The Lordship of Christ in Africa. Cultivating an African Biblical Soteriology

Abstract

The African cosmology still lacks an African Christology that adequately addresses the soteriological question. For an African, there is a plethora of literature on the salvation question from the perspective of the ancestor, liberation, or black theologies. This discourse elevates African Traditional Religion to the mainstream. The thesis argues for a distinctly African Christo-soteriology from the perspective of lordship salvation. It points out the lack of clarity regarding Christ's lordship and salvation in African theologies and emphasises the importance of developing a biblical African Christo-soteriology. This study argues that African Christian theology (ACT) is rooted in African traditional theology (ATT), which currently continues in African Traditional Religion (ATR). While ACT seeks to align with the Bible, ATT and ATR are largely traditionally or culturally inclined. This makes it difficult for true Christianity to take hold in many African traditional religions and theologies. The study stresses the importance and the necessity of the lordship of Christ in Africa. Two theologies are evaluated as possible gateways for introducing the concept of the lordship of Christ in Africa. Lordship salvation theology is found to be a sound vehicle for introducing Christ's lordship in Africa, whereas free grace theology is found to agree with African traditional religions on key soteriological propositions, making it an unlikely solution. The thesis further identifies key problems that hinder the concept of the lordship of Christ from taking root. This includes among other things the definition of sin, mistrust of the Bible, and interpreting Christ outside Scripture. The study concludes by proposing a gateway for the lordship of Christ in Africa through a triangle that consists of understanding the problem, which is sin, accepting the Bible as God's infallible Word, which is the key, and knowing Christ from Scripture, the provider of the solution. When this triangle is in place, a soteriology founded in sound biblical doctrine is possible.