African Ubuntu, the See-Reflect-Act Model, and Christian Social Practice: Reading Luke 10:38–42 in Light of African Hospitality (original) (raw)
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2021
The notion of ubuntu as a moral theory in the South African and African contexts presents attractive norms of an African worldview that can be articulated and applied to contemporary Christian ethics. The proponents of ubuntu perceive it as an African philosophy based on the maxim, "a person is a person through other persons", whereby the community prevails over individual considerations. It is not merely an empirical claim that our survival or well-being is causally dependent on others but is in essence capturing a normative account of what we ought to be as human beings. However, ubuntu has shortcomings that make it an impractical notion. Despite its shortcomings, ubuntu has natural ethic potential that enforces and engenders hospitality, neighbourliness, and care for all humanity. This article contributes to further conceptualisation and understanding of the notion of ubuntu and its relationship with hospitality in order to retrieve some principles that can be applied to effective and meaningful pastoral care. The principles drawn from ubuntu are juxtaposed with Christian principles and pastoral care to encourage embodiment of God by pastoral caregivers.
Mgbakoigba: Journal of African Studies, 2016
In the recent time, African Christian scholars have been singing like a hymn, the need to inculturate Christian religion in Africa. According to them, the Christian religion that the Western missionaries brought to Africa was packaged in the “garb” of Western culture and values. This situation in their view, has led to an inauthentic Christian life and syncretism among African Christians. The simple reason is because Christian religion like the Word made flesh has not been incarnated into African way of life. Instead of this very essential approach to evangelization, Christian missionaries of the West saw most of what Africans treasured and valued in their culture as devilish and demons to be cast out. However, following the emphasis on Mission as Dialogue with Culture which many Christian teachers and scholars have advocated, this paper investigates the possibility of being truly African and truly Christian and postulates that what would bring authentic Christian practice and good ...
Christian Understanding of the Human Person in the Perspective of African Cultures
Roczniki Teologiczne
The article attempts to present a few perspectives from African cultures on the Christian understanding of man. The central thesis argued for is that the interpenetration of the universalizing Christian culture and the particularizing cultures of indigenous peoples need not always breed tensions of values. As always, there are common entry points for harmonization which facilitates evangelization in view of those salvific fruits which `grace' always offers to `nature'. It can thus be clear from the above that my overall aim in this article is to show how the African cultural perspectives on the being of man shapes the reception of the Christian gospel about the human person as redeemed by Christ. To be sure, the key questions to which this article responds present themselves as follows: In what light does the Christian understanding of human person appeal to the African? In other words, what is the African perspective of the being of man and how does it influence the African...
African Christianity: A Living and Vibrant Repository of Christian Faith – Part II
Fronteiras - Revista de Teologia da Unicap
Africa has played a remarkable role in the formation and growth of Christian faith and culture, right from its infancy. The ancient nature of African Christianity has been substantiated in the first part of this article which tries to establish African Christianity as one of the pillars of faith in Christendom; a fact corroborated by its unique indigenous spiritual symbols, its traditional proverbs that resonate with Christian wisdom literature, and above all its liturgical innovations and vibrancy both in ancient times and post Vatican Council II. Hence the themes discussed are: African Jesus as an 'Ancestor par excellence'; African liturgical heritage; the Church as Family of God; African proverbs, and African contribution to world Christianity. All this lends a particular stamp of identity and character to African Christianity, not as a replica of Western or Eastern Christianity, but as a unique and equal tradition, a contemporary repository of Christianity.
A therapeutic community as a relevant and efficient ecclesial model in African Christianity
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2016
This article sets forth the argument that Christian ministry in Africa must become socially and culturally informed and constructed or else it will not touch the African soul and thus remain superficial. Black African people aspire above everything else to experience fullness of life and wellbeing here and now, as demonstrated by their greetings that are actually an enquiry into each other’s health and an expression of the wish for the other’s good health and wellbeing. The mainline churches that operate in Africa should embrace the scripturally sound Christian healing ministry in obedience to Christ’s commission to preach the gospel and heal the sick, if they are to prosper. Hence, this article discusses the following eight points, namely, (1) good health and healing as Africans’ important aspiration, (2) healing as the work of God and thus of the church, (3) the imperative of serious consideration of and respect for the African worldview, (4) membership decline and mainline church...
African Philosophy as Expressed in the Concepts of Hospitality and Ubuntu
Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, 2008
African Philosophy is expressed in virtually the entire life of an African life. Ubuntu is one of the concepts that express it well, despite some of its shortcomings. The paper sets out to show that the concept of Ubuntu (personhood or humanness), which is not only an aspect of African hospitality, but more importantly an expression of African Philosophy, is relevant in the reconstruction of post-colonial Africa. In its methodology, the paper begins by defining the above concepts that are under discussion. The theoretical framework in this presentation is reconstructive motif – a phenomenon that is seen in the emerging theologies of reconstruction. These theologies of reconstruction are driven by the need to re-write our own stories; hence reconstruct our past histories, in order to genuinely move forward; and this can be seen as the key to addressing the concerns of our contemporary Africa. The biblical Nehemiah‟s rebuilding project, following his discovery that the wall of the city of Jerusalem was in ruins after years in Babylonian captivity (refer to the book of Ezra-Nehemiah), serves as an inspiration to these post-exilic theologies. In view of this, the paper will attempt to demonstrate the reconstructive impact of Ubuntu in the post-colonial Africa.
Christology and culture final paper.
It is an undisputable fact that the focal person in Christianity has been the person of Jesus Christ and nearly all cultures and persons open to Christianity the world over have been concerned with defining who Jesus is in relation to their human and cultural experiences. Looking at the history of this great religion and its missionary engagement with cultures especially in the context of Africa, one sees the expressions of European ideas and cultures. A quote from J. V. Taylor makes the above point much clearer. According to him, "Christ has been presented as the answer to the questions a white man would ask, the solutions to the needs that Western man would feel, the Savior of the world of the European world-view, the object of the adoration and prayer of historic Christendom. But if Christ were to appear as the answer to the questions that Africans are asking, what would he look like?" In other words, in attempt to spread Christianity, European missionaries have in many ways downgraded indigenous cultures and in place projected European culture and values. As a result, many cultures have not fully integrated the gospel of Christ into their life and experiences thereby making Jesus Christ a stranger in their midst. Africa, having been a continent that has experienced slavery and colonization and today neocolonization, is still struggling to define itself in relation to the person and ministry of Jesus. I believe it is against this background that the Kenyan Anglican lay-theologian in 1967 declared that the search for authentic expression of Jesus among Africans or Christological concepts did not exist.
2020
Specific Christological models help define the spirituality of African peoples. A Christianity that creates meaning for any people must be integrated anthropologically. This study investigates some selected Christological models that helped shape the spirituality of Africa and its integration in the Christian faith. Spirituality has a definitive role in defining African people. The socio-cultural life of Africa is the foundation that Africans relate to other spiritualities; therefore, both the corporeal and the divine are inseparable in the hermeneutical, anthropological narrative of Africans. Some aspects of African Christological models are consistent with Scripture and these functional Christologies unveil a culture of pragmatic relevance in ever-changing societies. Although critiques on the lack of missional contextualization of Christianity are overwhelming in academia, nevertheless, a study of some of these perspectives makes Christ the center of the history of African spiritu...
GOSPEL VALUES AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION
The article analyses the religion of Jesus, the Christ and of Zakadza, a variant of African Traditional Religion in Ghana. Worship, including ritual utterances, a primary source in the study of religious experience, and the informal expression of religion of both people, have been analysed. The findings of the research are that both religions are theocentric and practical. People of both religions concretely manifest God's goodness and love in the service to humans. The research has realized that Zakadza also contains gospel values that are requisite for salvation of its adherents. This paper is significant because it shows that faiths other than Christianity also contain gospel values requisite for salvation. Recognition of this can bring about peaceful coexistence among peoples of different faiths. Introduction Religion, generally speaking, is humans' attempts to understand the ultimate source, purpose and end of life; and the power for living1. Its main objective is to lead its membership to salvation2. One may argue that " the explicit and manifest function of religion is to offer humans the prospect of salvation and to provide appropriate guidance on how to attain it " 3. This basic idea can help us respect people of other faiths different from our own leading to religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence. This is even so when the rise in technology in the postmodern time has led to exponential development in global communication; increasing mobility and congregating within the same space or territory, enormous different kinds of religion. Thus it is no longer possible for anyone religion to exist in absolute isolation; and discussion with other religions is essential for survival.4 However, the attitude and way of life of some Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians as well as evangelists seems to portray that their lives severed from the dominant African culture and religious milieu is sanctioned by God5. They appear to question the possibility of salvation for adherents of African Traditional Religion. This stand raises two fundamental questions: first, does African Traditional Religion contain or reflect gospel values (indicators of Christ's presence), which are ingredient for salvation? Can adherents of African Traditional Religion be saved through the practice of their own religion? This paper is significant because it has highlighted that faiths other than Christianity also contain gospel values requisite for salvation; and that understanding this could contribute to peaceful coexistence among peoples of different faiths.