Abstract
This article examines the relevance of theology in public life particularly from the Ghanaian (African) Christian experience in society. The idea of the public relevance of theology has been ably examined by Jurgen Moltmann in the perspectives of his Theology of Hope and the continuous reflections in the “Ethics of Hope”. The eschatological sacrifice of Christ’s story animates in Moltmann the understanding of what particular transformation one must experience when envisaging what the shape of Christianity is in modern society and the task it has to fulfill in the field of social ethics in the Ghanaian social and political history. Critical to the Ghanaian social- political life is to be encountered with is a sub-culture trend that the task for the socio-political and the economic development of the nation-state is the preserve of politics or political activists. The conversation on the rise to action of the Ghanaian Christian to social ethics is now due to the growing trends of poverty, violence, unemployment, corruption, dwindling social and moral order and failing institutions of state. Jurgen Moltmann develops his thoughts in the Ethics of Hope to deliberately project Christian social ethics that is focused on projecting the Bible as the gospel of hope for the people. This paper evaluates Moltmann’s understanding of modern realities of life and how Christians must relate with and what Christian character brings to bear on the positive change in the life of the people.
Highlights
Jurgen Moltmann is a foremost theologian and professor of Systematic Theology who is still alive at age 90 and has been dreaming of developing his understanding of what could be developed as Christian Ethics from Christian Theology or Doctrine
The proposal to remedy the contradictions in the phenomenon of modernity is what Moltmann has lived for that is, the journey from political theology to public theology as there is a need to reflect on what the road must be for the Christian faith to participate in the deep things of the socio-political life of people
The analysis put forward by Moltmann in the development of the conceptual differences of political theology and public theology can help people understand the complexities of attempting public theology in the modern secular, profusely ‘politicized’ social, religious, and multi-ethnic Ghana which has been influenced by the independence struggle activities as part of the history
Summary
Jurgen Moltmann is a foremost theologian and professor of Systematic Theology who is still alive at age 90 and has been dreaming of developing his understanding of what could be developed as Christian Ethics from Christian Theology or Doctrine. Moltmann’s understanding of the idea of Christian Ethics has been developed in his Ethics of Hope.2 Christian ethics emerging from Christian theology for Moltmann must be what determines the way of life of a people but what social context Christian theology must participate to transform the human realities in the future of the Christ’s experience.
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