The Socratic method of questioning and answering as a learning and teaching strategy has been use... more The Socratic method of questioning and answering as a learning and teaching strategy has been used widely over time, for it effectively stimulates meaningful learning. Its learner-centered and transformative nature promotes ongoing dialogue. Since cultural differences influence the nature of questions asked, induction of the Socratic method is inevitable so that faith formation leads to thinking theologically where faith becomes a contextual form of thinking and thinking a form of contextualized faith. Some mainline churches in Africa have adopted catechisms with pre-asked and pre-answered questions formulated in Europe between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The challenges of time, culture, and geographical contextual differences create a gap between the church's faith formation and context-based spiritual quests. These gaps demand asking the right questions that challenge and inverse wrong attitudes that foster deep reflective self-evaluation, interpretation, and understanding, shaping appropriate perceptions to address the contemporary spiritual quests of Africa. Using the qualitative literature review methodology, this article discovered that there are some gaps between questions and answers in catechisms used in mainline churches and contemporary spiritual quests of Africa. This article aims to discuss the means of closing the gap between questions and answers in catechism and context-based spiritual quests. It recommends induction of the Socratic method so that the questions and answers in catechisms are contextual, communicable, assimilable, and appropriable in African contexts. This study contributes to faith formation by recommending the induction of the Socratic method so that the questions and answers in catechisms are contextual, communicable, assimilable, and appropriable in African contexts.
Theological commentators indicate that the church in Africa faces the challenge of converting the... more Theological commentators indicate that the church in Africa faces the challenge of converting the Christian faith into practice. This calls for reconsidering the practice of forming faith among African churches. According to Astley (2018:16), in Christianity, faith formation is more than learning about Christ; it is about "learning" Christ. Learning Christ as Christian formation constitutes the shaping of the dimensions of faith, namely orthopraxis, orthopatheia, and intelligentia (Maddix et al. 2020:6). This article discusses Gadamer's conversation theory as the means to inform and form these dimensions of faith. This entails that, for faith to be informed and formed in its dimensions, there is a need for an effective conversation among tools, processes, and contexts. The discussion revolves around the following question: How can the tools and processes of faith formation effectively converse with context in order to facilitate the learning of Christ in terms of informing and forming these dimensions of faith? Using conversation theory and literature review, this article discusses the tension interplay of tools, processes, and discerning contexts for a holistic approach to informing and forming the dimensions of faith.
The antithetical antagonistic dichotomy expressed in the saying Chikristu ni Chikristu, Mwambo ni... more The antithetical antagonistic dichotomy expressed in the saying Chikristu ni Chikristu, Mwambo ni Mwambo chikristu cepeza mwambo niwachinkhalire induces a dualistic approach to Christian faith among some of the Nsenga people belonging to the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ), Nyanje Presbytery, Sinda and Petauke districts, eastern province of Zambia. The saying literally translates as Christianity is Christianity and tradition is tradition. Christianity found an established tradition has two implications on the practice of Christian faith. First, it portrays Christianity and the Nsenga culture as antithetical. Secondly, it relegates Christianity to a newcomer and alternative life to traditional culture. This entails that Christianity is welcomed and valued as a 'stranger'. The Christian faith has to be localised for it to transform the Nsenga people and their culture from inside. Some of the Nsenga people belonging to the RCZ face the challenge of localising Christianity and making its teachings part of their conceptual systems. This research proposes that the theological study of the Nsenga people and their cultural formation with an aim of understanding the causes of antagonism between Christian faith and culture, is the starting point for contextual faith formation. Contextual faith formation will strengthen relationships with God, self, and others (humanity and the environment) through growth in knowledge, values, attitudes, beliefs, and praxis. The research explores the possibility of RCZ faith formation to hermeneutically discern possible means of integrating the outcomes from the theological study of the Nsenga people and their cultural formation, in order to address the antagonistic dichotomy. It recommends an integrated, self-theologised and decolonised faith formation conducted by engaging the Nsenga people and their culture to bring about spiritual transformation. This calls for a responsible hermeneutics of the bible, culture, and the RCZ faith tradition.
The Socratic method of questioning and answering as a learning and teaching strategy has been use... more The Socratic method of questioning and answering as a learning and teaching strategy has been used widely over time, for it effectively stimulates meaningful learning. Its learner-centered and transformative nature promotes ongoing dialogue. Since cultural differences influence the nature of questions asked, induction of the Socratic method is inevitable so that faith formation leads to thinking theologically where faith becomes a contextual form of thinking and thinking a form of contextualized faith. Some mainline churches in Africa have adopted catechisms with pre-asked and pre-answered questions formulated in Europe between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The challenges of time, culture, and geographical contextual differences create a gap between the church's faith formation and context-based spiritual quests. These gaps demand asking the right questions that challenge and inverse wrong attitudes that foster deep reflective self-evaluation, interpretation, and understanding, shaping appropriate perceptions to address the contemporary spiritual quests of Africa. Using the qualitative literature review methodology, this article discovered that there are some gaps between questions and answers in catechisms used in mainline churches and contemporary spiritual quests of Africa. This article aims to discuss the means of closing the gap between questions and answers in catechism and context-based spiritual quests. It recommends induction of the Socratic method so that the questions and answers in catechisms are contextual, communicable, assimilable, and appropriable in African contexts. This study contributes to faith formation by recommending the induction of the Socratic method so that the questions and answers in catechisms are contextual, communicable, assimilable, and appropriable in African contexts.
Theological commentators indicate that the church in Africa faces the challenge of converting the... more Theological commentators indicate that the church in Africa faces the challenge of converting the Christian faith into practice. This calls for reconsidering the practice of forming faith among African churches. According to Astley (2018:16), in Christianity, faith formation is more than learning about Christ; it is about "learning" Christ. Learning Christ as Christian formation constitutes the shaping of the dimensions of faith, namely orthopraxis, orthopatheia, and intelligentia (Maddix et al. 2020:6). This article discusses Gadamer's conversation theory as the means to inform and form these dimensions of faith. This entails that, for faith to be informed and formed in its dimensions, there is a need for an effective conversation among tools, processes, and contexts. The discussion revolves around the following question: How can the tools and processes of faith formation effectively converse with context in order to facilitate the learning of Christ in terms of informing and forming these dimensions of faith? Using conversation theory and literature review, this article discusses the tension interplay of tools, processes, and discerning contexts for a holistic approach to informing and forming the dimensions of faith.
The antithetical antagonistic dichotomy expressed in the saying Chikristu ni Chikristu, Mwambo ni... more The antithetical antagonistic dichotomy expressed in the saying Chikristu ni Chikristu, Mwambo ni Mwambo chikristu cepeza mwambo niwachinkhalire induces a dualistic approach to Christian faith among some of the Nsenga people belonging to the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ), Nyanje Presbytery, Sinda and Petauke districts, eastern province of Zambia. The saying literally translates as Christianity is Christianity and tradition is tradition. Christianity found an established tradition has two implications on the practice of Christian faith. First, it portrays Christianity and the Nsenga culture as antithetical. Secondly, it relegates Christianity to a newcomer and alternative life to traditional culture. This entails that Christianity is welcomed and valued as a 'stranger'. The Christian faith has to be localised for it to transform the Nsenga people and their culture from inside. Some of the Nsenga people belonging to the RCZ face the challenge of localising Christianity and making its teachings part of their conceptual systems. This research proposes that the theological study of the Nsenga people and their cultural formation with an aim of understanding the causes of antagonism between Christian faith and culture, is the starting point for contextual faith formation. Contextual faith formation will strengthen relationships with God, self, and others (humanity and the environment) through growth in knowledge, values, attitudes, beliefs, and praxis. The research explores the possibility of RCZ faith formation to hermeneutically discern possible means of integrating the outcomes from the theological study of the Nsenga people and their cultural formation, in order to address the antagonistic dichotomy. It recommends an integrated, self-theologised and decolonised faith formation conducted by engaging the Nsenga people and their culture to bring about spiritual transformation. This calls for a responsible hermeneutics of the bible, culture, and the RCZ faith tradition.
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