Original Research

Learning from African theologians and their hermeneutics: Some reflections from a German Evangelical theologian

Hans-Georg W
Verbum et Ecclesia | Vol 36, No 1 | a1394 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v36i1.1394 | © 2015 Hans-Georg W | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 05 November 2014 | Published: 30 April 2015

About the author(s)

Hans-Georg W, Theologisches Seminar Rheinland, Germany; Department for Biblical and Ancient Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa

Abstract

This article shares some reflections on African theology from an outside perspective. Starting from personal experiences as a German Evangelical coming to South Africa, it basically takes a look at the book African theology on the way: Current conversations, edited by Diane B. Stinton. It wants to identify ways of looking at theology which could be considered in some way or another as ‘especially African’. The article then compares these findings with two other books, presenting two different ways of applied African theology: The Africana Bible, edited by Hugh R. Page, coming from a very international background and implementing also the views of African people living outside of Africa, and the Africa Bible Commentary (ABC), edited by Tokunboh Adyemo, featuring an evangelical view.

Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research gives an outside view on African theology and hermeneutics from an European perspective. It challenges the one-way transfer of theological thinking from Europe to Africa, which for many centuries determined the relationship between the continents. It shows that European theologians indeed can learn much from African theologians and their way of reading the Bible.


Keywords

Theology; Hermeneutics; Africa; South Africa; Europe; Reading the Bible

Metrics

Total abstract views: 4918
Total article views: 7655

 

Crossref Citations

1. African Biblical Studies: An Introduction to an Emerging Discipline
Andrew M. Mbuvi
Currents in Biblical Research  vol: 15  issue: 2  first page: 149  year: 2017  
doi: 10.1177/1476993X16648813