The Church as a theocentric community, with special reference to certain aspects of traditional African ideas of God and man
This thesis suggests as well as expands the idea that the Church is a theocentric Community - a Community of re-created persons whose lives are to be centered on the only Living God, who as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit brought the Community into existence. This way of looking at the nature of the Church differs from the over-Christocentric approach which tends to identify the Church exclusively with one member of the Godhead. At the same time, to regard the Church in an African context as a theocentric Community is an attempt to develop a specifically African Christian understanding of the Church in the hope that the type of ecclesiology to emerge from the study will be relevant and intelligible to an African convert. It is the contention of this thesis that an enquiry into the nature of the Church will have to take into consideration the doctrines of God and man. If such a doctrine of the Church is to be understood by a given people and is to be responsive to their needs, then their traditional notions of God and man should not be ignored, no matter how distorted these may be. The above position dictates the approach which is taken in the development of this thesis. The first chapter, which
Obaje, Yusufu Ameh
Philosophy
The Church as a theocentric community, with special reference to certain aspects of traditional African ideas of God and man. This thesis suggests as well as expands the idea that the Church is a theocentric Community - a Community of re-created persons whose lives are to be centered on the only Living God, who as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit brought the Community into existence. This way of looking at the nature of the Church differs from the over-Christocentric approach which tends to identify the Church exclusively with one member of the Godhead. At the same time, to regard the Church in an African context as a theocentric Community is an attempt to develop a specifically African Christian understanding of the Church in the hope that the type of ecclesiology to emerge from the study will be relevant and intelligible to an African convert. It is the contention of this thesis that an enquiry into the nature of the Church will have to take into consideration the doctrines of God and man. If such a doctrine of the Church is to be understood by a given people and is to be responsive to their needs, then their traditional notions of God and man should not be ignored, no matter how distorted these may be. The above position dictates the approach which is taken in the development of this thesis. The first chapter, which
church community special_reference certain_aspect traditional african idea god_man suggests well expand idea church community community created person whose life center living god_god father son holy_spirit bring community existence way look_nature church differs over christocentric tends identify church exclusively member time regard church african context community attempt_develop specifically african christian_church hope type ecclesiology emerge study relevant intelligible african convert contention enquiry nature church take_consideration doctrine_god man doctrine church understand give people responsive need traditional notion god_man ignore matter distort may position dictate take development thesis first