Secularism and Africa

ISBN-13: 9781625647702 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 172 str.

Jim Harries; Jean Johnson

Opis

Secular assumptions underlie much formal communication between the West and Africa, and even intra-Africa. Secularism is dualistic by nature, but thinking in Africa is mostly monistic. This book suggests that it is better to be rooted in faith in Christ than in so-called secularism. The great respect given to the Bible in much of Africa verifies this idea. Communication of and through Christ is a bridge that can enable indigenous sustainable development. The same gospel is the bridge over which the West itself passes. Maintaining supposedly secular presuppositions may be denying sub-Saharan African people the means for self-initiated sustainable progress.This books draws on anthropology, linguistics, and theology, as well as the authors experience of living in Africa. Harries shares an autobiographical account of personal long-term grassroots ministry, and proposes a revision of widely held understandings of linguistics pertaining especially to the relationship between the West and Africa. He also looks at Bible teaching ministry in light of contemporary African contexts.""As a long-term missionary and anthropologically-minded theologian, Jim Harries is a highly original and creative thinker. Here he brings his considerable experience together with sophisticated theoretical reflection to question the secular bases of mission, development, and scholarship. Joining a lively conversation on these questions, Harries book is an excellent contribution for missionaries, development workers, and others seeking to understand how secular assumptions shape global mission, development, and anthropology.""--Brian Howell, Professor of Anthropology, Wheaton CollegeJim Harries (PhD Theology), a missionary working as a bible teacher in western Kenya, is the author of Communication in Mission and Development and other books and articles. Jim works with a variety of indigenous churches using the Luo and Swahili languages. He chairs the Alliance for Vulnerable Mission (vulnerablemission.org). Global University recognizes him as a Professor of Religion. Jim is single and looks after orphaned children in his African village home.