Prof. Elizabeth Mburu (PhD), Langham Literature regional coordinator for Africa, presents a paper on "Regaining the African Theological Voice" at the 2019 Africa Baptist Theological Education Network conference in Kenya.

To regain our theological voice is to suggest that we had something, perhaps lost it, and are now attempting to recover it. This paper will briefly trace the influence of early African believers on Christian theology and demonstrate how their contributions had a tremendous impact on the direction the Church has taken. However, in spite of this background, the health of the African church continues to be hindered by systemic problems that “silence” the African voice.

The solution to recovering the African theological voice lies in redefining the African believer’s identity. An understanding of Jesus’ identity provides us with a mirror that allows us to reshape our own identity as African Christians. We redefine our identity by not ignoring who we are as African Christians and by celebrating the diversity we bring to the global Church. Positive lessons about identity that will be uncovered from the presentation of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark include integrating our culture, interrogating our African worldview, exploiting our practical orientation and engaging the community in our theological work.