Elia Mligo | Tumaini University Makumira Mbeya Centre (original) (raw)
Papers by Elia Mligo
European Journal of Theology and Philosophy, Oct 14, 2021
The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining... more The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining the creation. Human beings are responsible towards making the creation glorify God the creator. Another important task is to bring forth other human beings-children-who will also become responsible towards creation in their adulthood. It means that the responsibility of humanity towards creation is continuous. Children are gifts from God through marriages and have to be reared to adulthood in order for them to become fully responsible to God's creation. This article examined the perceptions of church leaders and normal Christians towards child-rearing in both African traditional and Christian settings. Being guided by Ainsworth and Bowlby's Attachment Theory, the article addressed the following questions: How is child-rearing understood and practiced in the research area? Is there any laziness in the rearing of children that hinders their proper development to adulthood? In response to these questions, a qualitative study was conducted at Isongole Ward, Ileje District, Songwe region in Tanzania. Interviews were conducted to eight research participants selected purposefully after their informed consent. Data were analyzed qualitatively to obtain themes which were the basis for the presentation and interpretation of findings. Results indicated that laziness to rear children properly was one of the major hindrances for children to realize their adulthood potentials in the future. The article suggests that to have an ethical church and ethical society, child-rearing basing on proper Christian foundation is of paramount importance.
Diaconia, Sep 10, 2021
Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. ... more Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. The contextual and neutral nature of Christian social practice means the question of methodology is important when considering it in a particular context. This article surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of the African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality-and indeed any other Christian social practice-can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflect-act methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate to the African context. According to this methodological approach, Jesus must be understood as an African stranger who should be welcomed with hospitality and fully incorporated into the African Ubuntu way of life. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African, differentiating it from methodologies applied in other contexts.
LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing eBooks, Jul 25, 2012
STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal, Aug 28, 2020
Silence speaks louder than verbal speech, penetrating deeper into the hearts of those to whom it ... more Silence speaks louder than verbal speech, penetrating deeper into the hearts of those to whom it is directed. Marriage, as any other institution, is often surrounded by moments of silence between couples, which leads to thoughtful suffering. Contextualizing the theory of Spiral of Silence of Noelle-Neumann in the Bena context in Tanzania, this article provides a reading of the text in the Gospel according to John to discern the way in which it enlightens the real life situations of the church in regard to the role of silence. The article argues that the silence of Jesus in the text, as was his silence in the passion narratives, is a form of expression of his urgency and the communication of his power against the public opinion. In this case, the reading intents to look at the implication of silence within the prism of gender with specific reference to emotional abuses exerted by the church to marginalized people.
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Aug 28, 2014
Tanzania is one of the so-called "developing countries" in Africa. According to the census of 201... more Tanzania is one of the so-called "developing countries" in Africa. According to the census of 2012, the country has a population of more than 44 million people. Albinos persons (people with skin impairment) are included within this population. In these days, the Tanzanian society witnesses dreadful killings of people with albinism just for cultural and traditional reasons. The major claim purported by killers is mostly economic, that some organs of people with albinism can be used by business people to acquire more profits in their businesses. Following this reason, people with albinism live in a very suspicious life because most of them have been hunted and murdered. Their human dignity has been jeopardized in favor of material wealth. Since scarce researches, if any, have been conducted in regard to the role of religion towards the dignity and value of people with albinism in areas of theology and religion, this paper provokes theologians and scholars in various professions towards discussing and analyzing critically the role of religion in the midst of horrible incidences of violence facing people with albinism. The major question is the following: How does religion deal with differences in the Tanzanian society to promote human dignity and mutual life among people despite their differences?
Stellenbosch Theological Journal
The aspect of reciprocity is highly enshrined in the African culture. It is part and parcel of co... more The aspect of reciprocity is highly enshrined in the African culture. It is part and parcel of communal life of African people despite their various life predicaments. However, reciprocity is not only found in African culture; it is also a universal aspect found in other cultures and religions of the world. The universality of reciprocity is evident in the universal golden rule. Through surveying the golden rule in the various religious traditions and examining the tenets of the African philosophy of Ubuntu, this article argues that although reciprocity is a universal aspect, it can hardly be fully realized in Africa without considering the African philosophy of Ubuntu. The philosophy of Ubuntu stands not only as a cornerstone for African reciprocal relationships, but also as a distinction between the African and other ways of life.
What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christ... more What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christian to divorce his/her spouse, or remarry after divorce, under what biblical grounds? What is the position of the church concerning issues of divorce and remarriage? What is the response of lay Christians to the position of the church? These are some of the questions that greatly concern this book. Some scholars (Wenham, Heth, and Keener) have also embarked in a discussion about such questions. They have mostly searched for the meaning that the text on divorce in the gospel of Matthew had to offer, and the how to apply that meaning to the current church. This book contributes to this ongoing discussion. Instead of looking only at the meaning of the text in the gospel of Mark and applying it to the current church, the book analyzes the voices of some people from the church in Tanzania so as to open up a possibility for a dialogue between the text and its context and the current readers and their context. Hence, the book can be useful to both scholars and students as a textbook in classes or any group discussions about the way divorce and remarriage texts can be used in current churches
Fortress Press eBooks, Apr 25, 2023
Acta Theologica, 2016
Who do people living with hIV/AIDS say Jesus Christ is in their context of stigmatisation? this i... more Who do people living with hIV/AIDS say Jesus Christ is in their context of stigmatisation? this is an ancient Christological question that helps us understand and deal with this issue in a new way. this article presents the views of people living with hIV/AIDS about the role of Jesus to them in a context of hIV/AIDS-related stigmatisation. through their reading of biblical texts from the gospel according to John, people living with hIV/AIDS argue that Jesus Christ is a compassionate companion who not only sympathises with them, but also cares for them and seeks to improve their situation. In this instance, the article critiques the "cult of normalcy" ever embraced by the church that excludes those it considers to be abnormal and includes those it considers to be normal. this "cult of normalcy" is contrary to the compassionate way in which Jesus treated those who were suffering.
What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christ... more What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christian to divorce his/her spouse, or remarry after divorce, under what biblical grounds? What is the position of the church concerning issues of divorce and remarriage? What is the response of lay Christians to the position of the church? These are some of the questions that greatly concern this book. Some scholars (Wenham, Heth, and Keener) have also embarked in a discussion about such questions. They have mostly searched for the meaning that the text on divorce in the gospel of Matthew had to offer, and the how to apply that meaning to the current church. This book contributes to this ongoing discussion. Instead of looking only at the meaning of the text in the gospel of Mark and applying it to the current church, the book analyzes the voices of some people from the church in Tanzania so as to open up a possibility for a dialogue between the text and its context and the current readers an...
What does it really mean to be rich in this era of globalization? What does it really mean to be ... more What does it really mean to be rich in this era of globalization? What does it really mean to be poor and marginalized? How does the Kingdom of God speak to the rich and poor in this era? These are questions of concern in this book. By using the beatitudes and parables of Jesus from the synoptic gospels the book sensitively discusses the position of the rich and that of the poor at the encounter with the Kingdom of God which is one of the main themes in the earthly ministry of Jesus. The book argues that the rich meet Jesus when they interact with the poor and marginalized people. It also asserts that material poverty is not the prerequisite to enter the Kingdom of God. The book suggests that the Kingdom of God entails responsibility to both the rich and the poor in this era of globalization. Hence, the book is expected to provide a substantial contribution to the academic discussions about globalization and the relationship between the rich and the poor.
This article grapples with the question of the relevance of Paul’s conversion in Acts 8-9 in rela... more This article grapples with the question of the relevance of Paul’s conversion in Acts 8-9 in relation to the current African conversion to Christianity. While for many years, scholars have considered the conversion of Paul on his way to Damascus as a proto-type for people’s conversion to Christianity from other religions, this article argues that it can hardly be regarded in that way for African people’s conversion from African Traditional Religion (ATR) to Christianity due to the nature of ATR and its major emphasis. Christianity mostly emphasizes “other-worldly” affairs neglecting “this-worldly” affairs of humanity being conceived as a religion of the “hereafter,” the heavenly religion having little to do with this-worldly affairs. Instead, ATR, due to its concern about people’s current world’s predicaments becomes a religion favored by most Africans even after their conversion to Christianity. Keywords: Paul’s Conversion, Prototype, Christian Conversion, African Traditional Relig...
European Journal of Theology and Philosophy
The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining... more The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining the creation. Human beings are responsible towards making the creation glorify God the creator. Another important task is to bring forth other human beings—children—who will also become responsible towards creation in their adulthood. It means that the responsibility of humanity towards creation is continuous. Children are gifts from God through marriages and have to be reared to adulthood in order for them to become fully responsible to God’s creation. This article examined the perceptions of church leaders and normal Christians towards child-rearing in both African traditional and Christian settings. Being guided by Ainsworth and Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, the article addressed the following questions: How is child-rearing understood and practiced in the research area? Is there any laziness in the rearing of children that hinders their proper development to adulthood? In response to ...
Diaconia
What kind of research is diaconia research? As the field of diaconia develops both as academic sc... more What kind of research is diaconia research? As the field of diaconia develops both as academic scholarship and as ever more professionalised practice, a discussion on how we understand diaconia research is timely. If diaconia practice holds particular attributes, this should mean something for how we carry out research within and scientifically approach these practices. How is methodology and theology related in diaconia research? Who and what are our research subjects, who are we as researchers, what responsibilities may we have as researchers in this particular field? With this issue we want to creatively front how to approach diaconia research. The article by Elia Mligo (Mbeya, Tanzania) surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality and any other Christian social practices can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflectact methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate for the African context. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African as differentiated from methodologies applied in other contexts. Loreen Maseno and Beatrice Lukalo (Maseno, Kenya) also consider methodological issues which engage African realities. They highlight the integrating of social science within theology using the case of persons living with disability in Western Kenya. Their article attempts to realize the potential of theological creativity from a bottom-up approach and demonstrates creative explorations of approaches from persons living with disability for a grounded theology. Moreover, this emphasizes how grounded theology is compatible with grounded theory in social sciences as a method for seeking hidden patterns and meanings to unearth stories informing everyday lives of persons living with disability. Inger Marie Lid (Oslo) presents participatory research as an approach to empirical research, through material from a project studying Christian diaconal practice for deaf persons with disability in a Norwegian context. She argues that a sound empirical research often calls for some inclusion of the persons involved in the research. Consequently, there are important potentials in inclusive approaches to research that may strengthen diaconal research in terms of focus on social and political justice end care. Trygve Wyller (Oslo) discusses how, in the field of diaconia research, methodology and epistemology cannot be totally separated. He points out that the methodological question in diaconia research clearly includes epistemology. Who has, and where are, the sources, which lead to new knowledge of diaconia? His discussion
Diaconia
Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. ... more Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. The contextual and neutral nature of Christian social practice means the question of methodology is important when considering it in a particular context. This article surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of the African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality-and indeed any other Christian social practice-can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflect-act methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate to the African context. According to this methodological approach, Jesus must be understood as an African stranger who should be welcomed with hospitality and fully incorporated into the African Ubuntu way of life. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African, differentiating it from methodologies applied in other contexts.
European Journal of Theology and Philosophy, Oct 14, 2021
The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining... more The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining the creation. Human beings are responsible towards making the creation glorify God the creator. Another important task is to bring forth other human beings-children-who will also become responsible towards creation in their adulthood. It means that the responsibility of humanity towards creation is continuous. Children are gifts from God through marriages and have to be reared to adulthood in order for them to become fully responsible to God's creation. This article examined the perceptions of church leaders and normal Christians towards child-rearing in both African traditional and Christian settings. Being guided by Ainsworth and Bowlby's Attachment Theory, the article addressed the following questions: How is child-rearing understood and practiced in the research area? Is there any laziness in the rearing of children that hinders their proper development to adulthood? In response to these questions, a qualitative study was conducted at Isongole Ward, Ileje District, Songwe region in Tanzania. Interviews were conducted to eight research participants selected purposefully after their informed consent. Data were analyzed qualitatively to obtain themes which were the basis for the presentation and interpretation of findings. Results indicated that laziness to rear children properly was one of the major hindrances for children to realize their adulthood potentials in the future. The article suggests that to have an ethical church and ethical society, child-rearing basing on proper Christian foundation is of paramount importance.
Diaconia, Sep 10, 2021
Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. ... more Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. The contextual and neutral nature of Christian social practice means the question of methodology is important when considering it in a particular context. This article surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of the African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality-and indeed any other Christian social practice-can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflect-act methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate to the African context. According to this methodological approach, Jesus must be understood as an African stranger who should be welcomed with hospitality and fully incorporated into the African Ubuntu way of life. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African, differentiating it from methodologies applied in other contexts.
LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing eBooks, Jul 25, 2012
STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal, Aug 28, 2020
Silence speaks louder than verbal speech, penetrating deeper into the hearts of those to whom it ... more Silence speaks louder than verbal speech, penetrating deeper into the hearts of those to whom it is directed. Marriage, as any other institution, is often surrounded by moments of silence between couples, which leads to thoughtful suffering. Contextualizing the theory of Spiral of Silence of Noelle-Neumann in the Bena context in Tanzania, this article provides a reading of the text in the Gospel according to John to discern the way in which it enlightens the real life situations of the church in regard to the role of silence. The article argues that the silence of Jesus in the text, as was his silence in the passion narratives, is a form of expression of his urgency and the communication of his power against the public opinion. In this case, the reading intents to look at the implication of silence within the prism of gender with specific reference to emotional abuses exerted by the church to marginalized people.
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Aug 28, 2014
Tanzania is one of the so-called "developing countries" in Africa. According to the census of 201... more Tanzania is one of the so-called "developing countries" in Africa. According to the census of 2012, the country has a population of more than 44 million people. Albinos persons (people with skin impairment) are included within this population. In these days, the Tanzanian society witnesses dreadful killings of people with albinism just for cultural and traditional reasons. The major claim purported by killers is mostly economic, that some organs of people with albinism can be used by business people to acquire more profits in their businesses. Following this reason, people with albinism live in a very suspicious life because most of them have been hunted and murdered. Their human dignity has been jeopardized in favor of material wealth. Since scarce researches, if any, have been conducted in regard to the role of religion towards the dignity and value of people with albinism in areas of theology and religion, this paper provokes theologians and scholars in various professions towards discussing and analyzing critically the role of religion in the midst of horrible incidences of violence facing people with albinism. The major question is the following: How does religion deal with differences in the Tanzanian society to promote human dignity and mutual life among people despite their differences?
Stellenbosch Theological Journal
The aspect of reciprocity is highly enshrined in the African culture. It is part and parcel of co... more The aspect of reciprocity is highly enshrined in the African culture. It is part and parcel of communal life of African people despite their various life predicaments. However, reciprocity is not only found in African culture; it is also a universal aspect found in other cultures and religions of the world. The universality of reciprocity is evident in the universal golden rule. Through surveying the golden rule in the various religious traditions and examining the tenets of the African philosophy of Ubuntu, this article argues that although reciprocity is a universal aspect, it can hardly be fully realized in Africa without considering the African philosophy of Ubuntu. The philosophy of Ubuntu stands not only as a cornerstone for African reciprocal relationships, but also as a distinction between the African and other ways of life.
What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christ... more What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christian to divorce his/her spouse, or remarry after divorce, under what biblical grounds? What is the position of the church concerning issues of divorce and remarriage? What is the response of lay Christians to the position of the church? These are some of the questions that greatly concern this book. Some scholars (Wenham, Heth, and Keener) have also embarked in a discussion about such questions. They have mostly searched for the meaning that the text on divorce in the gospel of Matthew had to offer, and the how to apply that meaning to the current church. This book contributes to this ongoing discussion. Instead of looking only at the meaning of the text in the gospel of Mark and applying it to the current church, the book analyzes the voices of some people from the church in Tanzania so as to open up a possibility for a dialogue between the text and its context and the current readers and their context. Hence, the book can be useful to both scholars and students as a textbook in classes or any group discussions about the way divorce and remarriage texts can be used in current churches
Fortress Press eBooks, Apr 25, 2023
Acta Theologica, 2016
Who do people living with hIV/AIDS say Jesus Christ is in their context of stigmatisation? this i... more Who do people living with hIV/AIDS say Jesus Christ is in their context of stigmatisation? this is an ancient Christological question that helps us understand and deal with this issue in a new way. this article presents the views of people living with hIV/AIDS about the role of Jesus to them in a context of hIV/AIDS-related stigmatisation. through their reading of biblical texts from the gospel according to John, people living with hIV/AIDS argue that Jesus Christ is a compassionate companion who not only sympathises with them, but also cares for them and seeks to improve their situation. In this instance, the article critiques the "cult of normalcy" ever embraced by the church that excludes those it considers to be abnormal and includes those it considers to be normal. this "cult of normalcy" is contrary to the compassionate way in which Jesus treated those who were suffering.
What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christ... more What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage after divorce? Is it acceptable for a Christian to divorce his/her spouse, or remarry after divorce, under what biblical grounds? What is the position of the church concerning issues of divorce and remarriage? What is the response of lay Christians to the position of the church? These are some of the questions that greatly concern this book. Some scholars (Wenham, Heth, and Keener) have also embarked in a discussion about such questions. They have mostly searched for the meaning that the text on divorce in the gospel of Matthew had to offer, and the how to apply that meaning to the current church. This book contributes to this ongoing discussion. Instead of looking only at the meaning of the text in the gospel of Mark and applying it to the current church, the book analyzes the voices of some people from the church in Tanzania so as to open up a possibility for a dialogue between the text and its context and the current readers an...
What does it really mean to be rich in this era of globalization? What does it really mean to be ... more What does it really mean to be rich in this era of globalization? What does it really mean to be poor and marginalized? How does the Kingdom of God speak to the rich and poor in this era? These are questions of concern in this book. By using the beatitudes and parables of Jesus from the synoptic gospels the book sensitively discusses the position of the rich and that of the poor at the encounter with the Kingdom of God which is one of the main themes in the earthly ministry of Jesus. The book argues that the rich meet Jesus when they interact with the poor and marginalized people. It also asserts that material poverty is not the prerequisite to enter the Kingdom of God. The book suggests that the Kingdom of God entails responsibility to both the rich and the poor in this era of globalization. Hence, the book is expected to provide a substantial contribution to the academic discussions about globalization and the relationship between the rich and the poor.
This article grapples with the question of the relevance of Paul’s conversion in Acts 8-9 in rela... more This article grapples with the question of the relevance of Paul’s conversion in Acts 8-9 in relation to the current African conversion to Christianity. While for many years, scholars have considered the conversion of Paul on his way to Damascus as a proto-type for people’s conversion to Christianity from other religions, this article argues that it can hardly be regarded in that way for African people’s conversion from African Traditional Religion (ATR) to Christianity due to the nature of ATR and its major emphasis. Christianity mostly emphasizes “other-worldly” affairs neglecting “this-worldly” affairs of humanity being conceived as a religion of the “hereafter,” the heavenly religion having little to do with this-worldly affairs. Instead, ATR, due to its concern about people’s current world’s predicaments becomes a religion favored by most Africans even after their conversion to Christianity. Keywords: Paul’s Conversion, Prototype, Christian Conversion, African Traditional Relig...
European Journal of Theology and Philosophy
The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining... more The greatest mandate which God entrusted to human beings since creation is keeping and sustaining the creation. Human beings are responsible towards making the creation glorify God the creator. Another important task is to bring forth other human beings—children—who will also become responsible towards creation in their adulthood. It means that the responsibility of humanity towards creation is continuous. Children are gifts from God through marriages and have to be reared to adulthood in order for them to become fully responsible to God’s creation. This article examined the perceptions of church leaders and normal Christians towards child-rearing in both African traditional and Christian settings. Being guided by Ainsworth and Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, the article addressed the following questions: How is child-rearing understood and practiced in the research area? Is there any laziness in the rearing of children that hinders their proper development to adulthood? In response to ...
Diaconia
What kind of research is diaconia research? As the field of diaconia develops both as academic sc... more What kind of research is diaconia research? As the field of diaconia develops both as academic scholarship and as ever more professionalised practice, a discussion on how we understand diaconia research is timely. If diaconia practice holds particular attributes, this should mean something for how we carry out research within and scientifically approach these practices. How is methodology and theology related in diaconia research? Who and what are our research subjects, who are we as researchers, what responsibilities may we have as researchers in this particular field? With this issue we want to creatively front how to approach diaconia research. The article by Elia Mligo (Mbeya, Tanzania) surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality and any other Christian social practices can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflectact methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate for the African context. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African as differentiated from methodologies applied in other contexts. Loreen Maseno and Beatrice Lukalo (Maseno, Kenya) also consider methodological issues which engage African realities. They highlight the integrating of social science within theology using the case of persons living with disability in Western Kenya. Their article attempts to realize the potential of theological creativity from a bottom-up approach and demonstrates creative explorations of approaches from persons living with disability for a grounded theology. Moreover, this emphasizes how grounded theology is compatible with grounded theory in social sciences as a method for seeking hidden patterns and meanings to unearth stories informing everyday lives of persons living with disability. Inger Marie Lid (Oslo) presents participatory research as an approach to empirical research, through material from a project studying Christian diaconal practice for deaf persons with disability in a Norwegian context. She argues that a sound empirical research often calls for some inclusion of the persons involved in the research. Consequently, there are important potentials in inclusive approaches to research that may strengthen diaconal research in terms of focus on social and political justice end care. Trygve Wyller (Oslo) discusses how, in the field of diaconia research, methodology and epistemology cannot be totally separated. He points out that the methodological question in diaconia research clearly includes epistemology. Who has, and where are, the sources, which lead to new knowledge of diaconia? His discussion
Diaconia
Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. ... more Christian social practice (diaconia) is contextual; it is not uniform to people of all contexts. The contextual and neutral nature of Christian social practice means the question of methodology is important when considering it in a particular context. This article surveys the African context and the best way Christian social practice can be accomplished. Through reading Luke 10:38-42 in light of the African social practice of hospitality, the article argues that hospitality-and indeed any other Christian social practice-can hardly be realized in Africa apart from the African Ubuntu philosophy of life. It suggests that the see-reflect-act methodology of diaconia, taking the African philosophy of life seriously, is appropriate to the African context. According to this methodological approach, Jesus must be understood as an African stranger who should be welcomed with hospitality and fully incorporated into the African Ubuntu way of life. Hence, Ubuntu makes any methodological approach be African, differentiating it from methodologies applied in other contexts.