Increasingly, Christianity is becoming the majority religion in many Sub-Saharan African countrie... more Increasingly, Christianity is becoming the majority religion in many Sub-Saharan African countries. The impressive number of adherents of the faith however, in most cases, is at odds with the cultural beliefs and practices of the peoples of these nations. From a critical historical perspective, the paper examines the influence of Christianity on selected cultures and argues that organized religion, particularly Christianity, holds the key to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa through cultural reconstruction, starting from the church’s sub-culture. Consequently, the paper concludes that African theological reflections, directed towards the challenges of cultural deconstruction and reconstruction within the Church and the larger society, will be able to deepen the roots of the average African Christian and make room for enhanced socio-economic development of Sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Church, Culture, Reconstruction, Development
The snail-pace of social and economic development within sub-Saharan Africa is of major concern n... more The snail-pace of social and economic development within sub-Saharan Africa is of major concern not only to the development community, but to all who have the continent's well-being at heart. Various attempts (many rather elusive) at diagnosis and prescription of the right antidotes to the problem have been made for decades. This paper, however, shares Jeffrey Sachs's optimism in End of Poverty with the point of departure being that organised religion holds the key to a reversal of the trend. The paper explores the impact of religious beliefs on the development of some communities in the past and the present before concluding that Christianity could unlock the prospects to sub-Saharan Africa's economic fortunes. In the view of this researcher, African theological reflections, in response to the challenges of endemic corruption, nepotism, superstition, and bad work ethics on the continent, must be grounded in the language, traditional beliefs, values and practices (i.e. culture) of the people as grounds for integration with the modern scientific and technological advancement that confronts the continent. This underscores the need for Christianity itself to become that culture which is willing to accommodate a consciously reconstructed past as the pathway to a developed future.
Increasingly, Christianity is becoming the majority religion in many Sub-Saharan African countrie... more Increasingly, Christianity is becoming the majority religion in many Sub-Saharan African countries. The impressive number of adherents of the faith however, in most cases, is at odds with the cultural beliefs and practices of the peoples of these nations. From a critical historical perspective, the paper examines the influence of Christianity on selected cultures and argues that organized religion, particularly Christianity, holds the key to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa through cultural reconstruction, starting from the church’s sub-culture. Consequently, the paper concludes that African theological reflections, directed towards the challenges of cultural deconstruction and reconstruction within the Church and the larger society, will be able to deepen the roots of the average African Christian and make room for enhanced socio-economic development of Sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Church, Culture, Reconstruction, Development
The snail-pace of social and economic development within sub-Saharan Africa is of major concern n... more The snail-pace of social and economic development within sub-Saharan Africa is of major concern not only to the development community, but to all who have the continent's well-being at heart. Various attempts (many rather elusive) at diagnosis and prescription of the right antidotes to the problem have been made for decades. This paper, however, shares Jeffrey Sachs's optimism in End of Poverty with the point of departure being that organised religion holds the key to a reversal of the trend. The paper explores the impact of religious beliefs on the development of some communities in the past and the present before concluding that Christianity could unlock the prospects to sub-Saharan Africa's economic fortunes. In the view of this researcher, African theological reflections, in response to the challenges of endemic corruption, nepotism, superstition, and bad work ethics on the continent, must be grounded in the language, traditional beliefs, values and practices (i.e. culture) of the people as grounds for integration with the modern scientific and technological advancement that confronts the continent. This underscores the need for Christianity itself to become that culture which is willing to accommodate a consciously reconstructed past as the pathway to a developed future.
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Papers by Komi Hiagbe