Jesus and Ubuntu: Exploring the Social Impact of Christanity in Africa

by Mwenda Ntarangwi, Editor

As African Christianity takes a commanding position in global Christianity due to its exponential growth in the last few decades, questions abound of the relationship such growth has with continued decline in most development indicators in the continent. Jesus and Ubuntu assesses the social role played by Christianity in contemporary Africa amid the growing awareness of Africa s social, economic, and political challenges. In vibrant detail informed by on-the-ground experiences in East, South, and West Africa contributors to this volume lay out multiple perspectives, experiences, and challenges facing African Christians as they contend with everyday challenges of living out faith while aggressively navigating their national and local realities. From the clear correlation between initial goals of the Pan African movement and those of a good community espoused in Christianity to the challenges of short-term missions and the joys of compassionate literacy teaching in a post-war context, this volume provides a much needed on-the-ground account of African Christianity today. Contributors also assess the impact of notions of modernity on African interactions with faith and development and how the everyday struggles of survival impede on citizens ability to participate in church-sponsored civic education program. They examine the rise of charismatic theology in mainline churches and the public role of Pentecostals in participatory politics that in turn shapes national discourses on morality. With input from contributors of diverse scholarly, ethnic, and national backgrounds who also provide a critique and analysis of the different terrains inhabited by African Christianity, Jesus and Ubuntu gives shape and momentum to a crucial dialogue aimed at transforming the study of Christianity in general and African Christianity in particular.

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2011

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this book is a compilation of essays, I struggled on what rating to give it. I found some of them to be highly fascinating. I myself am particularly interested in the education work being done in Sierra Leone to promote and improve literacy. While I found some of the multiple essays on Pentecostalism in West Africa to be a bit redundant. I wish this book had a larger scope considering that it was a compilation of essays, I would have liked them to be on a wider range of topics. However overall it is an interesting read as to the state of Christianity in Africa. Not a page turner or mind-blowing, but interesting just the same.