Academic referencing, though very significant in scholarship, has not been an easy task for both students and researchers, especially when one is restricted to following a particular referencing style either as instructed by one’s educational institution or by a publishing house through which one seeks a publication. In biblical scholarship, the philosophies of structuralism and deconstruction are very significant, especially as much as textual translation and interpretation are concerned. Several proponents have shared their scholarly views on how they individually appreciate these philosophical concepts. In an attempt to unravel some of such works without neglecting the authors and their central discussions, this paper employed a methodology through the construction of annotated bibliographies of such works. Findings indicated that while structuralism mainly studies the meaning of a text independently of its history and culture, deconstruction considers the world of the audience in line with the author’s intention and how that intention could be relevant to the new audience, taking into account the history of the text and the culture of the audience. Also, some of the key proponents of structuralism and its philosophical development include de Saussure, Levi-Strauss, Sasková and Titchener. Key proponents of deconstruction include Derrida, Norris, Ekem, Kuwornu-Adjaottor, Mugambi, and Nida. Significantly, with a maximum word count of 150 words and not less than 50 words, readers would understand key information contained in the sampled works of the authors through the annotations. Keywords: Referencing, Annotated Bibliography, Structuralism, Deconstruction

Marriage, as depicted in both the Old and New Testaments, is considered a sacred institution created by God. However, this sacred institution has been under attack over the centuries and has resulted in a high divorce rate, particularly among Christians. While this might seem discouraging, it does not suggest that there is no hope for this divine institution. That means that Christianity today must help in formulating a truly Biblical view or principles for Christian marriage to reduce the prevalence of divorce. In the Gospels, Jesus spoke about marriage, divorce, and remarriage, condemning the Jewish leaders’ permissive attitude towards divorce. He highlights several principles to emphasize the uniqueness and permanency of marriage that Christians can use as a template for their marriage. This paper thus examined Jesus’ perspective on these topics in Matthew 19:3-12 and Mark 10:2-12 through a literary analysis using related materials. It first explored the context of the selected passages. It also examined four main principles that Jesus presents in the above passage regarding the institution of marriage by analyzing some key Greek words that Jesus used, which are relevant to the topic. These are kataleipō, proskollaō, suzeugnumi, and chōrizetō. The study concluded that the principles highlighted by Christ remain as pertinent in today’s world as they were during his era. Also when believers adhere to Christ’s teachings, Christian marriages can be enhanced and rejuvenated. This write-up adds to the existing literature on the marriage institution. Keywords: Chōrizetō, Divorce, Kataleipō, Marriage, Proskollaō, Suzeugnumi

The reality of death is attested by everyday experiences in all human societies. Whilst death is a universal phenomenon, the rites associated with dying, death and funeral differ from society to society. The Akan community of Ghana performs many rites from the time that one’s death is imminent till the final funeral rites are performed, and even afterward. One such rite is the presentation of Adesiedeɛ (burial items). Whilst there are many publications about Akan funeral rites, Adesiedeɛ has not received any significant scholarly attention. This study was, therefore, conducted to examine adesiedeɛ rite from an Akan socio-religious perspective. It is an empirical research that collected data through participant observations, field surveys and interviews. The paper argued that Akan funeral rituals associated with laying-in-state and burying of the corpse are deeply rooted in the Akan belief in ancestors and the desire of the living Akan to maintain a good relationship with the supernatural. The paper found a close correlation between the Akan socio-economic and religious worldview and the rite of presenting Adesiedeɛ. The research contributes to studies on Akan cultural and primal religion. Keywords: Adesiedeɛ, Akan, Ancestors, Dɔteyie, Funeral

The Lord’s Prayer seems to be the best-known prayer among Christian communities. In liturgical contexts, it appears to be the most memorized and recited text of the New Testament. The popularity of the Lord’s Prayer, on one hand, indicates its significance within Christianity. On the other hand, its popularity implies that many people recite it without reflecting on its theological meaning and significance. The main purpose of this work was to read the Matthean text of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) from the perspective of the Akan mother-tongue theological hermeneutics. The paper thus joins with a contemporary few selected voices in the African exegetical enterprise to suggest that a mother-tongue theological hermeneutical reading of scripture contributes to an enhanced understanding of biblical texts which is of ecumenical relevance in the contemporary glocal (global and local) contexts. Keywords: The Lord’s Prayer, Mother-tongue, Theological Hermeneutics, Akan, Matthew 6:9-13

The concept of sin or what constitutes sin is very crucial in any culture insofar as the conduct of the people and their relation to the divine is concerned. Using the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics approach because of the insight it brings to the text, the writer did a comparative study of ἁμαρτια (sin) in 1 John and bɔne (sin) among the Akan of Ghana. The study revealed that even though there is a critical divergence in the way sin is dealt with in 1 John from the Akan concept, there are, however, several similarities. The one-time sacrifice for sin by Christ in 1 John calls for the Akan of Ghana to rethink the efficacy of the annual purification rites for sin. The study contributed to the study of mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics by explaining the concept of sin from the Akan mother-tongue biblical perspective. Keywords: Sin, bɔne, propitiation, sacrifice, cleansing, 1 John

In the attempt to creatively bring the complex multi-religious (Judeo-Christian) scripture to bear on both the contemporary global and local Christian communities, a formulation of a relevant hermeneutical method becomes imperative. The reason is that in a globalised world, there is a tendency for a dominant culture to designate the interpretative approach that comes from a minor culture as only “contextually” relevant. The question that comes to mind is: Could there be an academic reflection in the interpretative process that is faithful to both the global and local contexts? This paper demonstrates the quest for such a relevant hermeneutical approach that could also be used to re-read biblical texts by introducing mother-tongue theological hermeneutics. This approach, understood and utilized, would therefore serve as a hermeneutical approach that bridges the gap between global and local perspectives on a biblical text. Keywords: Mother-tongue, theological hermeneutics, Glocal, Scripture

The study examined the place of the Bible in the search for theological insights and perspectives for Public Theology in African Christianity. The paper argued that the acceptance of the application of the Bible to human experiences in African societies offer Africa Public theologians the opportunity to apply biblical and theological perspectives to cultural, social, economic, political, and public-policy issues. The study observed that the Bible has been used to promote social justice, advocate for human rights and confront corruption and other forms of oppression. African theologians have developed perspectives on these issues that draw on the biblical teachings of justice, compassion, and stewardship of the earth. The Bible has been a relevant tool for African Christians to engage with public issues, promote social justice, and advocate for the common good. The study concluded with the recommendation that African Christians must engage the social, political, and economic issues that affect their communities, and work for the liberation of all people from the forces that oppress them with Christian teachings and insights. Public Theology in African Christianity must be grounded in a deep commitment to the presence of God in the world, the transformation of society, the liberation of the oppressed, and the contextualization of the Christian faith to the African context. The gospel message has relevance for all aspects of life, including social, political, and economic issues. Theological insights and perspectives that must inform Public Theology in African Christianity include the incarnation, righteousness, social justice, human dignity, Christianity identity, contextualization, and the common good. Keywords: African Christianity, Public Theology, Public Witness, Christian

This article discusses the ecumenical conception of public life praxis in postcolonial Zimbabwe as well as the church’s actions to salvage the deteriorating national crisis including the leveling of the political field in the early 2000s. The views of the church are derived from the experiences of the union of ecumenical church organizations formed in 2007 called the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD). The ZHOCD, composes of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, and the Union for the Development of Apostolic (and Zionist) Churches in Zimbabwe, Africa. The study uses literature, augmented by informal discussions that focused on how the church sought the protection of people’s lives. The study found that the ZHOCD intervened at various critical periods when public life began to degenerate due to state-induced corruption, election violence, and crime. In fact, the church built up specialist organizations to provide required humanitarian services as well as provision of advocacy and protection of human lives by confronting political oppression in Zimbabwe. This forced the ruling party to engage in a palace coup to retain political power in 2017. The article recommends that churches use their power to intervene when accountability institutions have failed because their impartiality to the exercise of political power allows them to perceive public life praxis with a neutral eye. It is further recommended that the ZHOCD needs to engage far and wide groups of Christian organizations of all persuasions if a comprehensive Christian and religious response to a good life can be achieved. The study concluded that it is only the church and other religious organizations that can understand and provide solace to people living in difficult conditions. Keywords: Ecumenism, Public Life, Zimbabwe

One of the central themes in Christian theology is eschatology (the study of last things). Eschatological beliefs are important in shaping human earthly life. Though a very important subject, the concept of eschatology often proves difficult in theological discourses, especially in Africa where over-reliance on the Western approach to the subject makes it inaccessible and incomprehensible to the average Christian. A proper conceptualisation and understanding of Christian eschatology within the African setting can be achieved through theological reflections on the African culture. The relevance of African traditional songs in this regard cannot be overestimated. This paper, therefore, examined Charles Kwadwo Fosu’s (Daddy Lumba’s) Adaka–Teaa (“narrow box/coffin”) from an African Christian eschatological perspective to contribute to the scholarly efforts toward making Christianity more meaningful and relevant to Africans. A literature-based research approach, comprising two steps, was used for this research. The first step was a textual analysis of the lyrics of the song from the African socio-cultural perspective in light of Alexander the Great’s background and life. This was followed by the formulation of Adaka-Teaa eschatology and the deduction of implications for the Christian community. A theological conversation between Lumba and Alexander yielded a culturally sensitive and biblically grounded Christian eschatology for the African audience. The paper found the African worldview about death and the afterlife can serve as a solid foundation upon which Christian eschatological discourses may be built. The findings and conclusions from the paper contribute immensely to the contextualisation and decolonisation of Christianity for the African community. Keywords: Adaka-Teaa, Akan, Alexander the Great, Christianity, Lumba, Eschatology

This article seeks to examine the translation of the Greek word διελέγετο (dielegato) in Acts 17:2 as gyee akyinnyeε in Asante Twi Bible. Using the Mother Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics approach and exegesis, the study finds out that the translation of gyee akyinnyeε sounds more derogatory. It is therefore suggested that the Twi word gyee akyinnyeε should be retranslated as mpεnsεmpεnsεmu in order to vindicate a man full of the Holy Spirit. The study will add to the interpretation of Acts 17:2 in the Asante Twi Bible. It is recommended that subsequent revisions of the Asante Twi Bible could consider mpεnsεmpεnsεmu. Keywords: Akan formal communication, Bible translation, mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics, eristic reasoning