5 - Africa, East and West
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
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Summary
HUNGERING FOR AFRICAN THEOLOGY
A true story is told of a missionary who went to a remote area of northern Tanzania to proclaim the gospel among the Maasai, a famous warrior people:
One day he was explaining to a group of adults the saving activity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He told how Jesus is the Saviour and Redeemer of all humankind. When he finished, a Maasai elder slowly stood up and said to the missionary: ‘You have spoken well, but I want to learn more about this great person Jesus Christ. I have three questions about him: First, did he ever kill a lion? Second, how many cows did he have? Third, how many wives and children did he have?’
(Healey and Sybertz 1996, 76–7)The Maasai elder's questions pose a deep challenge that is not merely theoretical. On the contrary, this incident demonstrates a real crux in the living faith of millions of Christians across East to West Africa today: how can the gospel be proclaimed authentically and effectively in response to the questions of African people and in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them?
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- An Introduction to Third World Theologies , pp. 105 - 136Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004
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