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The rapid rise of Christianity in the developing world, and specifically in Africa, has asked renewed questions about pastoral theology and pastoral care. The African worldview, as a possible explanation for the increase in Christianity, is one of the most cited reasons for this growth. Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement are referred to as 'new' Christianity. The new Christianity is influenced by the practices and characteristics of the African worldview. Wholistic healing derives from the African worldview perspective that reduces the dichotomy between spiritual and science, or spirit and body. This approach to healing, differs from the Western worldview that approaches healing from a biomedical perspective. The disparity in worldviews and subsequent different approaches to healing, are assessed against the backdrop of the implications for pastoral theology and pastoral care. Contribution: The African worldview and 'new' Christianity contribute by engaging critically with the separation of the two worldviews, the narrow use of experience within the dialogical movement of theory and praxis, and the key concepts of pastoral theology such as illness and suffering, reconciliation, shepherding, and pastoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the contribution of the Ecclesial Network of the Congo Basin (Réseau Ecclésial du Bassin du Congo; REBAC) to the social and environmental pastoral theology of the Church in Africa. It indicates points where this pastoral work encounters that of the Church network of Amazonia (REPAM). It emphasises how the encounter between the Churches of Africa and Latin America, and the publication of the encyclical Laudato si' have inspired ecological pastoral theology in Africa. The article lists the priorities of this pastoral theology as they emerge from the map of the pastoral and social-environmental challenges of the countries of the Congo basin. It concludes with an appeal to spread and root this pastoral practice of an integral ecology, which joins a profound evangelisation to an environmental, economic, and social engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global North, represented by the works of Bultmann, has demythologized the Scripture, taking the essence out of what the powers, principalities, and the Spirit mean and convey. This makes myths of the Scripture meaning-making thing as well as pointing to a reality that can hardly be denied without causing injuries of significant proportion to the Scripture and its recipients in modern society. Between extreme rationalism and excessive supernaturalism lie the interventions of Wink and Barth, who, though recognize the powers, principalities, and the Spirit, yet give different interpretations. [Extracted from the article]

This article argues that there is a form of Christian syncretism operating in African Christians' use of traditional African powers to address their spiritual insecurity challenges that arises from their former traditional African worldview of spiritual powers. It provides an overview description of the nature of the spiritual insecurity which still grips African Christians by delving into the traditional African worldview of spiritual powers (such as the notions of a Supreme Being, lesser divinities, spirits and ancestors) and the centrality of traditional powers such as diviners in addressing this insecurity. After underscoring the aforementioned, this article proceeds to demonstrate three predominant views proposed by theological scholars as a response to the spiritual insecurity of African Christians. The first stance calls African Christians to discontinue with anything that is linked to traditional African spiritual worldview because Christianity entails a complete new ontological being. The second stance disapproves African Christians' reliance on traditional African powers and then proceeds to argue that Christian ministry should identify positives within the African spiritual world system and worldview that is useful and can be imported for use in contextualising the gospel. The third position advocates for Christians' continual reliance on traditional African spiritual powers in addressing their African contextual needs. In doing this, the weaknesses and strengths of these approaches are established with the view to outline an alternative biblical theological basis to ensure biblical Christianity in the challenging African contexts of spiritual insecurity. This article concludes by drawing from various theological responses to the spiritual insecurity of African Christians to ensure Christian ministry that is thoroughly biblical and contextual in African Christianity. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article discusses African spiritual worldview and its implications to practical Christianity. It is an interdisciplinary theological article that integrates African Christian theology and pastoral care. It contributes to the discussion on contextualising Christian practical ministry in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An African funeral is a very social event for the entire community in which the deceased lived. Regardless of whether the deceased was a Christian or not, death has always been a reunion for long-separated relatives, believers and non-believers. Nowadays, tents, cars and the gathering of multitudes of people demonstrate how death can bring people together, irrespective of distance and relationships. Of course, this is not to deny the fact that death can be a cause of division between relatives and friends. Nonetheless, the funeral itself is also a uniting factor; many people come together, regardless of distance, to pay their last tributes to the deceased and to provide the bereaved family with emotional support. In this article, I argue that death, amongst other things, is a uniting factor that is able to bring people, who are separated by distance and other factors, together. The aim of this article is to discuss how death invites people into a family, regardless of bad blood, flawed relationships and separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]