Abstract
The study evaluated Christologies among the Christians of Ndia, Kirinyaga West sub-county, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to explore ontological Christologies; to investigate popular soteriological Christologies; to establish social, political and economic functional Christologies among Ndia Christians and; to examine the question of Christodicy in Ndia Christianity. 232 Christians were randomly selected to participate in the study. Questionnaires were issued to the participants. A 95.45% response rate was realized. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The data showed that ontological Christologies among the Ndia Christians ignored the humanity of Jesus and elevated him to the position of the traditional Gikuyu deity, Ngai, while soteriological Christologies were well balanced. Functional Christologies and the question of Christodicy were too spiritualized and Satan was given too prominent a position such that devil worship could result from glorification of Satan as a very powerful being who is able to oppose and cause Jesus to fail in his duties. The study recommends that churches in Ndia should teach sound doctrinal positions emphasizing on the humanity of Jesus, encourage people to appreciate the relationship between work and wealth and medicine and healing, avoid giving Satan a prominent position and to reinterpret the Gikuyu deity,Ngai, to take the place of God-the-Father as opposed to the place of God-the-Son for construction of a “wholesome” Gikuyu theology. The study will be useful to social workers, scholars, churches and government agencies working with the Ndia.
Highlights
The data showed that ontological Christologies among the Ndia Christians ignored the humanity of Jesus and elevated him to the position of the traditional Gikuyu deity, Ngai, while soteriological Christologies were well balanced
The study recommends that churches in Ndia should teach sound doctrinal positions emphasizing on the humanity of Jesus, encourage people to appreciate the relationship between work and wealth and medicine and healing, avoid giving Satan a prominent position and to reinterpret the Gikuyu deity,Ngai, to take the place of God-the-Father as opposed to the place of God-the-Son for construction of a “wholesome” Gikuyu theology
Christology is primarily concerned with understanding of the nature and person of Jesus, first as it was recorded in The Bible and as understood by Christians today, which raises the issues of popular versus official Christology
Summary
Christology is primarily concerned with understanding of the nature and person of Jesus, first as it was recorded in The Bible and as understood by Christians today, which raises the issues of popular versus official Christology. Formal theological constructions in the African church fit into existing doctrinal teaching borrowed from the Western (Latin speaking) and Eastern (Greek speaking) traditions They do not question the laid down doctrines except at the popular and informal level. The study sought to evaluate popular ontological, Soteriological and functional Christological constructions and the question of Christodicy among the Christians of Ndia, Kirinyaga West Sub-County, Kenya. The study sought to achieve the following objectives: (1) To explore the existing popular Ontological Christologies constructed by the Christians of Ndia. The researcher exhaustively skimmed through any literature appropriate to popular Christologies in general and Ndia Christologies in particular and sought any other available information on the subject from the internet, Karatina University library and scholars, church leaders, and Christian faithfuls in Ndia before embarking on primary data collection. This was controlled by incorporating pastors, both gender and all adults in the study while ensuring that all denominations were represented and those instruments (questionnaires) were given to the seemingly healthy
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