Program

Doctor of Ministry

Number of Pages

213

Year Approved

2023

First Advisor

Byrant, Eric

Second Reader

Jeanine Parolini; Katie Scorgie

Abstract

The African Shona have yet to find a religion that accepts and cherishes their spiritual and cultural heritage. A theology that accommodates their social and cultural progress while allowing them to express their cultural evolution and practices is needed. As Zimbabwe was colonized by the British from Britain or the United Kingdom in Western Europe, this research will investigate if British colonial periods impacted traditional Shona perspectives about God, beliefs, humanity, and their role in the context of globalization. Christian Shona Africans are still undergoing an identity crisis due to the unfavorable concepts and actions of British colonialism as well as the actions of some missionaries. Because Africans are no longer an afterthought when it comes to Bible study and attempts to establish theology on the continent, the research will strive to suggest that there be an endeavor to create a theology that correctly recognizes the Shona African people’s spiritual and cultural history. That is, Shona African people should communicate their Christian philosophy and theology in culturally relevant ways. If the gospel is to be authentically proclaimed in Africa, Africans must have the freedom to read and reinterpret the Bible in light of their culture and worldview within the confines of the scriptures. This includes seeing significant individuals and events in the Bible from an African perspective while combining narratives or storytelling, African customs, and traditions that have been altered to fit within their cultural framework and given access to their African narrative worldview.

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

Document Type

Doctoral thesis

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