Browsing by Author "Adjei-Brown, Clement"

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Conspectus Volume 29
(South African Theological Seminary, 2020-03) Bernard, Gerard; Lioy, Dan T.; Kvidahl, Clifford B.; Venter, Marieke; Semmelink, Willem; Adjei-Brown, Clement; Asumang, Annang; Amevenku, Frederick Mawusi; Boaheng, Isaac; Manyika, Batanayi I.; van Deventer, Cornelia; Jabini, Franklin; Atterbury, Vincent E.; Brodie, Robert; Domeris, William R.; Erdey, Zoltan L.; Jabini, Frank; Kunhiyop, Samuel W.; Lessing, Pelham; Lioy, Dan T.; Mahlangu, Elijah; Malherbe, Johannes S.; Maré, Leonard; Peppler, Christopher; Pretorius, Mark; Smith, Kevin G.; Song, Arthur; Woodbridge, Noel B.; Du Toit, Philip; Erdey, Zoltan L.
Conspectus Volume 31
(South African Theological Seminary, 2021-04) Adjei-Brown, Clement; Ajah, Miracle; Owiredu, Charles; Kwiyani, Harvey; Ola, Joseph; Wilson, Alistair I.; Mzondi, Abraham Modisa Mkhondo; Cookey, Paul; Adeleye, Femi; Banda, Collium; Cloete, Anita; Coetsee, Albert; Coon, George; Darko, Daniel K.; Du Toit, Philip; Godfrey Harold; Henry, Desmond; Kabongo, Luc; Kunhiyop, Samuel W.; Kwiyani, Harvey; Lioy, Dan T.; Malherbe, Johannes S.; Manomi, Dougara Ishaya; Manyika, Batanayi I.; Mburu, Elizabeth; Mouton, Elna; Ntseno, Caswell; Linzay Rinquest; Sindo, Vuyani; Strange, Daniel; van Deventer, Cornelia; Wendland, Ernst; Long-Westfall, Cynthia; Wilson, Alistair; Manyika, Batanayi I.
In “A Procedure for Analysis of Contemporary Reception of Biblical Texts in Ghana: A Methodological Consideration,” Clement Adjei-Brown reflects on reception theory, charismatic preachers, and Ghanaian traditional religions. His methodological article bridges the disciplines of Bible interpretation and contextual theology, charting a course for hermeneutical strategies that speak directly to African realities. Next is an essay entitled “The Concept of Cult Centralization in Deuteronomy and its Possible Implications for Today” by Miracle Ajah. Motivated by a vision of an inclusive society, Ajah reads Deuteronomy exegetically and historically, tracing the debate on cult centralization and its social implications in antiquity. From this discussion, he submits an appropriation of Deuteronomy that could address fiscal federalism and resource control in several African countries. Charles Owiredu enters the world of metaphor, analyzing the conceptualization of the “nose” in the Hebrew Bible. His paper “Metaphoric and Metonymic Conceptualization of the Nose in Hebrew and Twi” leverages Conceptual Metaphor Theory to explicate the use of the nose metaphor in human experiences and its codification in the Akuapem Twi Bible of 1964. Harvey Kwiyani and Joseph Ola’s paper entitled, “God in Oral African Theology: Exploring the Spoken theologies of Afua Kuma and Tope Alabi” brings orality and theology into crystal focus. Their approach documents the rich theological heritage of a couple of West African women, providing a credible counterpoint to Occidental theological refrains. The conceptualization of God and the formulation of African identity are featured in continuity with luminaries such as Mbiti and Bediako. In a rejoinder to the simplistic view that considers the Reformed tradition underdeveloped in its pneumatology, Alistair I. Wilson presents the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as an established tenet in Reformed theology. His paper, “The Holy Spirit in Relation to Mission and World Christianity: A Reformed Perspective” etches lines of continuity between pneumatology in the Reformed tradition and Christianity’s global reach. Wilson deconstructs preconceived pneumatological binaries and edifices, inviting us to a charitable interdenominational dialogue informed by nuance and commonality. Abraham Modisa Mkhondo Mzondi engages the sphere of leadership through an analysis of John L.M. Dube’s values. Mzondi’s approach is refreshingly novel in that it traces Dube’s leadership principles through ecclesial and political successors. At the heart of his articulation is a holistic view of reality captured in the phrase “a non-dichotomous perspective of Ubuntu.” Mzondi’s article, “John L.M. Dube’s leadership: Evaluating Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, and Mmusi Maimane as Leaders” is a theologically- informed interrogation of leadership for a South African context. Last, but not least, Paul Cookey of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria reviews Carmen Joy Imes’s 2019 monograph Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, published by InterVarsity Press. I would like to thank the authors for their meaningful contributions and for choosing to publish with Conspectus. May these writings serve us with fresh theological insights and a deeper appreciation for God who is at work in Africa and beyond.
The Influence Of Akan Traditional Religious Conceptions On The Reception Of Hamartiology Of First John By Charismatic Preachers Of Ghana
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Adjei-Brown, Clement; Asumang, Annang
The general Christian tradition in Ghana has historically attracted local and cultural views to itself that have enriched its universal nature and strengthened it to address different doctrines in different cultural and religious contexts. This has, however, led to misconceptions in the interpretation of some Christian doctrines such as the doctrine of sin in 1 John. This dissertation discovered that both for better and for worse, Akan Traditional Religious concepts of sin influence the reception of the hamartiology of 1 John by a selection of charismatic preachers in Ghana. This finding is in itself not surprising. However, the precise manner and extent to which the influences flow have immense implications for the communication of the Gospel in Ghana. The doctrine of sin in 1 John relates to the quality and nature of sin on Christian identity and witness in the world, and therefore serves as a very attractive standard for shedding light on the hamartiology of Ghanaian charismatic preachers. The reception analytical method I developed from the philosophical framework of reception theory enabled me to establish that Akan Traditional Religion (ATR) concepts create a horizon of expectation for Akan charismatic preachers in Ghana that influences their reception of the doctrine of sin in 1 John. From the comparison between the reconstructed meaning of the doctrine of sin in 1 John and the horizon of expectations of charismatic preachers in Ghana, it is apparent that to a large extent they have succeeded in contextualizing the Christian message. In the process, however, traditional Akan cosmology has both for better and for worse influenced their reception of the doctrine of sin in 1 John. The degree of influence for worse can be minimized if they become conscious of the danger of syncretism by conferring with original manuscripts and availing themselves to sound theological 6education. The analytical method developed for this study may also be usefully employed for studying the reception of other major Christian doctrines in the contemporary Ghanaian context.