The language of faith in southern Africa : : spirit world, power, community, holism / / Hermen Kroesbergen.

• VerfasserIn: Kroesbergen, Hermen,
• Place / Publishing House: Cape Town, South Africa : : AOSIS,, 2019.
• Year of Publication: 2019
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xv, 359 pages)

The aim of this book is to provide a way to do justice to an African language of faith. In systematic theology, anthropology and philosophy of religion, similar debates about how to interpret an African language of faith are ongoing. Trying to avoid the 'othering' discourses of past generations, scholars are careful to take seriously what people in Africa say without portraying people's beliefs as weird or backward. Yet, in their desperate attempts to avoid othering, these theologians, anthropologists and philosophers often painfully misconstrue the language of faith in Africa. Understanding the language of faith in Southern Africa is not an easy task. How should we take seriously the form of language that often seems so strange and different? I argue that, after African inculturation theology and black liberation theology, a better way to make sense of being a Christian in Southern Africa is to pay close attention to people's language of faith. The way in which people speak of the spirit world or powers in Africa appears strange to outsiders, and the sense of community and the holistic worldview differentiates the African way of life from its Euro-American counterparts. When proper attention is paid to the use of concepts like spirit world, power, community and holism, language of faith in Southern Africa is neither as strange as it may seem, nor as romantic. By investigating these distinguishing concepts that colour language of faith in Southern Africa, this book contributes to future projects of both fellow theologians who try to construct a contemporary African theology and those who are interested in theology in Africa given the well-known southward shift of the centre of gravity of Christianity.

Table of Contents

List of abbreviations appearing in the text xi -- Biographical note xiii -- Acknowledgements xv -- Chapter 1: The language of faith in Southern Africa 1 -- Introduction 1 -- Two common approaches to the language of faith in Africa 4 -- The language of faith in Southern Africa 9 -- African theology 13 -- Methodology 14 -- Part One 19 -- Chapter 2: The spirit world: Its reality 21 -- Introduction 21 -- One world 24 -- Adding a thousand qualifications? 27 -- A different direction 32 -- Prayer 36 -- My own context in the Netherlands 38 -- The African context 41 -- Not explanation, control and prediction 47 -- No explanation 47 -- No control 50 -- No prediction 53 -- Chance everywhere 55 -- Response to the world 59 -- A response to the uncertainty of what happens 59 -- A response to uncertainty about which way to go 60 -- A response to harmful things 63 -- The Southern African context 66 -- Two questions 70 -- Is the spirit world real? 71 -- Do people really believe like this? 73 -- Conclusion 77 -- Chapter 3: The spirit world: Its diversity 79 -- Introduction 79 -- Spirits that can be coerced to help 81 -- Looking for a middle ground 84 -- Suspending our scepticism 84 -- What is wrong with this quest? 89 -- A different-from-the-ordinary role 94 -- I give in order that you give? 95 -- The spirit world is not used as a practical tool 97 -- Truth and responses to the world 104 -- Living with a diversity of responses 111 -- The belief in the spirit world responds to the -- same one world 113 -- No need for mediation between different responses 117 -- Conclusion 120 -- Chapter 4: Power: In things and words 123 -- Introduction 123 -- The symbolic quality of things 126 -- The power of anointing oil and anointed pens 128 -- Things as part of a symbolic context 134 -- Symbolic things are treated differently 140 -- Enchantment 146 -- The material quality of words 152 -- Positive confession and speaking into someone's life 155 -- Performative or perlocutionary language? 158 -- The material quality of words 164 -- Conclusion 167 -- Part Two 171 -- Chapter 5: Community: In society 173 -- Introduction 173 -- Social harmony as greatest good 175 -- Inclusiveness 176 -- Harmony of the community as a moral principle 182 -- Hiding behind the community 184 -- Giving in to power 185 -- Looking for the best policy 186 -- Avoiding punishment 187 -- Avoiding shame and dishonour 188 -- The concrete community 190 -- Vulnerable individuals 196 -- Exposed individuals 197 -- Group pressure 203 -- A community of strangers 209 -- Relationships over freedom 216 -- Conclusion 221 -- Chapter 6: Community: In Christianity 223 -- Introduction 223 -- The purpose of religious meetings: From shared -- worship to obtaining a service 225 -- 'Not really communities' 225 -- No worship groups 228 -- Focus on needs 231 -- The role of the pastor: From facilitator to big man 237 -- Authoritarian big man 237 -- And egalitarianism? 240 -- Anointed man of God 243 -- The meaning of ecumenism: From unreachable -- goal to assumed fact 248 -- International community 248 -- We are all Christians 250 -- Choosing one's dependency 256 -- The government adapting to the shift in type -- of religious community 259 -- Unity and dialogue in the church as theological ideal 263 -- A community of pilgrims 264 -- Faith dialogue 269 -- Conclusion 275 -- Chapter 7: Holism: In blessings and salvation 279 -- Introduction 279 -- The quest for holistic salvation 281 -- Causal or conceptual connections? 285 -- The prosperity gospel 293 -- What does it mean to be blessed? 297 -- A different kind of life 307 -- Not a bit of both 317 -- Conclusion 320 -- Chapter 8: Wrong questions 323 -- Introduction 323 -- Understanding the language of faith 324 -- The picture theory of language 324 -- The meaning of language is in the use 325 -- Wrong questions 327 -- One church? 331 -- References 335 -- Index 349.