FEATURE ARTICLE

Dr. David OgulaWednesday, November 20, 2013
[email protected]
New York, USA

ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE
TO YOUR FRIENDS

THE CASE FOR A THEOLOGY OF PRODUCTIVITY IN AFRICA (PART II)

advertisement

Continued from Part I

he second concern about the influence of contemporary Pentecostal religion on poverty relates to the insidious dimensions of certain religious teachings on Africans. The most pervasive can be characterized as the dangerous cocktail of traditional beliefs in witches and mysticism with references to demons and evil spirits in the Bible. Beliefs in witches and magic have influenced African phenomenology for centuries. However, reinforcing these beliefs with Christian doctrines is an added obstacle to liberating the African mind. Sermons that strengthen beliefs in witches and evil spirits, exploit the human tendency to be afraid of the unknown. Church leaders orchestrate these fears with portents of doom and gloom, creating an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and division in families. Consequently, believers become afraid of their husbands, wives, parents, children, siblings and relatives, believed to have sinister plots to harm them. The Pastors who propagate these beliefs hold church members in psychological bondage while cashing in financially.

The extent to which this perverted brand of Christianity has captured the minds of Africans is illustrated in the widely publicized story of Bishop Oyedepo in Nigeria who reportedly accused a young girl of being a witch. One writer noted that the disturbing aspect of the story was that, in the name of God, members of the congregation continued to support and applaud Bishop Oyedepo even when his theatrics degenerated to a physical assault on the girl. In a more shocking case, a pastor doused a member of his congregation in gasoline and set the person ablaze.

In a continent where roughly a third of the population live below the poverty line and half the population remain unemployed, advancing a productive work ethic, which has remained essentially rudimentary, is an imperative for Africa's economic advancement. Increasing the share of productive capital is the surest way to change the fortunes of Africans and the share of wealth of African nations.

This writer believes that just as the church played a role in harmonizing the gospel with the human desire for freedom, the church must play a role in providing ecclesiastical support for the message of productivity in Africa. This article makes the case for a theology of productivity to focus attention on the problems of this world and search for ways to address them. Similar to liberation theology, the theology of productivity is concerned with the economic aspects of salvation not just in spiritual terms but also in physical terms. It seeks to address concrete circumstances, rather than abstract issues. Theology of productivity stems from the understanding that humans are created in God's image; and that they are endowed with godlike qualities, which must be used to transform themselves and the environment.

The book of Genesis explicitly states that God created human in his own image and likeness. This understanding of the Bible indicates that humans possess creative and cognitive capabilities to determine right from wrong. This view of Christianity provides the deepest meaning and complete fulfillment of the human quest to harmonize his spiritual and the material needs. A theology of productivity allows humans to perceive God as the chief architect of work, the grand master of creativity who produced the earth and the universe through a process of creation. This understanding of the gospel not only provides support for balancing human spiritual and physical needs, it is liberating and empowering.

As Africa struggles to overcome the burden of underdevelopment, Africans should be cautious about religious sermons that sedate or propagate ideas that have little or no basis in reality. Credulous followership must give way to a deliberate effort to shape our surrounding and the future. An understanding of this concept of the gospel is central to breaking free from the shackles of superstition and tapping to the God-given ability to create and transform the environment. Africans should go to work to overcome their burdens, recognizing that the African as a human being is a complex, intelligent, creative, and masterfully sculptured agent in God's image.

Continued from Part I

advertisement
IMAGES IN THE NEWS