Going Native: reStorying Theology and Hermeneutics

The Covid pandemic reminds us of the bad effects of contact with outside civilisations - colonisation of (is)lands, bodies, minds and spirits. In colonised Pasifika, natives were dispossessed and shunned; but in the ‘new normal’, Native wisdom could heal theological and hermeneutical tasks. Seeing the practices of contextualisation as tools for the colonial and missionary projects, this article presents talanoa (orality, oratory) and kautaha (working together) as native Pasifika practices that encourage interaction and collaboration (desperately needed in Covid’s lockdown and isolationist new normal). Talanoa and kautaha are the heart and soul of going native and reStorying (retell, reimagine, repurpose).

Deepening the Postcolonial Theological Gaze: Frantz Fanon and the Psychopathology of Colonial Christianity

Postcolonialism is not simply an optic, but also a particular practice, a way of reading texts and contexts that sees the interconnections of the psychological, cultural and theological nature of the traumatic legacies of colonialism and empire. In this article, I reflect on postcolonial theology suggesting that any postcolonial gaze pay particularly attention to the psychological dimension of coloniality that continues to operate within Christian discourses. I engage Franz Fanon, African Caribbean postcolonial or rather, anti-colonial, radical and revolutionary intellectual whose academic work and activist lifestyle have embodied this attention to the psychological.

Moving Beyond ‘Christian Relations to Other Religions’: A Postcolonial Critique of Interreligious Dialogue

Interreligious dialogue involving Christianity has many of its roots in European colonialism. In order that interreligious peacebuilding works effectively among communities, it is important to decolonise dialogue. Such a task will involve critiquing the dominant ‘Christian relations to other religions’ approach where Christianity’s points of view are often brought to the centre. It will encourage Christian reflections of ‘other religions’ relations to Christianity’, which can create possibilities to explore how and why other religions build relations with Christianity, and for learning from them. A rereading of the Esau-Jacob story can serve as a model to work for a decolonised dialogue that is more fruitful in the contemporary context.

Guest Editorial: The Case for Postcolonial Theology

This article provides an extended introduction to postcolonial theology. It makes the case for regarding postcolonial theology as a genuinely global theology and challenges the dominance of the traditional systematic theology of the West arguing that it should be set in its cultural context.

The Value of Ubuntu as a Framework for Leadership in Christian Ministry

In every moment of crisis, including the Covid pandemic, good leadership is essential for the survival of organisations. This is as true for the Church as it is for political and business organisations. Most of the leadership theories adopted by all these organisations are developed in the West. My article offers an alternative. I argue that African Ubuntu philosophy has the potential to become a ‘glocal’ phenomenon, one that contributes significantly to the practice of Christian leadership. I develop the meaning of Ubuntu, discuss values according to the Collective Fingers Theory, and suggest how they can be applied to leadership within a Christian context.

Science and Theology for Everyone: How Climate Science is Shaping Christianity in the UK

This article analyses the growing participation of UK Christians in climate initiatives over the last five years. In many cases, climate science is cited as a necessary consideration for the fulfilment of already-existing Christian commitments. This represents a significant shift in the ways UK Christians understand the role of dialogue between theology and the sciences; previous science and theology dialogue has usually been treated as an area of expert concern, primarily offering insight into apologetics or specific ethical problems. By contrast, the dialogue between climate science and theology has seen the emergence of non-technical leadership amid the expectation that climate science plays a critical role in re-examining the meaning of Christian life, both for individuals and as communities.