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    African Independent Churches CAT

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    baliashandvilla1993
    Mku work

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    African Independent Churches CAT

    Uploaded by

    baliashandvilla1993
    2 views3 pages
    Mku work

    Original Title

    African independent churches CAT

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    Mku work

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2 views3 pages

    African Independent Churches CAT

    Uploaded by

    baliashandvilla1993
    Mku work

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Five ways in which African independent churches (AIC) influenced the emergence of black

    theology in South Africa. (15mks)

    The African independent churches fought for their economy. There contribution in black

    theology called for black ownership and control of economic and institutional resources in black

    communities that included housing and schools, businesses and industries, banks and health

    care, land and real estate. The churches reasoned that even if blacks were guaranteed the

    exercise of political rights, without economic resources they remained locked in a distinctive

    type of economic exploitation. In cultural expression, black theology advanced an aesthetic

    aimed to eradicate the internalized self-hatred that extended and deepened the psychic effects

    of slavery.

    Since most of the African independent Churches practiced healing and exorcism -with speaking

    in tongues and prophecy having an important place in their church life. The prophet or healer

    took the place of the old tribal witch-doctors or medicine men. The fact that Western

    missionaries often did not believe in divine healing and prophesying, or gave a minor role to

    them, meant that Africans and the AIC were to work towards catering for these needs.

    The key factor to understanding the emergence of these churches is undoubtedly the racial

    paternalism exercised by foreign missions in the period before Africans took over leadership of

    the mainline denominations. The local people and the AIC wanted their own taboos and

    purification rites to continue being practiced but not those dictated to them by Westerners.

    African Independent Churches reflection on black theology called for attention to the

    perspective of oppressed black men and women as its point of departure; critically probes the
    meanings and consequences of the religious, historical, cultural and social experiences of black

    people in the South Africa critiques the schism between Christian practice and Christian

    teaching in relation to race and gender; and contests the persistence of white supremacy and

    racism. The church was fighting for the struggle for the social and political transformation of the

    conditions of inequality and oppression and this gave rise to ‘Black theology.

    African independent Churches placed emphasis on the biblical warrant to include African

    cultural norms into their modes of worship, theology, and practice, though to varying degrees.

    For example they were very monotheistic. They believe that Jesus was the Son of God. He was

    God because he was sent by God to deliver people from their sins and help them get eternal life.

    They wanted to continue to practice their way of worship rather than adopting of the westerners

    way of worship.

    References

    Boesak, A., (1978), Black Theology Black Power, Mowbrays, London


    Cone, James H. (1997). Black Theology and Black Power. Maryknoll, New York.

    Dedji, Valentin. (2003).Reconstruction and Renewal in African Christian Theology. Nairobi.

    De Gruchy, John.(2005) The Church Struggle in South Africa. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

    Moore, B., (1973), Black theology: The South African voice, C. Hurst & Company, London.

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