Introduction
The existing response to the modern scholarly approach to biblical interpretation in Africa cannot precisely be assessed. Some widespread research has to be done to gawk what African Christians make of the historical needful approach to biblical interpretation.
MISSIONS TRIPS TO AFRICA
What is evident any way is the clamour for a unique African Christianity and inclusive is the desire for a particular guide to interpretation of scriptures in the African mode. It should be noted that while this may be a possibility, there are any challenges to be countenanced. The African context poses these challenges to be discussed due to some reasons. Osadolor Imasogie suggests that the mean African's commitment to Christ is superficial, he often reverts to primary practices. `
If there is no commitment to biblical scholarship then biblical interpretation would continue to be what it is. John Parrat mentions Dickson and Fashole Luke as Africans who "see biblical scholarship as an urgent task" in African Christianity today, which has been too much neglected by the African church2
The Challenge of African Tradition
African tradition as a challenge in biblical interpretation takes into cognizance: The Language model and The ancestor factor. Other primary factors may come into focus from other dimensions but these two by far may outweigh any others.
The language Model
To teach sound biblical interpretation means to gift the scripture to Africans in their own precisely understood language forms. To the greater African audience, the English Bible has been the major source of translations into indigenous African languages. N. Onwu observes this qoute in his essay "The Dilemma of the African Theologian. He cites some words in the New Testament which he says cannot precisely find equivalents in the Igbo language. He says language is a great qoute in hermeneutics precisely because hermeneutics to a large extent is bound to be linguistic and therefore contextual. Language is the soul of the people, the incommunicable into people's culture, philosophy of life and thought; meaning patterns. It is through languages that reality is distorted. The biblical languages have their own characteristic language models and sometimes do not find easily, indigenous equivalents in some African languages.
To stress this point a comparison of the wording in the English Bible of Ephesians 6:12, with that of the Krio(Sierra Leone) bible would enable anyone to see the challenge of the language model in African biblical interpretation.
The Ancestor Factor
Most of the annotation levied on African tradition is centered on the African world view of ancestors. Western Christianity in particular has incessantly pounded African Religion for its refusal to let go this aspect of ancestors. Some Africans on their part being so devoted to this cultural trait have defended the ancestor mode steadfastly.
Charles Nyamiti, a Tanzanian Roman Catholic theologian, says Christ may be regarded as Ancestor because just as the human ancestor establishes a link in the middle of the spirit world and the living, so Jesus by His crucifixion and resurrection establishes a mystical link in the middle of God and the Christian community. Nyamiti believes that in Africa the association in the middle of God and Jesus is more understandable if regarded as one in the middle of ancestor and descendant than in primary Christian imagery of father and son. Someone else African Benezet Buju agrees that Jesus is best understood as the first ancestor; by which he means Jesus fulfilled all the characteristics of the ideal ancestor but at the same time transcend them.
With the primary Christian teaching of Christ as the divine word of God, it becomes explicit that ancestorship in teaching a biblical hermeneutic is the challenge to encounter. There are many other primary challenges to be encountered but these are discussed in a proposed guide to doing theology in Africa. For instance, questions such as how to teach the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts to indigenous Africans, without them mental of the many spirits inhabiting their natural environments.
The Challenge of Contextualization
It is widely standard that the modern car for production the gospel relevant is contextualization. Indigenization as could be seen, has not worked since it only led to some forms of religious syncretism. The rigid conservative choice has also not done much inspecting the view that its application leads to viewing Christianity as a foreign religion and one for middle and upper class people.
The need for contextualization has been a consensus among many theologians. Learned conferences exemplified by one organized by the W.A.T.I. In 1984 in Nigeria on the theme "Contextualization of Christianity in Nigeria", bears eloquent testimony to this trend.
Contextualization may be an standard choice to indigenization or conservatism in modern Christianity. But in teaching biblical interpretation questions of what to contextualize, how, by whom and when are all challenges to be faced if we are to overcome over-contextualization or under-contextualization.
The Challenge of the Interpreter
With all the above challenges nearly overcome, the biggest and perhaps most important is the attitude of the proposed interpreter. From the historical report we have noted that most population come to scripture with their presuppositions and frames of reference. The meaning deduced from a particular text may be influenced by the interpreter's presuppositions. Even if the examiner confronts a scriptural text with a 'tabular rasa' mind he still has sufficient questions which may either leave him frustrated and empty; which in that instance he may want to abandon the process. perhaps he may want to appeal to Someone else source which in this case may be a subjective source that may never supply the needed answer. On the whole it is the attitude of the examiner that will bring out the answers. A pragmatic examiner may for instance not find anyone spirited in the Songs of Solomon or the great part of the gospel of Saint John. A naturalist will see very itsybitsy significance in the teaching of the miracles of Jesus. An existentialist may never find anyone of significance in the narrative of the Exodus.
Socio-economic factors are also challenges within the wider perspective of the interpreter. An examiner who is mental more about the socio-political problems of the continent will no doubt appeal to the liberation theologian for his paradigm of interpretation. A feminist will right on want to quarrel with texts of scripture that express the submission of wives to their husbands etc. On the whole the attitude, mental and status of the examiner are challenges to be faced in the hermeneutical task.
Conclusion
Biblical interpretation is as profound as it is important and interesting. As an African theologian my interest is focused on the permissible comprehension of scripture based on sound interpretation principles with a view to production the scriptures contextually relevant to the African mind. This is the task we now have to face and squarely address. Exegesis and not eisegesis should be our tool.
The Challenges of the African Context on Biblical Interpretation MISSIONS TRIPS TO AFRICA
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