Africa’s Liberation Theologies: An Historical-Hermeneutical Analysis

Abstract

There are four main strands of African liberation theologies and though they share important similarities, each has made a distinctive contribution. The earliest form, emerging alongside missionary and colonial incursions into Africa has been termed inculturation liberation theology, or simply African theology. Here the emphasis is on contending with the missionary-colonial denigration of African religion and culture. The second form, common to southern Africa, including Tanzania and South Africa in particular, is Black theology, or simply liberation theology (following the Latin American designation) where the emphasis is on the political and economic (and racial in the case of South Africa) dimensions of the struggle against varying forms of colonialism. A distinctive feature of this form is a deep sense of the ambiguity of both the Bible and Christianity, seeing in each the capacity for domination and liberation. This distinctive feature is a key feature of the third strand, African feminist theology. Emerging out of both African theology and Black theology, it shares elements of their social analysis, but emphasises gender. The fourth form is relatively new and yet also very old. Postcolonial theologies have taken some time to emerge as a distinctive form in African contexts, but are slowly finding a place alongside the other three. This strand focuses on matters of identity and empire. Though each of these strands makes its own distinctive contribution, the liberation of South Africa in 1994 has ushered in significant engagement across these strands, weaving them together in new and useful ways.