Abstract

This article investigates how Mbiti articulates the theological reflections on the understanding of God from an African perspective. Mbiti systematises data of the African concepts of God in a set of Western Christian doctrinal systems. He presupposes a continuity between the Christian and the African concepts of God, and overemphasises the similarities. Mbiti regards African Traditional Religion(s) (ATR(s)) as monotheism and as a praeparatio evangelica, and maintains that the Christian God is the same as the God worshipped in ATR(s). In Mbiti’s theology, negative attributes of the African God, which are irreconcilable with the God of the Bible, are not critically evaluated, and the concept of the Trinity is not articulated. In this article, the notions of African monotheism and of ATR(s) as a praeparatio evangelica are criticised. This article claims that what African theology needs is to clarify the Christian concept of God, and to articulate the understanding of God within a Trinitarian context.

Highlights

  • Globalisation can create the illusion of homogeneity

  • This article will be limited to African inculturation theology that endeavours to bring the African culture and traditional religiosity to bear on African theology (Parratt 1987:147-149; Bediako 2000:6)

  • Mbiti begins his study on the concept of God not from the God who has revealed himself in the Bible, but from anthropological, phenomenologicalcomparative research on what the African peoples say about God

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Globalisation can create the illusion of homogeneity. When all are connected, all seem to be similar. This article will be limited to African inculturation theology that endeavours to bring the African culture and traditional religiosity to bear on African theology (Parratt 1987:147-149; Bediako 2000:6). This theology attempts to make Christian faith be rethought, reformulated and reexpressed from within an African religio-cultural form that is familiar to people’s thought patterns and way of life. This article is intended as an investigation of how John Mbiti has shown a continuing interest in relating the gospel to the African cultural context, and reflects theologically on the understanding of God within a Christian theological framework, aiming to achieve a dialogue and integration between the Christian faith and the traditional African religiosity

FORMATION OF AFRICAN THEOLOGY
Mbiti’s theological concerns
Mbiti’s methodology
Anthropological analysis
Theological interpretation
MBITI’S UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
Mbiti’s theological presuppositions
One God
The same God
Evaluation of Mbiti’s understanding of God
The tendency to generalise
African monotheism
CONCLUSION
Clarifying the African notion of God
Understanding God as Trinity
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