African, You Are on Your Own! The Need for African Reformed Christians to Seriously Engage Their Africanity in Their Reformed Theological Reflections

Tshaka, Rothney S.

doi:10.7833/96-0-1173

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Selfinterest has affected the Christian community, so much so, that it sometimes becomes difficult to distinguish it from other communities to which it should have been a model. Scholars such as Tshaka (2007;2014) and Sekkhaulelo (2022) have raised important issues in reconciling faith with ethnic and existential challenges. Tshaka argues that, as Christians, we need to handle the issues of faith and ethnic identity carefully, because they are delicate.…”

Section: Conceptualisation Of the Christian Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Àwa L’ókàn: When the blood of Jesus is not thick enough to bond his body

Igboin

2023

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

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In this article is examined the now famous political slogan particularly in the South-Western region of Nigeria: àwa l’ókàn [it is our turn] as grounded on political injustice and not resonating with competence as claimed. This has become critical, because it has generated heated debate among Christians across denominational lines. I traced the popularity of the slogan to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who claimed that, in the 2023 elections, the office of the president of Nigeria should be zoned to the South-Western geo-political zone, and then to him personally; hence Emi l’ókàn [it is my turn]. The theoretical argument in this article is that, although Christians are saved to live differently from the world, they still have critical roles to play in political affairs in ways that are consistent with their faith. The article used both primary and secondary sources that consist of books, articles, personal interviews and the social media. It discovered that the South-Western region has had at least a 15-year stint in the Nigerian presidency since 1999, the South-Southern region, eight years and the South-Eastern region, zero years. In addition, the article found out that the slogan, Emi l’ókàn, has resulted in theological disagreements which are not healthy for Christian unity and purpose in a multi-religious society such as Nigeria. It concluded that ‘àwa l’ókàn politics is based on ethnic solidarity rather than oneness in Christ. This position has implications for the Christian body, because preference for ethnicity over justice and fairness, which are Christian principles, challenges sound Christian theo-political theory.Contribution: This article is interdisciplinary in nature. It brings together theology, ethnicity and politics, and argues that these disciplines are dynamic. But in a situation in which conflict of interest arises, it is argued that Christian ethics should guide in taking a moral decision to abide by the principle of oneness in Christ (Eph 2:11–22).

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Section: Conceptualisation Of the Christian Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Àwa L’ókàn: When the blood of Jesus is not thick enough to bond his body

Igboin

2023

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

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“…It is apparent that the so-called 'coloured' people belong to what is referred to as 'black', but it is not always apparent whether they are 'African' especially in terms of African theology. The author particularly refers to an example from the writings of Tshaka (2007) in his article, 'African, you're on your own! ', in which he unreservedly positions himself with some intellectuals:…”

Section: Coloured People As Africans?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mission studies at South African higher education institutions: An ethical and decolonial perspective in the quest to ‘colour’ the discipline

Baron

2020

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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“…Rothney Tshaka (2007;, an African from the Uniting Reformed Churches of Southern Africa (UCRSA), adds a special voice, in that he deals more with the identity of African Reformed Christians who have to define themselves outside the scope of the Western Mind. In his writings, the following issues, with direct bearing on decoloniality and the reformed faith, are highlighted: (1) African Reformed Christians have no obligation to mimic and replicate European Reformed Christians in living out their reformed faith.…”

Section: Prof Rothney S Tshakamentioning

confidence: 99%

Unshackling the chains of coloniality: Reimagining decoloniality, Africanisation and Reformation for a non-racial South Africa

Mashau

2018

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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Racial divisions, polarisation and tensions are on the rise in South Africa today. A democratic dream of a rainbow nation remains just a dream with racism continuing to raise its ugly head in the democratic South Africa, to the detriment of the rainbow dream of a united South Africa. This article seeks to probe whether South Africans should continue to sing the song of racial reconciliation in the light of the continued racial tensions and post-colonial and post-apartheid legacies and stereotypes that continue to manifest in our private and public spaces. Based on an examination of the decoloniality project, Africanisation and Reformation, through literature study, the article calls for the decoloniality of faith in an effort to craft a vision for a non-racial society. This vision not only takes the importance of the redeeming memories of the 500 years of Reformation seriously, but also the notion of Africanisation and, in particular, the use of the African value systems in shaping and reconstructing a non-racial South Africa. This article taps into the resourcefulness of the Reformed faith in South Africa, as articulated in the theologies of Snyman, Tshaka and Botha, and applies them to South African discourses of decoloniality.

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African, You Are on Your Own! The Need for African Reformed Christians to Seriously Engage Their Africanity in Their Reformed Theological Reflections

Cited by 13 publications

References 4 publications

Àwa L’ókàn: When the blood of Jesus is not thick enough to bond his body

Àwa L’ókàn: When the blood of Jesus is not thick enough to bond his body

Mission studies at South African higher education institutions: An ethical and decolonial perspective in the quest to ‘colour’ the discipline

Unshackling the chains of coloniality: Reimagining decoloniality, Africanisation and Reformation for a non-racial South Africa

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