A CRITIQUE OF INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM IN TROPICAL AFRICA

______________

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Systematic Theology Dallas Theological Seminary _____________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Theology ___________________ by Byang Henry Kato May 1974 Please note: Mosher Library of Dallas Theological Seminary holds the copyright to this dissertation. This dissertation has been electronically scanned. Content and page numbering match the original copy, but font size and formatting may differ from the original. In the original copy Greek and Hebrew words were hand written.

Accepted by the Faculty of the Dallas Theological Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Theology. Examining Committee Signed by Charles C. Ryrie F. Duane Lindsey John A. Witmer

ABSTRACT "A Critique of Incipient Universalism in Tropical Africa" is an effort to alert the reader to unhealthy trends taking shape in theology in Africa today. The present author is not aware of any works by an African theologian along the same line. This maiden effort is, therefore, expected to whet the appetite of African conservative evangelical theologians for further research in the area, not only for academic exercise, but in order to preserve biblical Christianity that has become a vital part of life of many sons and daughters of Africa. It is hoped that the foreign observer will also find the dissertation illuminating on the scene in Africa today. The dissertation is also meant to challenge evangelical Christianity in the older churches to rally around the defenders of Christian faith in Africa by equipping them for the ministry the Lord has committed to today's generation of Christians in Africa. After pointing out the valid reasons for pride in the "Dawn Continent" of Africa, the author outlines why some of these virtues could, unfortunately, easily lead to

universalism. The pride of culture and undue respect for African Traditional Religions have already started to lead some churchmen astray. In order to show the incompatibility of African Traditional Religions with Christianity, Jaba worship is investigated. The investigation confirms the fact that the Jaba of the North Central State of Nigeria truly have some clues of the Supreme Being, "Nom." This has not come through any direct revelation, but as a result of general revelation which God has given to every people everywhere. But Jaba worship has been neither perfect nor redemptive. African Theology" is a new concept being proposed by some theologians in Africa today. The basic premise is the validity of the sources and content of African Traditional Religions. The proponents fail to take note of special revelation, which is by no means a part and a fulfillment of general revelation. Some theologians are saying that Jesus came to fulfill not only the Old Testament but also African Traditional Religions. By doing this, the Old Testament, which is believed to be what Jesus came to fulfill, is not given its unique position as God's special revelation to a covenant people. John S. Mbiti, who may be rightly called the father of "African Theology," has strained every

nerve to amalgamate New Testament eschatology with what he claims to be the African concept of time. The present author finds it hard to accept Mbiti's concept. The ramifications rather show that New Testament teaching has been correctly taught, and the African is rightly excited about the second coming of Jesus Christ. To express theology in the language Africans can understand, dealing with the current issues, is a better approach to take, rather than the dangerous path of compromising biblical content in an effort to produce the so-called African Theology. Other areas of syncretistic universalism are also surveyed. A type of theology which systematizes extrabiblical thoughts of the worshiper of African Traditional Religion has been labeled "Implicit Monotheism." This type of theology seeks to bring about peaceful coexistence between religions, which are believed to be given to mankind by God. Idols in African Religions are considered "ministers" of God. Islam, African Traditional Religions, and Christianity have a meeting point somewhere, somehow, someday. E. Bolaji Idowu, the spokesman for the system, understands that the fact that God has not left Himself without a witness to mean that God has ordained the worship of African Traditional Religions. Although "priest-cult" has abused this valid worship by

Yoruba people of Nigeria, the fact still remains that these worshipers cannot be charged of idolatry. In the final end, Christianity cannot claim the monopoly of salvation. Thus, universalism is evident. The author does not deny the fact of general revelation. But idol worship in Africa is a distortion of the valid concepts of the Supreme Being. Like the episode of the blind men describing the elephant, the parts of which they have individually felt, the African Religious worshipers, like any other worshiper of non-Christian religions, have fashioned God according to their human concepts. This is idolatry, which must be condemned in plain scriptural fashion. Jesus Christ must stand tall above all religious systems. Liberal ecumenism is a reality in Africa today. The ecumenics play down doctrine since they hold that DOCTRINE DIVIDES but FELLOWSHIP UNITES. Their search of unity at any cost is evident. They have invaded Africa with the same cargo. Ecumenism has been elevated to the status of religion itself. The gregarious nature will prove fertile ground for ecumenism. The potential danger of syncretism and universalism is already becoming evident. For this reason, the dissertation calls for the active participants of the ecumenistic All Africa Conference of Churches to take stock.

The stillborn baby of the World Council of Churches, produced at Bangkok under the unbiblical concept of Salvation Today, has been presented to the Third World ecumenism to be nourished with the milk of social concerns. Liberation from oppression now supercedes salvation from sin. This is an aspect of universalism evangelical Christians are called upon to guard against. The dissertation concludes with a ten point proposal as a guide for preservation of biblical Christianity in Africa. While it is true that Christianity must baptize African culture, it is erroneous to reverse the picture. Christianity is unique, it creates the third race, a race called "the body of Christ" made up of people from any cultural background. Theology should be expressed in the context of every people for their understanding and practice, but Christian Theology does not need polarization which has a tendency of adding to or subtracting from the Gospel of Christ. This, the Bible-believing Christian cannot afford to do.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Importance of the Study Purpose of the study Delineation of the study Organizational approach to the study II. AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Definition of Terms Animism Idolatry Paganism and Heathenism Fetishism Witchcraft Magic Juju Primitive Religion African Traditional Religions Religious Concepts of Jaba Introduction Jaba Concept of a Supreme Being Jaba concepts of the spirit world Jaba concept of life after death Jaba concept of salvation Jaba concept of revelation Conclusion III. AFRICAN THEOLOGY AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM . . . . . . . . . 68 African Theology Described What African Theology is not Black Theology Ethiopic Theology Theology of Decolonization

Chapter Observable similarities The nature of African Theology Origin of the concept As distinct from Christian Theology In regard to experience In regard to sources Its weakness Professor John S. Mbiti, Father of African Theology His background and works His education His publications His philosophy of time in African perspective Two-dimensional concept of time Weakness of his arguments His philosophy of time in biblical perspective Old Testament "cyclic" time New Testament concept of time His Concepts of God in Africa A systematic theology of African Traditional Religions Problems of data Regarding sources Regarding concepts Regarding interpretation Scriptural indictment of idolatry His eschatology An evaluation of his book New Testament Eschatology in an African Background His hermeneutics Christian life as totally eschatological Exegetical meaning of Orthodox understanding of the second coming of Christ Mbiti's rejection of major future events in eschatology Regarding Gehenna Regarding fire Regarding treasure as rewards Regarding the new Jerusalem Regarding future country Regarding eating and drinking Regarding tears and pain Regarding heaven

iv

v Chapter Universalism demonstrated Regarding sacramental regeneration Regarding resurrection is past Regarding mediatorial judgment Conclusion IV. THE THEOLOGY OF "IMPLICIT MONOTHEISM" AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 The Philosophy of "Implicit Monotheism" The basic premise of the view The basic philosophy of the Department of Religious Studies of University of Ibadan As expressed in Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies As portrayed in administration of the Journal As portrayed in the title of the Journal As portrayed in the content of the Journal As best expressed in Professor Idowu Idowu's handling of Scriptures Idowu's call for mutual understanding between religions Idowu's Further Exposition of Theology of "Implicit Monotheism" His works Summary Regarding Christian "idolaters" Regarding confusion of God's witness Regarding idolatry becomes monotheism Regarding supposed monotheistic worship His view of God's revelation God and His witness through divinities The confusion of general and special revelation V. ECUMENISM: A POTENTIAL FORCE OF INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Definition The term ecumenism Early ecumenism

vi Chapter Modern ecurnenism Institutionalized ecumenism The Rise of the Contemporary Ecumenical Movement and its Influence in the Third World The Ship of Ecumenism Is Anchored On the African Shore The structure of the All Africa Conference of Churches The support of the All Africa Conference of Churches Theology in the World Council of Churches and Its Universalistic Implications Introduction Salvation today The sources The meaning of evangelism The meaning of salvation Ecumenism in Africa and Its Theological Trends Introduction The theological basis of the AACC The shifting emphasis of the AACC The ecumenics and their concepts of evangelism The Kinshasa Declaration, a prelude to universalism VI. CONCLUSION AND PROPOSALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 History Has Gone Full Circle Religious confrontation Cultural complexities Political challenge Humanitarian considerations A Ten Point Proposal for the Survival of Biblical Christianity in Africa APPENDIXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Importance of the Study The stage is well set for universalism in Africa. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that a serious study be undertaken for the trends already taking shape. Ten cogent reasons may be cited why this study is important. The first reason is the prevailing wind of universalism in the homeland of the missionaries laboring in Africa. From William Carey in the nineteenth century, who is called the father of modern missions, through Edinburgh Conference in 1910, to mid-twentieth century (1938 Madras Conference when Hendrik Kraemer published his book The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World, home churches and mission boards sending missionaries overseas held a firm belief in Jesus Christ as the only way. Harold Lindsells accurate evaluation of the United States which for many years has had the lion's share of sending out missionaries and finances is universally true. He says:

2 Certainly the nineteenth century was the great century of missionary advance and even a most cursory glance at the missionary literature reveals that the forward movement in foreign missions was based upon an implicit and explicit conviction that those outside of Christ were perishing and that if they did not hear the gospel they were lost forever. In such a theological climate unversalism was hardly welcomed.1 This picture is definitely not true today. The fact that many denominations are having a drastic cutback in their mission personnel and resources has a variety of reasons. "The United Presbyterians recently announced a cut of over a million dollars in their missionary budget for 1972 and the enforced withdrawal of 220 missionaries due to a sharp drop in denominational income."2 One of the reasons for such an operation withdrawal could be due to a basic belief increasingly in universalism. Lindsell explains, "Letters in the Crusader have expressed surprise that American Baptist missionaries should espouse universalist views, and opponents of the viewpoint have asked why such missionaries should continue serving on the mission fields."3 Since like produces like, modern apostles of universalism have sown the ______________ Harold Lindsell, "Universalism Today," Bibliotheca Sacra, CXXI (July, 1964), 210. Barren W. Webster, "Why Cut Back?" Impact, XXIX (May-June, 1972), pages unnumbered.
3 2 1

Lindsell, "Universalism Today," p. 217.

3 seed and it is now germinating. The growth is evident; the harvest is beginning to show up in Africa. The second reason why this study is important is also to be found outside Africa. The United Nations Organization has as its goal, unity and peace in the world among men of all faiths, ethnics. and political ideologies. It was "established for the maintenance of peace and promotion of international cooperation in social, economic, and cultural activities."1 In Africa itself the Organization of African Unity plays a similar role. Nations cooperating in the body would, undoubtedly, seek to nurture anything that brings universal unity. The biblical doctrine that condemns some people to hell because they are not in Christ would be repugnant. So the existence of this body will encourage an ecumenistic and universalistic type of Christianity. Political awareness is an exciting reality in Africa. In 1885 at the Berlin Conference European powers split up Africa and various nations of Europe grabbed their share of the booty without a gunshot. The continent was no attraction for them in investment, only exploitation. When partition was completed, Africa disappeared from the world's headlines. European diplomacy was fully _________ Dag Hammarskjold, "United Nations," The American Peoples' Encyclopedia, 1964, XVIII, 375.
1

4 engaged in other parts, and the maintenance of the colonies was left to the administrators on the spot Colonies were supposed to be a benefit, not a liability to the mother country, but in much of Africa during the early colonial period, the European governments could only hope to keep the colonies quiet and spend as little as possible doing so. . . The first colonial administration in Nyasaland (Malawi) functioned on 10,000 (about $30,000) a year plus the governor's salary.1 The wind of change has overtaken the world all of a sudden. Nations have been born overnight. Ghana was the thin end of the wedge that was to drive the colonial powers out of Africa. With what amounted to a wave of the hand, 30 new black states having a combined population of about 200 million, appeared. Apart from South Africa and Rhodesia, ruled by white settlers or their descendants, only three European colonies remain today south of the Sahara, all governed by Portugal.2 Africa has come of age, and is proud to let the world know it. The temptation now is to magnify all that is African, especially in cultural and religious heritage. If the West boasts of modern technology, Africa has a long standing history to present. If Christianity is the religion the West has produced, the Western missionary should be reminded that Africa too has her religions. At the risk of oversimplification, this is what the universalists are saying. ________________
1

Ibid., I, 180.

David Reed, "The Rocky Road to Freedom," Reader's Digest. January, 1973, p. 213.

5 A similar reason to the foregoing political awareness is the search for political solidarity. The heterogenous ethnic groups in various African political nations must be unified. The recent civil wars in Nigeria and Zaire, as well as the massacres in the Sudan and Burundi, are all part of the search for national solidarity. Universalism would be an excellent tool for uniting people of different faiths. The enforced unity into the church of Christ in Zaire is an excellent example of this. The fourth reason is similar to the two preceding reasons. A search for personal identity has been, and will continue to be, fertile soil for syncretism and universalism. Perhaps the black race has suffered the worst oppression and exploitation of all races. Political and economic domination have been some of the weapons of oppression. But slavery has been the worst weapon of degradation of the Negroes. Dr. Bengt Sundkler has stated, "It has been estimated that the total number of slaves sold to European colonies amounted to between 20 and 40 million. . . . It is claimed that as many perished en route as reached the plantations."1 __________________ Bengt Sundkler, The World of Missions, trans. by Eric J. Sharpe (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966), p. 147.
1

6 Kenneth Latourette evaluates the grim situation: Here was the most extensive selfish exploitation of one set of races by another which history has seen. That this colossal evil was the work of peoples whose nominal faith was Christianity was an indictment of that religion which cannot be brushed aside.1 Rising out of such terrible background, the African is asking, Who am I? The question is rightly asked. But the reply from many theologians is given in the context of universalism of revelation, with the corollary in salvation. An emotional touch, out of genuine love for the ancestors who died without the knowledge of the way of salvation, is a big attraction of universalism. it is unthinkable and inhumane, many would say, to hold that all these millions of Africans who died before the advent of modern missions would languish in hell eternally. It looks also more unlikely that these very religious people, to whom God has not left Himself without a witness, will end up in a godless eternity. Thinking like this overshadows any scriptural reasoning. Universalism is found to be the balm in Gilead for such an emotional yearning. The sixth reason is due to the reformation of African religions as practiced today. Human sacrifice, ______________ Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), V. 320.
1

7 ceremonial burial of living human beings are things of the past in many African countries, though the vestiges are not altogether absent. David Reed reports African religious practices both old and new: So when an Asanthene [An Ashanti chief in Ghana] dies slaves, servants and minor chiefs are seized. Their tongues are skeweredso they won't pronounce fearsome oaths on everyone concernedand then they are beheaded to form a ghostly escort for the Asanthene. In earlier times, up to 1000 persons were sacrificed. Two years ago after an Asanthene was gathered unto his ancestors, about a dozen people reportedly were sacrificed.1 Such practices on religious grounds are very scarce and have to be done in secret today. However, practices in a modernized fashion are present. Reed continues: While such rites are extreme, witchcraft and other bizarre customs still dominate the lives of most Africans. In every marketplace in Africa, charms are sold openly monkey skulls, dead birds, and potions. When one of Kenya's leading soccer clubs published its audited accounts recently, it was disclosed that the team had paid more than $3000 to witch doctors to get forecasts of results.2 The new garb that African traditional religions are putting on will enhance universalism. The respectability of these religions will make them seem compatible with Christianity. They will also be seen to warrant eternal bliss ____________
1

Reed, "Rocky Road to Freedom," p. 228. Ibid.

8 advocated by Christians. They stand as a witness that God has spoken to the African priest in his own situation as He did with the Jews. These views are being propagated today as this dissertation will seek to demonstrate. Biblical ignorance in the churches in Africa today and lack of emphasis on theological education on the part of missionaries is the seventh reason for this study. Many pastors in the churches in Africa have swallowed the pill of incipient universalism without knowing the premise nor the end result. The present writer has, through personal interviews, come across such situations. While the work of interdenominational missions in Africa, which still makes up the core of evangelical Christianity, is highly commendable. nevertheless, it is a fact that most of the missionaries lacked sound theological education. For a long time it has been felt that anything is good enough for Africa. Seminary education is for pastors in North America, and the Bible school and Bible institute is for missionaries. So a mammoth church has been established without the depth of theology that the church needs. Christian leaders are now vulnerable to the tactics of ecumenism with its basic universalistic premise. As opposed to evangelical theological anaemia, the

9 liberals, though not much better a few years ago, have now produced theological scholarships that may be twenty years ahead of evangelicals. Worse still, they are going at double the pace of evangelicals in Africa. The massive support they get abroad enables them to outdo the conservative evangelicals who emphasize personal salvation and final just retribution. Through indigenous universities and colleges, as well as liberal seminaries abroad, liberal Christianity is producing capable African scholars who will help advance the cause of universalism. Next to the final reason why this study must be undertaken, is the gregarious nature of the African. The African likes to congregate with others. He likes to be heard, hence the loud noise. He likes large numbers, hence the large family, including polygamy. His nature, therefore, provides fertile ground for ecumenism. Giving large figures of people who are on their way to heaven would be palatable regardless of what the Scriptures say. Finally, there is a genuine reason why Christianity must contextualize. There is a genuine desire by all those who truly love Christ and Africa to see that Christianity finds its home in Africa. Superficiality of Christianity of some members is the reason why many turn to their old

10 way of life in an hour of crisis. To indigenize and remain true to the Bible is a necessary, but not so easy a task. That is why many are ending up with universalism. This makes the study very necessary. Because of these important reasons, the present writer wishes in a small way to fulfill the prediction of Lindsell who says: There is only a beginning realization of how high the tide of universalism has risen, and it is safe to prediet that, given time, many opponents of the new thrust will come forth to smite the foe with ball point broadsides which will be continued by proponents and opponents until one side wins a victory, or both of them fall back exhausted with nothing more to say.1 Purpose of the study The primary purpose of this dissertation is to sound an alarm and warn Christians from both sides of the argument concerning the dangers of universalism. The noble desire to contextualize Christianity in Africa must not be forsaken. An indigenous theology is a necessity. But must one betray scriptural principles of God and His dealing with man at the altar of any regional theology? Should human sympathy and rationalism override what is clearly taught in the Scriptures? Many voices in Africa and outside the continent are ____________
1

Lindsell, "Universalism Today," p. 210.

11 answering these questions in the affirmative. Their number is increasing as the days go by. In a small way, at least, the writer wants to alert the Christians in Africa and the gullible enthusiasts of African indigenization from overseas concerning these trends. The second purpose is to bring to the attention of the proponents of "African Theology" ecumenists, and all others with universalistic tendencies, the fact that there is another way of looking at the relationship between Christianity and African religions. It is not neo-colonialism to plead the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ. It is not an air of superiority to herald the fact that all who are not "in Christ" are lost. It is merely articulating what the Scriptures say. Finally, the purpose of the study is to make a positive contribution to the discussion. It is appalling, and almost incredible, to realize that there is hardly any literature written by an African surfacing the evils of this theological cancer. If this contribution in a small way stirs further discussion on the subject which is patent in the works of most African theologians today, then the goal of the dissertation is achieved in some measure.

12 Delineation of the study The subject of this dissertation is self-explanatory as to its extent. It is not a paper on universalism in the world at large. Therefore, it is not needful to spend time on such men as Karl Barth, J. A. T. Robinson, Paul Tillich, John Pike, Nels Ferre, or the earlier classical advocates of universalism such as Origen, M. Steere, John Wesley Hanson, Matthew Smith, and Samuel Cox. Rather, it is on Incipient Universalism, "beginning to be or to be apparent.1 This is the stage Africa has so far reached. The dangerous weed should be nipped in the bud. Therefore, African theologians and African enthusiasts elsewhere who have made substantial contributions along the line considered universalistic, will be investigated. The study is limited to the view which relates to African traditional religions. Not much literature is available to the present writer concerning the encounter of Christianity and Islam in Africa. Furthermore, the present author does not see much danger of universalism in this area because it would be extremely hard for the Muslims to give in to proponents of universalism. Independent Movements _____________ Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1969), p. 423.
1

13 which claim some thirteen million adherents in Africa today would fall within the area of syncretism. That aspect of religious encounter in Africa will also be left aside. African religions, as traditionally known, are breaking at the seams, and yet they are far from vanishing. Since they have been part and parcel of African culture, hence the name traditional African religions, they are not likely to be eliminated wholesale. Yet Christianity cannot cohabit with any foreign religion. But some theologians are seeking recognition of the so-called "common ground" between Christianity and African traditional religions. This is where the battle is raging. This is the area the research will carry the readers deep into a great confrontation. The study will be limited as to the geographical area. Tropical Africa is a common expression delineating that part of black Africa south of the Sahara Desert, excluding the southern horn of Africa. It is that area linguistically known as Niger-Congo phylum. Most indigenous black African theologians have emerged from this region. The research will feature in this part of Africa, though pertinent references may be made to other parts of the continent.

14 Organizational approach to the study Since the confrontation has been primarily between Christianity and African traditional religions, and since the universalistic trends have been toward African traditional religions mostly, the second chapter will be devoted to the study of African traditional religions. The Jaba people of Central Nigeria will be the specimen. Their animistic concepts will be considered and compared with other tribes. Do African religions expect to be treated the way they are? Is there a homogeneity among them, and are they compatible with Christianity, especially in the area of revelation and redemption? These questions will occupy by and large the second chapter. The third chapter will survey those theologians who are introducing universalism by way of the so-called "African Theology." The term "African Theology," however, will not be the determining factor for the classification in this category. Rather, the content of a person's view as a whole will be the basis of classification. The fourth chapter will be a continuation of the third chapter, though it will deal largely with the advocates of "Implicit Monotheism" philosophy. The emphasis here, particularly in West Africa, is that "God has not

15 left Himself without a witness." Proponents of universalism then go on to capitalize on this premise of universalism of revelation to the universalism of worship, and as a corollary, of salvation. Chapter five will give a critical investigation of what present-day ecumenism is doing in Africa. The system is evidently a major force for promoting universalism. Its all-inclusive approach, and ardent search for unity at any cost, would make it a champion of universalism. The implications of current lively debate on salvation will be examined. Finally, the conclusion will sum up what has been covered. The scriptural view of non-Christian religions taught by conservative evangelical Christianity over the years will be presented. The author will also give his view of how Christianity may be contextualized without falling into the trap of universalism or syncretism. An effort will be made to show how Christianity can become truly African and truly biblical.

CHAPTER II AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM Definition of Terms "It is only a matter of semantics," one often hears today. Thus some important issues are beclouded. It is, therefore, important to clarify certain terms regarding African Traditional Religions. Animism This is probably the most commonly used term in reference to African Traditional Religions. Robert R. Marrett discusses the etymology of the word: Animism is derived from "anima" breath, which in Latin came to have the secondary sense of soul, very much as did the equivalent word spiritus, whence our spirit. Hence animism might stand for any doctrine having to do with soul or spirit and later, with souls or spirits.1 The British anthropologist, Edward B. Tylor, is credited for being the first one to use the term as "a _____________ Robert Ranulph Marrett, "Animism," Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1932, I, 975.

17 minimum definition of religion." Tylor states, "It seems best to back at once on this essential source, and simply to claim, as a minimum definition of religion the belief in Spiritual Beings."1 He continues, "I propose here, under the name of animism, to investigate the deep-lying doctrine of Spiritual Beings, which embodies the very essence of Spiritualistic as opposed to Materialistic philosophy."2 Tylor's use of animism has been challenged in contemporary works. A fellow English social anthropologist, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, rejects the term in reference to the religion of Nuer people of the Sudan. He writes, "In the light of the discussion it will be seen that the so-called animistic theory of religion, chiefly associated with the name of Tylor, cannot be sustained for the Nuer; since they are not animistic and there is no evidence that they ever have been."3 One of Africa's leading theologians, Professor John S. Mbiti. also rejects Tylor's description of African Traditional Religions in terms of animism. He contends, "Animism ____________ Edward B. Tylor, Primitive Culture (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1920), I, 424.
2 1

Ibid. , p. 425.

E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Nuer Religion (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956), p. 958.

18 is not an adequate description of these religions and it is better for that term to be abandoned once and for all."1 Professor E. Bolaji Idowu, another African theologian, also argues, "Animism can, therefore, be predicated as part definition of every religion. But it is inappropriate as the name for African Traditional Religion. The derogatory and abusive nomenclature of African as animists should cease."2 Critics of Tylor have their reasons for rejecting the term. The present author would be reluctant to use the term as a description of African Traditional Religions for three reasons. In the first place, Tylor presupposed an evolution of religions. He says, "The argument for the natural evolution of religious ideas among mankind is not invalidated by the rejection of an ally too weak at present to give effectual help."3 Mbiti has rightly rejected the evolutionary theory of religion: ___________ John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1969), p. 8. E. Bolaji Idowu, private interview, Ibadan University, Nigeria, February 20, 1973. (Idowu"s unpublished manuscript is entitled "African Traditional Religion: A Definition.")
3 2 1

Tylor, Primitive Culture, p. 425.

19 This type of argument and interpretation places African religions at the bottom of supposed line of religious evolution. The theory fails to take to account the fact that another theory equally argues that man's religious development began with a monotheism and moved towards polytheism and animism.1 A second presupposition that must be rejected is Tylor's erroneous conception that one race is superior to the other. He uses such phrases repeatedly: "tribes very low in the scale of humanity," "the lower races," "savages . . . and civilized men." Suffice it here to quote the words of the Apostle Paul as he addressed the religiously debased Athenians: "And He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation" (Acts 17:26).2 Race equality is a necessary presupposition since all mankind descended from the same factually historic Adam and Eve. Evidence of total depravity can be seen everywhere, and it affects the total human race (Ps. 14:3) . Tylor also speaks of "higher culture" and "lower culture." If culture as Louis Luzbetak defines it, is "the ______________
1

Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 7.

All Scripture quotations will be taken from the New American Standard Bible (1972) unless otherwise stated.

20 way of life of a social group,"1 then comparison makes no sense. Each culture should be looked upon only within itself. Certain appearances may be compared outside the culture, but to call a whole culture high or low is today rejected by cultural anthropologists. The final reason for inadequacy of the term animism is that it limits African Traditional Religions to "the belief in spiritual Beings." African Traditional Religions do have a belief in spiritual beings, but their religious milieu covers more. Glimpses of the Supreme Being evident in many African religions seem to be left out in the definition. Complex practices cannot be said to be only a belief in spiritual beings. Animism may not be a bad word, but it is certainly inadequate as a description of African Traditional Religions. Idolatry Idolatry is evidently part of African Traditional Religions, but it is inadequate to sum up the whole system in terms of idolatry. It is, on the other hand, unrealistic to deny that idol worship is part and parcel of African ____________ Louis Luzbetak, The Church and Cultures (Techny, Ill.: Divine Word Publications, 1970), p. 60.
1

21 Traditional Religions. Some enthusiasts of African Traditional Religions have denied the charge of idolatry. Geoffrey Parrinder affirms, "It is known today that no 'heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone.' The 'heathen' worships a spiritual being, who may be approached through a material object."1 This is too optimistic a view of the traditional worship in Africa as later discussion will show. The word "idol" will be discussed in greater details subsequently. Suffice it now to point out that the dictionary meaning of the word fits the situation as found in the traditional religions. Webster defines it as "a representation or symbol of a deity used as an object of worship."2 These representations abound in African Traditional Religions, but they are not the whole religious system. Paganism and Heathenism Parrinders apt description of the origin and usage of these two terms is clear and conclusive. He says: The word comes from Latin paganus, "a countryman" used by Christians from the fourth century to indicate the ___________ Geoffrey Parrinder, African Traditional Religions (London: Hutchinson's University Library, 1954), p. 15. Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1969), p. 414.
2 1

22 country people who had not accepted the new faith like town dwellers. The English word "heathen" perhaps an inhabitant of the heaths, suggests the same notion, in modern times both "Pagan" and Heathen" have been used of believers in other religions or in none, but this is unfortunate since it appears to suggest that such people are ignorant or irreligious.1 The dictionary defines heathen as "1: an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible: Pagan 2: an uncivilized or irreligious person."2 It is hardly correct to say that the adherents of African Traditional Religions have no knowledge of God. Furthermore, the terms pagan or heathen connote cultural advance more than religious emphasis. The origin of the word, as Parrinder points out, gives this impression. If it is a matter of culture change, many unbelievers in Africa would have to be given a separate classification. If, however, the first meaning is the meaning understood, then there are many pagans in Chicago and Glasgow just as there are in Moscow and Porto-Novo. In all these cities there are thousands who may be described as "an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the ___________ Geoffrey Parringer, A Dictionary of Non-Christian Religions, Hulton Educational Publications (London: Cox and Wyman, Ltd., 1971), p. 211.
2 1

Webster's Dictionary, p. 384.

23 Bible." From the biblical sense of the term, all the people of the world are divided into two groups: the people of God, and the people outside the covenant relationship with God. Bertram explains, " and also acquire a terminological character in the sense of Gentiles on the one side and the chosen people on the other side."1 Trench gives a similar explanation, "but where is claimed for and restricted to the chosen people, while includes all mankind outside of the covenant (Deut. 32:43; Isa. 65:1-2; 2 Sam. 7:23; Acts 15:14)."2 Thus the Scriptures know of only two groups of people, and Luke 12:30) . The terms pagan or heathen, if used at all in the scriptural sense, would refer to all unbelievers whether they are found in New York City, New Delhi, or Niamey. The distinction is not cultural, but a covenant relationship with God. African Religions cannot be distinctively defined as Heathenism or Paganism. ____________ George Bertram, "A People and Peoples in the LXX, " Geological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), II, 365. Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1969), p. 367.
2 1

24 Fetishism Parrinder rejects this term in reference to African Traditional Religions. He contends: They saw Africans wearing charms and amulets, and they called them feticio. As Fowler says, "Though it has the air of a mysterious barbarian word, it is in reality the same as factitious and means (like an idol, the work of men's hands) a made thing. . . ." If this word were only confined to magical charms that would not be unsuitable but the trouble is that it is used for religious objects and practices far beyond these limits, and it also isolates African practices (as if they were purely negro and exotic) from similar ones, to be found all over the world.1 It is a fact that man-made objects are used by worshipers of African Traditional Religions. The term fetish appropriately describes certain outward practices of Traditional African Religions, but once again the description does not cover the whole system. Witchcraft Witchcraft is historically known to be universal. Parrinder writes that witchcraft has appeared in many parts of the world, in one form or another. It became particularly prominent and developed in Europe in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Still in modern Africa belief in witchcraft is a great tyranny spreading panic and death.2 _________ Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 15. Geoffrey Parrinder, Witchcraft, European and African (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1963), p. 9.
1

25 The belief has to do with a theory that the witch devours the spiritual life of an individual which eventually causes physical death. Such a belief is prevalent in African Traditional Religions, but the Religions contain more than witchcraft. Magic Magic may be defined as "positive acts performed with a view toward manipulating supernatural power or supernatural beings.1 It is probably an overstatement to say: No one can have dealings for long with Africans without coming in contact with magic and it is probably fair to say that an obstinate belief in magic is the greatest obstacle that the administrator has to face in the imposing European ideas of justice, for magic is woven into the whole structure of African society and forms an essential part of the Africa's social heritage.2 But, nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact that magic plays a major part in African Traditional Religions. But there is more to the Religions than magic; magic is only a facet of African Traditional Religions. _______________ Eva E. Gilger, "A Simplified Ethnographic Checklist" (unpublished Monograph on Religion, Kericho, Kenya, 1973), p. 2. 2 C. G. Seligman and Brenda Z. Seligman, Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd., 1965). p. 25.
1

26 Juju This is another term used to describe African Traditional Religions. Parrinder defines the word, "It has been derived from the French Joujou, a 'toy' but the French do not use it in a religious or magical sense, preferring the term Gris-gris."1 He rightly dismisses the term from religious vocabulary in reference to Africa. "The term is vague and deprecatory, and the objects and powers described are worldwide and not confined to Africa."2 Primitive Religion Here is another terminology for the traditional religions. Paul Radin, writing on the subject, entitles his book Primitive Religion.3 The term comes from the Latin word primus, meaning first, then it comes to mean elemental, natural, or relating to a relatively simple people or culture, then self-taught, untutored. It is to be noted that two weaknesses emerge from the use of primitive as a description of African Traditional Religions. If the original root is taken, then the term presupposes an evolutionary theory of __________
1

Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 16. Ibid.

2 3

Paul Radin, Primitive Religion (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1957).

27 religion. It is thereby assumed that these traditional religions are the original form of religion. But later development of this dissertation will show that degeneration, rather than development or evolution, is the root cause of animism. Man began with his Creator, but through rebellion, has rapidly gone down the ladder. The second weakness is the assumption that these worshipers are irrational and simplistic. Mbiti argues the point, though one would not agree with him all the way, in these words: Of course the word primitive in its root primus has no bad connotations as such, but the way it is applied to African religions shows a lack of respect and betrays derogatory undertones. It is extraordinary that even in our day, fellow man should continue to be described as "savage" and lacking in emotion or imagination. This approach to the study of African religions will not go very far, neither can it qualify as being scientifically or theologically adequate. Some traditional religions are extremely complex and contain elements which shed a lot of light on the study of other religious traditions of the world.1 African Traditional Religions may seem irrational and lacking in emotion, but that is only to the observer, not to the participant. However, Mbiti is claiming too much credit for the religions in saying that they would "shed a lot of light on the study of other religions." This is part ____________
1

Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 8.

28 of the evidence for the presuppositions of Mbiti's universalism. His call for "respect" can be seen in that light too. The present author strongly pleads that biblical revelation alone can point out the way the Christian should go. At any rate primitive religion is not an accurate description of African Traditional Religions. If any religion is primitive, it is monotheism going back to the Garden of Eden. African Traditional Religions This is the most comprehensive title for the religions of Africa. The religions are distinctively African, though similarities abound elsewhere. The religions are traditional as opposed to the new religions in the continent such as Islam and Christianity. Tradition is "the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction.1 The definition very well fits the pattern of African Religions. J. Oliver Buswell, Jr., defines religion as that which "commonly means the set of beliefs, attitudes, and practices which indicate and express the feeling or conviction of a group of persons that they are bound fast to ____________
1

Webster's Dictionary, p. 938.

29 something which is supreme to them."1 Charles Hodge is right in classifying "pagan" worship as a religion. He describes, "Commonly the word religion, in its objective sense, means 'Modus Deum Colendi.' as when we speak of the Pagan, the Mohammedan or the Christian."2 But African Traditional Religions must be spoken of in plural because of the numerous types of religious practices among different tribes. "We speak of African traditional religions in the plural because there are about one thousand African peoples (tribes) and each has its own religious system."3 Other terms such as animism and idolatry may be used provided that the limitation of these terms is not forgotten. But African Traditional Religions gives the fullest meaning and is, therefore, the most appropriate term to use. Religious Concepts of Jaba Introduction Differences abound between one cultural group and another in Africa, though some scholars have argued that ___________

J. Oliver Buswell, Jr., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), I, 13. Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1946), I, 20.
3 2

Mbiti African Religions and Philosophy, p. 1.

30 "the resemblances are far more important than the differences."1 It is more realistic to make a closer study of one cultural group and note differences and similarities in other religions. "Hahm" people of Central Nigeria will be studied and similarities with other peoples noted. Vague generalizations will be avoided as much as possible. "Hahm" is the name by which the Jaba people of North Central State of Nigeria call themselves. Jaba is the name popularly known in Hausa. "Hausa is the second largest language next to Swahili of sub-Saharan Africa and is widely used as a second language beyond the bounds of its nativespeaking population." 2 Although the people call themselves Hahm, it is preferable to use the Hausa name Jaba, for that would be more popularly known. Three reasons why Jaba people are chosen for this study include personal experience and knowledge by the author; historical significance of the people; and a spiritual concern for them. In a personal interview with Professor Bolaji Idowu, the learned president of the Methodist Church of Nigeria _____________
1

Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 11

William E. Welmers, "African Languages," The American Peoples' Encyclopedia, 1964, I, 184.

31 spoke in this manner, "What is really demanded of the scholar is not this oracular attitude of this-cannot-be-so, this-is-how-it-should be, but what has been summed up in the words 'imaginative sympathy, appreciative understanding, and (where possible) experiential participation."1 It has been possible in the case of the present author to have an "experiential participation" of Jaba worship as a member of the tribe. (The author endorses the use of the term tribe in spite of the wrong association of the term with the less developed groups of people. Jesus Christ was from the tribe of Judah, and that is not bad. It is tribal hatred that is bad and not the structure.) The significance of the Jaba people lies not in size but in historical context. They number only about 60,000. Jaba people spread over an area of about 50 square miles in the North Central State of Nigeria. The largest town and head of the area is Kwoi, which is 90 miles west of Jos and 124 miles south of Kaduna. There are approximately 15,000 people at Kwoi. The famous archaeological findings of Nok culture were made in this area. Nok, which probably means "to start" in Jaba language, indicates the village where Nok terra-cotta ____________
1

E. Bolaji Idowu, private interview, Ibadan Univer-

sity, Nigeria, February 22, 1973.

32 were excavated in 1954. Nok people actually claim to be the original people of the Jaba tribe. The important influence of Nok culture over the whole Bantu world has been well evaluated: At about the time of Christ, Bantu-speaking peoples began a progressive diffusion, moving south and southwest from what is now eastern Nigeria into the Congo River Basin of central Africa. . . . The earliest known iron in the Bantu homeland of western Africa is associated with the Nok culture in northern Nigeria. The use of iron in the Nok culture dates to approximately 400 B.C., and the Bantu in all probability learned their ironmaking skills from the Nok people.1 Although no scientific study has been undertaken to prove or disprove the connection of present inhabitants of Nok area with the original inhabitants, it could be assumed that such a connection does exist. In the first place, the pottery found at Nok site bear striking similarities with Jaba pottery of today. Secondly, an investigation among the old men in Kwoi area as to the place of their origin has proven that they have no myths of migration from any faraway place. Their common saying whether in singing or direct narrative is that they come from Bitaro, which is only four miles away. For their religion, they claim that it comes from Njeng, which is twelve miles away. Until evidence ___________ Sylvanus J. S. Cookey, The Bantu Migration (Chicago: Field Enterprise Corporation, 1973), p. 103.
1

33 proves otherwise, it may be assumed that Jaba have lived at the archaelogical Nok area for at least two millennia. With that assumption lies the great significance of studying the religious concepts of the people of Jaba. The third, and most important reason for investigating Jaba religion is spiritual. The author, being a son of the soil, naturally is concerned for the spiritual welfare of his people. In the first place, Jaba culture as such should be maintained, traditional religious aspirations should be recognized. But the recognition of the religious aspirations must not be taken for the anti-scriptural view of accommodation. To say that Jaba have had some notions of the Supreme Being is not the same as saying that "God has spoken to the priests of African Traditional Religions as He did to the Jewish prophets." 1 The true gospel that has transformed the lives of some 30 per cent Jaba people must not be adulterated. Contextualization should be attempted, hence the need of understanding cultural and religious background of the people. But this must be placed in its right perspective. The unique nature of biblical Christianity must be maintained. What is desired for Jaba goes for the ___________ Dr. Ernest Balintuma Kalibala, private interview, Kampala, Uganda, January 21, 1973.
1

34 continent and the world. Universalism is a demonic tool and must be rejected. Jaba Concept of a Supreme Being Jaba do not have the "fully-developed polytheism" that Parrinder suggests is found in West Africa. But they do have the concept of a Supreme Being, a notion of future life, and other religious concepts. A concept of redemption and salvation is dimly conceived. The virtual nonexistence of written material would limit the sources for this section to interviews and personal observations. Where mission publications are relevant, they will be used. The observation of a Roman Catholic priest cited by Samuel Zwemer is an accurate description of the religious and cultural situation of West Africa. He sums up five elements found among all the tribes of West Africa: These five elements are: an organized family life, a name for a supreme unseen Power, sovereign and benevolent; a moral sense, namely of truth, justice, shame, and a knowledge that there is good and evil; the idea of soul in every African language and the universal belief that this soul does not die with the death of the body; and finally, communion with the unseen supreme Power by prayer and sacrificial rites.1 ____________ Samuel M. Zwemer, The Origin of Religion (3d ed. ; New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1945), p. 71.
1

35 The fact that Jaba believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and even know of some of his attributes can be deduced from their use of names, pithy sayings, myths and legends, taking of oaths, and approaches to their shrines. The name for a Being "greater than which" Jaba cannot conceive is "Nom." Perhaps this has some connection with one of the forms Parrinder suggests. "They call God 'Nyame,' and this name in one form or another (Nyam, Nyonmo. Nyama) is found widely distributed in West Africa."1 The term cannot be used for any other object, except the dubious use in reference to the sun. The sun is called Nom, though it also has another name Ndardah. But Nom can never be called Ndardah. Several inquiries to clarify this confusion did not yield a satisfactory answer. The present author spent some time with about a dozen older men together but the men could not all agree on the origin of the use of Nom for both the Supreme Being and the sun. The majority explained that originally Nom was the name of the Supreme Being, and Ndarda was used as "tetra-grammata." Paul Gaiya Doh explained, "In our tradition, a woman is not supposed to call her husband by his name. She would address him only as _____________
1

Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 33.

36 the man. in a similar manner, Nom is considered so great that people choose rather to address him by the term Ndarda and reserve Nom for special occasions."1 Other members of the group insisted that Jaba did actually think that the sun was Nom as well as Ndarda. But even this group admitted that at the back of their mind Jaba still thought of other Power above physical objects. To this power supreme attributes are predicated. Whatever the truth of the matter is, both Christians and non-Christians use the term Nom for the Supreme Being and Ndarda for the sun. Further evidence of a knowledge of the Supreme Being is found in pithy sayings, some of which indicate the attributes of this Supreme Being. Don Mbri, a priest in Jabas religion, stated, "Through all generations, our people have never doubted the existence of Nom. In fact, when a person acts antisocially, our people say Oh John Doe, you are not Nom! When our people bow down before the shrine, they never fail to mention Nom."2 Infant mortality has been very high in Jaba as ____________ Paul Gaiya Doh, private interview, Kwoi, Nigeria February 15, 1973.
2 1

Ibid.

37 elsewhere in tropical Africa. After a mother has lost many babies, the baby girl is named "Nomdut," literally, "Nom has snatched away." Many such names are found among Jaba people. Funeral dirges and festive hymns are full of expressions about Nom. There is a strong belief in God as the "Maker of heaven and earth." Children have been taught not to make fun of the fool, the lame, and the blind because the handicapped are "shan Nom," that is, "God's building." A beautiful baby girl is named "San--building, meaning that God built her that way. God's building has a tall thick wall at the end. If a boy is expected to be a powerful person, he is given the name "Gin-doh," meaning the final end of creation, after which is a great abyss. 1 Nom's abode is in the sky. He can see everywhere but he is not said to be everywhere. There is a legend that two men in white apparel come down at night while people are asleep. But they disappear before dawn. They go back to the sky where Nom dwells. Oath taking is a very significant and awesome event, as it has to do with life and death. ____________ Gin Maigari, private interview, Jos, Nigeria, February 15, 1973.
2 1

Ibid.

38 If a person is accused of stealing, immorality, participating in witchcraft, or in the case of women eating secretly the meat or wine dedicated to "dodo," the main idol of Jaba people, the person is brought before the religious heads. A fruit shell of about four inches in diameter is placed in the middle, with all the religious heads of the village seated on their assigned seats according to rank. The culprit walks around and then picks up the shell, a very sacred object, carefully wrapped. He points to the sky and looks up as he cautiously declares, "If I am guilty of this charge, Nom you slay me tonight." After the ordeal, the person is escorted home by some official. He is not supposed to look back or sideways, nor to talk to anyone on his way home. In the morning the religious official goes and sees if he survived. If nothing happened, a celebration of some kind is held. Words of congratulations begin to pour in. A baby born around this time is given a name such as Byang, meaning that it was a fraudulent accusation brought out of hatred. In saluting the accused, friends say, "Ai Nom ka bhulak,"-God does not sleep. In other words, He has seen you through the ordeal. Jaba do not have many myths. A lengthy inquiry regarding any myth of creation did not yield much reliable

39 information in this regard. One myth, however, has to do with the origin of death. There are various versions of the account, which is very similar to the universal story of the hare and the tortoise. One version of the myth is about the hare and the chameleon. Nom sent the hare to announce to mankind that there would be no death. Chameleon was to deliver the message. As the two set out on their journey, the swift hare naturally outran the chameleon. But then the hare stopped to rest and a heavy sleep came upon him. While he was sleeping, the chameleon reached the final destination first, and delivered Nom's message that man should die. When the hare finally arrived, it was too late. Thus death came upon all men. Because of this sad episode, the chameleon is looked upon with much disfavor among Jaba people. Children are taught not to touch the chameleon. This is because if he gets hold of a person, he does not release the person unless it thunders, or people play the drum. Furthermore, it is claimed that the chameleon's bite is always fatal. African Traditional Religions are not as systematic as many scholars make them appear to be. The case with Jaba illustrates this. The foregoing description is not the complete picture of Jaba's conception of God. Besides the confusion about his name, his attributes too are subject to

40 scrutiny. As to why the sun may be called Nom, a name which is supposed to refer to only the Supreme Being, the convincing answer remains yet to be found. Although an accused taking an oath looks up and calls the name Nom, his eyes are turned to where the sun is. In fact, an oath cannot be taken before sunrise or after sunset. When a Jaba man says "Nomifoh," he thinks both of a visible sun and some invisible force. While Nom does not sleep, yet at sunset it is said "Nom-buu," that is, God has fallen asleep as a drunkard is taken by seizure. This is more than phenomenal language as the practice cited above shows. Some scholars have tried to justify some of this confusion. Parrinder explains: An apparent identification of God with the sun has been thought to exist among peoples in the north of Gold Coast and Nigeria. However, although they use a word for the Supreme Being which means "the sun," they are not sunworshippers whatever their ancestors might have been.1 Admittedly, Jaba are not sun worshipers. However, the ambiguity of language and thought concerning the sun and God remains unresolved. This is an indication that to claim a clear and complete revelation of God clearly understood in traditional religions is not true to fact. In regards to God's attributes, although God is good, yet in an hour of _______________
1

Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 34.

41 sorrow he is accused of ignorance, lack of sympathy. At the death of a young person, the wailers scream and curse. "Nom ngu datharo,""God you don't consult." They charge him with all kinds of acts, demanding him to tell the world what the bereaved had done against God. It should be remembered, however, that God's prophets acted in a similar manner occasionally (Jer. 20:7). But this is not the only problem with Jaba belief. One dubious statement often heard is that the leaders of the community are God. They claim that the united voice of rebuke by the religious leaders is the voice of Nom. In an interview, a key figure outlined the following court procedure. Three key men at Kwoi by the clan names Panta, Samu, and Ndalak, would speak in that order. They would swear by their ancestors and conclude that what they said was the Word of Nom. "Nom wa Kwa gan shu nyi ye?" "Is there any other God besides this our gathering?"1 Even God's creation is challenged sometimes. Children usually gain the notion that Satan is the one who brought huge rocks into being. Man is believed to have created himself. For his birth, a person sits in the hollow of a tree and then chooses the womb he should go into without any help ___________ Paul Gaiya Doh, private interview, Kwoi, Nigeria, February 13, 1973.
1

42 from Nom. While it is true that God takes away lives, witches, too, have that liberty. In fact, the immediate cause of sickness, barrenness, and death are the activities of witches. Jaba do not have anything close to the Yoruba pantheon whom Idowu says, "Yoruba oral tradition puts variously at 201, 401, 600 or 1,700 divinities."1 But the chief object of their worship is not Nom, the Supreme Being. Apart from verbal references, nothing in practice is done in connection with Nom. They do not worship Nom though they have him constantly in their language. Parrinder observes: The Ashanti are unique in West Africa not in honouring a Supreme Being, but in having temples, priest, and altars to Him. In fact, over the whole of tropical Africa the only other people who seem to give similar attention to God, are the Kikuyu of Kenya.2 Parrinder further explains: From the above sketch we have seen that there is a generally recognized head of gods and men, among the peoples of West Africa. He is the Supreme God, though differing attitudes are taken up towards his worship, and he is thought to be more remote from human affairs and needs than the gods which are his sons.3 _____________ E. Bolaji Idowu, "African Traditional Religion: A Definition" (unpublished manuscript, Ibadan University, Nigeria, 1973), p. 7. Geoffrey Parrinder, West African Religion (2d ed.; London: Epworth Press, 1961), p. 15.
3 2 1

Ibid., p. 23.

43 Jaba's basic form of worship is humanistic. The whole thing revolves around man and the material benefits from the worship. The main idol of worship is called "boku" in Jaba language and "dodo" in Hausa. Two major articles used are the dry shell of a kind of fruit the size of a small apple and a long horn of about three and one-half feet long and eighteen inches in diameter. The two instruments of worship are blown within the seclusion of the groves. A man behind the little dry shell speaks in a faraway tone, and another man interprets for the benefit of women and the uninitiated young male. The voice is supposed to be that of a deceased ancestor. He rebukes the disobedient child, coerces the woman into complete submission, and orders plenty of locally brewed wine and demands cooked meat and beans. Only the men know that it is another man speaking. At the age of puberty a week-long ceremony marks the initiation of boys into the state of manhood. They, too, become cognizant to the secret of "dodo" worship. But they are not supposed to reveal the secret to women at the pains of death. The chief of Kagoro, M. Gwamna Awon, has made an accurate summation of "dodo" worship which is practiced throughout Central Nigeria, though in slightly varied forms. "It seems to me 'dodo' worship has only two goals in mind

44 1.) To keep women in subjection and 2.) To keep children under discipline.1 The ultimate goal is neither the glory of the Supreme Being, or even of a lesser god, but that women and children may minister to man's need. The account given so far is enough to show that Jaba's mind has not been tabula rasa, a clean slate in the matter of religion. J. N. D. Anderson has rightly observed: In primitive religion there is always, I think, a recognition of a High or Creator God, as we shall see in our next chapter; but man is much more intimately concerned with a multitude of far more immanent spirits--good and bad, beneficent and malignant.2 A concept of a Supreme Being, indeed there is, but the worship of that Supreme Being is conspicuously absent. Some scholars have tried to identify this idolatrous practice with the germane conception of a Supreme Being. Laroche claims, "Today it is generally agreed that one can hardly find a tribe which has no cult of the Supreme Being, which is explicit and practised with greater or lesser frequency according to the tribe."3 To call Jaba or any similar __________ M. Gwamna Awon, private interview, Kagoro, Nigeria, February 16, 1973. J. N. D. Anderson, Christianity and Comparative Religion (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970), p. 62. ^3G. Baeta, ed., Christianity in Tropical Africa (London: Oxford University Press, 1968), p. 290.
2 1

45 worship a cult of the Supreme Being is to give credit where credit is not due. it is true that the religious leaders of these idol practices would glibly say, "God gave us dodo worship."1 They may even chant the name of God, but a deeper prodding would draw out a response to the contrary. A careful observation of the practice, and if possible, participation, leads to the conclusion that God is not worshiped. Instances can be cited elsewhere of the confused situation where "They feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile" (2 Kings 17:33). The Achali people of northern Uganda have not given a clear view of "Jok." King relates, "For the Acholi the key word is jok but it does not mean God in anything like the Christian or Muslim sense. Rather jok is said to be a generic word describing certain phenomena in the meeting of the divine and the human."2 But jok is the final court of appeal only when all else has failed. Even some tribes with a strong belief in the Supreme Being, such as the Yoruba people of Nigeria, do not have a __________
1

Sarkin Tsafi, private interview, Zabolo, Nigeria,

February 15, 1973. 2 Noel Q. King, Religions of Africa (New York: Harper and Row, 1970), p. 29.

46 clear concept of that Supreme Being nor do they worship Him. Fear and superstition dominate their whole approach to the so-called "cult of the Supreme Being." James Bolarin, himself a Yoruba man, described an experience he once had at a shrine of Yoruba worship. Bolarin and Harold Fuller tried to get the religious worshiper to smile, but the man would not smile. Fear and sorrow were written all over his face. When he was queried later, he replied, "Why should I smile, I have no confidence or joy in what I am doing. I am only fulfilling the tradition of the fathers."1 Another Yoruba man who had been deeply involved in idolatry joyfully declared, "We have left darkness and have come into light. We do not want to go back to it."2 One more example to show that "for even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom. 1:21). Edwin Smith observes Kono people of Sierra Leone, "One has the impression, therefore, that God plays only a minor part in the everyday life of the Kono."3 ____________ James Bolarin, private interview, Lagos, Nigeria, February 23, 1973. 2 Abraham Dairo, private interview, Igbaja, Nigeria, February 19, 1973. 3 Edwin W. Smith, African Ideas of God (2d ed.; London: Edinburgh House Press, 1950), p. 270.
1

47 Jaba concepts of the spirit world The basic belief of Jaba people appears to be dichotomic in nature. There is the material part and the immaterial. The material part is "linam" and the immaterial is "hyong" or "kyu." "Hyong" could mean life principle in man, or the nervous system. When a person is frightened it is said that he feels "hyong," probably the idea that he is nervous caused by some immaterial force. "Kyu" which is used for the life principle at conception, is also the same term for the fleshly heart. It is used sometimes proverbially to refer to a boy accused of being a witch. But the term for witchcraft is actually "byu." The term "hyong" is quite a complex one, full of meanings. It is used in reference to the spirit primarily out to harm people. The idea of good spirits is probably a result of Christian influence. Jaba believe that the whole world is full of spirits. The only good spirit is that which comes back to be born again. So the life of a Jaba person is dominated by fear. In fact, the same word "hyong" (spirit) is used for fear. The graveyard is believed to be filled with the spirits of the dead roaming about. Since Jaba people bury their dead inside their compound or the back yard, places of fear are numerous. Certain trees, such as silk

48 cotton, baobab, and sycamore are believed to have spirits dwelling in them. At the beginning of harvest, the firstfruits are placed at the tomb, or the tree first, before human consumption. Failure to do this is feared to bring some epidemic such as diarrhea or measles. The spirits bring not only harm to the community. They possess certain ladies in the society and enable them to predict good things to come. When a lady is possessed, she speaks in tongues, prophesies, and performs miracles. Gwamna Awon told this writer that a possessed woman predicted several years earlier that some white people would come to Kagoro and tell them about Gwaza, the Supreme Being. This prediction was of course fulfilled. Kagoro today is about 60 per cent "Christian" because of active missionary effort. The same lady consoled the bereaved mother of the chief of Kagoro with this prophecy, "Do not weep. You will bring forth another son who will be a chief."1 Awon has been a chief for 26 years and has been one of the best chiefs in the Northern States of Nigeria. Some of the miracles of women possessed include casting fire on their bodies without being burned, jumping over ____________ M. Gwamna Awon, private interview, Kagoro, Nigeria, February 14, 1973.
1

49 high walls, falling down from roofs about 15 feet high. When they are in a state of seizure, they drink filthy water from ponds, eat human waste, and possess such power that it takes five strong men to hold a woman down. The author has personally witnessed some of these incidents. Exorcism is part of Jaba belief and practice, certain medicine men specialize in this ministry. The instruments used include a drum, a calabash, and a locally made guitar. A date is set for exorcising or, at least, calming down the spirits bothering the possessed. It has to be at night. Much food is prepared. The chief exorcist sings, calling the names of the spirits in the person and the orchestra loudly accompanies the sing. The high volume of music attracts, not only the current possessor into dancing. but neighboring women also participate. They all dance for two hours or more. The possessed later falls down as if dead, apparently from exhaustion. She lies for a while, then gets up, renewed in strength. From that time on the spirits either leave her or remain in her, but without troubling her. If she feels troubled again, another service of exorcism is held. The spirits are always associated with "Kuno," Satan. Jaba have never doubted the existence or activities of Satan.

50 He is a real person to them. Iron smelting is an old trade in Jaba land. Evidences of hearths built generations ago can be seen all over the area. Legends are told of the hearths being old mansions of Satan. Before the advent of missions, it was a taboo to dig up any of the furnace hearths. People firmly believed that if a person dug out the hearth, he would become mad. When the Sudan Interior Mission built near one of the forbidden sites, and later had the occasion to dig up "Satan's house," the local people at Kwoi expected them to become mad. As this did not happen, the backbone of the superstition was broken. Very few people still believe in this "Satan's house." But the belief in Satan as a person persists. Jaba belief in the supernatural forces is commendable. It should be cultivated. This is an indication that the Supernatural has not totally abandoned man. The "clues" Arthur Glasser talks about are there and should be exploited. Glasser writes: Every society has some sort of religion, since every society is made up of human beings, created in the image and likeness of God. . . . Ultimately they seek relationship with whatever is regarded as Ultimate, the superhuman power which man believes in and depends on for meaning and security.1 __________ Clark H. Pinnock and David F. Wells, eds., Toward a Theology for the Future (Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation House, 1971), p. 297.
1

51 Glasser adds, "We conclude then, by calling for a serious search for those relevant clues."1 Clues, weak clues at that, are the supernatural vestiges in the unbeliever; only the faint steps that man is more than flesh and blood. Faint steps that the Supernatural has been here, and that at one time men "heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8a). This call for recognition of "clues" must be distinguished from the call for "an integral Christianity." J. B. Schuyler's view is universalistic and unacceptable to the Bible-believing Christian. He has unfairly criticized the missionary: By destroying a religioncultural integrity, without persuading Africans to accept an integral Christianity in its place, the missionaries introduced anomie on a wide scale into the lives of persons, families, and societies. Unwilling to work patiently and sympathetically for the peaceful evolution of African from pagan to Christian beliefs and ways, it stirred up antagonisms within and among families, villages, and tribes.2 For anyone who has been involved in "pagan" religion, the suggestion "integral Christianity" or "evolution of African from pagan to Christian beliefs" is not much different from telling an ex-cancer patient that it was a mistake to ___________
1

Ibid., p. 316. Baeta, ed., Christianity in Tropical Africa, p. 219.

52 heal him completely. The dominating fears and superstitions concerning the spirit world are so dreadful that an instantaneous and complete cure is what Jaba people crave. In the course of this research, a false report leaked out that the author was advocating a return to the traditional religions. The old men in the Church who have had the experience of both worlds became worried. This writer had to clarify the issue in the church on Sunday. They were all happy to know that the writer stands for a recognition of the craving after the Supreme Being, a search for reality in life, but at the same time a flight from God the Creator and Redeemer. The beliefs of African Traditional Religions only locate the problem; the practices point away from the solution; the Incarnate risen Christ alone has the answer. Jaba concept of life after death R. Laroche has given an accurate summary of religious beliefs generally true throughout Africa. He says: In these souls it has preserved a belief in the Supreme Being, Creator, and Lord of the Universe, and a feeling of dependence upon Him, together with a realization of the limits of human nature. Equally there can be found a distinction between the visible and the invisible world; the belief in the existence of the human soul, as distinct from the body and surviving it after death; a belief in a world beyond which there live the spirits and "disincarnate souls."1 _________
1

Ibid. , p. 297.

53 Parrinder cites evidences of a belief in life after death in African religions: These human sacrifices were found in many parts of Africa. Indeed they have been known in most parts of the worldancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and many other places. At root, the strong belief in a life after death, in which men would retain the position, and glory they had on earth, led logically to the notion that these chiefs would require a similar retinue in the afterlife as they had enjoyed in this mortal existence. . . . Other types of people set aside to swell the kings train were criminals who had been condemned to death for some capital offence, but whose execution had been deferred until needed for the king's burial. Thus in death they would gain added glory.1 These enlightening quotations on African belief in future life after death raise some serious doubts regarding Mbiti's position. John Mbiti's position will be discussed fully in the next chapter, but the following quotation shows his denial of any thought of a future for the Africans. He says: Consequently, since man's orientation is towards the "past" dimension of Time, the Akamba have no conception that this universe will ever change radically or come to an end, and the same seems to be the case with other African peoples. . . . People cannot articulate what is in the distant future; they cannot speak about it and cannot, therefore, form myths about it.2 Parrinder's view that a belief in the future life is ____________
1

Parrinder. Witchcraft, European and African, p. 151.

2

John Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology in an African Background (Oxford: University Press, 1971), p. 25.

54 universal, can be substantiated with the belief of Jaba people as well as many other tribes in West Africa. Traditionally, Jaba believe that death is not the end of life. Life is too important to exist just for here and now. The account about life may sound as if there is only a cycle of birth-death-birth as reincarnation would suggest. But there is a "city of the death," to be discussed later. Reincarnation is a firm belief for Jaba. When a person dies, his "kyu" which is the immaterial part of man goes to stay in the hollow of a tree temporarily. After the proper rituals have been performed for three to six months, the person then selects the womb to which he will go for rebirth. The movement of an ordinary person is quiet and uneventful. But for an important person such as a chief, the moment of transfer from the tree to a womb is marked with a big flash over the sky at night. That is why when the meteorite flashes, the whole village resorts to drumming and whistling; the drumming and singing is done to attract the "V.I.P." into some womb in the town. But besides the idea of reincarnation of the soul, there is a strong belief that the dead go to a faraway land called "Kasongbe." "Kasongbe" has now been discovered to be an insignificant village 20 miles away from Kwoi.

55 Traditionally, it was believed that the dead at "Kasongbe," the city of the dead, live very much the same way they did before. They lived in actual bodies. Those who died honorably would enjoy the community of the members of that glorious city. Others who died of such a dreadful disease as smallpox, which attacks only witches, are lonely and sad. The community of the dead would not welcome them. They have to beg for bread. Peoples' methods of burial very much reflect their belief in life after death. Jaba are not known to bury the dead with valuables such as the Ibo people and the Yoruba people do. But they have other practices which show their belief in afterlife. A neighboring tribe of Jaba, Koro, have four strong men go into the ten-foot-deep grave carrying the dead body. As they go down. they chant the words, "Ushe Je mu Ngu Ushe Je mu Ngu." This literally means: "May God lead you safely May God lead you safely." Others looking on from the outside respond, "Go ahead we are

56 coming."1 Everyone is sure that the dead is going to the country of the dead somewhere. He will come back to be born again, but, on the other hand, he will be in the land of the dead. Kagoma people, another clan of Jaba, go to the tomb the next day following the burial to see if there is a hole on the grave. If they see a hole on the grave, everybody returns home rejoicing because the deceased has been accepted in the land of the dead. He has now risen from the tomb to join the ancestors. If he was rejected as would be indicated by the tomb intact, he would remain in the tomb and turn to an evil spirit haunting the living. Although Jaba are not rich in myths, they have one on future life. It is a common saying by mothers to their naughty children that "If you die your tomb will burn with fire." There is a belief in future reward and future punishment, depending on how one behaves in this life. According to the myth of afterlife, there will be a long cable reaching out to "fogbem," heaven, or sky. Those who live a good life here will follow the rope to heaven where they will dance and dance. The wicked ones will remain in their ___________ Bahago Kushe and older men, private interview, Katugal. Nigeria, February 16, 1973.
1

57 tomb. What constitutes sin will be discussed later. A belief in life after death is full of contradictions and confusions. But nevertheless, it is there. The fact that there is a glimpse of hope for a future life is a further indication that life is more than flesh and blood. Death does not quench life as water cannot quench love. Just as the concept of God is so confusing, so is the idea of future life. Parrinder rightly observes: The African thinks of this world as light, warm and living, to which the dead are only too glad to return from the underworld of darkness and cold. This is the best of all possible worlds, the African's attitude is worldaffirming not world-renouncing.1 This attitude of clinging tenaciously to this life accounts for the prolonged wailing at a Jaba funeral, particularly of a young person. When a person dies, there is loud wailing from two to seven days. All the relatives and friends of the deceased gather in the home of the deceased. Each time another relative arrives from a neighboring village, his arrival is marked by a harmonious wailing. Funeral dirges are sung, the important achievements of the deceased are narrated. Tears streaming down the cheeks show one's love for the deceased. The ladies try to outdo each other in displaying their sorrow over the tragedy of death. There is no sign ___________
1

Parrinder, African Traditional Religions, p. 138.

58 of hope for the dead, judging by people's reaction to it. But, on the other hand, old men look forward to joining their ancestors in the land beyond. The writer's grandfather selected his own tombstone ten years before he died. He often talked of being tired of this life and was anxious to get to the "land that is fairer than snow." In the midst of mourning, the bereaved is often pleaded not to disturb the departed loved one who is supposed to be resting peacefully. Each time a widow sheds tears for her deceased husband makes the husband unhappy. He feels ashamed in the presence of others in the community of the dead. The contradiction noted in the belief and practice concerning the Supreme Being and the spirit world is also evident here. Jaba believe in a future life, but they need the message of Him who says "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11: 25). The clear message of hope is their soul's yearning. Jaba concept of salvation To be saved in the Judo-Christian sense presupposes the lost condition from which salvation or deliverance is needed. What one is saved from determines the nature of the salvation. Therefore, Jaba view of sin must be considered first.

59 A Jaba compatriot describes sin in terms of big sins and minor sins with their respective degrees of punishment. Yakubu Yako outlines big sins according to Jaba belief as the following: (1) violation of tribal taboos such as revealing the secret of what goes on in the shrine to women or the uninitiate; (2) adultery with a neighbor's wife or the wife of a relative; (3) stealing; and (4) witchcraft. The small sins include trespassing a neighbor's property or failing to take care of his stocks when such a need exists, child abuse, and bitterness.1 The punishment for the big sin varies from the drinking of human waste matter to capital punishment. The incident of adultery demands that the guilty drink wine mixed with human waste from the adulterous woman. A fine is also imposed on the offender. Disregard of tribal taboos and witchcraft warrant a severe discipline such as the payment of a fine with several goats and much wine. A persistent offender is labeled "Gbacu," which means the rebel. The obstinate at this stage deserves trial through death. This could come in two ways. He may be given poison to prove his innocence or lack of it. _______________ Yabubu Yako, private interview, Jos, Nigeria, February 15, 1973.
1

60 Death of course confirms his criminal offense. In a few cases some loved ones have secretly neutralized the poison by giving the victim a lot of water which cleanses out the poison. His recovery is a sign of innocence. Another way of proving a person's guilt is by forcing him to contract smallpox. This is done particularly in the case of witchcraft. The accused is made to eat food mixed with some pus obtained from a smallpox patient. When he gets to the worst stage of the disease, the culprit is then asked to confess all his "sins" of witchcraft. He is threatened to confess or be left to die of hunger and thirst. With the mind so weakened, the body tortured, and with pressure from the older men of the village, the "witch" makes all kinds of fantastic confessions in order to live. A humorous thing happened only about 15 years ago. A retarded youth had smallpox and was forced to confess his crimes of devouring human souls. He enumerated only those who were still living, including his caretakers. He was supposed to name the dead he was responsible in devouring. A humanistic approach to religion becomes evident. Sin boils down to only social ills. It is true that Jaba sometime say, "Nohm ha simgh sha thung,"--"God does not like wicked acts." But that seems to coincide with the statement

61 that the community is God. It is comparable to the view of sin as conceived by the prophets of Israel. Justice to one's neighbor is what God requires from His people (Amos 5:24). But sin against the society is only a manifestation of the iceberg of rebellion against God. The challenge, therefore, goes forth to Israel, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Mic. 6:8). David declares, "Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified when thou dost speak, and blameless when thou dost judge" (Ps. 51:4). Jaba wrong conception of sin results in a wrong view of salvation. If an anti-social act is all there is to sin, salvation from sin would be in the same terms. The salvation debate today, which will be discussed in a later chapter, is a classical illustration of this. If sin is only societal, the social gospel has to be the right solution. This is what liberal ecumenists hold. To be saved in Jaba language is to be accepted. To be accepted is first of all in the community of the living, and then in the city of the dead. The way for the offender to be accepted by his fellow citizens is to pay the fine or take the punishment prescribed

62 for him. it may come in the form of exclusion from the tribal gathering or a payment of so many goats and so much wine. Blood sacrifice is used at different occasions. It is usually for deliverance from the power of the evil spirits. If a woman is troubled by evil spirits, she is told the type of the rooster to offer for sacrifice, whether red or white. When the rooster is ceremonially killed, the blood is applied on each side and on top of the door post. The feather is dipped in the blood and thus applied. The patient is then expected to be cured. Besides this, no other thought of the meritorious use of the blood is known. For acceptance among the dead ancestors, the relatives of the deceased throw a big feast three months after the person has died. Every year some food is placed on his tomb to assure the dead that he is remembered in this life. This act keeps the deceased happy and accepted in the other side of life. These pessimistic and ceaseless ordeals make a Jaba person, such as the author, appreciate the assurance of rest and finality found in the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world (Matt. 11:28; Heb. 9:26; John 1:29). The absence of a true concept of salvation in Jaba, and in

63 fact in all other religions, is a human commentary of Peter's words, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). A vague concept of the future, with salvation limited to acceptability, is what Jaba soteriology ends up with. The Christian message of total deliverance from the original and practical sins of the individual is what African people and the whole world need. A presupposition of salvation where it was not is indeed no gospel. It is the teaching of human philosophy against which the Word of God has warned the believers (Col. 2:8). Jaba concept of revelation Gin Maigari's response to a question whether God has spoken directly with the religious leaders is typical of Jaba belief. He said, "I know that my people have some knowledge of Nom. But as to where they got it, I do not know. I don't think Nom spoke to our leaders face to face as he is so remote."1 He does not believe that there was a direct revelation as such. Some old men would glibly say "God gave us our way of worship." But when pursued further, _____________ Gin Maigari, private interview, Jos, Nigeria. February 15, 1973.
1

64 they prove that it is their own idea rather than a belief of Jaba religion. Apart from the general revelation and the fact of the vestiges of Imago Dei, direct revelation of God to leaders of other religions is highly improbable. Some great theologians do advocate the possibility of God's revelation to certain individuals outside the Old and New Testaments. George Peters has pondered; The Principle of Revelation: They are partly the result of personal divine revelation (apart from inspiration) given to honestly seeking and inquiring souls of men of divine destiny. (The question is--Are these "extra" revelations, or are they the result of mental insights because of an intensification of mental insights by self-discipline or the operation of the Holy Spirit, and thus they are a beholding of "natural or general revelation"?) Illustrations of such experiences--Melchizedek, Job, Hagar, Rahab, Balak, Pharaoh and his dreams, Nebuchadnezzar and his visions, Belshazzar and the handwriting on the wall, Cyrus and the command to build the temple, the Wise men of the East, Cornelius. Could "seers and saints" of the East have shared in similar experiences?1 Although one cannot question the omnipotence of God nor His graciousness in revealing Himself to whosoever He wills, extra-biblical revelations seem most unlikely. The samples of the individuals outside the covenant people of God in the Old Testament, and apart from Judo-Christian influence in the ____________ George Peters, Class notes in Modern Theology of Missions (651), fall semester, 1972, Dallas Theological Seminary.
1

65 New Testament are a weak support for such a view. Although it cannot be supported with evidence that Nebuchadnezzar, the wise men, and others had a previous contact with God's people, neither can it be proven that they did not. The long standing experience of Yahweh worship from Abraham to Moses in the Fertile Crescent, in fact, supports the assumption that these personalities had contacts with some of the covenant people of God. It is therefore a weak argument, especially being based on silence, to use these cases to purport extra-biblical revelation. A further weakness in using these biblical examples is the fact that they are from the Bible. The omniscient God could have used these special cases because He knew that their account would be included in the written record of His revelation. To use this as a launching pad to credit heathen "peers and prophets" with the possibility of God speaking to them does not seem justifiable. Even if a concession is granted to this view, the New Testament clearly indicates that the canon has been closed. The writer to the Hebrew Christians says; When in former times God spoke to our fathers, he spoke in fragmentary and varied fashion through the prophets. But in this final age, he has spoken to us in the Son whom he has made heir to the whole universe, and through whom he created all orders of existence (Heb. 1:1). There is no precedence of a writer of a book of the Bible

66 calling heathen ancestors "our father." But if by the stretch of imagination "our fore-fathers" here is taken to include leaders of other faiths, this is limited to the preChristian era. With the coming of Christ, all other revelations come to an end. It is conclusive that neither Jaba nor any other non-Christian peoples have received a direct revelation from God. Any glimpse of the Supreme Being can be traced back to the vestiges of Imago Dei imprinted in the original creation. Conclusion Two attempts have been made in this chapter. Positively, an attempt has been made to point out the fact that Jaba can and do conceive of a Supreme Being and the spirit world, though imperfectly, In the negative aspect, there is neither redemption nor evidence of direct divine revelation to individuals in Jaba religion. Regarding the paradoxical yes-and-no principle in Jaba and other non-Christian religions, Peters has given an excellent summary of it. He says: It (the Biblical Approach) accepts the absolute predicament of man in a realistic manner, acknowledging on the one hand mans rebellion against God, his enmity with God and his flight from God, hiding himself under the fig leaves of man-constructed and designed religion and culture,--man's barricade against all that threatens him

67 including God, ever seeking to perfect this covering and to control the power above and beyond him to the furtherance of his selfish ends. On the other hand this approach takes account of the fact that man lives as a creature with an awareness that he is away from home, separated from true reality and life, with a "feeling of dependence upon the ultimate," with a guilt complex and a consciousness of deserved judgment. Thus he seeks, gropes, longs to be restored to his rightful creature relationship and household membership, makes attempts to appease God, the gods, spirits, or powers to reconcile himself to or submit and control that which threatens him.1 This rather lengthy quotation, but an appropriate one, sums up the true value of African Traditional Religions. It also clarifies their limitations. To presuppose the possibility of salvation through them is impossible. Compatibilities as such with Christianity cannot be possible. Clues which only highlight human dilemma, his craving for the Ultimate Reality, and yet constant flight from Him through the worship of idols, is all that can be found. But subsequent studies will show how many theologians today are trying hard to elevate these non-Christian religions to the same status as biblical Christianity. The proposed "African Theology" as defined by these apostles of universalism seeks to do just that. To that the writer now turns. ____________
1

Ibid.

CHAPTER III AFRICAN THEOLOGY AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM African Theology Described "Western church politics, the pre-occupations of Christian strategists at international conferences and theological debates, have little relevance in the compressed misery of tens of millions in Asia and Africa."1 This is a classical example of the type of theological indifference one finds among many conservative evangelical missionaries. While the darks are bemoaning the irrelevancy of theological debates in the third world, liberal theological systems are taking shape. The present generation of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, areas described as the Third World, will be known in history as a generation of theological formulations. There is today a talk of Asian Theology, Latin American Theology, or Theology of Liberation, Black Theology, Ethiopic Theology, Theology of Decolonization, _________ Dennis E. Clark. The Third World and Mission (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1971), p. 26.
1

69 and African Theology. Thus theology is so polarized according to geographical and ideological descriptions. It is to be noted in the outset that not all people in a given geographical area would accept the so-called theology of a given region. The current discussion is part of the effort to dissociate the author from the so-called African Theology as defined by many contemporary theologians. A clear understanding of contemporary use of the term is imperative. What African Theology is not Black Theology.The proposed African Theology is to be distinguished from Black Theology which is found in the United States and Southern Africa. Although Black Theology claims some affinity with Africa, "it should be clear, however, that all African theologians do not share to the same degree the concerns of the black liberationists; and some such as John Mbiti, are openly critical of their stress on 'blackness.1 One man who has given the clearest statement of the meaning of Black Theology is Albert B. Cleage, Jr. He explains: _____________ Malcolm J. McVeigh, "Sources for an African Christian Theology," Presence (Nairobi, Kenya: Afropress, Ltd., 1972), V, 3.
1

70 We know that Israel was a black nation and that descendents of the original black Jews are in Israel, Africa, and the Mediterranean area today. The Bible was written by black Jews. The Old Testament is the history of black Jews. The first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tell the story of Jesus, retaining some of the original material which establishes the simple fact that Jesus built upon the Old Testament. Jesus was a black Messiah. He came to free a black people from the oppression of the white Gentiles. We know this now to be a fact. Our religion, our preaching, our teachings all come from the Old Testament, for we are God's Chosen people.1 Major J. Jones distinguishes Black Theology from the traditional theology. He shows how humanistic it is. He affirms: Black theology differs from traditional theology by the simple reason that it may not be as concerned to describe such traditional themes as the eternal nature of God's existence as it is to explore the impermanent, paradoxical, and problematic nature of human existence. Much of the task of black theology is to reclaim a people from humiliation, and in the process of so doing it may well neglect such unrelated subjects as humility before man and guilt before God.2 African Theology does seek to vindicate the dignity of the oppressed black man. It places much emphasis on the Old Testament. But African Theology does not claim a black Messiah, nor does it lay claims on monopoly due to the race ___________ Albert B. Cleage, Jr., The Black Messiah (New York: Sheed and Word, 1969), p. 111. Major J. Jones, Black Awareness (New York: Abingdon Press, 1971), p. 13.
2 1

71 or skin color. The universal salvation of Africans lies elsewhere according to African Theology. Unique religious consciousness is what gives the African that significant place among God's creation. Black Theology originated in the United States, but is today very strong in Southern Africa. The advocates of Black Theology have claimed the influence of their system in a wider area of Africa, Cleage reports: The only black leader in this country who organized the African Orthodox Church with a black hierarchy, including a Black God, a Black Jesus, a Black Madonna, and a black angel . . . In Africa however, Garvey's religious ideas played a key role in founding the African Independent Churches which in many countries acted as the center of the liberation movement. As Roosevelt University professor and writer, St. Clair Drake, has pointed out, the Kenya Africans invited one of Garvey's bishops to train and ordain their preachers and to help form the African independent schools and churches out of which the Mau Mau eventually grew.1 McVeigh has an accurate evaluation of Black Theology: The primary concern of Black Theology is liberation, and one sees considerable attention devoted to defining the implications of Jesus' Gospel for the downtrodden in the face of entrenched political, social and economic injustice. 2 The emphasis on African personality, authentic existence, and humane concern almost to the neglect of spiritual __________
1

Cleage, The Black Messiah, p. 8. Mcveigh, "Sources for an African Christian Theology,

p. 2.

72 needs of man is one aspect of similarity between Black Theology and African Theology. The two systems also give little or no significance to the biblical fact of individual salvation. A universalistic view of redemption lies behind the two systems. But it must be underlined again that Black Theology is not African Theology. Ethiopic Theology.One other type of theology which has to do with Africa is Ethiopianist Theology. This is not yet a popular system, but the ideology behind the view is prominent particularly in the political arena. Dr. E. Bolaji Idowu was expressing the view of many Africans when he said: Indeed, African nationalism is already calling into being a political God of Africa in contradistinction to the God of the Europeans whom a prominent politician once described as a God of oppression, a God of greed and injustice. 1 Ethiopianist Theology is based on Psalm 68:31 which says, "Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God." Dibinga Wa Said has summarized the system in this manner; The slogan of Ethiopianism was and still is, Africa for the Africans. This theology stands for (1) radical recapture of the lost land; (2) radical withdrawal of whitianity from all African institutions (including white God, white Jesus); (3) joint action of local __________ Kwesi Dickson and Paul Ellingworth, eds., Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs (New York: Orbis Books, 1969), p. 13.
1

73 African anti-colonial movements of liberation (i.e. Mau Mau); (4) unconditional recognition and radical affirmation of Blackness through Black Sainthood (i.e. Kimpa Vita in the Congo, around 1450); Black Messiahhood (i.e. Chilembwe, Kimbangu, Shembe, etc.); through Black Prophethood (i.e. Alice Lenclina); (5) pursuit of a true biblical religion which will save man from material and spiritual bondages: Generally, the idea was and still is that the Black Messiah is at the gate of heaven; and that he is the holder of the keys. Only Black can enter. But under special circumstances, a few human whites may also enter depending on the number of seats left in the Kingdom of God, or the New Jerusalem.1 While African Theology seeks to uphold the dignity of African personality, it does not buy the racialist absolutism of Ethiopianist Theology. Theology of Decolonization.--The last form of a sort of defensive theological system from which African Theology should be dissociated is Theology of Decolonization. African Theology has a tendency of branding even biblical concepts as colonialist or neo-colonialist in a way similar to that of Theology of Decolonization. Groups that hold on to biblical principles of separation are termed separatists and neo-colonialists. One can read between the lines what ecumenistic spokesmen of African Theology are saying. John Mbiti observes, "The real danger to the ecumenical movement ____________ Dibinga Wa Said, "An African Theology of Decolonization, " Harvard Theological Review, LXIV (October, 1971) , 501-24.
1

74 in Africa is not the ignorance of what it is all about, nor is it the opposition waged by a few sects."1 The call is for everybody to join the bandwagon of activist type of Christianity which places politico-economic-sociological liberation in par or above spiritual freedom. In this aspect, Theology of Decolonization and African Theology agree, but the two are not the same. Theology of Decolonization is a synthesis of Ethiopianist Theology in Africa and Black Theology in the United States. Along the same line is Theology of Liberation in Latin America. That the two have the potentiality of linkup through the magnetic pool of the "Salvation Today" principle under the umbrella of the World Council of Churches is only a matter of time. This will be discussed further in chapter v. It is sufficient here to describe what Theology of Decolonization stands for. Wa Said has described it in this manner: Black Theology in the United States and the Ethiopianist Theology of African Independent Churches represent a Theology of Decolonization. It is defined as a scientific enterprise of which the main purpose is the liberation of the Wretched of the Third World from spiritual-socio-politico-economic colonialism, imperialism, and neo-colonialism. As a radical call for a __________ John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1969), p. 267.
1

75 new creation, this Theology of Decolonization addresses itself primarily to the situation of the oppressed, and provides some means for their liberation from the white man's exploitation of man by the inhuman. Moreover, Theology of Decolonization seeks for a God and a Jesus who can respond to the cry of the oppressed, a God and a Jesus who are here and now, dealing with the situation of the oppressed and liberating them from spiritual imperialism, psychological terrorism, intellectual atrocities, and academic genocide which the white establishment has inflicted upon the oppressed for more than 529 years. 1 Observable similarities.--While African Theology is distinct from the foregoing systems of theology, it has some striking similarities to them. One major similarity is the assertion of Negritude or African personality. The advocates are straining every nerve to "purify" Christianity from its western association. Idowu complains that "the church in Africa came into being with prefabricated theology, liturgies, and traditions."2 The scriptural emphasis on individual salvation is repugnant to the proponents of Black as well as African Theology. Cleage asserts: In the Old Testament and in the Synoptic Gospels, God is concerned with a people, not with individuals. Yet, the slave Christianity that we were taught told us that God is concerned with each individual. . . . The group __________

Wa Said, "African Theology," p. 518. C. G. Baeta. ed., Christianity in Tropical Africa (London: Oxford University Press, 1968), p. 426.
2

76 concept is historic Christianity. Individualism is slave Christianity.1 Mbiti places a similar emphasis in interpreting the belief of Africans: Counting people and livestock is forbidden in many African societies partly for fear that misfortune would befall those who are numbered, and partly, perhaps, because people are not individuals but corporate members of society which cannot be defined numerically.2 This emphasis on corporate personality as opposed to individual personality, and the deliberate denial of a both/ and principle, is the basis of societal rather than individual sin. Not only revelation, but redemption will, as a corollary, be universalistic. It is in this background African Theology as propounded so far must be understood. African Theology seeks for identity of the African. In order to do this, the advocates exalt African culture, African Traditional Religions, and African Philosophy beyond proportion. Christianity cannot claim a monopoly of revelation or salvation, some claim, though it may be glibly referred to as being unique. Instead of giving one definition of the system, it would seem better to present the system as found in African theologians. ___________
1

Cleage , The Black Messiah, p. 43. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 56.

77 The nature of African Theology Origin of the concept.--The formulation of the term African Theology is fairly new. That is why unanimity in regard to the right terminology escapes proponents of the concept. Professor E. Bolaji Idowu of the University of Ibadan rejects the term. "It would suggest a break from the historical church tradition and church universal."1 Dr. William Wille of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, also questions the wisdom of localizing theology. While he agrees that there should be local reflections of the gospel message, he holds that to advocate African Theology is tantamount to the view held by some German theologians a generation ago which had its evil practical outworking in Nazist philosophy.2 Professor John S. Mbiti, who may be rightly called a father of African Theology, is not sure that the term can be defined. Mbiti is probably the first to use the term. He ponders the name: ___________ E. Bolaji Idowu, private interview, ibadan University, Nigeria, February 20, 1973.
2 1

William Wille, private interview, Kampala, Uganda,

January 22, 1973.

78 African Theology, as it now begins to be called, is increasingly being discussed, and one might be allowed to make a few observations here, though obviously this is a topic which deserves a separate, fuller and more detailed treatment. It is all too easy to use the phrase "African Theology," but to state what that means, or even to show its real nature, is an entirely different issue.1 Mbiti prefers the latinized form of the name, Theologia Africana.2 As distinct from Christian Theology.Dr. J. K. Agbeti. Head of Department of Religious Studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, has brought out the true nature of African Theology, at least as his circle of scholars would understand it. It is a reactionary theology, quite similar to the Theology of Decolonization, which is an amalgam of Black Theology and Ethiopianist Theology. Agbeti states his understanding: It seems to me that it is not religion or Christianity per se that people tend to oppose in Africa but the foreignness of the Christian approach to evangelism and vital national issues. It is the imposition of western culture in the garb of the Gospel that people react against. It is the interpretation of the Bible by the standard of the western social and cultural yardstick, without reference to the indigenous African spiritual ___________ John S. Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology in an African Background (London: Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 185. 2 Ibid.
1

79 heritage and social norms, that stings some African politicians, Christians and theologians.1 Agbeti draw s a sharp distinction between African Theology and Christian Theology. He states: The idea of "African Theology" seems to have been confused with the idea of "Christian Theology" as it may be expressed by African Theologians using African thought forms. Thus it is my intention in this article to show that "African Theology" is distinct from Christian Theology as it may be expressed by African theologians using African thought forms. . . . Thus we may think of different kinds of theologies, e.g. Christian Theology, Islamic Theology, Old Testament Theology, Hindu Theology, African Theology, etc. Consequently when we talk about "African Theology" we should mean the interpretation of the pre-Christian and pre-Moslem African people's experience of God.2 1. In regard to experience, according to Agbeti, African Theology is the theological expression of what African Religions have been saying all the time. It presupposes the validity of God's direct revelation to the worshiper of African religions. As a matter of fact, "the traditional African has a living experience of God quite distinct from the Christian experience of God."3 Salvation, apparently, is possible in African religions unless the term "living experience" is given a different connotation by Agbeti. ____________ J. K. Agbeti, "African Theology: What It Is," Presence (Nairobi, Kenya: Afropress, Ltd., 1972), V, 3.
2 1

Ibid.

Ibid.

80 2. In regard to sources, the material for African Theology is not primarily the Bible. Just as one has to go to the old Testament itself for material on Old Testament Theology, so Agbeti places the sources of material for African Theology in Africa and its traditional religions. The Bible will then be used only to support what is already found in the traditional religions. A quote from Agbeti is in place here: Materials about African religion are being collected and collated regionally. From these regional sources, could grow later a religion which could be truly called African Religion. It will be from this source that an "African Theology" may be developed, a theology which will critically systematize the traditional African experience of God, of God and His relation with man, of Man and his relation with God, of the Spiritual universe, of Sin, etc.1 Its weakness.--Agbeti's description of African Theology would better be called the Theology of African Traditional Religions. His basic concern is to discover what the traditional religions are saying. Not all Africans are or have been worshipers of the traditional religions. The religions are not uniquely African. Many forms of these religions can be found elsewhere as well as in Africa under the popular name "animism." At any rate, one should not get ___________
1

Ibid.

81 bogged down with what may be a semantic problem. It should be concluded that African Theology is an attempt to bring about peaceful coexistence between Christianity and African Traditional Religions in particular, and between these two and other religions seeking a hearing in Africa. It is a loaded phrase without precise meaning for "theology" or "African." Philip Turner of Makerere University rightly criticizes, "The phrase, 'An African Theology,' is much in evidence these days, but one cannot escape the impression that neither 'African' nor "Theology' are used with great precision.1 Turner's worthy evaluation of the phrase may seem harsh, but that is what a conscientious reader of the proponents of African Theology understands. Turner evaluates: It does not seem to help much to speak of "African Theology. " The term is viewed with suspicion because the interest in traditional religion associated with it calls up in the minds of many a return to paganism.2 He further observes: The phrase "an African theology" has about it, therefore, the quality of a slogan of vindication. It refers first to the attempt to find points of similarity between ___________ Philip Turner, "The Wisdom of the Fathers and the Gospel of Christ: Some Notes on Christian Adaptation in Africa," Journal of Religion in Africa (5th ed.; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1971), IV, 55.
2 1

Ibid.

82 Christian notions and those drawn from the traditional religions of Africa. Second, it refers to the hope that a systematic theology expressed in the language and concepts of traditional religion and culture, may one day be written. . . . The phrase implies in its popular usage an attempt to amalgamate elements of Christian and elements of traditional belief.1 This is African Theology that is hailed by men both within and outside the Continent. It is both syncretistic and universalistic, with the bedrock of the spirit of nationalism that questions the very Word of God. Such elements, of course, vary in degrees in different proponents. But almost all the theologians seeking to promote African Theology ideology are tainted with universalism. Such men include the theologians McVeigh enumerates, "Here are men like Mbiti, Idowu, Sawyerr and others play their role. They exercise a function for African equivalent to that of Barth, Tillich, Niebuhr and Rahner in Europe and North America."2 Other African theologians with universalistic tendencies are Kwesi Dickson, Balintuma Kalibala, Lugira, and Anatoli Tibaryehinda Balyesiima-Byaruhanga-Akiiki. Two leading theologians with some substantial contribution in theology are Professor John S. Mbiti, Head of the Department of _____________
1

Ibid. McVeigh, "Sources for an African Christian Theology,"

p. 3.

83 Religions and Philosophy, Makerere University; and Professor E. Bolaji Idowu, Head of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The discussion on Idowu, who rejects the term African Theology, will come in the next chapter. The rest of this chapter will deal with John Mbiti. Professor John S. Mbiti, Father of African Theology His background and works His education.Born in Ukambani district of Kenya, John Mbiti went to African Inland Mission schools. He did his undergraduate work at Makerere University in Uganda where he received his B.A. degree before going to Barrington College in Rhode Island for the Master's program. He studied under the Reverend Canon Dr. C. F. D. Moule of Cambridge University where he received his Ph.D. He has been the Head of the Department of Religions and Philosophy at Makerere University in Uganda. He has taught in Hamburg, Germany and is currently a visiting professor at Union Seminary in New York City. Mbiti is married to a Swiss girl and they have one daughter.

84 His publications.--Dr. John Mbiti has published three books, which are African Religions and Philosophy, Concepts of God in Africa, and New Testament Eschatology in an African Background. Mbiti is a prolific writer, and has contributed several articles in other books and journals. His articles are included in Christianity in Tropical Africa, African Initiatives in Religion, and Crucial Issues in Missions Tomorrow. Most of these contributions are repetitions of virtually the same material. They have to do with the basic philosophy of African Theology. The basic premise seems to be the presupposition of a systematized form of African Religions. It is assumed that the animist in Africa has not only known God truly, but that he has worshiped Him. The African animist will not be excluded from God's salvation. So-called Western Christianity no longer has the monopoly of being the only way to God. Thus the idea of African personality is brought into religion. Culture and religion, sociology and politics all merge into one stream. Mbiti himself says: "The ideological claim of Negritude, African Personality and African socialism, is similarly oriented to the Zamani roots which, as we have shown, are profoundly religious."1 ____________
1

Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 272.

85 Mbiti apparently does not see that this contradicts his other statement that "if African Theology starts with, or concentrates upon, anthropology, it loses its perspectives and can no longer be regarded as Theology.1 Mbiti's intellectual acumen cannot be disputed. He may be justifiably called the father of "African Theology." But apparent contradictions do not seem to bother him. in his African Religions and Philosophy, he says, "It is open to a great deal of criticism, and the theory of 'vital force' cannot be applied to other African peoples with whose life and ideas I am familiar."2 A few pages later he turns around and says, "In addition to the five categories, there seems to be a force, power or energy permeating the whole universe."3 While Africans, according to Mbiti, "set their minds not on future things, but chiefly on what has taken place,"4 the same Africans, Mbiti has observed, have a concept of the family which also "includes the unborn members who are still in the loins of the living. They are the buds of hope and expectation, and each family makes sure that its own existence is not extinguished."5 __________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 186. Mbiti,African Religions and Philosophy, p. 10. Ibid. ,p. 16.
4

Ibid. , p. 17.

Ibid. , p. 107.

86 There are several other contradictions in Mbiti's work which do not need to be analyzed. But that is not the basic problem of Mbiti's theology. What poses a threat to biblical Christianity in Africa is Mbiti's universalism. His great enthusiasm in "Africanizing" Christianity, while done in good faith, poses a threat to "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Although Mbiti claims that "the uniqueness of Christianity is in Jesus Christ,1 this unique faith to Mbiti is subject to scrutiny when it stands before the mighty power of African Traditional Religions. Mbiti writes: In other words, by coming to Africa, Christianity lends itself to be judged by traditional religiosity, to find out whether or not it measures up to the religiosity which in effect it claims to have and intends to disseminate. 2 In a neo-orthodox fashion Mbiti hides his universalism by employing conservative evangelical language. The effort will now be made to point out trends of incipient universalism in Mbiti. ___________
1

Ibid. , p. 277.
2

Donald McGavran, ed., Crucial issues in Missions Tomorrow (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972), p. 147.

87 His philosophy of time in African perspective Two-dimensional concept of time.--Dr. John Mbiti builds his theology almost entirely on what he claims to be the African concept of time. According to this African concept, he says: The most significant factor is that Time is considered as a two-dimensional phenomenon; with a long "past"; and a dynamic "present." The "future" as we know it in the linear conception of Time is virtually non-existent in Akamba thinking. My findings from other African peoples have not yielded a radical difference.1 The main point Mbiti makes out of this interpretation of his data is that the Akamba people, but also other African people, have failed to comprehend the gospel message. Eschatology has not made sense to them. So he now sets forth the epoch-making key in order to help Africans get the message. He states: My approach in this book is to treat religion as an ontological phenomenon, with the concept of time as the key to reaching some understanding of African religions and philosophy. I do not pretend that the notion of time explains everything, but I am convinced that it adds to our understanding of the subject, and if that much is achieved, these efforts will have been more than adequately rewarded.2 ____________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 24. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 14.

88 Through this new effort, Mbiti hopes to deal with the great tragedy that has been caused through missionaries' efforts. He describes the tragedy; This, among other things, has resulted in the tragedy of establishing since the missionary expansion of the nineteenth century only a very superficial type of Christianity on African soil. Although Islam has generally accommodated itself culturally more readily than western Christianity, it also is professed only superficially in areas where it has recently won converts. Neither faith has yet penetrated deeply into the religious world of traditional African life; and while this is so, "conversion" to Christianity or Islam must be taken only in a relative sense.1 Mbiti has convinced other readers, too, into believing that the message has not yet even been preached. Alan W. Eister has stated that "Dr. Mbiti holds that the genuine Christian message has not yet been preached to the Akamba."2 This is how far Mbiti's extravagant language has carried his readers. But it is extremely hard to reconcile Mbiti's claim of fantastic figures of Akamba Christians and the view that the gospel message has not even been preached. He estimates that there are about 300,000 Akamba Christians, and that "this means that about 30 per cent of the population may be considered 'Christian,' in the broad sense of that ___________
1 2

Ibid. , p. 15. Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 22.

89 term." Is it true and fair to call all these 300,000 Christians superficial? Is the success of the gospel ministry based entirely on the messenger's knowledge of culture? Is there no room at all for the working of the Holy Spirit? In any case, how truly African is Mbiti's concept of time? To that the writer now turns. The reason why Mbiti makes the concept of time the heart of his theology comes out in his Ph.D. dissertation, later published under the title New Testament Eschatology in an African Background. His syllogism seems to be this. The Akamba people, as well as other African people, cannot conceive distant future. They do not have a linear concept of time. The New Testament presents eschatology along the same line. It does not basically deal with time in a linear way. This is what Mbiti claims: Obviously we cannot get away from this threefold dimension, but the New Testament does not subject itself exclusively to a linear three dimensional Concept of Time. From the Akamba (or African) side we have seen that a two dimensional concept of Time is equally valid; and that many of the traditional concepts and religious practices are governed by that twofold dimension. What then becomes of Christian Eschatology?2 _____________ David Barrett, ed., African Initiatives in Religion (Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1971), p. 4.
2 1 1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 182.

90 Mbiti's thesis is that both Africans and the New Testament do not basically conceive of time as past, present, and future. Only the western mind has invented threedimensional time. Christian eschatology which claims that world history has a beginning and is moving forward toward a climactic end is Western, therefore, erroneous according to Mbiti. This is the type of western Christianity that African Theology must "demythologize." Mbiti's eschatology will be examined later. Meanwhile, his basic premise that Africans and the New Testament cannot conceive of a distant future will be examined. Weakness of his arguments.--John Mbiti's strength turns out to be the source of his weakness. He sets out to defend African Theology by making African people think and reason as one people. This is in spite of the fact that "there are about one thousand African peoples (tribes) and each has its own religious system." 1 Although Mbiti sets out to deal with the Akamba people in his New Testament Eschatology in an African Background, he ends up talking about African people as a whole. In the outset he gives the area he would cover: _____________
1

Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 1.

91 But it is a selective investigation in that it focuses upon the Akamba people on the one hand, and certain aspects of New Testament Eschatology on the other hand. This makes it possible for us to examine the situation in some depth. Where relevant, reference is made to other African societies by way of comparison in order to draw some conclusions which are both specific (for the Akamba situation) and general (for other areas in Africa).1 In examining the book one cannot help but conclude that very little of the Akamba situation is not "relevant" elsewhere in Africa. Mbiti uses the expressions "African societies." "other African peoples," and such like at least 45 times in the New Testament Eschatoloqy in an African Background which has only 191 content pages. It is, therefore, conclusive that Mbiti wants his readers to know that Africans think of time the way he propounds it. Mbiti's extensive research into the linguistic and philosophical concepts of Akamba and Gikuyu in East Africa is commendable. But it must be noted that it is John Mbiti who gives the interpretation and the theological implications to the facts collected. Furthermore, he is a child of his age totally immersed in western education and thought patterns. Inconsistency does not seem to bother Mbiti. According to his table of "Analysis of African Concept of ____________
1

Mbiti. New Testament Eschatoloqy, p. 1.

92 Time," the farthest into the future the African can articulate is two to six months.1 He actually says, "Beyond a few months from now, as we have seen, the African concept of time is silent and indifferent."2 In the next paragraph Mbiti arbitrarily extends it by saying: Therefore if the event is remote, say beyond two years from now (tense number 4), then it cannot be conceived, it cannot be spoken of and the languages themselves have no verb tenses to cover that distant "future" dimension of time.3 Continuing his inconsistency, Mbiti says, "There is virtually no future dimension of Time, beyond a few years at most."4 Thus the "people cannot articulate what is in the distant future; they cannot speak about it and cannot, therefore, form myths about it."5 But they can think of two months, six months, two years, and a few years. In fact, the Akamba people perform the "kuimithya," that is, the initiation ceremony when a child is 15, and this is anticipated at the child's birth. 6 The African who cannot conceive the future is yet able to plan the marriage of an unborn baby! _____________
1

Mbiti,African Religions and Philosophy, p. 18. Ibid. ,p. 22.

3

Ibid.

Mbiti,New Testament Eschatology, p. 30. Ibid. ,p. 27.

6

Ibid. , p. 94.

93 African concept of the family also includes the unborn members who are still in the loins of the living. They are the buds of hope and expectation, and each family makes sure that its own existence is not extinguished . . . . For that reason, African parents are anxious to see that their children find husbands and wives, otherwise failure to do so means in effect the death of the unborn and a diminishing of the family as a whole.1 According to him, the African cannot conceive future, and yet he can call God "the everlasting One of the forest." At death, Africans do not say to the living-dead: Please sit down and wait for food to be prepared; nor would they bid farewell with the words: Greet so-and-so in the spirit world.2 As opposed to what he has so asserted, Mbiti then says, "And the whole community, including cattle, joins in sending off the member who leaves for the next world."3 With such immense inconsistencies, it is impossible for Mbitis readers to accept his view that Africans can think only in terms of "Sasa" and "Zamani," which are Swahili words for a long past and a dynamic present. The Africans, including the Akamba people, may not have a clear understanding of the future, but that does not mean that they cannot conceive of the future. Several African theologians, including Mbiti's colleagues, do not share his view. ______________
1

Mbiti' African Religions and Philosophy, p. 106. Ibid., p. 35.

3

Ibid. , p. 84.

94 A Harvard Ph.D. graduate in anthropology, Ernest Balintuma Kalibala, strongly rejected the notion that Africans cannot conceive of the future. When asked if Buganda are among the "other African societies" who share this supposingly Akamba belief, Kalibala retorted, "This is absurd. The African theologian who believes that kind of thing is following what Europeans have taught him. He has not been home to find out things for himself."1 He then added, "We absolutely believe in the future. We even believe in a future resurrection. This is demonstrated by burial ceremonies and the contact we maintain with the spirits of the dead."2 Kalibala's evidence may be too optimistic as he is such a strong nationalist. But other scholars dissociate themselves from Mbiti. Dr. Anatoli Tibaryehinda BalyesiimaByaruhanga-Akiiki, a former student of Mbiti's and now a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Makerere University stated: The people here believe firmly that there is life after death. For example, the tomb of Buganda going back to 1814, is guarded by the wives of the kings buried there. ___________ Ernest Balintuma Kalibala, private interview, Kampala, Uganda, January 21, 1973.
2 1

Ibid.

95 Our people firmly believe in the future. Mbiti's claim of absence of future thought can be limited only to the Akamba people.1 Dr. A. Lugira, the deputy head of the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Makerere University, also dissociates the belief of his people from the twodimensional time philosophy. He says, "Professor Mbiti is giving his own opinion, it is academic. His basis is Akamba, and that should be limited there. My people, Buganda, do have a future concept of time."2 As indicated in chapter ii, Jaba people do not only believe in the future, they also have myths about the future. The pithy saying that "when you die your grave will burn with fire if you are naughty now" is indicative of future belief. That there will be a ladder leading on to heaven for the good people who will dance there is a future myth. While the "Sasa" and "Zamani" concepts are stronger than the future concept, this does not mean that African peoples do not think of the distant future. Linguistically, Jaba people have terms depicting future days, months, and years. In the matter of months, the future is indicated by the _________ Anatoli Tibaryehinda Balyesiima-Byaruhanga-Akiiki, private interview, Kampala, Uganda, January 22. 1973.
2 1

Ibid.

96 season. For example, six months from now, which is the dry season, will be referred to as the rainy season, and vice versa, or if it is harvest time now, the next season will be farming season. If it is next year, they say "mek tson." After one year they describe the next two years and beyond as "mek tson kokong," then "mek tson kokong kokong," that is, the "next, next year," or the "next, next, next year." The same system of counting is used for the past year. The past few months are indicated by the season. Then last year is "lisah." If it is the last two years they say "lisah kokong." To extend it beyond two years to the time unlimited is "lisah kokong kokong." So just as they believe and describe the past, so they do the future. In the use of figures to describe the future, some tribes are limited to only a few figures. Jaba, for example, can count only up to twelve digits. Any figure larger than twelve is multiplied by that twelve. The Urhobo of Mid Western State of Nigeria can count only up to "ogbon" or thirty. From thereon the figures are multiplied by twenty. So it is difficult for them to be specific in the number of years to come, or those that have passed. But there are also tribes that count up to a thousand. In the Hausa language they have "dubu," which is "one thousand." In Yoruba

97 they count up to "egberun" or one thousand and then count in multiple numbers of two from there on. In Ibo, they do the same thing after they count up to "nnu" or a thousand. All these peoples can count so many years yet to come in the numerals they can recite. From the African point of view, a belief in the future is an attested fact. The denial of a linear concept of time is a very questionable proposition. African strong belief in creation is itself indicative of their belief in linear time. Mbiti affirms the fact and nature of African belief in creation: Over the whole of Africa creation is the most widely acknowledged work of God. This concept is expressed through saying that God created all things, through giving Him the name Creator (or Moulder, or Maker).1 Mbiti's claim that a linear concept of time is exclusively Western cannot be sustained. A belief in creation necessarily makes time linear. If Africans believe that there was a time when the world was not, as indicated in the myths of creation and the separation of the earth from the sky, they are thinking in a linear pattern. If there was a "Big Bang" in the past, it would be conceivable that another "Big Bang" would occur. Only a belief in the eternity of ____________
1

Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 39.

98 matter would make a "cyclic" necessary. Challinder Allen explains: Cycle denotes neither beginning or end in either space or Clock-time; a perpetual continuity that has been a continuance for billions of years and no doubt will be a continuance for ages in the future. To examine its course one must select arbitrarily some place and moment as a first point of examination and continue from that place-moment. Remember the ancient query about the chicken and the egg.1 This is the logical view of cyclic time which Mbiti could have looked into. Mbiti's concept of time is illogical since the Africans believe in creation. His emphasis on the present appears to follow the future dimension of the religious hope of Israel into the present as held by some Western theologians. Walther Eichrodt writes, "This bending back of the eschatological hope on to a reality already potentially given in the present stands out even more clearly in its association with the monarchy."2 Eichrodt, however, later admits a future goal of history when he says: In the last resort it rested not on the empirical king and his pretensions to power, but on the saving activity of the covenant God, which even in the days before the ______________ Challinder Allen, The Tyranny of Time (New York: Philosophical Library, 1947), p. 233 Walther Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament, trans. by J. A. Baker (2 vols.; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1967), I, 476.
2 1

99 monarchy had convinced men that there was an ultimate goal to history. 1 John R. Wilch quotes R. B. Y. Scott, another Western theologian, who says, "Time contains the total experience. Past and future are extensions of the present, and (so to speak) are present in the present."2 Mbiti's concept of potential and actual time seems very much to be an echo of what the foregoing theologians have said, and they are not African! Both Mbiti and liberal theologians from the West base their views on their understanding of the Old Testament with the eyes of higher criticism. It would be fairer for Mbiti to say so instead of constructing a so-called African concept of time which has no adequate ramifications in Africa. There is much emphasis of here and now. But that does not rule out a concept of distant future. It is also a fact that the concept of future is not clear-cut. There is a definite limitation on counting past. Concepts of incarnation, transmigration, and resurrection run into each other. They lack clarification. But this lack of clarity is not peculiarly African. ____________
1

Ibid. , p. 478.

John R. Wilch, Time and Event (Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1969), p. 6.

100 It is a human dilemma which can be solved only by Him who says, "I am the resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies" (John 11:25). It is rather too optimistic to say, "As far as our evidence goes, African peoples do not expect any form of individual or collective resurrection after death."1 In the same context Mbiti talks of "many myths, legends and stories which speak about human resurrection."2 If they can talk of it in regard to the past it should spring no surprise if they think of the future possibility. Just because "our evidence" is insufficient does not mean that the African cannot even conceive of the future. After all, Mbiti's sources are by no means exhaustive. His philosophy of time in biblical perspective In order to support his thesis of "a fulfilled eschatology or that "the cross, a once for-all-event marks the evil Age and the beginning of the Age to Come,"3 Mbiti looks for support from the Scriptures as he does from the ___________ John S. Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa (New York. Praeger Publishers, 1970), p. 265.
2 1

Ibid.
3

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, . p. 32.

101 African concept of time. He claims that the Old and New Testaments give no support to the "western" concept of linear time, which calls for a climactic end of history in the future. Old Testament "cyclic" time.By way of digression, Mbiti indicates that the Old Testament has a "cyclic" view of time in Ecclesiastes 1:4-11; 3:1-8, 15. He quotes J. Marsh approvingly, "old Testament Jews were more concerned with the content than the chronology of Time."1 Mbiti then concludes, "On this particular point we come close to African notions of Time in which the actual event is far more important than its chronology as such."2 It is true that the Old Testament places more importance on the actual event than it does on the time, but this is not exclusively so. The time factor is absolutely important. They had a linear concept of timepast, present, and future. The evidence of Ecclesiastes is not conclusive. The same book exhorts man to fear God and do right "because God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil" (Eccl. 12:14). The ____________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 39. Ibid.

102 prophets were evidently conscious of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yahweh was truly a present Help (Ps. 46:1). But He was also a God of the future. In fact, because of the future events, the past seems so insignificant. Isaiah admonishes, "Do not call to mind the former things. or ponder things of the past. Behold I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert" (Isa. 48:18, 19). The great ebed-Yahweh poems are futuristic (Isa. 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12). They predict not only the first advent of the Messiah at which He will suffer, but also His glorious return with joy which is also a future reality. "His soul's anguish over he shall see the light and be content. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself" (Isa. 53:11, Jerusalem Bible). The contemptuous spirit with which Vriezen quotes the future element of the prophetic utterance and its transmission to the New Testament is not shared by the present writer. But the essence of his view supports the argument for the linear concept of time in the Old Testament. Vriezen writes: Many attempts have been made to explain the expectations of the prophet of the exile from the fact that

103 he was a poet, but his pathos is not merely that of the poet but especially that of the visionary who sees the birth of a new world. This must certainly have been the reason why Israel, but most clearly early Christianity, reverted to the message of Deutero-Isaiah again and again, as is evident from the Gospel according to St. John and the Epistles of Paul.1 Even Eichrodt, despite his emphasis on the present aspect of theology in the Old Testament, sees a definite climactic end time. He is cited by Wilch: Man's position for decision looks back to the past as well as forward to the future. Although the "kairoi" of God's acts of revelation are inwardly bound together into a salvation history without being identified with the general sequence, they may nevertheless be given a place in the "time-line." It is within history that God is at work. At each point of the "time-line," he is present with his call for decisionthe opportunity to prepare for his impending salvation.2 The epoch in successive linear time will have a dramatic end. That time is yet in the future. Wilch rightly observes, "The generally accepted recognition of definite places in time for various events is also the presupposition for recognizing the differences between the temporal past, present and future."3 __________ Th. C. Vriezen, An Outline of Old Testament Theology (Newton, Mass.: Charles T. Branford,1970), p. 451.
2 1

Wilch, Time and Event, p. 10.

Ibid., p. 170.

104 Mbiti's claim of "cyclic" time in the Old Testament cannot be sustained. His over-emphasis on the content rather than chronology is inconclusive. The hope of the suffering Messiah cannot be fitted into a "Sasa" and "Zamani" philosophy. New Testament concept of time. It is in the New Testament that Mbiti further seeks to find a recourse for his thesis. But even here a closer look will show that a dramatic future event was envisaged both by the Lord and His followers. Mbiti dogmatically asserts: The question of Time is not a major concern of the Bible. . . . It seems as if the characteristically western notion of time with a threefold linear dimension has so deeply and subconsciously governed our understanding of New Testament Eschatology that we presumably have a distorted or exaggerated picture of the whole subject.1 He then goes on to reduce any futuristic aspect of the New Testament to the event of the Cross. He summarizes: "Time is an important factor in any consideration of Eschatology, but a linear understanding of Time is not necessarily the emphasis of the New Testament."2 The inconsistency of these statements may be noted. "The question of ____________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatoloqy, p. 38. Ibid., p. 49.

105 Time is not a major concern of the Bible,"1 and "Time is an important factor in any consideration of Eschatology."2 Mbiti's primary concern of Time as past and present is the big thrust in his African Religions and Philosophy. It is in his New Testament Eschatology in an African Background that the philosophy yields fruits. Before studying that, his Concepts of God in Africa will be considered. His Concepts of God in Africa A systematic theology of African Traditional Religions.--Using his excellent journalistic sense of humor, Mr. Odliambo W. Okite, a correspondent of Christianity Today, reviews Mbiti's book in these words: It [ Makerere University] still uses Western terminology, and Dr. Mbiti's Concepts of God in Africa reads like a massive research project of St. Anselm's, intended to prove that even for Africa, God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived. 3 After reading the book. Concepts of God in Africa, one cannot but wonder what missionaries came to do in Africa. The book may rightly be called A Systematic Theology of _________
1

Ibid. , p. 38.
3

Ibid. , p. 49.

Odliambo W. Okite,"Book Review," Christianity ToToday, October 23, 1970, p.18.

106 African Traditional Religions for these religions furnish the only source of information of his theology. The Bible becomes almost superfluous in the face of such a complete work. African Religions appear so systematic. The purpose for such a noble effort is described: Concepts of God in Africa is intended for use by students in universities, colleges, theological seminaries, senior secondary schools, and other institutions of higher learning as well as by readers who have attained any of these levels of education.1 Mbiti does not feel that African traditional beliefs should be wiped out. He says: Traditional religions neither send missionaries nor make proselytes; their strength lies in being fully integrated in all departments of human existence. As such, they cannot and need not be completely wiped out, so long as those who follow them are alive.2 The advocacy of continuity of non-Christian beliefs by a Christian leader can only be interpreted that that leader sees the validity of both Christianity and nonChristianity. The Apostle Paul declares, "And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here" (2 Cor. 5:17, Jerusalem Bible). He was able to say this only because he _______
1

Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa, p. xiii. Ibid., p. xiv.

107 firmly believed that even the most religious person was considered dead and without God; this included Saul of Tarsus before the experience on Damascus road. Paul says: Time was when you were dead in your sins, and wickedness, when you followed the evil ways of this present age, when you obeyed the commander of the spiritual powers of the air, the spirit now at work among God's rebel subjects. We too were once of their number. We all lived our lives in sensuality, and obeyed the promptings of our own instincts and notions, in our natural condition, we like the rest, lay under the dreadful judgment of God (Eph. 2:1-3, New English Bible). It is impossible for a person with Paul's conviction to see no need of scrapping the non-Christian beliefs. From the outset the presupposition of Mbiti is clear. He has assumed the full revelation of God and the worship of that God through African Traditional Religions. One gains that impression from this interpretation of his data from 270 peoples of Africa. Mbiti's pioneering work in this area is highly commendable. Okite rightly observes, "In Concepts of God. he succeeds magnificently in translating a mass of anthropological information on 300 African tribes into theological terms."1 It is a brute fact that Mbiti has "translated" a whole lot of anthropological propositions. Some dubious ________
1

Ibid.

108 concepts have been given clearer description in Christian theological terms. The rationale behind all this is not only to convince the world that the African has always known and worshiped God, but because Mbiti has "the assumption that many items in African traditional life, ideas and practices can and have to be taken as a praeparatio evanqelica."1 This kind of presupposition inevitably affects Mbitis interpretation of his data. Just a few instances are sufficient to show that Mbiti gives his interpretation when there is lack of clarity in some African beliefs. But some preliminary problems will first be stated. Problems of data.Three problems regarding sources, concepts, and interpretation of Mbitis data may be noted. 1. Regarding sources, Mbiti's massive information about the "One Supreme God" asserts that Africans know Him. First of all, it is not very easy to interpret the concept some people have without knowing the full context. It requires a considerable length of time with adequate knowledge of the language and culture of a people to be able fully to appreciate the people's religious concept. For Mbiti to __________
1

Dickson and Ellingworth, eds. , Biblical Revelation,

p. 180.

109 cover 270 tribes in less than a year and know their concepts of God sufficiently is a little bit unrealistic. It is admirable that he has access to "two hundred authors and students,1 but he quickly adds "and one cannot pretend that it is in every respect accurate."2 This weakness may be demonstrated from the reference to Kagoro having a divinity of cattle.3 The present author knows for a fact that Kagoro people do not raise cattle, let alone have a divinity of cattle. Until recently, only Fulani and a few other tribes in the North Eastern State of Nigeria kept cattle. So Mbiti's data must be taken with caution. 2. Regarding concepts, the second problem is the absence of hardly any reference to evil attributed to God in African Traditional Religions. Every thought about God seems to be pure. Even the medicine men, Mbiti observes, "are generally given bad publicity by foreign writers who simply harp on their preconceived notions, which do not match the facts. The medicine-men are the greatest friends of African societies, and each community has one or more of them."4 It is true that medicine men provide some genuine ___________
1

Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa, p. xiii. Ibid. Ibid., p. 224.

3

Ibid., p. 117.

110 herbs for the cure of diseases. But to deny that they in many, if not in most, cases are a menace to the society is not being realistic. The present author knows cases where medicine men have split homes and societies. The mother of a sick child went to consult a medicine man. The "doctor" diagnosed the case telepathically. He then told the mother that her mother-in-law was a wizard, and was going to snatch away the child. The mother went home and reported the case to her husband. Should he listen to the "doctor" or trust his loving mother? One family council after the other was held. The child finally passed away. Animosity grew in the family and culminated in divorce. The husband was left with a mother who "ate" his child and caused his wife to leave him. Is this the benefit the doctor brings to society? 3. Regarding interpretation, Mbiti's interpretation of his data is the third problem. The table of contents looks like any standard work of systematic theology.1 In very few cases does Mbiti not find confirmation of African belief in God as outlined in the content. All this belief is sustained without any reference to the special revelation of God. A few examples will suffice to show how ___________
1

See Appendix I.

111 Mbiti worked hard to give "Western" Christian interpretation to the concepts of the traditional religious person. The Karanga people speak of God in terms of "the great pool, contemporary of everything." This is not unusual of people confusing the Creator with the creation. Israel in the eighth century B.C. confused Yahweh with a god of fertility. They thought that Baal gave them the harvest. Hosea did not rationalize their idolatry. Rather, the Lord speaking through His servant declared, "For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal" (Hos. 2:8). Instead of declaring the same message, Mbiti interprets: Rain is the immediate reference here, but the metaphor contains also the idea that God's presence, like water is to be found everywhere. Life itself is an indication of God's omnipresence "bringing forth the shoot" or supplying "rain to mankind." The name "Great Pool" is suggested by the annual flooding of the Zambezi and its tributaries and other rivers in the region where the Karanga live.1 In a similar manner, the apparent evidence that many traditional groups put God far away from the realm of daily life is transmuted into an intrinsic attribute of transcendence. Mbiti states: ___________
1

Mbiti. Concepts of God in Africa, p. 5.

112 His beginning is unknown, his dwelling place is unknown; what he looks like is unknown; how he carries out his work is unknown; and in every aspect of his nature or being, he is utterly the Unexplainable. It is perhaps for this reason, that many African peoples have only a few phrases and words that describe the fact of God's existence and beyond that they readily admit that they do not know much about him.1 These so many "unknown" propositions constitute Mbiti's view that "God's transcendence is considered in terms of man's explanation or understanding of God."2 Mbiti further "clarifies" Lugbara's theology: Accordingly, the people think of God as transcendent (Adora) and immanent (Adro). As we have already mentioned in the previous section, in his transcendent aspect God is thought to be creative and "good." But in his immanent aspect, he is considered "bad" and "dangerous." People think of him anthropomorphically, believing that as Adro he comes into direct contact with his creatures on earth, and lives temporarily in the rivers, large trees, thickets and mountains.3 What the Apostle Paul describes as the worship and service of creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25), is made an attribute of immanence by Mbiti. The apparent pantheism of the Lango people becomes an immanent aspect of God.4 That the Shona describe God as "the One who can turn things upside-down" is given the meaning in Mbiti's words, _____________
1

Ibid., p. 15. Ibid. , p. 16.

Ibid. Ibid. , p. 17.

113 "This means that he can change things, but is himself the unchangeable, the immutable."1 As to how this conclusion is arrived, Mbiti does not say. The Ila apparently have the same confusion about the relationship of God and the sun as Jaba people do. But this confusion is interpreted by Mbiti. He states: The Ila associate sunshine with God so intimately that when the weather becomes very hot, they say that "God is much too hot, let it be over-clouded!" Sunshine, light, and heat are all manifestation of God's presence and providence.2 What appears to be nature worship Mbiti interprets as symbolism. He says: Trees mentioned in the previous sub-section certainly symbolize the presence of God in his relationship to man's worship. In addition there are other associations of God with trees.3 Harry Sawyerr is rather more realistic. He observes, "The trees and stones are therefore properly shrines which the Spirits inhabit. . . . Various natural phenomena are also often attributed to spirits of one type or another."4 In a similar manner Sawyerr parts company with Mbiti on the idea of worship. He states; _____________
1

Ibid. , p. 28.

Ibid. . p. 57.

Ibid. , p. 112.

Harry Sawyerr, God: Ancestor or Creator? (Bristol: Western Printing Services, Ltd., 1970), p. 1.

114 But God is, however, never worshipped, except as in the case of the Akan. Instead, we meet a whole array of lesser gods and the long line of ancestral spirits to whom prayers are offered and who are, indeed, regarded as the more responsible for the day-to-day factors of life. It is in this context that we have to inquire whether the African does in fact "believe in God."1 Mbiti considers such ministrations to spirits and ancestors as worship to God. He explains: These constitute one of the commonest acts of worship among African peoples. The examples are overwhelmingly many. In some cases, the sacrifice or offering is made to God alone; in others it is to both God, the spirits, and the departed; in others it is only to the spirits and the departed, who are considered intermediaries between God and men.2 For ancestral worship, Mbiti rationalizes it into terms of respect. He declares: Because of this ontological position, the living-dead constitute the largest group of intermediaries in African societies. This explains, to a great extent, the reason why African respect for the departed is so great and the cult connected with the living-dead is so deeply rooted in African life and thought.3 Mbiti summarizes, in optimistic terms, the fact that all Africans worship God: Such then are the main "official" places of worship among African peoples: They are used mainly for important occasions. Families or individuals turn to God in acts of ____________
1

Ibid., p. 6. Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa, p. 179. Ibid., p. 230.

115 worship anywhere, without being bound to the feeling that God should be worshipped at a particular place. He is omnipresent and for that reason they worship him at any place, at any time, where and when the need arises.1 Such optimism would make the following descriptions of human nature meaningless, unless African peoples belong to a supra-class of human beings. Scriptural indictment of idolatry.--The Psalmist says, "The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if any act wisely; if any seek out God. But all are disloyal, all are rotten to the core; not one does anything good, no not even one" (Ps. 14:2, 3, New English Bible). Isaiah gives his verdict, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him" (Isa. 53:6). In order to affirm that every individual in the human race is included in this class of rebels called mankind, Paul quotes the Psalmist and then concludes, "Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God's glory" (Rom. 3:23, Jerusalem Bible). Mbiti's exaltation of African idolatry is absolutely contrary to the verdict of God's Holy Word. This step toward ______________
1

Ibid. , p. 243.

116 universalism may boost somebody's ego. To say that Africans, or anyone else, still have the vestiges of Imago Dei, by virtue of which they are still aware of the existence of the Supreme Being, is one thing. But to systematize the concepts and fill them up with quality of worship of God "in truth and in spirit" is foreign to biblical Christianity. His eschatology An evaluation of his book New Testament Eschatoloqy in an African Background, professsor John Mbiti's book. New Testament Eschatoloqy in an African Background, is the source for his eschatology. Dr. Charles Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary commends the book in these words; John Mbiti, in a summary of his very fine book New Testament Eschatology in an African Background, seeks to come to grips with how to correlate biblical eschatological concepts with an African perspective on time for which the most distant future conceivable does not extend beyond two years. He finds the traditional western theological understandings of the biblical data in major ways neither appropriate to the African world view nor absolutely required by the biblical data ... It is not, therefore, the lack of a point of contact between African culture and Scripture that has hindered the understanding of Christian eschatology by Africans, but the excessive overlay of western cultural interpretations of the Scripture to which Africans have been required to subscribe that have provided the major road blocks to the proper understanding of Christian eschatology in African settings.1 __________ Charles H. Kraft, "Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs," ed. by Kwesi Dickson and Paul Ellingworth, Evangelical Missions Quarterly. VIII (Summer, 1972), 245.
1

117 Apparently Kraft approves of thesis in his "very fine book" that Africans have not been able to grasp eschatological teaching. Dr. John Wiebe, however, reported from a visit to Africa last year. after visiting about a dozen countries of Africa, "Everywhere I went there was a definite interest in the return of our Lord. Practically all the hymns they sang were about the second coming of our Lord."1 The present writer conducted an informal survey in 1967 among some 500 college students and discovered that nearly 90 per cent have found Christ because of a message concerning the second coming of Christ. Would lack of understanding produce such phenomenal results? To soften the issue of the glorious hope is not the spirit of New Testament Christianity. The "Sasa" and "Zamani" concepts may suit the African, but is that really what the Bible says? Fuller's School of World Mission includes Mbiti's book "in their list of the fifteen current, essential books on missions."2 It is important to observe carefully Mbiti's proposed eschatology for Africa as he presents it in this "essential book." A good deal of his eschatology has been __________ Cited from a sermon by Dr. John Wiebe preached in Los Angeles, August, 1972. "Books on Missions," Theology, News and Notes, Fuller Theological Seminary Alumni, June, 1972, p. 20.
2 1

118 covered already. But certain aspects which definitely underline his universalism will further be examined. His hermeneutics.Dr.Charles Ryrie underscores the importance of hermeneutics in the study of theology: Hermeneutics is that science which furnishes the principles of interpretation. These principles guide and govern anybody's system of theology. They ought to be determined before one's theology is systematized, but in practice the reverse is usually true.1 Dr. Bernard Ramm assigns the literal method of interpretation to the Protestant. He then explains: "To interpret literally (in this sense) is nothing more or less than interpreting words and sentences in their normal, usual, customary proper designation."2 Only by following the normal, grammatico-historical interpretation would one be free from extreme subjectivism. To follow the allegorical method or spiritualize normal concepts necessarily leads to subjectivism and self-conceived notions. Professor Mbiti, apparently, does not see the need of abiding by the literal interpretation. A few quotes ___________ Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today (Chicago: Moody Press, 1969), p. 86. Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation (rev. ed.; Boston: Wilde Company, 1956), p. 79.
2 1

119 will illustrate Mbiti's extreme spiritualization of what has been the normal understanding of orthodox Christianity: "Gehenna as a state" is partly realized now and is the only ultimate destiny of those who remain beyond the last judgment. Thus, Gehenna is a christological symbol, the negation of incorporation into Christ ... in the Christian context it is a symbolic imagery and has no independent reality.1 Mbiti also writes: When related to New Testament Eschatology fire is a christological symbol; it saves or it destroys according to one's relationship with Christ. . . . The eschatological linear concept of Time. The symbol must be timeless if it is to be effective and to make sense in Christian evangelism and living.2 Speaking of the promised inheritance (Col. 2:3; Eph. 2:7), he writes: As such He cannot and does not take mankind to any other form of heavenly treasure or reward for in Himself all the riches of God converge and are available. To put Him in the position of an intermediate Agent amounts to a blatant rejection of His Gospel.3 The eschatological new Jerusalem in the futuristic book of Revelation now becomes just "the symbol of perfect fellowship between God and His people (22:3-5)."4 The new heavens and a new earth of 2 Peter 3:12 is here with us already. Mbiti writes: ___________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatoloqy, p. 67.

3

Ibid., p. 69.

Ibid., p. 74.

Ibid., p. 76.

120 Those who abide in Him have reached their permanent home which cannot be eroded by Time and the passing away of the world only removes that which in contrast and by virtue of being in Time, is transient and temporary. . . . So in Jesus Christ, we come to our fatherland both now and at the Parousia.1 Regarding the Messianic Banquet (Luke 22:29; cf. Rev. 19:9; 21:6; 22:17), Mbiti interprets: "The Holy Eucharist is nothing less than an appropriation of this Messianic Banquet the sacramental means of spiritual sustenance."2 Regarding heaven, Mbiti spiritualizes: The New Testament is explicit that Jesus never promised us a heavenly Utopia, but only His ownself and His own companionship both in Time and beyond, both in space and beyond (cf. John 14:3, Matthew 28:20b, 18:20).3 In his recapitulation, Mbiti pleads: From the examples we have cited, it is evident that the New Testament employs a materialistic language as one of the means of communicating or depicting its eschatological message. This language is, however, employed symbolically and christologically. The language is not the reality but only a vehicle of communicating what otherwise is beyond the dimension of human understanding.4 With this emphasis on symbolic rather than the normal meaning of the Scriptures, Mbiti ends up with a belief of baptismal regeneration. "He who is born anew through Baptism, must grow by nourishing his life through the _____________
1

Ibid. , p. 78. Ibid. , p. 89.

Ibid. , p. 82. Ibid.

121 Eucharist." He holds the views of both consubstantiation and transubstantiation3 at the same time. Mbiti also subscribes to the view of purgatory.4 Mbiti does not need to say: "Apart from the Roman Catholic Church in Ukambani, the churches there have missed a great deal of sacramental life."5 An early African theologian spiritualized and ended up with universalism: According to both Clement and Origen the process of purification, begun in the life of the sinner on earth, is continued in death. Chastisement is the great cleansing agency and cure for sin. Origen teaches that at death the good enter paradise or a place where they receive further education, and the wicked experience the fire of judgment which, however, is not to be regarded as a permanent punishment, but as a means of purification . . . Both of these Fathers were averse to the doctrine of a millennium, and Origen had a tendency to spiritualize the resurrection.6 Would a present-day spiritualizer be expected to come out differently? Mbiti pleads not to be accused of criticizing the missionaries. His plea should be taken seriously. His criticism is directed, however, against a line of interpretation of which evangelical missions are a part. The _________
1 1 2

Ibid., p. 101.

Ibid., p. 103.
5

Ibid., p.107,

Ibid. , p. 180.

Ibid. , p. 126.

Louis Berkhof, Reformed Dogmatics (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1937), p. 79.

122 African Inland Mission follows the literal, not literalistic, interpretation. They take the Word of God on its face value. The A.I.M. has simply passed on to the African Inland Church a well established Protestant tradition. The African Inland Church is not so isolated as Mbiti makes it appear to be. He states: In the 1930s they constituted the Africa Inland Church (A.I.C.) composed of African followers of the Mission. This is just a Church, without theological, doctrinal, historical, liturgical, or ministerial connections with other bodies of the Church universal.1 While it is true that the A.I.C. has no "Lambeth Conference" to attend, nor Vatican from which to expect pronouncements, it has theological, doctrinal, historical, and ministerial connections with the church universal. The literal interpretation of the Scriptures binds the A.I.C. with such great names as Ezra, Tertullian, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Erasmus, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, and others. The literal method followed consistently results in the biblical eschatology presented in the A.I.C. Constitution. It is not a clerical collar that makes the minister. This western tradition is man-made and should not be made a criterion for one's call. __________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatoloqy, p. 12.

123 Christian life as totally eschatological.--Mbiti's main criticism of the A.I.C. eschatology is on its futuristic emphasis. He says, "The type of Eschatology so presented is exclusively 'futurist,' as stated in the 'Doctrinal Basis' of the Africa Inland Church."1 Professor Mbiti describes eschatology: Missionary work or evangelization is an eschatological transaction--in content (proclaiming an eschatological message), in obedience (to the eschatological Adam, I Cor. 15:45) and in expectation (of the "end" ( ) (Matthew 24:14, cf. Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18.) Whenever the church is conquering new fields in individual or community lives, it is making a deeply eschatological progress.2 Mbiti views eschatology as the total Christian experience. The incarnation marks the beginning of eschatology. There may be a sense in which the future "fruition" may be talked about. But there is no second coming of Christ as such. All that is to be is here. That is why the emphasis of the A.I.C. on the future climactic event in the universe is repugnant to Mbiti. Exegetical meaning of . Mbiti' s view can be partially supported. The general meaning of the word is last in a series of time, place, or event. The ______________
1

Ibid., p. 51.

Ibid., p. 2.

124 incarnation inaugurates the last event in the historical drama of redemption. Kittel writes: The general use of the term for something which is last either materially (Mt. 5:26;,.Lk. 12:59) or in space (AC. 1:8; 13:47: or time (Mt. 12:45; 20:8ff.; 27:64; Mk. 12:6, 22; Lk 11:26; Jn. 7:37; 2 Pt. 2:20; Rev. 2:19) becomes theologically significant, at least indirectly, in 1 C. 15:8, in the of the final resurrection appearance to Paul ... At the same time, suggests the closing of a series, so that from the time of this E^XQ^OV there can be no similar or equivalent events.1 The New Testament, Kittel explains, presents three aspects of . "The end began with the coming of Jesus, Hb. 1:2; 1 Pt. 1:20: .2 Kittel continues, "But the early Christian writings also see their own present as the last time,"3 and thirdly, "At the same time, there is also expectation of the coming last day which brings with it the last plagues (Rev. 15:1; 21:9), the overcoming of the (l C. 15:26) and, proclaimed by the (l C. 15:52), the resurrection of the dead, judgment and salvation (Jn. 6:39f., 44, 54; 11:24; 12:48: ; 1 Pt. 1:5: ).4 _________ Bernard Kittel, "'" Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by G. Kittel, trans. by G. W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), II, 697.
2 1

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

125 It is a fact that the A.I.C. does not teach all three aspects of the endpast, present, and future--under the same doctrine. But do they need to? It is an accepted and workable practice to approach eschatology in a future sense, which is a valid understanding of eschaton. Now the table is turned for John Mbiti. While his emphasis on the here and now aspect of eschatology may be appreciated, he either minimizes or rejects the future aspect of e. The major doctrines that the Bible presents as futuristic, Mbiti allegorizes to make them past or present in fulfillment, an attempt to fit everything into his "Sasa"-"Zamani" philosophy. Eschatology, undoubtedly, is a doctrine on which there is a diversity of opinions among Christians,. There are those placed in the camp of postmillennialism, "that view of the last things which holds that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium."1 Then _____________ Loraine Boettner, The Millennium (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1958), p. 4.
1

126 there are those holding amillennialism. "They believe that the Scripture teaches that good and evil will continue side by side, but eventually there will be a sudden personal eruption of Christ into the midst of the world's scene of conflict, with a swift sifting and separation of souls at the final judgment."1 Another view is premillennialism. "This is a view of last things which insists that the millennial passage in Revelation 20 must be interpreted literally and that the Second Coming of Christ will inaugurate His reign as King in person on the earth."2 Orthodox understanding of the second coming of Christ.--One common denominator among orthodox Christians is the belief in the future, visible, personal second coming of Jesus Christ. It is agreed by all who take the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God seriously, that the second coming is the hope of the Church. Arnett of Asbury Theological Seminary writes: The explicit teaching of Holy Scripture is that Jesus Christ will come a second time from heaven to earth personally, bodily, and visibly. This marvelous and climactic event is called the "blessed hope" of the ___________ Carl F. H. Henry, "The Second Coming," Basic Christian Doctrines (Chicago: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1962), p. 280.
2 1

Ibid.

127 Christian church by the Apostle Paul (Titus 2:13). Christ appeared once on earth in grace (John 1:14, 17; Titus 2:11). He will appear a second time in glory (Matthew 16:27; 24:30; 25:31; Luke 21:27).1 Arnett further elucidates: As already indicated, the Second Coming means that Jesus Christ will come again to this world in His personal and bodily form, glorified and deathless. The word Parousia is used frequently in the New Testament as a technical term to denote the return of Christ at the end of the age (Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; II Peter 3:4, 12; I John 2:28. His second appearing will be personal (Acts 1:11; John 14:3; 21:20-23) unexpected (Matthew 24:32-51; 25: 1-13) sudden (Matthew 24:27; Luke 17:24) visible (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7) and glorious (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26).2 Needless to say, all will not agree with the detailed references given in interpretation. But the fact of the future return of Christ as the hope of the Church is the evangelical's common belief. Even men who would rather not be labeled postmillennial, amillennial or premillennial, affirm the fact of the second coming as one of the major doctrines of the Bible. F. F. Bruce states: To deny the Second Advent itself would be heretical, for the Second Advent is an essential element in the apostolic preaching. But there is room for a wide diversity of interpretation when we try to relate the Second Advent to the discourse of events associated with the end time.3 ____________
1

Ibid., p. 276.
3

Ibid.

F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), p. 199.

128 Despite the fact that the Word of God clearly teaches the future return of Christ, Mbiti still argues: It is, nevertheless, significant that the New Testament does not employ the linear temporal term "the Second Coming"; this being first used by Justin Martyr in the second century. It is impossible to estimate how much harm may have been injected into Christian thinking by this otherwise useful and innocent distinction.1 Mbiti's rejection of major future events in eschatology.--The harm Mbiti means, apparently, is the hope of the Lord's coming at any moment. He indicates, "The subject plays a leading role in the life of the Church, and believers expect the Return of our Lord to be at any moment. They speak about it and about the end of the world, Heaven and Hell."2 Mbiti goes on to evaluate the "tragedy" of the Christians who expect the return of their Lord: But among Akamba Christians the intensification of the expectation is more evident than any disappointment over the delay . . . But it is a false spirituality to escape into the Christian world of the hereafter at the expense of being a Christian in the here and now.3 Mbiti rejects the future return because "African hereafter is not in the future but in the past."4 Moreover, the biblical concept of the future as taught by the A.I.M. ____________
1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology, p. 50. Ibid. , p. 54. Ibid., p. 64.

3

Ibid., p. 63.

129 does not fit Mbiti's universalism. He humorously describes the belief of Akamba Christians: For the Christians this is a glorious future, a Utopia to which they may escape at death or at the Parousia. For the unbelievers it is to be a future pain and sorrowan equally materialistic, if negative, future.1 Having rejected the future second coming, Mbiti then outlines "eight eschatological symbols and words, to see how their meaning is understood in the Bible and by Akamba (and other African) Christians."2 The eight future expected events he calls symbols and not realities are Gehenna, Fire, Treasure, City, Country, and then Eating and Drinking, Tears and Pain, and Heaven. 1. Regarding Gehenna, Mbiti calls such a teaching "a useful psychological device in evangelism." He adds, "Jesus may have accepted current notions about Gehenna without necessarily endorsing them all."3 Gehenna to Mbiti is a state "partly 'realized' now and is the only ultimate destiny of those who remain beyond the last Judgment. Thus, Gehenna is a christological symbol the negation of incorporation into Christ."4 _________
1

Ibid. , p. 64. Ibid. , p. 65.

Ibid. Ibid., p. 67.

130 It is indeed a terrible thing to be without Christ in this life. But Christ's uses of Gehenna mean nothing but future judgment (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; and Luke 12:5). The only place Gehenna is used figuratively, and it is quite clear, is James 3:6. 2. Regarding fire, Mbiti dogmatizes: "Fire has neither moral nor religious associations, nor hereafter, but it is a very useful element to both the living and the departed." He adds, "While fire is thus clearly connected with the last Judgment, it is essential to relate it to the present as well as the future."1 3. Regarding treasure as rewards, another significant word describing future judgment is reduced to mere symbolism. Writing of treasure, Mbiti explains: "As symbols of fellowship with God, both 'reward' and treasure are vividly powerful. But they are symbols and not the reality itself."2 Mbiti falls back to his "Sasa" and "Zamani" philosophy as a criterion for interpreting these concepts in terms of the present. He states: "If that reality is stretched on a linear and threefold dimension ___________
1

Ibid. , p. 67.

Ibid. , 74.

131 of Time, it is dangerously exposed to a misunderstanding and a reversal which makes the symbol eclipse the reality."1 4. Regarding the new Jerusalem, this is another "symbol of perfect fellowship between God and His people (Rev. 22:3-5)."2 Mbiti adds, "When Akamba (or African) Christians come across the notion of heavenly city (musyi), their concept of it is strongly coloured by both traditional and modern ideas of musyi [home]."3 Apparently because of this, Mbiti chooses to deviate from the traditional understanding of the scriptural teaching. 5. Regarding future country (Heb. 11:13) to which the pilgrims are going (1 Pet. 2:11), Mbiti says, "Those who abide in Him have reached their permanent home which cannot be eroded by Time. So in Jesus Christ we come to our fatherland both now and at the Parousia."4 He concludes, "There can be no heavenly country apart from Jesus Christ."5 6. Regarding eating and drinking (Matt. 22:29f.; Rev. 19:9), Mbiti states: "Eschatological symbols are most ____________
1

Ibid. , p. 75. Ibid., p. 77. Ibid.

Ibid. , p. 76. Ibid., p. 81.

132 meaningful only their sacramental and christological context. But once they are viewed simply as a future hope they become empty theologically and spiritually."1 7. Regarding tears and pain, Mbiti rejects the future reality of tears and pains just as he rejects hell. On fear that such a teaching may give Africans a message of false security, he rejects it. He indicates the danger: "As far as this world, life and the present dimension of Time are concerned, the Christian Message is irrelevant except in supplying a psychological escape from the sorrows and pain of daily experience."2 8. Regarding heaven, Mbiti definitely rejects this idea as a reality. His understanding of heaven is this: "The New Testament is explicit that Jesus never promised us a heavenly Utopia, but only His own self and His own companionship both in Time and beyond, both in space and beyond."3 Thus, Mbiti systematically repudiates the major doctrines of the Bible concerning the future. Little attempt has been made to present a defense of these doctrines. ____________
1

Ibid., p. 82. Ibid. , p. 89.

Ibid. , p. 85.

133 Space does not allow a fuller treatment. But it is a fact that the reality of heaven and hell is a fundamental teaching of biblical Christianity. The twofold teaching of future reward and future punishment was what the early church understood their Lord to teach in the New Testament. J. Oliver Buswell very well sums up orthodox teaching: Although the thought of many devout evangelicals may be very confused as to the details, it is reasonable to say that evangelical Christians believe not only in what the Deists used to call "future rewards and punishments," but evangelicals believe in a future heaven of bliss for those who are saved through Jesus Christ, and a future hell of torment for those who have rejected the grace of God in Christ.1 Universalism demonstrated.--Mbiti's rejection of the reality of these future events leads finally to definite universalism. His thoughts regarding sacramental regeneration, resurrection is past, and mediatorial judgment will now be considered. 1. Regarding sacramental regeneration, Mbiti widens the gates of "heaven" through the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. He declares, "Christian Baptism is the means of mediating the implications of Christ's Death and Resurrection, both on individual human and cosmic levels."2 _______ James Oliver Buswell, Jr., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), IV, 302.
2 1

Mbiti, New Testament Eschatoloqy, p. 98.

134 Then he adds, "Through Baptism, the individual is made an integral member of the eschatological community which bears the Messianic character . . . he is assured of salvation both now and on the day of Judgment, and meanwhile the Name of God (or Christ) protects him against evil powers."1 2. Regarding resurrection is past, this is the final stage of Mbiti's universalism in his doctrine of resurrection. He rejects the concept of individual and literal resurrection. He starts out with Akamba's belief on the subject, which appears to be his strongest presupposition: For the Akamba resurrection is not a future event to which they as a nation or as individuals look forward. It is something which occurs only in the ( eene) past period. It is also essentially a corporate and almost private phenomenon, involving households and relatives, as well as domestic animals.2 It is comforting to note that Mbiti admits the concept of future resurrection as the Christian hope which the African needs. He rightly notes: Therefore, with the resurrection (immortality and rejuvenation) placed "in front" of it, biblical Eschatology does offer and provide a living hope. This is entirely absent in African religiosity, however, rich and strong it might otherwise be.3 ____________
1

Ibid., p. 99. Ibid., p. 159.

Ibid., p. 157.

135 But Mbiti not only pours scorn on the A.I.M. for teaching this future hope,1 but also he actually interprets resurrection in terms of "tene." Literal resurrection in the future is rejected. The resurrection, he says. "is already realized, but it is yet to be consummated at the Parousia."2 That believers are mystically risen and seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Col. 3:1-4), no Bible-believing Christians would deny. But this does not remove the real future, personal resurrection. Mbiti sees only corporate resurrection. With the idea of corporate resurrection goes the concept of what the total humanity becomes. He writes: But corporate resurrection rests upon and presupposes a corporate deatha concept that Paul excels in developing (Romans 5:6; 6:3f.; Galatians 6:14b . . .). So the human race and the cosmos die on Good Friday and rise again on Easter Sunday.3 Thus, Mbiti is understood to be saying that since Christ has died and risen again, the whole humanity has experienced that, too. The experience, in fact, includes animals and other creatures as Akamba belief asserts. Mbiti adds another concept which sounds like the idea of Nirvana __________
1

Ibid. , pp. 159ff. Ibid.

Ibid. , p. 166.

136 in Buddhism. He explains: For individuals it is the union between creatures and Creator. Thus, the Resurrection is a personal experience, flooding mankind and the cosmos with the dimension of the present, in the presence of God, clothing them with immortality, incorruptibility, unchangeableness and lifeness. It is resurrection into a consciousness of and participation in the very presence of God.1 Mbiti does not believe that any part of God's creation will be left out of what he understands to be a resurrection: "Man's participation in the Resurrectionevent would be incomplete as long as the rest of creation remains groaning in travail."2 Furthermore, he says: "it is almost unthinkable that at the final Resurrection there should be portions of God's creation not involved in the process of presentization, not brought into the conscious presence of God."3 3. Regarding mediatorial judgment, Mbiti says some people may suffer punishment, but only temporarily. He subjectively proposes: One finds it almost impossible to imagine that their punishment will last for all eternity in the same way that Redemption is for eternity. For only the presence of God has this quality of eternity. . . . Such love of the Father must ultimately win over even the _____________
1

Ibid., p. 168. Ibid., p. 172.

Ibid. , p. 169.

137 most "hopeless case" of sinners, and bring home the lost sheep to join the one great flock (Luke 15:4-6; John 10:16). There is not a single soul how debased or even unrepentant, which can successfully "flee" from the Spirit of God (Ps. 139:1-18).1 After this glorious wishful thinking providing salvation for both the saved and the unsaved, Mbiti, then inconsistently, adds a note of true biblical appeal: "For our part, we are certain that God's Salvation, made historically manifest and available in Christ, surely demands human response within the framework of History."2 If God expects a response from individuals, yet at the end, both the responsive and the rebellious souls are courted and hemmed in by the omnipotent and all-loving God, what sense does the call make? Mbiti is trying to present biblical teaching and at the same time his subjective wish for the unsaved. Let it be made abundantly clear that when Bible-believing Christians repudiate universalism, they do so not because they lack sympathy for the unconverted. But they are merely subjecting their sentiments and wishes to what the Scriptures say. F. F. Bruce beautifully sums up the orthodox position: The doctrine of ultimate universal reconciliation is so obviously one that every Christian would wish to believe ____________
1

Ibid. , p. 179.

Ibid. , p. 180.

138 if he could, that the fact that many Christians find it impossible to accept it suggests that it is beset with serious difficulties. We know that God has pledged His word to bless and save all those who repent of their sin.1 Bruce then quotes C. S. Lewis: What are you asking God to do? To wipe out their past sins, and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does.2 Conclusion. African Theology, as advocated by John Mbiti, will lead the flock astray. His plea that "by coming to Africa, Christianity lends itself to be judged by traditional religiosity,"3 is totally unscriptural, and must be rejected in no uncertain terms. It is Christianity that stands to judge all cultures and all religions. It is only after the Apostle Paul had been washed in the blood of the Lamb that he confidently declared, "I have become all things to all men" (1 Cor. 9:22). As born-again believers, African Christian workers should do their best to interpret Christianity in the way the Africans can understand. But the unique gospel cannot be compromised. __________
1

Bruce, Answers to Questions, p. 246. Ibid. McGavran, ed., Crucial Issues, p. 147.

CHAPTER IV THE THEOLOGY OF "IMPLICIT MONOTHEISM" AND INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM The Philosophy of "Implicit Monotheism" The basic premise of the view African Theology is universal in Africa, but finds its key proponents in East Africa. Black Theology, primarily from North America with its emphasis on racial, sociopolitico liberation, is gaining momentum in Southern Africa. Theology of authentic existence is finding its feet in Zaire, with Dr. Jean B. Bokeleale as its chief spokesman. For West Africa, varying shades of these theological systems can be traced. However, one distinctive type of theology is taking shape, particularly in the Department of Religious Studies at Ibadan University. The chief, and about the only spokesman for the system, is Professor E. Bolaji Idowu. The system could be labeled "A Theology of Peaceful Coexistence." But then this feature is found in all the other systems. For lack of a better name, it may be called a Theology of

140 "Implicit Monotheism." This is a phrase used by Professor Idowu himself. While it is true that African concepts of God are stressed in the other systems (Mbiti on Concepts of God in Africa), it is Idowu who employs the phrase "Implicit Monotheism. This is an effort to support the view that the Yoruba people believe in one God, and that this one God has "not left himself without a witness." Idowu does this in contradistinction with the common theory that polytheism is a prominent belief in West Africa. Parrinders conclusion is undermined by the philosophy of "Implicit Monotheism." He writes: "It is in West Africa, however, that we find fully-developed polytheism. Here are pantheons of nature gods, with their temples and priests, like the polytheisms, of Egypt, Greece and India."1 Idowu sees these pantheons as ministers of God according to the religion of his people, the Yoruba of Nigeria. He says: Let it suffice here to say that the Yoruba are quite convinced that the world and all that is in it owe their existence to Him. They believe, nevertheless, that He has portioned out the theocratic administration of the World among the divinities whom He brought into being and ordained to their several offices. By the functions of these divinities, and the authority ___________ Geoffrey Parrinder, African Traditional Religions (London: Hutchinson's University Library, 1954), p. 44.
1

141 conferred upon them, they are almighty within certain limits.1 With this premise of a prevalent belief in one God, the proponents of "Implicit Monotheism" delve into the study of comparative religions. If it is the same God in all religions, it is only a matter of common logic that all religions should seek a peaceful coexistence rather than a "proselytizing" approach. If there should be any desire for influence, it should be sought in the idea of "presence" rather than "proclamation." In the final analysis, evangelism in the Christian Church will have to be "shelved" away. Admittedly, no one has suggested this, but it is a necessary corollary of a peaceful coexistence approach. The universalism of "Implicit Monotheism" can be observed basically in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan, their Theological Journal, and in the Head of the department. The basic philosophy of the Department of Religious Studies of University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan is the oldest of the five universities serving the 66 million people of Nigeria. In ____________ E. Bolaji Idowu, Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief (London: Clowes & Sons, Ltd., 1962), p. 49.
1

142 almost everyone of the 64 universities in Africa, there is a department of Religious Studies. The Department of Religious Studies at Ibadan is one of the leading theological departments in African universities. As expressed in Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies. --The basic philosophy of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan is given in the department's journal, Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies. It states: The aim of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan is to promote the study and understanding of the phenomenon and the social implications of religion in general and religion in Africa in particular. This involves more specifically the fields of history and phenomenology of religions, theology and philosophy, aiming at an interpretation [emphasis mine] and understanding of African Traditional Religion, Christianity and Islam, separately and in so far as there has been crossfertilization between them.1 The Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies contributes to the fulfillment of this purpose. The statement of purpose goes on to indicate, "Every effort will be made to give an equal amount of space to articles and reviews dealing with each of the three faiths: and to encourage articles which treat their interaction."2 ___________ M. Goriawala, ed., Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, II (June, 1971), front cover.
2 1

Ibid.

143 On the surface, this is a noble aim for the department. To seek to understand other faiths is not in itself a bad idea. To seek to live at peace with men of other faiths is, in fact, a biblical injunction. The Apostle Paul pleads, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Rom. 12:18). The many religious wars that have been fought, whether they be Islamic "jihad" or Christian "crusades" have disturbed the Prince of peace. It should, however, not be lost sight of the fact that the Christian has been called upon to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Although the Scriptures advocate living at peace with all men, even to the point of sharing material benefits (Gal. 6:10), they are also unequivocal on the matter of separation (Gal. 1:8, 9; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15, 17; 1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 3:5; Titus 3:10; 2 John 9:11). The uniqueness of Christian revelation knows no compromise for the sake of peaceful coexistence (Luke 13:5; Acts 2:36; 4:12). "If possible" can only mean that it is not always possible to "be at peace with all men. 1. As portrayed in administration of the Journal, the philosophy portrayed in Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies presupposes God's valid revelation and His

144 worship in other religions, it even implies that men in the three major religions in Africa--African Traditional Religions, Christianity, and Islam --are marching on to the same destiny. This theory is reflected through the management, the title, and the contents of the journal. The department has attracted many young men interested in preparing for the ministry of the gospel. The journal of the department is naturally expected by the public to be a Christian theological journal. But to display the universalistic presupposition of the school, the editor is a Muslim. Dr. Mucizz Goriawala, the Muslim editor, succeeded the Christian editor, Dr. P. K. McKenzie. Adherents of all these three faiths are encouraged to contribute to the journal. 2. As portrayed in the title of the Journal, the title portrays an element of universalism. On the front cover it has a diagram with three roads leading to the center. Christianity is on the upper left-hand, Islam on the upper right, and African Traditional Religion with a lion's share of the design, stands as the supporting beam of the diagram. The map of Africa, with Nigeria and Ibadan located, is in the middle of a large zero which occupies the intersection of the three roads. The zero begins the Yoruba word Orita (see Appendix II).

145 The title "orita means in the Yoruba language where the ways meet."1 Needless to say, the front cover design of Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies is a true description of the philosophy of the department. It presupposes that adherents of these religions are worshiping the same God. They have received the same revelation, and are bound for the same destiny. Differences between these religions are recognized, but are to be countenanced now. That being the case. they should live at peace with all men of all religions. 3. As portrayed in the content of the Journal, it is in the contents of this six-year-old journal that the basic philosophy of syncretistic and universalistic approach to the study of religions is best displayed. The implicit concept demonstrated in the cover design is expressed in some of the early articles. The content of the journal in regard to accommodation between Islam and Traditional Religions, syncretism of independent Movements applauded, and criticism of Samuel A. Crowther's particularism will now be examined. ____________
1

Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, front

cover.

146 In an article published in a 1970 issue, many cases of syncretism in regard to Islam and Traditional African Religions were cited. In the same way it [Islam] condones some traditional practices as long as these do not glaringly contravene the basic principles of faith.1 Furthermore: "In witchcraft, oracles and magic--different forms of sihirIslamic ideas share a large measure of agreement with those of traditional religion."2 This aspect of religious syncretism is not part of the study here undertaken. It is cited merely to show the ready accommodation of religions that is hailed by Orita. Independent Movements are excluded from this dissertation as they belong to the area of syncretism. But it is not out of place to make a brief reference here to the study of Aladura, or the Church of the Lord. It shows the ready accommodation that is found in Orita. The discussion is based on H. W. Turner's book, African Independent Church. Turner is reported to have pointed out the following features among some orthodox ones, which are major beliefs and practices of Aladura: __________ M. Goriawala, ed. , Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, IV (June 1, 1970), 17.
2 1

Ibid.

147 Among such practices one might mention the importance accorded visions and dreams, observance of Jewish customs and taboos, the use of specially "holy" names in prayer to God and the peculiar form of alphabet and certain instructions which the founder, Dr. Oshitelu, claimed were transmitted to him in dreams. . . . Turner would not even pronounce anathema on Dr. Oshitelu for adding wife to wife and gives greater credit to the church of the Lord than to the "orthodox" Churches for its Christian but pragmatic policy on polygamy.1 Dr. E. A. Ayandele, a lecturer in the department, reviewing the article then concludes; One hopes that in the light of this brilliant and wholly successful book by Turner, self-righteous and egoistical advocates of their own church as the authentic and legitimate institution that should be planted in all climes and in all societies would perceive their myopia, overcome their inhibitions and recognize in the Church of the Lord (perhaps in other African Churches as well), a legitimate institution through which the Lord is fulfilling His purpose in Africa.2 The unscriptural practices of polygamy by the leader (1 Tim. 3:2), visions and dreams (Heb. 1:1), and legalism (Gal. 1:6-9) help make Aladura "a legitimate institution through which the Lord is fulfilling His purpose in Africa."3 What the Apostle Paul anathematizes (Gal. 1:9), Turner applauds, and Orita commends. This springs a surprise only if the primary purpose of the journal, which is religious peaceful coexistence, is forgotten. With the presupposition of all roads leading to the same destiny, differences in ___________
1

Ibid. , p. 61.

Ibid.

Ibid.

148 religious practice become peripheral issues. Writing on "Samuel Crowther's attitude to other faiths during the early period," the former editor of Qrita, Dr. P. K. McKenzie, appears critical of Africa's first bishop for his particularity on Christianity. McKenzie suggests a liberal approach to other faiths. For his adopted Faith, Christianity, had not yet taken on that unnatural pre-dominance, which, deriving in part from European backing, tends to strengthen the illusion of many Christians, even today, that the other African Faiths need not be taken seriously nor accorded their due respect.1 The author evaluates Crowther's approach to other faiths in light of his view of "respect" for other faiths: There are many more experiences of this kind to relate; but enough has been said to show that inter-religious encounters form a far more significant feature of Crowther's life-work than has hitherto been recognized. Secondly, Crowther appears to have lacked in all these encounters some concept of religion, which would have enabled a more positive understanding of them, while still leaving him free to proclaim his own Faith in all its uniqueness. But this was a lack from which his whole generation suffered. It is only recently that we have begun to overcome it.2 The concept of religion McKenzie charges Crowther of lacking apparently, is that of equality of all religions in accordance with the spirit of Orita. The author does not _______
1

Goriawala, ed., Orita, II, 3. Ibid., p. 17.

149 like Crowther's description of Yoruba worship as idolatrous or heathen. He quotes Crowther to show the latter's sin of condemning other religions: Questioning Gollmer's school children about the sermons they had heard from him, Crowther was "truly gratified to hear from each boy a simple statement of the discourse of the day and with a tone of conviction of the folly of idol worship related parts which referred to the superstition of their parents." This kind of approach was directed at more than effecting changes in the religious system of society, it was putting a bomb under it. And it was all the more effective for being done, in the Yoruba language.1 To McKenzie's view, it was bad enough for Crowther to try to bring some changes to Yoruba system of worship. The bishop's effort to make a completely "new creation" or a "new man" out of Yoruba people amounts to placing dynamite to the system. This becomes unpalatable to the universalist, to say the least. To play it soft with other equally revealed faiths, is the path Orita places before the Christian. But is this the position of revealed Christianity? Does this not contradict the very first and second commandments that say, "You shall have no other gods before Me, You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth" (Exod. 20:4, 5)? Is it not an antithetical ____________
1

Ibid., p. 16.

150 rather than synthetical approach to other religions that both the Old and New Testaments present as the approach the people of God should take (Deut. 31:15-20)? "Christ is not the ally of Belial, nor has a believer anything to share with an unbeliever" (2 Cor. 6;15, Jerusalem Bible). Bishop Samuel Adjai Crowther was only being obedient to the "heavenly vision." As best expressed in Professor Idowu.--The crowning reflection of universalistic philosophy of Orita has best been expressed by Professor Idowu in his article, "Faiths in Interaction."1 The article gives substantially the basic background of Idowu's position as expressed in his other works. 1. Idowu's handling of Scriptures is done in a "proof text" fashion. This is in spite of the fact that he cautions other people against the practice.2 He has little regard for the context. Worse still, he interprets the Scriptures in light of his theory rather than subjecting his view to ________ M. Goriawala, ed., Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, IV/2 (December, 1970), 85. E. Bolaji Idowu, private interview, Ibadan University, Nigeria, February 22, 1973.
2 1

151 the scrutiny of the Word of God. One glaring example of such an approach is his interpretation of Isaiah 11:6-9. According to Idowu, Isaiah predicted here the end result of all religions. This is the Kingdom of God. "This is a vision of shalom--total well being and harmony especially in relationships, all in consequence of the fact that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as waters cover the sea.1 Idowu claims that in Isaiah 11:6-9 "Isaiah sees the end of religion."2 Idowu further explains: It is not to be doubted that here the prophet was concerned mainly with Yahwism; but it is also true that this was already Yahwism with a universal note, however, tinged with Israelitish ethnocentricity. We are already approaching the religion of Yahweh whose revelation to the prophets carried the warning that He was not to be confined within the nationality of Israel; for He is the Lord . . . the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.3 Idowu fails to note that the condition described by Isaiah is not of man's making. It is Yahweh Himself who will intervene to bring universal peace to the sin-infested, war-torn earth. The greatest of those sins is "religion" per se. In religions man has built up barricades against ________
1

Goriawala, ed., Orita, IV/2, 88. Ibid.

3

Ibid.

152 God. Man-made religion has only sealed up man's rebellion against his Maker. True universalism is proclamation of the gospel of peace to all men and not in recognition of religions of all men converging to form the Kingdom of God. The Lord will come to judge the nations and purge the earth of rebellion before setting up His universal rule. To claim that such a Kingdom will be "the outcome of true worship" in the sense of all religions is hardly a correct interpretation of the message of the prophet. The prophet opens with "then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1) and gives all the spiritual attributes that will be the girdle of His loin. "The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isa. 11:9) comes only after the Lord has subdued nations and placed His feet upon Zion (Zech. 14: 3, 4). It is going to be the Lord's doing and not the outcome of man-made religious systems whether that system is Christianity as a system, African Traditional Religions, Islam, or any other. In a similar fashion Idowu misuses the account of Micah 4:3-5 to suit universalism. The passage clearly states that the Lord will "judge among many people," causing justice to prevail. The King and Judge will be the Lord Himself. The instrument and basis of judgment is the

153 holy law of God that will come out of Zion. He will judge the nations according to His revealed Word, and not by individual nations. C. F. Keil has rightly observed: The ways of Jehovah are the ways which God takes in His dealing with men, and by which men are led by Him; in reality, therefore, the ordinances of salvation which he has revealed in His word, the knowledge and observance of which secure life and blessedness. The words "for the law goes forth from Zion," etc., are words spoken not by the nations, but by the prophet, and assign the reason why the heathen go with such zeal to the mountain of Jehovah.1 If the Lord is the Judge and His Word the basis, the nations then have nothing to contribute but readiness to appropriate whatever share of the blessings that will accrue to them. Keil appropriately concludes: "It will not be through any general humanitarian ideas and efforts, however, that the human race will reach this goal, but solely through the omnipotence and faithfulness of the Lord."2 Verse five of Isaiah chapter eleven rules out any possibility of man's religions effecting the universal peace. It says, "For all nations walk every man in the name of his God, but we walk in the name of Jehovah our God _________ C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, trans. by James Martin (10 vols.; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d.), X, 457.
2 1

Ibid., p. 458.

154 for ever and ever." This is no "Israelitish ethnocentricity." It is a contrast of the God of Israel and those who treated them kindly (Matt. 25:31-46) with the so-called gods of the heathen world: But the gods of all the nations, i.e. of all the heathen, are worthless beings, without life, without strength. Jehovah, on the contrary, is the only true God, the almighty Creator and Governor of the world. And the heathen with their worthless gods, can do nothing to Him and the nation which walks in His name, His strength. If, therefore, Israel rejoices for ever and ever in the strength of its God, the heathen nations cannot disturb the peace which He will create for Israel and all who accept His Word.1 Instead of this clear, normal understanding of the passage, Idowu wrests it to suit his presupposition that all religions are good. He makes Micah say that all worship is valid as a worship of Yahweh. He claims: Here, in defining "total peace" as the end of religion Micah adds startlingly the acceptance and understanding of each people in the religious context in which they lived. This would be as already asserted, because Yahweh was in control everywhere; and maybe that he would like to have added that, therefore, every impulse to worship at all, and the resulting practice of essential worship, was of "the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth."2 Idowu puts words in the prophet's mouth in saying "and maybe that he would like to have added" that all ___________
1

Ibid. Idowu, Orita, IV/2, 89.

155 worship is Yahweh's. This is in addition to the distortion already given that the peace Micah speaks about amounts to the acceptance of "each people in the religious context in which they lived."1 By what principle of exegesis Idowu arrives at such a conclusion is hard to tell. Is it not because of the worthlessness of their gods that the heathen nations want to flee to Zion for help? One further passage twisted to fit a preconceived theory is John 4;23, 24: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Incidentally, only those who worship Him "in truth and in spirit" please the Father. This fits in with John 14:6, Matthew 7:21, and Acts 4:12. Idowu quotes the passage and adds the popular liberal cliche that total humanity is one brotherhood under the fatherhood of one God. H. D. McDonald very well sums up the position of Harnack, an arch liberal. He says; "Essential New Testament faith, then, as he saw it, was to ___________
1

Ibid.

Ibid.

156 believe in the all-inclusive Fatherhood of God made known as such, in the teaching of Jesus. "1 Presenting the modern cast of the same view, McDonald observes: While much present day theology has changed the figure, its fundamental characterization of what the gospel is has not much changed. If God cannot now be presented by the symbol "Father" He can be regarded meaningfully, we are assured, as "the Ground of all being."2 While it is true that all people are children of God by creation (and it is equally true that man has lost the privilege of being God's child), God is no longer a Father to everyone in the same sense, but their Creator and Sustainer. A ruling monarch provides for all the subjects of his Kingdom. But only those born into the royal family naturally or by adoption are really King's sons and daughters. All men have now become rebels and can become children only by spiritual birth or adoption (Rom. 8;14-17). Therefore, when Jesus used the term Father, He either used it in reference to Himself, or to those whom the Word of God says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe ________ H. D. McDonald, Living Doctrines of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 12. 2 Ibid., p. 13.
1

157 in His name" (John 1:12). The only other use of God as Father is in reference to Israel as the chosen people of God (Mark 7:27; Matt. 15:26; 8;12). Schrenk asks, "Did Jesus go beyond this and think of God as the Father of all men? According to Mt. 5:43-45, His goodness as Creator extends to all. But this is not fatherhood."1 The term Father for God occurs about 115 times in John's Gospel. The phrase, "'our Father' occurs only once, though in the decisive verse 20:17 where it denotes the new status of the disciples after the resurrection."2 But neither is there any indication that the Lord wanted it to stand for universal Fatherhood. Rather to the contrary, the Lord chided the unbelieving Jews, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father" (John 8:44). Any person outside of Jesus Christ, whether a Jew or a Gentile, has Satan for his father. In using the term Father here (John 4:23), Christ links that up with the "true worshipers, such true worshipers were found in Samaria at that occasion (John 4:42) . They alone can speak of God as ___________ Gottlob Schrenk, " ", et al., " Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1967), V, 990.
2 1

Ibid. , p. 13.

158 Father. This is the position of Christ and His followers. The Apostle Paul understood the concept of the Fatherhood of God in the same way Jesus did. Only a Christocentric, Father-son relationship by the means of faith is possible (Rom. 4:11, 16, 18; Gal. 3:7). Abraham's faith is the pattern for Christians today in attaining to sonship. Only by this experiential faith can any one refer to God as "Abba Father" (Rom. 8:15). In Ephesians 3:14 Paul is addressing those who have assumed the new family name, Christians, so God is their Father. All the beautiful phrases Idowu uses are only one side of the total nature of God. That He is an all-loving Father sounds sympathetic but is God only that? Is He not also described as "a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29)? "The earth is the Lord's" is scriptural. But do the same Scriptures not also present a bold line of demarcation between the children of God and the children of the world system (1 John 4:4-6)? Justice is just as much an attribute of God as love. Through justice His holiness will be vindicated. 2. Idowu's call for mutual understanding between religions is the second concept to be observed in the philosophy of Orita as expressed by Idowu. His recognition of

159 other religions, epistemological relativism, and end of all religions will now be examined. Idowu does not just mean to appreciate the sincerity of the worshipers of other religions. Idowu's concept of understanding is that the Christian should accept the idolatrous worship of a non-Christian as a valid service to God. Heathen worship is just another way, and a valid one at that, of worshiping God. He advocates: It is especially vital that we must come to a clear understanding and sincere appreciation of that which other persons with whom we are being brought into contact hold dear, what really "makes them tick," that is their basic beliefs, their religions.1 Man is called upon to recognize that although differences exist between religions, they are still heading the same direction. The Christian should note that his faith is only "one homo religiosus as meeting another homo religiosus."2 If this is the understanding the Christian is called upon to have, is there still room for seeking to evangelize the non-Christian? Harold Lindsell has succinctly summed up the outcome to be expected from this kind of understanding of other religions: ___________
1

Idowu, Orita, IV/2, 87. Ibid., p. 91.

160 Plainly, if all religions are generically the same, it follows that all of them disclose the same God, and despite their differences in approach to that God it is possible in all of them to reach God and have fellowship with Him, although along variant lines, and under different conditions. The nerve of missions is automatically cut and the imperative is gone for spending precious lives, time and money to do what other vehicles are already doing, although somewhat less perfectly.1 This type of "mutual understanding" that is a weapon for coup de grace for evangelism is evidently contrary to the mission of the New Testament Church. The mission of rescuing the perishing souls steeped in sin, whether they are religious or not. is the mission committed to the disciple of Christ (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8). Conflict with other religions may be the outcome (2 Cor. 11:23-33), but is the servant greater than his Master (John 15:20)? The Christian understanding of men of other religions can only be that once he too like them, was blind, trying in vain to secure a broken reed. But now the grace of God has rescued him, so he should be burdened for those still groping in darkness (and not to ridicule them), burdened enough to want to share the bread of life with them just as a fortunate mendicant lovingly shares with his former colleagues. ___________ Harold Lindsell, An Evangelical Theology of Missions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), p. 88.
1

161 The epistemological relativism of Idowu needs some attention. According to Idowu, it is impossible for one to know assuredly not only the matter of other religions, but even one's own religion. In the manuscript of his newly published book (not yet available to the present author), Idowu declares: In the study of religion, the first high-way code for the scholar should be caution . . . It will thus be a restraining influence to know that no scholar who is worth the name should create the impression that his own is the last word on the subject of religious studies. The limit of research is not yet reached and may never be reached by finite man. We live in a Universe where Reality is constantly revealing itself, where new facts of it are being discovered from time to time. The days of absolute certainty in regard to the universe and human beings are gone, and this is in consequence of the disillusionments which have made foolish the wisdom of the "oracles of the past," even during their own life time.1 In 1970 Idowu held the view that it is possible for one to know the tenets of one's faith. But one could know other faiths only empirically. He stated: It may be categorically stated that it is perilous to make statements about the tenets of any religion unless this is verified from its Scripture. This goes for a religion like African Traditional Religion whose Scripture is enshrined in oral literature and are only just being collected: it is necessary to consult whatever ___________ E. Bolaji Idowu, African Traditional Religion: A Definition (London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1973), p. 1.
1

162 sources there are rather than to resort to the usual, obnoxious guess-work.1 In three years Idowu has shifted from empirical knowledge to skepticism. Since "the days of absolute certainty" are gone, and the "Reality is constantly revealing itself," man cannot say with the Apostle Paul, "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (2 Tim. 1;12). Idowu considers this type of confidence eccentricity. But if absolute confidence in "Thus saith the Lord" is gone, does it not set man drifting about like a moving vehicle without a steering wheel, or a sailing ship in troublous waters without a radar? This is the problem of relativity. No one can be sure of his own religion or that of other people. Idowu's claim in 1970 that Christians should wait for the "oral literature" of African Traditional Religion to be collected before making a value judgment on it is now invalidated. The Christian, according to this relative philosophy, cannot say that unbelievers will go to hell. "Pure religion should in fact kill such egocentricity in man and give him the grace to live and let ___________
1

Idowu, Orita, IV/2, 96.

163 others live."1 Idowu's skepticism can be sustained only on the human level. Man as a finite being has no basis of infinite truth. Francis Schaeffer has well stated; Finite man in the external universe, being finite, has no sufficient reference point if he begins absolutely and autonomously from himself and thus needs certain knowledge. God gives us this in the Scriptures.2 Man and his system has no reference point. As long as he looks only within himself and the system he has constructed, he cannot be sure. His so-called scripture that is not a direct revelation from the triune God cannot give the assurance. But since Idowu allows the possibility of contact with the supernatural, can this supreme Being not give man an assured revelation? That is the orthodox Christian position. God as a person has communicated to man. That communication does not give the Christian man all that he would like to know. But the knowledge that God has given is an assured knowledge. "The biblical Christian says that, on the side of personality, man can know God truly, though he cannot know God exhaustively."3 On the basis of this _________
1

Ibid., p. 100.

Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There (Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-varsity Press, 1968), p. 93.
3

Ibid., p. 95.

164 true knowledge, the Christian can speak authoritatively not only on his own faith but on other faiths, too. If he does not abide by the truth of the Word of God, then guess-work, fuzzy theologizing, and all-inclusive theology becomes his shelter. As E. J. Carnell has pointed out, "Knowing this corpus of revelation, through the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, we can say with Paul, 'we have the mind of Christ' (I Cor. 2:16)."1 Carnell further affirms, "The Christian, by systematic consistency, will be privileged to speak not only of the other side of the moon and of an absolute good, but also of creation, the flood, angels, heaven, and hell."2 When he speaks so confidently, warning men to flee the wrath to come, it is not ego-centricity unless he does so in the flesh. In telling men what it is like on the matter of hell is merely walking in the steps of the Master who spoke the same way (John 3:36; Luke 13:5). If Jesus, the compassionate lover of sinners and the downtrodden, pictured hell as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 1:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28), _________ Edward John Carnell, An Introduction to Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), p. 63.
2 1

Ibid., p. 64.

165 His followers cannot do otherwise but proclaim the whole counsel of God. Another concept to consider is the end of all religions as Idowu sees them. If no one can be sure of his religion, let alone the religion of other people, then no one can be sure of where everyone is going. Somehow, however, Idowu finds reason to be sure that all will be well with every soul. Idowu believes that all religions will produce "the paradise lost." He quotes C. S. Lewis as follows, "In all discussions of Hell, we should keep steadily before our eyes the possible damnation, not of our enemies nor of our friends . . . but of ourselves." Idowu then interprets: In the first quotation, C. S. Lewis is reminding us that we are not God. We have enough to do to get right with God and fulfil his will and it is not our business to decide whether this or that person is heading for Hell just because we do not approve of his religion or his character.1 One wonders if Idowu is really interpreting Lewis here. Lewis apparently is warning Christians in the words of the Apostle Paul, "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10;13). This is not the same as saying that sinners should not be told their fate for rejecting Christ. The Christian is supposed ____________
1

C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, cited in Orita,

IV/2, 101.

166 to declare the "whole counsel of God" which includes "the judgment to come" (Acts 24:25). Lewis did not withhold the warning of this judgment to come. He says elsewhere: God is going to invade, all right but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something elsesomething it never entered your head to conceivecomes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left?1 If there is any theologian who rejects the Orita philosophy of all roads leading to one destiny, it is C. S. Lewis. In his book dealing with the "Marriage of Heaven and Hell," The Great Divorce, he declares: We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore, draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the center: rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork you must make a decision. Even on the biological level life is not like a pool but like a tree. It does not move towards unity but away from it and the creatures grow further apart as they increase in perfection. Good, as it ripens becomes continually more different not only from evil but from other good.2 Idowu went on to quote T. Stratton Smith, whose view conforms with Idowu's universalism: _________ C. S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity (New York: Iversen Associates, 1969), p. 450. C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (New York: Iversen Associates, 1969), p. 111.
2 1

167 Human spiritual intercourse is the theme of my very life. Why are described in such delicate detail the staircases which lead up to God? There exists so many guides and manuals to intercourse with God, but about the mystery of human intercourse there is nothing. At the Last Judgment, I will not be asked whether I satisfactorily practised asceticism, nor how many bows I have made before the divine altar. I will be asked whether I fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and the prisoner in jail. That is all that I will be asked.1 Idowu approves of Smith's position that religions are "staircases which lead up to God." He considers the quote relevant "from the point of view of all that we have said." He also concurs with the position that the Last Judgment will be determined by the individual's works. If all religions are staircases, why did God bother to send His only begotten Son, the Second Person of the Trinity? There have been many "staircases" which should do the job. In fact, there has not yet been found a people without a "staircase." If it is religion that will be the ladder to heaven, then all the roads will meet. "Orita" Road junction would be a true hypothesis. But that cannot be the case. All religions are human effort to build up the tower of Babel. Lindsell gives the biblical view: The Bible itself presupposes the fact that no other religion is adequate and stamps them all as foreign to __________

T. Stratton Smith, The Rebel Nun (Pan Books, 1967) pp. 104, 127, cited in Orita, IV/2, 101.

168 the true revelation and thus man made substitutes no matter how elevated the ethics nor how high the concept of the divine being behind the religion.1 Bishop Lesslie Newbigin also correctly observes: It is assumed that religion is the sphere of salvation. Why is this? If the Bible is our guide, we cannot exclude the possibility that precisely religion may be the sphere of damnationthe place where man is farthest from the living God. Surely we must insist that the "light that lightens every man" shines not only, perhaps not even chiefly, in man's religion; rather we may see it shining in the ordinary fidelities of home, business and national life.2 A further observation of this concluding note is the basis of final judgment. The Last Judgment referred to in Matthew 25:40-46 is not the judgment of individuals; The judgment here described is a judgment of nations, as nations, not as individuals. It is said that the nations as autonomous entities are to be judged at the Lord's return on the basis of their treatment of the Jewish people.3 The judgment of individuals will be entirely Christological. It is a biblical truism that "he who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). The proposition of accepting or rejecting __________
1

Lindsell, An Evangelical Theology of Missions, p.

95. Lesslie Newbigin, The Finality of Christ (Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1969), p. 42. J. Oliver Buswell, Jr., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), II, 420.
3 2

169 Jesus Christ here and now settles the question of eternity. The popular slogan today, "One Way," is biblical (John 14: 6). The humane proposition of Orita is contrary to reason and Scriptures. If all roads lead to the same place, why should one bother to "repent" or change to follow another way? If any religion is as good as the other, why should one try to tell somebody to accept one way rather than the other? Yet that is the constant theme of the Biblewarning men to repent and accept the new and living Way (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38). The alternative is either to recognize this as the only way, not even a better way, or vaguely to see all religions as valid ways. The latter alternative is the position of Orita. The former position, which would seek to live in peace with all men, if possible, but also uphold the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the only way, is the biblical position. Idowu's Further Exposition of Theology of "Implicit Monotheism" His works Summary.--The Reverend Professor E. Bolaji Idowu, head of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan, has also recently been appointed president

170 of the Methodist Church of Nigeria. Besides his contributions in the journal Qrita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, he has made several other contributions. His largest publication is the 222-page book Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief. It is the published volume of his Ph.D. dissertation from London University. It deals exclusively with the religion of Yoruba of Nigeria, Idowu's own ethnic group. Idowu's other works include Towards an Indigenous Church, articles in Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs and Christianity in Tropical Africa, and articles in other journals. Idowus latest works are African Traditional Religion: A Definition and God or Idols? A closer look at some of Idowu's writings regarding such concepts as Christian "idolaters," confusion of God's witness, idolatry becomes monotheism, and supposed monotheistic worship is researched by this writer. 1. Regarding Christian "idolaters, " Eugene A. Nida has raised the point: Not that we must look upon all extra-Biblical sources as being false, suspect, or lacking in profound and true insights, for they reveal much about the nature of the world and of man and offer important ways of looking upon the relationships of the infinite to the

171 finite. But they do not reveal God, in the sense of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1 This is a crucial question in comparative religions. Do adherents of all religions worship the same God as the Christians do? How much of God is known in non-Christian religions? The main thesis of Idowu's book God or Idols? is on this particular issue. In a personal interview he explained that "if any Christian does not recognize that the worshipers of African Traditional Religions know and worship the same God of the Bible, that Christian is an idolater."2 Idowu lamented, "It is a hard fact that there are many Christians who are idol worshipers.3 God is one, and to deny that the traditional religious worshipers of Africa serve the same God is to minimize the greatness of the sovereign Lord of the Universe. Idowu declares: By a miscarriage of purpose the church has succeeded in preaching to, and in teaching Africans about a strange God whom they have somehow come to identify as the God of the white man. But what has happened to the God as known to their forbears? . . . Indeed, African nationalism is already calling into being a political God of Africa in contradistinction to the God of the Europeans __________ Eugene A. Nida, Message and Mission (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1960), p. 184.
2 1

Idowu, interview, February 22, 1973. Ibid.

172 whom a prominent politician once described as a God of oppression, a God of greed and injustice.1 Idowu further asserts, "what is even more important we should realize that Africans have their own distinctive concepts of God and that God according to African traditional belief is not a loan-God from the missionaries."2 Some missionaries have failed to take general revelation seriously. This error and ignorance was more pronounced in the early missionaries. A certain missionary, after spending ten months in Nigeria in 1918, rushed to the conclusion about the people among whom he labored, "The people are a low type. They live for the most part in crude nudity. The older men and women can recall the taste of human flesh. They are all lazy .... They do not know God."3 In self-contradiction he also said that they "are monotheists; but their God called Yumba is in very deed to them 'the Unknown God,' the source and author of all they cannot explain."4 For the missionary who made _________ Kwesi A. Dickson and Paul Ellingworth,eds., Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1969), p. 13.
2 1

Ibid., p. 29.

Christine Ferrier (unpublished paper, Agincourt, Canada, 1918), p. 2.

4

Dickson and Ellingworth, eds., Biblical Revelation,

p. 22.

173 such an obviously ignorant observation, Idowu would call his God an idol. But what is the problem here? From his exhaustive studies Idowu has come to the conclusion that the Yoruba as well as other ethnic groups of Africa have a clear knowledge of God, the Father of Jesus Christ. They do not, admittedly, have the absolute knowledge. And no other religion does, Idowu claims. But they surely know Him, even experientially, and have actually responded to Him in worship, according to Idowu. He further affirms: Suffice it to observe that, surely, God is One, not many, and that to the one God belongs the earth and all its fullness. It is this God, therefore, Who reveals Himself to every people on earth and whom they have apprehended according to the degree of their spiritual perception, expressing their knowledge of Him, if not as trained philosophers or educated theologians certainly as those who have had some practical experience of Him.1 2. Regarding confusion of God's witness, the confusion between Idowu and the "Christian idolaters" seems to stem from the knowledge of God in the sense of awareness and experiential knowledge on one hand; and the degree of knowledge about the object known and the service rendered or not rendered to Him on the other. The discussion may be compared to the following poem ___________
1

Idowu, Olodumare, p. 31.

174 written by John G. Saxe: THE BLIND MEN AMD THE ELEPHANT It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. The first approached the elephant, And, happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl, "God bless me but the elephant Is very like a wall! " The second feeling of the tusk Cried: "Ho what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear This wonder of an elephant Is very like a spear!" The third approached the animal. And, happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the elephant, Is very like a snake!" The fourth reached out his eager hand, And felt about the knee; "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; "'Tis clear enough the elephant Is very like a tree." The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most. Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an elephant Is very like a fan!"

175 The sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Than, seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the elephant Is very like a rope! " And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong; So, oft in theologic wars The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an elephant Not one of them has seen!1 The dim revelation of the supreme Being through the eyes of the totally depraved man is blown out of proportion to give the impression the traditional worshiper has a clear knowledge of God and even serves Him. The enthusiastic missionary has rushed to the conclusion that the African cannot conceive God. To deny that the African animist has some conception of God is a contradiction of both the facts of experience and the teachings of God's Word. The works of Idowu, Mbiti, and Parrinder, among others on African ___________ Ralph L. Woods, ed., A Treasury of the Familiar (Chicago: Peoples Book Club, 1945), p. 8.
1

176 Traditional Religions, have given enough information to demonstrate that natural revelation also includes the "primitive African." John V. Taylor, reflecting the view of many other scholars of African religions, writes: On the one hand I find it impossible to dispute a universal recognition of, and desire for, the Ultimate God. The proof for this seems to lie not so much in the titles of the Creator which are used today in every tribe, for these may reflect an imported teaching, but rather in the references everywhere in songs and proverbs and riddles, whose archaic grammatical forms attest their antiquity.1 It has been firmly established that the traditional worshipers have an awareness of the Supreme Being and this Supreme Being is none other than God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does this surprise anyone? "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder" (James 2:19). Surely the animists in Africa cannot be worse than demons. The problem lies not so much in the fact of knowledge, but in the type and extent of that knowledge. It is a well-known fact that knowledge can be spoken of in more than one sense. Many people in the world can say that they know Billy Graham or Jomo Kenyatta. But ___________ John V. Taylor, The Primal Vision (London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1963), p. 83.
1

177 when the wife of either of these men says that she knows her husband, it is clear that she means a different thing. The Apostle Paul discusses the type of knowledge and the extent of it as possessed by the heathen in Romans chapter one. A thorough exegesis is not called for except to point out the type and content of knowledge that people outside biblical revelation have had. "For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made it plain" (Rom. 1:19, Jerusalem Bible). The usage of knowledge in the early church could mean that which is "no more question of objective confirmation but of a knowledge which accepts the consequences of knowledge."1 It could also mean, "primarily acknowledgment, and obedient or grateful submission to what is known."2 The second type may be illustrated with the knowledge of salvation (2 Cor. 8:9) and the will of God (Rom. 2:18). This second type of knowledge may also be used of Christian service. "That the knowledge of God attained in Christianity is a service of God, is illustrated by the material _________ Rudolf Bultmann, ", et al. , " Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), I, 704.
2 1

Ibid., pp. 704-5.

178 parallel in I Thessalonians 1:9."

1

The third type of knowledge is that which may be described merely as recognition. In the noun and passive form is used in this sense. Bultmann declares, "'Recognisable' (in the LXX only at Sir. 21:7) is certainly the sense in Romans 1:19."2 Bultmann further adds: Thus in the concept of the knowledge of God the element of knowledge emerges alongside and sometimes prior to that of acknowledgment. The two are obviously linked in Romans 1:18-23 (esp. 21: ).3 Verses 19 and 21 may be summed up in this fashion: observable things that should bring "submission knowledge" were clearly given to them (v. 19) through the things created by God. They had the "recognisable knowledge," or they had some glimpses of certain aspects of God. His omnipotence and divine nature rather than divine personality is known to the natural man through general revelation. However, the recognizable knowledge was completely distorted, though not obliterated. The distortion became evident in the representations they resorted to making. By this effort they have turned to serve the creation rather than the Creator. ________
1

Ibid., p. 705. Ibid., p. 705.

Ibid., p. 719.

179 The analogy of "The Blind Men and the Elephant" may be pressed further. What the non-Christian has done with his acquaintance with the elephant is that the first blind man has set up a wall to remind himself of the elephant. The second man has procured a spear, the third man a snake, then a tree, a fan, and a rope in this order. As each of these men bows to his object he has taken to be an elephant he calls it an elephant. A foreign visitor, the missionary with the fuller account through the Living Word and the Written Word knows what an elephant really is, and objects completely that his guests have seen an elephant. The rebuttal comes from the defendant of the blind men, who upholds that they have seen the elephant in its totality, a few mysterious elements notwithstanding. With sentiments apart, it is a fact that the heathen have "bowed down to wood and stone." This is idolatry. "And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and fourfooted animals and crawling creatures" (Rom. 1:23). W. Sanday has given a concise summation of the heathen condition here described: They knew enough of God to know that thanks and praise were due to Him; but neither of these did they offer. They put aside the natural instinct of adoration, and fell to speculations, which only led them farther and farther from the truth. The new knowledge of which

180 they went in quest proved to be fiction; the old knowledge that they had was obscured and lost by their folly. Starting with two things--portion of enlightenment on the one hand, and the natural tendency of the human mind to error on the other, the latter prevailed, and the former became eclipsed. 1 Paul's indictment can be applied to people anywhere who have turned their back upon God the Creator. During the time of writing, the Apostle had not been to Rome (Rom. 1:10). He was merely drawing from his knowledge of debased Greek mythology and gross immorality, particularly in Corinth. But his description fits the religions of Greece and Rome. 3. Regarding idolatry becomes monotheism, instead of recognizing the fact of idolatry, monotheistic universalists have given a fresh meaning to the idols. Idowu rationalizes; They may appear to live their lives in absolute devotion to the divinities, but underneath all their acts of worship is the deep consciousness that Olodumare is above all and ultimately controls all issues.2 Idowu even goes as far as saying that it is God who ordains these divinities as His ministers. The images have ___________ W. Sanday, "Romans VII-VIII, " Ellicott's Conimentary on the Whole Bible, ed. by Charles John Ellicott (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. p. 207.
2 1

Idowu, Olodumare, p. 50.

181 their home in heaven with God. This is the basic motif of Yoruba cultic art; for that the home of the divinity is in heaven; and that is the relevance of invocation at the beginning of worship. . . . We know too well how these emblems can become heavy weights tied to the wings of the soul, thus making earth-bound a thing meant for heaven. This is where idolatry comes in; and anyone who describes a religion which has become idolatry as fetichism is fully justified.1 It is the abuse of images Idowu rejects. But as long as the worshiper sees his image as a medium between him and God, it is a valid approach, Idowu claims. Having "explained" the function of divinities, Idowu concludes: At bottom, as we have observed, the soul of the religion, that which makes it a coherent whole, is the monotheism which is implied in Olodumare. For a proper name we unhesitatingly say that there can be none other but "Olodumareism."2 Do Christians know and worship the same God? Idowu's answer is an unqualified affirmative. What the Word of God calls idolatry, Idowu calls ministers of God in order to provide room for monotheistic universalism. While it is recognized that adherents of African Traditional Religions are not devoid entirely of the knowledge of God, it is evident that they have distorted that knowledge. They have turned that knowledge of God into idol or spirit worship. __________
1

Ibid., p. 65.

Ibid., p. 204.

182 An observer looking at this outward form may conclude that the "primitive people do not know God." The awareness of God is there. But Idowu does not need to baptize depravity into dignity. That natural man is aware of God is one thing, and that he also worships God through images is entirely another. Edward A. Alpers has been very realistic. What he says of East Central Africa can be repeated in West Africa. He writes: All the matrilineal peoples of East Central Africa share a common belief in a supreme deity, a phenomenon which Fr. Franz Schildknecht refers to as "practical monotheism." Thus, at the most abstract cosmological plane there was a ubiguitous religious concept that could be readily identified with Allah. But religious practice did not centre on the direct worship of this supreme deity, who was variously called muluku (Makna) or nnungu (Makonde). Rather it was "ancestor veneration" which constituted the mainspring of traditional African religion in the southern interior.1 A further relevant question to be asked is the extent of the knowledge of God the traditional worshipers have. The passage under consideration (Rom. 1:19-23) does not give all that may be known without special revelation, but it gives some. His "invisible" attributes are not all given, but His "eternal power" and "divine nature" are _________ Edward A. Alpers, "Towards a History of the Expansion of Islam in East Africa: The Matrilineal Peoples of the Southern Interior," The Historical Study of African Religion, ed. by T. 0. Ranger and Isaria Kimambo (Nairobi: Heinemann, 1972), p. 173.
1

183 displayed. His can be none other than what is observed in creation. The book of nature is the open declaration of the eternal God. This is confirmed by the fact that all peoples of Africa have theories of creation or myths of God's relation with the earth. A further knowledge possible is the fact of God's deity. The present author has observed: The term ( ) translated divinity here should not be confused with Godhead, which would have been . "The fact is that the Creator is divine; is of a different nature from ourselves, and accompanied by distinct attributes, and those of the highest order." It is evident that natural revelation was not meant to give man the clear understanding of the Godhead in the sense of the Triune God as given in the special revelation.1 The fact of God's personality and His tri-unity remains hidden to the heathen. Yet these aspects are absolutely necessary for man's approach to God and for redemption. While it may not be denied that some property of personality may be predicated in non-Christian religions, it is only in Christianity that a clear teaching of an absolute personal, triune God exists. Lindsell observes: Thus if He reveals Himself to be a personal God in the Christian faith He cannot reveal Himself to be impersonal in another. But having revealed Himself as we ___________ Byang H. Kato, "Limitations of Natural Revelation" (unpublished Master's thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1971), p. 59.
1

184 believe finally and completely, in the Christian faith, we have an objective test by which we can examine other faiths.1 Some attributes of God can be observed in animism. Those attributes are evidences of the general revelation of the Supreme Being. It is not in religious practices that God is found. Lindsell's view can be supported, if he denies the knowledge of God from that aspect. But it still remains a fact that non-Christians can and do conceive of God and prove this by the name they give the Supreme Being and their use of this name in songs and proverbs. Animistic worship is no proof that man is trying to worship God. It, however, shows man's awareness of the existence of the Supreme Being and man's rebellion against that God. It also shows the deep search for the Reality in spite of the attempted flight from Him. Only Jesus Christ can meet this thirst, not by filling up the measure of idolatry but by transformation. 4. Regarding monotheistic worship, one final aspect of the claim of monotheism is worship. After an on-thespot investigation of Yoruba religion, Geoffrey Parrinder reports: _________
1

Lindsell. An Evangelical Theology of Missions, p.

99.

185 The priest of one important temple, when questioned on this point said that he did not worship Olorun, but that he believed God created his own temple deity (Oduduwa). He said that before Europeans came to this country the Yoruba people knew of God, but built Him no temples but nowadays anybody who has money can build a house for Himthat is to say a church or mosque.1 Idowu, however, affirms that Yoruba people do not only know God perfectly, but they even worship Him. He concludes that there is some abuse of that worship, and that happens only when a person makes the image an end in itself. Idowu then writes apologetically defending Yoruba worship as a service to God. He holds that true relationship with God can be established in Yoruba religion. He declares: In true prayer, belief in and knowledge of the Deity as personal comes to clear and emphatic expression. Man enters into a personal relationship with the Deity, and in that relationship man as a creature is confronted with the Deity as Creator and "Determiner of Destiny."2 Other students of African Traditional Religions claim true worship of God for other tribes. Writing of the Padhola tribe of Uganda, Bethwell A. Ogot suggests: The religions of the River Lake Nilotes are therefore all monotheistic, and as Thomas and Scott observed several years ago, their Supreme Being, Jok, is "regarded _________ Geoffrey Parrinder, Religion in an African City (London: Oxford University Press, 1953), p. 8.
2 1

Idowu, Olodumare, p. 116.

186 with reference, which appears almost Semitic in spirit." Although he is recognised in his different manifestations--a development not unusual even in more highly intellectual religions this does not detract from his fundamental oneness.1 Because of his conviction that Padhola worship the true God sincerely, Ogot laments the pure Christianity that would not accommodate non-Christian beliefs in Africa. He evaluates: The general spiritual malaise observable in most African societies today is attributable, I think to the failure to reconcile the Old Testament in these societies with the new faith by either Christianising the old practices or by Africanising Christ or both.2 His view of God's revelation God and His witness through divinities.--Basic to Idowu's concept of revelation is the Apostle Paul's declaration at Antioch, "And yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). Idowu almost never quotes the whole verse. He writes: _________ Bethwell A. Ogot, "On the Making of a Sanctuary . . . History of Religion in Padhola," The Historical Study of African Religion, ed. by T. 0. Ranger and Isaria Kimambo (London; Heinemann, 1972), p. 124.
2 1

Ibid., p. 134.

187 As we focus our attention closer upon the Yoruba's concept of the Deity in order to know what they think and believe about His eternal Godhead and attributes it will be well for us once again to emphasize the fact that God has never left Himself without witness anywhere in this world.1 Idowu understands the revelation to be that which is from the beginning. He explains: The whole matter, apart from the definition of "Deity," pivots round the vexed question of whether the revelation of God is restricted to any particular race or creed, or whether indeed by divers portions and in divers manners God has spoken from the very beginning to every heart of all the peoples of the earthall the peoples whom He has made and set in their places on the face of the earthin the way which each understands; whether all religions in which God is not a mere abstraction but a personal, present, living, active and acting, succouring Reality are not each in its own way a consequence of the divine activity of the loving God who is seeking man, and of man's responsive soul reaching out (however feebly and uncertainly) for Him, each according to its native capability.2 Idowu appears to be proposing two concepts of revelation here. Firstly, he holds that Paul's remarks about God giving a witness to every people means the original revelation to mankind. One can assume that Idowu accepts the historicity of Genesis 1-11. This is highly commendable. Since man was made in the image of God, it is only to be expected that the Maker would communicate with His __________
1

Idowu, Olodumare, p. 30. Ibid., p. 31.

188 creation. Commendable though Idowu's proposition may be, it has two fallacies. Firstly, Idowu makes no reference to the fall that has occurred since the original revelation. This is part and parcel of the section of the Word of God which presents the original revelation. Man's fall, inevitably, affects his ability to understand the original revelation. This Idowu does not want to state because it will necessarily affect the revelation received by the worshipers of African Traditional Religions. The second fallacy is the wrong meaning attached to Paul's declaration. That Paul here was thinking of the original revelation is highly improbable. The New English Bible renders the passage: In past ages he allowed all nations to go their own way; and yet he has not left you without some clue to his nature, in the kindness he shows: he sends you rain from heaven and gives you food and good cheer in plenty (Acts 14:16, 17). The "witness" here is God's general goodness to all mankind everywhere at any time. In theological language, it is common grace, of which no peoples are deprived. Paul's audience brought out of God's creation flowers to show their deification of the Apostles. But Paul turned around to say, actually your garlands, just like the heavens, "declare the glory of God." There is no

189 indication that the Apostle had in mind the original revelation in this particular context. Idowu's second concept does the most serious violence to the Apostle Paul's text on the witness of God. It is his view that this refers to idols or divinities of different religions. Idowu sees all religions as "a consequence of the divine activity of the loving God who is seeking man."1 Idolatry observable in non-Christian religions is interpreted as God's gift to man. Idowu further states, "So that either the Yoruba Ori or the Igbo Chi means, in the general sense, that essence which derive from the Head-Source, the Great Source of all life and being the Source from which all take their origin."2 Idowu further indicates: According to Yoruba theology, the orisa were brought forth by Olodumare. We do not know by what method they were produced; but the strong suggestion of our oral traditions is that they were either engendered by Him or that they emanated from Him. . . . They [orisaYoruba deities] have been employed, from the very beginning, in duties connected with the earth and its fullness. Thus, they are the ministers of Olodumare, looking after the affairs of His universe and acting as intermediaries between Him and the world of men. To each of them is assigned a department over which he is ruler and governor.3 __________
1

Ibid.

Ibid. , p. 60.

Ibid. , p. 61.

190 Idowu further asserts: For, notwithstanding the compulsive pressure which it places upon us, we continue to find that the supersensible world is beyond our ken; that our natural faculty is too poor an instrument to search what lies within it. We therefore can do no more than take that which is "revealed" to our feeble, too-often-erring, vision.1 The dim concepts in other religions is the same as the varying interpretations of Christian truths according to Idowu. He compares the two: Each With His Own Brush is the title of a collection of works of art in which are represented the way in which each nation of the Christian world has apprehended some salient truths of Christianity. As it is with this collection, so it has always been with the more general and broader field of the apprehension of spiritual things. It is to each according to his own ability.2 A mere cursory look at the context shows that instead of seeing pagan gods as ministers of God, the Apostle Paul employs the basest language to describe these so-called gods. Before the Apostle points out the fact that creation manifests the power of God, he describes the sad condition of pagan religions. He did not tell them that Zeus and Hermes are ministers of God, through whom they should approach God. He does not play soft with them by advising them merely to improve their attitudes toward these highly respected gods. In no uncertain terms he challenged them: ___________
1

Ibid. , p. 65.

Ibid.

191 Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold (Acts 14:15). Although the Apostle was courteous in addressing the idolatrous Lycaonians, he and Barnabas have no respect for the objects of their worship. The Apostles are utterly furious because of the idolatrous worship even though the effort is to the best advantage of the Apostles on the human level. Paul calls their gods Zeus and Hermes, , these things from which they should turn to the living God. Thus, the absolute contrast is complete. One is things, the other is God. Zeus and Hermes are empty, man-made objects, God is living and eternal. The good news is good only because it shows man where he is in his worship of idols, and points him to God who alone has life in Himself and gives it to men willing to believe (John 5:26). Neither the Old nor the New Testaments ever saw the idols as ministers of God. Friedrich Bchsel correctly indicates the uses of in the LXX: A first point to notice is, that rather than is used for images of gods. Even more important is that the term is applied to the gods themselves. Behind the usage there is obviously a polemic against paganism. The presence of images as the focus of

192 worship is used to emphasize the unreality of heathen belief and the heathen gods.1 Bchsel gives numerous old Testament references to support his thesis (Deut. 4:28; 28:36; 29:16; Isa. 2:8, 20; 40:19, 20; 44:9-20; 46:1-7; Jer. 10:3-9; Hab. 2:18-19; Pss. 115:4-8; 135:15-18). It is not the condemnation of how the heathen used the images, but the fact of their having them at all in the New Testament: The N[ew]T[estament] usage rests on that of the LXX or the Jews. in the N[ew] T[estament] used for heathen gods and their images. . . . In relation to Paul's use of , the question arises how far he regards them as realities, it is evident from 1 Th. 1:9 that they are no gods in comparison with God, and from Gl. 4:8 and R[omans] 1:23 that they are not divine by nature but only products of human sin and folly. But he seems to see demons behind their worship (1 C. 10:19; cf. 8:5), so that we do not have here a purely, intellectual dismissal.2 The concept of "an unknown God."The Apostle Paul's message in Athens has wrongly been employed for support of monotheism of pagan Greeks, whereas the fact of the case is that the great Apostle, in his usual manner, spurns the polytheism of his audience. G. Campbell Morgan represents ___________ Friedrich Bchsel, ", et al. , " Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965), II, 377.
2 1

Ibid.. p. 378.

193 the erroneous traditional understanding of Mars' Hill address. He writes on Acts 17:22-34: No, said the Apostle, I am not a setter forth of a foreign god; I am here to set forth the God to whom you have already erected an altar. . . . All the unutterable agony of your need is focused and emphasized in that one inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD; and I declare that God to you.1 Morgan sees in Paul's speech a declaration of both the knowledge of and the institution of an altar to God, the Father of Jesus Christ. But both the grammar of the text and the external understanding of Greek mythology forbid this interpretation. The proper noun not have a definite article, and it does not need to have. However, it weakens the view of a definite personal God known to and worshiped by the Greeks. But a stronger, grammatical point is the use of the neuter article in verse 23. That impersonal concept, the vague, "perhapsunknowable-thing" is a genuine cry of the human heart to which Paul is now ready to fill with some real content. That Reality is God, the Creator, who needs no representation in any form or shape. Culturally and religiously, the Greeks were polytheists. People like Socrates who aspired to some Reality __________ G. Campbell Morgan, The Acts of the Apostles (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1924), p. 420.
1

194 higher than the dumb man-made things did not deserve to live. Hemlock was their desert. It would be inconceivable to see an altar in a place like the Royal Albert Hall or Madison Square Garden dedicated to a personal, supreme Being. The doctrine of creation, according to their poets, was ascribed to one of the gods, Zeus. Paul quoted the Greek poets Aratus and Epimenides, who had said that mankind is the offspring of Zeus. Arguing from the assent of their own poets to the transcendence of God, Paul reminded his audience that they could not logically picture Him as an image of metal or stone. Since His offspring are persons, not idols, the supreme deity must be a person.1 Paul was not saying that the Athenians had installed the altar to the same God he was proclaiming. Neither did he deny that the promptings of God, the vague awareness of the Creator was behind their action. Clues indeed there were, for only then could the point of contact be conceived. But their altar was not to the personal God Paul came to declare. F. F. Bruce rightly sums up the message: "Paul starts with his hearers' belief in an impersonal divine essence, pantheistically conceived, and leads them to the living God revealed as Creator and Judge."2 ___________ Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Times (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 266. F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles (London: Tyndale Press, 1951), p. 336.
2 1

195 It is hard to see it with Lenski who says: The idea expressed is not "to some Unknown God" but to a certain one whom the Athenians did not know as to his actual name, power, etc., as they knew their many other divinities. . . . He intended to regard this altar and its inscription only as a confession on the part of the Athenians that, despite their multitude of divinities, one God existed of whom they themselves said that, while they knew of him, they did not in any way know him.1 The grammatical and mythological considerations given above makes Lenski's position untenable. It may be concluded here with Glasser: Actually, when Paul's statement is critically examined, it becomes apparent that he did not unreservedly identify this "unknown god" of the altar inscription with the God whom he proclaimed. Rather, he announced that since they acknowledged their ignorance of the divine nature, he would tell them the truth about it .... The ignorance rather than the worship is thus underscored. 2 Paul was not praising the Athenians for worshiping the true God unawares. Rather, he was saying that the yearning of their heart for some kind of Reality not clear to them was the natural cry of the human heart after the creator. But their distorted mind has landed them in gross idolatry. Now he has something better to offer them, the _____________ R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles (Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1944), p. 723. Clark H. Pinnock and David F. Wells, ed., Toward a Theology for the Future (Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation House, 1971), p. 313.
2 1

196 redemptive God, Father of Jesus Christ. This is what would fill their vacuum. Deep in idolatry, Paul's audience could not get away from thinking that and other gods. The Apostle Paul challenged them into repentance in preparation for the coming judgment. The spirit of compromise was not part of Pauline theology. Paul's attitude toward idolatry was adapted by the early church toward idol worship. The Apologists were confronted with men in their days who thought that the gods were the sons or ministers of God. Michael Green describes the confrontation that the early church faced: They were, accordingly, commonly regarded as subordinate agents of the one God. "The one doctrine upon which all the world is united," wrote Maximus of Tyre, "is that one God is king of all and Father, and that there are many gods, sons of God, who rule together with God. This is believed by both the Greek and the Barbarians." Thus, polytheism and monotheism could be reconciled, and worship offered to the subordinate deities was thought of as ultimately reaching the supreme God. That is why it was dangerous to neglect the worship of the customary gods.1 Some Apologists succumbed to the subtlety of the devil in the early church. Justin the Martyr erroneously gives the heathen philosophers the credit of worshiping the same God Christians worship. ___________ Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), p. 130.
1

197 We are taught that Christ is the first-born of God . . . and those who live according to reason are Christians, even though they are accounted atheists. Such were Socrates and Heraclitus among the Greeks, and those like them.1 But there were others who strongly objected. Tertullian protested: What is there in common between Athens and Jerusalem? What between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and the Christians? . . . Away with all projects for a "Stoic," a "Platonic" or a "dialectic" Christian! After Christ Jesus we desire no subtle theories, no acute enquiries after the gospel.2 Green well sums up the general approach of early Christianity on the issue of idolatry: But Christians were adamant the very hint of idolatry produced the strongest reactions in their hearts. The Apologists are full of it. Christians would not go to the theatre, public banquets, gladiatorial shows; employment in the army, the teaching profession, the civil service was highly suspect among many Christians because of the measure of idolatry involved.3 This is the biblical and early Christian approach to idolatry. They did not see the gods as agents of God, but rather, as the work of the devil. God's revelation is not found in idolatry but in nature. This natural revelation has been distorted and the conception of gods, be they ____________ Henry Bettenson, ed., Documents of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1964), p. 6.
2 1

Ibid., p. 8.
3

Green, Evangelism in the Early Church, p. 130.

198 zeus, hermes, or orishas, is a distortion rather than the worship of God. The theology of "Implicit Monotheism" as presented by Professor Idowu is foreign to biblical Christianity, and must be rejected in no uncertain terms. African Traditional Religious worshipers may claim that their gods are agents of the triune God, Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. But their view must be subjected under the searchlight of the Word of God. Under that scrutiny, the traditional religions are found wanting. They highlight the cry of the human heart, but the solution lies elsewhere. The confusion of general and special revelation. Idowu does not differentiate natural from special revelation. The present author has presented his view of natural revelation and its limitations elsewhere.1 Erich Sauer has very well summed up the content of natural revelation and its defects: At the commencement of human history there is present faith in the one God, Who revealed Himself in a threefold manner: in nature (Romans 1:19, 20), in conscience (Romans 2:2-15), and in history (Gen. 1:11). The later heathendom is therefore, a perversion of this threefold original: distortion of the remembrance of the original revelation, misinterpretation of the revelation in nature (Romans 1:23), and a confused conflict of soul with __________
1

Kato, "Limitations of Natural Revelation.

199 the revelation in conscience, these are the three fundamental elements in all heathen religion.1 The natural revelation was never given to be soteriological. That is why the plan for the Lamb of God to be slain (Rev. 13:8) was included in the beginning. There was always something wanting, this lack was provided for through the Incarnation. John F. Walvoord rightly states: It was because of the evident need for a more explicit revelation of God than that which was contained in nature that God used other means. On occasion God in ages past has spoken through prophets, visions, dreams, and phenomenal appearances. ... No longer did man need to reason from evidence of purpose, design, wisdom, and words which men speak and write. . . . Most important is the revelation in the written Word of a divine plan of salvation by grace. God's own Son, who in Himself is a revelation of God both in His person and works, provided a salvation for all who will put their trust in Him.2 Besides God's design for natural revelation to be only a pointer to the Creator rather than soteriological, man's total depravity has further jeopardized his chance of reading the book of nature aright. G. C. Berkouwer relates: Accordingly, when we speak of insufficiency, we certainly do not intend to cast any reflection on the divine act of revelation in this general revelation. On the contrary, it only points to human guilt and _________ Erich Sauer, The Dawn of World Redemption (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 82. John F. Walvoord, "How Can Man Know God?" Bibliotheca Sacra, CXVI (April-June, 1959), 102.
2 1

200 blindness. This insufficiency is not a deficiency which is historically determined, i.e. in connection with the fall of man.1 Man may have a glimpse of the Supreme Being through natural revelation. But a clear picture is impossible. This applies to Yoruba people, too, whose understanding of the Supreme Being Stephen S. Farrow describes as "vague and imperfect."2 For clear and final revelation to any people, only the Christ-event will do. This final and unique revelation in Jesus Christ is not a fulfillment of other religions. It is decisive and final in the sense that it provides the only answer for which human endeavor wittingly or unwittingly has been searching. It is conclusive that the Scriptures know of only one way of approach to God, that is through the Living Word. Natural revelation may give hints about the Supreme Being, but it is the Incarnate Christ alone who has truly revealed God to man finally and decisively. Natural revelation does indeed have its place. But special revelation is what bridges the infinite chasm which separates God and man. Van Oosterzee's words are appropriate: _________ G. C. Berkouwer, General Revelation (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955), p. 312. Stephen S. Farrow, Faith, Fancies and Fetich (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1926), p. 140.
2 1

201 The right use of general revelation is not to remain there where it brings us, and exalt it above the special; still less to borrow from it our weapons for combating the other; it lies much more in this, that we suffer ourselves to be roused by its voice to the glorifying of God, and by its silence on many an important point are further led to ask for a nearer revelation which satisfactorily supplies its defects. This nearer revelation will be naturally valued more highly in proportion as the general revelation has given us a deeper impression of the majesty and glory of God, and agrees with it in a more surprising manner on cardinal points.1 If general revelation is kept in its proper place, the temptation of exalting any non-scripturally revealed concepts to the soteriological status will be eliminated. Jesus Christ alone will stand tall and unique above all other religions. He alone will be the Savior of those who accept sola fide contingency of salvation. This is the remedy for universalism. His view of God's salvation The natural outcome of universal revelation and universal worship is universal salvation. Since Idowu holds the two propositions, salvation through agencies other than Jesus Christ can be expected. Idowu does not say much on salvation. But he has said enough to suggest that salvation is possible through Yoruba religion. _____________ J. J. Van Oosterzee, Christian Dogmatics (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1878), I, 111-12.
1

202 Idowu holds that Yoruba worship is efficacious. He asserts: "The greatest obstacle to efficacious worship is impurity of heart. Thus moral and ritual cleanness have from time immemorial been accepted as a prerequisite of Yoruba worship."1 Prayer in Yoruba worship is also held to be true prayer to God outside of Jesus Christ, and brings about the experience of personal relationship. Idowu writes: In true prayer, belief in, and knowledge of, the Deity "as personal comes to clear and emphatic expression." Man enters into a personal relationship with the Deity as Creator and "Determiner of Destiny. "... Admittedly, the objective petitionary character of Yoruba prayers shows that the fulfilment of man's desires, rather than the will of the Deity, is their esse--"My will be done," rather than "Thy will be done," but that is because all the time the Yoruba are basing prayer on the fundamental notion that the will of the Deity is supreme anyway and that His will is the ultimate answer to their prayers.2 Idowu is not alone in the view that there can be bona fide experience of God in non-Christian religions. Bishop Lesslie Newbigin argues, "Is there a real communion between God and the believer in non-Christian religious experience? I think that this question must be answered with a plain affirmative."3 Are religions from God as Idowu holds? If they are ordained by God, then it is natural to ____________
1

Idowu, Qlodumare, p. 108. Ibid., p. 116. Newbigin. The Finality of Christ, p. 38.

203 expect them to be the avenue of His revelation prior to, or even contemporaneously with the presence of Jesus Christ. If, however, they are enemy forces, usurping the place of all that belongs to the Lord who alone must be worshiped (Matt. 4:10), how would a jealous God share His glory with others (Isa. 42:8; 48:11)? Newbigin himself says: The other religions are not to be understood and measured by their proximity to or remoteness from Christianity. They are not beginnings which are completed in the Gospel. They face in different directions, ask fundamentally different questions and look for other kinds of fulfilment than that which is given in the Gospel. They turn, as Otto said, on different axes.1 If the experience of God is possible in non-Christian worship, why does the Word of God not give a single commendation of them? Even some of the so-called values in other religions talked about today did not warrant any praise from the Bible. George Peters has rightly affirmed: Such descriptive words as iniquity, vanity, nothingness, terror, abomination, labor, grief, horror, and the cause of trembling are used to characterize idols and idolatry. Not one complimentary word about "aesthetic" or religious value of idols is found in the Bible. Neither is idol worship ever accepted as an indirect worship of the true God who is the being and living reality behind idolatry.2 __________
1

Ibid., p. 44.

George W. Peters, A Biblical Theology of Missions (Chicago: Moody Press, 1973), p.323.

204 To expect a living experience of the jealous God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a system described in this manner is inconceivable. Experience of God, where personal encounter in a relational sense takes place, is possible only through the true Mediator, the God-Man, even Jesus Christ. Idowu closes his book, Olodumare, with a beautiful paragraph. He concludes: In conclusion, let us emphasize the fact that a vacuum is being created with regard to religion in Yorubaland. And there are contending forces for the filling of the vacuum. Of all the forces at work, Christianity, by its unique and universal message, stands the best chance of fulfilling that which is implied in the Yoruba concept of God, and that for the benefit of the people of the country. This, however, depends as in every age and land upon the vision, spiritual stamina, and faithfulness of those who are charged with its message. 1 It is, however, hard to reconcile this legitimate praise of the Christian message as the solution to human dilemma, with Idowu's regret that Yoruba worship is passing away. He mourns, "It is to be regretted however, that the direct ritualistic worship of Olodumare as a regular thing is dying out in Yorubaland." Yoruba worship of Olodumare ________
1

Idowu, Olodumare, p. 215. Ibid., p. 143.

205 must, at least potentially, be equal or superior to Christianity if its death is regretted. Idowu wants to eat his cake and have it again. The challenge of Elijah confronts Christian leadership in Africa today. "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow Him; but if Baal, follow Him" (1 Kings 17:21).

CHAPTER V ECUMENISM: A POTENTIAL FORCE OF INCIPIENT UNIVERSALISM Definition The term ecumenism The term ecumenism is the Anglo-Saxon transliteration of the Greek word . The word means the inhabited earth (Luke 4:5; 21:26; Rom. 10:18), or the world inhabited by mankind (Acts 17:3; Luke 2:1). Therefore, any gathering with a wide geographical representation can be called ecumenical in a nontechnical sense. Early church councils such as the Councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), and Constantinople II (553), have been designated by the Roman Catholic Church as ecumenical councils. It was in the nineteenth century that the word assumed a technical meaning and has come to be used to describe a specific effort on unity by a section of Christendom. At a united conference of Christians from various

207 denominations at Liverpool, England, in 1860, Lord Shaftesbury, "who chaired the final public meeting, exclaimed that the conference appeared to him to be on 'Ecumenical Council' of the dominions."1 However, it was in 1900 at New York that the word was used as a title of the conference. "'Ecumenical' was used, however, not because the conference represented every branch of the Christian Church, but 'because the plan of campaign which it proposed covers the whole area of the inhabited globe.2 Early ecumenism Early "ecumenical" church councils were very particular about doctrine. In fact, for the first millennium of the Christian era, every Council had a major heresy they condemned. The orthodox council meeting in Nicea I (325) condemned Arianism. The first council of Constantinople (381) reaffirmed the Nicean Creed and condemned Macedonianism and Apollinarianism; and the second council of Constantinople (553) condemned the "Three Chapters." Ephesus (431) eschewed Nestorianism and Pelagianism; and Chalcedon __________ William Richey Hogg, Ecumenical Foundations (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1952), p. 40.
2 1

Ibid., p. 45.

208 (451) further condemned these two heresies as well as Eutychianism. Monothelitism was excluded the third time the church met at Constantinople (680-681); and so was Photius later (869-870). The second Nicean council (787) stood against iconoclasts. Although ecclesiastical politics played a major part in some of the struggles the primary concern of the orthodox church was purity of doctrine. Subsequent discussion will reveal that contemporary ecumenism cannot rightly claim identity with the early ecumenical councils. Modern ecumenism The modern use of the term has two connotations. One is the general idea of a "brotherhood" gathering which brings together both Roman Catholics and Protestants. "It is institutionally symbolized by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Its forte is 'brotherhood' based on the feeling that our differences really do not matter so long as we can eat together and talk together."1 This type of ecumenism is generally promoted by such projects as Bible translation, Bible study, evangelism, and charity. Most of ___________ C. Stanley Lowell, The Ecumenical Mirage (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 11.
1

209 these features can be observed in Africa today. Ecumenical efforts in Bible translation and distribution are the most popular tools of ecumenism in Africa. Institutionalized ecumenism But the specific type of ecumenism to be dealt with in this chapter is the solidly institutionalized movement incarnated in the World Council of Churches. Lowell describes it: "The other aspect of ecumenism is a drive for Christian unity which envisages bringing all churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, under one ecclesiastical tent."1 Unlike the true type of early ecumenical councils, present-day ecumenism plays down doctrinal issues. Their thesis is that doctrine divides, and fellowship unites. To the ecumenists, unity almost at any cost is the greatest thing that can ever happen to the Christian Church. Lowell writes. "The ecumenical assumption is that the bringing together of all Christian bodies under one ecclesiastical tent would be the best possible thing that could happen to them."2 Any group that refuses to join the bandwagon of liberal ecumenism is classified neo-colonist, separatist, sectarian, or _________
1

Ibid. , p. 12.

Ibid. , p. 27.

210 any worse name. Ecumenism may claim, at most, two-thirds of the 60 million Christians in Africa. Mbiti calls the remaining 20 million evangelical Christians who have not bowed the knees to the idol of liberal ecumenism "a few sects."1 The Rise of the Contemporary Ecumenical Movement and its Influence in the Third World The four major landmarks which preceded the formation of the World Council of Churches in 1948 are the Edinburgh Conference in 1910, Jerusalem in 1928, Madras in 1938, and Whitby in 1947. Ecumenism may rightly be called a child of the mission field. It is the desire for cooperation among missionaries and their supporters that led to the calling of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference. Inevitably as missionaries moved into India, China, Japan, and the countries of Africa and Latin America, they encountered problems requiring joint consultation. Nearly always this meant sharing helpful information and providing mutual counsel. In a few cases it meant alleviating friction that arose when one society encroached on territory or appealed to converts of another. Conference usually sufficed to iron out the difficulties. Yet far from home missionaries enjoyed these assemblies for the sheer joy of being together--for Christian fellowship--and significantly these conferences became a main current flowing into Edinburgh, 1910. The procedure they evolved through the years became normative for Edinburgh, 1910, and for most subsequent ecumenical conferences.2 _______ John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1969), p. 267.
2 1

Hogg, Ecumenical Foundations, p. 16.

211 There were group consultations among mission supporters and students in the home land of the missionaries. But it was mainly in the Third World that parts of the ecumenic ship were assembled. Perhaps one of the most important masts in the construction was the South India Conference in 1900 which was repeated two years later. "The Madras group appointed an organizating committee which fixed afresh the fundamental problems of conference organization and procedure."1 Similar conferences were held in other parts of the world. The outcome of these conferences was evident: The influence of these gatherings greatly stimulated the desire for church union on the part of the younger church Christians. They, as is well known, have been especially concerned to give tangible evidence to Christian unity in church union.2 Similar conferences were held in North America and Great Britain. There was the Evangelical Alliance conference in Dublin, 1852, the Union Missionary Convention in New York, 1854, then the British Organization of the Evangelical Alliance conference in London, 1854. It was the concern for missions that led to the London Secretaries Association calling another conference in Liverpool, 1860, _________
1

Ibid., p. 21

Ibid., p. 33.

212 and the following one, the General Conference on Foreign Missions, at London, 1878, and 1888. Missions was the primary purpose for these Anglo-American conferences. This shows how fertile a soil the Third World is for the growth of ecumenism. A Roman Catholic author observes, "Ecumenical attitudes, having grown quickest in 'mission' territories, have then spread back to the home countries."1 The first World Missionary Conference was finally held in Edinburgh, June 14-23, 1910. "As a result of Edinburgh's far-reaching influence, it has also become customary to speak of 1910 as the beginning of modern missionary cooperation, indeed, of the Ecumenical Movement itself--a largely justifiable argument."2 The supposed link between Edinburgh, 1910, and current ecumenism is a weak one. The clear objectives of Edinburgh differed greatly from what is seen and heard today. The concern for salvation of individual souls was the primary feature of these early conferences. The difference between Christianity and non-Christian religions was clear as day and night. The proposed agenda for Edinburgh shows __________ Andrian Hastings, Church and Mission in Modern Africa (London: Fordham University Press, 1967), p. 238.
2 1

Hogg. Ecumenical Foundations, p. 98.

213 the deep passion for missions in the original founders. The items include the following list; Carrying the Gospel to all the world. The Native Church and its Workers. Education in Relation to the Christianization of National Life. The Missionary Message in Relation to Non-Christian Religions. The Preparation of Missionaries. The Home Base of Missions. Relation of Missions to Governments. Co-operation and Promotion of Unity.1 One major weakness of the Edinburgh conference was the absence of doctrinal considerations. It was resolved in the outset that "questions of doctrine or church polity with regard to which the Churches or Societies taking part . . . differ among themselves" would not be discussed.2 This weakness is one of the features that today's ecumenics can justifiably claim for heritage. On other counts, Edinburgh was soundly evangelical. The mission to bring salvation to people as individuals was their goal. The utter lostness of men without Christ was their biblical presupposition. There was no doubt at all in their minds as to the meaning of salvation. Their mission was clear. Their message was unadulterated. However, there was yet one other weakness of Edinburgh, 1910, and that was the exclusion of Latin America ________
1

Ibid., p. 108.

Ibid., p. 109.

214 among the areas to be evangelized, it was done to conciliate European delegates who were in sympathy with Roman Catholics. This is a further similarity between Edinburgh, 1910, and contemporary ecumenism. Apart from these weaknesses, Edinburgh, 1910, was thoroughly evangelical. This discredits the liberal's claim today of being the only champion of unity. The fact of the matter is that orthodox Christianity right from the beginning of the Church has been interested in fellowship and unity as long as doctrines are not compromised. Doctrinal truths cannot be sacrificed at the altar of unity. A continuation Committee was set up at Edinburgh. Through this Committee, National Church Councils were organized. The mission countries of the world again became the chief targets for formation of Church Councils. Probably the greatest single person of this type of ministry was John R. Mott. He had declined a call by President Woodrow Wilson to become the United States Ambassador to China on account that "he could not resign from his important duties."1 Thus he later was able to say, "My first and my greatest contribution to the International Missionary Council was to ____________
1

Ibid., p. 156.

215 bring about the formation of the National Christian Councils."1 The formation of National church Councils was a prelude to the founding of the mother Council, the International Missionary Council. It was started in Lake Mohonk, New York in 1921 with a sizable number of representatives from several countries. Dr. James E. K. Aggrey, of Ghana, then a professor at Livingston College, North Carolina, was one of the representatives. He pleaded the cause of Africa at the conference and thereafter. Aggrey challenged the council: Give us a full-rounded chance. The sea of difference between you and us should be no more. The sea of our failure to bring any contribution to the Kingdom of God shall be no more. You white folks may bring your gold, your great banks and your big buildings, your sanitation and other marvellous achievements to the manger, but that will not be enough. Let the Chinese and the Japanese and the Indians bring their frankincense of ceremony, but that will not be enough. We black people must step in with our myrrh of child-like faith . . . If you take our child-likeness, our love for God, our belief in humanity, our belief in God, and our love for you, whether you hate us or not, then the gifts will be complete. . . . God grant that you who have heard . . . this plea from Africa will trust us, will come and educate us, and will give us a chance to make that contribution to the world which is in the design of God.2 _________
1

Ibid.
2

Harold E. Fey, A History of the Ecumenical Movement, 1948-68 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970), II, 74, citing Edwin W. Smith, Aggrey in Africa, p. 188.

216 The International Missionary Council was founded for the primary purpose of common strategy in presenting the Gospel to the sinful world. Unfortunately, the objective was later relegated to the background. The decline was gradual, but the fact still remains that the shift slowly but surely was developing. At the Jerusalem Conference in 1928, the main subject was the challenge of overemphasis on the social gospel and a syncretistic approach to other religions. It was made by the European participants. But the charge went unheeded and the cancer continued to surge inwards toward the moral fiber of cooperative efforts of men concerned for souls perishing in the world. It was said of the Gospel that "the Gospel of Christ contains a message, not only for the individual soul, but for the world of social organization and economic relations in which individuals live."1 The Church's task is "both to carry the message of Christ to the individual soul, and to create a Christian civilization within which all human beings can grow to their full spiritual stature."2 With this new emphasis, the International Missionary Council began to branch off into social ministries. The criticisms from _________
1

Ibid., p. 250.

Ibid.

217 British and American conservatives at that time was not a foul cry. Many of the theologically most conservative in Britain and America sharply criticized the modernistic cast of the whole assembly and regarded its syncretistic approach to other faiths as sheer apostasy. The erroneous identification of the Kingdom of God with western civilization established its roots in Christendom. The Ritschlians and the Schleiermacherians did not help the situation. In 1938 the International Missionary Council convened again at Tambaram, near Madras. The subject this time was "The Christian message in a non-Christian world." The leading single voice at Tambaram was the neo-orthodox Dutch theologian, Hendrik Kraemer. His epoch-making book, The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World, now in its seventh printing, is still one of the greatest works in the discipline. The opposition of W. E. Hocking and others did not silence Kraemer. In his argument, Kraemer admits that "man is by nature a religious 'animal' as well as a moral or an intellectual one."1 But he advocates, "The important thing to note in man is that, although a religious 'animal' by nature, he __________ Hendrik Kraemer, The Christian Message in a NonChristian World (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1969), p. 13

218 is at the same time deeply irreligious, if we take the word religion with the seriousness we have learnt from Christ."1 Kraemer also bemoans the relativism of his days: The general atmosphere of relativism and the steadilygrowing conviction of the irrelevancy of religion, however, evoked the notion that all religions were probably equally unimportant and equally erroneous, which in its turn reinforced the relativist and secularist temper.2 While Kraemer deserves commendation for upholding the unique nature of biblical revelation, his view of total discontinuity in religions is a denial of natural revelation. Although non-Christian religions are barricades against God, paradoxically they arise from man's God-consciousness. Religious systems as such evidence the vestiges of God's witness to man through nature and conscience. Non-Christian religious practice is indeed a rebellion against God, but nevertheless, it shows the ipso facto cry of the human heart. Therefore, discontinuity of God-man relationship as caused by the fall, must paradoxically be matched with continuity of the vestiges of natural revelation. On July 5-24, 1947, the International Missionary Council reconvened at Whitby, Ontario, Canada following the devastation of World War II. The theme of Whitby was ___________
1

Ibid.

Ibid., p. 14.

219 "partnership in obedience." Evangelism was the content of the act of obedience. There was no doubt as to the meaning of evangelism. While the delegates did not shut their eyes to man's need in this life, they were clear on the issue of personal faith in Christ or its absence. They believed that "the Gospel should be preached to almost all the inhabitants of the world in such a way as to make clear to them the issue of faith or disbelief in Jesus Christ.1 However, they left out the persuasive aspect of the gospel presentation. The cancer of blunting the edge of the gospel was gnawing inwardly. Two other streams that flow into the big river to provide the navigational feasibility of the big ship of ecumenism are Faith and Order, and Life and Work. For better or for worse, the International Missionary Council reaffirmed at New York, 1927, "that to seek any theological consensus or to discuss or determine matters of doctrine lay beyond its province."2 This was a reaffirmation of Edinburgh, 1910. Charles H. Brent was so concerned for ________
1

Hogg, Ecumenical Foundations, p. 340. Ibid., p. 217.

220 "faith and polity" that he persisted until Faith and Order was born in 1927. A parallel movement, Life and Work, with particular emphasis on meeting social needs, was formed in 1925. At Edinburgh in 1937, the two movements were merged, and this prepared the way for the formation of the World Council of Churches. A preliminary conference in Utrecht in 1938 and the constitution for the World Council of Churches was drawn up. The plan lay dormant during the war years (1939-45) until 1948, the year the World Council of Churches was founded in Amsterdam. Since the formative years of ecumenism till today, the Third World has been much under consideration. The Congo Protestant Council was legally organized in 1924. It, however, pulled out of I.M.C., when the latter was merged with the World Council of Churches in 1961. Through the great initiative of John R. Mott, several Christian Councils were formed in Southern and Central Africa before the outbreak of World War II in 1939. However, it was in 1955 that the first continental meeting in Africa was organized by the Lutheran World Federation. In 1957 the International Missionary Council met in Accra, Ghana, evidently to encourage the ecumenical movement in the continent. The first representative body of the All Africa Conference of Churches

221 was organized. The body soon met in Ibadan, Nigeria, in January, 1958. In April, 1963, at Kampala, Uganda, the Assembly of the All Africa Church Conference was inaugurated amidst drumming of jubilation. From this time on the ship of ecumenism has been sailing smoothly and with arrogance on the ecclesiastical waters of Africa. The chartered course of the All Africa Church Conference has been echoed by Hans-Ruedi Weber: The emergency situations created by civil wars, race discrimination, refugees, and hunger, become a severe test for the community of Churches which develops in the A.A.C.C. A continentwide survey of the needs in Africa was made for the W.C.C. by the late Z. K. Matthews and Sir Hugh Foot. An ecumenical emergency fund for Africa was created, which makes it possible to operate service and training projects all over the continent.1 The Ship of Ecumenism Is Anchored On the African Shore The structure of the All Africa Conference of Churches The long time dream of ecumenical enthusiasts was finally accomplished in Kampala, Uganda, on April 20, 1963. The vision of a bridgehead for the advancement of the ecumenical cause was given impetus at the Ghana Assembly of the ___________
1

Fey. History of Ecumenical Movement, p. 78.

222 International Council in December 1957--January 1958. The untiring effort of Geneva and the great initiative of the Christian Council of Nigeria helped bring about a conference of 200 church leaders at Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1958. It was this conference that proposed Kampala where the All Africa Conference of Churches was inaugurated in 1963. The historic movement of its birth has been described: The solemn silence was then swept away as the assembly hall reverberated with the loud and clear beats of African drums signalling the birth of AACC. This was the voice of Christian Africa, not drums calling to the past darkness of pagan rituals, but drums dedicated to God, the transformation of an age-old instrument into an instrument of the church proclaiming unity, and common witness.1 The AACC, like the World Council of Churches, has the minimal doctrinal basis for membership. It reads: The All Africa Conference of Churches is a fellowship of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and only Saviour according to the Scriptures and therefore, seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.2 Obviously the minimal nature of the statement provides room for easy accommodation of various theological positions. The Scriptures are left undefined so that a ________
1

Drumbeats From Kampala (London: Lutterworth Press,

1963), p. 10.
2

Ibid., p. 63.

223 Harry Sawyerr could reject the doctrine of the infallibility of the Bible and the historicity of Genesis 1-31 and still be an active participant. A brief statement of this nature makes enough room for Kimbamguism, Aladura, and such other syncretistic and ritualistic church bodies. The support of the All Africa Conference of Churches

The AACC is clearly an affiliate of the World Council of Churches. In 1965 alone AACC projects in Africa required $4,726,500 from the World Council of Churches.2 The AACC Headquarters alone requested $56,000 in 1965.3 The AACC constitution states, "Without prejudice to its own autonomy, to collaborate with the World Council of Churches and other appropriate agencies in such ways as may be mutually agreed."4 The membership of AACC is open to the National Council of Churches as well as individual churches. The World Council of Churches gives massive support to _________ Harry Sawyerr, Creative Evangelism: Towards a New Christian Encounter in Africa (London: Lutterworth Press, 1968), p. 69. 2 World Council of Churches Service Programme and List of Projects, 1965 (Geneva), Part 6. 152b.
3 1

Ibid., p. 154.

Drumbeats, p. 64.

224 individual National Council of Churches. The Christian Council of Kenya alone submitted a budget for $62,930 in 1965/68, of which only $13,468 was to be realized in Kenya. In Nigeria, an Inter-Church Study, Lay Training and Conference Centre has now been built. The funds requested in 1965 from the World Council of Churches for this magnificent center was $148,260. Besides the massive support of projects in Africa, a sizable number of African students are sent overseas each year for further education. Out of 180 students who benefited from the scholarship program in 1965, "approximately one third of all scholarships have been awarded to Africans; a total of 52."1 The report further adds: In addition to the regular programme, the Scholarships Office has arranged for 26 older African pastors to take special courses in the United Kingdom, the U.S.A. and Switzerland. Funds to cover travel costs for this programme are being sought outside the Scholarships Programme.2 Liberal ecumenism is, indeed, playing a commendable role in promotion of ecumenism in the Third World and among the minority groups. The abortive Consultation on Church Union, conceived by Eugene Carson Blake and the late James _________
1

Service Programme, p. 18. Ibid.

225 Pike, is now headed by the black Bishop Frederick D. Jordan. The National Council of Churches of Christ, U.S.A., at its General Assembly meeting in Dallas, December, 1972, elected the black minister Rev. W. Sterling Cary as the chairman. Another significant move in ecumenism is the election of the West Indian black theologian, Dr. Philip Potter, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. While 51,000 out of a total of 140,000 congregations in the National Council of Churches U.S.A. are black denominations, the National Association of Evangelicals are "all predominantly white."1 Other evangelical bodies are worse off than the N.A.E. The ecumenical proposal in Uppsala, 1968, is working faster than anticipated. The W.C.C. proposed to see "the effect of the World Council's growth away from the North Atlantic region which gave it birth 'towards the Third World.2 While the power of ecumenism is seriously threatened in North America through the resurgence of evangelical dynamic witness in evangelism and theological scholarship, the ecumenics are finding an outlet in the Third World. The next two decades should, therefore, be expected to bring ________ Donald Tinder, "NAF: Bringing Evangelicals Together," Christianity Today, May 8, 1970, p. 42.
2 1

Fey, Ecumenical Movement, p. 444.

226 about a strong liberal ecumenical push in the Third World. This will be more in the theological level. The battle for the next generation will be largely theological. A survey of ecumenical theology will demonstrate its dangers of universalism. Theology in the World Council of Churches and Its Universalistic Implications Introduction As liberal ecumenism seeks firm footing in the Third World, their ship carries with it its contraband. The prefabricated theology of the West, so firmly rejected by Idowu, may not be altogether excluded. A common proverb says, "he who pays the piper dictates the tune." It is unrealistic to expect so many students from the Third World digesting a Aquinas, a Tillich, or a Cone, and return home unaffected. It is naive to expect the World Council of Churches to make such a massive investment in Africa without influencing African thinking. It is, therefore, appropriate to find out the theological trends in the world body today. Salvation today This is the primary concept of the entire field of theology in liberal ecumenism. Material and human resources

227 are about exhausted in an effort to find out the meaning and the application of salvation. The sources.--The basic problem of ecumenics is lack of authoritative sources for the meaning of salvation. The outgoing General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr. W. A. Visser't Hooft, has correctly underlined the importance of going to the Bible as the authoritative source. After tracing the respect for the Bible that conciliar gatherings in the 1930s and 1940s had, the ex-General Secretary states: This insight that the Bible provided the true meeting ground led to increased emphasis on Bible study in ecumenical meetings including the W.C.C. Assemblies. It led also to the insertion in the basis of the W.C.C. of the words "according to the Scriptures." The addition of these words was a recognition of the place which the Bible had in fact occupied in the development of the ecumenical movement. Without the common biblical theology the ecumenical movement would have no backbone. 1 It is praiseworthy to include "according to the Scriptures" in the basis of W.C.C. But what Scriptures? Is it Buddhist, Muslim, or Hindu Scriptures? If it is Christian Scriptures, as the context shows, is it mutilated, errant Scriptures of the liberals or the inspired, inerrant Word of God of the conservative evangelicals? The question _________
1

Ibid., p. 6.

228 of authority depends on which view of Scriptures one holds. Edward J. Young affirms: Despite all that is being said and has been said to the contrary, the doctrine of inspiration is of the utmost significance and importance. If the Bible is not infallible, then we can be sure of nothing. The other doctrines of Christianity will then one by one go by the board. The fortunes of Christianity stand or fall with an infallible Bible. Attempts to evade this conclusion can only lead to self-deception.1 Young's statement can hardly be improved upon, except to redeem the word "infallible" from the erroneous understanding of some evangelicals today. When Young uses "infallible" he means "inerrant," rather than an errant Bible being infallible notwithstanding. The inspired, inerrant Bible is not the Scriptures of the ecumenics in general. Not only is the Higher Criticism adhered to by many within their ranks, but some are even objecting to the whole concept of reliance upon the Scriptures as authoritative. Colin Williams of Union Seminary addressed the National Council of Churches in these words: It has been pointed out that one of the grave problems of our present culture is that we have no common texts. For centuries the West, at least, has had common texts: the Bible, classical texts, Shakespeare. Now we are _________ Edward J. Young, Thy Word Is Truth (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), p. 5.
1

229 increasingly illiterate in all three. No longer do these give us a common language; a common interpretation of myths; common visions of meaning; or a common sense of authority, the authority of truth and life.1 Having thrown away the authoritative Word of God, man leaves the door wide open for a man-made message. It is no wonder that liberals cannot come to an orthodox understanding of salvation, evangelism, and other basic doctrines of the Word of God. The meaning of evangelism. is a biblical word. If the Bible is not recognized as the authoritative source, it stands to reason that the biblical meaning may not be adhered to. Colin Williams quoted above best exemplifies this thesis. Having rejected the Scriptures as the valid common authority of life and practice, he also rejects the scriptural view of evangelism. He claims, "And so an evangelism which deals only with individual sins and which leaves untouched the corporate sins that are done for us by our institutions is not Christian evangelism."2 Williams compares Paul's teachings on Satan and his forces with institutional establishments that must be tackled in ______ Editors, "Liberal and Conservative: No Longer Adversaries, " Together, June, 1973, p. 17.
2 1

Ibid., p. 19.

230 evangelism. He writes: Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians talks about preaching to the principalities and the powers and so directs evangelism not only to persons but to the corporate structures, the fallen angels in the mythology of that time. It is no accident that in John's Revelation we are told about the deathly character of principalities and powers. They hold us in thrall.1 This is not an accurate understanding of Paul. In Ephesians 6:12 the Apostle is speaking to Christians who have already been evangelized. Their long struggle with the evil forces, obviously the spiritual battle, is in view here. Never did Paul expect to transform the structure in a given community before evangelism may be said to take place. Paul's evangelism was a call for individual surrender to Jesus Christ (Acts 13:38, 39, 48; 16:14, 31; 19:4-7; Rom. 10:13; Phil. 2:10). It is only after the individuals are transformed that they can influence society through their godly conduct and verbal witness. Even on such a wicked issue as slavery, Paul was careful not to confuse the agony of the oppressed with the spiritual agony of "proletariat" and "bourgeois" alike. To advocate even a simultaneous transformation of society with the salvation of individuals, is to add some man-made plus to the . Once that __________
1

Ibid.

231 is done, the gospel is no longer the gospel of Jesus Christ. But history has proven that the Christians are the light of the world spiritually, socially, and economically. The present author, as well as millions of others from the Third World, have seen how the gospel for individual salvation has transformed whole communities in all aspects of life. The declaration of the death and resurrection of the Son of God and a call for response by the sinner to prepare for eternal life remains the only valid evangelism (1 Cor. 15:1-3; Acts 16:31; John 3:16). The worst social problem of Paul's day was slavery. At least one-third of the Roman citizens were subject to this vicious disease. Paul, of course, did not condone it. Neither did he pick up arms against the state. Rather, he advocated the principles of equality among the changed-life masters and slaves. If they made this their philosophy, slavery would die a natural death. Buswell rightly observes : The Bible teachings were correctly seen, not as explicitly striking at slavery as such, for it would have been inconsistent to precipitate the kind of social turmoil which would inevitably have followed. The Bible was given in a particular language and in a real culture, and its presentation, though not its content, had to be adapted, the same as it must be on any mission field today, to the receiving culture. The consequences of receiving the Gospel work revolution directly only in

232 the individual; and, through the individual's changed values, indirectly in the society.1 The meaning of salvation.--If evangelism cannot be clearly defined, neither will salvation. There has never been an age of such a great confusion of the meaning of salvation in the history of Christianity. In medieval Europe, it was the means of attaining salvation that was lost in the woods of papacy. The salvation itself was clear to all concerned. But today long trips in search for the meaning of salvation literally around the world have been taken by scores of highly intellectual minds "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). The number one problem for not attaining the truth about salvation is the rejection of the authoritative Word of God. The theme of the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches at Bangkok in December, 1972 was Salvation Today. The ecumenics expected to come out with an answer without agreeing on the common source for that answer. Peter Beyerhaus evaluates Bangkok: The real reason for the breakdown of the exegetical preparation for Bangkok was twofold. First, it once ___________ James 0. Buswell, III. Slavery, Segregation and Scripture (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964). p. 33.
1

233 more revealed the depth of the hermeneutical crisis in the WCC. There is no common conviction that the Bible is the authoritative and reliable basis for Christian faith and ministry. Scripture is seen by many as a collection of different documents, testifying to the experiences of salvation and understandings of the divine will at the time they were written. . . . Second, these present-day experiences and quests now concern the ecumenical mind to so high a degree that even a witness of the Bible (when it is still consulted) is understood within the framework of current political, social, cultural, religious, or psychological problems. . . . Scripture, therefore, was not allowed to play its majestic role in Bangkok.1 Since the Bible is not the authoritative source of teaching on salvation, the ecumenics are left to devise their own concept of salvation. The basic concept of salvation which underlies practically all the terms employed by liberal ecumenics is social and economical liberation. Salvation is first and foremost a deliverance from the here and now oppression, and only secondarily and remotely, spiritual in the sense of life to come. Just as sin is a common evil, so salvation must be viewed in the same sense. To stress the idea of personal salvation and declare hell judgment for non-Christians is considered eccentric and dehumanizing. The concerted effort is for universal deliverance of all people everywhere from any kind of oppression by __________ Peter Beyerhaus, "The Theology of Salvation in Bangkok," Christianity Today, March 30, 1973, p. 13.
1

234 fellow human beings. It is to provide this kind of salvation that the World Council of Churches "allocated another $200,000 to 'anti-racist' groups around the world."1 Salvation today is described in various terms, but the most popular one is liberation. The theology of Latin America today is described in terms of liberation. Liberation is defined as follows: Liberation is the redemption of man from his violence, a socially and personally pervasive violence, a violence that is both within and without. Liberation is the cross of self-emptying, suffering and non-violent love which moves one to faith and to a deeper humanity. Deeper even than any repossession of the land by the people is the renewal of their humanity in a struggle which is truthful, loving, and life-giving. Humanity needs that struggle even more than it needs a victorious end, for the struggle is the victory.2 In defining salvation as liberation, James Cone speaks of "God's activity in history, setting people free from economic, political, and social bondage."3 Cone further elaborates, "It means that the objective reality of divine reconciliation, accomplished through the cross and _________ Edward E. Plowman, "WCC Grants: Repeat Performance," Christianity Today, October, 1971, p. 56. Thomas E. Quigley, ed., Freedom and Unfreedom in the Americas: Towards a Theology of Liberation (New York: IDOC Book, 1971), p. 7. Editors, "Dr. Cone Lectures," Harvard Divinity Bulletin, III (December, 1972), 3.
3 2 1

235 reconciliation of Jesus, is sanctified only when all races begin to live on the basis of that reality.1 In Salvation Today Study Book prepared specifically for Bangkok, J. Robert Nelson states his understanding of forces from which man may be delivered: From what does God save us? From bodily existence in a material world? No. That has been an ancient Greek notion. . . . From our enemies? Yes, in part. The Old Testament God (Yahweh) is called Saviour because he delivers the people Israel from their enemies and oppressors. . . . From the devil? Yes, in a way. Evil is personified in the form of Satan, who appears in the New Testament to tempt, seduce, and destroy us. . . . From sin, death, and hell? Again, yes; for these are key concepts of the Bible's promise of salvation. Do they carry the same meaning today? Unfortunately, popular usage has reduced "sin" to a moralistic no-no, and "hell" has been stricken from the Cosmic map."2 A series of consultations on the theme of salvation were discussed in different National Councils. Hymns were composed and rendered in the most up-to-date beat music. The present author observed in person some of the fruitless discussions on salvation at such a Council in Dallas. The final outcome of a non-biblical concept of salvation is what Beyerhaus describes as "one of the worst statements is found in the "Litany" produced by Section I."3 Beyerhaus _________
1

Ibid.

J. Robert Nelson, "Personal Integrity and Fulfillment, " Alive Now, Winter, 1972, p. 10.
3

Beyerhaus, "Theology of Salvation," p. 17.

236 quotes these confused ecumenical beatitudes: You were a poor Mexican baptized by the Holy Spirit and the Blood of the Lamb: I rejoice with you, my brother. You were an intellectual Chinese who broke through the barrier between yourself and the dung-smelling peasant: I rejoice with you, my sister. You found all the traditional language meaningless and became "an atheist by the grace of God": I rejoice with you, my brother. Out of the depths of your despair and bondage you cried and in your cry was poignant hope: I rejoice with you, my sister. You were oppressed and fled to the liberated areas and dedicated your life to revolutionary struggle: I rejoice with you, my brother. You were oppressed and put down by male authority and in spite of sneers and snarls persevered in your quest for dignity: I rejoice with you, my sister.1 The birth pangs of the illegitimate baby of the World Council of Churches, salvation without the inerrant, authoritative Bible, finally arrived at Bangkok, and turns stillbirth! The stillborn baby is now given for nurture to the Third World. Beyerhaus reflects the view of many courting evangelicals, who for a long time, have been expecting life from liberal ecumenism. He concludes after sitting through Bangkok: It would be futile to weigh the pros against the cons and from such analysis proceed to a diagnosis of how far the WCC at its Bangkok meeting strayed from biblical _________
1

Ibid.

237 truth and how much hope there may be for further dialogue, cooperation, and clarification between the ecumenical and the evangelical movement. 1 The World Council of Churches had wooed the International Missionary Council into merger only to give the biblical missionary mandate a decent burial in the rabbles of ecumenical socio-politico-economic structures. Beyerhaus further analyzes: The emphases on "dialogue with men of living faiths," on "salvation through political confrontation," and on a "moratorium" for Western missions are the decisive results of Bangkok. Only the third of these is really new. One might term it an effort at the selfliquidation of the Western missionary movement.2 Where the edge of gospel distinctives is blunted, and the antithetical nature of the call of Christ is reduced to synthesis with man's device for survival, the logical outcome is necessarily the funeral of gospel imperatives. This is the danger of universalism or syncretism. Beyerhaus further explains: Here, under a seemingly biblical cover, the concept of salvation has been so broadened and deprived of its Christian distinctiveness that any liberating experience can be called "salvation." Accordingly, any participation in liberating efforts would be called "mission."3 _______
1

Ibid. Ibid.

Ibid.

238 Death and decay through universalism has already penetrated the mission cargo in the ship of ecumenism. While the size of mission personnel may not be a proof for the success or failure of a mission society, the sudden cutback of personnel must be a pointer to either dramatic success or tragic failure in the field of service. The dramatic cutback in mission endeavor among ecumenical related churches can hardly be a mark of success. In Nigeria, for instance, the well-known New Life for All movement, which has doubled the churches in three to five years, has been successful almost entirely among the non-liberal, nonecumenical denominations. The ecumenics themselves are aware of the fact that it is in evangelical conservative churches that the dynamic movement of the Spirit is most noted. Their definition of evangelical conservatives in Enugu reads: One of the vital movements of our time is found among Christians who may be called conservative evangelicals. This name is used for Christians who differ from one another at many points but lay their own emphasis upon Scriptural authority; the experience of the new life in Christ; purity in the church; and missionary zeal.1 If there was any area where the reduction of mission personnel is due to success of the job undertaken, it would _______ W. Harold Fuller, "An Analysis of the WCC Central Committee Meetings" (unpublished paper, Enugu, Nigeria, 1965), p. 6.
1

239 be among the conservative evangelical mission societies. That, however, is not the case. The decline is in the other camp, and the reason must be found elsewhere. The sudden shrinking of ecumenical mission agencies is contrasted with the phenomenal growth of both the evangelical missions and their related churches. Christianity Today compares the 4,548 "overseas task force" of conciliar denominations in 1958 and the low figure of 3,160 in 1971. This radical decline is contrasted with the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association which enjoyed a 26 per cent increase (from 4,688 missionaries in 1958 to 7,479 in 1971) during the same period. A sister conservative evangelical group, the Interdenomination Foreign Mission Association, had a 30 per cent increase, having jumped from 5,902 missionaries in 1958 to 6,164 in 1971, excepting Wycliffe Bible Translators with 1,762, that withdrew from the IFMA in 1970. The reason for the decline can only be attributed to the theological suicide of the universalistic type. The missionary decline in these old, mainline denominations was preceded by a change of orientation in the ecclesiastical hierarchies. These were the churches that began to turn away from evangelism and personal soul-winning as they came to envision the mission of the church to be changing the world's social and economic structures. At the same time these denominations

240 were deeply infiltrated by those who no longer believed in the uniqueness of Christianity and bowed to syncretism (as, for example, Colin Williams, dean of Yale Divinity School, who said that what the Buddhist believes in his situation is as good for him as what he himself--Williams, believes in his own situation). In addition, the main-line churches have been invaded by a neo-universalism. According to this view, all men are already in Christ; they need only to be informed of their salvation. Syncretism and universalism are deadly foes of missionary outreach, and also of spiritual vitality.1 The wise saying, "to forewarn is to fore-arm," is appropriate for the Third World churches. The church in Africa has not yet produced its Hockings, Robinsons, Pikes, and Tillichs. But the cloud like the palm of a hand is gathering. The ecumenical ship with its imported contraband of liberal theology is making its presence felt. The stillborn baby of Bangkok is now dumped into the laps of the Third World church leaders. Syncretistic universalism is the milk. Ecumenism in Africa and Its Theological Trends Introduction Addressing himself to ecumenism in Africa John Mbiti rightly warns, "The dilemma lies in attaining a church unity __________ Editors, "The Missionary Retreat," Christianity Today, November 19, 1971, pp. 26-27.
1

241 which then becomes a theological stagnation for those who subscribe or belong to it."1 This is a timely warning. But it seems to be expecting something short of a miracle to ask African ecumenics so tied up with the World Council of Churches in finances and ideology to come out differently. Elements of universalism have already penetrated the ecumenical movement in Africa. Like the World Council of Churches, the All Africa Conference of Churches has theologians in its circle who question the Word of God. Many of them have bought the liberal theological concept of evangelism and salvation. The theological basis of the AACC Silence has indeed proven to be golden in the drafting of the AACC constitution. The doctrinal basis of faith as such is not available to this author, except the following general proposition as the basis for membership: The All Africa Conference of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and only Saviour according to the Scripture and, therefore, seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.2 _________
1

Mibiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 267. Drumbeats, p. 63.

242 The statement is commendable in what it says. But the greatest problem and dangers lie in what it does not say. Who is this "Lord Jesus Christ as God and only Saviour"? Should a statement about His supernatural birth, life, death, and resurrection not be mentioned? Is His second coming so insignificant that nothing need be said about it? With all the dispute about Scripture today, should something not be said about its authenticity, inspiration, and inerrancy? The "common calling" is too vague. The common calling of whom and how does it become effectual? Is the future of both the saved and the lost so trivial that it needs no mentioning? The relationship of Persons within the Godhead deserves some statement of belief. All these "missing links" of the AACC basis of cooperation have at one time or another played a great role in historical Christianity. Unless the church in Africa wants to isolate itself from historic Christianity, it should take a position on these vital doctrines. Is it because ecumenism does not want to jeopardize its "unity in the dark" that it plays down the role of doctrine? Apparently this is the crux of the matter. The World Council of Churches has set up the pattern for unity. As the All Africa Conference of Churches follows that route, the funeral dirges sung at Bangkok in

243 December, 1972, for the burial of biblical evangelism and missions, will be echoed from Kampala, Kinshasa, or Kumasi some day. Only a strong faith in the God-breathed (2 Tim. 3;16), inerrant Word of God (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35) can save the church in Africa from such a tragedy. Only the presupposition of eternal torment in fire and the offer of remedy for the unsaved based on God's love will keep the fervor of evangelism burning. Although the statement of faith of the AACC leaves out most of the essential basic doctrines of the church, they uttered some highly commendable pronouncements at the inaugural meeting in Kampala. There was no confusion as to the fact that without the Gospel of Christ Africa was in "darkness of pagan rituals."1 This was no abuse of African culture, but an honest admission of the undiluted gospel of Jesus Christ which sees that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Kampala recognizes true freedom and liberation. In the message to the churches, the delegates affirm: We affirm that there is larger freedom which God offers through His Son, so that men are liberated from the slavery of sin and fear, to live the rich, free, abundant life of the children of God. This is the Good News.2 __________
1

Drumbeat, p. 11.

Ibid., p. 16.

244 Instead of compromisingly seeking peaceful coexistence with all religions, Kampala delegates are prepared to lay down their life for the true gospel of Christ. They unanimously pledge themselves to follow the path of the early 22 Baganda martyrs if need be: We have been made conscious that the faithful proclamation of Christ as the only Saviour of the world may, even in our day, have to be tried out by a Cross and Martyrdom. But, remembering that "The servant is not greater than the Master," and aware of His abiding presence who said, "Behold. I am with you always," we do not flinch.1 Even on such a delicate problem as polygamy, the message of Kampala was clear and uncompromising. Monogamy was recognized as God's ordained plan for the Christian home and not a western imperialistic legislation.2 Kampala sees Christian evangelism not in the sense of dialogue between equal religions but as "confrontation with Islam."3 A living Church is a church which takes its task of evangelism seriously. Idowu and Setiloane correctly describe the Church as "a body of people reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and therefore, reconciled to one another, a company of ____________
1

Ibid. , p. 16. Ibid. , p. 41.

Ibid. , p. 27.

245 pardoned sinners rejoicing in their Saviour. They also appreciably advocate "a clear theology" for the Church.2 The shifting emphasis of the AACC In regard to revelation three years after the laudable theological stance of Kampala, the AACC sponsored a theological consultation in Ibadan, Nigeria. With a $10,000 grant by the Theological Education Fund of the World Council of Churches, theologians from many universities in Africa as well as representatives from Geneva came together to discuss "Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs." The outcome of the gathering is a 190-page book under that title edited by Kwesi A. Dickson and Paul Ellingworth. The consultation was building upon the work of a preceding Ibadan conference a year earlier which issued this statement: We believe that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of heaven and earth, Lord of history, has been dealing with mankind at all times and in all parts of the world. It is with this conviction that we study the rich heritage of our African peoples, and we have evidence that they know of Him and worship Him. We recognize the radical quality of God's selfrevelation in Jesus Christ; and yet it is because of this revelation we can discern what is truly of God in our pre-Christian heritage: this knowledge of God is _________
1 1

Ibid.

Ibid., p. 31.

246 not totally discontinuous with our people's previous traditional knowledge of Him.1 Kampala noted the radical antithesis of the use of drums "to the past darkness of pagan rituals" and the "drums dedicated to God, the transformation of an age-old instrument into an instrument of the Church."2 Only two years later, Ibadan proclaims the evidence that these preChristian drummers "know of Him and worship Him." The antithesis of the gospel is now turned into synthesis. The revelation in Jesus Christ is now seen as a fulfillment and enlightenment of the pre-Christian heritage. The new knowledge of God through the incarnation is only a continuation of what has been seen in African Traditional Religions. What a shift from Kampala is this new emphasis; However, it could well be that the inadequate expression at Kampala was a deliberate concealment to get the more conservative evangelicals into the body. Sufficient effort has been made so far, it is hoped, to show that the African traditional religious man has not worshiped God through his idolatry. The knowledge of God _________ Kwesi A. Dickson and Paul Ellingworth, eds., Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1969), p. 16.
2 1

Drumbeat, p. 11.

247 through nature and conscience is evidenced by the fact that man has shown interest in religion per se. But his worship has only proven that man has turned to the worship of creation rather than the Creator. While it may be rightly claimed that the new revelation in Christ has not been discontinuous, it must also be added unequivocally the fact that it is also discontinuous. Redemptive salvation of Christ, first prefigured in Old Testament is a new thing. Thus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and of the deep spiritual need of the human heart, but He is not the fulfillment of African Traditional Religions or any other non-Christian religion. The ecumenics and their concepts of evangelism At Kampala in 1963, evangelism was rightly recognized as God's act through His Son whereby men who are "liberated from the slavery of sin and fear, live the rich, free, abundant life of the children of God. This is the Good News." 1 The matter of personal salvation takes precedence over humanitarian efforts. When the message is preached in that sense, with the opportunity given for the ________
1

Ibid. , p. 16.

248 hearer to respond, evangelism has taken place. This appears to be the assent in Kampala. In order to be sure that the ecumenic ship is well anchored in the black continent, the All Africa Conference of Churches in collaboration with the World Council of Churches, financed a significant Consultation in Enugu, Nigeria, January 4-9, 1965. Sixty African church leaders and forty representatives from the World Council of Churches gathered to discuss "The Christian Response to the African Revolution." Immediately following the Consultation was the meeting of the World Council of Churches' Central Committee, also in Enugu, January 12-21. Not only were the Greek and Russian Orthodox present, but Roman Catholics were expected to join the WCC in the near future. Harold Fuller reports: Not to be left out of the picture, the Ahmadiyya Mission (a virile Muslim sect) issued an Open Letter to the World Council during the meetings, suggesting that they "widen the spirit of unity to include Muslims also, and "join forces to face the threat of atheism. " The WCC did not take up the offer. Instead, a consultation on Muslim countries was announced to be held in Jerusalem this July. The possibility of holding an African consultation on religious liberty was to be explored.1 ____________
1

Fuller, "Analysis of WCC Committee," p. 6.

249 It was at this Consultation that a new meaning of evangelism was introduced. A. Adegbola, speaking on the subject, "A Christian Interpretation of the African Revolution, " explains Evangelism: So, Evangelism as the task of the Church is not to be interpreted in the narrow sense of "saving souls," but in the wider and more practical sense of serving the world which God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son to serve it. And the incarnate life of the Son of God who came was lived constantly in costly service to which He in turn called His disciples. Thus, love and service to one's neighbour have become the proof of true Christian discipleship, and the world of approba tion reserved for the blessed includes In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me. In serving the people of the nation, the Church is serving her Lord.1 Adegbola's new description of evangelism is untenable both theologically and linguistically. It is a gospel truism that the salvation of an individual soul begins here and now, and that eternal life qualitatively influences the whole dimension of life. But does not have to include the social dimension of life before it is evangelism. The Old Testament word has the meaning of proclamation of victory over the enemy. The news of the victory did not await the total work of reconstruction and rehabilitation before it became good news. That would _______ Consultation Digest (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1965), p. 19.
1

250 follow later. It is in the parallel context the New Testament expected the Messiah, the anointed Victor and King. The Messiah came as both the Messenger and the content of the . The incarnation as a whole was good news to the cursed Creation (Rom. 8:23) but the "saving of souls" was the primary purpose of God condescending to the lowest depth of humanity (Phil. 2:5-11). The Son of Man truly came to serve, but that service is the atonement procured on the cross (Mark 10:45). When it is announced intelligibly to the hell-bound sinful soul that God gave His Son to die in his place, and that the choice is now left with him, a choice that would determine his eternal destiny, when this is done, evangelism has taken place (John 1:12; 3:16, 36; Acts 4:12; 16:31; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; Eph. 2:8, 9). Any other type of evangelism is a foreign imposition upon God's good news. The Church is not serving the Lord "in serving the people of the nation." This basic social gospel presupposition better expressed in Walter Rauschenbusch half a century ago1 has no scriptural basis. Jesus Christ clearly delineated the brothers He had in mind for retributable kindness (Matt. 25:45; Mark 3:31-35). ___________ Walter Rauschenbusch, A Theology For the Social Gospel and the Social Principles of Jesus (London: MacMillan Company, 1972).
1

251 Furthermore, salvation is not based on the works of kindness (Eph. 2:8, 9), but on God's grace and can be accepted only by faith. The Kinshasa Declaration, a prelude to universalism The Executive Committee of the All Africa Conference of Churches met in Kinshasa. Zaire, October 28-31, 1971. The Committee produced a document entitled Kinshasa Declaration (see Appendix III). The Kinshasa Declaration is important not only from the geographical location and the time of its declaration, but also because of the content. It shows the direction in which the AACC is heading. A thorough exposition of the text would make a very interesting academic and theological exercise. But only a few points relevant to this dissertation are to be considered here. The brief review will show the universalistic tendency of the AACC. Ecumenism hitherto considered a child of the "mission field," has now attained full manhood. For the sake of ecumenism, all kinds of churches, "whether they be new and independent movements," are part of "the one church Whose Lord is Jesus Christ." It is not just the spirit of ecumenism that may be observed, but the Declaration wants

252 the world to know that ecumenism has now become an end in itself. The Committee declares "that God is calling the Ecumenical Movement in Africa to blossom as a religion of hope for our people." The Declaration goes on to show that the Ecumenical Movement has come to satisfy the longings of the Africans. It is "the renaissance of the African Personality, " and "part of our search for identity, authenticity and liberation." Ecumenism now becomes religio licita, an end itself rather than a means. It is a religion of hope, not because of spiritual values, but because of what it will do for the African materially. On this premise, a number of ambiguous and liberal theological propositions follow. The first ambiguous proposition of this Declaration is the concept that Ecumenism is a recovery of African history, and the renaissance of the African Personality. One gains the impression that African peoples enjoyed homogeneity and possessed single ethos in terms of African Personality in recent past. Now this loss is being recovered in ecumenism, according to the Declaration. But apart from the solidarity of the human race is there any evidence, written or oral, that all the 1000 peoples of Africa were one solid group? When was there a recognizable African Personality? While

253 it cannot be denied that certain African kingdoms exercised great powers long before western colonization, the myth of African Personality is a twentieth century discovery. The best exponent of Negritude philosophy, Leopold Sedar Senghor, writes: From this discovery, combined with the spectacle of the "great events that shock the world," the nationalist feeling was born among colonized people, I was about to forget the powerful leaven furnished Black Africa by the discovery and exaltation of Negritude, of Negro-African cultural values.1 If these two propositions were not true, how could Christian ecumenism be a recovery of the suggested concepts? Either all Africans were Christians, or Ecumenism is emptied of its meaning as a platform for the "one church whose Lord is Jesus Christ." The first proposition is obviously untenable. So the conclusion one draws is that ecumenism as held by AACC binds all people of Africa together on the ethnic rather than religious basis. Ethnological universalism here takes shape. Salvation, according to the Kinshasa Declaration, may be described in terms of authenticity and liberation. The liberation in the Declaration is not described as __________ Leopold Sedar Senghor, On African Socialism, trans. by Mercer Cook (London: Pall Mall Press, 1972), p. 3.
1

254 spiritual. The context shows that it has to do with a type of here and now revolution. It is something that has taken place already. "God has rescued us as a race of man from all the principalities and powers of the African world." Since the rescue has to do with the Africans as a race, it cannot logically be the atonement of Christ, Who shed His blood for the whole world (1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:19; Gal. 3: 28). According to the Word of God, no one people can claim the monopoly of God's free gift in Christ Jesus, not even the Jews who have received the oracles of God (Col. 3:11). Any claim of monopoly of God's grace by any one group or class of people is foreign to the gospel. Paul calls such claim of monopoly as not really a gospel (Gal. 1:6, 7). This must be distinguished from the unique claims of Christ. It is Christ the Savior and not the sinners to be saved that can claim uniqueness. It is in Zaire, the host country of the ecumenical Declaration, that the theology of authentic liberation is best put to work. Jean B. Bokeleale, the general secretary of the Church of Christ in Zaire, finds in authentic liberation the "Bantu way" of governing the Church. It overlooks a doctrinal basis. Christian individual salvation has no meaning except in a community context. A person is first

255 and foremost a Zairoi before he is a Christian. Christianity must bear the stamp of authentic Zairian. That is why all the citizens of Zaire have resorted to changing their Christian names to Zairian names. The church structure is patterned according to the ethnic setup. Bokeleale reportedly indicates, "We see the parish as a family, the member communities as clans, the provincial synods as tribes and the whole church as a nation."1 Bokeleale has progressively given teeth to the basic concept of theology of authenticity. Alfred Larson has correctly summed up the situation in Zaire; "Liberal theology and universalist philosophy are being combined with political expediency to bring the evangelical churches into line with the ecumenical program."2 If national loyalties take precedence over obedience to the Lord Jesus, how can the Christian reconcile authentic theology with God's Word (Matt. 6:33; Acts 4:19, 20)? How can human relationship relegate to the background the concept of union in Christ's body (Matt. 10:34-42; 1 Cor. 12:13) ________ Edward B. Fiske, "Congo Protestants Seek Own Style of Unity," New York Times, March 2, 1971, p. 6. Alfred Larson, "Director's Comments," Lifeline, March, 1973, p. 11.
2 1

256 Respect for the ruling authority is a necessary prerogative for the Christian (Rom. 13:1). But the suggestion of a national solidarity in a theological context is a step toward universalism. Yet that appears to be the trend in Zaire. That also seems to be the logical outcome of the Kinshasa Declaration. Since the rescue of the African race is not the atonement, limited or unlimited, taught in the Word of God, it must be identified with something elsewhere. The Declaration deals with some type of hope to be shared with "those tormented by poverty, racism, tribalism, economic, political and elitist exploitation." The Committee is convinced that God is on the side of the oppressed. The invitation is for the church to join the political, economic, and sociological struggles of the oppressed and thereby make "liberation and salvation" possible for all the people of Africa. The logic of this position can only mean that God is changing sides all the time, depending on who is oppressed at what time. Various tribes have exchanged supremacy in Africa in different times of their history. If God is always on the side of the oppressed no matter what the circumstances are, then God's sympathy surpasses His justice and holiness.

257 This is the gospel the church in Africa is called upon to proclaim. It is this kind of theology that is seeking to control the majority of African Christians. A Declaration which is supposed to show the position of the All Africa Conference of Churches does not mention the word sin even once. All the symptoms of the disease are narrated and condemned but not one reference is made to the root of the sickness. Oppression, tribalism, racism, and exploitation are definitely terrible crimes against humanity and against God's design for humanity (Acts 17;26). But is not the evil heart responsible for all these tensions and conflicts (James 4:1-7; Mark 7:15)? Unless the illness is properly diagnosed, the cure will ever remain elusive. Since the Declaration does not even imply a Scripture passage for any of its bases, it is futile to search for a biblical basis of the pronouncement. A distorted view of salvation and a complete silence on sin cannot bring out the need of the Savior. Nowhere does the passage show Africa's need of a Savior. The only cause for rejoicing is that the 350 million "Christians" of Africa will "lead the Churches in preparing a new Millenium [sic] of World Christianity." No reference is made in regard to the nature and saviorhood of Christ. He is

258 described as "the source of our vital force; as the matrix of our world with its myriad relationships to all things created in heaven and on earth." It is hard to connect this concept with either the scriptural teaching of creation (Gen. 1, 2; Col. 1), or the Pauline doctrine of Christological mysticism (Gal. 2:20). The idea of "source of our vital force," which apparently includes all the people of Africa, can best be related to Paul Tillich's Ground of Being. Personality is swallowed up by the idea of godness. Even the incarnation is hard to fit into this concept. The "matrix" has the idea of some substance from which another substance of one and the same kind develops. One dictionary meaning is "something, within which something else originates or develops."1 Thus, Jesus Christ has the relationship with the whole creation in the sense of everything having derived directly from Him. It is not a matter of the Creatorcreature relationship whereby the Creator has created ex nihilo man in His own image. Rather as the expression indicates, it is the production from one and the same stuff. One does not want to charge the committee of pantheism, but ________ Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1969), p. 522.
1

259 surely that is the impression gained from the pronouncement. Unless the trend changes, African ecumenism is bound for syncretistic universalism. A tinge of nationalism and politico-economic overtones are forces which give impetus to theological universalism. Now is the time to save the Christian church in Africa from such an eternal disaster.

CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION AND PROPOSALS History Has Gone Full Circle Christianity originated in the Afro-Asian Middle East. Then it spread to Europe and relatively recently to the Americas and Australasia. It has expanded to the rest of Asia and Africa at different periods with varying degrees of success and failure. Thus, the gospel has reached "the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The very circumstances that prevailed at the inauguration of the Church in the Greco-Roman world are now asserting themselves in the world. The parallel is more pronounced in the primarily agricultural economies where man lives closer to nature. The challenges that confronted the Church in the first two centuries are now, and will increasingly confront the Church. Religious confrontation Donald McGavran has given an accurate assessment of today's situation as Christianity meets other faiths:

261 It seems clear that the next decades, Christians again, as in the first two centuries, will fight the long battle against syncretism and religious relativism. And for the same reasonnamely, that they are again in intimate contact with multitudes of non-Christian peers who believe that many paths lead to the top of the mountain. The concept of the cosmic Christ, some maintain, is a way out of the arrogance which stains the Christian when he proclaims Jesus Christ as the only Way to the Father. Other Christians believe that the concept of a "cosmic Christ operating through many religions" sacrifices truth, for if there are, in fact, many revelations, then each voices approximation of the truth. . . . As hundreds of Christian and non-Christian denominations spring into being across Africa, Asia, and other lands of earth, some will inevitably hold biblical and others syncretistic views, of the Person of Christ.1 The religious challenge of the second century is reasserting itself today. Religions ranging from Greek individual gods to the emperor worship of the Roman world were the order of the day. Whether it be numen August! of Rome, the Serapis, derived from Egypt, or the Atargatis of Syria, or even Mithraism of Parthia, religious confrontation was awaiting Christianity. The challenge of syncretistic universalism was to be the task before the apologists. A similar situation prevails in today's Africa. The "temples" of African Traditional Religions are now rearing their heads. A Caius Caligula or Marcus Aurelius will sooner or later call for their resuscitation. There are _________ Donald McGavran, ed., Eye of the Storm (Waco. Texas: Word Books, 1972), p. 17.
1

262 apparent indications that African Christians may even be called upon to pour libation before a new "lord Caesar" instead of serving the unique Lord Jesus Christ. The message of Kampala in 1963 implies that African Christian leaders are quite ready for such an eventuality.1 But persecution may not be the area where the battle will be fiercest. The devil has many avenues and he knows where best to succeed. Christo-paganism appears to be the area of attack within the next generation. The battle has started. The unique claims of Christ are regarded as eccentricities. The relativity philosophy is seeking to make the Scriptures only one of many revelations rather than a special revelation. Christianity is not repudiated but is given the largest room in the camp of religions. It is claimed that the difference lies not in kind but in qualitative teachings. "Thus saith the Lord" as prepositional revelation is reduced to merely a segment of general revelation or a fulfillment of other revelations. By this process it cannot dislodge other revelations but only improves upon them. That being the case, salvation is no monopoly of Christianity. It is just as possible to be saved through other religions as it ________
1

Drumbeats From Kampala (London: Lutherworth Press,

1963). p. 16.

263 is through Christianity though the latter may bring salvation faster. This is the trend, and various African theologians have progressed in it in various degrees. Cultural complexities Besides the religious confrontation, there is the cultural challenge that faces Christianity. Christianity was launched within the matrix of Greco-Roman culture. If the Judaistic background provided the revelation, the GreekRoman culture was the flower bed on which the revelation was disseminated. "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law" (Gal. 4:4). The fullness of time means more than pax Romana, or Greek intelligentsia. It includes the total cultural milieu of the Mediterranean world where "Africans, Teutons, Greeks, Jews, Parthians, and Phrygians mingled in the provinces and cities and shared their national heritages with the Latin people."1 Christianity was soon to unravel its riches to meet the longings of all these peoples. The test for Christianity, however, was going to be whether it would survive as a unique faith, as the only answer to the human __________ Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Times (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 67.
1

264 dilemma. Would it baptize cultures or would it be polarized and enmeshed by the multitudes of cultures it would invade? This is where the battle rages the fiercest in Africa. The constant cry one hears is that "missionaries have destroyed African culture." The accusation is made in spite of the fact that the instrument of worship that is set to flame may indeed be a charm of an object of idol worship. It is often forgotten that the twentieth century convert is not the first Christian to burn up the bridges linking him with his past life of idol worship. The first converts in Ephesus went to the point of literally burning their books of magic arts for the sake of Christ, thus breaking with their culture (Acts 19:23-41). Not all the so-called African culture is de facto culture. So much in the guise of culture is actually idolatry. It is a fact that it is extremely difficult to differentiate religion from culture. Nevertheless, a careful discernment is imperative. Idowu's observation is worth careful consideration. "A fair attempt at differentiation may be that while culture covers the whole of a people's scheme of life, religion gives direction and complexion to the scheme."1 Where such a ____________ E. Bolaji Idowu, African Traditional Religion: A Definition (London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1973), p. 5.
1

265 differentiation is not possible, two alternatives are called for. Either the culture is abandoned or Christianity is compromised. To be more concrete, Stonehenge in northern England may be used as an example. The shrine was used by the cults for the worship of Druidism. Human beings were offered in pre-Roman days. When the primitive practice was outlawed, the shrine was left for cultural reasons. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a veneration of the shrine was revived. Today, spirit worshipers from the United States spend thousands of dollars on pilgrimages to the pagan shrine in England. The British Department of Antiquities may be making money and the cultural heritage of the British boosted, but what of the rivalry of loyalties between Jesus Christ and Stonehenge? Applying the same analogy to the African situation, is it worth preserving the "juju" if the converted Christian will be tempted to go back to Egypt or the house of Laban? Where lies the unique claim of Christ which is supposed to supercede even kin relationships (Matt. 11:37-38)? Should national pride or cultural heritage come before Christ? New Testament Christianity has a strong negative answer to that. This is what Paul means when he says, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my

266 Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8). The matter of either/or affects only the questionable instruments of religio-cultural heritage. Culture as such can be baptized by Christianity. But once it is done the other way around, compromise has set in. Syncretism will be the end result and the unique salvation of Christ is jeopardized. One common error which also may be cited is the lumping together of some fundamental biblical principles with the western culture and repudiating both. The error begins with some early Western missionaries who identified the kingdom of God with western civilization. This naive concept is rejected today. On the other hand, there is a call for African Christianity epitomized in African Theology, which to some theologians, means starting de novo. To adhere to the inerrant, inspired Word of God as the only special source of Christianity is contended. Non-Christian sources are being bolstered to the status of divine revelation. It is often forgotten that the Apostolic Creed, on which most western church creeds are based, was composed by Europeans, Asians, and Africans. Athanasius, the great

267 architect of the earliest Christian creed and defender of Orthodoxy was an African theologian. Other African theologians, Arius and Origen, of course, were not condoned in their false views. Inevitably, many cultured tendencies were passed on to the converts by the Western missionary. But there is no historical basis for assigning Christianity to the West. As a matter of fact, it was Asians and Africans who organized the first mission board (Acts 13:1, 2). What has been said of African culture, can be said of the western culture. The few cultural trends enmeshed with the gospel do not have to be rejected only because they are Western. Why insist on worshiping in a round building if Jaba have begun to fashion their own homes in the square pattern after the square type of church built by the missionary? If the cultural heritage is compatible with Christianity, why should it not be adhered to and the energy spent in the spreading of the gospel? If the organ is already there, why not supplement the organ with drums and locally made symbols? Africa stands to gain by becoming more creative than by expending energy on cultural demythologization.

268 Political challenge Christian martyrs in the second century stood by the mandate of their Founder and Savior, Lord Christ. They were prepared to render to Caesar his own dues, realizing that he was the minister of God for executing justice here on earth (Matt. 17:27; 22:15-22; Rom. 13:1-7). But when the powers that be overstepped the boundary, the response was, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). With such an affirmation Polycarp and Pothinus among others marched triumphantly to their execution. Salvation to them was not political liberation but eternal redemption from sin. It might even call for suffering in this life, they were prepared to serve their Lord in life or in death (Phil. 1:2-24). It is gratifying to note that within a decade more than a score of nations were born in Africa. A Christian should be the most loyal citizen of his country because he is aware of the fact that God has ordained even a dictatorial type of Neronian rule. Moreover, as a citizen of two dominions, he knows what it means to submit to the higher Power. But his belief in the absolute authority of the Word of God also forces him to acknowledge the equality of all men. That being the case, the awareness of the existence of other nations becomes imperative. Blind

269 nationalism of Nazist type should have no place among Christians. The tendency to identify African culture and religions with political ethos seems to be taking shape. A rejection of non-Christian beliefs is sometimes taken to be an abuse of one's own heritage. Adherence to biblical principles is taken for lack of patriotism. It is hoped that no African ruler or politician will be so naive to think that the evangelical Christian is being unpatriotic when he rejects a religio-cultural practice for the sake of Christianity. In the Western World, the evangelical Christian is generally the most patriotic. Cases of dissension, such as in the case of the American Civil war can be cited. But the picture today shows that evangelical Christianity is most patriotic, entrusting the execution of justice to the instrument of law and order ordained by God. The evangelical Christian in Africa, having the same faith in the same rule for faith and practice, the Bible, can be trusted to come out the same. His rejection of liberal ecumenism should not be taken for rejection of unity. That evangelicals are also interested in unity is demonstrated in the organization of evangelical fellowships in more than half a dozen countries in Africa, and the continent-wide

270 Association of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar. The rejection of liberal ecumenism is based purely on doctrinal matters. The deviation from biblical teaching so evident in world ecumenism presents a threat to the orthodox Christian. The evangelical also rejects veneration of African Traditional Religions. This is not due to lack of patriotism. It is only an effort to safeguard the unique gospel of Christ, which alone provides the way of salvation. African culture as such can be enriched with Christianity. This the evangelical Christian is ready to promote. The present author has heard many missionaries criticized for "not teaching us English," "not allowing us to wear ties," and "not allowing us to wear trousers." It is a fact that many a missionary did this out of a superior, imperialistic attitude. But it is also true that not a few did it because they did not see the need of wearing a tie to become a Christian. Some missionaries were more ready than Africans were to retain African culture. The same thing may be observed in evangelical Christians. Idolatry cannot cohabit with Christianity. But cultural heritage compatible with Christianity can be baptized into Christian enrichment. The gospel content, of course, needs no addition or

271 modification. It is because of this irreducible, immutable message, that Christianity has produced the third race which cuts across all races and all peoples. What is said of Mediterranean cultures can be applicable universally. "To each of these three cultures the Christian church owes some of its characteristics, though its genius is not the product of any one of them."1 The test for loyalty and patriotism should not lie in ecumenical cooperation, nor in the area where the emperor has overstepped his humanly ordained position. In this area obedience to God and defense of the faith is the necessary prerogative of the Bible-believing Christian. When it comes to mundane authority, law abiding and order, the biblicist stands next to none in obedience and respect. This is what the Bible tells him and he seeks to obey the Bible. The plea of the early apologists is the same plea by their spiritual descendants in twentieth century Africa: For we call upon God for the safety of the Emperor, upon God the eternal, God the true, God the living, whose favour, beyond all others, the Emperor desires. . . . Examine God's words, our scriptures, which we do not conceal, and which many accidents put into the hands of those without the Church. Know from them that a superfluity of benevolence is enjoined on us, even so far as to pray God for our enemies and to entreat __________
1

Tenney, New Testament Times, p. 77.

272 blessings for our persecutors. Humanitarian considerations Christians in the second century were ignorantly considered antisocial, in his directives to Pliny, Trajan could only vaguely describe the Christians that "they constitute a very bad precedent, and are also out of keeping with this age."2 In a similar manner the conservative evangelical can be misunderstood today. He is charged with preaching "pie in the sky" religion. This is in spite of the numerous schools, hospitals, and clinics that have been run over the years by evangelicals. The Christian, walking in the steps of the Savior, must follow the Lord's example. While it is true that Christ cured the sick and put food in the needy's stomach, He rhetorically asked the ephemeral adherents, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36). Although man is a total personality, Christ did put the soul's salvation in reference to future life above earthly existence (Luke 12:5). Social concerns have ________ Henry Scowcroft Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church (New York: Oxford University Press, 1947), p. 10.
2 1 1

Ibid. p. 6.

273 their place in the Christian mandate. But the serving of tables must be given second place (Acts 6:2, 4). Man's life does not consist of material possessions. Affluency of the Western World is the best demonstration that for Christians to devote their time to social concerns at the expense of seeking to win souls for eternity amounts to fattening a calf for slaughter. This the Bible-believing Christian cannot afford to do, especially as the days grow shorter. Dehumanization is the socialist slogan commonly employed to ridicule the soul-salvation concerned believer. But is it not in the Bible that true humanization can be seen? A person without Christ is no better than vegetable existence. Man was made in the image of God. The image has been defaced and the unbelievers are considered dead and estranged from the living God (Eph. 2:1; Col. 1:21). Humanization comes only when one becomes a Christian. From that moment of encounter with Christ, the hell-bound Christian becomes truly man as he is "mystically" united with God-Man, even Jesus the Christ of God. This is the true humanization the Christian is commanded to proclaim (John 21:20; Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-3). The Christian may feed all the hungry people in the world, and pay

274 all the bills of liberation movements of the society. His primary task is not done. His primary task is preaching the gospel of soul salvation. He should mourn, "It would be misery to me not to preach" (1 Cor. 9:16, New English Bible). One final sentimental issue in Africa is the matter of the ancestors who died before they ever had the opportunity to hear the gospel. The solution ranges from those who affirm that they are in heaven because they were good or religious people to those who call for prayer by the living Christians with the hope there is still chance for the dead. Aloysius Lugira strongly objects to any thought that his non-Christian, but good religious grandparents, will end up in hell.1 Harry Sawyerr, in his otherwise fine book, Creative Evangelism: Towards a New Christian Encounter with Africa, suggests, "We would, therefore, go on to suggest that the prayers of African Christians might in the providence of God lead to the salvation of their pagan ancestors."2 He further bases universal salvation on God's omnipotence.3 __________ Aloysius Lugira, private interview, Kampala. Uganda, January 20, 1973. Harry Sawyerr, Creative Evangelism: Towards a New Christian Encounter with Africa (London: Lutherworth Press 1968). p. 95.
3 2 1

Ibid., p. 112.

275 John Mbiti calls for Sanctorum Communio in the sense of direct communication between the living and the departed saints.1 If this communication is possible and cherished by the Christian, it is not farfetched to suggest that one can also witness yet to one's unsaved ancestor. On humane basis alone can one suggest the possibility of the salvation of the unevangelized ancestor. By logical deduction some theologians have proposed salvation for such people on the basis of God's grace. J. N. D. Anderson places it on the basis of God's mercy.2 According to Anderson, salvation is possible for those who have never heard. He pleads their cause as those "whose heart the God of all mercy had been working by his Spirit, who had come in some measure to realize his sin, and need for forgiveness, and who had been enabled, in the twilight as it were to throw himself on the mercy of God."3 It should be noted that Anderson isolates certain ones whose heart the Lord might have touched somehow. Such persons, if there were any, would not be the ardent religious worshipers. Rather, _________ John S. Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology in an African Background (London: Oxford University Press. 1971), pp. 148-49. 2 J. N. D. Anderson, Christianity and Comparative Religion (Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970), p. 102.
3 1

Ibid., p. 101.

276 they might be "atheists" like Socrates. Such promptings should also be differentiated from the claim of a direct special revelation. The latter is contained in the canonical Scriptures (Heb. 1:1; 2:3. 4). Anderson's position may be granted on the basis of deductive speculation. The more scriptural basis would rather be that if God had been dealing with any person apart from the gospel witness. He would provide the way for that would-be Christian to hear the Gospel and be born again. The case of Cornelius is the precedent (Acts 10:35). For the rest of the heathen who died before the advent of Christian evangelism, it is humanely wished that they found their place in eternal bliss. But the Word of God gives no warrant for such a view. Humanity does not live in neutrality. Since the original fall, the total race of Adam has been condemned to death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Salvation in biblical sense is the passing out of this death dungeon (John 5:24) into the dimension of life. The members of the Adamic race are all stillborn (Rom. 5:12). Not one of them deserves to live. But the undeserving favor of God has made salvation possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death and resurrection of the second Adam is described as to only "abound to many"

277 (Rom. 5:15). Christ is universally available to all men everywhere at any time. This is how far biblical universalism goes. But its effectiveness applies only to those who receive the offer: If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man's fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous (Romans 5:17, Jerusalem Bible). The biblical answer to the question concerning those who died before hearing the gospel is to be that they go to hell. No one deserves to be saved in any case. So the question of God's partiality does not arise. Humanly speaking, one would wish that all men will be saved. But there is no scriptural warrant for that position. God's omnipotence must be matched with His omniscience. His grace and love must not overshadow His justice and holiness. The challenge for the Christian is to weep over the two and a half billion living souls without Christ. An implicit faith in God's Word and an absolute assurance in Jesus Christ as the only solution to the sin problem which is responsible for all human ills is the only bulwark and offensive weapon of the Christian.

278 A Ten Point Proposal for the Survival of Biblical Christianity in Africa One: Adherence to the basic presuppositions of historic Christianity. 1. That God has revealed Himself generally but unredemptively, through imago Dei, conscience, and creation (Rom. 1:18-23; 2:15-18). 2. Non-Christian religions prove that man has a concept of the triune God but they also show man's rebellion against God (Rom. 1:18-23). 3. That God has redemptively become incarnate in Christ for the redemption of mankind but only those who accept God's offer of salvation can be saved (Rom. 5:17). 4. That the principle of continuity in the sense that God's image in man has not been obliterated; and general revelation, though cannot be read correctly, is still a de facto revelation. But running parallel with this is the fact of discontinuity in the sense that God is now producing a new man in the formation of the Body of Christ (Eph. 2:15). 5. The Bible alone is the final infallible rule of faith and practice. Its verdict cannot be

279 challenged by anyone. This prepositional revelation is fully inspired, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and faithfully transmitted. Two: Christianity should find its home in African cultural setting by transforming the latter and never vice versa. To do otherwise would isolate African Christianity from the rest of biblical Christianity found all over the world throughout the centuries. This can be done not by creating an "African Theology" as understood by many African theologians examined in this dissertation. Positively, it can be done by: 1. Expressing theological concepts in terms of the African situation. The insights of Western theologians over the years must be appreciated. But the squabbles of the West do not have to be the pattern for the younger churches. The last way of expressing the unchanging truths of the Bible has not yet been utilized. 2. Theology in Africa should "scratch where it itches." The problems of polygamy, family structure, spirit world, liturgy, to mention a few, need to be tackled by evangelical African theologians and biblical answers presented.

280 Three: There should be a concerted effort in the training of men in the Scriptures, employing the original languages to facilitate their ability in exegeting the Word of God. In-depth knowledge rather than mere superficial mechanics in the ministry should be the primary concern. Four: A careful study of African Traditional Religions as well as other non-Christian religions should be encouraged but only secondarily to the inductive study of God's Word. The New Testament writers and the early church evangelists did not consider it worthwhile to spend their energy in the study of nonChristian religions. All non-Christians belong to one and the same group, unsaved. The sinful nature needs no study analysis as its outworking is clearly manifested in daily life. Five: An aggressive program of evangelism and missions is an imperative if the church is not going to fall into the error of doctrinal strifes of the third century Christianity in North Africa. Six: Consolidation of organizational structures based on doctrinal agreements should be embarked upon. Fraternal relationship such as is being shaped by the

281 Association of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar (AEAM) is strongly urged. The gregarious nature of the African calls for a fellowship so much needed, and yet does not need to be an organic union. Seven; Careful and accurate delineation and concise expression of what terms mean in theology is a necessary safeguard against syncretism and universalism. Eight: An apologetic in a polite manner to compromising systems finding their way into the church must be undertaken. This calls for more leadership training. Nine: The church should not stay aloof in regard to social ills, but the primary concern must remain the salvation of individuals, who will in turn revolutionize the society. Ten: Following the steps of the New Testament Church, Christians in Africa should be prepared to say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21). Africa needs her Polycarps, Athanasiuses, and Martin Luthers, who are ready to contend for the faith at any cost.

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX I CONTENTS PREFACE Part one: The Nature of God 1 THE INTRINSIC ATTRIBUTES OF GOD The Omniscience of God The Omnipresence of God The Omnipotence of God The Transcendence of God The Immanence of God 2 THE ETERNAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD The Self-Existence of God The Pre-Eminence and Greatness of God God as the First and Last Cause God as Spirit The Invisibility of God God as Incomprehensible and Mysterious The Eternity, Infinity, and Immutability of God The Unity and Plurality of God 3 THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD The Pity, Mercy, and Kindness of God The Love of God The Comfort of God The Faithfulness of God The Goodness of God The Anger of God The Will of God The Justice and Righteousness of God The Holiness of God 3 5 8 12 16 19 20 21 23 25 26 27 29 31 33 33 34 34 37 38 40 41 xiii

Part two: The Active Attributes of God 4 GOD AS CREATOR Creation in General The Order of Creation God's Establishment of Natural order, Laws, and Customs God Continues to Create God and Human Predestination 5 THE PROVIDENCE AND SUSTENANCE OF GOD I PROVIDENCE General Sunshine Rain Fertility. Health, and Plenty II SUSTENANCE General God as Keeper and Guardian God as Protector The Controlling Work of God The Nursing and Cherishing Work of God The Healing Work of God God's Work of Salvation 6 THE GOVERNING WORK OF GOD AS KING, LORD, AND JUDGE God as King and Ruler God as Lord and Master God as Judge God and Warfare 7 GOD AND AFFLICTIONS General Diseases Misfortunes and Evil Poverty, Drought, and Famine Locusts, Calamities, and Destruction Death 80 80 82 83 84 85 56 57 58 59 63 64 65 66 67 67 69 45 48 51 52 53

284

71 73 76 78

285 Part three: Anthropomorphic and Natural Attributes of God 8 ANTHROPOMORPHIC ATTRIBUTES AND ASSOCIATIONS General God as Father God as Mother God as Grandfather and Elder People as Children of God God as Friend Body and Bodily Parts Bodily Activities 9 GOD AND ANIMALS General Domestic Animals Wild Animals Animals that Creep, Crawl, Leap, or Swim Birds Insects 10 GOD AND PLANTS Forest, Wood, Bush, and Groves Mythical Trees Sacred Trees Trees that Symbolize God's Presence or Manifestation Trees Associated with Burial, Spirits, and Divinities Reeds, Grass, and Food Crops 11 GOD AND OTHER SPIRITUAL BEINGS God's "Wife" and Goddesses 114 God's Son, Daughter, and Children 115 God's Brother and Sister 116 Other Divinities and Demigods 117 God's Assistants, Servants, Messengers, and Agents 121 Spirits, Culture Heroes, and other Beings 123 The Word of God 127 91 91 92 93 93 94 94 95

98 98 101 103 106 107 109 110 111 112 112 113

286 12 GOD: HEAVENLY OBJECTS AND PHENOMENA Heaven or the Heavens, Sky, and Firmament The Sun and Moon Stars, Comets, and Meteors Rain, Rainbow, and Clouds Thunder and Lightning Wind. Storm, Hail, and Mist Light and Eclipses 13 GOD: EARTHLY OBJECTS AND PHENOMENA Earth and Earthquakes Water, Rivers, Flood, and Lakes Rocks, Stones, Metals, and Clay Mountains. Hills, and Desolate Places Holes and Caves Fire and Smoke Day and Night, Heat, and Cold Colours and Numbers Part four: God and Man 14 THE CREATION AND ORIGINAL STATE OF MAN The Creation of Man in Relation to That of Other Things God Made Man from Clay The Creation of Man from a Hole, Marsh, or Tree God Brought Men out of a Vessel Man Made from a Leg or Knee Man Was Brought from Heaven to Earth The Creation of Man as a Process or Evolution The Original State and Nature of the First Man God's Provision for the Original Man 15 THE SEPARATION OF GOD FROM MAN God's Relationship with the Original Man, and the Causes Leading to their Separation God's Commandment and Man's Disobedience The Consequences of the Separation 161 162 163 164 164 165 166 166 168 129 131 136 137 139 141 143 144 145 148 150 151 152 153 154

171 173 175

287 16 WORSHIP: SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS General Sacrifices and Offerings Animals and Items used for Sacrifices and Offerings 17 WORSHIP: PRAYERS AND OTHER APPEALS TO GOD Prayers Invocations and Appeals "Position" in Praying Blessings Greetings, Salutations, and Farewells Thanksgiving Oaths and Curses 18 OTHER ACTS AND EXPRESSIONS OF WORSHIP The Use of God's Name 213 Dedications and Resignation to God 215 Veneration, Fear, and Praise 216 Music, Singing, and Dancing in Worship 217 Faith and Search after God 218 19 WORSHIP: INTERMEDIARIES AND OTHER SPECIALISTS General Priests Seers, Prophets, and Oracles Diviners, Medicine-Men, and Witches Rainmakers Kings and Chiefs, Elders, and other Special People The Living-dead and the Spirits Animals and Inanimate Things 20 TIMES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP The Times of Worship The Places of Worship 21 GOD, HISTORY, AND ETHICS General God and Human History Ethics and Morals 220 220 222 223 225 227 229 233 194 205 206 207 208 209 211 178 178 190

235 239 244 244 247

288 22 ESCHATOLOGICAL CONCEPTS Death, Disappearance, and Ascension The Journey to the Land of the Departed The Land of the Departed Judgement, Reward, and Retribution in the Hereafter Heaven, Paradise, and Hell The Nature of the Hereafter The Continuation of Life after Death Spirit Possession and Appearances of the Departed Human Contact and Relationship with the Departed The Relationship between God and the Departed NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY LIST OF AFRICAN PEOPLES, THEIR COUNTRIES, AND NAMES FOR GOD INDEX OF AFRICAN PEOPLES INDEX OF SUBJECTS NOTE Details of all books mentioned briefly in the notes will be found in the bibliography. 253 255 257 259 262 262 264 265 267 268 275 317 327 337 342

Appendix II

APPENDIX III KINSHASA DECLARATION The Church in Africa is part of God's universal church, the one Church whose Lord is Jesus Christ. This oneness cuts across confessional and denominational bodies, whether they be new and independent movements or old established ones. We. the Executive Committee of the All Africa Conference of Churches, meeting in Kinshasa, Republic of Zaire, inspired by the vitality of Christianity throbbing in the heart of Africa, have been persuaded that God is calling the Ecumenical Movement in Africa to blossom as a religion of hope for our people. We declare that the Ecumenical Movement in Africa is part of the recovery of our own history; it is part of the renaissance of the African Personality; it is part of our search for identity, authenticity and liberation! We declare that the Ecumenical Movement in Africa is evangelical in proclaiming the centrality and primacy of Jesus Christ as the source of our vital force; as the matrix of our world with its myriad relationships to all things created in heaven and on earth. . . We declare that in Jesus Christ, God has rescued us as a race of man from all the principalities and powers of the African world, and he demands that we re-examine the roots of our existence in the light of his Good News to man, through his Son, Jesus Christ. And so we have hope: a hope that we wish to share with our people--those tormented by poverty, racism, tribalism, economic, political and elitist exploitation. We are convinced that God is on their side in the struggle. In Jesus Christ, he has taken his place among the poor, the oppressed, the powerless--the black people of Africa.

291 And so we have hope: a hope which challenges the Christian Church in Africa to manifest this conviction by urgently and actively working to overcome disunity and division. We challenge the Church to be on the side of God in his work for the liberation and salvation of all the people of Africa. We have hope that by the year 2,000, out of a total African population of 800 million, there will be an estimated Christian population of 350 million. We declare that the Ecumenical Movement in Africa is called to lead the Churches in preparing a new Millenium sic of World Christianity! We rejoice in the Lord that we are his people, a people called to service and to love. a people of heritage and of hope. Amen. Kinshasa, 31st October, 1971 All Africa Conference of Churches, Executive Committee Meeting, Kinshasa, Zaire October 28-31, 1971.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books and Pamphlets Africa Inland Church: Constitution, Rules and Regulations. Kijabe: Africa inland Mission Press, 1954. Pp. 36. Ajayi, Ade J. F. Christian Missions in Nigeria, 1841-1891. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1965. Pp. 317. Allen, Chalinder. The Tyranny of Time. New York: Philosophical Library, 1947. Pp. 275. Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962. Pp. 179. _______. Missionary Principles. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964. Pp. 168. Anderson, J. N. D. Christianity and Comparative Religion. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970. Pp. 126. Andrews, Elisha. A Candid Examination of the Moral Tendency of the Doctrine of Universal Salvation, as Taught by Its Advocates. Boston: Manning & Loring, 1803. Pp. 173. Arndt. William F., and Gingrich, F. Wilbur. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957. Pp. xxxvii 909. Baeta, C. G., ed. Christianity in Tropical Africa. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. Pp. 449. Baillie, John. And the Life Everlasting. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933. Pp. 350.

294 Balfour, Walter. Modern Universalism Exposed. Lowell: Asa Rand, 1834. Pp. 247. Barrett, David B., ed. African Initiatives in Religion. Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1971. Pp. 288. _______ . Schism and Renewal in Africa. Nairobi: Oxford University Press, 1968. Pp. 363. Barth, Karl. Christ and Adam: Man and Humanity in Romans 5. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. Pp. 96. _______. Dogmatics in Outline. Translated by G. T. Thomson. London: SCM Press, 1949. Pp. 155. _______. The Epistle to the Romans. Translated from the 6th German edition by Edwyn C. Hoskyns. London: Oxford University Press, 1933. Pp. 547. Beaver, Pierce R. Christianity and African Religion. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1966. Pp. 833. Beethem, T. A. Christianity and the New Africa. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Pp. 206. Berdyaev, Nicolas. The Destiny of Man. Translated by Natalie Duddington. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937. Pp. 377. Berkhof, Louis. Reformed Dogmatics: History of Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1932. Pp. 293. _______. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1946. Pp. 784. Berkouwer, G. C. General Revelation. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955. Pp. 336. _______. The Triumph of Grace in the Theology of Karl Barth. Translated by Harry R. Boer. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956. Pp. 414. Bettenson, Henry. Documents of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. Pp. 489.

295 Beyerhaus, Peter. Missions: Which Way? Humanization or Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961. Pp. 120. Bleeker, G. J. Christ in Modern Athens. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1965. Pp. 152. Boettner, Loraine. The Millennium. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1958. Pp. 380. Bruce, F. F. The Acts of the Apostles. London: Tyndale Press, 1951. Pp. 491. _______. Answers to Questions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973. Pp. 264. Brunner, Emil. Dogmatics. Vol. II: The Christian Doctrine of Creation and Redemption. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1952. Pp. 230. Bryan, McLeod G. Whither Africa? Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1961. Pp. 157. Buswell, J. Oliver, Jr. A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962. Buswell, J. Oliver, III. Slavery, Segregation and Scripture. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964. Pp. 101. Cairns, Alan C. H. The Clash of Cultures. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1965. Pp. 330. Campbell, Robert E. The Church in Mission. Maryknoll: Maryknoll Publications, 1965. Pp. 278. Carnell, Edward John. An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970. Pp. 379. Carpenter, George Wayland. The Way in Africa. New York: Friendship Press, 1959. Pp. 165. Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. 8 vols. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1950.

296 Clark, Dennis E. The Third World and Mission. Waco, Texas: Word Book, 1971. Pp. 129. Cleage, Albert B.. Jr. The Black Messiah. New York: Sheed and Word, 1969. pp. 278. Consultation Digest: A Summary of Reports and Addresses, All Africa Conference of Churches Inter-Church Aid Consultation, Enugu, Nigeria, January 4-9, 1965. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1965. Pp. 116. Cullmann, Oscar. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead? London: Epworth Press, 1958. Pp. 60. Dean, Paul. The Final Restoration. Boston: Edwin M. Stone, 1832. Pp. 190. Dickson, Kwesi A.. and Ellingworth, Paul, eds. Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1969. Pp. 190. Eichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Translated by J. A. Baker. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1967. Eliade, Mirces. Patterns in Comparative Religion. Translated by Rosemary Sheed. New York: World Publishing Company, 1963. Pp. 484. Ellicott, Charles John. Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible. 8 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. Evans-Pritchard, E. E. Nuer Religion. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956. Pp. 335. Farrow, Stephen S. Faith, Fancies and Fetich. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1926. Pp. 180. Ferre, Nels F. S. The Finality of Faith and Christianity Among the World Religions. New York: Harper and Row, 1963. Pp. 115. Fey, Harold E. A History of the Ecumenical Movement. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970.

297 Flew, Antony, and Macintyre. Alasdair. New Essays in Philosophical Theology. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1963. Pp. 274. Goodall, Norman. Ecumenical Progress; A Decade of Change in the Ecumenical Movement, 1961-71. London: Oxford University Press, 1972. Pp. 173. Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971. Pp. 349. Hastings, Adrian. Church and Mission in Modern Africa. London: Fordham University Press, 1967. Pp. 263. Henry, Carl F. H. Basic Christian Doctrines. Chicago: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1962. Pp. 302. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1946. Hogg, William Richey. Ecumenical Foundations. New York: Harper and Brothers, Publishers. 1952. Pp. 466. Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe, ed. Creative Minds in Contemporary Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. 1966. Pp. 488. Idowu, Bolaji E. African Traditional Religion: A Definition. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1973. Pp. 228. ________. Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief. London: Clowes & Sons, Ltd., 1962. Pp. 222. _______. Towards an Indigenous Church. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1965. Pp. 60. Jones, Major J. Black Awareness; A Theology of Hope. New York: Abingdon Press, 1971. Pp. 143. Keil, C. F., and Delitzsch, F. Commentary on the Old Testament. 10 vols. Translated by James Martin. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d. Kittel, Gerhard. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. 8 vols. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964-

298 Kraemer, Hendrik. The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing Co., 1969. Pp. 455. Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of the Expansion of Christianity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. V, 320. Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles. Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1944. Pp. 1133. Lewis, C. S. The Best of C. S. Lewis. New York: Iversen Associates, 1969. Pp. 520. Lewis, H. D. Philosophy of Religion. London: English Universities Press, Ltd., 1965. Pp. 338. Lightner, Robert Paul. Church Union. Des Plaines, Ill.; Regular Baptist Press, 1971. Pp. 163. Lindsell, Harold. An Evangelical Theology of Missions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969. Pp. 234. Lowell, Stanley C. The Ecumenical Mirage. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969. Pp. 205. Lowie, Robert H. Primitive Religion. New York: Liverright, 1952. Pp. 382. Lucas, J. Olumide. The Religion of Yorubas. Lagos: C.M.S. Bookshop, 1948. Pp. 420. Luzbetak, Louis J. The Church and Cultures. Techny, I11.: Divine Word Publications, 1970. Pp. 429. Malinowski, Bronislaw. The Dynamics of Culture Change. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1965. Pp. 165. Mbiti, John S. African Religions and Philosophy. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1969. Pp. 290. _______. Concepts of God in Africa. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970. Pp. 265.

299 _______. New Testament Eschatology in an African Background. Oxford: University Press, 1971. Pp. 216. McDonald, H. D. Ideas of Revelation. New York: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1959. Pp. 300. _______. Living Doctrines of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972. Pp. 319. _______. Theories of Revelation. London: George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1963. Pp. 384. McGavran, Donald, ed. Crucial Issues in Missions Tomorrow. Chicago: Moody Press, 1973. Pp. 272. _______. Eye of the Storm. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1972. Pp. 299. Mendelsohn, Jack. God, Allah and Juju. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1962. Pp. 245. Milligan, Robert H. The Fetish Folk of West Africa. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1912. Pp. 328. Morgan, G. Campbell. The Acts of the Apostles. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1924. Pp. 547. Morris, Leon. The Biblical Doctrine of Judgment. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1960. Pp. 72. Moule, H. C. G. Outlines of Christian Doctrine. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1896. Pp. 288. Neill, Stephen. Christian Faith and Other Faiths. London: Oxford University Press, 1970. Pp. 245. Newbigin, Lesslie. The Finality of Christ. Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1969. Pp. 120. Nida, Eugene A., and Smalley, William A. Introducing Animism. New York: Friendship Press, 1959. Pp. 64. _______. Message and Mission. Pasadena: Harper and Brothers, Publishers, 1972. Pp. 253.

300 Niebuhr, Reinhold. The Nature and Destiny of Man. Vol. II: Human Destiny. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1943. Pp. 329. Northcott, Cecil. Christianity in Africa. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1963. Pp. 125. Oosterzee, J. J. Van. Christian Dogmatics. London; Hodder and Stoughton, 1878. Pp. xxii 818. Oosthuizen, G. C. Post-Christianity in Africa. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968. Pp. 273. Parrinder, Geoffrey. African Traditional Religions. London; Hutchinson's University Library, 1954. Pp. 160. _______. A Dictionary of Non-Christian Religions. Hulton Educational Publications. London: Cox and Wyman, Ltd., 1971. Pp. 320. _______. West African Religion. 2d ed. London: Epworth Press, 1961. Pp. 203. _______. Witchcraft, European and African. New York: Barnes and Noble. 1963. Pp. 245. Payne, Barton J. The Theology of the Older Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962. Pp. 554. Peters, George W. A Biblical Theology of Missions. Chicago: Moody Press, 1972. Pp. 368. Pinnock, Clarke H., and Wells, David P., eds. Toward a Theology for the Future. Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation House, 1971. Pp. 329. Pinnock, S. G. The Romance of Missions in Nigeria. Richmond, Va.: L. H. Jenkins, Inc., 1917. Pp. 176. Quigley, Thomas E., ed. Freedom and Unfreedom in the Americas: Towards a Theology of Liberation. New York: IDOC Book, 1971. Pp. 139.

301 Radin, Paul. Primitive Religion. New York; Dover Publication, inc., 1957. Pp. 322. Ramm, Bernard. Protestant Biblical Interpretation. Boston: Wilde Company, 1956. Pp. 197. Ranger, T. 0., and Kimambo. I. N. The Historical Study of African Religion. Ibadan; Heinemann, 1972. Pp. 307. Rauschenbusch, Walter. Christianizing the Social Order. New York: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1912. Pp. 493. _______. A Theology for the Social Gospel and the Social Principles of Jesus. London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1922. Pp. 279. Reymond, Robert L. Introductory Studies in Contemporary Theology. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Co.. 1968. Pp. 242. Rogers, Arthur Kenyon. A Student's History of Philosophy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1935. Pp. 487. Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Dispensationalism Today. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969. Pp. 221. Sauer, Erich. The Dawn of World Redemption. Translated by G. H. Lang. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971. Pp. 206. Sawyerr, Harry. Creative Evangelism: Towards a New Christian Encounter with Africa. London: Lutterworth Press, 1968. Pp. 183. _______. God, Ancestor or Creator? Bristol: Western Printing Services, Ltd., 1970. Pp. 118. Schaeffer, Francis A. The God Who Is There. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968. Pp. 191. Schleiermacher, Friedrich. The Christian Faith. Edited by H. R. Mackintosh and J. S. Stewart. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1948. pp. 760.

302 Seligman, C. G., and Brenda Z. Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd., 1965. Pp. 565. Senghor, Leopold Sedar. On African Socialism. Translated by Mercer Cook. London: Pall Mall Press, 1965. Pp. 176. Sharpe, Eric J. Comparative Religion. London: Lutterworth Press, 1971. Pp. 85. Shedd. William G. T. Dogmatic Theology. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1894. Smith, Edwin W. African Ideas of God. London: Edinburgh House Press, 1950. Pp. 308. Stocks, J. L. Time Cause and Eternity. London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1938. Pp. 163. Sundkler, Bengt. The World of Missions. Translated by Eric J. Sharpe. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966. Pp. 318. Swanson, Guy E. The Birth of the Gods. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1966. Pp. 260. Taylor, John V. The Primal Vision. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1963. Pp. 212. Temple, William. The Universality of Christ. London: Student Christian Movement, 1921. Pp. 105. Tenney, Merrill C. New Testament Times. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965. Pp. 396. The New Delhi Report. New York: Association Press, 1962. Pp. 448. Tillich, Paul. Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951-63. Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969. Pp. 405.

303 Turner, V. W. Schism and Continuity in an African Society. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1964. Pp. 347. Tylor, Edward B. Primitive Culture. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1920. Vol. I. Von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Theology. 2 vols. Translated by D. M. G. Stalker. New York: Harper and Row, 1965. Vriezen, Th. C. An Outline of Old Testament Theology. Newton, Mass.: Charles T. Branford Company, 1970. Pp. 479. Walvoord, John F. The Millennial Kingdom. Findlay, Ohio: Dunham Publishing Company, 1959. Pp. 373. Webster, James Berlin. The African Churches Among the Yoruba, 1882-1922. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964. Pp. 217. Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1969. Pp. xxii 1221. Welch, F. G. Towards an African Church. Nairobi: Christian Council of Kenya, 1962. Pp. 128. Wilch, John R. Time and Event. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1969. Pp. 180. Williamson, George Sidney. Akan Religion and the Christian Faith. Accra: Ghana Universities Press, 1965. Pp. 184. Woods, Ralph L., ed. A Treasury of the Familiar. Chicago: Peoples Book Club, 1945. Pp. 751. Woodson, Lesslie H. Hell and Salvation. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1973. Pp. 128. World Council of Churches: Service Programme and List of Projects 1965, Division of Inter-church Aid, Refugees and World Service. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1965. Pp. 441.

304 Young, Edward J. Thy Word is Truth. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970. Pp. 287. Zwemer, Samuel M. The Origin of Religion. New York; Loizeaux Brothers, 1945. Pp. 256. Encyclopedia Articles Bender. Harold S. "Universalism." The Mennonite Encyclopedia. Edited by Harold S. Bender and C. Henry Smith. Scottdale, Pa.: Mennonite Publishing House. 1959. IV, 783. Cookey, Sylvanus J. S. The Bantu Migration. Chicago: Field Enterprise Corporation, 1973. Cross, F. L. , ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1966. p. 67. Dale, Alfred William Winterslow. "Origenistic Controversies." A Dictionary of Christian Biography. Edited by William Smith and Henry Wace. London: John Murray, 1887. IV, 142-56. Eddy, Richard. "Universalists." Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Edited by John M'Clintock and James Strong. New York: Harper & Bros., 1894. X, 657-65. Gerstner, John H. "Universalists." Baker's Dictionary of Theology. Edited by Everett F. Harrison. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. 1960. Pp. 539-40. Hammarskjold, Dag. "United Nations." The American Peoples' Encyclopedia, 1964. XVIII, 375. Knight, George T. "Universalists." The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. Edited by Samuel Macauley Jackson. New York: Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1912. XII, 95-97. Marrett, Robert Ranulph. "Animism." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 14th ed. London: Britannica company, Ltd., 1932. I. 9745.

305 M'Clintock, John, and Strong, James. "Universalism, Universalists." Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1970. X, 656-65. Miller, Russell Benjamin. "Restoration." The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Edited by James Orr. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939. IV, 2562. Odgers, James Edwin. "Universalism." Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. Edited by James Hastings. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1934. XII, 529-35. Welmers, William E. "African Languages." The American Peoples' Encyclopedia, 1964. 20 vols. Williams, George H. "Universalism." The Encyclopedia Americana. New York; Americana Corporation, 1964. XXVII, 773-75. Periodical Articles Abdul, M. 0. A. "Yoruba Divination and Islam." Orita; Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, IV/1 (June, 1970), 17-25. Agbeti, J. K. "African Theology: What It Is." Presence. Nairobi, Kenya: Afropress, Ltd., 1972. V, 3, 5-8. Bell, L. Nelson. "Are All Men Saved?" Christianity Today, VI (June 22, 1962), 929. Editors, unnamed. "Books on Missions." Theology, News and Notes, Fuller Theological Seminary Alumni, June, 1972, p. 20. Ferre, Nels F. S., and Kuhn, Harold B. "Universalism; Pro and Con." Christianity Today, VII (March 1, 1963), 540-41. Fiske, Edward B. "Congo Protestant Seek Own Style of Unity. New York Times. March 2,1971.

306 Goriawala, M., ed. Orita; Iibadan Journal of Religious Studies, II (June, 1971), front cover. Idowu, Bolaji E. "Faiths in Interaction." Orita; Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, IV/2 (December, 1970), 85-102. King, Louis L. "New Universalism: Its Exponents, Tenets and Threats to Missions." Evangelical Missions Quarterly, I (Summer, 1965), 2-12. Kraft, Charles H. "Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs." Evangelical Missions Quarterly, VIII, 4 (Summer, 1972). 245-47. Kuhn, Harold B. "Universalism in Today's Theology." Christianity Today, I (September 16, 1957), 9-11. Larson, Alfred. "Director's Comments." Lifeline, March, 1973, p. 11. Lawrence, David. "Universal Religion." Reader's Digest, October, 1965, p. 19. Lindsell, Harold. "Universalism Today." Bibliotheca Sacra, CXXI, Pt. 1 (July-September, 1964), 209-17; CXXII, Pt. 2 (January-March, 1965), 32-40. McKenzie, P. R. "Samuel Crowther's Attitude to Other Faiths --During the Early Period." Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, V/l (June, 1971), 3-17. McVeigh, Malcolm J. "Sources of an African Christian Theology." Presence. Nairobi, Kenya: Afropress, Ltd., 1972. V, 3. Montgomery, John Warwick. "Bibliographical Bigotry." Christianity Today, X (August 19, 1966), 1165. Nelson, Robert J. "Personal Integrity and Fulfillment." Alive Now, Winter, 1972, p. 10. Packer, James I. "All Men Won't Be Saved." Eternity, November. 1965, pp. 15-17.

307 _______. "The Problems of Universalism." Bibliotheca Sacra, CXXX (January-March, 1973), 3-11. Pike, James A. "Three-Pronged Synthesis." The Christian Century, LXXVII (December 21, 1960), 1496-1500. Reed, David. "The Rocky Road to Freedom." Reader's Digest, January, 1973, pp. 212-222. Reese, Paul S. "Universalism: Sentiment, Sense, and Scripture." World Vision Magazine, January, 1966, p. 3. Robinson, John A. T. "Universalism, Is It Heretical?" Scottish Journal of Theology, II (June, 1949), 13955. Turner, Philip. "The Wisdom of the Fathers and the Gospel of Christ: Some Notes on Christian Adaptation in Africa." Journal of Religion in Africa. IV/5 (January. 1971), 45-68. Wainwright. Geoffrey. "Theological Reflections on The Catechism Concerning the Prophet Simon Kimbangu.'" Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, V/2 (June, 1971), 18-35. Wa said, Dibinga. "An African Theology of Decolonization." Harvard Theological Review, LXIV (October, 1971), 501-24. Webster, Warren W. "Why Cut Back?" Impact, XXIX, 3 (MayJune, 1972), front cover. Unpublished Materials Byaruhanga-Akiiki, A. B. T. "Occasional Papers in African Traditional Religion." Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, September, 1971. II, 293. Editors. "Dr. Cone Lectures." Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Ill, 3 (1972), 3-4. Ferrier, Christine. Unpublished paper, Agincourt, Canada, 1960.

308 Fuller, Harold W. "The World Council of Churches in Africa: An Analysis of the WCC Central Committee Meetings Held at Enugu, Eastern Nigeria." Unpublished report, Jos, Nigeria, January 12-21, 1965. Pp. 12. Gilger, Eva E. "Religion: A Simplified Ethnographic Checklist. " Unpublished Monograph on Religion, Kericho, Kenya, 1973. Pp. 23. Kato, Byang H. "Limitations of Natural Revelation." Unpublished Master's thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1971. Pp. 77. Piepgrass, Charles Earl. "The Spirits in Prison." Unpublished Master's thesis. Dallas Theological Seminary, 1962. Pp. 50. Stevens, W. Earle. "A Refutation of Universal Salvation." Unpublished Master's thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1942. Pp. 45.