Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 37:1 (Apr 2024)
Article: Book Review: "The Holy Spirit In African Christianity"
Author: Ali Mati

Conspectus 37:1 (April 2024) p. 100

Book Review: The Holy Spirit In African Christianity

Ali Mati

Ngaruiya, David K., and Rodney L. Reed, eds. 2022. The Holy Spirit in African Christianity. African Society of Evangelical Theology Series. UK: Langham. xxi, 151 pp. ISBN: 978139736469. Approx. 429.78 ZAR (22.99 USD). Paperback

1. Introduction

David K. Ngaruiya is an Associate Professor at International Leadership University in Kenya, and he holds a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in the USA. He has published various journal articles and book chapters and was chair of the Africa Society of Evangelical Theology from 2015 to 2016. Rodney L. Reed is a missionary educator who has been working at Africa Nazarene University in Kenya since 2001. He has a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Drew University in the USA.

The authors argue that there is a unique shade to the understanding of and practices related to the Holy Spirit in Africa (p. xi). Nevertheless, the differences in understanding and experience have not affected the Africans’ confession regarding the person and works of the Holy Spirit (p. xi). The features of the Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit in Africa are treated along the broad categories of the charismatic works of the Holy Spirit, the emphasis on the person of the Holy Spirit, and the African Independent/Initiated Churches (AICs) and their application of the theology of the Holy Spirit in their church practices. The book is a comparative study of the understanding and practices related to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit among African Christians from varied backgrounds and perspectives. The authors developed the content of the book by first discussing the continuity and discontinuity between Montanist, Pentecostal-Charismatic, and Augustinian views of the Holy Spirit. Second, the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church’s mission in postmodern African Christianity is addressed. Third, deliverance in the work of the Holy Spirit in AICs and Pentecostal- Charismatic churches is contemplated (p. xxi).

The authors’ contribution to the African Society of Evangelical Theology (ASET) project has been significant. This project endeavors to conduct Evangelical scholarship faithful to the biblical text while drawing implications for the Christian faith in Africa and beyond. The authors’ work has helped to further this mission by engaging with the biblical text and exploring its relevance to the African context. Their work is a testament to the importance of rigorous scholarship in promoting a thoughtful and nuanced understanding of the Holy Spirit.

2. Overview

The authors aim to comprehend the implications of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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