Thesis statement
Christology is part of theology, which mainly deals with the person and works of Jesus Christ. Christianity depicts Jesus as an incarnation of God in a human body, hence resulting in a being that is a God-in-man. Such incarnation helps in explaining the works of Christ that appear supernatural in comparison to the person of the man that biblical teachings describe.
Over the years, different scholars have divided the study of the person and works of Christ into literature suited to specific regions to make Christianity relatable to people living in such regions. For instance, African Christology is a branch of Christology specific to African nations and their perceptions of the works and person of Christ and Christianity in general.
Debates exist as to whether African Christology is plausible considering how most nations made their acquaintance with Christianity and their perceptions of the concept in association with traditions indigenous to various regions. This paper presents the thesis; although African Christology has diminished in significance over the years, the concept still exists, and it remains relevant in the region. The paper utilizes arguments from different scholars on the subject to prove the plausibility of the thesis.
Development of African Christology
In most African states, the introduction to Christianity came about as a direct result of the colonization process that took place mostly between the 1920s and the late 1990s. In most of these cases, Christianity was a means of attracting support and encouraging assimilation of foreigners into African territories, which later made it easier to rule most colonies.
The majority of indigenous African population at the time was skeptical of the teachings that missionaries and colonial rulers proposed while spreading the gospel due to the already existent traditions at the time including worshiping other gods, social hierarchy, gender roles, economic, and political backgrounds (Stinton 32). For instance, explaining the incarnation of God into human form resulting in a God-made-human baffled most people as it went against the perception of any god as a supernatural being devoid of any vulnerability.
Also, the explanation of the miraculous works that Jesus performed during his existence such as walking on water and calming a storm, in a context that an African would understand, was difficult due to the insinuation that a human could perform functions that defy logic. Therefore, most teachers had to elaborate on the person and works of Christ in ways that made sense such as Christ’s ability to solve problems that most other people would not understand (Antonio 15).
These factors are some of the essential ones that led most preachers at the time to call for the development of teachings that the African community would easily relate with, especially about the works and person of Christ. Some of the major classifications of teachings that preachers adopted at the time that still apply to date as part of African Christology are concepts of Christ as a healer, liberator, master of initiation, son of God, and Christ as an ancestor.
Although some of these concepts have evolved due to changes in societal structures and eradication of colonization, most of them remain relevant in creating a better understanding of the gospel from Christ as a person and the work he did (Antonio 22). In essence, missionaries focused on society’s problems and needs in introducing the gospel of Christ to the communities in ways that people could relate to ease the acceptance of Christian teachings and incorporate such teachings in the every-day lives of the indigenous communities.
Debate on the existence of African Christology
The debate on the existence of African Christology has over the years emanated from the question of whether Christianity is native to Africa or a concept that the western nations introduced to the continent during the colonial period. Various theologians have developed theories that explain the existence or lack of Christianity in traditional African societies before and after colonization.
Scholars arguing against the existence of African Christology contend that Christianity, as a religion, was non-existent in African traditional societies before the nineteenth century, and thus the premise that African Christology does not exist (Moloney 505).
However, numerous African theologians including John Mbiti, Charles Nyamiti, Anselm Sanon, and B. Bujo have defended the existence of African Christology through the development of themes explaining the relevance of the person of Christ and his works through traditional African religious practices.
One such theme is the perception of Christ as an ancestor. According to author Raymond Moloney, the concept of the existence of ancestors is one of the most deeply rooted African religious beliefs, albeit with different variations depending on the region of origin. In his view, Africans believe that ancestors are human beings who die and transcend into another dimension to act as mediators between human beings on earth and a supreme being.
He notes that the presumption of the existence of ancestors in most African cultures has led to the development of religious practices such as offering of sacrifices and libations to appease such ancestors in the hope of mediation for issues raised to the Supreme Being. Moloney states that African religious practices present ancestors as exalted beings in the same fashion as saints in Catholic beliefs (508).
The similarities between the ancestors in African religious beliefs and Christ, according to the gospel, lie in their function about mediation between human beings and God. Secondly, the methods in which ancestors transcend into their new dimension and Christ into his, according to Christians, bear uncanny resemblance (Moloney 509). In both instances, the ancestor in human form dies then gains the supernatural ability to perform the task of mediator between God and man.
Moloney states that the main difference between African and Jewish beliefs about the function of Christ and ancestors as mediators is that the Jews base their beliefs on the divinity of Christ while Africans do not apply such consideration to ancestors in their roles as mediators (515). In the case of Africans, such divinity is a preserve for the Supreme Being, and it creates the difference between the roles of these persons.
Aylward Shorter is one of the scholars that present criticism for this theory through comparison with classical Christian beliefs on the same. According to Shorter, the role of Christ as a mediator in the way that St. Thomas presents it lays the basis on the belief that Christ was a human being, but he also possessed the element of divinity as an incarnation of God in human form (92).
In the case of ancestors, the individuals thought to fit the role are purely mortal, thus bringing to doubt their ability to mediate between God and other human beings. This difference in theoretical elements with the classical version of the gospel’s definition of Christ’s work and person is part of the main reason why Aylward Shorter expresses doubt in the existence of African Christology (Griffiths 37).
Shorter expresses the opinion that for African Christology to gain authenticity, the concept has to be indigenous rather than introduced into the community by other people (105). He views the introduction of Christianity as a marker that the concept of African Christology does not originate from the continent, and thus it does not exist.
However, such a theory does not take into consideration the involvement of some states in the continent in the development of the Old Testament story, thus creating a link between the events in that period in time and those in the New Testament by creating a legitimate claim of authenticity for African Christology.
Another theme that theologians propose in support of African Christology is the concept of initiation. Catholic bishop, Anselm Sanon, creates a link between Christ and African initiation rites in his bid to prove the existence of African Christology. According to Sanon, initiation is an important aspect of African culture that marks the transition into different stages of life, including birth, puberty, marriage, and death (Moloney 511).
The similarities between the initiation rituals in the African society and those in the gospel about the life of Christ make the teachings in the gospel more relatable to the African community. One example of initiation rituals that are common in both the classical teachings on Christology and African society is circumcision (Moloney 507). According to the Jewish customs, the performance of circumcision occurs on every male child a few days after birth as an indication of joining the society.
The tradition dates back to the Old Testament, and its practice carries on as part of Jewish identity. In the same light, most African societies perform circumcision, albeit for different purposes from the classical Jewish tradition. Most African societies perform circumcision as a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood, which often occurs during puberty.
Although circumcision in the Jewish society takes the form of removal of the foreskin from male genitalia, African communities apply varying methods including removal of teeth, as is the case with the Luo community residents in regions of East Africa. However, the idea behind whichever method applicable in any scenario is assimilation into society. According to Moloney, Christ underwent initiation “into the fullness of God’s plan by being brought to the perfection spoken of in Hebrews 5:9 and 7:28” (506).
He explains that this initiation into God’s perfect plan for humanity is especially evident during his death and resurrection. He also states that theologian Benezet Bujo presents the opinion that through the transition rituals during the death and resurrection of Christ, Christ transforms into an elder brother as per Romans 8:29, living in his Father’s house as stated in Luke 2:49 and that it is through this process that he makes other children of the same household (Moloney 507).
William Placher, in his work Narratives of a Vulnerable God, states that the concept of incorporation into a divine family is part of the appeal of Christianity to Africans and a concept that theologians include in their explanation of the existence of African Christology (Placher 67). The existence of initiation rituals in both the African society and the traditional Jewish society that forms the basis of Christian teachings and subsequent development of Christology proves the plausibility of the existence of African Christology.
The third theme of choice for theologians seeking to prove the existence of African Christology is the concept of Christ, the healer. According to the gospel, Jesus performed various miracles during his lifetime, which contributes to the presence of humanity in his person and an example of his various tasks during his lifetime (O’Collins 41).
Congolese author, Buana Kibongi, and scholar, Cece Kolie, point out similarities between Christ’s function as a healer and those of traditional healers in African societies- most of whom take the form of witchdoctors (Shorter 116). Shorter uses the term ‘nganga,’ a term used in West Africa to describe a witchdoctor, traditional healer, or medicine man.
According to Kibongi, the theme of Christ as a healer bears significant impact on spreading Christianity throughout Africa because health issues form part of the major concerns that most Africans have, regardless of their region of origin (Moloney 508). Since time immemorial, the world has had a bleak picture of Africa as a continent due to various problems that remain a burden to the continent even to date, including poverty, diseases, and poor infrastructural developments.
For these reasons, some western nations refer to the continent as ‘the dark continent.’ Benezet Bujo states that to most Africans, “God is, above all, the God of life in its fullness and the principle function of religion is to liberate man and woman from all that threatens their life” (Moloney 508).
Moloney contributes further to this point by stating his opinion that the gospel presents an integrated approach to healing from the Lord, which comprises five levels of healing, viz. physical, emotional, psychological, social, and religious healing. The wholesome approach in which Christianity presents the aspect of healing of one of Christ’s abilities makes the acceptance of Christianity in the African community attractive, especially about the environment the community lives in.
Although some theologians disagree with the perception of Christ as a ‘witchdoctor,’ Shorter reiterates that such a perception has significant importance in aiding the indigenous population understand the gospel and connect the works of Christ to their daily lives (120). Even though the traditional perception of the miracles of Jesus emanates from his divinity, the outcomes of such miracles reflect certain similarities to works of witchdoctors in African society.
However, Moloney notes that over the years, the holistic nature of the integrated healing power of Christ has faded to some extent due to developments in science (512). Currently, most people in nations outside Africa view the potential healing power of Christ as limited to what science cannot fix.
For this reason, some individuals regard such healing relevant to moral and religious problems, but not very applicable to physical problems. Moloney faults the church for concentrating on the moral and religious aspects of Christianity and leaving the physical, emotional, and psychological healing to professionals, thus creating a substandard image of the healing power of Christ presented in classic teachings of Christianity (513).
An analysis of these arguments reveals that the authors agree to the existence of African Christology, albeit it is different from the traditional forms of Christology mostly presented through Jewish traditions. The chief point of African Christology is to present Christianity to the African population through concepts to which people can relate.
The fact that these concepts do not match the traditional concepts of Christology, such as Christ being the Son of Man does not mean that the concept of African Christology is faulty. Therefore, reference of Christ as a witchdoctor rightfully serves the purpose of enabling people to connect with Christian teachings.
Evolution of African Christology
There have been significant changes to African Christology over the last two centuries, hence bringing to doubt the existence of African Christology as an independent form of Christology and not a concept adopted from Western nations. Some of these changes include the adoption of certain practices through globalization, thus resulting in striking similarities between African Christological practices and those from other regions (Griffiths 86).
The adoption of advanced medical interventions for health problems is one such change that has altered some of the African traditions practiced during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries such as witchcraft. However, it is worth noting that such changes in the African culture, perceptions of Christianity, and practice of African Christology do not negate the existence of African Christology as a whole.
Most of these changes occur as adaptations to changes in the environment, and African Christological teachings have had to adapt similarly. African Christology currently bears significant similarities with other contemporary forms of Christology, but the teachings remain essentially different in conformity with African culture. For instance, even though most people place a lot of trust in modern medicine, Africans still believe in the holistic and integrated healing ability of Christ.
Conclusion
Similarities between African Christology and other contemporary forms of Christology do not negate its existence. Also, the origin of the concept does not necessarily negate the authenticity of its existence, as explained by the different authors featured in this paper. Although the concept has undergone various changes over the past two centuries, the essence of the concept remains the same to date.
Works Cited
Antonio, Edward. Inculturation and Postcolonial Discourse in African Theology, New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2006. Print.
Griffiths, Paul. Christianity through Non-Christian Eyes (Faith Meets Faith Series), London: Orbis Books, 1990. Print.
Moloney, Raymond. “African Christology.” Theological Studies 48.1 (1987): 505-515. Print.
O’Collins, Gerald. Christology: A Biblical, Historical and Systematic study of Jesus, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Placher, William. Narratives of a Vulnerable God: Christ, theology and scripture, Louisville: John Knox Press, 1994. Print.
Shorter, Aylward. African Christian Theology: Adaptation or Incarnation, London: Orbis Books, 1977. Print.
Stinton, Diane. Jesus of Africa: voices of contemporary African Christology, London: Orbis Books, 2004. Print.