wfn.org | Christianity and Peoples of Other Faith Communities

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

AANA Bulletin is an ecumenical initiative to highlight all endeavours and 
experiences of Christians and the people of Africa.  AANA Bulletin is 
published weekly and, together with the French Edition - Bulletin APTA - is 
also available through e-mail.  For editorial and subscription details, 
please contact:	

AANA Bulletin								Bulletin APTA
  Editor - Mitch Odero							Acting Editor - Silvie Alemba

BOOK  REVIEW

Book Projects Concerns Religious Fundamentalism

Publisher: Theology  and Interfaith Desk of the AACC
Editors: Rev. Arnold Temple (AACC) and Rev. Dr. John Mbillah (PROCMURA)
Printer: African Church Information Service (ACIS), Nairobi-Kenya
Year of Publication: 2001
Volume: 102 pages

NAIROBI (AANA) August 12 - With emerging and spread of fundamentalism on 
the African continent, their impact are no longer taken for granted.

Churches are among other institutions expressing concern.  A book under 
review projects the phenomenon of religious extremism.

Based on the  proceedings  of a continental consultation , organised 
jointly by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the Project for 
Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) in Lome, Togo in December 
2000, the book cites cases on the African continent, where fundamentalism 
has broadly manifested itself.

The war in Sudan, which can be attributed  to many factors, also bears all 
the marks of a religious fundamentalism, says the book in its introductory 
message.

It stresses that religious extremism, also described as fundamentalism, is 
a growing phenomenon in the world today and Africa is no exception.

The book notes that Nigeria, a secular federation, now sees some of its 
states declaring and  enforcing  Sharia law, to the detriment of the other 
minority religious communities in those states.

With thoroughly researched papers on the topic - Christianity and Peoples 
of Other Faiths Communities, various theologians and scholars contributed 
articles in the book, making it a rewarding reading.

All in all, it raises questions, gives background information on various 
aspects of Christian-Muslim relations in particular, while it suggests 
various ways of forging harmony-building between Christians and Muslims, as 
well as people of other faith.

The immediate former General Secretary of the AACC, Rev. Canon Clement 
Janda observes that the  long  running  civil war in the Sudan is because 
of the insistence by some people that Muslim majority should  be used as 
the basis to determine  who rules the Sudan.

The Southern Sudanese have refused to be  defined  as a minority  on the 
basis of religion, especially that those who wish  to perpetuate  power are 
descendants of a mixture of Arab migrants from the  Middle East  and 
African natives, says Rev. Canon Janda, himself a southern Sudanese.

He laments that all efforts by church leaders to promote dialogue between 
Christians and Muslims have not worked, stressing that "for the Arab 
Muslims of the Northern Sudan, religion and state are one and the same thing".

The situation in Nigeria, like that of the Sudan, is a case of politicised 
regional politics, says Rev. Canon Janda. For forty years, says the 
Sudanese clergyman, Nigerians have not accepted where the largest 
population is located.

AACC President, The Most Rev. Prof. Kwesi Dickson in an article, entitled: 
Interfaith Perspectives and Dynamics of Engagement with Reference to Ghana, 
stresses that over the years various  religions have come to  live in 
closer proximity with each other than ever before, stressing that  "our 
towns and cities team  with churches and mosques, and to a much lesser 
degree traditional shrines".

But unfortunately, often  in  the wider society, religious fundamentalism 
has increasingly reared its head and caused  much dissension in society, 
and in some cases disenchantment with religion itself, the Ghanaian 
Methodist clergyman  has  lamented.

General Adviser for PROCMURA, Rev. Dr. Johnson Mbillah in an article 
entitled: Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa: Historical Perspectives and 
Current Realities, claims that churches  in Africa have   neglected the issue.

There is evidence  to suggest that  this is an area that can  no longer  be 
sidelined. Churches in Africa are called  upon to reflect on what God is 
saying  to them in the 21st century on Christian-Muslim relations, he says.

The theology scholar stresses that Christians and Muslims  are bound to 
live together for better or for worse, depending on whether  the leadership 
of Church  and Mosque in the different countries  are  prepared  to talk in 
fact to live with their differences in peace.

He has called for the incorporation of the Christian-Muslim relations in 
the pastoral programmes of the Church in Africa.

On Collaborating for Justice and Peace in the Post-Apartheid South 
Africa,  Rev. Sipho Tshelane, the moderator of the United National Church 
in South Africa  points out that "the challenge  for us  all people of 
Africa is to ensure that the cause for justice and peace on our beloved 
continent is inclusive of all that we are."

But this  is  attainable only if we do not  allow our beloved home become a 
play  ground  of Medieval type religious war, the  South African theologian 
has further stressed.

Rev. Arnold  Temple  of the Theology and Interfaith Desk of the AACC  in an 
article  Towards an African Model of Interfaith Dialogue and Co-operation, 
proposes a model  of dialogue as "engagement  for the promotion of the 
Kingdom in our midst".

Congolese clergyman. Rev. Dr. Kasonga wa Kasonga, who heads  the Christian 
and Family Life Education Desk of the AACC in his article: Christian 
Religious Education and Interfaith Engagement  stresses that "Christian 
religious education is not a crisis-oriented  activity.  It works towards 
preventing  the worse of human living to happen in light of the scriptures 
(Bible)".

For that reason the basic conditions of learning must be carefully prepared 
based on the fact that  both Christianity and Islam, at least in their 
present forms, are imported religions that have come  to introduce 
new  forms  of divisions and conflicts, the Congolese clergyman further 
observes.

Other contributors in the book include Maurice Assad of the Coptic Church 
in Egypt; Kenyan Okok-Obuoga Bernard; Ms. Ruth Muthei (Kenyan);  and 
Nigerian Bishop Josiah IdowuFearon, the chairman, PROCMURA area committee 
in northern Nigeria.

Reviewed By Osman Njuguna