The immanence and transcendence of God in Adamic incarnational Christology: An African ethical reflection for the public

Abstract

This article argues that the transcendence and immanence of God amplified in Christ should influence African believers� private and public ethics. It accomplishes this by engaging transcendence and immanence of God in the traditional African worldview. The African traditional worldview in many respects believes the transcendent God whose immanence is mediated by lesser spiritual intermediary powers. In responding to this view of God�s transcendence and immanence, we discuss the amplified transcendence and immanence of God in the Adamic incarnational Christological model. This model argues that in the incarnation, God�s transcendence and immanence is amplified by his assumption of our human mode of existence as the New Adam for our redemption. That is, even though God has always been transcendent and present within his creation before the incarnation, his immanence within humanity is amplified by God becoming man in and through Jesus Christ as the New Adam. The ascension of Jesus Christ does not diminish God�s presence within Christians. God continues to have his personal presence within believers through the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit among them. The transcendence and immanence of God (amplified in Christ) therefore is brought to bear in the private and public ethics of Christians. In contrast to the limited immanence of human beings, God�s immanence is infinite. That is, there is nothing human beings can do which is outside of God�s reach and knowledge. It is from this perspective that African Christians are encouraged to live lives conscious of the infinite-immanent God, who sees both their private and public lives. The private and public life of believers should resemble God�s character and behaviour demonstrated by Jesus Christ, God incarnate, in his earthly ministry. Thus, the transcendence and immanence of God amplified in Christ influences African believers to live as the true ambassadors of Christ who exhibit exemplary ethical behaviour within the public sphere. The article reflects on the role of theological ethics in informing public ethics. As such it is theologically intradisciplinary but focusing on intertheological disciplines and their relationship to public space regarding ethics. It seeks to engage and influence public ethical behaviour in a context corruption and disregard of other human beings� entitlements.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article challenges the privatisation of Christianity to take a public role in order to influence the public. This approach contributes to shifting African Christians from being passive in the context of unethical behaviours to being active agents who influence the public. As such, it contributes to public, practical theology and public ethics.

Christ also ours in Africa: A consideration of Torrance's incarnational, Christological model as nexus for Christ's identification with African Christians

“…(Torrance 1995(Torrance :84, 1996 The ancestors in Africa are described as blood-related members of the family, clan or tribe, who have lived an outstanding life and who have supposedly thereby acquired supernatural powers after death, which enable them to function as both guardians and protectors of their living descendants (Bediako 2004:23;Lugira 2009:48-50;Nyamiti 2006:3, 9;cf. Oladosu 2012:160-161) (also see Magezi & Magezi 2016b). The ancestors are viewed as being closer to living people than any other spiritual power, and they can either harm or bless their living descendants depending on the existing relationship between them (ancestors and the living people) (Oladosu 2012:161;cf.…”

“…Mbiti encapsulates the interconnection between the physical and the spiritual worlds in the statement that the 'spiritual universe is united with the physical, and that these two intermingle and dovetail into each other so much that it is not easy, or even necessary, at sometimes to draw the distinction or separate them'. In this way, various African cultures recognise that the spirit world is inhabited by many spiritual powers, which are in a hierarchical relationship with one another, acting capriciously as an unpredictable influence of good and evil in the lives of Africans (Imasogie 1983:53-54;Lugira 2009:36-63;Mashau 2009:117;Mbiti 1989:77-80;Turaki 2006:54-66) (also see Magezi & Magezi 2016b). …”

“…Indeed, if the human nature of Christ does not have its own independent expression, and that this lies instead in the eternal Word, this makes room for the truth that the Word, the Creator, assumed a common human nature, not merely a discrete one (Graham 2012:45). In other words, the couplet significance of anhypostasia and enhypostasia brings to the forefront the reality that the human nature of Christ embraces all Christians, regardless of their tribal, national or genealogical categories (also see Magezi & Magezi 2016b). This is because in the incarnation, Jesus Christ is God the incarnate, who fully identifies himself with all mankind by assuming a common human nature (Graham 2012:45;Torrance 2009:lxxv).…”

“…Here, anhypostatic union states that the human nature of Christ is without an independent centre of personhood because it finds its centre or expression in the person of the Son of God (enhypostatic union) (also see Magezi & Magezi 2016b). Indeed, if the human nature of Christ does not have its own independent expression, and that this lies instead in the eternal Word, this makes room for the truth that the Word, the Creator, assumed a common human nature, not merely a discrete one (Graham 2012:45).…”

“…The ancestors are those bloodrelated members of the family, clan or tribe who have lived an outstanding life and who have supposedly thereby acquired supernatural powers after death, which enable them to function as both guardians and protectors of their living descendants (Bediako 2004:23;Lugira 2009:48-50;Nyamiti 2006:3, 9;Oladosu 2012:160-161) (also see Magezi & Magezi 2016b). Hence, for Christ to be accepted by Africans and fulfil the expected responsibilities in addressing the African contextual needs (which is believed by Africans to be the role of ancestors and other African traditional practitioners), the overarching concern however is about the familial relationship between Jesus Christ of Nazareth and African people because the two do not belong to the same 'clan, family, tribe and nation' (Bediako 2004:23;cf.…”