Hans-Georg Wünch is a Research Fellow at the Department for Biblical and Ancient Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa.
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
There are at least two dangers in comparing ‘African’ and ‘European’ (or ‘Western’) theology. These dangers are generalisation or even stereotyping, on the one hand, and subjectivity or even arbitrariness, on the other hand. One should not think all Africans to be similar in their way of doing theology. In fact, there is nothing like ‘
Some years ago, I worked for the first time as a co-supervisor for a German MTh student in the field of Old Testament at University of South Africa (UNISA), and we were at a study conference for master and doctoral students in Germany. My student was presenting a paper on the ideas and plans for his dissertation. Two UNISA professors were also present at this presentation. At the end of it, one of them asked the student what the relevance of his dissertation would be for the church in Germany and his own personal Christian life. I shall never forget the look on the face of my student. He had never thought about this. His dissertation was on an academic-theological question. Why should it have relevance for the church or for his own Christian life?
I observed the same phenomenon time and again in the students that followed him. It became clear to me that there is a difference in the understanding of ‘theology’ in South Africa or Africa and Germany. In this article, I shall look into this difference in more detail.
Let us now come to the first step of this article. Most articles referred to at this stage come from the book
In his article on ‘Biblical hermeneutics in Africa’, Gerald West (
… the recognition that African biblical interpretation is always in some sense ‘over against’, or in opposition to, the forms of biblical interpretation imposed by and inherited from missionary Christianity and Western academic biblical studies. (p. 24)
The time of colonisation and mission, which were connected to a great extent, strongly influenced theology in Africa. Perhaps one should rather say that it dominated African theology for a long time. It was the missionary theology which was imposed on African churches as ‘the’ theology of the Bible. There was no distinction whatsoever between the Bible and the theology proclaimed by missionaries
It is, however, not only the influence of the missionaries in presenting the gospel, defining theology and building churches that has to be noted. The missionary influence also led to the prominence of Western (very often: German) academic theology in African theology.
This discussion with the colonial past can be seen in almost every article used in preparing this article. The responses are manifold and in part even contradictory. What
Something that strikes a European theologian as very specifically African – even if it is not explicitly mentioned in any article – is the numerous citations of African proverbs in many of the articles. The very first sentence of the book is a proverb: ‘When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion’ (Stinton
This takes us to the next point.
Gerald West (
The African biblical scholar is never allowed to settle in the academy alone; there is a constant call from ordinary African interpreters for African biblical scholars to engage with them and their realities. (p. 29)
Whilst there is a growing distance between the academic world and the everyday life of Christians in Germany (and also in many other countries of the Western world), African theology consciously tries to bring these two worlds together.
The editor of
Just as the Emmaus disciples shared their hopes and fears, their certainties and their doubts, their grief and their joy ‘on the way’ of discovering the Risen Jesus with them, so African believers continue to grapple with recognizing and appropriating the Risen Christ in our midst today. (p. xx)
Stinton (
The fact that theology in Africa seems to be far more routed in everyday life than is often the case with European theological thinking has certain consequences. One of these consequences is that African theology often seems to be less strict and extreme than Western theology, which tends to be more interested in ‘pure’ academics than in everyday life. Or, as the late Ghanaian theologian Kwame Bediako (
In his article in
The catholic theologian Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator (
… in the light of faith is what makes theology contextual. Understood this way what we call theology differs considerably from the exact sciences. Researchers engaged in the latter always strive to isolate their experience so that they can examine the data objectively, that is, without allowing their emotions, feelings and personal experience to influence the result of the experimentation. (p. 4)
Another consequence of integrating ‘real life’ and theology is that the personality of the theologian is not excluded from but consciously included in her or his theology.
During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a consistent thrust in the academic world at German universities for a ‘neutral’ and ‘nonbiased’ approach to theology. Students in their first semester were asked to leave their childish faith behind when they entered university. Only in the last two or three decades has this gradually changed. It has now finally been replaced with an increasing realisation that there is no such thing as ‘neutrality’ when it comes to theology. This realisation is often viewed as something very sad, but which cannot be changed.
African theology in contrast gladly embraces the fact that we as human beings as well as our circumstances and cultural surroundings always were and always will be part of our theology.
Many articles thus contain references to personal aspects of the author. The editor Diane Stinton (
Even before listening for the content of their ideas, get a feel for who the speaker is through the bio-data provided and through any additional research you can do. A person’s theology almost certainly reflects his or her life experience, so try to discern what has shaped the person’s view. (p. XX)
The last and most important consequence of integrating ‘real life’ and theology is the importance of the context
Gerald West (
While Western forms of biblical interpretation have been reluctant, until recently, to acknowledge that text and context are always, at least implicitly, in conversation, the dialogical dimension of biblical interpretation has always been an explicit feature of African biblical hermeneutics… Interpreting the biblical text is never, in African biblical hermeneutics, an end in itself. Biblical interpretation is always about changing the African context. (p. 22f.)
And again West (
While Western forms of biblical interpretation have tended to hide or omit the contemporary context of the biblical interpreter, African biblical interpretation is overt about the context from which and for which the biblical text is interpreted. (p. 31)
For Orobator, the concentration on the African context is most important. Context for him (Orobator
The dialogue between the Biblical text and today’s context can be seen as a very dynamic one. Jesse N.K. Mugambi (
I opt for the … approach, which allows unrestricted movement between the text and the context. On the one hand, the context provides the operational platform on which theology has to be done. On the other, the text provides the analytical stimulus for creative reflection. The theology of reconstruction is based on this two-way communication between the text and the context. (p. 144)
With the term ‘theology of reconstruction’, Mugambi denotes a theology which tries to reconstruct the biblical truth in light of the questions of today. Mugambi (
This approach takes biblical hermeneutics seriously, discerning the meaning intended by canonical texts and relating that meaning to specific cultural contexts. The message takes precedence over the medium of its transmission. (p. 144)
We have just identified five features that characterise African ways of reading the Bible and doing theology: (1) the integration of real life, which leads to (2) the integration of non-academics, (3) less strict or extreme theology, (4) the integration of the theologian personally and (5) dialogue between culture and the Bible. We shall now take these five features and show how they are applied to the interpretation of Biblical texts and used in theological discussions. To do so, we shall apply them to the
The
… to demonstrate how Africana traditions, lore, and lived experience can be creatively deployed in reading, probing, conversing with, challenging, (at times) ignoring, extending, and creating meaning from and in partnership with the First Testament, the Apocrypha, and the Pseudepigrapha. (p. xxvii)
This article concentrates on the authors with a clear African background and also only on the articles dealing with the Hebrew Bible, setting aside those on the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha.
The second book used is the
The
All authors of the
The
The task was to see how the abovementioned specialties of African theology were appropriated in these books, or in others words, how theory revealed itself in practice. In discussing the findings, we shall see some differences between the two books. Some of these differences are due to the different ideas behind the books whilst others arise from the fact that the
The integration of ‘real life’ and theology dominates both the
Both books make extensive use of African proverbs, songs, adages and metaphors. Whilst this may more or less be seen as ‘normal’ for African readers, it is not in the Western context. There are numerous examples in both books. ‘African and African diasporan hermeneutics’ by Bailey
These examples have all been taken from the
Another way to integrate ‘real life’ and theology is to link the theological truth to examples of everyday life. These examples could be either stories of true people or legends which reflect on situations from everyday life. The following are a few examples from both books, starting with the
One story relates that, when White missionaries first came to Africa, they presented Africans with the Bible and asked them to close their eyes for prayer. On opening their eyes, Africans discovered that the Whites had taken away their land and left them with the Bible. The other story tells of an African woman who carried the Bible with her wherever she went. When asked why she did that, she responded that it was because the Bible was the only book that could read her. (pp. 40–41)
We find the same connection to everyday life in the
Many traditional African ideas about leadership are embedded in the Kikuyu legend about the despotic king Gikuyu who was overthrown because of his tyrannical rule and replaced by a council of elders, chosen from the older men of the community who had previously been warriors. (p. 546)
This example is very interesting because it shows that it is not the ‘content’ of the legend which is important in itself. One could easily replace this story with the statement that it happened often in history that tyrannical rulers were overthrown and replaced by people from the military. What is the effect of citing an old legend? Does it give credibility to the statement itself? It seems that the effect is just to link the theological truth to experiences of everyday life, which are somehow preserved in this legend.
In his article on ‘The Bible in twenty-first-century Africa’ in the
… the ordinary people’s approach to the Bible is informing scholarly reading practises; critical reading masses are being nurtured at the grassroots, and the hitherto muted voices of the ordinary people are coming alive in academic biblical discourse. (p. 28)
According to Adamo (2010:28), this is part of the ‘distinctive African tradition of interpretation’, which began to emerge during the twentieth century. According to Adamo (
In her already cited encounter with ‘Bathepa Maja’, Madipoane Masenya (
I am intrigued by her hermeneutics. It does not require a background in Bible studies or biblical language proficiency… This is a refreshing break from those approaches to hermeneutics and theology that most of us have been trained to employ, particularly during the apartheid era: individualistic, detached, spiritual, and futuristic. (p. 37)
There were no clear examples for the integration of non-academics into the theological debate in the
The relevance of this point can only be shown indirectly since there is no intentional reflection on it, which – of course – is not really a surprise. Nevertheless, it can still be seen very clearly in the overall attitude of both books. The
… [
It then goes on to say: ‘Readers should leave this volume with an appreciation of the remarkable diversity, scope, and tone that characterize modern Africana encounters with the First Testament’ (Page & Bailey
The
The contributors to the
To make clear the differences which are possible within the
The best approach may be modelled on the one taken in the book of Hebrews … Taken this approach, it can be said that Jesus has become the mediator between God and African society. Consequently, African veneration, worship and respect for the ancestors should now properly be addressed to Jesus as the mediator … just as he fulfilled, transformed and supplanted the Jewish religious system, so he has fulfilled, transformed and supplanted the ancestral cult and traditional religions of Africa. (p. 480)
This approach to African religions and cults seems to be relatively moderate. Instead of bluntly rejecting the idea of the role of ancestors, Turaki tries to modify this idea so that it fits with the Christian truth.
In his article on ‘Idolatry’, Emeka Nwankpa (
Unlike Paul, some African theologians have called for accommodation of African traditional religions, claiming that the High God worshipped in those religions is the same as the God of the Judeo-Christian religion. Some even refer to Jesus as ‘a paramount ancestor’. By doing this, they validate traditional religious beliefs and worship that the Bible condemns. (p. 866)
There are many examples of the integration of the theologian with his or her personal history in both books. In the
In the story that follows, the narrator [
Masenya then tells about the tragic loss of her son in a car accident and her questions about this. ‘Why did my son die?’ she asks (Masenya
So huge and sovereign is this Sacred Other, who has become and continues to be the object of our yelling, anger, criticism, and frustrations, that God remains patient with all those who wrestle with God in the midst of unjust suffering. If these sufferers persist in their steadfastness with God, they, like the biblical Job, will eventually say: ‘I heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you’ (Job 42:5). (p. 240)
There are other examples for the integration of the theologian’s life into his or her theology in the
We also find examples in the
It is very encouraging to have the Most High as one’s defence. I (Dr Assohoto) can testify that there was a time in my own life when those who loved me felt that others were seeking evil power to destroy me. From two different sources I received plaques engraved with the words of Isaiah 54:17: ‘No weapon forged against you will prevail’. Whenever my eyes caught these words, I felt a sense of assurance that I was well guarded. (p. 33)
In her commentary on the book of Ruth, Isabel Apawo Phiri (
In my culture, when a person dies the bereaved family sit in mourning for seven days, with community members constantly coming to console them. With the pressure of modern life, these days of mourning have now been reduced to three. (p. 574)
To African readers, these examples may not be recognised as something special. However, in the Western context, it is unusual. Authors typically do not reflect on their own personal life experience in their Biblical commentaries. In African culture, it seems to be perfectly normal.
The last and most important aspect of African Bible interpretation is its dialogue between culture and the Bible. It is not possible to show the abundance of examples on this point. The few mentioned here simply scratch the surface.
There are at least two ways to understand this dialogue. Both of them could be found in both books but with different accentuations. The first way is to understand African culture as the receiver in this dialogue. Maybe it would be better to speak of it as a monologue since the culture is not really active. The goal is to make the Biblical truth understandable and conceivable in the African culture. The second way is to see this relationship between the Bible and culture more as a kind of dialogue between equals. The goal is to further an inter-relationship between Bible and culture. In the
Elelwani Farisani (
Ethnic tension described by Obadiah between the Israelites and the Edomites may have relevance in Africa today, especially in the context of recent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa. (p. 181)
In his article on Micah, Farisani (
The most important way to reflect on the eighth-century prophet Micah is to use him as a new paradigm in a quest for an African theology of renewal, transformation, reconciliation, and reconstruction. (p. 191f.)
The examples for this way of letting the Bible speak into the African culture in the
The Africa Bible Commentary attempts to relate the Scriptures and African cultures and in so doing to seek ways in which the gospel may be seen to be relevant to African cultures. (p. 3)
Bediago (2006) then goes on to write: ‘We need to allow Scripture to become the interpreter of who we are in the specific concrete sense of who we are in our cultures and traditions.’ According to Bediako, (
… [
As already indicated, the
… [
Therefore we find many examples of this kind of mutual dialogue between African culture and the Bible in this book.
The Bible and African culture are brought into dialogue by ways of analogy. One example of this can be found in the article on Isaiah by Makhosazana K. Nzimande from the University of Zululand. Nzimande (
Evidently, Europe and America have emerged as the ‘Babylonian empire’ of our time. Within this economically suicidal postapartheid context, the prophet’s anti-Babylonian political stance in Isaiah is deeply needed in levelling a sharp theological critique against the capitalist exploitation of globalization and the subsequent suffering it inflicts on South African blacks. (p. 142)
Another example for this way of analogy can be found in Madipoane Masenya’s (
The 587 B.C.E/1994 C.E. catastrophes in Judah and white South Africa, respectively, show that no human leader is indispensable. Thus human leaders need to remain humble and vigilant even as they serve fellow human beings who have equally been created in the image of the divine leader. (p. 151)
Examples for this kind of dialogue are rarer in the
Jesus, too, did not separate religion and politics. In his mission statement in Luke 4:18–19 he declared that his ministry was to those suffering various forms of bondage and oppression, including economic oppression (poverty), physical oppression (diseases and disabilities), political oppression (injustice and oppressive rule) and demonic oppression (various forms of occult practices). These same evils plague Africa today. (p. 1027)
George Kinoti (
If we are to be obedient to God and look after his creation, we must not ignore what is happening. Like Noah, we must work to rescue all creatures in danger of extinction – whether the danger comes from pollution, habitat change, overfishing, poaching or any other cause. (p. 618)
Again we can see that analogy serves as the way to bring Bible and culture into dialogue.
It is now time to draw some conclusions to the question raised as the topic of this article.
What can we as Western theologians learn from African theology? The answer to this question is not easy, keeping in mind that there is neither
To really learn from African scholars presupposes an open-minded dialogue. The point of such a dialogue ‘… is not to copy each other’s interpretative experiences and concerns, but to challenge each other’s more fundamental biblical interpretation’ (Holter
If we as theologians want to be relevant for our society, we have to take the context of our readers and our churches more seriously in the process of exegesis. It is not enough to do appropriation
… long discussion held in Western Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries about the relation between exegesis and actualisation. For a multitude of reasons … exegesis and actualisation have become increasingly distant from each other within academia. (pp. 92–93)
It is our task to overcome that distance to make theology relevant for our culture and society.
In sum, this calls for more wholeness or unity of theology and life, academia and church. The task before us cannot be simply to copy methods or contents of African theology. However, we can learn from each other. For example, the words of Bishop Desmond Tutu (
Let us develop our insights about the corporateness of human existence in the face of excessive Western individualism, about the wholeness of the person when others are concerned for Hellenistic dichotomies of soul and body, about the reality of the spiritual when others are made desolate with the poverty of the material. Let African theology enthuse about the awesomeness of the transcendent when others are embarrassed to speak about the King, high and lifted up, whose train fills the temple. (p. 44)
And may I add: Let Western theology join in with this enthusiasm.
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.
A theology that could be called ‘African’ in any real sense of the word is something which only developed in the last 40 to 50 years. In 1977, John Mbiti (
The theology which came to Africa through the missionaries had at least two main weaknesses, as John Parratt (
In 1997, Bishop Desmond Tutu (
Pobee (
See also Ihuoma (
In January 2006, a conference with participants from Europe and Africa took place in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The theme of the conference was ‘Exegesis and actualisation’. The papers of the conference were afterwards published (De Wit & West
After defining his seven contextualities (see above), Jonker (
Ihuoma (
When we speak of ‘context’ here, it means what Jonker (
In his paper for the above-mentioned conference in Stellenbosch, Hans de Wit tries to define the relationship between exegesis and contextuality. In his view, they should neither be separated from each other nor connected inseparably (he uses the metaphor of divorce and marriage). Instead, he speaks of ‘living apart together’ (De Wit
Ihuoma (