Editorial

Abstract

A central aspect of Black theology has always been the necessity to rethink historically accepted norms, particuarly in terms of socio-cultural and political phenomena, within the realms of theological and religious traditions. It can be argued that the most central aspect of this facet of rethinking can be seen in the attempt by Black theology to rehabilitate the Black body against centuries of deleterious thinking. Alongside this central necessity, Black theology has sought to rethink all aspects of White, Euro-American hegemony. This issue of Black Theology: An International Journal contains five articles, all of which, draw into our purview substantive attempts to rethink historic phenomena, religious traditions and epistemological norms. Carol Troupe’s article opens this particular issue of our journal. Her work, emerges from a Council for World Mission’s (CWM) funded pilot project that is a part of their prophetic and epoch making “Legacies of Slavery” programme. As part of the Council for World Mission’s Legacies of Slavery project, the author, from her perspective as a descendant of enslaved Africans, explores the themes that emerged during her initial encounter with historical missionary magazine material. This research involved several visits to the London Missionary Society archives held at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, in the University of London), in order to interrogate aspects of the historical literature held in their “Special Collections”. Drawing on insights from Black and Womanist theologies, she asks questions about what reflection on these themes can offer to contemporary practice and church mission. Willy L. Mafuta and Chammah J. Kaunda’s jointly written article draws on the insights of the famed British philosopher of religion, John Hick. Drawing from John Hick’s soteriological criterion of religious pluralism, this essay questions the way in which Christianity is often portrayed as the normative standard by which other so called “Primitive” religions are assessed, in terms of their veracity to be seen as legitimate forms of expression of the human quest for matters of ultimate concern. This essay claims that with a modern understanding of the globalized world, it is no longer the norm for a non-Christian religion to meet Christian-like features to be considered a “world religion”. By adopting a universal model that is gained through observing concrete particularizations, where no one religion can claim to serve as the clear and dominant standard for any other, this essay attempts to re-imagine and re-construct African Traditional Religions. While the focus of this article is on African Tradition Religions, particular focus is given to the Zulu religion, its deity, uNkulunkulu, and its moral fabric. This article rethinks how we have conceptualized “World Religions”.