Christianity and African Culture

A Report on the Research Institute on Christianity in South Africa's
Third School of Theology1

Stephen Martin
University of Cape Town

Questions

The relationship between Christianity and African culture has been construed in many ways. Some see Christianity and African culture as representing rival worldviews, resulting in an exclusivist affirming of one over against the other. This means either that African traditions and culture are rejected as 'un-Christian' or Christianity is rejected as a 'foreign religion'. Others separate religion and culture -- Christianity as a 'religion' is set apart from African 'culture' and 'traditions'. Both are valid in their proper place, but should never be allowed to touch each other. Still others have tried to integrate the two in configurations called 'African Christianities'.

What is the relationship between Christianity and African culture? Can they be separated? Does being an "African" and being a 'Christian' necessitate turning away from indigenous traditions and institutions? If so, arealltraditions to be rejected wholesale? What about European Christianity? What is the role of African Christianity, alongship other Christianities, in reconstructing South Africa?

School of Theology

These were the questions that the Research Institute on Christianity in South Africa's annual School of Theology tried to address. Held between 24 and 26 January 1995, its theme of 'Christianity and African Culture' illicited much informed debate from over one hundred participants. Academics, clergy and laypeople heard speakers address these topics from a variety of angles. Some, such as Prof Gabriel Setiloane, tackled the issues by reminding the conference of the priority of the African worldview standing behind the faith of prominent Africans in the church, such as Desmond Tutu. Itumeleng Mosala followed this up, discussing the relationship between African and Black Christianities. Claiming that 'Black' and 'African' is defined by a certain kind of socio-political experience, he noted the peculiar resonance that the experience of indigenous peoples in the Bible invokes within Black theology.

Other speakers were more descriptive and empirical. Fr Thomas Manyeli of the National University of Lesotho, for example, gave the conference insight into the African Initiated churches in Lesotho, while Prof Piet Naudé of the University of Port Elizabeth spoke about the peculiarities of Christianity in an oral context. Naudé's paper took account of methodological difficulties in understanding culture and religion from an exclusively 'literate' point of view. Dr Chirevo Kwenda of the University of Cape Town added to this discussion of method by surveying the place of African Religion within the discipline of science of religion, especially as that discipline is informed by enlightenment assumptions about human existence. Kwenda's paper also noted the possibility of a great reversal in religious polarities -- that a declining Europe may need Africa to revitalize its religion.

Workshops were held following the plenary sessions. The most popular of these was on 'liturgy and spirituality', facilitated by Dr Janet Hodgson. Participants in that workshop agreed that the challenges of 'Africanizing' liturgy and providing space for an indigenous spirituality was both great and exciting. Dr Welile Mazimisa of the University of Cape Town lead a workshop on the contextualization of theology. This was also popular with participants. The nature of health and healing in African religion was ably addressed in the other workshop directed by Revd Kenosi Mofokeng of the Federation of African Indigenous Churches and Nokuzola Mnende, lecturer in African Religion at the University of Cape Town. Health and healing were shown to be good thematic points of entry into African religion, as well as providing points of connection with Christianity.

The issue of cultural pluralism was taken up on the last day of the conference by a panel discussion which included Revd Barney Pityana, Prof John de Gruchy and Revd Mofokeng. The School of Theology was chaired by Revd Pityana, who also gave the opening and closing addresses. Revd Pityana noted at the end of the conference that questions had been formulated and agendas noted, though it was not possible to resolve such questions in such a setting. Indeed, these questions will define the 'wrestle' of the church in the coming years.

Radio Discussion

After the School, John Orr of Radio South Africa interviewed Rev'd Pityana, as well as Dr Hodgson, a South African currently working as an advisor for local mission in the Diocese of Durham, England, and Ms Mnende. What follows is a summary of that discussion, which aired on Radio South Africa's 'Insights' programme on February 12 and 13, 1995.

Rev'd Pityana began by clarifying that the basic issues raised by the School are already under debate within the Churches in light of a renewed consciousness of multi-culturalism. Dr Hodgson noted that what is at issue is not something new - for inculturation has always taken place in Christianity - but specifically 'the incarnation of Christ in Africa'. This involves a 'dialogue' between Christianity and African culture. But this dialogue cannot be one-sided, as Ms Mnende warned. Those who brought Christianity to South Africa Africans their own beliefs, their own religion. What they did see in the way of rituals were condemned as 'heathen'.

Is there is any such thing as a 'core' of Christianity which is, subsequently, to be related to 'culture'? Rev'd Pityana noted that Christianity by nature is a syncretistic religion. Hence being a 'Christian' in South Africa is bound up with being 'African'. Though 'culture is dynamic', so is Christianity in relation to culture. They are related dialectically, as is especially evident in the African Initiated Churches. However, this is not just an issue in Africa. Dr Hodgson noted that the issue is certainly live in the North of England where she works. The relevance of Christianity to the working classes, for instance, is a subject of debate. Likewise, Rev'd Pityana interjected, the pagan practices which are intervoven with European Christianity are now being exposed by people such as Lesslie Newbiggin.

Ms Mnende claimed that, while the faith expressed in 'mainline' and 'indigenous' Christianities in South Africa was the same, in the mainline churches traditional practices are conducted by Africans in secret, whereas in the indigenous churches they are done openly. For Dr Hodgson this points to the need to overcome the 'Sunday Christian' phenomenon, ie for an integrated spirituality. This is beginning to happen in the mainline churches, added Rev'd Pityana. While the creeds of those churches have traditionally expressed their faith in Hellenistic terms, some are beginning to point out that doctrines, such as the Trinity, can be understood using African concepts and images. Rev'd Pityana gave an example: for some Africans, Jesus is seen as a witchdoctor (it is important to note that a witchdoctor is not a witch). To this Dr Hodgson added, 'But also a soccer star'. She claimed that the urban experience must also be taken into consideration. Indeed, she continued, many images of Jesus are needed in order to locate Jesus in people's experience. The consciousness of people has been colonized. For instance, Anglican identity is tied to the use of old English hymns and creeds which today ring foreign to the ears of the working classes.

Rev'd Pityana suggested a parallel withcandomble, the Brazilian popular religion, for these debates. He cited Leonardo Boff who observes that, in this religion, there are no boundaries excluding rituals and practices coming from different sources. Returning to the debate over a 'core' of Christianity, religion must speak to the heart, not simply express itself in a single loyalty to the institutional church. A religion is a totality not reducible to any of its 'partial' expressions. These must all be taken together.

Pityana went on to say that the conference opened up discussion more than providing answers to the question of the relation of Christianity to African culture. It did resolve that there could be no more 'schitzophrenia' in the relation between the two. But it also gave way to more questions, such as the need to let go of dogmatism and to struggle with questions of dogma; that is, to work on questions of what is to be done with doctrines such as the trinity. Dr Hodgson concluded by saying that the theological agenda had changed since the old days of anti-Apartheid theology, when theologians did not have the luxury to deal with these questions.

1. This article originally appeared inSouth African Outlook, Winter 1995