Chapter Nine. Moving Beyond The African Notion Of God: Clearing Ground For The Doctrine Of The Trinity

Abstract

The doctrine of God in African inculturation theology (1) uses the comparative interpretation of the scripture, which simply highlights the similarities between the African concepts of God and the Christian view of God; (2) is built upon a cultural identity paradigm, which in principle is responsible in this context for emphasis on how the African peoples understand God rather than on God revealed in Christ; and (3) has never attempted to utilize the native philosophical symbols as medium for the Christian message. This chapter explains how these factors have hindered the formulation of an understanding of the God that we encounter in Christ for the African context and make suggestions on the way forward. African theology needs to move beyond the African concepts of God. Until now this has not been possible because African theology has traditionally stuck to the comparative method of biblical interpretation.Keywords: African inculturation theology; African theology; biblical interpretation; Christian message