The Bible and Culture in African Biblical Interpretation: The Lnterplay Between the Ti--Eme of Ancestral Reincarnation Among The Akamba of Makindu and Their Understanding of "Being Born Again"
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Date
2009
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Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences
Abstract
The Bible enjoys a lot Of reading in Africa even though most African Christians have little or no access to theological training, a fact that makes their study and interpretation the Bible slightly different from that of Western Christianity. The greatest interest x•ever, is how the Bible finds its meaning in African communities who are great adherents their indigenous cultures. I Commenting on the importance of incorporating African z.2tural orientations in interpreting the Bible in Africa, Jeremy Punt observes that "the se•€elopment of a hermeneutic particularly suitable for African readings Of Biblc z-gely on the perceived relationship between Africa, its culture, its religiosity and Christianity.''2 This assertion affirms the centrality of determining the interplay between the :ulture of African Christians and the Bible in the arena of biblical interpretation.
A challenge of balance and accommodation between cultural points of references and tie Christian message exists within 'Christianized' communities in Africa. This necessitates de importance of establishing a working relationship based on proven facts between the two.
It has been observed that there is a growing concern over the relationship existing between
Christianity and African primal religious beliefs, and that a "serious and exhaustive academic .ork done on this relationship between the Christian faith and African traditional religiosity" is lacking.3
This study endeavors to help in the development of contextualized theology by exposing the influences Biblical themes and cultural themes exert upon each other in biblical
interpretation. To accomplish this, the study investigated the existing relationship between E'ong the Akamba of Makindu as a case in point.
The work takes a thematic approach, whereby the theology and the hermeneutical Ederstanding of the theme "being born again" among the Akamba Christians of Makindu
S.ision is investigated in line with the cultural idea of ancestral rebirth, from both the nditional religious culture as well as the Bible. This way, the biblical theme of salvation as expressed within the sub-theme "being born again," is looked at by the way it is understood
Christian members of the Akamba Christian community in Makindu. Then by WAY Of :omparison and contrasts, the influence the former exerts on the latter in the process of zterpreting the biblical meaning of "being born again" is exposed.
The findings of this research show that the theme of "being born again" among the Akamba Christians of Makindu is understood in terms of belonging to the Christian family. This thought of family belonging is shaped by the Akamba cultural way of life in which all fife is lived within the family and the relationship between the living and God being actualized within family associations. The nucleus of the family is the ancestors who quite often are reincarnated to the family. The community under study sees Christ as the founder ancestor of the Christian family. A synthetic interplay between "being born again" and ancestral reincarnation has been observed. The impending hermeneutical approach and methodology within the community under study shows the respondents seemingly drawing information from their immediate worlds and worldview to assign meaning to "being born again." There is an interplay between the Bible texts and the people's immediate world with the latter taking precedence in determining the meaning of "being born again." The researcher recommends the establishment of the effects of the interplay identified in this study as an area for further research. Such a research should show weather the interplay Setween the biblical theme of "being born again" and the cultural idea of ancestral rebirth as established in this research enhances or hinders evangelization within the community studied
Description
Master of Theology degree.
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Citation
Wambua, M. M. (2009). The Bible and Culture in African Biblical Interpretation: The Lnterplay Between the Ti--Eme of Ancestral Reincarnation Among The Akamba of Makindu and Their Understanding of "Being Born Again". Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences