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<\/a>The book Christian Theology and African Traditions <\/em>is a great complement to Oden\u2019s book How Africa Shaped The Christian Mind.<\/em> In Oden\u2019s book, he suggested that \u201cAfrica played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture.\u201d[1]<\/a> Using the word \u2018decisive\u2019 is a bold claim regarding Africa\u2019s role. However, he spent a great deal of time helping us to understand the influences through traditional practices with the intent of bridging cultural diversity. Africa\u2019s population shows a mixture of diverse race that does not include internally homogeneous. Michael\u2019s role in with his work is somewhat different as he sets out to bridge the gap between African traditions and theology. \u201cThus in talking about the Christian faith in this book we are engaging these basic teachings in dialogue with African traditions.\u201d[2]<\/a> Michael\u2019s book has dedicated chapters that point to Christian theology and tries to integrate traditional influences. However, I would\u2019ve loved to see that same balance for African traditions. The title of the chapters does not suggest balance, which could influence readers like me, away from investing in this great book.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The author suggests two important roles of Christian theology. First, \u201cChristian theology must seek to understand the various cultural and religious forms\u201d that shares a defining continuity over a superficial discontinuity (Michael, 141, Kindle). Second, \u201cChristian theology must also seek to understand the force of the so-called superficial discontinuity in order to create a lasting home for Christianity\u201d in Africa (Michael, 141, Kindle). It\u2019s amazing that Michael is suggesting that Christianity doesn\u2019t have a \u2018lasting\u2019 home in Africa. This tells me that nations outside of Africa still lack the imagination to affirm Africa as a seedbed with our \u2018precious\u2019 theology.<\/p>\n In 2004, when finally decided to enroll in Berklee College of Music, there was no doubt I\u2019d lose elements of the relationship with my family. Everyone in my family plays an instrument or sing but no one envisioned music as a career. The majority of my family were accustomed to working two or three jobs but I envisioned something different. Through homelessness and other challenges, I pursued the necessary career and education to become a professional musician. The author revealed that Africa has traditions that have been \u201chanded down from one generation to the other\u201d but like my story, unless young African scholars are willing to ignore cultural norms, they will always fight for a seat at the theological table when they helped to build the table itself (Michael, 268).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Welsh, The Rise and Fall of Apartheid<\/em><\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Michael, Christian Theology and African Traditions, <\/em>232, Kindle.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Western church seems to pride itself as a pioneer in Christianity and make it their responsibility to introduce religion around the globe. The challenge with that ideology is that young African scholars may have a different interpretation after reading this book and researching the history of African theology. Numidia, Nubia, and Abyssinia (replaced by Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan) were \u201cgreat\u201d Christian kingdoms that \u201cpracticed Christianity and provided theology for the universal church when Europe was still roaming in barbarism and the Western church was merely a footnote in theological debates of those times.\u201d[3]<\/a> According to the author, Africa was more advanced and the source of theology for many nations. Whether this is true or not, the fact that Africa was involved with theology since the beginning is enough to warrant the respect of the Western church.<\/p>\n<\/a>Unfortunately, we often view economic crisis as the central theme of Africa and miss the theological framework. Dr. Michael Badriaki, a graduate of Portland Seminary, told a story of how students were shocked at the beauty and history of Cape Town when they visited as a cohort. They were expecting to see shacks and anything that mirrored the need for help. However, Michael and others like Thomas Oden tells us that after apartheid, Africa is experiencing a revival in its churches and that young African scholars are becoming inquisitive on Africa\u2019s role in Christian theology. Our Western worldview lends itself to the idea that we bring the Christian faith to Africa, when in fact, they brought it to us. \u201cThus in talking about the Christian faith in this book we are engaging these basic teachings in dialogue with African traditions.\u201d[4]<\/a> The basic teachings being referred is the idea that we don\u2019t always appreciate the Christian doctrine because we choose to ignore \u2018claims of truth.\u2019 The author believes that \u201cunfortunately, the Christian faith in Africa has refused to seriously engage African traditions at a deeper level of engagement, but has merely scratched the surface of the African cultural consciousness.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n