From The Living Church-Nearly 60 percent of Anglicans worldwide are African. But African Anglicanism is frequently misunderstood. Bishop Jack Spong memorably referred to African Christianity as “a very superstitious kind of Christianity” just before the 1998 Lambeth Conference.[1] Such post-colonial condescension did great damage. But alongside this, starry-eyed depictions of African Anglicanism need tempering with realism. African Anglicanism has great strengths, but also significant problems.
Moreover, African Anglicanism has been changing fast in recent decades. Many statements made about it, especially by people from the Global North, are dated or plain incorrect. As we look towards the 2020 Lambeth Conference, new research will help us find deeper understanding and, potentially, a healthier Anglican Communion.
The North’s Mistaken Views of Africa
My favourite spoof video features a group of youthful Africans glowing with health, appealing for aid to help rather shabby looking Norwegians! It is a glorious satire of the average British or American aid appeal, which routinely depicts vigorous white people assisting supposedly helpless Africans (an expression of the “white saviour complex”).
More here-
https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2018/02/21/lambeth-2020-and-african-anglicanism/
No comments:
Post a Comment