Theology Of Reconstruction Research Articles

African theology of reconstruction and queer epistemic violence: A theo-ethical discourse

The legacies of colonialism in South Africa and broadly in Africa have problematised discourses on violence and discrimination. To counter coloniality and its continued efforts to dehumanise Africa, many Africans have often uncritically embraced certain notions of African culture that exacerbates the problem of homophobic violence and discrimination. This has left certain African discourses embracing ubuntu without critically addressing the violence and discrimination where ubuntu is often promoted. Recognising the attempts of African reconstruction theologians such as Mugambi and Ka Mana who advocate the necessity for African epistemic paradigms or epistemic justice, I engage their paradigms considering epistemic violence from the context of the queer community. Ubuntu must be understood within the context of African holism, a framework which African reconstruction theology makes use of. Using Dotson’s three orders of epistemic oppression, I argue that Mugambi’s theological paradigm could become problematic for the queer community because of the epistemic shells it carries into the future from the past. Considering the queer community, I argue that the epistemic flexibility of Ka Mana’s theology of reconstruction allows for more engagement because of its commitment to an ethic of African holism. At the heart of such an ethic is a commitment to the unity and the interconnectedness between God, humans, ancestors, plants and animals. This paper makes a theological contribution by engaging queer epistemic violence from the context of two African theological reconstruction paradigms.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This paper engages discourses from African masculinities, social sciences, African theology and philosophy with reference to epistemic violence enacted against the queer community.

Biblical and theological basis for church involvement in community development in Kenya

The Church, as an integral part of missiology, is obligated to the development of the community; by providing social services like education, health care, agriculture, advocacy, clean water, capacity building, food, shelter, and sanitation which have remained a mirage to many Kenyans. This study sought to establish the biblical and theological basis for Church's involvement in the CD. The Anglican Development Services (ADS) of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) was used as the case for this study. The study targeted four Anglican ADS regions, namely: Pwani, Eastern, Mount Kenya East and NAIKA (Nairobi, Kajiado and All Saints). The theory of Reconstruction Theology (RT) advanced by Jesse Mugambi based on the process of social reconstruction as a paradigm for CD was employed. A sample of 330 respondents gotten from a target population of 1,827 was used. A descriptive survey design was employed. Utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and Focus Group discussions, data was gathered. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 computer software was used to analyze the quantitative data using frequency and percentages, while thematic analysis was done on qualitative data in accordance with the study's objectives. The findings showed that the biblical and theological basis for the Church's involvement in CD was highly valued. To improve the sustainability of CD within targeted areas, it was recommended that the implementation of CD be based upon a strong biblical and theological basis as a demonstration of service to the vulnerable in the community.

Latin American liberation theology: Does it fit in the schema of African theology of reconstruction?

Three decades after the proposal for a shift of theological paradigm, from liberation to reconstruction in an African context (1990-2020), it is worthwhile to ask: Was this proposal timely? Did the proposal speak for other related theologies of liberation in the majority-world such as Black theology of North America and more specifically, Latin American liberation theology? In this proposal, African theologies of liberation were urged to embrace this shift as the new norm. Such African theologies includes: African theology (the mother), Black theology of South Africa, and African women’s theology among others. Hence the proposal was contextual in that Africa was moving towards total independence from ‘Pharaohs’ who had colonised Africa since the Berlin conference of 1885/1886. With the African agenda appearing to have been taken care of, it is worthwhile to ask: Does this ‘well-taken care of’ African agenda mean anything to other liberationists theologians in the majority-world such as the Latin American liberation theology? This article sets on the premise that liberation theology can be done within reconstruction theology and vice versa, and as the situation and context demands. Hence, it is possible to cry for ‘liberation’ when in reality, it is liberation to reconstruct and/or liberation to consolidate the gains of previous liberation hence reconstruction. In its method and design, the article reviews the existing literature while making a critical analysis on matters under consideration.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article explores the notion of reconstruction in an African context and gives it a global dimension by drawing from other contemporary theologies of the Majority-World such as Latin American theology and Black theology of North America. It involves the disciplines of Systematic theology, Contemporary theology, Liberation and Reconstruction theologies, and Missiology.

Steve de Gruchy’s theology and development model

The article sets out to demonstrate that Steve de Gruchy’s model of Theology and Development (T&D), as opposed to Theologized Development or Developmental Theology, is a creative and an authentic paradigm which is in continuum with African Theology of Reconstruction (ATOR) and other theological initiatives in postcolonial Africa. As a post-colonial and/or post-apartheid theologian, De Gruchy addresses cutting-edge issues facing our contemporary society such as health, poverty, environment, sustainable livelihoods, the South-North divides, fair trade, the racial equation, the reconstruction of our social consciousness; and indeed, the changing circumstances in post-colonial (south) Africa. In its methodology, the article also hypothesizes that Development and Reconstruction are two sides of the same coin, with one clear motif, though with some distinctions. It then goes on to point out the possibility that the Leadership and Development programme that was started by Klaus Nürnberger at the then University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, logically preceded de Gruchy’s Theology and Development (T&D) programme which continues to date, despite his demise in 2010. On the whole, the T&D and ATOR are largely seen as livelihoods theologies “from the other side of the river” that are geared towards sustainable living, especially with reference to the African context in the 21st century. Steve de Gruchy’s contribution to development studies is certainly critical considering that he published extensively on the same; and even headed the Theology and Development programme at the then University of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). His approach turns out as the beacon that maps the way out as we focus on sustainable development and the post-colonial reconstruction of Africa.

Practical Theology in Africa: Situation, Approaches, Framework and Agenda Proposition

Abstract Practical Theology’s situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented except in South Africa, despite a strong theological focus on practical ministry across the continent and considerable discussion of African contextual theologies, including African theology, Black theology, reconstruction theology and women’s theology. The article sketches the context by highlighting the gaps in the discussion of Practical Theology. It discusses embedded Practical Theological practices within contextual theologies and surveys Practical Theology’s focus and aspirations across Africa, highlighting practices in Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa and Lusophone Africa. Finally, it deduces a framework for Practical Theology in Africa and identifies the challenges and tasks that should be put on the agenda of Practical Theology.

Church, mission and reconstruction: Being a church with integrity in reconstruction discourse in post-colonial Zimbabwe

The church in Africa, like its counterparts elsewhere in the world, is called to fulfil the mission of God as expressed in the call ‘Missio Dei’ and influentially remains with the integrity of the mission of Christ (Missio Christos), which is liberative and practical. For Christ was not only concerned with the spiritual needs of the people, but also with their material well-being. The following question therefore arises: how can the church in Africa, in general, and in Zimbabwe, in particular, actively do God’s mission and remain with integrity in the midst of the reality of suffering. Furthermore, how can the church for mission and reconstruction be understood in a post-colonial Zimbabwe given the contextual realities of political crises, corruption, poverty, moral decadence, defined or censored truth, leadership crises and no freedom of expression? This article argues that, although the church is faced with these arduous realities, it remains called by God to do God’s mission. While in post-colonial Zimbabwe the socio-political, socio-economic and socio-religious situation might seem hopeless, the church has remained vibrant and alive for reconstruction theology. The transformation of society is possible given the authority and mission mandate of the church. This article argues that the church is a key player in reconstruction theology and in the transformation of society. For transformation to be possible, the church should witness to the gospel of Christ without fear of being labelled, castrated and persecuted. The article asserts that the spirit of the Bible should be revived in a time of reconstruction in Zimbabwe. The assumption in this article is that Zimbabwe is ready for reconstruction discourse. For this to happen, the researchers argue that the church as a critical relevant player in reconstruction needs to ‘be church’ in its missional mandates. Integrity is essential if a church wants to be relevantly missional and reconstructive. Integrity means that the church has to embrace the risks and opportunities associated with mission.

Historical Books: 1 Chronicles–2 Maccabees

Historical Books1 Chronicles–2 Maccabees Christopher T. Begg and Walter A. Vogels WF 1850. [1 Chronicles 15–16] Bernard Gosse, “Le récit de la translation de l’arche d’alliance par David dans les Chroniques: Refondation cultuelle de la royauté au profit des Asphaites,” ETR 92 (2017) 721–33. The narrative of David’s transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 15–16 provides a window onto the organization of the Israelite cult after the exile, with the prominent place of the musical activities of the Levitical Asaphites and Ezrahites in that cult being presented in the narrative as having been instituted by David. Extending his earlier study of conflicts among liturgical music-makers in the postexilic period, G. here shows that the above passage is designed to legitimate the postexilic organization of the cult and the Levites’ role therein by recourse to (purported) decisions made by David on these matters. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] [End Page 645] 1851. [Ezra literature] Philippe Abadie and Pierre de Martin de Viviès, “Les quatre livres d’Esdras,” CaE 180 (2017). In most Bibles only one book is attributed to Ezra. The Hebrew Bible counts Ezra (1 Ezra) together with Nehemiah (2 Ezra) as one book. Other books, not accepted by the rabbis, appear under his name: 3 Ezra (deuterocanonical in the Orthodox Church); 4 Ezra (accepted by Russian Orthodoxy), 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra (apocrypha for all Jewish and Christian groups). This Cahier is a historical and literary presentation of the books accepted by all or at least by some Christian churches. A. studies first the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The work’s rhetorical structure shows that they constitute one literary unit with three major units: the return from exile (Ezra 1–6), the mission of priest-scribe Ezra (Ezra 7–10), and the struggles of the governor (Nehemiah 1–13). D.V. then presents the first Ezra book of 9 chapters, that appears in the LXX. It basically repeats Ezra with some sections taken from 2 Chronicles and a few verses that are peculiar to it. The book opens with the reign of king Josiah (3 Ezra 1:1–31//2 Chr 35:1–25) and continues with the last kings of Judah; the decrees of Cyrus; the return from exile; the reconstruction of the Temple; and the history of Ezra. Next, d.V. presents 4 Ezra, a book with two clearly distinct parts; the central portion (chaps. 3–14) is a Jewish text, also called the Apocalypse of Ezra (7 visions or revelations). Added to this are a prologue (chaps. 1–2) and an epilogue (chaps. 15–16), of Christian origin. Together, they constitute 4 Ezra as this appears in the Vulgate. 5 Ezra is the Christian prologue to the Apocalypse, while 6 Ezra is the Christian epilogue.—W.V. 1852. [Ezra–Nehemiah] Ntozakhe Cezula, “A Comment on Ehud Ben Zvi’s ‘Total Exile, Empty Land, and the General Intellectual Discourse in Yehud,’” OTE 30 (2017) 592–608. In the book (Gorgias Press, 2010) cited by C. in the above title, Ben Zvi argues that the Judeans of the late-Persian period could not interpret the “empty land myth” otherwise than in an inclusive manner, an approach that, according to him, is reflected in Ezra–Nehemiah and also surfaces in the Pentateuch, the Deuteronomistic History, and prophetic literature in Ben Zvi’s social memory analysis of these materials. The logic of Ben Zvi’s argument appears so pervasive, according to C., that one is compelled to revisit one’s stance on the issue of exclusivity in Ezra–Nehemiah. After some engagement with that complex, N. develops a case that, in the books in question, the viewpoint is in fact an exclusivistic one and that in them the “empty land myth” is treated in an exclusive manner as well. Of great concern in this connection is, C. points out, the fact that Ben Zvi’s argument comes at a time when African Christians are engaged in a quest for a biblical paradigm for a theology of reconstruction that is currently being...

LAND, FARMING AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN YEHUD: A QUEST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS POVERTY REDUCTION IN ZIMBABWE

The Hebrew Bible portrays the view that the Jewish lifestyle was predominantly agrarian. The ideology that Jewish socio-economic survival depended largely on subsistence farming is a depiction that the biblical text presents in terms of ‘themes’ pertaining to agriculture, such as: land tax, temple-tax, sheep, goats, cattle, and slaughtering and sacrificing animals. Significant archaeological discoveries to date have illumined the claim that agricultural production was critical in the sustenance of socio-economic life for both household consumption and national demand in the ancient Near East (hereafter, ANE). First, although issues surrounding land and socio-economic development (hereafter, SED) during the pre-monarchic, monar-chic, and exilic periods as depicted in the biblical text will be considered, the main focus of the present discourse is the Judean postexilic period. In this essay, postexilic literature (e.g. Trito-Isaiah, Ezra-Nehemiah, Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, etc.) will be explored. Second, this study employs an approach called ‘hermeneutics of appropriation’ in which significant ‘themes’ which fondled issues of land and farming in ancient Israel are investigated in view of the dynamics surrounding the land debate in post-independence Zimbabwe. Third, it is argued that in spite of the turbulence that has plagued the Zimbabwean economy in recent years, agriculture continues to play a pivotal role in averting starvation in the country. Fourth, this article concludes with a ‘theology of reconstruction’ in which strategies towards maximum utilisation of land, sustainable development and poverty reduction are explored.

BLACK BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS AND IDEOLOGICALLY AWARE READING OF TEXTS

This paper examines the role of Black Biblical hermeneutics in the development and propagation of Black theology and then goes on to argue for a sociological analysis of biblical texts as a preferred methodological approach for Black theology to effectively unearth the ideologies imbedded in biblical texts. Accordingly, this paper proposes a sociological analysis of Biblical texts. The above stated focus of this paper will be done in the following four stages. First, this paper provides a brief sketch of the emergence of Black theology and the role of Black biblical hermeneutics in support of the struggle of Black people against oppression in South Africa. Second, the paper discusses Mosala�s critique of Black theology and Black biblical hermeneutics. Third, the paper discusses reconstruction theology and its ideologically unaware reading of biblical texts. Finally, the paper spells out the role of Black Biblical hermeneutics in the current post-Apartheid South Africa. This is where the contribution of a sociological analysis/reading of biblical text will be spelt out as the preferred methodological approach for Black theology in the current post Apartheid context.

IDEOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY: A CRITIQUE OF VILLA VICENCIO'S PROJECT OF RECONSTRUCTION

The relationship between ideology and spirituality does not only offer a critical view of the project of reconstruction from a Black Theological perspective, but it is also a significant question for the agenda of Black Theology of liberation in the 21st century. This paper searches for the ideological assumptions that deeply underlie the proposal for reconstruction by reformulating it as a masqueraded proposal for a political theology. By further taking a critical view of the new order that instantiates the proposal for a reconstruction theology, caution in the journey between domination and hegemony resulting from a malignant convergence of public life by unredeemed spheres of politics and economics is made to underscore the dangers of convergence between ideology and spirituality.

A Case for a Transforming Christology in South Africa

Abstract In the South African discourse on the political relevance of Jesus Christ, a vast array of conceptions of Jesus emerged over the years of the struggle, the liberation, the quest for spirituality and the theology of reconstruction. This discourse has taken place within the framework of the two broad historical movements of a “high” and a “low” Christology. In a recent thought provoking and informative article Mouton & Smit investigated four of the dominant discourses on Jesus in contemporary South Africa.1 They surveyed the discussions of Jesus in the popular news and newspaper debates, academic circles and scholarship, the worship and spirituality of congregations and believers, and public opinion about social and political life. After reviewing a huge corpus of South African literature on concepts of Jesus they ask the question whether Jesus was lost in translation in the South Africa of recent times. This article is an attempt to take the argument further. First of all, the investigation will provide another outline of the Christologies in the recent South African discourse within the broad framework of a “high” and a “low” Christology. The concepts under consideration are the spiritual Jesus, the political Jesus and the historical Jesus. Then a case will be made for the transforming Jesus of the Kingdom of God as a corrective on the Christologies of Apartheid, the liberation struggle and the modern-day post-modern projections of the historical Jesus.

Taking Up the Cudgels Against Gay Rights? Trends and Trajectories in African Christian Theologies on Homosexuality

Against the background of the HIV epidemic and the intense public controversy on homosexuality in African societies, this article investigates the discourses of academic African Christian theologians on homosexuality. Distinguishing some major strands in African theology, that is, inculturation, liberation, women's and reconstruction theology, the article examines how the central concepts of culture, liberation, justice, and human rights function in these discourses. On the basis of a qualitative analysis of a large number of publications, the article shows that stances of African theologians are varying from silence and rejection to acceptance. Although many African theologians have taken up the cudgels against gay rights, some “dissident voices” break the taboo and develop more inclusive concepts of African identity and African Christianity.

African Theology of Reconstruction: The Painful Realities and Practical Options!

AbstractReconstruction theology in Africa has been the latest theological project coming out of Africa, beginning in 1990 it has gradually established itself and from 2003 a number of publications have come out on the subject. This paper seeks to make an addition to this growing list of publications. In this paper, I question the validity of the blame of external forces for all the woes that Africa is going through now. I instead propose that a functional reconstruction theology should primarily tackle the evil that we commit against ourselves. When we deal with this evil we have a likelihood of bringing African people into a proper unified group that can stand together against foreign elements. I also take issue with the selection of Nehemiah as the model upon which we can do our reconstruction theology. It is in this context that this paper suggests the prophet Amos over and above Jesus as the right model needed to confront the sort of problems we face as Africans. There is need for the church in Africa to undergo a reconstruction of its own after which the church can lead in the African reconstruction. This paper brings to the fore the painful realities of internally perpetrated evils, which are bigger than has been appreciated in many earlier contributions.

Black Theology of South Africa: Is This the Hour of Paradigm Shift?

The paper is based on the premise that the proposal for a shift of paradigm, from liberation to reconstruction, in post-apartheid South Africa and the post-cold war Africa, was not received with great enthusiasm among the practitioners of Black theology, as was widely expected. Could it be a quiet way of saying, "Look our concerns such as racism, poverty, land redistribution, deconstruction of patriarchy, fair redistribution of the national resources and now HIV/AIDS have not yet been achieved? Without "total freedom," can we really engage in a theology of reconstruction?" In attempting to address the above concerns, the paper surveys the historical background of Black theology. It also attempts to explore the philosophy behind the paradigm shifts in theo-social contexts in general—as it dwells on the crucial question on: Is it time to shift paradigms? In other words, who and what dictate the change of paradigm in the society of men and women in both the African traditional society and in the "modern" society?

The Ethical Redemption of African Imaginaire: Ka Mana's Theology of Reconstruction

The Ethical Redemption of African Imaginaire: Ka Mana's Theology of Reconstruction

The Ethical Redemption of African Imaginaire1 : Kä Mana's Theology of Reconstruction

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to introduce the work of the Congolese philosopher and theologian Kä Mana2 to the Anglophone audience. After an explanation of his use of the concept of imaginaire, his approach to the redemption of Africans' imaginaire from its present 'brokenness' will be explored. KM's proposal for a 'theology of reconstruction' will form the third part of the article. The deduction will be that in KM's project the ultimate objective of the theology of reconstruction in Africa consists in training 'anti-crisis human beings' who are equipped with new models of rational, ethical and spiritual convictions. This implies first the re-evangelisation of the institutions and structures that determine the existence of African societies today, and second the re-orientation of the global imaginaire of African people according to the fundamental vision of humankind that the word of God proposes through the revelation of a 'new reality' embodied by Jesus Christ.

Christian Violence in America

As the millennium approaches, the wave of antimodernism that has brought violent movements of religious nationalism in its wake around the world has arrived at America's shores. In the United States, attacks on abortion clinics, the killing of abortion clinic staff, and the destructive acts of members of Christian militia movements are chilling examples of assaults on the legitimacy of modern social and political institutions, based on the theological frameworks of reconstruction theology and Christian Identity thinking. These examples of Christian militancy present a religious perception of warfare and struggle in what is perhaps the most modern of twentieth-century societies. The secular political order of America is imagined to be trapped in vast satanic conspiracies involving spiritual and personal control. This perception provides Christian activists with both the justification and the obligation to use violent means to fulfill their understanding of the country's Christian mission—and at the same time offers a formidable critique of Enlightenment society and a reassertion of the primacy of religion in public life.

Teenswoordige heil, verbond en sending

Salvation and welfare in the present time, covenant and mission In the theological debate on salvation and welfare an important question that must be asked is the one concerning the relevance of the present time and world. The Marxist view presents the radical revolution as solution. The neo-Marxist view is that the revolution should continue. The theology of hope regards future freedom as way of salvation. The theology of liberation regards the exodus of the poor as salvation. The theology of reconstruction looks forward to a future where justice and human rights will be stressed. Salvation and welfare in the present time should, however, be related to the covenant of God. This is also very important for the way in which salvation must be seen from a missiological point of view.

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article: The Bible and Postmodern Imagination: Texts Under Negotiation. By Walter Brueggemann. In the Throe of Wonder: Intimations of the Sacred in a Post‐Modern World. By Jerome A. Miller. Interpreting Hebrew Poetry. By David L. Petersen and Kent Harold Richards. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume I: Aαρωυ‐Eυωχ. Edited by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneiders. The Secretary in the Letters of Paul (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2/42). By E. Randolph Richards. Revelation. By Wilfrid J. Harrington. Conversion to Christianity: Historical and Anthropological Perspectives on a Great Transformation. Edited by Robert W. Hefner. The Metaphor of God Incarnate. By John Hick. Disputed Questions in Theology and the Philosophy of Religion. By John Hick. The Nature of God. By Gerard J. Hughes. The Animals Issue: Moral Theoy in Practice. By Peter Carruthers. Philosophy and Theology in the Middle Ages. By G . R. Evans. Modalities in Medieval Philosophy. By Simo Knuuttila. Da Descarres a Spinoza: Percorsi della teologia razionale nel seicento. By Maria Emanuela Scribano. Tra Descartes e Bayle: Poiret e la teodicea. By Gianluca Mori. Kierkegaard and the Limits of the Ethical. By Anthony Rudd. Kierkegaard on Art and Communication. Edited by George Pattison. Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan Volume 10: Topics in Education. Edited by Robert M. Doran and Frederick E. Crowe. A Theology of Reconstruction: Nation‐building and Human Rights. By Charles Villa‐Vicencio. Religious Methods and Resources in Bioethics (Theology and Medicine 2). Edited by Paul F. Camenisch. Theological Developments in Bioethics (Bioethics 3). Edited by Andrew Lustig et al. Marriage in the Western Church: The Christianization of Marriage During the Patristic and Early Medieval Periods. By Philip L. Reynolds. Marriage in the Early Church. Translated and edited by David G. Hunter. The Clash of Gods: A Reinterpretation of Early Christian Art. By Thomas F. Mathews. A History of Religion in Britain: Practice and Belief from Pre‐Roman Times to the Present. Edited by Sheridan Gilley and W. J. Sheik. The Conversion of Henri IV: Politics, Power and Religious Belief in Early Modern France (Harvard Historical Studies 112). By Michael Wolfe. English Polemics at the Spanish Court: Joseph Creswell's ‘Letter to the Ambassador from England’, The English and the Spanish Texts of 1606. Edited by Albert J. Loomie.

A Theology of Reconstruction: Nation-Building and Human Rights

The changing situation in South Africa and eastern Europe prompts Charles Villa-Vicencio to investigate the implications of transforming liberation theology into a theology of reconstruction and nation-building. Such a transformation, he argues, requires theology to become an unambiguously inter-disciplinary study. This book explores the encounter between theology, on the one hand, and constitutional writing, law-making, human rights, economics, and the freedom of conscience on the other. Locating his discussion in the context of the South African struggle, the author compares this situation to that in eastern Europe, and the challenge of what is happening in these situations is identified for contexts where 'the empire has not yet crumbled'.