The Bible in Africa: A novel usage in Africa's new churches

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

Volumn 71, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 203-219

  Gifford, Paul ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LONDON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 61949145100     PISSN: 0041977X     EISSN: 14740699     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0041977X08000505     Document Type: Article

References (34)

1. For this, see Paul Bowers, "African theology: its history, dynamics, scope and future", Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 21/2, 2002, 109-25.
2. For examples of African biblical interpretation, see Hannah W. Kinoti and John M. Waliggo (eds), The Bible in African Christianity: Essays in Biblical Theology (Nairobi: Acton, 1997);
3. Gerald O. West and Musa W. Dube, The Bible in Africa: Transactions, Trajectories and Trends (Leiden: Brill, 2000);.
4. Ukachukwu Chris Manus, Intercultural Hermeneutics in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2003);
5. Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole and Ernst R. Wendland, Interacting with Scriptures in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2005);
6. Mary N. Getui, Knut Holter and Victor Zinkuratire (eds), Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2001);
7. Mary N. Getui, Tinyiko Maluleke and Justin Ukpong (eds), Interpreting the New Testament in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2001);
8. Hilary B. P. Mijoga, Preaching and the Bible in African Churches (Nairobi: Acton, 2001);
9. Ernst R. Wendland and Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole, Biblical Texts and African Audiences (Nairobi: Acton, 2004);
10. J.N.K. Mugambi and Johannes A. Smit, Text and Context in New Testament Hermeneutics (Nairobi: Acton, 2004);
11. M.T. Speckman, The Bible and Human Development in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2001);
12. Knut Holter (ed.), Let My People Stay! Researching the Old Testament in Africa (Nairobi: Acton, 2006);
13. Tukonboh Adeyemo (ed.), Africa Bible Commentary (Nairobi: Word Alive Publishers, 2006);
14. Jean-Bosco Matand Bulembat (ed.), Sagesse humaine et sagesse divine dans la Bible: mélanges offerts à S.E. Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya à Voccasion de ses 25 ans d'episcopat (Nairobi: Paulines, 2007);
15. J. O. Akao, D. O. Akinntunde, G. N. Toryough, P. A. Oguntoye and M. I. Oguntoyinbo-Atere (eds), Decolonization of Biblical Interpretation in Africa (Ibadan: Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2005);
16. Musa W. Dube, Other Ways of Reading: African Women and the Bible (Atlanta: SBL, 2001);
17. Itumeleng J. Mosala, Biblical Hermeneutics and Black Theology in South Africa (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989);
18. Gerald O. West, The Academy of the Poor: Towards a Dialogical Reading of the Bible (Sheffield: Sheffield University Press, 1999).
19. Kofi Ameve, The Divine Acts: Holy Scriptures for Sankofa Faith (Accra: Afrikania, n.d.) is a Bible devised for the West African Afrikania faith, an attempt to raise African religion to the status of a world religion. Ka: the Holy book of Neter (Nairobi: Africa Comb Books, 2005) is another scripture devised for Africa, precisely to replace any imported scripture like the Bible. It must be said, however, that these and similar attempts are decidedly minority pursuits.
20. Knut Hotter, Old Testament Research for Africa: A Critical Analysis and Annotated Bibliography of African Old Testament Dissertations, 1967-2000 (New York: Peter Lang, 2002), 88-9.
21. Thus Dibeela goes so far as to claim that Setswana culture in some important aspects surpasses the Bible (Moiseraele Prince Dibeela, "A Setswana perspective on Genesis 1, 1-10", in West and Dube (eds), Bible in Africa, 384-99).
22. See Paul Gifford, "African theology: observations of an outsider", Hekima Journal, forthcoming.
23. For the potentialities of a postcolonial approach, see Rita Abrahamsen, "African studies and the the postcolonial challenge", African Affairs 102, 2003, 189-210.
24. One of the few such studies is David Tuesday Adamo, "The use of Psalms in African indigenous churches in Nigeria", in West and Dube (eds), Bible in Africa, 336-49, where practices like repeating particular psalms while performing certain rituals are linked to special needs like finding love, passing exams or winning lawsuits.
25. For an example of "socially engaged biblical scholars" to "read with" ordinary Christians (essentially to act as a resource alongside grass-roots Christians) see Gerald O. West, "Contextual Bible study in South Africa: a resource for reclaiming and regainng land, dignity and identity", in West and Dube (eds), Bible in Africa, 595-610.
26. I have dealt with this in Paul Gifford, Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalising African Economy (London: Hurst & Co, 2004).
27. 28 May 2006 on Family Praise TV. This is the understanding of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru when she makes a declaration like the following: "From this moment henceforth, you are going to enter into your inheritance, because you are a person of inheritance. Whatsoever you were believing God for shall be fulfilled. Every prayer that you have set before the Lord will be answered. It is done, for the Lord has purposed to do it for his own sake" (Faith Daily, 12-18 November 2005, 9).
28. J. L. Austin, How to Do Things with Words (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, second edition, 1975).
29. Winners' Chapel (full title, Living Faith Church Worldwide Inc.) is a perfect example of Africa's new Christianity (and its use of the Bible). The church was founded in Lagos by David Oyedepo in 1983. It now has over 400 branches in Nigeria and is in forty African countries. It boasts in Lagos the biggest church auditorium in the world, seating 50,400.
30. Reprinted in Maximum Miracle Times, Dec. 2006, 10-11.
31. Bishop Margaret on Ezekiel 47: 1-13 is reprinted in Revival Springs, March 2002, 3-7. Bishop Margaret on Job 42: 10 can use the names of Job's daughters performatively: "By the end of (Job's) restoration, he had seven sons and three daughters... Number seven represents perfection, and three represents excellence and fullness of God. "Jemima" means long life, days upon days, or fair as the day. Day refers to light... God says, "This is your day, darkness is over". Tell your neighbour: "Your darkness is over your light has come". Where you were once in darkness and confusion, I say this morning in Jesus' name... Long days mean a long victorious, successful and peaceful life... I don't know if you are sick, today there will be a restoration of your health... The Second daughter Kazer means very pleasant, sweet smell, something precious. You must be washed in precious blood..." and so on.
32. Gifford, Ghana's New Christianity, 50-1.
33. See Maximum Miracle Times, October 2006, 6-7.
34. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is a church of Brazilian origin that is spreading widely in Africa; see Paul Freston, "The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God: a Brazilian church finds success in southern Africa", Journal of Religion in Africa 35/1, 2005, 33-65.