African childhoods and Christian faith communities: A practical-theological engagement

Abstract

There is an underlying global and local societal view that children are of lesser value than adults. This view of the humanity and dignity of children has far-reaching effects on children, families, communities and societies at large. Faith communities have not escaped the effects of how childhood has been constructed historically. This reality urges contemporary theology and the broader faith community to examine how the praxis of faith communities either reproduces or resists dehumanising constructions of childhood and steer it in a different direction. Heeding this call, this study explores how faith communities can become partners in liberating African childhoods by examining what children's partnering role would entail in practice. The study is situated in the field of practical theology, which has its interest in the intentional actions - praxis - of faith communities and its implications for children and their holistic well-being. Richard Osmer's approach to practical-theological interpretation is used to discover how we can respond to the need to see children's humanity by applying the lenses of the Christian faith and how believers can act accordingly within the context of faith communities. Firstly, this study presents fragments from children's lives to illustrate childhood images in African thought and to probe the implications of these childhood images on children's everyday lives. Secondly, an interdisciplinary childhood studies perspective is used to gain an understanding of historical and contemporary ideas associated with African childhoods. Based on the findings of the first two sections, the study reimagines the construction of African childhoods from a child theology perspective. Lastly, strategic directions for the partnership role of faith communities concerning children and the affirmation of their full humanity in society are presented.