In Search of My True African Christian Identity:
Journey from a dualistic to holistic view of reality
By Isaac Njaramba Mutua
The early years
My parents (especially my father) saw European colonialism in its true colours. My paternal grandmother was a devout Christian, a product of early missionary work in Nyeri District in the Central region of Kenya. Her faith caused her death since, as a Christian, she could not take the oath required by the Mau Mau (a loosely organised movement fighting for freedom from colonial oppression), which meant she was in their bad books. The Mau Mau could not see any distinction between the colonialists and the Christian missionaries as evident from their famous thought—"gutiri muthungu na mubia"— there is no distinction between a colonialist and a priest. After her death my Dad's elder brother brought up my father and two other siblings especially after their father abandoned them. My father all his brothers are now deceased.My father liked the Gikuyu songs which carried good African messages, but this appeared to conflict with the Christian faith. He would have them played for us knowing very well that some Christians especially the pastors who paid us visits would not approve of them. At times my father and my mother would have conflicts about what was right to abandon and what should be maintained. Mum was still attached to some customs that my father would not approve and at times she would submit, but at other times when it was irresistible, she would sneak and attend some of the cultural functions.
This was mainly in the late 60’s and early 70’s, but by the late 70’s onwards my parents had established what they thought was a solid Christian foundation for life in which we grew up — of course with a lot of do’s and don’ts and unceasing messages of an imminent hell which we needed to escape from together with what Newbigin (2003:24) calls “a purely individualistic conception of the Kingdom of God where the significance of life in this world is exhaustively defined as the training of individual souls for heaven”.
I can say that I became a devout follower of my parents’ Christianity more because I feared hell than that I related to God. I was then baptised as a youth during my primary school years. I took more years in primary school because we were often shifted from one location to another within the settler’s farm sometimes making it hard for us to be near a school, and even when the school was near it was quite a long distance walk and one had to be strong to stand such long walks.
Secondary School Years
As a youth in secondary school, life outside Christianity appeared more attractive and appealing. Christianity appeared boring and seemed to identify with the old and particularly the poor. At school some teachers would scold Christians and making fun such as “God means Go to Overseas and Deceive”. It seemed as though the choice that the youth had then was between “civilisation” (adopting Western lifestyle) and Christianity. I abandoned my parent’s faith during my “O” level (secondary school years following the British system) and somehow felt at ease with fewer dos and don’ts. I also felt more “civilised” outside Christianity but with dire consequences, I performed poorly in my “O” levels and almost damaged my entire life.After my request to try the exams again, my parents gave me another chance. By this time I had tested the so-called “civilised” life outside my parents’ Christianity, and wasted valuable time, and this had taught me a lesson. As I re-worked for my “O” level, I had a deep search for true meaning and identity with God deeply engaging my mind in what may be correctly viewed as critical thinking, I may view this as the genesis of my scholarship. I realised that I went past my teachers and curriculum expectations. I succeeded in passing my “O” level exams and joined my “A” level (the final secondary years) in that mood.
My “A” level deepened my search for God and true meaning in life. I experienced a deep relationship with God who enabled me to have a paradigm shift of life— a conversion experience. By this time I was sure this was the best way of life especially as my knowledge of God increased. However, things around me, and particularly the Christian life as lived by Christians and as I was expected to live did not seem to match what I seemed to get from Scriptures. A compartmentalization of life was a clear reality and I had to come to terms with what it meant to be a Christian. It was an accepted trend of Christianity whereby life in the church mattered more than life in the “world”—the realm outside the church. Literally I was supposed to view my life in the class as worldly—secular, while life in the chapel as godly— spiritual. I was reminded that I needed to work more on my private time of prayer, Bible study, fellowship among brethren and evangelism.
While Christian Union meetings in my high school made me grow in my personal Christian life, they did not achieve much in assisting me to relate my Christian life to the so called “worldly or secular” matters which mattered a lot to me, because a big chasm existed between them. If I was going to be a teacher, a lawyer or a professor, how was my Christian faith going to relate to them? What did it mean to serve God? If all other professionals except pastors were not serving God in their professions, how meaningful was Christianity? I struggled with when I was supposed to wear Christianity and when I was not supposed to.
In the Christian Union meetings I was challenged not to seek what I was looking for — to see the Christian relationship with other societal institutional realities and how Christ relates to them — but instead desire a “second touch” that could get me close to higher spiritual realities and away from what I was pursuing. To realise that experience I needed to speak in tongues, the only regarded mark of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 5:6-10 seemed to justify this claim:
“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body”.I made several attempts to get this experience but in vain. I had to contend with being regarded a second grade Christian (in the Christian Union Movement in high school) on the basis of failing to achieve the “second touch”.
College Years
I left high school and joined Bible college after a deep conviction that the Lord was calling me into some undefined ministry. I went to Bible College with a deep desire to fully appreciate what it meant to be faithful to the gospel not only for me but also for others to whom I would be called to serve. I appreciated my Bible college training where I gained so much under faithful instructors. I admired the commitment my lecturers had to their faith. I learnt and appreciated the extremes of understanding the Christian faith. I appreciated the Evangelical upbringing although at times I felt as though evangelicalism was understood in a very narrow sense. I do not think I would be what I am if I did not get that training. Scott Theological College will always remain a powerful resource for my Christian training. But having said all that, the answer to the dichotomy between the sacred and the secular did not seem to feature throughout my training. Sometimes we would come close to attempting to resolve the problem but the world view orientation that compartmentalises reality which shaped the training and most of Africa’s Christianity let us down. I deeply engaged my lecturers with concerns that must have at times made them uncomfortable with me, but they tried to be honest as possible to the issues I and other colleagues raised on the major concern that I have been discussing. Little did I know that I kept repeating the phrase “my biggest problem” when attempting to ask questions until I was nick named by colleagues “the man of the biggest problems”.Towards the end of my training at Scott theological college, Professor Stuart Fowler, a visiting lecturer taught us a course on Social, Political and Contemporary Issues. I was so impressed not only because the course touched on some issues that were rarely addressed in the church, but because of how he related the Christian faith to them and emphasized on what true Christian faithfulness and witness meant. At the end of the course, I requested to have a talk with him to which he consented but requested that I spend not more than thirty minutes because he was leaving for South Africa the following day and had a lot of packing to do.
When I arrived at his house at the designated time, the house itself could tell that I was not possibly going to have a talk with him because of the packing. He and Joy his wife warmly welcomed me and as we discussed with Stuart, Joy was busy packing. We did not realise that our discussion took more than two hours. To cut the long story short, I wanted to know how I could pursue the study on the thinking that could bring me close to the perspective that he had introduced to us in the handling of the course. I may not remember all he said but I know for certain that he introduced me to the book Creation Regained: a transforming view of life by Al Wolters, and encouraged me to write to him once I had read it for further discussion.
I managed to get hold of the book from Scott Library, and was surprised at how it was unread. I read it more than once and the book introduced me to what I had been yearning for. Towards the end of the book I learnt that Al Wolters had meant it for introduction to Christian philosophy.
Introduction to Christian philosophy
Instead of following up Prof. Fowler with further questions, I requested him to introduce me to the Institution where I could study philosophy from the line of thought that Al Wolters had introduced. Prof. Fowler linked me to Prof. Elaine Botha who headed the philosophy department at Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE) now North-West University, Potchefstroom campus.In the first instance I never wanted to study for certification but to appreciate what Al Wolters had introduced and what I thought could address what I was looking for. Prof. Elaine Botha and Fowler mentored me alongside what I mentioned above. It was good I was not registered for formal training because my experience of the African reality in the five years since my graduation from Scott together with the mentoring of the two prepared me for my studies at North-West University. By the time Elaine Botha was leaving PU for CHE, she introduced my case to Prof. Ponti Ventor who noticed I had covered more than enough ground for the award of the Post Graduate Diploma in philosophy. I was examined and passed all the required courses and was awarded that diploma.
With this background I was now capable of handling some heavier work in philosophy but again not through formal institutional training but through the tutorship of Prof. Stuart Fowler who seemed to understand my aspiration, need and focus. By this time I was mainly a clergyman and a visiting instructor in some of our church’s theological institutions. I was asked to assist in some philosophical courses that were done at a very elementary level and offered very little challenge to me.
As I was battling with philosophical study, we (my wife and I plus some few others) managed to begin a small organization known as Community Penetration Christian Ministry—CPCM, the ministry was geared towards attaining what we felt was not handled at the church or institutional level regarding the issues I have raised from the beginning. At the beginning of this century, I was asked to participate in a conference hosted by the University of Venda in South Africa. The theme of the conference was Transforming Directions for Africa in the New Millennium, I was asked to present a paper on Building Bridges in the Community of Faith. Since what I was asked to do tied with what we were attempting to do at CPCM, I took the challenge and presented the paper among the high profile participants. The conference coincided with the unfortunate abolishment of the Institute of Reformational Study (IRS) by PU for CHE. The IRS director, Prof. Bennie van der Walt was very much depressed and so were all who knew the role of IRS. I was particularly astonished because I was mainly mentored through the IRS materials. Bennie van der Walt who had earlier on been introduced to me by Stuart and Joy Fowler, in my absence ensured that I had all different copies of IRS resources. From that time on he and Stuart Fowler continued to mentor me. I have all the English copies of BJ Van der Walt’s books.
Centre for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education in Africa
At the conclusion of the conference, it was felt that the best way of implementing the transforming directions for Africa in the new millennium was to establish an organisation that was independent and autonomous. Among other things the organisation was to continue the work of IRS and this appeared to have given Van der Walt a sigh of relief. That is how the Centre for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (CPCHEA) began with its headquarter in South Africa. I was asked to serve as a member of its board. I need to reiterate that both the call to present a paper at the Venda conference and being asked to serve as an interim board member of CPCHEA seemed to me an overestimation of my ability by both Fowler and Van der Walt. But through their encouragement and support I continuously overcame my timidity sometimes through their harsh scolding when they saw that I was devaluing myself too much.In the next five years after the Venda conference I was deeply immersed in the philosophy study. This time around Ponti Ventor and Van der Walt were more concerned with how my work could be structured in order to be awarded the appropriate certification at the Masters level. While Stuart was concerned about the concerns of Ponti Ventor and Van der Walt, he also felt that I needed to be sharpened on serious issues of African realities. He was concerned that Africans were losing important African values and were adopting Western values that needed serious critical reflection, which I agreed. Stuart and Joy made several visits to us at our home and they became not only our professional and scholarly mentors, they also became part of our family.
Through these visits they were able to understand our burden for rural life and our concern at the rate of rural-urban migration, for the more educated Africans get the more they abandon the rural life in search of a decent life in urban areas. We wanted to set up our ministry and ourselves in the rural area of Kitale in the Western region of Kenya. They supported so much us in this endeavour. First and foremost they exposed us to the world of ICT by enabling us to purchase powerful Mac computers to support our scholarly and organisational endeavours. When lack of electricity became a major barrier, they facilitated the installation of a very powerful solar system. They finally enabled us to complete our house project that is also the first phase of our intended conference and recreational facility, and the office for both CPCHEA and CPCM before these two organizations acquire their own facilities. Poverty and lack of infrastructure are major factors that cause the brain drain from rural to urban or from Africa to the West. Fowler and Joy knew very well our wish to remain both at the grassroots and also at the level of Christian higher education and they set themselves to help us achieve this alongside supporting us to formalise our scholarship by way of certification.
Now that compartmentalization of reality was resolved in my experience, this did not solve the major problem of my Christian project, that is, making a holistic view of Christianity a reality in the environment saturated by compartmentalisation. As a clergyman, this will be seen in most of my teachings in the church, plus CPCM seminars in Kenya. One seminar in which Stuart Fowler was the Keynote speaker facilitated the establishment of a book that he authored known as Christian Professionals: called to the service of love. It addresses the concern of professional callings and what it means to serve the Lord in faithfulness in different life callings, which was the theme of the conference.
CPCHEA makes a beginning in implementing its’ vision
As this was taking place, I was asked by the interim board of CPCHEA to facilitate the 2005 African conference that was successfully held at the Africa International University (AIU) by then Nairobi Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). I was privileged to present a paper in this conference entitled, What is that in your hand? : Realising Africa’s potential. The theme of the conference was, Making a difference in today’s Africa :penetrating every sector of the society with the liberating light of the Gospel. Delegates from over thirteen countries across Africa attended the conference.At the conclusion of the conference, it was agreed that since Kenya had contributed immensely in boosting the CPCHEA’s conference, it had to provide a secretariat. Kenyans agreed to take the challenge. It was also agreed that I become CPCHEA first Executive Director because I successfully facilitated the conference organisation. To me this was a big joke, CPCHEA at this stage required a person with good scholarly muscle to which I felt inadequate, but this seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Furthermore, the paper that I had presented in the conference seemed to have pointed at me to realise the potential I had for Africa.
I did not take this lightly because I very well knew the challenges ahead of this infant but promising organisation. I asked the now approved board to give me a month to think it over, finally I accepted to take the challenge on condition that I get the necessary scholarly backup from the established members of CPCHEA and in case of failure, that all of us share the blame and or joy for success. This was accepted and I was officially appointed the CPCHEA executive director.
My first assignment as the Executive Director of CPCHEA was to complete A Moving Together negotiation with IAPCHE that had been initiated by the interim council of CPCHEA. We established a memorandum of understanding and at the Nicaragua IAPCHE Global conference in November 2006, CPCHEA was publicly declared IAPCHE African regional council or expression. All African IAPCHE members became CPCHEA members and all CPCHEA’s members became IAPCHE’s members. CPCHEA and IAPCHE’s Mission, Vision and objectives can be obtained from: http://cpchea.org and www.iapche.org respectively.
My former attempt of penetrating every sector of the society with the liberating light of the Gospel at a small level in Kitale, in the Western region of Kenya was now amplified and my focus became Africa. This time around it was to network with institutions of Christian higher learning to attain this. First I had to familiarise myself amid meagre resources with all regions of Africa. That is why in October 2007, I visited and had consultations with scholars in the West, East and Southern regions of African. Nick Lantinga accompanied me to explain to IAPCHE members about the new relationship between IAPCHE and CPCHEA. The West Africa consultations were held at Accra (Ghana) in Trinity Theological College, and Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), Bukuru Jos (Nigeria), The East Africa ones at Daystar University in Nairobi (Kenya), and the Southern at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus South Africa. In these consultations, I presented a paper on Challenges facing Africa and the need for liberation focusing on CPCHEA’s approach.
Aug. 2008 I participated in CPCHEA’s Southern Conference at NWU, Potchefstroom Campus. The theme of the conference was Raising the flag of Christian Higher Education in the Southern African Region. My paper was entitled: The Role of CPCHEA in raising the flag of Christian Higher Education: Operating Strategies. On 23 rd May 2009, I also participated in a workshop on the theme, the University Teacher and Competing World views that was held at the St. Augustine University in Tanzania (SAUT). It was organized by one of our members and he wanted me to introduce CPCHEA to the participants.
Faculty Enrichment Programmes 2010
On May 31 to June 2, in our faculty enrichment programme at Redeemer’s University, Lagos Nigeria, I presented a paper on “Way forward for comprehensive education in Africa” although my computer system failed me. On 29th June to 1 July 2010, I was also privileged to participate in the Faculty Enrichment Program at St. John’s University, Dodoma Tanzania (SJUT) and my paper was on: CPCHEA’s Role in Developing Comprehensive Christian Education in Africa within the Global Context and on 15th–18th Dec. 2001 at a Faculty Enrichment Programme organised by the Centre for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education in Africa (CPCHEA), I presented a paper on The Christian University: Beyond World view. This Faculty Enrichment Programme attracted more than 56 scholars from 16 Christian universities from East Africa. The enrichment theme was: Developing Comprehensive Christian Education for Africa. The event was hosted by Pan Africa Christian University (PACU).While the developments stated above were taking place, my desire to formalize my scholarship was growing even deeper. My first visit at North-West University, Potchefstroom campus (see above) gave me a good opportunity to share my concerns with BJ van der Walt. He took
me to a hotel where I enjoyed my meal as I poured out my desire to have North-West University (NWU), Potch Campus in South Africa accept my proposal to concretize on African culture and world view seen from the standpoint of the Biblical world view and how these should impact Africans from grassroots to all societal sectors and how learning in Africa should embrace this at all levels. After giving me his undivided attention, he referred me to the philosophy department of North-West University where Prof. Potgieter and Prof. Heyns keenly listened to my proposal and agreed that it was worth pursuing. I did pursue that and completed the study. I am now undertaking something on Development studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya.
My present vision and task
Since the Western culture has drastically affected the African culture and world view (and other worldly cultures as well) through Christianity, colonialism/neocolonialism, commerce and industry, my study journey has included the understanding of the Western thought. This has forced me into the technical work of Herman Dooyeweerd and particularly his engagement with Immanuel Kant from whom mainly the Christian dualism (which has drastically influenced African Christianity) celebrates its origin. Others who have motivated me include Naugle, Plantinga, Goheen and Bartholomew, Wilkens and Sanford’s, Sunshine’s, Skillen, Kuyper, Newbigin, of course Wolters goes without saying and a host of important Western Scholars who offer a good critique of the Western thought. Fowler has continued to be an inspiration together with BJ van der Walt whom I am critically evaluating in my study. As I reflect on this during my study journey, I am strongly motivated by Abraham Kuyper’s confessions on, Lectures on Calvinism (2007:11), who strongly asserts that;There is no doubt than that Christianity is imperiled by great and serious dangers. Two life systems are wrestling with one another, in mortal combat. Modernism is bound to build a world of its own from the data of natural man, and to construct man himself from the data of nature; while, on the other hand, all those who reverently bend knee to Christ and worship Him as the Son of the living God, and God himself, are bent upon saving the “Christian Heritage”. This is the struggle in Europe, this is the struggle in America, (this is also the struggle in Africa-Isaac Mutua), and this also, is the struggle for the principles in which my own country (even mine-Isaac) is engaged, in which I myself (and also I myself-Isaac) have been spending all my energy for nearly forty years (for my case at least twenty years).The concerns that I raise in my Christian journey tie with what CPCHEA, the African regional expression of IAPCHE is concerned with. For instance we ask how does the Christian world view function in the whole of academic life? How does it affect what we do in the everyday practice of academic life? Are the products of Christian higher education agents of holistic societal transformation? Don’t we possibly need (where appropriate) the ground breaking work of Prof. Herman Dooyeweerd of the Free University of the Netherlands in the 1930s to develop a Christian philosophy for Africa? As a starting point doesn’t it provide a tried and proven tool for the development of a Christian philosophy that will ensure academic practice in today’s Africa that is consistent with a Christian world view in every discipline in today’s Africa; a tool that can be used by Christians working in public universities as well as Christian institutions.
Many will argue that this is an unnecessarily demanding task, granted, but how do we expect African Christians in the academic world to have a life-transforming impact on today’s Africa? What have we reaped from a dualistic Christian world view? What is the point of many professing Christianity with little or no impact at all in the society? As Dooyeweerd said in the preface to his major work in 1935:
I do not consider it to be a disadvantage if this philosophy does not enjoy a rapid and easy success.… If the elaboration of the Kantian philosophy was deemed worthy of this self-denial it is certainly obvious that those interested in the Christian foundation of theoretical thought should not be concerned with personal success, which is after all of no value. Rather they should be willing to carry on a long and difficult labour firmly believing that something permanent can be achieved with respect to the actualization of the idea concerning an inner reformation of philosophy. For, as a matter of fact the precarious and changing opinion of our fellow-men is not even comparable with the inner happiness and peace that accompanies scientific labour when it is based upon Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life! (Dooyeweerd 1953, ix)When the Kenyan philosopher, Odera Oruka, dared to develop a distinctively African philosophy, which he called “Sage Philosophy” the first reaction from the Western philosophical community was to dismiss it as invalid. However, he persisted until today the prestigious Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy recognizes Sage Philosophy, as a valid, if still controversial, philosophy. How much more should we Christians dare to develop a distinctively African Christian philosophy. This is my passion; this is my desire for Africa. It is a demanding task; it calls for a commitment from the entire Christian community who see this urgency to support it, it calls us to come from our comfort zones and bear the cold and discomfort so that Africa may come to the Kuyperian assertion of no square inch that Christ does not say, it is mine.
I know there people of like mind who will not like to see the realization of the above become a reserve of just a few, it is to them that I make this appeal so that they can support CPCHEA’s agenda and other like agenda in Africa and the rest of the world. I put Africa in bold because currently those who share such views are very rare because of the inherited Christian background and also because the resources for such endeavours are minimal due the unfortunate African economic position and also due to the fact that the most funded Christian initiatives are those that enjoy the dualistic world view tendencies that further cripple our African situation.
I share this experience with the main purpose of appealing to people of like mind to partner with us (at CPCHEA) in the journey to contain rampant dualism in Christian Higher Education in Africa and to also show the importance of not just lecturing but also long term mentoring in the development of African scholarship. I also wish to encourage ourselves to explore other avenues of developing scholarship other than the traditionally established avenues (formal training in the university).
Without downplaying the role of our universities and their established curriculum for students, it is important to pay attention to mature minds which may need to map out strategic courses of study and encourage such minds to interact with other minds without forcing them to fit in some structured curriculum just to maintain the status quo. I wish to also express my dissatisfaction with too much emphasis on credentials in the field of academics. I admit that at some presentations in academic forums people have attempted to look at better credentials behind me only to be met by the simple title of a Reverend.
I recall in the presentation I made in our Faculty Enrichment Program, a particular professor was not satisfied when he asked how to address me and I stated “just Reverend”, he went after my wife to enquire of what I was made for he could not reconcile what I presented with my Reverend title. While we should strive for credentials, (as important as they are thought I do not have much), we should not so much worship them to the extent that striving to have credentials becomes what is more important than true scholarship.
If I wanted credentials for the sake of it, I would be what many would have wanted me to be or if I accepted to be forced into some course of study as structured, I do not think I would have discovered what I have now discovered, I would possibly be grappling with dualism that I am now struggling to contain. As I have been mentored by respected scholars who have recognized and cultivated the scholarship in me, I have become an inspiration to many up coming Christian scholars and professionals whom I have mentored. Some have better credentials than I even holding better positions and pay than I do.
My Christian story cannot end without introducing two important realities, the first is the mutual support of wife and the second is the pain of parting with an important colleague who felt my developed biblical world view betrayed his core faith values. I should begin with the second one.
A cherished colleague with whom I attended my undergraduate study, shared a lot and who I respected so much for his brilliance and particularly the mastery of languages, be it English, Hebrew or Greek and also a very good historian and now a respected theologian told me on the telephone during my US trip that he had parted way with me on his Christian Scholarship journey that we had began together.
The major point of contention was my continual insistence that theologians like other Christian professionals from other academic disciplines are on an equal platform in the matters of faith, understanding and Biblical interpretation. He felt embarrassed by this because for him theology gives an elevation through which faith should be understood. For him, on spiritual matters, professionals from other academic disciplines should unquestionably listen to theologians. Possibly on secular matters, theologians should listen to professionals from other academic disciplines. We still respect each other but he has kept a distance from me and this is very disheartening.
I get some encouragement when I read experiences of shapers of history. Let me recount and reflect on the experience of David K. Naugle. He notes three extraordinary communities that nourished his experience of the Biblical world view. Kindly listen to him:
Towards the end of the study, however, I experienced a significant paradigm shift from dispensational premillennialism to covenant reformed theology. Like a scientist undergoing a scientific revolution, I began to see and live in the world differently. Exposure to thinkers in this newfound tradition began to solidify and deepen my understanding of Christian world view. I especially relished the discovery of the “creation, fall, redemption schema as the outline of Scripture and as the basis of the divine economy in history. From then until now, my imagination has been captivated by this biblical vision…. (Naugle, 2002:xx).One wishes Naugle’s story ends there, but that is not the case, he continues:
By the time the 1990s arrived, I had earned that Th. D. But my theological paradigm shift resulted in my dismissal from the church where I had served for eight and half years (Naugle, 2002:xx).In addition to earlier scholars mentioned above, I cannot fail to mention the relatively recent works and experiences from which I have benefited a lot. This is about Goheen and Bartholomew stories.
Goheen and Bartholomew in their book Living at the Crossroads first introduce us to their Christian life journey. Both began their Christian journey in evangelical churches of what they identify as a Pietist tradition before both adopted the reformational tradition. It is important to point out that “Pietist” is appropriate to their particular context but would convey a very different meaning in German Lutheran churches where “Pietism” is much closer to the reformational tradition.They indicate that Living at the Crossroads is a follow up of the Drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the Biblical Story (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008: ix-xi). They take us through the lessons they have learned in their journey and since this is important for us, it is good to briefly list the lessons they have stated:
1. Christianity involves a personal relationship with God through Christ— they respect their Pietist tradition for deeply shaping them to realise that but also regret that the traditions narrowed the Gospel.
2. The gospel, as recorded in Scripture is as broad as creation, hence their desire to express the Kingdom and the cultural mission of the church that follows from this. They fully support Herman Bavinck who quotes a well-known preacher J. Christian Blumhardt, who said that a person “must be twice converted, first from the natural to the spiritual life, and then from the spiritual to the natural.” (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008: xii).
3. The term world view, in spite of its philosophical and historical baggage, remain a valuable concept by which to open up the comprehensive scope of the gospel. The term does have its dangers and limitations: it retains some of its early associations with humanistic philosophy, and more recently it has taken intellectualist overtones within some Christian traditions. But its value as a tool of Christian thought is real.
4. The burgeoning study of mission can immeasurably enrich world view studies. Those engaged in cross-cultural missions have struggled to understand the gospel and culture at a deep level—how best to embody and announce the gospel—the concept of contextualization.
5. World view study must be increasingly ecumenical. No single Christian tradition is adequately able to grasp or express the fullness of the gospel. We must learn from our brothers and sisters from other parts of the world, from other historical eras and from other denominations and confessional traditions of the Christian church (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008: xii-xiii).Why I value the book. Goheen & Bartholomew are fully aware that the concept of world view emerged from the European philosophical tradition and are out to show that its adoption is valuable to Christians only insofar as it enables us to understand more fully the gospel in our context. (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008: xiv).
Goheen & Bartholomew understand their work complements others’ work such as the work of Brian Walsh and Richard Middleton’s Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World view. They recognise their book follows Walsh and Middleton in demonstrating that world view is a wide-ranging discipline with many smaller fields of enquiry within it. For their case, they claim that they deal with a biblical world view, a cultural world view and a world view in action. But between the cultural world view and a world view in action, they reflect on the way in which the gospel can come alive in a faithful way within a cultural context, that is the dynamic relationship of the gospel and culture (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008: xv).
Experiencing Spiritual Reality
Yet much as I value these already published works, the final step in understanding what a Christian world view should be in the African cultural context came from one of my mentors who, though not an African, understands Africa, its history and culture, very well—indeed he has learned to think as an African.He has brought me to a more complete understanding of a Christian world view by pointing out that I need to go beyond the bounds of intellectual exercises. While these are valid and, indeed, necessary so far as they go, a Christian world view can only be complete if it encompasses spiritual realities.
Before the coming of missionaries, Africans had a strong awareness of spiritual reality, both good and evil. Missionaries brought the Gospel, for which we are grateful but, sadly, they also brought the cultural patterns of their own countries that had a strong emphasise on an intellectual approach to Christian faith. Each mission brought its own set of doctrines and interpretations of Scripture together with patterns of worship.
The awareness of spiritual realities was, at best, blurred and most often not seen in the patterns of Christian life, but dismissed as part of the pagan culture. Yet, in Scripture, there is a strong awareness of spiritual reality, as the pinnacle of a life of faith.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. 1 Cor. 2:12–15 (NRSV) …no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds. 2 Cor.11:14–15 (NRSV)
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and fesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph.6:12–13 (NRSV)In the light of Scripture, then, I can embrace an African world view in which the traditional belief in a pagan spirituality of good and evil spirits is replaced by the daily awareness of the spiritual realities of the Gospel of the one and only God who is love. I can also recognise that, in the modern Western culture the “spiritual forces of evil” are disguised as messengers of righteousness under the control of Satan disguised as “an angel of light”.
Yet God still reigns supreme in his transcendence:
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. Rom.11:33–36 (NRSV )
But he is also the Word who “became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NRSV)And is an immanent presence throughout his creation, who is with us night and day by his Spirit.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Rom.8:9–14 (NRSV
Knowing this I can go forward in the service of the King of kings (and President of presidents) joining in the struggle, not against human foes, but “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Finally I can share the sentiments of the “African Creed” for which I am indebted to the missionary to the Maasai, Vincent Donovan who won whole clans to Christ by his love in living with them:
An African Creed
We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created man and wanted man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth. We have known this High God in the darkness, and now we know him in the light. God promised in the book of his word, the bible. that he would save the world and all the nations and tribes.We believe that God, made good his promise by sending his son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing that the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day. He rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him. All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.
NB/ 1) My story has not ended because I have not shared how God has worked in our marriage and family experience.
2) My English is Kenyanised and I apologise for any who may be embarrassed by it, kindly bypass it and get the spirit of my experience.
