Christian salvation in the contemporary bantu context

Abstract

This article is, on one side, a summary of the history of the evangelization in Africa and, on the other side, a survey of the current activity of inculturation in the continent. Such activity underlines the need of a new understanding of the Bantu Ancestor-Messiah, symbol of earthly human fulfillment and of the eschatological salvation. The article begins with an examination of the concept of salvation in the Old and the New Testament. Then continues with the analysis of how this Judeo-Christian understanding of salvation was presented to the Africans during the past two centuries through the program of the evangelization. In this, the African Independent Churches appear to be here a consequence of a rather politicized evangelization and claim for a genuine proposal of Christian salvation among Bantu Africans. The article, therefore, deals with the relationship between African traditional religion and the contemporary Christian’s offer of the divine salvation, especially from the Catholicism and the Protestantism which are, at present, the main churches in this Bantu area.