An ethos of hospitality as public morality in the face of the disorderly process in Nigeria today?

Abstract Nigeria, a highly populated country in West Africa, has for the past fi ve years been embroiled in turmoil. Agitation arising from displacement of a large number of people coupled with alienation in their own ancestral lands and homes, due to activities of the unpopular Islamic sect, Boko Haram (roughly translated in English as "Western education is an abomination"). Th is radical religious sect seeks in the most poignant way, to create a wide gap for its own conceived Islamic world order by killing, dispossessing, kidnapping and alienating people, especially in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, bordering Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republics. Economic, religious, cultural and political lives of the locals including Muslims are destroyed. No end is in sight. However, in the face of hostility, hatred, injustice, disorder, despair and an attempt to create order, a new form of public morality is desperately needed in Nigeria, today. Th e questions then are: what is this public morality? How can a public morality be facilitated to salvage such a disturbing situation

"Participating in God's mission of reconciliation" - Nigerian churches' response to ethnic conflicts

CITATION: Akper, G. I. 2012. "Participating in God's mission of reconciliation" - Nigerian churches' response to ethnic conflicts. Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 53(suppl. 2):89-102, doi:10.5952/53-0-198.The original publication is available at https://ngtt.journals.ac.zaThe paper appeals to the Faith and Order paper on “Ethnicity, National Identity, and the Search for the Unity of the Church” (ETHNAT) to evaluate whether or not and in what way, Nigerian churches are responding to ethnic challenges. After a brief statement of the Faith and Order paper’s invitation to participate in the ministry of reconciliation (1), the paper describes categories of churches in the Nigerian context (2). The Nigerian churches’ responses to ethinic identities and their impact on the unity of the church is then evaluated (3). It is argued that not all Nigerian churches are responding to the call to reconcile societies divided along ethnic lines and, therefore, issues a call to participate in a ministry of reconciliation in their country (4).https://ngtt.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/198Publisher's versio

Is God in Nigeria? : land dislocation and the challenge of confessing Belhar in Nigeria today

CITATION: Akper, G. I. 2018. Is God in Nigeria? : land dislocation and the challenge of confessing Belhar in Nigeria today. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 4(1):61-72, doi:10.17570/stj.2018.v4n1.a03.The original publication is available at https://ojs.reformedjournals.co.za/stjOf the view that “in the land full of enmity, God is in a special way the God of the destitute and the wronged”, the essay explores the challenge of confessing the third article in the Confession of Belhar in Nigeria today. Nigeria has recorded a high number of displaced persons in the years between 1982 and 2016, who have been dispossessed of their lands and their hopes for better living standards. This situation has often been caused by the activities of radical religious activists. Also, a number of communal crises among ethnic nationalities especially in some parts of what can be described as northern Nigeria have added to the statistics of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). These destitute, many of whom are Christians, continuously cry out, hoping that God may intervene, and change their situations for the better, but seemingly to no avail. For some of them, it seems like all hope is lost. With such agonising situations among Christians, what sense will it make, “to preach” to them that “God is in a special way” their God? The essay examines this question by juxtaposing the Nigerian situation with South Africa’s past, when the Christians in South Africa confessed that God was still on their side amidst a seemingly hopeless situation. It also explores whether some lessons from the South African experience can be of any assistance or relevance to the Christians in Nigeria today.https://ojs.reformedjournals.co.za/stj/article/view/1862Publisher's versio

We the poor must abandon our wheelchairs and begin to walk unaided : on African agency discourse

CITATION: Akper, G. I. 2009. We the poor must abandon our wheelchairs and begin to walk unaided : on African agency discourse. Scriptura, 100:108-120, doi:10.7833/100-0-659.The original publication is available at http://scriptura.journals.ac.zaAfter mapping the current notions of African agency discourse, the article suggests a more dialogical approach to the discourse, the partnership notion of African agency discourse. This suggestion is based on the view that African leaders and academics are apparently not yet ready to walk unaided. Therefore, the article proposes a broadened African agency that involves other races. Specifically, it stresses the need for a discourse that goes beyond a black identity as a category for an African agency discourse to be African proper. The essay further suggests that the contribution of the “other” in the discourse should be cherished by black and white discussants.http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/659Publisher's versio

Glocalisation in the service of resistant discourses : towards reading with Volker Kuster

CITATION: Akper, G. I. 2018. Glocalisation in the service of resistant discourses : towards reading with Volker Kuster. Scriptura, 117(1):1-10, doi:10.7833/117-1-1383.The original publication is available at http://scriptura.journals.ac.za‘Talking back’ in a non-confrontational way, this essay engages the German theologian Volker Küster’s ‘reading’ of what it views as resistant discourses from the global South. In the first instance, the essay attempts to ‘read’, with Küster, global political and social transformations since 1990, specifically looking at possible ways they have shaped theological discourses in the global South. Moving on, is Küster’s ‘reading’ of a selected number of the latter discourses. The essay also attempts to highlight analytically, how Küster came to the conclusion that a shift occurred from contextualisation to the so-called glocalisation. Finally, based upon an own ‘reading’ of the discourses and drawing on the discussants’ voices themselves, an argument is made for glocalisation in the service of contextualisation.http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1383Publisher's versio

An ethos of hospitality as public morality in the face of the disorderly process in Nigeria today?

CITATION: Akper, G. I. 2015. An ethos of hospitality as public morality in the face of the disorderly process in Nigeria today? Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 1(2):283–298, doi:10.17570/stj.2015.v1n2.a13.The original publication is available at http://ojs.reformedjournals.co.zaNigeria, a highly populated country in West Africa, has for the past five years been embroiled in turmoil. Agitation arising from displacement of a large number of people coupled with alienation in their own ancestral lands and homes, due to activities of the unpopular Islamic sect, Boko Haram (roughly translated in English as “Western education is an abomination”). This radical religious sect seeks in the most poignant way, to create a wide gap for its own conceived Islamic world order by killing, dispossessing, kidnapping and alienating people, especially in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, bordering Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republics. Economic, religious, cultural and political lives of the locals including Muslims are destroyed. No end is in sight. However, in the face of hostility, hatred, injustice, disorder, despair and an attempt to create order, a new form of public morality is desperately needed in Nigeria, today. The questions then are: what is this public morality? How can a public morality be facilitated to salvage such a disturbing situation?http://ojs.reformedjournals.co.za/index.php/stj/article/view/1261Publisher's versio

Contemporary African perspectives on Jesus' cross and human suffering : a critical comparison of African christologies

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the problem: do contemporary African Christologies reflect the portrayal of the personhood and the significance of the Cross of Christ in the New Testament? It explores the Christo logical views of African theologians in Black Theology, African Theology and African Women's Theology, and the fundamental presuppositions of these forms of Christologies rather than providing a detailed treatment of the individual Christo logical views of these theologians. The research argues that the methodological assumptions of African theologians, specifically, their hermeneutical starting point and convictions, deeply influence their Christological thoughts and constructions. Therefore, this research examines contemporary African hermeneutical methods, particularly searching for their congruence with the original and characteristic Protestant hermeneutical conviction of Sola Scriptura. As a comparative study, this research deliberately compares these contemporary and representative African Christologies with Paul's view of Jesus Christ and the significance of his Cross, thereby inquiring specifically after the role of Christian Soteriology in these African Christo logical approaches and comparing them with Paul. The research argues that, looking at dominant contemporary African Christologies from the perspective of Pauline Protology and Soteriology, they do not always fully reflect the New Testament portrayal of the personhood and the Cross of Christ in the New Testament. For future work on African Christologies, the research concludes and suggests that African Christologies be critically evaluated based on their congruence with the Protestant hermeneutical principle of Sola Scriptura.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die vraag: Hoe reflekteer hedendaagse Afrika- Christologiee die persoonskap en betekenis van die Kruis van Christus soos voorgestel in die Nuwe Testament? Dit bestudeer die Christologiese sienings van Afrika-teoloe in Swart Teologie, Afrika Teologie en Afrika Vroue- Teologie. Die klem val op die grondliggende voorveronderstellings van hierdie Christologiee eerder as op 'n gedetailleerde hantering van die onderskeie Christologiese sieninge van hierdie teoloe. Die navorsing voer aan dat die metodologiese aannames van Afrika-teoloe, spesifiek in hul hermeneutiese vertrekpunt en oortuigings, 'n diepgaande invloed uitoefen op hul Christologiese denke en konstruksies. Derhalwe bestudeer hierdie navorsing hedendaagse hermeneutiese metodes in Afrika, in besonder wat betref hulle ooreenkoms met die oorspronklike en kenmerkende Protestantse hermeneutiese oortuiging van Sola Scriptura. As 'n vergelykende studie word hierdie hedendaagse en verteenwoordigende Afrika- Christologiee gemeet teen Paulus se sieninge van Jesus Christus en die betekenis van die Kruis. Die ondersoek gaan dus veral in op die rol van Christelike soteriologie in hierdie Afrika-Christologiese benaderings, en vergelyk dit dan met Paulus. Die navorsing voer aan dat dominante hedendaagse Afrika-Christologiee, bestudeer vanuit die oogpunt van Christelike soteriologie, nie altyd die Nuwe Testamentiese voorstelling van die persoonskap en die Kruis van Christus voldoende reflekteer nie. Dit blyk veral uit 'n ondersoek van die Briewe van Paulus. Ter afsluiting doen die studie aan die hand dat toekomstige werk oor Afrika- Christologiee krities geevalueer word ooreenkomstig hul ooreenstemming met die Protestantste hermeneutiese beginsel van Sola Scriptura

Is God in Nigeria? Land dislocation and the challenge of confessing Belhar in Nigeria today

Of the view that “in the land full of enmity, God is in a special way the God of the destitute and the wronged”, the essay explores the challenge of confessing the third article in the Confession of Belhar in Nigeria today. Nigeria has recorded a high number of displaced persons in the years between 1982 and 2016, who have been dispossessed of their lands and their hopes for better living standards. This situation has often been caused by the activities of radical religious activists. Also, a number of communal crises among ethnic nationalities especially in some parts of what can be described as northern Nigeria have added to the statistics of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). These destitute, many of whom are Christians, continuously cry out, hoping that God may intervene, and change their situations for the better, but seemingly to no avail. For some of them, it seems like all hope is lost. With such agonising situations among Christians, what sense will it make, “to preach” to them that “God is in a special way” their God? The essay examines this question by juxtaposing the Nigerian situation with South Africa’s past, when the Christians in South Africa confessed that God was still on their side amidst a seemingly hopeless situation. It also explores whether some lessons from the South African experience can be of any assistance or relevance to the Christians in Nigeria today.</jats:p