrine. Each extended family has a shrine. Among the Sisaala each extended family forms a compound. Then a number of compounds form a village. So the number of compounds in the village determines the number of shrines in it. Coming from East Africa where the phenomenon of shrines is not very dominant, I was very much fascinated by it. I was curious to know what are those shrines for. I was told that those are places of prayer and sacrifice. I witnessed that, if the day of prayers in the shrine, happened to be on Sunday, very few people would attend mass on that Sunday. This experience made me think that prayers in the shrines seem to be more meaningful to the people than our Christian prayers. I thought it was my task as a young missionary to make our Christian prayers more meaningful and appealing to these people so as they could abandon their traditional beliefs and embrace Christian faith. My plan as a future missionary was to convert these traditional believers into Christianity. I never thought of a possibility of dialogue with the African Traditional believers. Another fascinating phenomenon was, the Sisaala firm belief in the presence of the Spirits. For them everything has its spiritual dimension. Every living and non-living creature has a spirit. My first attitude towards the phenomenon of spirits was very negative. To me these traditional believers were simply superstitious. But slowly I started changing my attitude from negative one to a positive approach. I started asking myself about the possibility of God communicating something to us Christians through the traditional believers. In 1998 I left Ghana with a positive view of the traditional believers. It was in that same year I started my theological studies. From the beginning of my theological formation, I thought it is necessary for modern theologians to search for a theological foundation that can sustain a positive approach towards African Traditional Religion. During the course of my theological studies, I had an opportunity to take an elective on Christian theology of other faiths. This course has helped me to re examine my attitude towards African Traditional Religion. It has also opened my theological mind to see the possibility of dialogue between African Religion and Christianity. So it is out of my past experiences with the traditional African believers in Ghana that I chose this topic for my long essay. I am aware that my essay is limited in several ways; first, African religion has not yet been recognized as one of the world religion. Nevertheless it is in the process of being recognized and a world religion. Second there is only now a fully recognized Christian theology of other faiths. Despite positive attitude of the church fathers towards non- Christian religions', it had taken some times to develop a Christian theology of other faiths. Third limitation of my essay is that it is very hypothetical. When I propose an encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion what I have in mind is the possibility of meeting or experiencing the presence of God in the lives of the Traditional Africans. God is a mystery and so his Spirit is also a mysterious phenomenon. Even after the revelation brought by Christ God still remains a mystery. Having said that, an encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion is just a theological hypothesis. This hypothesis is aimed at helping to change negative attitudes towards African Religion. I have divided this essay into four chapters. Chapter one is on the understanding of African Religion. The aim of this chapter is to help us conceive African Religion as one of the authentic religious traditions of humanity. In this chapter we will examine common fundamental beliefs in African Traditional Religion. These fundamental beliefs will help us to see African Religion as one religion expressed in different ways. My aim is to alter any negative attitude towards African Religion. That is why Chapter two will trace the origin of the negative attitude towards African Religion. This attitude can be traced back to the early encounter between Christianity and African Religion that will be examined in chapter two. Chapter three is on the Spirit in the Bible. Our aim in this chapter is build a biblical foundation for encountering the Spirit of God in African Religion. Once we are able to affirm the possibility of the presence of the Spirit of God in African Religion, then it would be easy for us to change our negative attitude towards it. Therefore in chapter three we will examine the understanding of the Spirit in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Chapter four is on the presence of the Holy Spirit in African Religion. In this chapter we will attempt to show that all the religious and social good values in African Religion could be attributed to the work of the Spirit of God. We will end with a general conclusion by proposing some required attitudes for dialogue between Christianity and African Religion.
Integrating African Spiritual Formation Values with Christian Values in the Religious Formation of African Men and Women in Nairobi - Kenya
(Tangaza University College/Saint Mary university of Minnesota(Nairobi Campus), 2015-05) Mutesh, Petronilla Lumati
The study explores whether there has been any integration of African spiritual formation values with Christian values in the religious formation of African men and women in the many religious houses in Nairobi. This comes out of the call from the African Synod of Bishops on inculturation in 1994. The task of exploring this out was done among congregations of men and women; thus the indigenous and the international congregations. The focus was on how much is being done to embrace some of these African spiritual formation values in the formation of these African men and women so as to enable them to find their own identity within the church in the true spirit of inculturation. The study reveals that the majority of African religious men and women feel uncomfortable to express and fully radiate who they are as African religious. They remain in a state of identity loss, and tend to feel uncomfortable in embracing their core values from African cultures which form part and parcel of who they are. The result of which, as it was found out, is the cause of an identity crisis among African religious men and women. It was ironical and surprising to learn that the integration of African spiritual formation values has not taken root in religious congregations founded within Africa. One would have expected that these congregations would set the pace in the implementation of the integration of African spiritual formation values with Christian values among their members. This shows how the apparent slow integration of African spiritual formation values in formation of African religious men and women cannot be blamed on congregations of foreign origin alone. The study also found out that there are differing interpretations and expressions of African spiritual formation values by Africans and non-African men and women religious; for example, whereas the African value of hospitality is given strong emphasis by Africans, the same is still a value but perceived and expressed differently by non- Africans. Even among Africans, the manner in which the older members understand hospitality is different from the younger ones, requiring more dialogue that may foster a common understanding. In conclusion, the study therefore, points to the need to foster a solid foundation in both initial and on-going formation of African men and women with an integrated and holistic understanding of religious life. This goal can only be achieved through the integration of African spiritual formation values of family built on love, forgiveness and solidarity, spontaneous prayers, self-reliance and hard work, respect for elders and authority, hospitality, other-centeredness and service. Religious men and women in Africa are part of the global church and in order to experience an atmosphere of feeling at home, the call to inculturation cannot be over-emphasized. This call needs to be deepened and nurtured for religious life to take root on the African continent.
Interface between African’s Concept of Death and Afterlife and the Biblical Tradition and Christianity
(Tangaza University College, 2016-05) Mwania, Patrick
From whatever perspective one approaches it, death is a mysterious reality that is certain in human existence, though humans battle with its unpredictability and inevitability. This unpredictability and inevitability of death fascinate and frighten the broad range of humanity. There is an ingrained denial of the gruesomeness and finality of death. Despite its ambiguity, it is a phenomenon, conceived differently depending on cultural, ideological, or idiosyncratic orientation. In the medical world, death is defined as a cessation of breath and heartbeat whereas as a philosophical reality, death is seen as the cessation of the integrated functioning of the human organism. In short, death from whatever perspective is hard and challenging project. This study is an attempt to understand death and afterlife according to the African traditional world view and how it relates to the Biblical and Christian traditions
The Quest for African Theology: From Theology as a mere Intellectual Enterprise to Theology as Lived Experience
(Tangaza University College, 2013-03) Mwania, Patrick
Since the mid-20th century, African theologians have been working to develop what can truly be calledAfrican Theology, a theology that is contextual and founded on the African cultural worldview. A major challenge that affects this enterprise towards an articulation of an authentic African theology is the fact that although a lot has been done already to develop this theology that speaks to and addresses contextual African situations, most of all these efforts has remained at the intellectual level among the theologians and hence has not been translated into the everyday lives of the African Christians. African Theology seems to be merely a classroom theology, a theology that is limited to the walls of academic institutions, an engagement popular only among a small group of intellectuals whom Orobator would call professional Christians. It is only when African Theology leaves the shelves of academic libraries to enter the homes and hearts of the majority of African Christians today that it can be said to truly impact on the lives of African Christians. The task that lies behind this article is, therefore, an attempt to articulate some reflections on how African theology can leave the classroom as its place of confinement and become expressed in the daily lives of the African Christians.
Religion and Spirituality in Healing and Psychotherapy An African Perspective
(Tangaza University College, 2016-07) Mwania, Patrick
In the African traditional worldview, everything that happened was seen in the light of vital force, the principle of life, either in the physical existence or in the spiritual form of it. Life is an institution that was so important in the Africa and anything that did not support life, anything that was opposed to the principle of life was therefore dreaded, unwished and indeed punishable. Whatever was against the principle of life was considered evil against which serious measures were taken to fight it. Obviously in the Kamba traditional society illness, sickness and any form of misfortune – indeed anything that appeared to threaten human life and human existence was considered evil to be eliminated. Anything that violated the principle of peace and harmony in the community was considered evil; everything that promotes harmony, community peace, the well being and the life-force of the community was considered as something good and a social value for that matter. This study is an attempt to understand the concept of illness and sickness according to the African traditional world view of the Kamba community in Kenya as a case study.
Toward A Model for an Igbo Christian Spirituality
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Nwachuicvvu, Peter
As many scholars have noted, there has been an increasing interest in spirituality since Vatican Id Council. This has been evidenced by the number of people who enroll in spirituality courses each year, many writings on spirituality, number of workshops on spirituality designed to foster the lived experience of the spiritual life. People wonder why there is this increasing interest in spirituality. This should not be surprising because the church since Vatican II has focused on the importance of inculturation of the gospel values in the different cultures. Perhaps, the most effective way of doing this is through an understanding of local spiritualities. Spirituality being a lived experience, the progressive, conscious striving toward personal integration through self- transcendence within and toward the horizon of ultimate concern,' could be a good perspective from which to assess and appreciate the cultural context of the gospel values. Spirituality deals with day to day striving towards one's life goal. When we come to Africa, we may ask ourselves, what is that that an African strives for and how is he or she living out this life project? According to John Mbiti, Africans are notoriously religious. Religion penetrates all the aspects of life so fully that it is not easy to isolate it.2 This means that the principle which controls an African's day to day striving lies in his or her religion. Similarly, the principle which governs the life of an Igbo person in Nigeria, is his or her religion. This implies that in all their life activities, religious beliefs is a guiding force. But when we examine the attitudes of the Igbo Christians today, we are forced to ask, how far has Christian values penetrated their life and their daily activities? Thus one wonders, is Christianity making any impact among the Igbos who are committed to religion and whose religious values guides all their activities? According to an English saying, "there is no smoke without fire." When I look at many Igbo Christians, I wonder what actually is the force behind what I can call a "double lifestyle" and their inconsistent adherence to the gospel message. Contemporary Igbo Christians manifest elements of "double religious consciousness" and are not completely faithful to the gospel message. "Double lifestyle or religious consciousness," is the situation where, one is a Christian and at the same time an adherent of traditional religion. One may attend Christian worship in the morning, and in the evening go to the traditional priest's shrine or participate fully in the traditional worship practices. My experience of this "double lifestyle" and unfaithfulness to the gospel message during my 1999 long vacation (May to August 1999) which I spent in some Igbo Christian communities raised many questions in me. First, what is the force that makes Igbo people to live as both Christians and believers in traditional religion simultaneously? Second, how rooted is Christianity among the Igbos, and how meaningful is Christianity to them? Lastly, how far has Christianity been incarnated in the Igbo culture? This essay, therefore, aims at examining the root cause or the force behind this "double religious consciousness," and will attempt to show how Christianity can solve this problem. This search for the cause of the "double religious consciousness"is examined from the perspective of spirituality. Spirituality in this essay is considered to be the underlying principle behind any human behaviour. This principle is considered to be the root of all human actions and the core of any human existence. In order to achieve the aim of this project, we shall divided the work into three chapters: Chapter one examines the concept of spirituality. It analyses the Christian and African Indigenous spiritualities. Chapter two focuses on aspects of African spirituality as they are found and lived in the Igbo traditional community. Then, chapter three is dedicated to establishing a model for an Igbo Christian Spirituality. In this case, the need for inculturation, the process of and approaches to inculturation of the gospel message in the Igbo culture are identified and analysed. This is followed by a general summary and conclusion of the work. This essay is based on an evaluation of existing literature relevant to the topic of study. The literature analysed include both Christian and African theologians' texts. Furthermore, particular attention is paid to the daily life of the Igbos, that is, their experiences and their nomenclatures. This enables us to explain more fully the inner feelings of the people based on their own experience and their expressions. Also, the essay is based on discussion with some Igbos and interview with some missionaries who have worked among the people. In selection of the key informants interviewed, consideration was given to those with pastoral experience among the Igbos. Ten informants were interviewed,' but out of this ten people, Fr. Declean was chosen as the Chief informant for more indepth interview. Rev. Fr. Declean has worked among the Igbos both as Parish Priest and also a lecturer in a Major Seminary for over twenty years. Also, coming from outside Igbo land and Nigeria, he was considered to be more appropriate to give an outsider's evaluation of indigenous Igbo Christians. The bible quotations in this essay are from The African Bible.' See
Towards An African Theology of The Cross
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Canice Iheanyichukwu, Azuoma
Institutionali/ed corruption is a main future of \hicnii bureaucracies. The African Synod (1994) identified it as an oppressive structure or system that constitutes a major bottleneck on Africa's road to social, political and economic development and progress. As an antidote to the continental malaise, the Synod called for a "serious reawakening of conscience linked with a firm determination of will- among Africans, especially, those who oversee the administration of public affairs, namely. the bureaucrats.' Six years after the Synod, bureaucratic corruption is still on the increase in Africa: subjecting the people to untold suffering. There is. therefore, the need for a Christian symbol, which will help in "reawakening- the conscience of African Christians and motivate them towards the eradication of corruption and liberation from its shackles. The Cross-the unique Christian symbol-serves this purpose. This essay, therefore, attempts at an honest look at bureaucratic corruption in Africa, with specific reference to Nigeria; and proposes the cross as a reawakening or liberating symbol for African peoples oppressed by bureaucratic corruption, Hence. the title: Tarrant an African Theology of the Cross. It is thus hoped that the popular notion of the cross as a purely spiritual symbol with little or nothing to do with life in society, will be corrected. For a better presentation oldie work. the pastoral cycle methodology of see. judge and act is followed. Also, the essay is divided into !bur chapters. Chapter one exposes the dynamics of bureaucratic corruption in Nigeria. It defines and clarifies related concepts. Chapter two examines the development of the theology of the cross in scripture and history of Western theolog). v, Mt particular interest in contemporary theology of the cross as resourceful for a contemporary Alrican theology of the cross. the third chapter attempts to develop a theology of the cross that !lows From and addresses the African experience of oppressive social ills, especially. bureaucratic corruption. In the fifth, final chapter, some pastoral implications of an African theology of the cross are explored, with suggestions on how the Nigerian and African church can re-educate the people on the liberating or reawakening aspect of the cross. For social translOrmation Some concluding remarks then follow.
Traditional African Funeral Celebrations, A Challenge for Mission Today
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Akeriwe, Raymond M.
Traditional African Funeral celebrations, A challenge for mission today: Case study of Navrongo/ Bolgatanga Diocese (Nav/Bolga Dio,), Upper East Region (HER) Ghana, West Africa. This is my contribution to the on going discussion on an area that has for a long time posed a pastoral problem in my area of study and a bid to forge a way forward in coming up with an acceptable and workable proposal as far as African traditions and Christian values are concerned. My purpose in this work as an African, and an indigen of the Nay/ Bolga Dio. [UER Ghana] , is that, I consider the issue of death related rites to be of great concern to the local people. It is an area that touches on the very lives of the people, as such a close look at it may give us a clearer understanding of the phenomenon of death and its effects on the people. There is an identity crisis here, who are we? Western Christians or African Christians? Christians of this diocese are first and foremost African, before becoming Christian, people with a culture that defined their whole world view and perception of life. This is an area of real concern for the African Christian in that she/he is tom between tradition, cultural demands and the Christian faith. There is the need to protect one's place in the African hierarchy which is very important to the elders. This defines one's place too in the here after, therefore all that is necessary [ Living an exemplary life, good moral and religious standing] to get to the other side must not be overlooked. Initial perceptions of African Traditional Religion (ATR) by the early Europeans, missionaries were very much distorted, biased and damaging. ATR was described as evil, barbaric, primitive, diabolic', thus converts were uprooted completely from what they believed and knew and introduced to a whole new way of life, religion and culture. Many lost their identity through this and those who have come after them have since not found their faith and place in the traditional set up. With the current of inculturation blowing across the Church today, there is need for a rethinking on the life of the Church on the continent of Africa. There is a need for an inner reconciliation of many Christians in Africa, Nav/Bolga Diocese particularly, who live in deep conflict between their sincere belonging to Christ and their need to treasure the gifts bestowed on them by God through ATR. The Churches focus today should be geared towards a progressive development of authentically African forms of Christian life, celebration and thought. This brings about an enrichment of the catholicity of the Church as her message is constantly re-expressed in the Church and religious traditions which show the active presence of God's generous providence at work in every human context throughout human history. As Fr Domingues (mcd) rightly puts it [in his course presentation notes for Tangaza college - Inter-religious dialogue. 2000] ATR is of a great theological value to Christianity. It is the concrete historical way in which God has providentially been, somehow dialoguing with millions of persons, in their social, cultural and religious lives. Their concrete religious practices, traditions, belief systems are the concrete context in which God offered them some light on his own mystery. In a special way, God communicate and dwells with them. There is a context in which God offers African cultures the Holy Spirit, in such a way that they have a real possibility of answering to God's invitation of becoming partners in the paschal mystery of Christ. [(IS 22] . There is a real possibility of finding in ATR some real revelation of God [in her rites, art, poetry, proverbs etc] and some genuine human response to it in faith. This encounter and response however does not exclude that fact that such revelation and faith be mixed with much human sinfulness, corruption, in the concrete cultural, social and religious life of the African peoples.
Understanding African Mystical Powers in The Biblical Perspective: Among the Akamba Community of Kenya.
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Ndunda, lifwania Andrew
In the contemporary society which is blessed with all sorts of technologies, science. and medicine; it sounds unbearable to speak of mystical powers. Many people would piously deny the existence of such a notion and call upon its burial. Those bound and committed to different religious denominations and sects will, with certainty, offer an open denial to the thought. leave alone mentioning it. Critical study reveals that, though many African Christians refute this notion of mystical powers. it is still a life and strong among many of their members, including African cities and religious circles in new forms and formulas. Hence, unless it is thoroughly revisited holistically and in a positive manner, the so called Christians in the African church will only live and remain at a nominal structural standing, that is Christians by name. Hence, the real impact of the gospel; the living faith in Christ will remain in total absentia. In this study I am interested in examining critically the notion of mystical powers as a pastoral issue among the Akamba community of Kenya in East Africa. For up to today the Christian faith still battles with various issues of mystical powers. To achieve this I will first present the general understanding of mystical powers in Africa. this will be followed by mystical powers among the Kamba community. After, I will present the Biblical understanding of mystical powers. This will be followed by a highlight on how we can tackle this issue in a pastoral perspective. A general conclusion will serve to give my personal stand on the understanding of mystical powers and how we can deal with them in our pastoral contexts.