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 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.

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.

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.