Abstract
African churches show little interest in the notion of the final judgment. Various reasons for the lack of interest in this important aspect of biblical faith are discussed. Special attention is given to the problems of time and history as they manifest in African thinking. The idea of punishment as it is perceived in Africa also receives attention. The article looks at the biblical texts on the final judgment from an African perspective. African philosophy and spirituality facilitate a rediscovery of the joyful dimensions of this notion. One of the main arguments is that Africa should not experience insurmountable problems in embracing this aspect of the gospel. On the contrary: Africa can assist the ecumenical world to discover aspects of this message not yet disclosed. The article concludes with a discussion on the fate of the African ancestors.
Highlights
The notion of the “final judgment” or the “last judgment” is an important aspect of the biblical message.[2]
I am convinced that Africans would not have insurmountable problems in accepting the notion of the final judgment, once they look at these images with new eyes
3.3.2 Communication and togetherness In my opinion one of the reasons why Africans experience difficulties with this notion, is that missionaries and pastors have created an image of the final judgment as being an event during which lonely individuals are confronted with their transgressions written down in a book.[16]
Summary
The notion of the “final judgment” or the “last judgment” is an important aspect of the biblical message.[2] For centuries this aspect of the gospel has been at the centre of theology and church life. In the declining Christendom of the Western world (or Northern Christianity, to use a better term) this notion has, become one of the. In the growing African Christendom, this notion is not a high priority in debate either. There appears not to be a tradition of referring to God’s judgment – at least not a judgment at or after death.[5] In view of the fact that this notion is a central theme in the Bible, we must jointly come up with a way of making it intelligible to the ever-growing church in Africa. We should consider arguments that would enable us to make a positive contribution in this regard
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