Topic: Challenges and Prospects of Doing Biblical Studies in Africa
Since the establishment of Christianity in Africa in the 17th century, there had been issues concerning appropriate methods and approaches for doing biblical studies in Africa. Some of the methods and approaches introduced by the missionaries did not consider the unique worldviews and presuppositions of the African context. Arguably, the lack of an appropriate method for biblical studies is one of the main issues that helped the Arab raid of North Africa to succeed and wiped away the dominance of Christianity in North Africa. This happened because the Christian faith was not imbedded in their local worldviews. Subsequently, African biblical scholars have propounded various methods and approaches for doing biblical studies in Africa. Some of the methods are appendages of the Historical Critical Methods that are inherited from the missionaries. Others argue for entirely novel methods; again others argue for eclectic methods between the inherited methods and those propounded for use for the African context or eclectic methods among the methods put forth for the African context. The availability of myriad methods and approaches for biblical studies in Africa raise the issue of segmentation of the African context and the determination of particular methods suitable for a particular context in Africa rather than considering Africa as a single context. This call for paper presentation seeks responses to methods and approaches for effective biblical studies in Africa, particularly West Africa, to make the Bible more relevant and responsive to critical issues in the African context.
Areas to explore include but are not limited to:
- Contextualization of biblical studies methods and approaches in Africa.
- Biblical studies research in Africa.
- Methods of biblical studies in Africa.
- Challenges of biblical studies students in Africa.
- The prospects of biblical studies in Africa.
- Approaches to biblical studies in Africa.
- Methods and approaches for Bible translations in Africa.
- Using African biblical studies method for exegesis in Africa.
- African ways of reading the Bible.
- The Bible as a source of power in African Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity.
- Comparative analysis of Africa biblical methods and approaches.
- Comparative analysis of Africa biblical methods and approaches and other methods.
- Early church fathers’ methods of biblical interpretation.
- Interpretation of key passages of the Bible using African biblical studies methods or approaches.
- Methods and approaches for teaching biblical studies in Africa.
- African biblical studies methods and African spirituality.
Important dates
Submission of 150 words abstract – October 15, 2021
Notice of acceptance of abstracts – October 30, 2021
Submission of full (draft) article – November 30, 2021
Presentation at IBSA – West Africa meeting December 4, 2021
Reviewers’ comments to authors/contributors – January 30, 2022
Submission of corrected/revised full chapter – February 15, 2022
Publication date – April 30, 2022
All abstracts, draft papers, and inquiries should be sent to Prof. Jonathan Edward Tetteh Kuwornu-Adjaottor jkadjaottor@gmail.com, or Dr. Daniel Nii Aboagye Aryeh at danielniiaboagyearyeh@gmail.com
Venue: Online (Link will be communicated later)