Understanding Baptismal Kingship In The Light of the Ganda Conception of Kingship
Date
2001-02
Authors
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
Christ is the centre of any valid Christian theology, hence he is the
starting point of any Christian theological analysis. This paper is an attempt to
reflect on Christ from the point of view of his kingship. I regard this topic
specifically relevant to me and the whole Ganda' culture because we also
have our own traditional (cultural) king whose nature of kingship must be
clearly articulated and put in its proper perspective. Moreover, by virtue of our
baptism all of us are kings in Christ. Therefore, the notion of Christ as king
must be properly explained and understood for the Christians to know the
nature of Christ's kingship in which they participate. The nature of our
baptismal kingship and its implications for Christians will also be explained.
This is also my grand opportunity to deepen the understanding of my
own cultural background (the Ganda culture) from which perspective I am
presenting this topic. By doing so I will be making an attempt to respond to
magisterial directives and documents to inculturate the Christian message. For
authentic inculturation of the Christian message starts from the social-cultural
reality of the people: proposed by divine revelation. Thus a way will be opened for
a more profound adaptation of the Christian message.'
Among the issues Pope Paul VI raised at the closing session of the
symposium of African Bishops, at the cathedral of Kampala, he affirmed,
...And in this sense you may, and indeed you must, have an
African Christianity. Indeed, you possess human values and
characteristic forms of culture which can rise up to
perfection such as to find in Christianity, and for Christianity,
a true superior fullness, and prove to be capable of a
richness of expression all its own, and genuinely African.3
Another African theologian writing about African Christians he affirmed that,
If their Christian experience is going to be meaningful and
effective, they cannot afford to cut themselves off from the
rest of the community or from their own cultural and religious
past. The gospel should help them to live more fully, more
abundantly, as Africans.'
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Keywords
Baptismal, Ganda, Kingship