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Third World Theological Priorities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2009

Kortright Davis
Kortright Davis
Affiliation:
The Divinity School, Howard University, 1240 Randolph Street, Washington, D.C., 20017, U.S.A.
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Extract

How does one properly account for the rise of theological ferment in the Third World, when so much of the theological activity in that region is so closely related to what happens (or fails to happen) in the First World? To what extent can the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, or the programs of the World Council of Churches, or the initiatives of the Mission Boards in North America, be given credit for the emergence of Third World theologies? Or how do we explain the paradox that in spite of two decades in the growth and development of local theologies in the Third World, much of the way in which Third World churches conduct their business and their worship still fails to reflect such developments? Who sets the priorities for theology in the Third World? What is the procedure for its validation and official acceptance? When does the local church know that it is safe to shift from the received tradition to the new tradition? All these are questions of farreaching significance, for they bear on the very heart of authentic Christianity as it is proclaimed and practised in the Third World. Third World Christians must determine for themselves when and how they will theologize in their own language, in which they were born (Acts 2.8). Third World theologians have stepped out in front and have taken some initiatives for themselves, and among themselves.

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 85 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1987

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References

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