The significance and impact of African theological renaissance to orthodox Christianity
The trending African theological discourses in the context of the varied realities which have become the face of Christianity in Africa present a significant theological impact to the nature of orthodox Christianity. The pragmatic nature of the emerging trends in African Christianity cannot go unnoticed in the context of community formation and social development today. The intensity and spontaneity of African Christianity is a clear testimony of theological renaissance at work in the African Church scene. As African Christianity becomes more vibrant and believers become more determined to express their faith; the art of worship has become more and more innovative to the extent that theological discourse has clearly become influenced by pragmatic African values and spirituality thereby resulting in a clear manifestation of a defining paradigm shift in theology. This paper is a qualitative research study in which the theological discourses of the African pragmatic faith expressions are engaged premised on the grounded theoretical framework. This paper, therefore, explores the new conceptual theological thought patterns evolving around the life and work of the Church in Africa by ways and means of analysis to produce explanations and potentially new interpretations. The research concludes by pointing out that the revolutionary wave manifest in the worship life of the Church in Africa has grave political, cultural, and social implications for ‘traditional’ theology since it has the potential to radically change the face of orthodox Christianity for generations to come. Finally, this paper provides a fundamental synopsis of the nature, context and content of African Christianity in an environment where religion has tended to be a pivotal centre for social development and community formation.