Our problem on the African continent at the moment is the following: Western people in general and Christian missionaries in particular, were mostly uncritical about their own (European) culture and over-critical about African culture. In reaction, African Christians in general and theologians in particular are today, on the one hand, very critical about the Western type of Christianity which has been transplanted to the continent, but, on the other hand, not critical enough about their own African culture and traditional religion. Many African theologians, for instance, claim that before the Gospel came to our continent, Africans already correctly worshiped the true God. They say that the Gospel was not the beginning of the true knowledge of God, but merely a continuation or fulfillment of true faith that already existed in the pre-Christian African's heart. Some even go so far as to suggest that the African's method of approaching God is as valid as the way of salvation through the Gospel. Such ideas are emphatically denied in this book. The whole book is more than an attempt to present African indigenous beliefs in a systematic manner, comparing it with Biblical teaching. It is not only against Western secularism, but also strongly opposed to the very strong syncretistic tendency in African church life and in African theology. It convincingly argues that the idea of adaptation should be replaced by the idea of transformation in the light of God's Word. We cannot have a peaceful accommodation but only a powerful confrontation between traditional African religion and real Biblical Christian faith. This clash of irreconcilable spiritual powers becomes clear on every page - a struggle between life and death, a struggle for control of the hearts and minds of the African people. The writer pleads with his fellow African to make a definite choice (either the Gospel or traditional beliefs) and not to opt for a

Before the Gospel came to Africa, did Africans worship the true God or idols? Many prominent theologians claim that we worshipped the true God. They say that the Gospel was not a beginning of the true knowledge of God but a continuation or a fulfilment of the faith that already existed in the pre-Christian African's heart. Some even go so far as to suggest that the African's method of approaching God's throne is as valid as the way of salvation taught by the Gospel.This book has been written to refute the theologians' reasoning. It begins by presenting their claims; then chapter by chapter, it compares and contrasts the indigenous African beliefs and what the Bible teaches. The author's prayer is that the book will encourage pastors, elders, ministry leaders, Bible college students and any other Christian in Africa to make a clear and uncompromising stand for the authentic Gospel. The true Gospel is unique: it points us to Christ, the only light to the world, the only way back to God. He is the only true foundation; our religious past is sinking sand - a false security._________________

The Christian faith knows and worships one God, who is revealed in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. This is the meaning of the doctrine of the Trinity in Christian thought. Although Christian orthodoxy defines the doctrine of the Trinity, the intellectual tools used to capture it significantly vary. At different times and in different places, Western Christianity has, for instance, used neo-Platonism, German Idealism, and the conceptual tools of the second-century Greeks. Taking elements from the known African intellectual framework, this book argues that for African Christians, the respective pre-Christian African understanding of God and the Ntu-metaphysics, in particular, function as conceptual gates for an attempt towards articulating the Trinity for African Christian audiences.

The emergence of an indigenous African theology, especially since the 1960s is well-documented. A wealth of literature has been published in the context of African theology, especially over the last two or three decades. This indexed bibliography contains a number of publications in and for the African context specifically relevant to the fields of systematic theology and ethics.

Although the arrival of the Bible in Africa has often been a tale of terror, the Bible has become an African book. This volume explores the many ways in which Africans have made the Bible their own. The essays in this book offer a glimpse of the rich resources that constitute Africa's engagement with the Bible. Among the topics are: the historical development of biblical interpretation in Africa, the relationship between African biblical scholarship and scholarship in the West, African resources for reading the Bible, the history and role of vernacular translation in particular African contexts, the ambiguity of the Bible in Africa, the power of the Bible as text and symbol, and the intersections between class, race, gender, and culture in African biblical interpretation. The book also contains an extensive bibliography of African biblical scholarship. In fact, it is one of the most comprehensive collections of African biblical scholarship available in print. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.

Christianity among the African people, whether on the soil of Africa or in diaspora, is perceived and defined differently by different people. For instance, among African traditional religious people and Muslims, Christianity is a foreign religion that must not be allowed to thrive in Africa. To several Africans who profess Jesus, Christianity is good, but it is not adequate and effective enough to handle all human needs. Still, among some Western Christians and missionaries, African Christianity is superficial and lacks total commitment to Christ. Of course, the Africans are a cultural people with profound religious inclinations. Their traditional religion (ATR) has tremendously shaped their worldviews and socioeconomic and political activities. Consequently, when traditional Africans are converted to Christianity, they do not break ties with their traditional religions completely. The examination of relevant biblical texts on syncretism, however, reveals that God condemns the worship of many gods and places a curse on anyone who offers sacrifices to carved images and bows to them in worship. Therefore, this work investigates the root cause of religious syncretism among African people. In the attempt to find answers to why the average African Christian finds it difficult, if not impossible, to abandon his/her traditional religious belief systems completely to embrace Christianity, the author concludes that unless the issues surrounding the African forgotten and secret covenants are exposed and decisively addressed in the light of biblical teaching, syncretism will continue to be a stigma on the fabric of African Christianity. Therefore, to overcome the threats of syncretism in African Christianity, there is a need to establish a sound theological and missiological framework that can address the problems associated with the African worldviews and belief systems. This task must be carried out under the searchlight of Scriptures.

This book is a must-read for serious Christians hoping to obey the Great Commission to make disciples in Africa. Vernon strikes an admirable balance between academic depth and practical application, helping us to appreciate the interface between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the traditional African worldview. I heartily recommend this book to all thinking Christian leaders in Africa pastors, teachers, and missionaries. Kevin G. Smith, DLitt, PhD Vernon Light wrote this book with an apostolic passion in the way the apostles presented and proclaimed the Gospel to world religions and cultures. It is an exciting study of African traditional religion and its relation to Christianity. It shows that for Christianity to thrive and be relevant, biblically and transformationally, in Africa, firstly, Christian scholars and theologians are needed who understand and address Africa's traditional heritage and Western modern, postmodern, and pluralistic ideologies and, secondly, the Gospel must be contextually, relevantly, meaningfully, and practically taught through an effective discipleship program. The book, based on extensive research and massive use of resources, is a valuable tool for students, pastors, scholars, and theologians interested in the state of Christianity and religious change in Africa. Professor Yusufu Turaki, PhD Much more than being a useful resource, this is a book with a mission. Like Jeremiah of old (Jer 20:9), Vernon is a man with a passion and message from God to the society to which God has called him. Like Jeremiah, Vernon is totally convinced of the absolute truth of his message in the midst of a myriad of conflicting opinions and that his message will change society from disaster to hope. Would that it is heard! Professor David T. Williams, DTh The Rev. Vernon E. Light (BSc, BDHons, MTh) is a member of the academic staff at the South African Theological Seminary.