In a fast-paced world that survives on fact-packed news bytes, people easily satisfy their hunger for power, pomp, and prosperity by use of a little prediction. For people in a country like Uganda, someone who ‘taps’ into the spiritual realm comes in handy. And when our worlds spin faster than light, we have no time to pause, ponder, or even pray. We ‘receive’ whatsoever our apps bring, without stopping to deliberate and decide wisely.
Tertullian often called (and rightly so I believe) ‘Father of Latin Theology coined the term Romanitas to mock Roman-ness, implying his rejection of a Roman identity.[1]
… The African Identity of Lactantius, Augustine, and Tertullian (Part Four)
Having before discussed the contributions of Africa to global Christianity here, we come back to my main question. Did Lactantius, Augustine, and Tertullian, identify themselves as Africans? Or were they ‘merely Europeans in disguise’?
… The African Identity of Lactantius, Augustine, and Tertullian (Part Three)
Christianity has always been at home in Africa, right from when our Savior found residence in Egypt till now. The story of how early Christianity came to Africa varies, but it is not hard to imagine how seeds were sown. Northern and Eastern Africa have always been open to Jerusalem, and the thought is that there existed Hellenistic Jews as far as Libya even before Christ was born.[1]
… The African Identity of Lactantius, Augustine, and Tertullian (Part Two)
Many leading figures of Christian thought and faith who were born and raised on the African continent self-identified as African, despite the influence and privileges of the Roman empire, and contrary to the arguments set forth by some western academic scholars.
… The African Identity of Lactantius, Augustine, and Tertullian (Part One)
The Greek word γλώσσα (glóssa) means tongue or language. A Tongue may refer to the physical organ (Mk 7:33, 1 Cor 14:9, James 1:26). It may also mean ‘the language used by a particular people in distinction from that of other nations.’[1] This is how it applies to Acts 2:11; Isa. 66:18; Dan. 3:4, 5:19. When used this way, it refers to a common language people speak, like English or Luganda or Chinese, or a language that is unintelligible to man.
As I do the required reading for my courses, I often encounter golden nuggets that force me to stop my reading, ponder, and at times dance inwardly. Then I rejoice and mutter a few words of wonder and doxology.
This last Sunday, while preaching on 1 John 2:3-14, Pastor Bobby (of North Shore Community Baptist Church in Beverly South Hamilton MA) hinted on how Christianity (and the gospel) does not offer us just another item to add to the list of activities we already have. He mentioned that for most people, the invitation to a personal relationship with God looks just like that, an additional item on their ‘to-do-list.’
Eternal life, according to Jesus in John 17:3, is the knowledge of the Triune God. If this is so, then our eternal vocation is to know God and enjoy Him forever. Also, if this holds true, then our endeavors here on earth must be to know Him as much as we can, with a singular and simple focus.
It is said, by those who have done proper study and investigation, that Christianity has shifted its geographical center of gravity from the global north to the global south, (Latin America, Africa, and Asia).[1]
