African Contextual Realities

African Contextual Realities

Everyone who has “eyes to see” acknowledges the growing importance of the African church to the future of global Christianity. But what does it mean for the church to take root in Africa? How should the message of the gospel and the practice of Christianity be contextualized for Africa? African Contextual Realities addresses many of the questions surrounding contextualization from a practical point of view and is the fruit of the 6th Annual Conference of the Africa Society of Evangelical Theology held in Nairobi in 2016. The book explores such questions as: • In what ways should the mission of God be universally recognizable in every cultural context? • In our efforts to contextualize, how do we avoid compromising the very gospel we are to proclaim? • How can the African church wean itself away from dependency on the Western church? • How does Christianity speak into some of the cultural and social issues arising out of contemporary African settings – issues like widow cleansing, Christian-Muslim relations, and peace-building? All those who are interested to learn more about the contextualization of African Christianity will find this volume to be an important resource.

African Contextual Realities

Future Ready, Mission Faithful

The African church continues to experience rapid growth and global influence. However, in a world with ever-changing social, technological, and ecclesial dynamics, institutions and educators are tasked with the challenge of continually decolonizing their theology as they develop leaders and scholars who remain faithful to the gospel in contextually relevant ways. In celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) is reflecting on the journey of theological education on the continent. This inaugural volume in the ACTEA series brings together scholars and practitioners from across the continent to analyze the present landscape of theological education in Africa for the establishment of a critical foundation for the future of research, institutional planning, and policy development. The scholars envision a gospel-centered and missionally grounded future for institutions as they grow in innovation and resilience to best serve the dynamic continent. Critical themes explored include contextualization, sustainability, institutional renewal, the role of networking and collaboration in theologizing, and the implications of technological innovations such as artificial intelligence. This thought-provoking and important work is a must-read for theological educators, administrators, church leaders, and students who are seeking a renewed sense of inspiration and challenge in the pursuit of excellence, all to the glory of God.