The rapid growth of Christianity in Africa is accompanied by the surfacing of theological and missiological issues that can benefit the global church. With a reciprocal hermeneutics and exegesis with the global scholarly Christian community, African Christianity can make significant contributions in the following topics: Biblical anthropology, Christology, Pneumatology, the theology of suffering and theology of hope. The course explores these topics in depth.
The topics this course cover addresses pertinent issues and questions the students face in their daily lives within the context God has met them and called them to serve. For example, Biblical Anthropology explains the origin, nature and destiny of man, which is a fundamental question of BEING human.
Opportunities and threats exist for global African Christianity. People who embrace the thought and perception from the old school still think little of what is going on in the continent and they still show a paternalistic attitude. The new emerging Christian thinkers advocate, encourage, and create a platform for mutual sharing of intellectual resources and an equally yoked engagement in the mission of God. This course contributes to the latter effort.
The course analyzes the topics in the light of the Scripture. Hence, scholarly theological and missiological works play a vital role to help students have clear understanding of the topics.
The ultimate goal of this course is to equip and inspire students to engage in global mission. Dynamic Christianity is contagious. The hope is to make the students a catalyst for local and global mission.
The African historical and cultural context has a big role for the great harvest of mission in the recent past decades. The course examines the “fertile soil” which enabled Christianity to grow rapidly and make its presence felt in African villages, cities, in the hamlet of witches and in the universities.
Since it its first introduction to the world, Christianity is not bound within a particular culture. It was unthinkable for the Jews to go to Samaria. Nevertheless, Jesus and the Christian mission did. This course explores how African Christianity crossed tribal, social, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries. We will also see where and when Christianity in Africa failed to heal conflict and create harmony.
Since this course is dealing with worldview and relational issues, it is very practical.
If one is willing to challenge himself/herself and change by the truth presented in this class, the course invites for experiential engagement.
