Africa Theological Journal

“On This Rock I Will Build My Church:”

2024-12-31T03:13:19+01:00

The purpose of this article is to offer a philological rereading of Matt 16:16–19 to reshape African Christology. Largely, African ecclesiology emphasizes tasks that disconnect denominations rather than creating a borderless community which shares mutual faith. Moreover, it highlights church structure, economic and human resources as well as nature, universality, content, and the mandate of mission. It should, therefore, be reshaped to appreciate ekklēsia as a borderless community which God initiated, called and designated to belong to, and gives loyalty to Christ. Remarkably, the link between Christology and ecclesiology in the text discloses that Christology nurtures and shapes ecclesiology. Yet missiology has perpetually nurtured and shaped ecclesiology, but the conversation between Jesus and Peter insinuates that ecclesiology grows from Christology. While Peter’s confession is Christological, Jesus’s riposte is not only ecclesiological, but it also demonstrates that God initiates missiological tasks of the ekklēsia. Besides, the interpretations and translation of the text’s key terms are contentious, and the misreading of their referents may have engendered weak ecclesiology. Philological criticism, which analyses the original languages with which a text was written, was used to analyse its key terms. Their translation and reinterpretation establishes that God through Christ initiates the ekklēsia’s missiological tasks, while the Holy Spirit empowers her to execute them. So, if African ekklēsia shall revive her missiological tasks, Christology must nurture and shape African evangelical ecclesiology.

A Speck in the Brother’s (Sister’s) Eye?

2024-12-31T03:12:35+01:00

Being motivated by the enduring practice of church discipline in the ELCT, albeit critique, this article analyses some aspects of church discipline from an ethical stand point. The article is informed by a descriptive analysis of previous research on church discipline in the ELCT. Scrutiny of parts related to church discipline in the ELCT hymnal - Tumwabudu Mungu Wetu, the church constitutions, and some interviews were carried out. The analysis shows that church discipline as practiced in the ELCT is imbued with flaws among which are failure to address issues contextually, gender bias and contradiction with the ELCT liturgy, especially concerning absolution and benediction. Such flaws mask and even contradict with the Lutheran identity as reflected in tenets of justification by grace, priesthood of believers and freedom. The study reveals that the enduring practice of church discipline in the ELCT is attributed to the need of differentiating and correcting wrong doings in various contexts. From this perspective, church discipline is considered ethical as to its intention. However, the bias and contradictions manifest in the practice of church discipline, render church discipline as practiced in the ELCT unethical. It is recommended that the ELCT could review the practice in efforts to align it with the mission of the church and the fast-changing context.

The Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania to Girls’ Migration from Iringa Rural Areas to Big Cities in Tanzania

2024-12-31T03:14:33+01:00

This case study represents how the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania deals with the problem of girls migrating from rural areas to cities in Tanzania. The Iringa region is commonly known as a place where girls are recruited or sometimes trafficked to big cities for jobs like household domestics and barmaids. Some studies previously were made from social and economic perspectives, but there have been no direct studies dealing with the problem of migration from the church or done from a religious perspective. For this article the authors drew from a Master thesis written by I. Lunyamaso and supervised by F. Mahali that engaged perspectives from parents and guardians on the ease of allowing their children to migrate into cities for jobs that risked their lives. The study applied in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis from local government and church institutions. This study found that people within the church are aware of the problem of girls migrating from rural areas in Iringa, Tanzania, to big cities, but they did not have direct diaconal or pastoral responses against the negative effects of girls’ migration to big cities. This article suggests that for the church to respond to this problem, it needs to enrich its diaconal engagement with the Lutheran theological perspective of grace that guarantees the empowerment and wellness of all people regardless of their gender differences. Such a perspective will help the church to address the problem of gender parity in their communities and congregations, as well as engage in confronting injustice based on gender differences.

Speaking in Tongues in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

2024-12-31T03:15:35+01:00

This co-authored article explores interpretations of and attitudes to glossolalia as unintelligible, non-semantic language among the students of theology at Tumaini University Makumira as part of the broader phenomenon of the Pentecostaliation of mainline churches in Africa. We conceptualised glossolalia as connected with the New Testament idea of spiritual gifts and African cultural practices but also as learned social behaviour. A mixed-methods approach combines a quantitative survey with a qualitative study providing further in-depth interpretations. The combined findings reveal that half of the students have spoken in tongues themselves (especially women) and that most of the respondents appreciate glossolalia as a spiritual gift and, more or less, want it to be practiced in the church and not only privately. Furthermore, respondents employed a questionable distinction between genuine glossolalia and fake glossolalia with only the latter causing negative effects. One of these is the discrimination of non-glossolalists as inferior to tongue-speakers which causes serious conflicts in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). As remedies of malpractices, respondents emphasised translation of glossolalia and intensified teachings. The researchers could also show that African cultural resources may provide a positive view of speaking in tongues and its translation. The authors discussed these findings with reference to research from New Testament studies, African cultural perspectives, and contemporary socio-scientific research. This article concluded that awareness of educational but also political aspects, integration of glossolalic practices and the curtailing of malpractices through teaching and socio-political awareness are needed in and for the ELCT.

Book Review

2024-12-31T03:03:58+01:00

Book Review

2024-12-31T03:03:21+01:00