An Africanised theological education (original) (raw)
Related papers
Acta Theologica, 2013
During the past five decades the heartland of global Christianity has shifted to the Southern hemisphere. This places the responsibility of future Christianity predominantly in the hands of church leaders in these regions. It is therefore crucial to critically reflect on how effective theological education is to produce competent church leaders, especially in Africa. This article aims to give an overview of the challenges theological education in Africa is currently facing, and then to provide a macro vision of the major moments in the development of the international discourse on theological education over the past five decades. This comparison will inform practitioners about the relevance of current models used for theological education in Africa. By highlighting the relevance of these various models and how they relate to challenges in Africa, this article contributes to research on the development of new and alternative frameworks for theological education in an African context. 1 This article is based on the doctoral dissertation "Theological education in an African context: Discipleship and mediated learning experience as framework" by W.P. Wahl, University of the Free State 2011. 2 The names and scholarly works of these scholars will be discussed in section three of this article (under the heading: "The discourse on theological education").
Africanisation as an agent of theological education in Africa
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2017
This article focuses on the response of Africanisation to Western theological education in Africa, which has for centuries become a theological problem for the African context. In this 21st century, Africanisation is at the centre of the African discourse and focuses on the realities of our African context. Therefore, theological education in Africa should be Africanised in order to seriously engage the aspects of Africanisation. The struggle against colonial education was to ensure that Africa is liberated from unjust educational oppression, socio-economic oppression, poverty, racism, political oppression and gender injustice. In this regard, Africanisation is an agent to address the introduced Western theological education in Africa. Yet the two concepts, namely commercialisation and commodification, have an influence on theological education in Africa.
A Nexus between the Principles and Practice of Education and Theological Education in Africa
The principles and practices of education point to the fact that teaching is more than imparting knowledge. It involves helping to acquire or change knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, ideas or experiences. The teacher as a facilitator, informs, stimulates, directs, guides, administers, identifies and solves learning problems; evaluates, records and reports the performances of learners. Other functions are development of school community relationship and participating in school and professional activities. The principles underlying teaching revealthat modern learning is seen as the acquisition of new knowledge, ideas, skills, values and experiences which enable the individual to modify or alter his actions. Theological Education could be enriched by intricately weaving the principles and practices of education into its system of education. Besides, theological institutions should work in synergy with the church while the church should serve as partners with the theological institutions in ministerial formation.
A critical engagement with theological education in Africa: A South African perspective
Reformed Theology in Africa Series, 2021
In this book, a critical engagement with theological education in Africa is offered. As the book originates from South Africa, it is presented from a South African perspective although contributors are situated accross the African continent and abroad. The common denominator is, however, that all contributers are, in some way or another, invested in theological education in Africa. The main contribution of this collaborative work is to be sought in the insights it offers on four main areas of theological education: a historical and current orientation on theological edcuation in Africa, some paradigm shifts in theological education in Africa, ministerial formation needs versus theological education challenges and a critical reflection on elective models and methods. This book presents an original and innovative research of scholars involved in theological higher education, as it is grounded in the respective fields of interest of each contributor. It contributes to a better understanding of the complex African theological higher education landscape, a complex landscape that is experiencing even greater challenges since the dawn of COVID-19, which is noted in the research findings. Methodologically, the work draws on a combination of methods, including literature studies, empirical work and, in some cases, sectional offerings from doctoral studies, as indicated in the various chapters. The centre target consists of scholars in the field of higher theological education in Africa. No part of the book was plagiarised from another publication or published elsewhere before.
Ethnic Studies: An Urgent Need in Theological Education in Africa
International Review of Mission, 2009
By virtue of its subject matter, theological education ought to infuse life with morals and values, thus moulding a just, moral and peaceful society such as is envisaged in God's telos for His world. And in line with its aims, theological education provides knowledge and skills to people to enable them to serve the church, together with the wider society where the church lives. A theological curriculum appropriate to its context ensures success in both these aspects of theological education. To their credit Africa's theological institutions seem to have curricula which are relevant to Africa's context. Success in sustaining the relevance of these curricula lies in continually revising the curriculum so that it does not become dated. One such urgent revision is in the offering of ethnic studies which is necessitated by the ethnic crisis in Africa. For this reason, ethnic studies in the curriculum of theological education in Africa are imperative. In the essay four ways are proposed in which ethnic studies could be included in the curriculum of theological education in Africa.
2013
This study utilizes a systematic review method to assess literature about the Protestant Christian tradition to enhance theological education in the African context. It explores the development and transformation of African theological education in the period 1910 to 2012. A 'follow the money trail method of investigation' was utilized to expose the theological issues that African theologians fundraised for African theological education through the Theological Education Fund/Ecumenical Theological Education of World Council of Churches. These were perceived as crucial in developing an African theological education that promotes the principles of a just and equitable African Christian community. The primary data was extracted by utilizing an approach that demanded searching various media sources which included electronic databases. The search strategy for electronic databases was developed from the key words and phrases of the research question. The search yielded about 10, 821 results and having carefully perused through them, 169 primary sources were included in this study. This was significant as it helped make sense of a large body of literature and was a means of isolating and synthesising the main theories and pragmatics of African theological education. The insights gained from this study are significant as a contribution to the current search for a vision of African theological education that promotes the principles of a just and equitable African Christian community in the twentyfirst century. The study makes two unique contributions in the search and vision for African theological education. The contribution lies in constructing an example of an African pedagogy of community of life which is based on education for life-giving. This pedagogy is based on the Bemba understanding of insaka which is a process of life-giving-learning methodology. This theme is as relevant for global Christianity as it is to the Bemba people in their quest for lifegiving theological education. Another critical contribution lies in the understanding that through Africanization, African theological education has been in a process of acquiring its own unique character or theological identity. African theological education has shifted from a merely dogmatic orientation to praxis orientation. This is based on a theological pedagogy that recognises that doing theological education involves critical engagement in a missional process of liberation-of seeking fullness of life in its interpenetrative dimensions as spiritual-material starting with the least of the community, but embracing the whole of God's creation. To achieve vii this, theological education has to cut across denominational allegiances, privileging of academic disciplines, and embracing the insaka pedagogy of life through ecumenical and trans-disciplinary approaches. The viability of African theological education resides in its critical engagement with the concrete societal challenges of the African peoples. As a result, this study argues that creating a just and equitable African Christian community to a large extent depends on embracing the life-giving pedagogy as an imperative in African theological education.
THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN AFRICA, book
This is a collection of essays on theological education in Africa and where I have a chapter. It is important that post graduate students in the relevant field refer to it - as prominent scholars in Africa have chapters in it
The Importance of Theological Education in South Africa.
The Importance of Theological Education in South Africa.
During the past five decades the heartland of global Christianity has shifted to the Southern hemisphere. This places the responsibility of future Christianity predominantly in the hands of church leaders in these regions. It is therefore crucial to critically reflect on how effective theological education is to produce competent church leaders, especially in Africa. This article aims to give an overview of the challenges theological education in Africa is currently facing, and then to provide a macro vision of the major moments in the development of the international discourse on theological education over the past five decades. This comparison will inform practitioners about the relevance of current models used for theological education in Africa. By highlighting the relevance of these various models and how they relate to challenges in Africa, this article contributes to research on the development of new and alternative frameworks for theological education in an African context.
Excellence and renewal of theological education in Africa: The case of ACTEA
A critical engagement with theological education in Africa: A South African perspective
In this book, a critical engagement with theological education in Africa is offered. As the book originates from South Africa, it is presented from a South African perspective although contributors are situated accross the African continent and abroad. The common denominator is, however, that all contributers are, in some way or another, invested in theological education in Africa. The main contribution of this collaborative work is to be sought in the insights it offers on four main areas of theological education: a historical and current orientation on theological edcuation in Africa, some paradigm shifts in theological education in Africa, ministerial formation needs versus theological education challenges and a critical reflection on elective models and methods. This book presents an original and innovative research of scholars involved in theological higher education, as it is grounded in the respective fields of interest of each contributor. It contributes to a better understanding of the complex African theological higher education landscape, a complex landscape that is experiencing even greater challenges since the dawn of COVID-19, which is noted in the research findings. Methodologically, the work draws on a combination of methods, including literature studies, empirical work and, in some cases, sectional offerings from doctoral studies, as indicated in the various chapters. The centre target consists of scholars in the field of higher theological education in Africa. No part of the book was plagiarised from another publication or published elsewhere before.