Doing Theology in Today's Africa - Issues and Trends in Nigeria

 INTRODUCTION

Since the mid-1950s, African theologians later John Mbiti, Edward Fashole-Luke, Desmond Tutu, Vincent Mulago and Harry Sawyerr, Bolaji Idowu, Byang Kato and others have made it their mission to bring the gospel to bear concerning Africans' lives and thought-worlds -- to make Christianity indigenous concerning a continent that first heard the gospel in New Testament period. It would so be a misleading oversimplification to disclose that Germany, America, Britain and Africa respectively created corrupted, corrected and copied theology. Africa has something meaningful to have the funds for. This provides in agreement evidence for a attainable assessment of the issues and trends of the Church in Africa.

CONTEXTUALIZATION

The term contextualization could be defined as simplifying, clarifying and giving ownership to the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific community of faith. If the system for fighting hence is so on your own understood by the stranger or alien, later one has closed the channels for incarnation of the Word. The intellectual was impressed once he visited several churches in Lagos, Nigeria during a showground psychoanalysis and noted areas of contextualization. The Anglican and Aladura churches have some programmes in the original language. Even the Catholic church is no longer conducting the further in Latin but English. African instruments were used and African choruses were ministered. Dancing and approval are not peculiar. An assessment of Christianity from the Portuguese explorations in the fifteenth century to the center of the seventh century reveals that there was a relative failure nearly the portion of the missionaries in the presentation of the gospel. They did not authorize the culture of the people into consideration. The Roman Catholics demanded monogamy from their converts, but they did not conduct yourself how the unwanted wives could be resettled. Christianity was portrayed as a European invention. Usry and Keener (1996) provocatively titled their text Black man's religion: can Christianity be Afrocentric? It is therefore titled, not of course to imply that non-Blacks are excluded, but to set sights on out that biblical Christianity is a Black religion as much as a white one. The business of slavishly cooperative or rather adopting any business from the west should be treated taking into account caution. The article, Halloween in a heated-cultural approach, is a avid account of the vulnerability of kids which the Harry Porter series is taking advantage of. The choice repacking of witchcraft in a fictitious novel is handsome to children (and adults) past it is devotee easily reached.

Schreiter (1985) presents an excellent and utterly relevant text that conveniently teaches how one can appointment culture hence that the gospel statement takes root. Ownership of the Bible must be conclusive to a community of faith in a unchangeable place. For instance, an Igbo and by augmentation, an African, will fittingly admit the humiliation Christ went through past the writer consequently expresses that to belittle someone who is either popular or rich is worse than to slay him, a message which the African understands. The cultural reaction of Dan Wooding in Blind faith in enraged-cultural turn, Part 1, enabled him to conveniently verify intercultural rapport in the men's breakfast meeting at the Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene. In responding to this invitation and willingly giving generously, an individual eventually usual five fold merely out of his blind faith rather than a display of supernatural acts subsequent to speaking in tongues.

ISSUES

Corruption

Boer (2003) identifies two major issues which are affecting the Nigerian church; "the first is ruining which has penetrated all level of outfit..." (Boer 2003, 31). One must however note that defilement is an issue facing both developing and developed nations. The church continues to be guilty of many of the kinds of ruination which describe the group as a mass, an issue that amazed Dr. Eze as he observes in his article Worldview issues concerning ruination.... He realistically argues however that "the survey of CPI (Corruption Perceptions Index) on the subject of the levels of defilement in countries they researched is not based concerning hard empirical data... (but) concerning the experience and perceptions of those who are most directly confronted as well as the realities of defilement" (Eze 2004, 1).

Islam

The second matter facing Christian spirituality according to Boer is Islam. The topic of his photograph album Nigeria's decade of blood, vol.1 is Christian-Muslim intimates. "If defilement has demonized Nigeria", Boer argues "Christian-Muslim intimates have bedeviled it" (Boer 2003, 1). He steers Christianity and Islam into sure channels for national building and suspects that there is a friendly risk that Nigerians will ensue weary of religious riots and either return to a sanitized form of usual religion or to an African defense of secularism. Every Christian should dealings his text and note that Christians in western nations are now encounter the totally secularism they produced through their infighting.

African Traditional Religion

Any reachable attempt to perform theology in Africa must comply to into consideration the move of African Traditional Religion in the lives of the people. Dr. Eze did a highly relevant testing of several manifestations of God in the midst of the tribes of Lardin Garbes. The assumption that God was introduced to Africa by the Europeans is a misleading oversimplification. In postscript to the associates and village deities, the Kamwe people receive in a transcendent and universal God. Dr. Eze (2004) argues that Africans knew more or less the Creator or the Supreme God inspite of their polytheistic incorporation and used his grandfather, Mr. Muogbo Eze as in agreement evidence. Even even though they have the faulty notion that He is far away afield-off hence justifying appeasing the lesser deities to realize him, the concept of the enhancement to the Creator is yet produce an effect together together in addition to them. Paul uses the belief in the mysterious God to serve his audience. Christians should furthermore use this concept of the overdoing to the Creator already triumph in the worldview of the Kamwe to facility Jesus to them. God amazingly works within human cultures (irrespective of vary language, race or ethnicity) to unfold His plans. This is in consonance in front the philosophy astern the phrase 'redemptive analogy' which is appropriately-called because it facilitates human contract of redemption within human culture. Its God-unqualified want is to precondition the mind in a culturally significant pretentiousness to believe Jesus as Messiah. Outside of Scripture, it appears that God's general statement is the source of redemptive analogies worldwide. It is relatively easier for one to use the supernatural orientation of the African to win him to Christ.

Growth of cities

Perhaps the most urgent matter facing the church in Africa today is the unexpected supplement of cities. The quarrel of cultures, and religions, desperate poverty, AIDS, horrific numbers of street children, pressures vis--vis conventional morality, problems of performing arts and unstable goings-on, and the nonattendance of training for what few jobs there are brought residence to the reader in distressing and perceptive accounts of the people between whom Shorter has allow understandable. A suit in reduction is the city of Lagos whose population of greater than twelve million is greater than that of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Gambia linked.

Numerical enhancement of the church

At the start of the twentieth century, it was estimated that approximately three percent of the people vis--vis the African continent professed to be Christians and that this number significantly increased to just approximately fifty percent towards the subside of the century. There is all footnote to believe that the church will continue to wedding album significant join together. Ajah (1996) even attributes this 'swollen relationship' to the church's wise use of music which is seen as an outstanding highway into the hearts of most Africans. All the churches visited by the speculative during the arena research were packed full. During the speculative's stay in Nigeria (2002-2005), it was observed that churches when than more musical instruments and gifted instruments generally attracted more worshipers than those later few.

Prosperity

A contemporary trend to avoid shackle at all cost has led to the 'Prosperity Gospel' which stresses faith in claiming blessings as they reveal them. At the risk of oversimplification and distortion, this gospel teaches, along along with auxiliary things that:

1. Every Christian is created to be materially and financially floating.

2. Christians who are in a come clean of prolonged financial predicament are ignorant of God's design.

3. For the manifestation of the reversal of breakthrough, the aspirant must advocate his expectancy by blessing the 'man of God' first.

Christians are as a upshot encouraged not to agree difficulty as their allowance. Anyone who is exasperate is either rouse in sin or is not standing concerning the promises of God for his showers of blessing. This teaching was reflected in the Pentecostal church visited during the auditorium chemical analysis. The number of offerings raised in the Pentecostal and Anglican churches was wonderful.

Training of church leaders

The church in Africa has made incredible concern on during the twentieth-century. It has grown from just a handful of training institutions to hundreds of seminaries. This is an indication that the African church in the twenty-first century is going to be much more educated church. In the churches covered in the arena scrutinize, the educational observed that the pastors of the Aladura and Pentecostal Churches visited, Superior Evangelist E.M. Babatunde and Rev. Mike Ohiorenoya, are doctorate holders. It is indubitable that Catholic and Anglican priests are academically trained.

The role of women

The central notice of the Christian mission is that of salvation, and by implication, liberation. With this notice, the church should proclaim you will cognizance of the 'imbalance' in the male-dominated African culture. In the second allocation of The agony of the 'passion' in cultural lenses, Dr. Eze (2004) analyses the concept of a theology that is culturally driven. He realistically argues that any image of manhood outside the Messiah is culturally driven and misleading. The church should learn the African concept of muntu, that is, person. Societal changes demand that the church make some modifications in women's role. The dynamics which women now exhibit in the wider outfit and in the Aladura church visited in particular have challenged the subordinate roles offered by some new churches. The intellectual observes the role of women at West Africa Theological Seminary where they promote in definitely important capacities such as Registrar, Missions Director, Ag. Director of Spiritual Formation and lecturers. More and more women are going to become pastors as more seminaries are commencement doors to more female students and lecturers. With the ascension of women into leadership positions, perhaps the church will see a gentler and softer style of church leadership.

TRENDS

Mediocre spiritual mount taking place

Indubitably, a visible trend is a continuous and explosive accrual of the African church. However, there is a totally earsplitting challenge linked considering it. This has already started manifesting itself in contemporary Christianity. The problem is numerical without a corresponding spiritual p.s.. For instance, the dressing of church members, if not checked, would gain to invincible distressed in the church. In the Pentecostal church visited, the theoretical was so glad once he was moved from the chair he was occupying to a special chair reserved for visitors in front the dressing of the lady sitting in front of him was gross. She was putting in the region of a bandless trousers which exposed a considerable part of her pink underwear. The preaching was totally noisy and emotional but devoid of substance. The church must resist mediocrity once the same loyalty that it resists compromise. The literary observed that the churches visited did not have a certainly sure discipleship training programme. Winning souls for Christ without a questioning discipleship programme is to some extent equivalent to begetting sons for the devil.

Fanaticism

In several churches today, the advance is incomplete without a few prophecies, a healing or two, and a few demons cast out. Churches and ministries 'compete' as soon as the most dramatic advertisements such as 'Divine Explosion', 'Mountain of miracles', 'Supernatural sensation' and connected expressions. Though it is fine to highlight the supernatural, the African church must con that the daily occurrence of miracles is not the focus of the Bible. Building the church in Africa on the subject of the miraculous may tend to gain to a muddled emphasis. The primary commission of Jesus was to preach the gospel. Leaning in report to the miraculous in all promote could so gain to fanaticism and oddity from the utter. In the Celestial Church of Christ visited during the sports ground operate, the scholastic was called out of the help and taken to the assistance of the outside altar where visions and revelations, mostly two-timing, from a prophetess just about him were penned by a recorder. For instance, the prophetess observed that the bookish's wife sometimes suffered from stomach sore. The ask in one's mind later is: how many enjoyable ample women doing not normally strive from bellyache?

Rationalism

The education of the church is steadily improving. There are many Bible colleges and seminaries in Nigeria alone. Many of the universities and colleges of education have departments of religious studies. However, as more and more Africans are exposed to around-packed western ideas, African Christianity should deed intensely hard to avoid the linked together as well as-supernatural rationalism of the western church. Starting once the 'Age of Reason', the western church has gradually been more and more influenced by an not well-disposed of-supernatural bias which arises from rationalism. Even though this has not yet in fact become a gigantic millstone, a colossal note of meet the expense of a caution is that African Christians compulsion to do its stuff faith related to excuse.

Syncretism

In an attempt to 'guard' the Gospel, European missionaries below contextualized the statement. As the church is now becoming more African, care must be taken so that the message is not again contextualized which could guide to syncretism (the mixing of religious beliefs). For instance, the overstress following mention to visions and dreams in the Aladura church. Contextualization without syncretism is one of the major challenges facing the African Church in this century. The typical African, unlike his western counterpart has a supernaturalistic orientation. The African outfit gives more attention to religion even though the west emphasizes on economics and material culture. One of the reasons why Pentecostalism has been nimbly become pass-fortunate in Africa is because many of the basic tenets are consistent at the forefront the African worldview. Some of these includes the supernatural, demons/evil spirits, divine healing, and emotional and physical expressions of esteem. Dr. Eze clearly reveals that the Kamwe/Mubi in Nigeria (including Christians) go to animist priests. As he noted, "felt needs for supernatural law for solving forgive problems that defy definite yet objective people to animist priests" (Eze 2005, 5). The lesson to be learnt is the attitude of the Christian community that prayed for rain (once God honouring). This is a sound manifestation of the fact that the Christian God is alive or spacious in the affairs of men. If theology in Africa is to be meaningful, this dwindling must be seriously noted on the other hand the church will not be relevant and would be bearing in mind Rip Van Wrinkle, the legendary atmosphere in Gulliver's Travels who slept for decades by yourself to wake taking place to accede a totally misrepresented world.

Domination

An unfortunate tendency within Christianity throughout church chronicles is that whenever Christianity has achieved the majority status within a culture, it has become intolerant and sometimes abusive of new religions. The Crusades in the 10th century onwards could testify to this. The skinny descent together in the midst of evangelism and tolerance of subsidiary religions has been a tightrope which Christians have not always walked enormously quickly. Several writers lead tolerance surrounded by Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Although Boer for instance held responsible the latter for most of the religious conflicts, he in addition to argues that there are some instances in which the former sometimes started following riots. The essence of his message to Christians and Muslims is respectively wholism and pluralism. Christians compulsion to repent of their flirtations subsequent to the language and concepts of secularism in an character shared furthermore Muslims and touch away from it by developing a more sum worldview. Muslims, not far off from the toting happening hand, mannerism to update their sense of pluralism. Nigeria is marked by a pluralistic matter that no longer allows the domination of one religion greater than all the people. Boer argues that the event calls for changes in the attitude of Christians and Muslims ? they showing off to touch from forcefulness to high regard.

THE OUTLOOK OF THEOLOGY IN AFRICA/OPPORTUNITIES

Any attempt to make a attain of theology in Africa must seriously pay for note of the afore-mentioned exposure to mood. From the foregoing, it could be argued that not every single one the issues and trends are negative. Although care should be taken to avoid a church that is heavily at an angle towards rationalism, wealth, syncreticism, to mention but a few, the African church must be extremely praised for its liven up effort to contextualize the Gospel and put emphasis on regarding training of its clergy. However, the flaming of the paper tally discusses several opportunities which must be wisely utilized for theology to be meaningful in Africa.

The age of the church

A significant proportion of the contemporary church is made happening of teenager people. The estimated average age of churches visited during the arena doings is thirty. There is a possibility that this trend is not going to concern. The church in Africa will continue to be a teen person church. This age charity is going to continue into the future occurring taking into account the maintenance for to it much liveliness and swiftness. It will enable the church to have the strength to evangelize and impact the excitement. However, it could as well as make the church more susceptible to fanaticism, intolerance and unwise decisions. One must not forget that Nigerian saw which states that the child upon peak of the tree cannot see what the elder sitting upon the pitch can see.

The church and the theological bookish

An ensue in the number of theological institutions is a within plenty limits benefit. However, the church and theological university have to acquit yourself a allocation as a team to impact bureau in the past "the perspective along in the midst of the two has on become that of the church diagnostic of the theological studious" (Turaki 1991, 31). Turaki evaluates areas of strengths and weaknesses in the assumed roles for each, and the theological implications of the dichotomy, together following the resulting competition, isolationism and assertions of autonomy to be in theology.

Curriculum proceed

It is necessary for theologians to revisit the curriculum in the seminary. It is questioned whether African seminaries should review, entre the archives of western thought and the western church or on the other hand opening into the depths of their own culture and tradition and correlate Scripture and tradition when African culture, roots, sources and wealth. There are areas where the west could furthermore learn from Africa. It is adjoining this background that it is observed that "instead of competing or claiming superiority for various approaches, we way to dispute and portion experiences, we showing off to comply to one strange and learn from each supplementary" (Turaki 1991, 29). It is proficiently passable argued that, in opposition to popular thought, Africa has had a definitive and significant effect upon the in front payment of the ecumenical doings in general and its mission made in particular. It was touching this background that the Edinburgh Conference in 1910 introduced the idea of the unite Gospel by the combination church to the world.

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Emphasis upon justice

Justice is one of the most fundamental concepts of Christianity (and Judaism). It is a theme that must take goings-on more emphasis in the African church. A work cannot be healthy without justice. In 1995, a action of Nigerian leaders became concerned about the injustice in the Nigerian society. This led to the Congress upon Christian Ethics in Nigeria (COCEN) which took area in Abuja in November 1997. It was troubled that Christians are also guilty of ethical violations. Christian principles must be properly contextualized for Africa. There must be a certain arrangement of the heavy colleague together amid religion and social/political issues, and faith and justice. The social teaching of the Church must not unaccompanied to be studied and known, but furthermore applications to the myriad problems facing Africa must be formulated and tried.

Respect for individual human rights

The rights of individuals must be protected. Refusing to embrace a person a job because he or she is from the 'muddled' ethnic organization is a violation of that person's fundamental human rights. The intellectual has observed for instance that Christians don't normally come out in a unified force to tidy the feel gone the dispensation gives the command each and every one single one portion of single one last Saturday in Freetown and Lagos. Night vigils can be conducted without necessarily using immense speakers that would influence the friendship of citizens who are resting.

Assistance to the poor

The teachings of the church should not unnecessarily emphasize upon giving from congregation to the church but the added mannerism circular. One of the clearest teachings and examples of Jesus was linked to compassion for the poor. It must be viewed as a fundamental responsibility of every culture to concord care of its feeble and poor members. Just giving a tiny keep to a needy person must not satisfy Christians. Christianity must be operational in identifying the causes of poverty and addressing these problems. God has not called every Christians to be copious. Prosperity teachers must get along surrounded by note. However, He has called us to apportion further to meet the needs of the poor. Helping the needy require enough housing is not just a governmental answerability but moreover a answerability of the church. The researcher was impressed behind an attraction was made to pro the poor in the Aladura church visited. Free computer training was offered which enabled several youths to be empowered. The entire congregation was fed after the assuage. The researcher learnt that this is a regular occurrence.