AbstractThe Eldest Brother and New Testament Christology explores the origin of cultural representations of Jesus as an eldest brother. Through ethnographic surveys, author Harald Aarbakke shows that the role of the eldest brother in different African societies is often accompanied by additional roles, among them mediator, protector, and leader. Aarbakke also searches for an exegetical basis for this understanding of Jesus, and argues that an eldest brother Christology can be substantiated by the cultural and literary context of certain New Testament texts (Matthew 25:31-46 and 28:10, Mark 3:31-35, John 20:17, Romans 8:28-30, Colossians 1:15-20, and Hebrews 2:10-18).

AbstractThe Gospel according to Luke has been described as both the loveliest book in the world and the best account of the life of Jesus ever written. Luke's aim was to present a history of how God accomplished the work of redemption for the whole of mankind regardless of race, color, and language. Abogunrin discusses the applicability of Luke's message to the modern lives of suffering and starving African refugees.

AbstractThe importance of the mother tongue in the planting and growth of African Christianity has been stressed by scholars such as Lamin Sanneh and Kwame Bediako. Bediako, for instance, states that "the ability to hear in one's language and to express in one's language one's response to the message which one receives, must lie at the heart of all authentic religious encounters with the divine realm." The paper discusses how the translation of the Bible and the use of the mother-tongue-has facilitated the production of new theological idioms by Akan Pentecostals/Charismatics in particular and Christians in general. Particularly, the paper discusses how the use of the mother-tongue has contributed to the re-interpretation of classical theological concepts such as Christology. Christ as an Ancestor and Christ as Healer-Duyefo is among the topics to be discussed in this paper.

AbstractThis research investigates the problem: do contemporary African Christologies reflect the portrayal of the personhood and the significance of the Cross of Christ in the New Testament? It explores the Christo logical views of African theologians in Black Theology, African Theology and African Women's Theology, and the fundamental presuppositions of these forms of Christologies rather than providing a detailed treatment of the individual Christo logical views of these theologians. The research argues that the methodological assumptions of African theologians, specifically, their hermeneutical starting point and convictions, deeply influence their Christological thoughts and constructions. Therefore, this research examines contemporary African hermeneutical methods, particularly searching for their congruence with the original and characteristic Protestant hermeneutical conviction of Sola Scriptura. As a comparative study, this research deliberately compares these contemporary and representative African Christologies with Paul's view of Jesus Christ and the significance of his Cross, thereby inquiring specifically after the role of Christian Soteriology in these African Christo logical approaches and comparing them with Paul. The research argues that, looking at dominant contemporary African Christologies from the perspective of Pauline Protology and Soteriology, they do not always fully reflect the New Testament portrayal of the personhood and the Cross of Christ in the New Testament. For future work on African Christologies, the research concludes and suggests that African Christologies be critically evaluated based on their congruence with the Protestant hermeneutical principle of Sola Scriptura.

AbstractThis article undertakes a critical appraisal of contemporary African christological discourse. After an exposition of a sample of three contemporary African Christologies -- specifically looking at the interplay between African traditional religions (ATRs), experiences, societies, cultures, contexts and Christianity -- the essay evaluates from an evangelical understanding of the person of Jesus Christ, all the three dominant Christologies espoused in the essay. Recognising the influence of African traditional religions and cultures in the development of Christian theology, specifically Christology in Africa, the essay argues for a further continuation of African christological discourse, since the discourse itself is a form of dialogue between ATRs and Christianity. However, the essay suggests that reflections and constructions of Christology in Africa should be done in such a way that the person and work of Jesus Christ will not be misconstrued in African receptive cultures and contexts.

AbstractThis essay undertakes an exploration of contemporary African Christologies in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. In the first part, the essay describes the major developments in African Christian thought that produced three major theological trends in the sub-Saharan Africa from which major Christological trends emerged. The second part is an exposition of contemporary African Christologies. The third part evaluates the three major Christological trends. The essay argues and concludes that the situation of the Africans - especially the notion of human suffering and African pre-Christian religious past - plays a key role in all the three major Christological trends.

AbstractReligion and life, both private and public, remain strongly linked in Africa. This was recently expressed in a prayer vigil organized by Ghana Airways when the staff and management invited a London-based Ghanaian evangelist, Lawrence Tetteh, to lead a 'healing and deliverance' service aimed at exorcizing evil spirits from the affairs of the airline and releasing it from its predicaments. The organization of a healing and deliverance session by a public corporation, it is argued, is symptomatic of the quick African resort to the sphere of religion in the search for solutions to life's difficulties. Religious functionaries including Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors are important in Africa as purveyors of powerful prayers, potent medicines, and amulets for protection against evil. The Pentecostal 'healing and deliverance' ministry has become popular in African contexts like that of Ghana because it takes African worldviews of mystical causality seriously. This Christianity promises Christian alternatives to the search for security that drives people into the courts of other religious functionaries.

AbstractJesus Christ, the Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, Lord (Kyrios), Rabbi and Messiah. These are some of the names used by Christians today and even by the people from the era of Jesus Christ to address him or to communicate with him. Others use them because they were taught that this is the way you talk about him or to him. People use all these different names to describe Jesus Christ according to their understanding, knowledge, trust and belief in him. This article will describe how the Sotho, who are African Christians, from the township of Mohlakeng in Randfontein, know, understand, trust and believe in Jesus Christ according to the title of Great Ancestor. Views of the inhabitants of Mohlakeng are used to describe the complexity of the issue. This article discusses what the meaning of the concept of ancestor entails and determines whether Jesus can indeed be referred to as Ancestor. There are different answers to this question.

AbstractFor many years, Africans have embraced a Christ who was a stranger to their worldview and culture; a Christ more reflective of western epistemology than that of the Christ encountered through the Scriptures. Today it is widely accepted that all theology (Christology) is contextual and therefore arises out of the synergy between culture, Christian tradition, and Scripture. Our knowledge of Christ is therefore something that is not static or detached from everyday life but dynamic and immanent. A true assessment of Christ in Africa must take us to the wellsprings of African orality where Christ is seen and experienced at the grassroots of Christian experience. This article explores the way Christ is encountered and appropriated among Akan African Indigenous Churches (AICs) in Ghana. Drawing upon a nationwide Christological survey it explores the sources that adherents of AICs draw upon in shaping their knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is to them. It further examines how their appropriation of Christ aids them in the quest for life and wholeness in what is very often a world of poverty, disease, and conflict.

AbstractAfrican indigenous churches (AICs) are commonly known as being highly pneumatic. Some even argue that their overly pneumatic spirituality has weakened their Christology. The question of the place of Christ within the pneumatically centred theology of AICs is an important one that has been explored more rigorously in recent years. This article that constitutes part of nationwide research in Ghana among indigenous churches, explores the place given to Christ within the religious apprehension of Ghanaian AICs.

AbstractThe question of ecclesiological identity is a pressing one in the contemporary context, particularly in the light of the church’s increasing marginalization or relative insignificance within Western society. This question of ecclesiological identity is explored by way of engagement with the guest Christology of the Nigerian Presbyterian theologian Enyi Ben Udoh, and by way of John Koenig’s New Testament Hospitality. The result is a suggestive and constructive vision of the church that prioritizes its status as guest, in relation to the Christ who comes to the human family as guest, then kin, then Lord. The implications of this guest Christology for the church are sketched in conclusion. L’identité ecclésiologique est une question urgente dans le contexte contemporain, en particulier avec la croissance de marginalisation de l’Église et de son insignifiance relative au sein de la société occidentale. Cette question d’identité ecclésiologique est examinée à travers la « guest Christology » du théologien nigérian presbytérien Enyi Ben Udoh et à travers le livre New Testament Hospitality de John Koenig. Le résultat est une vision suggestive et constructive de l’Église qui priorise son statut d’invité, en relation avec le Christ qui vient à la famille humaine en tant qu’invité, puis parent, puis Seigneur. Les implications de ce concept du « Guest Christology » pour l’Église sont esquissées en conclusion.

AbstractThis article is an amalgam of four talks given over several days at The Community of Women and Men in Mission Conference. The overall title ‘Who do you say that I am?’ covers the subjects of Jesus the Liberator, The Healer, The One Who Empowers, and The One Who Sends Us. The author explores these issues in the context of Africa and opens a very illuminating set of questions.

AbstractUsing theories in medical anthropology, especially the ideas inspired by Hector Avalos and George Foster, the study explains three activities associated with the early Christian healthcare system: (1) touching infectious people, (2) hospitality towards possibly infectious people and (3) the practice of itinerary evangelism as an activity that earned Christianity the dubious role of being a carrier of infectious diseases. Discussed alongside the issues associated with the advent of COVID-19, the study aims at (1) reflecting that early Christian healthcare system, which was an offshoot of Jewish healthcare systems, had practices that were perceived to exacerbate infection. In addition, (2) in view of the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, although of lesser catastrophe to ancient plagues, the study proposes that such epidemics call upon the collective actions of mercy and kindness, as Jesus did towards the infected. Theoretically, Victor Turner’s concepts of liminality and communitas assist in imagining the discursive ideas concerning labelling and marginalisation of the Jesus movement, with comparative implication towards those suspected to have contracted the deadly COVID-19 virus. The study concludes with a warning against Christian practices that may further inflame infection by suggesting alternative practices for love and empathy towards others. Contribution: Using ideas concerning infectious diseases in antiquity, the study reinterprets the Jesus movement as a movement that was perceived as carriers of infectious disease. Due to fear of infectious diseases, the rituals associated with hospitality towards the outsiders, the touch and laying of hands and iternary lifestyle were seen as promoting infection. Taking this perspective, the Jesus movement whose modus operandi is mostly associated with the periphery of the villages and cities created alternative rituals for the outcast. In view of the spread of COVID19, such stance by the Jesus movement provides lessons for the church and society to reach out to people who are considered infectious and burden to main society.

AbstractEboussi Boulaga, Fabien

AbstractTukutendereza Yesu lyrics with English, French and Spanish translation(s) Tukudendereze Yesu "We paraise you Jesus" a timeless church vibe by Eschatos Bride Choir Eschatos Bride is a pioneer evangelical choir originally formed in Uganda (East Africa) best known for performing hymns, psalms and anthems greatly inspired many other Christian music outfits in the seventies and eighties at the peak of its popularity. The legendary choir has stood the test of time with more than 100 albums for over 5 decades with their unique harmonious music, often unaccompanied, that draws inspiration from classic choral compositions. Eschatos is led by DR ABBEY KIBALAMA, a pillar in choral music whose influence cuts across various Christian denominations. For more info about their journey https://observer.ug/lifestyle/60133-k... Tukutendereza Yesu lyrics by Eschatos Bride Choir English, French and Spanish translation(s) Tukutendereza Yesu Yesu omwana gw'endiga Omusaayi gwo gunnaazizza Nkwebaza, Omulokozi Yesu mulokozi wange Leero ndi wuwo wekka Omusaayi gwo gunaazizza Yesu mwaana gw'endiga [Yesu] Tukutendereza Yesu Yesu Omwaana gw'endiga Omusaayi go gunaziiza Nkwebazza omulokozi Edda nafuba nga nyo nze Okufuna e mirembe Leero kamalirire nze Okweyamiza Yesu Tukutendeleza, Yeesu Yesu mwana w'endiga Omusayi gwo gunaziza Nkwebaaza omulokoozi Nnaababuulira nga bangi Obulokozi bunno Obutali bwa kitundu bweyampera obwerere Chorus Nategeza nga bananage N'obuvumu ne sitya Yesu eyansumulula nze nokuwanya eyamponye Chorus Nebaza eyanunula nze Eyamponya nga wakisa [ kingi] Yesu ankuuma ansanyusa nze bulijjo yebazibwe chorus/hook till end #TukutenderezaYesu #Eschatos #AbbeyKibalama #EschatosBrideChoir #Escatosbride #translation #tukutenderezalyrics #churchhymns #hymms #catholichymns #protestantsong #hynm #lyrics

AbstractIn Nigerian Christianity, many theologians and Christians who do not have any formal theological training perceive Jesus Christ primarily as a solution to the problems that confront humanity. As a solution, they expect Jesus Christ to inspire some theological discourses that will deconstruct and overthrow Western theological hegemony, to rekindle the quest to preserve some indigenous traditions, to liberate the oppressed, poor and powerless, to expose the oppressors and all evildoers, to liberate and protect people from the attacks of the malevolent spirits, and to save people from being eternally separated from God. But what these solution-oriented Christologies have overlooked is that the Christ-Event is a paradox for it creates simultaneously a problem and a solution for the Christian community which confesses that God has revealed God’s self in this event. The contextual Christology that I develop in this study probes the theological, christological and anthropological consequences of this claim for interpreting and appropriating Jesus Christ in the Nigerian contexts. To achieve this task, I will converse with and critique some selected ‘constructive Christologies’ of some key theologians and some ‘grassroots Christologies’ that have been informed by social conditions, indigenous worldview, encounter with some versions of Christianity propagated by the West, and some existential issues that confront many Christians. However we choose to interpret and appropriate Jesus the Christ in our contexts, he remains simultaneously a question and an answer to the theological, cultural, religious, anthropological, political and socio-economic issues that challenge us. Viewed from this perspective, I will argue that the Christ-Event upsets, unsettles, critiques, and reshapes the solution-oriented Christologies of Nigerian Christianity. I will explore this claim within the circumference of the overarching thesis of this study; namely, as both a question and an answer, Jesus Christ confronts us as a ‘revealer’ of divinity and humanity. Thus, he mediates and interprets divinity and humanity for the purpose of enacting and sustaining a relationship between God and human beings.

Abstract"'Who do you say that I am' (Mark 8:29) is the question of Christology. By asking this question, Jesus invites his followers to interpret him from within their own contexts-history, experience, and social location. Therefore, all responses to Jesus's invitation are contextual. But for too long, many theologians particularly in the West have continued to see Christology as a universal endeavor that is devoid of any contextual influences. This understanding of Christology undermines Jesus's expectations from us to imagine and appropriate him from within our own contexts. In Re-imagining African Christologies, Victor I. Ezigbo presents a constructive exposition of the unique ways that many African theologians and lay Christians from various church denominations have interpreted and appropriated Jesus Christ in their own contexts. He also articulates the constructive contributions that these African Christologies can make to the development of Christological discourse in non-African Christian communities." -- Publisher's description.

AbstractThis article gives an overview of African and Asian women’s images of Jesus as proposed in academic discourse in the last twenty-five years. Some of the images discussed are explicitly feminine (e.g. Jesus as mother), although many of these images are proposed by both Western and non-Western women. African and Asian women also use non-feminine images of Jesus (e.g. Jesus as liberator, Jesus as life-giver). Many of these images were developed by both male and female non-Western theologians and have become part of the global academic discourse. The article concludes that only a few images (e.g Jesus as shakti) are exclusive to non-Western women. Nevertheless, the images presented give insight in the lives of women in Africa and Asia since they reflect the experiences of non-Western women, their quest for life and the conviction that this life is to be found in Jesus Christ.

AbstractThe article sets out to demonstrate African reconstructive Christology as the seventhChristological trend in African Christianity. Considering that African theology is kerygmatically universal, but theologically provincial, the study shows that Christology in our contemporary Africa can be best understood by retracing it from the early Christologicalcontroversies through to the present times. Certainly, African Christology in the 21st century is dominated by calls for contextualisation, indigenisation, rebirth, inculturation,renewal, rejuvenation, renaissance and reconstruction. To this end, the article endeavours todemonstrate that Christ, the ideal reconstructionist, the one who broke the cultural codes of his time in order to reconstruct the society, is the relevant model to our contemporary world.The article draws its theoretical framework from the works of Jesse Mugambi, Kä Mana,and Wachege, amongst other proponents of reconstructive motif in African theology. In its methodology, the article first attempts to identify some early Christological developments through to the contemporary trends. It subsequently attempts a survey of the six Christologicaltrends of the 20th century; that is a Christological trend that commits itself to interpreting and adapting Christology to modern mentality and situation; Christologies geared exclusively to thehistorical Jesus; Christology that tends to uphold the Trinitarian theology; Christologies based on the proclaimed Christ and the historical Jesus; Asian Christologies of inculturation and liberation;and African Christologies of inculturation and liberation. Afterwards, it analyses Christological trends of the 21st century where a seventh dimension, African reconstructive Christology, has become the norm. In so doing, the article builds on the premise that the primary task of African Christology today is restoration.

AbstractChrist and Roots is about Christ Jesus, who revealed himself to me when I was six years old, about how Jesus talked about himself in the seven “I am” statements in the Gospel according to John, and how the New Testament writers experienced him and wrote about him. It is also about preexistent Christ who revealed himself to the African people long before the missionaries came to Africa. However, we assert that the revelation in Christ Jesus is superior to the one in pre-Christian religions. We fully agree with Hebrews: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he also made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he has provided purification for our sins, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty in heaven. So, he became as much as superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (Hebrews 1:1–4).

AbstractAncestor christology and Jesus' identity : a study based on the Epistle to the Hebrews / Jacob Terhemba Igba

AbstractContemporary Trends in Christology in Africa (Full Thesis)

AbstractThe study Women’s faith seeking life investigates the relation between the experiences of Kenyan women with a focus on gender relations which they often conceive as problematic, and their lived faith experiences with Jesus Christ. The main question is whether, and if so how the lived faith in Jesus of churchwomen informs the transformation of gender relations. The study uses the term “lived Christologies”, — developed in conversation with the christological reflections of African women theologians — as an analytic tool. The study into the faith experiences of churchwomen was conducted between 2012 and 2017 in a team of female Kenyan theology students and women theologians, and located in the Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) and the African Israel Nineveh Church (AINC). Particularly the life story interviews as reflections of the daily struggle to survive, proved to be an important source for this research. The study maintains that, where Kenyan women theologians emphasize that Jesus Christ accomplishes holistic liberation from oppressive gendered cultural, religious and economic structures, churchwomen speaking from their existential experiences as woman, mother and spouse, conceive Jesus as the one who gives life. The research concludes that there is a certain ambivalence in the lived Christologies of churchwomen regarding the transformation of gender relations: faith is both a power for transformation, and simultaneously motivates women to persevere in situations of suffering, injustice and oppressive gender relations. Nevertheless, faith in Jesus Christ offers churchwomen space and arguments to navigate between gender roles and negotiate gender relations.

AbstractThe faith that Christianity cherishes and bears witness to must have Christ as its foundation and goal. Without Christ as the central cornerstone and final aim, nothing in Christianity counts. Thus, Christology is, in the final analysis, the basic and central issue of Christian theology. This study is a contribution to the ongoing discourse on Christology in Africa. It is of great importance to all peoples of Africa, as it touches on the way they experience Christ on a daily basis and provides a compelling explanation for the African as he can now see Christ within the categories that he or she can understand. --

Abstract"The Apostles' Creed is one of the most prominent creeds in Christianity, perhaps even the most recited creed by normal believers in church services. However, the creed holds a clause that seems controversial to Christian mission in some contexts, especially African contexts. The clause, "He descended into Hell," is the main concern of this book. In African context, where ancestral cult is prominent in both people's worldview and practice, this clause poses a tangible problem of religious syncretism. The phrase suggests a life after immediate death, that a person can continue to live in a certain realm soon after death. Since the clause depicts Jesus descending into hell after death and burial, and preaching to the other souls of the dead in hell, it suggests the possibility of hearing a message of salvation after death, a doctrine hardly held by Christianity. The doctrine therefore becomes good news for those Africans who hold firm the ancestral cult, and those whose relatives had died in sin on earth. Therefore, this book critically examines the origin and use of this doctrine in the church and its validity in an African context."--

AbstractThis paper draws upon the theologies of Jon Sobrino and Engelbert Mveng to construct a social ethics of participation for those who have been marginalized by corrupt political and economic institutions, focusing on the agency of women in Sub-Sahara Africa. In light of the philosophy of political participation in developing countries, I examine Sobrino's insights that the victims of the evil of this world have to live as risen beings, I consider the African Theologian Engelbert Mveng's concept of anthropological pauperization, and argue that it makes a difference to consider historical events that influence the contexts in which we view the victims. I also argue that both Sobrino and Mveng provide foundations for political participation of the victims, but there is a need to reinforce the agency of the victims, and their own ability to come down from the cross and live as risen beings. Such agency suggests the need for reinforcing the political participation of the victims. Finally, I supplement Mveng's thoughts with the cultural features of the African philosophy of Ubuntu — related to African Humanism — to show that Ubuntu, as well as Mveng, reinforce Sobrino's claims.

AbstractThere is an ongoing challenge in defining African theology because of two important reasons: (1) the quest for a definitive African theology is a fairly recent pursuit and (2) the vastness and diversity of the African continent. Given this, this article presents the complexity of defining African theology and its methodological approaches through a background sketch of the development of African theology. Regardless of many definitions of African theology and its purposes, the article acknowledges African Christian theology as theology that should be derived from the interplay between Scripture, Christian tradition and African cosmology. In deriving theology from the aforementioned aspects, African theology should also seek to develop contextual African theologies with global relevance. In this way, African theology can claim its space in the universal church. Although we are conscious of the values and challenges associated with the task of doing African theology, we argue for its necessity. We further argue that if the centrality of Scripture is maintained in the African theological endeavour, it will cause African theologies to have some shared reference point with other Christian theologies and hence engaging globally, while contributing unique African perspectives to global theological discourse.

Abstract"In the quest for an alternative Christological model that identifies Christ with African Christians, this article critically analyses and evaluates Torrance’s incarnational Christological model in order to determine how his (Torrance’s) incarnational Christological conceptualisation can open up aspects of Christ’s incarnation that fully identify Christ with African Christians. The article highlights that Torrance’s incarnational Christological concepts, namely, anypostasis and enhypostasis, the close association between the doctrine of creation and redemption, and the interpretation of the redemptive history of Israel from an incarnational perspective configures that in the incarnation, God in Christ completely identifies with all humankind and saves them from the ontological depth of their existence. Hence, Torrance’s incarnational Christological model has the significant implication that the gospel is for all humanity in its dealing with sin and spiritual forces. African Christians may claim complete solidarity with Christ everywhere without the stumbling block of a claimed foreignness of Jesus Christ. This article contributes to African Christian identity discussion by identifying a constructive way of understanding Christ’s salvation in a manner that effectively communicates Christ’s relevancy to African Christians. As such, it contributes to systematic theological discussion on Christ in Africa from a Christian identity perspective and its soteriological implications."

Abstract"Two major strands of theology have developed in Africa - inculturation and liberation - each in response to different needs. Emmanuel Martey's African Theology provides a clear, scholarly examination of these two basic approaches, solidly based on Martey's understanding of contemporary theology and his first-hand knowledge of Africa."--BOOK JACKET. "Martey first examines the historical background of each of these theological developments, especially relating to cultural and political movements enveloping the continent in the 1970s. In sub-Saharan Africa, struggles for independence from colonizers have resulted in inculturation theology. The defining aspect of this theology is that it pushes its roots firmly in African culture and traditions. In South Africa, on the other hand, Black Africans struggling against the oppressive systems of apartheid have turned to liberation theology."--BOOK JACKET. "Martey shows how the real hope for African theology lies in the dialectical encounter between these two approaches and in their potential for convergence. "The two foci (of liberation and inculturation)," Martey says, "are not contradictory, but complement each other." African Theology concludes by challenging African theologians to weld together the praxis of inculturation with that of liberation, in order to achieve an integrative vision for the continent."--BOOK JACKET.

AbstractThis article draws upon African widowhood for theological reflection. It shows that experiences of widowhood characterize widows in rural western Kenya as liminal individuals located at a threshold. These widows experience deep loneliness besides other hardships. Further, they feel an existential lack of appeasement of loneliness, which opens up room for the emergence of variant Christologies that are fluid and concern intermediate (‘in between’) areas of experience. Thus this new dynamic of specific embodied experiences by African widows and the intermediacy they experience create the possibility for widows to see Jesus Christ in a manner which is similarly fluid, shifting, ‘in between’ and on the threshold. In order to capture this new Christology that is unbounded and creative, through metaphoric theology, "Jesus Christ is breath" articulates who widows in rural western Kenya say Jesus Christ is.

AbstractAccording to the book of Hebrews, the locus of Jesus’ intercession is found in his role as a high priest. Yet neither the Levitical high priest nor Melchizedek, the prototype after which Jesus’ priestly function is modelled, interceded in a strict sense of the word. In a context where prayer is seen as an activity that pertains to the purview of the weak or needy, how then does one conceive of Jesus’ intercession as portrayed in Hebrews 7:25? In addition, does it not seem rather incongruous that Jesus at the height (right hand) of power should still be found to be interceding? It raises some theological questions as to the subordinate role of the exalted Christ. This stands in sharp relief to other passages in the New Testament that have used the same background text, Psalm 110, to advance the motif of a triumphant Jesus. The contention of this article is that in addition to Psalm 110 that is explicitly cited and alluded to in the letter to the Hebrews, the servant’s song in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 stands behind the high priest motif in Hebrews. The explication of the twin role of Jesus as an intercessor and as an ‘atoner’ for the sins of the people coheres in the servant’s song. The article submits that Jesus’ intercession is indeed a continuation of his vicarious interposition whereby he takes the weakness of the people upon himself and stands in their stead.

AbstractThe theological and relativized usage of inculturation as a paradigm which serves the purpose of ‘praeparatio evangelica’, otherwise known as ‘the preparation for the Gospel’, of Africans with the Christian doctrine of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, as a superior Ancestor, necessitates some considerations, if it is not to be abandoned altogether. At present, Ancestor Christology appears to remain a theoretical premise which bears no parallelism with the practical experiences of most African Christians, who practice ancestral rites and customs. This appears to be the case for the Bantu communities of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Ancestor Christology appears to merely justify the persistent veneration of ancestors in the name of Christ, rather than honouring him as the Great, supreme Ancestor over natural ancestors. For this insight, the paper critically evaluates the premise of Ancestor Christology as a paradigm which permits the contextualisation of Christianity in Bantu communities.

AbstractAfricans have considered their ancestors the mediators between them and their creator, how come Christianity, it declared that there was one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus. How do African Christians reconcile these two claims? The doctrine of the communion of saints is inadequate since sainthood and ancestorhood are not the same. since Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets among the Jews, it is argued that he did the same with the Africans. John the Baptist questions the viability of the Jewish ancestry in view of the coming of the Messiah. St. Paul has argued that both Jews and Gentiles are children of Abraham based on the faith through which Abraham was justified by God. Jesus fulfills, supersedes, and has become the one mediator. In him the role of the African ancestors is accomplished and they are also fulfilled in him. While the West have related to their ancestors through history, the Africans have done so ritualistically. The God of Jesus is also the God of our ancestors and through their life affirming traditions of wisdom, the also served the living God. They are the living dead in the living God.

AbstractIn this response to Professor Maluleke, Kenyan theologian Philomena N. Mwaura speaks about the importance of taking cognizance of women and women's theologizing in the construction of an authentic African theology. While not denying the power of the cross, Professor Mwaura notes the danger of a theology that overlooks women's oppression and marginalization and recommends accepting "their deprivation, suffering and abuse as Christ did ."

AbstractMonograph on the murals at Saint James and All Martyrs Memorial Cathedral, Murang'a, Kenya, painted by artist Elimo Njau in 1959

AbstractFemale initiation rite is one of the many traditional practices found in some African communities. The many rituals during this time of initiation include female circumcision/female genital mutilation, a socially justified mark of maturation, dramatizing the break with childhood and incorporation into adulthood. This practice has received much criticism because of sexist, health, and human implications for woman's integrity. Christian missionaries to Africa condemned it as a barbaric practice, unnecessary for its believers. In spite of condemnations and various efforts to stop the practice, female circumcision persists among a number of Africans including Christians. The author here examines the gospel message, especially what Christ's salvific message means to the Nandi culture, and especially how the practice of female circumcision can be reinterpreted in the light of this message.

AbstractThe Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology

AbstractThis article draws from biblical insights and Igbo socio-cultural structures to introduce a new Christological model for Nigerian Christianity – Jesus as folk. In Nigeria, Christians evidently connect with Jesus as a wonder worker who effects changes in their lives especially for the better even in spite of their moral standing. Pastors help to foster this image of Jesus and a lot of Christological currents had been derived from this inkling. Consequently the average Nigerian Christian is no longer challenged as to living by the ethics of the religion but lives a high level of awareness as to the benefits of believing. Alongside the quest for miracles is the acquired unwillingness to bring human efforts to bear on life situations as if God will do everything. Jesus as folk implies that Jesus is both like and is one of us but this is not just about Jesus but also about real folks who through this exposition should be seen as another Jesus. The work aims at re- focusing on the humanity of Jesus as a means of strengthening the power of mere human nature and challenge Christians to their own part of the salvation bargain.

AbstractThe author reads the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:1-42) in light of social ills afflicting African society today. She first highlights the rejection, prejudice, and isolation of the two main characters in their own contexts, and their contribution to John's account of how the woman leads her village to the "living water" of faith in Jesus. Finally she examines what John's Jesus of Galilee and the Samaritan woman have in common and might have to say to Africa today.

AbstractSome African Christians continue to rely on traditional spiritual powers as a means of addressing their spiritual insecurity. In their perception Christ is regarded as being foreign to African spirituality and treated accordingly with the gospel seen as a predominantly western phenomenon. This raises the question regarding their understanding of Christ’s incarnation. This article critically analyses the ancestral incarnational Christological model of Bediako as a response to the foreignness of Christ in African Christianity. Bediako’s ancestral incarnational Christological model is his enterprise of deforeignising Christ in African Christianity by treating Christ under the African traditional ancestral category. This article demonstrates various theological aspects (i.e. the uncompounded divine-human nature of Christ in the one eternal person of the Son of God) that Bediako brings together in order to configure his ancestral incarnational Christological framework in deforeignising Christ. In breaking away from Bediako’s ancestral incarnational Christological perspective, the article concludes by identifying the weaknesses associated with the proposed concept of Bediako, and then suggests that there is a need for an alternative biblical-theological model that best describes Christ’s complete identification with African Christians. This is done without diminishing the actuality of Christ as God incarnate, or encouraging syncretism in African Christianity, or reducing the validity of African contextual needs.

AbstractAt the heart of the quest for authentic African Christian identity has lain the question of Christology. In societies where much of life revolves around kinship it is not at all obvious that the man from Nazareth, who has been for so long accommodated in Greek philosophy and European culture, should be given the definitive role in establishing what it means to be human. "Why should an Akan," asked John Pobee, "relate to Jesus of Nazareth, who does not belong to his clan, family, tribe or nation?"¹ Hence a sense of alienation marked much of early Christian experience in Africa

AbstractUnder the subtheme of “Christology in the Context of World Christianity,” this article explores recent developments in African women’s Christologies. The aim is twofold: first, to engage critically with the content of these current Christologies, and second, to consider one method for doing contextual theology, namely, the “pastoral circle” or “pastoral cycle.” Its four key dimensions of encounter/insertion, social analysis, theological reflection, and pastoral planning allow a flexible framework for probing the causative factors, the contextual nature, the theological methods, and the central motifs of African women’s Christologies, as well as their contributions to social transformation through the impact of individuals and institutions. The article concludes that interdisciplinary approaches like the pastoral circle, which advocate the integration of biblical, historical, theological and contextual perspectives, hold the greatest potential for constructive Christology today.

AbstractWidespread evidence indicates that Jesus Christ holds a most prominent place in popular cultures across Africa south of the Sahara. In the present article, empirical data generated through qualitative research in Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda serve to illustrate similar phenomena attested across the continent. Initial description and subsequent theological analysis highlight two central aspects of these Christologies: Jesus as Immanuel-God with us-in Africa, and Jesus as the "image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). Following a summary overview of Christological images in Africa, conclusions point out their significance to contemporary Christianity, particularly regarding the intrinsic relation between popular and academic theologies.

AbstractThis chapter explores emerging African Christology in relation to the wider, historic streams of Christian tradition. The discussion focuses primarily on churches derived from the modern missionary movement in sub-Saharan Africa. The main thesis is that these African Christologies reflect creative, contextual engagement with the central question of Jesus’ identity and significance by interpreting and appropriating biblical revelation and Christian tradition in the light of African realities both past and present. Three African proverbs provide a framework for developing the major themes of coherence, where African Christologies are essentially congruent with broader Christian tradition, and contextuality, where they are distinctive on account of contextual factors in African experience, plus the sources and methods employed in their formulation. An overview of key Christological images reveals the richness of recent African Christologies, thereby demonstrating their significant contribution to the ongoing development of Christology worldwide.

AbstractThe African Jesus of Tinyiko Maluleke and the Christ of deep incarnation represent two radically different christological trajectories. While the deep incarnation theologians extend Jesus’s body into social and cosmic bodies, Maluleke locates Jesus’s body in the bodies of his fellow Africans. Each of these christological moves is interpreted as a manifestation, albeit in a different sense, of God’s radical embodiment through Jesus in our world. African appropriations of Jesus stand out as a warning that even christologizing centered upon the category of “flesh” is at risk of remaining purely visionary unless it is done by and/or with those in whose own bodies Jesus is being crucified.

AbstractThe serious challenges posed by poverty in Africa call for a new approach. A Christological approach to these issues inspires hope. A Christology from above, or ‘high’ Christology, has much to offer regarding God’s looking after humanity. Christ as the one for others humbled himself to give a life of fullness to the poorest and most ill, thereby bringing hope both for this life and for eternity. The approach followed should not lead to the exclusion of people, but rather to an endeavour to meet the challenge of brokenness. In societies where there is no hope left, the Christ of the wounded leads the way to new healing. Christ, verily God and verily human brings us before him in our totality, to be involved in all the needs of the community. The church should be the hands, feet and eyes of Christ for the needy.

AbstractAbstract In the South African discourse on the political relevance of Jesus Christ, a vast array of conceptions of Jesus emerged over the years of the struggle, the liberation, the quest for spirituality and the theology of reconstruction. This discourse has taken place within the framework of the two broad historical movements of a “high” and a “low” Christology. In a recent thought provoking and informative article Mouton & Smit investigated four of the dominant discourses on Jesus in contemporary South Africa. They surveyed the discussions of Jesus in the popular news and newspaper debates, academic circles and scholarship, the worship and spirituality of congregations and believers, and public opinion about social and political life. After reviewing a huge corpus of South African literature on concepts of Jesus they ask the question whether Jesus was lost in translation in the South Africa of recent times. This article is an attempt to take the argument further. First of all, the investigation will provide another outline of the Christologies in the recent South African discourse within the broad framework of a “high” and a “low” Christology. The concepts under consideration are the spiritual Jesus, the political Jesus and the historical Jesus. Then a case will be made for the transforming Jesus of the Kingdom of God as a corrective on the Christologies of Apartheid, the liberation struggle and the modern-day post-modern projections of the historical Jesus.

Abstract1. Introduction . For more than two-hundred years South Africa has been the meeting place for two fundamentally different types of religious traditions: African traditional religions and Western European Christian religions. Each of these two traditions possesses its own world view, its own beliefs, practices, and behaviour codes and is embedded in its own distinctive culture. One, European Christianity, is historically an interloping missionary religion with numerous quite distinct and often competing manifestations. As an interloping religion in South Africa it has sought to convert people to its beliefs, practices, and behaviour patterns, as well as to European culture which is its carrier. African traditional religions, by way of contrast, are not missionary religions at all. Instead they are the religions of small scale, non-literate societies and are based on lineal descent from a common ancestor or membership in a particular clan or tribal group.