OVERVIEW
African Christianity Developments and Trends Adriaan van Klinken (2012) Chapter 6, page 131ff. Posted by the author. https://adriaanvanklinken.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/african-christianity-developments-and-trends-final-print-version.pdf
PROPHETS, MIRACLE CLAIMS, PROSPERITY PREACHERS:
The Citizen: Prophet Bushiri being investigated for ‘laundering millions’ in Malawi – report (2018) Witnesses claimed that Bushiri orchestrates carefully planned false miracles as part of his services.
A Reformed Baptist in Namibia: Shepherd Bushiri - Namibia's Continued Love Affair With The False Prophets (2018) Last week gullible Namibians welcomed yet another false prophet.... Here are a number of indicators or marks of a false prophet, from the book of Jeremiah:
Nyasa Times: Malawi: Cracking the Major 1 Code - Prophet Shephered Bushiri (2017) Do you want to understand Major 1? Here is the clue: .... Prophet Bushiri is a chosen Man of God. When you fight him, you fight God.
Prophet buys snakes and plants them in church member’s homes (2017) Harare – A FAKE prophet was arrested on Saturday on fraud allegations after his driver exposed his tricks.
The Citizen: Pastor feeds congregants Rattex for ‘nourishment and healing’ (2017) At the Grace Living Hope Ministries in Soshanguve this past weekend, a determined Prophet Light Monyeki demonstrated “the power of God” by feeding his congregation rat poison.
'Doom Prophet' belongs in mental hospital - MEC (2017) Lethebo Rabaloga, a "prophet" from Mount Zion General Assembly in Seshego, spray[ed] the insecticide Doom at church members to chase away demons in their bodies.
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail: The prophets of Baal are here (2017) In recent months we have seen it all: “prophets” making people eat grass, church leaders selling “anointed condoms”, so-called men of God walking on congregants, and followers drinking sewage and being told that a higher power makes it palatable. And now we have Pastor Paul Sanyangore of Victory World International, who says he talks to God on his mobile phone.... Not to be outdone is Pr Jonathan Mthwethwa, a Zimbabwean based in South Africa: he tried to walk on water and was feasted on by three three crocodiles.
All Africa: Zimbabwe Pastor Talks to 'God' On the Phone During Service (2017) "I have a direct channel, actually I have His number and I can call Him when need arises.... I got this when I was praying and I heard a voice telling me to call direct," he was quoted as saying.
All Africa: Preachers of Prosperity - Faith As Business (2017) Five centuries ago, Martin Luther reformed the Christian church to prevent the marketing of religion. But in Africa, the debate over blending God and money is a very timely one.
New Zimbabwe: Prophetic hallucinations and the freedom of worship (2017) A HARARE based prophet who made headlines early this year that he had had lunch with God at his home in Sunningdale...
IOL: Bell tolling for pastors' 'miracle healing' claims (2018) Pastor Penuel Mnguni feeds a member of his church a cockroach and flowers.
News 24: Cape Town will have rain like never before - Pastor Mboro (2018) "I believe that Cape Town will have rain like never before. There will be change in Cape Town, this is the year," he said.
All Africa: Malawian Prophet Bushiri Ranked Amongst 10 Most Affluent Africa Families (2017)
AllAfrica: Are 'Men of God' Receiving Mixed Messages on Cape Town Rain? (2018)
BiAS 12: Bible, Prophets and Profits in Zimbabwe (edited by Ezra Chitando/ Masiiwa R. Gunda/ Joachim Kügler) (2017) 236 page ebook in pdf format
The Miracles of Reinhard Bonnke [A critical assessment] How do we view the miracles, healings and even the raising of the dead?... In the wake of God’s “harvesting machine” [Bonnke] follows a trail of confusion, disappointment and, unfortunately, dead people in the most literal sense of the word.... But in all fairness we concede that Bonnke has an excellent gift for preaching and sometimes preaches the gospel very clearly to the point of being impressive.
Atlas Obscura: The Sketchy Faith Healer Who Tried to Save New York From Vice (2017) [A critical assessment] Today, an estimated 15 million people in six nations in southern Africa belong to so-called Zionist Christian churches. These churches continue to adhere to many of [John Alexander] Dowie’s teachings, particularly a belief in faith healing.
DOCTRINE AND ORTHODOXY:
The Gospel Coalition TGC: African Pastors Saying ‘No’ to Prosperity Theology (2016) Bible-based churches led by doctrinally sound pastors are not common: “They are like diamonds scattered around Kenya.”... “Church planting is a business here,” he said, “and men with zero training and biblical knowledge enter the field in the hope of acquiring income from unfortunately gullible people looking for a blessing or to have their problems fixed.”
The Greatest Threat to the African Church Isn’t Islam (2017) Christians in Nigeria should be afraid of something more dangerous than the Islamization agenda: the ethical and moral decadence eroding Christian public life.... Many Nigerians obtain fraudulent medical certificates, as well as fake birth and citizenship certificates, to be admitted to good schools or to get choice jobs. They evade taxes, over- and under-invoice customers, perform fake audits, and on and on.... These matters are more lethal to the Christian faith than any Islamization agenda. [Etc. Excellent article.]
Unio cum Christo (Union with Christ): THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN AFRICA
by CONRAD MBEWE Vol. 3 No. 1 / Apr 2017 We trace the discovery of this doctrine in the Reformation, its application to Africa, and its current absence, and we call church leaders to teach this truth afresh to God’s people.
Themelios: Subtle Ways to Abandon the Authority of Scripture in Our Lives D. A. Carson (2017) 1. An Appeal to Selective Evidence 2. Heart Embarrassment before the Text 3. Publishing Ventures That Legitimate [used as a verb here] What God Condemns [e.g., homosexuality] 4. “The Art of Imperious Ignorance” 5. Allowing the Categories of Systematic Theology to Domesticate What Scripture Says 6. Too Little Reading, Especially the Reading of Older Commentaries and Theological Works 7. The Failure to be Bound by Both the Formal Principle and the Material Principle 8. Undisciplined Passion for the Merely Technical, or Unhealthy Suspicion of the Technical 9. Undisciplined Confidence in Contemporary Philosophical Agendas 10. Anything That Reduces Our Trembling before the Word of God.
Challies: Series: Deadly Doctrines (2017)
Deadly Doctrines: The Pattern and Protection - Challies (2017) True doctrine (content) originates with God (origin), comes from the Bible (authority), and agrees with the whole of Scripture (consistency). Because such doctrine is sound (quality), it is healthy (benefit), and profitable (value) for us, and we are responsible for holding it (responsibility).Scripture in the Early Church: 2017 Winter Conference at Reformation Bible College (2017) [video] Reformation Bible College hosted their Winter Conference, “Scripture in the Early Church” in Sanford, FL. Early Christian preaching, Augustine’s use of Scripture, the development of the biblical canon, heresies, and other topics. Watch for free.
Seven Characteristics of Liberal Theology
10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BIBLICAL INERRANCY (2018) Two views of biblical inerrancy have dominated the landscape. Some embrace what has been called “Limited Inerrancy.”... I embrace and want to argue for what I’ll call the doctrine of “Complete Inerrancy.” ... We turn now to ten things to keep in mind whenever we discuss the inerrancy of Scripture.
TRADITIONAL RELIGION / WITCHCRAFT:
Breitbart: South African Convicted of Murdering Four Children to Sell Ears to Witch Doctor (2018) A judge in South Africa sentenced a man to four life sentences in prison on Tuesday for the murder of his nieces and nephews – whose ears, he confessed, he planned to sell at a high price to a witch doctor for use in potions. [Google search "muti killing" for more]
The Henry Center: Witchcraft Accusations (2017) In spring 2013, the Henry Center sponsored a colloquium in Nairobi, Kenya... to address the growing presence of witch accusations.
International Bulletin of Mission Research: Healing Communities: Contextualizing Responses to Witch Accusations (2017) Witchcraft accusations are a fatal epidemic in Tanzania
The Spectator: Witch-hunting capitalism in Africa: Can you blame the IMF for a surge in superstitious violence? Sociologists are trying (2013) The poor assume the rich are using witchcraft to advance themselves, and so begin using the very same weapon to eradicate those above them in the food chain.
African Traditional Religion Keeps Them Poor (2017) The primary damaging belief comes from their perspective on the afterlife.
Zambia spirit hospital, healing possession dance - [YouTube video 12 min.] (2013) We meet Shula Marindi, a traditional healer in the bush of central Zambia. She runs what she calls a 'spirit hospital'. Shula is possessed by three healing spirits. She sees up to 50 patients a day, and some stay for weeks in the compound of her hospital. When she sees a patient she goes into trance, the spirits come into her, and tell her what the problem is and how to treat it. She also cures madness and drives out bad spirits in a healing dance.
MISSIONS:
The Evolving Role of Western Missionaries in Missions Today (2017) In recent years, Western missionaries have been accused of being vehicles of neo-colonialism. Dr. Celestin Musekura discusses the role of Western missionaries in the 21st Century.
Cymbaluk: New Missionary Methods Needed (2017) it is essential for Christian leaders in the Global South(Africa, Asia and Latin America) to use culturally appropriate methods to advance the gospel. Methods, tools and strategies that worked for Westerners may not fit the needs and potentials of the unfolding Southern mission movement.
An African Explains Why @TGC’s Article On Africa And Western Missionaries Is Offensive And Wrong (2017) I hope The Gospel Coalition will issue an apology for contributing to the stigma that Africa is a dark place.
CULTS AND CHRISTIAN EXTREMISM:
Cult Definition - What is a cult? (2017) The term ‘cult’ has a precise definition — or rather, several precise definitions. Which definition is the right one largely depends on the context in which the term ‘cult’ is applied.
The Herald (Harare): Dangerous Religious Cults and the Loss of Identity (2017) One of the most famous religious movements in Africa was led by Alice Lenshina Mulenga who lived in Chinsali District, Zambia.... Some people thought she was possessed by demons. But Lenshina claimed to have met Jesus Christ during her coma.
The Observer: Pastor Bugingo under fire for burning 'deceptive' Bibles (2017) Apostle Charles Tumwiine of New Life Harvest Church International and Ebenezer World Outreach Ministry told URN that nobody has power to declare that some versions of the Bible 'wrong' or 'unfit' to read because the "word of God is older than everyone."
Malawi: Religious Leaders Warned From Discouraging People From Registering Lilongwe — certain religious leaders are associating the current mass registration exercise with what was written in the book of Revelation.... surprisingly members of the Jehovah's Witness have turned up in their large numbers to register. Kamanga said most of the members are referring to the Book of Luke 2 verses 1- 5, where King Caesar Augustus had ordered mass registration of his people in Judea.
[Zambia] National Broadcast ZNBC Airs Pastor Ock Soo Park and Gracias Choir (2016)
Zambia Daily Mail: We need sanity in the Church (2017) ... with the formation of the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs, things are changing.
Zambia Daily Mail: Keep false prophets out of Zambia (2017) Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo says Prophet Shepard Bushiri’s alleged attack on Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili is an attack on the entire Government.... “The country has so many good ministers with miracles happening, hence there is no need to infiltrate the nation with fake prophets,” Bishop Nyonyo said....
CBS: HOW TO IDENTIFY A CULT: SIX TIPS FROM AN EXPERT (2018) So what constitutes a cult? Eichel listed several factors [paraphrased]: 1. Pressure. 2. Leader claims special powers, insight or divinity. 3. Closed, loyal, secretive inner circle. 4. The group uses deceptive means and brainwashes its members. 5. The cult exploits its members financially, psychologically, emotionally and, all too often, sexually. 6. The cult teaches that if you leave the group, horrible things will happen to you. People outside of a cult are not looked upon as negatively as people who leave the cult.
SOCIAL :
The Christian Century: The new Catholic homeland (2017) Within a few decades, a third of all Catholics will live in Africa.
The Key to Making Peace in Africa - Fighting Corruption Can Help End Conflict (2018) Most governments and banks do not prioritize the collection of evidence on Africa’s illicit financial flows, which means that companies benefiting from them face little risk of getting caught.
Zambia 'Becoming a Dictatorship', Say Church Leaders
Africa: Religious Conflicts On the Rise in Africa
Africa’s Autocratic Leaders Cling to Power In Zambia, meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has deepened his political dominance by jailing the main opposition leader, suspending opposition MPs from parliament, and invoking emergency powers. Until recently, Zambia was considered one of Africa’s most democratic nations.
Is It Racist to Say Africa Has ‘Civilizational’ Problems? The French president got in hot water for noting the continent's dysfunction. But nothing he said was false.... “Failing states, complex democratic transitions, the demographic transition.” Later, he added that “in some [African] countries today seven or eight children [are] born to each woman.”
APOLOGETICS PROPER:
Five Things Christian Apologetics Must Have (2017) 1. Apologetics must be distinguished from evangelism. 2. Apologetics must define truth and demolish any relative notion of truth. 3. Apologetics must demonstrate the existence of God. 4. Apologetics must show that worldviews opposed to Theism are false. 5. Apologetics must give a systematic defense of the Christian faith.
AFA Journal: Truth is Never Enough (2016) I had been so worried about winning an argument, about getting a point across, about sounding smart, that I never took the time to listen to her hurt and treat her like a human being. It was abstract for me. It was personal to her.
Institute for Religious Research (IRR): Did Jesus Exist? The Bottom-Line Guide to Jesus, Part 1 (2017) In this series of articles entitled “The Bottom-Line Guide to Jesus,” we will address various challenges to Christian beliefs about Jesus.
Reza Aslan Doesn’t Get Religion CNN’S TOUR DE FARCE (2017) CNN has long struggled to understand religion. But the host of an upcoming documentary takes that cluelessness to a whole new level.... Quoting the Buddha, Aslan likens the religions of the world to different wells, which believers dig in order to drink the same water.
Preaching as Apologetics [audio podcast] (2017) This week on Preaching and Preachers, Dr. Mark Coppenger joins me in a discussion on the preaching as apologetics. Contents: How Dr. Coppenger became an apologist; Why all Christians are apologists in some manner; A brief evaluation of using the “proofs” of Christianity; Is it right or helpful for the preacher to think of himself as an apologist?; How preaching is an apologetic work; Counsel to pastors regarding apologetics; The significance of expository preaching in apologetics; A brief discussion on apologetic resources available to pastors.
