Overview

Kwame Bediako was one of the great African theologians of his generation. Challenging the assumption that Christianity is a Western religion, he presented a non-Western foundation for theological reflection, expanded the Christian theological imagination, and offered a path forward for post-Christendom theologies. Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity is the first full-length introduction to Bediako's theology. It engages Bediako's central concerns with identity - specifically what it means to be African and Christian in the aftermath of the failures of colonialism - the relationship of theology and culture, and the need of indigenous expressions of Christian faith for the health of theological reflection worldwide. Challenging stereotypical perceptions of African Christianity and pressing readers to interrogate their own theological convictions in light of cultural and societal presuppositions, this book examines the gift of Bediako's work not just for Africa but for the world.

Full Product Details

9781839730733

Table of Contents

Reviews

Tim Hartman's Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity is a timely theological commentary on the life and work of one of Africa's most influential late twentieth-century theologians. It is a commendable effort at helping those interested in the contours and trajectories of world Christianity, to sustain and memorialize, if not immortalize, the huge contributions that Kwame Bediako made. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, PhD FGA Baeta-Grau Professor of Contemporary African Christianity and Pentecostal Theology, President, Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Ghana The merit of this book is that it identifies succinctly key themes in Bediako's writings and demonstrates exposure to an extensive range of material, making for a more illuminating analysis and a helpful navigation of criticisms that have been levelled against Bediako's ideas. At the same time, the self-acknowledged Westerner's perspective points to the potential value of Bediako's insights for Christian self-understanding and theological innovation in the West. Gillian Mary Bediako, PhD Deputy Rector, Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture, Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana If we are to take seriously the theological implications of world Christianity, there is no better person to begin consulting than Kwame Bediako. Tim Hartman has done us a tremendous service by composing this meticulous and readable primer to the foremost theologian produced by Africa in the late twentieth century. Alexander Chow, PhD Senior Lecturer in Theology and World Christianity, Co-Director, Centre for the Study of World Christianity, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK In our learning from and thinking with Bediako and Christians from Africa, I am inspired to join Hartman and theologians around the world on a theologically reflexive journey where our theological assumptions and beliefs will be remade in the process (pg. 128). Bediako proposed a theological revolution; Hartman's overview of Bediako's thought invites us to join this quiet revolution with humility and courage. Rev. Sivin Kit, PhD Program Executive for Public Theology and Interreligious Relations, Theology for Transformation/Action for Justice, Department for Theology, Mission and Justice, The Lutheran World Federation This is an astonishing, exciting, and important book, because it uses the work of Kwame Bediako, confirming that theology is biography. Tim Hartman describes the work of Bediako in an illuminating manner and has been able to weave into it the work of other scholars including their critiques on Bediako's works. Esther Mombo, PhD Lecturer, St. Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya This is essential reading for scholars and students wanting to understand how Bediako's work theologically repositions power and resistance, beyond Western modernity, by reclaiming epistemologies and theologies that are distinctly African. Sarojini Nadar, PhD Director, Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice

Author Information

Tim Hartman is associate professor of Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia, USA. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia in the area of theology, ethics, and culture and is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Dr. Hartman has published articles in several journals on topics such as global contemporary theologies, Christology, and lived theology. He is also the author of Theology After Colonization: Bediako, Barth and the Future of Theological Reflection.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available