From Contextual Theology to African Christianity: The Consideration of Adiaphora from a South African Perspective

Joel Mokhoathi

doi:10.3390/rel8120266

Abstract

The move towards contextual Christianity in Africa is an essential venture if Christianity is to communicate with the African cultural heritage. As a universal religion, Christianity has to find an expression within the cultural context. However, the contextualization of Christianity in Africa appears to have permitted the practice of syncretism. It has resulted in the emergence of African Christianity, which is the amalgamation of Christianity and African Traditional Religion. The amalgamation of Christianity and African Traditional Religion appears to overlook the essence of both religions as there is currently no clarity on how Christianity can best be expressed within the African cultural and religious heritage. This paper employs the document review method to explore the things that fall in between—“adiaphora”, which the proponents of contextual Christianity may have overlooked with regard to the African cultural and religious heritage. These include the pragmatic nature of the African cultural and religious heritage, and the African traditional methods of healing.

Highlights

Introduction to African Instituted Churches andTheir Sense of Mission
The contextualization of Christianity seems to have permitted syncretism. It has resulted in the emergence of “African Christianity”, which is the amalgamation of Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR)
The amalgamation of Christianity and African Traditional Religion appears to overlook the essence of both religions, as the elements of one religion are expressed through the other

Summary

Dueof to Christianity the amalgamation

Christianity and ATR, a different form of Christianity has emerged amalgamation andofATR, as “syncretism”. 370) noted meets the criterion of indigenous or traditional African religion, since it has twenty centuries of that “[t]he very notion of “African Christianity” appeared to depict something to be handled with sustained presence in Africa”. Caution and suspicion, if it was not to be rejected altogether”. This is because the very concept of due to the lack of the clarity on how Christianity best betraditions practiced the African “African Christianity”. African Christianity does not have the necessary history, the cultural backing or theological practiced by Africans is dichotomous—it is the combination of Christianity and ATR

The Pastoral statement standards”

Hastings phenomenon

Africa is of that

Discussion

Introduction