Books

Since antiquity, many have come to view benefaction and patronage in a negative light, largely due to the increasingly immoral motives of those involved in systems that can be exploitative or corrupt. Dr Nathan Joshua provides a counter to this view and instead draws attention to the goodness of godly benefaction and patronage from an African Christian perspective. This is a valuable resource addressing the need for leadership with integrity, and challenging the negative outlook surrounding benefaction and patronage today.

Dr Huang provides a thorough analysis and examination of both the Niebuhrian and feminist understandings of sin, highlighting the strengths and limitations of both arguments. Through her research and interaction with women’s testimonies, Huang’s argument bridges these two competing views of women and sin resulting in a more accurate understanding and application of the theology of sin, particularly in reference to women.

Churnai demonstrates that the retribution principle allows humans to know the hidden God as it illuminates the relationship between individual and Creator. Through Job’s experiences and heartfelt outpouring of his soul before both God’s wrathful and gracious face we can know God more fully. Churnai shows how these faces of God are reconciled in the two divine speeches of YHWH, which invite both Job and the reader and move beyond retribution theology to trust in the graciousness of God.

Dr Lygunda provides a thorough analysis of missiological teaching in theological education institutes in Africa, with special reference to three Christian universities in Democratic Republic of Congo. His detailed examination of current teaching of mission theory and praxis forms the solid foundation for his articulation of a new paradigm of missiological education. In this study Lygunda convincingly presents the case for a transformed approach to raising up seminarians who are equipped to lead indigenous missional churches.

The increased awareness globally of corruption and the threat it poses has led many in the secular and Christian world to seek solutions. Recognizing the crisis caused by corruption in Tanzania, his own country, Dr Alfred Sebahene seeks to understand this social epidemic through the application of theological ethics. As a result the study identifies theological-ethical guidelines that inform and add substance to the church’s duty in the public sphere, particularly in the fight against corruption and injustice.

The patriarchal approach to leadership in the African context is indeed an enigma, judging from the unpredictable outcomes and the quest for effective leadership. The Lord Jesus calls his followers to servant leadership. The secular world has also established the efficacy of the servant leadership approach for cutting-edge leadership. This book looks at the nature of evangelical associations in their diversity and what it takes for leaders to build unity and harmony for effectiveness, especially in the African context.

This publication seeks to evaluate the various missionary approaches both from the Evangelical and Orthodox perspective. Reconciling each the author provides a platform to introduce a new missionary paradigm for Eastern European Evangelical churches.

The land is an important theme in the Bible. It is a theme through which the whole biblical history found in the Old and New Testaments can be studied and analyzed. Looking at the land in the Bible from its beginnings in the garden of Eden this publication approaches the theme from three distinct perspectives – holiness, the covenant, and the kingdom.

Cueva has refined his concept of ‘partnership in mission’ by advocating reciprocal contextual collaboration in this reflection on contemporary missiology. Referencing historical, theological and functional aspects of mission and analyzing its impact on the evangelical movement, he identifies that mission always develops with positive and negative tensions. Emphasizing an understanding of current missions including traditional, networking and emergent models, and how they can be combined, interconnected and interchanged, the author proposes a fresh model that ensures suitability for every context.

This publication addresses the most challenging phase in church-planting missions, the torch being passed from pioneering missionaries to indigenous leaders. Having observed a very different story in the relationship between Olive Doke and Paul Kasonga, Mbewe argues that the key is deep-rooted mutual respect and admiration. Following a biblical interpretation of missions and referencing extensive sources regarding these church-planters, the author identifies the key ingredients to successful handovers and consequently a model for successful church-planting missions.

Tension between theory and practice in theological education is an unfortunate yet common occurrence, with educators sometimes finding themselves on one extreme or the other. Some academics can be so immersed in high-level theological discourse that they hardly interact with the main questions of the average church-goer, while others are so keen to be engaging and relevant they fail to be rigorous in their scholarship.