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- Convenor:
-
Ben Knighton
(Oxford Centre for Mission Studies)
- Stream:
- Anthropology, religion and conflict
- Location:
- G52
Short Abstract
A majority of Africans now confess to be being Christians, and do so not apologetically but evangelistically. Yet what contributions are churches and their constituents making to their societies and what are they doing to themselves in the face of poverty, corruption, and oppression?
Accepted papers
Session 1Paper long abstract
The triumph of capitalism in the late 1980s have thrown up new issues of interdependence among states, environmental, gender, human rights, and the interplay of national, regional and global response to conflicts. Nigeria, the most populous black nation, and richly endowed with immense human and material resources is today grappling with oil resource conflicts in the Niger Delta. This development is not unconnected with the reckless and illegal plundering of oil resources by the state and oil multinationals that have resulted in the destruction of the environment and gross violation of human rights.
However, the church is considered as a source of hope and at different times in world history it has complemented the efforts of state in fostering social development and peace. Therefore, this paper will examine the causes of the conflicts in the region and to extent to which the church performing its traditional role of peace-making in conflict situation, and its constraints in the Niger Delta context.
Paper long abstract
The Church has converted African peoples but not yet African cultures. The Church in Busoga, Uganda, is a case that illustrates this challenge. Authentic Christianity is lacking. By this I mean, where Christians engage in redeeming and using their culture in the service of the Gospel in theology, worship and ministry with evidence that transformation, change and fulfillment of peoples' lives in Christ is a reality and inspiration to others and not merely a dream. Only in 2000 did the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) initiate a serious inculturation programme. Since then the RCC use a Lusoga liturgy. But the Anglican Church of Uganda (COU) has not woken up to this challenge. Their public worship is done in Luganda, and so the Church continues to be in Babylonian captivity of foreign Luganda language which the missionaries who evangelized Busoga first used in 1891. After analysing the historical, psychological, and social problems which hinder rooting the Church in the people's cultural milieu in Busoga, I conclude by suggesting the need to disciple and nurture mature Basoga Christians in local churches. These would be Christians who are truly Basoga and truly Christian - who have evangelized and converted their own culture to be a vehicle of serving the Gospel in their Church and society.
Paper long abstract
This paper highlights the main conclusions of doctoral research on corruption in Nigeria and suggests their relevance for how we might understand and interpret discourses on corruption in that society and elsewhere. Dominant and popular discourses in and about Nigeria, suggest that corruption in Nigeria is not only pervasive but largely to account for the nation's underdevelopment. Using Christian development NGOs as case studies, a picture of the moral economy and the importance of cultural factors in shaping local understandings of corruption emerges. Whereas the impact of corruption particularly on developing societies is considered wholly negative, not much will improve until the significance of amana (trust) both as a cultural and religious concept is understood and employed in social dealings in Nigeria. I will argue that although the Church is part of society and may not therefore be immune to issues confronting society, it nevertheless has both a mandate, and in the case of Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, the unique opportunity to serve as a moral agency against what many regard as an intransigent problem.