Living on the Seam of History 1: African Christianity

"We are now in the midst of one of the most dramatic shifts in Christianity since the Reformation. Christianity is on the move and is creating a seismic change that is changing the face of the whole Christian movement. Every Christian in the world, but especially those in the West, must understand how these changes will influence our understanding of church history, our study of theology, and our conception of world missions.” – Timothy Tennent, Theology in the Context of World Christianity (Zondervan, 2007, p.2)

“Living on the Seam of History” is a series of blog posts that will explore the “dramatic shift” in Christianity that Dr. Tennent so rightly points out.

“(It is a) shift in theological discourse, whereby the universal truths of the gospel are being revisited and retold in new, global contexts…” (Tennent, p.2)

We will attempt to see and learn first from Africa, a member of the global church that is often only viewed as the mission field. Some African theologians are trying to change that:

“For too long we have been recipients of the benefits of the gospel, and with few exceptions most of our church communities do not anticipate, let alone participate in, mission. We do not see it as our duty to go and spread the good news to people within our own countries, or to people beyond the borders of our own countries. This is disobedience to the words of the Lord of heaven and earth.” (Kapolyo, Joe Africa Bible Commentary Ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo, Zondervan 2006, p.1170)

Fellow pilgrims Tokunboh Adeyemo (Africa Bible Commentary), Tim Tennent (Theology in the Context of World Christianity), John Azumah (My Neighbor’s Faith), and Samuel Waje Kunhiyop (African Christian Ethics), will be our guides in this blog series. The latter two are the first two releases in the brand new HippoBooks imprint (see www.hippobooks.net).

All of our “guides” demonstrate through sound biblical scholarship what it means to “live on the seam of history,” and look towards a brighter, more theologically global future. Please check back every Wednesday for this seven part series.

--Andrew