A Hermeneutical Approach to Theology: Teaching African understanding of Spiritual Beings and their Existence

Abstract

The teaching of theology in South Africa is narrowly understood in the context of Abrahamic religions. Within those religions, there are notions like angels and demons that make sense but remain problematic in the African understanding of God and spirituality. African spirituality gets overshadowed by coloniality such that African scholars resort to silence rather than correcting those errors that are committed while teaching theology to Africans. Since theology is the study of God, it should be subject to different interpretations that allow for a multiplicity of approaches. Since demystification and decolonisation of African theology are needed, this paper denounces foreign concepts in theology that seek to demotivate the whole concept of a decolonial theology. Analytic theory is used as the lens in this study. The purpose of this study is to clearly surface the concept of decolonisation within religion and the notion of beings within theological studies. This qualitative study adopts a desktop conceptual research methodology. Major findings of this study reveal that (i) theology in South Africa is taught in a Eurocentric fashion and the concepts used are Western, (ii) there is a high level of ignoring the African concepts and religions in the plight of theologians to reinforce Christianity. Core recommendations include (i) transformation of theological teaching that accommodates African spirituality, and (ii) popularization of African notions/ concepts to refer to such beings that the Western religions have called angels and demons. This study contributes to the decolonial scholarship with regard to theological studies of spiritual beings. Keywords: Theology, Decoloniality, Africanization, Afrocentric Theology, Spirituality