Akan Christology: An Analysis of the Christologies of John Samuel Pobee and Kwame Bediako in Conversation with the Theology of Karl Barth

As Christianity expands and grows in Africa, there is deep new interest in African theology in general, and the way in which some African theologians are interpreting the significance of Christ within African culture, in particular. This volume explores the Christology of two of the foremost African thinkers against the background of the West African Akan culture. The result is a rare and fascinating look at some of the key cultural symbols of African culture, the struggle to reinterpret the "white, blond, blue-eyed Christ" presented by pioneering missionaries to Africa, and the pitfalls and promises that attend the exercise. The selected theologians, John Samuel Pobee and Kwame Bediako, are put into a critical conversation with Karl Barth in order to initiate a dialogue between Western theology and African theology that brings to the fore some of the pertinent issues about the particularity and universality of Christ. The volume, while seeking to make Christ relevant for Africa, moves away from romanticizing African culture and insists on being faithful to the biblical witness to Christ. The result is an attempt to present an engaging piece of work that makes a significant contribution to contemporary debates on Christology and indigenous theology.

Author: Charles Sarpong Aye-Addo
Publisher: Pickwick Publications
Published: 07/12/2013
Pages: 238
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d
ISBN: 9781498263740

About the Author
Charles Sarpong Aye-Addo (PhD, Drew University) is the Founder and Executive Chancellor of Yeshua Institute of Technology, Ghana. He is Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Montclair State University, and the Senior Pastor of International Central Gospel Church, Worcester, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Gertrude, have three children--Akusika, Nyansafo, and Nhyira--all of whom are pursuing degrees in their respective fields of study.