The Dynamics and Contradictions of Evangelisation in Africa: An essay on the Kom experience

Content

v Content Acknowledgment .................................................................................... xii Preface .................................................................................................. xiii Foreword.............................................................................................. xvii Chapter One: Introduction Background to German Annexation ............................................... 2 Early Missionary Manoeuvres in Cameroon ................................... 3 Evangelisation and Early History..................................................... 6 Kom Early History .............................................................................. 9 German Colonisation and Christianity .......................................... 14 Evangelisation Under the British.................................................... 16 The Sacred Heart Missionaries in Kom......................................... 18 African Chrisitanity in Retrospect .................................................. 20 Colonial and Missionary Motives.................................................... 21 Catholicism and African Traditional Religion .............................. 23 Philosophical and Cultural Consequences of Conversion to Christianity .............................................................................. 25 Evangelisation and Conversion Models ........................................ 28 Christian Villages and Early Converts to Christianity ................ 31 The Triple Heritage and Shattered Dreams .................................. 35 Chapter Two: Missionary Theology Introdction .......................................................................................... 41 Apostolic and Patristic Times ......................................................... 41 Magisterial Teaching 13th Century to the 15th Century ............ 45 Age of Exploration, Discovery and Colonisation........................ 46 Vatican II Era ..................................................................................... 51 Polemics and Controversies Since Vatican II ............................... 54 Chapter Three: Motives and Methods Introduction........................................................................................ 71 Missionary Methods .......................................................................... 72 Apostlic and Patristic Era .......................................................... 72 Mediaval Age ..................................................................................... 75 The Age of Exploration and Colonisation.................................... 76 Motives of Conversion to Christianity .......................................... 80 Introduction.................................................................................. 80 Apostolic and Patristic Era.............................................................. 81 The Reformation ............................................................................... 82 Age of Exploration and Colonisation ............................................ 83 The Kom Christian Experience of Evangelisation ..................... 85 The Post War Era .............................................................................. 87 Traditional Authorities and the Christianity in Conflict ............. 89 Further Expansion of Christianity in Kom ................................... 93 Indigenous Missionary Initiatives ................................................... 94 Missionary Tactics and Manoeuvres .............................................. 97 Chapter Four: Present Day Challenges Introduction...................................................................................... 111 Subtle Anti Christian Literature and the Phenomenon of Reversion .............................................................................. 113 Calls and Importance of Inculturation ........................................ 117 The Cultural Dialogue in the Patristic Era and the Middle Ages .................................................................. 120 The Sixteenth-Century Evangelization of the American Indians .................................................................................. 121 Inculturation in the Far East ................................................... 121 Criteria of Inculturation ................................................................. 122 Christological Criterion ............................................................ 122 Ecclesiological Criterion .......................................................... 122 Anthropological Criterion ........................................................ 123 African Attempts at Inculturation ................................................ 124 Possible Areas of Inculturation..................................................... 127 Traditional and Christian Funeral Rites....................................... 127 Traditional Funneral Rites ............................................................. 130 Traditional Femine Rites ................................................................ 137 African and Christian Religious Underpinnings of Funneral Rites and Points of Divergence and Convergence .............................................................................. 140 African Forms of Healing .............................................................. 151 Introduction................................................................................ 151 Iking I Wayn ..................................................................................... 151 Ise ....................................................................................................... 156 Origin and Purpose ......................................................................... 156 Initiation and Purpose .................................................................... 157 African Spiritual World, Sickness, Healing and the Teaching of the Church .................................................... 159 The Sacramental Rites .................................................................... 162 Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and Demonology .... 162 The Church’s Faith in Healing Today .......................................... 164 Fertility Rites .................................................................................... 165 Fertility Rites in the Ancient Near East ...................................... 167 Traditional Days of Obligations ................................................... 168 Origin and Purpose ................................................................... 168 Christian Days of Obligation ........................................................ 169 Origin And Purpose .................................................................. 169 Traditional Concept and Practice of Justice ............................... 170 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 171 Selected Bibliography ...........................................................................181 ix To my dear beloved mother, Nawain Veronica Mai ...