Tensions between the Gospel and Culture in Central African Countries

WCIU Journal: Worldview Topic and Area Studies Topic

January 28, 2020

by Kalemba Mwambazambi and Basua Ngandu Kahakatshi

 Kalemba Mwambazambi is Professor at Université de Kananga (UNIKAN) and Registrar (Secrétaire Général Académique) at Université Protestante au Coeur du Congo (UPCC) in Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a PhD in Missiology from University of South Africa and Doctor of Health Sciences at Keiser University in Florida (US). He does research across the globe on transformational leadership, HIV and AIDS, Christian mission, African theologies, socio-political issues, peace, justice, and reconciliation.

Co-Author: Basua Ngandu Kahakatshi holds a PhD in Theology and served for over two decades in church planting in Africa. He is currently is a faculty member at the University of South Africa.

Analysis of Tensions between the Church and African Society

From the beginning of God’s interaction with humanity, there has always been a dialectical approach to understanding the divine message within the cultural background of the people in question. The idea here is to show the distinctions and tensions between traditional African beliefs, that address their existential problems (birth, marriage, society, death, spiritual world), and the church’s teaching, in terms of their respective worldviews.

Social Life

Social life is a major area of tension between African culture and the gospel. In principle, there should not be a tension, since both are called to the service of humanity. In African culture and society, the member must be attached to his blood family, clan, or tribe. Nevertheless, Jack Pryor Chalk observes in his doctoral thesis that:

Converts to Christianity encounter more problems in the social dimension than any other areas of their lives. Christianity redefines family. Love for Christ should be so strong that love for earthly family would seem like hate. The spiritual bond with other Christians is stronger than the blood bond of earthly families. The Christian is to give preference to those of the family of god over one’s blood family or tribe. Accepting Christianity puts one in a new family whose members all have the same Heavenly Father, God (Chalk 2006, 227).

However, this perception of Christianity’s demands presents Africans with a false dichotomy that is the result of an artificial evangelism. By becoming Christian, African converts need not be uprooted out of their familial roots as stated by Chalk. Rather the Good News brought by the church in Africa should seek to explain biblical teaching about present, as well as future, salvation. David Bosch concludes that, “salvation in Christ is the salvation in the context of the human society in route towards the world of plenitude and reconciliation” (Bosch 1991, 536).

In his book, Christian Theology and African Traditions, Matthew Michael shows that traditional African society thinks in terms of the “now” and the “present.” He states that “traditional African society … primarily defines human relationships and religious activities around this temporal plane” Michael (2013, 169). David Bosch points out that, “Luke, for example, uses the ‘language salvation’ in very big number of human circumstances – as in the deliverance from poverty, the discrimination, the illness, the demoniac possession, the sin, etc.” (Bosch 1991, 531). Pastor Timothy Keller more explicitly stresses that “the already but not yet of the kingdom keeps us from utopian, triumphalist visions of cultural takeover on the one hand, and from pessimism or withdrawal from society on the other” (Keller 2012, 47). Instead, Keller insists, “the church will place great emphasis on seeking the welfare of the city, neighborhood and civic involvement, cultural engagement, and training people to work in ‘secular’ vocations out of the Christian worldview” (Keller 2012, 47). Central African Christians need to be encouraged by the church to work within the context of their social networks to improve their societies.

Mediation between Humans and God

Another tension between the church’s teaching and the Central African worldview, regards how people can have access to God. Traditional Central Africans believe ancestors are the mediators between God (Supreme Being) and humans. In tension with this is the gospel teaching that Jesus Christ is the only bridge to God, the Creator. In this regard, Chalk argues, “with the concept of sin being different, the view of salvation is different, thus differentiating the reason and the manner God deals with humanity” (Chalk 2006, 231). As result of this tension, some African people believe neither in the ancestral cult nor in Christianity.

Oral Tradition

Another point of tension between the gospel and the African culture people is the oral tradition. Central Africans have equal confidence in oral tradition and written tradition. By contrast, the church holds her confidence in the biblical written text or tradition. The difficulty for African people in being able to believe the gospel is the fact that they are asking themselves if the book (Bible) containing the Christian doctrine is true and it is from God.

Importance of Resolving Tensions between the Church and African Society

One remarks that the new African convert brings the essentials of his culture and it becomes difficult for him/her to accommodate all the elements that are in tension with his Christian faith. The task of the church is therefore one of seeking new approaches to communicating the gospel in the context of the diverse spheres of life of the Central African people.

It is of importance to note, that throughout this study, it is increasingly clear that the Central Africa population, to a large extent, is facing frightful poverty, unemployment, lack of health care, HIV Aids, and the vicissitudes of recurring wars. D. L. Whiteman observes that “despite … movements towards democracy and peace, the Democratic Republic of Congo is still struggling with conflict in the Eastern section of the country” (Whiteman 2012, 128). Further, he argues that the country is in a difficult position for achieving peace, “given the lack of infrastructure, civic education needs, high levels of illiteracy, and possibilities of insecurity and corruption” (Whiteman 2012, 131). What is stated for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is widespread for all the Central African countries. A number of scholars are of the opinion that Central African people are victims of anguish (Kalemba 2012). Taking the analysis deeper, it makes sense that in this context, the gospel preached by the church has a missional role to play as an agent of social change for the Central African people in their earthly pilgrimage. A theological understanding of mission clearly incorporates upholding the rights of people who are most excluded and vulnerable. This is the core task of development.

This study also takes into account the relationship of the church with other societal transformation agents, such as government, civil society, different organizations and the entire population. In the socio-economic and political sphere, Meester claims, “the first concern of contemporary Africa is the acceleration of its development on the industrial, social and economic plan” (Meester 1980, 178). Ela holds the view that “the Church should find the new modes of its presence” (Ela 1980, 67). This study tackles the necessary new modes of the presence of the church through the resolution of the tension between the gospel and the culture in order to empower the people in Central Africa in different areas.

Bringing Shalom to the Central African Population

The gospel is designed to fulfill the mission of God through the mission of church. This is done through the strategic planning of the church to be realistic and relevant toward the needs of the Central African people within their worldview and social, economic and political daily life. Central Africa is weakened by multifaceted challenges (recurring political unrest, paradoxical poverty, flagrant lack of health care etc.), mostly in the rural milieu. The role of the church cannot be reduced only to a spiritual mandate. The church’s mission must embody the whole man, especially in education and the health care. Missional tools (outreach methods) used by the church for these purposes show the readiness of the gospel to bring change in African culture. to make the gospel good news for the Central Africa, the church encounters the people in practical ways by implementing schools, maternity centers, and through agricultural and economic projects. Given the alarming situation of Central Africa, is important to boost church involvement.

Education

On the educational plan, it is of utmost importance to recognize that the church cannot work alone. Collaboration with the State can encourage public schools to teach the biblical values of honesty, integrity, justice, and love. Dolamo rightly argues that “Christians have to offer a critical and prophetic support for Government’s agenda; we must support the government in those projects whose main objectives are to improve the quality of life for all” (Dolamo 2001, 295). In doing so, clearly the church is positively contributing to the transformation of the African society by fighting against corruption and all kinds of immorality.

Alleviating Poverty

While the church is a Christian community living among the poor people in Central Africa, there is no evidence of the church’s strategies to alleviate poverty in Africa. As Kalemba (2011, 23), the church should be responding to the “worldly needs like sickness, poverty, oppression, unemployment, loneliness, evils spirits, sorcery, etc.” The church needs to move in the direction of fighting against poverty by initiating, first, awareness teaching on the issue of poverty. Secondly, to establish the shalom among the God’s people in Central Africa, the church can train African people to operate small businesses to enable them to put the bread on the table instead of waiting for help from heaven. Thus, the message of salvation preached by the church would be relevant and influential. The church, as a community change agent in Central Africa, can contribute to the people’s security, peace, and wellbeing.

Governance and Leadership

For instance, in the African context at large, and the Democratic Republic of Congo particularly, there are numerous challenges in the governance of the public institutions. These include intentional lack of the alternation at the head of institutions, the partial and unfair appointment of leaders, the unjust distribution of the country’s resources and misuse of the public assets, the impunity of the dishonest leaders, etc. to name few.

Good governance is a heavy task that requires leaders who serve the people and invest their competence and expertise in the management of African society. In such context where the aspirations of the people reveal a need for a change in life conditions, the church cannot remain indifferent. Certain African leaders do not accept good governance by voluntary consent, because they are trapped by the gangrene of glory and covetousness.

Fowler foresaw the danger of such government when he wrote that “any leader, who claims seriously that the State is mine, has reached the ultimate arrogance and he is ahead of the disaster line” (Fowler 1997, 9). This kind of leadership in the society does not put the interest of the population as its first concern. Thomas d’Aquin considers that “if a government is predisposed, not to the common good of the multitude, but to the private profit of who is ruling, this government will be unjust and perverse” (Thomas d’Aquin 1997, 46).

Bad governance in Central Africa is to some extent linked to the level of education of the people in power. Rather than basing the choice of leaders on merit, partisan interests sometimes result in the choice of incompetent, even illiterate, leaders. Without compromising its identity, the church has a prophetic mission to be a voice, as were the prophets of Israel, to stand on the side of the oppressed and victims of all kinds of violence (war crimes, rape, sex slaves, human traffic, children soldiers, displaced people, etc.).

It is logical to encourage church members to influence public management in Central Africa. Olowola maintains in his book, African Christian Ethics, “In contemporary Africa, … it is the duty of Christians and the church to be actively engaged in politics and in the government” (Olowola 2008, 84). The church, being an integral part of society, is called to be actively present in the management of the government of Africa, looking out for the wellbeing of all. The Bible gives clear principles for ideal governance and the church can be inspired by these to advise African leaders in good governance. The church will be unproductive in this domain if she just points the finger to the imperfections of political governance. The good behavior of the church’s members can be a positive model for policy makers in their field of action.

 To contextualize the mission of the church for the benefit of an efficient leadership in Central Africa, it is necessary to plant and encourage biblical virtues such as integrity, justice, peace, love, compassion, and the honesty. This is in order to eradicate the plague of corruption and partiality (Welch 2005, 39). The church in Central Africa cannot look at political power as if it were not the business of the church. As Fowler argues: “Each societal structure includes the church and the State function in the human society and not in a limited sphere and subtracted from the human society” (Fowler 1996, 37). Kerber underlines, “one will give credit to the responsibility of the church if one can count on the seriousness of its approach; this means that if she comes to forge herself an authentic and objective judgment on the situation” (Kerber 1976,113).

Ethical Values

The responsibility of the church is to promote biblical values. There is a crucial need for a good political government in Central Africa that will take the interest of the population as its premier mandate. This is a place where the church, which is serving God, the Leader by excellence, should involve herself seriously in the country by advocating ethical values based on the Scriptures. In this way, the church will not play the role of defender of any political group, but will let her voice be heard through its quality to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14).

Moreover, the church is called to wisdom in its social interventions. While the church cannot impose its point of view on the society, members can participate in the social debate in order to present an alternative worldview, based on the wisdom of the Scriptures. Thus the church can present and defend the Christian values that constitute a benefit for the entire population of Central Africa. This is a valuable contribution to society, even if these values are not be retained by the civil authorities in such matters as justice, marriage, peace, governance, etc. Rather than being identified as supporter of a certain political party or candidate, the church must seek to be composed of the honest, responsible citizens. That implies recognizing the authority of the government, respecting the law, paying taxes, voting, and participating effectively in civil life for the common good.

The church can be contribute toward ending corruption in all its forms: discrimination, xenophobia, tribalism, injustice, racism, arbitrary arrests, political murders, and other evils which are ruining the development of Central Africa. The leadership of the church can work to end such corruption and injustice by promoting biblical values through its members who are active agents in all spheres of the African community social structure.  

Conclusion

To be an effective change agent, and to communicate the gospel effectively, the church must look at the rituals, ceremonies, and myths of people to search out those places where God has been at work preparing the people for the good news of Jesus Christ. The weak spot of contextualization is the church’s dismissive attitude toward African culture and its presumption of the superiority of the first missionaries’ culture. The church has not developed an adequate understanding of the challenge posed by the tension between the gospel and cultural issues in Central Africa. Thus, the church has a long way to go on the social mandate. The solution is to be found in the theology of reconstruction developed by Kalemba 2008; Mugambi 2003; Maluleke 2002; Kä Mana 2002, etc.) which, works out that it is possible to rebuild the Central Africa society explicitly to its best image by teaching the gospel that touches the roots of the evils and leads the people to the proper change of mentality.

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