Christian Reflection in Africa: Review and Engagement

Preface

Anyone closely familiar with Africa is aware of the almost unmanageable abundance of Africa-related materials being published in recent years both on and off the continent. Amidst this abundance, which books should we be reading if we want to understand modern Africa? What publications should we be taking note of in order to keep conversant with contemporary African Christianity? Where indeed might ministry leaders and academic professionals turn for considered review in the flood of recent studies on Africa, and especially where should they turn for thoughtful assessment of such publications from a Christian perspective?

This Collection

The project upon which this reference collection is based is the review journal BookNotes for Africa, a specialist publication which, since 1996, has been bringing to notice just such materials, and offering brief learned reviews of their contributions. The core intention both of the journal and of this compilation has been to encourage and to facilitate informed Christian reflection and engagement in Africa, through thoughtful encounter with the published intellectual life of the continent. And as best possible also to model such informed reflection. Assembled here for ready access is the entire collection of these reviews through the first thirty issues of the journal’s history.

Keeping track of recent Africa-related publications can prove daunting. This is true in part because the standard bibliographic resources of global academia still insufficiently service this region. It is also true because of the sometimes still limited patterns of communication within the continent. What is released of worth in Sierra Leone may not gain notice in Ethiopia, and what is produced in South Africa may not be readily accessible in Congo. The unfortunate outcome both within Africa and elsewhere can often be a deficient acquaintance with the remarkable outpouring of Africa-related literature in our day.

In attempting to span the spectrum of literature relevant to this project, the books and other media here selected for review represent a broad cross-section of interests and issues, of qualities and styles, of viewpoints and interpretations. Reviews are a single paragraph in length, academic in tone, and engaged in both description and assessment. The project has been limited from the beginning to titles published from 1986 onward, with emphasis on the more recent. Within those bounds the selection has included the secular as well as the religious, majoring on learned contributions while also providing occasional notice of the inspirational or more popular. Whereas practical realities affecting the project through the years have meant that the titles reviewed are predominantly in English, key contributions in French have also been included, and sometimes also those in German. Selection has been focused almost entirely on sub-Saharan Africa. While not managing to canvass every title of worth within these parameters, the collection does nevertheless provide an exceptional sampling of what might best facilitate thoughtful Christian awareness and engagement in modern Africa. If some of the books reviewed are not well known outside Africa, all of them merit some measure of notice within Africa.

More than a hundred contributors have participated in the project over the journal’s lifespan. The reviews here presented were thus composed by a diverse team, at different times and places, and display a variety of styles and outlooks. While the reviews have been lightly re-edited to fit the requirements of this fresh presentation, their individualities have been carefully conserved. The identity of reviewers has been represented in the journal only by initials, as a way of signalling the presence of varied perspectives while maintaining focus on the content of the reviews. All reviews were contributed on a volunteer basis. Virtually all contributors have been either from Africa or have served at length in Africa. Most have been involved in theological education on the continent. Nearly all have earned doctorates. Evaluations have been carried out from a broadly evangelical perspective, as represented by the institutions in Africa that have served as sponsors for the journal. These have included at various times: ECWA Theological Seminary Jos (JETS) in Nigeria; George Whitefield College (GWC) in South Africa; the Theological College of Central Africa (TCCA) in Zambia; and the Evangelical Theological College (ETC) in Ethiopia. A representative list of the contributors appears as an appendix to this publication.

Using This Collection

How might readers make best use of the considerable collection of reviews provided here? The librarian might use this resource for assessments that could support (or discourage) acquisitions. The lecturer might be looking for appropriate Africa-oriented texts in the subjects being taught. The student could be searching for selections best suited for a required essay. Leaders in the African Christian community might be tracking materials for essential reading. Researchers could be discovering otherwise little-noticed sources for their particular inquiry, while academic scholars could be scanning for additional bibliographic information in their fields of expertise. Indeed, alert readers of any sort wishing for a convenient resource relating to modern Africa, and to Christian presence there, should find their interests readily addressed in these pages.

The array of reviews may be easily searched in one of three ways: either (i) by authors of the publications under review, or (ii) by titles of those publications, or (iii) by subjects addressed in such publications. As to authors, the books reviewed in this collection are presented by authors listed in alphabetical order. As an additional convenience, an alphabetized index of all authors is available at the end of this volume. For searches that might relate instead to the titles of publications, a second index provides the titles of all reviewed books in alphabetical order. For many who might rather be consulting this resource for input on specific subjects or topics, the comprehensive subject index, also located at the end of this volume, should prove the best first stop.

These are not, however, the only ways that readers of this reference work could find it useful. There is an additional potential benefit, perhaps even an invaluable one, for the sort of reader to whom it might apply. Let us suppose someone who might welcome a chance to keep somewhat current on what has been published in recent years in and about Africa, someone who would like to keep broadly cognizant of emerging writers and recent intellectual trends, and someone who in the process would also value a measure of thoughtful evaluation from a Christian perspective. Let us recognize that under no circumstances could such a person afford to do all the reading that this might imply. Nor, for that matter, all the purchasing or borrowing. That is where this compilation of concise reviews can become uniquely useful. Exploring such reviews in combination can provide a way of familiarizing the reader with vast landscapes, enlarging one’s awareness of what is available, enhanced by a range of viewpoints, and all within a manageable compass. Much is currently being written and published in and about Africa and about African Christianity, much that is well deserving thoughtful notice. Surveys of current literature such as this one exist not least to cater for just such interests and needs.

For the attentive, committed reader, consulting any sequence of pages in this collection could quickly bring the same gratifying discoveries that are the lot of those who rejoice in browsing along the shelves of a quality library or bookshop. To read through any ten or twelve pages here is immediately to experience acquaintance with the diffuse panorama both of Christian presence in Africa, and of the African context itself – a range of acquaintance difficult to encounter by any other means. For those willing not only to use this volume to locate specific resources, but as well to have horizons expanded, one’s range of knowledge extended, and all this reviewed with informed Christian sensitivity, merely reading review after review through any section of this volume could prove endlessly enticing and fulfilling.

Everyone using this resource will in due course experience, as I have, an enormous sense of gratitude to those numerous volunteer contributors whose thoughtful reviews make up this collation. Their diligent, generous-hearted self-investment for the benefit of the larger community presents a challenging example for all of us. For me the rewarding collaborations and personal friendships thereby afforded through the years have been a particular joy. While many would deserve mention, the project would not have succeeded without the essential assistance, from the very first days until now, of my very valued colleague Rich Stuebing. Likewise the staff at George Whitefield College in Cape Town, South Africa, have played a crucial role in generously managing the journal’s production and distribution over many years. Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to Evie, my wife, my life companion and friend, and my collaborator in this and many other ministry endeavours.

Paul Bowers

May 2018

Abbreviations

Authors A–C

Abarry, Abu S.

see review 72

1. Abba, Joe-Barth Chiemeka

Special Pastoral Formation for Youths in Africa in the 21st Century: The Nigerian Perspective: With Extra Focus on the Socio-Anthropological, Ethical, Theological, Psychological and Societal Problems of Today’s Youngsters

Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2009. 407 pages, ISBN: 9783631584347.

The author is a Roman Catholic theologian from Nigeria who trained in the United States and Germany. The book is a revised version of his PhD thesis in Pastoral Theology from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany (2005). As indicated by the subtitle, this is a multidisciplinary work, approaching its topic, youths in Africa, from a number of scholarly perspectives. Its overall aim can nevertheless be summarized in a few words, namely how to train, control and bring up our youths successfully in life. After a more general introduction, where the concept of youth is being discussed in relation to family, church and modern society, the author moves the focus to Nigeria, where his empirical data are found and his discussion hence is anchored. The role of religion in youth life plays an important role here; mainly in positive, church contexts, but also in more negative, secret cult contexts. Negative experiences such as unemployment, drugs, and corruption are also addressed. And so are positive experiences such as sports and friendship. All these aspects of the life of youths are discussed from pastoral perspectives, discussing how the church can contribute to the formation of the younger generation. One finds it surprising that, amidst all the challenges that modern young people encounter, a book on youths does not find room for a closer discussion of sexuality. There is no reason to think that Nigerian youths do not face the same ethical challenges in this regard as youths everywhere, and this should have been addressed more directly. It should also be mentioned that the book is somewhat verbose. Nevertheless, it is a solid piece of work, and an obvious dialogue partner for those dealing with the relationship between church and youth, not only in Nigeria.

2. Abe, Gabriel Oyedele

History and Theology of Sacrifice in the Old Testament

Benin City, Nigeria: Seevon Prints, 2004. 131 pages.

Abe is a well-known Nigerian scholar in biblical studies, as a previous editor of the African Journal of Biblical Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at a university in Nigeria. His present book on sacrifice in the OT tries to combine chronological and systematic approaches to the phenomenon. From chronological perspectives it outlines the development of Israelite sacrifice, from the Ancient Near Eastern background and up to its role in postexilic Judaism. And from systematic perspectives it outlines the various forms of Israelite sacrifice and their religious significance. The book may serve as a textbook for undergraduate students of theology or religious studies, and as such it fills a gap in the Nigerian context. Still, it should be admitted that the book suffers from two major shortcomings. One is an outdated research horizon. This unfortunate situation probably reflects a lack of access to updated sources, a familiar problem for biblical scholarship in Africa. Nevertheless, a book like the present cannot afford to ignore such basic and generally accessible research surveys as G. A. Anderson’s article on sacrifice in the Anchor Bible Dictionary. A second shortcoming is the absence of any discussion of the relationship between OT and traditional African forms of sacrifice. This comes as a surprise, as assumed parallels between the two have often been discussed by Nigerian biblical scholars, from C. Olowola to J. S. Ukpong. Nevertheless, the book deserves a place in the bookshelves of Nigerian seminary and university libraries.

3. Abe, Gabriel Oyedele

The Religion of the Exile

Lagos: New Dawn International, 2005. 139 pages.

The author is Professor of Religious Studies at Adekunle Ajasin University in Nigeria. This book is a discussion of the religion of the Jews during the sixth century BC, that is during the so-called Babylonian Captivity. Abe outlines the biblical narrative of the Exile, from deportation and settlement in Babylon to the edict of Cyrus and the reformation of Ezra and Nehemiah. Throughout a chronologically structured presentation he shows particular attention to the religious challenges these experiences created, from the disaster in 586 BC to the reorientation of the exilic and early postexilic prophets. Some attention is also given to possible Babylonian influence. The book may be of use as a textbook for undergraduate students of theology or religious studies in Nigeria, where it is meant to serve in historical sequence to J. O. Akao’s A History of Early Israel (Ibadan, 1999). It should be noticed that the book suffers from an outdated research horizon, a fact that is very unfortunate, given the current focus of research on the Exile. Still, it offers a presentation of some central aspects of the religious challenges that, according to the OT, faced the Jewish community during exilic times. Universities and seminaries in Nigeria should consider including the book in their library holdings.

4. Aben, Tersur A.

African Christian Theology: Illusion and Reality

Bukuru, Nigeria: Africa Christian Textbooks, 2008. 197 pages, ISBN: 9789784888844.

This book by the Provost of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN) looks at the possibility and desirability of African Christian Theology. Aben explores possible definitions of the topic that are represented by a 1969 statement of the All Africa Conference of Churches held in Abidjan which defines Africa Christian Theology as a theology based on the biblical faith of Africans, which speaks to the African soul. The author identifies four sub-categories under this definition: syncretism, which fuses African traditional religion with Christianity; enculturation, which fuses African culture with Christianity; liberation theology, which fuses acts that liberate Africans from oppression; and African evangelicalism, which reflects on and expounds Scripture by African thought-forms and semantics. Surprisingly, the author rejects all four types, claiming that all of these types are determined by the African context. Instead, Aben believes that there should be only one global Christian theology. For him, theology is the study of God and his nature. African Christian theology, for him, is a study of God’s nature, words, and deeds. In subsequent chapters the author looks in greater depth at contextualization and enculturation. He believes that all contextualization is syncretism since it involves fusing elements of two separate religions. Enculturation for him is safer, since it is fusing Christianity with a neutral culture. But in the end, enculturation and all of current African Christian Theology have yielded few solid results. Most of this so-called theology is simply comparative studies. The author in his conclusion calls on African theologians to engage in serious theological study which will have global significance and which will wrestle with serious theological issues like the nature of God, the problem of sin and the need for salvation. While one may criticize the author’s identification of contextualization with syncretism, and his criticism of African evangelicalism, one praises him for calling African theologians back to their primary task.

5. Aboagye-Mensah, Robert K.

Mission and Democracy in Africa: The Role of the Church

Accra: Asempa Publishers, 1994. 164 pages, ISBN: 9789964782269.

The author has been a lecturer at Trinity College, Legon, a director within the Christian Council of Ghana, and a minister within the Methodist Church of Ghana, and brings academic, theological and pastoral experience to bear on his subject. Having clarified principal terms and sketched the historical development of democracy from Athens onward, he explores traditional African socio-political structures, focusing especially on the Akan of Ghana. He seeks to demonstrate that vital elements of democracy have long characterized traditional African politics, especially in the realm of communality. In other words, democracy is not a Western invention imported into Africa. At the same time, he identifies weaknesses within the traditional systems, particularly the lack of freedom for the individual to disagree. It was precisely this missing element, the author argues, that Christian mission brought. It did this through Bible translation of the vernacular, through education, and through missionary proclamation and leadership training. The tension between the individual and the community is further examined, and this in turn leads naturally to a debate about ethnicity and ethnocentrism: what is it that makes the one acceptable and even desirable, and the other insidious and destructive? Contemporary examples of political systems in Africa are considered. The author strives to be balanced, identifying strengths and weaknesses in alternative styles of governance, but the book is an argument and not a coolly detached statement. He strongly advocates the democratic process for Africa (while acknowledging that it will take time and effort), and argues that the Church is strategically placed to help bring it about. Each chapter has numerous footnotes and the final bibliography reveals a commendable breadth of sources, ranging from Plato to modern African politicians with many between. Also to be welcomed is the book’s theological and biblical component, which those who know the author would expect, but which is all too often absent in such debates. The book is an important contribution in the field under discussion, and deserves wide notice among those who continue such inquiries in Christian Africa.

6. Abogunrin, Samuel O., editor

Biblical Healing in African Context

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2004. 350 pages.

In 2003 the Nigerian Association of Biblical Studies (NABIS) held a conference on biblical healing at Babcock University in Nigeria. This book contains 24 papers that were presented at the conference, and thereby offers a useful sampling of the Nigerian mind on the topic. A few papers treat the issue of miracles. While rationalistic Westerners tend to deny miracles, the first paper asserts that miracles are real and valid. A belief in God and a denial of miracles is a contradiction of terms, says another presenter. A number of essays demonstrate the fact of miraculous healing in the Bible, which is compatible with the African worldview. The NT also shows that faith is essential for healing. But the Nigerian Pentecostal preoccupation with miracles is a theological danger, according to some presenters. One paper calls biblical healing the craze in contemporary Nigerian society. The author states that this craze for healing . . . must be accompanied by a genuine spirit of discernment and sincere holiness. Again, in many Pentecostal churches the importance of physical healing has been overestimated. As one person says, a preoccupation with miracles can lead one to forget the cross: The Christian strength lies in the cross which is the yardstick of Christianity. But the final paper asserts that the only intelligible way of preaching the gospel to Nigerians and the whole of Africa is through the performance of miracles. So the discussion continues! Although the papers vary in quality, this book represents a lively discussion on the topic of healing in Africa.

7. Abogunrin, Samuel O., editor

Biblical Studies and Corruption in Africa

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2007. 667 pages.

Corruption is a critical social problem in much of the world, and not least in Africa. Corruption has left Africa almost economically barren with untold hardship, hunger, disease and woes. It is thus appropriate that the Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies (NABIS) sponsored a conference on the topic. This book contains the papers presented at that conference. The date and venue of the conference are not stated. This massive book contains 34 papers on corruption. Most are biblical studies, drawing from all parts of Scripture, but especially from the OT prophets and the teachings of Jesus. There are four papers on Amos and two on John the Baptist. A new term, Gehazism, is coined in honour of Gehazi, the corrupt servant of Elisha. The papers are for the most part very evangelical, taking seriously the biblical text and its relevance today. Many of them are also more in the nature of sermons than in the nature of academic inquiry. Nevertheless, with this volume the biblical scholars have spoken.

8. Abogunrin, Samuel O., editor

Biblical Studies and Women Issues in Africa

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2003. 260 pages.

In 2001 the Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies (NABIS) held a conference on Women’s Issues in Africa in Ilorin, Nigeria. This volume contains nineteen papers presented at that conference. The first paper defines the problem: All over the world the oppression of women is affirmed as a hard and abiding reality of life. So what does Scripture say about the oppression of and discrimination against women? Four papers look at the concept of prophetess and those who are called prophetesses in the Bible: Miriam, Deborah, Huldah and Anna. If these women held such high offices, are we not then to recognize women’s talents in our churches? But does this necessarily mean female ordination? An Anglican canon believes that Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:9–15 is normative. At least three papers look at the important role of women in the NT. If Jesus and others accorded significance to women, then we should do the same. Generally the thrust of the papers is good, whereas the scholarship is sometimes superficial and imprecise. For example, one presenter assumes that since the word Yahweh allegedly comes from a masculine form of to be, then Yahweh’s gender is predominantly masculine. This is remarkable; a word’s meaning is not defined by its etymology, and what is one to make of predominantly? In general this collection of essays reminds us that in the church in Africa, women are indispensable and their issues deserve sustained attention.

9. Abogunrin, Samuel O., editor

Biblical View of Sex and Sexuality from African Perspective

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2006. 358 pages.

This volume, containing selected papers from the 2005 conference of the Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, is certain to raise reactions. Sex and sexuality already engage so much of the human personality, but positions taken by some of the 25 contributors here should provoke response as well. Included are papers variously condemning masculinity (otherwise called patriarchy, Aluko); supporting male superiority (his term, Toryough); or blaming religion for sex commercialisation (Boje). One writer, relying on OT documentary theories, criticizes the Bible as inconsistent (Akao), while others ignore the Bible (Boje, Esabue), which may seem odd for a biblical studies gathering. Homosexuality per se (not just homosexual practice) is named a sin by nearly every writer who mentions it. Anglicans of the West who uphold homosexual behaviour get no support from a contributing Reverend Professor (Asaju). Another writer claims no one can live a celibate life, so Catholic requirements for priests can only produce hypocrites (Abioje). Still another assumes all Christians agree that marriage is a sacrament (Nweke). Nevertheless, NABIS is to be commended for attempting such a wide-ranging discussion on so many aspects of human sexuality. Correctly, the writers agree that African churches have been largely silent on sexual matters and thereby have contributed to problems in church and society. Practically all who comment on the question agree monogamy in marriage is the Bible’s intended ideal. One writer urges space for African polygamy in the Church, and another has intriguing suggestions for marriage ceremonies (Ejenobo). There are some good biblical studies here (e.g. Adeniyi, Amalo, Nwaomah, Oguntoyinbo-Atere). The article on sex differentiation by Anthony Ojo from the Major Seminary of SS Peter and Paul, Ibadan, is a model of useful word study and theological reasoning. Ojo also benefitted from a good library, something other contributors apparently lacked. Whereas internet resources make a useful appearance in some papers, others are weakened by citations from outdated reference works or even from elementary school literature. There is disagreement among the papers and much repetition, as may be expected. Nearly all the contributors are or were lecturers in southern Nigerian universities. This collection will be useful as an example of a cross-section of Nigerian Christian academic opinion on the selected topic at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

10. Abogunrin, Samuel O., J. O. Akao, and Dorcas Ola Akintunde, editors

Christology in African Context

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2003. 411 pages.

This is a collection of papers presented at the annual conference of the Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies (NABIS), held at the University of Port Harcourt in 2002. All except one of the 27 papers are on Christology. The editors of the collection are all lecturers in Christian religion at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. This book is useful not least because several of the papers survey, compare, and assess the variety of Christological viewpoints in Africa. Thus the lead article by Samuel Abogunrin, Professor of NT at Ibadan, surveys selected approaches to the study of Christology from the earliest period of African Christianity to contemporary times. He suggests that Christology in early North Africa was abstract and philosophical, not contextualized, and thus remained foreign to Africans. Christologies of mission Christianity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were similarly defective. Abogunrin then considers the strengths and weaknesses of five contemporary African Christological models. He ends with the following suggestions: African Christology should be faithful to the Bible, incarnational, and authentically African and catholic at the same time. The contribution from Eunice Abogunrin, lecturer in ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja (with her MA from Wheaton College, and her PhD from Trinity international University) presents the death of Christ as a substitution, sacrifice, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption, and then uses four myths, all from southwestern Nigeria, to illustrate the atoning work of Christ, pointing out both similarities and differences. The article by Dorcas Akintunde, senior lecturer in OT at Ibadan, on Christology and the Contemporary Women in Africa, represents feminist theology with a difference. The Christology she advocates is orthodox, with a tilt toward practical implications of the Christ of faith to the particular problems and sufferings of women in Africa. She highlights Christological views of some radical feminist theologians from Latin America and Asia to show how her view differs from them. Examining Christological models propounded by African women, she concludes that both academic and popular formulations of African women show a functional Christology that is not troubled by issues of masculinity. As thus indicated, the articles in the book are rich and varied in standard. A major significance of the book is that it shows the complexity of theological work in Africa. The book is a solid trailblazer.

11. Abogunrin, Samuel O., editor

Decolonization of Biblical Interpretation in Africa

Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2005. 425 pages.

This collection of 26 articles results from a conference of the Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies on the topic of biblical interpretation, held (it seems) in 2004. The title and the first articles claim that biblical studies in Africa have been colonized. By decolonisation the writers mean the overthrow of a Eurocentric monopoly on the interpretation of Scripture. This book is a plea for an African biblical hermeneutics. Justin Ukpong claims that inculturation [is] the most fundamental process of decolonization. But the nature of the inculturation hermeneutics on display in this book varies. David Adamo claims that African biblical studies will be liberational and culturally sensitive. Solomon Taiwo assumes that liberation is the focus or goal of African Biblical Studies. But other authors focus instead on inculturation. Two essays focus on how the Psalter has been used in the Aladura and Igbo contexts respectively. Two other essays are comparative studies on OT and African customs on death. But inculturation can also be applying Scripture to the African context. Caleb Ogunkunle reflects on Elijah as a model for prophets today. The editor, Samuel Abogunrin, believes that the NT should address issues like oppression, poverty, corrupt African leaders, wars, the debt burden, and the like. A couple of essays deal with women’s liberation. The presuppositions of these articles also vary. For some, Scripture is obviously God’s infallible word for us. But David Adamo denies that there is one uniform, unconditional, universal and absolute interpretation or hermeneutic. His article and several others are post-modern, assuming that a single Bible text has many meanings. This can be problematic. When George Folarin tells us that the man who hid his one talent in Matthew 25 was a hero of the peasants in the liberation struggle of the oppressed against exploitation, then inculturation hermeneutics has gone too far, since the text clearly condemns this man. Dapo Asaju warns against carrying Afro-centric interpretations too far lest they result in another form of colonizing whereby African culture may impose itself upon the essence of the Bible message. Robinson Ikpen also warns against the error of substituting culture for the Gospel. This book is useful in representing something of the range of lively discussion in progress on the issue of African biblical interpretation.

12. Abogunrin, Samuel O.

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians: African Bible Commentaries

Ibadan: Daystar Press, 1991. 193 pages, ISBN: 9789781222054.

This volume was one of the first two volumes of a projected series of Bible commentaries written with the African situation in mind. Abogunrin was head of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and general editor of the NT part of this series. The basic premise of these commentaries is that Western exegetical methods and insights are simply not enough. The Scriptures must be read and interpreted in the readers’ context. 1 Corinthians seems a good place to begin such a project, since here we find the Apostle struggling to incarnate a message about a Jewish Messiah for a church in a Hellenistic city. Some of Paul’s concerns are similar to problems which the church in Africa encounters as it seeks to live the gospel in its own culture. Abogunrin does a commendable job in pointing out the many ways in which Paul’s answers to problems at Corinth can also provide insight for the church in Africa. Unfortunately the commentary shows little contact with the recent wealth of Pauline scholarship, which has emphasized the social context of Paul’s churches, Pauline rhetorical and epistolary structures, and Paul’s understanding of the relationship between the new movement of believers in Christ and Israel according to the flesh. It is to be hoped that African scholars will not abandon the worldwide theological conversation just at a time when Western scholars are beginning to take non-Western scholarship seriously. Nevertheless, this is a book that many theological colleges may wish to use as a textbook or for supplementary reading.

13. Abraham, Emmanuel

Reminiscences of My Life

Trenton, NJ: Red Sea Press, 2010. 366 pages, ISBN: 9781569023266.

Born in 1913 in western Ethiopia, the author has here produced a fascinating autobiography which details his humble boyhood, years of education, government positions in London, New Delhi, Rome and Addis Ababa, and involvement with the church. The first section of the book describes his own life story. The next section deals with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) and its establishment, relationships with bodies such as the Lutheran World Federation, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, various Lutheran mission groups and other international organisations. Lastly Abraham deals with the synods within EECMY, their development work and a brief coverage of the confiscation of church property during the Ethiopian revolution. Material for the book is based on his reports, personal memories of conversations, memorandums and official documents. Throughout his outstanding professional life, Abraham was a close confidant of the Emperor Haile Selassie. His long years of service as an Oromo person to an almost entirely Amhara government/church is remarkable. As well, his dual career in government and church is outstanding. He served the EECMY faithfully throughout his life, for many years as President. The book is sponsored by a number of international Lutheran church and mission bodies, and is obviously Lutheran in orientation. The general reader will find interesting nuggets throughout the book, ranging from the author’s interpretation of the establishment of the Radio Voice of the Gospel (and its later annexation by the Dergue regime) to personal anecdotes of social engagements with Nkrumah and interactions with the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Certainly the book provides a wealth of Ethiopian history. As a personal life story by a modern-day African churchman and statesman, it will prove inspirational for the thoughtful Christian reader in Africa. This autobiography is a model of how an era of political and church history may be captured and gifted to an entire nation.

14. Abrahams, Samuel P., Jeremy Punt, and David T. Williams, editors

Theology on the Tyume

Alice, South Africa: Lovedale Press, 1997. 177 pages, ISBN: 9781868100439.

The thirteen essays in this collection are all by members of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Fort Hare, located on the banks of the river Tyume in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The collection serves the double purpose of honouring a long-serving professor at the faculty, Gideon Thom, and also commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the university. The university’s history merits commemoration. For the most part of the past century Fort Hare has been the premier institution in South Africa for university-level education for blacks. Many of the most notable names in the anti-apartheid struggle were former students at the university, including Nelson Mandela. An introductory mission statement for this essay collection emphasizes that the university’s Faculty of Theology aims to articulate theological perspectives on the totality of human life and knowledge, drawing in particular on the unique insights of the African heritage. This aim is reflected throughout the book, as most essays somehow relate their discussion to the African (and not only South African) context. The essays cover biblical interpretation and hermeneutics, as well as ecumenics and religious dialogue. Of special interest are two contributions on theological education. Reflecting on the central role of biblical studies for theological education, J. Punt especially argues for fostering competency in biblical languages. And D. T. Williams discusses whether the university or seminary is the best place for theological training. Pointing out the central role that theological studies have played in the past in the Western university tradition, Williams argues that the removal of such studies to separate institutions reflects the secularisation process. In the seminaries the students are separated from other academic disciplines, whereas in the universities they are (according to Williams) more likely to be involved in the mainstream of human life, and thereby develop a theology that is contextual. While not everything advocated in this collection of essays will prove convincing, it is a welcome contribution from scholars dedicated to attempting a relevant theology for Africa.

15. Abubakre, R. D., R. A. Akanmidu, and E. O. Alana, editors

Religion and Politics in Nigeria

Ilorin, Nigeria: Nigerian Association for the Study of Religion, 1993. 200 pages, ISBN: 9789783050822.

How to make politicians conscious of the sinfulness of their preoccupation with self (from the preface) is a question that surfaces often in this collection of articles by sixteen scholars of religious studies. Floating on the surface of many articles, however, is the question of how to make religion serve the national interest of nation-building. The writers teach at ten colleges and universities in Nigeria, all but one in the southern part of the country. Two writers take the view of traditional religion, and the rest are divided between Christian and Muslim viewpoints. Although the editors hope that religious leaders will see the importance of the book, they are aiming more at the general reader and students of Religious Studies. This is not a textbook, although it could start lively discussions in any country where religion is a substantial player in public issues. Some of the Muslim contributors advocate clearly Islamic solutions to political problems. An article on religion and character by M. A. Abdu-Raheem stands out as a gracious example of fairness and accuracy in the portrayal of other religions. Many Christian contributors are so neutral as to be confused in their religious identity. The most informative and thought-out articles are by the editors themselves and one or two others. Others are more introductory. Readers may find the book useful in representing the state of discussion in Nigeria on such issues at the time of publication.

16. Achermann, Eduard

Cry, Beloved Africa!

Munich: African University Studies, 1993. 265 pages, ISBN: 9783530002447.

Achermann was formerly a Catholic Swiss missionary and teacher of theology in Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa for 30 years. Here he wishes to examine the results of westernisation and of the missionary enterprise upon the continent. His analysis is that Africa is worse off now than it was before the arrival of Western culture, technology, commercialism and the missionary. As evidence he points to the disintegration of the family structure, culture and morality, with the attendant rise of corruption and materialistic consumerism. Drawing upon the disciplines of sociology, anthropology and human development, Achermann probes the reason for this decline and observes that Western civilisation has been superimposed upon the foundation of African culture. He argues that acquiring life skills within an African context develops from a frame of reference and a worldview that does not equip one to deal with the layer of westernisation that has been superimposed on African life. One is provided neither with the understanding of westernized technology and administration, nor with the resources to maintain the structures now in place. Achermann applies this to the missionary with his resources and technology, and says that the material disparity between the African and the missionary is the source of much of the problem, because it has awakened a desire to pursue the good life. This pursuit has led the younger generation to abandon traditional family and cultural structures, as well as Christianity, with the paramount goal of attaining material goods, which in turn has led to corruption and moral decline. Achermann’s solution is for the missionary to develop a simpler lifestyle, coming down materially to the level of those he is serving, even to the point of abandoning the use of technological resources. He then should teach Africans how they can attain a higher level of material gain until they reach parity with the West. When this is achieved the African will be more likely to believe in a just God and thus be open to follow Christian values and morality. Thus, in Achermann’s eyes, the problem and the solution are primarily economic. This is a rather disappointing solution, since corruption and moral decline are spiritual issues. Also the solution seems simplistic because it does not address the fact that Africa is westernising, and that effort needs to be made in formulating a Christian response to this present reality. The overall assessment might well also feel paternalistic, though that is not intended. In any case the everyday realities of African Christianity are today far less centred on the missionary than Achermann’s assessment assumes. Those researching discussion on the relationship between the West and African Christianity and culture will find this book a useful example of one perspective.

17. Ackerman, Denise, Jonathan Draper, and Emma Mashinini, editors

Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Women in the Church in Southern Africa

Pietermaritzburg: Cluster, 1991. 397 pages, ISBN: 9780958314152.

As part of the South African debate about the nature of a transformed society, the main emphasis of this book is the place of women in church and society. The immediate concern is the rightful place of women in the ministry and leadership of the church, with the ordination of women the initial motive for its publication. The very South African (only one author from outside South Africa) and Anglican flavour of the book does not distract from the important issues dealt with, which are also relevant to women all over Africa. The 32 articles are fitted under six main headings: (1) Women and the Bible: A Hermeneutical Problem; (2) Theological Foundations: Towards a Feminist Theology; (3) Spirituality and the Christian Women; (4) Women and the Church: Historical Perspectives; (5) Women and Ministry; (6) Women’s Experience of the Struggle for Justice in Southern Africa. As a first publication of its kind for southern Africa, this readable book is an important introduction and orientation to an African view on women’s issues at the time of publication.

18. ACTEA

Directory of TEE Programmes in Africa

Nairobi: ACTEA, 1993. 37 pages.

This is the second edition of ACTEA’s directory of Africa-based programmes for theological education by extension (TEE). TEE was introduced to Africa in 1969, and by the end of the next decade Africa had more students involved in TEE than any other continent. This Directory gives names and addresses for 153 TEE programmes in 31 African countries, and offers details on 122 of these programmes. Where available, this includes information on the year begun, the sponsor, the enrolment per year over the past five years, the languages used, the length of the programmes, and a breakdown of the staff in terms of African/expatriate and full-time/part-time. Total enrolment in all reporting programmes was 33,284 participants; extrapolating from this figure for all documented programmes on the continent would result in an estimate of nearly 38,500 TEE students in Africa. This Directory represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference source for such information at the time of publication. As such it should be accessible to anyone researching about extension theological education in Africa.

19. Adadevoh, Delanyo, editor

Religion & Government in Africa: A Christian Response

Accra: ILF Publishers, 2009. 433 pages, ISBN: 9781600000058.

The various papers in this compendium emanate from the 2006 African Forum on Religion and Government, held in Abuja, Nigeria, and organized by the International Leadership Foundation, under the leadership of the editor of this volume. Originally from Ghana, Adadevoh also serves in the senior leadership of an international Christian student ministry. The eighteen papers consider the role that religion ought to play in African government. They are classified by areas of concern: Government (four papers – including one by Tokunboh Adeyemo); Leadership (three papers – including one by Adadevoh himself); Education (two papers); Gender (two papers); Development (three papers); and Peace and Reconciliation (four papers). Also included are three plenary addresses (by Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria; by Pierre Nkurunziza, president of Burundi; and by the editor), as well as a brief résumé of each article. The conference speakers represented both anglophone and (to a more limited extent) francophone Africa. The papers themselves seem to aim for good communication on important topics rather than getting lost in academic bypaths. Adeyemo’s essay encourages African governments to recognize the importance of the Church, and then calls on both institutions to submit to God’s sovereign rule, acknowledging their different but intersecting roles in society. Adadevoh’s essays and plenary address underscore the importance of a moral vision for all Africans, without which no true leadership can exist. Good leaders are developed through internal transformation to have a moral worldview, informed by their relationship to God. The concept of ubuntu, an African philosophy of overall wellbeing for all through right relationships, can serve as a guide for leaders. The values to be sought and inculcated include integrity, freedom, communality, justice, and excellence, at all levels. Another paper examines the possibility of constructing a curriculum for theological education that will train future leaders and implant within them this moral, holistic vision. It advocates biblical education joined with other elements enabling one to minister to the whole person. The educational model must not be merely cognitive. The essays in this volume could readily serve as discussion starters for Christian groups wanting to consider how best to find a way forward in meeting the needs of Africa.

20. Adamo, David Tuesday

Africa and Africans in the New Testament

Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2006. 140 pages, ISBN: 9780761833024.

Adamo has served as head of the Department of Religious Studies at Delta State University, Nigeria. Over the years he has published extensively on African biblical hermeneutics. Adamo is a serious researcher who makes no efforts at hiding his ideological presuppositions. In reaction to what he describes as the generally Eurocentric approach reflected in traditional (Western) biblical scholarship, with its (conscious or unconscious) attempts at de-Africanising the Bible, he offers an alternative, a conscious Afrocentric approach, proceeding from and advocating African experiences and concerns. This 2006 monograph on the role of Africa and Africans in the NT follows up his 1998 monograph on the role of Africa and Africans in the OT. The two show both similarities and differences. The Afrocentric approach is more or less the same in both monographs, but there is development as far as methodological and geographical focus is concerned. Adamo’s 1998 monograph is basically an analysis of OT references to the African nation of Cush/Ethiopia, ignoring the large number of references to Egypt as well as more general Afrocentric reading strategies. The present study on the NT offers a broader perspective in two ways. First, it shows sensitivity to all geographical references that somehow can be linked to the African continent, not only Cush/Ethiopia, but also Egypt, Libya, etc. And secondly, Adamo this time focuses not only on explicit references to Africa, but also discusses the (possible) African background of NT authors (Mark and Matthew, possibly even Paul) and early interpreters (such as Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Athanasius, Augustine and many others). Many of Adamo’s readers will likely remain unconvinced by his arguments. Adamo is able to see traces of Africans and African influence even where other scholars will definitively reject the whole idea. Still, Adamo’s underlying concern deserves support. Christianity is indeed an African religion, and the African dimension of Christianity is not something of recent centuries only. It has been there right from the beginning.

21. Adamo, David Tuesday

Africa and the Africans in the Old Testament

Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001. 220 pages, ISBN: 9781579106584.

Adamo is a university lecturer in religious studies in Nigeria. The book is based on his 1986 PhD dissertation at Baylor University (USA). In this study he seeks to replace a Eurocentric approach to the Bible, that allows no room for African presence and influence in the OT, with an Afrocentric conception of the history and achievement of Africans during the biblical period. Adamo describes his work as a critical and objective investigation of the presence, the role and the contribution of Africa and Africans in the political, religious and economic history of ancient Israel in the period of the OT. Examining terms used to refer to Africa and Africans in the ancient world, Adamo concludes (from the evidence of Josephus in the first century AD) that the Hebrew word typically translated Kush in the OT should rather be translated Africa. While the study mostly speaks of Africa in terms of black Africa, the ancient Egyptians are also treated as part of the inquiry. Chapters attend to the presence of Africa and Africans in the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings respectively. A final chapter summarizes the argument, and the book concludes with a bibliography. In this wide-ranging study covering a vast expanse of time and geography, Adamo does not escape the appearance of building sweeping analyses on relatively narrow foundations. He admits that much work remains to be done on ancient African history, but he believes the results will reinforce his conclusions. Adamo is certainly right in urging greater attention to the presence of Africans and African influence in the OT; whether this particular work proffers the kind of careful research needed to support that task will be up to the reader to judge.

22. Adamo, David Tuesday, editor

Biblical Interpretation in African Perspective

Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2006. 275 pages, ISBN: 9780761833031.

The editor, a professor at Delta State University, Nigeria, has published extensively on African biblical hermeneutics. The present volume is a collection of essays exploring various aspects of African biblical interpretation, which includes contributions by some of Adamo’s scholarly colleagues along with articles by some of Adamo’s students. The essays fall generally into two categories, those approaching African biblical interpretation from historical perspectives, and those engaging in contextual interpretations of biblical texts. Adamo opens the collection with a survey of the historical development of OT interpretation in Africa, which also serves to clarify the hermeneutical presuppositions of this prominent African biblical scholar. Then follows an essay by Gerald West (South Africa) on the use of the Bible in South African Black Theology, which includes a valuable description of West’s own personal and scholarly development as an African biblical scholar. Grant LeMarquand (Canada) provides a sharply focused comparative analysis of Western and African biblical scholarship. Knut Holter (Norway) surveys chronological and geographical aspects of sub-Saharan doctoral dissertations in OT studies from 1967 to 2000. Other articles, principally from Nigeria, treat variously: Queen Vashti in the Book of Esther; poverty in the OT; the role of Africa and Africans in Acts; biblical and postcolonial Nigerian aspects of chieftaincy institutions; Eph 4:1–6 and Rom 12:3–21, each in African perspective; and a comparison of celibacy in the Bible and in Africa. A second article by Adamo, analysing imprecatory psalms, serves also as an introduction to Adamo’s studies of biblical interpretation in African Instituted Churches.

23. Adamo, David Tuesday

Explorations in African Biblical Studies

Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001. 172 pages, ISBN: 9781579106829.

Adamo is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Delta State University in Nigeria This is an essay collection republishing some of his previous articles that have focused on the so-called African presence in the OT. Some of the essays analyse African or African-American hermeneutics, others go into biblical themes (e.g. creation, peace, suffering, the African people of Cush) or texts (e.g. Deut 6:4) and interpret them from an African perspective. Adamo has never been afraid of cutting new paths through thick forests, and his constant emphasis on an African presence in the texts could be treated as an incentive to critical engagement both with the author and with the texts and themes under discussion.

24. Adamo, David Tuesday

Reading and Interpreting the Bible in African Indigenous Churches

Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001. 124 pages, ISBN: 9781579107000.

Adamo’s research has for many years included attention to issues of African biblical hermeneutics generally, with particular attention to biblical interpretation in African Indigenous Churches (AICs). This monograph presents and analyses various examples of how the Bible is used in AICs. After brief introductory chapters presenting African worldviews and some of the relevant (Nigerian) churches, a large number of examples follow of how the Bible is used therapeutically, for protection and for success. Let one typical case, a therapeutic one, the curing of smallpox, exemplify these various uses: Prophet Adewole recommends Ps 84 to be read ten times over water with the holy name Alojah, Alojah, Alojah to be pronounced 21 times. Or a mixture of fried oil, potash, shear butter, with the reading of Ps 84 to it. The oil is for rubbing the body and the water for bathing. Probably most of Adamo’s readers would, both here and in a number of corresponding cases, quite intuitively think in terms of syncretism. But not Adamo. Rather, he emphasizes such uses of the Bible as important examples of a non-westernized biblical interpretation in Africa. In any case, Adamo’s general openness towards popular biblical interpretation outside the historical churches does usefully direct attention to this not insignificant dimension of biblical usage in Africa, and invites thoughtful engagement with the resulting implications.

25. Addai-Mensah, Peter

Mission, Communion and Relationship: A Roman Catholic Response to the Crisis of Male Youths in Africa

Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2009. 242 pages, ISBN: 9781433104985.

The author is a Roman Catholic theologian from Ghana, and this is a revised version of his doctoral dissertation from Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge MA. A case study from Ghana is presented, surveying the challenging situation many young males experience, and reflecting on how the churches (plural, not only the Roman Catholic Church) can respond to this. In recent years Ghana has established many programmes for women and girls, often with good results. Young males, however, have not received corresponding attention, in spite of the broad range of problems they face: living on the streets in the cities, being drug addicts and serving as couriers for drug barons, participating in armed robberies and highway assaults, increasingly high unemployment, and a tendency to look down on Ghanaian culture and become enchanted by foreign ones. In response, the author argues that communion and solidarity are a missiological imperative of the Roman Catholic Church, in collaboration with other churches.

26. Addo, Ebenezer Obiri

Kwame Nkrumah: A Case Study of Religion and Politics in Ghana

Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1999. 250 pages, ISBN: 9780761813187.

Unlike critics of Nkrumah, Addo’s intention in this book is an effort to rehabilitate Nkrumah whose motive and style of leadership have not been fully assessed. The author does a commendable job in that intention. He could have done as well with fewer references to the leadership theories of Max Weber in a book that reads like a reworked doctoral dissertation. Given the diversity of tribes, religions and regional interests in Ghana when Nkrumah became Prime Minister in 1952, and then led the nation into independence in 1957, he faced the daunting task of nation building. As a charismatic leader and a shrewd political theorist, he fashioned a plan that intentionally tapped into the traditional belief system and culture of the population to create legitimacy for his leadership. The author observes that in Ghanaian traditional society leadership is tinged with sacredness. Religion is a key variable that fuels Ghanaian politics, guides its direction and generates its successes. How Nkrumah blended, orchestrated, and artfully employed traditional African religion, Islam and Christianity for political purposes is the central theme of Addo’s study. Nkrumah also linked his leadership with chieftaincy traditions, because in this institution, there is a fusion of the sacred and the secular. Nkrumah therefore adopted many of symbols of a chief, and appropriated for himself religious-political titles and honorifics such as Redeemer and Messiah, seeing himself as one who saved his people from imperialism and colonialism. Nkrumah embraced socialism as a system he considered consonant with the communalism of traditional culture. He believed it was necessary to de-colonize the citizens in order to form a new order that would draw upon the traditions of the past and incorporate African socialism. In the process he also pushed for a more syncretistic brand of religion to aid national coherence. Nkrumah was overthrown by a military coup in 1966, owing in part to a failing economy and abuse of the detention laws, plus Nkrumah’s increasing dictatorialness and the sense that he was building a personality cult. Addo finds it admirable that Nkrumah had the pulse of the common people and knew the responsive chords to pluck. Whereas other writers may have criticized Nkrumah’s messianic pretensions), Addo prefers to treat this as part of what Nkrumah felt it necessary to do as a pioneer in nation building.

Adebo, Tarakegn

see review 607

Adei, Georgina

see review 27

27. Adei, Stephen, and Georgina Adei

The Challenge of Parenting: Principles and Practice of Raising Children

Achimota, Ghana: Africa Christian Press, 1991. 124 pages, ISBN: 9789964878979.

The Ghanaian authors draw on their own experience as children in Ghana and as parents to their four children in various international settings, along with their reading of various Christian authors, in order to illustrate Christian responses to pressures facing parents and children today. Using biblical principles applicable in any setting, they deal with current issues, including many which are especially relevant in the modern, urban African setting. Their intention is that scriptural teaching should correct cultural positions as needed, for example by fathers taking an active role in child care from birth, and parents giving their own children biblically based sex education. While some may differ with their advice to parents to teach their children to read by age four, the authors also differ with modern theorists at some points, for example the use of spanking in disciplining children. They avoid extremes by calling parents to make their parenting task a priority in service to God, and also by emphasising the need for parents to maintain their own marriage in light of the children’s temporary presence in the home. Their balanced approach includes affirming childless marriages, along with encouraging hard-pressed parents to trust God and their own insights rather than being intimidated by an inability to be perfect parents. Altogether this is a very helpful treatment of Christian parenting, one that can be used with profit both by parents and by all who minister to them. Since many Christians in Africa are keenly interested in this topic, and since books on this topic written from an African perspective are rare, pastors and churches ought to encourage its use within their membership, bookshops should stock it, and theological colleges should ensure that their students are familiar with its availability.

28. Adeleye, Femi B.

Preachers of a Different Gospel: A Pilgrim’s Reflections on Contemporary Trends in Christianity

Carlisle, UK: HippoBooks, 2011. 160 pages, ISBN: 9789966003157.

Adeleye has been involved in student ministry with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) for 30 years, working to nurture nationally-led Christian student witness that will produce a new generation of leaders for the churches and nations of Africa and beyond. Born in Nigeria, he has been more recently based in Ghana. He was one of the plenary speakers at the Lausanne 2010 Congress in Cape Town. Informed, enlightening, passionate, convincing and correcting – these are the words that come to mind in reading this intended unmasking of the prosperity gospel. The phrase in the title, a different gospel, is of course taken from Paul’s rebuke of those in the early church who had turned from God’s truth to something different (2 Cor 11:4; Gal 1:6). Adeleye does the same for African Christianity today. He cuts deeply into the heart of the Health and Wealth Gospel now proclaimed in many parts of Africa, and surgically divides truth from deception. He traces the growth of this different gospel from its birth in North America, to its transfer to Africa, and to its